Fwd: [Notts] CRESSWELL – St.Mary’s Nottingham.

OK Carol… we are going to have some fun 😉
Its not very often these days that I get the time to do some “on-the
fly” research. (I used to do it here on this mailing list quite a
lot)….. and therefore as I have a little time (waiting for Santa to
arrive)…. here goes….

… and it leads to some interesting finds!!

She appears to be one of the three children of Richard CRESWELL and his
wife Ann

Baptised at Nottingham St. Nicholas:
05 May 1773 Richard
11 Mar 1775 Mary
06 Nov 1778 Ann (bapt. At St. Mary’s)

Looking for the marriage of the parents, we find:

09 Feb 1772 Richard CRESWELL & Anne HOLMES
Nottingham St. Nicholas

Richard CRESSWELL is stated as being of the Parish of St. Mary, and Anne
HOLMES of St. Nicholas parish. And the marriage was by licence.
Unfortunately, the original licence has not been preserved in this case.

Looking for the baptism of Richard CRESSWELL, we find only one in the
records, son of Samuel CRESSWELL and Rebecca. These are their children:

20 May 1751 Ann
22 Mar 1753 Charles
11 Feb 1755 Richard
24 Sep 1756 Susanna
18 Oct 1757 Edward
01 Nov 1759 Sarah
29 Dec 1760 Mary Catherine
13 Jan 1763 Charles *
01 Mar 1766 Susanna Elisabeth*

All those baptisms were at St. Mary’s church
* those last two, father Samuel is stated as “Mr. Samuel CRESSWELL”
That means that he was a gentleman of some standing, such as a
businessman.

OK… while we are on a roll, it will be worth looking further back in
the records….

The parents’ marriage:
16 Jun 1750. Samuel CRESWEL & Rebecca WILKINSON, at Wilford.
They were married by licence… always good news as it enables us to
look up details!
(By the way, for the marriage licences, I am looking at the Archive CD
Books CD of Nottinghamshire Marriage Licences) see here:
http://www.rod-neep.co.uk/acatalog/ntt-church.html

16 Jun 1750 Samuel CRESSWELL, p. St. Mary’s, Nottm., bookseller, 23,
bac. [bachelor], & Rebecca WILKINSON, of same, 21, spinster.; at St.
Mary’s or Wilford.

Therefore, even though both were resident in St. Mary’s, they chose to
be married at Wilford church. (That’s just a mile or so away, just south
of the River Trent).
(And see,… I told you he was a businessman <grin>… a bookseller.)

Samuel was baptised, the son of Samuel CRESSWELL & Ann
Their children were all baptised at St. Mary’s

19 Nov 1725 Hannah
11 Feb 1727 Samuel **
01 May 1729 Thomas
18 May 1730 Sarah
10 Apr 1732 Thomas
03 Jan 1734 Isabel
30 Dec 1735 William
15 Sep 1737 John
20 Dec 1739 Ann
12 Jan 1742 Katherine

The parents Samuel CRESWELL & Anne HAWKSLEY were married
Nottingham St. Mary 3 Jan 1724/5 by licence

In this instance I can also find details of the licence 😉

Sam CRESSWELL, of Nottm., pistor, Bac[tchelor], 23, & Ann HAWKSLEY, p.
St. Mary’s, Nottm., spr [spinster], 21; at St. Mary’s.

“Pistor” is an unusual word for a common occupation… actually it is
the Latin word for a baker.

Frustratingly, I can’t find the record of baptism for this Samuel
CRESSWELL, but there’s only one potential pair of parents having
children in Nottingham at around the time he would have been born. His
marriage licence places his birth as 1702.

And at this time we see (At St. Mary’s) a Samuel CRESSWELL & Mary
baptising the following children:
03 Feb 1699 Mary
31 Aug 1705 John
11 Mar 1707 Susanna
28 Jun 1709 Hannah
21 Sep 1718 Tomas (at St. Peter’s)

The chances of these being the parents is very high indeed, although it
can’t be proved without records. In this period (and indeed later) it is
very common indeed for a first male child to be named after his father,
but here we have a “missing” son Samuel… AND… a neat gap (1702) into
which he can fit! A gap right in the target date for his birth (based on
his age from the marriage licence).

This Samuel CRESSWELL and Mary were married:
22 Dec 1695 Samuel CRESWELL & Mary WOODWARD, at Nottingham St. Mary.
(Both are of St. Mary’s parish)

Hmmm… I wonder why there are no earlier children baptised too?

Let’s see if we can find more about the CRESSWELLs…
From the Nottingham Date Book (Archive CD Books)

1753? (reported 1757)
“Mr. Samuel Creswell, of Nottingham, (the grandfather of the present
respected vicar of Radford,) and Mr. John Gregory,of Leicester, jointly
commenced a newspaper this year (? 1753)) en-
titled The Leicester C.V& Nottingham JozcrnaZ, which was printed at
Leicester, and published at a given hour in Nottingham.”

Wow… some good clues there. His grandson was the vicar at Radford.
and more… on page 42…

“The Courant lasted till about 1760, when Mr. Creswell
bought the proprietorship of Mr. Ayscough and converted it into
an independent Nottingham Journal, dissolving his connection with
Mr. Gregory, who, it may be remarked, then set up the Leicester
Journal. Mr. Creswell occupied the house at the south end of
the Exchange, which Mr. George Henry Judd now occupies.”

This is important stuff 😉

Now we jump to Septemjber 29 1777
“Here, proceeds the account, the Court
had a new scene opened to their view, by one of the Junior
Council putting up Mr. S. Creswell to serve the office of Sheriff;
a gentleman who had never been elected into any office in the
body.At the same instant, the vestry door by some means flew
open, and a number of burgesses rushed into the place, the
presence of whom for a few moments rather alarmed the Corpora-
tion, as their company was neither expected nor desired. On being
asked what they wanted, a butcher advancecl to the table and
nominated as Sheriffs, Mr. Lambert and Mr. Dale. The Corpora-
tion, however, insisted upon every burgess not upon the clothing
immediately leaving the vestry, a step they accordingly took.
Mutual recrimination of a very warm nature, between the old
body and the Junior Council relative to the interruption, was the
immediate and natural consequence. On its cessation, Sir George
Smith was declared duly elected, The Mayor then nominated
Mr. Statham, an opulent hosier, as the other Sheriff, and he also
was declared duly elected. The votes of the Junior Council being
given to Messrs. Creswell and Dale, were not recorded in the
Corporation books.”

And later, June 5 1785

“-Death of Mr. William White, aged 91 years, up-
lvards of 37 years sexton of St. Mary’s parish, during which period
there had been under his superintendence, 11,234 interments.
Strange as it may seem, the vacant office was strongly coveted by
several respectable pa.rties, who issued printed addresses to the
ratepayers, full of professions and promises, formed committees,
opened public-houses, and instituted a close canvass, It seemed
as if burying one’s neighbour was a pleasant and desirable thing
At the meeting of the vestry, on the 28th, four persons were
nominated, viz., Mr. Samuel Cresmell, formerly a printer and book
seller, Mr. John Johnson, Mr. Richd. Burton, and Mr. J. Yates.
A poll was demanded, and resulted in the success of the first named
gentleman.”

That’s our man 😉
Samuel CRESSWELL the bookseller.