SECOND GENERATION
Nicholas Mockett and Elizabeth Sawyer
Nicholas (son of John and Faithful Mockett) was born in 1671 and baptised on 12th November 1671. He married Elizabeth Sawyer on 6th January 1694 and they had four children that I have definitely been able to trace. Elizabeth died in 1786
Their children were:
Stephen baptised on 7th June 1696 in Deal. Stephen married Elizabeth Sackett, daughter of Robert Sackett and Elizabeth on 9th June 1722 in Deal
John in 1697
Mary in 1698
Abigail in 1707
THIRD GENERATION
Stephen Mockett and Elizabeth Sackett
Stephen, baptised 7th June 1696, married Elizabeth Sackett, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Sackett on 9th June 1722. Elizabeth was born in Deal in 1698 and died in 1796. They had the following 7 children`
Stephen in 1723
Joshua in 1724 and who died in 1728
Elizabeth in 1727
Mary in 1731
Thomas in 1733, Thomas married Ann Hulk daughter of Jno Hulk and Ann Hulk on 4th May 1759 in Deal. Ann was born in 1733
Catherine in 1738
Joshua Mockett in 1736 .
FOURTH GENERATION
Joshua Mockett and Elizabeth Jordan
Joshua was married three times. He married his first wife Elizabeth Jordan on 11th June 1759 and she died before 1771. Joshua died in 1814. Joshua was a mariner
Joshua and Elizabeth had five children as follows:
Stephen in 1760
Joshua in 1762 . I believe that son Joshua ran the Rising Sun public house in Kingsdown, Deal according to this article http://www.dover-kent.com/rising-sun-kingsdown.html
I believe that the son Joshua died in 1866 according to this entry
PASSING AWAY.
Published 1st December 1866.
Four of the old inhabitants of Deal have gone to their rest during the past week. Capt. TRYON, R.N., Mr.JOSHUA MOCKETT, a member of the Town Council, and for many years landlord of the Royal George, Mr.JOHN BAX, for many years stone mason in Queens Street; and Mr.JAMES LARKINS, shoemaker, Middle Street – men who were all known in the town and much respected in the several positions they occupied in life.
John in 1764
Thomas in 1766
Mary in 1767
Joshua then married Sarah Stanturn on 30th July 1771 in Deal but she died before 1772 when he then married Hannah Taverner on 2nd October 1772. They had the following children.
Ann Mockett in 1774
William Mockett in 1777
FIFTH GENERATION
THOMAS MOCKETT AND MARY DENNE
Thomas was baptised on 5th February 1766 at St Leonards Church, Deal. He married Mary Denne on 6th January 1787 at the same church. Here is a copy of the entry
They had 8 children who were:
1/ Thomas Denne baptised on 15th January 1790
2/ Mary Anne baptised on 20th June 1792 but who I believe must have died before 1796 when a sister was born and given the same name
3/ Elizabeth baptised on 30th July1794
4/ Mary Ann baptised 4th June 1796 who again must have died before 1799
5/ William baptised 13 June 1798
6/ Stephen baptised 13 February 1788 who married Ann Foster. I found this very interesting article about Stephen so thought I should include it in this post
Stephen Mockett
Beach Street
Nelson Street
31 Duke Street
11 Duke Street
Occupation: Chemist & Druggist & Lecturer
Stephen was born in 1788, the son of Thomas Mockett and Mary Denne; he married a local girl Ann Foster in March 1811 and settled in Beach Street where the previous year he had taken out a lease on a property with fellow Chemist and Druggist, Richard Smith. Here he continued to trade until debt caught up with him.
An Insolvent Debtor
It was at least 1815 when he started to accumulate both personal and business debts ending in bankruptcy in 1821.
Between 1815 and 1821 he had run-up grocery and clothing bills of over £14 and business bills for medicines and perfumery of over £200. He had also borrowed money from various gentlemen of the town and owed £130 to Richard Smith for his share, of four years rent, on the Beach street property and a further £157.10 also to Richard Smith when the Beach Street property was left empty. This was probably when Stephen and his family had moved to Great Mongeham. A further £415 was owed to John Fagg on an unpaid mortgage on a property in Duke Street which is curiously where, Stephen’s parents, Thomas and Mary, lived until about 1824 when they moved to Lower Street.
According to a copy of the schedule filed with the Court for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors in November 1821, which we found in the archives of Deal Maritime & Local History Museum, Stephen “…a Chemist and Druggist and Occasional Lecturer on Chemistry” had debts that amounted to £1,010 4s 6d ( approx £58,000 in 2019 ) owing to 38 creditors. This was only marginally offset by the £18 19s 6d that was actually owed to him!
Dover Castle Gaol
Stephen entered Dover Castle Gaol for debtors in October or November 1821 with only 12s in his pocket, this was soon taken from him to help pay for his “maintenance” during his imprisonment which far from covering all his needs meant that he would have needed help to survive. Especially as it was quite usual for prisoners to be charged for food, drink, and bedding. If they were lucky they could work, providing it did not interfere with prison regulations’ but for most in a small gaol such as that within Dover Castle, this wouldn’t have been possible. So to help those in greatest need ‘An Act for the Relief of Poor Debtors and others confined within the Goal of Dover Castle’ was passed in 1814. This brought £300 a year to the prison authorities from the Cinque Ports to provide bedding, medicines and food for those who could not provide for themselves. Prisoners also begged for money from visitors who were common in the summer. Apparently, there was a grating on the second floor through which they could let down a purse in which visitors would then place money.
Stephen may not have had to resort to begging as his schedule states that “I have been otherwise supported during my confinement by the benevolence of my friends.”
We can only assume that his wife and children were also cared for by ‘the benevolence’ of their family or friends as little was left to them. According to the schedule, they did at least have some “Wearing Apparel” and items of bedding and furniture as in total they were valued at less than £20. This were all itemised under ‘Excepted Articles and the Values Thereof’ on the Schedule.
Detaining Creditor
Henry Tritton Reaks, to whom Stephen owed £18 3s 6d, was his Detaining Creditor. Although we haven’t found a definitive meaning for this, it does appear that it was Henry who had Stephen arrested and ‘detained.’
In 1813 an Act of Parliament had been passed for the ‘Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors.’ This allowed debtors in prison to appeal for their release after two months during which time a schedule of debt was prepared. At the hearing they were examined and once an agreement to surrender their property and belongings were made they were then released. But they would still be liable to pay off what remained of their debts. It is probably safe to assume, therefore, that Stephen’s case followed along these lines and that he was arrested and in gaol by the end of October and released, as the schedule states, on 29 December 1821. At which point he still owed a total of £595 4s 6d which, in today’s money, is just over £34,000! In March 1822 a meeting was called by the Dover Solicitors, Knockers, to start the process of assigning the proceeds of Stephens estate and belongings. Then as now legal proceedings take time and in 1827, five years later his real estate went up for sale.
Exactly when Stephen gave up being a Chemist and Druggist we don’t really know but according to the schedule, the Beach Street Chemist premises had been unoccupied from about 1816. He certainly did not return to that trade on his release from gaol choosing instead to rely on his abilities as a lecturer to support himself and his family. We see from the Kent newspapers, from at least 1834, that he was is in high demand giving lectures all over the county in astronomy, chemistry and philosophy. He pleased his audiences with experiments by turning fluids into solids and creating a flame underwater. Although these may seem ‘tricks’ to entertain, these lectures were for the serious and interested and Stephen seemed to be a natural teacher giving, as was reported in the papers “…clear and lucid explanations…” and appealing to all classes with “..elocutionary tact.”
K8
`The Dover Museum and Philosophical Institution were the founders of the Dover Museum in 1836. The Institute aimed to promote “literary and scientific knowledge by means of a museum, library and reading room, conversazioni and classes.” This was still the case when just over twenty years later, in 1858, Stephen ably closed the season of lectures held by the Institution.
The Bell Inn
Stephen Foster, his eldest son, followed him onto the lecture circuit giving similar lectures but by 1847 he had taken over The Bell Inn on Robert Street.
There was a Bowling Green attached to the Inn, which was extended in 1850. An additional room was added, too, in which was held a celebration supper for his customers who all appeared to have greatly enjoyed themselves, the elder Stephen included.
6/ Mary baptised 27 October 1799
7/ Sarah baptised 1st October 1806
In 1841 Thomas and Mary are living in Deal both aged 75 and have their daughter Mary with them aged 40. Thomas was a baker.