Eliza Mary Ann Copper was born on October 22, 1830, in Hastings, Sussex, England, to George Copper and Maryanne. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] She was baptized on April 12, 1846 in Burwash, Sussex, England. [8, 9]
Marriage
Eliza Mary Ann Copper married Charles Swaffield in Burwash, Sussex, England, on December 30, 1850, when she was 20 years old and he was 19. [3, 10]
In March 1851, Charles and Eliza Mary Ann (listed as Mary Ann and age 19) were living in the Parish of Battle, Sussex when the worldwide cholera epidemic made deadly passes through England and Wales. They are listed as lodgers at 93 Lower Lake and he was working as a rail labourer. [7]
Family
Charles and Eliza's daughter Mary Ann was born on March 6, 1852, in Battle, Sussex, England.
Their son George Edward was born on September 9, 1854, in Maidstone, Kent, England.
Their son Charles John was born on January 3, 1856.
Their daughter Harriet Jane (1859–1926) was born on July 14, 1859 in London, Bethnal Green, England. She is both my is my 3rd great-grandmother and my 2nd great-grandmother.
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| Charles is on the far right and Eliza is next to him. Next to Eliza is their daughter Harriett, with her hand on her son Sidney Wade's shoulder. The little girls are Sidney's daughters: brown haired girl is May Violet Wade, blonde is Ruby Elizabeth Rosina Wade. |
1861 Census
In April 1861 Charles and Eliza and children Mary Ann, George, and Harriet lived in the Parish of Sibertswold (also known as Shepherdswell), in the Dover District of Kent, England. Harriet Copper, Eliza's 17 year old sister, was also living with them. Charles was working as a labourer. [2]
Later that year, on December 14, Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died suddenly.
Charles and Eliza's daughter Edith Phoebe was born on January 8, 1864, in Sydenham, Kent, England.
Their son William James was born on November 2, 1864, in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. He died the following month around December 9, 1864.
Their son Henry was born on October 4, 1866, in Chatham, Kent, England.
Their son Thomas Richard was born on April 28, 1868, in Chatham, Kent, England.
1871 Census
In April 1871, Charles and Eliza (listed as Mary Ann) and children Mary Ann, George, Harriett, Edith, Henry, and Thomas lived in at 32 High Street in the Parish of Gillingham, Borough of Chatham, Town of Old Brompton, Kent, England. Charles and George were working as labourers, daughter Mary Ann as a dressmaker. [1]
It's hard to say whether they would have benefited from the Bank Holiday Act of 1871, which provided some days off from work, thanks to Sir John Lubbock’s bill that sanctioned government-sponsored bank holidays.
Son Walter Sydney was born on November 26, 1872, in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.
1881 Census
In April 1881, Charles and Eliza and children Harriett, Henry, Thomas, and Walter lived at High Street Roffey Place in the Parish of Caterham, District of Godstone, Surrey, England. Their neighbours were son George (age 27) and his wife Lydia. Charles was working as a bricklayers labourer, and Henry as an errand boy. [11]
1891 Census
In April 1891 Charles and Eliza (listed as Mary Ann) and children Henry and Walter lived at 16 Garfield Road in the Parish of Edmonton, District of Southgate, Borough of Enfield, Middlesex, England. Charles, Henry, and Walter were all working as bricklayers labourers. Granddaughter Ruby L. Woolley, age 7, is present. She is likely the daughter of Mary Ann and William Woolley.
They appear to be sharing a home with Harriott J. Wade and her children Joseph (8), Sidney (6), William (4), and Ruby (1). She is listed as married (and indeed was married to Joseph Wade in August 1881) but there is no husband's name. [5]
Progress made by the United States and Germany in manufacturing and agriculture in 1891, affected many in the United Kingdom, during the Great Depression of 1873 to 1896.
Life in a Workhouse
Eliza Mary Ann hit hard times and was forced to enter a workhouse.
In an attempt to stem the rising numbers on its poor relief rolls, the British government passed the New Poor Law of 1834. Under the law, anyone was denied relief if they would not go to workhouses. Conditions at the workhouses were harsh. The buildings themselves were constructed as “pauper bastilles” with high walls and few comforts. Inmates were segregated by sex, age, and health, and were required to follow a strict schedule for meals, work, and recreation. Discipline was strictly enforced to maintain order. Even the most minor of offenses could mean withholding meals for up to 48 hours. Beatings, particularly of young boys, were common. More serious offenses meant jail time. Despicable as the conditions might have been, in some areas workhouses provided decent medical care and schooling for children. However, by the 20th century, the workhouse model was on the wane and had completely disappeared by 1948.
On May 18, 1898 at age 67 Eliza was discharged from workhouse, where she had been provided with the diet for children aged from 8 to 15 (Diet Class 6). She was working as a charwoman. [6]
1901 Census
In March 1901 Charles and Eliza (listed as Mary Ann) and children Henry and Thomas, a widower at 31 (wife Elizabeth having died in April 1899), lived on Grange Hill in Chigwell Parish, District of Epping, Essex, England. Nephew Albert age 8 (possibly son of Thomas and deceased Elizabeth), and four boarders are listed as well. Charles and Thomas were working as bricklayers. Henry is listed as a miner on railway, and as Navy.
Next door we find daughter Harriett Wade, a widow at 39 (husband Joseph having died between April-June 1899), and her children Joseph (18), Sydney (16), William (14), Ruby E. (11), May V. (8), Henry G. (8), Winnifred G. (5), Edith (4), Charley (3), niece Aliec (Alice?) Swaffield age 11 (likely daughter of Thomas and deceased Elizabeth), and a 15 year old male boarder. [4]
I was curious at the coincidence of both Elizabeth and Joseph dying between April-June 1899. In the Summer of 1899 the Central England temperature saw its 4th hottest summer,[12] and there was also a drought, leading to the 8th driest summer on record, at that time. [13] April and May would've been Spring though so that doesn't help clarify it much.
Death
I don't have a sources for Eliza's date of death, but it may have been in October 1901 based on information from another family tree (which doesn't list its source).
We know that her husband Charles died on March 11, 1907, in a Poor House so it makes sense that he may have been there because she predeceased him. [14]
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Sources:
1. 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 908; Folio: 77; Page: 7; GSU roll: 823492
2. 1861 England Census; Class: RG 9; Piece: 550; Folio: 187; Page: 12; GSU roll: 542659
3. England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
4. 1901 England Census; Class: RG13; Piece: 1638; Folio: 24; Page: 13
5. 1891 England Census; The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Class: RG12; Piece: 1084; Folio: 63; Page: 10
6. London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1930
London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: WEBG/WM/054/015
7. 1851 England Census; Class: HO107; Piece: 1636; Folio: 397; Page: 34; GSU roll: 193539
8. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
9. England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980
10. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
11. 1881 England Census; Class: RG11; Piece: 803; Folio: 54; Page: 5; GSU roll: 1341189
12. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/ssn_HadCET_mean_sort.txt
13. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadukp/data/ranked_seasonal/HadEWP_ranked_ssn.dat
14. Medway, Kent, England, Poor Law Union Records, 1836-1937; Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre; Chatham, Kent, England; Collection: Poor Law Union Records; Reference Number: G/Me/WId/2
