VALLER, William & Jane WILLIAMS
William Valler was born c1794 and married Jane Williams (b. c1799) on 8 October 1818 in Camden, Parish of St George, Bloomsbury. Witnesses: John Williams, Sarah Williams.
William and Jane had four children - William Roope born 18 July 1819, Parish of St George, Bloomsbury and baptised 12 September 1819.
The family address was King Street, St Georges, Bloomsbury.
A daughter Jane was born 31 March 1821, Parish of St George, Bloomsbury she was baptised 3 June 1821 - address at that time was Boswell Court, St George the Martyr.
A second son Thomas John was born 21 December 1822, Parish of St George, Bloomsbury, baptised 26 January 1823 - address was Cromer Street, St Pancras.
The last child born to William and Jane was Sarah Elizabeth on 20 July 1824 - baptised 20 March 1825 - the family address had changed again to Euston Mews, St Pancras.
On all of the Parish register entries William's Occupation was shown as Gold-beater. Attempts have been made to obtain details regarding his possible apprentice records, but with no success. The ancient occupation of the "Gold Beater" has been described thus: goldbeater, gold-beater - craftsman, artisan, journeyman, artificer - an artisan who beats gold nuggets into the gold leaf used in decorative gilding.
A few short months after the birth of his youngest daughter, William Valler died. He was buried 19 September 1824, St George the Martyr, Middlesex, aged 30. Abode shown on burial record was New North Street.
St George the Martyr
“Little Dorrit’s” church
Giving Bermondsey a black look
(See detail below)
Picture © Roger Sligo - Knowledgeoflondon.com
The first church of St. George's, Southwark, was probably built at the beginning of the 12th century. The present church was authorised by Act of Parliament for the Building of Fifty New Churches. John Price designed the new church, with the foundation stone laid on St. George's Day, 1734, the main part of the structure was completed by 1735. The grant from the Commissioners proved inadequate to cover the cost of furnishing the church and in 1735 a rate of 1 shilling in the pound was levied to set up the old organ, provide a clock, font, etc. The church was opened in 1736, when numbered pew seats were allotted to 404 parishioners and their families. The clock with four dials in the steeple was made by George Clarke of Whitechapel for £90 in 1738. The clock is unusual in that one of its four faces is never illuminated and painted black. This came about because it faced the parish of Bermondsey, and when the church was asking for the 1 shilling donations from surrounding parishes, Bermondsey never gave a penny. KnowledgeofLondon.com - London Curiosities.
(NOTE: historic St George the Martyr church is where the Charles Dickens character Little Dorrit was married in Dickens' book of the same name.)
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Another three months passed and Thomas John aged just 2, died on 27 December. He was buried 29 December 1824, St Pancras Parish Church, Camden. The family address at the time was Euston Mews.
The death of William left Jane a widow with three young children to care for. The eldest son, William Roope was just 5, Jane was 3 and Sarah Elizabeth just a baby.
Nothing is known of how the young mother coped during this time but somehow circumstances must have led her to John Hudson, widower. They were married 9 years later on 31 December 1833 in the Parish of St Mary, Lambeth, Surrey. Witnesses were Thos. Hudson and Jas. Longman Gawler (this latter signatory was on other entries also). All parties signed their names.
Not wanting to appear to be counting but a daughter Ann Owen was born 27 April 1834 - just four months following the marriage. (It was happening then too.......!)
In 1837 John Hudson died of a bowel complaint leaving Jane a widow once again. We know that Jane, her three children from her first marriage, her step-son James and daughter Ann Owen applied to emigrate to Australia and arrived in South Australia in 1838.
For information on Jane and her family (now consisting of William Roope, Jane and Sarah Elizabeth from her first marriage, James from her husband's first marriage and Ann Owen from the union of Jane and John) a total of five children aged between 18 and 3 - click here to go the page on the Hudson family.
We know that Jane Valler and Ann Owen Hudson lived their lives in Tasmania, while James Hudson and Sarah Elizabeth Valler lived on the mainland, in South Australia. Thanks to the wonderful records from the UK we know that William Roope Valler returned to England and lived his life there although no record of his journey from "Down Under" back to the UK has been found.
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