Family of Thomas Frederick Dowell and Rebecca Thornton

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1881, 1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hoxton Old Town

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1891, 1891 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green

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1901, 1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

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1911, 1911 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green

  • Husband:

  • Thomas Frederick Dowell (1855-1919)

  • Wife:

  • Rebecca Thornton (1861-1936)

  • Children:

  • Rebecca Harriet Dowell (1880-1961)

  •  

  • Caroline Emma Dowell (1882-1957)

  •  

  • Thomas Dowell (1884-1965)

  •  

  • Charles Hezekiah Dowell (1886-1927)

  •  

  • Louisa Alice Dowell (1889-1918)

  •  

  • Harriet Ethel Dowell (1893-1972)

  •  

  • Alice Eleanor Dowell (1896-1987)

  •  

  • William John Dowell (1896-1968)

  •  

  • Arthur Herbert Dowell (1898-1955)

  • Marriage:

  • 15 Mar 1880

  • St Thomas' Church1,2,3

  •  

  • Address: Baroness Road, Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    Thomas could have been either the father (although this is unlikely as he was an inmate of the Bethnal Green Workhouse at the time) or the younger brother of the bride. However, as Harriett was the eldest sister of the groom Thomas was almost certainly the bride's sibling. Who the other guests were is not known but the wedding would almost have certainly been attended by the groom's and bride's families although it is unlikely that the groom's parents attended in view of his father's situation. After the marriage the couple shared a house with John & Harriett Pope at 25 Hobbs Place, Shoreditch. The groom, the bride and the both witnesses signed with their marks indicating that they were illiterate. This confirms Rebecca's daughter Alice's recollection that her mother could neither read or write (but was very good at mental arithmetic). Thomas must have learnt to read and write to some extent as towards the end of his life he was a caterer's traveller and a tailor's assistant.

    St Thomas' Church was damaged by German bombing during the 1939-45 war and demolished in 1954.

  • Census for household:

  • 3 Apr 1881

  • Shoreditch4,5

  •  

  • Address: 25 Hobbs Place

    The household consisted of Thomas, his wife Rebekah and their daughter Rebekah (age 1). They shared the house with John Pope's family whose wife Harriett was Rebecca's older sister. Harriett's and Rebecca's brother Hezekiah was also lodging with the Popes.

  • Census for household:

  • 5 Apr 1891

  • Bethnal Green, Middlesex6

  •  

  • Address: 17 Fuller Street

    The household consisted of Thomas, his wife Rebecca, and their children Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles and Louisa. They occupied three rooms in a house which they shared with two other families. How a family of seven fitted into three rooms is not known. It is assumed that each of the three families cooked for themselves in their own living rooms but probably shared a sculley and a toilet in the yard. Thomas and Rebecca probably slept in the living room with the boys in one room and the girls in the remaining room.

  • Census for household:

  • 31 Mar 1901

  • Shoreditch7

  •  

  • Address: 91, Phillip Street

    The household consisted of Thomas, his wife Rebecca (nee Thornton), and their children Caroline (age 19), Thomas (age 17), Charles (age 14), Louisa (age 11), Harriett (age 8), William (age 4), his twin sister Alice (age 4) and Arthur (age 2). The family had the whole house to themselves although there is no indication as to its size. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

  • Census for household:

  • 2 Apr 1911

  • Bethnal Green, London8,9,10

  •  

  • Address: 26 Baroness Road

    The household consisted of Thomas and his wife Rebecca, their children Harriett, Alice, William, and Arthur, and Herbert Dowell, and their granddaughter Louise Fippen. Thomas, Harriett, Alice and William were all working whilst Arthur and Louise were at school.

    Although Louise Fippen is shown as the granddaughter of Thomas Dowell technically she was his step-granddaughter. Louise was the daughter of Thomas Fippen and Louise Jane Dorsett who died on 19 July 1901 of tuberculosis of the brain. Thomas Fippen then married Caroline Emma Dowell a daughter of Thomas and Rebecca on 2 Nov 1902, and they went on to have five children of their own. When Louise came to live with the Dowells is not known - probably shortly before or after Louise Dorset's death because Rebecca had promised to take Louise in if anything happened to her mother. Louise never married and continued to live with Rebecca or after she died Alice. As children Louise and Alice shared a bedroom and had to turn the mangle together on washdays.

    The return was probably filled in by Thomas' daughter Harriet as both Thomas and his wife Rebecca were illiterate. Thomas added his mark X after his name in the signature box.

Husband: Thomas Frederick Dowell

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1855, Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell

  • Name:

  • Thomas Frederick Dowell11

  • Sex:

  • Male

  • Father:

  • Hezekiah Dowell (1816-1881)

  • Mother:

  • Hannah Drew (1820-1860)

  • Birth:

  • 23 Jul 1855

  • Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, Middlesex6,12,13

  •  

  • Address: 3 Kingsnorth Place

  • Baptism:

  • 5 Aug 1855 (age 0)

  • St John the Baptist Church14

  •  

  • Address: Hoxton, Shoreditch

    They probably took Thomas' older siblings Harriett, Charles and Harry but who else was there is not known.

  • Birth Registration:

  • 1 Sep 1855 (age 0)

  • Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch12

  •  

  • Address: the Register Office

    She signed with her mark.

  • Birth Registration:

  • 1 Sep 1855 (age 0)

  • the Register Office

  •  

  • Address: Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, Middlesex

    She signed the declaration with her mark.

  • Education:

  • btw 1860 and 1869 (age 4-14)

  • elementary education; board schools in8,15

  •  

  • Address: Shoreditch

    However, what sort of education he received is probablematical as he was certainly could not write as he signed his daughter Caroline's marriage certificate and the 1911 Census return with his mark X.

  • Census (living with father):

  • 7 Apr 1861 (age 5)

  • 1861 Census. Living with father

  •  

  • They shared the house with another family. In all there were 13 people living in the house. The size is unknown.

  • Present (half-sibling):

  • 20 Jul 1862 (age 6)

  • Present at Baptism of his half-sister Sarah

  • Present (half-sibling):

  • 17 Aug 1864 (age 9)

  • Present at Baptism of his half-brother William

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1869 to 1919 (age 13-64)

  • carman; Bethnal Green and Shoreditch6,7,8,16,17,18,19,20,21,22

  •  

  • In the 1871 Census he is shown as an errand boy and all subsequent Censuses (up to 1911) as a carman (i.e. a person who drove a horse drawn delivery vehicle). It is assumed that he started work at 12 as an errand boy perhaps working for a firm of carriers as the van boy and graduated to a carman. He is described as a jouneyman carman on his daughter Alice's birth certificate and Alice remembers being taken to see the shire horses in their stable which was probably near where they lived. In the 1911 Census and on his wife Rebecca's Death Certificate he is describes as a contractor's carman. It is therefore certain that he worked for someone else and not on his own account. Whether he worked for the same employer all the time is not known. The family moved frequently within the Bethnal Green and Shoreditch area but this was not uncommon as families grew and dwindled and is not necessarily indicative of a change in employer. However, he must have lost his job sometime after the 1911 census as his Death Certificate describes him as a tailor's assistant. His daughter Alice was married twice. On the marriage certificate to her first husband, Horace Richmond, which took place in 1938 Thomas is described as a caterer's traveller and on the marriage certificate to her second husband, William Ward, which took place in 1948 Thomas is described as a caterer. Alice remembers as a small girl preparing vegetables for banquets at London hotels to earn a little pocket money presumably after he became a caterer's traveller. Why he changed jobs toward the end of his life is not known; being a traveller was almost certainly a better job than a carman. On the other hand the use of horse drawn vehicles was certainly diminishing as motor vehicles became more numerous and it is possible that he could not, or didn't wish to, learn to drive. The reason for the subsequent change to a tailor's assistant is not clear. Perhaps he lost his job or illness forced him to make the change but at least he kept on working to the end of his life. In what way he assisted the tailor is not known; given his previous occupation as a carman it may have been in a warehouseman and/or delivery role.

  • Census (living with father and stepmother):

  • 2 Apr 1871 (age 15)

  • 1871 Census - living with father and stepmother

  • Parent:

  • 22 Feb 1880 (age 24)

  • Birth of daughter Rebecca Harriet

  • Parent:

  • 5 Mar 1882 (age 26)

  • Birth of daughter Caroline Emma

  • Parent:

  • 26 Mar 1882 (age 26)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Caroline Emma

  • Witness:

  • 23 Dec 1883 (age 28)

  • Thomas witnessed the Marriage of Thomas Thornton and Elizabeth Ann Darby

  •  

  • His wife Rebecca who was the other witness was the groom's sister.

  • Parent:

  • 2 Mar 1884 (age 28)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Thomas

  • Parent:

  • 23 May 1886 (age 30)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Charles Hezekiah

  • Parent:

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 34)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Louisa Alice

  • Parent:

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 37)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Harriet Ethel

  • Residence:

  • 13 May 1896 (age 40)

  • 43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, London23,24

  •  

  • The family now consisted of Thomas and Rebecca, and their eight children Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles, Louisa, Harriet and the latest additions the twins Alice and William.

  • Parent:

  • 31 May 1896 (age 40)

  • Birth of daughter Alice Eleanor

  • Parent:

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 40)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Alice Eleanor

  • Parent:

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 40)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child William John

  • Parent:

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 43)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Arthur Herbert

  • Witness:

  • 8 Apr 1900 (age 44)

  • Thomas witnessed the Marriage of Charles Leonard Maskall and Rebecca Harriet Dowell

  • Adoptive Father:

  • Jun 1901 (age 45)

  • Adopted Louise Mary Fippen

  • Witness:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 47)

  • Thomas witnessed the Marriage of Thomas Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

  • Son's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 47)

  • Marriage of son Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Residence:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 51)

  • 126, St John's Street, Hoxton, Bethnal Green, London25

  •  

  • It is assumed that the address given on the Marriage Certificate of their daughter Louisa was the family home.

  • Daughter's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 51)

  • Marriage of daughter Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Death:

  • 23 Apr 1919 (age 63)

  • Shoreditch, London26,27

  •  

  • Cause: valvular disease of the heart, chronic bronchitis and syncope

    Address: 23 Holms Street, Great Cambridge Street

    Syncope is the medical term for fainting which can arise from several causes. However, the most like cause was the decrease in the amount of blood flowing back to the heart due to straining during the coughing associated with bronchitis. His wife Rebecca was with him when he died.

  • Death Registration:

  • 24 Apr 1919

  • the Register Office for Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch28

Wife: Rebecca Thornton

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2007, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton

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1921, 1921 Census for Household of Rebecca Dowell

  • Name:

  • Rebecca Thornton29

  • Sex:

  • Female

  • Father:

  • Thomas Thornton (1830-1900)

  • Mother:

  • Caroline Wood (1832-1905)

  • Birth:

  • 15 Jun 1861

  • Bethnal Green, Middlesex30,31

  •  

  • Address: 1 Octagon Place

  • Baptism:

  • 25 Jul 1861 (age 0)

  • St Bartholomew's Church

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

  • Birth Registration:

  • 27 Jul 1861 (age 0)

  • the Register Office32

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    She signed the papers with her mark, indicating that she could not write.

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1866 to 1873 (age 4-12)

  • scholar; Bethnal Green, Middlesex33,34,35,36,37,38

  •  

  • Although she is shown as a Scholar in the 1871 Census, which was taken when she was 9, she could not not read or write and signed documents (her Marriage Certificate, the Birth Certificates for her children, and the Death Certificate for her husband) with her mark. According to her daughter Alice although she could not read or write she was extremely good at mental arithmetic and could add up her grocery bill quicker than the assistant. If the two sums did not agree she would make the assistant add it up again. This may have been an indication that she was dyslexic. She probably left school at 12.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 17 Mar 1867 (age 5)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Louisa

  • Present (sibling):

  • 18 Jul 1869 (age 8)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Emma

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 2 Apr 1871 (age 9)

  • 1871 Census - living with parents

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1873 to 1882 (age 11-21)

  • chair carver; Shoreditch, Middlesex39,40

  •  

  • In the 1881 Census she is shown as a chair carver and it is assumed that she started work as soon as she was able to leave work on her 13th birthday. As her father was a chair maker it is quite likely that he got her a job at the place where he worked. She continued to work after he marriage to Thomas Dowell; how she managed with a small baby and her husband working as a carman is not known. However, they shared a house with John and Harriett Pope and their five children. Harriett was Rebecca's older sister and worked as a boxmaker which was probably a home workers job so she could well have minded Rebecca's baby as well as looking after her own one year old. When Rebecca gave up work is not known but is is assumed it was around the time of the birth of her second child in 1882.

  • Parent:

  • 22 Feb 1880 (age 18)

  • Birth of daughter Rebecca Harriet

  • Mother:

  • 2 Apr 1880 (age 18)

  • Reported her daughter Rebecca's birth to the Registrar

  • Parent:

  • 5 Mar 1882 (age 20)

  • Birth of daughter Caroline Emma

  • Parent:

  • 26 Mar 1882 (age 20)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Caroline Emma

  • Witness:

  • 23 Dec 1883 (age 22)

  • Rebecca witnessed the Marriage of Thomas Thornton and Elizabeth Ann Darby

  •  

  • She was the sister of the groom and the other witness Thomas Dowell was her husband.

  • Parent:

  • 2 Mar 1884 (age 22)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Thomas

  • Parent:

  • 23 May 1886 (age 24)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Charles Hezekiah

  • Parent:

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 28)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Louisa Alice

  • Mother:

  • 18 Dec 1889 (age 28)

  • Reported her daughter Louisa's birth to the Registrar

  • Parent:

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 31)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Harriet Ethel

  • Residence:

  • 13 May 1896 (age 34)

  • 43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, London23,24

  •  

  • The family now consisted of Thomas and Rebecca, and their eight children Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles, Louisa, Harriet and the latest additions the twins Alice and William.

  • Parent:

  • 31 May 1896 (age 34)

  • Birth of daughter Alice Eleanor

  • Parent:

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 35)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Alice Eleanor

  • Parent:

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 35)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child William John

  • Mother:

  • 23 Jun 1896 (age 35)

  • Reported her daughter Alice's birth to the Registrar

  • Mother:

  • 23 Jun 1896 (age 35)

  • Reported her son William's birth to the Registrar

  • Parent:

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 37)

  • Thomas and Rebecca Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Arthur Herbert

  • Adoptive Mother:

  • Jun 1901 (age 39-40)

  • Adopted Louise Mary Fippen

  • Guest:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 41)

  • Guest at marriage of Thomas Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

  • Son's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 41)

  • Marriage of son Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Residence:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 45)

  • 126, St John's Street, Hoxton, Bethnal Green, London41

  •  

  • It is assumed that the address given on the Marriage Certificate of their daughter Louisa was the family home.

  • Daughter's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 45)

  • Marriage of daughter Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 25 Sep 1910 (age 49)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Thomas Gillett

  • Surviving Spouse:

  • 23 Apr 1919 (age 57)

  • her husband Tom; Shorditch Old Town26

  •  

  • Address: at their home in 23 Holms Street, Great Cambridge Street

    She was with him when he died and reported his death to the Registrar the following day

  • present:

  • 23 Apr 1919 (age 57)

  • Present at death of Thomas Frederick Dowell

  • reported:

  • 24 Apr 1919 (age 57)

  • Reported death of Thomas Frederick Dowell

  • Son's marriage:

  • 25 Sep 1920 (age 59)

  • Marriage of son Arthur to Susan Ethel Hutton

  • Census:

  • 19 Jun 1921 (age 60)

  • Shoreditch, London42

  •  

  • Address: 23 Halms Street

    The household consisted of Rebecca, her son William, her daughters Harriet and Alice, her grandson Thomas Fippen, and her granddaughters Louisa Fippen and Louisa Kelly. Rebecca was illiterate and had signed all previous documents (e.g. marriage register, children's birth registrations, her husband's death registration with her mark X) so one of her children or a neighbour must have filled in and signed the form on her behalf. William is shown as a French Polisher which is an error. He was an upholsterer and his older brother Tom (who had married the previous year and moved away) had been trained as a French Polisher. Thomas and Louisa Fippen although shown as Rebecca's grandchildren were actually her step-grandchildren. They were the children of Thomas Fippen and his first wife Louisa Jane Dorset who died on 19 July 1901 and had asked Rebecca to "look after her children". Thomas subsequently married Rebecca's daughter Caroline on 2 November 1902. Louisa Kelly was the daughter of Edward Kelly and Rebecca's daughter Louisa who died on 28 October 1918 of Spanish 'Flu. Edward did not die prior to the 1921 Census (as shown in the census return) but must have abandoned his children and so was dead as far as Rebecca was concerned. He married Martha Watts in 1922 and was alive at the time of the 1939 Register.

  • Death:

  • 25 Dec 1936 (age 75)

  • her son William's home43,44,45

  •  

  • Cause: cerebral haemorrhage

    Address: 8 Devonshire Road, Lambeth

    William had never married and at the time of her death she was living with him. Her grandson Jack who was 2 years 9 months old at the time can just remember her death. At the time he was living at 55 Binfield Road which was nearby and must have been taken by his mother Alice to see her. She was lying unconscious on a chaise lounge in her usual long black dress and apparently he kept saying "Wake up Grandma". Later Jack was told by his mother that Rebecca had been in a coma for three day between the stroke and her death.

  • Death Registration:

  • 29 Dec 1936

  • the Register Office46

  •  

  • Address: for Lambeth

Child 1: Rebecca Harriet Dowell

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1880, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Harriet Dowell

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1961, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Rebecca Alice Maskall

  • Name:

  • Rebecca Harriet Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Female

  • Spouse:

  • Charles Leonard Maskall (1879-1955)

  • Birth:

  • 22 Feb 1880

  • Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, Middlesex47,48,49

  •  

  • Address: 22 Constable Alley

    At the time her parents were not married (they married a few weeks later on 8 April 1880) but the birth was registered as if they had been. Her mother's parents were living in 2 New Street, Bethnal Green and her mother got married from there. After her parents married they shared a house with Rebecca's sister Harriett and her husband at 25 Hobbs Place.

  • Birth Registration:

  • 2 Apr 1880 (age 0)

  • the Register Office47

  •  

  • Address: Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, Middlesex

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 3 Apr 1881 (age 1)

  • 1881 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • Her parents shared the house with John Pope's family whose wife Harriett was Rebecca's elder sister. Harriett's and Rebecca's brother Hezekiah was also lodging with the Popes.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 26 Mar 1882 (age 2)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Caroline Emma

  • Present (sibling):

  • 2 Mar 1884 (age 4)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Thomas

  • Present (sibling):

  • 23 May 1886 (age 6)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Charles Hezekiah

  • Present (sibling):

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 9)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Louisa Alice

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 5 Apr 1891 (age 11)

  • 1891 Census - living with parents

  • Present (sibling):

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 13)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Harriet Ethel

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1894 to 1900 (age 13-20)

  • presser50

  •  

  • Rebecca's sister Alice told her son Jack that Aunt Becky had been trained as a presser. Her training probably started around the age of 14 but she appears to have given it up by the time of the 1901 Census presmably to look after her child. It is also likely that her husband Charles was earning good money as a plasterer.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 16)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Alice Eleanor

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 16)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother William John

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 18)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Arthur Herbert

  • Parent:

  • 9 Apr 1900 (age 20)

  • Birth of daughter Rebecca Alice

  • Parent:

  • 7 Mar 1902 (age 22)

  • Birth of daughter Elise Caoline

  • Parent:

  • 30 Mar 1902 (age 22)

  • Charles and Rebecca Maskall were present at the Baptism of their child Elise Caoline

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 22)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 23)

  • Marriage of brother Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 24)

  • Marriage of brother Charles to Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 27)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Daughter's marriage:

  • 9 Jul 1921 (age 41)

  • Marriage of daughter Rebecca to Albert Charles Cornish

  • spouse:

  • 23 Feb 1955 (age 75)

  • Death of spouse Charles51

  • Wife:

  • 24 Feb 1955 (age 75)

  • Reported spouse's death

  • Death:

  • 12 Jun 1961 (age 81)

  • Tulse Hill, Lambeth, London52,53

  •  

  • Cause: senile myrocardial degeneration and diabetes mellitus

    Address: 13 Tulse House

    Senile myrocardial degeneration is inflammation of the heart muscle probably caused by restriction in arterial blood flow due to a build up in cholesterol associated with old age. At the time of her death she was living with her son Charles who never married. Her sister Alice who visited her when she was ill said that she was living in distressing circumstances.

  • Death Registration:

  • 12 Jun 1961

  • the Register Office52

  •  

  • Address: for Lambeth

Child 2: Caroline Emma Dowell

  • Name:

  • Caroline Emma Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Female

  • Spouse (1):

  • Thomas Fippen (1869-1918)

  • Spouse (2):

  • George W. Large (1881-1954)

  • Spouse (3):

  • John T Grew ( - )

  • Birth:

  • 5 Mar 1882

  • her parents' home54,55

  •  

  • Address: 24 Newing Broadway, Bethnal Green, Middlesex

  • Baptism:

  • 26 Mar 1882 (age 0)

  • St Jude's Church56

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    They probably brought her sister Rebecca but who else was there is not known

  • Present (sibling):

  • 2 Mar 1884 (age 1)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Thomas

  • Present (sibling):

  • 23 May 1886 (age 4)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Charles Hezekiah

  • Present (sibling):

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 7)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Louisa Alice

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 5 Apr 1891 (age 9)

  • 1891 Census - living with parents

  • Present (sibling):

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 11)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Harriet Ethel

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1894 to 1902 (age 11-20)

  • fancy paper box maker; Shoreditch, London57,58

  •  

  • She probably started work as soon as she could leave school at the age of 12 and may have continued to work after she was married until she had her first child.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 14)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Alice Eleanor

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 14)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother William John

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 16)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Arthur Herbert

  • Witness:

  • 8 Apr 1900 (age 18)

  • Caroline witnessed the Marriage of Charles Leonard Maskall and Rebecca Harriet Dowell

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 19)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • She was working as a fancy paper box maker - probably at home.

  • Residence:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 20)

  • 134 St John's Road, Hoxton, Middlesex59,60,61

  •  

  • They were married from this address although how long they had been living there is not known. At the time of the 1901 Census Thomas, who was still married to his first wife Louise, was away at the front and Caroline was living with her parents at 91 Phillip Street, Shoreditch. Whether they lived ther after their marriage is not known.

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 22)

  • Marriage of brother Charles to Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Census:

  • 19 Jun 1921 (age 39)

  • Shoreditch, London

  •  

  • Address: 23 Holms Street, Great Cambridge Street

    The household consisted of Caroline and her three daughters May (age 15), Mary (age 10) and Alice (age 4).

  • Death:

  • 1957 (age 75)

  • Islington, London62

Child 3: Thomas Dowell

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1965, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Dowell

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1965, Grant of Probate for Estate of Thomas Dowell

  • Name:

  • Thomas Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Male

  • Spouse:

  • Elizabeth Alice Anderson (1885-1960)

  • Birth:

  • 11 Feb 1884

  • his parents' house63

  •  

  • Address: 12 George Street, Bethnal Green, Middlesex

  • Baptism:

  • 2 Mar 1884 (age 0)

  • St Jude's Church64

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    His parents would have been present and his sisters Rebecca and Caroline but who else was there is not known.

  • Birth Registration (quarter):

  • Mar 1884 (age 0)

  • Bethnal Green65

  • Present (sibling):

  • 23 May 1886 (age 2)

  • Present at Baptism of his brother Charles Hezekiah

  • Present (sibling):

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 5)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Louisa Alice

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 5 Apr 1891 (age 7)

  • 1891 Census - living with parents

  • Present (sibling):

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 9)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Harriet Ethel

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 12)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Alice Eleanor

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 12)

  • Present at Baptism of his brother William John

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1898 to 1950 (age 13-66)

  • French polisher; London66,67,68,69,70,71

  •  

  • The 1901 and 1911 Censuses, his Marriage Certificate and the 1939 Register all show his occupation as a French Polisher and it is assumed that he was apprenticed around the age of 14. The 1921 Census give his occupation as a London General Omnibus Conductor so he must have been unable to find work as a French polisher during the depression and took work as a 'bus conductor. How long he worked as a 'bus conductor is not known but he had obviously returned to French polishing before 1939. Whether he was able to continue with his trade in the 1939-45 seems doubtful but he probably returned to it as soon as he could. His nephew, Jack (son of his sister Alice), remembers a visit to his home in the late 1940s and being impressed by the depth and lustre of the polish on the furniture, in particular the front of the upright piano! He doesn't remember much else about the visit except that he spent most of the time sitting on a sofa whilst the adults talked. It is almost certain that we were given tea.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 14)

  • Present at Baptism of his brother Arthur Herbert

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 17)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • He was working as a French polisher

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 18)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Witness:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 20)

  • Thomas witnessed the Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell and Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Parent:

  • 21 Jul 1905 (age 21)

  • Thomas and Elizabeth Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Elizabeth Rebecca

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 23)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Witness:

  • 25 Sep 1910 (age 26)

  • Thomas witnessed the Marriage of Thomas Gillett and Louisa Thornton

  • Daughter's marriage:

  • 14 Sep 1929 (age 45)

  • Marriage of daughter Elizabeth to Albert Edward Jones

  • 1939 Register:

  • 29 Sep 1939 (age 55)

  • Walthamstow, Essex70

  •  

  • Address: 59 Cottenham Road

    The household consisted of Thomas and his son Thomas. They shared the house with another family of two. Although both Thomases are shown as being married neither of their wives are listed. It is thought that Thomas snr's wife had moved to Nedworth in Huntingdonshire because of the war where she was lodging with a a dairy farmer and his wife.

  • spouse:

  • 1960 (age 75-76)

  • Death of spouse Elizabeth

  • Death:

  • 3 Aug 1965 (age 81)

  • Hornsey Central Hospital72,73,74

  •  

  • Cause: lung cancer which had metastasized leading to liver failure

    Address: Middlesex

    The Grant of Probate on his estate gives the date and place of his death.

  • Death Registration:

  • 4 Aug 1965

  • the Register Office

  •  

  • Address: for Hornsy district

  • Probate:

  • 21 Dec 1965

  • London74

  •  

  • His estate was worth £7.330. The beneficiaries are unknown.

Child 4: Charles Hezekiah Dowell

  • Name:

  • Charles Hezekiah Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Male

  • Spouse:

  • Jane Elizabeth Cox (1887- )

  • Birth:

  • 29 Apr 1886

  • Bethnal Green, Middlesex75,76,77

  •  

  • Address: 2 New Tyson Street

    The register entry for his baptism give the place where his parents were living. It is assumed that he was born there.

  • Baptism:

  • 23 May 1886 (age 0)

  • St Jude's Church78

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    His parents would have attended the service and they almost certainly took his older siblings Rebecca, Caroline and Thomas. Who else was present and whether there were any God-parents is not known.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 3)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Louisa Alice

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 5 Apr 1891 (age 4)

  • 1891 Census - living with parents

  • Present (sibling):

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 6)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Harriet Ethel

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 10)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Alice Eleanor

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 10)

  • Present at Baptism of his brother William John

  • Occupation:

  • btw 1898 and 1903 (age 11-17)

  • sawyer in a sawmill; Shoreditch, London79,80

  •  

  • He probably started at the age of 12 but sometime before his marriage in 1903 he became a carman. It is assumed that this was when he was about 17.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 12)

  • Present at Baptism of his brother Arthur Herbert

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 14)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • He was working in a saw mills as a sawyer.

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 14)

  • Shoreditch7

  •  

  • Address: 91 Phillip Street

    The family had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication as to the size of the house. However, other houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a sculley with a copper for use on washdays which may also have seved as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 16)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 16)

  • Marriage of brother Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Occupation:

  • aft 1903 (age 16-17)

  • carman; Poplar81,82,83

  •  

  • After working as a sawyer he became a carman. Exactly when is not known but at the time of his marriage in Jul 1904 he gives his occupation as a carman and in the 1911 Census as a carter working for a hardware merchant.

  • Parent:

  • 12 Oct 1904 (age 18)

  • Birth of son Charles Hezekiah

  • Parent:

  • 28 Oct 1904 (age 18)

  • Charles and Jane Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Charles Hezekiah

  • Parent:

  • 30 May 1906 (age 20)

  • Charles and Jane Dowell were present at the Baptism of their child Albert James

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 20)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Son's marriage:

  • 16 Aug 1925 (age 39)

  • Marriage of son Charles to May Elizabeth Rowe

  • Death:

  • 1927 (age 40-41)

  • Rochford, Essex84

  •  

  • His registered age was 40 which is comparative young.

  • Death:

  • Jun 1927 (age 41)

  • Rochford, Essex85

Child 5: Louisa Alice Dowell

picture

2009, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Louisa Alice Dowell

picture

1889, Register Entry for Baptism of Louisa Alice Dowell

  • Name:

  • Louisa Alice Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Female

  • Spouse:

  • Edward Charles Kelly (1886- )

  • Birth:

  • 13 Nov 1889

  • Bethnal Green, Middlesex86,87,88,89

  •  

  • Address: 17 Fuller Street

    Her date of birth was recorded in the register entry for her baptism which also gives her parents address and presumably where she was born. The information is confirmed by her birth certificate.

  • Baptism:

  • 1 Dec 1889 (age 0)

  • St Jude's Church90

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    Her parents and siblings Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas and Charles would have been present but who else is not known.

  • Birth Registration:

  • 18 Dec 1889 (age 0)

  • the Register Office86

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    Rebecca signed the declaration with her mark X

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 5 Apr 1891 (age 1)

  • 1891 Census - living with parents

  • Present (sibling):

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 3)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Harriet Ethel

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 6)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Alice Eleanor

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 6)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother William John

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 8)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Arthur Herbert

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 11)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  • Witness:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 12)

  • Louisa witnessed the Marriage of Thomas Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

  • Witness:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 13)

  • Louisa witnessed the Marriage of Thomas Dowell and Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Witness:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 14)

  • Louisa witnessed the Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell and Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 17)

  • Marriage of sister Edward to Louisa Alice Dowell

  • Next of Kin:

  • frm 25 Jan 1915 to 13 Jun 1916 (age 25-26)

  • Louisa Alice Dowell was recorded as the Next of Kin for Edward Charles Kelly from 25 January 1915 to 13 June 1916 whilst serving in England and in the British Expeditionary Force in France

  •  

  • She was living at 211 Hackney Road, E.

  • Death:

  • 28 Oct 1918 (age 28)

  • the London Hospital91

  •  

  • Cause: influenza and pneumonia (commonly known as the Spanish 'flu)

    There was no postmortem. As she was suffering from the Spanish 'flu she was probably taken to the London Hospital to isolate her from her family. Whether her husband was allowed to visit is not known - probably not and he was probably informed of her death by telegram.

  • Death Registration:

  • 29 Oct 1918

  • the Register Office91

  •  

  • Address: for Whitechapel

Child 6: Harriet Ethel Dowell

picture

1893, Register Entry for Baptism of Harriet Ethel Dowell

  • Name:

  • Harriet Ethel Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Female

  • Spouse (1):

  • Edward William Mackellow (1880-1940)

  • Spouse (2):

  • Frederick Stevens (1899-1970)

  • Birth:

  • 22 Jan 1893

  • Bethnal Green, Middlesex89,92,93

  •  

  • Address: 17 Fuller Street

    The register entry for her baptism gives her date of birth and the place where her parents were living. It is assumed that she was born there.

  • Baptism:

  • 8 Mar 1893 (age 0)

  • St Jude's Church94

  •  

  • Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex

    Her parents would have been at the service together with her siblings Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas and Louisa. Who else as present is not known.

  • Birth Registration (quarter):

  • Mar 1893 (age 0)

  • Bethnal Green, London92

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 3)

  • Present at Baptism of her sister Alice Eleanor

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 3)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother William John

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 5)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Arthur Herbert

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 8)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 9)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 10)

  • Marriage of brother Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 11)

  • Marriage of brother Charles to Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Occupation:

  • btw 1907 and 1930 (age 13-37)

  • printer; Bethnal Green, London8,95

  •  

  • Although her occupation in the 1911 census is given as a printer, setting print was a highly skilled job which was probably only open to men so she probably worked in a print works perhaps operating a press or collating. It is known that banknote printers used women to examine notes coming off the presses for defects so she may well have been employed by a banknote printer. She probably started work at the age of 14 on leaving school but for how long she worked for is not known. It is thought that she continued to live in Bethnal Green area as there is evidence that in 1920 she was doing so when she was a witness at the marriage of her brother Arthur in Haggerstone. However, she married Edward Mackellow in 1933 in Thanet, Kent. When and why she moved Thanet is not known but it is assumed that she continued to work until shortly before her marriage.

  • Witness:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 14)

  • Harriet witnessed the Marriage of Edward Charles Kelly and Louisa Alice Dowell

  •  

  • She was the younger sister of the Bride and would have been just 14 at the time.

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 2 Apr 1911 (age 18)

  • 1911 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • Harriett is working as a printer.

  • Witness:

  • 25 Sep 1920 (age 27)

  • Harriet witnessed the Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell and Susan Ethel Hutton

  • Census (living with mother):

  • 19 Jun 1921 (age 28)

  • 1921 Census. Living with mother

  •  

  • Harriet is working as a layer-on for the printer Tom Smith

  • Godparent:

  • 6 May 1934 (age 41)

  • Stood as Godparent

  • Witness:

  • 14 Dec 1938 (age 45)

  • Harriet witnessed the Marriage of Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell

  •  

  • Harriett was Alice's sister.

  • Register (living with brother-in-law):

  • 29 Sep 1939 (age 46)

  • 1939 Register - Living with brother-in-law

  • Death:

  • 1972 (age 78-79)

  • Lambeth, London96

Child 7: Alice Eleanor Dowell

picture

Daughter: Alice Eleanor Dowell, c. 1950, age 54

picture

Spouse: William Charles John Ward

picture

1896, Register Entry for Baptism of Alice Eleanor Dowell

picture

St Mary the Virgin, Limpley Stoke

picture

Gravestone

  • Name:

  • Alice Eleanor Dowell97

  • Sex:

  • Female

  • Spouse (1):

  • Edward Maitland Lauderdale (1883-1977)

  • Spouse (2):

  • Horace Richmond (1866-1947)

  • Spouse (3):

  • William Charles John Ward (1897-1985)

  • Birth:

  • 31 May 1896

  • Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, London98,99,100

  •  

  • Address: 43 Felton Street

    Although her Birth Certificate gives her birth date as 13th May she always celebrated her birthday on the 31st May as did her twin William. They had always done so as long as she could remember and she thought that the Registrar had accidentally reversed the two figures when her mother registered her birth. Her mother was illiterate so she would not have been aware of the mistake. The probability that it was a mistake is reinforced by her baptismal record which give the date of her birth as 30th May. Her Birth Certificate shows that she was born at 5 p.m., half an hour before her twin brother William. She was very much taller than her brother and in her latter years put on weight which her brother didn't. He always looked very wiry. Alice always said when asked about their disparity in size that their sizes should have been reversed!

  • Baptism:

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 0)

  • St Saviour's Church101

  •  

  • Address: Hoxton, London

    Her twin brother William was baptised immediately after her. As well as her parents her siblings Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles, Louisa and Harriet would have been at the service but the names of the God Parents (if any) are not known.

  • Religion:

  • frm 21 Jun 1896 to 17 Jun 1987 (age 0-91)

  • member of the Church of England

  •  

  • Christian She was a firm believer in God and within the memory of her son Jack attended church whenever she could. She had brief flirtations with Spiritualism and Christian Science. The former because her first husband Horace Richmond was a Spiritualist and the second because her son Jack was sent to a Christian Science Sunday School when he was evacuated to Brighton and became a Christian Scientist until about the age of 16 or 17.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 0)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother William John

  •  

  • William was Alice's twin and was biptised immediately before him.

  • Birth Registration:

  • 23 Jun 1896 (age 0)

  • the Register Office98

  •  

  • Address: Shoreditch, Middlesex

    Her mother registered her twin brother William's birth at the same time

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 2)

  • Present at Baptism of her brother Arthur Herbert

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 4)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 6)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 6)

  • Marriage of brother Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 8)

  • Marriage of brother Charles to Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 10)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Occupation:

  • btw 1911 and 1912 (age 14-16)

  • cracker maker; Bethnal Green, London102

  •  

  • She probably started as soon as she left school at 14. It seems strange that should she should be working at an unskilled job when her mother apprenticed all her other children to skilled jobs. Perhaps she was showing already showing a religious inclination and was only filling in time until she could enter St Margaret's convent at the age of 16. Although the return does not say so she was almost certainly working at Tom Smiths at 67 Watson Street, Finsbury which is where she was working at the time of the 1921 Census. There is an interesting film on cracker making from the BFI archive on YouTube. Making Christmas Crackers (1910) although it is not from the Tom Smith factory.

    In her reminiscences she never mentioned working as a cracker maker.

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 2 Apr 1911 (age 14)

  • 1911 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • She was working as a cracker maker. Why she had nor been apprenticed like her siblings is not known. Perhaps she was already showing an inclination towards the religious life.

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1914 to 1918 (age 17-22)

  • novice nun; in St Margaret's Convent103

  •  

  • Address: East Grinstead, Kent

    The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. In the early 1900s the family attended St Saviour’s Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later he became a Minor Canon at St Paul’s Cathedral. Alice's son Jack cannot remember his name but remembers meeting him when he was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Paul’s. To Jack he appeared to be very old.

    Alice rarely spoke about her life in the convent but Jack had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. Alice told Jack that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When he asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

    When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish ‘flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sister’s children. Jack gathers there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. Jack has been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. He wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so he has had to estimate the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. It is unlikely that the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents’ permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents’ wishes.

  • Census (living with mother):

  • 19 Jun 1921 (age 25)

  • 1921 Census. Living with mother

  •  

  • Alice is working as cracker maker for the firm of Tom Smith

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1922 to 1950 (age 25-54)

  • midwife; both London and Ramsgate50,104,105,106,107

  •  

  • She was registered with the Central Midwives Board on 9 April 1925 after sitting the CMB examination. It is thought that she trained at St Thomas' Hospital in London and on the assumption that training took 3 years she probably started in 1922.

  • Qualification:

  • 1925 (age 28-29)

  • a midwife; probably at the Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Hospital108

  •  

  • Address: Lower Rd, London, S.E.16

    Alice’s Registration Number was 65746 and she qualified by CMB Examination. However, it is not known where she trained. She talked a lot about St Thomas’ Hospital and initially it was thought that she trained there. However, she also talked about her experiences as a midwife working in Rotherhithe. As none of the residential addresses given in the rolls put her within cycling distance of Rotherhithe it is more likely that she trained at the Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Hospital and her experiences related to her final year of training or shortly after she was trained when she was still resident at the hospital or its staff accommodation. The National Archives do not hold information on where individual midwives trained.

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 29 Jul 1933 (age 37)

  • Marriage of sister Harriet to Edward William Mackellow

  • Mother:

  • 29 Mar 1934 (age 37)

  • Birth of son Jack Peter William

  • Mother:

  • 6 May 1934 (age 37)

  • Alice was present at the Baptism of her child Jack Peter William

  • Mother:

  • 9 May 1934 (age 37)

  • Reported her son Jack's birth to the Registrar

  • Probably attended:

  • 18 Aug 1934 (age 38)

  • Alice probably attended the marriage of Edward Charles Kelly and Joyce Snowden

  • may have attended:

  • 8 Sep 1934 (age 38)

  • Alice may have been present at the marriage of Stanley Pritchard and Ethel Maud Kelly

  •  

  • As she was instrumental in bringing Ethel up she would have alsmost certainly been invited and would have made every effort to attend despite living in Ramsgate

  • Residence:

  • btw Dec 1938 and Feb 1947 (age 42-50)

  • three different houses, Lambeth, London106,109

  •  

  • Before their marriage Horace was living in rented house at 3, Hassocks Road, Mitcham. Alice and her son Jack were living in a rented house at 8 Allen Edwards Road, Lambeth which she shared with her sister Harriett (Ett), Ett's husband Edward (Will) Mackellow, her brother William (Will) and her sister by adoption Louisa (Lou) Fippen.

    After their marriage Horace moved to Allen Edwards Road because Alice, who was domicilary midwife, needed to stay in the area.

    The whole family moved to 25, Rhodesia Road just before the house in Allen Edwards Road was destroyed by a direct hit in the Blitz.

    They moved once again to 55 Binfield Road just before the house at 25 Rhodesia Road was destroyed in a bombing raid - just as the house in Allen Edwards Road had been.

    On each occasion the reason for moving was that Horace, who was a Spiritualist, had a premonition that the houses would be destroyed.

    Horace died in February 1947 at Binfield Road but Alice continued the tenancy.

  • Married Name:

  • 14 Dec 1938 (age 42)

  • Alice Eleanor Richmond

  • Adoptive Mother:

  • 31 Jan 1939 (age 42)

  • Adopted Jack Peter William Ward

  • spouse:

  • 7 Mar 1947 (age 50)

  • Death of spouse Horace

  • Wife:

  • 10 Mar 1947 (age 50)

  • Reported spouse's death

  • Married Name:

  • 28 Oct 1948 (age 52)

  • Alice Eleanor Ward

  • Guest:

  • 24 Dec 1957 (age 61)

  • Guest at marriage of Jack Peter William Ward and Joan Elizabeth Hodge

  • Assisted:

  • 7 Feb 1965 (age 68)

  • Assisted at Alison Mary Ward's birth

  • Spouse:

  • c. 25 Apr 1985 (age 88)

  • Her husband William was buried in St Mary's Churchyard

  • Will:

  • 4 Aug 1985 (age 89)

  • Waterhouse110

  •  

  • Address: Monkton Combe, Bath, Avon

    Her husband had died intestate and although his estate was very simple obtaining probate would have been simpler had he made a will. Her son Jack who had helped his mother to obtain probate on her husband's estate suggested that she should make a will. To avoid the expense of a solicitor Jack wrote out a simple holographic will (he probably obtained the wording from a book on making a will borrowed from the library) which he read out to his mother and she signed. Because she was virtually blind she would have been unable to read the document for herself but she trusted her son.

  • Death:

  • 17 Jun 1987 (age 91)

  • Waterhouse111,112

  •  

  • Cause: broncho-pneumonia, cerebral haemorrhage and diabetes mellitis

    Address: Limpley Stoke, Wiltshire

    Her son, Jack, had visited her the day before and found that she had been moved to her old room and was sleeping peacefully having suffered a stroke a few days before. During the visit he talked to her doctor who told him that his mother was seriously ill with pneumonia; he explained that he could administer antibiotics to cure the pneumonia but the prognosis after her stroke was not good and on his advice Jack agreed that antibiotics should not be given. In arriving at this decision he took into account her probable quality of life. After her husband's death she had expressed a wish to join him on a number of occasions. She had a strong faith and was convinced that they would be reunited in heaven. In addition her almost total blindness (as a result of taking the heart drug Eraldin) meant that she could not read or watch television and, as her mind was still active, this was a source of frustration. Virtually her only contact with the outside world were her son's visits and her only source of entertainment was her radio; most of the time she listened to Radio 4 and occasionally complained about programme repeats but more often she would want to discuss something which she had heard on the radio. I think that her son's first wife, Joan, visited her occasionally but his second wife, Heather, would not accompany him on visits because she said that his mother smelt of ‘old people’.

  • Death Registration:

  • 19 Jun 1987

  • the Register Office

  •  

  • Address: Trowbridge

  • Burial:

  • 24 Jun 1987

  • the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin112

  •  

  • Address: Limpley Stoke, Wiltshire

    Her burial service was held at the church of St Mary the Virgin in the village of Limpley Stoke and she was buried with her husband William. There were few mourners; just her son Jack, his wife Heather,and his ex-wife Joan; her grandson Richard (Jack & Joan's son) and his wife Ruth; her granddaughter Alison (Jack & Joan's daughter) and a few of the staff from Waterhouse. Jack wanted to give an address on the life of his mother but Heather forbade it presumably because of the address he had given after Dad’s funeral had made it obvious that he had a good relationship with his parents whereas Heather had a poor relationship with hers. The fact that Jack was unable to give an address was a source of internal sadness as he thought so much of his mother who had been through so much for him. It was just another example of the relationship between Heather and Jack, and the extent to which he would go to keep the peace.

    A few years later after jack and Heather had been divorced and Jack had married Pat, Pat encouraged him to have an inscription referring to his mother added to the headstone. The added inscription reads:

    Also his wife Alice Eleanor

    Born 13th May 1896

    Died 17th June 1987

    Her life a precious memory

    Too dearly loved

    to be forgotten

     

     

  • Probate:

  • 30 Jul 1987

  • District Probate Registry, Bristol110,113

  •  

  • Her will left everything to her only son, Jack Peter William Ward. However, as she only had her state retirement pension and a small pension from the London County Council all her capital had been exhausted by topping up the rest home fees.

Child 8: William John Dowell

picture

Son: William John Dowell, c. 1938, age 42

picture

Q2 1896, Register Entry for Baptism of William John Dowell

  • Name:

  • William John Dowell

  • Sex:

  • Male

  • Birth:

  • 13 May 1896

  • Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, London114,115,116,117

  •  

  • Address: 43 Felton Street

    Although his Birth Certificate gives his birth date as 13th May he always celebrated his birthday on the 31st May and in the 1939 Register he gives his birth date as 31 May 1896. His twin sister who was born half an hour before him also celebrated her birthday on the same day and said that they had always done so since she was a girl.

  • Baptism:

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 0)

  • St Saviour's Church118

  •  

  • Address: Hoxton, London

    His twin sister Alice was baptised immediately before him. As well as his parents his siblings Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles, Louisa and Harriet would have been at the service but the names of the God Parents (if any) are not known.

  • Present (sibling):

  • 21 Jun 1896 (age 0)

  • Present at Baptism of his sister Alice Eleanor

  • Birth Registration:

  • 23 Jun 1896 (age 0)

  • the Register Office119

  •  

  • Address: Shoreditch

    His mother registered his twin sister Alice's birth at the same time. As Will and Alice always celebrated their birthdays on 31 May (as opposed to the registered date of 13 May) it is thought that the Registrar had accidentally reversed the two figures. Her mother would not have noticed as she was illiterate (she signed the registration with her mark).

  • Present (sibling):

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 2)

  • Present at Baptism of his brother Arthur Herbert

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 4)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 6)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 6)

  • Marriage of brother Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 8)

  • Marriage of brother Charles to Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 10)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1910 to 1936 (age 13-40)

  • upholster; Shoreditch area50

  •  

  • He was apprenticed at the age of 14 and apart from a break as a soldier during the first World War practised his trade until he had to give up because the dust affected his breathing, his lungs having been damaged by poison gas during the war. After giving up he occasionally upholstered items for the family. For example a large wing armchair and a set of four tub chairs for his sister Alice. He also did some work for St Paul's Cathedral where he worked as a guide after giving up upholstery as a full time occupation. Exactly when he gave up being s full time upholsterer is not known. His nephew Jack thought it was sometime prior to WW 2. However, the 1939 Register taken on 29 September 1939 give his occupation as an upholsterer.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 2 Apr 1911 (age 14)

  • 1911 Census - living with parents

  • Military Enlistment:

  • May 1915 (age 18-19)

  • 4th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers); Shoreditch, London120,121

  •  

  • Address: 112 Shaftsbury Street

    In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didn’t were usually given a white feather (mostly anonymously) by young girls. After receiving a white feather he enlisted in the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. The record of his enlistment has not survived but the first regimental number (4205) recorded on his medal card was issued between 5th May 1915 when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated which means he enlisted sometime in May.

  • Military Service:

  • frm May 1915 to Jan 1916 (age 18-19)

  • 4th Battalion London Regiment; England and France122,123

  •  

  • As his service record was destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 the time and place of his training in England and when he transferred to France are unknown.

  • Military Service:

  • frm Jan 1916 to 1917 (age 19-21)

  • 56th London Division; France124,125

  •  

  • He was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

    The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)

    The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)

    The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15-22 September)

    The Battle of Morval (25-27 September) in which the Division captured Combles

    The Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)

    All these battles are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916 and after the battle of Le Transloy the battalion had been reduced to 275 all ranks. There followed months of light training and line-holding in the Neuve Chapelle sector while the units of 56th Division were slowly rebuilt. Despite further casualties while holding the line, 1/4th Londons attained a strength of 850 all ranks when it returned to active operations in March 1917.

    Arras (March-May 1917)

    Langemarck - Third Ypres Offensive (16 August 1917)

    Cambrai (20 November)

    Oppy Wood (28 March 1918)

    The Hundred Days (summer - November 1918)

    Demobilisation began in early 1919, and the battalion was reduced to a cadre of 50 men by mid-May. The cadre returned to England on 21 May and marched through London to Hoxton

    During these battles the 56th suffered much attrition. e.g. by the opening of Cambrai it had been reduced to two effective platoons. To make up for the losses it was from time to time rebuilt but it seems inconceivable that anyone who was present at the formation of the 56th London Division in January 1916 (as William was) could have survived until November 1918.

    It is known that William was gassed and invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lungs but their eyes must have been serious affected. When he was gassed is not known as his service record was destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 but it was probably sometime in 1917.

  • Military Discharge:

  • 1917 (age 20-21)

  • 56th London Division; England126,127

  •  

  • He was invalided out after being gassed. Although he told his twin sister Alice about being gassed he would never talk about his other experiences. When his nephew Jack asked him he would say, “You don't want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasn't until many years later when Jack read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that he appreciated why his uncle didn't wish to talk about his experiences in the trenches.

    One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

  • Census (living with mother):

  • 19 Jun 1921 (age 25)

  • 1921 Census. Living with mother

  •  

  • William is unemployed

  • Witness:

  • 29 Jul 1933 (age 37)

  • William witnessed the Marriage of Edward William Mackellow and Harriet Ethel Dowell

  • Witness:

  • 8 Sep 1934 (age 38)

  • William witnessed the Marriage of Stanley Pritchard and Ethel Maud Kelly

  •  

  • William was the bride's uncle

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1936 to 1968 (age 39-72)

  • guide; St Paul's Cathedral

  •  

  • Address: London

    He got the job through the good offices of the vicar of the church he attended as a boy who had become a Minor Canon the cathedral. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. His nephew Jack had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession. During WW II his job was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the Underground. However. he maintained his connection with St Paul's by fire watching duty and he helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof.

  • present:

  • 25 Dec 1936 (age 40)

  • Present at death of Rebecca Thornton

  • reported:

  • 29 Dec 1936 (age 40)

  • Reported death of Rebecca Thornton

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1939 to 1945 (age 42-49)

  • London Underground employee128

  •  

  • In 1939 or 1940 his work as a guide at St Paul's Cathedral was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was to man the flood gates where the Northern Line went through a tunnel under the River Thames. He had to close the gates if the tunnel was damaged during an air raid to prevent the Northern Line being flooded. Later he became a ticket collector and after that a ticket inspector before returning to his job as a guide at St Paul's.

  • Register (living with brother-in-law):

  • 29 Sep 1939 (age 43)

  • 1939 Register - Living with brother-in-law

  •  

  • Will was Alice's twin brother.

  • Witness:

  • 28 Oct 1948 (age 52)

  • William witnessed the Marriage of William Charles John Ward and Alice Eleanor Dowell

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 28 Oct 1948 (age 52)

  • Marriage of sister Alice to William Charles John Ward

  • Guest:

  • 24 Dec 1957 (age 61)

  • Guest at marriage of Jack Peter William Ward and Joan Elizabeth Hodge

  • Death:

  • 1968 (age 72)

  • Lambeth, Lambeth129

  •  

  • His registered age was 72

Child 9: Arthur Herbert Dowell

picture

1898, Register Entry for Baptism of Arthur Herbert Dowell

  • Name:

  • Arthur Herbert Dowell130

  • Sex:

  • Male

  • Spouse:

  • Susan Ethel Hutton (1901-1991)

  • Birth:

  • 25 Sep 1898

  • his parents' home131,132,133

  •  

  • Address: 43 Felton Street, Hoxton, London

    The register entry for his baptism gives his date of birth, his parents names and where they lived. It is assumed that he was born there.

  • Baptism:

  • 16 Oct 1898 (age 0)

  • St Saviour's Church134

  •  

  • Address: Hoxton, London

    His parents and siblings Rebecca, Caroline, Thomas, Charles, Louisa, Harriet, Alice and William would have been at the service but the names of the God Parents (if any) are not known.

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 2)

  • 1901 Census - living with parents

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 2 Nov 1902 (age 4)

  • Marriage of sister Caroline to Thomas Fippen

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 18 Apr 1903 (age 4)

  • Marriage of brother Thomas to Elizabeth Alice Anderson

  • Brother's marriage:

  • 24 Jul 1904 (age 5)

  • Marriage of brother Charles to Jane Elizabeth Cox

  • Sister's marriage:

  • 14 Apr 1907 (age 8)

  • Marriage of sister Louisa to Edward Charles Kelly

  • Census (living with parents):

  • 2 Apr 1911 (age 12)

  • 1911 Census - living with parents

  •  

  • Arthur is at school

  • Occupation:

  • btw 1912 and 1955 (age 13-57)

  • upholsterer; London135,136

  •  

  • Evidence for his occupaion comes from the register entry for his marriage and the 1921 Census when he is shown as working for the Clarks Furniture Company. It is assumed that he was apprenticed at the age of 14 and continued working until his death at the age of 57 in 1955.

  • Death:

  • 1955 (age 57)

  • the Registration District of St Albans, Hertfordshire137

Sources

1.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Dowell and Rebecca Thornton, (Issued by General Register Office on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application NoCOL330700). Custom Id: MXD 350320; Cit. Date: 15 March 1880. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Thomas Dowell (11) and Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: MXD350320

 

Place

St Thomas' Church

Parish

Bethnal Green

County

Middlesex

No.

438

Date of Marriage

15 March 1880

Groom's Name

Thomas Dowell

Groom's Age

26

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Carman

Groom's Residence

14 Princes Street

Groom's Father

Hezekiah Dowell

Rank or Profession

Sawyer

Bride's Name

Rebecca Thornton

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

2 New Street

Bride's Father

Thomas Tornton

Rank or Profession

Chairmaker

Married in

the Parish Church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Dowell X his mark

Bride's Signature

Rebecca Thornton X her mark

Witness 1

Thomas Thornton X his mark

Witness 2

Harriet Pope X her mark

Signed

H Fawcett, Vicar

 

One of the witnesses, Thomas Thornton, was the younger brother of the bride. The other witness, Harriett Pope, was the eldest sister of the groom. After the marriage the couple shared a house with John & Harriett Pope.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomad Dowell and Rebecca Thornton

2.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Thomas Dowell and Rebecca Thornton, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Marriages 1880 Q1 Bethnal Green, Vol. 1c, Page 543; Cit. Date: Q1 1880. General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Marriage of Thomas Dowell (11) ad Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Jan-Mar 1880

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Volume

1c

Page

543

Groom's Name

Thomas Dowell

Bride's Name

Rebecca Thornton

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Thomas Dowell

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Rebecca Thornton

3.

St Thomas, Bethnal Green, (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol11/pp217-226 ). St. Thomas, Baroness Road [formed 1844/51]. Dowell-Wallace Data Base. Call Number: Places.

St. Thomas, Baroness Road, Bethnal Green

 

Church History - Download from British History. References have been removed but can be accessed by going to website shown in Publication Information

 

St. Thomas, Baroness Rd. Dist. assigned from St. Mat. 1844. Patron bp. Endowed by Eccl. Com. with £150 p.a. 1844, £75 p.a. 1864, £25 p.a. 1865, and by Q. A. B. with £50 from St. Cath. Coleman 1847. Annual grants from St. Paul, Hampstead, 1900-5. Parsonage, to NE., built at same time as ch. a.a. c. 1858: 150 a.m., 200 p.m.; attendance 1886: 140 a.m., 220 p.m.; 1903: 156 a.m., 194 p.m. Three svces. with 2 sermons on Sun., 1 on Fri., and monthly H.C. with a.a. 40-50 communicants 1858. Svces. fully choral with altar lights by 1881, when H.C. every Sun. and once on weekdays and 2 daily svces.; 5 Sun. svces. by 1914. Two asst. curates, paid respectively £100 by Church Pastoral Soc. and £80 by Curates Pastoral Aid Soc., and 11 women and 2 or 3 men visitors and 60-70 Sun. sch. teachers c. 1857. ) After loss of a curate, incumbent complained of too few clergy 1858; thereafter usually 1 asst. curate until 1930s. Mission svces. in institute in Baroness Rd. c. 1914. Bldg. of Kentish rag in Early Eng. style, with 480 free sittings and 300 sittings for children, by Lewis Vulliamy on site in Nova Scotia Gdns. given by owners 1848 and financed by Wm. Cotton as memorial to son, consecr. 1850: short apsidal chancel, aisled nave, SW. tower. Altered 1892, restored 1909, damaged during Second World War, and demol. 1954. Under Scheme of 1951 par. united with St. Peter.

Records of St Thomas's Church, Baroness Road, Bethnal Green, deposited by the Vicar of St Peter with St Thomas in the Greater London Record Office, 30 June 1970.

Available on microfilm at London Metropolitan Archives: City of London. Not available at The National Archives

picture

Bethnal Green C of E Parishes

4.

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174; Cit. Date: 3 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/399.

1881 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell(11)

 

Reference: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174

Enumeration Date: 3 Apr 1881

County: London

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Hoxton Old Town

Civil Parish:

Ecclesiastical Parish: St James

Address: 25 Hobbs Place

Other Info: See Notes

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

Married

26

Carman

Hoxton, London

 

12

Rebekah Dowell

Wife

Married

19

Chair Caner

Shoreditch, London

 

13

Rebekah Dowell

Daughter

1

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

 

They were sharing the house with John and Harriett Pope. Harriett was Thomas's sister. Thomas's brother Hezekiah was also lodging with the Popes. See1881 Census for John Pope (115) for further details.

Total in house: 12

 

 

picture

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hoxton Old Town

5.

1881 Census for Household of John Pope in Shoreditch, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/299 Folio 22 Page 32, Schedule 173; Cit. Date: 3 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/229.

1881 UK Census for Household of John Pope (114)

 

Reference: RG11/299, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 173

Enumeration Date: 3 Apr 1881

County: London

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Hoxton Old Town

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St James

Address: 25 Hobbs Place

Other Info: See Notes

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

114

John Pope

Head

Married

46

Type Founder

Shoreditch, Middlesex

 

38

Harriett Pope

Wife

Married

39

Islington, Middlesex

 

115

John Pope

Son

Unmarried

13

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

116

Frederick Pope

Son

9

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

119

Hezekiah Pope

Son

8

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

117

George Pope

Son

6

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

118

Emily Pope

Daughter

1

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

41

Hezekiah Dowell

Lodger

Unmarried

18

Carman

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

William Navis?

Lodger

Unmarried

21

Carman

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

 

 

 

They shared the house with Thomas and Rebekah Dowell. Thomas and the lodger Hezekiah Dowell were Harriett Pope's brothers.

picture

1881 Census for Household of John Pope in Shoreditch

6.

1891 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG12/265, Folio 201, Page 27; Cit. Date: 5 April 1891. National Archives.

1891 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG12/265, Folio 201. Page 27

Enumeration Date: 5 Apr 1891

County: Middlesex

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Bethnal Green

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Mathew

Address: 17 Fuller Street

Number of Rooms Occupied if less than 5: 3

Other Info: 3 families shared the house making a total of 18 adults and children in 7 room.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employer

Employed

Own Account

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

Married

35

Carman

Hoxton, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

29

Whitechapel, London

 

13

Rebecca Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

6

Bethnal Green, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

7

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

4

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

1

Bethnal Green, London

 

 

 

 

picture

1891 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green

picture

1891 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell - Address

7.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Cit. Date: 31 March 1901. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

8.

1911 England Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green, (Find My Past website). Custom Id: RG14/1452 RG78PN50 RD17 SD2 ED35 SN50; Cit. Date: 2 April 1911. National Archives. Call Number: RG14/1452.

1911 UK Census For Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

County: London

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Sub-District: Bethnal Green South West

Parish: Bethnal Green

Reference: RG14/1452

Enumeration Date: 2 April 1911

Address: 26 Baroness Road

Number of Rooms: 5

Signature: Thomas Dowell X

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Sex

Age

Condition

Years

Chd Born

Chd Living

Chd Died

Occupation

Industry

Employ Status

At Home

Where Born

Nationality

Infirmity

 

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

M

55

Married

32

Carman

for Contractor

Worker

Hoxton

British

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

F

49

Married

32

9

9

Whitechapel

British

 

16

Harriett Dowell

Daug

F

18

Printer

Printing trade

Worker

Bethel Green

British

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daug

14

Cracker maker

Worker

Hoxton

British

 

15

William John Dowell

Son

14

Upholsterer

Worker

Hoxton

British

 

25

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Son

12

School

Hoxton

British

 

98

Louise Fippen

G/Daug

13

School

Hoxton

British

 

 

 

Although Louise Fippen is shown as the granddaughter of Thomas Dowell technically she was his step-granddaughter. Louise was the daughter of Thomas Fippen (46) and Louise Jane Dorsett (126) whose death was registered in the quarter ending Sep 1901. Thomas Fippen then married Caroline Emma Dowell (30) one of Thomas and Rebecca’s daughters on 2 Nov 1902.

In her reminiscences Alice Dowell (7) says that Louise was ‘adopted’ by Thomas and Rebecca Dowell when her mother became too ill to look after her. The Census would lend credence to this although where Louisa's brother Thomas (127) was is not known as a search of the Census failed to find him. Her other brother, Henry’s (125) death was registered in the quarter ending June 1901.

 

Thomas Dowell could not write (he signed the Census form with his mark X), neither could his wife Rebecca so who filled in the form is not known - probably the eldest child living at home who was Harriett.

picture

1911 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green

9.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). Para 2.3 - Her Siblings. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

10.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Louise Fippen, (13 August 2019 in response to Application No 10316560-1). Custom Id: DYE 398811; Cit. Date: 20 July 1901. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of ­Louise Fippen (125)

 

Registration District: London City

Application No: 10316560-1

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 13 August 2019

Certificate No: DYE398811

 

Registration District

London City

Sub-district

St Sepulchre

County

London

Date of Death

15 July 1901

Place of Death

St Bartholomew's Hospital

Name

Louise Fippen

Sex

Female

Age

32

Occupation

Wife of Thomas Fippen a General Dealer

of 134 St Johns Road Hoxton

Cause of Death

Tuberculosis of the Brain

Exhaustion P. M.

Certified by

William P. Branson M.B.

Informant's Signature

H. A. Bone

Informant's Description

Asst. Steward St Bartholomew's Hospital

Informant's Residence

 

Date Registered

20 July 1901

Registrar

Ammil J Kemm Registrar

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Louise Fippen

11.

Rev. A P Kelly, Register Entry for the Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell in St John the Baptist, Hoxton, Middlesex. , (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1855 Page 138, No. 1257; London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/JNB/089.

Baptismal Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell (11)

 

Church: District Church of St John the Baptist

Parish: District Parish of Hoxton (Shoreditch)

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

158

Entry No.

1257

Date of Baptism

5 August 1835

Date of Birth

23 July 1855

Child's Christian Name

Thomas Frederick son of

Parents' Christian Names

Hezekiah & Hannah

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

King's North Place

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Sawyer

Minister

A P Kelly

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell

12.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Thomas Frederick Dowell, (Application No. COL330700. Issued by GRO on the 6 Aug 2007). Custom Id: BXCC 633664; Cit. Date: 23 July 1855. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of Thomas Frederick Dowell (11)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC633664

 

Registration District

Shoteditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

Middlesex

Date of Birth

23 July 1855

Place of Birth

3 Kingsnorth Place

Name

Thomas Frederick

Sex

Boy

Father's Name

Hezekiah Dowell

Mother's Name

Hannah Dowell

Maiden Surname

Drew

Father's Occupation

Sawyer

Informant's Signature

H x Dowell (see Note tab)

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

3 Kingsnorth Place

Date Registered

1 September 1855

Registrar

George Pearce, Junior Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

 

The Registrar inserted a small looped x between the H and Dowell of the signature. This is thought to indicated that she signed with her mark.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Thomas Frederick Dowell

13.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Thomas Frederick Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births Q3 1855 for Registration District of Shoreditch, Vol. 1c, Page 159; Cit. Date: Q3 1855. General Register Office. Call Number: Births.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Thomas Frederick Dowell (11)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Jul-Sep 1855

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Thomas Frederick

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

159

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Thomas Frederick Dowell

14.

Rev. A P Kelly, Register Entry for the Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell in St John the Baptist, Hoxton, Middlesex. , (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1855 Page 138, No. 1257; Cit. Date: 5 August 1855. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/JNB/089.

Baptismal Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell (11)

 

Church: District Church of St John the Baptist

Parish: District Parish of Hoxton (Shoreditch)

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

158

Entry No.

1257

Date of Baptism

5 August 1835

Date of Birth

23 July 1855

Child's Christian Name

Thomas Frederick son of

Parents' Christian Names

Hezekiah & Hannah

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

King's North Place

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Sawyer

Minister

A P Kelly

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Frederick Dowell

15.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell, (2 Nov 1902). Custom Id: MXD350258; Witness' signature. Cit. Date: 2 November 1902. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Thomas Fippen (46) and Caroline Emma Dowell (30)

 

Registration District:

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 Aug 2007

Certificate No:

 

Place

St Saviour's Church

Parish

St Saviour's, Hoxton

County

London

Date of Marriage

2 Nov 1902

Groom's Name

Thomas Fippen

Groom's Age

32

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Fruiterer

Groom's Residence

134, St John's Road

Groom's Father

Henry Fippen

Rank or Profession

Confectioner

Bride's Name

Caroline Emma Dowell

Bride's Age

20

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

Box Maker

Bride's Residence

134, st John's Road

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

the above church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Fippen

Bride's Signature

Caroline Emma Dowell

Witness 1

Thomas his X mark Dowell

Witness 2

Louisa Alice Dowell

Signed

Sydney L. Sarel

 

Note: Thomas Dowell was the bride's father and Louisa Alice Dowell was the bride's sister.

 

 

picture

Certified Copy for an Entry of Marriage for Henry Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Henry Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

16.

1871 England Census for Household of Hezikiah Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG10/453, Folio 19, Page 32, Schedule 184; Cit. Date: 2 April 1871. National Archives.

1871 UK Census for Household of Hezekiah Dowell (32)

 

Reference: RG10/453, Folio 19, Page 32, Schedule 184

Enumeration Date: 2 Apr 1871

County: Middlesex

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Church North

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Address: 2b Queen Street, Pitfield Street

Other Info: The house was shared with two other families making a total of 18 persons. The number of rooms and size of the house is unknown.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

32

Hezekiah Dowell

Head

Married

52

Sawyer

Warwick, Warwickshire

 

33

Elizabeth Dowell

Wife

Married

49

Seamstress

Borough, Surrey

 

34

William Dowell

Son

7

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

35

Frederick Dowell

Son

13

Errand Boy

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

11

Thomas Dowell

Son

15

Errand Boy

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

36

Thomas English

Son

Unmarried

19

Wire Worker

Hoxton, Middlesex

 

37

Elizabeth Quince

G'Daughter

1

Horsleydown, Surrey

 

 

 

 

Frederick Dowell is the son of Hezekiah by his first wife Hannah Drew.

Thomas English is the son of Elizabeth Dowell by her first husband Joseph English and thus Hezekiah Dowell's step-son.

Elizabeth Quince is the daughter of Henry Quince & Elizabeth English who was the daughter of Elizabeth Dowell by her first husband Joseph English.

 

 

 

picture

1871 Census for Household of Hezekiah Dowell in Shoreditch

17.

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174; Cit. Date: 2 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/399.

1881 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell(11)

 

Reference: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174

Enumeration Date: 3 Apr 1881

County: London

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Hoxton Old Town

Civil Parish:

Ecclesiastical Parish: St James

Address: 25 Hobbs Place

Other Info: See Notes

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

Married

26

Carman

Hoxton, London

 

12

Rebekah Dowell

Wife

Married

19

Chair Caner

Shoreditch, London

 

13

Rebekah Dowell

Daughter

1

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

 

They were sharing the house with John and Harriett Pope. Harriett was Thomas's sister. Thomas's brother Hezekiah was also lodging with the Popes. See1881 Census for John Pope (115) for further details.

Total in house: 12

 

 

picture

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hoxton Old Town

18.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). Para 2.1 - Her Father. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

19.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641846; Father's occupation. Cit. Date: 13 May 1896. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell­ (7)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC 541846

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

Alice Eleanor

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street. Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

Twin

 

As Alice was the twin of William her time of birth was recorded as 5 p.m.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell

20.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued by General Register on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: MXD350327; Rank or Profession of Father. Cit. Date: 14 December 1938. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Horace Richmond (13) and Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

 

Registration District: Lambeth

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: MXD350327

 

Place

the Register office

District

Lambeth

County

Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Date of Marriage

14 December 1938

Groom's Name

Horace Richmond

Groom's Age

59

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Horticulturist (retired)

Groom's Residence

Hassocks Road, Mitcham

Groom's Father

Joseph Richmond (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Attendant (Mental Hospital)

Bride's Name

Alice Eleanor Dowell

Bride's Age

42

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

Maternity Nurse

Bride's Residence

8 Allen Edwards Road, Lambeth

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Caterer's Traveller

Married in

Register Office

by

Licence

before

me

Groom's Signature

H. Richmond

Bride's Signature

A. E. Dowell

Witness 1

E. W. Mackellow

Witness 2

H. E. Mackellow

Signed

R. Hargreaves Registrar

T. H. Edwards Superintendent Registrar

 

H.E. Mackellow (née Harriett Dowell) was the Bride's sister.

E. W. Mackellow was Harriett's husband

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell

21.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for William Charles John Ward and Alice Eleanor Richmond, (Issued on 6 August 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: MXD 350033; Rank or Profession of Father. Cit. Date: 28 October 1948. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of William Charles John Ward (10) and Alice Eleanor Richmond (née Dowell) (7)

 

Registration District: Chichester

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: NXD350033

 

Place

St Peter's Church

Parish

Selsey

County

Sussex

Date of Marriage

28 October 1948

Groom's Name

William Charles John Ward

Groom's Age

51

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Schoolmaster

Groom's Residence

Greenwood, East Beach, Selsey

Groom's Father

William Charles Ward (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Warehouseman

Bride's Name

Alice Eleanor Richmond

Bride's Age

52

Bride's Condition

Widow

Rank or Profession

Nurse

Bride's Residence

South Lambeth, London

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Caterer

Married in

above Church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

William Charles John Ward

Bride's Signature

Alice Eleanor Richmond

Witness 1

Louise Fippen

Witness 2

William John Dowell

Signed

George Handysyde, Rector

 

Louise Fippen was the adopted sister of the bride

William John Dowell was the twin brother of the bride

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for William Charles John Ward and Alice Eleanor Richmond

22.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Frederick Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: DYB 617157; Occupation. Cit. Date: 23 April 1919. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: DYB617157

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Shoreditch North East

County

London

Date of Death

23 April 1919

Place of Death

23 Holms Street

Name

Thomas Dowell

Sex

Male

Age

63

Occupation

A Tailors Assistant

Cause of Death

(1) Valvular Disease of the Heart

(2) Chronic Bronchitis

(3) Syncope

Certified by

Kharshed Rouroje Khory L.R.C.P.

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Widow of the deceased.

Present at the death

Informant's Residence

23 Holms Street,

Great Cambridge Street,

Shoreditch

Date Registered

24 April 1919

Registrar

Ernest J. Sibley

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Dowell

23.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641846; Year 1896Sub District Hoxton Old TownRegistration District ShoreditchFull County County of LondonWhen Born 13 May 1896 5 p.m.Where Born 43, Felton StreetChild's Name Alice Eleanor DOWELLFather's Name Thomas DOWELLFather's Occupation Carman JourneymanMother's Name Rebecca DOWELLMaiden Name THORNTONInformant Rebecca DOWELLWhen Registered 23 Jun 1896Signature of Registrar E. J. Pearce, RegistrarSuperintendant Registrar General Register OfficeDate issued 06 Aug 2007. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell­ (7)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC 541846

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

Alice Eleanor

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street. Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

Twin

 

As Alice was the twin of William her time of birth was recorded as 5 p.m.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell

24.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell, (Issued on 6 August 2007 by General Register Office in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641845; DistrictShoreditchYear1896Sub-DistrictHoxton Old TownCountyLondonDate of Birth13 May 1896 5.30 p.m.Place of Birth43 Felton Street NameWilliam JohnSexBoyFather' NameThomas DowellMother's NameRebecca Dowell formerly ThorntonMaiden SurnameThorntonFather's OccupationCarman JourneymanInformant's SignatureX The mark of Rebecca Dowell, MotherInformant's Residence43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old TownDate Registered23 June 1896RegistrarE. J. Pearce, RegistrarNote. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of William John Dowell (15)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC641845

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Entry No

97

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5.30 p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

William John

Sex

Boy

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X the mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

William was the twin of Alice Eleanor Dowell and was born half an hour after her.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell

25.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Edward Charles Kelly and Louisa Alice Dowell, (Issued 7 Aug 2007 in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: MXD 354024; Bride's Name : Louisa Alice DOWELLBride's Residence: 126, St John's Road. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Edward Charles Kelly (49) to Louisa Alice Dowell (17)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 7 Aug 2007

Certificate No: MXD 354024

 

Place

St Anne's Church, Hoxton

Parish

Shoreditch

County

London

Date of Marriage

14 April 1907

Groom's Name

Edward Charles Kelly

Groom's Age

21

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Soldier

Groom's Residence

126, St John's Road

Groom's Father

Alfred Kelly

Rank or Profession

Painter

Bride's Name

Louisa Alice Dowell

Bride's Age

18

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

126, St John's Road

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

Church of St Anne, Hoxton

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by me

William Michael Futtock, Vicar

Groom's Signature

Edward Charles Kelly

Bride's Signature

Louisa Alice Dowell

Witness 1

William Duggan

Witness 2

Harriett Ethel Dowell

Signed

William Michael Futtock, Vicar

 

Notes

The relationship of the first witness, William Duggan, to the couple is unknown. He was probably a friend of the Groom. The second witness, Harriett Ethel Dowell, was the younger sister of the Bride and would have been just 14 at the time.

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Edward Charles Kelly and Louisa Alice Dowell

26.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Frederick Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: DYB 617157; Cit. Date: 23 April 1919. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: DYB617157

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Shoreditch North East

County

London

Date of Death

23 April 1919

Place of Death

23 Holms Street

Name

Thomas Dowell

Sex

Male

Age

63

Occupation

A Tailors Assistant

Cause of Death

(1) Valvular Disease of the Heart

(2) Chronic Bronchitis

(3) Syncope

Certified by

Kharshed Rouroje Khory L.R.C.P.

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Widow of the deceased.

Present at the death

Informant's Residence

23 Holms Street,

Great Cambridge Street,

Shoreditch

Date Registered

24 April 1919

Registrar

Ernest J. Sibley

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Dowell

27.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Thomas Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Deaths Shoreditch, Vol. 1c, Page 72; Cit. Date: Q2 1919. General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1919

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Thomas

Age

63

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

72

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Thomas Dowell

28.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Frederick Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: DYB 617157; Signature, description and residence of informant. Cit. Date: 24 April 1919. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: DYB617157

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Shoreditch North East

County

London

Date of Death

23 April 1919

Place of Death

23 Holms Street

Name

Thomas Dowell

Sex

Male

Age

63

Occupation

A Tailors Assistant

Cause of Death

(1) Valvular Disease of the Heart

(2) Chronic Bronchitis

(3) Syncope

Certified by

Kharshed Rouroje Khory L.R.C.P.

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Widow of the deceased.

Present at the death

Informant's Residence

23 Holms Street,

Great Cambridge Street,

Shoreditch

Date Registered

24 April 1919

Registrar

Ernest J. Sibley

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Dowell

29.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton, (21 December 2007). Custom Id: BXCC903308; Date of Birth15 Jun 1861NameRebeccaFather' NameThomas ThorntonMother's NameCaroline Thornton. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of ­Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL641195

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 21 December 2007

Certificate No: BXCC903308

 

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Sub-district

Green

County

Middlesex

Date of Birth

15 June 1861

Place of Birth

1 Octagon Place

Name

Rebecca

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Thornton

Mother's Name

Caroline Thornton

Maiden Surname

Wood

Father's Occupation

Chairmaker (Master)

Informant's Signature

X the Mark of Caroline Thornton

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

1 Octagon Place

Date Registered

27 July 1861

Registrar

Thomas Frederick Bradbrook, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton

30.

Ibid. Date of birth. Cit. Date: 15 June 1861. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of ­Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL641195

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 21 December 2007

Certificate No: BXCC903308

 

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Sub-district

Green

County

Middlesex

Date of Birth

15 June 1861

Place of Birth

1 Octagon Place

Name

Rebecca

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Thornton

Mother's Name

Caroline Thornton

Maiden Surname

Wood

Father's Occupation

Chairmaker (Master)

Informant's Signature

X the Mark of Caroline Thornton

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

1 Octagon Place

Date Registered

27 July 1861

Registrar

Thomas Frederick Bradbrook, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton

31.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Rebecca Thornton, (FMP website). Custom Id: Births 1861 Q3, Vol. 1c, Page 250; Quarter and YearJul-Sep 1861Registration DistrictBethnal GreenVolume1cPage250SurnameThorntonGiven NamesRebecca. General Register Office. Call Number: Births Jul-Sep 1861.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Transcribed from FMP website

 

Quarter and Year

Jul-Sep 1861

Surname

Thornton

Given Names

Rebecca

Mother's Maiden Name

Wood

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Volume

1c

Page

250

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Rebecca Thornton

32.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton, (21 December 2007). Custom Id: BXCC903308; Registration date. Cit. Date: 27 July 1861. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of ­Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL641195

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 21 December 2007

Certificate No: BXCC903308

 

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Sub-district

Green

County

Middlesex

Date of Birth

15 June 1861

Place of Birth

1 Octagon Place

Name

Rebecca

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Thornton

Mother's Name

Caroline Thornton

Maiden Surname

Wood

Father's Occupation

Chairmaker (Master)

Informant's Signature

X the Mark of Caroline Thornton

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

1 Octagon Place

Date Registered

27 July 1861

Registrar

Thomas Frederick Bradbrook, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton

33.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Dowell and Rebecca Thornton, (Issued by General Register Office on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application NoCOL330700). Custom Id: MXD 350320; Bride's signature, Rebecca Thornton X her mark. Cit. Date: 15 March 1880. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Thomas Dowell (11) and Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: MXD350320

 

Place

St Thomas' Church

Parish

Bethnal Green

County

Middlesex

No.

438

Date of Marriage

15 March 1880

Groom's Name

Thomas Dowell

Groom's Age

26

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Carman

Groom's Residence

14 Princes Street

Groom's Father

Hezekiah Dowell

Rank or Profession

Sawyer

Bride's Name

Rebecca Thornton

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

2 New Street

Bride's Father

Thomas Tornton

Rank or Profession

Chairmaker

Married in

the Parish Church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Dowell X his mark

Bride's Signature

Rebecca Thornton X her mark

Witness 1

Thomas Thornton X his mark

Witness 2

Harriet Pope X her mark

Signed

H Fawcett, Vicar

 

One of the witnesses, Thomas Thornton, was the younger brother of the bride. The other witness, Harriett Pope, was the eldest sister of the groom. After the marriage the couple shared a house with John & Harriett Pope.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomad Dowell and Rebecca Thornton

34.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641846; Informant, X The mark of Rebecca Dowell. Cit. Date: 23 June 1896. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell­ (7)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC 541846

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

Alice Eleanor

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street. Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

Twin

 

As Alice was the twin of William her time of birth was recorded as 5 p.m.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell

35.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell, (Issued on 6 August 2007 by General Register Office in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641845; Informant's Signature, X The mark of Rebecca Dowell, Mother. Cit. Date: 23 June 1896. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of William John Dowell (15)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC641845

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Entry No

97

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5.30 p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

William John

Sex

Boy

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X the mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

William was the twin of Alice Eleanor Dowell and was born half an hour after her.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell

36.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Frederick Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: DYB 617157; Informant's Signature, X The mark of Rebecca Dowell. Cit. Date: 24 April 1919. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: DYB617157

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Shoreditch North East

County

London

Date of Death

23 April 1919

Place of Death

23 Holms Street

Name

Thomas Dowell

Sex

Male

Age

63

Occupation

A Tailors Assistant

Cause of Death

(1) Valvular Disease of the Heart

(2) Chronic Bronchitis

(3) Syncope

Certified by

Kharshed Rouroje Khory L.R.C.P.

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Widow of the deceased.

Present at the death

Informant's Residence

23 Holms Street,

Great Cambridge Street,

Shoreditch

Date Registered

24 April 1919

Registrar

Ernest J. Sibley

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Dowell

37.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). Her mother, Rebecca, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could ‘beat’ the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeeper’s total. Inevitably she was right. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

38.

1871 United Kingdom census, 2 New Street, Bethnal Green, London, RG10/502, head of household: Thomas Thornton, National Archives.

1871 UK Census for Household of Thomas Thornton (68)

 

Reference: RG10/502

Enumeration Date: 2 Apr 1871

County: Middlesex

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Bethnal Green

Address: 2 New Street

Other Info: The family had the house to themselves. The size is unknown.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

68

Thomas Thornton

Head

Married

40

Chair Maker

Spitalfields, Middlesex

 

69

Caroline Thornton

Wife

Married

39

House Domestic

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

70

Caroline Thornton

Daughter

Unmarried

19

Chair Caner

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

71

Mary A Thornton

Daughter

Unmarried

17

Chair Caner

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

72

Martha Thornton

Daughter

14

Scholar

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

73

Elizabeth Thornton

Daughter

12

Scholar

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

12

Rebecca Thornton

Daughter

9

Scholar

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

74

Thomas Thornton

Son

7

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

75

Louise Thornton

Daughter

5

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

76

Emma Thornton

Daughter

1

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

James Robinson

Lodger

Unmarried

56

Polisher

Shoreditch, Middlesex

 

William Perrin

Lodger

Unmarried

18

Chair Maker

Bethnal Green, Middlesex

 

 

 

 

picture

1871 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton

39.

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174; Thomas Dowel aged 26 Carman, his wife Rebekah Dowell aged 19 Chair Carver and their daughter Rebekah H Dowell. They shared the house with John and Harriett Pope. Harriett was Thomas' sister. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/399.

1881 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell(11)

 

Reference: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174

Enumeration Date: 3 Apr 1881

County: London

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Hoxton Old Town

Civil Parish:

Ecclesiastical Parish: St James

Address: 25 Hobbs Place

Other Info: See Notes

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

Married

26

Carman

Hoxton, London

 

12

Rebekah Dowell

Wife

Married

19

Chair Caner

Shoreditch, London

 

13

Rebekah Dowell

Daughter

1

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

 

They were sharing the house with John and Harriett Pope. Harriett was Thomas's sister. Thomas's brother Hezekiah was also lodging with the Popes. See1881 Census for John Pope (115) for further details.

Total in house: 12

 

 

picture

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hoxton Old Town

40.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Dowell and Rebecca Thornton, (Issued by General Register Office on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application NoCOL330700). Custom Id: MXD 350320; Rebecca Dowell married Thomas Thornton on 15 March 1880. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Thomas Dowell (11) and Rebecca Thornton (12)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: MXD350320

 

Place

St Thomas' Church

Parish

Bethnal Green

County

Middlesex

No.

438

Date of Marriage

15 March 1880

Groom's Name

Thomas Dowell

Groom's Age

26

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Carman

Groom's Residence

14 Princes Street

Groom's Father

Hezekiah Dowell

Rank or Profession

Sawyer

Bride's Name

Rebecca Thornton

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

2 New Street

Bride's Father

Thomas Tornton

Rank or Profession

Chairmaker

Married in

the Parish Church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Dowell X his mark

Bride's Signature

Rebecca Thornton X her mark

Witness 1

Thomas Thornton X his mark

Witness 2

Harriet Pope X her mark

Signed

H Fawcett, Vicar

 

One of the witnesses, Thomas Thornton, was the younger brother of the bride. The other witness, Harriett Pope, was the eldest sister of the groom. After the marriage the couple shared a house with John & Harriett Pope.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomad Dowell and Rebecca Thornton

41.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Edward Charles Kelly and Louisa Alice Dowell, (Issued 7 Aug 2007 in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: MXD 354024; Bride's address at time of marriage. Cit. Date: 14 April 1907. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Edward Charles Kelly (49) to Louisa Alice Dowell (17)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 7 Aug 2007

Certificate No: MXD 354024

 

Place

St Anne's Church, Hoxton

Parish

Shoreditch

County

London

Date of Marriage

14 April 1907

Groom's Name

Edward Charles Kelly

Groom's Age

21

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Soldier

Groom's Residence

126, St John's Road

Groom's Father

Alfred Kelly

Rank or Profession

Painter

Bride's Name

Louisa Alice Dowell

Bride's Age

18

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

126, St John's Road

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

Church of St Anne, Hoxton

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by me

William Michael Futtock, Vicar

Groom's Signature

Edward Charles Kelly

Bride's Signature

Louisa Alice Dowell

Witness 1

William Duggan

Witness 2

Harriett Ethel Dowell

Signed

William Michael Futtock, Vicar

 

Notes

The relationship of the first witness, William Duggan, to the couple is unknown. He was probably a friend of the Groom. The second witness, Harriett Ethel Dowell, was the younger sister of the Bride and would have been just 14 at the time.

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Edward Charles Kelly and Louisa Alice Dowell

42.

1921 United Kingdom census, 23 Halms Street, Shoreditch, London, head of household: Rebecca Dowell, National Archives.

1921 UK Census for Household of Rebecca Dowell (12)

 

Reference: RG15/

Enumeration Date: 19 June 1921

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Shoreditch North East

Enumeration District: 9

Civil Parish:

Address: 23 Halms Street, E2

Signed: Rebecca Dowell

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Yrs

Mos

Condition

Birthplace

Nationality

Education

Occupation

Employment

Place of Work

Children under 16

Age

Language

12

Rebecca Dowell

Head

60

Widow

Islington, London

Home Duties

 

15

William John Dowell

Son

25

1

Single

Islington, London

French Polisher

Out of work

No fixed place

 

16

Harriett Ethel Dowell

Daughter

28

5

Single

Islington, London

Layer-on Printers

Tom Smith

67 Watson Street, Finsbury

 

7

Alice Eleanor Dowell

25

1

Single

Islington, London

Cracker Maker

Tom Smith Cracker Makers

67 Watson Street, Finsbury

 

126

Thomas Fippen

Grandson

30

Single

Islington, London

Trainee

Faucheux Bros

27-48 George Road

 

98

Louisa Mary Fippen

G'daughter

23

7

Single

Islington, London

Machinist

Cox's

Featherstone Street

 

883

Louisa Florence Kelly

G'daughter

13

11

Both dead

Islington, London

Whole time

 

 

Filled in by Enumerator

Males

Females

Persons

Rooms

2

5

7

5

 

Rebecca was illiterate and had signed all previous documents (e.g. marriage register, children's birth registrations, her husband's death registration with her mark X. So one of her children or a neighbour must have filled in and signed the form on her behalf.

William is shown as a French Polisher which is an error. He was an upholsterer and his older brother Tom (who had married and moved away) had been trained as a French Polisher.

Thomas and Louisa Fippen although shown as Rebecca's grandchildren were actually her step-grandchildren. They were the children of Thomas Fippen and his first wife Louisa Jane Dorset who died on 19 July 1901 and had asked Rebecca to "look after her children". Thomas subsequently married Rebecca'a daughter Caroline on 2 November 1902.

Louisa Kelly was the daughter of Edward Kelly and Rebecca's daughter Louisa who died on 28 October 1918 of Spanish 'Flu. Edward did not die prior to the 1921 Census (as shown in the census return) but must have abandoned his children and so was dead as far as Rebecca was concerned. He married Martha Watts in 1922 and was alive at the time of the 1939 Register.

picture

1921 Census for Household of Rebecca Dowell

picture

1921 Census for Household of Rebecca Dowell Address

43.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Rebecca Dowell, (7 Aug 2007 for Applicant COL330700). Custom Id: DYB 617643; Cit. Date: 25 December 1936. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of ­Rebecca Dowell (12)

 

Registration District: Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 7 August 2007

Certificate No: DYB617643

 

Registration District

Lambeth

Sub-district

Lambeth Central

County

Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Date of Death

25 December 1936

Place of Death

8 Devonshire Road

Name

Rebecca Dowell

Sex

Female

Age

75

Occupation

Widow of Thomas Dowell

a Contractor's Carman

Cause of Death

1a Cerebral Haemorrhage

Certified by

G. Stoddard M.B.

Informant's Signature

W J Dowell

Informant's Description

Son, Present at Death

Informant's Residence

8 Devonshire Road, Lambeth

Date Registered

29 December 1936

Registrar

G. G. Davies Registrar

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Rebecca Dowell

44.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Rebecca Dowell, (FMP website). Custom Id: Deaths 1936 Q4 Lambeth Vol. 1d Page 266; Deaths Dec 1936Registrition District Lambeth----------------------------Surname First name(s) ----------------------------DOWELL Rebecca. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Rebecca Dowell (12)

 

Transcribed from FMP website

 

Quarter and Year

Oct-Dec 1936

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Rebecca

Age

75

Registration District

Lambeth

Volume

1d

Page

266

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Rebecca Dowell

45.

J P W Ward, As I Remember It, (Not published). See Chapter 1. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

As I Remember It

Autobiography of Jack Ward (aka Jack Dowell and Jack Richmond)

 

Introduction

Chapter 1Early Years 1934-1939

Chapter 2Evacuation 1939-1944

Chapter 3A Boy in London 1944 - 1951

Chapter 4The Navy – Under Training

Chapter 5The Surface Fleet

Chapter 6Polaris and Tident

Chapter 7Retirement

 

Accessing the book

 

The book is still being written and some of the chapters may not be complete. To access a chapter go to Media and open relevant Word file by selecting the Chapter and clicking on Open in Editor/Player.

46.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Rebecca Dowell, (7 Aug 2007 for Applicant COL330700). Custom Id: DYB 617643; Signature, description and residence of informant. Cit. Date: 29 December 1936. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of ­Rebecca Dowell (12)

 

Registration District: Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 7 August 2007

Certificate No: DYB617643

 

Registration District

Lambeth

Sub-district

Lambeth Central

County

Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Date of Death

25 December 1936

Place of Death

8 Devonshire Road

Name

Rebecca Dowell

Sex

Female

Age

75

Occupation

Widow of Thomas Dowell

a Contractor's Carman

Cause of Death

1a Cerebral Haemorrhage

Certified by

G. Stoddard M.B.

Informant's Signature

W J Dowell

Informant's Description

Son, Present at Death

Informant's Residence

8 Devonshire Road, Lambeth

Date Registered

29 December 1936

Registrar

G. G. Davies Registrar

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Rebecca Dowell

47.

Birth certificate of Rebecca Harriet Dowell, 22 February 1880, Jack Ward.

Birth of ­Rebecca Harriet Dowell (13)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: 12840862-1

Issued By: GRO

Issue Date: 16 May 2022

Certificate No: BXCJ534155

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

Middlesex

Date of Birth

22 February 1880

Place of Birth

5 Constable Alley

Name

Rebecca Harriet

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

5 Constable Alley, Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

2 April 1880

Registrar

George Pearce

Name after registration

---

 

Rebecca was born before her parents married on 15 March 1880. However the registration was made as if they has been married.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Harriet Dowell

48.

General Register Office, CRI(E&W) for Birth of Rebecca Harriet Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births 1880 Q2 for Shoreditch Vol. 1c, Page 92; Cit. Date: Q2 1880. General Register Office. Call Number: Births.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Rebecca Harriet Dowell (13)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1880

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Rebecca Harriet

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

92

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Rebecca Harriet Dowell

49.

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174; Rebekah Dowell daughter of Thomas Dowell age 1 born Shoreditch, London. Cit. Date: 3 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/399.

1881 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell(11)

 

Reference: RG11/399, Folio 22, Page 32, Schedule 174

Enumeration Date: 3 Apr 1881

County: London

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Hoxton Old Town

Civil Parish:

Ecclesiastical Parish: St James

Address: 25 Hobbs Place

Other Info: See Notes

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

Married

26

Carman

Hoxton, London

 

12

Rebekah Dowell

Wife

Married

19

Chair Caner

Shoreditch, London

 

13

Rebekah Dowell

Daughter

1

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

 

They were sharing the house with John and Harriett Pope. Harriett was Thomas's sister. Thomas's brother Hezekiah was also lodging with the Popes. See1881 Census for John Pope (115) for further details.

Total in house: 12

 

 

picture

1881 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hoxton Old Town

50.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

51.

Death register entry of Charles Leonard Maskall, 23 February 1955, General Register Office.

Downloaded Copy of the Register Entry for the Death of Charles Leonard Maskall (24)

 

Order No: COL652997/2023

Issued By: General Register Office as a pdf

Download Date: 23 Nov 2023

 

Registration District

Lambeth

Sub-district

Lambeth Central

Metropolitan Borough

Lambeth

No.

311

Date of Death

23 Feb 1955

Place of Death

20 Stockwell Park Crescent, Stockwell

Name

Charles Leonard Maskall

Sex

Male

Age

75

Occupation

Plasterer (Retired)

Cause of Death

1 (a) Carcinoma of Protate

II Myocardial Degeneration

Certified by

M, Taggart M.B.

Informant's Signature

R. H. Makcall

Informant's Description

Widow of deceased

Present at the death

Informant's Residence

20 Stockwell Park Crescent S.W.9

Date Registered

24 Feb 1955

Registrar

E G Davies

 

picture

Register Entry for Death of Charles Leonard Maskall

52.

Death certificate of Rebecca Alice Dowell, 12 June 1961, Jack Ward.

Death of Rebecca Alice Dowell (13)

 

Registration District: Lambeth

Application No: 10295546-1

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 5 August 2019

Certificate No: DYE397231

 

Registration District

Lambeth

Sub-district

Lambeth South

County

Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Date of Death

12 June 1961

Place of Death

13 Tulse House, Tulse Hill

Name

Rebecca Alice Maskall

Sex

Female

Age

81

Occupation

Widow of Charles Leonard Maskall

a plasterer

Cause of Death

Ia Senile Myrocardial Degeneration

II Diabetes Mellitus

Certified by

N. Taggart M.B.

Informant's Signature

C. E. Maskall

Informant's Description

Son. Present at the death

Informant's Residence

13 Tulse House, Tulse Hill, S.W.2

Date Registered

12 June 1961

Registrar

S V Carey

 

Although the certificate was issued in the name of Rebecca Alice Maskall her birth was registered as, and she was christened as, Rebecca Harriet Maskall. However, Maskall is an unusual surname and as her age, late husband's name and occupation, and son's name are correct it is considered that this is the correct registration.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Rebecca Alice Maskall

53.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Rebecca A. Maskall, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Deaths 1961 Q2 Lambeth Vol. 5c, Page 1174; Cit. Date: Q2 1961. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Rebecca A. Maskall (13)

 

Transcribed from Ancestry website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1961

Surname

Maskall

Given Names

Rebecca A. (see Notes)

Age

81

Registration District

Lambeth

Volume

5c

Page

1174

 

Note

 

Although the entry is for Rebecca A. it is virtually certain that it is for Rebecca H. as the surname is unusual and the registration area and age agree with the known facts as to where she died and her age.

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Rebecca A. Maskall

54.

Rev. Sidney G H Sargent, Register Entry for Baptism of Caroline Emma Dowell at St Jude's Church, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1882, Page 199, No. 1582; Date of birth. Cit. Date: 26 March 1882. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 008.

Baptismal Register Entry for Caroline Emma Dowell (30)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

199

Entry No.

1585

Date of Baptism

26 March 1882

Date of Birth

5 March 1882

Child's Christian Name

Caroline Emma

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

24 Newing Broadway

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G H Sargent

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Caroline Emma Dowell

55.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Caroline Emma Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births 1882 Q2 Shoreditch Vol 1c Page 34; Cit. Date: Q2 1882. General Register Office. Call Number: Births.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Caroline Emma Dowell (30)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1882

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Caroline Emma

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

34

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Caroline Emma Dowell

56.

Rev. Sidney G H Sargent, Register Entry for Baptism of Caroline Emma Dowell at St Jude's Church, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1882, Page 199, No. 1582; Cit. Date: 26 March 1882. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 008.

Baptismal Register Entry for Caroline Emma Dowell (30)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

199

Entry No.

1585

Date of Baptism

26 March 1882

Date of Birth

5 March 1882

Child's Christian Name

Caroline Emma

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

24 Newing Broadway

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G H Sargent

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Caroline Emma Dowell

57.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Caroline Dowell employed as a fancy paper box maker in Shoreditch. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

58.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell, (2 Nov 1902). Custom Id: MXD350258; Date of Marriage2 Nov 1902Bride's NameCaroline Emma DowellRank or ProfessionBox maker. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Thomas Fippen (46) and Caroline Emma Dowell (30)

 

Registration District:

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 Aug 2007

Certificate No:

 

Place

St Saviour's Church

Parish

St Saviour's, Hoxton

County

London

Date of Marriage

2 Nov 1902

Groom's Name

Thomas Fippen

Groom's Age

32

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Fruiterer

Groom's Residence

134, St John's Road

Groom's Father

Henry Fippen

Rank or Profession

Confectioner

Bride's Name

Caroline Emma Dowell

Bride's Age

20

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

Box Maker

Bride's Residence

134, st John's Road

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

the above church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Fippen

Bride's Signature

Caroline Emma Dowell

Witness 1

Thomas his X mark Dowell

Witness 2

Louisa Alice Dowell

Signed

Sydney L. Sarel

 

Note: Thomas Dowell was the bride's father and Louisa Alice Dowell was the bride's sister.

 

 

picture

Certified Copy for an Entry of Marriage for Henry Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Henry Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

59.

Ibid. Date of Marriage2 Nov 1902Bride's NameCaroline Emma DowellBride's Residence134 St John's Road. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Thomas Fippen (46) and Caroline Emma Dowell (30)

 

Registration District:

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 Aug 2007

Certificate No:

 

Place

St Saviour's Church

Parish

St Saviour's, Hoxton

County

London

Date of Marriage

2 Nov 1902

Groom's Name

Thomas Fippen

Groom's Age

32

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Fruiterer

Groom's Residence

134, St John's Road

Groom's Father

Henry Fippen

Rank or Profession

Confectioner

Bride's Name

Caroline Emma Dowell

Bride's Age

20

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

Box Maker

Bride's Residence

134, st John's Road

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

the above church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Fippen

Bride's Signature

Caroline Emma Dowell

Witness 1

Thomas his X mark Dowell

Witness 2

Louisa Alice Dowell

Signed

Sydney L. Sarel

 

Note: Thomas Dowell was the bride's father and Louisa Alice Dowell was the bride's sister.

 

 

picture

Certified Copy for an Entry of Marriage for Henry Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Henry Fippen and Caroline Emma Dowell

60.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Caroline Dowell living at 91, Phillip Street, Shoreditch. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

61.

1901 England Census for Louise Fippen in Hackney, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/227, Folio 126, Page 59, Schedule 362; Louise Fippen married with Husband at the front. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Louise Fippen (125)

 

Reference: RG13/227, Folio 126, Page 59, Schedule 362

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Hackney

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew's of Hoxton

Address: 6 Bankstock Buildings

Number of Rooms occupied if less than 5: 3

Other Info: From the address it is obviously a tenement. All the tenements had 3 rooms.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

125

Louise Fippen

Head

Married

32

Husband at the front

Bethnal Green, London

 

126

Thomas Fippen

Son

10

St Luke's, London

 

98

Louise Fippen

Daughter

3

Shoreditch, London

 

124

Henry Fippen

Son

1

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

picture

1901 Census for Household of Louise Fippen in Hackney

62.

England and Wales Death Registration Index, Carline E Grew, Q2 1957, Islington, Vol. 5c, Page 879, General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Caroline E. Grew (30)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1957

Surname

Grew

Given Names

Caroline E.

Age

75

Registration District

Islington

Volume

5c

Page

879

 

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Caroline E Grew

63.

Rev. Sidney G H Sargent, Register Entry for Baptism and Birth of Thomas Dowell, Record Type: Baptismal Register, Parish: St Jude, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1884 Page 63 No. 503; Date of birth. Cit. Date: 11 February 1884. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 009.

Baptismal Register Entry for Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

63

Entry No.

503

Date of Baptism

2 March 1884

Date of Birth

11 February 1884

Child's Christian Name

Thomas

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

12 George Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G H Sargent

 

 

picture

Baptism Thomas Dowell

64.

Ibid. Cit. Date: 2 March 1884. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 009.

Baptismal Register Entry for Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

63

Entry No.

503

Date of Baptism

2 March 1884

Date of Birth

11 February 1884

Child's Christian Name

Thomas

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

12 George Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G H Sargent

 

 

picture

Baptism Thomas Dowell

65.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Thomas Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births 1884 Q1 Bethnal Green, Vol. 1c, 279; Cit. Date: Q1 1884. General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Jan-Mar 1904

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Thomas

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Volume

1c

Page

279

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Thomas Dowell

66.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Thomas Dowell occupation french polisher. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

67.

Rev. Sidney L. Sarel , Register Entry for the Marriage of Thomas Dowell and Elizabeth Alice Anderson, (Ancestry image of Register in custody of LMA). Date18 April 1903Groom's NameThomas DowellGroom' s OccupationFrench Polisher. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/SAV, Item 018.

Marriage of Thomas Dowell (14) and Elizabeth Alice Anderson (47)

 

Registration District:

Application No: ---

Issued By: Register entry

Issue Date: 18 April 1903

Certificate No: Register entry

 

Place

St Saviour's Church

Parish

Hoxton

County

London

Date of Marriage

18 April 1903

Groom's Name

Thomas Dowell

Groom's Age

20

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

French Polisher

Groom's Residence

134 St John's Road

Groom's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Bride's Name

Elizabeth Alice Anderson

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

125 Phillip Street

Bride's Father

Charles Anderson

Rank or Profession

Painter

Married in

above church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Thomas Dowell

Bride's Signature

Elizabeth Alice Anderson

Witness 1

John James Horsman

Witness 2

Louisa Alice Dowell

Signed

Sidney L. Sarel

 

Note: Louisa Dowell was a sister to the groom. The relationship of John Horsman to the couple is not known

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Thomas Dowell and Elizabeth Alice Anderson

68.

1911 England Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hackney, London, (FMP website). Cit. Date: 2 April 1911. National Archives. Call Number: RG14/1135.

1911 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Reference: RG14/1135

Enumeration Date: 2 April 1911

County: London

Registration District: Hackney

Sub-District: South West Hackney

Parish: Hackney

Address: 42 Beck Road, Mare Street, Hackney

Number of Rooms: 2

Signature: Thomas Dowell

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Age

Condition

Years

Chd Born

Chd Living

Chd Died

Occupation

Industry

Employ Status

At Home

Where Born

Nationality

Infirmity

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Head

27

Married

French Polisher

Chair Maker

Bethnal Green

 

47

Elizabeth Dowell

Wife

26

Married

8

3

2

1

Haggerston

 

710

Thomas Dowell

Son

7

Shoreditch

 

711

Elizabeth Dowell

Shoreditch

 

 

They shared the house with the family of John Ayling who was a cabinet maker. John was married with three children and they occupied 4 rooms in the 6 room house.

 

 

picture

1911 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Hackney, London

picture

1911 Census for Household of John Ayling in Hackney, London

69.

1921 England, Wales & Scotland census, 13A Moye Street, Haggerston, Shoreditch, London, RG15/01380, Schedule 68, head of household: Thomas Dowell, National Archives.

1921 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Reference: RG15/01380, Schedule 68

Enumeration Date: 19 June 1921

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Shoreditch North East

Enumeration District: 10

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Address: 13A Moye Street, Haggerstone

Signed: Thomas Dowell

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Years

Months

Condition

Birthplace

Nationality

Education

Occupation

Employment

Place of Work

Children under 16

Age

Language

14

Thomas Dowell

Head

37

5

Married

Bethnal Green,

London

Omnibus Conductor

L.G.O.C

L.G.C. Company

(see Note tab)

Well Street, Hackney

2

8 & 16

 

47

Elizabeth Dowell

Wife

36

4

Married

Haggerstone,

London

 

710

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

11

Single

Hoxton,

London

Glass Cutter

E Thomas

Glass Manufacturers

23 Hackney Road

 

711

Elizabeth Dowell

Daughter

15

11

Single

Hoxton,

London

Blouse machinist

Blouse manufacturers

Oxford House

Mare Street

 

1138

Frederick Dowell

Son

8

11

Both Alive

Hackney,

London

Whole time

 

 

Filled in by Enumerator

Males

Females

Persons

Rooms

3

2

5

4

 

L.G.O.C. are the initials of the London General Omnibus Company.

picture

1921 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, London

picture

1921 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell - Address

70.

1939 Register: Thomas Dowell, 29 September 1939, National Archives.

1939 Register for Household of Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Reference: RG101/

Enumeration Date: 29 Sep 1939

County: Essex

E D letter code: CDOP

Schedule: 107

Address: 59 Cottenham Road, Walthamstow

Other Info:

 

Id

Name of person

Date of Birth

Occupation

Marital Status

Sub-Schedule

Remarks

14

Thomas Dowell

11 Feb 1884

French Polisher

Married

1

 

710

Thomas Dowell

24 Jul 1903

Glass Cutter (Glazier)

Married

2

 

 

71.

J P W Ward, As I Remember It, (Not published). Chapter 3 A Boy in LondonThe only other relative I have a clear recollection of visiting was Uncle Tom who was French polisher. It must have been in the late 1940s. I was impressed by the depth and lustre of the polish on the furniture, in particular the front of the upright piano! I don't remember much else about the visit except that he spent most of the time sitting on a sofa whilst the adults talked. It is almost certain that we were given tea which seemed to be the standard meal when we visited relatives or relatives visited us. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

As I Remember It

Autobiography of Jack Ward (aka Jack Dowell and Jack Richmond)

 

Introduction

Chapter 1Early Years 1934-1939

Chapter 2Evacuation 1939-1944

Chapter 3A Boy in London 1944 - 1951

Chapter 4The Navy – Under Training

Chapter 5The Surface Fleet

Chapter 6Polaris and Tident

Chapter 7Retirement

 

Accessing the book

 

The book is still being written and some of the chapters may not be complete. To access a chapter go to Media and open relevant Word file by selecting the Chapter and clicking on Open in Editor/Player.

72.

Death certificate of Thomas Dowell, 3 August 1965, Jack Ward.

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for ­Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Application No: 13441299-1

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 12 Jan 2023

Certificate No: DYE622771

 

Registration District

Haringey

Sub-district

Hornsey

County

London Borough of Haringey

Entry No.

148

Date of Death

3 August 1965

Place of Death

Hornsy Central Hospital

Name

Thomas Dowell

Sex

Male

Age

81

Occupation

a retired French Polisher

Cause of Death

1a. Carcinoma of lung

b. With secondaries in liver

c. and ascites. Liver failure

Certified by

N. Mussali M.B.

Informant's Signature

T. Dowell

Informant's Description

Son

Informant's Residence

50 Beach Road, Eastborne, Sussex

Date Registered

4 August 1965

Registrar

Gladys E. Hider

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Dowell

73.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Thomas Dowell, (FMP website). Custom Id: Deaths 1965 Haringey, Vol. 5b Page 643; Cit. Date: Q3 1965. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Thomas Dowell (14)

 

Transcribed from FMP website

 

Quarter and Year

Jul-Sep 1965

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Thomas

Age

81

Registration District

Haringey

Volume

5b

Page

643

 

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Thomas Dowell

74.

Grant of Probate: Thomas Dowell, 21 December 1965, Principal Probate Registry, Wills and Administrations 1965 Page 346.

Grant of Probate for Estate of Thomas Dowell (14)

 

DOWELL Thomas of 59 Cottenham Road Walthamstow Essex

died 3 August 1965 at Hornsey Central Hospital

Middlesex Probate London 21 December to Peter Earl

Bennett and Walter David Ridgeway solicitors. £7330

There is no indication in the grant of the beneficiaries.

picture

Grant of Probate for Estate of Thomas Dowell

75.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Charles Hezekiah Dowell, (FreeBMD image of CRI(E&W) Births Apr-Jun 1886, Registration District: Bethnal Green, Volume: 1c, Page: 250). Custom Id: Births 1886 Q2 Bethnal Green Vol. 1c, Page 250; Cit. Date: Q2 1886. General Register Office. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 009.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Charles Hezekiah Dowell (31)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1886

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Charles Hezekiah

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Volume

1c

Page

250

 

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Charles Hezekiah Dowell

76.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Entry for Charles Dowell. Cit. Date: 31 March 1901. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

77.

Rev. Sidney G H Sargent, Register Entry for Baptism of Charles Hezekiah Dowell at St Jude, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry image ). Custom Id: Baptisms 1886, Page 262, No. 1939; Date of birth and abode. Cit. Date: 29 April 1886. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 009.

Baptismal Register Entry for Charles Hezekiah Dowell (31)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

242

Entry No.

1936

Date of Baptism

23 May 1886

Date of Birth

29 April 1886

Child's Christian Name

Charles Hezekiah

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

2 New Tyson Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G. H. Sagent

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Charles Hezekiah Dowell

78.

Ibid. Cit. Date: 23 May 1886. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 009.

Baptismal Register Entry for Charles Hezekiah Dowell (31)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

242

Entry No.

1936

Date of Baptism

23 May 1886

Date of Birth

29 April 1886

Child's Christian Name

Charles Hezekiah

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

2 New Tyson Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G. H. Sagent

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Charles Hezekiah Dowell

79.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Occupation. Cit. Date: 31 March 1901. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

80.

Rev. Sydney L. Sarel, Register Entry for the Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell and Jane Elizabeth Cox at St Saviour, Hoxton, (Ancestry image of Marriage register for St Saviour's Church held by LMA). Custom Id: Marriages 1904, Page 35, No. 69; Groom's Occupation. Cit. Date: 24 July 1904. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/SAV, Item 018.

Register Entry for Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell (31) and Jane Elizabeth Cox (48)

Church

St Saviour

Parish

Hoxton

County

London

Register Year

1904

Register Page

35

Entry No.

69

Date of Marriage

24 July 1904

Groom's Name

Charles Hezekiah Dowell

Groom's Age

18

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Carman

Groom's Residence

124 St John's Road

Groom's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Bride's Name

Jane Elizabeth Cox

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

45 Mill Row

Bride's Father

James Cox

Rank or Profession

General Dealer

Married in

above Church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

me

me

Groom's Signature

Charles Hezekiah Dowell

Bride's Signature

Jane Elizabeth Cox

Witness 1

Thomas Dowell

Witness 2

Louisa Alice Dowell

Signed

Sydney L Sarel

 

Relationship of witnesses to the couple.

Thomas Dowell was probably the groom's brother as he signed his name whereas her father who was also Thomas was illiterate and signed with his mark. Louisa Dowell was the the groom's sister.

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell and Jane Elizabeth Cox

81.

Ibid. Date24 Jul 1904Groom's NameCharles Hezekiah DowellGroom's OccupationCarman. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/SAV, Item 018.

Register Entry for Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell (31) and Jane Elizabeth Cox (48)

Church

St Saviour

Parish

Hoxton

County

London

Register Year

1904

Register Page

35

Entry No.

69

Date of Marriage

24 July 1904

Groom's Name

Charles Hezekiah Dowell

Groom's Age

18

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Carman

Groom's Residence

124 St John's Road

Groom's Father

Thomas Dowell

Rank or Profession

Carman

Bride's Name

Jane Elizabeth Cox

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

45 Mill Row

Bride's Father

James Cox

Rank or Profession

General Dealer

Married in

above Church

rite

Established Church

after

Banns

me

me

Groom's Signature

Charles Hezekiah Dowell

Bride's Signature

Jane Elizabeth Cox

Witness 1

Thomas Dowell

Witness 2

Louisa Alice Dowell

Signed

Sydney L Sarel

 

Relationship of witnesses to the couple.

Thomas Dowell was probably the groom's brother as he signed his name whereas her father who was also Thomas was illiterate and signed with his mark. Louisa Dowell was the the groom's sister.

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Charles Hezekiah Dowell and Jane Elizabeth Cox

82.

1911 England Census for Household of Charles Dowell in Poplar, London, (FMP website). Custom Id: RG14PN1654 RG78PN58 RD22 SD1 ED4 SN226; Charles Dowell working as a carter for a hardware merchant in Bow. National Archives. Call Number: RG14/1654.

1911 UK Census for Household of Charles Dowell (31)

 

Reference: RG14/1654

Enumeration Date: 2 April 1911

County: London

Registration District: 22

Sub-District: 1

Parish: Poplar

Address: 2 Candy Street, Old Ford

Number of Rooms: 3

Signature: Charles Dowell

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Age

Condition

Years married

Chd Born

Chd Living

Chd Died

Occupation

Industry

Employ Status

At Home

Where Born

Nationality

Infirmity

 

31

Charles Dowell

Head

25

Married

Carter

Hardware Merchants

Worker

Bethnal Green

 

48

Jane Dowell

Wife

23

Married

7

3

3

Domestic

Shoreditch, London

 

720

Charles Dowell

Son

6

Scholar

Shoreditch, London

 

703

Albert Dowell

Son

5

Scholar

Mile End, London

 

722

William Dowell

Son

3

Stratford

 

 

The family had the house to themselves but the houses in Candy Street were quite small with 3 or 4 rooms each.

 

picture

1911 Census for Household of Charles Dowell in Poplar, London

83.

Rev. W. S. Ryan, Register Entry for Baptism of Charles Hezekiah Dowell at St Saviour, Hoxton, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1904 Page 67, No. 598; CountyLondonParishHoxtonDate of Birth12 Oct 1904Father's NameCharles Hezekiah DowellFather's OccupationCarmanAbode125 Philip StreetFather's OccupationCarman. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/SAV, Item 013.

Baptismal Register Entry for Charles Hezekiah Dowell (702)

 

Church: St Saviour

Parish: Hoxton

Denomination: Church of England

County: London

 

Register Page

67

Entry No.

598

Date of Baptism

25 Oct 1904

Date of Birth

12 Oct 1904

Child's Christian Name

Charles Hezekiah

Parents' Christian Names

Charles Hezekiah & Jane Elizabeth

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

125 Philip Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

W. S. Ryan

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Charles Hezekiah Dowell

84.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Charles H. Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Deaths 1927 Q2 Rochford, Vol. 4a, Page 557; Cit. Date: Q2 1927. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Charles H. Dowell (31)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1927

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Charles H.

Age

40

Registration District

Rochford

Volume

4a

Page

557

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Charles H. Dowell

85.

Ibid. Quarter and Year Apr-Jun 1927Surname DowellGiven Names Charles H.Age 40Registration District Rochford. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Charles H. Dowell (31)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1927

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Charles H.

Age

40

Registration District

Rochford

Volume

4a

Page

557

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Charles H. Dowell

86.

General Register Office, Certified Copy for an Entry of Birth for Louisa Alice Dowell, (Issued by General Register Office in resopnse to Application No1758671-1 on 2 Nov 2009). Custom Id: BXCE 194531; Cit. Date: 13 November 1889. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for ­Louisa Alice Dowell (17)

 

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Application No: 1758671-1

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 2 November 2009

Certificate No: BXCE194531

 

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Sub-district

South

County

London

Date of Birth

13 November 1889

Place of Birth

17 Fuller Street

Name

Louisa Alice

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman

Informant's Signature

X the mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

17 Fuller Street, Bethnal Green

Date Registered

18 December 1889

Registrar

Henry Ashford, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Louisa Alice Dowell

87.

Rev. Sidney G H Sargent, Register Entry for Baptism of Louisa Alice Dowell, St Jude, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1889 Page 206, No. 1641; Date of birth. Cit. Date: 13 November 1889. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 010.

Baptismal Register Entry for Louisa Alice Dowell (17)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

206

Entry No.

1641

Date of Baptism

1 December 1889

Date of Birth

13 November 1889

Child's Christian Name

Louisa Alice

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

17 Fuller Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G H Sargent

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Louisa Alice Dowell

88.

General Register Office, CRI(E&W) for Birth of Louisa Alice Dowell, Event Type: Birth, Registration District: Bethnal Green, Volume: 1c, Page: 224, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Births 1889 Q4 Bethnal Green Vol. 1c, Page 224; Cit. Date: Q4 1889. General Register Office. Call Number: Births.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Louisa Alice Dowell (17)

 

Transcribed from Ancestry website

 

Quarter and Year

Oct-Dec 1889

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Louisa Alice

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Volume

1c

Page

224

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Louisa Alice Dowell

89.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Name, age and place of birth. Cit. Date: 31 March 1901. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

90.

Rev. Sidney G H Sargent, Register Entry for Baptism of Louisa Alice Dowell, St Jude, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1889 Page 206, No. 1641; Date of baptism. Cit. Date: 1 December 1889. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 010.

Baptismal Register Entry for Louisa Alice Dowell (17)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

206

Entry No.

1641

Date of Baptism

1 December 1889

Date of Birth

13 November 1889

Child's Christian Name

Louisa Alice

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

17 Fuller Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

Sidney G H Sargent

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Louisa Alice Dowell

91.

General Register Office, Certified Copy for an Entry of Death for Louisa Alice Kelly, (Issued in respose to Application No 1758671-2 on 2 Nov 2009). Custom Id: DYC 495690; Cit. Date: 28 October 1918. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Death of ­Louisa Alice Kelly (17)

 

Registration District: Whitechapel

Application No: 1758671-2

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 2 Nov 2009

Certificate No: DYC495690

 

Registration District

Whitechapel

Sub-district

Whitechapel

County

London

Date of Death

28 October 1918

Place of Death

London Hospital

Name

Louisa Alice Kelly

Sex

Female

Age

28

Occupation

Wife of Edward Charles Kelly

a Provision Warehouseman

Usual Address

115 King Edward Road

Cause of Death

(1) Influenza

(2) Pneumonia

No P.M.

Certified by

George Jones M.B.

Informant's Signature

E. C. Kelly

Informant's Description

Widower of deceased

Informant's Residence

115 King Edward Road

Date Registered

29 October 1918

Registrar

J. E. Brown

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Louisa Alice Kelly

92.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Harriet Ethel Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births 1893 Q1 Bethnal Green Vol. 1c, Page 220; Cit. Date: Q1 1893. General Register Office. Call Number: Births.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Harriet Ethel Dowell (16)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Jan-Mar 1893

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Harriet Ethel

Registration District

Bethnal Green

Volume

1c

Page

220

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Harriet Ethel Dowell

93.

Rev. W. H. Davies, Register Entry for Baptism of Harriet Ethel Dowell in Parish of St Jude, Bethnal Green, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1893 Page 116, No. 925; Date of birth and abode. Cit. Date: 22 January 1893. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 011.

Baptismal Register Entry for Harriet Ethel Dowell (16)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

116

Entry No.

925

Date of Baptism

8 March 1893

Date of Birth

22 January 1893

Child's Christian Name

Harriet Ethel

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

17 Fuller Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

W. H. Davies

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Harriet Ethel Dowell

94.

Ibid. Date of baptism. Cit. Date: 8 March 1893. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P72/JUD, Item 011.

Baptismal Register Entry for Harriet Ethel Dowell (16)

 

Church: St Jude

Parish: Bethnal Green

Denomination: Church of England

County: Middlesex

 

Page

116

Entry No.

925

Date of Baptism

8 March 1893

Date of Birth

22 January 1893

Child's Christian Name

Harriet Ethel

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

17 Fuller Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

W. H. Davies

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Harriet Ethel Dowell

95.

Rev. Arthur T. Robinson, Register Entry for the Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell & Susan Ethel Hutton, (Ancesty website). Custom Id: Marriages 1920, Page 10, No. 20; Witness. Cit. Date: 25 September 1920. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/AUG, Item 011.

Register Entry for Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell (25) and Susan Ethel Hutton (50)

Church

St Augustine

Parish

Haggerston

County

London

Register Year

1920

Register Page

10

Entry No.

20

Date of Marriage

25 September 1920

Groom's Name

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Groom's Age

22

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Upholster

Groom's Residence

23 Holms Street

Groom's Father

Thomas Dowell (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Carman

Bride's Name

Susan Ethel Hutton

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

23 Holms Street

Bride's Father

Thomas Stephen Hutton (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

above Church

rite

Church of England

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Bride's Signature

Susan Ethel Hutton

Witness 1

Charles Leonard Maskal

Witness 2

Harriet Ethel Dowell

Signed

Arthur T. Robinson

 

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell and Susan Ethel Hutton

96.

Ancestry, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Harriet Ethel Stevens, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Death 1972 Q2 Greater London Vol. 5d, Page 210; Cit. Date: Q2 1972. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Harriett Ethel Stevens (16)

 

Transcribed from Ancestry website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1972

Surname

Stevens

Given Names

Harriett Ethel

Date of Birth

22 January 1893

Registration District

Greater London

Volume

5d

Page

210

 

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Harriett Ethel Stevens

97.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued on 6 Aug 2007 in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641846; Child's Name Alice EleanorMother's Name Rebecca DOWELLMaiden Name THORNTON. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell­ (7)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC 541846

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

Alice Eleanor

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street. Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

Twin

 

As Alice was the twin of William her time of birth was recorded as 5 p.m.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell

98.

Ibid. Cit. Date: 23 June 1896. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell­ (7)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC 541846

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

Alice Eleanor

Sex

Girl

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X The mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street. Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

Twin

 

As Alice was the twin of William her time of birth was recorded as 5 p.m.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Alice Eleanor Dowell

99.

Rev. A. G. Evans, Register Entry for Baptism of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Ancestry image of LMA Reference Number: p91/sav/010). Custom Id: Baptisms 1896 Page 94 No. 749; Date of birth. Cit. Date: 21 June 1896. London Metropolitan Archives.

Baptismal Register Entry for Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

 

Church: St Saviour

Parish: Hoxton

Denomination: Church of England

County: London

 

Page

94

Entry No.

749

Date of Baptism

21 June 1896

Date of Birth

30 May 1896

Child's Christian Name

Alice Eleanor

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

43 Felton Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

A. G. Evans

 

 

Her twin brother William John was baptised just after her.

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Alice Eleanor Dowell

100.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births 1896 Vol. 1c Page 82; General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1896

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Alice Eleanor

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

82

 

Note

 

The birth of her twin brother William John is recorded on the same page.

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Alice Eleanor Dowell

101.

Rev. A. G. Evans, Register Entry for Baptism of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Ancestry image of LMA Reference Number: p91/sav/010). Custom Id: Baptisms 1896 Page 94 No. 749; Date of baptism. Cit. Date: 21 June 1896. London Metropolitan Archives.

Baptismal Register Entry for Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

 

Church: St Saviour

Parish: Hoxton

Denomination: Church of England

County: London

 

Page

94

Entry No.

749

Date of Baptism

21 June 1896

Date of Birth

30 May 1896

Child's Christian Name

Alice Eleanor

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

43 Felton Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

A. G. Evans

 

 

Her twin brother William John was baptised just after her.

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Alice Eleanor Dowell

102.

1911 England Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green, (Find My Past website). Custom Id: RG14/1452 RG78PN50 RD17 SD2 ED35 SN50; Occupation. Cit. Date: 2 April 1911. National Archives. Call Number: RG14/1452.

1911 UK Census For Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

County: London

Registration District: Bethnal Green

Sub-District: Bethnal Green South West

Parish: Bethnal Green

Reference: RG14/1452

Enumeration Date: 2 April 1911

Address: 26 Baroness Road

Number of Rooms: 5

Signature: Thomas Dowell X

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Sex

Age

Condition

Years

Chd Born

Chd Living

Chd Died

Occupation

Industry

Employ Status

At Home

Where Born

Nationality

Infirmity

 

11

Thomas Dowell

Head

M

55

Married

32

Carman

for Contractor

Worker

Hoxton

British

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

F

49

Married

32

9

9

Whitechapel

British

 

16

Harriett Dowell

Daug

F

18

Printer

Printing trade

Worker

Bethel Green

British

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daug

14

Cracker maker

Worker

Hoxton

British

 

15

William John Dowell

Son

14

Upholsterer

Worker

Hoxton

British

 

25

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Son

12

School

Hoxton

British

 

98

Louise Fippen

G/Daug

13

School

Hoxton

British

 

 

 

Although Louise Fippen is shown as the granddaughter of Thomas Dowell technically she was his step-granddaughter. Louise was the daughter of Thomas Fippen (46) and Louise Jane Dorsett (126) whose death was registered in the quarter ending Sep 1901. Thomas Fippen then married Caroline Emma Dowell (30) one of Thomas and Rebecca’s daughters on 2 Nov 1902.

In her reminiscences Alice Dowell (7) says that Louise was ‘adopted’ by Thomas and Rebecca Dowell when her mother became too ill to look after her. The Census would lend credence to this although where Louisa's brother Thomas (127) was is not known as a search of the Census failed to find him. Her other brother, Henry’s (125) death was registered in the quarter ending June 1901.

 

Thomas Dowell could not write (he signed the Census form with his mark X), neither could his wife Rebecca so who filled in the form is not known - probably the eldest child living at home who was Harriett.

picture

1911 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Bethnal Green

103.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). Paragraph 3. Cit. Date: 7 June 2017. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

104.

Trobridge Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Alice Eleanor Ward, (Original Certificate issued by D. R. Hollis, Deputy Registrar). Custom Id: IX 554772; OccupationDomiciliary Midwife (retired). Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for ­Alice Eleanor Ward (7)

 

Registration District: Trowbridge

Application No: Original certificate

Issued By: D. R. Harris

Issue Date: 19 June 1987

Certificate No: IX554772

 

Registration District

Trowbridge

Sub-district

Trowbridge

Administrative Area

County of Wiltshire

Date of Death

17 June 1987

Place of Death

Waterhouse, Limpley Stoke, Wilts

Name

Alice Eleanor WARD

Sex

Female

Maiden Name

DOWELL

Date of Birth

13 May 1896

Place of Birth

Hoxton, London

Occupation

Domiciliary Midwife (retired) Widow of

William Charles John WARD,

Schoolmaster (retired)

Usual Address

Waterhouse, Limpley Stoke, Wilts

Name of Informant

Jack Peter William WARD

Qualification

Son

Usual Address

Blackwithies, Bere Aller, Langport, Somerset

Cause of Death

1a Bronchopneumonia

b Cerebral haemorrhage

2 Diabetes Mellitis

Certified by

J Heber M.B.

Informant's signature

J. P. W. Ward

Date Registered

19 June 1897

Registrar

D. R. Harris Deputy Registrar

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Alice Eleanor Ward

105.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued by General Register on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: MXD350327; Date of Marriage14 Dec 1938Rank or ProfessionMaternity Nurse. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Horace Richmond (13) and Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

 

Registration District: Lambeth

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: MXD350327

 

Place

the Register office

District

Lambeth

County

Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Date of Marriage

14 December 1938

Groom's Name

Horace Richmond

Groom's Age

59

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Horticulturist (retired)

Groom's Residence

Hassocks Road, Mitcham

Groom's Father

Joseph Richmond (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Attendant (Mental Hospital)

Bride's Name

Alice Eleanor Dowell

Bride's Age

42

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

Maternity Nurse

Bride's Residence

8 Allen Edwards Road, Lambeth

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Caterer's Traveller

Married in

Register Office

by

Licence

before

me

Groom's Signature

H. Richmond

Bride's Signature

A. E. Dowell

Witness 1

E. W. Mackellow

Witness 2

H. E. Mackellow

Signed

R. Hargreaves Registrar

T. H. Edwards Superintendent Registrar

 

H.E. Mackellow (née Harriett Dowell) was the Bride's sister.

E. W. Mackellow was Harriett's husband

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell

106.

J P W Ward, As I Remember It, (Not published). Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

As I Remember It

Autobiography of Jack Ward (aka Jack Dowell and Jack Richmond)

 

Introduction

Chapter 1Early Years 1934-1939

Chapter 2Evacuation 1939-1944

Chapter 3A Boy in London 1944 - 1951

Chapter 4The Navy – Under Training

Chapter 5The Surface Fleet

Chapter 6Polaris and Tident

Chapter 7Retirement

 

Accessing the book

 

The book is still being written and some of the chapters may not be complete. To access a chapter go to Media and open relevant Word file by selecting the Chapter and clicking on Open in Editor/Player.

107.

Jack Ward, Central Midwives Board: Midwives Roll. Entries for Alice Eleanor Dowell (subsequently Richmond and Ward), (This database). Custom Id: DV7 series; Cit. Date: from 1924 to 1947. National Archives.

Central Midwives Board (CMB)

1, Queen Anne’s Gate Buildings

Westminster, S.W.1

The CMB was responsible for the training, certification and conduct of midwives in England and Wales. It was set up by the Midwives Act 1902, whose provisions prohibited unqualified and unregistered women from practising midwifery. The aims of the act were 'to secure the better training of midwives and to regulate their practice'. Only midwives certified under this act could practice in England and Wales.

A midwife could be certified under section 2 of the 1902 Act, provided that she held a certificate in midwifery from "the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, or from the Obstetrical Society of London or the Coombe lying-in Hospital and Guiness's Dispensary, or the Rotunda Hospital for the Relief of the Poor lying-in Women of Dublin, or such other certificate as may be approved by the Central Midwives Board", or that "at the passing of the Midwives Act, 1902 she had been for at least one year in bona fide practice as a midwife, and that she bears a good character".

Section 6 of the 1902 Act stated that 'there shall be a roll of midwives, containing:-

(1) The names of those midwives who have been certified under section two of the act;

(2) The names of all other midwives who have been certified under this act.'

The secretary of the CMB was charged with the custody of the Midwives Roll and its publication.

On the passing of the Midwives Act, 1902, local councils of counties and county boroughs became "local supervisory bodies", and were charged with the supervision of midwives within the areas of their jurisdiction. Midwives intending to practice (and certified under the act) had to give notice in writing of their intention to do so to their local supervisory body by January of the year preceding that during which they intended to practice. Local supervisory bodies were responsible for investigating cases of malpractice and negligence, discipline of midwives, and for supplying the secretary of the Central Midwives Board with the names and addresses of all midwives in their area who had notified them of their intention to practice. These notifications were then compiled by the Central Midwives Board to form the Midwives Roll.

The Board also had powers in England and Wales to provide training and examination as a prerequisite to enrolment, and to draw up rules of conduct both for themselves, and for those practising as midwives.

Under the 1902 Act, the following institutions each appointed a registered medical practitioner to the Board: the Royal College of Physicians of London; the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the Society of Apothecaries; and the Incorporated Midwives. The Association of County Councils, the Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses and the Royal British Nurses Association each appointed a member; whilst the Lord President of the Council appointed two further members, one of whom was to be a woman. The Privy Council had general supervisory powers over the Board.

When the Ministry of Health was set up in 1919, the minister took over the powers of the Privy Council and the Lord President relating to the Board.

In 1983 the Central Midwives Board ceased to exist, under the provision of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979, which established a United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

 

CMB Midwives Roll

The Roll was published annually as a hard cover book. The Rolls give the Registration Number, Name, Address, Date of Enrolment, Qualification and whether the midwife intends to practice. They also contain ancillary information such as the names of board members, approved training institutions, the names of examiners and the text of the Midwives Act. Unlike the Nursing Council registers they do not give the place where the midwife trained and DV8 - Central Midwives Board: Training and Examination Files are not held by the National Archives.

Approved Training Institutions in the London Area where Alice is known to have worked are:-

St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth, S.E.1

London Hospital, Whitechapel, E.1

Poor Law Institutions

Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Hospital, Lower Rd, S.E.16

Shoreditch St Leonard’s Hospital, Hoxton St, N.1

 

Alice’s Registration Number was 65746 and she qualified by CMB Examination. However, it is not known where she trained. She talked a lot about St Thomas’ Hospital and may have trained there although initially she worked in Rotherhithe which was covered by the Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Hospital. Strangely the annual Rolls do not all agree on her Date of Enrolment.

 

The Rolls held by the National Archives appear to have come from a variety of sources and some years are missing. The following transcripts from the Rolls held at the National Archives are relevant to Alice Eleanor Dowell:-

 

DV7/22 1924

Midwives admitted up to September 30 1924. She is not listed

 

DV7/23 1925 Not held by the National Archives

 

DV7/24 1926 – Notification of Intention to Practice

Number: 65746

Name: Dowell, Alice Eleanor

211, Hackney Road, E.

Date of Enrolment: October 30 1925

 

DV7/25 1927 Not held by the National Archives

 

DV7/26 1928

Number: 65746

Name: Dowell, Alice Eleanor

Address: 30, Surrey Square, Walworth, S.E.

Date of Enrolment: 9 April 1925

 

DV7/27 1929 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/28 1930 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/30 1931 Available – not transcribed

 

DV7/31 1932 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/32 1933 This was the CMB’s copy of the Midwives Roll containing printed corrections up to 17 March 1933 and then amended in manuscript using red ink up to 31 December 1933.

Number: 65746

Name: Dowell, Alice Eleanor

Original printed entry

Address: 65 Fawcett Road, Bermondsey, S.E.

Crossed out in red ink and address amended to:

119, Newington Road, Ramsgate, Kent

Crossed out in red ink and amended to:

26, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent

 

DV7/34 1934 Not held by National Archives

As the last address for 1933 and the address for 1935 was 26, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent it is assumed that she was there in 1934

 

DV7/35 1935

Address: 26, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent

Date of Enrolment: February 23 1925

Qualifications: CMB Examination

 

DV7/36 1936 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/37 1937

Address: 8, Devonshire Road, South Lambeth, S.W.

Date of Enrolment: June 22 1925

 

DV7/38 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1937-38

Number: 65746

Name: Alice Eleanor Richmond

Address: 8, Allen Edwards Road, South Lambeth, S.W.8

Date of Enrolment: 9 April 1925

 

DV7/39 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1938-39

Correct up to 31 March 1940

Number: 65746

Alice Eleanor Richmond

25, Rhodesia Road, Stockwell, S.W.9

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25 Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/40 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1939-40

Correct up to 31 March 1941

Number: 65746

Alice Eleanor Richmond

25, Rhodesia Road, Stockwell, S.W.9

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25 Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/41 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1940-41

Number: 65746

Alice Eleanor Richmond

c/o London County Council, County Hall, Westminster, S.W.7

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25 Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/42 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1941-42

Number: 65746

Alice Eleanor Richmond

c/o London County Council, County Hall, Westminster, S.W.7

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/43 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1942-43

Correct up to 31 March 1944

Number: 65746

Alice Eleanor Richmond

c/o London County Council, County Hall, Westminster Bridge, S.E.1

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/44 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1943-44

Correct up to 30 June 1945

Number: 65746

Alice Eleanor Richmond

c/o London County Council, County Hall, Westminster Bridge, S.E.1

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/45 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1944-45

Correct up to

Number: 65746

Richmond, Alice Eleanor

Kimberly Emergency Maternity Home, New South Promenade, Blackpool, Lancs.

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/46 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1945-46

Correct up to 30 June 1945

Number: 65746

Richmond, Alice Eleanor

Kimberly Emergency Maternity Home, New South Promenade, Blackpool, Lancs.

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/47 The Midwives Roll 1946

Correct up to 31 December 1945; addresses up to 31 August 1946

Number: 65746

Richmond, Alice Eleanor

Kimberly Emergency Maternity Home, New South Promenade, Blackpool, Lancs.

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

DV7/48 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1946-47

Correct up to

Number: 65746

Richmond, Alice Eleanor

55, Binfield Road, S.W.4

Date of Enrolment: 9-4-25Qualification: CMB Examination

 

 

 

Transcribed from CMB Midwives Roll (National Archives DV 7) by her son Jack Ward on 21 Oct 2010.

108.

Central Midwives Board, Registration as a Midwife. Cit. Date: 1925. National Archives.

Central Midwives Board Register for Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

Compiled by her son Jack Ward on 21 Oct 2010 from the CMB Midwives Roll (National Archives DV 7)

The Central Midwives Board (CMB)

 

Alice’s Registration Number was 65746 and she qualified by CMB Examination. However, it is not known where she trained. She talked a lot about St Thomas’ Hospital and initially it was thought that she trained there. However, she also talked about her experiences as a midwife working in Rotherhithe. As none of the residential addresses given in the rolls put her within cycling distance of Rotherhithe it is more likely that she trained at the Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Hospital and her experiences related to her final year of training or shortly after she was trained when she was still resident at the hospital or its staff accommodation. The National Archives do not hold information on where individual midwives trained.

 

She also trained as a nurse, or at least started training as a nurse, and she may have done this at St Thomas’ Hospital before switching to midwifery.

 

The Rolls held by the National Archives appear to have come from a variety of sources and some years are missing. The following transcripts from the Rolls held at the National Archives are relevant to Alice Eleanor Dowell:-

 

DV7/22 1924

Midwives admitted up to September 30 1924. She is not listed

 

DV7/23 1925 Not held by the National Archives

 

DV7/24 1926 – Notification of Intention to Practice

Number: 65746

Name: Dowell, Alice Eleanor

211, Hackney Road, E.

Date of Enrolment: October 30 1925

 

DV7/25 1927 Not held by the National Archives

 

DV7/26 1928

Number: 65746

Name: Dowell, Alice Eleanor

Address: 30, Surrey Square, Walworth, S.E.

Date of Enrolment: 9 April 1925

 

DV7/27 1929 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/28 1930 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/30 1931 Available – not transcribed

 

DV7/31 1932 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/32 1933 This was the CMB’s copy of the Midwives Roll containing printed corrections up to 17 March 1933 and then amended in manuscript using red ink up to 31 December 1933.

Number: 65746

Name: Dowell, Alice Eleanor

Original printed entry

Address: 65 Fawcett Road, Bermondsey, S.E.

Crossed out in red ink and address amended to:

119, Newington Road, Ramsgate, Kent

Crossed out in red ink and amended to:

26, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent

 

DV7/34 1934 Not held by National Archives

 

DV7/35 1935

Address: 26, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent

Date of Enrolment: February 23 1925

Qualifications: CMB Examination

DV7/36 1936 Not held by National Archives

DV7/37 1937

Address: 8, Devonshire Road, South Lambeth, S.W.

Date of Enrolment: June 22 1925

 

DV7/38 Roll of Practicing Midwives 1937-38

Number: 65746

Name: Alice Eleanor Richmond

Address: 8, Allen Edwards Road, South Lambeth, S.W.8

Date of Enrolment: 9 April 1925

 

Strangely the annual Rolls do not all agree on her Date of Enrolment. However, they do agree that the year was 1925.

 

Central Midwives Board

1, Queen Anne’s Gate Buildings

Westminster, S.W.1

The CMB was responsible for the training, certification and conduct of midwives in England and Wales. It was set up by the Midwives Act 1902, whose provisions prohibited unqualified and unregistered women from practising midwifery. The aims of the act were 'to secure the better training of midwives and to regulate their practice'. Only midwives certified under this act could practice in England and Wales.

A midwife could be certified under section 2 of the 1902 Act, provided that she held a certificate in midwifery from "the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, or from the Obstetrical Society of London or the Coombe lying-in Hospital and Guiness's Dispensary, or the Rotunda Hospital for the Relief of the Poor lying-in Women of Dublin, or such other certificate as may be approved by the Central Midwives Board", or that "at the passing of the Midwives Act, 1902 she had been for at least one year in bona fide practice as a midwife, and that she bears a good character".

Section 6 of the 1902 Act stated that 'there shall be a roll of midwives, containing:-

(1) The names of those midwives who have been certified under section two of the act;

(2) The names of all other midwives who have been certified under this act.'

The secretary of the CMB was charged with the custody of the Midwives Roll and its publication.

On the passing of the Midwives Act, 1902, local councils of counties and county boroughs became "local supervisory bodies", and were charged with the supervision of midwives within the areas of their jurisdiction. Midwives intending to practice (and certified under the act) had to give notice in writing of their intention to do so to their local supervisory body by January of the year preceding that during which they intended to practice. Local supervisory bodies were responsible for investigating cases of malpractice and negligence, discipline of midwives, and for supplying the secretary of the Central Midwives Board with the names and addresses of all midwives in their area who had notified them of their intention to practice. These notifications were then compiled by the Central Midwives Board to form the Midwives Roll.

The Board also had powers in England and Wales to provide training and examination as a prerequisite to enrolment, and to draw up rules of conduct both for themselves, and for those practising as midwives.

Under the 1902 Act, the following institutions each appointed a registered medical practitioner to the Board: the Royal College of Physicians of London; the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the Society of Apothecaries; and the Incorporated Midwives. The Association of County Councils, the Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses and the Royal British Nurses Association each appointed a member; whilst the Lord President of the Council appointed two further members, one of whom was to be a woman. The Privy Council had general supervisory powers over the Board.

When the Ministry of Health was set up in 1919, the minister took over the powers of the Privy Council and the Lord President relating to the Board.

In 1983 the Central Midwives Board ceased to exist, under the provision of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979, which established a United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

 

CMB Midwives Roll

 

The Roll was published annually as a hard cover book. The Rolls give the Registration Number, Name, Address, Date of Enrolment, Qualification and whether the midwife intends to practice. They also contain ancillary information such as the names of board members, approved training institutions, the names of examiners and the text of the Midwives Act. Unlike the Nursing Council registers they do not give the place where the midwife trained and DV8 - Central Midwives Board: Training and Examination Files has been removed from the National Archives because it did not contain material that was worth keeping.

 

Approved Training Institutions in the London Area where Alice is known to have trained and worked are:-

 

•St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth, S.E.1

•London Hospital, Whitechapel, E.1

•Poor Law Institutions

•Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Hospital, Lower Rd, S.E.16

•Shoreditch St Leonard’s Hospital, Hoxton St, N.1

109.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Issued by General Register on 6 Aug 2007 in reponse to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: MXD350327; Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Marriage of Horace Richmond (13) and Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

 

Registration District: Lambeth

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: MXD350327

 

Place

the Register office

District

Lambeth

County

Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

Date of Marriage

14 December 1938

Groom's Name

Horace Richmond

Groom's Age

59

Groom's Condition

Widower

Rank or Profession

Horticulturist (retired)

Groom's Residence

Hassocks Road, Mitcham

Groom's Father

Joseph Richmond (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Attendant (Mental Hospital)

Bride's Name

Alice Eleanor Dowell

Bride's Age

42

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

Maternity Nurse

Bride's Residence

8 Allen Edwards Road, Lambeth

Bride's Father

Thomas Dowell (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Caterer's Traveller

Married in

Register Office

by

Licence

before

me

Groom's Signature

H. Richmond

Bride's Signature

A. E. Dowell

Witness 1

E. W. Mackellow

Witness 2

H. E. Mackellow

Signed

R. Hargreaves Registrar

T. H. Edwards Superintendent Registrar

 

H.E. Mackellow (née Harriett Dowell) was the Bride's sister.

E. W. Mackellow was Harriett's husband

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Horace Richmond and Alice Eleanor Dowell

110.

Testamentary records, England, 4 August 1985, Alice Eleanor Ward, Will, Jack Ward.

Will of Alice Eleanor Ward (7)

 

This is the last Will and Testament of me Alice Eleanor Of Waterhouse, Monkton Combe, Bath in the County of Avon, Midwife (retired), made on this Fourth day of August, 1985.

I hereby revoke all Wills and Codicils made by me at any time heretobefore, I appoint my son Jack Peter William Ward of Ensleigh Cottage, Granville Road, Bath in the County of Avon, Naval Officer, to be my Executor, and direct all that my Debts and Funeral Expenses shall be paid as soon as conveniently may be after my decease.

I give and bequeath unto the said Jack Peter William Ward all my property.

 

Signed by the said Testator Alice Eleanor Ward in the presence of both of us as, present at the same time, who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses.

 

A E Ward

S Parley 5 Downside Rd, Westbury, Wilts

C. Dowling 12 Bratton Rd, West Ashton, Trowbridge, Wilts

 

The whereabouts of the original holograph will is unknown. Presumably it is held by the Dist Probate Registry at Bristol.

picture

Will of Alice Eleanor Ward

111.

Trobridge Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Alice Eleanor Ward, (Original Certificate issued by D. R. Hollis, Deputy Registrar). Custom Id: IX 554772; Cit. Date: 19 June 1987. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for ­Alice Eleanor Ward (7)

 

Registration District: Trowbridge

Application No: Original certificate

Issued By: D. R. Harris

Issue Date: 19 June 1987

Certificate No: IX554772

 

Registration District

Trowbridge

Sub-district

Trowbridge

Administrative Area

County of Wiltshire

Date of Death

17 June 1987

Place of Death

Waterhouse, Limpley Stoke, Wilts

Name

Alice Eleanor WARD

Sex

Female

Maiden Name

DOWELL

Date of Birth

13 May 1896

Place of Birth

Hoxton, London

Occupation

Domiciliary Midwife (retired) Widow of

William Charles John WARD,

Schoolmaster (retired)

Usual Address

Waterhouse, Limpley Stoke, Wilts

Name of Informant

Jack Peter William WARD

Qualification

Son

Usual Address

Blackwithies, Bere Aller, Langport, Somerset

Cause of Death

1a Bronchopneumonia

b Cerebral haemorrhage

2 Diabetes Mellitis

Certified by

J Heber M.B.

Informant's signature

J. P. W. Ward

Date Registered

19 June 1897

Registrar

D. R. Harris Deputy Registrar

 

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Alice Eleanor Ward

112.

J P W Ward, As I Remember It, (Not published). Chapter 10Farewell To The Navy and Hello to Civilian Life. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

As I Remember It

Autobiography of Jack Ward (aka Jack Dowell and Jack Richmond)

 

Introduction

Chapter 1Early Years 1934-1939

Chapter 2Evacuation 1939-1944

Chapter 3A Boy in London 1944 - 1951

Chapter 4The Navy – Under Training

Chapter 5The Surface Fleet

Chapter 6Polaris and Tident

Chapter 7Retirement

 

Accessing the book

 

The book is still being written and some of the chapters may not be complete. To access a chapter go to Media and open relevant Word file by selecting the Chapter and clicking on Open in Editor/Player.

113.

Testamentary records, England, 30 July 1987, Alice Eleanor Ward, Grant of Probate, Jack Ward.

Grant of Probate for Estate of Alice Eleanor Ward (7)

 

Probate Registry

Bristol

Name

Alice Eleanor Ward

Date of Death

17 June 1987

Domiciled in

England and Wales

Administrator

Jack Peter William Ward

Address

Blackwithies Aller Langport Somerset

Date of Grant

30 July 1987

Probate Officer

P F Cullan

 

picture

Grant of Probate for Estate of Alice Eleanor Ward

114.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell, (Issued on 6 August 2007 by General Register Office in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641845; Cit. Date: 13 May 1896. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of William John Dowell (15)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC641845

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Entry No

97

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5.30 p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

William John

Sex

Boy

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X the mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

William was the twin of Alice Eleanor Dowell and was born half an hour after her.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell

115.

1939 Register for Household of Horace Richmond, (FMP website). Custom Id: RG101; Date of birth. Cit. Date: 29 September 1939. National Archives.

1939 Register for Household of Horace Richmond (9)

 

Reference: RG101/

Enumeration Date: 29 Sep 1939

County: London

Borough: Lambeth

Registration District and Sub-District 22/3

E D letter code: ANEL

Schedule: 87

Address: 8 Allen Edwards Road, London, S.W.8

Other Info:

 

Id

Name of person

Date of Birth

Occupation

Marital Status

Sub-Schedule

Remarks

9

Horace Richmond

18 Jul 1866

Postal Servant Retired

Married

1

 

7

Alice Eleanor Richmond

31 May 1896

Midwife L.C.C.

Married

2

 

13

William John Dowell

31 May 1896

Upholsterer

Single

3

 

98

Louisa Mary Fippen

19 May 1897

Dress Machinist

Single

4

 

 

1The register has been annotated to show that Alice Eleanor re-married on 3 Mar 1949 and changed her surname to Ward

2William was Alice’s brother and Louise her adopted sister.

3Just before the register was compiled 3 other members of the household – William and Harriet Mackellow, and Jack Richmond moved to Brighton to live with William’s brother and his wife (Harry & Francis Mackellow) as part of the voluntary evacuation. (Jack Ward’s autobiography, As I remember It, Chapter 1 -The Early Years). Harriett was Alice’s sister and Jack her son.

picture

1939 Register for Household of Horace Richmond

116.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of John Dowell, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Births 1896 Shoreditch Vol.1c Page 82; Cit. Date: Q2 1896. General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of William John Dowell (15)

 

Transcribed FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1896

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

William John

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

82

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of William John Dowell

117.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Name, age and place of birth. Cit. Date: 5 April 1891. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

118.

Parish Register for Baptism of William John Dowell, St Saviour, Hoxton, London, 21 June 1896, London Metropolitan Archives.

Baptismal Register Entry for William John Dowell (15)

 

Church: St Saviour

Parish: Hoxton

Denomination: Church of England

County: London

 

Page

94

Entry No.

750

Date of Baptism

21 May 1896

Date of Birth

30 May 1896

Child's Christian Name

William John

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

43 Felton Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

A. G. Evans

 

 

His twin sister Alice Eleanor was baptised just before him.

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of William John Dowell

119.

General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell, (Issued on 6 August 2007 by General Register Office in response to Application No COL330700). Custom Id: BXCC 641845; Date registered. Cit. Date: 23 June 1896. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

Birth of William John Dowell (15)

 

Registration District: Shoreditch

Application No: COL330700

Issued By: General Register Office

Issue Date: 6 August 2007

Certificate No: BXCC641845

 

Registration District

Shoreditch

Sub-district

Hoxton Old Town

County

London

Entry No

97

Date of Birth

13 May 1896 5.30 p.m.

Place of Birth

43 Felton Street

Name

William John

Sex

Boy

Father's Name

Thomas Dowell

Mother's Name

Rebecca Dowell

Maiden Surname

Thornton

Father's Occupation

Carman Journeyman

Informant's Signature

X the mark of Rebecca Dowell

Informant's Description

Mother

Informant's Residence

43 Felton Street, Hoxton Old Town

Date Registered

23 June 1896

Registrar

E. J. Pearce, Registrar

Name after registration

---

 

William was the twin of Alice Eleanor Dowell and was born half an hour after her.

picture

Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for William John Dowell

120.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). William Dowell's war experiences. Cit. Date: May 1915. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

121.

War Office, WW I Medal Card for William J. Dowell, (Ancestry website). Regimental Number. Cit. Date: May 1915. National Archives. Call Number: WWI Medal Cards.

WW1 Medal Card for William J Dowell (15)

 

Name

Corps.

Rank.

Regtl. No.

Dowell

4th Lond. R.

Pte

4205

William J

---"---

281670

 

4 Lond. R (T.F.)

Pte

6549702

 

Medal.

Roll.

Page.

Remarks.

Victory

TP4/101B2

199

 

British

do

do

 

Star

 

 

 

 

Theatre of War first served in

 

Date of entry therein

 

*NW/9/2140

Correspondence

G.O.C. 56th & Lond. Div. Submits roll of individuals entitled to

medals vide A.Q.I. 526 of 1920 ??????

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Front

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Back

122.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). William Dowell's war experiences. Cit. Date: from May 1915 to January 1916. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

123.

War Office, WW I Medal Card for William J. Dowell, (Ancestry website). Cit. Date: from May 1915 to January 1916. National Archives. Call Number: WWI Medal Cards.

WW1 Medal Card for William J Dowell (15)

 

Name

Corps.

Rank.

Regtl. No.

Dowell

4th Lond. R.

Pte

4205

William J

---"---

281670

 

4 Lond. R (T.F.)

Pte

6549702

 

Medal.

Roll.

Page.

Remarks.

Victory

TP4/101B2

199

 

British

do

do

 

Star

 

 

 

 

Theatre of War first served in

 

Date of entry therein

 

*NW/9/2140

Correspondence

G.O.C. 56th & Lond. Div. Submits roll of individuals entitled to

medals vide A.Q.I. 526 of 1920 ??????

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Front

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Back

124.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). William Dowell's war experiences. Cit. Date: from January 1916 to 1917. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

125.

War Office, WW I Medal Card for William J. Dowell, (Ancestry website). Cit. Date: from January 1916 to 1917. National Archives. Call Number: WWI Medal Cards.

WW1 Medal Card for William J Dowell (15)

 

Name

Corps.

Rank.

Regtl. No.

Dowell

4th Lond. R.

Pte

4205

William J

---"---

281670

 

4 Lond. R (T.F.)

Pte

6549702

 

Medal.

Roll.

Page.

Remarks.

Victory

TP4/101B2

199

 

British

do

do

 

Star

 

 

 

 

Theatre of War first served in

 

Date of entry therein

 

*NW/9/2140

Correspondence

G.O.C. 56th & Lond. Div. Submits roll of individuals entitled to

medals vide A.Q.I. 526 of 1920 ??????

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Front

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Back

126.

J P W Ward, Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell, (Created 2007 with subsequent additions). William Dowell's war experiences. Cit. Date: 1917. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.

Reminiscences of Alice Eleanor Dowell (7)

By her son, Jack Ward

 

1Introduction

 

My mother never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. Thus this memoir is based entirely on my recollection of what she said when she talked about her past.

I always called her Mum and although she died in 1987 I still think of her in this way. In places I have supplemented Mum's reminiscences with some of my own memories or material gleaned from researching my family history in order to make a more coherent memoir. This means that some of the material is also repeated in my autobiography As I Remember It. In these notes I refer to my mother as Alice when recording her reminiscences or supplementary information from research, and my mother or Mum when recording my own reminiscences. A similar distinction is made when referring to other people.

2Childhood

2.1Her Father

Her father, Thomas, was a carrier (carman) who drove a horse and cart. As a little girl she was taken to the stables to see the horses which were probably shires as she recalls walking underneath them. Walking under them seems improbable but obviously under her father's supervision she came close to them and they were very docile. Almost certainly the stables were fairly close to where they lived as it has been noted from census returns that some of their neighbours were also carmen. Given his background he was an almost certainly an employee; this view is reinforced by Alice's birth certificate which gives journeyman carman as his occupation.

One of his jobs was delivering vegetables to London hotels and, when there were banquets, Mum and her sisters, could earn extra pocket money (½d.) preparing vegetables at home such as tiny beans. The children's regular pocket money was a halfpenny given to them by their father on Saturday and a farthing given to them by their mother on Sunday. Mum said they spent it on sweets and perhaps saved for a small toy which could be bought from a local shop for a few pence.

I never knew my Grandfather as he died of a heart attack in 1919. Towards the end of his life he had a variety of other jobs so it seems that the rise in motor transport spelt the end of most horse drawn delivery and put many carmen who could not drive a motor vehicle out of work.

2.2Her Mother

Her mother, Rebecca who I called Grandma, could not read or write but was very good at mental arithmetic. She could beat the shopkeeper with the speed with which she added up the bill and frequently challenged the shopkeepers total. Inevitably she was right.

I have two memories of my Grandmother. The first was someone in a black dress which came down to the ground carrying a black Dorothy Bag. Mum said that she doted on me and would give me fruit which she had in her Dorothy Bag. The second was her lying on a chaise lounge with her eyes closed and me trying to wake her up. Later Mum confirmed my memories and told me that she had had a stroke and was unconscious for three days before she died. She died on Christmas Day in 1936. As I was only 2¾ at the time I am surprised that I have any memories of her at all.

 

2.3Her Siblings

Alice had 9 brothers and sisters and one adopted sister, Louisa Fippen. On her mothers instance all the children (including the girls) were apprenticed to a trade. With such a large family the children had to help with the household chores. It is almost certain that the older ones had to help with the younger ones although Mum never specifically said that they did. Mum's and her adopted sister's job was to help with turning the mangle on wash day which was traditionally a Monday. If it was Monday I can't help wondering what happened in term time when the children went to school. Did her mother get up very early to light the copper, boil the water and wash the clothes in time for the girls to mangle them before they went to school? Maybe if she wanted to get them dry possibly in time for some of the other girls to help with the ironing when they came home from school or, after the age of 12, work.

Rebecca.

Louisa (Fippen). Adoption was not formalised until the 1920s and Louisa (or Aunt Lou as I knew her) was simply taken in when her own parents were unable to look after her. Why this was is not clear but Mum said that Aunt Lous mother became terminally ill and asked Mums mother to take care of Louisa. Adoption was not legalised until the 1920s; The date of her adoption is uncertain. She is not recorded as living in the Dowell household at the time of the 1901 Census but she and Alice shared a bedroom, played together and had to turn the mangle together on washdays. Alice greatly admired Louisas hair which was thick and coarse and could be easily curled with rag ties and for special occasions the addition of a solution of sugar and water. Alices hair was very fine and straight and was almost impossible to curl even with the addition of sugar solution. As a girl Louisa had a temper and would pull Mums hair.

William, her twin brother. Uncle Bill (or Big Will as I knew him) was born half an hour after Mum and according to Mum was much smaller. If she ever told me their respective weights I dont remember them but certainly the difference in their physical attributes was marked. Mum was tall and Uncle Bill was short although they were both slim until Mum gave up riding a bicycle in 1950 when she put on weight.

In 1914 when World War I broke out he was 18. At the time there was great patriotic fever and young men rushed to join up. Young men who didnt were usually given a white feather (mostly anomalously) by young girls. Mum said that after receiving a white feather Uncle Bill lied about his age in order to join up. He was subsequently gassed and was invalided out. The Germans were the first to use chlorine gas as an offensive weapon. Initially our soldiers did not have gas masks and after the first attacks had had devastating results they were instructed to urinate on a cloth and tie it over their nose and mouth. This would have prevented or mitigated damage to their lung but their eyes must have been serious affected. What little I knew about Uncle Bills war service was told to me by Mum. He would never talk to me about it. When I asked him he would say, “You dont want to hear about it,” or words to that effect and it wasnt until many years later when I read Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by the historian Ronald Blythe that I appreciated why he didnt wish to talk about his experiences. From his Medal Card in the National Archives I have been able to find out some details of his war service.

He joined the 4th Battalion of the London Regiment whose headquarters was at Shoreditch which is where the family were living at the time. As his other military records appear to have been destroyed in the fire at the War Office in 1940 there is no way of knowing exactly when he joined up or when he was discharged. However, his first (of three) regimental numbers was 4205 which was issued between 5th May 1915 which was when 4110 was allocated and 15th June 1915 when 4486 was allocated. When the battalion was re-numbered in March 1917 men were allocated numbers within the range 280001 to 300000; Uncle Bills was 281670. The Battalion was sent to France in August 1914 so Uncle Bill would, after a period of initial training, been sent to France probably in July or August 1915 and was still there in 1917. His third regimental number was 6549702. This entry is TF (Territorial Force) and is explained by a note on the back of the card referring to a letter dated 26.2.21 from the GOC (General Officer Commanding) 56th London Division submitting the roll of individuals entitled to medals. It would therefore appear that he was transferred to the 56th London Division when it was reformed in January 1916 in France. It began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)* The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured ComblesThe Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)* * the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

One of the puzzles was that he was only awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal. He was not awarded either the 1914-18 Star which was issued to all (approximately 2,336,000) who saw service in any theatre of conflict between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, or the 1914 Star which was only awarded to members of the British Expeditionary Force. Was this an oversight? It would certainly appear so and in view of his attitude to the war he almost certainly had no interest in applying for it.

He never married which is slightly surprising as he survived WW1 and after the war there were many more girls of marriageable age than men. Alice said that he had been engaged and had even bought 'the home' by which she meant furniture when he discovered that his fiancée was seeing someone else. He broke off the engagement, sold all the furniture he had bought and continued to live with his mother.

Later he took his sister by adoption, Louisa, out but nothing came of it as he said that, 'She hadn't two words to rub together'. After they fell out over a hot water bottle he never spoke to her again unless it was absolutely essential although they lived in the same house.

He was an upholsterer by trade having served a full apprenticeship before WW I. He returned to the trade after the war but the dust affected his breathing badly especially as he had been gassed during the war. He also smoked which would have also contributed to his breathing problems but at that time it was not appreciated the deleterious effect that smoking had on health. Indeed at times it was positively encouraged as being beneficial in calming the nerves and most men smoked. He had to give up the upholstery trade and through the good offices of the Rev. Dalton who had been the vicar of the church he attended as a boy and was now a Minor Canon at St Pauls cathedral was able to obtain a job as a guide at St Pauls. The exact date is not known but it was probably in the early 1930s.

In WW2 his job as a guide was considered non-essential and he was directed to work on the London Underground. His first job was manning the floodgates where the Northern Line ran under the Thames. Later he had a job as a ticket collector and then as a ticket inspector. However, he did not serve his links with St Paul's Cathedral completely as at night he was a fire watcher and helped to put out an incendiary bomb which came through the roof. He returned to his old job as a guide in 1946. His favourite job was a guide in the Whispering Gallery and he made a recording of the talk he used to give to visitors. However, as he grew older he found the climb to the whispering gallery a bit too much and he was employed on the bookstall. He was able to get tickets for national events held at the cathedral such as the service of thanksgiving held at the end of WW II which was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I had an aisle seat for that service. He could also get a viewing position overlooking Ludgate Hill to see the Lord Mayor's Procession and once he took me all the way up to the cylinder under the cross on top of the dome in which there were small windows; the view was tremendous.

 

 

Louisa Alice. See Paragraph 4 Looking After Louisa's Children

 

2.4The Goat Cart

The children had a small cart drawn by a goat. I dont know where the goat was kept but apparently it was quite a pet and Arthur was responsible for its care. However, the children fed it so much that its belly nearly touched the ground!

3Time as a Novice Nun

She entered St Margarets Convent, East Grinsted, which is a Church of England convent, as a novice. The reason for her entry are unclear but she would have had to be very religious and felt she had a vocation to do so. Almost certainly the arrangements would have been made through her parish priest. Research has shown that in the early 1900s the family attended St Saviours Church in Hoxton and several members of the family were baptised, presumably were confirmed and were married there. St Saviour was very High Church and was associated with the Catholic Revival within the Church of England, despite opposition from the Bishop of London, which resulted in an episcopal ban on the parish following a Corpus Christi procession in August 1917. St Saviour's became the focus for the movement for reunion with Rome known as the Confraternity of Unity when its secretariat was established at St Saviour's in 1929. The Church was badly damaged during the 2nd World War and never reopened. It is possible that the High Church ritual may have turned her thoughts towards entering a convent which was no doubt encouraged by her by her parish priest who almost certainly made the arrangements for her to do so. Later became a Minor Canon at St Pauls Cathedral. I cannot remember his name but remember meeting him when I was about 12 after a commemoration service at St Pauls. To me he appeared to be very old.

Mum rarely spoke about her life in the convent but I had the impression that it was regimented, strict and hard. As she was not able to bring a dowry she was employed on domestic duties. Those who could bring a dowry undertook more gentile tasks such as needlework. She told me that she slept in a cell which in winter was bitterly cold; if she woke up feeling snug and warm in bed she was supposed to get out, kneel on the cold floor and say a prayer. When I asked her if she did, she replied “Of course.”

When her sister Louisa became ill with the Spanish flu her father insisted that she left the Convent to help with the care of her sisters children. I gather there was an argument between her father and the Mother Superior over her leaving. She never returned to the convent and eventually trained as a midwife. I have been unable the determine the exact dates of her entering and leaving the Convent. I wrote to the Mother Superior on two separate occasions asking for information but never received a reply so I have to infer the dates from other sources. Her sister Louisa died on 28th October 1918 so she must have left the Convent around this time (she was 22 at the time). When she entered is more difficult. According to the 1911 Census (taken when she was 14) she was employed as a cracker maker. I don't think the Convent would have accepted her before she was 18 and then only on the recommendation of her parish priest and with her parents' permission; it could have been as late as when she was 21 if she entered against her parents wishes.

4Looking After Louisa's Children

By all accounts Louisa's husband was a neer-do-well who was either a philanderer or a drunkard - perhaps both! Although Mum said she looked after her sister's children (and I had the impression there were two) she only talked about Eddie. I know she was proud of Eddie who became a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Given their circumstances he must have worked his way up rather than entering the army as a cadet. However, I remember a cousin called Ethel who I called Aunt Ethel as she was much older than I was. She called Mum Aunt Alice. As a boy we saw a lot of Aunt Ethel and her family and she was obviously close to Mum and I have since found out that she was the other child of Louisa. Mum almost certainly looked after Louisa's children at her parents' house as there would certainly not have been any additional income to do so. I do not know how long she looked after them; presumably until they left home.

 

 

 

Alice Elenor Dowell never wrote anything down about her own life. The only documents which survive are a few photographs, one of her case books which she kept as a midwife and a telephone numbers book from the late 1940s. The memoir is based entirely on her son Jack's recollection of what she said when she talked about her past supplemented by his family history research.

The Text from Source may not be up to date. For latest version refer to OneDrive/Family History/Dowell-Lauderdale/Reminiscences/Dowell, Alice Eleanor (7)

127.

War Office, WW I Medal Card for William J. Dowell, (Ancestry website). Cit. Date: 1917. National Archives. Call Number: WWI Medal Cards.

WW1 Medal Card for William J Dowell (15)

 

Name

Corps.

Rank.

Regtl. No.

Dowell

4th Lond. R.

Pte

4205

William J

---"---

281670

 

4 Lond. R (T.F.)

Pte

6549702

 

Medal.

Roll.

Page.

Remarks.

Victory

TP4/101B2

199

 

British

do

do

 

Star

 

 

 

 

Theatre of War first served in

 

Date of entry therein

 

*NW/9/2140

Correspondence

G.O.C. 56th & Lond. Div. Submits roll of individuals entitled to

medals vide A.Q.I. 526 of 1920 ??????

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Front

picture

Medal Card for William J Dowell - Back

128.

J P W Ward, As I Remember It, (Not published). Uncle Bill worked on the Underground during the war. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street

Bampton

Tiverton

Devon

EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.

As I Remember It

Autobiography of Jack Ward (aka Jack Dowell and Jack Richmond)

 

Introduction

Chapter 1Early Years 1934-1939

Chapter 2Evacuation 1939-1944

Chapter 3A Boy in London 1944 - 1951

Chapter 4The Navy – Under Training

Chapter 5The Surface Fleet

Chapter 6Polaris and Tident

Chapter 7Retirement

 

Accessing the book

 

The book is still being written and some of the chapters may not be complete. To access a chapter go to Media and open relevant Word file by selecting the Chapter and clicking on Open in Editor/Player.

129.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of William J. Dowell, (FMP website). Custom Id: Deaths Q2 Lambeth Vol 5d, Page 182; Cit. Date: Q2 1968. General Register Office.

CRI(E&W) for Death of William J. Dowell (15)

 

Transcribed from FMP website

 

Quarter and Year

Apr-Jun 1968

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

William J.

Age

72

Registration District

Lambeth

Volume

5d

Page

182

 

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of William J Dowell

130.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Arthur H. Dowell and Susan E. Hutton, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Marriages 1920 Q3 Shoreditch Vol. 1c, Page 129; General Register Office. Call Number: Marriages.

CRI(E&W) for Marriage of Arthur H Dowell (25) and Susan E Hutton (50)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Jul-Sep 1920

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

128

Groom's Name

Arthur H. Dowell

Bride's Name

Susan E. Hutton

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Arthur H Dowell and Hutton

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Susan E. Hutton and Dowell

131.

General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Arthur Herbert Dowell, (FMP website). Custom Id: Births 1898 Q4 Shoreditch Vol. 1c Page 64; Cit. Date: Q4 1890. General Register Office. Call Number: Births.

CRI(E&W) for Birth of Arthur Herbert Dowell (25)

 

Transcribed from FreeBMD website

 

Quarter and Year

Oct-Dec 2898

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Arthur Herbert

Registration District

Shoreditch

Volume

1c

Page

64

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Birth of Arthur Herbert Dowell

132.

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88; Arthur Dowell age 2 born in Shoreditch, London. Cit. Date: 31 March 1901. National Archives.

1901 UK Census for Household of Thomas Dowell (11)

 

Reference: RG13/278, Folio 11, Page 14, Schedule 88

Enumeration Date: 31 Mar 1901

Registration District:

Registration Sub-District:

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Ecclesiastical Parish: St Andrew, Hoxton

Address: 91 Philip Street

Other Info: The family had the whole house to themselves. See Notes for further details.

 

Id

Name

Relation

Condition

Age

Occupation

Employment Status

At Home

Where Born

Infirmity

11

Thos Dowell

Head

Married

45

Carman

Shoreditch, London

 

12

Rebecca Dowell

Wife

Married

39

Bethnal Green, London

 

30

Caroline Dowell

Daughter

Single

19

Fancy Paper Box Maker

Shoreditch, London

 

14

Thomas Dowell

Son

17

French Polisher

Bethnal Green, London

 

31

Charles Dowell

Son

14

Sawmill worker - Sawyer

Bethnal Green, London

 

17

Louisa Dowell

Daughter

11

Bethnal Green, London

 

18

Harriett Dowell

Daughter

8

Bethnal Green, London

 

15

William Dowell

Son

4

Shoreditch, London

 

7

Alice Dowell

Daughter

4

Shoreditch, London

 

25

Arthur Dowell

Son

2

Shoreditch, London

 

 

 

The family which numbered 10 in all had the whole house to themselves. There is no indication of the size of the house. However, nearby houses in Phillip Street occupied by more than 1 family appear to have 4 rooms so it is assumed that there were 4 rooms probably split up as a living room, the parents bedroom, a bedroom for the boys and a bedroom for the girls. In addition there was probably a scullery with a copper for use on washdays which may also have served as a kitchen and a privy in the yard.

picture

1901 Census for Household of Thomas Dowell in Shoreditch

133.

Rev. A. G. Evans, Register Entry for Baptism of Arthur Herbert Dowell, St Saviour, Hoxton, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1898 Page 75 No. 593; Date of birth. Cit. Date: 25 September 1898. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/SAV, Item 011.

Baptismal Register Entry for Arthur Herbert Dowell (25)

 

Church: St Saviour

Parish: Hoxton

Denomination: Church of England (high church)

County: London

 

Page

75

Entry No.

593

Date of Baptism

16 October 1898

Date of Birth

25 September 1898

Child's Christian Name

Arthur Herbert

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

43 Felton Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

A. G. Evans

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Arthur Herbert Dowell

134.

Ibid. Date of Baptism. Cit. Date: 16 October 1898. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/SAV, Item 011.

Baptismal Register Entry for Arthur Herbert Dowell (25)

 

Church: St Saviour

Parish: Hoxton

Denomination: Church of England (high church)

County: London

 

Page

75

Entry No.

593

Date of Baptism

16 October 1898

Date of Birth

25 September 1898

Child's Christian Name

Arthur Herbert

Parents' Christian Names

Thomas & Rebecca

Parents' Surname

Dowell

Abode

43 Felton Street

Quality, Trade, or Profession

Carman

Minister

A. G. Evans

 

 

picture

Register Entry for Baptism of Arthur Herbert Dowell

135.

Rev. Arthur T. Robinson, Register Entry for the Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell & Susan Ethel Hutton, (Ancesty website). Custom Id: Marriages 1920, Page 10, No. 20; Date22 Sep 1920Groom's NameArthur Herbert DowellGroom' s OccupationUpholstererGroom's Residence23 Holms Street, Haggerstone. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P91/AUG, Item 011.

Register Entry for Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell (25) and Susan Ethel Hutton (50)

Church

St Augustine

Parish

Haggerston

County

London

Register Year

1920

Register Page

10

Entry No.

20

Date of Marriage

25 September 1920

Groom's Name

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Groom's Age

22

Groom's Condition

Bachelor

Rank or Profession

Upholster

Groom's Residence

23 Holms Street

Groom's Father

Thomas Dowell (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Carman

Bride's Name

Susan Ethel Hutton

Bride's Age

19

Bride's Condition

Spinster

Rank or Profession

---

Bride's Residence

23 Holms Street

Bride's Father

Thomas Stephen Hutton (deceased)

Rank or Profession

Carman

Married in

above Church

rite

Church of England

after

Banns

by

me

Groom's Signature

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Bride's Signature

Susan Ethel Hutton

Witness 1

Charles Leonard Maskal

Witness 2

Harriet Ethel Dowell

Signed

Arthur T. Robinson

 

picture

Register Entry for Marriage of Arthur Herbert Dowell and Susan Ethel Hutton

136.

1921 England, Wales & Scotland census, Winder Road. Hornford Hill, Shoreditch, London, RG15/01375, Schedule 335, head of household: Arthur Herbert Dowell, London Metropolitan Archives.

1921 UK Census for Household of Arthur Herbert Dowell (25)

 

Reference: RG15/01375, Schedule 335

Enumeration Date: 19 June 1921

Registration District: Shoreditch

Registration Sub-District: Shoreditch North East

Enumeration District: 5

Civil Parish: Shoreditch

Address: Winder Road, Hornford Hill

Signed: Arthur Herbert Dowell

Other Info:

 

Id

Name

Relation

Years

Months

Condition

Birthplace

Nationality

Education

Occupation

Employment

Place of Work

Children under 16

Age

Language

25

Arthur Herbert Dowell

Head

22

9

Married

London

Upholsterer

Clarks Furniture Coy

Winder Road,

Hornford Hill

None

 

50

Susan Ethel Dowell

Wife

19

6

Married

London

Home Duties

None

 

 

Filled in by Enumerator

Males

Females

Persons

Rooms

1

1

2

2

 

picture

1921 Census for Household of Arthur Herbert Dowell in Shoreditch, London

picture

1921 Census Address for Household of Arthur Dowell

137.

General Register Office, CRI(E&W) for Death of Arthur H. Dowell, Event Type: Death, Registration District: St Albans, Volume: 4b, Page: 158, (FMP website). Custom Id: Deaths 1955 Q4 St Albans, Vol. 4b, Page 158; Cit. Date: Q4 1955. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

CRI(E&W) for Death of Arthur H. Dowell (25)

 

Transcribed from FMP website

 

Quarter and Year

Oct-Dec 1955

Surname

Dowell

Given Names

Arthur H.

Age

57

Registration District

St Albans

Volume

4b

Page

158

 

Note

 

picture

Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Arthur H. Dowell