Brown family
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5 September 2008
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Dr Geoffrey Mann |
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4 Elizabeth BROWN 1818-1888 |
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m James Smither SMITHERS 1837 |
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Elizabeth BROWN was born about 1819, son of George, a garden labourer, and Sarah. Elizabeth’s baptism has not been certainly identified, but from 1824, the family were living in North Town, a hamlet 1 mile north of Maidenhead in the parish of Cookham. When she was 19 or 20 she married James SMITHERS who had just finished his apprenticeship as a carpenter in nearby Slough and their first child Elizabeth Evans (named after James’ mother Sarah EVANS), was born a year later at Upton near Slough. The family then moved to East London, where James tried his hand as a coal dealer and a greengrocer (probably with his brother Henry who was a greengrocer in Bethnal Green) before returning to Berkshire to run the Nags Head public house near Windsor. They were there for two years, during which time James became overseer of the poor for Bray parish. They then returned to Mile End and James resumed his original trade of carpenter. They remained there for at least 15 years, and had 10 children altogether, the last two being twins. Just two months before the twins were born, their eldest daughter, Elizabeth Evans aged 19, had an illegitimate child born in the family home. In 1864, she had a second illegitimate child, Lavinia, but this was born in the workhouse. A month before Lavinia was born, Elizabeth was cross-examined by the Stepney Board of Guardians to see which parish should pay for the confinement. By 1881, Elizabeth and James had moved to Hackney with their married daughter Jane and unmarried son James. At some time, perhaps about 1886, Elizabeth and James moved to Shoeburyness in Essex where their two married granddaughters (illegitimate daughters of Elizabeth Evans) lived. Elizabeth died at Shoebury in 1888 from heart disease aged 71. James stayed in Shoebury for some years as a carpenter, but eventually moved back to East London where he died in 1906. |
C=Christened
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age DATE EB JS |
EVENT |
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1819 6Aug1837 18 20 5Oct1838 19 21 6Jun1841 22 24 9Sep1841 22 24 25Jun1844 25 27 1845 26 28 25Mar1845 26 28 25Mar1846 27 29 26Jul1846 27 29 1Jul1848 29 31 2Jun1850 31 33 30Mar1851 32 34 23Sep1852 33 35 24Aug1853 34 36 30Nov1853 35 37 23Dec1854 36 38 10Jan1855 36 38 15Jan1858 39 41 14Mar1858 39 41 7Apr1861 42 44 11Nov1864 46 48 28Dec1864 46 48 2Apr1871 52 54 3Apr1881 62 64 7May1888 69 71 5Apr1891 74 26Apr1906 89 |
Elizabeth born at
Maidenhead, daughter of George, a gardener, & Sarah married James SMITHERS
married at Cookham dau Elizabeth Evans born
at Upton near Slough living at 23 Edward St
Bethnal Green dau Martha born at
Edward St, New Lock, Islington; James was a coal dealer rented the Nags Head at
Oakley Green, Bray dau Mary Ann born at
Maidenhead James became overseer of
the poor at Bray James ceased to be
overseer of the poor son James Evans C St
Dunstan’s Stepney;James a carpenter of Mile End Old Town son George born Mile End dau Sarah Ann born Mile
End at 3 York St, Mile End,
with 6 children Elizabeth,Martha,Mary,James,George,Sarah dau Eliza born Mile End dau Eliza baptized St
Peter Cephas St; James a carpenter at 3 York Place George and Sarah Ann
baptized at St Peter; James a carpenter at 3 York St son Joseph born at Mile
End Joseph baptized at St
Peter; James a carpenter at 3 York St twins Thomas and Jane
born; C 26Feb858 at St Peter; James a carpenter at 2 Devonshire St BG granddaughter Elizabeth
Mary Ann born at 2 Devonshire St (d of Elizabeth Evans) Elizabeth & James at
Devonshire St with 7 children Elizabeth examined by
Mile End Workhouse Board; address:2 Devonshire St granddaughter Lavinia
Jessie born in Mile End Workhouse at 19 Palace Rd, Hackney
with three unmarried children at 40 Margaret St,
Hackney with married daughter Jane, son-in-law and gson Elizabeth died from
heart disease at Shoeburyness; James present at death James a carpenter at 2
Hinguar St, Shoebury lodging with the COLLIS family James died at Hackney
Union Infirmary; daughter Jane in attendance |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Marriage, census and death records indicate that Elizabeth BROWN was born in Maidenhead 1816-1819, daughter of George BROWN, a gardener. The 1816 birth date comes from her marriage certificate when she claimed to be 21. The census records consistently give her a birth date of 1819, and this is probably more reliable.
The 1851 census for Maidenhead shows that George BROWN, a garden labourer, was living with his wife sarah and daughter Eliza aged 13 in Cookham parish. Eliza’s birth certificate shows that her mother was Sarah DOUGLAS and that she was born in North Town, a hamlet about 1 mile north of Maidenhead. Maidenhead is in the parish of Cookham and a series of baptisms there to George & Sarah of North Town start in 1816 then run from 1824 to at least 1833. Elizabeth’s birth date of c1819 falls into the baptismal gap between 1816 and 1824, which suggests that George ansd Sarah were living elsewhere in this period.
The baptism of Elizabeth was not recorded in the Cookham register and has not been found elsewhere. Two other baptisms to George & Sarah were found at Reading (12 miles from Maidenhead):
C 18Mar1807 George s George & Sarah BROWN at Reading St Giles BRK
C 11Apr1819 Elizabeth d George & Sarah BROWN at Reading St Mary BRK
The baptism of this Elizabeth is at the expected time, but it seems unlikely that George belongs to the Cookham family as they continued to have children up to 1838, which is rather too long an interval. This in turn throws doubt on whether Elizabeth is part of the Cookham family. The original Reading registers have not yet been examined, nor has the marriage of George & Sarah DOUGLAS been found.
Whether or not the Reading baptism is correct however, there is little doubt that Elizabeth was the daughter of George & Sarah, born about 1819.
James SMITHERS-4 was married at Cookham:
m 6Aug1837 at Cookham Parish Church
James
SMITHERS bch 22 carpenter of Cookham & Elizabeth BROWN spr 21 of Cookham
fa: James SMITHERS, farmer, George
BROWN, gardener;
wit: Mary Ann BURNINGHAM, W.W
IBBOTSON, Geo. VENABLES church warden
b 5Oct1838 Elizabeth Evans female at Upton (see certificate below)
C 24Oct1841 Martha d James & Elizabeth SMITHERS at St John Baptist, Shoreditch; coal dealer
of Edward St, New Lock b 9Sep1841
b 3q1843 James_Evans, Shoreditch (from GRO index)
C 26Jul1846 James Evans s James & Elizabeth SMITHERS at Stepney St Dunstan; carpenter MEOT
b 1845 Mary Ann, Maidenhead (from census and m cert - not found at GRO)
b 3q1850 Sarah Ann, Stepney (from GRO index) [baptised Ann at St Peter]
Baptised at Stepney St Peter, Cephas St:
C 30Nov1853 b 1Jul1848 George s James & Elizabeth SMYTHIES, 3 York St, carpenter
C 30Nov1853 b 2Jun1850 Ann d James & Elizabeth SMYTHIES, 3 York St, carpenter
C 24Aug1853 b 23Sep1852 Eliza d James & Elizabeth SMITHERS, 3 York Place, carpenter
C 10Jan1855 b 10Jan1855 Joseph s James & Elizabeth SMITHERS, 3 York St, carpenter
C 26Feb1858 b 15Jan1858 Thomas s James & Elizabeth SMITHERS, 2 Devonshire St, carpenter
C 26Feb1858 b 15Jan1858 Jane d James & Elizabeth SMITHERS, 2 Devonshire St, carpenter
b 5Oct1838 Elizabeth Evans female at Upton; father James Smithers SMITHERS carpenter; m: Elizabeth BROWN
r 28Oct1838 at Eton Bucks by James Smithers SMITHERS of Upton
m 26Mar1865 at Stepney St Peter, Cephas St
James GARNER bch 22 carpenter, 21 Regent St & Martha SMITHERS spr 23, 21 Regent St
f:Thompson Garner dec, James Smither SMITHERS,carpenter; w:James Smither SMITHERS, M--ey LOOKER
m 25Dec1865 at Stepney St Peter, Cephas St
Henry Charles MURRELL bch 21 brushmaker, 31 Regent St & Mary Ann SMITHERS spr 20, 31 Regent St
f:Henry MURRELL, brushmaker, James Smither SMITHERS, carpenter;
w: James Smither SMITHERS, Martha SMITHERS
m 14Sep1879 at parish church of South Hackney MDX by banns
Herbert Frank SMITH bch full, brush maker,47 Elsdale St & Jane SMITHERS spr full, 46 Elsdale St
f: George SMITH brush maker; James SMITHERS carpenter; w: Henry Charles MURRELL, Marey MURRELL
d 27May1888 Elizabeth SMITHERS female 71 wife of James Smithers SMITHERS carpenter (journeyman)
at Shoeburyness from heart disease;
r 29May1888 at Gt Wakering, Rochford ESS by James S SMITHERS wdr of deceased, of Shoeburyness, pad
d 26Apr1906 James Smither SMITHERS male 89 carpenter journeyman of 114 Dunlace Rd,Lower Clapton
at Hackney Union Infirmary, Homerton from senile decay
r 30Apr1906 at South-East Hackney, LND by J SMITH daughter of 5 Cardigan Rd, Bow in attendance
James SMITHERS 20 1821 [none stated] n
Elizabeth
SMITHERS 20 1821 n
Elizabeth SMITHERS 2 1839 n
Mary PICKMAN 20 1821 FS n
Richard KING 45 1796 cow keeper n
Mary KING 40 1801 n
Eliza WATSON 12 1829 FS n
James SMITHERS he mar 33 1818 carpenter Worplesdon SRY
Elizabeth
SMITHERS wi mar 32 1819 Maidenhead, Berks
Elizabeth SMITHERS da 12 1839 scholar Slough, Bucks
Martha SMITHERS da 9 1842 scholar Shoreditch MDX
Mary Ann SMITHERS da 6 1845 scholar Maidenhead, Berks
James SMITHERS so 4 1847 Mile End MDX
George SMITHERS so 2 1849 Mile End MDX
Sarah Ann SMITHERS da 1 1850 Mile Emd MDX
James SMITHERS he mar 43 1818 carpenter Guildford, Surrey
Elizabeth
SMITHERS wi mar 42 1819 Maidenhead, Berks
Martha SMITHERS da unm 19 1842 Islington MDX
Mary A SMITHERS da 16 1845 Maidenhead, Berks
James SMITHERS so 14 1847 carpenter's apprentice Mile End MDX
George SMITHERS so 12 1849 scholar Mile End MDX
Joseph SMITHERS so 6 1855 scholar Mile End MDX
Jane SMITHERS da 3 1858 twin Mile End MDX
Thomas SMITHERS so 3 1858 twin Mile End MDX
James SMITHER he mar 54 carpenter Worplesdon SRY
Elizabeth SMITHER
wi mar 53 Maidenhead
BRK
Joseph SMITHER so 16 carpenter MDX
Thomas SMITHER so 13 MDX
Jane SMITHER da 13 MDX
Jas SMITHERS he mar 63 1818 carpenter Worplesdon, SRY
Elizabeth SMITHERS wi mar 62 1819 -
Jas SMITHERS so unm 25 1856 carpenter London
Jane SMITHERS da mar 23 1858 London
Frank SMITHERS sl mar 29 1852 brickmaker London
Jas SMITHERS so 7m 1880 London
NOTE:last three entries in error; should be Jane Frank and Jas SMITH; and Jas was a grandson (see m cert of Jane to Herbert Frank SMITH in Sep 1879)
Christopher COLLIS he mar 39 1852 carpenter; 3 rooms; empd Whitchurch, Hants
Sarah COLLIS wi mar 29 1862 Victoria, Australia
John G COLLIS so 2 1889 Shoeburyness
Christopher COLLIS so 4m 1890 Shoeburyness
James SMITHERS lo wdr 74 1817 carpenter; 1 room; empld Worplesdon SRY
James S SMITHERS pauper wdr 82 1719 retired carpenter Surrey Worplesdon
Met Arch:StBG/ME/97/4 7755
SMITHERS Elizth (26) Workho:- Spr, pregnant, (see Jo's 4456 and 4301); 1 child Elizabeth Mary Anne, 5 in Mick [Mch?] last, born at 2 Devonshire St wks at home 2 Devonshire St East [in margin: not give]; prior No.1 St James Rd [written above: Mr Tiboumercy] -] past St James Ch - near Victoria Park Gates) then 1/1 wks; prior at home for a fortnight; prior at M? Stephensons, Lincoln St
Cx [cross-examine] Elizabeth SMITHERS the elder (47) 2 Devonshire St. Pauper is my daughter by my husband James Smither SMITHERS to whom I was married at Cookham in Berkshire 6Aug1837; did rent a greengrocer shop in the City Road; went to Bray Berkshire after that I am positive. On 25Jun1844 we took rented of Jno Edwards Langton of Maidenhead Berks a licensed Public House known as the Nags Head in Bray Parish at £19-19-0; he was overseer of the poor from 25Mar1845 to 25Mar1846 [in margin: see copy agreet]
Order on Bray 12Nov1864
[NOTES: wks= works or weeks?
1/1=1m1wk?;, Eliz was domestic servant at 64 Lincoln St at baptism of
daughter Elizabeth Mary Ann in 1858; she may have still been there in 1861 but
the census for Lincoln St is missing; in the 71 census Mrs Stephenson was at 62
Lincoln St but not Elizabeth;
Stephenson and Tiboumercy probably employed Elizabeth as servant; 1a St
James Rd was occupied by the curate of St James the Less; Nags head in Oakley
Green, 3m S Bray, 3m from Old Windsor where James mother and brother were in
1851