Lower Leyton burial

[Novak20]

Hi,

I've got a PCC will from 1757 for William Johnson who 'desire may be interred in the vault where my late honoured father lyes at Low Layton in the County of Essex...'

I wonder what would be the church in question, and whether baptisms/burials have been indexed?

thanks,
Mike

[Clincher]

This is a dodgy one to answer - partly because the facts and my knowledge of the facts are sketchy.
Low Layton (alternative spelling in bygone years = Low Leyton) is that part of Leyton near to low-lying land called Flats i.e. Leytonstone. I believe the oldest church in Leytonstone is Saint John's Church who have their own website. That website says the present church has been there for 170 years i.e since 1830s so it can't be that one that you're looking for. But the same website says that their parish was carved out of the parish of Saint Mary, Leyton which goes back to at least 17th century. So I think that it is most likely to be this one...except for two things.
The first is the bit of history about the delays in creating a new parish described in the website.
The second is that the wording from the will seems quite definite about the vault being located in Low Layton. The only burial ground I know of in Low Layton (= Leytonstone) which might date back to 1757 is Friends Burial Ground in Bushwood, Leytonstone. The Friends still have their meeting house there.
Was William Johnson or his father a Quaker?

[Novak20]

Hi,

Thanks for the info -- I think it must be St Mary. Looking back I realise I missed out the word 'church': '...lyes at Low Layton Church in the county of Essex'. I doubt it would say this if referring to a Quaker burial ground. Also, there is nothing else to suggest he or his father is a Quaker.

William does refer to his house at Knott's Green 'in the parish of Low Layton', if that helps.

Mike

[Clincher]

Yes I think you're right about it being Saint Mary's and Low Layton extended a bit more to the north than I thought.
If you go to the Streetmap website and search for 'Knotts Green Road' you'll see the approximate location of Knotts Green - and by the look of the map there might still be a remnant of it - there was when I were nobbut a lad

[leytone10]

Hi St Marys is in Church Rd Leyton E10. The graveyard is now a nature reserve so most of the gravestones are overgrown. Subject to periodic clearing.

[hbarclay99]

This is a very old thread, but I am myself researching William Johnson and specifically his house on Knotts Green, which my family lived in in the 1800s

Hi,

I've got a PCC will from 1757 for William Johnson who 'desire may be interred in the vault where my late honoured father lyes at Low Layton in the County of Essex...'

I wonder what would be the church in question, and whether baptisms/burials have been indexed?

thanks,
Mike