Dan Stephen Thompson Botterill and Mary Jane Harris

Skull & crossbones on the gatepost at the entrance to
St. Nicholas' Church, Deptford Green, SE8
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mike Quinn - geograph.org.uk/p/1499463

Dan Stephen Thompson Botterill (bap. 13 Sep 1857), son of Daniel Botterill and Sarah Elizabeth Tompson, married Mary Jane Harris (b. 1858), daughter of Alfred Richard Harris and Jane Elizabeth Jones, at Christ Church Watney Street, on 26 Dec 1878. Dan, a fitter, gave his address as 225 Cable Street. Mary Jane's address was 34 Deptford Green, where her father was a baker by trade. Dan had spent his early years in Deptford Green too, when his parents kept The White Hart, which the census records show was next door to the bakery. Witnesses were Alfred Richard Harris - who could have been Mary Jane's father or her brother - and Eliza Ann Harris, the bride's sister.

Dan and Mary had eight children: 

1. John Botterill b. 1880 M Quarter in HOLBORN Vol 01B Page 742
2. Daniel Thompson Botterill b. 1882 M Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D 987, baptised at 18 on 22 Mar 1900 at St James Hatcham
3. Alice Botterill b. 1884 S Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 981
4. Kate Elizabeth b. 1886 J Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1008
5. Bessie Botterill b. 1 Aug 1888 S Quarter in HOLBORN Vol 01B 756
6. Esther Botterill b. 31 Jan 1891 M Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D 1089
7. Alfred Botterill b. 31 Oct 1894 D Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D 1045
8. Florrie Botterill b. 1900 M Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1072

In 1881, they were living at 16, Duke Street, St Paul Deptford, Greenwich, with Dan (24), Engine Fitter, Mary (22) and their eldest child, John (1).

In 1891, living in Bentham Street, St Paul Deptford, Greenwich, we find Dan (34), Steam Engine Fitter, Mary (32), Daniel (9), Bessie (2) and Esther (0), as well as Thomas Thompson (54), a blacksmith and Janet Thompson (51), visitors, from Monkwearmouth, Durham. John (11) and Alice (6) were visiting their Botterill grandparents at the Holly Tree Arms in Lewisham, while Kate was staying with her Harris grandparents at The Green, Deptford.

In 1901, still at Bentham Street, Deptford, were Dan (44), Marine Engine Fitter, Mary Jane (42), Daniel (19), Alice (19), Kate (14), Bessie (12), Esther (10), Alfred (6) and Florrie (1). John (21), Sign Writer, was staying with his grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth Botterill at 49, Wisteria Road, Lewisham. 

By 1911, they'd moved to 65 Childers St, Deptford, with Dan (54), Marine and General Fitter, Mary (52), Alice (26), Seed Packer, Bessie Standing (22) (married in 1909), Esther Botterill (20), Seed Packer, Alfred Botterill (16), Pattern Maker Apprentice, Florrie Botterill (11), Thomas Harris (31), Boiler Makers Rivetter (Mary Jane's brother) and George Standing (0), visitor. John Botterill (31), was still at 49 Wisteria Road, Lewisham with his aunt, Mary Louisa Adcock Botterill. Daniel Thompson Botterill had died in 1908, aged just 26. Kate Botterill, in 1911, was working as a Housemaid at 50 Pall Mall, St James Westminster, London. The 1911 Census confirmed that Dan and Mary Jane had eight children, with seven then still living.

Dan Stephen Thompson Botterill died on 16 Apr 1917, aged 60 and is buried in Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery together with his parents.

In 1921, Mary Botterill (62) Widow, was still living at 65, Childers Street, Deptford with Kate Botterill (35) Dispatch Clerk Film Trade; Esther Botterill (30) Machine Hand Film Trade; Alfred Botterill (26) Engineers Pattern & Maker and Florrie Botterill (21) Purse Hand Leather Worker. John Botterill (41) Sign Writer, was once again living with his aunt, Mary L A Botterill at 69, Old Road, Lee, Lewisham. Also living at 65, Childers Street, Deptford, were George and Bessie Standing and their two sons. Alice had emigrated.

Mary Jane Botterill died, at 65, on 12 Apr 1924, in 1924 J Quarter in GREENWICH Volume 01D Page 761.

• John Botterill, died, unmarried, at 55, in Deptford in 1936
• Daniel Thompson Botterill, married in 1905 and died in 1908
• Alice Botterill married Edwin Cruttenden in New Zealand
• Kate Elizabeth Botterill died, at 80, in New Zealand, in 1966
• Bessie Botterill married George Hemens Standing on 23 Oct 1909
• Esther Botterill married William Henry Cross (b. 10 Apr 1888) on 23 Nov 1921, at St Paul's, Deptford. They had one son, Robert Henry Cross b. 8 Jul 1922, who married, in Thurrock, in 1947. Esther Cross died, at 52, in Stepney, in 1943; William Henry Cross died in Thurrock in 1964. Robert Henry Cross died in 2004.
• Alfred Botterill married Margaret Ellen Pilling in 1923, in Dartford, Kent. Alfred Botterill is listed among Civilian War Dead, having died on 25 Oct 1940. Son of the late Daniel Botterill; husband of Margaret Ellen Botterill, of 24 Roseveare Road, Grove Park. Injured at the London Power Company; died same day at Miller Hospital.
• Florrie Botterill also emigrated to New Zealand, where, on 28 May 1927, she married John Kenneth Gordon Apperley.

Postcard sent to Alice Botterill at 65 Childers Street, Deptford

Frederick Southcott and Eliza Harris

Tiverton : Former Belmont Hospital
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Lewis Clarke - geograph.org.uk/p/4587272
Now known as Perreyman Court, this used to be a hospital and workhouse.

Frederick Southcott, son of William Southcott and Temperance Cosway, married Eliza Harris in Tiverton, in 1879. They had five children:

1. Lucy Southcott b. 30 Aug 1880, bap. 13 Sep 1880 at St Peter's Church, Tiverton. (Died in the first quarter of 1881, aged 0.)
2. Alice Southcott b. 22 Mar 1882, bap. 14 Apr 1882 at St Peter's Church, Tiverton. (Died 1 Feb 1885, aged 3.)
3. Arthur Southcott b. 30 Jul 1883, bap. 9 Aug 1883 at St Peter's.
4. Frederick William Southcott b. 27 Feb 1886, bap. 28 Mar 1886 at St Peter's Church, Tiverton. (Died 30 Mar 1886, aged 0.)
5. Bessie Southcott b. 1889, bap. 12 Feb 1892 at St Peter's, Tiverton.

In 1881, Frederick Southcott (29) Milk Carrier (these listings of Victorian Occupations 'helpfully' says this is "Someone who carries milk". No doubt from dairy to customer in a hand cart as shown here) and Eliza (25) were living in Kiddles Court, off Fore Street, Tiverton.

However, on the 1886 baptism, under what is usually the father's occupation, was listed "Inmate of Workhouse". And on Bessie's baptism in 1892, their address was also given as Tiverton Union, i.e. Workhouse.

In 1891, Frederick, Eliza, Arthur and Bessie were all Inmates at The Tiverton Union Workhouse, as the records explain that Frederick Southcott, former milk carrier, had become "Blind not from birth".

Without buying all the death certificates, it's not possible to know for sure, but the fact that two of the children died around the same time, in 1885 and 1886, tends to suggest that disease, rather than accident, was implicated. Smallpox was a common killer in nineteenth century Britain, and was responsible for a third of all human blindness. The risk of death after contracting the disease was about 30%, with higher rates among babies.

Arthur went to sea, joining the Royal Navy in March 1899, when he will have been 15½. While Bessie was enrolled in Elmore School in 1899, with her address on the school records once again listed as "Workhouse".

Bessie and her parents were still in the Workhouse in 1901, after which she just disappears. Art Southcott (17), in 1901, was a Boy 1st Class, part of the crew of HMS Nile, while she was the coast guard ship at Devonport.

Frederick Southcott died in 1906, undoubtedly still in the Workhouse. 

Arthur served in the Royal Navy until 4 Jun 1908, when he was Invalided, so by 1911, Arthur Southcott (27) was back in the Tiverton Union Workhouse. Eliza was still in the Workhouse in 1911 and died in 1913.

Utterly heart-breaking that accident or illness had consigned them to what was undoubtedly a miserable existence for the rest of their lives.