Monday, 26 November 2012

Betty Ethel Manley nee Taylor (1921-94)

Betty Ethel Manley nee Taylor was a half-sister of my father, Eric William Taylor, who both had the same father, William Taylor. Eric’s mother (Gertrude) was William’s first wife who died in the influenza pandemic in 1919. She was a younger sister of Betty’s mother (Ethel).

Betty was born on 31 December 1921 in Woolwich, the only child from the marriage of William Taylor to his second wife Ethel Suter nee Wilkins. William and his family lived at 16 Brewer St, Woolwich. The site of the house is now occupied by John Wilson Street, a dual carriageway that forms part of the South Circular Road (A205). The electoral register shows William living at the address from 1921 until 1933.

Betty recounted that, as a small child, she slept in a room full of “knocked off” goods from the dockyard. One of her earliest memories was of her father taking the labels off stolen canned food (stored under her bed) to resell !  She also remembered seeing big, boxed dolls one Christmas, but she was not allowed to have one, just the usual piece of coal, a satsuma, some nuts and a coin.  The only real present she remembered receiving was a watch from her elder half-brother Eric for a birthday.

Ethel (Betty’s mother) died on New Years Day 1933 aged 51 when Betty was 11. She then brought up herself with help from her half -sister Doris Suter, who lived in Seddlescombe, a small rural village in Sussex. When Betty was about 15, her father (William) found her a flat in Woolwich above a greengrocer’s shop. William married Eleanor Mary Bateman (known as Nell or Nellie) in 1938 when Betty was 16. One morning he produced a little box with a ring inside it and told Betty "I am going to marry Nell today". Betty was surprised and also hurt that she wasn’t invited.
     
Before the war Betty was apprenticed to a tailor, a skill she kept all her life. With the onset of World War II she went to work in a factory making swivel eyes (aircraft parts), which is where she met her future husband Frederick Cecil Manley.  He was an engineer by trade and as such, kept at home during the war. Fred was Betty’s foreman and he used to come her bench and help her knock out a nights work and then they would spend the rest of the night in the broom cupboard ! 

 Betty, as a young woman

Betty was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her half-brother Eric to Grace Ivall (my parents) in Cambridge on 12 Feb 1944. Betty was also a witness on the wedding certificate. Her address at this time was 1A Conduit Way, Stonebridge Park, Willesden, London NW10.

When the war was over Fred was called up (to the RAF) and he decided that they should marry on his return.  However, Betty and Fred had a row about the wedding arrangements.  Betty did not hear from him for several days but he eventually returned, complete with a special license and they were married on 30 November 1946 at All Hallows Church, Greenford, West London. He was aged 25 and she was 24. The witnesses were Betty’s father William and her half- brother Eric.

Initially the couple lived with Betty’s half sister Vera and her husband Frank but their first home together was Orchard Cottage, a rented property in the grounds of a large house in the village of Seddlescombe, East Sussex. They moved here to be near Betty’s half-sister Doris and husband Arthur Moore. He and Fred started a bakery machinery servicing business. Betty and Fred’s first two daughters were born in Seddlescombe. Eventually the large house was acquired by the Pestalozzi Children’s Village and the cottage was required for staff quarters. By this time Doris and her family had moved to Emsworth in Hampshire, where their third daughter was born.  Betty and Fred brought a bungalow here in 1958 for £1800.  In 1971 Fred died of lung cancer leaving Betty to bring up her three daughters alone. She knocked five years off her age and obtained a job in a factory making seatbelts for Ford cars. 

In 1981, when Betty was 59, she had a stroke from which she never fully recovered.  However she did improve sufficiently to live on her own and continue with a full and active life.  She was a well known figure in Emsworth riding a large adult three wheel tricycle around the village causing traffic chaos!!
 
 Betty in 1988

Having had three daughters but always wanted a son, Betty was delighted to be presented with a first grandson in 1989 and despite her disabilities she was a very hands on Grandma. She suffered a major heart attack in June 1994 and died on 2 July aged 72.

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Eric William Taylor (1913-2003), local government officer

Eric Taylor was my father. This profile contains information he told me, from my mother’s life story and from family history research.

Eric was born on 31 August 1913 in Woolwich, the eldest child of William and Gertrude Taylor. He was baptised at Holy Trinity Church, New Charlton on 19 October 1913. William and Gertrude later had two other children namely Vera Gertrude (1916-2002) and Ronald Albert (1918-88).

Gertrude, Eric’s mother, died of influenza in 1919 when he was aged 5. His father married Ethel, Gertrude’s elder sister, in 1920. They had a daughter, Betty Ethel in 1921. The family lived at 16 Brewer St, Woolwich until 1933.

When he was a child, Eric used to spend holidays in Sedlescombe (a village in Sussex) with Doris (b1903), Ethel’s daughter from her first marriage, who was married to a car mechanic. He used to cycle there on his own – quite a distance !

Eric was a bright boy and won a scholarship to Shooter’s Hill Grammar School. The admissions register of the school shows that he started there on 29 Sep 1924 (when he was 11) and left on 13 March 1931 (when he was 17½). I have a leather bound dictionary given to Eric in July 1928 as a school prize for Geography. He passed the London County Council (LCC) entrance exam and started work at County Hall in Central London, becoming a wages clerk.

Ethel, Eric’s stepmother, died in 1933. William Taylor and his family then moved 105 Brookhill Road, Woolwich. He got married again in 1938 to Eleanor Mary Bateman, a widow with four children from her first marriage. They all moved to 116 Sandy Hill Road, Woolwich in 1938.

The 1939 register shows Eric (a LCC general grade assistant) living at 116 Sandy Hill with his father William (a labourer, munitions work), stepmother Eleanor, brother Ronald (a grocery porter) and stepsister Constance L Bateman (a glass operative). There is also a closed record, which is presumably Eric's half sister Betty (born in 1921).

Eric met his future wife, Grace Evelyn Ivall (who also worked at County Hall) at an office dance in April 1940.

I obtained Eric’s war record from the Army after my father’s death. Eric joined the Home Guard in June 1940. He was enlisted into the Army on 22 October 1940 aged 27. He joined the Royal Artillery and was posted to the 907 Defence Battery at Southend on 20 November 1940. He spent the next 18 months in East Anglia and when granted leave he would hitch hike to visit Grace, who by then was living in Cambridge. Eric was appointed Unit Clerk Class IIIb on 12 April 1942. He was subsequently sent to North Africa, travelling on a troop ship that left England on 14 July 1942, sailing via Cape Town and arriving at Egypt on 3 September 1942. This was at a time that German U-boats were sinking a lot of shipping, so it must have been an interesting journey ! Eric was in a gun crew in the Eighth Army that fought under General Montgomery and won the battle of El Alamein, 23 October to 2 November 1942, one of the first allied victories and a turning point in the war. The German and Italian Armies were subsequently driven out of North Africa. The allies invaded Sicily on 10 July 1943 and the fighting to capture the island was over by 17 August. Eric was in Sicily between 17 July and 28 August 1943. He then returned to North Africa and was later sent back to the UK, embarking on 27 November 1943 and arriving on 9 December 1943.

Eric married Grace Evelyn Ivall on 12 February 1944 at the Church of St Andrew the Great in Cambridge. He was aged 30 and she was 22. The witnesses on the marriage certificate were Eric’s half sister Betty (who was also a bridesmaid) and Albert Ivall (Grace’s uncle). Grace was working as a St John’s Ambulance nurse at the Gresham Road Convalescent Home in Cambridge. I have a wedding photo showing the other nurses holding up splints to form an arch for them to walk through. They had a short honeymoon in Lyme Regis.


Eric and Grace in about 1944

Soon after his marriage, Eric fell ill with malaria that he had caught in North Africa or Sicily. He was admitted to Colchester Military Hospital (in Black Notley) on 7 March 1944.and discharged to the Gresham Road Convalescent Home on 20 March 1944, where he stayed until 20 April 1944 when he was sent back to his unit, the 64th Medium Regiment R.A. On his return, he was promoted from Gunner to Lance Bombardier. He had another attack of malaria and was admitted to Colchester Military Hospital on 13 May 1944, returning to his unit on 5 June 1944, the day before D-Day. Eric was sent to Normandy on 8 July 1944 and later took part in the fighting in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He received a head wound on 12 December 1944 and was wounded again on 13 March 1945 but both times remained on duty. After Germany surrendered on 7 May 1945, Eric was part of the occupation force in Germany. He was promoted to Sergeant on 4 January 1946 and was sent to back the UK on 21 February 1946. Eric’s discharge paper stamped 26 February 1946 describes his military conduct as exemplary and his commanding officer has written “An exceptionally hardworking and sober NCO. He has a first class brain, plenty of initiative and is an extremely efficient organiser. I consider that he should have held commissioned rank.”

After he was discharged from the army, Eric had three months leave, which he spent in Cambridge with his wife at her mother’s house, 33 Paradise Street. Eric then returned to work with the LCC (who had made up his army pay to his full salary during the war). He and Grace stayed with Alec Henderson (who also worked at the LCC) and his wife Betty in Potter’s Bar, North London for a few months and then bought 309 Parkside Avenue, Barnehurst in September 1946 for £1,195. The house was a mid terrace house built in the 1930’s. Parkside Avenue was a long straight road and 309 was about a mile from Barnehurst Station. Eric walked there to catch a train to work (County Hall is close to Waterloo Station).

In 1949 their daughter Evelyn was born and in 1953 a son, Philip (me). In 1957, Eric and his family moved to 92 Barnehurst Avenue, which was a detached house with a large garden. They lived there for forty years. In 1958, Grace’s widowed mother came to live with them (she had the downstairs front room as her own). She was disabled as a result of a fall and broken hip joint and stayed at Barnehurst Avenue until her death in 1970.

Eric had a successful career with the LCC (which became the Greater London Council). He rose to a senior managerial role in the Highways and Transportation Department, working in the section that organised road improvements. In 1977 he was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal for Outstanding Service. He retired in 1978, aged 65, having worked for the LCC / GLC for 47 years.

When living at Barnehurst Avenue, Grace and Eric kept their garden in first class condition – it won prizes in the “Bexley in Bloom” competition. Eric produced large amounts of fruit and vegetables in the garden and he grew pot plants in a conservatory. Other interests included botany, classical music and history. Grace and Eric attended evening classes on these subjects over many years. They also enjoyed walking in the countryside.


Grace and Eric in their garden at 92 Barnehurst Avenue, c 1990.

Eric had an active retirement until his health deteriorated in the last five years of his life. In 1997, Grace and Eric moved to 24 Fern Court, Bexleyheath, a flat in a block designed for retired people. A combination of medical problems  resulted in Eric becoming less physically and mentally able and he died of bronchopneumonia at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup on 28th May 2003 aged 89.

Sunday, 18 November 2012

Ernest Edward Taylor (1879-1944), explosives worker

My grandfather William Taylor had nine siblings (six brothers and three sisters). However, he doesn’t seem to have had much to do with them during the latter part of his life. I am trying to find out what I can about their lives. Ernest Edward Taylor was one of my grandfather’s elder brothers.

His birth certificate shows that Ernest was born on 28th March 1879 at Weedon Barracks, Northamptonshire. His father George Taylor was a bombardier in the 4th Brigade, Royal Artillery. Ernest’s mother was George’s wife Margaret Taylor nee Smiles. George was posted to Woolwich, where Ernest was baptised at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich on 26 November 1880. George was then sent to India (where his daughter Harriet Jane was born in 1881) then back to Woolwich (where his son Charles was born in 1885). I don’t know whether Ernest went to India with his parents.

It appears that George left the army in 1886 and the family moved to Charlton. The 1891 census shows George Taylor (aged 41, a labourer) and Margaret (36) living at 9 West Street, Charlton with their children George (14), Ernest (12), Harriet (9), Charles (6), Margaret (4) and Thomas (2) and William (10 months). This was an area of poor housing.

In 1900, Ernest married a local girl Annie Edith Bradley (born in Charlton) in Woolwich. He was aged 21, she was 22. The 1901 census shows them living at 74 Church Street, Woolwich. Ernest’s occupation was general labourer.

By 1911, they were living in 3 rooms at 17 Monk Street, Woolwich. Ernest, aged 32, was an explosives worker at Woolwich Arsenal. The census return says that they had one child who had died. In 1916 they had another child, Hazel Marion Florette Taylor, who was born in Woolwich. 

Electoral registers show Ernest and Annie living at 15 Woolwich Common in 1919. 

The 1921 census shows Ernest (aged 42) living at 310 High Street, Plumstead with his wife Annie (43) and daughter Hazel (5). Ernest was a “Technical foreman, explosives” at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Also living at the address was Annie’s sister Florence Lily Atley (31), her husband William Henry Atley (27, a cable worker at Siemens Bros, electrical engineers, Woolwich) and their children William Edward (3) and Florence Lily (1). Also listed are Jane Bradley (72), Annie’s mother. Also, Ralph Edward Winter (22), who was an orphan and is described as Ernest’s adopted brother. Finally, Alice Wood (44), a visitor. The house (which is opposite St Nicholas Gardens) still exists.

The next record I can find of them is not until 1932, when Electoral Registers show Annie (but not Ernest) living at 310 Plumstead High Street. Annie and Ernest were at this address from 1935 to 1938. That year their daughter Hazel (by then of voting age) is also listed with them. She married Frank A Thouless in 1939.

The 1939 Register shows Annie living at 310 Plumstead High Street with her sister Florence Atley plus Florence's husband William and their two children. I can't find Ernest in the Register.

Ernest died on 16th Aug 1944 in Hammersmith Hospital aged 65 and was buried in grave H / 1334 in Plumstead Cemetery. Annie died in 1953 (also in Hammersmith) aged 75 and was buried in the same grave, which has no stonework on it.

Thursday, 1 November 2012

Stanley Hugh Jenkins (1911-44), RAFVR flight engineer who died in WW2


Stanley was a son of Elizabeth Jane Jenkins nee Wilkins (1876-1953), who was the eldest sibling of my grandmother Gertrude Taylor nee Wilkins. He was therefore a cousin of my father.

On 26th March 1900, Elizabeth Jane Wilkins married Walter Hugh Jenkins at St Thomas, Charlton. She was aged 23, he was 24, born in Plumstead, a son of William Henry Jenkins, a blacksmith. Walter’s occupation was given as machinist on the marriage register. The witnesses were Elizabeth’s brother Albert and sister Ethel. Walter’s occupation was given as bookkeeper in the 1901 census and their address was 11 Elm Street, Plumstead.

The 1911 census shows Walter (35, a bookkeeping clerk at the Royal Arsenal) and Elizabeth (35) living in three rooms at 17 Piedmont Road, Plumstead. The census return says that they had two children but that both had died before the census date. One of these was Walter Leslie Jenkins, who died in 1907 aged 3. Elizabeth later had two more children, Stanley Hugh Jenkins (born May 16th 1911) and Winifred Jenkins (born April 11th 1913).

Walter Jenkins died in 1920 aged 44, when Stanley was aged 8. The 1921 census shows Elizabeth Jenkins (aged 44, a widow) at 17 Piedmont Road with her children Stanley (10) and Winifred (8). There is no occupation listed for Elizabeth, so it is not clear how she had enough money to support her family

Electoral registers show that Elizabeth continued to live at 17 Piedmont Road with her children. Stanley is listed at the address from 1933 (when he reached the age of 21) and Winifred from 1937. The 1939 national register shows Elizabeth Jenkins living at 17 Piedmont Road with her children Stanley (a vehicle builder) and Winifred (a florist). Winifred married Norman William Sutch in 1943 in Woolwich.

Stanley joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), which was formed in July 1936. The object was to provide a reserve of aircrew for use in the event of war. By September 1939, the RAFVR comprised 6,646 Pilots, 1,625 Observers and 1,946 Wireless Operators. When war broke out the Air Ministry employed the RAFVR as the principal means for aircrew entry to serve with the RAF. A civilian volunteer on being accepted for aircrew training took an oath of allegiance ('attestation') and was then inducted in to the RAFVR. Normally he returned to his civilian job for several months until he was called up for aircrew training. During this waiting period he could wear a silver RAFVR lapel badge to indicate his status. By the end of 1941 more than half of Bomber Command aircrew were members of the RAFVR. Eventually of the "RAF" aircrew in the Command probably more than 95% were serving members of the RAFVR.

WW2 service records have not yet been made public so I don’t have full details of Stanley’s time in the RAFVR. However, I do know that he was a Sergeant and served in 578 Squadron as a flight engineer. 578 Squadron was formed at RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire on 14 January 1944. It transferred to RAF Burn, North Yorkshire in February 1944 and was disbanded there on 15 April 1945. It was equipped with Halifax Mk III bombers which had four Hercules engines and a crew of seven - pilot, navigator, wireless operator, bomb aimer, flight engineer and two gunners - mid-upper and rear. 578 Squadron carried out 2,721 operational sorties with the Halifax for a loss of 219 aircrew and 40 aircraft.

On the right hand side of the Halifax cockpit was a fold down seat that the flight engineer used. The centre mounted throttles could be reached by both the pilot and flight engineer. On take-off, the flight engineer handled these while the pilot concentrated on keeping the heavily laden aircraft straight. The flight engineer was there to assist the pilot, monitor the engines and fuel levels and transfer fuel to maintain the balance of the aircraft.

Halifax Mk III bomber

The 578 Squadron Association have supplied me with information on five operations that Stanley took part in during 1944, including 3 attacks on Berlin and one on Leipzig. On 15/16th March 1944, the squadron attacked Stuttgart. It was a night raid, the planes took off at 18.52 on the 15th. Stanley’s Halifax bomber later returned having completed its mission, but went out of control within sight of RAF Burn airfield and crashed at Selby Brickworks, killing him and most of the other crew. Only the navigator and wireless operator survived. The cause of the crash was never established. Stanley died on 16th March 1944 aged 32 and is buried in a war grave in Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery.


The grave is inscribed
126234 SERGEANT
S H JENKINS
FLIGHT ENGINEER
ROYAL AIR FORCE
16TH MARCH 1944 AGE 32

DUTY DONE
RIP

There are 988 WW2 burials in this cemetery, nearly all of airmen. Probate records show that Stanley’s mother was granted administration of his estate (£545).

Elizabeth Jenkins lived at 17 Piedmont Road until her death on 28 April 1953 aged 77. She was buried in Plumstead Cemetery in the same grave (K / 2222) as her husband. Probate on Elizabeth’s estate (£2001) was granted to her daughter Winifred, who died in 1981 (in Tunbridge Wells) aged 68. As far as I can tell, Winifred had no children.

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Vera Gertrude Pullum nee Taylor (1916-2002)

Vera was a sister of my father, Eric William Taylor (1913-2003). This profile contains information from Vera’s daughter Valerie.

Vera was born on 22 February 1916 in Abbey Wood, Erith. She was the second child of William Taylor and his wife Gertrude (nee Wilkins). They also had two boys, Eric (b1913) and Ronald (b1918).

In 1919 William, Gertrude and their children were living at 51 Charles St, Woolwich, which was the address of Gertrude’s older sister Ethel Suter nee Wilkins (b1881), whose husband had died in 1914. Ethel had a daughter, Doris (b1903), and a son, Herbert (b1906).

Herbert Suter died of influenza on 12 February 1919 aged 12. A week later, Vera’s mother Gertrude also died of influenza, aged 29. They were victims of a pandemic that killed many millions of people across the world.

In 1920 William married Ethel Suter in Woolwich. He was 30 and she 39. William and Ethel had a daughter, Betty Ethel Taylor, who was born in 1921. William and his family continued to live at 51 Charles Street until 1933 although in 1921 it was renamed 16 Brewer St. The house was at the northern end of Brewer Street, not far from St Mary’s Church. The site of the house is now occupied by John Wilson Street, a dual carriageway that forms part of the South Circular Road (A205).

In 1922, when aged 6, Vera contracted diptheria and was in hospital for over 1 year. She was back in hospital aged 8 years for an operation to treat mastoiditis (a serious complication arising from ear inflammation), which left her totally deaf.

Vera told Valerie some childhood memories. She recalled sitting at the dining table with Eric and Ron eating a meal and was not aware that a row was taking place until a shoe thrown by her stepmother Ethel at her father William, passed her face! Also, Vera and her brothers were made to play in the street every day and so used to pray for rain so they could go indoors! Ethel died in 1933 aged 51, when Vera was 16.

Vera attended Oak Lodge School for the Deaf in Clapham, London, first as a day pupil, then as a full time boarder. Vera recalled that on her first day at Oak Lodge, her father took her on the bus, leaving her to return on her own. She got lost and finally arrived home to find her father standing in the middle of the road outside their house in the dark looking for her. She was very clever, despite her disability, attaining a scholarship. Vera was taught dressmaking, like all the girls at the school. She then worked as a dressmaker near Piccadilly Circus for a few years.

Vera and her family moved to 105 Brookhill Road, Woolwich in 1933, where her father ran a confectioner’s shop. The house was close to the junction with Angelsea Road. It no longer exists, its site is now occupied by the garden of a block of flats.

On 11 September 1937, Vera married Frank Adolphus Pullum at All Saints Church, Newington in South London. He was a French polisher aged 24, she a dressmaker aged 21. Frank was also deaf. They lived at 43 Bannockburn Road, Plumstead and then purchased 111 Willersley Avenue. Sidcup on 26th February 1941 for £462-7-6d.

Their daughter Valerie was born in 1944. They had another baby girl who lived only a few days (Vera also had several miscarriages). Vera and Valerie were evacuated to Leeds for a number of months in 1944 to get away from bombing in London.

Frank, Vera and Valerie c1946

Vera’s husband Frank died of bronchopneumonia in 1964 aged 51. She continued to live at 111 Willersley Avenue, with her daughter Valerie. Vera worked at the dressmakers “Rhodes”, The Oval, Sidcup until 1981, when she retired aged 65.

In May 1979 Vera moved to 126 Greenvale Road, Eltham with Valerie and her second husband. They lived there until June 2000 when they moved to Tankerton, near Whitstable in Kent. Vera died on 10 December 2002 aged 86.

Valerie and Vera in 1988

I remember Vera as a small, pleasant lady. Because of her deafness, she wasn’t able to hear her own voice, which made it difficult for her to speak clearly. However, she could lip read well and seemed to enjoy life (with the help of Valerie) in spite of her disability.


Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Harriett Jane Himbury nee Taylor (1881-1947)

Harriett was my great aunt, she was an elder sister of my grandfather William Taylor. This profile of her life contains some information and photos supplied by Christine Hughes, her granddaughter.

Harriett was born on December 21st 1881 in India, while her father George Taylor, who was a soldier in the Royal Artillery, was serving there. Her mother was Margaret Taylor nee Smiles. Harriett was the fourth of their ten children (seven boys and three girls). The GRO index of regimental births spells her name as Harriet, but most other documents that refer to her record it as Harriett, so this is what I shall call her. Harriett was baptised on January 22nd 1882 in Nowgong, a town which was an important centre during British rule of India. Nowgong is in central India, 550 km SE of New Dehli. The baptism record says that George Taylor was a Corporal.

George left the army in about 1886 and moved to Charlton (in SE London). The 1891 census shows George Taylor (aged 41, a labourer) and Margaret (36) living at 9 West Street, Charlton with their children George (14), Ernest (12), Harriett (9), Charles (6), Margaret (4) and Thomas (2) and William (10 months). From their address and George’s occupation, it seems that the family didn’t have much money.

By 1901 the family were living at 7 West Street, Charlton and consisted of George (aged 50, a labourer local board), Margaret (47), George (24, a covering machinist), Harriett Jane (19, a covering machinist), Charles (16, a covering machinist), Margaret (14, a daily servant), William (10), Samuel (9) and May (6). Margaret’s father died in 1903 aged 54.

Harriett married Edwin Alfred Himbury on August 18th 1910 at All Saints Church, Plumstead. They were both aged 28. Edwin was born in Woolwich and was a milkman. The 1911 census shows the couple living at 141 Sellincourt Road, Tooting and Edwin as a “milk roundman”. Electoral registers show them at 137 Sellincourt Road in 1913 and 1915.

Harriett and Edwin in 1910

Edwin joined the army on 12th November 1915 to fight in the war. As this was before conscription was introduced, he must have volunteered. By then he had three children, Edwin Terence (1911-99), Percy (1913-69) and Lucy Gertrude (1915-2000).

Edwin Alfred, Percy, Edwin Terence, Harriet Jane and Lucy Gertrude Himbury in 1915.

Edwin was wounded in the leg during the war, but survived and was discharged from the army in 1919. He moved to 86 Princes Road, Plumstead where he and Harriett had three more children, Alma Margaret (1920-82), Leslie John (1921-83) and Frank Leonard (1923-99). 

The 1921 census shows Edwin (aged 38), Harriett (39), Terence (9), Percy (8), Lucy (6) and Alma (1) Himbury at 86 Princes Road. Edwin was a general labourer in the Royal Artillery Stores at Kidbrooke.

Apparently Harriett was a strong character. She was quite small but ruled her household with an iron fist ! She kept her sons in order and also told her husband what to do.

Electoral registers show Edwin and Harriett at 86 Princes Road until 1938 (when their children Edwin and Percy were also listed here).

The 1939 Register records that Edwin (a fitter's labourer) and Harriett were living at 68 Charlton Park Lane in Charlton. The 1945 Electoral Register shows that shows that their son Frank and his wife Alice were also living at this address.

Harriett died in 1947 aged 65 at St Alfege’s Hospital, Greenwich. She was buried in Charlton Cemetery. The grave (Q / 62) has kerbstones which are inscribed
In loving memory of a dear wife and mother, HARRIETT JANE HIMBURY who died 5th July 1947 aged 65 years.
In loving memory of Dad, EDWIN ALFRED HIMBURY who died 10th August 1965 aged 83 years.

The grave of Harriett and Edwin Himbury (in 2012)

Probate records state that authority for administration of Harriett's estate (£296) was granted to her husband Edwin, a retired armourer’s assistant. The fact that probate was required shows that she had some money registered under her own name. Edwin continued to live at 68 Charlton Park Lane until he died in 1965. He was buried in the same grave as his wife.



Tuesday, 9 October 2012

David Herbert Cornwell (1829-87), tailor

David Herbert Cornwell was a son of James Cornwell (1791-1870), who was a brother of Job Cornwell (1780-1869), my great, great, great grandfather on my father’s side.

David was born during 1829 in the Essex town of Kelvedon and baptised on 7 June 1829 in St Mary’s Church. He was the fourth of six children born to James Cornwell, an agricultural labourer who had married Mary Martin in 1823. James is thought to be one of the gang of men who destroyed the village cage (prison) in 1809 and he later spent time in prison for fraud and theft.1

The 1841 census of Kelvedon records James Cornwell (aged 50, an agricultural labourer) in the same household as his wife Mary (45) and their children David (11), Jonah (9) and Charles Cornwell (7).

David was apprenticed as a tailor. The 1851 census shows James (aged 60), his wife Mary (50) and their son David (21, a tailor) living in Kelvedon. The address is not given but was probably Church Hill (from comparison with information in the 1861 census).

On 22nd June 1854 David married Ann Braybrook (who was born in Great Braxted, near Kelvedon) at St Mary Stratford by Bow, Poplar. He was aged 25 and she was 36, the daughter of a gardener. They had three children namely Charles (b1855), Eliza (b1856) and Alfred (b1858).

The 1861 census shows David H Cornwell (aged 31, a tailor employing 1 man and 1 boy) with his wife Ann (42) and their children Charles (6), Eliza (5) and Alfred (3), living in High St, Kelvedon.

John Nichols (1820-89, a land steward) and his brother Henry Nichols (1829-1902, a builder and carpenter) lived in Kelvedon and took many photos of Kelvedon and its inhabitants between 1858 and 1871. The Essex Record Office has 198 of their glass plate negatives. Photographs from these are printed in a book “Victorian Kelvedon”.2 One is a street scene (shown below) which includes David Cornwell standing next to a horse and cart. His right hand is touching the wide-brimmed hat (known as a “wide-awake”) he is wearing.


 In 1871 David (aged 41) was listed as a tailor (employing one man) and a seedgrower of 13 acres (employing one man and 2 boys). Also at his address in High St, Kelvedon were his wife Ann (51) and children Charles (16, a carpenter’s apprentice) and Eliza (14). The soil and climate of Kelvedon were particularly favourable to growing seeds for flowers, which were becoming increasingly popular in the suburbs of large towns. A number of farmers and smallholders chose to produce seeds and often ran another business at the same time.3

David Herbert Cornwell, tailor is recorded in the Kelvedon section of Kelly’s Directories for Essex issued in 1871, 74, 78, 82 and 86. The 1886 edition also lists David Cornwell, seed grower.

Apparently David also used his skills to sew up flesh wounds and his most regular client for this service was Mr James Gerard, who ran a butcher’s shop nearby ! This story was told by his grand daughter to Graham Wheldon, a local historian.1

In 1881, David Cornwell (aged 51, a tailor) is listed as living in Church Street, Kelvedon. In the same household were his wife Ann (63) and son Alfred (23, a seed grower). Also listed were Clara Braybrook (6), a visitor (who was presumably related to Ann) and two boarders.

David’s address is given as High Street in 1861 and 71, Church Street in 1881. Examination of the names of nearby properties in the census shows that the address referred to is the same one in each case, being in what is called St Mary’s Square at the western end of the High Street. David’s house was approximately opposite the Angel Inn and was between London Road and Church Street, roads that lead off St Mary’s Square. The censuses do not say whether where he lived was also where he ran his tailoring business, but it seems likely that it was.

David died at Kelvedon in 6 April 1887 aged 58. He had made a will in 1874 in which he left everything to his wife Ann and appointed her as the sole executrix of his estate. However, the probate records describe David as a widower and say that Ann died in his lifetime. Administration was therefore granted to his son Alfred Cornwell of Witham, a tailor. The gross value of David’s personal estate was £578 15s which is equivalent to about £250,000 now (estimated in relation to average earnings then and now).                                                             

Information Sources
1. G H Wheldon (1999) Church Street Chronicles
2. G H Wheldon and R V Carter (2005) Victorian Kelvedon : The Photography of the Nichols Brothers
3. J Colquhoun (2001) A Short History of Kelvedon and Feering

Thursday, 4 October 2012

James Cornwell (1791-1870), convict


James Cornwell was a younger brother of my great, great, great grandfather Job Cornwell (1780-1869).

James was born in 1791 and baptised on 13 March 1791 at St Mary, Kelvedon in Essex. His parents were Job (1756-1806) and Hannah Cornwell. He was the sixth of their seven children.

The book “Church Street Chronicles” written by Graham Weldon and published in 1999 by the Feering and Kelvedon Local History Museum recounts the following story. In 1809 (or thereabouts) Isaac Warwicker, a Kelvedon man got drunk, swore at James Tumner, a local constable and tried to punch him. Tumner overpowered Warwicker and marched him off to the village cage, a small building used to temporarily imprison those who disturbed the peace. Later a group of Warwicker’s friends led by Bob Foster lifted the cage off its brick plinth and overturned it, causing irreparable damage and allowing Warwicker to escape. Foster foolishly boasted to Tumner that the cage was destroyed and was subsequently tried before a local magistrate. He refused to give the names of his accomplices and was sentenced to 14 days in goal. The story was investigated by the Reverend Francis Hay MA, vicar of Kelvedon from 1891 to 1922. Hay understood that one of the gang was James Cornwell, who was 18 in 1809.

In 1823 James married Mary Martin in Kelvedon. He was 32 and she 23. They had six children namely Charlotte (b1824), Maria (b1825), Job (b1827, died as an infant) David Herbert (b1829), Jonah (b1830) and Charles (b1833) Cornwell.

Weldon writes that James Cornwell had served 6 weeks imprisonment for fraud and 6 months in Springfield Goal for theft by his early forties. The Essex Criminal Registers show that a James Cornwell was convicted of fraud in 1832 and sentenced to 6 weeks in prison.

The 1841 census of Kelvedon records James Cornwell (aged 50, an agricultural labourer) in the same household as Mary (45), James (29), David (11), Jonah (9) and Charles Cornwell (7).

The 1851 census shows James (aged 60), his wife Mary (50) and their son David (21) living in Kelvedon. The address is not given but was probably Church Hill (from nearby addresses).

James’s wife died sometime between 1851 and 1861 as he is listed as a widower in the 1861 census. He is shown as an agricultural labourer aged 70 at Church Hill, Kelvedon with Frances Rutkin aged 58 as his housekeeper.

James Cornwell died in 1870 aged 79. 

Sunday, 30 September 2012

Herbert George Wilkins (1888-1951), cable maker

Herbert George Wilkins was a brother of my grandmother Gertrude Taylor nee Wilkins (1890-1919). Herbert signed Gertrude’s marriage certificate as a witness, so seems to have been close to his sister. However, I never heard his name mentioned by either my grandfather or father, so presumably they lost touch with him after her death.

Herbert was born on 10 Mar 1888 in Woolwich, the seventh of nine children born to Henry Wilkins (b1850 in Bethnal Green, London) and Jane Wilkins nee Cornwell (b1851 in Kelvedon, Essex).

The 1891 census shows Henry Wilkins aged 41, a grocer, living at 31 Kidd St (a shop), Woolwich Dockyard with his wife Jane (40) and their children Elizabeth (15), Albert (13), Alice (11), Ethel (9), Cecilia (7), Annie (5), Herbert (3) and Gertrude (1).

By 1901, the family were living at 11 Church St, Woolwich and consisted of Henry (aged 50, now a coffee house keeper), Jane (49), Albert (23), Alice (21), Ethel (19), Bessie (16), Annie (15), Herbert (13), Gertrude (11) and Mabel (9).

Herbert enlisted with the Army on 10th November 1902 at Woolwich, aged 14 years and 8 months, signing on for 12 years with the Colours. His record can be viewed in the British Army WW1 Pensions database on the Ancestry website. He joined the Army Service Corps as a saddler. At this time the British Army relied on horses to move their equipment. Men were needed to look after and drive the horses. The file contains a note from Herbert’s father giving permission for his son to enlist. There is also a letter from the headmaster of Herbert’s school (St Michael’s Boys’ School, Woolwich) saying “He is thoroughly well behaved, industrious and likely to make a good soldier. When he left school he had passed the seventh standard.”

Herbert was stationed at Woolwich. His army rank changed from Boy to Driver on 10 March 1906 when he reached the age of 18. In September 1907 he was transferred to Dover, then to Shorncliffe in February 1908. On 18 December 1909, Herbert (aged 21) married Mary Allan Kennedy (aged 20, born in Silvertown, West Ham) at Woolwich Register Office.

 Herbert was transferred back to Dover in February 1910. The 1911 census shows him (aged 23, a driver harness maker in the Army Service Corps) and his wife Mary (aged 21) as boarders at 14 Oxenden St, Dover. He left the Army on 27 May 1911 at Dover. His transfer document gives his intended place of residence as 350 Albert Rd, North Woolwich and his desired employment was “Stacker in Automotive Works”.

The first child of Herbert and Mary was Herbert Bryce Wilkins, born 28 July 1911 in Woolwich. They went to have five more children namely John Kennedy (born 1914), Bessie M (born 1916, died the same year), Marjorie (born 1923), Mary (born 1925) and May (born 1929) Wilkins, all born in the Dartford registration district.

Herbert was at the wedding of my grandparents Gertrude Wilkins and William Taylor in 1912. The  photo below of Herbert is extracted from a group photo taken then.


Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914 when Herbert (aged 26) was still in the Army Reserve. He was called up on 17 August 1914 and sent to France to serve in the Army Service Corps as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Army rules required Herbert to extend his period of service by 12 months if Britain was at war when the term of his enlistment expired. He was therefore obliged to stay in the Army until November 1915, which he did. Herbert was discharged from the Number 1 Depot Company of the Army Service Corps on 9 November 1915 at Aldershot. His rank was Driver (Saddler), age 28 years 8 months, height 5 feet 3 inches. His intended place of residence was 60 Stapley Road, Belvedere, Kent (which is in the Dartford registration district). Herbert’s discharge papers describe him as a “sober and reliable man, accustomed to care and management of horses” and his military character as “exemplary”. As a result of his war service, Herbert was awarded the 1914 Star, British War and Victory campaign medals.
Herbert in 1915

I have a newspaper clipping describing the funeral of my grandmother Gertrude Taylor nee Wilkins, who died of influenza in 1919. It says that Herbert and Mary were there.

The 1921 census shows Herbert (aged 33), Mary (30), Herbert (9) and John (7) Wilkins living at 60 Stapely Road, Upper Belvedere. Percy George Page (26) was also listed at the address as a boarder. Herbert was out of work, his last job being to operate a cable stranding machine for cable making at Callenders Cable & Construction Company, who had a factory in Lower Belvedere. Percy had a job at the same site.

Electoral registers show Herbert and Mary Wilkins living at 60 Stapley Road from 1919 to 1951. The house still exists and is a modest mid-terrace property. It is close to the The Fox pub and a parade of shops in Nuxley Road. Herbert and Mary’s children are also listed (when they had reached the age of 21) at this address - Herbert Bryce Wilkins 1934 to 1937, John Kennedy Wilkins 1935 to 1940, Marjorie 1945 to 1948, Mary in 1946 and 1947.

The national register compiled in 1939 shows Herbert, a copper wire winder at a cable works, living at 60 Stapley Road with his wife Mary and son John (a capstan lathe hand), daughter May (at school) and Percy G Page (a builder's labourer).

Marjorie Wilkins married George Frederick Marsh in 1947 at All Saints Church, Belvedere. The marriage register gives the occupation of her father (Herbert George Wilkins) as “Factory Hand”.
Herbert and Mary in 1947

Herbert and Mary’s youngest child May Wilkins married Ernest William May in 1948 and became May May ! The marriage was witnessed by Herbert who signed the marriage register. His occupation is given as “Cable Maker”. He probably worked for British Insulated Callenders Cables Ltd, which had been formed in 1945 from the merger of the Callender Cable and Construction Company with British Insulated Cables. May and Ernest lived at 60 Stapley Road after their marriage.

Herbert died on March 21st 1951 aged 63 in Belvedere. In 1952, his widow Mary married Percy George Page, a long term boarder at 60 Stapley Road. He was living there in 1921 and electoral registers show him at the address from 1932. Mary lived at 60 Stapley Road until she died in 1967 aged 77. Administration of her estate (£210) was granted to her daughters May and Marjorie.

Herbert is buried in Erith Cemetery, Brook Street, grave DD38. I visited the grave in 2015. 
Herbert's grave in 2015

The gravestone was inscribed
In Loving Memory of
Herbert G Wilkins 1951
Herbert B Wilkins 1955
Percy G Page 1961
Mary A Page 1967

Forever in our thoughts

Herbert B Wilkins was the eldest son of Herbert and Mary. The grave has recently been refurbished by Herbert's grandson Philip May.
The grave in 2018

May and Ernest May continued to live at 60 Stapley Road until 1973.

Saturday, 29 September 2012

Job Cornwell (1780-1869), agricultural labourer

Job Cornwell was my great, great, great grandfather. He was the father of George Cornwell (1817-1907), who was the father of Jane Wilkins nee Cornwell (b1851), who was the mother of Gertrude Amy Taylor nee Wilkins (1890-1919), who was the mother of my father, Eric William Taylor (1913-2003).

Job was born in 1780 and baptised on 6 July 1780 at St Mary, Kelvedon in Essex. His parents were Job (1756-1806) and Hannah Cornwell. He was the second of their seven children.

Job went to work at sea. In 1798 Commodore Sir Sidney Smith was manning his fleet to attack the French in Egypt. A press gang from the Commodore’s flag ship seized Job on board a coal ship. He refused to be sworn and was made a prisoner. Being an apprentice on board a coal brig, his captain claimed him and he was released.

On 21 October 1805, Job married Mary Butler (b1785), a local girl, in Kelvedon. He was aged 25 and she was 21. Parish records show that Ann Cornwell Butler was born on 8 July 1805 and baptised on 11 August 1805 at Kelvedon. Her mother’s name is given as Mary Butler with no father’s name. It seems likely that Job was her father. Perhaps he had not been able to marry Mary before Ann’s birth because he was he was away working at sea ? Job and Mary went on to have ten more children : Mary (1807-87), Phoebe (1808-85), Job (1811-66), Amelia (b1812), Charles (b1815), George (1817-1907), Jane (b1819), Emma (b1821), Harriet (b1823) and Rebecca (b1825).

The 1841 census shows Job, an agricultural labourer aged 60 living in Kelvedon with his wife Mary (55) and their youngest children Harriet (18) and Rebecca (15). Job’s wife Mary died in 1843 aged 58.

The 1851 census for Kelvedon lists Job Cornwell, aged 71 an agricultural labourer, with his daughter Amelia (37) and her husband William Freeborn (36, an agricultural labourer). Also in the household were Job’s daughter Rebecca Cornwell (25, a servant) and his grandsons George  (11) and Charles Cornwell (9).

By 1861, Job (aged 81) was living in Kelvedon with William (48) and Amelia (48) Freeborn and their daughter Harriet (8).


Job died on 28 May 1869 aged 89 and was buried in Kelvedon parish churchyard on 6 June. A newspaper item recording his burial says that he left behind 7 children, 42 grandchildren and 80 great grandchildren!

Thursday, 27 September 2012

George Cornwell (1817 - 1907), coal merchant

George Cornwell was my great, great grandfather - he was the father of Jane Wilkins nee Cornwell (1851-1934), who was the mother of Gertrude Amy Wilkins (1890-1919), who was the mother of my father, Eric William Taylor (1913-2003).

Records indicate that George Cornwell was born, lived and died in Kelvedon, which is a small town in Essex between Chelmsford and Colchester. George’s ancestors, going back at least three generations, also came from Kelvedon.

George was baptized on 16 March 1817 at St Mary, Kelvedon. His date of birth was probably during February 1817, as children were normally baptized about 1 month after they were born. He was the seventh of eleven children (three boys and eight girls) whose parents were Job Cornwell (1780-1869) and his wife Mary Cornwell nee Butler (1785-1843).

George Cornwell married Elizabeth Frankling (born 1818 in Black Notley, a village nearby) on 11th  August 1838 at St Mary, Kelvedon. He was 21 (a labourer) and she 20 (a servant). The parish record of the marriage indicates that he wasn’t able to sign his name. Their first child was born during the last 3 months of 1838 and so Elizabeth was pregnant when they married – this was quite common then. They went on to have ten children namely Charles (1838-97), George (1840-1912), Elizabeth (1842-1907), Jane (1845-9), Henry (born 1848), Jane (1851-1934), Rebecca (born 1854), Joseph (1856-7), William (born 1858) and Eliza (1861-3). At least three of their children died in infancy.

The census in April 1841 lists George Cornwell, an agricultural labourer aged 25 in Kelvedon living with his wife Elizabeth (24) and their children Charles (3) and George (1).

Kelvedon was on the road between London and Norwich and contained four coaching inns, where the coach horses were changed. One of the first railway lines in SE England was built to cover this journey. By 1843 the line went from London to Colchester and a station at Kelvedon was open. It made journeys to and from London much easier and had a major effect on the town.

The 1851 census shows George and Elizabeth Cornwell living in Kelvedon with their children Charles (aged 12), George (10), Elizabeth (8), and Henry (3). Their daughter Jane Cornwell (my great grandmother) was born on 2 October 1851. The birth certificate indicates that her mother, Elizabeth, was illiterate.

In 1861, George and Elizabeth are listed at High St, Kelvedon with their children George (now aged 20 and a blacksmith), Henry (12), Jane (9) Rebecca (6) and William (2).

British tariffs on imported cereals were abolished in 1846. Mechanisation and the development of new farmland meant that large amounts of wheat could be efficiently produced on the American prairies. Improvements in transport (new railways and steamships) made export cheaper. As a result, from about 1870 onwards, significant and increasing amounts of wheat were imported into Western Europe, which resulted in falling grain prices and a decrease in demand for agricultural labourers in Britain. This had a big impact on the countryside and many people migrated to London and other large towns in search of employment. Most of George’s children moved away from Kelvedon. His son, Charles moved to Wells in Somerset and later to Erith, his son George to Camberwell, his daughter Elizabeth to Erith, his daughter Jane to Woolwich and his son William to Australia returning to Kelvedon, then to Erith.

The Chelmsford Chronicle dated August 11th 1871 reported on the Kelvedon Horticultural Society Annual Show. George won second prize in the "Best cultivated allotments" section and first prize in the "Best six parsnips", "Best collection of vegetables", "Best 1 lb of red currants" and "Best 30 gooseberries" categories.

By 1871, only William (now aged 12) was living with George and Elizabeth in High St, Kelvedon. Up to 1871, the occupation of George Cornwell is given as an agricultural labourer. However, from 1881 onwards his occupation is given as a coal dealer / merchant. In 1881 there was just George (64) and Elizabeth (63) in the household, still in High Street, Kelvedon.

The 1884 Franchise Bill gave George Cornwell (as the male head of a rural household) the vote for the first time.

The 1890, 94 and 98 Kelly’s directories for Essex list “George Cornwell, coal merchant” in their Kelvedon section.

Elizabeth, George’s wife, died in 1889. The 1891 census shows George, a widower, living alone in High St, Kelvedon. By 1901 George, then aged 84, was living with a housekeeper, Florence Robinson (22) who was the stepdaughter of his late son Charles (who died in 1897). George was listed as retired.


High Street, Kelvedon c 1900

All of the censuses from 1851 to 1901 give George’s address as High St, Kelvedon. However, none of them give street numbers. Households are listed in order along the High St and are numbered as follows in the 1901 census
78        Freemason’s Hall + Caretaker Cottage
82        George Cornwell
91        Kingsthorpe House
96        White Hart Inn
98        Angel Inn
George Cornwell’s house was therefore between the Freemason’s Hall and Kingsthorpe House, both of which are still there - on the south side of the High St, at its western end. It seems that George’s house has been demolished as more modern housing is where I would expect it to have been. Using the approach above with other censuses indicates that he lived in the same house between 1851 and 1901. My sister Evelyn and her family stayed in a flat over a shop (The Aerial and Satellite Centre) in Kelvedon for short time in the 1980s. By co-incidence (she didn’t know it then) this is approximately the site of where George Cornwell lived.

George Cornwell died in Kelvedon on the 16 July 1907 aged 90. He was buried on 20 July in the same grave as his wife, in the churchyard of St Mary, Kelvedon. Essex Family History Society have prepared a list of monumental inscriptions in the churchyard and a map showing burial locations. I have located George’s grave using this. The gravestone (which is now barely legible) reads :

In loving memory of Elizabeth the beloved wife of George Cornwell / who died 9th Feb 1889 aged 71 years. / Now she is gone but not forgotten, never shall our memory fade / Sweetest thoughts shall ever linger, around the spot she is laid / Her end was peace / Also of the above George Cornwell / who died 16th July 1907 aged 90 years / Thy will be done


The gravestone of George and Elizabeth Cornwell

His will (made in 1903) divided George’s estate, which was £121 15s 1d (equivalent to about £7,000 now), equally between his daughter Elizabeth, his son George, his daughter Jane and his housekeeper Florence Robinson. The executor was George’s friend Francis Nichols. Elizabeth died in 1907, shortly before George.

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Margaret Taylor nee Smiles (1852-1917)

Margaret Smiles was my great grandmother. She was the mother of my grandfather William Taylor (1890-1972).

Margaret was born on 5th September 1852 at 11 Liverpool Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. She had a twin sister called Ellen. Her father was Alexander Maddison (no occupation is given on the birth certificate) and her mother was Jane Smiles.  Margaret’s parents were not married – about 6% of births in 1850 were illegitimate. The person who registered the birth was Jane’s sister, Mary Smiles, who also lived at 11 Liverpool Street. Margaret and Ellen were baptized on 8 September 1852 at St Andrew’s Church, Newcastle. The baptism record gives the parents as Alexander and Jane Smiles of Liverpool Street, the father’s occupation being blacksmith. Curiously, Margaret and Ellen were baptised again on 26 September 1852, at the same church and by the same vicar. This time the record gives Jane Smiles as the mother but no father is listed. Jane’s occupation is given as “single woman”. Perhaps the vicar found out that Jane was not married and insisted on the baptism being repeated ?

The 1851 census shows Margaret’s mother Jane aged 32, unmarried, a cow keeper living in Liverpool Street, Newcastle. Also at the address were Jane’s father William Smiles, a widower and retired tanner aged 68 as well as Jane’s siblings Mary (aged 22, occupation listed as “carries milk”) and Thomas (17, a plasterer’s apprentice). Also listed is Harriet Smiles aged 4. The census return says that she was William’s daughter although she was actually his granddaughter (she was Mary’s illegitimate daughter). All were born in Newcastle. Census data shows that Jane remained unmarried and continued to live in Liverpool Street, Newcastle with her sister Mary until Jane died in 1890.

I have found only one Alexander Maddison in the 1851 census. He was aged 30, a labourer and lived in South Shields (near Newcastle) with his wife Jane (30) and their children Joseph (3) and Ann (2). In 1871 he appears as a stonemason with 7 children and he died in 1901 aged 81. He was possibly Margaret’s father, but I can’t be sure.

Margaret was not well educated and remained illiterate throughout her life. This may explain some inconsistencies in the records for her.

In 1861, William Smiles (aged 78, a cowkeeper), his unmarried daughters Jane (38, a housekeeper) and Mary (28) were living at 3 Liverpool Court, Newcastle. Also at the address were Jane’s daughters Margaret (7) and Ellen (7).

The 1871 census shows Margaret as a domestic servant (aged 17) living at 34 Liverpool Street in the house of Ralph Nixon (55, a blacksmith), his wife Ann (60) and their two sons William (23) and Robert (20). Ann was an elder sister of Jane Smiles and so was Margaret’s aunt. 

Margaret married George Taylor, a driver in the Royal Artillery, on 21 February 1877 in the Newcastle Registry Office. The certificate records her age as 23 (she was actually 24) and living at Leazes Lane, Newcastle. He was 27 and living in the Newcastle Barracks. His father is shown as Daniel Taylor, an innkeeper. Her father is listed as William Smiles (who was actually her grandfather), a blacksmith. Margaret and George's first child was born on 16 July 1877, so Margaret was pregnant when she married.

I don't have a photo of Margaret. However, I do have one of Ellen, her twin sister who presumably looked like her. The photo of Ellen is included in the item about her life on this blog.

Margaret and George had 12 children, 8 boys and 4 girls. Four of them (3 boys and a girl) died as children. The places of birth of the eldest children indicate where George was posted during his army career. Their son George was born 1877 in Newcastle, Ernest Edward born 1879 in Weedon Barracks, Northants, Daniel born 1880 in Woolwich, Harriet Jane born 1881 in Bengal, East India and Charles born 1885 in Woolwich. Parish records for St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich show the baptisms of Ernest and Daniel on 26 November 1880. George was then a Bombardier in the Royal Artillery 3rd Brigade

Woolwich was the headquarters of the Royal Artillery and there was (and still is) a large, impressive looking barracks facing Woolwich Common. It seems that George was posted to India late in 1880 or in 1881. The Indian Army was formed by the British after the Indian Mutiny in 1857. Prior to this time the British East India Company had their own army units, paid for by their profits. The Indian Army was used to suppress uprisings, keep order and guard the frontiers. It included British and Indian (sepoy) units.

It appears that George left the army in 1886 and the family moved to Charlton where their remaining children namely Margaret Ellen (b1886), Thomas (b1888), William (b1890), Samuel (b1892), May (b1894), Edward Albert (b1896) and Edith Annie (b1897) were born. Margaret Ellen's birth certificate gives her parent's address as 4 West St, Charlton and George's occupation as "sawyer".

The 1891 census shows George Taylor (aged 41, a labourer) and Margaret (36) living at 9 West Street, Charlton with their children George (14), Ernest (12), Harriet (9), Charles (6), Margaret (4) and Thomas (2) and William (10 months). Margaret’s son Thomas died in 1898 aged 9 and her daughter Edith Annie died in 1899 aged 2. The 1893 and 1894 electoral registers for Greenwich list George Taylor as living at 9 West Street. The electoral registers for 1895 to 1904 list him at 7 West Street.

In 1901 the family living at 7 West Street, Charlton consisted of George (aged 50, a labourer local board), Margaret (47), George (24, a covering machinist), Jane (19, a covering machinist), Charles (16, a covering machinist), Margaret (14, a daily servant), William (10), Samuel (9) and May (6).

The houses at 7 and 9 West Street were close to the junction with Woolwich Road. Charles Booth conducted a survey of the living standards of Londoners in 1899 to 1901. People working for him surveyed streets with the help of the local police and classified the inhabitants by their housing and the local crime rates. Booth produced a map of London which was colour coded with 7 street classifications. West Street was surveyed on 11th May 1900. The notes read :

“ Starting at the corner of West Street and Woolwich Road.
N up West Street. This is on a lower level than the Woolwich Road. So is the character of the houses and their inhabitants. 2-storey. Poor and very poor. A few rather better off near the public house on the west side and on the east side north of York Street. Windows dirty and broken, children dirty, blinds dirty and half rolled up and pinned to prevent falling. Waterside labourers. LIGHT BLUE and PURPLE or LIGHT BLUE all through.”
The colour codes are
Purple (4th of 7) = Mixed. Some comfortable others poor.
Light blue (5th of 7) = Poor. 18s to 21s a week for a moderate family.

The houses at 7 and 9 West Street no longer exist and their site is occupied by a light engineering company. The road is now called Westmore Street and is near the Thames Barrage.

George Taylor died 23 August 1903 aged 54 in Greenwich and was buried in a common grave (E39 Con) in Charlton Cemetery. The circumstances of his death are described in a separate item on this blog. Margaret remarried on 19th Feb 1911 at Holy Trinity Church, New Charlton, which was at the junction of Charlton Lane with Woolwich Road, only a few yards from where she was living at 7 West Street. Her second husband was Morris Samuels, a widower aged 62 who was a labourer. Margaret’s age is given as 56, although she was actually 58. The marriage register gives her father as Thomas Maddison (deceased), a blacksmith.

Four of Margaret’s children were also married at Holy Trinity: Margaret Ellen (in 1910), William (in 1912), Charles (in 1914) and May (in 1915). All gave their address as 7 West Street. The church was built in 1894, declared redundant in 1974 and demolished in 1975. There is now housing on its site.

The 1911 census shows the family still living at 7 West Street. The household consisted of Morris Samuels (62, a ships storekeeper’s labourer), Margaret Samuels (56), Charles (26), William (20) and Samuel (18) Taylor, all ammunition labourers (Charles at Vickers and Maxim, William and Samuel at Woolwich Arsenal). Morris’s place of birth is given as Amsterdam and his nationality as Dutch. 

Margaret died in Woolwich on 16 March 1917 aged 64 and was buried in plot C385 Con in Charlton Cemetery. There is no headstone or stonework on the grave, which is grassed over. Morris Samuels died in 1919 aged 75 in Woolwich.