Page 22 - The Parish Records.

The Parish Records.

St Olave’s Parish Records.

Starting with St Olave’s we have eight records associated directly with our family, they consist of entries related to Joseph Henry and Annie (Holland) and their sons Alfred and William, remembering that William was our Great Granddad and Alfred his brother was also the father of Christina Louisa Pettard.

St Olave’s Parish records the passing of Joseph Henry Pettard in 1908, in many ways he was the father of the Bermondsey Pettard’s, establishing a solid family line that last to this day.  The baptism of Christina Louisa Pettard was recorded St Olave’s parish 1896, as was the marriage of Louisa Maud the youngest offspring of Joseph Henry and Annie, who married William Ford. Also recorded was the early death of Emma Eliza Pettard at the age of 18, Emma was the first of Joseph Henry and Annie’s children, and it was testimony to their parenthood, Joseph & Annie’s, that Emma was the only offspring to sadly become to an early death.  Lastly, the records of St Olive’s show witness to deaths at birth of Mary and Elizabeth, parents William and Annie (Dillion) our great grand parents.

 As we have seen previously these two branches of our family, namely William and Alfred’s seem to have parted company at some point, with apparently no awareness of Alfred’s side of the family being acknowledged be subsequent generations of William’s branch, which includes our parents. However, at this time frame around 1880/1900 it’s clear that both were associated with the same Church Parish of St Olave’s, and being brothers one would expect to find such links, both lived with their parents up until around 1896.  Alfred having returned to live with his parents after the death of his wife Elizabeth, surly Alfred would have had plenty of contact with his younger brother William, but there appears to be no proof of contact between their offspring.

 St. Olive’s Parish would be the birth parish of the next two generations of Bermondsey Pettards, so it seems sad to reflect now, that this fine Church on the banks of the river which our early families depended on was finally demolished in 1928. If any church symbolized the family of Lighterman, Furriers, Tanners, Seal Skinners and Ivory Cutters it was surly St Olave’s with its presences on the banks of the River Thames.

                                         St Olave's Sundial 1825

St Saviour’s Parish Records.

By comparisons St Saviour’s parish records have only thrown up three entries associated with Pettards, Alfred marriage to Elizabeth Waton is documented for the year 1899 along with the death of their infant son William 1899.  With reference to information researched by Reggie Pettard we see Alfred and wife Elizabeth living Drummond Road where their daughter Agnes is born, a year later with the birth of they second daughter Christina Louisa they are living 80 Russell Scott Buildings.

The 1901 census, after the death of Elizabeth, sees Alfred and daughter Agnes living with parents Joseph and Annie they address is 97 Russell Scott Buildings, so at some time prior to this both families lived in separate flats in the same building’s i.e. numbers 80 and 97. Daughter Christina Louisa is registered baptism St Olave’s parish, furthermore the death of infant son William 1899 is registered St Saviour’s, and the death of Alfred’s wife Elizabeth is registered Romford 1899 age 28.

The only other Pettard entry for the parish of St Saviour’s is one Martha Caroline Pettard and other then her date of death given 1863 nothing else is known of her, although a study of her death certificate could reveal more, but that will need to wait another day.

Christ Church Parish.

I few family records are listed Christ Church, but which Christ Church is unclear. A Christ Church exists today just east of  Blackfriars Road , this church was first erected in 1671, unfortunately the church was built on marshy land and by 1720 it was in poor condition and finally collapsed.  Christ Church was rebuilt by 1741 and fashioned in Italian Romanesque style; it featured a clock tower rising in three stages from the ground capped by an octagonal lantern.  This church was completely destroyed during the Blitz of 1941 and rebuilt yet again in 1958, it still stands today built in red brick and from the outside it’s not the finest of London’s churches.

The second church named Christ Church was built in 1848 located east of St Saviour’s dock at Parker Row, which then was off the Neckinger Road opposite the junction with Jamaica road.  Much as change since 1848, one would need to replace Neckinger Road with Jamaica Road (New), and then Jamaica Road with Old Jamaica Road to locate the site today.  However, you won’t find a church, for this Christ Church was declared redundant in 1956 and demolished in 1966.  This Church was commonly referred to as Christ Church Bermondsey, which is understandable being as it was located central to Bermondsey, the church at Blackfriars Road is commonly know as Christ Church Southwark, to confuse matters even more is the fact that there was also a Christ Church Rotherhithe, but I am not going to get into that, well not at this stage.

Of the two churches in question I feel sure the Christ Church located Parker Row is the more likely of the two to have been associated with our family. Two things point to this, one the family was living in the vicinity of Christ Church Parker Row also from subsequent findings that show family birth/baptisms registered St James Parish, with St James Church laying just a short way east of Christ Church on the Old Jamaica road where it still stands today.

Christ Church Southwark.

                       Christ Church 1812.      Christ Church today off  Blackfriars Road. 

The 1812 print illustrates well the original style quoted with construction of 1741, that being of Italian Roman with a stepped clock tower, by comparisons the 1958 building look very plain with the clock tower a poor replacement for the original.

Christ Church Bermondsey.

The only description of Christ Church Parker Row I have found is that it was built 1848 and constructed with brick in the Romanesque style, and as previously stated the church was demolished in 1979.

After a long winding round trip of churches it’s time to get back to our family. The first family record for Christ Church Bermondsey Parish is the baptism of Joseph Henry Pettard son of Thomas and Emma Pettard in the year 1858 at the age of 13 years.

  The significance of this register is that it confirms our family firmly within the boundaries of Bermondsey, and without census date for this period, we have to this point assumed their presents in the area at a time around 1858, hitherto Thomas and Emma’s marriage is registered Lambeth, but this is misleading as marriages at this time always took place in the birth parish of the Bride, so this record does not necessary have any bearing on where the family lived at the time.  However, again with reference to Reggie Pettard’s findings, he places the family in 1841 with the birth of Jane Sarah as Getling Cottage Getling Street Bermondsey.

A close study of the register of baptism of Joseph Henry reveals some interesting data. The year is 1858, Joseph Henry is 13 his father Thomas is decease 1846, a year late Joseph’s mother Emma is remarried to a Robert Johnson. What the following record shows is that two baptisms have taken place in the family on this day 28^th Feb, the second being Mary Ann Johnson the daughter of Emma and Robert Johnson and the half sister of our Joseph Henry.

 The address stated appears to read 26 Salisbury Lane which would tire in with the 1846 map showing this to be just north of Jamaica Row. Robert Johnson gives his profession still has a Ligtherman, remembering that this was his stated profession given on his marriage certificate to Emma in 1847.

What the document does not include is any reference to Joseph Henry’s two sisters, Jane Sarah now aged 17 and Emma Elizabeth age 15, one may speculate weather they were living with the mother at this time, they subsequently both got married in Lambeth 1862 & 1865 respectively.

It is also understandable now how our Joseph Henry Pettard became a Lighterman, he clearly followed the trade of his step father a common practice among river and dock professions, which were not easy entered into unless you had a family member sponsoring you.   It was a very skillful job relying on the knowledge of tides, currents and boat craft upon a powerful stretch of river with its ever changing tides.  It’s nice to imagine Joseph at early age learning from his step father, skills that would help to establish his life and income to afford the up bringing of a large family that cemented the name Pattard for many generations to come.

Baptism of Joseph Henry Pettard.

                                                                                                                

 

St James Church Bermondsey.

Just to recap on a few points, we are still dealing with Civil Records attributed to the parishes this being a legal commitment since 1834, before this date the requirement for recording birth, marriages and death was not enforced by central government legislation. Instead it was left to a local registrar to persuade parishioners to file details, with the registrar earning a fee for his troubles.

Anyway, I am sure I was going to make another point but maybe I will remember it later, in the meantime onto the family records of St James parish.

The death of Thomas Pettard husband of Annie and father of Joseph Henry Pettard is recorded June 11^th 1846 St James Parish Bermondsey. Our Seal Skinner was only 40 years of age and at the time of death when living Charles Street Bermondsey, he left behind a young family in Joseph Henry aged 1, Emma Elizabeth aged 3 and Jane Sarah aged 5. As we have seen Annie would marry again only a year later to Robert Johnson, so from a very early age Robert Johnson would have been a father to Joseph Henry and in reality he could not have know is father Thomas Pettard.

It’s weird to think that if Joseph Henry had chosen to take his step father’s name, we would have all been Roberts and not Pettards, such that our Bermondsey line of Pettards would not have come down through time, yet again we are indebted to Joseph Henry of our being and name.

Charles Street can be seen on the 1843 map of Bermondsey being off Fair Street and very close to St John’s Church, which raises the question, why was Henry’s death registered Parish St James and not Parish St Johns, sure there most be a perfectly understandable answer some where, like St James may have been the church that the family attended along with the school of the same name close by.

For the next entries at St James we jump 30 years, Joseph Henry is now married to Annie (Holland) and is the father of 6 children.  Both Joseph and Annie were born and raised Bermondsey and now they insure that the birth and baptism place of their children is also Bermondey, with the following documents bearing witness to the baptism of their children St James Parish 1877 and 1880.

                             Baptism entries for Alfred and Fredrick 12^th Sept 1877.

  

                                    Baptism entry for Joseph Thomas 29^th Sept 1880. 

              Baptism entries for William, Emma Elizabeth & Henry Joseph 30^th May 1877.

The above recorded baptisms entries are fairly self explanatory without need for any explanation, points to note are family are living 38 Marine Street at least up until 1880 and Henry Joseph appears to have been baptized twice. Henry Joseph the first son of Joseph and Annie was, as we have already seen baptized at Christ Church Barmondsey at the age of 2 on March 2^nd 1870, here at St James he is baptized again age 9. I have no explanation as to why, but does that entry under his name in the first baptism record ‘Privately’ have any bearing?

The children’s age at baptism were; Emma 11, Henry Joseph 2 & 9, Fredrick 7, Alfred 5, William 2 and Joseph Thomas aged 2. Louisa Maud was not born until 1882 and at this time I don’t have her baptism record. However, she was born with the family still living at 38 Marine Street, and I feel sure there must be a Baptism recorded somewhere for her, with parents like Joseph and Annie who are obviously devoted enough to ensure their children are given a start in life through the Christian faith.

Enough of churches for now, we have covered our early family in detail via the Church Parishes of Bermondsey, the family of Joseph Henry and Annie would make at least one more move before the turn of the Century.  From 38 Marine Street which was ideally situated about half way between Christ Church and St James Church and school, the family moves to Russell Scott Building being in the Church Parish of St Crispin.

St Crispin’s was built in 1879, I though I said enough of churches for now, it was situated east-south of St James in an area that is completely rural on the 1846 map, so we could assume that the new parish was all part of the development of the area that included new multi-story dwellings, referred to has buildings.  The 1891 Census places Joseph Henry and family at Russell Scott Buildings and 10 years late they are recorded in the 1901 census living at the same address.

 St Crispin was yet another Church destroyed in the blitz of World War 2; it was rebuilt in 1959 and survived to 1990 when it was made redundant.

Parish Records of Mary Magdalene Bermondsey.

The only other Parish Church area of Bermondsey with civil records of Pettards in the late 1800 hundreds to early 1900 hundreds is the Parish of Mary Magdalene; these are as followings.

   

Alfred		Pettard	1916	Marriage
Robert	Henry	Pettard	1916	Marriage of son Alfred
Emily		Pettard	1902	Birth & Baptism
William		Pettard	1902	Baptism of Daughter
Ann		Pettard	1902	Baptism of Daughter
Margaret		Pettard	1905	Birth & Baptism
William		Pettard	1905	Baptism of Daughter
Ann		Pettard	1905	Baptism of Daughter
William	Samuel	Pettard	1868	Birth & Baptism
William		Pettard	1868	Baptism of Son
Sarah		Pettard	1868	Baptism of Son

The baptism entries for Emily and Margaret being the children of our William and Annie Dillion, the other entries do not relate, as far as I’m aware to our line.   Although we are still trying to establish whether the Alfred seen here marrying in 1916 is our Alfred son of Joseph Henry and Annie Pettard.

 Other very significant recordings established by Reggie Pettard include the fact that Thomas the Seal Skinner 1806 to 1846 parish at birth was St Magdalene, along with his first off spring Jane Sarah born 1841 also parish at birth St Mary Magdalene.  At this time around 1841 the family were living Gedling Cottage Gedling Street , an address that does not exist to day with this area damaged badly during the blitz. 

If this is correct it establishes the family in Bermondsey 1806 and leads one to thinks that the Church records for Birth, Marriages and Deaths of St Mary Magdalene prior to this date, may will unearth earlier generations of our line.  We know that Thomas’s father was named Joseph and by profession a Ivory Cutter and if he was, say 20 years old at the birth of his son Thomas this would place his birth around 1780’s, but that’s all assumptions and guess work. Nevertheless, it does point to St Mary Magdalene has a possible source for earlier records and certainly the starting point for further research.