Maria Louisa Roulson (aka Old Ma Lechmere)

[Gary Barnett]

Charlotte

By 1881, Charlotte was a widow and running the Tram Inn in Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire. On the census she conveniently gives us the exact address where she was born: 3, Park Street, London (Marylebone, today's Glentworth Street).

[Gary Barnett]

Harriet

I believe Harriet married a William Blencowe in Marylebone in 1835.

Interestingly, the 1871 census shows a 23-year-old carman living with Maria as a boarder. His name was George Blencowe.

Even more interesting is that a George Blencowe of Brick Lane was admitted to the Whitechapel Infirmary on 27/5/87 suffering from 'vertigo'. He was discharged on 9/6/1887 only to be readmitted on 17/6/87 suffering from 'mania'. He was sent to Grove House (which I think was probably Grove Hall lunatic asylum in Bow) on 1/7/87.

The age of this GB is a few years adrift from that of the carman, but Blencowe is not a very common name. So it could be that CAL had a mad carman as some kind* of cousin.

*I don't think he was Harriet's child, possibly her nephew - or stepson?

[Gary Barnett]

I believe Harriet married a William Blencowe in Marylebone in 1835.

Interestingly, the 1871 census shows a 23-year-old carman living with Maria as a boarder. His name was George Blencowe.

Even more interesting is that a George Blencowe of Brick Lane was admitted to the Whitechapel Infirmary on 27/5/87 suffering from 'vertigo'. He was discharged on 9/6/1887 only to be readmitted on 17/6/87 suffering from 'mania'. He was sent to Grove House (which I think was probably Grove Hall lunatic asylum in Bow) on 1/7/87.

The age of this GB is a few years adrift from that of the carman, but Blencowe is not a very common name. So it could be that CAL had a mad carman as some kind* of cousin.

*I don't think he was Harriet's child, possibly her nephew - or stepson?

There were actually at least two GBs in the area at the time. One from Hackney born ca 1845 and one from Bethnal Green born 1849. Ma's boarder was from BG born ca 1848 and the man who ended up in Grove Hall was born ca 1850.

[Gary Barnett]

There was a death registered for a GB born ca 1850 in Epsom in 1908. Could he have died in Banstead asylum?

[Gary Barnett]

I thought the name sounded familiar. Obviously not the same person, but possibly related?

[Gary Barnett]

Maria seems to have been rather unlucky in respect of the men in her life.

Her first husband abandoned her with two small children.

Her second husband died at a very young age.

The boy who boarded with her ended up in a lunatic asylum.

Her third husband became senile.

And to cap it all, her son has been accused of being Jack the Ripper.

[Dusty Miller]

>>So perhaps Ma was in a financially 'controlling' position over Charles and perhaps he was not the hard-working family man who saved enough out of his Pickfords wages to open a small shop that he may have appeared to be. The family's 'v decent' appearance may have been made possible by the injection of a certain amount of Clive money.<<

Under Victorian law all Ma's money became Pa's when they married. I'm guessing when he left he took the lot or perhaps had already spent it, since Sion Sq was decidedly better than Tiger Bay.

[Dusty Miller]

>>When he was born, they called him Lechmere
Ma reinforced that by Christening him in that name when he was nine and Thomas Cross was still alive.<<

Since she appears to have been bigamously married, no real surprises as to why she would have wanted the children to keep a connection to the name Lechmere!

Re christening: You are not christened with a surname, christening, by definition applies only to the christian names.

[Dusty Miller]

Great thread, by the way Gary. Really interesting stuff.

[Gary Barnett]

>>So perhaps Ma was in a financially 'controlling' position over Charles and perhaps he was not the hard-working family man who saved enough out of his Pickfords wages to open a small shop that he may have appeared to be. The family's 'v decent' appearance may have been made possible by the injection of a certain amount of Clive money.<<

Under Victorian law all Ma's money became Pa's when they married. I'm guessing when he left he took the lot or perhaps had already spent it, since Sion Sq was decidedly better than Tiger Bay.

Even if the money was held in trust? There are still a few words I can't decipher in the will and I'm no legal expert, but it does read as if it may have been designed to keep the estate out of the reach of Thomas's sons-in-law.

[Gary Barnett]

>>When he was born, they called him Lechmere
Ma reinforced that by Christening him in that name when he was nine and Thomas Cross was still alive.<<

Since she appears to have been bigamously married, no real surprises as to why she would have wanted the children to keep a connection to the name Lechmere!

Re christening: You are not christened with a surname, christening, by definition applies only to the christian names.

Of course you're right, Dusty. The baptism record simply contains the surname (singular) of the parents. I wonder what the usual practice was when stepchildren were baptised? Was the step parent omitted from the record?

[Gary Barnett]

Great thread, by the way Gary. Really interesting stuff.

Thanks, Dusty.

I'm particularly intrigued by the discovery of George Blencowe. I'm not sure exactly what relation he was to Maria, but there must be some connection to Harriet's husband, I would have thought.

[Gary Barnett]

Even if the money was held in trust? There are still a few words I can't decipher in the will and I'm no legal expert, but it does read as if it may have been designed to keep the estate out of the reach of Thomas's sons-in-law.

The clause I'm referring to is the one that says the payments are for his daughter's 'own sole and separate use free from the debts contracts control or engagements of her husband.'

And as the will talks about dividends and interest, I am assuming we are talking about ongoing income from investments rather than a one-off payment.

[Michael Banks]

Googling the Clives in the press archives is very entertaining. A burglary at Whitfield, a gamekeeper's fatal encounter with a poacher in its woods; a visit by the US ambassador; an assassination attempt on an agent of one of their several Irish estates; and more mundane stuff like prize-giving at ploughing contests and other local events.

Gary, are you sure that the above isn't the plot for an undiscovered Jeeves and Wooster story?

Great research and interesting info here guys.

Regards

Michael

[Gary Barnett]

Gary, are you sure that the above isn't the plot for an undiscovered Jeeves and Wooster story?

Great research and interesting info here guys.

Regards

Michael

You can just imagine a deadly rivalry between EBC and Lord Emsworth for best pig in show.