We have researched our Blanchard family line back with complete certainty to 1825 when John Blanchard married Hannah Cogger Leppard at St Georges, Hanover Square, London. In our attempts to take this line further back we have gathered a lot of data about Blanchards in and around the London area. Our best guess about the previous generation is published elsewhere on this site.
Our best guess, that John Blanchard was born in Sydenham and baptised at Lewisham in 1801, was made for several reasons whilst accepting that there are some inconsistencies. We are not sure of John Blanchard's age - the 1841 census gives his age as 40 which fits but his age on his death certificate issued in 1846 was 42. Our reasoning includes the following lines of thought:-
1 John Blanchard was not born in Surrey, according to the 1841 census and Sydenham is in Kent
2 John Blanchard had a brother called George Frederick and this name appears among John and Hannah's children.
3 John and Hannah moved around Surrey in the early years of their marriage and their second child was baptised in Tooting by a curate from Lewisham.
4 Charles Blanchard, John and Hannah's son, returned to London from Edinburgh some time between 1881 and 1891. As far as we know he had broken off any contact with his brothers and sisters but on his return to London he lived in Blackheath. Why Blackheath? At the same time, a family of Blanchards was living in the next street.
5 Around 1900 Charles Blanchard and his son moved to Kingston-upon-Thames. Why Kingston? From the BMDs, the IGI and the 1881 census there is at least one other family of Blanchards in Kingston. John and Hannah ran the Fox and Hounds in Kingston around 1828 and baptised one of their children at Kingston.
6 John and Hannah ran the Hare and Hounds at East Sheen from 1830 until at least 1841 and the next generation, led by the eldest son William, ran the Blanchard restaurant/club in Beak Street. There is another William Blanchard running a pub in Mitcham with his wife Elizabeth in 1851 but he is not there in 1881. Hannah came from Mitcham. The licensed trade seems to be a family characteristic.
7 John Blanchard's occupation at the baptism of the first two children is carpenter. His son Charles also refers to his late father as a carpenter on his (Charles's) marriage certificate even though he had been a publican more recently.
8 Hannah's mother died in Brixton and one of her sons, Joseph, had a house in Cowley Road Brixton.
A recent "find" is the last will and testament of John Blanchard, carpenter of Sydenham. This will raises far more questions than it answers as the following transcript will show:-
In the Name of God Amen. I John Blanchard of Sydenham in the County of Kent carpenter living at present in perfect health and sound disposing mind and memory calling to mind the mortality of the body knowing it is appointed for all men xxx to die do make this my last will and testament in manner and form follows that is to say first I give and bequeath to Mrs Mary Blanchard my wife the Sum of one Shilling and to her Son William Blanchard the like Sum of one Shilling to be paid by my executrix as soon as proper time be elapsed by Law and my will and xxxing is that they shall have no claim or demand whatever on any part or parts of my Goods Business Stock in Trade Leases or Debts that may be my property at my decease or any portion whatsoever also I give and bequeath to Mrs Mary Ann Whicker all my Goods and Chattels Stock in Trade Book Debts Leases and whatever may belong to me at my death appointing her the said Mary Ann Whicker my hole (sic) and sole Executrix of this my last Will and testament xxxing her to freely dispose of or to enjoy all and singular my Lands Messuages Tenements Rents or profits or otherwise arising from improvements made for her benefit and her Children William Nevill Whicker and my sons by her Thomas Mayow Blanchard and James Blanchard to be equally a apart in this my Will and Testament of all and every benefit and I do hereby revoke disallow and disannul all and every former Will or Testament legacy bequest and Executors by me made in any ways before ratifying and reaffirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seals this Thirty first day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and ninety four (1794) John Blanchard signed sealed and delivered in the presence of the underwritten witness and xxx to be John Blanchard in the presence of witnesses Joseph Shaw and James Briscoe.
This Will was proved at London the second day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and six (1806) before the worshipful Charles Cook Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne Knight also Doctor of Laws Master keeper or commissary of the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Mary Ann Killick Wife of xxxxy Killick formerly Whicker the sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted having been first sworn an interlocutory xxxx having this form and effort of a xxx xxxx in writing leaving xxx first made and interposed for the form and validity of the said Will as by Acts of Court Approved..
There is a possible baptism of a William Blanchard on 11 February 1782 at St Andrew Holborn with father John Blanchard and mother Mary living in Charter House Lane London.
There are only two further IGI baptisms around that time and in that area which show father John Blanchard and mother Mary:
ANN BLANCHARD Christening: 09 OCT 1774 St Saviours, Southwark,
ANN BLANCHARD Birth: 16 JUL 1784 Christening: 28 JUL 1784 Lying In Hospital Endell Street, Holborn
and neither of these have yet been checked against the original records:
Thanks to Terry Jackson we now have much more on Thomas Mayow Blanchard (baptised on 9 May 1790 at St Luke Chelsea). He was married on 19 March 1812 at St Georges in the East of Stepney. His wife's maiden name was Ann Butter and one of the witnesses was Mary Ann Killick (his mother).
Terry has also provided full details of the descendents of Thomas Mayow Blanchard .
Thomas Mayow Blanchard's will, written in 1833 and proved in 1838 refers to his wife Ann Blanchard and his children. Executors are his wife Ann Blanchard and Benjamin Granger Bluett. Thomas Mayow Blanchard's occupation is mast maker and he was living at All Saints Poplar.
Unfortunately the records of St Mary Lewisham are incomplete at just the crucial time and we have as yet found no baptism or marriage records for any of the other names mentioned in the will.
The following links are included to share all the additional data we have gathered in the hope that others will be able to claim "their" Blanchards and perhaps in doing so some of the gaps in our knowledge will be filled.
Follow this link to a collection of Blanchards from Trade Directories and London Poll Books. "Our" Blanchards" are highlighted. We have also collected all the references to Eel Pie Houses. Does anyone own these Blanchards? If so there is a wonderful picture of the shop waiting for you at the Guild Hall Library.
This is a link to a miscellany of speculation / informed guesses based on data from the IGI, the BMDs, several archives and the 1881 census. At the moment we have no evidence of links between these Blanchards and our line but we are publishing what we have found in the hope that the data may help others and in doing this we can definitely eliminate them from our searches.
Additional and very valuable contributions to the data on this page have been made by three other members of the Blanchard Family History Society.
Thanks to Norman Fosh for his contribution to the Blanchards in Greenwich.
Thanks to Anne Smith for her contribution to the Blanchards in Camberwell, Woolwich, Clerkenwell and Islington.
Thanks to Terry Jackson for the Thomas Mayow connection and the associated data on Blanchards in Poplar.
As an additional aid to finding your lost Blanchards we have compiled a full listing of the Blanchards found on the 1901 census which you can download as an EXCEL spreadsheet. ( You may notice a warning message about macros - for complete safety click on disable.)
For more information on Blanchards generally please visit the Blanchard Family History Society website and better still - join us as a member.
Updated: 19 March 2007