My Great x3 Aunt Ellen (1857 - 1948) was a tailoress, housewife, mother of eight, and the elder sister of my Great Great Grandfather Francis 'Frank' George Wright (1868 - 1939).
Ellen was born on 29th May 1857 in St Mary Major, Exeter, Devon to William Wright (about 36), a man of many occupations but at the time of Ellen's birth a labourer, and Sarah Wright (nee Emberry) (about 28), a housewife and later an outdoor servant and laundress.
Ellen was baptised on 14th June 1857 in St Mary Major, Exeter, alongside her older brother Frederick. At the time of their baptisms, the family lived on Sun Street, Exeter.
Ellen was the fourth of eight children (six sons and two daughters) and the eldest daughter:
- Thomas William 1849 - 1931 (82)
- Henry John 1851 - 1915 (63)
- Frederick Emberry 1854 - 1913 (59)
- Ellen 1857 - 1948 (91)
- Walter Charles 1861 -
- Alfred Frank 1864 -
- Francis 'Frank' George 1868 - 1939 (70 years old)
- Bessie T 1870 -
1861 Census:
1871 Census:
On 23rd December 1879, Ellen (22), a tailoress, married Charles Jerome (later Spencer) (23), a sailor. At the time of their marriage, both parties were living on Rack Street - were neighbours. They must have meet whilst Charles was serving on HMS Cambridge, a gunnery ship off Plymouth, from 28th January 1878 to 4th February 1880.
Ellen and Charles had eight children (one passed away by 1911 Census):
- Rosina 1881
- William Charles 1886
- Ernest Alfred 1888
- Walter Henry 1890
- Alice Maude 1892
- George Horace 1894
- Lillian 1899
- ?
(On Censuses, Ellen and children have surname of Spencer, though on marriage Charles' surname is Jerome. However, his father's name is not given. Charles was born in Swallowfield, Berkshire, 1856. On his baptism record only his mother's name is given (Sarah Jerome). 1871 Census, living in London. Step father is Charles Spencer!)
Charles join the navy on New Years Day 1873, aged sixteen. His service papers give a brief physical description: he was 5'1'', but grew to 5'3''; had dark brown hair, blue eyes and skin that went from fresh to dark with service. He had an anchor tattooed on the back of his left hand. His character was repeatedly given as very good or excellent. He served mainly on guard ships in British harbours, from 1st January 1873 to 6th November 1885:
- St Vincent (a training ship) 1st January 1873 - 9th October 1873
- Excellent (shore establishment or 'stone frigate') 10th October 1873 - 6th January 1874
- Hector (stationary guard ship, part of Southern Reserve Fleet) 7th January 1874 - 17th April 1874
- Duke of Wellington (guard ship, flagship at Portsmouth) 18th April 1874 - 20th May 1874
- Druid (North America and West Indies) 21st May 1874 - 22nd October 1876
- Terror (Bermuda) 23rd October 1876 - 10th November 1877
- Encounter 11th November 1877 - 28th November 1877
- Duke of Wellington (guard ship, flagship at Portsmouth) 29th November 1877 - 1st December 1877
- Royal Adelaide (either depot ship or royal yacht) 2nd December 1877 - 27th January 1878
- Cambridge (gunnery ship off Plymouth) 28th January 1878 - 4th February 1880
- Resistance (Mersey guardship) 5th February 1880 - 14th June 1880
- Defence (Mersey guardship) 15th June 1880 - 1st September 1881
- Cambridge (gunnery ship off Plymouth) 2nd September 1881 - 9th January 1882
- Thalia 10th January 1882 - 10th April 1882
- Boadicea 11th April 1882 - 18th September 1883
- Flora (Harbour Service) 19th September 1883 - 3rd October 1883
- Boadicea 4th October 1883 - 24th October 1883
- Flora (Harbour Service) 25th October 1883 - 2nd November 1883
- Boadicea 3rd November 1883 - 25th July 1885
- Cambridge (gunnery ship off Plymouth) 26th July 1885 - 30th September 1885
- Shannon (Reserve) 1st October 1885 - 6th November 1885
Afterwards he joined the coast guard as a boatman in Kerry, Ireland.
Come the 1881 Census, Ellen was living alone at 7 Okehampton Street (next to St Thomas workhouse), in Exeter, working as tailoress. Meanwhile, her husband Charles was onboard ship.
1881 Census:
Ellen must have been living in Kerry, Ireland in the late 1880's for her children, William and Ernest, were born there in 1886 and 1888. However, she was back in her native Exeter with her widowed mother and younger brothers, come the 1891 Census.
1891 Census:
Ellen was back in Kerry, Ireland come 1892 (when daughter Alice was born). They then moved to Enniscrone (where George was born) in 1894 and Doohoma (where Lillian was born) in 1899 and were still there come the 1901 Census. At least five of Ellen's children were born in Ireland, with only eldest Rosina and middle child Walter born in Ellen's native Exeter.
1901 Census:
At some point in the first decade of the 1900's, Ellen and her family moved from Ireland to Itchen, Hampshire, where Ellen's husband and sons, now young men, worked as labourers for shipbuilders.
1911 Census:
In the 1910's, all of Ellen and Charles' children - apart from married daughter Alice - left their parents' home.
On 11th April 1911, their youngest son George (764, later 352117), aged 17, enlisted as a gunner in the 1st Hampshire Artillery Volunteer, Hampshire Royal Garrison Artillery. The unit saw no action, but protected the Portsmouth area. He was taller than his father, at 5'6''. His character was given as 'very good' and he was said to be 'a steady man'.
On 8th July 1915, he was temporarily released for duty with J I Thornycroft (Engineering Ship Builders). George was re-engaged into service on 10th April 1916. He was discharged on 22nd March 1917. He served only at 'home' e.g. the UK.
Ellen's husband Charles and all four of her sons worked for John I Thornycroft & Company Limited. They would have therefore been in a reserved occupation and her sons would not have been conscripted in the First World War, for their occupation would have been considered vital to the war effort.
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| Advertisement for John I Thornycroft, 1916 |
1921 Census:
On the afternoon of Monday 19th February 1923, Ellen's husband Charles, aged sixty-six, died. He had been working as a driller's mate on the S.S. Majestic. He left the ship carrying a tool bag on his back and drilling post in his left hand (by one account weighing over 2 stone, but by another estimated in all to weigh about 4 stone!). His son George saw his father in the stoke hole, carrying such, before he left the ship. Charles walked half a mile carrying these, before he collapsed and died of heart failure.
From the Hampshire Advertiser of 24th February 1923:
Come the dawn of the Second World War, widowed Ellen was still living at 14 Oakbank Road, Southampton, with her married daughter Alice, her husband and children, and her widowed daughter Rosina.
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| Ellen's daughter Alice and her husband Alfred Ernest Baldwin. May 1916 |
1939 Census:
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1948, Ellen passed away, aged ninety-one, in the district of Southampton.
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