WILLIAMS, Totteridge, 18th century

September, 2003

Lyn Nunn (genielynau @t yahoo.com) of Australia writes According to the Harleian Society Vol 10 CD Edward Williams and his wife Elizabeth nee Capper are buried in a vault at Totteridge. He died 1759 and she 1793. The Cappers were from Bushey. I am trying to find the origins of my Williams and I am stuck. What I am wondering is if there are any transcriptions of the cemetery at Totteridge as I would like to know the full inscription and also if there is any mention of Elizabeth Williams in any of the history of Totteridge as she did leave £400 to the poor on condition that the vault was not to be opened under any pretence (Harleian Society CD)

Lynn also provides extensive background information including: I contacted the archivist at Inner Temple and she gave me this info: Edward Williams, gent., son and heir apparent of Edward Williams of the parish of All Hallows London Wall, esquire, was admitted to the Inner Temple on 3 May 1737. (ADM/5/2)   He was called to the bar on 29 June 1745 and was admitted to chambers in the second staircase in Inner Temple Lane on 2 May 1746 for life (A Calendar  of Inner Temple Records Vol  IV pp 490, 502).  He was nominated as one of three names of experienced barristers put forward  to Clifford's Inn for Reader on 14 May 1757. By 17 May 1759, he was dead  and his chambers in Inner Temple Lane reverted to the Inner Temple (A Calendar  of Inner Temple Records Vol IV pp 85,107).

I then found his Will and then last year when I visited the UK I found where his Will had been contested by Henry BEAVAN who I believe is the grandfather of my Great great grandfather Frederick Williams Cadwalleder BEAVAN. Henry claimed Sergeant Williams was of unsound mind when he made the Will and that although he claimed to have 2 children he sent to school in Monmouthshire this was not true and that he was claiming a share of the estate as his mother was Elizabeth Williams sister of Edward Williams, the father of Sergeant Williams and he also was claiming on behalf of the descendants of Eleanor Williams the father's other sister.

The only references I could see in a quick scan of the book A Short History of Totteridge were the relevant entries from the burial register:

1759 Feb 13 Edward Williams Esq. [Mr Williams vault is in the North East corner of the church yard south of Mrs Buckeridge.]

1793 Feb 11 Mrs Elizabeth Williams  died Feb. 2, relict of Edward, Esq.,  Barrister-at-law of the Inner Temple, having survived her husband 34 years, Aged 65. Buried in Linen.

Cussans is more helpful in that it records part of the lengthy inscription on "a large tomb of white marble, inclosed by iron railings" while Clutterbuck quotes what must be the full inscription.

Cussans said of Elizabeth's charity:

Elizabeth Williams, by her will, dated 28th December, 1789, gave to the trustees the sum of £400, to be invested in Government Securities, the interest to be applied in keeping in repair the tomb of her late husband, Edward Williams, and the residue, if any, to be devoted to the Sunday School which she established in this parish. The interest was allowed to accumulate for some years, and the Minister and Churchwardens, as trustees, are now possessed of the sum of £539 8s 1d New Three Percent Annuities, producing an annual interest of £16 3s 7d. This amount is expended in accordance with the will of the testatrix.

Hertfordshire 1731-1800 as recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine provides an address in its death notices:

2 February 1793. WILLIAMS. At Pointer's Grove, Totteridge, Hertfordshire, Mrs Williams, relict of Edward Williams, formerly of the Inner Temple, barrister.

This suggested that I looked at old maps and to my surprise and delight Dury's map of 1766 shows a property actually labelled "Mrs Williams" - see Totteridge page.

Unfortunately these sources provide nothing of any genealogical use, beyond what you already know. I suspect that possibly sometime in the 1750's the couple took up residence in Totteridge - possible renting a house. This may have been a country house with other accommodation in London near (or in) The Temple. They had no children there (at least there are no baptisms in the register) and when Edward died his widow remained in the village. 

November, 2003

Lyn Nunn (genielynau @t yahoo.com) has provided more information:  Sir Joseph Bradney in his "A History of Monmouthshire" The Hundred of Caldicott says that Edward Williams' grandfather, also Edward Williams, Rector of Chepstow, was the son of William Williams of Vaenor Cardiganshire and I have also been given a reference to Oxford Alumni, Jesus College which also states this. This Edward Williams states in his Will that he has a brother Thomas. So now my attention turns to Cardiganshire.

I also found at my FHS MI's for Totteridge and was able to get the full inscription plus the description of the Coat of Arms on the vault - On a Bend three Fish hauriant and a Canton for WILLIAMS; impaling (or); on a Chevron (gules) three Roses (argent), a Canton (of the last) for CAPPER.

Thank you for your update. It supports the idea that Edward's connections with Hertfordshire were limited to having a country home relatively close to London.

For a related enquiry see BEAVAN, Barnet/Hadley, circa 1800-1862

There is a web page for Totteridge

If you can add to the information given above tell me.