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William Murrell, grandfather of Isabella Murrell
William Murrell married Sarah Horlock at St. Catherine Cree Church, Leadenhall
Street, London in the 4th quarter of 1789. The Archbishop of Canterbury granted
them a marriage license on 27 October 1789, which was rather a high level
authorisation. While he lived inside the City of London, she was from Rettendon
in Essex and in order to avoid a three week delay while banns were called in
both parishes, the couple obtained the license from the archbishop. We do not
know why William and Sarah chose this speedy means rather than waiting for banns
to be called.
We don’t know where William Murrell was born or anything about his family.
Sarah Horlock, grandmother of Isabella Murrell
Sarah Horlock was the daughter of a merchant family involved in barge traffic on
the rivers of Essex and the Thames. The family dates back to Richard Horlock,
born in the London parish of Hammersmith about 1650/70. He was a barge owner,
wharfinger, and boat builder. He married and had seven children. His son Samuel
(1694-1742) married and had five children. His son Samuel (1729-1799), who was
Sarah Horlock’s father, continued in the shipping business, married and had a
the following legitimate children - Robert (b. 1770), Elizabeth, Mary, Elianor,
Sarah, Richard and Hannah, as well a several illegitimate children. We believe
Sarah was born in Hockley.
This second Samuel branched out to Rettendon, near Battlesbridge, on the River
Crouch about 1750. The Maldon Ship registers show that he owned several sailing
barges between 1786 and 1840. He probably came across this village while trading
on the East Anglia coast and decided it would be a good place to set up
business.
Another source says: About 30 barges were owned in Maldon about 1790. The first
to be built in Essex seems to be the "Experiment" built for Samuel Horlock at
Rettendon in 1791. The Maldon ship registers show that Samuel owned several
square-sterned sailing barges between 1786 and 1798 - The “Henry & Robert” 52
tons, “Sally” 44 tons, “Industry” 64 tons, “Charlotte” 45 tons, and the
“Experiment” 63 tons.
A descendant, R J Horlock, believes that the Experiment was built in Hockley by
Samuel Horlock since he had obtained a working knowledge of boat building from
the Hammersmith yard and also owned a wharf in Hockley.
When Samuel died in 1798/9 he had a established a very good business. He owned
quite a lot of farming land in the area; coal yards in Rawreth, lime kilns in
Rettendon, wharves at Hockley, a wharf at Hammersmith and the above mentioned
barges. The combination of farming and barging has always been fairly common in
Essex because of the extensive network of tidal creeks and rivers and in this
case provided the colours for the family ‘bob’. This was a triangle with blue at
the top and yellow beneath; blue for the sea and yellow for the corn.
The main trade for Samuel’s barges seems to have been in coal, manure, and chalk
being converted into lime for the heavy Essex soil. The return trip to London
was probably with corn and hay and straw for the thousands of horses in the
city.
William Murrell inherited half of his father-in-law’s business when Samuel
Horlock died in 1798/9. |
