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20 January 1780
James Stamp's (unwitnessed ) will mentions "James Sutton, my now Clerk"" He also acted as his bookkeeper and Stamp's will requests him to carry on those duties for the Estate - with suitable remuneration - under Frances Stamp his widow and the executors.

4 April 1780
Death of James Stamp

29 April 1780
Administration (with Will attached) granted by PCC to Frances Stamp Widow the other executors having renounced

12 May 1780
Frances Stamp entered marks as Plateworker

21 June 1780
Frances Stamp is noted by PCC as "since also deceased " and administration of the Will was "granted to Sarah Cooke (wife of John Cooke ) and Mary Stamp Spinster the natural and lawful Sisters and two of the Residuary Legatees"

7 July 1780
James Sutton enters Plateworkers mark at 86, Cheapside "next door to the Mercers Chapel" Horwoods map shows that No 88 and No 86 were on the north side of Cheapside, each on either side of an unnamed building shown as part of the Mercers Hall which one is the Mercers Chapel

At what stage, if at all, James Sutton acquired the business in Cheapside from the Estate of James Stamp is unknown.

18 August 1780
James Sutton is made Free by redemption as Goldsmith. Hence he can now accept the apprentice turnovers from the Stamps

1 November 1780
James Bult, an ex-apprentice of James Stamp turned over to James Sutton .

7 November 1781
James Bult was made free

4 October 1782
Joint mark as Bucklemakers James Sutton & James Bult at 86, Cheapside .

Did Bult provide the capital for a buy out ? His subsequent career as a banker suggests a financial man.

July 1784
Sutton and Bult were listed as bankrupt . Temporary glitch, not an unknown thing at the time .

26 August 1784
William Sutton , probably James' brother registered a smallworkers mark at 85, Cheapside.
Nice timing

3 November 1789
London Gazette Issue 13146 James Sutton to be granted his certificate - I.e. has been a good boy during his bankruptcy

03 January 1792
William & James Sutton were signatory to Bucklemakers Petition to the Prince of Wale
Also on the petition to the King.

It appears that Grimwade was correct in assuming a double establishnent at 85/86 Cheapside. Both James and William had separate marks . It is possible that No 86 was still the property of the Estate of James Stamp, Deceased, throughout .

James Sutton (some as &Co) was assessed to Land Tax on 86 Cheapside from 1780-84. From 1785-6 the assessments on this property were made on Samuel Godbehere, from 1787-94 on Godbehere & Wigan, from 1799 -1804 on Godbehere & Co and from 1805-7 on Godbehere Wigan & Bult. Whether these were tenants of the James Stamp estate has not been estabished.
James Sutton & Co were assessed to Land Tax on 85 Cheapside from 1784-97. Heal recorded that James Sutton and James Bult (Grimwade p.453) were in partnership from 1784-93, presumably from 85 Cheapside with William Sutton (Grimwade p.675) trading there too, he having entered marks from that address in 1784 and in parnership with Isaac Cooper there in 1786.
The Land Tax register for 1798 shows number 85 as empty suggesting James Sutton (and possibly William Sutton) had ceased to trade. The succeeding tenants of the property had no connection with either the Godbehere or Sutton businesses until 1835 when James Bult opened a second shop there, his other shop as a sole trader being number 86 from 1819 after Godbehere had died.
James Bult's ability to have financed the purchase of the business at 86 Cheapside from Stamp's estate may be judged against his still being an apprentice in 1781; his bankruptcy in 1784 and period in partnership with James Sutton at 85 Cheapside also give no outward sign of his being otherwise prosperous although it must be admitted that his finances showed signs of greater strength after 1792 when he married and progressively became the breadwinner for 12 children.

Mike