Twelve year old Peter Emptage made a grim discovery when he opened a sack he found floating in the Grand Union canal
The Origin of the Barbados Emptage/Emtage Family
Barbados is an eastern Caribbean island. It was there that John Emptage married Elizabeth Stafford in 1764 and thus began the Emptage family in Barbados. Over the years, the ‘p’ was often omitted from the spelling and the name became Emtage.
John Emptage/Emtage at the Old Bailey in 1745
When John Emptage succumbed to temptation and stole a tea chest he may have anticipated what would befall him if he was caught but he can have had no idea that he would become embroiled in The War of the Austrian succession.
John Emptage – Citizen and Joyner of London c1682 – 1755
John Emptage of Watling Street in the City of London, Joyner and Cabinetmaker, first came to my attention in the City of London Sessions Papers dated 10 October 1737, which provided a fantastic insight into a family that could not only be traced in London and Kent, but also the West Indies and India.
Thomas Emptage the Younger versus The Navy Board
Thomas was called upon to do his duty and hire out his cutter to the Navy Board, to help service the English fleet at war with France.
If you hire something out, you expect to be paid for your time and expenses especially when, during the period of the hire, you’ve not had any other form of income and have incurred debts on behalf of your country.
Thomas, like many other people at the time, found himself having to argue with the Navy Board in order to be paid.