#52Ancestorsin52Weeks Wk34/52 Emily Hollingham 1852-1893

Ahnentafel Number  29

Context for discovery:

Emily Mercy Hollingham was my 2^nd great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She married George Forfar and they owned a bakery in Hove, Sussex in the late 1880s.

This biography was written as part of the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks exercise devised by Amy Johnson Crow.  You can join in too here.

This blog post is a compilation of several blog posts I previously wrote about Emily and George. Every time I write I find out more snippets of information.

Week 34's theme is "Timeline." Amy Johnson Crow says.

Timelines are a great research tool. What discovery have you made after putting together an ancestor's timeline? Have you thought about how everyday life changed for an ancestor during his or her life?

I always find Ancestry’s timeline really useful for seeing where the holes are in my ancestor’s life. I have often created a timeline in an Excel spreadsheet though so I can create several columns to track several family members at the same time or perhaps a husband and wife to see how their lives may have intersected or to try to get to the truth of the matter e.g. they say they married in Perth.  Why can’t I find it? Or they should be in the 1861 census.  Where are they??? And yes, this year in particular with these biographies, I have been trying to include historical timelines of a sort to remind myself what challenges my ancestor may have faced e.g. military conscription, disease, war etc.

1837 reign of Queen Victoria begins

1838 Darwin’s theory of evolution

1840 New Zealand established

1841 London-Brighton Railway opened

I was lucky enough to visit Brighton when I was a young woman in 1979,  I remember 8 years earlier my mother was keen to see if she could find the bakery her ancestors had run at Hove as per this blog post here. But let's begin our journey properly.....

Childhood

Birth Date/Place:

Emily was one of five children – the middle child: younger sister to Elizabeth and Mary and older sister to Edward and Adelaide. Her parents were Edward and Jane Hollingham. I have Emily’s birth certificate.  She was born on 15^th October 1852[i] which was a Saturday (Saturday’s child works for its living) at 7 Montpelier Place Brighton in the county of Sussex.  Her mother was Jane Hollingham (nee Overall) who lived at 7 Montpelier Place Brighton and was the informant. 

Baptism Date/Place: 

I can’t find a baptism for Emily but I did find one for her sister Adelaide Elise for 21 March 1864 in the parish register for St Nicholas at Brighton.  Her parents are recorded as Edward and Jane and they live at 15 Hampton Place.  Her father is described as a Lodging-House Keeper.  St Nicholas’ was originally built in the 14^th century but was re-built in 1853.   This was in the fact the church where Emily’s parents married.  Edward was actually called Ebenezer on his marriage certificate.[ii]

 

1874 Montpelier Place Brighton - Sussex LXVI.9.13 published 1876 NLS

Looking at the map of Montpelier Place, number 7 would seem to be right across the road from St Stephens which may be where the older children were christened.  It was originally built as the Castle Inn ballroom in the late 1700s and then converted into the Prince Regent’s private chapel as part of the Royal Pavilion and consecrated in 1822.  It was then relocated to the current site at Montpelier Place and opened for public worship in 1851. [iii]

1851 Census

A year before Emily is born, the family is found at 7 Montpelier Place – Edward her father is 28 years old and described as a Baker-master born in Brighton.  His wife Jane is two years older. His daughter Elizabeth is aged 3, Mary Ann is aged 1 and there is an unmarried housemaid aged 15, Bessey Simpson, a John Grover aged 16, Baker’s assistant and James Swain also a Baker’s assistant aged 17.  Next door at No. 8 is Henry Pescott – a Licensed Victualler and his family of five children and a family of bricklayers lodging with them. [iv]

1853-1856 Crimean War

In 1858 when Emily was 6 years old, brother Edward was born.

In 1860 Emily’s father is selling fine wines from Australia.

1860 30th August Brighton Gazette E Hollingham fine Australian wines

Schooling

1861 Census

I could only find Emily’s older sister Elizabeth, aged 13, in the 1861 census as one of four pupils staying with a Governess Hannah Barker at 58 York Street Hove.[v]

 

In 1865 sister Adelaide was born when Emily was 13 years old. 

1863 London Underground opens

1867 Dominion of Canada created

1868 last public hanging in England

In 1869 Emily’s older sister Mary Ann marries Andrew Pears at the age of 19. Emily is now 17 years old.

1871 Census

Edward aged 13 is shown as one of 14 pupils at 14/15 Clarence Square Brighton under the tutelage of schoolmaster and Alfred Cox, assisted by his daughters Miriam, Emma and Bertha aged 16,13 and 11 and William Pain aged 25. Interestingly the school is right next door to his older sister Mary Ann Pears aged 21 at no 13 Clarence Square.  She has her 9 month old son Francis and is with a servant aged 16 Louisa Kendal. Mary Ann is shown as married to a Perfumer.[vi]

 

Married Life

Marriage Dates/Places:

Emily married George Forfar in Trinity Church, Eastbourne, Sussex on 11 September 1872.[vii] 

Leamington Years

George sold “cheap light wines” and other delights at 20, Upper Parade Leamington from 1872 according to advertisements discovered in the British Newspaper Archives.  Another article describing the shopkeepers’ windows leading up to Christmas notes that George “made leading articles of sultanas, Muscatels, Valencia raisins and Patras currants.”

Further advertising reveals George begged “to inform the Public that he is still sole agent for Hedges’ celebrated CAMBRIDGE SAUSAGES and will have them Fresh every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.”

George also dealt in Westphalian Ham and “the finest” York hams.  French Plums and Normandy Pippings were also in stock, but it seems the Cambridge Sausages were the most popular item.

Emily had three sons.

Children’s Birth Dates/Places:

George Robert born 6^th October 1873 (died 16^th April 1946) [viii]

Ernest (later known as Eddie) Albert born 29^th October 1874[ix]

Walter William born 6^th June 1878[x]

On 2 Feb 1874 husband George was admitted to the Guys Lodge of Freemasons in Leamington[xi]

Any joy from this was no doubt diminished when there were proceedings for Liquidation instituted by George Forfar of No. 20 Upper-parade Leamington in the country of Warwick, Grocer, Tea Dealer and Wine and Spirit Merchant as notified in The London Gazette in 1875.[xii] 

1876 Emily’s father transfers the licence for the Hampton Wine and Spirit Stores, Upper North Street to George Adams.  At around this point I think he and Emily's mother Jane moved to Ceylon Place in Eastbourne. 

1878 a fire breaks out at the Golden Hop Brewery owned by Emily’s father.

1878 15th June  Sussex Advertiser fire brewery

1879 Edison invents electric light

1880 Elementary Education Act passed making primary schooling compulsory and extending it to girls

South Norwood

1881 Census

George aged 32 is living with the Laurence family – a Grocer and Wine Merchant at 1 High Street Notting Hill. [xiii] George is a Grocers Assistant, and his wife Emily is a housekeeper.  Sons George aged 7, Earnest aged 6 and William aged 2 are also living there with another Grocer’s Assistant James Shears and Mary Moore a maidservant.

George and Emily's marriage was not a happy one. 

They divorced in September 1885 when George Jnr would have been 12, Ernest 11 and Walter 7.[xiv] 

The divorce papers record the dates of the children’s births and that they lived in the following places:

Leamington, Warwick

Teddington, Middlesex – confirmed in the Electoral Registers - Albert Road[xv]

21 Belgrave Road Norwood, Surrey – 1878 – 1883 according to Directories[xvi]

Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Sussex

Back to Brighton, Hove and Eastbourne

38 Ditchling Rise, Brighton – 1882 according to Directory[xvii]

123 Church Road, Hove (Kelly's Directory 1890) and 1891 Census

An article written by Judy Middleton in 2002 and revised 2015 gives an account of Forfar’s bakery in Hove.  It says that in the 1880s George Forfar took over the business. [xviii]

Emily asserted that George committed adultery in 1879 “on divers occasions and wilfully communicated to her a certain venereal disease.” She said that he committed adultery again in 1884 and deserted her on 18^th July leaving her destitute.

In 1884 a newspaper article finds Mr and Mrs Forfar as visitors staying at 75 Pevensey Road Eastbourne.[xix]

As if that wasn't bad enough, things started to get ugly. In 1887, George, of no fixed abode, was charged with stealing a cash box containing £20 from Emily in July 1887.  The newspaper article in the Horsham Petworth Midhurst and Steyning Express reveals that George left Emily in 1884 and went to Australia.  The magistrate decided that it was not theft and dismissed the prisoner.  How galling for Emily!

1893 16 September Brighton Gazette p8 suicide

Date and place of Death

Emily committed suicide at the age of forty-one on 14 September 1893.[xx] I have a copy of her will.  She divided her estate equally between her three sons when they attained the age of 21.[xxi]

Date and Place of Burial:

Emily's gravestone can be found at Ocklynge Cemetery, Eastbourne.[xxii] 

Estate

FORFAR Emily Mercy of 123 Church Road Hove Sussex widow (was George really dead?) died 14 September 1893 at 68 Ceylon place Eastbourne (her parent’s home)

Probate was granted at Lewes on 27 December 1893 to Andrew Pears gentleman and Frank Edward Napper miller Effects £3009 2s 5d resworn June 1896 £3081 2s 5d.[xxiii]

Conclusion

Very sadly Emily did not reach her senior years.  Her father died in 1899 and her mother in 1902.  After Emily died George’s sons Ernest (or Ed) and Walter left England. 

George Junior continued to run Forfar’s bakery for many years successfully I believe. 

Ed went to Canada to find his fortune and Walter came to Australia. 

Ernest died in 1940. George died in 1946 and Walter in 1949. 

Here is a link to an article about the closure of the Forfar bakers in 2015.

References

 

---

[i] Birth, General Register Office, Brighthelmston Registration District, county of Sussex, Emily Mercy Hollingham 1852, Number 135 in the register

[ii] Ancestry.com East Sussex, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936,East Sussex Record Office; Brighton, England; Sussex Parish Registers; Reference: PAR 255/1/3/15

[iii] Wikipedia St Stephn’s Church, Brighton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Stephen%27s_Church,_Brighton

[iv] Ancestry.com, 1851 Census Class: HO107; Piece: 1646; Folio: 412; Page: 17; GSU roll: 193551.

[v] FindMyPast 1861 Census Archive Reference RG09, Piece Number 604, Folio 37, Page 14, Schedule 80 Brighton

[vi] Ancestry.com, 1871 Census, Class: RG10; Piece: 1086; Folio: 128; Page: 43; GSU roll: 827501.

[vii] Certified copy of an entry of Marriage at the General Register Office No 92 in 1872 register in Parish of Eastbourne George FORFAR and Emily Mercy HOLLINGHAM.

[viii] Ancestry.com UK Civil Divorse Records 1858-1914 The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Files; Class: J 77; Piece: 344; Item: 355

[ix] ibid

[x] ibid

[xi] Ancestry.com England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921, Library and Museum of Freemasonry; London, England; Freemasonry Membership Registers; Description: Register of Contributions: Country and Foreign Lodges, 421-588 (1832); 336-407 (1863)

[xii] London Gazette 22 June 1875 page 3228 and 13 July 1875 page 3605

[xiii] Ancestry.com, 1881 England Census Class: RG11; Piece: 30; Folio: 42; Page: 16; GSU roll: 1341007

[xiv] Ancestry.com UK Civil Divorce Records 1858-1914 The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Files; Class: J 77; Piece: 344; Item: 355

[xv] Ancestry.com London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 from London Metropolitan Archives

[xvi] Ancestry.com UK, City and County Directories, 1766-1946

[xvii] Ancestry.com UK , City and County Directories, 1600s-190ss, 1882 Kelly’s Directory

[xviii] Forfars on Hove In the Past accessed 12 january 2016 http://hovehistory.blogspot.com/2015/11/forfars_14.html

 

[xix] British Newspaper Archives, Eastbourne Gazette, Pictorial Supplement Wednesday 27 August 1884

[xx] Ancestry.com England & Wales FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915

[xxi] Ancestry.com England & Wales National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966

[xxii] Find My Past, Sussex Monumental Inscriptions Memorial Ref E148u

[xxiii] Ancestry.com, England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Emily Mercy Forfar, p113