The Cheeper Tree – Lower

This page draws primarily from work by Geoff Clarke and Anne Kratzmann.

This page presents primarily what is known about the lower line of Cheepers (c. 1800-1850). Separate pages provide information about the upper Cheeper line (to c. 1780), and the middle Cheeper line (c. 1780-1800).

The line relevant to this web-site is child 8.

Note that entries include Cheeper, Chipper, Chippar and Cheaper (the last as late as April 1911!).

The page finishes with a note on the many Anthonys in the Cheeper line.

Anthony Jacques Cheeper (1803-37)
b. 1 Jan - 8 Apr 1803, but where? London?
In 1824, in the London Trade Directory, a draper and hosier at 12, Rotherhithe.

m. Jane Bokenham, 19 Oct 1825, in Southwold
Jane was b. 7 May 1805 in Southwold
A separate page has information about the well-established Bokenham family.
Anthony is shown on the marriage certificate as being of St Michael's, Coventry.

From a family perspective:
Children 1-8 were b. 1825-35, most of them baptised at St Michael's, Coventry. But they were a very sickly lot. Only 3/8 survived beyond the age of 1 (2/2 females and 1/6 males). Anthony junior was their 8th and last child in 12 years of marriage, and the only surviving son.
So, during the period 1825 to 1835, Anthony senior appears to have shuttled between at least Coventry in the Midlands and Southwold in Suffolk, but possibly also North London. And Anthony's wife, Jane, and the early, sickly children shuttled at least between Coventry and Southwold. And this was in an era before trains, let alone decent roads and road transport more reliable than horses. No evidence exists of any other Cheeper who could be confounding the inferences.

From a financial perspective:
In 1826, aged 23, Anthony is on the 'suitor's list' of heads of household in Coventry. And an Anthony Jacques Cheeper is recorded in the Pigots Trades Directory for 1825/26 in Rotherhithe (East London). This might have been the oldest Anthony, 1758-41, at age 67/68, or the son Anthony Jacques, 1802-1837; but the son would have been only 23/24.
In 1828 and 1829, the Coventry Trade Directory shows Anthony as a ribbon manufacturer, in Park St. He remains active in the trade into the 1830s.
The firm Cheeper, Watson & Jackson is visible in the Directories for 1835, and in those for 1839 and 1846. Anthony Jacques senior was only 33 in 1835, yet the Cheeper name appears first in the partnership. So perhaps the Anthony of 1758-1841 founded the firm. Anthony Jacques is also on the 1834 Voter's List in Coventry (but not on that for 1826).
In 1837-46, the firm of Cheeper, Watson & Jackson in evident in the London Trade Directory, as a silk and ribbon warehouse at 20 Wood St and then 36 Wood St.

Anthony d. 8 Apr 1837, aged 34, at 32, Myddleton Square, London. His death was noted in the Coventry Herald of 14 April 1837.
Anthony left everything to Jane for life, then to be divided among such of his children as reached 21. The executor was William Bokenham, Jane's brother. (This could imply Anthony had no surviving brothers, or none that he trusted – or none that Jane's family trusted).

Jane remarried Charles Teakle, 28 Feb 1839
A separate page has some information about the Teakle step-family.
Jane d. 1852 (so aged 47), Islington

  1. Anthony William Cheeper (1828-1828)
    chr. 22 Feb 1828, St Michaels, Coventry
    d. 1828, so aged <1, Southwold, Suffolk?
  2. Thomas Bokenham Cheeper (1829-1829)
    chr. 1 Jun 1829, St Michael's Coventry
    T.B. was Jane's father's name
    d. 29 Aug? 1829, so aged <1, Southwold, Suffolk
  3. Anthony Cheeper (1830-1830)
    A second attempt at an Anthony
    chr. 30 Jun 1830, St Michael's, Coventry
    bur. 17 Aug? 1830, so aged <1, St Michael's, Coventry
  4. William Cheeper (1831-1831)
    chr. 4 Aug 1831, St Michael's, Coventry
    bur. 13 Aug 1831, so aged days, St Michael's, Coventry
  5. Jane Cheeper (1833-1866?), the first to survive her early years
    b. 1833, Southwold Suffolk
    In the 1841 Census, aged 9, she was in a school in Canonbury Place, Islington
    In the 1851 Census, aged 18, Jane 'Chacker' was in her step-father's household
    m. Wm Bokenham SPICER in 1857, in Edmonton
       Wm B appears to be the son of Simon Spicer and Mary Ann BOKENHAM, who
           was Jane's sister (see entry in James Maggs Diary in 1825), aged 30 (to Jane's 24/25)
       Simon and Mary Ann had a son and a daughter
       Mary Ann died in 1828
       Simon then married Ann GEORGE
       http://www.familysearch.org gives the two children as:
          Sarah Elizabeth SPICER christening 16th October, 1825 Southwold, Suffolk
          Wm B SPICER, b. Southwold, chr'ing 27th Sept 1827, Suffolk County Bts, Suffolk
    Jane d. <1871, because in the 1871 census Wm is a lodger and a widower
    Possibly June Qtr 1866, 33 Edmonton 3a 110, when she would have been 33
  6. Ellen Cheeper (1834->1891), the second to survive
    chr. 7 May 1834, St Michael’s, Coventry
    In the 1841 Census, aged 7, she was in a school in Canonbury Place, Islington
    In the 1851 Census, aged 16, Ellen 'Chacker' was in her step-father's household
    ?m. Thomas Bentick RICHARDSON Mar Qtr 1860 Islington 1b 313
       Thomas was b. 1832-33, in Salisbury
    They loved in Preston at least in the early 1860s and in Bury St Edmonds c. 1865-1891
    They had 2 servants in each of the 1881 and 1891 Census entries
    In the 1881 census Thomas is a teacher of music, and in 1891 a Professor of music
    Ellen had children right up to the age of 46!?
    1. Ida Richardson b. 1861-62, Preston Lancs. (19 in 1881 and a Teacher of music, and in 1891 she is 28 and a Professor too)
    2. Kate Richardson b. 1862-63, Preston Lancs. (18 in 1881)
    3. Amy Richardson b. 1863-64, Presons Lancs. (18 in 1881)
    4. Ellen Richardson b. 1865-66, Bury St Edmonds Suffolk (15 in 1881)
    5. Charles Richardson b. 1869-70, Bury St Edmonds Suffolk (12 in 1881)
    6. Mabel Richardson b. 1874-75, Bury St Edmonds Suffolk (6 in 1881)
    7. Arthur Richardson b. 1881, Bury St Edmonds Suffolk (1 month in 1881)
  7. Anthony Cheeper (1835-1835?)
    A third attempt at an Anthony
    chr. Oct 1835, St Michael's, Coventry
    d. 1835?
  8. Anthony Jacques Cheeper (1837-1918) – the 4th Anthony, the sole surviving male
    b. 27 Sep 1837, at 32 Myddleton Square, Pentonville, North London, north of Kings Cross, near The Angel tube station). His birth was registered on 23 Feb 1838.
    He was "the only male Cheeper of his generation in the country".
    Here is a description of AJC's fairly extraordinary life.
    m1. Catherine Spilsbury – producing 10 children, as Cheeper
    m2. Mary Wanless – producing 3 children, as Clarke
    m3. Emma Terry – producing 4 children, as Clarke
    m4. Kate Davidge – producing 11 children, as Clarke
    m5. Amy Clark – producing 6 children, as Clarke (but briefly as Cheeper, in 1910-11)

The Name Anthony in the Cheeper / Clarke / Bail Line

The name Anthony began with Edward's son in 1758, and has occurred (all-but continuously) across 8 generations and 250 years, from 1758 until at least 2009, when, for the first time, 5 of the line are alive at the same time:

  1. Anthony Chipper/Cheeper 1758-1841
  2. Anthony Jacques Cheeper, 1802-1837
  3. Anthony Jacques Cheeper / Anthony Clarke, 1837-1918
  4. Willie Tony Clarke / William Anthony Clarke, 1892-1955
  5. Edward Anthony (Tony) Clarke, b. 1919
  6. Roger Anthony Clarke, b. 1949
  7. Russell Anthony (Whiteman Spinaze) Clarke, b. 1983
    (Russell was understood at the time of his naming to be the fifth in succession)
  8. Troy Anthony Bail b. 2009
    (Troy was known at the time of his naming to be the eighth in succession)

On the other hand:

We're missing a lot of information; and we'd love to know more!

This a page within Roger Clarke's Family Web-Site

Contact: Roger Clarke and/or Anne Kratzmann

Created: 21 October 2005; Last Amended: 9 November 2009