john mallandain + sarah west
John was born on Ducking Pond Lane in Whitechapel and baptised at the nearby church of St Mary on 6 March 1763. He married Sarah West at St Dunstan, Stepney on 9 June 1783 in what was a double ceremony with his brother James marrying Margaret Layton the same day. The marriage entry shows that John was living on Everards Place, near St Mary’s, at the time of his marriage.
Following their marriage, John and Sarah lived in the Phill’s Buildings on Houndsditch, which ran between Bishopsgate Street and Aldgate High Street, with the parish of St Botolph Bishopsgate to the west and St Botolph Aldgate to the east. For hundreds of years, Houndsditch was home to a used clothing market known as Rag Fair and it was in markets like this, and the more famous Petticoat Lane nearby, that generations of East Enders bought their clothing, boots, umbrellas and a myriad of other household goods.
John and Sarah had eight children and at least four survived to adulthood. Their first two children were born while they were still living in Houndsditch. John was baptised on 3 October 1784 at St Botolph without Aldgate but his birth date was not listed in the baptismal record. Two years later, Sarah was born but she was baptised at St Botolph Bishopsgate on 13 August 1786. The family was living in Norton Folgate, which ran between Bishopsgate Street and Shoreditch Hight Street, when William was born on the 6 April 1788; he was baptised one month later at St Leonard, Shoreditch. George Giles was born on 17 December 1789 and baptised at St Matthew, Bethnal Green on 17 January 1790 and the baptismal register list John’s occupation as Clerk. Elizabeth Catherine was baptised on 25 December 1791 also at St Matthew.
In 1792, John petitioned the Blue Coat School for assistance in educating his eldest son, John:
To the Right Honourable, Right Worshipful, and Worshipful the Governors of Christ’s Hospital, London.
The Humble Petition of John Mallandain of the Parish of St.Matthews, Bethnal Green, Middlesex, Sugar Refiner, sheweth that your Petitioner has a wife and three children to provide for, and being in low circumstances he finds it difficult to maintain and educate them without assistance. Your Petitioner therefore applies for one of his said Children, John Mallandain of age of seven years and upwards, to be received to the benefits of the said Hospital.
John Mallandain, Crescent Place, Hackney
His petition was successful and his eight year old son John was admitted to the school on 8 May 1792. John’s petition indicates that of his five children born between 1784 and 1791, only three were still alive. Subsequent records confirm that sons John and George Giles survived but there is no confirmation of the third surviving child — Sarah, William or Elizabeth Catherine.
The records of the Blue Coat School record John’s occupation as Sugar Refiner and Grocer but he also described himself as a citizen and musician which is corroborated by his admission to the Musician’s Company on 4 April 1792:
John Mallandain son of James Mallandain late of Dunk Street Spitalfields Mariner dead was this day admitted to the Freedom of this Company by redemption.
It is likely that John worked as a grocer to support his family but also pursued his interest in music, however, there is no record of John ever earning a living as a musician. In 1793, the family’s residence was recorded as Everard’s Place on their son’s baptismal entry — the same street where John lived when he first married. When Roque’s Map of London was published in 1746, the area north of St Mary Whitechapel was occupied by several sugar bakers so it is possible John worked in the area.
Their son James was baptised at St Mary Whitechapel on 11 August 1793. He died at Church Lane just after his first birthday and was buried at St Mary on 14 September 1794. The cause of death was listed as ‘teeth’ so it is possible he suffered from an infection or fever related to teething.
Between August 1793 and March 1795, John moved his family to the small market town of Hertford 20 miles north of London. Their daughter Mary and son Edward were both born and baptised in Hertford. Mary was baptised on 18 Mar 1795 at St Andrews, Hertford and Edward was born one year later.
They were still in Hertford in 1798 when John West completed his schooling in London and returned to live with his family. The charity he received from Christ’s Hospital for his schooling also extended to cover the fee for his apprenticeship with the Musician’s Company. The Company’s Minute Book record from 17 September confirms that John was still employed as a grocer but remained a member of the Musician’s Company:
John Mallandain son of John Mallandain of Hertford Grocer, a Member of this Company was this day bound apprentice to his said father in consideration of £5 paid by the Treasurer of Christ’s Hospital.
Their last child, Ann was born in Hertford about 1800 but sadly died one year later and was buried at All Saints on 18 October 1801. Her burial is the last record of the family appearing in Hertford. There is no information on why the family moved from Whitechapel to Hertford but by 1821, they had returned to the Tower Hamlets.
Their widowed son John returned to England in 1822 on leave from the East India Company with his two young sons John William (aged 12) and George Robert (aged 7) and stayed with John and Sarah in Stepney. When their son John returned to India with his second wife in 1823, John and Sarah took on the task of raising their two grandsons.
They were still in Stepney in 1833 when their son John returned home from India following the death of his second wife. He brought his four young children with him and the whole family stayed with John and Sarah on Heath Street, Commercial Road. When John married for a third time shortly after returning home, he moved his family to a large country house in Kent and his sister Mary moved with them and acted as governess to his children. Mary never married and died on 3 October 1840 and was buried at St Dunstan’s on 12 October. Her nephew, Edward, recorded his memories of his aunt in his reminiscences:
I remember well my 6th birthday by which date I could read well, owing to the care of my Aunt Mary, my father’s sister taken on as governess who though extremely strict (kneeling on me on the floor on one occasion in a very impressive way), must have been a good teacher. The poor soul died suddenly of heart disease, some few years afterwards, falling from the supper-table.
John and Sarah appear in the 1841 Census, both aged 75 years and of independent means, at Heath Street, which was just off Commercial Road in Stepney. Their grandson, Edward, noted in his memoirs that their son George Giles provided financial support to his parents in their later years.
Sarah West died, aged 84, on 12 January 1847 at 16 Ireland Row in Stepney. Following his wife’s death, John moved south of the Thames to Camberwell in Surrey — a much more fashionable area of London — possibly to be closer to his son George Giles and daughter in law Sarah Tustian. John is listed in the 1851 Census at 58 Southampton Street, Camberwell, a Widow and Annuitant, along with his granddaughter Mary, aged 24 years.
John Mallandain died, aged 90, on 1 October 1853 at 1 Church Street, Camberwell. In his will, he bequeathed mourning rings to his three surviving sons, John, George Giles and Edward. He left a free hold cottage in Ely Place, Globe Road, Mile End to his son Edward and the remainder of his estate in trust for his granddaughter Mary. It appears that in addition to their two grandsons, John and Sarah also cared for their granddaughter Mary as he noted in his will – ‘my Grand daughter Mary Mallandain who having lived with us from her childhood is I consider justly entitled for her sole and separate use independent of her husband if she marries.’