John George Gilpin and Elizabeth Horner

Limehouse Basin
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Malc McDonald - geograph.org.uk/p/2879243
Limehouse' proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character.

John George Gilpin (b. 1818), son of William Gilpin and Elizabeth Hays, married Elizabeth Horner (b. 1819), daughter of John Horner and Mary Ann Clarkson, in Stepney, in 1841. Elizabeth was baptised in the parish of St Anne, Limehouse, but would need the original marriage certificate for the exact date and venue.

John and Elizabeth had four children:

1. Elizabeth Gilpin b. 1845 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 495, died aged 19, in 1865 J Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 465
2. Mary Gilpin b. 1850 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 550
3. John Gilpin b. 1853 D Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 449, died aged 17, in 1870 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 495
4. Grace Gilpin b. 1863 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 642, died aged 25, in 1889 J Quarter in WHITECHAPEL Volume 01C Page 191

Despite gaps between the children, trawling the GRO registrations did not reveal any more. All four of those show the mother's maiden name as Horner.

In 1851, John Geo Gilpin (33) Sail Maker, was living in Totten Street, Stepney (now Belgrave Street, Stepney in the area of Ratcliff / Limehouse), with wife Elizabeth (31) and daughters, Elizabeth (6) and Mary (0).

The Last Sailmakers’ Loft In The East End - photographs of the Caird & Rayner building in Limehouse, the last sailmakers’ loft in the East End.

In 1861, John G Gilpin (46) was living in Suffolk Street, Poplar (renamed Walden Street, this is a stone's throw west around Whitechapel / Shadwell), with Elizabeth Gilpin (41), Elizabeth Gilpin (15), Mary Gilpin (10), John Gilpin (7), James Gilpin (27) - a nephew perhaps - and Mary Ann Horner (76), Elizabeth's mother. 

In 1871, living in Sussex St, Poplar, were John Gilpin (53) Sail Maker, Elizabeth Gilpin (51), Grace Gilpin (7) and Mary A Matthews (66) Widow, Sister-in-Law.

In 1881, Grace Gilpin (17) was employed as a Servant in the household of Mercy Hubback (43) Mariner's Wife at 6, Percy Terrace, Cedars Road, West Ham.

By 1891, John G Gilpin (73) Retired Sailmaker, and wife Elizabeth Gilpin (71) had moved out to Newlyn Road, Tottenham.

John George Gilpin died, aged 77, in 1895 and Elizabeth Gilpin died, aged 78, in 1897, both registered in Edmonton (under which district Tottenham would fall).