FINN, Baby Boy

Read Time:5 Minute, 15 Second

b.1903-d.1903

Recorded simply on his death certificate as the ‘one-day-old male child of Jessie Finn, of no occupation, of Fulham Workhouse’, this story is one of questions and sadness. His short life ended, after 35 hours of suffering from a profound lack of energy and strength, but there was probably another factor to his death.

In new-borns, a lack of oxygen during or after birth could lead to brain and vital organ damage that could lead to dangerous weaknesses. He may have also had sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis, all of which can spread quickly through the body, or there may have been an underlying heart defect.

Whatever it was, the cause of his death was simply recorded on his death certificate as asthenia.

Finn’s Mother – Jessie

His unmarried mother Jessie was aged 24 when she gave birth to him on 1^st May 1903 in the Horton Asylum in Epsom, Surrey. Whether her pregnancy had been welcomed or forced on her is sadly unknown, but to lose a baby must have had a profound effect on her.

Jessie was born on 8^th February 1879 in Hammersmith. Her father Joseph George Finn had married her mother Caroline Jessie Angliss on 17^th June 1872 in St Marks Church, Notting Hill. Her parents had nine children, including Jessie.

Jessie Carry (1874 – 1876)
Joseph Harry (1873 – 1952)
Jessie Caroline (1874 – 1876)
Henry Thurlow (18777 – 1880)
Tyrone Charles (1878 – 1880)
Jessie Naomi (1879 – 1918)
Florence Elizabeth (1880 – 1893)
Augustus (1882 – unknown)
Frances Carey (1882 – 1882)

Jessie also had two known half-siblings from her father’s previous marriage to Jane Kate, nee Galvin: Francis (1863–unknown), and Mable Kate (1868–1946).

On 25^th April 1880, Jessie and her younger sister Florence were both baptised in St Paul’s Church, Hammersmith. The baptismal book recorded their address as being Bath Cottage, and their father’s occupation as a builder. The 1881 Census however, recorded Joseph as being a house decorator. Apart from the Finn family of six, there were also six boarders and two servants living in Bath Cottage.

Jessie’s New Step-father – a Gentleman

Jessie was aged 10 when her 44-year-old father Joseph died on 17^th June 1889. Left with Joseph junior, Jessie, Florence, and Augustus to raise, Caroline remarried on 29^th January 1891. Her marriage to George William Hollingshead, a ‘Gentleman’, took place in St Thomas Church, Hammersmith, and was witnessed by her brother Harry Tyrone Angliss and Annie Angliss (possibly Harry’s wife/partner). The newlywed couple both gave Barton House, Coningham Road, Hammersmith, as their address.

On 15^th September 1890, having previously attended a private school, Jessie was registered as a pupil to the St. Stephen’s Parochial School. She left there on 15^th September 1893.

The 1891 Census taken on the evening of 5^th April, recorded that only Jessie was living with her mother Caroline, stepfather George, and her maternal grandmother Caroline Angliss at 91 Coningham Road, which was on the corner of Goodwin Road, Hammersmith.

George was described as a ‘Boarding House Proprietor’, and along with his mother-in-law, had thirteen ladies and one man boarding at the house. George only employed one domestic servant and an errand boy to help run his business.

At this time, Jessie’s siblings, Florence and Augustus, were away boarding at a school run by Emma Fayerman at 27, The Grove, Ealing.

Joseph junior was a Marine Society Sailor Boy, aboard the training ship Spite in the Woolwich Dockyard, Woolwich.

Jessie’s grandmother, Caroline Angliss, died the following year on 12^th May 1892, and Jessie’s sister Florence was aged 13 when she died on 18^th October 1893.

Home Wanted

The following advert was placed in The Daily Telegraph on 23^rd February 1899, and although no name is mentioned, it seems likely that the girl may have been Jessie and that her mental state was becoming unbalanced:

“Home wanted for a girl where supervision is required with kindness.

Near London. Lowest terms – H., 250 Kings Street, Hammersmith”.

The 1901 Census recorded that Jessie’s mother and stepfather were running a boarding house at 260 King Street, Hammersmith, where 22-year-old Jessie, despite the advertisement, was still living. There were ten single ladies boarding, aged between 22 to 87 years of age, and one male servant to help run the establishment.

Jessie Falls Pregnant

It was sometime in August 1902 when Jessie became pregnant. Who the father was is unknown, and as previously written, we do not know if Baby Boy Finn was conceived through love or more sadly, force.

After giving birth to her un-named child in the Horton Asylum on 3^rd May 1903, her baby son was buried in grave 228 in the Horton Estate Cemetery, in Epsom, on 8th May 1903.

His grave was later added too with the remains of the following people:

Grave 228a – Peter Belcher 17 January 1913 (His story is published),
Grave 228b – William Lilley 21 January 1913 (His story is yet to be written).

Jessie was later admitted on 4^th May 1904 to the Hanwell Asylum in Middlesex.

Nine months later, Jessie’s mother Caroline died on 4^th February 1905.

The 1911 census for the Lunatic Asylum in Hanwell, Norwood, records that Jessie had been a ‘lunatic’ since the age of 22.

Jessie was aged 39 when she died in the asylum on 18^th September 1913.

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