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Phoebe Vial was born around 1818 to parents George William Vial and his wife Phoebe (nee Waits) who had married at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate on November 24th 1816 [IGI: Batch M001611]. Phoebe (senior) was born on June 21st 1795 to parents Stephen Waits and his wife Sarah, and was christened at St. Leonard, Shoreditch on January 18th 1809 [IGI: Batch C040802]. She and George William Vial produced several other children including: Alfred Stephen, born on July 7th 1828 and christened at St. Leonard on October 5th 1828 [IGI: Batch C040805], and Frederick James, born on March 24th 1833 and christened at St. Leonard on April 21st 1833 [IGI: Batch C040806].
The 1841 Census finds Phoebe at (rounded) age "20" living with her parents and siblings in Harding Place, St. John Hackney. Also present was a boy Thomas Hamblet aged "2", being her illegitimate child by some partner unknown.
Phoebe's mother (Phoebe senior) died on June 9th 1850 at 3, Ely Place, as attested by her death certificate [researcher's report].
By 1851 Phoebe had partnered with John Joseph Warner, formerly the husband of Eliza (1) Woodhurst. The 1851 Census finds her living with him - and described as his "wife" - at 2, Ely Place, Globe Road in Stepney. Her birthplace is given as Clerkenwell. Also present was her child Thomas Hamblet aged "11" and named as Thomas "Warner". Also present were her two above-mentioned brothers - Alfred Stephen occupied as a cabinet carver and Frederick James occupied as an apprentice chair maker, both unmarried.
Alfred Stephen died in 1855 [Death Index: St. Luke 1b 481, 1855 (March)].
Phoebe subsequently took up a new partner Samuel Humphreys. It appears that he had previously married Mary Brand, who was born to parents John Brand and his wife Sarah and christened on November 22nd 1828 in Linton, Cambridgeshire [IGI: Batch C138244]. Samuel married her in 1848 [Marriage Index: St. Lukes 2 257, 1848 (June)]. The 1851 Census finds them living at 17, Gloucester Street in Shoreditch where he was occupied as a labourer. There were no children with them.
The 1861 Census finds Phoebe living at 11, Helener Place, Willow Walk in Shoreditch as the "wife" of Samuel Humphreys. She is described as a dressmaker aged "43" with birthplace Clerkenwell, and Samuel as a cabman aged "45" with birthplace Hackney. Also present was Phoebe's brother Frederick James, again occupied as a chair maker.
Another of Phoebe's siblings was Edwin Vial. He was christened on May 7th 1826 at St. Botolph in Bishopsgate [IGI: Batch C001618], at which time his parents were living at 32, Primrose Street in Bishopsgate. He married Emily Jane Wellam [Marriage Index: Shoreditch 2 337, 1851 (March) - bride indexed as "Wellem"] by whom he produced a daughter Susannah in 1851. His occupation was pork butcher and sausage maker. In September 1863 he was assaulted and robbed, dying from his injuries on September 29th [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 102, 1863 (Dec)]. The inquest into his death was reported on October 10th 1863 in The Shoreditch Advertiser as follows:
Mrs Phoebe Humphreys 40 [her true age was about 45] of Willow street Shoreditch said she was the sister of the deceased, who lived at 14 Willow street. On Tuesday week, having heard that he had been robbed and had received dreadful injuries and that his life was in great danger, she went to his house. She found him lying on the bed. He had been rendered deaf by the manner in which he had been beaten on the head. He was however then sensible. He said that on the preceding evening he had been to the West End. On his way back he felt thirsty, and turned into the Luke's Head Tavern and called for half a pint of beer. A man named Clark, he said, was drinking there at the same time. Deceased said that when he left the house, which he did soon, he proceeded along the Old Street road until he came to Mr Felton's coach factory at the corner of Pump Row. He then had in his pocket a bag containing two florins, four shillings, one 6d and a 3d bit. He said he saw no persons about at the time, but he suddenly received a dreadful blow on the temple that dashed him at once to the ground. It was so violent that he was instantly rendered senseless. He knew nothing whatever further about the attack, it was so sudden and violent. He had no idea how he got home. The next day when he recovered consciousness he found that his money had gone. He could form no notion of who it was that inflicted his injuries. When he spoke of the attack tears came into his eyes and he said, "What cruel wretches to ill-use me in this way, and to take my money". Witness saw the marks of a terrible blow on the deceased's temple. [As transcribed by Malcolm Langridge.]
Samuel Humphreys probably died aged "53" in early 1870 [Death Index: Westminster St. James 1a 347, 1870 (March)].
Later in 1870 Phoebe married - as "Phoebe Vial" - to a widower Henry William Moore [Marriage Index: Bethnal Green 1c 426, 1870 (Sept)]. He had previously married Elizabeth Harley in 1845 [Marriage Index: Shoreditch 2 374, 1845 (Sept)] on August 17th at St. John the Baptist, Shoreditch [IGI: Batch M040371]. She was born in Maldon, Essex around 1820. They produced at least two children Morris and Ruth. Morris was born on July 2nd 1855 and was christened on September 9th 1855 at St. Stephan in Coleman Street, London [IGI: Batch P019661]. Ruth was born on March 17th 1862 [Birth Index: London City 1c 88, 1862 (June)] and was christened on May 11th 1862 at St. Stephan [IGI: Batch P019661]. The 1851 Census finds Henry William living with Elizabeth at 43, Hastings Street in St. Pancras where he was occupied as a wine merchant's porter. There were no children with them. The 1861 Census finds them living in Prospect Place in Stoke Newington St. Mary where Henry was occupied as a beer seller and general dealer. Again, there were no children with them.
The 1871 Census finds Phoebe living with Henry William and his daughter Ruth at 9, East Street in Shoreditch where he was occupied as a cab driver. Phoebe is described as aged "49" with birthplace Clerkenwell.
The 1871 Census finds Phoebe's son Thomas, now using the Vial surname, living with a partner Louisa and three young daughters at 23, Bath Street in Shoreditch and occupied as a master chair maker. There appears to be no marriage reference for them. Louisa's maiden name was Watson [descendant's report]. The 1881 Census finds the family living at 37, Rivington Street in Shoreditch. The 1891 Census finds them living at 10, Downham Road in Hackney. Thomas died at age "55" in 1894 [Death Index: Hackney 1b 240, 1894 (Sept)], whilst Louisa died in Islington on December 15th 1913 [Death Index: Islington 1b 387, 1913 (Dec)].
Frederick James Vial married Susannah Bennet Chidgey on April 16th 1865 at St. John the Baptist in Shoreditch [IGI: Batch M040371]. The 1871 Census find them with three children living at 16, Phipp Street in Shoreditch. The 1881 Census finds the family living at 13, Hinson Street in St. Leonard Shoreditch. The 1891 Census finds the family living at 23, B-Block in Vincent Street, Shoreditch. In all these records Frederick James was occupied as a chair maker. The family has not been found in the 1901 Census. Frederick James died aged "74" (but actually 75) in 1908 [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 52, 1908 (Dec)].
Henry William Moore probably died aged "55" in 1880 [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 121, 1880 (Sept)].
Phoebe has not yet been found in the 1881 Census.
Phoebe died aged "70" in 1888. The death certificate [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 79, 1888 (March)] states that she died on February 28th 1888 at 71, Chatham Avenue in Hoxton New Town. The cause of death was senile decay and the informant, present at the death and residing at that same address, was her son Thomas (Hamblet) Vial. She is described as the widow of a stationer "Thomas" Moore, and it is presumed that this error in her husband's forename was owed either to confusion by the registrar or to faulty recollection by her son.