See also

Louise Mary Fippen (1897-1987)

Individual Events and Attributes

  • Birth:

  • 19 Nov 1897

  • Shoreditch, London1 2 3

  •  

  • Her death registration gives her date of birth and her birth registration gives the registration district of her birth.

  • Census (living with mother):

  • 31 Mar 1901 (age 3)

  • 1901 Census. Living with mother

  • Adoption:

  • Jun 1901 (age 3)4 5 6

  •  

  •  

  • (adopted by )

    At that time adoption was an informal process and Louise's mother had asked Rebecca to look after her daughter should anything happen to her. As she was living with her mother at the time of the 1901 Census on 31 March 1901 and her mother died in hospital on 19 July 1901 she probably went to live with the Dowells in June 1901. Where her brother Thomas went is not known as a search of the 1911 Census failed to find him. Her other brother Henry's death was registered in the quarter ending Jun 1901 and the shock may have contributed to the death of her mother.

  • Occupation:

  • frm 1909 to 1957 (age 11-60)

  • dressmaker; the garment districts7

  •  

  • Address: of London

    It is assumed that she started work as an apprentice at the age or 12 and continued working until she was able to draw her State Pension at the age of 60. Initially she probably worked in the garment district the east end of London but after WW2 she worked in the garment district to the north of Oxford Street.

    At home she had her own sewing machine and would make clothes or carry out alterations for the family

  • Census (living with grandparents):

  • 2 Apr 1911 (age 13)

  • 1911 Census - living with grandparents

  •  

  • Louise was at school

  • Census (living with grandmother):

  • 19 Jun 1921 (age 23)

  • 1921 Census. Living with grandmother

  •  

  • Louise is working as a machinist for Cox's of Featherstone Street

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

  • 29 Sep 1939 (age 41)

  • 1939 Register - Living with brother-in-law

  • Witness:

  • 20 May 1944 (age 46)

  • Louise witnessed the Marriage of Frederick Stevens and Harriet Ethel Dowell

  • Witness:

  • 28 Oct 1948 (age 50)

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

  • Death:

  • Aug 1987 (age 89)

  • Richmond on Thames, Surrey8

Individual Note

Louise never married presumably because she was one of the 'Surplus Women' created by the deaths of so many men in WW1. For a time William Dowell (her brother by adoption) took her out but nothing came of it because he said that 'She hadn't two words to rub together.' There was also some attempt by the family to get Patrick Makellow, a cousin by marriage, interested in her but as he showed no real interest and she lived in London and Patrick lived in Brighton nothing came of that either.

After her adoption by Rebecca and Thomas Dowell she lived with them at various address in London at first in Hoxton and later in Wandsworth until Rebecca died in 1936 (Thomas died in 1919). After Rebecca's death she lived with her adoptive sister Alice Dowell in Wandswoth until Alice's husband William retired in 1956 when Alice and William moved to Selsey in Sussex. As Lou didn't wish to move as she was still working and also had a great friend Lill who she went out with every Saturday afternoon. She stayed on in London in a council flat in Stockwell becoming increasingly isolated after she retired and then when she could no longer use the buses to meet Lill who lived some way away almost completely isolated. The area was also becoming more run down and violent and she spent her days locked into her flat venturing out only to collect her pension, shop or go to the doctor. Although William lived only as short way they never saw each other and she became reliant on visits from Alice and her niece Ethel Prichard, and occasionally Alice's son Jack when he was in London for any social contact. Eventually despite home help she became too frail to live alone and went to live with Ethel at Kingston-on-Thames where she died.7 9

Sources

1.

General Register Office, CRI(E&W) entries for Fippen births between Q1 1890 and Q3 1901, Event Type: Births, Registration District: Holborn, Hackney & Shoreditch, (Period, Q1 1890 to Q3 1901). General Register Office.

2.

General Register Office , CRI(E&W) for Death of Louise Mary Fippen, (Ancestry Deaths Registration District: Richmond Upon Thames County: Greater London Year of Registration: 1987 Month of Registration: Aug Volume: 14 Page: 1405). Name and Date of Birth. Cit. Date: August 1987. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

3.

General Register Office, CRI(E&W) for Birth of Mary Louise Fippen. General Register Office.

4.

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

5.

1901 England Census for Louise Fippen in Hackney, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG13/227, Folio 126, Page 59, Schedule 362; Cit. Date: 31 March 1901. National Archives.

6.

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.

7.

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

8.

General Register Office , CRI(E&W) for Death of Louise Mary Fippen, (Ancestry Deaths Registration District: Richmond Upon Thames County: Greater London Year of Registration: 1987 Month of Registration: Aug Volume: 14 Page: 1405). Name:FIPPEN, Louise MaryRegistration District:Richmond on ThamesCounty:SurreyYear of Registration:1987Month of Registration:AugustDate of Birth:19 November 1897Date of Registration:8/87. General Register Office. Call Number: Deaths.

9.

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.