George Gilborn

Birth: ca 1793 Nottingham St.Mary
Baptism: 12 Oct 1795, Nottingham St. Mary
Father: Francis GILBORN
Mother: Mary JOYCE (ca1760 -ca1836)
Spouse 1: Isabella Scott
Marriage: 12 Oct 1818, St. Alban's, Herts
Spouse 2: Susannah Morley
Marriage: 10 Feb 1820, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London
Spouse 3: Mary Cullen
Marriage: 30 Sep 1848, Grantham, Lincs.
Spouse 4: Elizabeth Thompson
Marriage: 27 July 1850, St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London
Death: 3 Aug 1860 Grantham, Lincs.

George Gilborn was born ca.1893 in the parish of Nottingham St. Mary according to Military record. His entry in the St. Mary's baptism records reads 'George son of Francis and Mary GILLMAN'.   His marriage certificate to Mary Seaman gives his father as Francis Gilborn, Silk Maker & Weaver.  Further evidence that these are the correct parents is the appearance of Ann Lambert as a wedding witness. Ann Gilborn was the youngest known child of Francis and Mary, and according to the Newark parish record, married William Limbert in April 1821. Nothing is known of his early years, until he joined the army in 1811 (see below).  There are a number of marriages for  men with the name George Gilborn.  It is not absolutely certain that they are all the same person, but it is likely that they are.

Military Record:

George Gilborn attested for 4th (or King's Own) Regiment of Foot at Hythe, Kent, 2 May 1811, aged 18, and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion. It is not known whether he had enlisted elsewhere and travelled to Hythe, or whether he was already living in Hythe. He apparently went to (South?) Africa the same year, though this has not been verified from the muster records, and then went to Portugal until 1814 under Capt. Shaw. He was absent sick for the period Jun-Sep 1812, and from 17 Nov 1812 to May 16 1813 seems to have been a prisoner of war in Portugal.  He returned to England in 1814, but must have almost immediately have gone to North America and was mustered 'sick at Bermuda' 26 Feb to 24 Jun 1815.  From here he left for France, headed to the Battle of Waterloo.  His name appears on the 'Supplemental pay list for men in consequence of having served in the Battle of Waterloo' and in later years his name has a 'W' against it to indicate he fought there. He remained in France, under the Earl of Chatham until the end of June 1817, when he was sent on a recruiting march back to England.  Here he is listed on the musters of Deal Barracks. He was promoted to Corporal 16 Nov  1817 and served until his discharge from the recruiting part at Leeds 29 Apr 1818.

He rejoined the army almost immediately and was in the 1st Life Guards for 5 months before transferring to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot in Lt.Col. Edward Bowater's Co. His brother, William Gilborn, was at this time in Lt. Col. Charles Dashwood's Co. in the same Battalion until William's discharge 6 Dec 1820.  In Jun 1821, George was transferred to Lt.Col Charles J. Barnett's Co., initially in London, then from Dec 1821 to  Dec 1823 at Plymouth and Devonport. He was promoted first to Corporal and then in September 1826 to Drum Major. In Jun 1826 he is mustered in Lt.Col. Charles Talbot's Co. and for all of 1827 is shown as being 'On Foreign Service'.  He retired on a pension of 1 shilling a day in February 1830.

On 8 May 1836,  he became a yeoman warder (Beefeater) at the Tower of London, upon the death of James Riley, and is to be found there in the census of both 1841 and 1851 with a wife. In 1848, at the age of 55, he married a widow, Mary Seaman (nee Cullen). Mary was to die less that a year later, and George then married Elizabeth Thompson (see below).  

Career Summary:

Spouses:

1.  Isabella Scott ?

A marriage is recorded between George Gilborn and Isabella Scott at St. Alban's, Herts on 12 Oct 1818.  One of the witnesses was William Joyce, assumed to be George's uncle.    It is not known what became of Isabella in the meantime, but she appears to not have died until 1855.

2. Susannah Morley

A second marriage is recorded for George on 10 Feb 1820 at St.Martin in the Fields, London.  This seems certain to be the right George as Susannah is found with him living in the Tower of London in 1841, though no relationships are stated in that census.  The death certificate for Susannah records that she died 2 Apr 1847 at Mint St., Tower aged 63.

3. Mary Cullen

The marriage certificate indicates that the couple were widow and widower when they married at Little Gonerby, Lincs on 30 Sep 1848.  George is described as a Gentleman, though the father being Francis Gilborn, Silk Maker and Weaver, makes us sure this is the right George.  Mary did not live for long after the marriage.  She died in July 1849 aged 62, and is interred in a tomb in the Crypt of the Chapel at the Tower of London.   The inscription on her tomb reads:

'In memory of Mary, Wife of George Gilborn, one of Her Majesty's Yeomen of The Guard, who died 24th July, 1849.  The above was a faithful wife and the loss of her was great.'

- A glowing tribute after less than a year of marriage.

Mary Gilborn's tomb in the crypt of the church in the Tower of London
Mary Gilborn's tomb in the crypt of the church of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London.

4. Elizabeth Thompson

George married for the last time on 27th July 1850 to Elizabeth Thompson, a spinster.  George is described as a  H.M. Yeoman of the Guard, residing at the Tower, and the son of Francis Gilborn, Framework Knitter.  The couple are at the Tower in the 1851 census, where George is described as a yeoman warder and it is seen that Elizabeth was 20 years her husband's junior - 38 years to his 58. It is not clear when George left the Tower, but his death was recorded in Grantham District, Lincs in the September Quarter, 1860.  His will reads: "......of George Gilborn formerly Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London but late of Manthorpe cum Little Gonerby in the County of Lincoln Yeoman deceased who died 3 Aug 1860 at Manthorpe cum Little Gonerby aforesaid was proved at Lincoln by the oaths of William Limbert of Sneinton in the county of Nottingham, Warehouseman, the nephew and Henry Chambers of Manthorpe cum Little Gonerby aforesaid, Innkeeper, the Executors."   In a codicil, he bequeathed his war medals to William Limbert.   His estate was left to his sister, Ann Limbert, and his housekeeper, Mary Hughes.  His 4th wife had died at 37 Paulton Square in Chelsea on 19 November 1857 after a haemorrhage.

GRO Death Index: Grantham Sep 1860 7a 222  
1841 Census: No.42 The Tower of London HO107/715/1/8
1851 Census: Garrison of the Tower of London HO107/1546/658/15

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