czwartek, 26 kwietnia 2018

The Tolkien family London addresses – update

I have made an important update in my research concerning the London addresses of the ancestors of J. R. R. Tolkien! The information from my previous article must be a little bit changed. [I use London maps from the 19th century, especially updated Horwood's Plan]

John Benjamin Tolkien (1752, Gdańsk – 1819, London) and his son George Tolkien (1784–1840) lived with their families here (see below; in this house George Tolkien was born; here also his son, John Benjamin Tolkien (1807–1896), J. R. R. Tolkien's grandfather was born!). This house was close to the Spa Fields Chapel where the Countess of Huntingdon Connection, early Calvinistic Methodists prayed. I suppose the Tolkiens belonged to that community (being in fact inclined to the United Brethren):

(1.) Parish of St Andrew's, Holborn, City of London (or St James', Clerkenwell)

According to the funeral record of John Benjamin Tolkien's first English wife, Mary née Warner (belonging to the Countess of Huntingdon Connexion), the couple lived in c. 1780 in the Parish of St Andrew's, Holborn, City. The ancient parish included most of the Holborn area to the west, bordering onto St Giles in the Fields. In 1777 when the couple married they were described as living in the parish of St James', Clerkenwell. Their house could be on the border of both parishes or it was simply Saint John Street as in (4.).

(2.) 77 White Lion Street, Pentonville (or Islington), London

77 White Lion Street where the Tolkien family lived between 1790s and 1820s
The house could look a little bit like these houses from the north side of White Lion St today:

White Lion St today (GoogleMaps)
I am looking for an image of the house at 77 White Lion St. Can you help me?

Added in May 2021

(3.) 25 Bidborough Street (in the parish of St Pancras) is a place where George Tolkien (J. R. R. Tolkien's great-grandfather) died in 1840:

25 Bidborough Street where George Tolkien died in 1840

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Another thing are the houses where the Tolkiens had their businesses. John Benjamin Tolkien's (1752, Gdańsk – 1819, London) and George Tolkien (1784–1840) had their businesses in the following places (the buildings on the maps are in red frames):

(4.) 49 Saint John's Street, Clerkenwell,
"Gravell & Tolkien, Clock and Watchmakers" (1792–1807)

49 Saint John Street, Clerkenwell according to John Tallis'
street views produced in 1838-1847 - read about it here

(5.) 145 Saint John Street, Clerkenwell (the proprietor was a Maitland and George Beawmont)
"Tolkien & Dancer, Toolmakers" (c. 1807), "George Tolkien, Ironmonger/Toolmaker" (1808–1810), "George Tolkien, Clock and Watchmaker" (1809–1811)

49 St John's Street, 145 St John's Street, Clerkenwell, London
The house with the Tolkiens' workshop at 145 St John's Street looked like this:

145 Saint John Street, Clerkenwell according to John Tallis'
street views produced in 1838-1847 - read about it here
It would be wonderful to find Tallis' image of the house at 49 St John's Street! Can you help me? 

(6.) 111 Guilford Street, J. B. Tolkien, Dealer in China and Glass (1809)

111 Guilford St where John Benjamin Tolkien sold china and glass in 1809

(7.) 21 Skinner Street, Snow Hill, London (1814)

21 Skinner Street – China & Glass Man (J. B. Tolkien & G. Tolkien) [1814]
John Tallis drew this house as follows:
21 Skinner Street – China & Glass Man (J. B. Tolkien & G. Tolkien) [1814]

2 komentarze:

  1. Hello! I traveled in London, and took the pictures of the buildings you wrote in this article. I posted my photos on Twitter at your account, so you may have already noticed them, but ICYMI.
    https://twitter.com/Chica_Chubb/status/1018128467785863168
    There are other photos connected to this tweet, so please take a look at them!
    I am sorry if I bother you.

    OdpowiedzUsuń
  2. Hello! I traveled in London, and took the pictures of the buildings you wrote in this article. I posted my photos on Twitter at your account, so you may have already noticed them, but ICYMI.
    https://twitter.com/Chica_Chubb/status/1018128467785863168
    There are other photos connected to this tweet, so please take a look at them!
    I am sorry if I bother you.

    OdpowiedzUsuń