London 1904

Friday 1 June 2007

4. His early years 1884 – 1898

1884 ~ F.A.I. was born at The Terrace, Upton. Fathers occupation -‘schoolmaster’.

His older brother Edward was born at Boylen Road, Upton in 1880 and cheekily his father is noted as a ‘Professor of Languages’ (I think he stole that title from his father??).
His older sister Emily Caroline Ethel (aka Ethel) was born at Manor College, Upton in late 1881 and her father was noted as ‘Principle of the College’. There is a home address in the 1881 Census of Edith Villas, West Ham

Timeline 1884 ~Edgar Degas began painting his series of pastels and oils of dancers/
Georges Seurat painted
"Bathers at Asnieres." (one of my favourites of Seurats a copy of which hangs in my bathroom !!)/ Mark Twain published “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”/ Greenwich, site of the Royal Observatory, was urged to become the site for the Prime Meridian, zero degrees longitude. Paris was also proposed as a consequence the French did not acknowledge Greenwich until 1914. Global time zones were established.
Between the births of Ethel & F.A.I. Dante Gabrielle Rossetti died, he was co-founder of the fantastic Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. (Simply my favourite painter of all time .....so he had to get a mention )

1886 ~ The family were living at Sunny View, Grove Road, Woodford, Walthamstow with the birth of Mabel Mary Josephine. Father’s occupation - ‘Private Tutor’.

Timeline 1886~ The Times (London) published the world's 1st classified ad/ The first cremation in England took place/ Plans for a tower for the 1889 Paris exhibition were announced and proposals were invited for the project. The winning design was by Gustave Eiffel/ Al Jolson was born

1888 ~ Ivy Louise’s birth they were all at High Street, Homerton, Hackney. Father’s occupation - ‘schoolmaster’.

Timeline 1888~ In August Jack the Ripper claims his first victim. F.A.I. lived just a few miles up the road from the killings.

1891 ~ There is no trace of the family in the 1891 census but by December Arthur St John was born at Shaftesbury Avenue, Plaistow, West Ham. Father’s occupation –‘School Master’

Timeline 1891~ Chico Marx was born/The first travelers checks were issued by American Express/ Thomas Edison filed a patent for a motion picture camera/ Thomas Hardy published "Tess of the d’Urbervilles."

1894-1895 ~ I have realized I have not obtained the Birth Certificate for the next child born, Albert Cecil Anthony (added to the ‘to do' list!). Albert died aged 10 months in April 1895 and is interred at Woodgrange Park Cemetery, Manor Park, Newham

Not as a child shall we again behold him
But when with rapture wild
In our embrace when we again enfold him
He will not be a child
But a fair cherub in his father’s mansion
Clothed with sweet Jesu’s grace
And beautiful with all the soul’s expression
Shall we again see babys face
(source Victorian Funeral Card for Albert)

Timeline 1894 ~Aldous L. Huxley was born / Robert Louis Stevenson died in Samoa/ Paul Gauguin painted "Breton Village in the Snow."/ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle visited Klosters, Switzerland & quoted "I am convinced that the time will come when hundreds of Englishmen will come to Switzerland for the skiing season."
Timeline 1895 ~ Oscar Wilde’s "The Importance of Being Earnest," opened at the St. James’ Theatre in London he was also jailed this year on a 'morals' charge/ Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," premiered in Petersburg/ Thomas Hardy published "Jude the Obscure." The bold sexual content of the novel caused a Victorian outcry, this prompted Hardy to abandon narrative writing for verse.

1896 ~ Maud St. Francis birth at Station Road, Plaistowe. Father’s occupation – ‘Insurance Agent’. Quite a change of profession!!

Timeline 1896~ The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens after a lapse of 1,500 years. Only eight nations took part/ The first ‘horseless carriage’ show took place in London featuring ten models/ The first car was stolen (had to happen!)/ William Morris died aged 62

1898 ~ Florence St. Agnes was born at Burdett Road, Mile End. Father’s occupation-‘Insurance Agent’

A month later after the birth, their beloved mother Caroline Berenger died of puerperal fever, pneumonia and exhaustion. When Florence’s birth was registered (Caroline’s death was registered the same day), Florence’s certificate had a different maiden name for their mother than we had previously known her as. Through this, Caroline Berengers’ birth was found (after years of searching … thanks PM in Oz). She was born in 1856 at James Place, Bow, fathers name ‘blank’.
This is how the myth surrounding her wealthy past was laid to rest. She had obviously taken on her step-father’s surname after her mother Caroline married him in 1867.
She was interred in grave 22, St Patrick’s, Leytonstone. The part of the cemetery were she was buried was the ‘public section’ as such it has now been reclaimed and longer exists.

Timeline 1898 ~ Spain declared war on the United States after rejecting America's ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba/ Marconi patented his radio & Edwin Prescott a roller coaster/ Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium


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