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| Amersham Road, New Cross cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Chris Whippet - geograph.org.uk/p/4358069 |
Ernest James Burch (b. 1858), son of Henry Burch and Rebecca Martin, married Elizabeth Wykes (b. 10 Jun 1861), daughter of William Wykes and Elizabeth Thompson, in the district of St. Olave Southwark, in the second quarter of 1881. Five years previously, Ernest James' older brother, Henry Charles Burch had married Elizabeth's older sister, Mary Ann Wykes.
Ernest and Elizabeth had six children, all born in Greenwich:
- Ernest William Burch b. 1882 S Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1015. Died, 1884 J Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 569.
- Rose Mary Wykes b. 25 Apr 1884 J Qtr Vol 01D Page 1029
- Henry Charles Burch b. 6 Jun 1886 S Qtr Vol 01D Page 1030
- Maria Elizabeth Burch b. 25 Apr 1888 J Qtr Vol 01D Page 1027
- Florence Emma Burch b. 24 Jun 1891 S Qtr Vol 01D Page 1032
- Ada Burch b. 18 Dec 1893, reg. 1894 M Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1043, bap. 22 May 1895 at St Paul's, Deptford
The 1911 Census confirms that Elizabeth had six children with five living.
By 1901, however, it's clear the couple had separated. Ernest J Burch (42) Stone Mason, was living in the household of his brother, Henry Charles Burch, at 2, Octavius Street, St Paul, Deptford, while Elizabeth Burch (39) Midwife nurse was living at 20, Albury Street, St Paul Deptford. In Elizabeth's household were Rose Mary Burch (16), Henry C Burch (14) Apprentice Stone Mason; Maria E Burch (12), Florence E Burch (9), Ada Burch (7), Elizabeth Doe (21) Tin Solderer, Boarder; Julia Taylor (43) Widow, Boarder [widow of Elizabeth's cousin, George Taylor]; Martha O'Toole (48) Visitor [Elizabeth's sister] and Lily Wykes (11), Willie Wykes (8) and Jessie Wykes (3) - all three were listed as visitors, born in South Africa [they were the children of Elizabeth's brother, John Thomas Wykes].
In 1911, it gets even more interesting, as Elizabeth Burch (49) Midwife, was living at 13 Amersham Road New Cross, St Paul Deptford with Marie Burch (22), Florence Burch (19) Book keeper; Mary Weston (26) [Rose Mary Burch, as was]; Lily Weston (3) Granddaughter; William Barber (50) Lodger, Norah Barber (30) and Dora Barber (1). While Ernest James Burch (52) Married, Stonemason was living at 20 South Crescent, Cold Bath Street, Greenwich with a whole new family: Alice Newman Burch (35) Single, 'Housekeeper' (a euphemism, clearly) born in Peckham; Dorothy Burch (12) born in Hackney; Ellen Burch (10) born in Lewisham and William Burch (5) born in Greenwich. The original 1911 Census lists that Ernest had been married 29 years (yes, but to Elizabeth Wykes, not Alice) and lists 4 children, of whom 3 were still living at that point, clearly referring to the children of this relationship.
Alice Newman gave birth to five children:
- Dorothy Alice Newman b. 14 Jan 1899 M Quarter in HACKNEY Volume 01B Page 558, with no mother's maiden name listed, i.e. illegitimate.
- Ellen Newman b. 1900 S Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 1206, curiously, with BURCH listed as a mother's maiden name.
- Edward William Burch b. 1902 D Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1075. Died, aged 1, in 1904 J Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 541
- William Burch b. 20 Jan 1906 M Qtr Vol 01D Page 1117
- Ernest George Burch b. 16 May 1912 J Qtr Vol 01D 1884
On the records for the 3 boys, the mother's maiden name is NEWMAN.
In 1921, Elizabeth Burch (60) mother-in-law, Midwife, was listed in the household of Richard Charles Weston (38) - married to Rose Mary Burch - at 62, Florence Road, St Paul Deptford. One imagines she was there to assist with the birth of the couple's son, Charles Albert, then under one month old, as her usual place of work (and presumably residence) was in Tring, Herts. Ernest James Burch (62) Stonemason, was living at 58, Vanguard Street, Deptford with his 2nd family: Alice 'Burch' (44), William Burch (15), Dorothy Alice Burch (25), Ellen Burch (20) and Ernest George Burch (9).
Ernest James Burch died, at 73, in 1932 M Quarter in LEWISHAM.
Elizabeth Burch of 23 Western Road, Tring, Hertfordshire (daughter, Ada and her husband also lived in Tring) died, also aged 73, at 4 Whitehouse Terrace, Western Road, Tring, on 9 Jan 1935 (M Quarter in BERKHAMPSTEAD Volume 03A Page 1240). Probate was granted to her surviving son, Henry Charles Burch, Stonemason, leaving effects of £459.
In 1939, Alice Burch [really Alice Newman] b. 13 Mar 1877, 'Widowed' was living at 3 Summerfield Street, Hither Green, Lewisham with youngest son, Ernest G Burch, of 'No Occupation Owing To Bad Health'.
Listed again as Alice Burch [Alice Newman - there was never a marriage between her and Ernest James Burch, not even a bigamous one] died at 74 in 1952 D Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 05D Page 16.
Of Ernest and Alice's children:
- Dorothy Alice Burch married Arthur Henry Bown, in Lewisham, in 1925. In 1939, they were living at 47 Scylla Road, Peckham, Camberwell. Arthur H Bown died, at 56, in Camberwell, in 1951. Dorothy Alice Bown of Templeton Nursing Home, Streatham Common died on 15 Sep 1987.
- There's a record of a marriage of an Ellen Burch to a James Joy, in Lewisham, in 1924, but without a corroborating record, I cannot be certain this relates. There's also a death of an Ellen Joy b. 12 Aug 1900 (same quarter as birth registration) in Bexley, Kent, in 1997.
- William Burch married Elizabeth Gardiner, in Lewisham, in 1933. In 1939, William Burch, General Labourer, Elizabeth and their son, William Edward Burch b. 31 Dec 1933 (reg. 1934 M Qtr in LEWISHAM Vol 01D Page 1102), were living at 45 Battersby Road, Catford. William Burch died, in 1970, in Lewisham.
- Ernest George Burch died, at 30, on 12 February 1943 (1943 M Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 923) and was buried at Hither Green Cemetery.
