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Sarah Lea

A

Anne Morley

proper brummie kid
I am looking for connections between my Grandmother, Eveline Esther Richmond (born 1874, lived in Smethick) her Father George William Richmond related to the famous artist George William Richmond and Sarah Lea, sister-in-law (perhaps) to Sarah Lea, wife of Rowland Hill. Her grandparents were George William Richmond (a lesser known artist) and Mary Pitcher.
I have come to St Martin's Parish records because Thomas Wright Hill married Sarh Lea (the other one) at St Martin's Church Birmingham 29.7.1791
The family story is that my Sarah Lea's husband went to South Africa in connection with mining.

I would welcome any help with making the connections.
Anne Morley
 
Hello Anne & Welcome,

Do you already have any of these relatives on the 1901/1891/1881/1871/1861/1851/1841 censii ?
If so could you put a few references (RG,s etc) leading to your request of Connex,,its not too clear at the moment
remember,,you may know them well but we,re completely new to this mixed wealth of information,
Cheers John
 
Hello John
Thank you for replying.
I sent a message back earlier but may have pressed the wrong button! I am new to all this as you may have guessed.
I am just starting my research on this part of the family and have not been on any census. I am working from family trees, one my aunt wrote in the 1970s and ones I have found on the internet, Rowland Hill and George Richmond. This is partly because I do not know where many of these folk were born.
I did discover that William Lea married Ann Walker in 1791 at St Laurence's Church Northfield, they had 4 children, one called Sarah.

It may be of interest - my grandmother was ladies' maid at Warley Abbey to the Tangye and Gilzean families.
Regards,
Anne.
 
Hello and welcome Anne.
How wonderful for you that your grandmother worked at Warley Abbey. I wonder did she share any of her memories of her time there with such important families.
 
Hello Wendy
Thank you for your reply.
As one of 12 children, only 2 were boys and only one girl died young, my Grandmother (Nana) was farmed out with other relatives. I think Nana went into service aged about 14. She eventually became a lady's maid although I understand she helped with the Tangye children at Warley Abbey.She accompanied the family on holiday, staying at the Grand Hotel in Scarborough (where I live!) She recalled watching the Marine Drive being built round the castle foot before it was washed into the sea. [The work was begun in 1897 and completed in 1904, swept away in the January and the second one was successfully built in 1908 so that gives a rough idea of the time.] These children would have included the father of the writer Derek Tangye whose books she enjoyed.
She was lady's maid to Lady Reid, wife of Sir Hugh Gilzean-Reid. When I watched th TV series 'Upstairs Downstairs' Nana told me she had helped set the table just as they did for the Prince of Wales coming to dine. They also accompanied the Prince on his visits to The Zetland Hotel, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, frequented by Lily Langtry.
This was how she met my Grandfather. There are two stories as to how they first met, one that, as an electrician he came to change a light bulb in the hotel, the other that on her afternoon off, the cook took Nana to tea with a friend who lived in Saltburn and she met the boy next door and they instantly fell in love! They married in 1904/5,my aunt was born in 1906

I have seen some photographs on a Warley Abbey website and wondered if one of the white-aproned maids could have been my Nana.

I find it fascinating that members of my family were involved with the every-day life of people we read about in history books, Tangye's machines I understand were used to launch Brunell's ship 'Great Britain'.

Kind regards,
Anne.
 
What lovely stories I hope you have them written down..lol. How lovely to be able to talk to a family member involved in such historical times and events. I wrote a piece about the Tangye's involvement with launching the Great Eastern. It was launched by hydraulic jacks produced by the Tangye brothers. Their saying was they launched Brunell's ship and he launched their business. The Tangye's are buried at Key Hill cemetery in Hockley Birmingham. The mayor Mike Wilks and his wife paid to have the Tangye's memorial restored. There are some photo's on the Key Hill Cemetery thread.
 
Hi again Anne,

Are you sure that it is Evaline born 1874 with a father George W ?
There is a Evangeline with a father George T showing up around Aston/B,ham 1891 census but
not your top line as named..John
 
Eveline Hester (Esther) is with her parents George William Richmond and Alice in Birch Road , Warley in 1891..along with her 7 sisters and 1 brother.
She was born in 18th july 1876.
George William
Richmond married Alice Jane Lee in 1872, could there be confusion with her name being LEE not LEA.
George William Richmond born 1850 Dursley Gloucs.
Alice Jane Lee was born in Birmingham 1st qtr 1854 father William

In 1901 Eveline Esther Richmond is a cook at Bourne College Quinton age 24,her sister Olivia is a maid at the college.

In 1905 Eveline Esther Richmond married John William M Ward in Stourbridge,
In 1911 they are living in Albert road ,Eston , N Yorkes
John W M Ward is a stationary engine driver in a Blast furnace born 1878 Middlesbrough
they have 2 children
Queenie Forence R born 1906
Donald Kenneth R born 1908

1901 census shows John William M Ward born 1878 middlesbrough is living in with his family in Slatburn he wasa Railway engine stoker.
 
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Alice J Richmond 27 Eveline's Mother is at Bleak House Lane Warley-Salop (Worcs), Staffordshire in Census, 1881 with Hubby George W 31 and daughters Lilian 8, Alice 6 , Caroline 4, Voilet M 2, Florance 1 ... all girls born Beech Lanes, Worcestershire, England. One busy lady :)
 
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Thank you Wendy.
The reason I am looking into this is to write it all down 'for posterity'.
I had heard the launching story but I got the ship wrong!
I have a very interesting set of family members, or rather they lived in interesting times but mainly in North Yorkshire and Co Durham. I am very grateful to this Birmingham History Forum.
Anne.
 
Hello Alberta

Aren't you brilliant! This is my family just as in the Family tree written by my aunt! Of course I have later additions too.
The Donald Kenneth R Ward you found was my Father, Queenie drew up the Family Tree. His younger sister, Halcyone, born 1920, is still alive and well and a source of information.

The two 'Lea/ Lee' are confusing but I know there is a Sarah Lea in there too. We have a beautiful family ring said to have come from Sarah Lea, her husband went to work in the gold mines in S Africa. I am not sure if Lea is her married name or her maiden name.
The George William R of Dursley, 1850, married Mary Pitcher and according to Aunty Queenie, her sister married Sir Rowland Hill. However I have discovered Rowland Hill actually married Caroline Pearson in 1827 so this does not fit. The Sarah Lea who married Rowland Hill's father 29.7.1791 at St Martin's Church Birmingham seems too early too.
I will now try to follow up the connection with the Dursley George William and the artist George Richmond.

I am very grateful to you.
Regards,
Anne.
 
Thank you Pomgolian
Are you really in Kiwi land? Lucky you if you are!
The information is so interesting, to know where they actually lived is great, also Caroline does not appear on the Family Tree my aunt wrote so I suppose she did not survive long.
I understand Hubby George worked in a nail factory and the 'posh' members of his family ignored him in his work clothes.

Regards,
Anne.
 
Anne, there is no birth record for a Caroline Richmond and as you see Eveline is not on the 1881 census could she have been entered incorrectly.
 
Hello John
Thank you for your reply.
I have been trying to make a link with census forms but have drawn a blank. Can you advise me please on how to access censii?
Kind regards,
Anne.
 
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