Ernest James Burch (b. 1858), son of Henry Burch and Rebecca Martin, married
Elizabeth Wykes (b. 10 Jun 1861), daughter of
William Wykes and Elizabeth Thompson, at
All Saints, Rotherhithe, on
6 Jun 1881. (Ernest James' brother,
Henry Charles Burch married Elizabeth's sister,
Mary Ann Wykes.)
Ernest and Elizabeth had six children, all born in Greenwich:
- Ernest William Burch b. 1882 S Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1015. Died, 1884 J Quarter in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 569
- Rose Mary Burch b. 25 Apr 1884 J Qtr Vol 01D Page 1029
- Henry Charles Burch b. 6 Jun 1886 S Qtr Vol 01D Page 1030
- Maria Elizabeth Burch b. 25 Apr 1888 J Qtr Vol 01D Page 1027
- Florence Emma Burch b. 24 Jun 1891 S Qtr Vol 01D Page 1032
- Ada Burch b. 18 Dec 1893, reg. 1894 M Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1043, bap. 22 May 1895 at St Paul's, Deptford
In 1891, Ernest J Burch (32) Stone Mason and wife Elizabeth Burch (30) were living at
20, Evelyn Street, St Paul Deptford with Rose Mary Burch (6), Henry Charles Burch (4), Maria Burch (2),
Martha Buzzacott (38) Visitor [Elizabeth's sister], Maude Buzzacott (4) Visitor [Martha's daughter], James Green (17) Shoe Maker, Boarder and Hariett Armstead (30) Boarder.
By 1901, however, it's clear that the couple had separated, because Ernest J Burch (42) Stone Mason, was living in the household of his brother,
Henry Charles Burch, at
2, Octavius Street, St Paul, Deptford, while Elizabeth Burch (39) Midwife nurse was living at
20, Albury Street, St Paul Deptford. In Elizabeth's household were Rose Mary Burch (16), Henry C Burch (14) Apprentice Stone Mason; Maria E Burch (12), Florence E Burch (9), Ada Burch (7), Elizabeth Doe (21) Tin Solderer, Boarder; Julia Taylor (43) Widow, Boarder [widow of Elizabeth's cousin,
George Taylor];
Martha O'Toole (48) Visitor [Elizabeth's sister] and Lily Wykes (11), Willie Wykes (8) and Jessie Wykes (3) - all three were listed as visitors, born in South Africa [they were the children of Elizabeth's brother, John Thomas Wykes].
In 1911, it gets even more interesting, as Elizabeth Burch (49) Midwife, was living at
13 Amersham Road, New Cross, St Paul Deptford with Marie Burch (22), Florence Burch (19) Book keeper; Mary Weston (26) [Rose Mary Burch, as was]; Lily Weston (3) Granddaughter; William Barber (50) Lodger, Norah Barber (30) and Dora Barber (1). The 1911 Census confirms that Elizabeth had six children with five living. However, Ernest James Burch (52) Married, Stonemason was living at 20 South Crescent, Cold Bath Street, Greenwich with a whole new family: Alice Newman Burch (35) Single, 'Housekeeper' (a euphemism, clearly) born in Peckham; Dorothy Burch (12) born in Hackney; Ellen Burch (10) born in Lewisham and William Burch (5) born in Greenwich. The original 1911 Census lists that Ernest had been married 29 years (yes, but to Elizabeth Wykes, not Alice) and lists 4 children, of whom 3 were still living at that point, clearly referring to the children of this relationship.
Alice Newman it seems gave birth to five children:
- Dorothy Alice Newman b. 14 Jan 1899 M Quarter in HACKNEY Volume 01B Page 558, with no mother's maiden name listed, i.e. illegitimate.
- Ellen Newman b. 1900 S Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 1206, curiously, with BURCH listed as a mother's maiden name.
- Edward William Burch b. 1902 D Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 1075. Died, aged 1, in 1904 J Qtr in GREENWICH Vol 01D Page 541
- William Burch b. 20 Jan 1906 M Qtr Vol 01D Page 1117
- Ernest George Burch b. 16 May 1912 J Qtr Vol 01D 1884
On the records for the 3 boys, the mother's maiden name is NEWMAN.
In 1921, Elizabeth Burch (60) mother-in-law, Midwife, was listed in the household of Richard Charles Weston (38) - married to Rose Mary Burch - at 62, Florence Road, St Paul Deptford. One imagines she was there to assist with the birth of the couple's son, Charles Albert, then under one month old, as her usual place of work (and presumably residence) was in Tring, Herts. Ernest James Burch (62) Stonemason, was living at
58, Vanguard Street, Deptford with his 2nd family: Alice 'Burch' (44), William Burch (15), Dorothy Alice Burch (25), Ellen Burch (20) and Ernest George Burch (9).
Elizabeth Burch of
23 Western Road, Tring, Hertfordshire (daughter, Ada and her husband also lived in Tring) died, also aged 73, at 4 Whitehouse Terrace, Western Road, Tring, on 9 Jan 1935 (1935 M Quarter in BERKHAMPSTEAD Volume 03A Page 1240). Probate was granted to her surviving son, Henry Charles Burch, Stonemason, leaving effects of £459.
Listed again as Alice Burch - really she was still Alice Newman because I found no marriage between her and Ernest James Burch, not even a bigamous one - died at 74 in 1952 D Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 05D Page 16.
Of Ernest and Alice's children:
- Dorothy Alice Burch married Arthur Henry Bown, in Lewisham, in 1925. In 1939, they were living at 47 Scylla Road, Peckham, Camberwell. Arthur H Bown died, at 56, in Camberwell, in 1951. Dorothy Alice Bown of Templeton Nursing Home, Streatham Common died on 15 Sep 1987.
- Ellen Burch married James Joy, in Lewisham, in 1924. Ellen Joy b. 12 Aug 1900 (same quarter as birth registration) died in Bexley, Kent, in 1997.
- William Burch married Elizabeth Gardiner, in Lewisham, in 1933. In 1939, William Burch, General Labourer, Elizabeth and their son, William Edward Burch b. 31 Dec 1933 (reg. 1934 M Qtr in LEWISHAM Vol 01D Page 1102), were living at 45 Battersby Road, Catford. William Burch died, in 1970, in Lewisham.
- Ernest George Burch died, at 30, on 12 February 1943 (1943 M Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 923) and was buried at Hither Green Cemetery.