His father, also Francis, was a cutler in the Fleet Street area from 1757 and was assessed to Land Tax on property at New Street Square from around 1772.
No records of the christening, apprenticeship or freedom of Francis the Younger have been found.
Land Tax assessments on property in Edmonton, Middlesex from 1780 suggest Francis the Elder may have retired there.
Francis Thurkle entered marks at Goldsmiths’ Hall from 1783-1794 as a hilt maker at New Street Square.
His brother George Moses (Grimwade p.682, 769) in 1782 and Evan Evans of Edmonton in 1785 both signed indentures to be his apprentice as a freeman of the Cutlers Company.
He married Jane Topham at St Bride’s, Fleet Street in 1784; they were both from that parish.
Five of their children were christened at that church between 1788 and 1797.
Trade directory entries from 1785-91 show him as a sword and weaponry manufacturer.
The burial of a Francis Thurkle was recorded at St Andrew, Holborn in 1797 without detail of age at death. He may have been a son born in 1789 as another son named Francis (Thomas) was christened later in the same year.
He was assessed to Land Tax on property in New Street Square until 1804, assessments from 1805 on the same property being made on his brother George Moses
THURKLE, Francis (Grimwade p.407)
Moderators: buckler, MCB, silverly
Re: THURKLE, Francis (Grimwade p.407)
2 January 1740 Francis son of Nathan Thurkle late of the parish of Saint James in the County of Middlesex bricklayer deceased apprenticed to Thomas Bibb cutler of London.
21 January 1746 Francis Thurkle turned over to Henry Hull clockmaker of London and of the same trade.
The contract that these two entries are found on was indexed on ancestry under the surname Tharke.
22 May 1756 Francis son of Francis and Martha Thurkle of New Street Square birth recorded at Saint Bride's Fleet Street.
21 January 1746 Francis Thurkle turned over to Henry Hull clockmaker of London and of the same trade.
The contract that these two entries are found on was indexed on ancestry under the surname Tharke.
22 May 1756 Francis son of Francis and Martha Thurkle of New Street Square birth recorded at Saint Bride's Fleet Street.