St Luke's Church, Looking west down the nave, John Salmon, 2010, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photos of St. Luke’s Church in Chelsea. 1. Exterior of the Church,1 2. Interior, looking west down the nave,2 3. Stained Glass Window,3 4. West End and Organ4
My great great grandmother Sarah Hannah Lucy Courtneidge was born in 1844 in Wimbledon, Surrey. She was the daughter of Charles Courtneidge, a coachman, and Sarah Watson, a shoemaker’s daughter from Chelsea.5 Sarah married Thomas James Ward, the son of a Battersea Candle Factory worker, in 1867.6 Their ninth child, Alfred John Ward (1883-1953), immigrated to America in 1911 to work as a golf professional. His only son James Joseph Ward was my grandfather. For more information about Thomas James Ward and Sarah Hannah Lucy Courtneidge, and their children and grandchildren, see: Thomas James Ward, distillery worker and builder’s labourer from Battersea
Sarah’s mother Sarah Watson had been born on 1 Aug 1818 in the parish of St. Luke, Chelsea, which was then in the county of Middlesex.5 She was the first child of James Watson, a shoemaker, and Ann Copperthite. The surname Copperthite is a variation of Copperthwaite or Cowperthwaite. It is a locative name from Copperthwaite in Marrick, North Yorkshire.7 Ann was born in 1792 to John and Rosanna Copperthwaite.8 She was baptized in 1792 at St. Paul’s Church in Hammersmith, Middlesex. I have not yet found James Watson’s family of origin.
I had not been able to find the maiden name of Sarah Watson’s mother Ann for several years, which created a “brick wall” of sorts. I noticed on the 1841 Census,25 James and Ann Watson had at least one son, James, that should have had his birth registered with the General Register Office. It took a few tries to get the correct certificate, but it confirmed Ann’s surname. As of November 2016, the GRO birth index up to 1916 is searchable on their website, and now lists the mother’s previous surname. This update eliminates the trial and error and wasted money the previous system caused.26
James Watson was born on 13 Aug 1838 at No. 1 Eatly’s Buildings on Manor Street in Chelsea. His parents were James Watson, cordwainer, and Ann Copperthite.23 A cordwainer is a shoemaker that makes brand new shoes from new leather. This is in contrast to a cobbler, who would repair old shoes or piece together “new” footwear from old leather or parts of worn-out shoes.27
The Watson family appears in the 1841 Census living at Eatley’s Place in Chelsea St. Luke, as shown in the image below. So this is definitely the same family. Charles Booth’s Poverty walk notebooks have a description of this neighborhood.28
From Alpha Place and Collingwood…
North to Eatly’s Buildings (this is phonetic spelling; no name up; name per a child). Row of 2 st. cottages with closets built out in front; poor but quiet; number of hearty looking children playing here; l.b.[light blue] rather than d.b. [dark blue] of map. Column out on south side.
The website, Ye Blacke Booke of Eatly by David Thomas, which documents occurrences of the surname Eatly, describes Eatley’s Buildings in the following passage.29
EATLEY BUILDINGS, Manor Street, Chelsea, London SW3. [Built by Benjamin Eatley 1794-1859 ?]…The 1881 census [Class: RG11; Piece: 77; Folio: 34; Page: 8] shows Eatley’s Buildings as six dwellings housing thirty one persons in seven households. The buildings appear on maps as a cul-de-sac on the east side of Manor Street and are listed in a 1921 London directory as between 51 Manor Street William Miller, Butcher and 53 & 55 Manor Street Joseph Saunders, Marine Store Dealer. Now demolished.
The six buildings in the cul-de-sac are evident in the 1865 Ordnance Survey map below. Eatley’s Buildings are between Wellington Street and Collingwood Street, on the east side of Manor Street, west of Flood Street [which used to be called Queen Street].30
The year after the 1841 Census shown above, the Watson family’s fortune took a turn for the worse. Ann Watson, matriarch of the family, died of consumption at age 50 on 29 Sep 1842. Her death certificate lists her as the wife of James Watson of 1 Eatley’s Buildings on Manor Street, Chelsea.32 She was buried at St. Luke’s Church in Chelsea on 5 Oct 1842.33
James Watson, the family’s only breadwinner, became ill with chronic bronchitis. He died the next year on Christmas Day at the Chelsea Workhouse.34 He was buried four days later on 29 Dec 1843.35 Little James Watson Jr., age 6, died the next spring, and was buried along with his parents in the churchyard at St. Luke’s Church in Chelsea on 6 Mar 1844.36
After the deaths of Ann and James, least three of the unmarried Watson children became Workhouse inmates. Lucy Watson died and was buried on 14 Feb 1851 in the Workhouse at St. Luke, Chelsea.37 Robert Watson, age 13 is listed in the 1851 Census as an inmate of the North Surrey Industrial School on Anerley Road, Penge.38 Rosanna Watson became an inmate of St. Margaret’s Workhouse in Westminster, where she appears in the 1851 Census, working as a cook.39 Rosanna Watson later immigrated to Australia and married Thomas Hobbs. Rosanna Watson Hobbs died in Dunolly, Victoria, Australia on 18 Dec 1887.40
1.4. Rosanna Watson and Thomas Hobbs were married on 25 Mar 1858 in Morphett Vale, South Australia, Australia. 41
+1.4.1. Emma Hobbs, b. 10 Sep 1858 at Morphett Vale, South Australia, Australia.42 d. 03 Jan 1942 at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia.43 Married: Henry Greaves (1853-1913) on 15 May 1877 at Goldsborough, Victoria, Australia.44 Had issue.
1.4.2. Amy Hobbs, b. 08 Oct 1860 at Inglewood, Victoria, Australia.45 d. 14 Apr 1862 at Inglewood, Victoria, Australia.46
+1.4.3. Hannah Hobbs, b. 13 Oct 1866 at Dunolly, Victoria, Australia.47 d. 21 May 1906 at Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia.48 Married: Walter Harris (1862-?) on 20 Jul 1885 at Inglewood, Victoria, Australia.49 Had Issue.
1.4.4. Robert Hobbs, b. 14 May 1869 at Dunolly, Victoria, Australia.50 d. 4 Nov 1869 at Dunolly, Victoria, Australia.51
Joseph Robert Watson married twice. He married his first wife Elizabeth Middleton in the summer of 1840.52 She died a short time later that same year.53 In the 1841 Census, he is shown living in the household of his sister Sarah Watson Courtneidge, and working as a baker.54 Joseph remarried on 6 Jun 1843 at St. Mary’s Church in Battersea to Maria Sarah Belliston. This marriage record lists him as a widower and the son of James Watson, shoemaker.55 He had no surviving children by either of his wives. Joseph Robert Watson died in 1863 in Chelsea at the age of 43.56
I was not able to track what happened to the other children of James Watson and Ann Copperthite: Elizabeth, Mary Ann, and Robert.
1.1. Sarah Watson and Charles Courtneidge were married on 11 Jun 1838 at St. Mary’s Church, Lambeth, Surrey England.
1.1.1. Charles John Courtneidge, b. 17 Jan 1839, baptized 17 Feb 1839 at St. Mary’s, Barnes, Surrey, England.57 d. 1859, buried 29 Apr 1859 at All Saints Church, Wandsworth, Surrey, England.58
1.1.2. Reuben Henry Courtneidge, b. 1840, baptized 30 Aug 1840 at St. Mary’s, Barnes, Surrey.59 d. 1862, buried 15 Sep 1862 at St. Mary’s Putney, Surrey, England.60 Married Eliza Cook on 24 Dec 1859 at St. Paul’s Church, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England.61
1.1.2.1. Henry Courtneidge (1857)
1.1.3. William James Courtneidge, b. 11 Feb 1842, baptized 13 Mar 1842 at St. Mary’s Wimbledon, Surrey, England.62 d. 1855, buried 9 Jan 1855 at St. Mary the Virgin, Mortlake, Surrey.63
1.1.4. Sarah Hannah Lucy Courtneidge, b. 28 Apr 1844,64 baptized 26 May 1844 at St. Mary’s, Wimbledon, Surrey, England.65 d. 22 Mar 1928 at St. John’s Hill, Battersea, London, England.66 Married Thomas Ward (son of Thomas Ward and Mary Ann Maria Walters) on 5 Aug 1867 at St. Paul’s Church, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England.67
1.1.4.1. Thomas James Ward (1863-?)
1.1.4.2. Ellen Courtneidge Ward (1866-1866)
1.1.4.3. Mary Ann Ward (1868-1928)
1.1.4.4. Elizabeth Ward (1870-1949)
1.1.4.5. Charles Henry Ward (1873-1938)
1.1.4.6. Sarah Ward (1875-1876)
1.1.4.7. Henry Ward (1876-1954)
1.1.4.8. Emily Ward (1879-1970)
1.1.4.9. Alfred John Ward (1883-1953)
1.1.4.10. Rosina Ward (1886-1960)
1.1.4.11. John Ward (about 1886/88-1918)
1.1.4.12. George William Ward (1889-1954)
1.1.5. James Joseph Courtneidge, b. 1846, baptized 2 Aug 1846 at St. Mary’s Wimbledon, Surrey, England.68 d. in Lewisham, London, England.69 Married Annie Bridgeman on 28 Apr 1883 at St. Mary’s, Lewisham, Kent, England.70
1.1.5.1. Sarah Ann Courtneidge (1884)
1.1.5.1. Charles Reuben Courtneidge (1885)
1.1.5.1. James Henry Courtneidge (1887)
1.1.5.1. William George Courtneidge (1888)
1.1.5.1. Alfred James Courtneidge (1891)
1.1.6. Henry Reuben Courtneidge, b. 1849, baptized 16 Mar 1849 at St. Mary’s Wimbledon, Surrey, England.71 d. unknown.72 Married Jane Lipscomb on 7 Aug 1876 at St. Anne’s, Wandsworth, Surrey, England.73
1.1.6.1. Rosina Martha Courtneidge (1877)
1.1.7. Elizabeth Courtneidge, b. 1851 at Barnes, Surrey, England.74 d. unknown.75 Married Robert Smith on 29 May 1882 at St. Mary’s, Summertown, Wandsworth.76
1.1.8. Rosina Courtneidge, b. 1853 at Barnes, Surrey, England.77 d. 6 Feb 1883 at Saginaw City, Saginaw, Michigan, USA.78 Married Alfred Ward (son of Thomas Ward and Mary Ann Maria Walters) on 21 Jul 1879 at St. John the Evangelist, Lambeth.79
1.1.8.1. Alfred Ernest Ward (1879-1953)
1.1.8.2. Charles James Ward (1880-1953)
1.1.8.3. Infant Boy Ward (1882-1883)
For more information about the family of Sarah Watson and Charles Courtneidge, see: The family of Charles Courtneidge, coachman from Leatherhead, Surrey
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