Jacob Chitty
(1693-1771) of London

Jacob CHITTY (1693-1771), fourth son of Josiah I, entered Merchant Taylors' School 1705 Feb 22 and left in 1708. He was apprenticed 1711 Apr 4 (not in Index at Society of Genealogists) and between 1720 and 1727, as a citizen and Merchant Taylor, took six apprentices for premiums rising from £40 to £400. He was Warden of the Merchant Taylors' Company 1744/6.

He married (1st) in 1722, at St Michael Paternoster Royal, Mary LESSINGHAM of St Margaret Lothbury, daughter of John LESSINGHAM of Norwich, beer brewer, and sister of Samuel treasurer of St Thomas's Hospital (CC). She died 1747 (CC).

He married (2nd) 1748 Dec 24 Lucy, widow of the Rev M. COAL, a dissenting minister. She died 1750 Jan 19.

In 1746, Jacob received carpets and goats' hair from his son Joseph
in Smyrna. According to CC, Jacob moved to Ironmonger Lane in 1749 and continued to carry on a certain amount of business there after he, like his brother Joseph - but without any imputation of dishonesty - had become bankrupt. He too received an allowance from his brother Thomas, continued at £7 per month under the latter's Will.

A reference in a letter reported by M-C raises problems. 'Jacob wrote to his brother Josiah in 1755 to borrow a chaise "with the arms of our family thereon", (Jacob finding the horses and coachman) "it being more fitting for his daughter Elizabeth's wedding than a hired chaise"'. CC understood that there was a further indication in this letter suggesting that Elizabeth was the first daughter to be married.

Now according to other evidence, Ann married in 1747, Mary not later than 1750, and Elizabeth in 1755, and Josiah
, the owner of the desirable chaise, died in 1750. It seems, therefore, either that the chaise was required for the first daughter to be married (Mary or Ann) or that it was required in 1755 for Elizabeth, in which case the application must have been made not to the deceased Josiah but to his widow Margaret, to whom he had bequeathed his chaise.

Jacob died 1771 May 1 and was buried on the 5th (?at St Laurence Pountney). Administration of his estate, describing him as of St Lawrence Jewry, was granted May 31 to his son Joseph
, whose widow Sarah received a further grant to deal with the unadministered property, 1800 Apr 22.

continued ...

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Page created 29 Sept 2001 by Mike Chitty, based on the late Erik Chitty's 1975 text