Sunday 5th Feb 1764

Maid my appearence with my wife at St Peters Church. She had come to see heras Follows Mrs Young Miss Streley Mr Richard Mrs Evans Mrs Toopotts Miss Petterer Miss Grant Miss Leatham Mrs Abbey Mrs Cox Mrs Green Miss Mather Mrs Biggs by Mrs PlowmanMiss Jerom Mrs Burin Miss Bilby Mrs Partridge Miss Cant Mrs Truman Mrs Gibson Mrs Boot Miss Burditt The Revd Mr Chappell Mr Knowles Miss Bigsby Miss Mason Mrs Heathcoat Mrs Edge Miss Rosin &Mrs Tutin Mrs Bettison & Mrs Allison


It would seem that the first appearance in church of a married couple was quite an event.

Mr Chappell was newly married himself but his wife is not in the list.

The name "Toopotts" caught my eye - there are no google results for that and very few for Topotts.

1st February 1764

The Revd. Mr Graham Chappell was married to Esqr. Warron's Widow of Stableford Wednesday

One of Thomas's marginal notes.

Unsurprisingly, Thomas's information is corroborated by other historical records - Graham Chappell of Orston, married Bridget Warren in Stapleford.

That would have taken place in St Helens



Bridget Warren was really slumming it marrying a clergyman! This is her son by her first marriage

Graham Chappell was curate at St Mary's Orston.

19th January 1764

Thursday was Married with the Said Elizabeth Newton at St Peters Church in St Peters Parish in Nottingham betwixt the Hours of 8 & 9 O'Clock in the Morning by the Revd. Edward Chappell Rector of the Said Parish of St Peters in Nottingham
gave him for marring of us 10/6
gave the Clark 4/- Saxton 2/- Ringers 10/6
the Waites of the Town 5/-
Drumer 2/-
Gloves given away on the marriage 12 pair of Kidd Gloves 22/- per Dozn
Bride Cake 12 pounds Mr Topotts 12/-
8 Bottles Red and White Mountain 13/4
2 quarts of Rumm 5/-
8 Wine Glasses 4/6
1 Bottle French Brandy 2/6

8 am? Imagine the response if you sent out the invitations for that time today!

The "Saxton" should be "Sexton", effectively the church caretaker.

I've mostly drawn a blank about 18th century marriage customs but this family history site shows that there was a Topott family living in St Peter's Parish in the 18th century and that they were confectioners!

18th Jan 1764

abt. 7 o'Clock at Night Bought Licence of the Revd. Mr Edward Chapell to be married with Miss Elizabeth Newton Daughter of Samuel & Elizabeth Newton Gunsmith in Nottingham and cost me £1.4s6d Her father went w me for the Licence.

At last! Thomas really doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get married, does he?

Edward Chappell was the Rector of St Peter's Nottingham from 1725 until his death in 1767. There is a monument to him in the church and you can see it on the church's website.

18th March 1763

at 3 o'Clock in the morning Sett of in the Coach for Nottingham
Paid Coach Hire to Nottingham £1.8:0d

19th March 1763
Got to Nottingham abt. 7 o'Clock at Night and Cost me Expences in Coming Down to Nottingham 10/6
and Came to be at Mr Saml. Newtons

39 hours! In a coach! Suddenly our trains seem fast! (London to Nottingham is a little under two and a half hours today).

Samuel Newton is the father of Thomas's fianceé - are they finally going to get married?

17th March 1763

Spent at the Swan with Two Necks in Lad Lane in Punch with some of my acquaintance 4s
& Lay their that Night Paid for my Bedd 12d

Paid Linen Washing 4/6 Newspapers 2/-

Newspapers were not for the ordinary man at that price, were they?

The Swan with Two Necks is long gone but here is what it looked like around 1800


The pub name 'The Swan with Two Necks' is a corruption of the phrase 'The Swan with Two Nicks' meaning a swan with the Swan-Mark of the Vintners Company. (source)

And the pub was mentioned in Pepys Diary on the 5th April 1664.

It was a major coaching inn during the 18th century, of 28 mail coaches which left London each night, half were horsed at this inn. (More information)

17th March 1763

Paid Mr Benjm. Wigglesworth Two Pounds Eleven Shillings in full for six weeks Board and Lodgeing and Four Shillings for a Quarters Shaveing which is in full of all Demands.

Thomas is paying his bills!