Sarah Matilda LINDO
Sarah Matilda Blake Lindo, nee Uttley.
5th March 1844 – 10th June 1903
Sarah’s parents, George Blake Uttley (1799 – 1860) and Margaret Martin (1804 – 1883), had married on 11th January 1830 in Ambleside, Westmorland, and had eight known children during their marriage.
- Richard (1832 – after 1851). Born in Ambleside, Westmorland, Cumbria.
- Truelove (1834 – 1890) – named after his paternal grandfather. Born in Ambleside, Westmorland, Cumbria.
- Jane (1836 – 1921). Born in Preston, Lancashire.
- George (1840 – after 1861). Born in Carlton, Yorkshire.
- Sarah (1844 – 1903). Born in Scarborough, Yorkshire.
- Robert (1847 – 1922). Born in Hull, Yorkshire.
- Ann Zillah (1849 – 1917). Born in Tadcaster, Yorkshire.
- Wilfred Blake (1853 – 1931). Born in Skipton, Craven District, North Yorkshire.
During the following years, the name Blake was sometimes either added to Uttley or substituted for Uttley. This name derived from the surname of Sarah’s paternal grandmother Betty Blakey.
Sarah’s birth certificate recorded that she was born on 5th March 1844 in Sand Side, Scarborough, Yorkshire. Her middle name, Matilda, was not recorded here.
When the 1851 census was taken on the evening of 30th March, the Uttley family was living in Rosemary Row, in the picturesque village of East Tadcaster, Yorkshire. Sarah’s father and brothers, Richard and Truelove, were working as stone masons, while her mother looked after the house and younger children, George aged 11, Sarah aged 7, Robert aged 4, and 2-year-old Ann Zillah. Due to her unusual name, Ann Zillah was documented, or maybe blighted, throughout her life with various spellings – Awzalah, Angllay, Angelina, Angellow, Anyellow, Anzellaw, Anzella, Anzeley, or Auzella!
Sarah was aged 16 when her 61-year-old father died at the end of 1860. The following year, when the 1861 census was taken on the evening of 7th April, Sarah and her family had moved and were living at Back Pendle View, Holy Trinity, Habergham Eaves, Lancashire. Her widowed mother Margaret was aged 50 and gave the family surname as just Blake. Sarah was working as a Cotton Weaver, while her brothers, 14-year-old Robert and 8-year-old Wilfred [recorded as Frederick] were both working as Doffers, and her 12-year-old sister Ann Zillah worked as a Spinner. Also living there was Sarah’s nephew, 5-year-old Richard, the illegitimate son of her sister Jane. Jane had given birth to her son on 13th March 1856 in the Union Workhouse, Skipton, Yorkshire. She married John Horner in 1859 but did not take Richard to live with her and her new husband and left him in the care of her mother and siblings.
The next census was taken ten years later and on the evening of 2nd April 1871, Sarah’s mother, brother Wilfred, and two nephews Richard and George, were living at 30 Packham Road, Habergham Eaves, Lancashire. Wilfred was aged 18 and working as a Cotton Weaver as was his nephew, Richard. All of them were recorded with the surname Blakeuttley.
Sarah’s whereabouts when the 1871 census was taken is uncertain but by 1876, when she was aged 33 and working as a Winder (textile worker) in the cotton mills, she was living at 14 Simpson Street, Habergham Eaves. When she married Henry Thomas Lindo on Christmas Day 1876, in Holy Trinity Church, Habergham Eaves, she signed the register as Sarah Matilda Blake. Normally it seems, Henry went by his middle name of Thomas. Both their fathers, George Blake and William Lindo, were recorded as deceased.
Sarah’s new husband was a 28-year-old soldier in the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot who was stationed in the local barracks that were located off Cavalry Street and Trafalgar Street near the western end of the town centre, an area that later gave its name to Barracks Road and the nearby Burnley Barracks railway station. Thomas’ service number was 1024, and in 1871 he had been a Private stationed in Neemuch, India.
After Thomas left the army in 1879, the couple moved south to London and by 1881 they were living at 22 Bronte Place, Newington, London. Recorded as Thomas Hy. Lindo, born in Clapham, Thomas was working as a Cabman Washer, while Sarah was recorded as Sarah Matd. Lindo, born in Scarboro’.
Sarah and Thomas appear not to have had any children and by 1891 they were living at 21 St Gabriel Street, Newington, London. Also living with them as a boarder was William Sargeant, who was working as a Cab driver/Groom. It is possible that William and Thomas worked together as Thomas was still working as a Cab Washer/Groom.
Over the next few years Sarah’s mental health began to decline. On 16th February 1898, she was aged 54 when she was admitted as “Mental” into the Newington Workhouse in Westmoreland Road, Southwark. The admission ledger records that she was married and of Church of England religion. Exactly a month later she was discharged back into the care of her husband. Unable to give her the care she needed, Thomas returned Sarah to the workhouse two months later and on 30th May 1898, she was admitted as “Alleged Insane”.
Sarah was transferred on Valentines Day 1901 to the newly built St. Saviour’s Union Infirmary on East Dulwich Grove, near Champion Hill station. This building was usually known as just ‘Champion Hill’.
Sarah’s next transfer was to Colney Hatch London County Lunatic Asylum in Friern Barnet, Middlesex. Here, when the 1901 census was taken on the evening of 31st March, Sarah was just recorded as a patient with the initials ‘S L’.
On 11th November 1902, Sarah was transferred back to the Newington Workhouse where she spent Christmas. Her admission records stated that she was aged 56, a housewife married to Thomas Lindo of 100 Barlow Street, Walworth, and that her religion was Church of England. The duration of this one-and-only “attack” was put down to alcohol and had lasted two months. In the opinion of Dr. John Frederick Williams, Sarah was a person of unsound mind, but with a healthy, uninfected body.
“She wanders about the place. She does not know how or when she came to be here, nor can she give any account of herself. She does not know the day of the week, nor the date of the month. She requires supervision.”
This statement condemned Sarah to be taken to the Horton Asylum in Epsom, Surrey, on 31st December, and where she spent the last six months of her life.
Sarah was aged 59 when she died there on 10th June; her body was taken to the Horton Estate Cemetery and buried in grave 251 on 16th June 1903.
On 25th February 1905, Thomas married Julia Esther Pearce, and made their home at 24 Portland Street, Southwark. Julia died in 1923 and Thomas in 1933.