Who lived at "Oaklands" - Croydon area?

[ShaunJ]

Am I right in thinking that only one of the 160 envelopes has "Oaklands " printed on the back?  If so it would seem unlikely that this was the writer's home address.

[LizzieL]

Have just found an on line tree on Ancestry which includes the Major. It has the marriage in Ireland, which matches the army record in 1849 to Catherine Feeney. So maybe he was married three times.

[Chris Doran]

FWIW, Whitney's book "Collect British Postmarks" associates the 938 "duplex" postmark with 7 Croydon districts: Croydon, Croydon E, Croydon S, Croydon W, New Thornton Heath Croydon, Thornton Heath, and Thornton Heath High St. He doesn't explain the significance of the letter within the circle.

[ShaunJ]

Another one for the Oaklands in Park Hill Road:  a John Frith lived at number 2.

http://www.mocavo.co.uk/Proceedings-and-Transactions-of-the-Croydon-Microscopical-Natural-History-Club-1871/965160/551

This particular Oaklands was advertised as a "commodious family residence" in 1896.

In the 1881 census (RG11/813 page 41) it is just "Park Hill Rd"

[LizzieL]

After extensive Googling, it looks like that the letter below "Croydon" was a code representing the time of posting / franking.

[Jamez]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

ShaunJ    The majority of the envelopes were cut down and only the portion which contained a drawing survived presumably for insertion into a scrap book.

LizzieL   I was thinking the artist may have been Clementina Thornton.   I have found two more back portions of envelopes dated 25 Feb 1878 & 2 Jan 1881.  I wonder could the monogram `CH` be the house name i.e. Clobham House or `OH` Oaklands House.  Both of these envelopes were posted in the sub-post office of Lower Addiscombe Road, East Croydon.  The drawing of the helmet has the initial `C`.

[LizzieL]

The Clementina Thornton who is in Croydon in 1881 was in Reigate in 1871 (not a common name and same servant with her), In 1861 she is in Clapham with John and Eliza Thornton (parents) so confirms the baptism I found earlier. In 1851 she is visiting a barrister and his family in Sevenoaks. There is a Clementina in 1841 in Bisham, not sure if she's the same. Age abt right and not born in county, but with living with a Francis approx 5 years older. If John and Eliza turn out to have a son Francis of right age, then she would fit in as his sister.
If all the envelopes were from Croydon going back to 1864, this doesn't quite match Clementina's residence in 1871.
The CH monogram is more likely to be a person's initials I would have thought, rather than a house. Lower Addiscombe road only a couple of months before 1881 census might be best lead yet.

[Thornton87]

Hi James,

Charles Edmund Thornton was my great (x3) grandfather, so it is absolutely fascinating to see those lovely illustrated envelopes! Attached is an image of Maj Thornton along with his grave. Buried with him is his daughter Cornelia Amanda Augusta.

The inscription on the vault reads:

Sacred to the memory of
Major Charles Edmund Thornton
Late 7th Royal Fusiliers
Who died 23rd June 1888. Aged 63 Years
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried
He shall receive the crown of life, which the lord hath promised to them that love him”

Also to his oldest and dearest daughter
Cornelia Amanda Augusta
The beloved wife of James Miller Esquire of Singapore
Who died 9th January 1889.  Aged 25 years





Kind Regards, Matthew Thornton, Norfolk