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Persons Connected with the School and Church in New Brentford

Author

Harrington, Porteus, Randall, Tooke, White

School

Harrington

Henry Harrington(1704-65), bapt. St Lawrence, New Brentford, son of George, chandler; schoolmaster, Boar's Head Yard; bur. St Lawrence New Brentford 3.11.1765; will pr. 25.11.1765 to Thomas and William Harrington, cousins German, sons of his first cousin William Harrington (c.1790-1755), William Cheesman Harrington, waterman, distiller, coal merchant etc. (will pr. 24.10.1793 PCC) and Thomas (1725-93), will pr. 27.7.1793 PCC.

He gave to his friend John Durban II his cremona violin (John I was a carpenter who seems to have worked for Thomas Hardwick II, who witnessed his will in 1772 and was executor of his wife's will in 1774).

Henry left his yellow violin and books of music to Thomas Dewell, carpenter of New Brentford (d.1790). He ran the school for 40 years, the last 35 at the same address. He was succeeded by John White.

White

Cousin of Samuel White (will. pr. PCC 27.3.1797), victualler at Golden Inn, Old Brentford (insured with Sun Insurance, 1780-2, £300). Samuel White married, (1) 22.7.1758, Nanny Bartholomew, sister-in-law of Thomas Cracknell., at St Lawrence, New Brentford; (2), 17.12.1794, Ealing, Mary Snellin.

John White of New Brentford, married Hannah Chandler of Isleworth (c.1752-1808) at Hanwell, 9.5.1772. They had 11 children baptised at New Brentford 1773-1792, two named Randall, presumably godchildren of the minister, (1787-91).

He had a pew in St Lawrence c. March 1776, in Upper Gallery at front, no.10; still there 1810. He quite often signed in the Vestry records.

He was schoolmaster and coal merchant in Wilkes' Universal Directory 1797. He first paid rates 3.2.1766, in place of Henry Harrington at Boar's Head Yard, house & stable (rental £4; £6 by 1780s). On Feb. 1788 rental was £14 on adjoining property in addition to £6. In August 1792 £19 for house, coal warehouse and garden, and the same to 1808 (end of rates).

Land Tax Assessment show owners were John (then Samuel, then John) Clarke, brick & tile makers (see Clarke). 1813-20 or later listed as Hobday & White. The larger house was the one on the High St which Fred. Turner, following Thornbury (1877, p.11), wrongly illustrated as being the school building when Joseph Mallord William Turner was a pupil. It remained in Boar's Head Yard until c.1788, i.e.after JMWT had left the school c.1786.

He was tenant in 1792 of Samuel Clarke (from a prominent family of brickmakers).

He succeeded Henry Harrington in 1765 as schoolmaster. He had the most fluent signature in the New Brentford vestry accounts.

Church

Porteus

Beilby Porteus (1731-1809), Bishop of London 1787-1809. Friend of Mrs Sarah Trimmer and patron of Rev. Henry Scott Trimmer. Died at Fulham Palace. Portraits by Romney, Downman, Mather Brown, Edridge, Hoppner ("which my friends consider as the best portrait that has been taken of me"). He succeeded Robert Lowth, who had been Professor of Poetry at Oxford 1741-50.

Tooke

Curate of St Lawrence, New Brentford 1760-73. (His father purchased his presentation to the living, worth £200-300 p.a.).

He was popular with parishioners, setting up a medical dispensary. He removed the religious doubts of one woman. He often officiated at St Pauls Covent Garden. He was abroad part of this time. In 1765 he defended John Wilkes and backed his candidacy in the Middlesex election in 1768.

He lived in Windmill Lane 1773-82. His eldest brother Benjamin Horne was a very successful market gardener at Brentford, specialising in fruit. He was rather pompous. John remarked, "You, my dear brother, have inverted the laws of Nature; for you have risen by your gravity, while I have fallen by my levity." He left John £200 p.a.. (c.1780?).

In 1782 he bought an estate near Huntingdon. He became a friend of two of Joseph Mallord William Turner's future executors, Francis Chantrey and Samuel Rogers, and also of Hoppner, Banks (sculptor) and Sharp (engraver). Hoppner thought that Tooke had no feeling for poetry or painting, but he had literary interests.

Randall

Will, 1.5.1792, wit. John Ansell, surgeon of Brentford, Thomas Williams, asst minister at Brentford, John Rapkin(s) hair dresser at Brentford, pr. PCC 20.4.1803 (PROB 11/1391), bequests to wife and children, Chadd, Elizabeth and John.

He was godson of John Ragsdale, jeweller of New Bond St (partner of Richard Chadd, succeeded by George Ragsdale), who by his will (3.4.1789, pr. PCC 14.12.1790) wished to be buried near late dear friend Richard Chadd in vault (in lead coffin, not to be closed till evident signs of putrefaction) in church of New Brentford, and left lands at Abbots Langley, Herts, an annuity of £20 p.a. etc., to John Francis.

John Francis Randall was not apparently the Randall related to Rev. Joseph Benet, vicar of Sunningwell, Berks, and employer of J.M.W. Marshall's sister-in-law.

December 2009