“Thorp, Booth and Sargeant connections, locations and occupations”, researched by Anna Philpott.
When 30 yr. old Yorkshire born and youngest son William Thorp (1794-1866) married 24 yr. old London born Frances Booth (1800-1877) on August 18th.1824, he was running a brewery together with his brother Robert in premises at Hadley Green, Chipping Barnet, Middlesex near to the Great North Road, which were owned by their father Richard (1757-1844), see Figure 4.
Richard Thorp, brewery owner and yeoman farmer, like his sons was born at Spaldington near to Bubwith and Howden in Yorkshire where The Thorps had close links with the respected Guy and Bell farming families in the area. Seemingly during the early 1800’s, Richard Thorp emigrated to Northamptonshire where initially he farmed at Higham Park, three miles east of Rushden – a town known for being one of the main historic centres of the British shoe manufacturing industry. Frances Booth’s grandfather, Joseph Sargeant (1731-1800) ‘gentleman’ a retired Boot and Shoe Maker was living there (maybe staying with his younger daughter Elizabeth b.1761) when he signed his will dated August 17th 1799.
The earliest mention found of Richard living near Rushden, is in a notice of the Higham Ferrers Association for the Prosecution of Felons AGM, for 1818, dated Jan.31st. Richard is listed as a member of the association. (Ref: Northants Mercury). On August 10th 1820 Richard’s eldest daughter Margaret, a widow, was married to a gentleman farmer of Knotting, named George Hine. The Hines, who were also members of the Higham Ferrers Association and Overseers in their community, held the Manor Farm in Knotting village, two miles east of Higham Park.
Richard was farming at Higham Park when his youngest daughter Sarah married Benjamin Tuck, ‘lately of Hadley’, on April 15th 1819. But by May 19th 1827, when he signed a petition against a new law affecting the sale of agricultural produce, he was listed as being of Knotting and that is where he was widowed, on Dec4th1828 at his wife Rachel’s death, though she is buried at Souldrop village nearby. The Thorps were living at “Knotting Fox” near Souldrop, 4½ miles from Rushden, in what were once premises of an old inn.
Richard’s daughter in law, Frances Booth, was born on March 14th 1800 to Joseph Sargeant’s eldest daughter Eady (1757-1820) at 10 Manor Row, Little Tower Hill under the shadow of the wall of the Tower of London, see Figure 5. Her father Jacob Booth (1747-1820) was an established Wholesale Shoe Manufacturer whose business premises and warehouses in the area included Nos.69 & 46, Mansell Street, Goodmans Fields, close to the Prescot Street chapel of her uncle, Rev. Abraham Booth. It seems very possible Jacob met Eady his wife through their links with the boot and shoe industry. Having discovered Joseph Sergeant’s link with Higham Ferrers west of Rushden, it also seems possible that the unlikely marriage in 1824, of Yorkshire farmer born turned brewer William Thorp, with Frances Booth daughter and grand- daughter of London Shoe Manufacturers, somehow came about through them both having links with the shoemakers’ town of Higham Ferrers/Rushden.
On Jan. 28th 1779 at St. Botolphs Aldgate, Joseph Sargeant’s younger daughter Elizabeth married James Brown of Irthlington, near Rushden. The five children of Elizabeth and James a ‘manufacturer’ (Frances Booth’s first cousins) were all born at Higher Ferrers. Also the couples grandchildren. It has not been possible to prove that James Brown was involved in shoe manufacture, but strong links existed between Northamptonshire Shoe Makers and those in London before industrialization. Doubtless Frances Booth visited her cousins in Higham Ferrers where she may have met her future husband William and/or his parents. The couple passed away living with their two older sons & daughters & near Booth relatives in Hackney.
Thorp Family History 