Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/170

 164

NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. iv. AUG. SM, ion.

STUART: FREEMAN: PARRY: PYKE.

MB. FRANCIS H. DAY, Registrar of the Diocesan Registry, Rochester, Kent, has supplied, through Mr. R. J. Beevor of St. Albans, information concerning an " allegation, dated 4th May, 1738, by Edmond Halley of Greenwich, aged 40 years and a bachelor, for a licence of marriage in the parish church of Charlon [?] or the chapel of Mprden College (at Blackheath, where many marriages took place) with Sybilla Freeman, also of Greenwich, aged 40 years and a widow. The name is spelt ' Ed- mond,' but is only signed ' E. Halley.' "

Mr. Day mentions also an

" allegation dated 30th August, 1766, by John Parry of Greenwich, gentleman, a widower, for .a licence of marriage in the parish church of Green- wich with Ann Watkins, a widow of Greenwich."

The Rev. Henry Lansdell, D.D., Chaplain -of Morden College, Blackheath, finds in the marriage registers the two following entries :

" 1738, May 4, Edmond Halley and Sybilla Freeman." " July 31, 1744. John Parry of y e parish of St. Mildred, Breadstreet, London, and Mary Freeman of Greenwich in the county of Kent."

Is it not just possible that Mrs. Sybilla Freeman of Greenwich, a widow aged 40 years in 1738, may have been born in Edin- burgh circa 1698, and may have been related to the Sib ilia Stewart who was interred in Greyfriars' Burying-ground, "East end Kirk," Edinburgh, 14 August, 1698 ? (See 9S. xii. 468; 11 S. ii. 486.)

It is evident from the foregoing that Mrs. Sybilla Freeman had at least one child, a daughter, Mary Freeman, who became the first wife of John Parry, 31 July, 1744. There may have been other children, of whose existence some trace may eventually be recovered from the parish registers of Green- wich ante 1738. John Parry and Mary his wife had at least three children John, Sybilla, and Sarah. The two latter are mentioned in the will of their maternal grandmother, Mrs. Sybilla Halley of East Greenwich, widow (dated 1 May, 1771 ; proved 13 Nov., 1772 . P.C.C., reg. Taver- ner, fo. 406). At the date (1771) of this will Sarah Parry was under age. John Parry's widow, Mrs. Anne Parry (formerly Watkins), described in her will as of " Gang Lane, Greenwich " (dated 25 Feb., 1795 ; proved 29 Dec., 1796 ; P.C.C., reg. Harris- fo. 631), mentions Sybella Soper and Sarah Parry, children of her late husband John Parry. The latter may have been identical with, or a son of, the John Parry who was a witness to the will of James Pyke of Upper

Moorfield, in the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, silk-dyer, dated 18 July, 1750 ; proved 21 June, 1751 ; P.C.C., reg'. Busby, fo. 186. The testator mentions his " nephew William Pyke (son of brother William Pyke) and Sarah his wife." There has already been recorded in ' N. & Q.' a marriage licence issued by the Vicar-General's office, 28 February, 1746, to William Pyke of the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, aged

25 years and a bachelor ; and Sarah Day of the same parish, a widow, to marry in the parish church of St. Bene't, near Paul's Wharf, London (see 11 S. iii. 368, 388).

The marriage register of St. Bene't, Paul's Wharf (Harl. Soc., vol. xl., 1911) shows on p. 168 this entry :

" William Pyke of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Middx., B., and Sarah Day of the same, W. Feb. 28, 1746/7."

On p. 161 is the following entry :

" Samuel Parry of St. Peter, Cornhill, London, B., and Nanny Freeman of St. Mary Staining, London, S. April 5, 1746."

Sarah Freeman, William Sharpe, and Mary Freeman were witnesses to the marriage of Sir John Arundel, Kt., of Huntingdon, co. Huntingdon, widower, and Sarah Anne Sharpe of St. Benedict, Paul's Wharf, spinster, 18 April, 1801 (ib., p. 253).

I wish to find out whether Mrs. Sarah Day bore the maiden surname Freeman, and whether she was a daughter of Mrs. Sybilla Freeman of Greenwich. I seek also to determine whether or not William Pyke of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, and Sarah his wife had issue a son James, born circa 1751, and a daughter (? Mary) who married "a M'Donald of Ireland" (? circa 1770). In the printed register of St. Peter, Paul's Wharf (Harl. Soc., 1909), are these two baptismal entries :

" 1769, June 11. Hugh, s. of James and Mary MacDonald, born June 1."

" 1771, Dec. 15. James, s. of James and Mary Macdonald, bo. Dec. 5."

It would be interesting to discover the record of the marriage of one - Freeman to a Sybilla (? Stuart), and of his will, ante 1738.

Virtually all the above data were received from Mr. R. J. Beevor, except the reference to the will of Mrs. Anne Parry of Greenwich, which was supplied by LIEUT. -CoL. G. S. PARRY (see 11 S. i. 286 ; ii. 466).

It may be only a coincidence that the will of Thomas Pyke of St. John's, Wapping, Middlesex (dated 18 June, 1774 ; proved

26 Nov., 1774, P.C.C.), mentions "niece