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b.1870-d.1917
A later review
The story for Henry Chesterman was first published by a fellow researcher AC in 2022. Her final sentence inspired me to have another look at her research, and with her blessing, I have been able to expand on her work. From her little nuggets of information, I found that when the workhouse had admitted Henry, his age was off by about ten years. After finding the one address that was recorded in the workhouse records, 15, Wedmore Street, I found Henry’s family and from there his story unfurled as follows. Hazel Ballan
Henry’s family
Henry’s parents were James Chesterman and Sarah Clarke who married in Saint Mary’s Church, Islington, on 5th December 1847. James was at that time a paper hanger by trade. James and Sarah had 12 known children:
- Louisa Maria 1848-unknown. Married Samuel Halett in 1875.
- Caroline Martha 1850-1856.
- James 1851-1916. Married Elizabeth Davey 1875. Married 2nd Thirza Brinson in 1895.
- Sarah 1853-1854.
- Charles 1855-1941. Married Martha Cabman Shave in 1880.
- Samuel 1857-1911. Married Harriet Light in 1878.
- Caroline 1859-1932. Married William Buddington in 1888.
- Henry 1860-1917.
- William 1863-1937. Married Mary Janet Garmory in 1883.
- Frances 1864-1940. Married Thomas English in 1883.
- Sarah Elizabeth 1866-1867
- Arthur Stoke 1869-1872
The family address was recorded as Prospect Place, Stoke Newington, when the 1861 Census was taken on the night of 7 April, James and his wife Sarah were both recorded as being aged 35. Their children were listed as being Louisa, James, Charles, Samuel, Caroline, and Henry. When Henry was baptised with his older sister Caroline on 6th October 1861, at St Mathias Church, Wordsworth Road, the family address was recorded as being 3 Prospect Place, Stoke Newington.
A Move to Islington
Around 1865, the family moved to 1 Laurel Cottage, John Street, St Johns Islington, where Henry’s sister Sarah Elizabeth was born and where she died. The 1871 Census recorded that Henry’s father James was then working as a ‘Gas Lighter’, and that Henry’s brother Charles was a plumber’s apprentice.
Henry was aged 12 when his youngest sibling Arthur died in 1872.
In 1881 Henry celebrated his 21st birthday, and the census that year recorded that he was working as a salesman, and was still living at home, at 15 Wedmore Street, Islington, with his parents and siblings William and Frances. This was the address noted in his future workhouse admission records that AC had found. His father was still working as a gas lighter while William was a porter and Frances a domestic servant.
Henry marries Hannah Rose
It is not known when or how Henry met his future wife Hannah Mary Ann Rose but on 24th June 1883 the couple were married in St Andrews Church in Islington. Henry had been still living at 15, Wedmore Street with his parents, and his occupation was recorded as a ‘Book Salesman’. Hannah was aged 21 and had been living at 58 Grove Road. Her father was recorded as George Henry Rose, a cabman.
On 15th October 1883, Henry was called to the Old Bailey as a witness to a robbery of three parcels of ivory and 2 1/2 cwt. of ivory, the goods of the London and St. Katherine Dock Company, while working as a warehouseman to Gay, Lamales, and Co.
www.oldbaileyonline.org/record/t18831015-930
No children have been found to be born to Henry and Hannah and when the 1891 Census was taken the couple were lodging at 40 Richard Street, Islington. Henry was recorded as being a warehouseman.
Henry Leaves for New York
In March 1892, Henry sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, aboard SS Noordland and landed in New York on 7th April 1892. Hannah was not on the passenger list but joined her husband on 26th January 1893 arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after sailing from Liverpool on SS British Prince.
Henry’s Parents Enter the Workhouse
Henry’s father, James, was aged 72 when he was admitted to the St John’s Workhouse back in Islington where he died a few days later. He was buried in Islington on 20th October 1898.
Despite Henry’s remaining siblings doing their best to look after their 74-year-old widowed mother, Sarah was admitted on 3rd January 1900 to the St John’s Road Workhouse. However, the UK 1901 census recorded that Sarah was an inmate in Holloway Prison, but I have not been able to find out why she had been moved there from the workhouse.
When she was returned to the workhouse is also unknown, but on the 1911 UK Census it was noted that she was once again an inmate there and had formerly been a needlewoman. Sarah was to remain in the St John’s Workhouse until her death on 9th March 1918, a year after her son Henry’s death in Long Grove Asylum.
Life in New York
The 1900 United States Federal Census recorded that Henry had found work as a janitor and was living with Hannah in their rented accommodation 258 9th Avenue, Manhattan, New York, USA. Henry and Hannah were recorded on the 1905 USA Federal census as still living at 258 9th Avenue, Manhattan.
Five years later, aged 50, Henry’s health had deteriorated and on 25th August 1910 he was admitted to the New York City Home for the Aged and Infirmed in Manhattan, New York. The Alm-house file [incorrectly] recorded that he was aged 46 and had been in the USA for 6 years (instead of 8) and worked as a janitor, that he could read and write, was a Catholic, and temperate in his habits.
It also recorded that his parents were James, a labourer, and Sarah in England. The cause of his admission was that he was paralysed and destitute, even though it went on record that his wife Hannah was still living at 258, 9th Avenue, New York. It was noted that Henry had previously received Public Relief from the City Hospital. He was discharged on 12th September 1911, presumably back to his home and into the care of Hannah.
Henry was again admitted to the New York City Home for the Aged and Infirmed on 29th June 1912 but with slightly different information recorded. The form stated that he was still aged 46, married, and that he had been in the USA for 18 years (instead of 10). He was still recorded as working as a janitor, but that his father James was a painter. His recorded religion had changed from Catholic to Protestant. He was discharged on 20th July 1912. Only a short while later, on 30th September 1912, Henry was admitted again for a week and discharged on 7th October 1912.
Henry was once again readmitted the next year on 17th March 1913. The Alm-house recorded this time that Henry was now a widower, but as I have been unable to find a death record for Hannah, I do wonder if she had deserted him. Henry’s stay in the Alms-house was short again, and he was discharged on 29th March 1913.
Return to England
Just how and with whom 53-year-old Henry returned to England with is unknown but ten days after being discharged from the New York City Home, he was admitted into the St John’s Road Workhouse in Islington on 8th April 1913. His mother Sarah was still there too, and I wonder if mother and son ever knew that they were in the same institution.
On his admission to the workhouse, Henry’s year of birth was incorrectly recorded as 1867, which is why AC originally had trouble in finding him. He was recorded as being a widower and his faith being Church of England. It was noted that his last address had been 15, Wedmore Street, (the address which Henry had been living at when he had married in 1883). There is no discharge record for Henry but on 30th April 1913 the register shows that Henry was admitted and discharged on the same day.
On 19th June 1915 Henry was discharged from St John’s Road Workhouse to the Highgate Hill Infirmary. Peter Higginbottom’s book ‘Workhouses of London and the South East’ states that “Highgate Hill infirmary was taken over by the St John’s Road workhouse in 1900, having previously been the Highgate Smallpox Hospital”.
When Henry was readmitted to St John’s Road Workhouse on 9th October 1915, his year of birth was again incorrectly recorded as 1869 but correctly stated that his previous occupation had been a Janitor.
Almost a year later, on 29th September 1916, Henry was discharged to Long Grove Asylum in Epsom, Surrey. He died there aged 57 on 18th March 1917, and following a post-mortem, his death certificate states that he had died from
1) Arteriosclerosis – [stiffening or hardening of artery walls, often caused by aging, high blood pressure, and plaque build-up].
2) Cerebral Thrombosis [a form of stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain’s venous sinuses].
Henry’s body was buried in grave 1178a in the Horton Estate Cemetery on 23rd March 1917.
