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A small amount of progress towards establishing after whom Hilton was named.

Ralph Clark(e) had children in Yarm between 1686 and 1710. He married (by licence) in 1683 to Anne MOSSIKE.

That is an unusual name. My guess is that it is a version of MOSSOCK. I can't find the baptism of an Ann MOSSOCK, but I have found a Thomas MOSSOCK, gentleman of Headlam, Gainford whose Administration Bond was dealt with first by Abraham Hilton (of Hilton) in 1711 and than later by Eleanor Hilton in 1719. Thomas also married by licence in 1683 (ie the same year) and was described as of Headlam. Anne's parish wasn't given but they may well be siblings.

The will of an Abraham Hilton of Hilton (proved 1722) doesn't mention any MOSSOCKs, although Elizabeth MOSSOCK and Thomas MOSSOCKE signed as witnesses in 1717.

Richard

Christopher and Hilton Watson had children in Staindrop from 1726 - 1746 before moving to London where they died. Fortunately the parish chest records give their ages: Christopher died in 1768 aged 76 (leaving a will) and 'Mrs Hilton Watson' died in 1770 aged 66, so born c1703/4.

He is probably the Christopher Watson born to another CW in 1693 in Staindrop, but I can't find either their marriage or her baptism, despite her very unusual name.

There are a few Hilton's born in the area (Tweddel 1693; Lawson 1703; Shaw 1712; Richardson 1712), but only one is of the right age and they are all listed as male. The one of the right age went on to be High Sheriff, so it's definitely not her.

I wondered whether her surname was Hilton and she just used that as a 'nickname' but perhaps ithers can spot her.

Thanks.

Richard

I do have a candidate for John Watson: a master mariner who came from Stockton in Durham but now lives in Wapping. Robert Pratt's wife's family of Pratts came from near Stockton, were shipwrights and there is an overlap of unusual names such as Ralph.

It's a longshot but the will was written in 1787 yet not proved until 1828. I imagine that John and his wife died long before that as they started having children in 1752, so 41 years seem a long time to prove a will.

Richard

Thanks - interesting.
So the suggestion is that John Pratt probably had nothing to do with Greenwich Hospital; he just bought some property from them.
Richard