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Below is some details about the BEDDING family that were involved with the custom and excise trade in the Sussex area. My Bedding ancestry stems from this branch of the family. Ken Hainsby. Fifth Son of John BEDDING, Excise Officer, and Mary HARLAND Baptised: February 16th, 1769, at New Shoreham, West Sussex. Siblings: John Bp May 1st, 1761 at Alfriston, East Sussex Joseph Bp August 3rd, 1762 at Alfriston, East Sussex Matthew Bp February 1st, 1764 at Alfriston, East Sussex Mary Bp April 9th, 1765 at Alfriston, East Sussex Edward Bp June 28th, 1767 at New Shoreham, West Sussex Isaac Bp 1769 Jenny Bp December 27th, 1770 at New Shoreham, West Sussex Martha Bp October 28th, 1772 at New Shoreham, West Sussex James Bp January 22nd, 1775 at New Shoreham, West Sussex Susannah Bp September 29th, 1776 at New Shoreham, West Sussex Married: Ann DICKS (widow) March 1st, 1806, at St Dunstan’s, Stepney. Children: Thomas King Bn July 10th, 1807 Bp August 2nd, 1807 John Bn January 2nd, 1809 (died in childhood) Bp March 19th, 1809 Isaac Samuel Bn May 12th, 1812 Bp August 16th, 1812 Catharine Ann Bn March 19th, 1815 (died in childhood) Bp May 17th, 1815 Died: March 1830 at Stepney Buried: March 21st, 1830 at St Anne’s, Limehouse Biography: - February 16th, 1769 Isaac was born 1769, and baptised February 16th, in New Shoreham, West Sussex, the fifth son of John BEDDING, Excise Officer, and Mary formerly HARLAND. - December 27th, 1770 The baptism of sister Jenny BEDDING. - October 28th, 1772 The baptism of sister Martha BEDDING. - c 1774 Isaac was educated, as were the rest of his brothers, and possibly sisters, in the 3Rs. Presumably he attended a school from around the time of his 5th birthday. - January 22nd, 1775 The baptism of Isaac’s younger brother James BEDDING, with whom Isaac was later to migrate permanently to East London. - September 29th, 1776 The baptism of sister Susannah BEDDING - November 6th, 1776 Isaac’s father was transferred from Shoreham to Horsham, West Sussex. Presumably the family moved as well. - June 2nd, 1778 The burial of baby sister Susannah, in New Shoreham. - January 5th, 1779 At this time, Isaac’s father was transferred to Lewes, where the family remained until around 1804. - c1783 To become a journeyman cooper, Isaac would have had to complete a seven-year apprenticeship, almost certainly from his 14th to 21st birthdays. Most likely, this would have been with an apprentice master in either a cooperage or brewery in Lewes. At some unknown point in time, probably between 1790 and 1806, Isaac moved to East London, close to the boundary of Stepney and Limehouse, and where the great expansion of Dockland, and the West India Docks, had started. - 1785 A Land Tax Assessment for All Saints, Lewes, appears to show that elder brother Edward (at age 18) had already been appointed an Excise Officer. - c1790 Isaac would have completed his seven-year apprenticeship on his 21st birthday, and started his career as a journeyman cooper. Three further consecutive generations of his descendants were to follow him in this trade. - April 29th, 1795 James BEDDING of the Parish of St Michael’s, Bachelor, and Sally Steed CLIVE, Spinster, were married by Banns in the Church of All Saints, Lewes. - January 18th, 1796 The family bible contains an entry, now indistinct, “~~~~ ~~~~ Bedding Born 18 Jany 1796”. (This entry may refer to the birth of Isaac Steed BEDDING, first son of James and Sally. - August 13th, 1796 Isaac’s nephew, Isaac Steed BEDDING, was baptized at St Michael’s, Lewes - March 5th, 1802 The birth of niece Harriott Harland BEDDING at All Saints, Lewes. - December 1st, 1803 The birth of John BEDDING, and baptism on March 4th, 1804 at St Anne’s Limehouse, son of James and Sarah (sic), of Limehouse Causeway. There is no other trace of a couple called James and Sarah; almost certainly this John was the son of James and Sally. - January 11th, 1804 Isaac’s father John BEDDING died and was buried at All Saints Church, Lewes. - August 31st, 1805 The birth of niece Maria BEDDING, daughter of James and Sally, in Gill Street, Limehouse. - February 9th, 1806 The parish register of St Dunstan’s Stepney, entry No. 61, records: “Banns of Marriage between Isaac BEDING and Ann DICKS were published Feb 9, 16 & 23, 1806”. - March 1st, 1806 The same entry continues: “Isaac BEDING of this Parish and Hamlet of Ratf. (Ratcliff), Bachelor, and Ann DICKS of this Parish and same Hamlet widow, were married in this Church by Banns this First Day of March One Thousand Eight Hundred and Six by me G Harper DD, Rector. This Marriage was solemnized between us: Isaac BEDDING, Ann DICKS. In the Presence of: James BEDDING, Daniel PRICE.” Isaac would have been 37 years of age, and Ann probably of a similar age or a little younger. It is not known if Ann had surviving children from her first marriage. The subsequent gift of her bible to Isaac Samuel might indicate that there were no DICKS children. Notes: i. Isaac’s brother, James BEDDING, who apparently moved to Limehouse from Lewes, between 1802 and 1804 with his family and became, briefly, an Excise Officer. ii. Daniel PRICE witnessed many contemporary marriages at St Dunstan’s from 1795 onwards; he was presumably the Parish Clerk. iii. Isaac and Ann’s marriage was amongst a minority in Stepney, in that all signatories were literate. A high proportion of the St Dunstan’s marriages at that time show one or more signatories unable to write their name, and making their mark “X”. iv. The St Dunstan’s, Stepney, Burial Register records the death (May 26) and burial (June 2, 1815) of The Revd Dr G Harper DD, long-serving Rector. - July 10th, 1807 The birth of Isaac and Ann’s first son Thomas King BEDDING at Mile End Old Town was recorded in the family bible, at 8 o’clock in the morning, and also in the St Dunstan’s, Stepney, parish register. - August 2nd, 1807 Thomas King BEDDING was baptized at St Dunstan’s, Stepney. - December 3rd, 1807 The birth of nephew Elisha Blows BEDDING, youngest son of James and Sally, at 1 Catherine Street, Poplar. - October 8th, 1808 Isaac’s brother James, then a newly appointed Excise Officer, was drowned whilst in charge of a ship at Long Reach. Widow Sally was awarded a pension of £10 per annum. - January 2nd, 1809 The birth of Isaac’s second son John BEDDING at Mile End Old Town was recorded in the family bible, at 10 o’clock in the morning, and also in the St Dunstan’s, Stepney, parish register. - March 19th, 1809 John BEDDING was baptized at St Dunstan’s, Stepney. - May 12th, 1812 The birth of third son Isaac Samuel BEDDING was entered in the family bible at 9 o’clock in the morning. The full bible entry is now indistinct, but states that baby Isaac was christened in Stepney, and registered in Limehouse. - August 16th, 1812 The baptism of Isaac Samuel BEDDING was recorded in the St Anne’s, Limehouse parish register. - March 19th, 1815 The birth of fourth child, and only daughter, Catharine Ann BEDDING was entered in the family bible (apparently incorrectly as 1813); time 12 o’clock in the evening. - May 17th, 1815 The baptism of Catharine Anne BEDDING was recorded in the St Anne’s, Limehouse, parish register, entry No 608. - November 12th, 1817 The death of second son John was recorded in the bible. - November 16th, 1817 The burial of John BEDDING, aged 8 years 11 months, was recorded at St Anne’s, Limehouse, entry No. 1297. - April 1st, 1818 The death of daughter Catharine was recorded in the