b.1868/9-d.1926
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/tree/173802352/family/familyview?cfpid=402253983788
Foreword by Julia Morris
Linda Miles-Cartwright has kindly put together a story of my Great Grandfather who was buried at Horton Cemetery. Later Frederick’s wife, Rose, would also be admitted to Long Grove Asylum where she later died but she was not buried in the cemetery.
Little was known of my Great Grandfather, Frederick Allen, latterly known as George Frederick Allen. Frederick’s last surviving Grandchildren, my Mum and Uncle, now in their 80s knew only that he was a hairdresser and that he’d died by the time their parents married. Frederick’s daughter-in-law warned me not to look too closely at family history as you don’t know what you might find! During the COVID-19 lockdown, along with my daughter and my cousin, Sarah Morris and Georgia Allen, I started researching this side of the family. Sadly, Frederick spent almost half of his life in the care system.
Frederick’s parents
Frederick, we believe, was born in the 12 months between April 1868 and April 1869 but no formal proof of his birth can be found.
His parents were Emily Allen and Charles John Barrett. They never married.
Charles John Barrett was born 6 April 1848 at 14 Nelson Street in Deptford to Thomas and Maria Barrett. Thomas Barrett hailed from Devon and was a Station Master whilst his wife Maria Canning came from Gosport in Hampshire. Charles was a military man and after his marriage to Frances Spence in 1872 he sailed to India where he was subsequently found dead in Lucknow on 29 June 1876.
Emily Allen was born in Hill Street by Woolwich Dockyard on 24 February 1847 to James and Eliza Allen. James came from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and Eliza Pitman from Babington in Somerset. James was a Royal Marine and joined up in 1826. After marrying Eliza on 16 August 1835, the family settled in the Deptford Barracks. He rose to the rank of Sergeant before Emily’s birth. James received a Long Service and Good Conduct medal for his time in the Royal Marines.
Emily spent her early days in Greenwich with her family and at some stage met Charles Barrett. As a result, Frederick Allen was born.
By 1871 Frederick’s mother seems to have left him with relatives. Emily is living at 4 Boss’s Gardens in Brighton working as a Dressmaker visiting James and Elizabeth Penfold. Shortly after this she goes on to marry George James Penfold their 20-year-old son on 25 June 1871. Emily was already pregnant with a daughter (who may or may not have been George’s), Elizabeth Emily Daisy Penfold who was born on 28 September 1871. So where was Frederick her first born, young son?
Frederick, an unwanted child
Frederick was living with his Aunt Eliza Ann Reeves née Allen with her husband John at 92 Villas Road in Plumstead alongside his cousins William aged 7, Emily aged 5 and Alice aged 3. His place of birth is given as Plumstead.
Looking after Frederick must have become a problem for his aunt and uncle or perhaps no one stepped forward to maintain him and so on 20 March 1872 the Religious Creed shows the young Frederick was admitted to the Woolwich Union Workhouse in Tewson Road on Plumstead Common. The informant was the Relieving Officer and Frederick’s religion was given as Church of England. His clothing number was 1006. No relative’s name was given. It seems as if he was abandoned.
With no one stepping forward to look after him Frederick was sent to the Poor Law School (the South Metropolitan School) in Brighton Road in Sutton, Surrey. These schools were set up by the Poor Law Unions to provide an education and support for those children who were unable to be maintained by their families.
Frederick was to stay there for the next 9 years of his life and was discharged on 24 March 1882 and sent on trial to a Mr William Zucker, a Hairdresser, at 53 Devonshire Road, Bromley-by-Bow. The Indenture of a Hairdresser Apprenticeship was signed between William Zucker, the board and Frederick on 27 April 1882. The school would look for suitable boys to be sent into different apprenticeships to provide them, hopefully, with a future.
Frederick successfully completed his apprenticeship on 26 April 1887. William Zucker’s business was, by then, at 3 Clinton Road. By July 1887 Frederick was advertising for staff at 3 Clinton Road. On 2 September 1890 (Michaelmas) Frederick signed a 21-year lease on 1 Clinton Road, Mile End Old Town between him and Philip Faber, where he was to run his own hairdressing business. The rent was £30 per annum.
The first and last pages of Frederick’s Lease which contains his signature.
The 1890s
The 1891 census shows Frederick living at 1 Clinton Road where he is described oddly as “Orphan” not “Head of the household, single, aged 25, from Woolwich. He is the sole occupant. Next door at number 3 William Zucker’s old shop is now a Coffee shop. Did Frederick prove to be a better hairdresser than his old employer?
On 19 December 1898 Frederick married Rose Halpin at Holy Trinity Church, Harrow Green in Essex. He gives his address as next door to his bride – 25 Brierley Road in Leyton. Rose was the daughter of John and Agnes Halpin. She was born in Southwark on 21 November 1871. Her father was a Warehouse assistant who had died in 1889 and her mother Agnes was a patient at Cane Hill Asylum. She had been in and out of the care of two institutions since 1876 when Rose was 5 years old. The original diagnosis was mania caused by shock but later her diagnosis is dementia.
Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder 14 July 1877, courtesy of British Newspaper Archives.
Transcription:
A letter was read from Mr Albert S Godfrey asking for copy of resolutions and letter from Dr. Biggs, respecting the case of Mrs. Agnes Halpin, wife of a resident of the Peabody Buildings, East Lane, who had been removed to a lunatic asylum and whose husband wished to have her at home, and concerning when the Guardians were willing to grant permission to the husband to have her at home, providing he must take all responsibility in her case. The Clerk stated that the Guardians could not dictate to the authorities of this asylum, although they could urge them to a certain course. Mr Piner observed that in this case they went further and refused all support to the woman, whilst she remained in the asylum. It was then announced that the patient had been discharged ‘not improved’ and the question then dropped.
Rose’s given address of 23 Brierley Road was the home of Rose’s sister Edith and her family.
The following year Frederick and Rose’s first child, a daughter, Rose Agnes Allen was born on 22 November 1899 at 1 Clinton Road. She was baptised on 10 December 1899 at Holy Trinity Church, Mile End. On Rose’s birth certificate her father is referred to as George Frederick Allen. This is the first time we see reference to him being called George Frederick.
The 1900s
Rose Agnes was shortly followed by a son, George Frederick, named after his father on 27 February 1901. Here, his father is described as a Master Hairdresser.
The 1901 census records all four family members at 1 Clinton Road. Frederick aged 33, a Hairdresser, Rose, his wife aged 29, Rose their daughter aged 1 and baby Frederick (it’s odd that his son is at first referred to as Frederick even though he was registered as George Frederick) aged 1 month.
George Frederick junior was baptised in the same church as his older sister on 1 September 1901.
Grace Violet was born on 13 April 1904, followed by Albert Edward on 3 July 1904. Both were born at 1 Clinton Road.
1907 – a turn of fortunes
Things were about to take a sad turn for the family as on 16 August 1907 when Frederick was admitted to Mile End Workhouse in Bancroft Road. He had been deemed insane.
The Mile End Board of Guardians noted that he had lived at 1 Clinton Road prior to his admission. Frederick had occupied the whole house which consisted of four rooms and a shop. He carried on a business as a hairdresser and the rent was £32 per annum. The day he was admitted showed that rent for the quarter was due.
He was examined on 21 August 1907 and the following comments were made:
He had been unwell for about 3 weeks but no previous history of attacks.
The medical practitioner found him to be a person of an unsound mind and made the following observations.
“He seems very depressed and melancholic. He is hesistating and contradictory in his answers. He is full of delusions about religion though it is difficult to make him speak. He says he will convert everybody in the ward”.
The ward attendant goes on to say “He is very depressed and melancholic and cries a good deal at times. He is full of delusions viz that he has an overflow of nature also that God has sent him to convert the others in the ward”.
The poor man sounds in a desperate state.
On 24 August 1907 he was transferred to Long Grove Asylum. He was said to be clean and to be fairly healthy. The observations were that he had scattered moles, a double inguinal hernia, small scars on his legs and pigmentation on his left leg.
So, what did this mean for Frederick’s wife Rose and the four young children?
On 29 November 1907 this order was issued which may have had an impact on the decision to sell the lease (but this could possibly mean the business as well).
A week later, on 7 December 1907, this advertisement appeared in the East London Observer.
The day before, three of the children, Rose, George and Albert were admitted into Mile End Workhouse, the reason given being destitution, and they were placed into “Scattered Homes”. These were a set of separate but interconnected terrace homes situated at 403 –409 Mile End Road. Opened in 1900 they served different purposes. The Cottage Grove Houses acted as a Receiving Home for children. This is probably where the children went. From here they were fostered into other scattered homes. Rose, their mother, was living at 86 Lichfield Road. Grace may have been with her mother or other relatives. For some reason she was not with the others.
We will return to Frederick’s family later.
Long Grove Asylum
Frederick is now in Long Grove Asylum. Sadly, only 17 patient case files exist for Long Grove Asylum and Frederick’s is not one of these so we cannot say how he existed there or the treatment he received.
The 1911 census shows him as a patient aged 43, a former hairdresser, and a lunatic since the age of 39. Frederick is still a patient there ten years later aged 53.
He survived a further five years. On 4 June 1926 Frederick died aged 58. There was a postmortem the following day at 11am. The causes of death were found to be firstly Dysentery Colitis of 14 days duration and secondly Valvular Heart disease and Epilepsy
He was buried in Grave 183a in Horton Cemetery, in a grave used previously in 1908.
Rose Allen née Halpin
Poor Rose obviously was left in a desperate state once Frederick had gone to Long Grove. We have seen the business had to be sold and it seems she was not able to support the children. On 6 April 1908 she is recorded as living at 86 Lichfield Road on Leyton Marshes. By the 12th July 1909 Rose had moved to 3 Venour Road in Mile End.
At the time of the 1911 census she was 39 years old and working as a servant for Evelyn Ransome Jones at 6 Hereford Road, Bayswater in Paddington. So at least she had a roof over her head and was earning an income.
On 21 February 1913 her mother Agnes died at Cane Hill Asylum aged 72 of Cardiac disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Organic Brain Disease.
In 1914 there was an interesting development between the Stepney Board of Guardians and the treatment of one of the Allen children which shows Rose was still involved with her children.
On 6 September 1914, on the occasion of Grace and Albert’s baptism, their mother’s address was given as 31 Tredegar Road in Bow. On 26 July 1916 she had moved again to 108 Fairlop Road in Leytonstone. In 1918 Rose seems to settle into an employment as a servant at Jermyn Street in South West London for around 6 –7 years, according to her daughter.
The 1921 census finds her at 4 Chaseley Street in Limehouse whilst the owner was in hospital.
On 18 August 1924 Rose was admitted to Marylebone Workhouse from 16 Union Street in North London. From there, on 19 August 1924, she was admitted to The Grove, Horton Lane in Epsom. The Grove is what Long Grove is now known as, so she was sent to the same institution as her husband but it is not known whether they saw each other there. Rose was fully aware that her husband was still living there according to notes made before she, herself, was sent.
Rose would survive for a further 25 years at Long Grove. The 1939 Register describes her as a “lunatic”. She died on 11 August 1949 aged 75 of Cardiovascular Degeneration and senility and she was buried in West Ham Cemetery on 18 August 1949. Her family, for some reason, did not choose to bury her with Frederick but instead bring her back to West Ham, possibly because this is where her daughter, Grace, and sister Frances are buried.
Frederick and Rose’s children
Although this story is about Frederick, the effect of his mental health and that of Rose’s family had huge impacts on all their lives.
Rose’s family, the Halpins, suffered greatly with mental illness. Rose’s Mother, Agnes, as a young Mother at the age of 35, was institutionalised for the rest of her life, apart from a very short period; Rose, in her 50s, who was then institutionalised for the rest of her life; Rose’s brother John, who was sent to Claybury Lunatic Asylum at the age of 30 and who also died in an asylum
Rose Agnes (Frederick’s eldest daughter)
We last found Rose when she was admitted to Mile End Scattered Homes in 1907. On 7 April 1908 she was readmitted. Had she possibly been fostered prior to this? On 30 December 1908 she contracted Chicken Pox and was sent to the infirmary. Again on 12 July 1909 she was readmitted.
The 1911 census shows Rose aged 11 with her brother Albert aged 6 as inmates at 6 Caxton Road, Bow in Poplar described as being at School. This was a Scattered Home. Rose did indeed receive an education as school records exist for her. There are Newspaper reports that suggest she could have attended holiday camps at Shoeburyness, in Southend, that were provided for children at the Mile End Scattered Homes. In 1914 she again had a brief spell in the infirmary due to Chicken Pox but remained in care.
On 19 July 1915 she was discharged from the Home into service but not locally. She was sent all the way to Halifax in the employ of a Mrs. Barrett. However, it’s not clear how long she was there as by 1921 she was working as a servant in Finchley.
On 16 January 1924 at St George’s Church, Waltham Cross, Rose married Lance Corporal Henry Clifford Ainsworth. They went on to have two daughters and Rose lived until she was 78. She died in 1978 in Southend on Sea. Both her daughters are now deceased and didn’t have any children.
George Frederick (Junior)
George entered care at the same time as Rose and Albert on 6 December 1907 and in 1908 was at 6 Caxton Street, Bow which was a Scattered Home. Like Rose before him he received an education and in 1911 he was living at 63 Tredegar Square, Mile End Old Town. It is very possible that, like Rose, he was able to enjoy the holiday camps provided for the Mile End children in care.
On 5 May 1916 at the age of 15 he was apprenticed to Mr John Lee of 126 Acre Road, Kingston on Thames, a Saddle and Harness Maker. The actual paperwork was signed off on 27 December 1916 and the apprenticeship was to run for 4 years.
George’s mother, Rose, who had complained about the treatment of her children was again in trouble for interference with her son. A note dated 28 March 1918 shows she had acknowledged the letter received from the Guardians about such matters.
George died at some point between 1918 and 16 August 1924. We know this because his mother’s documents on her admission to the Asylum state George is dead. I am not sure how and when George met his untimely death and I am still investigating what happened but it appears he died in 1923.
Grace Violet
After her father, Frederick’s, admission to Long Grove, Grace is not sent to Mile End Workhouse with her siblings. It is unclear why she was not, but the clue may be in the 1911 census. Grace can be found, aged 8, living at the home of James and Lilian Halpin, her childless uncle and aunt, at 35 Central Park Road, East Ham. Perhaps they had taken her in at the time of her parents’ troubles. Frederick’s granddaughter remembers her cousin telling her that she looked just like Grace and that Grace had died young and was an actress.
By 1913 Grace seems to have had a different guardian, Dolly Bartholomew, who was a costume maker. Dolly had just had a baby, Frederick William, on 11 May 1913 and on 10 July 1913 all three entered Mile End Workhouse due to destitution. On 11 July 1913 Grace was sent to Mile End Scattered Home and was discharged to the Infirmary on 10 December 1913 due to Eczema on her face. After a two week stay, she was sent back to the Scattered Home. In 1914 she again had a brief spell in the infirmary due to Chicken Pox but remained in care. On 6 September 1914 Grace was baptised at Holy Trinity Church in Mile End with her brother Albert. Her address was given as 64 Antill Road which was a scattered home. There was no indication on the record that her father was in an asylum.
On 25 May 1918 Grace was discharged from Mile End Scattered Home to her mother. I assume she went into service later and in 1921 she can indeed be found working as a cook in Finchley. By 1924 she was living with her older sister Rose.
Poor Grace’s life was to be cut short when at the age of 24 she took her own life. She died on 8 July 1927 at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leyton. Her inquest is recorded in the newspaper and makes for sad reading.
The transcription is below:
STRATFORD.
No interest in Life
. A tragedy of depression.
A verdict of suicide whilst of unsound mind was returned at an inquest at Whipps Cross Infirmary on Monday on Grace Violet Allen 23 of 71 Buxton Road, Stratford who was found with her head in a gas oven on Friday morning. Samuel Lamb said that the deceased was the niece of his housekeeper and had been staying at his house to assist her aunt, who had met with an accident. The young woman was very moody and depressed and appeared to take no interest in life. She worried about her mother, who was in hospital. On Friday morning after breakfast witness went out about 9.30 and returned an hour later. He then learned that the housekeeper had been calling the deceased but had received no reply. On going to the kitchen door witness found it locked and noticed a strong smell of gas. Breaking open the door he saw the girl with her head in the oven and the taps fully turned on. Dr Sumner said that the deceased was admitted to the receiving ward and died shortly afterwards from coal gas poisoning. The coroner in returning the verdict says there was no doubt that the girl took her life in a fit of depression.
On 12 July 1927 Grace was buried in a public grave (pauper’s grave) in West Ham Cemetery.
Albert Edward
On 6 December 1907 Albert entered the workhouse with his siblings Rose and George and followed them into a Scattered Home. On 25 February 1908 he spent some time in the infirmary with measles. In 1911 he was living at a Scattered Home at 6 Caxton Road in Bow where Rose was living. Albert was baptised on 6 September 1914 alongside his sister Grace at Holy Trinity Church, but he was living at a different Scattered Home – 64 Tredegar Square.
On 27 July 1916 Albert was discharged from the Scattered Home and went to live with his mother at Fairlop Road.
By the time of the 1921 census Albert was working as a Farm Labourer for Percy Doe and living at Woodside Cottage, Slough Road, Danbury in Essex. He was only 16 years old.
On 11 December 1937 Albert married Doris Daisy Quelch at the parish church of St John the Baptist in Danbury Common. She was a spinster aged 29. Albert was now working as a plumber. Albert and Doris went on to have two children. Albert died 12 June 1952 aged 47 at St John’s Hospital in Chelmsford.
Final Thoughts
The following quote is from one of the descendants of Frederick Allen, reflecting on the sad story of the Hairdresser that has been uncovered
‘Reading this really puts everything into perspective, it’s so sad’.
Special Thanks to Linda Martin who spent many hours helping and supporting the search for information. Grateful thanks to Linda Miles-Cartwright who touchingly put together this story from the research carried out by Frederick’s descendants.
The search for more information goes on …