Sarah Ann Andrews are born around 1847 in Stoke Canon, Devon, to William Andrews (about 29), a railway and agricultural labourer, and Kent-native Jane Andrews (nee Perkins) (about 26).
Sarah Ann was baptised on 18th April 1847 in Stoke Canon.
Sarah Ann was the third of ten children (four sons and six daughters):
- Mary Jane 1841 - 1843 (about 2 years old)
- John 1844 -
- Sarah Ann 1847 -
- George 1851 -
- James 1854 -
- Mary E 1857 -
- William 1859 -
- Eliza Jane 1861 -
- Jane 1864 -
- Elizabeth 1865 -
1851 Census:
Sometime in the early 1850s, when Sarah Ann was a young girl, she and her family moved about thirteen miles north-east from her native Stoke Canon to Sampford Peverell, where most of her younger siblings were born and baptised.
Sarah Ann lived and worked away from home from a young age. The 1861 Census shows Sarah Ann, aged about only thirteen, working as a domestic servant for the Drewe family, headed by blacksmith Richard Drewe, in Cullompton, which is about half way between her native Stoke Canon and her family's new home of Sampford Peverell.
1861 Census:
On Christmas Day 1864, Sarah Ann married James Bennett (22), a railway labourer, in Heavitree, near Exeter. Whilst Sarah Ann was able to sign her name on their marriage certificate, James left only his mark, implying he could not write.
 |
| Sarah Ann's Signature on her 1864 Marriage Certificate |
Sarah Ann gave her age as twenty, when she married. Whilst early records (her baptism, the 1851 and 1861 Censuses) imply Sarah Ann was born around 1847, so in fact nearer to seventeen when she married, later records (her marriage, the 1871 and 1891 Censuses) imply Sarah Ann was born around 1844, making her twenty at the time of her marriage.
Sarah and James had two children:
- William 1868 - 1942 (73 years old)
- Emma 1871 - 1944 (73 yeas old)
The young couple moved about five miles south-east from Heavitree to Ebford, where their eldest child William was born in 1868. Did Sarah Ann name her son after her father?
James worked as a labourer and packer for the railway. It seems likely his work took the young Devonian family just over the boarder to Somerset, where daughter Emma was born in 1871. Sarah Ann's parents and young siblings also moved to Somerset, possibly also following work - Sarah Ann's father William also worked as a railway labourer. Did Sarah Ann's father and husband work together?
1871 Census:
At the time of the 1871 Census, Sarah Ann and James were yet to decide a name for their newborn daughter, but soon decided on Emma, perhaps after James' older sister. Sarah Ann's kid sister Eliza stayed with the family at the time.
On Monday 19th August 1872, James' life was cut tragically short. He passed away, aged thirty, from injuries received in an accident at work. In his role as a packer for the Bristol and Exeter Railway Company, he aimed to unload a truck. Alas he attempted to get into the truck while it was still in motion; he missed his step and his leg got entangled in the wheel!
From the Western Gazzette on 23rd August 1872:
James' sudden death left Sarah Ann a widow, with two infant children, and with no obvious means of support. Her parents and younger siblings were only about three miles away in Hillfarrance, Somerset, but with her father being only an agricultural labourer and with other younger children to support, perhaps he couldn't afford to help Sarah Ann much. Left a pauper, Sarah Ann sought relief in Exeter. Sadly, Sarah Ann and her children were not welcomed by the city, and its justices sought to have them legally removed to South Molton.
Around August 1873, Sarah Ann conceived a son, born around May 1874. Around the time she sort relief, she would have been around eight months pregnant. Who was the father?
From the Western Daily Mercury on 2nd April 1874:
Census records imply Sarah Ann soon remarried, and her young children gained a step-father in the form of Scottish veteran of the Crimean War James Clapperton. Yet it should be noted that I cannot find a record of marriage between Sarah Ann and James Clapperton, though they would live for years as husband and wife. We assume James junior was the son of James Clapperton, though no birth or baptism record for James junior can be found, which is not rare if a child is illegitimate.
The family of Sarah Ann, her two infants, and her new husband did settle in Exeter.
Sarah Ann and James would have eight children (four sons and four daughters):
- James 1874 - 1936 (61)
- George Henry 1876 - 1952 (75)
- Albert 1878 - 1878 (2 months)
- Walter John 1880 - 1913 (32)
- Lily/Lilian Maude 1882 - 1958 (75)
- Minnie 1884 - 1956 (71)
- Ada 1886 - 1888 (1 year and 9 months)
- Florence 'Florrie' Mabel 1889 - 1975 (85)
From around December 1877, Sarah Ann and James had lodgers at their home in Little Clifton Street in Exeter. Their lodgers were a couple, Samuel Ford, a cabdriver, and his unwell wife Dinah Ford. Dinah was in hospital for some months, then cared for at Little Clifton Street by Samuel's mother and Sarah Ann, who must have meanwhile been caring too for her four young children. In December 1878, Dinah passed away, with Sarah Ann as witness.
By 1881, also living with the Clapperton/Bennett family were the Miller family: Sarah Ann's younger sister Eliza, now married to American Henry Miller, a fellow pensioner and porter of James, and their baby daughter Mary Jane, Sarah Ann's niece.
I like to think Sarah Ann and Eliza were close, with Eliza living with her older sister on the 1871 and 1881 Censuses.
1881 Census:
Alas Sarah Ann's son James, around the age of eleven, turned to stealing. And not being a fast runner, he was twice caught. On 31st August 1885, James, 11, acted as watch-out, as his younger friend Charles Henry Green, 9, stole threepenny worth of sweets from a shop at 54 Richmond Road, the property of a Miss Osborn. Their crime was witnessed by a William Kerslake, who subsequently caught James. Charles said James, the older lad, had told him to steal the sweets. Only a week later, on 7th September 1885, James attempted another steal with Charles, and another lad, Frederick Charles Hookaway, 10. They stole 50 prawns, worth 1s 6d, from a fish shop at 15 Paris Street, the property of a Mrs Smith. She ran after the boys down the street and once more James was caught. He was sentenced to three weeks in prision, to be followed by five years in a Reformatory School.
Sometime between 1885 and 1888, Sarah Ann and the rest of her family moved from Little Clifton Street to New Cheeke Street, also in Exeter. Sarah Ann's young niece Mary Jane Miller stayed with the family.
Sarah was the friend that Emily Robins always turned to when she needed support. An 1885 article details how it was always to Sarah's home that Emily ran for shelter from her husband, Hugh's violence. Emily's husband deserted her the following year, and the year after that her teenage son Edward died, along with many others, when Exeter's theatre burnt down. I hope Emily and Sarah were able to support each other through all their troubles.
Tragedy struck Sarah Ann again in 1888: as an accident involving a lorry killed her first husband, so an accident involving a tram killed her daughter. On the evening of 11th April 1888, Ada was only a toddler, out of her mother's sight for barely a minute while she fetched water from the house next door, and watched over by an older brother (George, 11); but in a passing moment a younger brother (Walter, 8) left the front door open and little Ada ran out, and just when a tram came pass. The tram-driver braked suddenly, but too late. The elder brother, oh how racked with guilt and shock and sadness he must have been, when he then ran to his mother to tell her.
From the Western Times on 17th April 1888:
1891 Census:
Sarah Ann's became a military family...
Tragedy struck Sarah Ann again in 1888: as an accident involving a lorry killed her first husband, so an accident involving a tram killed her daughter. On the evening of 11th April 1888, Ada was only a toddler, out of her mother's sight for barely a minute while she fetched water from the house next door, and watched over by an older brother (George, 11); but in a passing moment a younger brother (Walter, 8) left the front door open and little Ada ran out, and just when a tram came pass. The tram-driver braked suddenly, but too late. The elder brother, oh how racked with guilt and shock and sadness he must have been, when he then ran to his mother to tell her.
From the Western Times on 17th April 1888:
1891 Census:
Sarah Ann's became a military family...
Her second husband James served in the Crimean War, all four of her sons served in the Boer War, and many of her grandchildren and great grandchildren served in the the First World War and Second World War...
Her second husband James was dismissed from the army, being found no longer fit to serve, on 26th June 1874, after nineteen years service, and having risen to the rank of Sergeant. Due to exposure to the sun in India, James was suffering from amaurosis (a painless temporary loss of vision in both of his eyes).
His record of dismissal gives a brief description of James' character and physical appearance...
Such was written of his character: "Conduct has been very good... [he is] in possession of four good conduct badges... [however] his name appears five times in the Regimental Defaulters' Book [and] he has been twice tried by Court Martial".
Such was written of his physical appearance: he was 5'10'', had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light hair. His colouring was quite viking it seems.
He had left his wool-spinning family in their native Galashiels, just over the Scottish boarder, and signed up as a private on 31st January 1855, aged nineteen; he now left the army, aged thirty-eight, a Sergeant, having spent half his life, and essentially all his adult life thus far in the army. It seems there was a change of plan: his initial intended place of residence after leaving the army is crossed out and a street in Exeter written in its place. In April 1874, Sarah Ann was being denied relief in Exeter; James junior's later army service records imply he was born around May 1874; and in June 1874, James senior was dismissed from the army and settled in Exeter likely to join Sarah Ann and his son.
I imagine James inspired or encouraged his step-son and sons to later serve. Sarah Ann's eldest child, her son from her first marriage, William, served for thirteen years. Aged twenty, he joined the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry as a private on 27th July 1889. Like his step-father before him, he served in India. He served in India for four years from 26th November 1892 to 14th February 1897, and then again for another year from 3rd August 1899 to 21st December 1900. Finally he served in Ceylon from 22nd December 1900 to 21st July 1902. William did not resemble in step-father in appearance: he had sallow skin, grey eyes, brown hair, and was only 5'3 1/2''. Did he look like Sarah Ann? Did he look like his father, Sarah Ann's first husband James Bennett? Did he remind her of him?
Sarah Ann's next son, James, the one who stole the sweets and prawns as a boy, also served. He served in both the Boer War and the First World War. Unfortunately I cannot find his service record for the Boer War, but his service record from the First World War gives us some information of his previous service. It informs us he served in the Devonshire Regiment for ten years, leaving around 1903, meaning he must have joined around 1893, aged about nineteen. James, who rose to the rank of Sergeant like his father before him, reenlisted on 19th November 1915, aged forty-one, as a Sapper and Line Telegraphist. He then served in the Royal Engineers on the British Eastern Front from 29th May 1916 to 14th December 1916. He was discharged on 28th May 1917, suffering from gas poisoning. His conduct in the war was described as "very satisfactory" and his character "very good". In appearance, James seems less the viking Clapperton and more perhaps like his mother Sarah Ann: he had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes, dark brown hair, and was 5'4''.
Sarah's third son, George, followed his older brother James into the Devonshire Regiment, in which he served as a private for seven years. He enlisted on 11th March 1896, aged nineteen. George served in the East Indies from 28th February 1898 to 20th September 1899, and in South Africa from 21st September 1899 to 21st May 1903. It seems George resembled his father: he had fresh skin, blue eyes, fair hair, and was 5'5 1/2''.
Sarah's fourth and youngest son, Walter, served as a private in the Royal Marines Light Infantry: Plymouth Division for thirteen years, from 1898 to 1911. Walter enlisted on 28th December 1898, aged eighteen. The fair Clapperton colouring came through: Walter had blue eyes, light brown hair and was 5'8''. His general character was found to be "good". Walter served on many ships, before being invalided out on 16th November 1911. Eighteen months later, he passed away, aged only thirty-two, in April 1913.
Back to the 1890's...
Her second husband James was dismissed from the army, being found no longer fit to serve, on 26th June 1874, after nineteen years service, and having risen to the rank of Sergeant. Due to exposure to the sun in India, James was suffering from amaurosis (a painless temporary loss of vision in both of his eyes).
His record of dismissal gives a brief description of James' character and physical appearance...
Such was written of his character: "Conduct has been very good... [he is] in possession of four good conduct badges... [however] his name appears five times in the Regimental Defaulters' Book [and] he has been twice tried by Court Martial".
Such was written of his physical appearance: he was 5'10'', had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light hair. His colouring was quite viking it seems.
He had left his wool-spinning family in their native Galashiels, just over the Scottish boarder, and signed up as a private on 31st January 1855, aged nineteen; he now left the army, aged thirty-eight, a Sergeant, having spent half his life, and essentially all his adult life thus far in the army. It seems there was a change of plan: his initial intended place of residence after leaving the army is crossed out and a street in Exeter written in its place. In April 1874, Sarah Ann was being denied relief in Exeter; James junior's later army service records imply he was born around May 1874; and in June 1874, James senior was dismissed from the army and settled in Exeter likely to join Sarah Ann and his son.
I imagine James inspired or encouraged his step-son and sons to later serve. Sarah Ann's eldest child, her son from her first marriage, William, served for thirteen years. Aged twenty, he joined the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry as a private on 27th July 1889. Like his step-father before him, he served in India. He served in India for four years from 26th November 1892 to 14th February 1897, and then again for another year from 3rd August 1899 to 21st December 1900. Finally he served in Ceylon from 22nd December 1900 to 21st July 1902. William did not resemble in step-father in appearance: he had sallow skin, grey eyes, brown hair, and was only 5'3 1/2''. Did he look like Sarah Ann? Did he look like his father, Sarah Ann's first husband James Bennett? Did he remind her of him?
Sarah Ann's next son, James, the one who stole the sweets and prawns as a boy, also served. He served in both the Boer War and the First World War. Unfortunately I cannot find his service record for the Boer War, but his service record from the First World War gives us some information of his previous service. It informs us he served in the Devonshire Regiment for ten years, leaving around 1903, meaning he must have joined around 1893, aged about nineteen. James, who rose to the rank of Sergeant like his father before him, reenlisted on 19th November 1915, aged forty-one, as a Sapper and Line Telegraphist. He then served in the Royal Engineers on the British Eastern Front from 29th May 1916 to 14th December 1916. He was discharged on 28th May 1917, suffering from gas poisoning. His conduct in the war was described as "very satisfactory" and his character "very good". In appearance, James seems less the viking Clapperton and more perhaps like his mother Sarah Ann: he had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes, dark brown hair, and was 5'4''.
Sarah's third son, George, followed his older brother James into the Devonshire Regiment, in which he served as a private for seven years. He enlisted on 11th March 1896, aged nineteen. George served in the East Indies from 28th February 1898 to 20th September 1899, and in South Africa from 21st September 1899 to 21st May 1903. It seems George resembled his father: he had fresh skin, blue eyes, fair hair, and was 5'5 1/2''.
Sarah's fourth and youngest son, Walter, served as a private in the Royal Marines Light Infantry: Plymouth Division for thirteen years, from 1898 to 1911. Walter enlisted on 28th December 1898, aged eighteen. The fair Clapperton colouring came through: Walter had blue eyes, light brown hair and was 5'8''. His general character was found to be "good". Walter served on many ships, before being invalided out on 16th November 1911. Eighteen months later, he passed away, aged only thirty-two, in April 1913.
Back to the 1890's...
In early 1894, Sarah Ann's father William passed away, aged seventy-five, at his home in Hillfarrance, Somerset. There he was buried on 21st January 1894.
Sarah and James' relationship of twenty-six years (since 1873) came to a bitter end in 1898/1899.
They were living separately from around February 1898 "on account of his cruelty to her". He resided on Silver Lane, and Sarah back on Clifton Street.
On the night of Monday 24th April 1899, "he came to her house and knocked at the door but she did not let him in. He threatened to kill her."
The next day, on the afternoon of Tuesday 25th April 1899, "she met him in the street. He followed her home and when he got into the house struck her several times in the mouth, cutting her lip and loosening her teeth"
From the Western Times on 27th April 1899:
Following the assault, James 'took the pledge' to no longer drink alcohol.
There are two very different tellings of what would then go on to happen a week later on Monday 1st May 1899.
Sarah's story:
At around 11:30am, on Monday 1st May 1899, a drunk James came again to Sarah's house and demanded to be admitted. She refused and he forced the door. He lay on the sofa and said he would stay as long as he liked. He then commenced to damage articles of furniture, including tearing curtains and curtain pole from the window.
After some time, he went to an adjoining house to get some beer. Around 5 - 6pm, James and Sarah's lodger, William 'Billy' Duckham Luscombe, had some more beer between them.
Suddenly, James rose and struck Sarah, slapping her in the face. Billy "interfered, and, in the struggle, James fell over a chair or caught his foot in the carpet, and got a black eye". James got up again and threatened them both with a knife.
Sarah and Billy left the house. James bolted the door from the inside, and went to bed, remaining all night in Sarah's home. Sarah came back, but finding the door locked, had to "stop out all night".
Sarah wanted James to stay away from her.
James's story:
James went to Sarah's house on Monday, because he was told on Sunday that she had two men in the house, to which he objected. "He did not think it fair that he should be locked out and the other two men should be let in". Sarah let him in and informed him that she had one lodger. James waited for the lodger, whom he did not know.
Around 5pm, Billy came home. James objected to Billy sleeping there that night. Billy then "commenced to pommel him, giving him a black eye", whilst Sarah said "That's right. Give it to him".
James did not threaten them with a knife.
The beer was purchased after the assault, and James just touched the quart of beer given to him by Billy.
Sarah slipped out of the house, and Billy followed. Sarah had the house key. James, left alone, bolted the door and went to bed.
From the Express and Echo of 3rd May 1899:
And from the Exeter Flying Post on 6th May 1899:
James was subsequently sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment with hard labour, for breaking the peace.
The Bench "considered it quite clear the husband [James] had no business there with his wife [Sarah] at all".
The chairman said "that the Bench desired him to caution her [Sarah] as to her conduct in the future. They had their fears that she had been the means of bringing the poor man [James] his trouble. He had no right to assault her, but they thought that her conduct was largely responsible for it."
Sarah replied. She said "her husband never gave her any money, and she was bound to do something". What was that something? Taking on lodgers to pay the rent?
I do wonder what is so wrong about Sarah's conduct in all this. Was it simply living separately from her 'husband' and having a male lodger?
Or was it clear to the court then that Sarah and Billy were in a relationship? Certainly by November that year they are calling themselves Mr and Mrs Luscombe, though not legally married.
James would come knocking on Sarah's door again...
On Monday 6th November 1899, James went to Sarah's new home - 32 Russell Street.
She and Billy rented rooms as Mr and Mrs Luscombe at the home of Frederick and Jane Sommerville (though articles about this incident spell it as Summerwell), both in their seventies. The newspaper says James asked for 'Clara', but I think someone must have misheard Sarah - still they established he meant Mrs Luscombe.
Jane informed him that 'Clara' was not in. James swore, said she was and called Jane disgusting names. He entered the kitchen, but Jane ordered him out. James then wanted to get her husband Frederick out to drink, but Jane prevented him - James then knocked her down in the passage. He abused her and threatened to assault her again.
Eventually James went outside and Jane locked the door, but James broke it open. A policeman arrived and James went away. Later that evening, James met Jane in the street and knocked her down again.
James returned to the house the next day, on Tuesday 7th November 1899 and offered Jane a sovereign to make it up and added there was "plenty of drink down at Mrs Bennett's". Jane refused his money and put on her bonnet to go get a policeman. James threatened her and struck her a severe blow in the chest.
Jane left to get a warrant from the Police Station, and on her return found her husband Frederick, who was already partially paralysed, had been seriously assaulted. In her absence, James had returned to the house, thrust Frederick against a wall, pinning him there for three or four minutes and striking him several blows in the face, blacking both eyes.
James was very sorry for assaulting the couple. He was sentenced to four months imprisonment.
Bless, poor Jane would passed away from suicide, only five months later, in April 1900. Frederick, bless him, was the one to find her, hanging by a piece of old rope in the outhouse.
From the Express and Echo of 11th November 1899:
1901 Census:
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1903, Sarah (56) married Billy (56), a stone mason, in Exeter.
On 10th May 1909, when Sarah was about sixty-two, Billy passed away, aged sixty-one, in Exeter. He was buried on 15th April 1909 in St Matthew, Exeter.
A widow once more, in her sixties, Sarah worked as a monthly nurse (a woman who would help care for a mother and child the first month or so after the birth).
1911 Census:
By time of the 1921 Census, Sarah was already living with her future husband William Andrew Hooper Coulman.
1921 Census:
In Jan/Feb/Mar 1926, Sarah (78), a monthly nurse, married widower William (65), a stone mason, in Exeter.
William was born in Dawlish, but had his first family his Torquay. He had been married to Lavinia Ann Lanyon, who passed away aged forty. She was buried on 3rd August 1895 in Torquay.
In marrying William, Sarah gained five step sons:
- William Andrew/Henry Hooper 1881 - 1925 (44)
- John Henry Hooper 1883
- Charles Edward 1886
- George Thomas Hooper 1887 - 1888 (1)
- James Henry 1890
Sarah's eldest step-son William (5506) served as a private in the First World War.
Sarah and William were both married four times.
William was widowed four times. His first wife Lavinia passed away in 1895. In 1898, he then married Elizabeth Melhuish, in Newton Abbot. She passed away a year into their marriage, in 1899, in Newton Abbot. He then married Matilda Brout in 1901. She passed away in 1908 in St Thomas, Exeter.
Sarah didn't actually marry her second husband (I cannot find a record of marriage) but lived with him as his wife and took his name. And she moved in with her third and fourth husbands a good few years before she married each - again living as their wife and taking their name. A very unusual approach. As she did it multiple times, I am led to wonder it was her choice. Not being legally married to James Clapperton may have given her more freedom to leave him.
On 26th October 1934, Sarah passed away. aged eighty-seven, in Exeter. She is buried in the Higher Cemetery in Exeter.
 |
| Sarah's grave |
I am grateful for my second half-cousin twice removed, Robert Slack (grandson of Sarah Ann's youngest daughter Florence), for posting about Sarah's later life. I had struggled to find anything about her after 1899 and was glad to discover she got away from her abusive husband.
Sarah's fourth husband, William, passed away on 11th December 1940, aged eighty, in Exeter.
No comments:
Post a Comment