EBBS, Samuel (1795-1874) — London
Printer & stationer. Trading with Samuel Smith as ‘Smith & Ebbs’, produced Zachary Macaulay & James Murray, Station map of the railways in Great Britain 1851, engraved by James Welland (see BME 2011); Macaulay, Macaulay’s metropolitan railway map 1859; Macaulay, Station map of the railways in Ireland 1863, etc.
Born in Mutford, Suffolk, 25 Aug 1795 and baptised 11 Sep 1795 in a non-conformist ceremony at Beccles, the son of Thomas Ebbs (1763-1836) and his wife Sarah Barlow (1767-1835), who had married in 1790. He married Eliza Butler (1804-1851) at Witham, Essex, in October 1827. Having worked for Robert Baldwin of ‘Baldwin & Cradock’, he joined Samuel Smith of Postern Row to trade as ‘Smith & Ebbs’ in or before 1828. Testified at an Old Bailey trial 4 Sep 1834 concerning the theft of “288 printed books, value 88£.; 84 maps, value 24£.; 4541 sheets of printed paper, value 30£.; 191 quires of printed paper, value 30£.; 64 engraved impressions of the works of Hogarth, value 6£.; and 1 sheet of Metcalf’s tables, value 9d” from Robert Baldwin. He lived on the premises at Tower Hill until at least 1839, but had moved to Hackney by 1841. Testified at a forgery trial at Mansion House in May 1846. He was employing ten people in 1851, when living in Hackney with his wife, nine children, and four servants. Now a widower and living in Sutton, he was employing eight men and two boys in 1861. He had retired by 1871 and died at home in Sutton, Surrey, 21 Sep 1874 in his eightieth year — “The remains of the much-lamented Mr. Samuel Ebbs … were conveyed on Saturday to Kensal Green Cemetery. Being much known and respected in Sutton he has left many sorrowing friends behind” (Epsom Journal, 6 Oct 1874). Probate was granted on effects of under £18,000 4 Nov 1874. The business was continued after his death by his sons Sydney Ebbs (1843-1916) and Alfred Butler Ebbs (1846-1931), with the continuing involvement of his brother Henry Ebbs (1809-1890) until 1881.
5 Postern Row, Tower Hill — 1828-1870
— and 20-22 George Street, Tower Hill — 1847-1870
2 Shore Place, Well Street, Hackney (home) — 1841-1851
Main Road, Sutton, Surrey (home) — 1861
2 Reigate Villas, Sutton (home) — 1868-1874
BNA. Census 1841-1871. EWP. Hyde. LG. LHD. OB. Todd.