Inherited Craziness
A place to share all the nuts found on my family tree

Showing posts with label Leese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leese. Show all posts

Friday 23 February 2024

John Leese and Caroline Bussey

Looking down from Telscombe Cliffs
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/6864973

John Leese (b. 1826), from Portsea, son of John Leese (although I've been unable to identify his birth or baptism), married Caroline Bussey, daughter of Benjamin Bussey and Elizabeth Bowen at St Mary's Church, Portsea, Portsmouth, on 23 Feb 1852. In 1851, Caroline (24) was a housemaid at Greenwich Hospital, home for retired sailors of the Royal Navy. 

John and Caroline Leese had seven children:
  1. Susan Caroline Leese b. 1852 D Quarter in ROMNEY MARSH Volume 02A Page 646, baptised at All Saints ChurchLyddRomney Marsh.
  2. Margaret Hannah Leese b. 1857 J Quarter in ROMNEY MARSH Volume 02A Page 677, baptised at All Saints ChurchLyddRomney Marsh.
  3. Henrietta Leese b. 1860 M Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 169, bap. 12 Feb 1860 in Telscombe, presumably St Laurence.
  4. Henry John Leese b. 5 Jan 1862 M Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 164, bap. 7 Feb 1862, also in Telscombe.
  5. Mary Jane Leese b. 1864 S Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 161
  6. Elizabeth Leese b. 1867 M Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 178
  7. William James Leese b. 1869 D Qtr in LEWES Vol 02B Page 182
In 1861, at Lower Bannings, Lewes Sussex (in the area of Saltdean) were John Leese (35) Coast Guard R N; wife Caroline (35), Susan C (8), Margaret H (4) and Henrietta (1). Being a coastguard explains why they were in Lydd earlier, of which is said, "As with much of the marsh, the town was a base for smuggling in the 18th and 19th centuries."

In 1871, listed at the Coast Guard Station, Newhaven, Lewes, Sussex, were John Leese (44) Chief Boatman Coast Guard, Caroline Leese (44), Susan Leese (18), Henrietta Leese (11), Henry Leese (9), Mary J Leese (9), Elizabeth Leese (4) and William Leese (1). Margaret Leese (14) was a Servant in the household of John Sykes, Assistant Secretary Civil Service (father of Sir John Charles Gabriel Sykes (1869-1952) at 38 Kensington Square, Kensington.

In 1881, living at 41, Ivory Place, Brighton, Sussex were John Leese (54) Naval Pensioner from Portsmouth, Hampshire; Caroline Leese (54); Margaret Leese (23) Dressmaker; Hetty Leese (Henrietta) (21) Confectioner's Assistant; Jane Leese (Mary Jane) (16) Pupil teacher and Elizabeth Leese (14). Susan Caroline Leese had married in 1877; Henry John Leese, who had joined the Royal Navy in 1879, was an "Ordinary seaman pupil teacher" at HMS President (shore establishment) in Poplar (Wapping), while William James Leese (11) was a pupil at Greenwich Hospital, School, Greenwich, Kent.

John Leese died, aged 55, in 1882 M Quarter in BRIGHTON Vol 02B Pg 195.

Caroline Leese died, aged 62, in 1889 S Qtr in BRIGHTON Vol 02B Pg 125.

Thursday 24 March 2022

Henry John Leese and Marian Blanche Burgess

HMS President in London
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Steve Daniels - geograph.org.uk/p/3352722
HMS President is a stone frigate, or shore establishment of the Royal Naval Reserve; on the northern bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge.

Henry John Leese (b. 5 Jan 1862), son of John Leese and Caroline Bussey, married Marian Blanche Burgess (b. 1863), daughter of William George Burgess and Emma Chisman, at St Olave's Church, Southwark, in 1885.

Henry John Leese began his naval career on 5 Jan 1879, having previously attended Greenwich School, with school ship, HMS Impregnable (1810), transferring to HMS President (shore establishment) on 1 Jan 1881.

In 1881, Henry John Leese (19) was an Ordinary seaman pupil teacher, stationed at HMS President (shore establishment). Although I've not found where Marian was that year (my guess is working in London) her parents were living at 6, Horsley Road, Rochester St Margaret, Medway, Kent and her father, William Burgess (51), was described as a 'Chelsea out pensioner'. 

Henry and Marian Leese had nine children, three of whom died (numbers confirmed by Henry John Leese' own account on 1911 Census):

  1. May Constance Leese b. 1886 S Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 228, bap. at Southsea, St Bartholomew in 1890.
  2. Elsie Christine Leese b. 1890 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 479, bap. at Southsea, St Bartholomew in 1890. Died.
  3. Henry John Leese b. 14 Dec 1892 in Valletta, Malta 
  4. Maude Christiana Leese b. 13 Jul 1894 in Malta 
  5. Marian Blanche Leese b. 1895 D Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 301, bap. 1896 in Stoke Damerel, Devon, died aged 1 in 1896 D Quarter in ALVERSTOKE Volume 02B  Page 361
  6. William Gordon Leese b. 17 Jan 1897 M Quarter in ALVERSTOKE Volume 02B Page 560
  7. John Stanley Leese b. 1898 M Quarter in ALVERSTOKE Volume 02B Page 540, bap. in 1898 in Forton (Gosport), Hampshire
  8. Edward Lionel Leese b. 1900 M Quarter in ALVERSTOKE Volume 02B Page 568, died aged 3 in 1903 M Quarter Volume 02B Page 355
  9. Frank Alfred Joseph Leese b. 10 Jun 1909 J Quarter in ALVERSTOKE Volume 02B Page 565, bap. in 1909 in Forton (Gosport), Hampshire
The family are not on the 1891 Census in England as Henry John Leese was stationed at Malta Dockyard between 14 Jun 1890 and 11 Dec 1894.

Henry John Leese was appointed Schoolmaster at Portsmouth Division Royal Marines, located at Forton Barracks, near Gosport in Hampshire, on 29 Jul 1896, position he appears to have held until 30 Apr 1917.

In 1901, Henry J Leese (39) Schoolmaster, Warrant Officer RMLI, born in Portobello, Sussex was living at 139 Forton Rd, Gosport), with wife Marian B Leese (37) born in Greenwich; May C Leese (14) born in Brighton, Henry J Leese (8) born in Malta; Maud C Leese (6) born in Malta; William G Leese (4), John S Leese (3) and Edward L Leese (1) born in Gosport. There are no further records of Elsie Christine after her baptism; she is not listed on this census and I can find no record of a death either, so the most logical explanation is that she must have died as an infant in Malta.

In 1911, Henry John Leese (49) Schoolmaster, WO RMLI, was still living in Alverstoke, Hampshire with Marian Blanche Leese (47), May Constance Leese (24), Maude Christania Leese (16), William Gordon Leese (14), John Stanley Leese (13) and Frank Alfred Leese (1). Son Henry J Leese (18) had joined the Royal Marines in 1910 and was that year listed in Walmer, Kent (Deal).

Henry John Leese was still registered in Alverstoke in 1921.

Henry John Leese died, aged 70, on 15 Apr 1932 and is buried at Clayhall Naval Cemetery (Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery).

Marian Blanche Leese died seven years later, on 15 Apr 1939, aged 75.

The six surviving children: 
  1. May Constance Leese died, unmarried, aged 81, in Portsmouth, in 1967.
  2. Henry John Leese (70) was discharged dead from the Royal Marines, to which he'd obviously devoted his entire life, on 15 Nov 1962.
  3. Maude Christina Leese died, aged 83, also still a spinster, in 1977.
  4. William Gordon Leese enlisted in the Royal Navy on 20 Jul 1912, but was declared invalided on 8 Feb 1921 at Haslar Hospital. William G Leese died, aged 71, in 1968 in Gosport.
  5. John Stanley Leese died, at 80, in 1979 in Stockport, Cheshire.
  6. Frank Alfred Joseph Leese joined the British Army, Coldstream Guards in 1928. Frank A J Leese married Faith K Partridge (née Stead) in Acle, Norfolk in 1947. He died in 1990, in Norwich.

Wednesday 23 March 2022

Gideon Baker and Susan Rhoda Bussey

Houses at corner of Shadwell Road and Gladys Avenue
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Martin - geograph.org.uk/p/5165865

Gideon Baker (b. 1854 in South Petherton, Somerset), son of John Baker and Jane White, married Susan Rhoda Bussey (b. 1857), listed as Susan Aurora Bussey on the marriage record, daughter of James Wilmot Bussey and Ellen Jane Munday, at the second church of St Mary's Church, Portsea in 1876.

In 1881, Gideon Baker (25) was a Refreshment House Keeper at 37, North Street, Portsea, with Susan Baker (23), Richard Bussey (17) Brother-in-law, Butcher; Caroline Bussey (31) Sister-in-law, Housekeeper; William Shotter (5) Nephew (son of Susan's sister Hannah Jane); Thomas Beckford (30) Dockyard labourer, Visitor from Devonport, Devon and three Seamen, Boarders: George Matthews (21), John James (23) and William Madgarrick (25), so presumably were also running this as a boarding house.

Twenty years earlier, in 1861, Gideon's father, John Baker, who had come to Portsmouth between 1854 and 1861, was also a Refreshment House Keeper in North Street, Portsea, so we can presume he is carrying on this business.

"Towards the end of the 19th century the temperance movement [a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages] gave rise to a lot of establishments which didn't sell alcohol and were known as tea rooms or refreshment houses. They weren't the old coffee houses, more like modern tea shops." [Source]

Moderation or abstinence didn't help, however, as Gideon Baker died, aged 34, on 22 Mar 1889 and was buried at Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth.

By the time Probate was granted on 10 Dec 1890, Susan Aurora Baker had already remarried to William James Leese, son of John Leese and Caroline Bussey, who was her first cousin. (William James Leese' mother, Caroline Bussey, was the sister of Susan Rhoda's father, James Wilmot Bussey.)

Neither of these marriages produced any natural children, however.

In 1891, William James Leese (31) and Susan A Leese (33) (William, 12 years younger than his wife, made himself 10 years older) were living in London Avenue, Portsmouth with Jane Hayward (21) Boarder from Sussex. William James Leese' occupation was listed as Dockyard Writer. His appointment as a Dockyard Boy Writer had been announced in The London Gazette in 1884 and, in the same periodical in 1895, his elevation to 'First Class Writer in the Expense Accounts Department of Her Majesty's Naval Yards'. In 1919, 'Assistant Expense Accounts Officer in H.M. Naval Establishments'.

In 1901, William J Leese (31) Clerk Civil Service and wife Susan R Leese (39) - she was 43 - were living in Gladys Terrace, Gladys Avenue, Portsmouth.

In 1911, there was a record of a William J Leese in Gibraltar.

In 1921, William Leese (51) Civil Servant (Clerk) for the Admiralty, from Newhaven, Sussex, was at 25, Trafford Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey with Susan Leese (63) and Winifred Dugan (21) Adopted Daughter.

Susan Rhoda Leese died, aged 65, on 9 Jul 1922 S Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 269. Probate was granted to William James Leese.

In 1939, William James Leese (b. 7 Oct 1869), Civil Servant (Retired), Widowed, was listed at 1 Lavant Cottages, Hurgas Hall, Lurgashall, West Sussex, living in the household of Winifred May French (b. 25 Dec 1899) and her two children. Winifred May Dugan of 25, Trafford Road, daughter of William Duggan, Builder (her biological father), had married Stanley French, Draper, on 14 Jun 1923, at Christ Church, Croydon. William J Leese had been one of the witnesses at this marriage of his adopted daughter.

William James Leese died, aged 83, in 1953 S Quarter in CROYDON.