Peddars Way Walk

If you find this site interesting perhaps you can help me raise money for Lt. Massingham Church.

Thursday 23 November 2017

Snippets etc

I will add snippets to this page from time to time.


By Rosemary Jewers


'Mrs Hurst Dancing and Other Scenes From Regency Life 1812-1823'

This book based on delightful paintings by Diana Sperling. The paintings were produced from her sketchbook. Henry Grace Sperling, who married Mary, the daughter of Joseph Wilson is shown in one of the paintings. Diana and her family lived at Dynes Hall, near Halstead in Essex. Although the book was printed in 1981, I managed to buy a second-hand copy.

The Sperlings and Wilsons were related to the Breretons by marriage. Joseph Wilson and Mary Maitland of Highbury Hill, Middlesex had two daughters, Mary and Frances. Mary married Henry Grace Sperling and Frances married Rev. Charles David Brereton of Little Massingham, Norfolk.

Henry Grace Sperling and Mary Wilson had a son, Henry Grace Wilson Sperling who married his cousin, Anna Margaretta Brereton, daughter of Charles and Frances Brereton.

Notes: Charles David Brereton was born at Brinton, Norfolk. He was the son of John Brereton and Anna Margaretta Lloyd

Emma Wilson nee Welford

Joseph Wilson, my gt-gt-gt grandfather, married first Mary Maitland, I am descended from this marriage. After Mary died, he married Emma Welford, there were no children from this marriage. Whilst researching another subject, I came across an article ‘The life of William Hayley’, in The London Magazine, Volume 10 July to December 1824. Wikipedia describes Hayley as English writer, best know as the friend and biographer of William Cowper.

Hayley  first married Elisa Ball in 1769, she was the daughter of Dr Ball, Dean of Chichester. After Elisa's death he met his second wife, Mary Welford, daughter of a retired merchant of Blackheath. On 23rd March 1809, they married but they separated three years later. Mary’s sister Harriet is also mentioned in the same article.
Having read that Mary and Harriet's father was a retired merchant of Blackheath, (this rang a few bells) I decided I would look to see if Mary and Harriet were the sisters of Emma Welford who married my gt-gt-gt grandfather, Joseph Wilson in 1800.

The spelling of Welford varied over the years. I found in documents that Emma Welford (wife of Joseph Wilson) was baptised on 9th June 1775 - record Dr Williams’ Library. Her sister Elizabeth was baptised on the same day. John Welford/Wellford, was their father and Mary Ryland was their mother. The records for all the girls confirm they were all sisters.

There is a lovely portrait of Mary Welford on Wikipedia. See link below.

If you have enjoyed reading this article you might consider donating to www.fosalm.org which will help restore St Andrew's Church Little Massingham. This church has been very important to the Brereton family.