Job Sweeney and Eliza Louisa Tompson

Globe Road, Bethnal Green
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Stephen McKay - geograph.org.uk/p/4697355
Very much a part of the traditional East End, Globe Road runs north from Stepney Green station to Roman Road, and then on to this northern stretch up to Old Ford Road. 

Job Sweeney (b. 6 Feb 1870), son of John Henry Charles Sweeney and Susannah Harvey, married Eliza Louisa Tompson (b. 24 Aug 1868), daughter of Dan Tompson and Mary Ann Green, on 5 Jan 1893, at the Parish Church of St Anthony, Globe Road, Stepney. (The church of Saint Anthony stood in the borough of Bethnal Green, but was part of the rural deanery of Stepney. It closed in 1936 and the building was demolished in 1937.) Both claimed to be 24 and both gave their address as 3 Monteagle Street, Stepney. 

Their only son, Job Thomas Sweeney (right), was born at 25 Monteagle Street, Stepney (which further research suggests was a boarding house) on 27 Aug 1897 and baptised at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, on 19 Sep 1897.

In 1901, Job Sweney (sic) (33) Warehouseman, Eliza Sweney (sic) (32) and Job Sweney (sic) (3), were living at 8, Repton Street, Limehouse. 

My mother always claimed that her father and grandmother, Eliza Louisa, had been living in Sidney Street at the time of the Siege of Sidney Street, or Battle of Stepney that took place in January 1911. It's not impossible, but I can find no records to support this. Eliza Louisa was well away from the area when Cable Street (where she was born) had it's own battle in 1936.

By the time of the census on 2 April 1911, the family were living at 102 Fore Street, in the City of London. They lived in a flat above the warehouse that came with the job, where Job Sweeney (41) was employed as Packer and Caretaker; Eliza Louisa Sweeney (41), Job Thomas Sweeney (13) and Amy Dobson (19) Domestic Servant, Friend (Amy Dobson b. 1892, was the sister of Ruth Christmas Dobson, wife of Job's brother Charles Sweeney.) 

In 1921, Job Sweeney (51) Packer, was still living and working at 102, Fore Street, City of London, for Hoffnung & Co Shipping Merchants; with wife, Eliza L Sweeney (52) and son, Job T Sweeney (23) Warehouseman, working for Wills & Co (W.D. & H.O. Wills) at their Holborn Viaduct factory (for whom he eventually worked for around 36 years.) (Calling herself Amy Margaret Dobson (29) Charwoman, in 1921 - no idea where the Margaret came from - living at 102, Hind Street, Poplar, this census tells us she was working for Messrs Hoffnung & Co Ltd at 102 Fore Street, City, E C.)

Press Gangs and the King’s Shilling: Job Sweney (sic) died, on 6 December 1924, aged 54 (1924 D Quarter in HENDON Volume 03A Page 374), and as family stories go, this has to be one of the best (as in the myth is about as far away from the truth as it's possible to get), but also one of the saddest. 

My mother won't have known her grandfather, as he had died when she was only a few months old, but throughout her life, she recounted this story so many times it would be impossible to count: The story went that Job Sweeney had been "press ganged" into the navy no less than three times. Once would be unlucky, you'd have thought. Anyway, this account, undoubtedly passed down to her by her grandmother, Eliza Louisa Sweeney, was further embellished with the assertion that Job liked his drink rather too much, hence was always in the pub and the worse for wear and, therefore, had been tricked, in serial fashion, into taking the King's Shilling. 

All absolute poppycock, of course, like most family stories are.

As I say, I'd heard and nodded along to the retelling of this story umpteen times, but never really considered or questioned it. It wasn't until I met the current 'him indoors' who knows his military history, who immediately said "wrong century", that it became obvious the whole thing was invention.

With hindsight, I can see where it will have come from. Job's father was a dock labourer (sometimes listed as a stevedore); his great-grandfather a mariner and many of their ancestors were sailors, ship's carpenters and shipwrights. Eliza Louisa's family ran pubs around the London docks. They'll have grown up with 'press gang' stories and other seafaring folklore.

Having spent his entire life in the East End, it was finding that his death had been registered in Hendon that made me dig further in order to solve the mystery. It even crossed my mind that holidays 'At His Majesty's Pleasure' might well have explained these absences that we were all led to believe were when he was 'at sea', but it was not so. Having ordered his death certificate, this confirmed that the actual place of death was Colindale Hospital.

Built originally as the The Central London District Sick Asylum in 1898-1900 - to provide care for the sick poor in London, separate from the workhouse - in 1919, it was taken over by The Metropolitan Asylums Board and used as male TB sanatorium. The cause of Job Sweeney's death was given as 'Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Certified by Marcus Patterson MD.' 

Dr. Marcus Sinclair Paterson (1870–1932) was the medical superintendent of the Colindale Hospital for Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Hendon. "Here Paterson made valuable innovations in the symptomatic treatment of advanced cases", says his obituary in the BMJ. He developed a system of treatment called 'graduated labour'. "He has described how his observations on out-patients led him to the idea of introducing manual work, as well as walking, into the sanatorium regime, with the hope of fitting his patients for immediate return to their work, and of successfully meeting the charge that sanatoriums turned out work-shy loafers." (Not unlike attitudes today, because victim blaming is a whole lot cheaper than doing research and actually treating the sick. Looks like we can see who was originally responsible for ideas that led to the much maligned, ineffective and harmful Graded exercise therapy (GET) too.)

So, we can deduce that the "press gang" story was made up to explain a series of absences, which were probably stays for 'treatment' - forced work when you're already too ill to do your normal work - at the sanatorium. And the saddest part is this tells us that, so strong was the social stigma attached to TB that families preferred to paint their nearest and dearest as 'feckless, drunken, work-shy', etc., rather than admit they had an infectious, then incurable, disease undoubtedly contracted through no fault of their own. 

Eliza Louisa Sweeney with her granddaughter, Ivy. Edited with ImageColorizer

The internet isn't just useful for looking up dry-and-dusty old genealogy records, there is so much more to discover. Take this for example. Among lots of family photos I inherited from my mother and hers before her was one of my mother and her grandmother, Eliza Louisa Sweeney (née Tompson), taken in the 1930s (my mother was 15 in 1939, so I estimate this is close to then). Only because there was a distinctive looking window on a building that looked like a church in the background behind them, it peaked my interest and I thought I would try to find out where the photo had been taken.

At that time, my mother, her parents and grandmother, still lived in the City of London, in Fore Street. It didn't look like anywhere I knew around there, but then it got a bit altered in the interim. I'd also tried the facility to Search with an image on Google, but it just told me it was a snapshot. Duh! 

Eventually, I asked the The East of London Family History Society Group for help, but whilst they weren't able to answer, members made many useful suggestions that led to more searches ... that finally turned up images of the Trinity Methodist Church, Clacton-on-Sea, which perfectly fit the round window, as well as other elements of the architecture. As confirmation, they sent me a link to this map of Clacton (Revision of 1939), which shows the position of the post box (marked L.B.) that you can see behind them. 

Trinity Methodist Church, Clacton-on-Sea
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © JThomas - geograph.org.uk/p/2944160

Then and now: Clacton's Trinity Church in Rosemary Road in 1881 and 2015

So, from this, we can deduce that, since this church is in the background, then they must be walking down Pier Avenue (shown here in c. 1925), in the direction of the sea front and pier and, as they lived in the East End, they can only have been on a day trip (no, I don't suppose they were flush enough for a whole holiday!) to Clacton-on-Sea. I'd wondered what they were up to that was special enough - in those pre-selfie days - for a photo. Now I know.

Mind you, "... if you stood where they were walking now you'd get mown down by the traffic, those trees, hedges and post box long gone too."

In 1939, Eliza Louisa was still living at 102 Fore Street with her son Job and his wife, Elizabeth (Bet) and granddaughter, Ivy, and remained there until their home was destroyed in WWII, thought to have been on or around the night of 29–30 Dec 1940, the so-called Second Great Fire of London.

Eliza Louisa Sweeney, otherwise Sweney (as it says on her death certificate), died on 13 Feb 1953 (1953 M Quarter in ROMFORD Volume 05A Page 846) from coronary thrombosis, influenza, chronic bronchitis and old age, at 84.

John Horn and Emma Green and Emily Grace Rudd

St George in the East Church
  Steve Cadman / CC BY-SA

John Horn (John Isaac Robert Horn, b. 18 Jul 1845, bap. 31 Aug 1845 at St George in the East church in St George-in-the-East), son of Isaac Horn and Maria Thaxter, married Emma Green, daughter of Edward Green and Eliza Goodman, at St Thomas' church, Arbour Square, Stepney on 4 Nov 1867. 

The couple had three children: 

1. Emma Eliza Horn b. 1868 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 417
2. Edward John Horn b. 1871 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 472. Died 1871 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 305
3. Albert William Horn b. 1872 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 413. Died in 1905 J Quarter in POPLAR Volume 01C Page 316, aged 32.

After the death of Emma's father, Edward Green, landlord of the King and Queen in St George in the East, in 1870, her mother took over as landlady. In 1871, living with her was daughter, Emma Horn (22), Barmaid and Son-in-law, John Horn (23), Plumber, Emma Horn (2) and Edward J Horn (0).

In July 1875, John Horn was listed, by the East London Observer, as the Incoming Licensee at the Watermans Arms, Wapping High Street, E1, which he held until 22nd January 1876. Then on 20 May 1876, the same publication lists John Horn as the incoming licensee at the Salisbury Arms (The Salisbury Arms stood at 135 Eastfield Street, Limehouse, E14. Now demolished).

In 1881, at 135, Eastfield Street, Limehouse, Stepney, were John Horn (35), wife listed as J Horn (33) and children; Emma (12) and Albert William (8). 

Emma Horn died, aged 37, in St. Olave Southwark, London, in 1885.

In 1889, in London City, John Horn married Emily Grace Rudd (b. 8 Jul 1857), daughter of Samms Sheppard Rudd and Mary Sarah Ann Walrond. 

By 1891, John Horn (age listed as 33) was "Living on his own means" in Apsley Road, Croydon, Surrey, with new wife Emily Grace Horn (31) from Hoxton, and son, Albert William Horn (18) from his first marriage. 

John and Emily Grace added a further four children:

1. Emily Margaret Horn b. 10 Feb 1893 M Qtr in CROYDON Vol 02A 277
2. William John Horn b. 1898 S Quarter in CROYDON Vol 02A Page 242. Died 1898 S Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 139.
3. Edward John Horn b. 23 Feb 1900 M Qtr in CROYDON Vol 02A 298
4. Alfred George Horn b. 1 Jan 1902 M Qtr in CROYDON Vol 02A 250

John Horn was at the Albert Tavern, 67 Harrington Road, South Norwood, in 1896. In 1901, John Horn (52) Retired Publican was living 6, Harrington Road, Croydon, Surrey, with wife, Emily Grace Horn (42), son Albert Horn (28) Labourer, daughter Emily Margaret (8) and son Edward John (1).

Grave of John Horn at
Dulwich Old Cemetery

John Horn died, on Leap Day, 29 Feb 1904 (1904 M Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 224), "After Long & Patient Suffering", aged 58. He is buried at Dulwich Old Cemetery, along with his second wife and his daughter, Emma Eliza, from his first marriage to Emma Green. Their son, Albert William Horn, died in 1905, at 32. 

In 1911, Emily Grace Horn (52), widow, was still living at 6, Harrington Road, Croydon, with daughter Emily Margaret (18) and sons Edward John (11) and Alfred George (9). 

In 1921, at 6, Harrington Road, Croydon, were Emily Grace Horn (60), Edward John Horn (21), Alfred George Horn (19) and Emma Nash (82) Visitor, Aunt.

Emily Grace Horn was also still at 6, Harrington Road, Croydon in 1939, aged 82, along with her granddaughter, Ivy Carter (24) Domestic Servant. 

Emily Grace Horn, of 19 Macclesfield Road, Woodside, Croydon, widow, died on 7 Aug 1950, at 93. Probate was granted to Edward John Horn, engineer, and Alfred George Horn, fitter. She was buried with her late husband. 

The former Albert Tavern, South Norwood
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Peter Trimming - geograph.org.uk/p/6765699
In 2021 was closed and likely to be re-developed as housing.

• Emily Margaret Horn married Bert Carter (b. 23 Feb 1893) at St Luke's Church, Woodside, Croydon, on 20 Dec 1914. Witnesses were Emily Grace Horn and Alfred Lawrence. The couple had at least six children between 1915 and 1926. In 1939, the family were living at 19 Macclesfield Road, Croydon. Emily Margaret Carter died, at 89, in Croydon, in 1982.
• Edward John Horn married Ivy Gladys Henderson (b. 3 Oct 1895 in Hackney), daughter of James Frederick Henderson and Alice Susan Hann, in Lewisham, in 1926. They had one daughter, born 1938. Edward J Horn, Electrical Engineer and Ivy G Horn were living at 73 Seekhurst Road, Beckenham in 1939. 
• Alfred George Horn (30) son of John Horn (Publican, deceased), married Ellen Doris Ball (b. 5 Aug 1905), daughter of Charles Ball and Alice Margaret Jackson, at St Mark's, South Norwood, on 22 Nov 1932. Witnesses were Emily Grace Horn and Alice Margaret Harman. Alfred and Ellen had one daughter, Janet Horn b. 1933. In 1939, they were living at 3 Cassland Road, Croydon, Surrey. Alfred George Horn (b. 1 Jan 1902) died in Tonbridge, Kent in the 1st quarter of 1971. Ellen Doris Horn (b. 5 Aug 1905) died in Chesterfield, Derbyshire in the 4th quarter of 1989.