Brentford Families Connected with the Trimmers

John Clarke, son of John citizen and distiller, apprenticed 1686 in Distillers Co; owned house in Old Brentford, Boars Head Yard in New Brentford etc. (will pr. PCC 18.7.1718). His son John owned Boar's Head Yard in 1755 (will pr. PCC 25.5.1784). He and his son Samuel (will pr.1807) were brickmakers. Samuel's son John owned Boar's Head Yard from 1807. John Clarke was in partnership with James Trimmer II 1742-1770s. There was a lawsuit Clarke v. Trimmer in 1775 (NA, C12/1646/46).
See below John Lees.

Cracknell

Thomas Cracknell (c.1740-1815), of Old Brentford, brandy merchant and rectifier, distiller, maltster. Had a (mortgage?) interest in the block owned by the Trimmers (MDR 1819 1.495). Insurance on stock etc (Ł400) and 2 adjoining houses (Ł100) 1785/6 (Sun, /329 no. 504668).He had moved to the corner of Drum Lane 1782/6 from earlier properties in Old Brentford.

Bur. 22.3.1815, St Mary Ealing, aged 75. Will pr. 6.4.1815 (PROB 11/1567/177) to John Bartholomew, nephew of wife, distiller, and John White, schoolmaster of New Brentford. Bequests to John Bartholomew and to Thomas Swinson (1774- ?), son of his sister Elizabeth Cracknell (m. James Swinson 1773), gardener of Ealing in 1819.

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Hart

Percival Hart, maltster, Richmond, married Thomasin Edwards (bur. 9.12.1750 Richmond) 21.5.1716, St Benet, Paul's Wharf.

Their daughter Thomasine married David Roberts. Their son Thomas (1720-78), Boston Lane, Ealing, by will pr. 14.8.1778, left a house, malthouse etc at Isleworth to daughter Elizabeth Cocks.

His elder brother Percival II (1719-72) , distiller of Ealing, married twice: (1) 1745 to Ann Money; (2) 1762 Maria Winder of Faversham. Percival II acquired a distillery in Old Brentford with David Roberts and 2 others in 1763 (MDR) and Roxeth Manor in Harrow in 1764 (LMA Acc 507/1). Percival Hart of Brentford was taxed on a chaise (Carriage Tax 1759/60/62; NA T47/3). He left a will pr. PCC 6.11.1772.

His daughter Emma (1759-1813) married 22.7.1778, at Hendon David Garrick (1754-95, will pr. PCC 1795), nephew of the actor (1717-79), who gave his nephew a farm in Essex on marriage and in his will, 1778/9, Ł5,000 and house at Hampton.

A daughter by Percival II's 2nd marriage, Mary, married Charles Vaughan Blunt (d. before 1795, see William Harvest will, 1812). Maria Winder married (2), 1774, Dr John Cosens (1736-92), DD 1769, Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1773, vicar of St Martin Drayton 1760-5, tutor of Princess Royal, author, will pr. PCC 1792. She married (3) Revd. William Harvest (c.1738-?), rector of Millbrook, Hants., 1797-1812., son of George of Woking, Merton C. Oxford 1757-62, patron of W. Drayton and Harmondsworth livings, will pr. PCC 1.6.1812.

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Harvest

Abraham Harvest (1697-1790) bapt. St Lawrence, Chobham; married 27.10.1747 Ann Turner of Ealing (tomb at Ealing recorded by Lysons); brewer of Old Brentford; will pr. 18.2.1790 PCC, Thomas Harrington, maltster and coal merchant and Thomas Stump brewer trustees for his daughter Ann (1760-1837; m. 26.6.1777, Abraham Trimmer).

VCH says that the distillery and malthouse in Old Brentford High St was settled in trust on Abraham Harvest and wife Ann Trimmer [=Turner] in 1748; eventually the Red Lion, then Royal, Brewery, to 1926, when replaced by extensions to the gas works.

He owned the block in the Market Square including the White Horse from at least 1774 (MDR 1819/1/495), when a mortgage (?) to Thomas Cracknell granted. The block was sold to Douglas and Joseph Thompson by Ann Trimmer of Brentford Butts in 1829 (MDR 1829/4/451). Sun Insurance on property in Old Brentford of Abraham Harvest and Alexander [=Abraham] Trimmer brewers and maltsters, 1783, Ł1200 for brewhouses and malthouses.

Abraham of Old Brentford was taxed on a chaise (Carriage Tax 1757-62; NA T47/3). A. Harvest of Ealing Lower side was listed as having 1 male servant (Male Servants Tax 1780, NA T47/8).

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Haverfield

John Haverfield I (1694-1784), gardener at Kew 1758, jointly with John II from 1762; lived at Haverfield House, E. side of Kew Green (Grade II). John II (1744-1820), married Elizabeth Tunstall 4.6.1773, Kew; retired 1795. In the Male Servants Tax, 1780, (NA T47/8) Mr Haverfield senior had 1 male servant, Mr Haverfield junior 2 and M and J. Haverfield 1, all at Kew. Their youngest son, Thomas Tunstall Haverfield, BD (1787-1866), was curate at Kew 1812-18; Rector of Godington, Oxon.; chaplain to D. of Sussex. Preached at memorial service of Mrs Sarah Trimmer. See genealogy.

Howard

Henry Howard (1769-1847). At Rome 1791-4. 1795-9 at various addresses in Westminster and Marylebone. From 1806 at 5 Newman St. ARA 1800. RA 1808. Died 5.10.1847 at George St, Oxford. Secretary of RA 1811-47, Prof. of Painting 1833-47. Ill in 1798, when staying with Mrs Trimmer. Painted her and some of her family. Patronised by Sir John Soane (Shakespeare Nursed in the Lap of Fancy 1831), 3rd Earl of Egremont etc. "A most amiable person" (H>Syer Trimmer). Thornbury 1877, pp.258-60. D.Yarde 1990, pp.89-90. DNB.

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Lees

John Lees, b. 2.6.1755 according to his copy of Henry Boswell's Picturesque Views of the Antiquities of England & Wales, 1786 (Chiswick Library; RA, Turner, 1974-5, B7); bur. 27.10.1825, of Old Brentford, at St Mary Ealing, aged 73.

Married Ann Neill (1777-?, milliner & dressmaker, 1826-7 directory) at St Mary Ealing, 23.11.1802, wit. William Piper, cowkeeper, and Thomas Cracknell, brandy merchant and rectifier.

John was listed at Old Brentford in the private section, Holden's 1805-7 directory and in 1811 edition as tallow chandler.

John appeared first in rate books 1802/4, Ł12 rental, 9 properties along from T.Cracknell. Moved 1806/7 next door to Cracknell/ Bartholomew, formerly Charles Child tallow chandler, Ł15 rental, in block owned by George Holton (LTA) until 1813/14. Moved to North Grove House, Ealing Lane, 1814. John is described as distillery foreman (JMWT biographies), tallow chandler (directory 1809-11), grocer (baptism register 1813-15) and stationer (baptism register 1821).

John and Ann had 9 children born 1803-21, including George (1807-?), at Brentford High St 1843-9, New Rd, fruiterer, 1859, Strawberry Villa, New Rd 1861-71, gentleman's salesman 1861, dealer in fruit 1871, 14 Sheldon St, Paddington, 1881. He married Elizabeth and they had 4 daughters and 2 sons:

Kate Lees (c.1843-?), teacher in ragged school 1871, dressmaker 1881
Anne Lees (c.1845-?), saleswoman 1871
Elizabeth Lees (1847-?), milliner 1871; 30B Boston Park Rd (Misses Lees 1920, Miss Lees 1927), when gave Boswell's book to Brentford Library, 31.10.1871
Mary Lees (1853-?), ladies outfitter 1871, dressmaker 1881
George John Lees, clerk 1881, 48 White Stile Rd, Brentford, 1890, 1902-3, 30B Boston Park Rd, 1910, 1912;
Frank Lees (1860-bef. 1871)

Lees is said to have paid JMWT to colour the plates in Boswell's book (half of the 200 have been coloured). Presumably this was just after it was published in 1786. There is no record of Lees before 1802, but quite possibly he was foreman of a Brentford distillery - either that of David Roberts or that of Thomas Cracknell - earlier.

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Roberts

David Roberts (c.1733-97), Esq. of Ealing, married 23.7.1757, at Richmond, Thomasine, daughter of Percival Hart of Richmond and sister of Percival (1719-72). He was malt distiller, 1763, when he acquired main site of distillery at Brentford with Percival Hart, Thomas Milward, corn chandler of St Sepulchre, and Joseph Shaw, gent. of Epsom. In partnership with Thomas Harrington and Thomas Smith in distillery, 1791.

Premiums of Ł42.7.0 (1784) and Ł47.16.0 (1785) were paid to Sun Insurance (242 - 442867?). David Roberts and Joseph Shaw of Brentford, malt Distillers:

On their malt distill house, granaries, warehouse & offices, all adjoining Ł1,000
Utensils & stock Ł5,000
Stables S. side of stable yard Ł300
Utensils and stock there Ł100
Stables W. side of yard Ł100
Counting house & room over in the yard Ł200
House in tenure - Tunstall Ł1,000
Coachhouse & stable with loft Ł200
4 houses adjacent in tenancy of no hazardous trades Ł400

All the above on the N. Side of road.

House in tenure of Mr Roberts Ł1000
Warehouse engine house & crane house all adjacent near river Ł400
Windmill and warehouse with all gear, near Ł1,000
Utensils & stock there Ł900

All on S. side of road, all at Brentford
Total Ł14,600.

Another policy (322 - 495670) taken out by Roberts and Shaw, malt distillers of Brentford, 30.12.1785, was on their utensils & stock in their malthouse separate from their stillhouse, S. of road at Brentford, Ł800.

Another policy, 2.5.1781, (322 - 495670?) was taken out by David Roberts and John Thompson of Brentford, mealmen, on their winch & stock in Edward Marchant's water corn mill at Isleworth, Ł1,500.

David Roberts of Ealing was liable for tax on 1 male servant (Male Servants Tax 1780, NA T47/8).

Roberts was made executor of the will of James Trimmer II in 1777, but revoked in 1781 "as I have so many Obligations already to his Friendship I cannot think of loading him with the care of so large a family." Sarah Trimmer wrote to her son William in 1784 of the death of his friend Mr Davd Roberts (his son?) (Life & Writings).

See Haverfield / Roberts / Tunstall genealogy.

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Tunstall

ThomasTunstall (will pr. PCC 17.8.1727), brickmaker of Old Brentford, left much property at Brentford, Hammersmith, Southwark etc. His widow Mary in her will (pr PCC 3.5.1768) left bequests to grandchildren Smith, Skinner, Willis). Their second son Robert, gent. of Old Brentford, in his will (pr.PCC 16.9.1762; 11.12.1762) made bequests to wife and brother Thomas and Ł2,000 to each child at 21 (brother Thomas and James Trimmer II trustees); Ł15,000 in stock and property at Drury Lane etc. Thomas, of Richmond Lodge, bought Powell's Ferry, Kew, in 1732 (VCH).

Robert I built a wooden bridge 1758-9, replaced by stone Kew Bridge built by Robert II in 1783-4.

The Tunstalls' house was on the Roberts & Shaw distillery property on N. side of Brentford High St, (Robert?) Tunstall insuring it for Ł1,000 1784-5. They owned property where Trimmers lived near Kew Bridge. Forced to leave in 1800?

Mary Tunstall of Brentford was taxed on a chaise (Carriage Tax 1757-9, NA T47/3), and on 100 oz of silver (Silver Plate tax 1757-62, NA T47/5). Thomas Tunstall, Kew, 1757-61 and Robert Tunstall, Old Brentford, 1757-62, were assessed on the same amount. Mr Tunstall, Ealing, was assessed on 1 male servant in 1780 (Male Servants Tax, NA T47/8).

See Haverfield / Roberts / Tunstall genealogy.

Zoffany

Johan Zoffany RA 1733-1810. He lived at London Stile House (Stile Hall or Sydney House), Chiswick, near Kew Bridge, 1764-72. He was in Florence 1772-9. He became sub-tenant of 68 Strand on the Green in 1780 and left his family there while he was in India 1783-9. On 1.7.1790 he bought the copyhold of 65 Strand on the Green (plaque 1973), improving it so its valuation rose from Ł20 pa to Ł35 in 1792. And on 14.10.1790 bought the copyhold of nos 66-69.

Friend of Joshua Kirby. Painted altarpiece of Last Supper ("rather weak and woolly" Pevsner) for Kew Chapel, altered by Kirby, but rejected and placed instead in his St George's Chapel, Old Brentford. Moved to St George's Church in 1886 and, when that was deconsecrated, to St Paul's church, St Paul's Rd.

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November 2009