Nat Gould

Ellen Peake 1779-1859

Ellen Peake was born at Lammascote, Stafford in 1779, the daughter of William Peake 1752-1788 and his wife Mary Mackerness 1750-1822. She was baptised on 6 August 1779 in St. Mary's church, Stafford.

On 8 August 1803 she was married there to Thomas Tomkinson of Leek in Staffordshire (1). He was born on 7 June 1780 at Endon in Staffordshire, and became a tanner by trade.

They had the following children, all baptised at Endon:

Thomas Tomkinson. He was baptised on 20 November 1804. In 1825 he emigrated to Montevideo in Uruguay, where he became a successful banker, merchant, founder of the Uruguay Central Railway, company director, publicist, racehorse breeder, director of finance for President Lorenzo Batlle, and passionate forester. He introduced the eucalyptus tree for use in making railway sleepers. In 1834 he married Joaquina Navia Perez de Velasco, daughter of General Spaniard Joaquin Alvarez Cienfuegos Navia. They had three children: Joaquina Prudence, Thomas and Helena Maria Bernabela. He died on 23 January 1879 at La Selva near Montevideo,and was buried in the British Cemetery in Montevideo, where there is a monumental inscription to his memory.

Ellen Tomkinson. She was baptised on 21 January 1806. She died on 13 April 1865.

Susanna Tomkinson. She was born on 12 August 1806 at Endon, and baptised on 12 January 1807. She was a witness to the signing of the Will of her aunt Margaret Gould née Peake on 5 November 1840.

William Tomkinson. He was born on 11 February 1808 at Endon, and baptised on 17 May 1808. He became a stockbroker at Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, and died on 13 February 1885.

Margaret Tomkinson. She was baptised on 23 January 1810. She died in 1832.

Richard Tomkinson. He was baptised on 3 April 1812. He became a surgeon at Cheadle in Staffordshire, and died there on 22 September 1876. He was buried in St. Giles' churchyard in Cheadle. He married twice: first Louisa Hubbard, daughter of George and Elizabeth Hubbard on 30 April 1844 in Holy Trinity Church, Grays Inn Road in London, and secondly Catharine Mary King, daughter of Samuel King on 13 November 1866 at St Pancras church in London. He is mentioned by his aunt Margaret Gould née Peake in letters to her son Richard Goodwin Gould dated 12 and 21 July 1844 (2).

Sophia Tomkinson. She was baptised on 21 April 1814.

Mary Tomkinson. She was baptised on 23 March 1816, and died on 13 August 1831.

Henry Tomkinson. He was baptised on 28 March 1818. He emigrated to Uruguay in 1839 and moved to Argentina in the following year, where he became a successful businessman and benefactor. On 13 June 1850 he married Virginia de Alvear 1824-1918, daughter of Carlos de Alvear and María del Carmen Saenz de la Quintanilla in the Church of San Ignacio, Buenos Aires. Henry Tomkinson died on 5 September 1905 in Buenos Aires.

Robert Tomkinson. He was baptised on 6 July 1821, and became a clergyman. He married twice, first Maria Rebecca Wilson on 6 March 1853 at St Mary's church, Wanstead in Essex (3), and secondly Fanny Eliza Ward. He died on 22 April 1889 at Chipping Warden Rectory in Northamptonshire.

Catharine Tomkinson. She was baptised on 11 April 1823.

In 1824 their father Thomas Tomkinson was a trustee of the Leek Building Society (4).

During the difficult economic times then prevailing, he became bankrupt on 5 March 1829 (5). He died on 7 April 1834 at Huntley near Cheadle in Staffordshire.

His Will is dated 10 March 1834 and is very short, as he probably had little to bequeath. It was proved at London on 5 November 1834. He left his personal estate to his wife and his real estate to their son William Tomkinson, who were the executors (6).

His widow Ellen Tomkinson née Peake died in 1859 at Newcastle-under-Lyme, where her son Richard Tomkinson was a surgeon.

(1) "Married - At Stafford, Mr. T. Tomkinson, of Leeke to Miss E. Peake of the Lamberscotes." The Monthly Magazine or British Register Volume 16 (1803)
(2) Letters from Pilsbury Grange Letters 9 and 10. These letters belong to Peter and Eileen Bentley, and were discovered by them in 2009, untouched for a century, in an old bureau formerly belonging to Richard Goodwin Gould of Longnor in Staffordshire.
(3) "MARRIED On the 6th inst., at St Mary's, Wanstead, Essex, the Rev. Robert Tomkinson, curate of St. James's, Kingston-upon-Hull, to Maria Rebecca, widow of the late Rev. Francis Colman Wilson, incumbent of All Saints', Islington." Morning Chronicle 8 March 1853.
(4) Conveyance on 16/17 February 1824 for £200 of land on Ball Haye Green in Leek by William Challinor of Leek and the trustees under the late Mr Challinor's Will to William Sneyd of Ashcombe, Cheddleton in Staffordshire and Mr Thomas Tomkinson of Park Lane in Staffordshire, tanner, Trustees for the Leek Building Society. Bednall Collection Part 2 BC2/1572.
(5) London Gazette 17 March 1829; Yorkshire Gazette 21 March 1829; Sherborne Mercury 23 March 1829; Leeds Intelligencer 26 March 1829.
"The Commissioners in a Commission of Bankrupty [sic], bearing date the fifth of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine, awarded and issued forth against THOMAS TOMKINSON, of Park Lane, in the Parish of Leek, in the county of Stafford, Tanner, Dealer and Chapman, intend to meet on the twenty-eighth day of February next, at one o'clock in the afternoon, at the Red Lion Inn, in Leek aforesaid, in order to audit the accounts of the Assignees of the Estate and Effects of the said Bankrupt under the said Commission. And on the same day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, at the same place, to make a Dividend of the Estate and Effects ..." Staffordshire Advertiser 21 January 1832.
"The Creditors of Thomas Tomkinson, late of Park Lane, near Leek, are hereby informed that a Dividend on his Estate of 6s. in the pound will be paid upon application ..." Staffordshire Advertiser 3 March 1832.
(6) The National Archives PROB 11/1839/155.