The Herring Family: Back to the Beginning

Before describing our trip to King’s Lynn, it is probably a good idea to tell you what information we based our travels on.

The oldest Herring for whom we have confirmation is Jonathan Herring born about 1785.  We don’t know much about him, his parents or even where he was born, but we have a record of his marriage in 1814 to Frances Howlett.  Here is a copy of  the parish register:

Marriage Register from King’s Lynn recording the marriage of Jonathan Herring and Frances Howlett

You’ll notice that both Jonathan and Frances signed their own names, but Frances’ father John Howlett, signed with an “X”.  Jonathan and Frances were the common grandparents of both Arthur May and Frances Elizabeth Herring.  FE’s father John Jonathan (named for both his father and grandfather) was the eldest child of the couple.  We find his baptism recorded in the parish record.  Jonathan’s occupation is listed as “Mariner”.

I like this definition that I found on the Who Do You Think Are Blog by Mariner Aus.  He described: “By stating mariner on any certificate would usually means someone works as an A.B. (Able bodied seaman) or O.S. (Ordinary seaman) in the merchant navy/merchant service. These are the lowest ranks on board a vessel but at the same time, the people doing these roles have to be quite physically tough to handle the work involved.”

So likely Jonathan was away from home quite a bit.  However, this did not seem to limit the couple’s reproductive abilities.  After John Jonathan’s birth in 1815, they had David in 1816, Maria in 1817 and Frances (not Frances Elizabeth) in 1819.  When Robert was born however, in 1820, Jonathan Herring listed his occupation as Fruiterer.  He was still listed as a Fruiterer when Arthur May’s father, George was born.

Parish Register recording the borth of George Gerring in 1824.

It looks like he had settled into the family business we believe to be set up by his father-in- law John Howlett based on which add a new dimension to our understanding of the Herring Family in nineteenth century King’s Lynn.  The first is an Indenture Agreement granting John Howlett use of the property at 2 Saturday Market.

The original document looks like this:

Identure Agreement signed with John Howlett’s “X”

Here is a rough transcription of the document:

Indenture made the fourth day of July x x the forty third year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King – Defender of the faith And in the year of our Lord xx one thousand and eight hundred and three Between John Eglington of King’s Lynn in the County of Norfolk fruiterer and Samuel Newham of King’s Lynn aforesaid xx of the out part and John Howlett of the same place fruiterer of the other part……

Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings a piece of lawful currency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to them the said John Eglington and Samuel Newham in hand well and truly paid by the said John Howlett at or before the Scaling and Solivory of these foresaid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged.  They the said John Eglington and Samuel Newham Have and each of them Hath bargained and sold and by these presents Do and each of them doth bargain and sell unto the said John Howlett his Executors, Administrators and Assigns All that Pressuages or Tenement and hard situators and being in King’s Lynn aforesaid in a (illegible) certain Street or place formerly called Butcher Row in the Saturday Market place over against Saint Margaret’s Church between the Pressuage and the passage or yard and Ground formerly of Asty Soawiski and now of the Gairt of Souaury Short/Start on the East part and the Pressuages or Tenement formerly of Lynstrad(?) fortet(?) and now of John Grisenthwaite towards the west abutting upon the yard or Ground of the said John Grisenthwaite  towards the droite and on the said Street or Xsxghway towards the Sonte Or however otherwise the said Pressuage or Tenement …

But unfortunately for John Howlett he died in March of 1828.  Amazingly, we have a copy of his probated will.  Here is the beginning of the transcription of the will he executed in 1821 and later amended with codicils.

This is the last will and testament of me John Howlett of King’s Lynn in the County of Norfolk Fruiterer made this nineteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty one in manner following that is to say I give and devise all these my xx new copyholds cottages or tenements with the gardens and appivetenances thereto belonging xx lying and being in Terrington Saint Clements in the said County of Norfolk as the same are now in the several occupation of XX Archer(?) James Bougham XX Savage XX Levington Richard Ashby and XX Thompson into my dear wife Frances and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life without impeachment of waste xx from and immediately after her decease I give and devise the said six new built cottages or tenements and hereditaments with their appurtanances unto my daughter Frances the wife of Jonathan Herring To hold the same unto and to the use of my said daughter Frances Herring her heirs and assigns forever and I give and devise unto my daughter Frances Herring…

John and Frances Howlett also had a son Thomas.  It might just be me, but he didn’t seem to do as well in his father’s will.  John split, between his children, a wide range of property both in the town of King’s Lynn, neighbouring Terrington St Clement as well as nearby Church Warden.

We can see from published directories that in 1836 Jonathan operated two retail locations in King’s Lynn.  One property which he might have shared with his brother-in-law Thomas Howlett or possibly, he kept the name of the retail location at 2 Saturday Market in honour of his father in law.

Excerpt from the 1836 History Gazateer and Directory of Norfolk

Ok, that’s all for now.  Next stop, King’s Lynn 2013.