Middlemore Family Genealogy

Middlemore's of Birmingham

65. George Middlemore, of Walsall, was baptized at St. Peter's, Birmingham, on 7 February, 1723, as "filius Roberti et Barbarar Middlemore ex Birmingham," his sponsors being George Middlemore and Anna Loxley[5]. He was confirmed, with his brother and sister, is June, 1724, being aged eleven. Like his father he followed the business of a bridle cutter, and like his brother Richard he removed to Walsall, a centre of the saddlery trade.  As his children were all baptized at the parish church it may be presumed that he conformed to the English church, although his sister, Mrs. Lewin, remained a Roman Catholic to the end of her life. His generation marks the period of religious transition in this branch.  The date of his death has not been ascertained, but if the burial of " Joseph, son of Sarah Middlemore," at Walsall, in 1788, relates to his family, he was clearly dead before that time.  In Pedigree A, attested by Richard Middlemore, of Temple Row, 4. June, 1887, he was described as son of a brother to Middlemore of Hawkesley, the grandfather of Mary, the mother of my father" [i.e. Richard Middlemore (67)].  He married Sarah Meakin, but the record of the marriage has not been discovered, and the authority  for her surname is a pedigree drawn about 1840 by Richard Middlemore, of Temple Row, from statements then made as to his family by her grandson, Richard Middlemore of Birmingham, which further explicitly states that George, the father of John Middlemore of Stratford-on-Avon, was "son of a brother of Middlemore of Hawkesley, grandfather of Mary, the mother of my father." This agrees with William Hutton's statement that Middlemore of Hawkesley, had " a first cousin in the leather trade at Walsall," see p. 203 ante. The marriage must have taken place about 1750. That George Middlemore, of Walsall, is to be identified with the George, son of Robert Middlemore, in the Roman Catholic register at Birmingham, is clear from the mention of the two brothers in those registers, George, Richard, and a sister Elizabeth, Mrs. Lewin, the two latter being proved by wills to be brother and sister. Mrs. Lewin was known to the late Richard Middlemore, who stated that his father Richard was reputed to be her heir, and this agrees with the registers which show George to have been her elder brother.

George Middlemore andSarah Meakin had issue:

  1. John Middlemore, of whom next (66).
  2. Barbara, evidently named after her paternal grandmother, baptized 17 January as daughter of George and Sarah Middlemore, buried 10 April, 1756, at Walsall.
  3. Ann or Nancy, baptism not recorded at Walsall; married at Walsall as Nancy Middlemore, 12 April, 1791, to John Whitehouse, of Walsall, and is mentioned as "my niece Ann Whitehouse " in Mrs. Lewin's will of 1828.  She is also named in 1800 in the will of her sister Elizabeth's widower, John Hutton.

    4. Her will as Ann Whitehouse, of Birmingham, widow, dated 6 July, 1836, and proved 3 January, 1837, leaves all her property to her two daughters, Mary, wife of John Taylor, of Birmingham, brass founder, and Sarah, wife of Zachariah Bibb, of Birmingham, stamper.

  4. Sarah, baptized at Walsall, 19 December, 1758, is doubtless the Sarah Middlemore who was married at Walsall, 20 September, 1778, to Joseph Hitchener, of Walsall.
  5. Elizabeth, baptized at Walsall, 9 November, 1762, and married there, 22 February, 1789, John Hutton, then of Walsall, bachelor, afterwards of Birmingham, spur buckle maker, whose will, dated 16 April, 1800, was proved 9 October, 1800. Amongst other legatees he named his -cousins," William Middlemore, of Oxley (sic), and Robert Middlemore, of Walsall, and Ann Whitehouse, his late wife's sister.
  6. Robert Middlemore, of Birmingham, a bridle cutter, was baptized at Walsall, 28 September, 1764.. He evidently resided at one time at Walsall, but removed to Birmingham, and in his will describes himself as "of Milk Street" in that city. His will mentions his wife Hester, and he refers therein to his interest in the will of his aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Lewin. He died 1 September, 1832, aged sixty-eight.

    7. He married (i) Sarah, and by her, who was buried at Walsall, 22 June, 1791, apparently had issue

    1. Sarah, buried at Walsall, 12 October, 1785.
    2. Elizabeth, baptized at Walsall, 5 June, 1786, who was buried there 3 July, 1790.
    3. Sarah, baptized at Walsall, 27 January, 1788, and buried there.
    4. John Middlemore, baptized at Walsall, 22 September, 1789, and buried there, 6 June, 1790:

    He married (2) Hester, who is named in his will in 1832.

    And evidently also

    1. Thomas Middlemore, described as "nephew" in conjunction with her nephew Robert Middlemore, and the children of her late nephew John Middlemore, each being bequeathed the sum of £200, but nothing further is known of him, and, according to Mrs. Lewin's will, he was reputed to be dead in 1828.