G9. Benjamin COLCHESTER was baptised on 13 Jun 1759, died on 15 March 18268 and was buried ten days later under the porch of Barking Church where a tablet to his memory was placed over the South door18.
His grandfather and father ran a bakery at 111 Needham High St, and after his father's death Benjamin acquired the lease but this seems to have been on behalf of his brother Edward rather than for his own use. He became a clerk in the bank of Mr. Alexander, the landlord of the house and a member of a much respected Quaker family in Needham. There were two references to Benjamin in the 'Gentleman's magazine', 1) as head Clerk in the Bank of Messrs. Alexanders and Spooner, Ipswich, and 2) 'many years confidential clerk in the bank of Mr. Alexander.' Alexanders Bank, which later was absorbed by Barclay's, was in Bank Street Ipswich.19
Later he became a merchant of Ipswich and, for a time, was in partnership with Richard Crawley; Bailey's British Directory for 1784 shows 'Crawley and Colchester, wine Merchants and Sope Boilers'. This partnership was dissolved in 1786, Crawley continuing as a wine merchant and Benjamin as a soap manufacturer. Probably because of the need for oil in this trade he became a partner with Emerson Cornwell and others in the whaling voyages from Ipswich between 1786 and 1793.
Emerson Cornwell was a Quaker and very successful businessman, born at Coggeshall on 31 August 1731 and died at Ipswich. The voyages were largely unsuccessful and there was evidence in 1789 of tempers running short when 'Peter Byrne, Surgeon on the "Ipswich", laid information on oath that he had been assaulted by Captain Harrison and Benjamin Colchester (soap boiler of Ipswich), one of the owners, when they tried to turn him out of his cabin'. At the General Sessions on 7 September, reported in the Ipswich Journal 9 June 1798, the surgeon failed to appear and lost his recognizance.19,21
At Quarter Sessions of 5 Oct 1792, he was described as 'of Ipswich, merchant, gent, soap manufacturer, born 1759'. He stood as surety for Daniel Quinton to answer to the parish of Tannington for begetting Hannah Ward with child.2 Daniel was probably from the same family of bankers who were later involved in Barclays Bank.
There were several entries in the Ipswich Journal referring to Benjamin. On 9.6.1798 he was shown as Deputy Secretary of Ipswich Universal Tontine, the surviving subscribers to which received annuities increasing as they became fewer. He subscribed two guineas on 3.1.1801 to the Soap Institution. On 16.10.1802 he took up five shares of £100 each in the Suffolk Insurance office. He seems briefly to have been in the cement manufacturing business with two of his sons, judging by an advertisement in the Ipswich Journal of 15 May 1819.20,22
As a property owner Benjamin served as a grand juror five times between 1809 and 1814. There still survives a cheque drawn on the Ipswich and Needham Market Bank dated 30.7.1814 for £8 9s8d paid by Benjamin Colchester for George Mayhew for Land and Property Taxes due from James Steward 'and place to Trustee's account'. He appears to have been a man of some substance, and owned various properties in St Peter Street, living in one which was referred to in GR Clarke's History of Ipswich, 1830.19,22
Kitty Colchester has a miniature portrait of Benjamin.
He was married to Deborah DEATH on 29 May 1782 in Stowmarket8, Suffolk by the Rev Mr Routh. Her father was George Death, Merchant of Woodbridge, and mother Elizabeth Sparrowe of Wherstead.
Deborah DEATH was born on 8 Apr 1761 in Wherstead.23 She died on 19 Apr 1850 in Pimlico, London and was buried on 24 April 1850 at Barking8. It is said to be through the marriage of Deborah to Benjamin that the Colchesters came into possession of the celebrated and beautiful christening napkin used by Anne Boleyn's family in the days of Henry VIII. The napkin was later sold for some £40 to the Victoria and Albert Museum where it is now preserved.23 Giles Colchester has a Daguerreotype photograph of her, possibly the earliest photo of a member of the family.
Children of Benjamin COLCHESTER and Deborah DEATH were:
G22 i. William George of Liverpool COLCHESTER.
N1&+G23 ii. Benjamin COLCHESTER. See N1
G24 viii. Sara Ann COLCHESTER.
G25 iii. Charles Cornwell COLCHESTER.
G26 iv. Elizabeth Mary COLCHESTER
S1&G27+ v. Henry COLCHESTER. See S1
G28 vi. George COLCHESTER
G29 vii. Augusta COLCHESTER