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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: brigidmac on Sunday 13 October 19 17:29 BST (UK)

Title: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Sunday 13 October 19 17:29 BST (UK)
 1939 My great great aunt  Rebecca Jones was a domestic servant probably a cook as previous profession 

The name of the lady she worked for was Selina B Claxton b 1849

Lady's companion
 Elphemia J Shinnia b1881
 domestic servant Florence M Wright 1888

I imagine a grand house
 ..it was 6 Branton Road Birkenhead

I wonder what became of these single ladies


Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: CaroleW on Sunday 13 October 19 20:54 BST (UK)
Selina Bloomfield Claxton died 15.10.1941.  Probate to Ecroyde Ihler Claxton (b 1876 per freebmd)

I think the name is Euphemia Shimmin or Shimmins who was possibly born as Euphemia Little in the IOM

I have the surname Shimmin in my FH and it’s a pretty common IOM surname

Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: mckha489 on Sunday 13 October 19 21:42 BST (UK)
They may have been provided for in some way in Selina’s will

My grandfather remarried late in life to someone who had been a ladies’  maid all her life. So that’s how she was provided for, but after he died she lived in a retirement complex at which other former staff of the family she worked for also lived and I know they had all been give small pensions by them.
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: CaroleW on Sunday 13 October 19 22:09 BST (UK)
Ecroyde Claxton & Selina Bloomfield Ihler married 1872 at All Saints Childwall.  Both born Lancashire
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Sunday 13 October 19 23:08 BST (UK)
 Wow good finds
I'm glad you could find examples of these names .

I looked carefully at the name Elphimia because I'd never seen it before and have Euphemias on my Scottish side .the writing is much clearer than for the surname which Ive also never come across before .
Rebecca Jones worked as a servant or cook in private families all her life .my great grandfather made his will out to her and spinster sister Mabel who also worked in domestic service his 6 married children were not included in the will. Probably forseeing that they might need it more
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Sunday 13 October 19 23:14 BST (UK)
Rebecca Jones lived til 1950 I don't know where she was between 1939 and her death
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: CaroleW on Sunday 13 October 19 23:18 BST (UK)
Euphemia is a christian name often mis-transcribed.  There is a 1909 birth on freebmd for a  Euphemia C Shimmin.  1911 has her transcribed as Enphemia Catterine (Catherine). 

If she did originate from the IOM - she may have returned there after Mrs Claxton died
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: Colin D Gronow on Wednesday 16 October 19 10:50 BST (UK)
I imagine a grand house
 ..it was 6 Branton Road Birkenhead

The house was in Brancote Road, No.6 now demolished.
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Friday 18 October 19 22:39 BST (UK)
Thanks for including the map  Colin. None of the nearby roads named correspond with where Rebecca s half brother my grandad grew up .looks like these were all detached houses so a more affluent side of Birkenhrad
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: chempat on Friday 18 October 19 22:46 BST (UK)
Deleted, wrong information.
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Tuesday 22 October 19 17:24 BST (UK)
I found the Claxton couple on 1911
census
Selina had had 4 children 4 died
* Misread ..4 still living

They had a servant aged 26 called Ellen JONES of Cheshire

 I don't know if she was related to my Jones
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Tuesday 22 October 19 17:35 BST (UK)
In 1881 son Ecryode Claxton was 4
Daughter Lenore 1

They had a nursemaid
* Added
Esther Maulkin 21
Cook  Grace SMITH 20 and a maid Mary P Johnson 18

In 1901 Leonora is with them age 21
And there is a cook
Elizabeth WARBERTON  36 and a maid. Ada J JOHNSTON
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Tuesday 22 October 19 17:44 BST (UK)
1891 has all 4 children
Ecroyd age 14
Leanora 11 Arthur 7 and Albert N Claxton 4

* Mary Roberts is a widow age 37 cook
Sarah A Radcliffe sg 28 housemaid

I.d like to go back and see if I can read servants over the years to see if they have faithful retainers so far no names recurring

..my eyes aren't too good at the moment but I don't trust transcriptions .
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Tuesday 22 October 19 18:16 BST (UK)
There is a tree on Ancestry with details about House name being 'The Rosary"
Tho different street names ..in 1911 it's 7 Beresford road ..9 bedrooms !
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: stanmapstone on Tuesday 22 October 19 18:51 BST (UK)
The house was in Brancote Road, No.6 now demolished.
I imagine a grand house
 ..it was 6 Branton Road Birkenhead

It was a large detached house.
No. 6 Brancote Road is shown on this 1954 map https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/329743/388605/13/101329

Also this side by side https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=19&lat=53.3896&lon=-3.0579&layers=168&right=BingHyb

Stan
Title: Re: Lady's companion in Birkenhead
Post by: brigidmac on Tuesday 22 October 19 19:28 BST (UK)
Thanks for the maps Stan

+ You are right about 1911
address

 I think it was different houses in different censuses but they'd kept using the name "Rosary"

In 1891 it's Allerton road .Allerton ....house named Rosary