Margaret Ann GILMOUR never knew her father who died before she was born. She was born in January 1763 to John and Mary GILMOUR of Basinghall Street, London. In January 1785 aged 22 she and Robert RUBIDGE were married in St Dunstan's, Stepney.  Interior of St Dunstan's Stepney. Robert Rubidge starts off his entries in his family bible* with his marriage to Margaret Ann. He makes no reference to an adoption of his wife although there are some words crossed out at the foot of the page. Robert at the point of the marriage is described as being of Leadenhall Street, London. This is less than a mile from Basinghall Street, and crosses over St Mary Axe where Robert had lived as a youngster. http://www.maps.google.co.uk * kindly sent 2008 by Jennifer Rogers, a Frederick Preston Rubidge descendant, in Canada | Their first child Robert Henry was born a year after their marriage and the second Charles some 14 months later. So far so good. The baptism of Robert Henry in St Michael Wood Street indicates a City residence while Charles' baptism in St George in the East could indicates the place of residence given in the parish register at Wapping, some distance from the City. Mary Ann, the next child to arrive was baptised in St Olave, Hart Street in 1791. This is back in the City near Leadenhall Street. Mary Ann died 15 months later and was buried in Drumcondra Churchyard, Dublin in 1792, "but she knows no more trouble.". I assume this is a CoE church. Drumcondra is now described as being in Dublin's inner city. More sadness was to follow. Robert describes the arrival of a stillborn child, "A still born female daughter of the aforesaid, born in 1795, came at the full time, buried in St Michael's Dublin" and, " A still born male son of the same, came into this world at 6 months, buried in the same coffin with the best of women, its mother, who departed this troubled life the 4th of January 1800 and lays buried, her mortal part, in St Mary's Bermondsey but her immortal [soul] is surely happy in heaven for she was Every Thing that was most amiable -in Woman -may we all live to die like her". One can also imagine ,given the gaps between births in 1787 and 1791 and again between 1795 and 1800, that there were other unsuccessful pregnancies. Margaret Ann had grown up with no father and now two young boys were to grow up with no mother and as far as we can tell, they did not grow up with their father either. |
