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b.1860-d.1809
ttps://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/tree/172327691/family/familyview?cfpid=272235080660
Born in Cologne, Germany
Charles Mauer was born in Cologne Germany, 1860 his estimated year of birth.
He was the eldest child of David Mauer c1829 and Gertrude c1831 both born in Germany. I am unable to locate their marriage to give us Gertrude’s maiden name or the children’s birth records and baptisms if any.
Both parents were in the tailoring industry, settling in St Ann’s, Soho, London sometime after the birth of their youngest child Clara born 1864c in Cologne, which is where we find the family in the 1871 census.
1870s
In the 1871 Census the family are residing at 62 Dean Street, St Ann’s Soho. Westminster. David, 41, is a tailor employing one girl. Gertrude, 39, his wife, and children Charles 10, Bertha 8 and Clara 7 were all born in Germany. There are two other families at the address. Modern day google maps shows a building with 3 storeys over a shop, possibly a flat for each family. Booth’s maps in 1898-9 state that the area is fairly comfortable, its residents having good ordinary earnings. As David was employing one girl it is possible the area was comfortable in the 1870’s. Poorer immigrant workers settled in the east end of London, Mile End and Whitechapel.
1880s
We now find that the family have moved around the corner to 34 Old Compton Street, Soho, a similar type of building as Dean Street. David, 51, is a Tailor, Gertrude, 50, a Tailoress. Carl (Charles) 20, is a Tailor, Bertha 18 and Clara 17 are both Tailoresses. Sharing the building is John G Lack, a provisions dealer born in Germany, the son of a British subject, also his family and a boarder.
As Charles’ father David’s age is speculative, I believe I found a death for him, 1885 in Westminster aged 49, younger than in this story. He is ‘deceased’ on Charles’s marriage certificate of 1888.
On 23 December 1888, there were happier times as Charles ‘Carl’ married Louisa Mary Johanna Bruns at St James, Westminster. Known as Johanna, Louisa or ‘Annie’ she was a Tailoress and the daughter of Heinrich Christian Jacob Bruns, deceased. Known as Jacob he had died when Johanna was only 3 years old. Her mother was Dorothee Louise Frederichke Dunnemann, anglicised to Doris. She had remarried in 1867 a Julius Gooders.
The Witnesses were Julius Gooders, either Annie’s stepfather or her younger stepbrother. Mary Samuels was the other witness, but I am unable to identify her connection to the couple.
1890s
I am unable to find Charles and Annie in the 1891 census.
Little is known about the couple around this time and at the end of the decade in 1899, April-June quarter in Westminster, Charles’s mother Gertrude dies aged 68.
1900s – Charles’s illness brings harder times.
The 1901 census finds Charles aged 40, a tailor, and Annie, aged 36, a tailoress, living at 24 Great Windmill Street, St James. Westminster. This has multiple occupancy of 45 people. Booth’s maps state the area was mixed, some comfortable some poor.
On 17 October 1904 we find Charles and Annie being admitted to Westminster workhouse as destitute, both under the same number 3030. Annie is discharged on 26 October at her own request. There is a conflicting discharge on the same day for Charles stating he is being sent to the Sick Asylum from Westminster Union Workhouse. It is not clear when he was admitted. It may have been the same day and the decision was made to move him due to his health. The couple are also recorded in the Register of Lunatics.
Frequent stays in asylums
There continues to be some confusion with dates of admittances and discharges for Charles over the next few months. On 6 December 1904 Charles is discharged and readmitted as ill on the same day, The London England Poor Law and Board of Guardian record shows him being sent to the sick asylum. This could possibly be the London Sick Asylum, Colindale, Hendon, later to become the male TB hospital. It then states that on the 26 December 1904 he was discharged at his own request as ‘improved’.
There is another entry further down the page, which shows Charles Mauer admitted on 7 December 1904 and discharged 20 January 1905. Could this mean he was discharged from the hospital on 26 December and returned to the workhouse until 20 Jan 1905, recovered, OR at his own request?
Then there is a gap of over 3 years but on 29 December 1908 Westminster Workhouse records show that Charles and Annie were admitted again. The next day on 30 December 1908 the England London Poor Law and Board of Guardian lists both Charles and Annie under the same number 3030 as insane. Anna (Annie) is crossed out on the next line. Anna (Annie) is admitted on 1 January 1909 and discharged at her own request on 6 February 1909. I am assuming Annie is sick and not insane.
Admitted to Horton Asylum
In February 1909 the Westminster workhouse records show their residence for the past 6 years has been 22 Great Windmill Street. Then on 15 February 1909 Westminster Workhouse Portland Street transfers Charles to Horton Lunatic Asylum.
Charles was in Horton Asylum for just over 2 weeks when he died on 3 March 1909. He was buried in grave 1280b in Horton Cemetery on 10th March.
The Death Certificate transcribes as –
Cause of Death, Post-mortem certified by J R Lord. Cirrhosis of the liver, fatty degeneration of the heart and General paralysis of the insane.
Charles Mauer, 48, Tailor journeyman of 35, Brewer Street, Westminster. Death registered by Mrs Johanna Mauer, 10, Richmond Buildings, Soho.
Brewer Street is adjoining to Great Windmill Street in a comfortable area. This could be wrong information on the death certificate as the workhouse records that he was living in Great Windmill Street for 6 years prior to his admittance to the workhouse. I would assume this to be correct given that Brewer Street was a better area and Charles was not in a good health at that time and the couple are often described as destitute, so Brewer Street does not seem to fit the couple’s circumstances.
Richmond building where Annie was living at the time of Charles’s death was a mix of comfortable to poor.
What happened to Annie?
Annie went on to remarry in 1915 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Frederick John Tuck, an engineer. He can be found in the 1911 census living with others and listed as married but no wife with him. I have been unable to find a marriage for him. They married in a register office and the marriage certificate states he was a Batchelor. The couple were living next door to each other in the High Street. The witnesses were Archibald Harris of 11 Periwinkle Lane and Mrs Edith Butts of 12 Periwinkle Lane Hitchin. I cannot find any relationship with the couple so possibly they were friends. Edith lived in London before Hitchin and Periwinkle Lane is not far from the High Street.
I am unable to find the couple in the 1921 census. Frederick’s death is recorded in Hitchin in 1928.
It seems Annie had a reasonably long, and maybe good life after Charles death and I am assuming she did not contract syphilis from Charles. I found a death for Johanna Tuck in 1938 Hitchin aged 74.
