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George Daniel Woodhurst was born in 1848 to parents James (2) Woodhurst and his wife Mary Ann Bonner [Birth Index: Stepney II 531, 1848 (Dec)]. He was christened at St. Thomas, Stepney on December 3rd 1848 [IGI: Batch C067881].
The 1851 Census finds him living with his parents at 2, Red Lion Street in Wapping. The record gives his birthplace as Wapping.
His future first wife was Lauretta Evangeline Baker, born in America around 1853. Her parents Philip Baker and Agnes (nee Widger) had married in Plymouth, Devon in 1850 [Marriage Index: Plymouth 9 446, 1850 (March)] and must have moved to America quite soon afterwards. It is not known why they went there, nor why they subsequently returned so soon to England. In Paddington, London they produced a son Alfred Philip around 1858-59. The 1861 Census finds the family living there at 3, Bury Terrace. Philip - born in East Allington, Devon around 1829-30 - was occupied as a carpenter. The schedule shows him with a middle name "Rich", perhaps acquired informally in America. Agnes was born in Thurlestone, Devon around 1828-29. Lauretta's age is given as "8", and Alfred's as "12".
The 1861 Census finds George Daniel at age "12" living with his parents at 21, Dock Terrace in West Ham and occupied as a dock messenger. His birthplace was again given as Wapping.
He has not been located in the 1871 Census, but Lauretta was then living with her brother, her widowed mother and the latter's brother Henry William Widger in the St. Mark's district of North Kensington. Her forenames are given here as "Eva L.", her age as 18 and her birthplace as Pennsylvania. She was now a British Subject. Her brother Alfred was not in the household.
They married in 1872. Their marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Hackney 1b 679, 1872 (Dec)] states that they married at Hackney Parish Church on October 22nd 1872. He is described as a bachelor of full age and occupied as a telegraphist, and she as a spinster of full age (but actually not yet 21). He was then residing in Tower Street and she in Malvern Road. His father James (2) is described as a silk sorter and hers as a builder named Philip "Ridge" Baker. The witnesses were James Woodhurst - being either James (2) or James William (1) - and a Frances Hide whose connection is unknown.
No Woodhursts or Bakers were living in Tower Street or Malvern Road (both in Hackney) at the time of the 1871 Census.
Around early 1874 their first child Florence Mildred was born in North Kensington, probably at the home of Lauretta's mother Agnes.
In 1875 they were living in Loddiges Road in Hackney when their daughter Alice Evangeline was born, and George Daniel was then occupied as a telegraphist. Loddiges Road branches off eastwards from Mare Street (today's A107 road) which runs through central Hackney.
By 1877 they had moved to Frampton Park Road in Hackney when their son George Albert (1) was born, and he was still occupied as a telegraphist. Frampton Park Road intersects Loddiges Road at the latter's mid-point.
In 1878 their child Walter Alfred was born.
In 1880 their child Rose Mary was born.
The 1881 Census finds the family, including all the five children, living at 136, Lea Bridge Gardens in Lea Bridge Road, Leyton in Essex. The original census record misrepresents the family surname as "Woodham". George Daniel is described as a telegraphist in the Civil Service and his birthplace is given as Wapping.
In 1883 their child James William (2) was born, only to die just ten weeks later. George Daniel was still a telegraphist.
In 1886 Lauretta Evangeline died at age 34 [Death Index: W. Ham 4a 95, 1886 (Dec)].
In 1887 George Daniel remarried to Jane Johnson. Their marriage certificate [Marriage Index: W. Ham 4a 190, 1887 (Sept)] states that they married at St. Mary's Church in the Parish of Walthamstow on August 8th 1887. He is described as a widower aged 38 and occupied as a telegraphist, and she as a spinster aged 27. His place of residence is cited as Leyton and hers (in error) as Walthamstow. His father is described (in error) as James William Woodhurst, a silk sorter, and hers as a builder John Johnson. The witnesses were Jane's step-brother-in-law William Clarke and Elizabeth Johnson, who was either Jane's step-mother or her step-sister. In citing the name of his father, George Daniel probably confused it with that of his own brother James William (1). The IGI also refers to the marriage [IGI: Batch M163964]. A descendant's report states that Jane gave to George Daniel the seven children listed below.
Jane's father John Johnson was born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire around 1838. He first married a slightly older woman named Charlotte, born around 1835. She was almost certainly Charlotte Bachelor, in which case the GRO reference is [Marriage Index: Brentford 3a 57, 1858 (Dec)]. Their first child Susannah Jane was born soon afterwards [Birth Index: W. Ham 4a 20, 1859 (March)]. Jane, their second child, was born in late 1860. The 1861 Census finds the family living in the Forest Hill area of Lewisham, Kent with Susannah aged "2" and Jane aged "4 months". Their house number is given as "3" in a street that is unclear in the schedule but may have been South Road, near to a property named Fairbourne House. John was occupied as a bricklayer. Charlotte's birthplace had been entered as "Poplar, Middlesex" but then struck out and replaced by "Essex". Susannah's birthplace was also given as Poplar, and Jane's as Lewisham. There is some doubt as to the official recording of Jane's birth. It appears that she was christened at St. Dunstan, Stepney on June 8th 1862 [IGI: Batch C055764]; the entry in the baptisms register gives her birth date as "November 29th 1861", evidently stating the year wrongly; the family address is given as 7, Edinburgh Terrace and John's occupation as bricklayer. It further appears that Jane's birth was not registered until 1862, the GRO reference apparently being [Birth Index: Lewisham 1d 696, 1862 (June)] and naming her as "Jane Elizabeth". Charlotte died at some point in the following decade. The 1871 Census finds John as a widowed bricklayer living with Jane and Susannah (entered as "Susan") at Providence Cottages, Aubury Road in Walthamstow. Here, Susannah's birthplace is given as Plaistow in Essex and Jane's as Forest Hill. Also in his household was an unmarried housekeeper Elizabeth Newcomb and her two (apparently illegitimate) daughters Hannah and Elizabeth. Later that year John married this housekeeper Elizabeth Newcomb [Marriage Index: West Ham 4a 91, 1871 (Sept)]. They married on July 24th 1871 at St. Peters in Walthamstow [IGI: Batch M163872]. The 1881 Census finds them living at 35, James Road in Walthamstow, together with the daughter Elizabeth. The daughter Hannah (now using the Johnson surname) was living as a servant with the family of her aunt Ann (presumably nee Newcomb) at 25, John Street in Woolwich. Jane and Susannah may have also been in service by this time. Jane may have been the servant aged "21" living at 47 & 49, Hampstead Road, St. Pancras in the household of a fruiterer named Lewis Levy. The 1891 Census finds John and Elizabeth living by themselves at 1, Gloucester Road in Walthamstow. Hannah, who in 1882 had married William Clarke [Marriage Index: W. Ham 4a 206, 1882 (Sept)], was meanwhile living with her husband and three young daughters at Bass Hill, Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, where William was occupied as a bricklayer. John died during the following decade. The 1901 Census finds his widow Elizabeth living in Park Lane, Broxbourne with Hannah and William.
By October 1890 George Daniel and Jane had moved to 24, Northcote Road, Walthamstow in Essex, for that was where their child William John (1) was born.
The 1891 Census finds the family, including all five surviving children from the first marriage and the first three from the second, still living at 24, Northcote Road. George Daniel is described as a telegraphist and his birthplace as Wapping. Jane's birthplace is given as Stepney. Also living there was his widowed mother Mary Ann. Her birthplace is given as London City and her age as 65, although she was actually 67.
The 1901 Census finds the family again at 24, Northcote Road. George Daniel was now the Assistant Superintendent of a GPO Telegraph Department. Jane's birthplace is entered as Walthamstow, probably an error on George Daniel's part.
The 1911 Census finds the family living at 83, Melville Road in Walthamstow. George Daniel was still employed in the GPO Telegraph Service. Jane's birthplace was entered as Poplar. All their seven children were still living with them.
George Daniel died on June 24th 1926 at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Tottenham [Death Index: Edmonton 3a 551, 1926 (June)]. He had been living at the Melville Road address. Probate over his Will was granted to Jane on September 30th. His effects were valued at just over £330.
The National Register for England and Wales 1939 finds Jane living in the household of a milk salesman William J. Mash and his wife Florence. Jane was described as employed in unpaid domestic duties and her date of birth was given as November 22nd 1860.
Jane died aged "87" in 1948 [Death Index: Rochford 4a 526, 1948 (Sept)].