William Tubb and Sarah Ruff

St Mary's Church, Alverstoke
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Barry Shimmon - geograph.org.uk/p/2255172

William Tubb (bap. 1 May 1808), son of William Tubb and Sarah Chard, married Sarah Ruff (bap. 15 Jul 1808), daughter of William Ruff and Martha Preston, at St Mary's, Alverstoke, Gosport on 27 Jul 1827. William Tubb signed with an excellent hand. Witnesses were William Ruff and Jane Ruff.

William and Sarah Tubb had ten children:

1. William Tubb bap. 30 Mar 1828 at St Mary's Church, Portsea. Died, aged 26, in Alverstoke and was buried on 19 Feb 1854 at St Mary's, Portsea.
2. Sarah Maria Tubb bap. 11 Jul 1830 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
3. Elizabeth Jane Tubb bap. 30 Sep 1832 at St Mary's Church, Portsea (Jane Tubb (3) was buried at St Mary's, on 22 Mar 1835.)
4. James Henry Tubb b. 1 Apr 1834, bap. 6 Jul 1834 at St Mary's, Portsea
5. Jane Tubb bap. 21 Aug 1836 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
6. Amelia Tubb b. 1838 D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 120, bap. 3 Feb 1839 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
7. Martha Louisa Tubb b. 1841 M Quarter Volume 07 Page 137
8. Mary Ann Tubb b. 1843 M Quarter Volume 07 Page 136
9. Alfred Tubb b. 1844 D Quarter Volume 07 Page 129
10. Lavinia Tubb b. 1851 M Quarter Vol 07 Page 160. Died, aged 2, in 1853 S Quarter Volume 02B Page 232, buried 2 Oct 1853, in Portsea.

In 1841, William Tubb (35), Sarah Tubb (30), William Tubb (13), Sarah Tubb (11), James Tubb (7), Jane Tubb (5), Amelia Tubb (3) and [Martha] Louisa Tubb (0) were listed in 'Marie Lee Borne Street' (Marylebone Street). 

In 1851, still in Marylebone Street were William Tubb (42) Master Brush Maker, Sarah Tubb (42); married daughter, Sarah Donset (21); James Tubb (16), Sailor; Jane Tubb (14), Louisa Tubb (9), Mary Ann Tubb (7), Alfred Tubb (6) and Louisa (sic) - must be Lavinia (0). Amelia Tubb (12) was staying with her aunt and uncle James and Jane Frankham in Waterloo Street, Portsea.

Once more at Marylebone Street, in 1861, we find just William Tubbs (sic) (52), Brush Maker with wife Sarah Tubbs (sic) (52).

In 1871, in Marylebone Street, Landport, were William Tubb (62), Brush Maker, Sarah Tubb (62), daughter Louisa Nichlas (29) Widowed and granddaughter, Lydia Nichlas (5). 

William Tubb, Brush Maker of Marylebone Street, Landport, Portsea, died, at 71, in 1878 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 308, and was buried on 27 Aug 1878, at Kingston Cemetery. 

Sarah Tubb, widow, then of St Vincent Street, Southsea, died, also aged 71, the following year (1879 D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 318) and was buried on 31 Dec 1879, also at Kingston Cemetery.

William Tubb and Sarah Chard

The nave at St Mary's, Portsea
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Basher Eyre - geograph.org.uk/p/1379010

William Tubb (b. 1785), son of William Tubb and Jane Bound, married Sarah Chard (bap. 2 Feb 1787 at St James' Church, Poole), daughter of George Chard and Ann Hellier, at St Mary's Church, Portsea on 27 Dec 1807. 

The font at St Alban's, Copnor
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Basher Eyre
geograph.org.uk/p/1493684

William and Sarah Tubb appear to have had eleven children, all baptised also in the first church of St Mary's. The font still exists, but is now located in St Alban's Church, Copnor.

1. William Tubb bap. 1 May 1808
2. James Tubb b. 30 Apr 1809, bap. 23 May 1809
3. Samuel Tubb bap. 16 Jun 1811
4. Sarah Jane Tubb b. 30 Sep 1812, bap. 3 Jul 1814 
5. Mary Tubb b. 15 Jan 1814, also bap. 3 Jul 1814 
6. John Tubb bap. 12 Feb 1816
7. Thomas Tubb bap. 24 Apr 1820 (Later records suggest he was probably born in 1818.)
8. Alfred Tubb bap. 2 Oct 1820
9. Hannah Tubb bap. 23 Nov 1823. Buried 27 Aug 1826, also at St Mary's.
10. Henry Tubb bap. 12 Jun 1825
11. Edward Tubb bap. 18 Nov 1827

The baptism records for Mary, John, Thomas, Alfred, Hannah, Henry and Edward all list their father as Ropemaker of George's Row.

This was the same period, same church (& font) in which Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Charles Dickens were baptised, in 1806 and 1812, respectively. Even though the Brunel family moved away to London in 1808 and the Dickens only moved into the area in 1809, the chance that this Tubb family and those of Brunel or Dickens - even if not moving in the same circles - being under the same roof at the same time, has to be quite high. 

Sarah Tubb of George's Row, died at 45, and was buried, on 4 May 1831.

Alfred Tubb must have died around 1841. There is no death or burial record (abroad or at sea maybe?), the Index To Death Duty Registers list his father, William Tubb of 12 Bow Street, Landport, Portsea as Administrator.

In 1841, William Tubb (54) was living in the household of daughter Mary (27) and son-in-law, John Windel (37) in Bow Street, Portsea, along with his youngest two sons Henry Tubb (15) and Edward Tubb (13). 

 (The Portsmouth Encycopedia says, "Bow Street ran east from Commercial Road just north of the Railway Terminus (1847) (now Portsmouth & Southsea Station) to Dorset Street. Bow Street was later re-named Station Street.")

In 1851, William Tubb (64) Widower, Ropemaker was once more listed merely as a visitor, in the household of John and Mary Windel in Bow Street, Portsea, this time along with just his son Henry Tubb (25) Ropemaker.

In 1861, William Tubb (76) Superannuated Rope Maker (who said he was from Poole, Dorset, but this was actually where his late wife was from), was living at 33, Bow Street, Portsea and had gone back to being the head of the household after the death of his son-in-law, John Windell in January of that year. Living there with him were his daughter, Mary Windell (48) Widow; Thomas Noble (33) Coppersmith from Newport IOW, Grandson-in-law; Sarah A Noble (29) Wife of Coppersmith, Granddaughter-in-law (Sarah Ann Windell, as was, was Mary's step-daughter); Ellen Windell (17), Edward Windell (6) and Eliza Noble (2), also listed as a Granddaughter, but if we were being pedantic, she was actually William's step-great-granddaughter.

Son Samuel Tubb (58) Seaman of Bow Street, Landport, died on 19 Apr 1869 (1869 J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 274, although that record put him at 62) and was buried on 22 Apr 1869 at Portsea Cemetery. 

In 1871, William Tubb (85) Rope Maker was still in Bow Street, Portsea, then in the household of Alfred John Rees (27), listed as his wife's grandfather. (Alfred's wife, Ellen, was the daughter of John and Mary Windel.) That year, Henry Tubb (45) Rope spinner from Landport, Hants was an Inmate at the Alverstoke House of Industry, Near Gosport. (The full title of the Alverstoke Workhouse was the House of Industry.) Henry then just disappeared.

William Tubb, Rope Maker of Bow Street, Landport, died on 19 Aug 1872, aged 87 (1872 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 293), and was buried on 23 Aug 1872 at Portsea Cemetery.

Thomas Pearce and Sarah Hall

St. Mary's Church - Alverstoke
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Colin Babb - geograph.org.uk/p/1093207

Thomas Pearce married Sarah Hall on 14 Dec 1797 in Alverstoke, Hampshire. Witnesses to their marriage were Ann Deadman and Robert Hills.

Thomas and Sarah appear to have had five children:

1. Mary Ann Pearce b. 19 Dec 1798, bap. 21 Dec 1800
2. Robert Pearce bap. 21 Dec 1800, in the parish of Portsea St Mary
3. Thomas Hooper Pearce b. 30 Aug 1806, bap. 2 Sep 1806 (some transcripts say 7 Sep 1806) in the parish of Portsea St John
4. James Pearce b. 9 Jan 1809, bap 19 Jan 1809, St Johns Chapel
5. Sarah Pearce b. 16 Dec 1810, bap. 24 Mar 1811 at Portsea, St Mary

Sarah Pearce of Sandwich Street, Portsea (Sandwich Street was in the "New Buildings" taken into the Dockyard in 1847, The Portsmouth Encyclopedia) died, age estimated to 69, in 1840 D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 95 and buried on 15 Nov 1840 at St Mary's, Portsea.

In 1841, Thomas Pearce (65) Shopkeeper was in Sandwich Street, Portsea with Thomas Postings (30) Navy; Mary (30) & Thomas Postings, 17m.

In 1851, Thomas Pearce (74) Widower, Wife's Father, Retired Grocer, was living at 22 Upper Church Road, in the household of James Tubb.

Thomas Pearce, listed as Thomas Hooper Pearce, of Church Road, age given as 78, died in 1853 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 02B Page 269 and was buried on 2 Jan 1853 at St Mary's, Portsea.

James Tubb and Sarah Pearce

St. Mary's Church - Alverstoke
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Colin Babb - geograph.org.uk/p/1093207

James Tubb (b. 30 Apr 1809 in Portsmouth), son of William Tubb and Sarah Chard, married Sarah Pearce (b. 16 Dec 1810 in Portsmouth), daughter of Thomas Pearce and Sarah Hall, at St. Mary's, Alverstoke, on 27 Oct 1830.

James and Sarah had nine children, the first two of whom were baptised in the 12th Century, early version of St Mary's Church, Portsea.

1. Sarah Pierce (sic) Tubb b. 26 Feb 1830, bap. 18 Jan 1835
2. James Thomas Tubb b. 6 Nov 1833, bap. 18 Jan 1835
3. Emma Tubb b. 1838 M Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 143
4. William Tubb b. 1840 D Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 109
5. Alfred Tubb b. 1843 J Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 122 (Died 1844 M Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 102)
6. Caroline Tubb b. 1844 D Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 122
7. Henry Edward Tubb b. 1847 J Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 126
8. Mary Ann Tubb b. 1849 D Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 173
9. Elizabeth Tubb b. 1853 J Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 02B Page 401

Once again, as civil registration was introduced, baptisms were abandoned.

In 1851, we find this family living in Upper Church Road, Portsea with James Tubb (42) Shipwright at Dock Yard; wife Sarah Tubb (40), daughter Sarah Tubb (20), James Tubb (17), Shipwright's Apprentice; Emma Tubb (13), William Tubb (10), Caroline Tubb (6), Henry Tubb (4), Mary Tubb (1) and Sarah's father, Thomas Pearce (74), Widower, Retired Grocer.

In 1871, James Tubb (61) Superannuated Shipwright, Sarah Tubb (60), Mary A Tubb (21) and Elizabeth Tubb (17), were at Church Path, North, Portsea.

Shortly before his 65th birthday, James Tubb, DOB 30 Apr 1809, from Portsea, Hampshire, 5ft 7in tall, with grey hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion, enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Shipwright. From 1 Jan 1874 until 13 Feb 1875, he was assigned to HMS Asia, flagship of the Admiral-Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard. From 31 Mar 1875 to 31 Mar 1876 and from 1 Apr 1876 to 9 Jun 1877, he was assigned to HMS St Vincent, which had been commissioned as a training ship in 1862, and specifically as a training ship for boys, moored permanently at Haslar from 1870. James Tubb may have been maintaining or converting the vessel. If I were to speculate, my feeling is that this already long-standing dockyard employee was taken into Royal Navy service at such a 'ripe age' to provide him with a pension.

In 1881, James Tubb (73), Shipwright Pensioner and Sarah Tubb (70), were living at 2, Charles Street, Portsea, with William Jeffery (7), listed as their nephew. He was their grandson, William James Jeffery, born 1874, son of their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, who married William Jeffery in 1872.

In 1891, James Tubb (81), Retired Shipwright and Sarah Tubb (80) were living in Church Path North, Portsea, with the house to themselves.

After more than 65 years of marriage, James and Sarah Tubb both died in 1896, within a week of each other. James Tubb (87) Pensioner of Church Path, Landport, died in 1896 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 324 and was buried from St Mary's, at Kingston Cemetery, on 22 Jul 1896. Sarah Tubb (86) Widow of Church Path, Landport was likewise buried at Kingston Cemetery, from St Mary's, seven days later, on 29 Jul 1896.