Census Search STEERS- 1891

[Claire Bear]

Hello,
I have some clues that my Great Grandmother was called Lily Steers and lived in London.  I know her father was a lighterman on the Thames and that she had a sister Rose and that her mother died when she was young.  Can someone please have a look to see if they can find the family on the 1891 census because on the 1881 it seems to fit but what should read Lily certainly dosn't look like Lily no matter how much I squint at it.
Father is called Henry Steers and was born in approximatly 1851, in 1881 the family lived at 1 Chandler Street St George in the East.  If there is a Lily Steers born around 1877 living with them in 1891 then  think I must have the right family as absolutly everything else seems to fit.
Many thanks
Claire

[Meliora]

Hello, Claire,

I have not been able to find any 1891 census entry for a Lily or Rose Steers, nor for father Henry, I can tell you they were not living at no 1, Chandler St., St.George in the East.

I have found a 1901 census entry for a Henry W. Steers.    Is it possibe he remarried after the early death of Lily's mother.  ?

1901 census
RG13/313  folio 105  page 32
50, Johnson St.  St. George in the East

Henry W. Steers  age 50   Lighterman(Barge)  b  Bermondsey
Tamar  wife  age 40     b  St. George in the East.
Robert  son  age 12     b   ditto
David   son  age 11     b    ditto
William   dau   age 8   b     ditto
Kate   dau   age 6       b    ditto

I have found marriages for both Lily & Rose in Hastings & their entry in the 1901 census, Lily in Bexhill, Sussex & Rose in Leyton.    Do you have this info,   if not I can send transcriptions.  ?

Hope this is useful

Meliora

[bjo]

I wonder if these are your 'girls' in 1891
There is a Lily Steer born Woolwich aged 14 in an orphanage  in Devon and a Rose Steer in Hornsey aged 15 a servant born Rotherithe

[Claire Bear]

Hello,
Meliora,
Yes, Lily's father remarried and they are in the right area so I think this must be him, on the 1881 census return it does actually say Henry W now I look at it again.  Lilys sister Rose married a Mr Gosling, could that be the one you found?  Lily is definetly right for 1901 though.

bjo,
Not sure why Lily would have been in an orfanage in Devon but the Rose could well be the right one.  On the Census image I've been given what I want to read Lily actually looks more like Luby and is written up on Ancestry as Saiby.  I was rather hoping to find that Henry, Rose and Lily Steer were all living together somewhere and Saiby/Luby was either just a bad spelling mistake or another name that Lily could have been known by, I have heard that sometimes girls in service had their names changed by employers if there was another girl in the house of the same name....Can't imagine there'd be another Saiby out there though!  The probelm also arrises that Lily could have been spelt Lilly or even Lilley by the person filling in the forms.

Thankyou both for your help, I'll keep on it )

[sugarfizzle]

The Lily STEER, orphan in 1891 in Devon, was born in Woolwich, Kent.
Looking for her in 1881 she is probably Lilian STEER, aged 3, born Woolwich, Kent, daughter of Caroline Agnes STEER, Soldier's Wife, born in Devonport, living in R E Barracks Woolwich.  This would give a reason for her birth in Woolwich and to be in a Devon orphanage 10 years later.
So probably not your Lily STEER.

Margaret