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John William Beaver<\/strong> was born on 20 March 1746 in Westminster, London, England. He was the son of Robert Beaver (1720-1787) and Jane Moore (1720-1751). His father John was a breechesmaker in Westminster.<\/p>\n John was baptised on 4 April 1746 at St James, Westminster. He was one of four children born to the couple.<\/p>\n Robert was born ca 1720 and married Jane Moore on 19 April 1742 at St James, Westminster. Unfortunately Jane died aged 31 and was buried on Christmas Day 1751 at St James, Westminster.<\/p>\n 1749 UK Poll Book, Westminster, St James<\/p><\/div>\n He can be found in the UK Poll Books and Electoral Registers in 1749 working as a breeches maker in Windmill Street, in the parish of St James, Westminster.<\/p>\n In 1750 Robert appears in the Westminster Rate Books for Little Windmill Street, St James,\u00a0 as the owner and occupier of two properties. Robert was buried at St James on 4 March 1787 aged 67 years.<\/p>\n The art of making breeches was an ancient one, made of leather, especially doeskin, or fabric, as this 1775 breeches making advertisement from the British Library explains.<\/p>\n John like his father and grandfather before him, was a britches\/breeches maker, firstly in London, and then sometime before his 26th birthday he moved to the village of Ash in the parish of Kent.<\/p>\n St Nicholas Ash Next Sandwich Kent England<\/p><\/div>\n On 15 October 1772, aged 26, John married Ann Pilcher<\/strong> at St Nicholas, Ash Next Sandwich (sometimes just called Ash), Kent by banns. Ann gave her place of residence as Minster (Isle of Sheppey).<\/p>\n They both stated they were living in the parish and were a bachelor and a spinster.<\/p>\n Ann was born in 1735 and baptised on 16 November 1735 in Leysdown, Kent (6 miles from Minster). She was the daughter of John, a labourer, and Elizabeth Pilcher. She had one sister Elizabeth born in 1736.<\/p>\n Ash next Sandwich is a village and a parish in Eastry district, Kent.\u00a0\u00a0The village stands on a rising-ground, by the side of Wingham Brook, a tributary of the Stour, 3 miles west of Sandwich rail station;\u00a0\u00a0and has a post office of the name of Ash, under Sandwich, a money order office and a savings bank.\u00a0\u00a0The parish comprises 6,871 acres.\u00a0\u00a0Real property, \u00a320,467.\u00a0\u00a0Population in 1861, 2,039.\u00a0\u00a0Houses, 438. Click on pics below to enlarge.<\/em><\/p>\n John and Ann settled in Ash and had an extensive family of 10 children, the first five being born in Ash before their move to Greenwich, 58 miles west of Ash.<\/p>\n John, aged 35, is recorded working as a breechesmaker in 1781 in the parish of St Alphege in Greenwich in 1781 on his daughter Elizabeth’s baptism record.<\/p>\n breeches ca 1810<\/p><\/div>\n Breeches were an\u00a0article of\u00a0clothing\u00a0covering the body from the\u00a0waist\u00a0down, with separate coverings for each\u00a0leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles.<\/p>\n The breeches were normally closed and fastened about the leg, along its open seams at varied lengths, and to the knee, by either buttons or by a\u00a0drawstring, or by one or more straps and\u00a0buckle\u00a0or\u00a0brooches. They\u00a0had fallen out of use by the mid-19th century in favour of\u00a0trousers.<\/p>\n In 1790 the family are living in Church Street, Greenwich where they appear in the Greenwich Land Tax Assessment records, and also in 1798, being assessed 10 shillings.<\/p>\n St Alphege, Greenwich (1998)<\/p><\/div>\n John died in Greenwich aged 61 years in August 1807 and was buried in his parish church of St Alphege (Alfege) on 16 August 1807.<\/p>\n His wife Ann continued to live for another 16 years, passing away in April 1823 at Church Street at the age of 84 years. She was buried at St Alphege on 22 April 1823.<\/p>\n In 1840 their grandson George was still living at Church Street, working as a boot and shoemaker. (Pigots Directory of Kent).<\/p>\n Church Street, Greenwich<\/p><\/div>\n Note – I have several DNA matches with descendants of John Beaver and Ann Pilcher.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" John William Beaver was born on 20 March 1746 in Westminster, London, England. He was the son of Robert Beaver (1720-1787) and Jane Moore (1720-1751). His father John was a breechesmaker in Westminster. John was baptised on 4 April 1746 … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.michelledennis.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Robert-Beaver-poll-book-1749-St-James-Westminster-London-2-300x72.jpg\")
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