MANNERS, James senior (Grimwade p.305, 590)

[MCB]

He married Ann Babault (sic) at St Benet, Paul’s Wharf on 30 December 1716.
His first mark was entered at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1726 as a small worker from Great St Andrew Street, Seven Dials near Covent Garden. This was the address of two goldsmiths whom Grimwade listed as John Babot (pages 430 and 736) and Paul Babot (page 430). He entered a second mark as a large worker in 1734 from “Ye Rose in the Strand” and a third at the same address in 1739.
Proceedings in 1743 for granting freedom to his son, also James (Grimwade p.305), note that Ann Manners was the executrix of Daniel Baboult of the Needlemakers Company, a silver flatter (sic) of St Martin in the Fields who had been James junior’s master from 1735 until his death in 1741 and that James junior had served her as apprentice to the end of his term but could not be granted his freedom because Ann Manners was not free. The notes record James Manners senior as a goldsmith in St Martin in the Fields parish and do not refer to his being deceased. The difficulty James junior had in obtaining his freedom might suggest his father had died before Baboult but as he had contacted Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1745 (see below) this is clearly not the case. More likely James senior was not a freeman of the City with whom his son could serve out his term.
In 1745 both he and his son James (Grimwade p.305) notified Goldsmiths’ Hall they were working from Villars Street, York Buildings.
A notice of sale of the stock of James Manners, late of Northumberland Court facing St Martin’s Lane but now of Villars Street, York Buildings, gold and silversmith and toyman who had retired from business, was advertised on 30th June 1763 in the Gazetteer and London Chronicle and could apply to either James Manners senior or junior as both had entered marks from the Villars Street address but the Northumberland Court address does not appear in Grimwade’s book in references to either of them. James senior’s marriage to Anne Baboult in 1717 would suggest he was born around 1696; James junior was born around 1721. The retirement referred to in the sale notice seems, on face value, to be more likely to be that of James senior because of age. Equally so the Will of James Manners, merchant late of Villers Street in York Buildings in the Strand, proved for probate on 18th August 1764 (National Archives reference PROB 11/901/257).