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b.1863-d.1914
William Rushman was born in Shoreditch on 5th October 1863 to James & Isabella Rushman and baptised on the 25th of that month at St. Leonard’s Shoreditch. The family address was 6 Windsor Place (near Hoxton Street). James and Isabella (nee Gordon) had married in the second quarter of 1853.
In 1871, William is living 6 Windsor Place, Shoreditch with his parents and siblings James, Isabella, Susan, Margaret, George, William and Albert. William’s father is a ‘cordwainer’.
Siblings
- James Alexander (born 31.12.1853; died 1919)
- Isabella (born 6.8.1855)
- Susan/Susanna (born 27.5.1857)
- Margaret (born 4.12.1859)
- George (born 27 Jan. 1861; died ?1932)
The above 5 children were all baptised on 20.8.1863 at St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch
- Vernon (born 20.12.1865; bapt. 20.6.1866; died 1866)
- Albert (born 25.8.1868; died 1938)
- Alice (born Q4 1871; died ?1871)
- Henry (born Q1 1876)
- ?Emma Jane (born c1875)
A Court Appearance
An article in the Weekly Review (London) dated 8th April 1876 describes William’s appearance at a Police Court.
The 1881 Census confirms that William, aged 15, is living in the Middlesex County Industrial School at Feltham, West London.
The school, which was located in Bedfont Road opened in 1859 to house and reform destitute boys and minor juvenile offenders (i.e. those involved in begging, in the company of criminals, or who were orphans). The school taught practical trades like carpentry and shoemaking in order to divert children from adult prisons. Using images from the www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk website is prohibited. A visit to that site will illustrate the sort of life the children experienced.
After finding the newspaper article, I tried looking for additional children. Although I couldn’t find a birth/baptism record, I found a 5-year old child, Emma Jane Rushman at the Princess Mary Village Homes Institution in 1881 and believe this to be one of the children mentioned in the newspaper article.
At the time of the 1881 Census, William’s parents and brother Albert are living at 10 Duncan Road, South Hackney. William’s father is now listed as a ‘boot finisher’. Also, in the same property but listed separately, is William’s eldest brother, James, his wife and their children.
William’s Asylum Journey
On 30th October 1888, a Reception Order was signed which removed William from the School, but to where? The only clue is a Poor Law Removal & Settlement document dated 26th November 1900. It states that William has been living at the Dorset County Asylum but had lived in Bethnal Green since infancy. I contacted the Dorset History Centre and they confirmed that William came to Dorchester in October 1895, having previously been at Banstead Asylum. They also confirmed a few details from his admission.
First that he was 32yrs old on arrival in Dorchester; a ‘boot finisher’ by trade and single. His next of kin was his father, James Rushman of 59 Old Nichol Street, Bethnal Green. In addition he’d just had his first attack and been unwell for 4 days. William acknowledged “attempting suicide by striking his head with a poster, (he) feels miserable and tired of life, has delusion he has committed some dreadful sin.”
1891 and 1901 Census
Despite an extensive search, I have been unable to locate William in the 1891 and 1901 census. In 1891, he was probably in Banstead; his parents James & Isabella are in Shoreditch Workhouse. Isabella died in the workhouse the following year. I have been unable to confirm William’s whereabouts in 1901.
Arrival at Horton Asylum
On 14 May 1902, aged 39, William was admitted to the Horton Asylum. His place of abode before admission is given as the Infirmary of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green. His occupation is shown as a ‘boot finisher’. A diagnosis is given as ‘dementia’. From the limited cases notes available (which start in 1912), William is described as having no interest in his surroundings and that his dementia is profound. He works in the vegetable shed.
William died at 1:30pm on 6th July 1914 and was buried in Plot. 1207a. His cause of death is given as Enteric Fever, which he had for about one month.
William’s Father
A Removal Order for William’s father, James, (now aged 67), dated 24th July 1896 shows the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, arguing that he is the responsibility of St. Leonard’s Shoreditch. A further Removal Order dated 24th October 1896 again argues which of these parishes are responsible for James; James states that he has lived in the Workhouse of both parishes for several years.
The following year on 18th May 1897, James is admitted to Shoreditch Workhouse. He’s described as a ‘shoemaker’ and ‘homeless’ but discharged on 5th August 1901. The next time we hear of him is on 8th January 1909 when he’s admitted to the Workhouse from the London Hospital; he had been found in Gt. Eastern Street with fractured ribs and ulna; discharged 3 March.
At the time of the 1911 Census, James, now aged 81, was an inmate at Shoreditch Workhouse. I believe James died in 1915.
William’s Siblings
Sometime between the 1881 and 1891 Censuses, William’s eldest brother, James Alexander moved to Northamptonshire. Another brother, George also moved to Northamptonshire. Like their father, both James and George worked in the ‘shoemaking’ trade.
Brother, Albert, was a ‘bootmaker’ on the 1891 Census but at the time of his marriage in 1909 was serving with the Royal Navy.
Tracing William’s sisters has been very difficult; the only sister who I’ve tracked is Margaret who married William Boswell in 1881.
Life was hard for the Rushman children. They lived in one of the poorest areas of London. Although their father had a trade his pay would have been low and it must have been a huge struggle for him to feed and clothe his children. William’s brothers all moved out of London – was that for a better quality of life or work prospects?
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