MUNDY, George

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b.1909 – d.1909

Although this story is named for baby George MUNDY who lived for 11 days after being born in Long Grove Hospital and subsequently was buried in Horton Cemetery, the story is mainly about his mother Ada MUNDY (nee Popel) alias Moslin.

George Mundy was born on the 12^th February 1909 in Long Grove Asylum, he died there 11 days later of gastro enteritis and heart failure.

MUNDY (nee. Popel) alias Moslin, Ada

His mother was Ada Mundy, alias Moslin. She had been admitted to Long Grove on the 27^th July 1908 having been presented at the Shoreditch Infirmary, St Leonard’s workhouse, Shoreditch.

Described as a widow with no occupation and no mention of her living son, Phillip. Her nearest living relative was described as her ‘paramour’, William Moslin, and two sisters were also recorded. Her address at this time was 259 Goswell Road, the home of her sister Ellen with a previous address of 46 Windsor Terrace crossed through. At this point Ada was suffering from anaemia and is described as of unsound mind lasting three weeks.

So how did Ada come to this point in her life?

1870s

She was born on the 27^th February 1875, one of at least nine children of Louisa and Ambrose Popel of 19a Arthur Street, Chelsea. Ambrose worked as a labourer. Both Louisa and Ambrose had also been born in Chelsea and the family had stayed close to their roots. Eight of their children were girls, the ninth a boy named Ambrose, only lived to 14mths.

1880s/90s

The 1881 and 1891 census show Ada at home with her family.

At some point during the next few years Ada married James Mundy, a carpenter, but no trace of this marriage has been found so far. There is a carpenter called James Mundy living close to Ada’s address but he is married with a family of his own. There is no evidence to suggest the two knew each other.

On the 22^nd June 1899 Ada’s mother died and was buried in Brompton Cemetery, aged 59 years. Less than two years later Ada also lost her sister Susan who died at the age of 37 from a tropical abscess. She had been living abroad with her husband John Dallimore, a sergeant in the Royal Artillery.

1900s

On the 26^th January 1901 Ada gave birth to a son, Phillip James Mundy. Her address at this time is 31 Upper Manor Street as shown on Phillip’s baptism records and again on the 1901 census where Ada is shown as the head of the house, married but there is no mention of her husband. Ada and Phillip are sharing the property with a retired civil servant and his housekeeper.

On the 2^nd June 1906, a report in the South London Press described a woman found wandering the streets of Chichester with her hat in her hand, appearing to have lost her memory. Eventually it was discovered that her name was Ada Mundy and she had been living with her cousin in Latchmere Road, Battersea. The article didn’t mention Phillip. Then on the 4^th July 1906, this time in the Worthing Gazette, a story about a woman found wandering and taken to the East Preston Union Infirmary. She gave her name as Ada Mundy and said that she had been working as a clerk in her aunt’s laundry in Chelsea. When her aunt died, she had taken money from the laundry and fallen into bad company. Again no mention of Phillip and no conclusive proof that this is the same Ada.

On the 10^th September 1907 we get our next definite sight of Ada when she gave birth to a son, William George Moslin. On the baptism records, William’s father is named William Edwin Moslin, a drayman. The couple lived at 2 Caroline Place, Chelsea. Sadly on the 27^th May 1908 baby William died of meningitis in the London Temperance Hospital. His father William was present at his death. The family’s address was given as William Street, St Pancras.

A month later, on the 17^th June 1908, Ada was examined at Shoreditch Infirmary. The doctor described: “she is depressed and melancholic, weeps without any apparent cause when spoken to, her memory is defective and she cannot give a coherent account of herself”.

Ada was examined again on the 4^th July and the description of her condition is unchanged: “she is depressed, apathetic and melancholic, she cannot give any account of herself, her memory is defective and she cannot remember anything from day to day. At times she weeps without any apparent cause”.

Three days later, on the 7^th July 1908, Ada was transferred to Long Grove Hospital where she stayed until February 1909 when she gave birth to baby George. George died within 11 days of birth and was buried in Horton Cemetery in his own grave, Grave 313B on 27^th February 1909. His grave was used again on 20^th November 1928 to bury Emily Howard, age 58. On the 30^th April 1909 Ada was released from Long Grove.

1910s

On the 20^th June 1910 Ada gave birth to a daughter, Amelia, in the Chelsea Workhouse Infirmary. Amelia was described in the workhouse records as illegitimate. Ada’s son Phillip was also admitted to the workhouse suggesting there was no one at home to look after him. On the 11^th July 1910 the family were discharged from the workhouse at their ‘own request’.

A year later, on the 1911 census, Ada, Phillip and Amelia are living in one room at 30 Stayton Street in Chelsea. Ada is described as a charwoman. The census records state that Ada had been married for 16 years giving a marriage date of c.1895 and that she has had five children. The marriage and the name of the fifth child have not been found.

On the 21^st March 1912 Amelia was baptised at St Saviour’s Church, Chelsea and her father was named as James Mundy, a labourer. The family were now living at 21 Leverett Street, Chelsea.

1930s

There is then a gap in the records until 31^st August 1930 when Phillip married Mary Horwood in Acton. Phillip’s occupation was ground engineer and his father was named as ‘Phillip James Mundy, deceased carpenter’ but this record has been corrected to state that his father was ‘James Mundy, deceased carpenter’. In the spring of 1933 Amelia married Edward Little in Islington.

The next trace of the family was on 18^th September 1938 when Phillip received his Royal Aero Club Aviator’s certificate stating that he had qualified as a ground engineer. Phillip and Mary are living at Shireoaks, an old pit village just outside Worksop, Notts. Phillip qualified at the Sheffield Aero Club based in Netherthorpe.

On the 1939 register Amelia and Edward are living in Edmonton with their young son, Edward. Ada is living with them and is described as a retired laundress. Ada died in 1965 at the age of 89 years.