Joseph Daniel Soppit and Rachel Boad

Photo © Malc McDonald (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Nicholas Church, Deptford

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Joseph Daniel Soppit (b. 23 Sep 1877 in Deptford), son of John Soppit and Louisa Tompson, married Rachel Boad, daughter of Charles Boad and Elizabeth Short, in Milton-next-Gravesend, Kent, on 18 Aug 1907. 

In 1901, Joseph D Soppit (23) Beer and Wine Retailer, had been living at 60, Beckenham Lane, Bromley (confirmed in the Kent 1903 Beer Retailer Directory), with Rachel Boad (28), listed as his Servant and Housekeeper. The Bromley and West Kent Telegraph of 12 Dec 1903, shows that the licence for the beer and wine off licence at 60 Beckenham Lane, Bromley, had then been transferred from Joseph Daniel Soppit to a Rose Lindsay.

Joseph and Rachel Soppit had three children:

1. John Soppit b. 11 Jan 1908 (GRO Reference: 1908 M Quarter in EASINGTON Volume 10A Page 536)
2. Elizabeth Louisa Soppit b. 5 Jun 1909 (GRO Reference: 1909 J Quarter in EASINGTON Volume 10A Page 588)
3. Catherine Sarah Winship Soppit b. 8 Apr 1916 (GRO Reference: 1916 J Quarter in EASINGTON Volume 10A Page 947)

All three children were born in South Hetton, Easington, Durham, where Rachel had family. Rachel's late father, Charles Boad, had been a stone mason in a colliery there. Joseph's father, John Soppit, also had links with South Hetton and both John and his father had also worked in the collieries, so we must entertain the idea that these families already knew one another.

In 1911, living at 57 Holbeach Road, Catford, were Joseph Daniel Soppit (33) an Engineer's Fitter at the Manganese Bronze and Brass Co at Millwall, Propeller makers [Manganese Bronze Holdings], along with his wife Rachel Soppit (38), John Soppit (3) and Elizabeth Louisa Soppit (1).

On 7 Aug 1917, Joseph Daniel Soppit (39), then a Commercial Traveller, enlisted in the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC), transferring to the Royal Air Force (RAF) upon it's formation on 1 Apr 1918. At time of enlistment, Joseph was 5ft 5in tall with a chest measurement of 35 inches. He then transferred to the RAF Reserve on 21 Mar 1919 and was discharged on 30 Apr 1920.

In 1921, Joseph Daniel Soppit (43) Commercial Traveller was living at 175, George Lane, Lewisham with Rachel Soppit (49), John Soppit (13), Elizabeth Louisa Soppit (12) and Catherine Sarah Winship Soppit (5). John Winship Soppit (39) Commercial Traveller - both brothers worked for C Chancellor & Co Ltd, 13 Clerkenwell Rd, Paint & Enamel Manufacturers - was visiting.

Joseph Daniel Soppit died, aged 58, in 1936 M Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 1231.

In 1939, the widowed Rachel Soppit (b. 16 Jun 1872) was living with her widowed sister-in-law, Louisa A Broome, Laundry Director, at 57 Ladywell Road, Ladywell, Lewisham, with John Soppit, Wholesale Drapery Salesman; Elizabeth L Soppit, Civil Servant and Catherine S W Soppit, Railway Clerk.

Rachel Soppit, of 33 Shirley Park Rd, Addiscombe, Croydon, died, aged 76, on 27 Jul 1948 (1948 S Quarter in CROYDON Volume 05G Page 89) at The General Hospital, Croydon. Probate was granted to son John Soppit.

• John Soppit died in Durham in 1979. He appears to have married.
• Elizabeth Louisa Soppit died in Croydon, Surrey in 2006.
• Catherine Sarah Winship Soppit died in Surrey, in 2001.

Clearly, neither of the girls had ever married.

Beckenham Lane
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © DS Pugh - geograph.org.uk/p/3780404

John Thomas Wykes and Mary Ann Mercury

Classic Trains South Africa
Image by Martin Hatchuel from Pixabay

John Thomas Wykes (b. 1864 in Deptford, London), son of William Wykes and Elizabeth Thompson, married Mary Ann Mercury at Baptist Church, Cape Town, South Africa on 16 Jul 1889. John Thomas' job was listed as Waiter.

The couple had five children:

1. Elizabeth Lilian Wykes b. 13 Mar 1890, bap. (as Elizabeth Mary) on 28 May 1891 in Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
2. William Ernest Wykes b. 7 Aug 1892 in Germiston, bap. 9 Oct 1892 in Transvaal, South Africa
3. Martha Ethel Wykes b. 12 Feb 1894 in Germiston, died aged 20 days and was buried, on 4 Mar 1894 in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
4. John Thomson Wykes b. 16 Sep 1896 in Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa, bap. on 26 Sep 1896 at St Boniface Church, Germiston
5. Jessie Harriet Wykes b. 18 Mar 1898 in Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa, bap. on 15 Apr 1898 at St Boniface Church, Germiston. Died, aged 3, in Apr-May-Jun 1901, Vol 1D Page 523, in Greenwich.

On the baptisms of the first four children, John Thomas' occupation was listed as Engine Driver, on Jessie's, as a Fitter. John Thomas Wykes' sister, Martha O'Toole, was a sponsor at John Thomson Wykes' baptism in 1896.

Mary Mercury Wykes of 62 Chapel Street, Cape Town, died, aged 34, on 21 Sep 1899 from Phthisis (Tuberculosis). The record of her death lists that she was from Saint Helena and was of mixed race.

In 1901, Lily Wykes (11), Willie Wykes (8) and Jessie Wykes (3) were in the household of John Thomas' sister, Elizabeth Burch, in Deptford, London. Also there was Martha O'Toole, who I imagine took the children to England.

John Wykes, widower, engineer, remarried, on 3 Oct 1901, to Esther Mercury at St Mark's, Cape Town. Born Esther Margaret Mercury on 19 June 1870 in Saint Helena, daughter of Francis Mercury and Rachel Michael, and it appears highly likely that she was either Mary Ann's sister, or her cousin.

But Esther Wykes (née Mercury) of 5 Osborne St, Cape Town, died, aged 33, on 21 May 1904, also from Phthisis (Tuberculosis). The record of her death confirms that she was also from Saint Helena and of mixed race.

In 1911, Elizabeth Wykes (21) Domestic and William Wykes (18) Stationer's Clerk, both born in South Africa, were Boarders in the household of John Trigg (59) Mantle Maker at 388 Evelyn St, Deptford.

John Thomas Wykes, South African Railway Pensioner on 72 Drake Road, Durban, died, aged 87, on 15 Apr 1951 at Addington Hospital Durban.

• Elizabeth Lilian Wykes married Walter James Fisher on 10 Feb 1916, at St Paul's, Deptford. Walter James Fisher (25) of 388 Evelyn St, Deptford, enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery on 29 Feb 1916. He survived two tours in France in 1917-18 and 1918-19. Their daughter, Peggie Irene Fisher was born on 9 Apr 1921 J Quarter in ST. OLAVE (BERMONDSEY) Volume 01D Page 298. In 1939, Walter J Fisher (b. 9 Apr 1890) Clothier Manager; Lilian E Fisher and Peggy I Fisher lived at 16 Sanderstead Road, Leyton, Essex. Walter James Fisher of 43 Greenhays Drive, South Woodford died on 17 Jan 1958. Lilian Elizabeth Fisher of 43 Greenhays Drive, South Woodford died on 17 Jun 1967.
• William Ernest Wykes married Martha Irene Griffiths (b. 23 Dec 1890) daughter of Seth Griffiths, Police Sargent and Elizabeth Harries, also in the 1st quarter of 1916, in Greenwich. They had four sons: Leonard William Wykes b. 31 Jan 1923; John Stanley Wykes b. 31 May 1924; Walter Seth Wykes b. 1 Nov 1926 and Alan David Michael Wykes b. 1 Nov 1934. In 1939, the two older boys were at home with their parents at 46 Canmore Gardens, Wandsworth, while the two younger ones were at the Pier Hotel, Cavendish Place, Eastbourne, Sussex, presumably evacuated. Their eldest son, Sergeant Leonard William Wykes, 466 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve was killed in action on 22 Jan 1944 when his aircraft was shot down at De Lutte 2 miles east of Oldenzaal, Netherlands, close to the German border, during a raid on Magdeburg. Martha I Wykes died, at 66, in 1957 in Streatham. William Ernest Wykes died, in 1977, in Thanet, Kent.