Telford Family of Ellinbank
London in the 19th century
"Boats on the Thames" 1850s with St Paul's Cathedral behind.
Gilbert Family in London
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Alfred Gilbert was the grandfather of Grace Matilda Gilbert. He died in July 1901 just a few weeks before Grace was born so she never had the chance to know him.
This obituaries below appeared in the Colac Herald (VIctoria).
The photo at right is thought to be of Alfred. ( it was found with others of his family )
The H.Wood mentioned in the article would have been his brother-in-law Harvey Wood.
Alfred Gilbert was born at Enderby, Leicestershire, England in 1834, baptised on 7th October at the local Church of England. He was the youngest of 9 children of Wiiliam Ralph Gilbert and Mary Ann Buckley.
Enderby is about 6 Km southwest of Leicester city centre and 4 Km south of Kirby Muxloe where Alfred’s father William Ralph Gilbert was baptised and is buried.
The Gilberts and Buckleys had deep family ties to the Leicestershire region and for at least 20 years from 1813 to 1832 the family lived in Leicester city where William was a partner in a business working as a Wool Stapler, and they maintained these links as evidenced by the burials at Kirby Muxloe. However by 1834 they had apparently moved to Enderby and by 1841 when Alfred was 7 years old they had moved to Crimscott Street, Bermondsey, London, on the south side of the Thames.
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For more on the Gilberts, Buckleys and Abbotts in Leicestershire, click below:
London in the mid 19th century could have been an exciting place to live with burgeoning population and rapid industrial growth, and in 1851 the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace; a 10 minute walk from Crimscott St would have taken Alfred to the bank of the Thames with a view of the Tower of London - but without the Tower bridge which was not built until about 1890.
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However it would not have been all sunshine and roses ! Bermondsey, in the 17th century developed around a spa and was a desirable residential area but by the 19th century it was in the midst of rapid industrial development including polluting industries such as tanning and as a result of the massive population growth in the area London was a smelly and smoggy environment particularly around the river and there were a number of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
At the 1841 census, living at home with William and Mary Ann in Bermondsey were Alfred ( 7), Lemuel (9), Priscilla ( 14) and Henry ( 22) who is listed as a Hosier, William continuing his trade of Wool Stapler.
12 year old Charles was not recorded as living with the family but was a scholar at the Christi Hospital school in Newgate Street near St Paul's Cathedral. The school, pictured below as it was in 1770, was established in 1553 under the patronage of King Edward VI.
10 year old Edward is also not recorded as living with them - maybe at another boarding school or living with relatives in Leicester.
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By 1851 the father, William Ralph has died and the family split up; the widow, Mary Ann is back in Leicestershire living with her eldest son, John William ( 34, Banker’s clerk) in The Borough, Hinckley and her daughter Maria ( 23, Governess) - the mother being listed as an Annuitant - and one domestic servant, Susan Tubb.
The above burial record for William shows that he was buried at Kirby Muxloe in 1844 ( aged 53) but his abode is given as Hinckley late of Leicester.
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Sisters Priscilla, 24, and Mary Ann, 36, are together at Syston, a village a little to the north of Leicester and both with listed occupation of Governess, together with 5 pupils aged 11 to 17 and 1 house servant i.e. they have apparently started up their own school as a means of earning their living. They continued to live together at various addresses until Mary Ann's death in 1880 while living at Milverton, Warwickshire and Priscilla's subsequent death in 1890. They are buried together at Old Milverton cemetery with a headstone mentioning Mary Ann's husband Robert Burges who she married in 1863 aged 48; Robert died in 1872. The marriage certficate for Mary Ann and Robert is witnessed by her sister and brother - Priscilla and Charles Oxtoby Gilbert, at Hackney, London.
Charles O Gilbert is living with brother Henry at 44 Commercial Way, Camberwell ( London) and working in Henry’s “Wholesale Hosiery establishment” at the 1851 census.
16 year old Alfred is an apprentice to a Linen Draper, George Sprent in Guildford and 20 year old Edward is lodging in New John St, Birmingham, occupation “Merchant Clerk”.
Then in 1858 Alfred took a ship to Australia, the first of the family to migrate.
He came on the Blackwall, an 838 ton frigate, fairly fast for its time, taking 103 days from London but a little slower than a clipper ship such as the James Baines that brought Henry Johnson to Australia in 1852.
It departed London 9 June, calling at Plymouth for the voyage to Melbourne, arriving 20 September. He was the first of 4 brothers and 1 sister to migrate. The others were Charles, Lemuel, Edward and Maria.
EDWARD RALPH GILBERT
At the 1861 census Edward, widower, is living at 3 Alpha Cottages, Leyton ( northeast London) working as a "mantle manufacturer". With him is sister Priscilla and the 2 children Ralph and Jessie. Lucy is not mentioned. Priscilla has clearly come to look after the children and keep house for Edward and is listed as "housekeeper to the head of family”.
Shortly after this census Edward voyaged to Australia on the "Monarch" arriving October 1861. With him were Lucy 4 and Jessie 3. ( Edward's age is listed as 28 but should have been 30).
Ralph followed on the "Stonehouse" arriving Melbourne in December 1871, aged 11.
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The photograph at left is of Edward and wife Catherine.
Note the name of the photographer - W.H.Kent of Oxford St, London - according to the "Watch the Birdie" blog, this was one of the first commercial photographic studios in London operating from 1857 to 1864. The photo must have been taken prior to 1860 ( when Catherine died) and is thus very early in the history of photography.
It was supplied to me by Jan Royal, wife of Lucy Gilbert's great grandson.
CHARLES OXTOBY GILBERT
At the 1871 census Charles was living at Elms Rd., Dulwich ( south side of London), age 41, occupation “wholesale hosier”, with the following family -
Fanny ( wife) . . . 38 ( nee Astill) Arthur, . . . 10 (b. 1860 )
Mary . . . 7 ( b. 1863 ) Percy . . . 3 (b. 1867)
Charles . . . 1 (b. 1869 ) Gerald B. . . . 4 mth (b. 1870)
Charles Oxtoby Gilbert had 4 other children not on 1871 census - three of them died in infancy - Phillip b. Feb 1862, bapt. July 1862 at Rothley Leicestershire, died April 1863 and buried at Nunhead London; Frederick bapt. June 1863 at Hackney, London, died July 1863, buried at Nunhead; and Stanley born July 1872, died March 1873.
Their youngest, Harold was born 17 August 1873 at Camberwell, London.
They came to Australia on the "Somersetshire" which departed London 1st January 1878, Plymouth 3rd Jan and arrived Hobson's Bay ( Melbourne) on 26th February which is 54 days from Plymouth with 229 passengers on board. The Gilberts are not listed with the 'Saloon' passengers in the newspaper report of the arrival so they presumably travelled steerage ( see above passenger list.
The picture below of the Somersetshire and the following description are taken with thanks from the website www.marchesifamily.co.uk .
The Somersetshire was built at Blackwell on the Thames as the company's second auxiliary steamer for the Australian trade and launched in 1867. She was a barque, with a service speed of 9 knots, and 2342 registerd tonnage. A 'barque' has at least 3 masts, all of which have square sails except the mizzen ( aft) mast. She could carry a maximum 363 passengers. The Somersetshire was the first steamer in the Australian trade to be fitted with more efficient compound steam engines, and one of the first steamers to establish a direct service from London to Melbourne via Cape of Good Hope, averaging under 60 days on the run from Plymouth to Melbourne.
On arrival in Australia Charles established the first general store in Commercial Road Morwell (on the site now occupied by Spotlight) in 1878.
For more on the Gilberts in Australia click here:
HENRY GILBERT, second son of William Ralph Gilbert and Mary Ann Buckley
Henry Gilbert was born in February 1819 at Leicester and died in 1864 at Stroud, Gloucestershire, aged 45 leaving Isabella with 6 children aged between 3 and 21. He is listed in the 1861 census living at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire ( which is near Stroud), occupation - Hosier. He married Isabella Stuttard in 1844 in London.
In 1851 he was at 44 Commercial Road, Parish of Camberwell, village of Peckham and borough of Lambeth. With him is wife Isabella, 27, born Hoxton, Middlesex and children - Isabella A, Catherine B, Ada E and Henry’s brother Charles O, plus a house servant, Elizabeth Curts. Henry’s occupation given as “Hosiery Wholesale Establishment “ and Charles’s as “in Wholesale House” - I assume this means Henry owned the business and Charles worked for him.
Isabella was born in 1823 ( baptised at Shoreditch in August) to John Stuttard, linen agent / warehouseman ( b. 1792 at Whalley, Lancashire) and Henrietta Hall ( b. 1789 at Enfield). In 1841 she was 15 and living at High St, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, occupation “milliner” and living in the Hanlon household, drapers.
Henry and Isabella had 6 children -
Isabella Alice b. Nov.1844 at London
Catherine Buckley b. Sept 1846 at London,
Ada Emma b. 1850 at Camberwell, Surrey (London )
William Ralph b. 1853 at Camberwell, Surrey (London )
Harry de Vallenger b. 1859 Stroud, Gloucestershire
Maurice Fitz b. 1861 Stroud, Gloucestershire , baptised at Kings Stanley 1864 ( near Stonehouse).
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Despite the Gilberts moving to London when Henry was around 20 years old, he clearly kept close links with his home county of Leicestershire - both Isabella and Catherine were baptised at Hinckley in July 1848; Henry’s mother Mary Ann and sister Maria were then living in Hinckley where the father William Ralph Gilbert had died in 1844. On both these baptism records Henry is listed as Hosier living at Islington ( London).
Harry de Vallenger Gilbert
Harry, second son of Henry and Isabella Gilbert nee Stuttard, was born at Stroud third quarter of 1859. At the 1861 census “Harry de V Gilbert” is listed with his family living at 155 High St, Stonehouse and born at Stonehouse, Gloucester. His father Henry is now a Commercial Traveller, drapery. ( Stonehouse is part of Stroud).
At the 1871 England census Harry Gilbert, aged 11, born Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, was a pupil / scholar at the Warehouseman and Clerk’s School at Beddington, Surrey, ( pictured above) along with numerous other boys and girls ranging in age from 9 to 14, John Pitman headmaster. One of these was Harry’s brother Maurice aged 9. The handwritten entry appears to be Harry E Gilbert but the age and place of birth firmly establishes the identity as being “our” Harry.
At the website www.childrenshomes.org.uk/WCDS is an extensive history of the school which was set up in 1866 as a charity started by a group of warehousemen and clerks to benefit widows and children of their colleagues who had died ( Harry and Maurice’s father Henry died in 1864). It is located on Russell Hill Road, Purley, Surrey and could accommodate 135 boys and 60 gir
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He made good use of this education when he migrated to New Zealand in 1877 as evidenced by this 1897 article in the
Cyclopediea of New Zealand (Wellington Provincial District:
Mr. Harry de Vallenger Gilbert, Passenger Clerk of the Wellington Branch of the Union Steamship Company, was born at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England, and after completing an educational course at Croydon, Surrey, entered the counting house of Messrs. Ward, Sturt and Sharp, warehousemen, Wood Street, London, where he served four years is apprenticeship to mercantile life. Coming to the colonies in the Blackwall liner “Superb,” Mr. Gilbert landed in Melbourne in 1877, and after a few months stay in Victoria, came on to Wellington per s.s. “Claud Hamilton.” Entering the employ of Messrs. Wilson and Richardson, importers, of Lambton Quay, as accountant, Mr. Gilbert continued with the firm for ten years, being admitted to a partnership. In 1889 Mr. Gilbert entered the service of the Union Steamship Company as passenger clerk, which position he now holds.
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More on Harry and his offspring in the Gilberts in Australia page.
William Ralph (junior) and Maurice Fitz Gilbert
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Henry Gilbert’s other 2 sons, William Ralph and Maurice Fitz migrated to South Africa some time before 1880 to the Port Elizabeth region.
Digby Londt of Johannesburg a descendent of Henry Gilbert, has made available online at http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/mardig/Gilbert1.htm the detailed family history of Henry’s son William and a limited reference to Morris (Maurice). These photos are taken from Digby’s website: Maurice and William Gilbert were cousins of Lionel, Ellis and Basil Gilbert.
William Gilbert m. Anne Bellaby ( “Annie”) Murrell in Oct 1880 at Port Elizabeth, Cape of Good Hope, died 1908.
William ( Willie Gilbert) 1881 - 1936 m. Grace South - 1 child, Percy
George Murrell Gilbert 1883 -1953 m. Beatrice Buchanan - 2 children, Joyce, Arthur
Henry Gilbert 1886 - 1963 m. Dulcie Steinobel - 1 child, Noreen
Florence Gladys Gilbert 1888 - 1976 m. William Edward Londt - 3 children, Stella, Florence, Gilbert Edward
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Maurice married Alice Annie ( “Ann”) Brooks in May 1885 at Port Elizabeth, Cape of Good Hope; children - Alfred, Dorothy, Vernon, Vera and Percy.
ch. William 1881, George 1883, Henry 1886, Florence 1888. Digby Londt is the grandson of Florence.
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William Ralph Gilbert
Maurice Fitz Gilbert
Port Elizabeth today and gravestones at Port Elizabeth of Maurice and William (from graves-at-eggsa.org)
Daughters of Henry and Isabella
Catherine Buckley Gilbert was born at Clerkenwell, London in 1846. At 19 years of age, a year after the death of her father Henry, she married Charles Tuckett at Stroud, Gloucestershire. Four years later, in August 1870, Charles died leaving Catherine with 2 small children, Maurice and Ellen. For a while they continued to live in London with mother/grandmother Isabella. But by 1881 Catherine had moved to Cardiff to live with her sister Isabella while working as a governess. In 1888 she was admitted to a mental hospital at Pencoed ( the Glamorgan County Asylum) but subsequently discharged. Son Maurice was enrolled at the live-in Warehousemen and Clerks school at Beddington, Surrey. Sadly before the age of 22 he was also admitted as a patient at a mental institution ( Cane Hill Lunatic Asylum ) in Coulsdon, Surrey, where he died in 1894 aged 26. There is a gravestone in the West Norwood, London, cemetery commemorating Isabella Stuttard nee Gilbert, daughter Catherine and grandson Maurice Stuttard.
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Charles Stuttard was born into a family of Quakers based around Bristol and Gloucester. A number of Stuttards including Charles’s father Philip Debell Stuttard and 2 of Charles’s siblings were originally buried in the Quaker Black Friars churchyard in Bristol but in 1956 all the remains from that cemetery were removed and and reinterred at the nearby Avon View cemetery. Charles was a Railway Station Master.
Isabella Alice Gilbert was born at Islington, London in November 1844 and baptised at Hinckley, Leicestershire in July 1846. On July 11,1873 she married James Harman from a family of Merchant Navy officers. James died on board ship in 1885 leaving Isabella with 4 young children and a personal estate of 915 pounds. She supported herself by engaging in the Real Estate business before moving to Bristol with daughter Winifred and buried at Bristol Greenbank cemetery in 1927 aged 83.
Ada Emma Gilbert was born at Peckham, London in 1850. She married Joseph Walker, a farmer in Daventry, Northamptonshire. They had 5 children - Agnes de Vallenger, Sarah Evelyn, Florence Mary, Maurice Gilbert and Joseph Borman Walker. She died at Rugby, Warwickshire in 1894 aged 44.