1 0
Read Time:7 Minute, 41 Second

b.1834-d.1917

Introduction 

Emma Dassiter died at Long Grove Asylum on 28 January 1917 aged 83 having been admitted to Long Grove Asylum on 7 August 1907.  She is buried in Plot 1404b.

I thought with a name like Dassiter it would be fairly easy to trace her through the records.  However, I have come across multiple spellings of her surname.  Furthermore, the lack of case notes for her time at Long Grove contributed to the difficulty in identifying her in birth and census records.

The only confirmed information we have is taken from the UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1921; the London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1921; the 1911 census and her death certificate.  Pending further information coming to light, I believe the individual described below to be the correct Emma.

At the time of the 1911 census, Emma was a patient at Long Grove Asylum – the entry states that she was born in Kensington, London circa 1834, is single and gives her occupation as ‘nurse’.  Based on this information, the most likely match in the baptism records is for an Emma Louisa Dossiter baptised on 11th April 1838 (with a birth date of 19 March 1838) at St. George, Bloomsbury.  Her parents were Thomas & Emma Dossiter (née Mosson) and her father was a ‘plumber’.  The family’s address was Cheney Street, St. George, Bloomsbury.

Image below: baptism entry taken from London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1923 (Ancestry)

A close-up of a note

Description automatically generated

Early Life (1841, 1851, and 1861 Censuses)

In 1841, Emma is 3 years old and living in Goodge Street, St. Pancras with her parents Thomas & Emma and siblings Joseph (15), Eliza (13), Thomas (11), William (9) and Martha (1).  Her father’s occupation is ‘plumber’.

In 1851, Emma is 13 years old and living at 17 Francis Street, St. Pancras with her parents and younger siblings James (9) and Mary Ann (5); her place of birth is given as St. Pancras.  

Three years later on 22nd June 1854, Emma’s father died from Phthisis (TB). He was just 52 years old. Source: UK, Post Mortem Examinations and Case Books, 1840-1920, Ancestry

The 1861 census finds Emma, aged 23, living with her widowed mother, Emma, in Drake Street, Holborn; they have a 1-month old visitor, George?Wallow?.  There is no occupation given for Emma but her mother is described as a ‘nurse’ so she was probably caring for the 1 month old baby.  Emma and her mother are sharing the house in Drake Street with 30 other people, a sign of the conditions that the working classes experienced during this period.

The 1870s

On the 1871 census, we find Emma L. Dosseter aged 32, born Bloomsbury, living at 34 Bartholomew Road, St. Pancras/Kentish Town and working as a ‘general domestic servant’ for the BOYLE family who have six children under the age of 7.  Perhaps Emma was now working as a nurse and helping the mother care for them?  

Five years later, on 17th May 1876, Emma gave birth illegitimately to a son, John Henry, in Clerkenwell workhouse (Farringdon Road). She gives her address as 1a Vernon Street, Clerkenwell (today’s Vernon Rise, off Percy Circus). I have been unable to locate Emma’s admission but a few weeks after giving birth, Emma is admitted (on 3rd June) to the City Road Workhouse (from Farringdon Road Workhouse); her son is admitted on the 7th.   The following month, on 3rd July, they are both discharged. I wonder where they went or how Emma was able to provide for herself and her baby? 

Source (Vernon Street): https://bevincourt.wordpress.com/2015/07/20/percy-circus/ 

Image below shows Emma and her son being admitted to City Road Workhouse in June 1876:

Source: The London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1921 (Ancestry)

Unfortunately, I can find no further trace of John Henry in census, marriage or death records.  There is a possible reference on the 1881 Census: a John Henry Fossett, aged 6, an inmate at the Holborn Union Industrial School in Mitcham but as the surname doesn’t match, I have discounted it until further evidence comes to light.

Potential Marriage?

Just a year later, on 5th June 1877, Emma Louisa married George Moses BROWN at St. George, Bloomsbury.  George is 32 years old (born c1845), a widower, and working as an ‘assurance agent’.  He gives his address as Gt. Baddow, Essex and his father’s name as James Brown, deceased.  One of the witnesses was Emma Dossetter, probably Emma’s mother.  I have been unable to find any further trace of George in the census records.  

There is a possible first marriage for George though: a George Moses Brown married Elizabeth Cooper in Birmingham on 15 Aug. 1870.  George gives his occupation as ‘Evangelist’ but again I cannot locate any further information on him or his wife. 

Source: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/4994/images/40458_316888-00413?pId=3067014

I believe I have found the correct Emma even though there is no mention of her being married in the confirmed records (i.e. UK Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1921, the London Workhouse Admission & Discharge Registers, the 1911 census and her death certificate).  Perhaps the marriage didn’t last long or he abandoned her? Perhaps George even married her bigamously?  This is a very puzzling situation and I will continue to look for more information.

Not long after Emma’s marriage, we find her mother being admitted to the Stepney (Bromley House) Workhouse on 27th September 1878 from Poplar Union.  She’s described as a nurse and the widow of Thomas Dosseter; she was discharged a week later on 4 October 1878 from Bromley House.

Source: The London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1921

Census records for 1881, 1891 and 1901

In 1881, there is an Emma Dossiter (with incorrect age of 24) living in Goswell Road, St. Luke Old Street (Finsbury) and working as a ‘domestic servant’ to the GIDNEY family.  On the same census, her widowed mother, now 76 years old, is lodging at 43 Gloucester Street, Finsbury with the KITCHEN family and is a ‘nurse’.  Goswell Road and Gloucester Street are less than a 10 minute  walk from each other.  

Sadly, Emma senior died five years later in 1886.

Unfortunately, the 1891 and 1901 census provides little additional information on Emma’s life.  The 1891 Census finds Emma at 51 Wick Road, Hackney living with the POTTS family who have 3 young children under the age of 6.  Emma is described as 56 years old, single, born St. Pancras and a sick nurse.  

Ten years later, on the 1901 Census, Emma is living at 13 Brunswick Street, Hackney with the GREEN family and their 3 children.  She’s 64 years old and again she’s single, but says she’s born in Hackney. There’s no occupation given for her, but perhaps she’s still working as a nurse.  

Back to the Workhouse

On 28th June 1904, Emma (Dassiter) was admitted to St. Pancras Workhouse, Camden.  She is described as 66 years old, married and a ‘cook’.  Her address is 44 Compton Street, Islington.  She is discharged on Saturday, 24th September 1904 to Islington Workhouse in St John’s Road.

Just over two years later, on 10th December 1906, Emma is admitted to Islington Workhouse, aged 70 and described as ‘not able bodied’’ – she is discharged from St John’s Road Workhouse to Hoxton House Infirmary.

On Thursday 3rd January 1907, Emma is again admitted to St. John’s Road Workhouse; her last address is given as 40 Clayton Road, Islington, her occupation is ‘cook’.  She was discharged at her own request on 17 July 1907.  She was readmitted, though, the following day, 18th July, but she is discharged at her own request from Sidney Road Workhouse, Hackney on Monday, 22 July 1907.

Admission to Long Grove

Emma was admitted to Long Grove on 7 August 1907.  As her case notes have not been found we don’t know what caused her admittance.  At this point, she would have been in her late 60s – was she perhaps suffering from dementia? I have been unable to find any record or history of illness in earlier records.

A close up of a piece of paper

Description automatically generated

The 1911 Census describes Emma as a patient at Long Grove, aged 77, previously a ‘nurse’, born Kensington.

Emma died almost 10 years later, on 28 January 1917 aged 83 from pulmonary tuberculosis and vascular heart disease; something she had suffered from for four years.  Her death certificate describes her as a spinster, having worked as a nurse and that her previous home had been Swinnerton Street, Hackney.  I wish I could have discovered what happened to her son and husband.  I will keep looking and hope something will come to light in the future.

A document with writing on it

Description automatically generated
Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %
Previous post BRADY, James Ernest Quinland
Next post HOLDEN, Henry William