M is for Mercy
A to Z blogging challenge April 2025
My husband’s third great grandmother was a Kentish woman named Mercy.
Mercy was one of the ‘virtue’ names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. Most Puritans tended to use Old Testament biblical names instead of saint’s names. Some, however, thought that using any name from the bible was blasphemous, and took to using vocabulary words (and phrases) instead, such as Prudence, Charity, Constance and Temperance. Puritan naming ideas had an influence beyond that group of Protestants.
Mercy Rose, daughter of Thomas and Judith, was baptised on 14 November 1779 in St Mary the Virgin, Ebony, Kent, England. She was the eldest of four children, all of whom lived to adulthood.
Ebony is close to the boundary of East Sussex and to Romney Marsh.
Mercy Rose married James Clarkson on 19 April 1804 in Ebony, St Mary the Virgin, Kent, England. Mercy was from Ebony. James was recorded as being from the parish of Ramsgate, 50 miles to the north-east of Ebony. Both Mercy and James signed their own names.
In August 1804 Mercy and James Clarkson’s son Alfred was privately baptised at Thanington, 28 miles north-east of Ebony.
I have not been able to find any other records of James Clarkson – neither his birth nor death.
In 1811 Mercy Clarkson had a son, George Clarkson, who was baptised 14 April 1811 at Ebony. His father was named as Sindon. In later life George went by the surname Sinden.
Mercy Clarkson married William Sinden on 28 August 1814 in Winchelsea, Sussex, England. The banns had previously been published in September and October 1813 in Ebony, Kent; it is not clear why the marriage did not proceed on the earlier occasion.
Their children were:
James Sinden (1815-1830)
Stephen Sinden (1817–1822)
Harriet Sinden (1819–1865)
Jesse Sinden (1821–1822)
Eliza Sinden (1823–1908)
The Sinden family moved around Sussex.
James was born in 1815 in Heathfield, Sussex. William was recorded as a labourer. William had been born in Heathfield.
The next son, Stephen, was baptised in Hellingly, Sussex in 1817.
The next child, Harriet, was born in Cuckfield in 1819. When she was baptised William was described as a labourer.
In 1821 Jesse was also born in Cuckfield. William was described as labourer on his baptism.
In December 1822 Jesse died aged one year nine months and was buried 15 December in Cuckfield. The same month Stephen died aged five years six months and was buried on 25 December. On both burial records William was described as a horse keeper.
Eliza was born about 1823, probably in Cuckfield. No baptism record has been found.
In 1826 Mercy’s son Alfred Clarkson joined the 36th regiment at Maidstone, Kent.
In 1830 James, aged 15, died in Cuckfield, Sussex. He was recorded as the son of William and Mercy.
William died of inflammation on 1 January 1839 at Albourne, a few miles from Cuckfield. He was age 58 and his occupation was horsekeeper. Mercy was the informant on his death certificate and had been present when he died.
At the time of the 1841 census Mercy was in Albourne living with her daughter Eliza.
In 1843 Mercy’s daughter Harriet married in Hurstpierpoint. In 1848 Eliza married also in Hurstpierpoint.
In the 1851 census Mercy Sinden (age 71) was the head of household in Hurstpierpoint. Her son George was living with her. She was recorded as in receipt of parish relief.
Mercy died 26 August 1852 in Hurstpierpoint. Mercy Scinden’s death (age 73) was registered in the Jul-Aug-Sep quarter of 1852 in the Cuckfield Union district. Her cause of death was given as “natural decay”. The informant was Amy Geer who had been present at the death. Mercy was reported to be the widow of George Sinden, labourer.
Mercy Sinden nee Rose formerly Clarkson lived in Kent or Sussex in south-east England and probably never travelled further afield. Her daughter Harriet remained in Sussex but her other children travelled further to the other side of the world: Alfred served in the West Indies and North America in the army; George and Eliza emigrated to Australia. Mercy has many Australian descendants as well as descendants in England through Harriet.
Related posts
Wikitree: Mercy (Rose) Sinden (1779-1852)
This post first published at https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/m-is-for-mercy/
And now, some of these names have been further attenuated, Chastity becomes Chasity and Constance is Connie, etc.
I've learnt something from your post Anne. I didn't realise that it was thought that biblical names were blasphemous. I always thought they were an honour. Did you know there's a Cuckfield One Place Study?