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2. City Origins - was he possibly the son of Thomas and Margaret Gander, born on 24 Oct 1773 and baptised in St. James Garlickhithe?:

The date of birth ties in very accurately with William's age on death. Two other sons of Thomas and Margaret are recorded baptised in the City: Thomas on 5 Jul 1771 also at St.James Garlickhithe and James on 3 Dec 1775 at St. Augustine, Watling Street.

It appears this family moved or returned to Clapham shortly after this date, as more baptisms naming the same parents are recorded in this perish, also some burials:

A daughter Ann was born on 19 Apr 1778 but lived less than a year. A further son (and another Thomas) was born on 28 May 1781 and baptised in the Holy Trinity parish church of Clapham on 22 Jun 1781. Again, no father's occupation was recorded in the register of baptisms for these two children.

The first son Thomas must presumably have died before 1781. It was not unusual in those days for a subsequent child to be given the same name as a deceased sibling, particularly if the forename was a traditional one handed down through several generations as was often the custom.

body which preceded local government as we know it today) carried out a local census of Clapham listing those who 'belong to the parish' and those whose rightful Place of Settlement was elsewhere. This was a permanent obsession with the parish vestries of the day who were ever watchful over who might not be eligible to claim poor relief from the parish, one major criteria for which was that any applicant had to have obtained a legal settlement in the parish, mere residence not being enough.

The census showed that Thomas did have a Legal Settlement in Clapham but sadly for us not because he was born there but because he had sufficient income or means to pay to the Poor Rate which was another way of qualifying.

This 1788 census also showed 'Thos. Gander and 3 Child.' As other entries of couples mentioned 'and Wife' we can be sure that this 'Thos.' was the same one as above as Margaret Gander had died some 7 years earlier.

Unfortunately still no occupation is given although it mentions Thomas in the category of people renting a small house.

However, it was not to work even second time round in this family as the young Thomas died in infancy on 17 Jan 1782 and Margaret Gander his mother only 10 days after. Both were buried in Clapham, as was the baby Ann 3 years earlier.

This possibly "left" Thomas Gander the father, and his sons William aged 9 and James 7.

There is further record of this small family: in 1788 the parish Vestry (a local

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