Jane HAMILTON

[Carleton]

Hi,

I'm wondering if someone would be kind enough to do an 1891 census lookup for me.  I am looking for my grandmother, Jane Hamilton, born 24 October 1877 Chelsea.  I have her family on the 1871 census and in 1881 she is living at:

4 Carey Place
Westminster St. John Evangelist
Ref.RG11/114 Folio 91  Page 35

Thos. Hamilton, Married, age 32, Birthplace:  Westr., Middlesex, England
Occupation:  General Dealer
Ellen Hamilton, married, age 31, Birthplace:  Westr. Middlesex, England
Julian Hamilton, daughter, age 10, Birthplace:  Westr. Middlesex, England
Thos. Hamilton, son, age 8, Birthplace:  Westr. Middlesex, England
JANE HAMILTON, daughter, age 3, Birthplace:  Westr. Middlesex, England
Georgina Mellon, boarder, married, age 46, Birthplace:  Nottingham, England, occupation, charwoman 

As a young child, she was subsequently placed in a Catholic orphanage somewhere in the London area when her mother died.  I have no idea what happened to her father or siblings.  Her father, Thomas, might also appear on the 1891 as well.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Dorothy
Ottawa, ON, Canada
 

[richard64]

Dorothy

In 1891 there is a Thomas Hamilton 42 widower Flower Seller Hawker b Westminster living at 16 Snows Rents Lodging House, Westminster.

The only possible Jane Hamilton I could find was Jane Hamilton aged 16 b Knightsbridge who was a servant in a house in Enfield.

Regards

Richard 

[Carleton]

Hi Richard,

This is definitely my Thomas Hamilton.  My grandmother, Jane, told me that her father sold flowers so I always thought he owned or worked in a shop.  She, herself, told me stories of how she would sell flowers from a flower cart at Picadilly Circus.  However, I don't know how old she was at the time and maybe she was with her father.

You have helped me on a couple of things: wife, Ellen, died bet. 1881 and 1891.  In 1891 the balance of Jane's siblings had either died or left the nest.  However, I wonder about the Jane found in Enfield as a servant, age 16.  (Can you please tell me where Enfield is in relation to Westminster?)  The information I have regarding her emigration to Quebec in 1892 with Fr. Seddon's group shows her as age 15 (which could be incorrect) and she is shown as a non-pauper child - also interesting.

Thank you so much for this information.  You've been a great help.

Dorothy
Ottawa

[richard64]

Enfield is in North London about 10 miles from Westminster. I think that Jane Hamilton is yours. There is no entry in the 1881 census for a Jane Hamilton b 1875 so I can only presume that the one in Enfield is yours and that either her employers have given a false age, or she has, or the enumerator made a mistake. You have places of birth as Chelsea or Westminster (which are now the same registration district) and the 1891 Jane is shown as born in Knightsbridge which is now also comes under Westminster Council and is directly between Chelsea and Westminster.
Let me know if you need any earlier census lookups.

Regards

Richard

[Carleton]

Hi Richard,

I have given both your emails some some serious thought.  In 1881, Jane was the only Jane born in the Westminster area bet. 1877 and 1881.  This gives further credence to your statement that you believe that the Jane shown on the Enfield 1891 census is really mine - I believe you're correct.  I have never been able to come up with her birth certificate but her marriage certificate (1900) shows her date of birth as 24 Oct. 1877 (this from the Quebec Vital Records Index in Montreal).   (Usually the Church required a proof of her baptism and the fact that she had not previously married (Marriage data was added to baptismal registers as marginal notes) but if these were not available then affadavits from people who knew her and the publication of banns would normally suffice.)  In the 1901 census for Montreal, Jane gives her date of birth as 1878.  So, like so many others of this time period, her dates are all over the place.

Jane's age shown on the Enfield entry shows her at age 16; If her date of birth is correct, she was actually 14 (b. 1877) - as you say, mistakes, deliberate or otherwise were made.  Maybe she was let go from the home at age 13-14 and found a job in Enfield working as a servant.

Jane emigrated to Montreal in 1892 and I have her emigration papers stating she was 15 yrs. at the time which again ties in with date of birth of 1877.  I believe her father was dead by this time.  Her papers show her as coming with Father Seddon's group and that she was a 'non-pauper' child, which is interesting.  Her father must have supported her to a certain extent.  A job had obviously been arranged for her before she left England for she immediately was sent to a home of a wealthy family in Quebec City where she worked as a servant before heading west to Montreal. 

Your offer of earlier censuses is greatly appreciated.  I estimate Thomas Hamilton was born about 1847.  Estimated date of birth for Ellen Sullivan, his wife, is bet. 1847-1850.  Their locations of their birth shown on later censuses show St. John, Westminster, however, my hunch is they were born out of country (Ireland).

Many thanks, Richard.

Dorothy

[richard64]

You may well be right about them being born in Ireland. I can't find any trace of them before 1871, although usually people who were born in Ireland were recorded as such and there origins were quite obvious.
In the 1871 census there is Thomas 22 Ellen 21 Margaret 3 Ann 1 all b Westminster. Thomas was a Hawker. They were living at 18 Romney Place Westminster with several other families. There was also a John Sullivan 24 b Westminster at this address. The census description shows that Romney Place (no longer exists) was adjacent to Horseferry Rd and Marsham St, both of which still exist. There is a Romney St which still exists in this area. These roads are all extremely close to Carey Place, which still exists, and where the family were living in 1881 so I think this must be the same family.

Regards

Richard