A to Z Challenge - C is for Census

Snippets from the life of Martha Sarah Ellis.

Martha was three months old at the time of the 1871 British Census. The Ellis family were living at 257 St George Road, Camberwell, London, England which is identified as household 266 on the 1871 Census.  Four lodgers have been identified at the same address.[1]

Census Household #266

1. Alec Lee Head M 31 London, Middlesex

2. Martha Lee Wife F 31 Chiddingstone, Kent

3. Alfred Lee Son M 5 London, Middlesex

4. Edward Lee Son M 3 London, Middlesex

5. Martha S Lee Daughter F 3 mths London, Middlesex

Also living at the same address were households 226a, 266b & 226c, indicating that they were lodgers in separate households, within the same dwelling. This sort of multi-occupancy was common, perhaps the family or the owners were subletting to earn extra income.

Household #266a Returned on 266 Sch

6. John Crabbe Lodger M 27 Herefordshire

Census Household #266b Returned on 266 Sch

7. Robert Hutill Lodger M 23 London, Middlesex

8. Thomas Hutill Lodger M 21 London, Middlesex

Census Household #266c Returned on 266 Sch

9. Benjamin Uks Lodger M 21 Birmingham

By the 1881 British Census the family were living in household 197 with a total of 8 people in the family home at 245 St Georges Rd., including the 2 lodgers.[2] 

1. Martha’s father Alfred Lee a widow whose occupation was a  Boot Maker  

2. Martha Lee aged 10, still at school

3. Kate Lee, Martha’s sister aged 9 and still at school 

4. Charles Lee, Martha’s brother aged 7, Scholar

5. Walter Lee, Martha’s brother aged 5, Scholar  

6. Frederick Lee, Martha’s brother aged 4,  Scholar 

7. Albert COATES, Lodger, aged 19,  and a Boot Maker possibly her father’s apprentice

8. George BUTCHER, Lodger, aged 47, who worked as a Dock Labourer possibly somewhere close by on the Grand Surrey Canal, which ran behind the house.

In my previous post in the Challenge A is for Addresses  I went to great lengths to establish where the family were living and when.  The reason behind such detailed reconnoitring was to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the Lee and Ellis families were the same.  The family’s unexplained change of surname is yet to be fully understood, although many theories abound.  My conclusion is that all members of the Ellis were known by the surname Lee in both 1871 and 1881 censuses.

To Read more about Martha's life for articles previously posted for the A to Z Challenges click the Letters below:-

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Sources

[1] 1871 census of England, London, Surrey, Enumeration District : 19 - St George Road, Camberwell, London, England, folio 130, page 47, Alec Lee head of household; digital images, brightsolid online publishing ltd, Findmypast (www.findmypast.com : accessed 29 Jan 2017); citing PRO RG10/739

[2] 1881 census of England, Camberwell, (Boot Shop) 245 St Georges Rd, Camberwell, London, England, folio 21, page 35, Household of Alfred Lee widowed bootmaker; digital images, Ancestry (www.Ancestry.com : accessed 30 Jan 2017); citing PRO RG 11/698