Ancestral Stories #6

Sarah Wildsmith

My 7 x Great Grandmother

Sarah’s Childhood

Sarah Wildsmith, my 7 x great grandmother, was born in London in 1700 to William Wildsmith and his wife Mary. William and Mary were prosperous, so it’s fair to say that the Wildsmiths enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle.

Sarah was brought up in St Botolph, Aldgate. Daniel Defoe was married in the local church, so it’s possible that Sarah knew him. She certainly knew of him.

St Botolph’s (pictured) escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666, and was described at the beginning of the eighteenth century as “an old church, built of Brick, Rubble and Stone, rendered over, and … of the Gothick order”.

Three years old, Sarah Wildsmith my 7 x great grandmother, faced the Great Storm of 1703. During that storm, which occurred on 26 November (7 December on modern calendars) two thousand chimney stacks collapsed in London, Queen Anne sought shelter in the cellar of St James’ Palace, seven hundred ships were battered on the Thames, waves rose to six feet higher than ever recorded before, and five thousand homes were destroyed.

Daniel Defoe wrote about the tragic events in The Storm, published July 1704. He stated: “The tempest that destroyed woods and forests all over England, no pen could describe it, nor tongue express it, nor thought conceive it unless by one in the extremity of it.”

Sarah and her parents were in the extremity of it and, thankfully, survived.

Sarah Wildsmith, my 7 x great grandmother, survived the Great Storm of 1703 when she was three. Six years later, she faced the Great Frost, an extraordinarily cold winter, the coldest in five hundred years.

William Derham, a contemporary meteorologist, wrote, “I believe the Frost was greater (if not more universal also) than any other within the Memory of Man.”

Poor harvests followed, and they led to famine across Europe and bread riots in Britain. 

Meanwhile, the Wildsmiths welcomed a new arrival into their home, Mary, a sister for Sarah.

While my ancestor Sarah Wildsmith was growing up in early eighteenth century London, the world was developing around her. 

In 1705, Thomas Newcomen patented his steam engine. His invention went into effect in 1712, pumping water out of coal and tin mines.

In 1714, Jethro Tull perfected his seed drill (pictured). Two hundred and sixty years later, he fronted a successful folk-rock band and wrote many memorable songs (historical joke).

In 1718, the first factory opened in Derby producing silk, and for millions of people a way of life would never be the same.

In early 1719, my ancestor Sarah Wildsmith announced her engagement to Philip Spooner, a gentleman and businessman. With marriage to a respectable man on the horizon, a sunny future for Sarah seemed assured. However, in keeping with her formative years, storm clouds were gathering, and this time Sarah would face the full impact of that storm…

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

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