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b.1882-d.1917
1880s
James George Raine was born In Bermondsey, London in Q2 of 1882 in the registration district of St Olave. I found out later, in my research from school documents, that he was born on the 28th April 1882. James was born to Arthur and Hannah Raine nee. Schmalzlen who married in 1876.
It should be noted that Hannah is synonymous with the name Anne/Annie within this family.
According to the census of 1881, Arthur and Hannah already have two children, a son, William Arthur (4) and daughter Virtue (1). All the children have been born in the Bermondsey area of London.
Baptism
The next time I found James was his baptism. This was a joint baptism with his younger sister Anne Matilda Raine. This service takes place when James is nearly two years and six months old. It is on the 16th of September 1885 in St Augustine, Bermondsey, London.
Anne (Hannah) Matilda was born Q4-1885.
Their father Arthur is listed as an iron roofer and the family live in 27 Ambrose Street, Bermondsey. Ann Matilda Raine was born on the 26th of August 1885, this information was found on her school admissions documents.
School admission
The next significant thing to happen in James’s life is admission to school. He attends Galley Wall school in Southwark, London, registered on the 26th of September 1887.
1891 Census
Taken on Sunday the 5th of April, the Raine family is still living at 27 Ambrose Street, Bermondsey, London. Arthur senior is an iron plate worker and Arthur junior who is 15 years old, is also an iron plate worker. Also in the house are Virtue, 11 years old, Hannah who is 6 years old and James who is 9 years old. Do the family now call Ann, Hannah, or did whoever do the writing in the baptism book mishear and write Anna instead of Hannah because the year dates tie up.
Sister Virtue’s wedding
The next event in James’s life would be the wedding of his sister Virtue to Henry Rickson on the 3rd of March 1901, a month before the Census, which is explains why she is not on the 1901 Census at Ambrose Street.
1901 Census
Then we come to the Census of 1901, taken on Sunday 1st April. The Raine family still lives at 27 Ambrose Street, Bermondsey, London. By now Arthur, the head of the family, is 43 and a builder’s labourer and his wife Hannah is also 43. James is squeezed in above Henry’s name, was James a late arrival that day? We may never know. James is 18 years, and a carman and Henry is 9 years old, John is 6 years and Edith 1 year old. They also have a boarder living there. He is a Robert McClusker, a 42-year-old dock labourer.
Arthur junior does not appear on the 1901 Census. Did he move out? I don’t know for sure, I can only assume he has, after all he is now a 25-year-old working man.
Death of sister Edith
The family then suffer a bereavement in 1902. I found that Edith did not appear in the next Census of 1911, so on looking around I find a record for Edith Raine who dies aged two years in the London district of St Olave 2nd qtr 1902 1d 109.
1906
On the 24th of October 1906, James enlists into His Majesty’s Royal Navy. He enlisted as a stoker 2nd class on His Majesty’s Ship HMS Acheron. His enlistment documents have a number on the top left, SS 103974. I presume this is his personal number as in the army. He signs up for five plus seven years. This was at Chatham Dock Yard in Kent. On looking at James’s Naval documents, he has no notes of posting or courses that he would have attended, unlike all the other naval records. He has virtually a blank record apart from dates of enlistment and personal details. Was this because he used to have fits of some kind, epileptic or a different type of fit? If you look in the right-hand column of the 1911 Census it says James suffered fits from the age of 21 years. He would have been 21 in 1903. James’s father is listed as Arthur Raine living at 56 Cranham Road, South Bermondsey.
1911 Census
Then in the 1911 Census taken on Sunday the 2nd of April 1911, the authorities ask for the first time how many children have the parents had and how many are alive today. Like many Victorian families, Arthur and Hannah have ten children born, of which six have lived. The family lives at 56 Cranham Road, South Bermondsey still. James is in the house along with both his parents who are both 53 years old. Hannah 25 years old, is listed as a biscuit and cake manufacturer, Henry 19 years, John 16 years. All the men in the house work as dock labourers with the exception of James who has no employment mentioned. There are three male boarders or lodgers in the house, also dock workers. This makes nine adults living in this house which comprises six rooms in total.
Workhouse admissions
Parish Street Workhouse Bermondsey. Admitted 18th December 1912. Listed as destitute and epileptic. Until 11th March 1913.
Second admission Tanner Street Bermondsey. 2nd May 1913 until 3rd May 1913.
Third admission was into Parish Street Workhouse, Bermondsey.
From 21st June 1913 until 16th July 1913, James is taken into custody from Parish Street. Was this when he was sectioned into Long Grove? It could be.
James’s Death
I know James was admitted into Long Grove Asylum after July 1913. Then all I know after that is that he died in Long Grove Asylum on the 16th of March 1917, and he was buried in the Horton Cemetery in Hook Road, Epsom, grave number 1188a. RIP
