ADA CHILCOTT

Ada Eliza Chilcott was born 1st January 1875 at 9 St Mary’s Square, with her birth listed in the Lambeth St Mary parish register. She was the youngest child of Louisa and John Chilcott (see below). She married Fred Glover (see below) on 30th September 1901 at All Saints, North Peckham, London. The marriage certificate shows both of them as 24, but she would actually have been 26 while he was only 23. Fred’s brother, Alfred, was one of their witnesses. FRED GLOVER Frederick James Glover (Fred I) was born on 13th June 1878 in Peckham and was the son of William Glover (a tin plate worker) and Georgina Hart. Fred served in the Army during the Boer War and the First World War – when he was in the Army Cycling Corps in France. He was gassed while in the trenches and, as a result, suffered from asthma and bronchitis for the rest of his life. Ada and Fred had one son who died young of measles, according to Joan Thomas (remembered from conversations with her grandmother, Ada). In 1902, Frederick James Glover (Fred II) was born, followed by May Lucy (my Nan), who was born on 25th May 1908. At the time of his marriage (1901), he was living at Pennack Street, Peckham, and his occupation is listed as ‘carman’, which was the driver of a horse-drawn vehicle. At Nan’s birth in 1908 Fred’s occupation is listed as ‘confectioner (master)’, while her wedding certificate shows him as a ‘cinema attendant’. ADA & FRED Ada and Fred had one son who died young of measles, according to Joan Thomas (remembered from conversations with her grandmother, Ada). In 1902, Frederick James Glover (Fred II) was born, followed by May Lucy (my Nan), who was born on 25th May 1908. Fred’s three acts of “cruelty” were throwing a wet cloth at Ada, throwing a stale crust of bread at her (“which hurt her”) and picking up a brass weight off a stall outside their then home at 64 East Street, Walworth, London, and throwing it at her. While this might seem almost frivolous, until divorce laws were reformed in 1923, adultery alone wasn’t enough for a woman to divorce her husband, there also had to be an aggravating factor – so it’s quite possible Fred and Ada the “cruelty” was something that was added in so the divorce could take place. The 1911 census shows Ada living alone at Westmoreland Road, Walworth, while Fred was one of nearly 1,000 men living at Rowton House, Newington Butts, a hostel for down-and-outs and low-paid workers. At this time it appears Nan (then two) and her older brother were living as boarders with a Walter Jackson, street seller, and his wife Elizabeth, in East Street, Walworth. (For some reason, Fred II is listed by his middle name of James.) But although Ada and Fred had divorced, their relationship obviously did not end there as they subsequently had another son. George Glover was born on 23rd February, probably in 1913 although some records show 1912 and some 1914. By 1914, Fred II seems to have been living with his dad as he was baptised from the address (24 Loncroft Road, Southwark) where Fred I was registered as living in 1915. Fred I and his son were both living at 246 Sumner Road, Camberwell in 1927 – which was shortly before Fred II emigrated to Canada.

According to his son – also Frederick James! – Fred II emigrated in about 1928 and he married Sadie Bailey in 1930 at The Pas, Manitoba. Fred II did military service with the PPCLI (Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry) and was a professional musician. He left his wife, Sadie, and fell out with both his son and daughter-in-law. He died in around 1960 and is buried in the Canadian Legion Section at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

By 1933, Fred I was back living with Ada at 5 Trafalgar Square! They appear to have stayed together after that. The 1939 census shows them living together at 130 Gordon Road, Camberwell. When London was being bombed during the Second Word War they lived for a while with Nan and Grandad in Sidcup, Kent. Ada died on 20th September 1954 at St James’ Hospital, Battersea, London, aged 79. Ada’s death certificate lists Fred as ‘master cabinet maker’. His family recall that he made small pieces of furniture and used marquetry skilfully but was not trained. I’m still trying to track where Fred senior was between 1891 and 1901 as his mother died in 1884 when he was only 6 and he was living with his older sister Georgiana and her husband when he was 13 in 1891. Megan: George Glover was Nan’s younger brother – born on 23rd Feb 1913 – although following family tradition some records show 1914 and some 1912 but I think 1913 is correct. His parents were Ada and Fred, so they were obviously spending some time together despite the divorce and living separately some of the time! George married Phyllis Winifred Grantham in 1938 and they lived in Croydon where he was a carpet salesman. I think the military uniform in the photo was the East Surrey Regiment as there’s a record for a George Glover serving there in 1940. George died in 1971 in Wandsworth and Phyllis in 2001 in Croydon. They don’t appear to have had any children – so no extra relatives to catch up with! Going back to cycling connections – Frederick James Glover senior served in the Cycling Corps in France in WWI and received the Victory, Star and British medals. So, cycling goes back in the family to at least 1915.

In search of Louisa Chilcott

Our Nan’s mother, Ada Glover, was the daughter of John and Louisa Chilcott. However, the records of the Chilcotts’ lives and relationship are quite confused.

The Chilcott family appears to be descended from William Chilcott (born 1798 in Bleadon, Somerset) and his wife Elizabeth (born 1797 in Thornbury, Gloucestershire).

William and Elizabeth’s second son was John, born around 1827. He married Louisa Wilson on 31st August 1874, at St John’s parish church, Waterloo, in Southwark (then still part of Surrey). Their youngest child, Ada, was born a year later at 9 St Mary’s Square, Lambeth.

However, John and Louisa appear to have had three or four children together while Louisa was still married to her first husband, Alfred. The Chilcotts’ own wedding then took place less than a month after Alfred’s death. John and Louisa also appear to have been living separately by 1881.

My mum researched their lives using old census records etc. and a handwritten copy of the account below was among her papers. I’ve added some notes that may help clarify a few points:

William Chilcott was born in Bleadon, Somerset, about 1798. Bleadon is a village on the western end of the Mendip Hills near Weston-super-Mare. His wife, Elizabeth, was from Thornbury, Gloucestershire, and they probably married about 1825. By 1827 they were living in Bristol, where they remained for the rest of their lives.

In 1841 they were living in Redcliff Backs in the St Mary Redcliff parish of Bristol with their six sons. This seems to have been an area of multiple occupation of housing. William was working as a ‘paper hanger’. Ten years later, his occupation was given as ‘labourer. He died before 1861, probably between 1855 and 1859.

His wife, Elizabeth, born about 1797, lived with their third son, Charles, from the death of her husband until sometime after 1871, when her age was given as 75.

Three of their sons became hatters: John, Edwin, and Alfred. John and Alfred moved to London – John before 1851, Alfred before 1871. Alfred’s wife Matilda was a hat-trimmer from Bristol. Alfred died before 1891, Matilda died in 1893.

John Chilcott was living in lodgings in Surrey in 1861 in the home of a ‘victualler’ (a pub?)¹. He did not marry until 1874 but on 20th November 1853 his eldest son, John William, was born at 42, Palace Street, Westminster. His mother’s name was given as Louisa Chilcott, formerly Willies.

Louisa Willies had married Alfred Willson on 17th March 1850. It seems unlikely that Alfred had died at this point² because Louisa and John eventually married in 1874. At this time, she is described as a widow.

Two more sons were born. In 1859 Charles was born in Southwark and in about 1867 Henry was born². In 1871 John was living with his three sons in St Mary’s, Lambeth. He was working as a hatter. There is no mention of Louisa. Was she not there or was her name not on the census because she was not legally Louisa Chilcott?

Four months after John and Louisa were eventually married⁴, their only daughter, Ada Eliza, was born on 1st January 1875.

In 1881 Louisa – now referred to as Lucy – was living with her two younger sons and Ada at 15 Bird Street, St Philip, Lambeth. Charles (23) is referred to as a ‘hatter, unemployed’. Note: Henry (16) is listed as a ‘light porter’. John William was married and living with his wife, Elizabeth, in St Martin in the Fields, Pimlico. He lived in London all his life, had at least six children and died in St Pancras in December 1931.

The 1881 census shows John Chilcott living as a lodger at 57 Brook Street, Lambeth. John died in 1883 in St Saviour, Lambeth.

In 1891, Louisa – now referred to as Lucy – was living with Ada at 1 Hope Cottage (?), Bird Street, Lambeth. She was a charwoman (and a widow). Ada, aged 16, a glove clasp maker. Ten years later they were in Ward Street, Lambeth. Lucy was now “living on her own means” and Ada, aged 26, was a tobacco packer. A few months later, she married Fred Glover. Louisa apparently died in Lambeth in 1904.

Tracing Louisa/Lucy Willies/Williss/Willis/Willson/Chilcott has been difficult because of the variety of names used and the variations in the spelling of the name Willies. Also, the age she gave for herself seems often to be inaccurate.

The spelling of her maiden name apparently should be Willies. This is the version that she and her elder sister Sarah both used when they signed the marriage register at their marriages in March and October 1850. It is also the spelling of the name that she used when she registered the birth of John William Chilcott in 1853.⁵

Louisa first appears in 1841 as the 12-year-old daughter of James and Sarah Willis, called at this point Lucy. Her elder sister Sarah was 14. James Willis is described as a greengrocer. In 1850 the marriage certificates for the two sisters both show him as James Willies, gardener, deceased.

In 1848 the banns were called for the marriage of Louisa and Alfred Willson. She would have been about 19.⁶ The marriage did not take place. In 1850 the banns were called again. She was 21. The marriage took place on 17th March 1850 but by November 1853 she was the mother of John William Chilcott.

If we assume that her ages of 12 in the 1841 census is reasonably accurate then we have to adjust the ages she gave in later censuses. In 1881 she was 52 not 44, in 1891 she was 62 not 5 (72), in 1901 she was 72 not 68.⁷

James Willies

James Willies was born circa 1768. In 1841 he is described as a greengrocer. Died before 1850. At his daughters’ marriages he is described as a gardener. (A market gardener?)

His wife Sarah, born circa 1801, in Lambeth, was still living in 1861 when she was a visitor at the home of her daughter Sarah and son-in-law William Blower. She was then 60.

James and Sarah had four children: William, born circa 1826, Sarah, born circa 1827, Lucy (or Louisa) born circa 1829, and Charlotte, born circa 1833.

NOTES:

1. The death certificate for Louisa’s first husband, Alfred Willson, lists his occupation as “Licensed Victualler”, so it’s possible this is who John Chilcott was lodging with in 1861 – and how he met Louisa.
2. According to his birth certificate “Edwin Henry” was born on 29th January 1865 at 30 Jonathan Street, Lambeth, the son of journeyman hatter John Chilcott and “Louisa Chilcott formerly Willis”. However, he later appears in the census as “Henry” and on his death certificate in 1890 is listed as “Henry Edwin”, suggesting he preferred his middle name and swapped around his given names.
3. By “at that point”, I presume my mum meant when John William was born in 1853 – which suggests she didn’t have the copy of Alfred’s death certificate when she wrote this.
4. John Chilcott and Louisa Wilson married on 31st August 1874 – with Louisa listed as “widow”. Alfred’s death certificate shows that he died on 3rd August 1874 at 48 Newman Street, Marylebone – less than a month earlier. Alfred was 46 when he died.
5. Louisa makes “her mark” rather than signing her name on the birth certificates for her children. This suggests she was illiterate so the various spellings of her name are not that surprising.
6. Based on Alfred’s age of 46 when he died, he would have only been 20 when the banns were first called, so also too young to wed without permission. When the couple married in 1850, Louisa is listed as a spinster.
7. I’m not sure what my mum meant by the ages relating to 1891 but I have included this as written.

The Mad Hatters? Several Chilcotts worked as hatters. In 1871, John Chilcott’s youngest brother Alfred was living in Cornwall Road, Waterloo. He is listed as a ‘silk hatter’ (aged 31), while his wife Matilda (29) was a hat trimmer. Their family is listed as daughter Adeline (7) and son Alfred (6), both scholars, and daughter Ada (1). Ten years Alfred was living in Webber Street, Waterloo. He is now listed as a hatter (aged 41), while Matilda has lost two years from her age and is listed as aged 37. Their family is listed as Alfred (16), a messenger, Ada (11), a scholar, and son Harry (4). John Chilcott’s son Charles died on 23rd May 1896 in the Metropolitan Asylum in Caterham, Surrey. Charles was 38 and listed as a ‘hatter of Lambeth’. The cause of death is given as ‘exhaustion of epilepsy and dementia’. John Chilcott drowned around 23rd August 1883. His death certificate lists him as a hatter aged 57 and says his body was recovered after being in the Thames for four or five days with no proof of how he came to be there.