#58 William S. Gardener

Birth
William Samuel Gardener was born between 1819 and 1837 in Oxfordshire, England. [3, 4, 5]

Thankfully he survived the cholera outbreaks in England. A two-year outbreak began in England and Wales in 1848, and claimed 52,000 lives. [1] In 1849, cholera claimed 5,308 lives in the major port city of Liverpool, England, an embarkation point for immigrants to North America, and 1,834 in Hull, England. [2]

Family

A son, Charles, was born in 1856 to William and Emma. Sadly he passed away around October 1857.

Marriage
William Samuel Gardener married Emma Harper in Oxford, St Clement, Oxfordshire, England, on September 4, 1859, when he was around 24 years old and she was around 30. [7]

Family
Daughter Emily Matilda (my great-great-grandmother) was born in 1859 and son William S was born in 1860, both in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.

At the 1861 Census, William and Emma are living at 16 Dovers Row in the civil parish of Cowley, in Oxford, St Clement, Oxfordshire, with children William S. and Emma (Emily), and Mary Ann Pimm and Jane Pimm from Emma's first marriage. 

That same year Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died suddenly. It was also a time when the railroad industry swiftly expanded in England.

Son James A. was born in 1865 and son Walter Edward [6] was born in 1866, both in Oxfordshire, England.

In 1871 William and Emma lived in Oxford, Oxfordshire with children William S., Emma, James, and Walter. William worked as a labourer so it's hard to say whether he may have enjoyed additional days off from work, thanks to Sir John Lubbock’s bill that sanctioned government-sponsored bank holidays.

The 1881 Census shows William and Emma living at 16 Dovers Row in the civil parish of Cowley, in Oxford, St Clement, Oxfordshire, with children James and Walter, and 4 year old Ernest J. Pimm.

DeathWilliam Samuel Gardener died on December 11, 1882, when he was 47 years old.

He is shown as being deceased when Emily Matilda married Arthur Harry Pym in 1900 (her second marriage).

-----

Sources:

1. Cholera's seven pandemics Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, cbc.ca, December 2, 2008.

2. Charles E. Rosenberg (1987). The cholera years: the United States in 1832, 1849 and 1866. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-72677-9.

3. 1861 England Census

4. 1871 England Census

5. 1881 England Census

6. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915

7. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930

#59 Emma Harper

Birth
Emma Harper was born to Hannah and William Harper. Her date of birth is unconfirmed and could be any of the following:

• around 1822 in London, England (1901 England Census)
• around 1825 in St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England, (England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915)
• around 1827 in St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England (1881 England Census)
• On November 5, 1828, in St Pancras, Middlesex, England (England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; England, Pallot's Baptism Index, 1780-1837; and London Metropolian Archives, Ref x030/010)
• around 1829 in Camden Town, Middlesex, England (1851 England Census)
• 1829 in London, England (1871 England Census)
• 1831 in London, Middlesex, England (1861 England Census)
• around 1835 in Uffington, Berkshire, England, about two hours away from Middlesex (1911 England Census)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras,_London

St Pancras Old Church is in the southern half of the parish, and is believed by many to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in Great Britain. It is considered by some to have existed since AD 314 (Inglis, Angela (2007). Railway Lands: Catching St. Pancras and King's Cross. Troubador. ISBN 978-1-906221-40-9).

Given that her baptism was on December 17, 1828, that is her most likely year of birth. She was baptised at Old Church, in Saint Pancras, London, England. Her father is listed as dead on her baptism record. (England, Pallot's Baptism Index, 1780-1837) 

Historical
In 1829, Emma Harper was living in London when mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage created a precursor to the modern calculator.

It's possible that Emma may have read Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, published in 1838.

First Marriage
Emma Harper married Edward Pym on August 13, 1848, when she was around 19 years old.

Family
Her daughter Mary Ann was born around 1849 and daughter Jane was born around 1850, both in Garsington, Oxfordshire, England.

Residence
Emma and her family lived in Garsington, Oxfordshire, England, in 1851. That year the worldwide cholera epidemic made deadly passes through England and Wales.

Death of First Husband
Her husband Edward passed away on November 24, 1854, in Headington, Oxfordshire, England, at the age of 25. They had been married 6 years.

Birth of Son
Her son Charles was born in 1856. He passed away in 1857 when he was 1 year old. (Caskey Family Tree)

Second Marriage
Emma Harper married William Samuel Gardener in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, on September 4, 1859, when she was around 30 years old.

Residence
According to the census, Emma and her family lived in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, in 1861 and 1871. In 1881 they were in Cowley, Oxfordshire.

1861 England Census

Family
The children were all born in Oxfordshire. 

Her daughter Emily Matilda (my great-great-grandmother) was born between 1859 and 1861 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. She appears as an infant in the 1861 census.

William S was born between 1958-1860, James A. was born in 1864 or 1865, Walter Edward was born in 1866 (baptised November 4, 1866).

Historical
Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died suddenly in 1861. That was a also a time when the railroad industry swiftly expanded in England. The Bank Holiday Act of 1871 provided additional days off from work, thanks to Sir John Lubbock’s bill that sanctioned government-sponsored bank holidays.

Her daughter Mary Ann Pym passed away in 1870 at the age of 21.

Death of Second Husband
Her husband William Samuel passed away on December 11, 1882, at the age of 47. They had been married 23 years.

Residence
In 1901 Emma lived in St Clement, Oxfordshire. She was the head of the household and her widowed daughter Jane Harris and grand-daughter Olive Harris lived with her.

The following year Emma may have joined in celebrating the coronation of King Edward VII at Westminster Abbey.

Death
Emma died on May 19, 1909, in Headington, Oxfordshire, England, when she was around 80 years old.

#29 Emily Matilda Gardner

Birth
Emily Matilda Gardner was born between 1859 and 1861 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. She appears as an infant in the 1861 census. Her parents were Emma Harper, age 31, and William Samuel Gardener, age 24.[1] An alternate year of birth, based on her death, is about 1863.[2] 

Early Years
Emily's father William was her mother Emma's second husband. The first husband was Edward Pym (1828-1854). She had two older step-sisters, Mary Ann Pimm (b. 25 Nov 1848) and Jane Pimm (b.16 Jun 1851). In addition to Emily, her parents had Charles (1856-1857), William (b. 1860), James (b.1865), and Walter Edward (b.1867).

Marriage
Emily Matilda Gardner married William Charles Cox on May 10, 1880, when they were both 21 years old.[4] 

Family
All of her children were born in Oxfordshire, England, where the family appeared in the 1881 (at 9 Gloucester Street in the St Mary Magdalene Parish) and 1891 censuses (at 12 Russell Street in the St Thomas Parish).[5 & 6]

Son Francis W was born in December 1880.

Her father William Samuel passed away on December 11, 1882, at the age of 47.

Son Archibald George was born on September 9, 1884.

Daughter Margaret Emily Ellen was born in October 1885.

Daughter Lizzie Justina was born on June 13, 1887.[7] 

Son Christopher Reginald was born on June 14, 1890.

Son Rowland Herbert (my great-grandfather) was born on February 14, 1892.[8] 

Daughter Florence Ruby was born on March 18, 1895.

Son William Charles was born on September 21, 1896.

Historical
The Great Depression of 1873–1896
Progress made by the United States and Germany in manufacturing and agriculture in 1881, affected many in the United Kingdom, including Emily Matilda Gardner during the Great Depression of 1873 to 1896.

Death of Husband
Her husband William Charles passed away on May 19, 1897, in Oxfordshire, England, at the age of 38. They had been married 17 years.[9] 

Second Marriage
Emily Matilda Gardner married Arthur Harry Pym/Pimm in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, on April 15, 1900. Arthur was the grandson of Joseph Pym, who was the brother of Edward Pym. 

Their marriage certificate lists him as being 32, a bachelor, working as a carman, while she is listed as being 39, a widow, and working as a laundress.[10] They were living on the same street and it appears he moved from 52 Mill Street into her place at 35 Mill Street.[11]

Historical
Women’s Social and Political Union
When Emily was living in Osney, Oxfordshire in 1911, the fight for women’s suffrage had turned militant.

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
A resident of Oxfordshire, in 1912, Emily may have been familiar with the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.

England Heatwave 1911
Emily and her family no doubt suffered along with other residents of Osney, Oxfordshire when an oppressive heatwave ravaged all of England from July through September 1911.

Death
Emily Matilda Gardner died on July 9, 1912, in Oxfordshire, England, when she was 53 years old.[12]

She left £76, 15s (equivalent to over £8,252, or $13,322 CAD, in 2017) to her daughter Margaret Emily Ellen Cox, spinster, and her son Christopher Reginald Cox, saddler and harness maker.[12] Interestingly her second husband, Arthur, was still alive at the time (he died in October 1943).
-----
Sources:
1. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1891.
2. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
4. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930
5. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881.

6. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1891.

7. 1887 Baptism Record, Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
8. 1892 Cox, Rowland Herbert birth certificate
9. Church of England burial records for the years 1813–1965 from Oxfordshire, England.
10. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930
11. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA), 1911.
12. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995

#28 William Charles Cox

Birth
William Charles Cox was born in July 1858 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, to Margaret Ellen Cowling, age 25, and Charles Cox, age 35.[1] He was baptised on September 19, 1858 in The Holy Trinity parish in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.[2] 

Early Years
William's family lived in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England [3 & 4] and all of his siblings were born there.

His brother George Frederick was born in 1861, when William Charles was 3 years old.

His brother Walter was born in 1862, when William Charles was 4 years old.

His sister Elizabeth was born in April 1868, when William Charles was 9 years old.

Historical
The Railway Boom
In 1861, William was only 3 when the railroad industry swiftly expanded in England.[5] The development of the English railroad system between 1825 and 1860 added fuel to the Industrial Revolution already in progress. By 1860, the city-to-city railroad line system had expanded to 10,000 miles of rail, and a transportation revolution had occurred. 

Marriage
William Charles Cox married Emily Matilda Gardner on May 10, 1880, when they were both 21. They married at the parish church in Cowley, St. James in Oxfordshire, England.[6] 

The Great Depression of 1873–1896
Progress made by the United States and Germany in manufacturing and agriculture in 1881, affected many in the United Kingdom, including William Charles Cox during the Great Depression of 1873 to 1896.

Family

William's first son, Francis W. (possibly William), was born around December 1880 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England when William was 24 years old.[7] In 1881 William, his wife Emily, their son Francis, and William's 13 year old sister Lizzie were living at 9 Gloucester Green in Oxfordshire, England.[7] 

At age 26, son Archibald George was born on September 9, 1884, in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. He was baptised on December 1, 1883.[2] 

The following Fall daughter Margaret Emily Ellen was born in October 1885 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. She was baptised on March 14, 1886.[2]

A second daughter, Lizzie Justina, was born on June 13, 1887, in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. She was baptized on August 28, 1887.[2]

Son Christopher Reginald was born on June 14, 1890, in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. He was baptised on September 7, 1890.[2]

In 1891 the family lived at 12 Russell Street in Oxfordshire, England, in 1891.[8] 

My great-grandfather, Rowland Herbert, was born at home on February 14, 1892, in Osney, Oxfordshire, England. William was 34 and working as a Printer, Type Founda.[9]

Daughter Florence Ruby was born on March 18, 1895, in Osney, Oxfordshire, England.[2]

The following year on September 21, 1896, namesake son William Charles was born in Osney, Oxfordshire, England.[10]

Rowland, Florence, and William were baptised on May 12, 1897 and William is listed as being a Type-caster and living at 35 Mill St, Osney, Oxfordshire, England.[2] 

Death
What happened in the week between the children's baptism and William's death is a mystery. William Charles Cox died around May 19, 1897, in Oxfordshire, England, when he was only 38 years old.[11] Roland was five, William Jr. wasn't even one.

He was buried in the parish of St Frideswide in Osney, Oxfordshire, England on May 20, 1897.[12] 

-----

Sources:

1. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915

2. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915

3. 1861 England Census

4. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871.

5. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861

6. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930

7. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881. Taken on April 3, 1881.

8. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1891.

9. from Roland's birth certificate, registered March 1892.

10. 1911 England Census

11. After mid-May since he appears on the children's baptism records then. England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915 Record

12. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1965