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John Grace (1800-1865), engraving by R Rapkin.

c.1690 - 1727 THOMAS GRACE

Married; Frances Fairlight 169?-17??
Children; William (1715-17??), Thomas and Martha (twins) (1717-?), John (1721-1787), Elizabeth (1724-?)
Lived in Wartling
Died; 1727

169? - 17?? FRANCES GRACE (nee FAIRLIGHT)

Married; Thomas Grace (169?-1727)
Children; William (1715-17??), Thomas and Martha (twins) (1717-?), John (1721-1787), Elizabeth (1724-?)
Lived in Wartling

1715 - 17?? WILLIAM GRACE

Born; 1715, Wartling.
Baptised; 25 June 1715, Wartling
Parents; Thomas Grace (c.1690-1727) = Frances Fairlight (169?-17??)

1717 - 17?? MARTHA GRACE (Twin with Thomas)

Born; 1717, Wartling.
Baptised; 25 April 1717, Wartling
Parents; Thomas Grace (c.1690-1727) = Frances Fairlight (169?-17??)

1717 - 17?? THOMAS GRACE (Twin with Martha)

Born; 1717, Wartling
Baptised; 25 April 1717, Wartling
Parents; Thomas Grace (c.1690-1727) = Frances Fairlight (169?-17??)

1721 - 1787 JOHN GRACE

Born; 1721
Baptised; 5 May 1721, Wartling
Parents; Thomas Grace (c.1690-1727) = Frances Fairlight (169?-17??)
Married; Elizabeth ?? (172?-17??)
Children; John (1762-?), William (1764-1829?), Thomas (1766-1818)
Lived in Eastbourne
Died; 1787.

1724 - 17?? ELIZABETH GRACE

Born; 1724
Baptised; 29 April 1724, Wartling
Parents; Thomas Grace (c.1690-1727) = Frances Fairlight (169?-17??)

172? - 17?? ELIZABETH GRACE (nee ??)

Born; 172?
Married; John Grace (1721-1787)
Children; John (1762-?), William (1764-?), Thomas (1766-1818)

1762 - 1??? JOHN GRACE

Born; 1762
Baptised; 23 October 1762, Eastbourne
Parents; John Grace (1721-1787) = Elizabeth ?? (172?-17??)

1764 - 1829? WILLIAM GRACE

Born; 1764
Baptised; 13 December 1764, Eastbourne
Parents; John Grace (1721-1787) = Elizabeth ?? (172?-17??)
Seems to have helped to run (with his brother Thomas) the bakery business in Seaside Road, Eastbourne, particularly from 1818 onwards after Thomas Grace died. Rev John Grace (1800-1865) was born in the bakery building and built a chapel alongside it around 1822.
William lent money to John in the 1820s, but it did not prevent John from being declared bankrupt in 1826 and being jailed for debt in 1827.
Died; possibly in 1829.

1766 - 1818 THOMAS GRACE

Born; 1766
Baptised; 14 July 1766, Eastbourne
Parents; John Grace (1721-1787) = Elizabeth ?? (172?-17??)
Married; Mary Brook of Jevington (1767?-1819) in 1793
Children; Thomas (1798- 18??), John (1800-1865), Mary ?Brook? (1???-1817)
Founded the bakery business in Seaside Road, Eastbourne in 1795, and ran (with his brother William) it until his death in 1818, when it was taken over by his wife for one year, and then (when she died) inherited by his sons John and Thomas.

More details of the Bakery business in Eastbourne

1767? - 1819 MARY GRACE (nee BROOK or BROOKE)

Born; c.1767 Jevington
Baptised; 12 February 1767, Jevington
Parents; John Brooke = Sarah ?? of Jevington
Married; Thomas Grace (1766-1818) in 1793
Children; Thomas (1798-18??), John (1800-1865), Mary ?Brook? (1???-1817)
When her husband died in 1818 she took over the Eastbourne bakery business, but died herself a year later. Her sons then inherited the firm and premises. Died; April 1819, Eastbourne.

1797 - 1838 MARY GRACE (nee ADES)

Born; 22 March 1797, Westfield.
Parents; Moses Ades (1766-1855) = Ann Mosley (1772-1855)
Married; John Grace (1800-1865) as his 1st wife in May (or 29 March?) 1820.
Children; Mary Brook (1821-18??), Martha (1822-1832), Cornelius (1823-1899), Lydia (1825-1825), Anna (1826-1898), John Mosley (1827-1888), Joseph (1828-28), Samuel (1829-1832), Ebenezer (c.1830-1832), Esther (c.1832-1832), Benjamin (c.1833-34), Elizabeth (c.1834-35), Rebecca (1835-18??), Naomi (1838-38).
Died; 7 June 1838, Brighton. This is the same date of death as her last child, Naomi, so she possibly died in childbirth, and Naomi was lost too.

1798 - 18?? THOMAS GRACE

Born; 1798, Eastbourne
Parents; Thomas Grace (1766-1818) = Mary Brook (1767?-1819)
Married; Harriett ?? (1790-18??)
Children; Elizabeth (1828-18??)
Address; Annuitant of High Street, Hurstpierpoint, aged 53 at the 1851 Census.

c.1800 - 18?? HARRIETT GRACE (nee ??)

Born; c.1800, Eastbourne
Married; Thomas Grace (1798-18??)
Children; Elizabeth (1828-18??)
Address; High Street, Hurstpierpoint, aged 61 at the 1851 Census

1800 - 1865 JOHN GRACE

The Reverend John Grace around 1860. Photo: Carte de Visite by George Ruff Snr, 45 Queen's Road, Brighton. Thanks to David Simkin.

Born; 23 January 1800, in his father's bakery at 23 Sea Houses, Eastbourne (later to be Gilbert's Bakery)
Parents; Thomas Grace (1766-1818) = Mary Brook (1767?-1819)
John went to school for a time at The Gables, Church Street, conducted by the Rev Thomas Broome.
Apprenticed to Hannington, draper of Brighton at the age of 16. His father, who ran a bakery in Eastbourne, died in the autumn of 1818, so John Grace became owner of the business at the age of 19. He was released from his apprenticeship in 1818 and returned to Eastbourne to help his widowed mother Mary, who also died the following April. To add to his responsibilities, he was married to Mary Ades in May 1820, before he was 21.

Married (1); Mary Ades (1797-1838) in May (or 29 March?) 1820
Children; Mary Brook (1821-1895), Martha (1822-1832), Cornelius (1823-1899), Lydia (1825-1825), Anna (1826-1898), John Mosley (1827-1888), Joseph (1828-28), Samuel (1829-1832), Ebenezer (1830-1832), Esther (1832-1832), Benjamin (1833-34), Elizabeth (1834-35), Rebecca (1835-??), Naomi (1838-1838)

Married (2); Eliza Verrall (1810-1880) (Eldest daughter of Charles Verrall of Lewes, and Elizabeth Morris - third daughter of Joseph Morris 1752-1826) in October 1839, Brighton.

More information about Eliza's (Morris) family

Children; Sarah, Rhoda, son, Miriam, daughter, daughter

John Grace continued to run the Eastbourne grocery, provisions and drapery business at No.24 Sea Houses, and the bakery at No.23 Sea Houses until December 1926 when he handed over the business and properties to tenants, including David Gilbert in 1855.

More details of the Bakery business in Eastbourne

More details of Grace's Chapel

About 1821 John started holding chapel meetings, first at his home and then in the bakehouse for a Calvinistic and Independent congregation. He and his wife were baptised in a pond at Wadhurst in 1822, and he then built a chapel beyond the bakehouse in 1822-23 seating about 100. The former stable between the bakehouse and the chapel was converted into a cottage for the chapel keeper, with one room serving as a vestry.

At the same time he ran a fishing boat, and he soon began to run short of money, borrowing from his uncle William in 1823 with the bakery building as security. But by 1826 he was declared bankrupt. Hanningtons took him on again, as an employee, and the Graces departed for Brighton, fully resolved to return to Eastbourne again - but they never did. In 1827, pressure from creditors resulted in John's committal to jail for debt. However he was released later that year and resumed working for Hanningtons.

It was more than ten years later that the opportunity arose to set matters right. His uncle having died and left the Eastbourne property (with a legacy) to him again, Grace put an advertisement in the 'Sussex Advertiser' of 1 June 1839, asking all who had claims against him to send them to "Mr E Morris, ironmonger, Lewes" (Ebenezer Morris). John appears to have known Ebenezer well, which is natural since the latter was a trustee of Jireh Chapel, Lewes and he had married Ebenezer's niece.

Meanwhile the bakery was leased to various tenants including David Gilbert (1825-1916) in 1856 who acquired the freehold in 1881 from Grace's executors. On John's first wife's death (Mary Ades, who died in 1838, possibly in childbirth with daughter Naomi) he married the niece (Eliza Verrall) of his friend Ebenezer Morris (1801-1888). John continued preaching in Brighton until his death.

David Simkin emailed some additional information in June 2005; "Apparently John Grace became a Baptist in his early thirties. It is recorded that John was baptised by William Crouch in a pond at the rear of Green Farm House, near Wadhurst, in 1832. John Grace preached his first sermon on 6 February 1836 and also preached at the Providence Chapel in Brighton. On Good Friday, 2 April 1847, John Grace started his ministry at the Baptist Tabernacle in West Street, Brighton. Reverend John Grace was to remain at the Tabernacle until his death on 3 March 1865."
Reverend John Grace was regarded as an Independent Baptist minister but, after his death, the Baptist Church in Brighton split, with the Independents joining Reverend William Harbour and the Strict Baptists following the leadership of Reverend Henry White. John kept a clerical diary and extracts from this diary, including accounts of sermons and preaching tours, together with personal recollections and correspondence were later published as 'Recollections of John Grace - the Life of a Baptist Minister at Brighton and Eastbourne' (A later edition was published in London in 1893)."

Died; 3 March 1865, Brighton.
A copy of the abstract of John's will (dated 10 February 1865) is held in H.R.Gilbert's records. John died the following month and the will was proved on 22 April 1865.

c.1800 - 1817 MARY GRACE

Born; around 1800
Parents; Thomas Grace (1766-1818) = Mary Brook (1767?-1819)
Died; 1817.

1810 - 1880 ELIZA GRACE (nee VERRALL)

Born; 9 December 1810, Lewes.
Parents; Charles Verrall (1786-1857) = Elizabeth Morris (1788-1874)
Married; John Grace (1800-1865) as his 2nd wife in October 1839, Brighton.
Children; Sarah, Rhoda, Robert, Miriam, daughter, daughter
Died; 1 January 1880.

1821 - 1895 MARY BROOK GRACE

Born; 1821, Eastbourne.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Married; John Gorringe, farmer, after 1842.
Died; 1895.

1822 - 1832 MARTHA GRACE

Born; 1822, Brighton
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; 30 April 1832, Brighton

1823 - 1899 CORNELIUS GRACE

Born: 1823, Eastbourne
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Married; ??
Children; Anna Louisa (c.1845-??), married Dr Greenleas.
Died; 1899, Brighton, aged 75.

1825 - 1825 LYDIA GRACE

Born; 1825, Brighton
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 1825, Brighton.

1826 - 1898 ANNA NUNN (nee GRACE)

Born; 1826, Brighton
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Married; Benjamin Hitchcock Nunn, architect & surveyor.
Died; 1898, Brighton, aged 72.

1827 - 1888 JOHN MOSLEY GRACE

Born; 1827, Brighton
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Occupation; House painter, In Brighton workhouse as a pauper in 1881.
Died; 21 March 1888, Brighton, aged 61.

1828 - 18?? ELIZABETH GRACE

Born; 1828, Ewhurst
Parents; Thomas Grace (1798-18??) = Harriett ?? (1790-18??)
Address; High Street, Hurstpierpoint, unmarried aged 23 at the 1851 Census

1828 - 1828 JOSEPH GRACE

Born; 1828
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 29 September 1828, Brighton.

1829 - 1832 SAMUEL GRACE

Born; 1829, Brighton
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 6 May 1832, Brighton.

c.1830 - 1832 EBENEZER GRACE

Born; c.1830
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 1 June 1832, Brighton.

c.1832 - 1832 ESTHER GRACE

Born; c.1832
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 14 October 1832, Brighton.

c.1833 - 1834 BENJAMIN GRACE

Born; c.1833.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 8 March 1834, Brighton.

c.1834 - 1835 ELIZABETH GRACE

Born; c.1834.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; as an infant, 8 March 1835, Brighton.

1835 - 18?? REBECCA GRACE

Born; 1835, Brighton.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Married; Thomas Henry Chapman, before 1851.
Died; after 1881.

1838 - 1838 NAOMI GRACE

Born; 1838, Brighton.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Mary Ades (1797-1838)
Died; 7 June 1838, Brighton. This is the same date of death as her mother, so possibly died Mary died in childbirth and Naomi was lost too.

c.1840 - 18?? SARAH GRACE

Born; c.1840.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Eliza Verrall (1810-1880)

c.1840 - 18?? RHODA GRACE

Born; c.1840.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Eliza Verrall (1810-1880)

c.1840 - 18?? ROBERT GRACE

Born; c.1840.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Eliza Verrall (1810-1880)

c.1840 - 18?? MIRIAM HOOPER (nee GRACE)

Born; c.1840.
Parents; John Grace (1800-1865) = Eliza Verrall (1810-1880)
Married; John Hooper (c.1815-18??) He must have been twice her age!
Children; Grace, Bertram, Langdon, Hilda, Lilian.
'Johnny' Hooper was headmaster of the High School, 49 Baldsow Road, Hastings, where David Gilbert (1888-1915) attended as a boarder, and later also his brothers William and Richard.

More information about the Hooper family

c.1845- 18?? ANNA LOUISA GREENLEAS (nee GRACE)

Born; c.1845
Parents; Cornelius Grace (1823-1899) = ??
Married; Dr.Greenleas, whose niece married Langdon Hooper (186?-??)

186? - 19?? LANGDON HOOPER

Born; 186?
Parents; John Hooper (181?-18??) = Miriam Grace (184?-18??)
Married; Helen Greenleas (186?-19??) whose uncle, Dr.Greenleas, married Anna Louisa Grace (184?-18??)
Children; Cleeve Greenleas Hooper (c.1890-19??)
Moved to Portland, Oregon, USA.

More information about the Hooper family

186? - 19?? HELEN HOOPER (nee GREENLEAS)

Married; Langdon Hooper (186?-19??)
Children; Cleeve Greenleas Hooper (c.1890--19??)
Moved to Portland, Oregon, USA.

c.1890 - 19?? CLEEVE GREENLEAS HOOPER

Born; c.1890.
Parents; Langdon Hooper (186?-19??) = Helen Greenleas (186?-19??)