Husband:
Thomas Frederick Dowell (1855-1919)
Wife:
Rebecca Thornton (1861-1936)
Children:
Caroline Emma Dowell (1882-1957)
Charles Hezekiah Dowell (1886-1927)
Arthur Herbert Dowell (1898-1955)
Marriage:
15 Mar 1880
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
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
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.
Name:
Thomas Frederick Dowell11
Sex:
Male
Father:
Hezekiah Dowell (1816-1881)
Mother:
Hannah Drew (1820-1860)
Birth:
23 Jul 1855
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)
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)
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)
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
Name:
Rebecca Thornton29
Sex:
Female
Father:
Thomas Thornton (1830-1900)
Mother:
Caroline Wood (1832-1905)
Birth:
15 Jun 1861
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
Name:
Rebecca Harriet Dowell
Sex:
Female
Spouse:
Charles Leonard Maskall (1879-1955)
Birth:
22 Feb 1880
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)
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
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
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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.
Name:
Charles Hezekiah Dowell
Sex:
Male
Spouse:
Jane Elizabeth Cox (1887- )
Birth:
29 Apr 1886
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)
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)
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
Name:
Louisa Alice Dowell
Sex:
Female
Spouse:
Edward Charles Kelly (1886- )
Birth:
13 Nov 1889
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
Name:
Harriet Ethel Dowell
Sex:
Female
Spouse (1):
Spouse (2):
Frederick Stevens (1899-1970)
Birth:
22 Jan 1893
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)
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
Name:
Alice Eleanor Dowell97
Sex:
Female
Spouse (1):
Spouse (2):
Spouse (3):
Birth:
31 May 1896
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)
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)
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)
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
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.
Name:
William John Dowell
Sex:
Male
Birth:
13 May 1896
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)
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)
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)
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
Name:
Arthur Herbert Dowell130
Sex:
Male
Spouse:
Susan Ethel Hutton (1901-1991)
Birth:
25 Sep 1898
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)
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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 |
|
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.
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.
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)
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 |
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 |
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.
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 |
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 |
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.
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.
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
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)
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.
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
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
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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
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 |
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 |
--- |
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 |
--- |
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
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 |
--- |
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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)
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 |
|
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
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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
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.
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 |
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.
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
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
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)
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 |
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.
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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.
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
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.
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.
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 |
|
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.
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 |
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 |
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.
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 |
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.
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 |
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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
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
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 |
--- |
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 |
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
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.
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 |
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 |
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
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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 |
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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 |
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.
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 |
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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)
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 ??????
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)
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 ??????
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)
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 ??????
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)
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 ??????
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.
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 |
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
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
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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