![]() |
Church of St. John the Divine, Chatham cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Chris Whippet - geograph.org.uk/p/3850305 (St John's a Waterloo church built in 1821 and restructured in 1869, ceased being an active church in 1964, was then used as an art project and finally reopened in 2021.) |
Sunday, 29 December 2024
Henry George Harcus and Susan Alice Tubb
Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Henry Caddy and Selina Mary Ann Harcus
![]() |
St Mary, Dock Road, Chatham cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Kemp - geograph.org.uk/p/4674626 The church, now closed, is mainly late C19 but a few Norman features still remain. |
Henry Caddy (24), Shipwright, son of John Henry Caddy and Sarah Orren, married, Selina Mary Ann Harcus (20), daughter of John Harcus and Selina Patrick, on 18 Dec 1870 at St Mary's Church, Chatham. Witnesses were her brother Henry George Harcus and Sarah Caddy, Henry's sister.
In 1871, Selina Caddy (21), Henry Caddy (24) Shipwright, were living with Selina's widowed mother, Selina Harcus (47) Licensed Victualler at the Chest Arms, 55 High Street, Chatham.
Henry and Selina Caddy then had one daughter:
- Selina Sarah Caddy, b. 15 Jan 1872 (1872 M Qtr in MEDWAY Vol 02A Page 470), bap. 11 Feb 1872 at St Mary's Church, Chatham.
Selina Mary Ann Caddy was one of the witnesses to the marriage of her brother Henry George Harcus and Susan Alice Tubb, on 29 Dec 1872.
Then on 18 Dec 1874, at All Saints Church, Haggerston, Selina Mary Ann Caddy (24), 'Widow' (no she wasn't, unless her father-in-law listed a ghost in 1881 - see below), who, nevertheless, listed her father (correctly) as John Harcus, Tailor, married Lewis Betjemann (31) Bachelor (nope), Sergeant in the Army, who named his father as John Jacob Betjemann, Gunsmith.
John Jacob Betjemann, Gunmaker, had married Elizabeth Bull in 1825 and was in Whitechapel in 1841 and Bethnal Green in 1851. He died in 1853. Baptised Ernst Luy Ficktohr Betjeman (sic) on 3 Mar 1844 at Christ Church, Spitalfields, he was their youngest child, listed as Ernst (7) in his parents' household in 1851 and as Lewis Betjemann (17) Cabinet Maker, when living with his widowed mother, Elizabeth, in Haggerston, in 1861.
As 'Herns' Lewis Betjemann, Cabinet Maker, he had previously married Mary Sarah Jane Blumson, daughter of Benjamin Blumson, Dyer, at St James', Shoreditch, on 5 Nov 1863. This couple had at least two daughters: Mary Ann Betjemann b. 1 Dec 1863 (1864 M Quarter in SHOREDITCH Volume 01C Page 204), bap. 20 Dec 1963 at St Matthew's, Bethnal Green; and Caroline Betjemann b. 1866 M Quarter in SHOREDITCH Volume 01C Page 182. When daughter Mary Betjemann (20) married on 2 Feb 1884, she listed her father as Lewis Betjemann, Cabinet Maker and George Christian Betjemann, who was Lewis' brother, was one of the witnesses at her marriage. Reverting back to Bachelor in 1874 was well fishy and lead me be certain they were both committing bigamy. That Mary Sarah Jane Blumson went on to have another four children with Henry Thomas Comte and lived until 1924, confirms it.
Selina claiming to be a Widow, one might assume Henry Caddy had died ... However, in 1881, we find Henry Caddy (34) Shipwright, alive, listed as married, living in the home of his father, John Henry Caddy (59) Joiner (he had been a Joiner at the Dockyard) and his second wife Elizabeth Caddy (61) at 50, Church Road, Gillingham, Medway, Kent, with no mention of Henry's wife or child. (Henry's mother, Sarah Caddy, had died in 1866 and John Henry Caddy had married widow, Elizabeth Fowler, on 26 Mar 1874).
After that I can find no more records for Henry Caddy, not even a death. Instinct makes me suspect he may have jumped on a ship and emigrated.
Selina Sarah Caddy doesn't appear on a census either, until 1891, when we find George Lewis (47) Caretaker from Mile End, Middlesex at James Allen's School, Townley Road, Camberwell (James Allen's Girls' School), with wife Selina Lewis (41) Housekeeper from Chatham, Kent; daughter listed as Selina Lewis (19) also from Chatham, Kent, with two Assistant caretakers. It's clear that Lewis Betjemann has Anglicised himself to George Lewis. Subsequent records, which I found first, show that these are the right people however.
On 13 May 1894, Selina Sarah Caddy (22) married William Slate (24) at the church of St Michael, Burleigh Street, Westminster (Initially a chapel within the parish of St. Martin in the Fields, closed 1905 and was demolished.)
William and Selina Sarah Slate had at least eight children:
- Victor Alfred William Slate b. 30 Nov 1895 in HOLBORN 01B 683
- Eleanor Selina Slate b. 11 Nov 1897 in HOLBORN 01B 687
- Alfred John Slate b. 10 Aug 1900 in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 469, bap 2 Sep 1900 at St. James' Church, Walthamstow
- Doris Margaret Slate b. 13 Oct 1904 in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 458, bap. 13 Nov 1904 at St. James' Church, Walthamstow
- Wilmet Geraldine Slate b. 24 Mar 1908 J Quarter in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 455, bap. 19 Apr 1908 at Walthamstow St. James the Greater. Died at 16 months in 1909 S Quarter in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 170 and buried on 21 Aug 1909 at Queen's Road Cemetery, Walthamstow.
- Lily Slate b. 12 Aug 1910 in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 474, bap. 9 Sep 1910 at St. James' Church, Walthamstow
- William Leonard Slate b. 1913 D Qtr in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 929
- Philip Albert Slate b. 1917 M Qtr in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 724
Sunday, 7 April 2024
John Harcus and Selina Patrick
![]() |
Gillingham Parish Church (St Mary Magdalen) cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/1146460 |
- Richard John Harcus b. 1845 S Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 05 Page 354, bap. 20 Jul 1845 at St Mary's Church, Chatham
- Henry George Harcus b. 1848 S Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 05 Page 398, bap. 15 Oct 1848 at St Mary's Church, Chatham
- Selina Mary Ann Harcus b. 1850 M Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 05 Page 414, bap. 10 Mar 1850 at St Mary's Church, Chatham
- Alice Martha Harcus b. 1858 J Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 02A Page 323, bap. 30 May 1858 at St Mary's Church, Chatham, died aged 1 and was buried in the Former St Mary's Burial Ground.
- John Edward Harcus b. 1860 J Qtr in MEDWAY Vol 02A Page 340
- George Frederick Harcus b. 1863 M Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 02A Page 418 (reads John Edward, but can't tell where the error occurred.)
John Harcus died on 9 Jul 1868, at 47 (1868 S Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 02A Page 292) and buried in the Former St Mary's Burial Ground, now Town Hall Gardens. (The tombstone was amongst those removed from the Gardens and reinterred, on 5 Aug 1971, in the Borough Cemetery in Maidstone Road Chatham Section.) Probate was granted on 8 May 1869: "The Will of John Harcus late of the "Chest Arms" High Street Chatham in the County of Kent Victualler deceased who died 9 Jul 1868 at the "Chest Arms" aforesaid was proved at the Principal Registry by the oath of Selina Harcus of the "Chest Arms" aforesaid Widow the Relict the sole Executrix".
In 1871, Selina Harcus (47) Licensed Victualler was at the Chest Arms, 55 High Street, Chatham, George (7), daughter Selina Caddy (21), Henry Caddy (24) Shipwright; Lydia Emill (16) and lodgers: William Smith (40) Pensioner from Cork and George Atts (31) Photographer from Germany.
Kellys Directory places Selina Harcus at the Chest Arms in 1874, then from From the Rochester and Chatham Journal and Mid-Kent Advertiser, Saturday, September 2, 1876: "Miscellaneous. The magistrates hear adjourned for some time to take of luncheon. On business being resumed the following persons, who had been convicted of various offences during the year, and his cases had been deferred in consequence, apply for the renewal of their licences. vis. Mrs. Harcus, "Chest Arms," Chatham ..." No idea what the offence was.
In 1881, son John Edward Harcus was the Licensed Victualler at the Dartmouth Arms, 257 High Street, Chatham (image), with widowed mother, Selina Harcus (56), Henrietta Golding (18) Domestic Servant, brother George Frederick (18) Mariner and Mary Ann Drago (23) Visitor, listed as wife of Wm Drago. (William Drago, Shipwright, had married Mary Ann Tester in 1876. One of the witnesses to this marriage was George Vokes, who had also been a witnesses for Henry George Harcus and Susan Alice Tubb in 1872.)
![]() |
Now reinterred, on 5th August 1971, in the Borough Cemetery in Maidstone Road |
Son Henry George Harcus died at 39, in 1887, then son John Edward Harcus died two years later on 12 Jun 1889, at 29 and was also buried at the Former St Mary's Burial Ground, now Town Hall Gardens, on 16 Jun 1889.
In 1891, Selina Harcus (66) widow, was Living on her own means at Pleasant Row, St Margaret, Medway, Kent.
In 1901, Selina Harcus (78) was living in the household of her youngest son, George F Harcus (37) Barge Captain at 18, Cecil Avenue, Strood, Kent, with Charlotte Harcus (34), Richard Harcus (13) and Nellie Harcus (12).
Selina Harcus died, aged 81, at Coburg House, Cliffe Rd, Strood and was buried on 28 May 1904 (1904 J Quarter in STROOD Volume 02A Page 339) at Strood Cemetery, Section K Grave No. 3 (C).
![]() |
Strood Cemetery, Cuxton Road cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/3602387 |
Saturday, 30 January 2021
George Frederick Harcus and Charlotte Cooper
![]() |
St Nicholas with St Mary Church, Strood cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/3568896 |
- Richard John Harcus b. 1888 M Quarter in STROOD Volume 02A Page 555, bap. 27 Apr 1888 at St Nicholas Church, Strood
- Nelly May Harcus b. 9 Aug 1889 in STROOD Volume 02A Page 545
- Richard J Harcus married Elizabeth R Andrews, in Strood in the 4th quarter of 1917. There is a Richard John Harcus (b. 1888) in St Olave, Bermondsey, London in 1921, but with no Elizabeth in the household. Richard John Harcus died, aged 72, in 1960.
- Nellie M Harcus married Ernest J Slater in Strood in the 3rd quarter of 1923. In 1939, Ernest J Slater (b. 5 Jul 1885) Gentleman's hairdresser, and Nellie M Slater were still living at 67 Kitchener Road, Rochester. Nellie May Slater died in 1979, aged 90.