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b.1891-d.1918
Elizabeth was born on the 2nd March 1891 in the St Pancras registration district to John Leighton Anderson and Mary Ann nee Wood, known as Lilly.
John had been born in Fife, Scotland about 1850. He variously gives Fife or Edinburgh as his place of birth – and there are a lot of John Andersons!
Mary Ann was born about 1858. They married on 25th February 1877 at All Saints Church, Battle Bridge, Islington. John’s given occupation was that of a draper.
1881 Census
The 1881 Census shows that John has changed his occupation and is working as a conductor. Mary his wife gives no occupation and they have two daughters, Susannah Ida, aged 3, was born in Islington in 1877 and Lily Leighton, aged 2, was born in Fulham in 1879. John’s brother James is also living with them, aged 33 years.
1890s
By 1891, John has become a Railway Clerk. Lily, his wife, has no occupation recorded and the girls are aged 13 and 12. Elizabeth makes an appearance at one month old. She had been born on March 2nd 1891.
Lily is a scholar.
In 1899, Elizabeth was enrolled at St Martin in the Fields School under her second name Leslie. Her mother is given as Mary and her residence as 123 Sandringham Buildings.
1900s
By 1901, the family appear to have split up. John is living in Clarence Road, still a Railway Clerk, sharing a house with Mary E Maxwell aged 41, a nurse. They are both entered as married.
Mary and the three girls are still at Sandringham Buildings. Mary and Ida are both dressmakers.
In 1903 on 4th July Elizabeth was baptised at St Mary the Virgin, Charing Cross Road, Soho, Her sister Susannah was baptised in the same church on 22nd August 1903. In brackets is written, “now Mrs Wise”. Susannah had married Thomas George Wise on 5th July 1903 at St. Mary Magdalene in Southwark.
1911 onwards
On the 1911 Census, John is shown as a widower, still recorded as a Railway Clerk – ‘disengaged’, living by himself. His place of birth was given as Dysart, Fife. I am not able to find conclusively Elizabeth on the 1911 census. There is an L. Anderson who was working as a general servant to P.F.Westhofen and family in Hampstead.
Elizabeth was admitted to Southwark Workhouse on 14th September 1918 and transferred to Long Grove on 27th September 1918.
Elizabeth died on 28th October 1918 at Long Grove. Her death certificate gives melancholia and stomatitis as the cause of death. Her sister Ida registered the death,
If her medical notes become available they would hopefully fill in the period of 1901 -1918. It is likely that Elizabeth’s Mother died, aged 44, in 1903 in the Islington district. A John Anderson died June Quarter of 1915 in the Pancras area, aged 64. I am unable to trace John on the 1921 Census.
