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Gifts to Seamen's Widows, 1860
Applications for gifts to seamen's widows, St. George-in-the-East, 1860 (ref L/SGE/I/2/4[STE/652/3])
Under the terms of her will, Prisca Coborn (1622 - 1701), widow of a wealthy brewer of Bow, established a charity to provide for the relief of poor seamen's widows in the parish of Stepney. The charity received its income from the profits of the Manor of Colvill Hall in White Roding, Essex. The parish of St. George-in-the-East was originally a hamlet within the parish of Stepney called the Hamlet of Wapping, Stepney.
These applications generally give the name, address and age of the applicant; the name and date of death of the applicant's husband and the name of the vessel on which he was serving. Additionally, in some instances, details of the applicant's children and the names and addresses of two householders who supported the application are also given.
These are the only such applications which are known to have survived. However, a series of account books (L/SGE/I/1/2-8) record the names of the recipients of the charity, 1828 - 1848 and 1857 - 1881.
The alphabetical name index of the applicants was compiled by Zoe Ellsmore.
The Gifts to Seaman's Widows, 1860 is in a PDF format.
