Elizabeth HOBBS
The following story was researched and written by the great great grand daughter of Elizabeth (Eliza) Hobbs nee Wythers, who wrote,
I recently attended your wonderful exhibition about the 9000+ folks buried in the Horton Cemetery, one of which is my Great Grandmother Elizabeth (Eliza) Hobbs nee Wythers, she is buried in plot 2933b. In speaking to the very helpful ladies and gentlemen volunteers about my G Grandmother they suggested writing in and sending you all the information about her that I had, to see if you could find out what happened to her during the 20 years she was incarcerated.
Birth and Early Years
Eliza WYTHERS was born on 18 December 1862 in Isleham, Cambridgeshire to William Cook Wythers, farm labourer and Elizabeth NORMAN.
Her only sibling William Webber Wythers [Wethers] was born 2 years earlier in 1860.
He appeared on the 1861 census with his parents living at East End, Isleham and next door to his grandparents William and Sarah Norman.
Both William’s occupations were shown as agricultural labourers.
1870s-1880s
By the 1871 census the family had moved into 23 Northampton Street, Islington and William Senior is described as a coachman. Both William Jnr and Eliza were shown as scholars.
In 1881 Eliza was living as a domestic servant at 5 College Street, Islington in the household of Charles H Collick, a lawyer’s clerk, and his wife and 6 children aged 4 to 15 years.
Marriage and Family
On 20 June 1886 at age 23, Eliza married John Robert HOBBS, also 23, a house painter by trade, at the Islington Registry Office. Eliza’s father’s occupation at this time was shown as gardener and she was living at 34 Grassby Street, Islington. Both
Eliza and John signed their names on the certificate, and their witnesses were E and B Brennand who were relatives of the Hobbs family.
Eliza and John welcomed their first child John Robert William on 10 May 1887 whilst residing at 24 Halton Road, Islington.
A year later, on 14 August 1888 a daughter Ada Mary Elizabeth was born at 160 Cottenham Road, Islington. Sadly Ada died in Jun 1890.
1890s and great losses
The 1891 census finds the family living at 21 Chalfont Road, Islington with John’s brother-in-law Joseph and sister Charlotte.
Later that year on 12 August 1891 another son, James Hammett was born.
On 20 Jan 1894 daughter Alice Maud was born at 36 Vorley Road, Islington but she sadly passed in October 1895.
Son Ernest Frederick was born 11 September 1896 at 37 Georges Road, Islington sadly dying within a matter of weeks
Another daughter Charlotte Lillian was born 29 May 1897 but passed away mid 1898, just over a year old.
Later that year a son Thomas Underwood was born at 86 Durham Road, Islington on 20 December, less than a year later he too passed away.
1900s
The family were at 42 Edward Square, Islington and John Senior is described as a journeyman house painter. Eliza is aged 39 and has lost 5 of her 7 children. On 28 July 1902 she had her final child, a son Albert Edward (my grandfather), at 42
Edward Square, Islington.
1911 Census
Eliza, the three boys and her one-year-old niece Queenie were living at 50 Grafton Road, Holloway and she stated she was the head of the household and a widow. She did fill in the marriage details which were later crossed out to show she had been married for 24 years with 8 children of which 5 died and 3 were alive.
The death of her husband has not yet been found, if indeed he did die and not just leave the family.
1920s
The 1921 census shows Eliza, now 59 residing with John Robert William at 118 Blackstock Road, Islington still showing her marital status as widow and her occupation as home duties.
Her son James Hammett aged 29 was residing at 64 Gillespie Road, Highbury, N5 with his wife Lilian, children James, Lilian, George and mother-in-law Elizabeth Fretwell.
Albert Edward was 18y 11m, a Private in the Army Medical Corp at Aldershot barracks.
The next time we find Eliza she is on a 1929 electoral roll, with John Jnr at 118 Blackstock Road, Islington, when this data is collected is unclear but seems to be around 1 May 1929.
The Asylum
On 11 October 1929 Eliza appeared to have been admitted to an asylum. We don’t have any written record yet of why she was admitted but having lost 5 children in infancy, when she was a maternity nurse; constantly moving house and a husband
who seems to have disappeared or died, all point towards mental health problems being possible.
The 28 August 1939 was noted on her Death Record as the admission date for Long Grove Hospital and was where we found her reception order as 11 October 1929 but to what institute? [Due to Data Protection laws this information might not be available
for some years to come]
29 September 1939 was the date the 1939 register was taken, and Eliza was registered in Long Grove Hospital and was described as a lunatic.
Where were her sons in 1939?
- John Robert William was in Rowton House, London SE11, this was a hostel for working men. He was working as a packer and was single, aged 52.
- James Hammett was at 118 Blackstock Road, Islington with his wife and 5 children.
- Albert Edward was married with one son and away in the Army.
Had any of them visited Eliza in the previous 10 years?
Death details
Eliza died on 20 May 1949 aged 86 years in Long Grove Hospital. The Notice of Death from Long Grove Hospital says Elizabeth Hobbs was married/apart (wife of John Robert Hobbs, a painter). Her occupation was described as former Maternity Nurse and confirms her previous address as 118 Blackstock Road, Islington.
A post-mortem was held noon 21 May 1949 “nothing noted”. Cause of death was given as a) Cardiovascular degeneration, b) Senility.
The death certificate from the GRO (under the name Elizabeth) stated, under rank or profession, “of 116 Blackstock Lane, Islington N4. Wife (or widow) of John Robert Hobbs, Painter and Decorator” which means that her son Albert Edward, who
registered his mother’s death, did not know her real name was Eliza nor whether his father was alive or dead!! (Eliza had been claiming to be a widow since 1911, but research has so far been unable to confirm his death).
Burial
On 26th May 1949 at Horton Cemetery, Horton Lane, Epsom, Eliza was buried in grave no. 2933b, under the name Elizabeth Hobbs – her real name was Eliza!
Unfortunately, the cemetery is overgrown, and no access has been granted by the current owners, so we don’t know the layout of the graves, which were only marked by a small metal tag.