Chapter 2 - Rise and Fall
William Wastell 1740 - 1823
William was born 10th Oct 1740 in Mile End New Town and was baptised on 29th October at St Dunstan, Church.
On 7th March 1764, William married his first wife, Mary Caton, at St, Matthew’s Bethnal Green.
Mary, born 19 January 1745, was the daughter of Morris and Catherine Caton of Tides Alley, Limehouse. Tides Alley was one of the many alleyways that led down to the Thames in Limehouse. Morris was employed as a “gardener”. At that time there were many orchards and market gardens in Limehouse. Morris’ father lived at Ratcliffe, Limehouse.
6 months after their marriage, William and Mary’s first child was born,
Mary b. 24 Sept 1764
Judith b. 14 May 1766
Ann b. 11 Feb 1768
Catherine b. 10 Mar 1770
Samuel b. 6 Dec 1770
William b. 23 Oct 1771
Peter b. 1773
John b. 14 Aug 1774
Jane b. 09 Aug 1779
Charlotte b 1781
Samuel b.1783
George b. 5 Sep 1784
Thomas 3 Feb 1787
Charles b 12 June 1790.
After having 14 children, Mary died giving birth to Charles in June of 1790 aged 45.
3 years later, on the 8th May 1793, William married his second wife, Susannah Goody, a widow, at St. Dunstan’s.
21 days after the wedding, Susannah gave birth to their first child.
Thomas b. 29 May 1793
Martha b. 16 May 1797
Henry b. 26 Jan 1801
William’s occupation was that of a silk weaver. When he was given the Freedom of City of London in 1777, his formal occupation was that of a “Frame Worker”.
At the birth of his first child, Mary in 1674, his address is given as Webb Square, for the rest of his life he lived in Briant Street, which backed on to Webb Square.
Throughout this time, William continued to pay taxes. In 1780 he was living at 5 Bryant (Briant) Street, a property owned by Rev Nairn, John Salmon, and a Samuel Sewell. It suggests a large property and part of it was being rented by a Joseph Sewell. William’s tax was 12 shillings. Together with his co-occupier, Joseph Hoare, the total tax for the property was 24 shillings. The average tax for the street was 6 shillings per property. 5 Bryant Street is the only multiple owned and multiple occupied building in the Street, again suggesting that this was a substantial property.
In a report to the Poor Law Commissioners in 1837 Dr. Kay thus describes the methods of work of a weaver and his family:- ‘A weaver has generally two looms, one for his wife and another for himself, and as his family increases the children are set to work at six or seven years of age to quill silk; at nine or ten years to pick silk; and at the age of twelve or thirteen (according to the size of the child) he is put to the loom to weave. A child very soon learns to weave a plain silk fabric, so as to become a proficient in that branch; a weaver has thus not unfrequently four looms on which members of his own family are employed...
The houses occupied by the weavers are constructed for the special convenience of their trade, having in the upper stories wide, lattice-like windows which run across almost the whole frontage of the house. These ‘lights’ are absolutely necessary in order to throw a strong light on every part of the looms, which are usually placed directly under them. Many of the roofs present a strange appearance, having ingenious bird-traps of various kinds and large birdcages, the weavers having long been famed for their skill in snaring song-birds. They used largely to supply the home market with linnets, goldfinches, chaffinches, greenfinches, and other song birds which they caught by trained ‘call-birds’ and other devices in the fields of north and east London.” The wide high windows that shed enough light for their work can still be seen everywhere on older buildings around Spitalfields.”
1787 - Trade Directory
This part of Shoreditch was also known as Norton Falgate. In 1789 a company called Webber James and William Wastell was declared bankrupt. This seems to be a separate company from the silk-weaving business, dedicated to the making of gauze, a type of silk used to decorate women’s clothing.
The year before, William’s brother, John, had also been declared bankrupt.
In October 1796 William appears as a witness at The Old Bailey. “William Wastell, Weaver, Saith he heard the Soldiers were Coming down Cock Lane. And Informant came with Mr. Silence and Mr. Parent. That there was firing as they came down Cock Lane but who it was he knows not. That he saw the Soldiers Fire in above and below. Saith he is not sure whether he saw any firing from above stairs. Believes he was about ten yards distance. That he heard somebody amongst the Guards say, “don't fire any more below.” (But who it was he knows not). -And after that was said they fired three times which Informant thinks was in the Lower Room
William died in 1823 and was buried on the 15th January in the Gibraltar Non-Conformist Burial Ground, Bethnal Green. Photo
It seems that sometime between the birth of his youngest son, Henry in 1801 and his own death in 1823, William left the Church of England. He was buried in the Gibraltar Chapel Non-Conformist Burial ground. The Gibraltar chapel, Gibraltar Place, 1 Gibraltar Fields. off Bethnal Green Rd. was established in 1792.
William was born 10th Oct 1740 in Mile End New Town and was baptised on 29th October at St Dunstan, Church.
On 7th March 1764, William married his first wife, Mary Caton, at St, Matthew’s Bethnal Green.
Mary, born 19 January 1745, was the daughter of Morris and Catherine Caton of Tides Alley, Limehouse. Tides Alley was one of the many alleyways that led down to the Thames in Limehouse. Morris was employed as a “gardener”. At that time there were many orchards and market gardens in Limehouse. Morris’ father lived at Ratcliffe, Limehouse.
6 months after their marriage, William and Mary’s first child was born,
Mary b. 24 Sept 1764
Judith b. 14 May 1766
Ann b. 11 Feb 1768
Catherine b. 10 Mar 1770
Samuel b. 6 Dec 1770
William b. 23 Oct 1771
Peter b. 1773
John b. 14 Aug 1774
Jane b. 09 Aug 1779
Charlotte b 1781
Samuel b.1783
George b. 5 Sep 1784
Thomas 3 Feb 1787
Charles b 12 June 1790.
After having 14 children, Mary died giving birth to Charles in June of 1790 aged 45.
3 years later, on the 8th May 1793, William married his second wife, Susannah Goody, a widow, at St. Dunstan’s.
21 days after the wedding, Susannah gave birth to their first child.
Thomas b. 29 May 1793
Martha b. 16 May 1797
Henry b. 26 Jan 1801
William’s occupation was that of a silk weaver. When he was given the Freedom of City of London in 1777, his formal occupation was that of a “Frame Worker”.
At the birth of his first child, Mary in 1674, his address is given as Webb Square, for the rest of his life he lived in Briant Street, which backed on to Webb Square.
Throughout this time, William continued to pay taxes. In 1780 he was living at 5 Bryant (Briant) Street, a property owned by Rev Nairn, John Salmon, and a Samuel Sewell. It suggests a large property and part of it was being rented by a Joseph Sewell. William’s tax was 12 shillings. Together with his co-occupier, Joseph Hoare, the total tax for the property was 24 shillings. The average tax for the street was 6 shillings per property. 5 Bryant Street is the only multiple owned and multiple occupied building in the Street, again suggesting that this was a substantial property.
The houses occupied by the weavers are constructed for the special convenience of their trade, having in the upper stories wide, lattice-like windows which run across almost the whole frontage of the house. These ‘lights’ are absolutely necessary in order to throw a strong light on every part of the looms, which are usually placed directly under them. Many of the roofs present a strange appearance, having ingenious bird-traps of various kinds and large birdcages, the weavers having long been famed for their skill in snaring song-birds. They used largely to supply the home market with linnets, goldfinches, chaffinches, greenfinches, and other song birds which they caught by trained ‘call-birds’ and other devices in the fields of north and east London.” The wide high windows that shed enough light for their work can still be seen everywhere on older buildings around Spitalfields.”
1787 - Trade Directory
This part of Shoreditch was also known as Norton Falgate. In 1789 a company called Webber James and William Wastell was declared bankrupt. This seems to be a separate company from the silk-weaving business, dedicated to the making of gauze, a type of silk used to decorate women’s clothing.
Disaster struck the Wastell business and in March and April 1789 notices appeared in The Times announcing bankruptcy.
The year before, William’s brother, John, had also been declared bankrupt.
In October 1796 William appears as a witness at The Old Bailey. “William Wastell, Weaver, Saith he heard the Soldiers were Coming down Cock Lane. And Informant came with Mr. Silence and Mr. Parent. That there was firing as they came down Cock Lane but who it was he knows not. That he saw the Soldiers Fire in above and below. Saith he is not sure whether he saw any firing from above stairs. Believes he was about ten yards distance. That he heard somebody amongst the Guards say, “don't fire any more below.” (But who it was he knows not). -And after that was said they fired three times which Informant thinks was in the Lower Room
William died in 1823 and was buried on the 15th January in the Gibraltar Non-Conformist Burial Ground, Bethnal Green. Photo
It seems that sometime between the birth of his youngest son, Henry in 1801 and his own death in 1823, William left the Church of England. He was buried in the Gibraltar Chapel Non-Conformist Burial ground. The Gibraltar chapel, Gibraltar Place, 1 Gibraltar Fields. off Bethnal Green Rd. was established in 1792.
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