needlewoman Archives - Friends of Horton Cemetery

COMPTON, Emma

Roger MillerJuly 30, 2023July 31, 2023

The story of Emma Compton appeared unexceptional at the outset. However, we did uncover a few surprises during our research.

Asylum Female Burials Manor Asylum Photo

COLSON, Mary Ann

Sally NestorMarch 20, 2022May 21, 2023

The Lambeth Needlewoman

ABBOTT, Mary Winchester

The Yale graduate and published author

ABBOTT, Mary Winchester
VAHID, Henrietta

b.1873-d.1915 A story full of mysteries and unanswered questions Henrietta Vahid was buried in Horton Estate Cemetery at Epsom in Grave number 1789b on the…

VAHID, Henrietta
BURTON, Susan

She ordered extravagant luncheons both at Stafford and Northampton stations and had no money to pay for them. The delusion that she is a duchess…

BURTON, Susan
CLAYTON, Ada

Ada proved a little elusive to find at first.Thanks to the visitor book, the author then found her husband and more of her short life…

CLAYTON, Ada
YEO, Marian Elizabeth

The silver polisher

YEO, Marian Elizabeth
CLOUD, James

b.1882-d.1914 James Cloud was born on 1 June 1882 in Lambeth, then part of Surrey. His parents were William Cloud and Mary Ann (née Newman).…

CLOUD, James
JONES, Grace Ethel Primrose

b.1899-d.1918 Grace Ethel Primrose Jones was born on 19th April 1899. She was the eldest child of Frederick Albert Jones (1874 - 1927), a stationer's packer,…

JONES, Grace Ethel Primrose
GORSUCH, Joseph

b.1846 - d.1916 Joseph Francis Gorsuch was born on the 7th of May 1846 at City Road, St Luke, Shoreditch, London, England to parents William…

GORSUCH, Joseph
SULLIVAN, Agnes

b.1877 – d.1927 Intro Had it not been for the Manor address book, we would never have unravelled this story. The addresses gave us the…

SULLIVAN, Agnes
KING, Harriet

b.1836 - d.1913 Introduction: I took on this story and at first thought it might be a nice easy one to complete, but how wrong…

KING, Harriet
GILBERT, George Frederick

Died aged just 22

GILBERT, George Frederick
FRESTON, Catherine Louisa

b. 1829 - d. 1914 Intro Catherine Louisa Edward’s precise date of birth is not known but she was baptised on the 24th August 1829…

FRESTON, Catherine Louisa
COLSON, Mary Ann

The Lambeth Needlewoman

COLSON, Mary Ann
HODGES, Annie Harriet

b.1831 - d.1911 Annie Harriet Conway was born on the 16th August 1831 in Holborn, Camden, England to parents Charles Conway and Ann Thiselton, she…

HODGES, Annie Harriet
BIGFORD, Emma

b.1838 - d.1912 Early life – 1830s to 1840s Emma was born on 14th April 1838 in Paddington and lived to be nearly 74 years…

BIGFORD, Emma
HONEY, Joseph Thomas

b.1843 – d.1912 Early Life Joseph Thomas was the fifth of seven children born to Joseph Honey (1804-81) andMargery Couch (1811-66) who were both born…

HONEY, Joseph Thomas
WHITROD, Elizabeth

Coping with 6 family deaths within 4 months

WHITROD, Elizabeth
HAYCOCK, Hannah

b.1868-d.1908 Hannah’s parents and siblings Hannah Haycock was born in 1868 in Rochford, Essex to parents Thomas and Caroline (née Thompson). Hannah was the eldest…

HAYCOCK, Hannah
FELL, Sachinais Alicia

b.1873 - d.1910 When I began my research into Sachinais, very little could be found. The only records showing such a name are the records…

FELL, Sachinais Alicia
MORGAN, Alfred

Orphaned at 13

MORGAN, Alfred
DE JONG, John

b.1873-d.1912 Let us start this story at the point in time when John de Jong, a ship’s steward who had travelled extensively, exhibited signs that…

DE JONG, John
AITKEN, William

5½ weeks after he had his head cut open by being knocked down by some roughs in the street, William Aitken suffered a life of…

AITKEN, William
PEDLEY, Byron

The boisterous, Victorian star of the stage

PEDLEY, Byron
WEEKES, Esther

A mother of 10

WEEKES, Esther
WILSON, Eleanor Lydia Kate

b.1865 - d.1914 Eleanor Emily Lydia Kate Maule was born on the 11th October 1865 at Westminster, London. She was the daughter of William and…

WILSON, Eleanor Lydia Kate
CARTER, George James (James George)

Christ's brother or King of England?

CARTER, George James (James George)
BENTLEY or MACHON, Minnie

The young bookkeeper and the Silk Merchant

BENTLEY or MACHON, Minnie
CASSAN, John Sheffield

The Hollywood film star's brother.

CASSAN, John Sheffield
DODD, George

The French Polisher

DODD, George
STASZEWICZ, Felicja

How the Russian Revolution destroyed a family of Polish nobility

STASZEWICZ, Felicja
APPLETON, Caroline Sophia

b.1831-d.1911 Caroline’s parents Caroline Sophia Appleton was born Caroline Sophia Barnaschina in the 1st quarter of 1831 in Gravesend, Kent. Her parents were upholsterer Anthony…

APPLETON, Caroline Sophia
MAURISCHE, Marie Theresa

Additional difficulty of not speaking English

MAURISCHE, Marie Theresa
RIDLEY, Valentine George

b.1892-d.1916 Valentine's family Valentine’s birth was registered in the 1st Q of 1892 in Greenwich, Kent. No baptism certificate has been found to confirm his…

RIDLEY, Valentine George
DUNKINSON, Matilda

b.1878 - d.1907 Dunkinson has been spelt in a variety of ways on the sources discovered, however I believe they are transcription errors and that…

DUNKINSON, Matilda
HOWARD, Frank

b. 1876 - d. 1912 Frank’s appearance in the Lunacy Register and his hospital admission form do not record his DOB but according to the…

HOWARD, Frank
HIRONS, Matilda Lucy

b.1861-d.1909 Matilda's parents In 1858, Henry Franklin Hiron, an engineer, married Matilda Fell in Stepney. Matilda was the daughter of another engineer and plumber, Richard…

HIRONS, Matilda Lucy
JACOBI, Frank

b.1882-d.1914 Frank Jacobi was born on the 19th February 1882 at 36 Murray Buildings, Vauxhall. He was thirty two years old when he died at…

JACOBI, Frank
YOUNG, Kate

b.1862-d.1920 Kate’s parents Catherine – or Kate as she would later be known – was the seventh of the eight children born to Joseph Young…

YOUNG, Kate
WILSON, Frederick Leon

The common story of someone with epilepsy whose life was marred by a lack of understanding of the condition.

WILSON, Frederick Leon
FLETCHER, George

Was an unfortunate accident responsible for this man's epilepsy?

FLETCHER, George
GARLAND, Percy Ernest

b.1882-d.1916 Percy's parents and siblings Percy Ernest Garland was born in Blackheath, Kent in the 4th Q of 1882, the fourth of six children. No…

GARLAND, Percy Ernest
BOLTON, Thomas

b.1862 – d.1912. Thomas's family Thomas’s birth is recorded in records variously between 1859 (1891 Census) and 1862 (admission records)and no baptism has been found,…

BOLTON, Thomas
SPACKMAN, Lily Sophia

The giggling tomboy

SPACKMAN, Lily Sophia
EARING, Mary Ann

There is no hint of any mental health problems until Mary Ann enters the Asylum in 1899. He family remain attentive and visit her many…

EARING, Mary Ann
ROBERTS, Benjamin

Benjamin said he had made a harp with 1,000 strings and could play any tune and instrument! He worked as a musician.

ROBERTS, Benjamin
ROADS, Francis Elliot

Many people will not know what a coprolite merchant is. This story will make all clear.

ROADS, Francis Elliot
PENFOLD, Edward Charles

b. 1853-1908 Early Years 1850s to 1870s Edward Charles Penfold was born on 6 Nov 1853 in Holborn, Middlesex, registration district St Luke’s. His parents…

PENFOLD, Edward Charles
ALLEN, Mary Ann

b.1849-d.1913 I was unable to find Mary’s birth on the General Register Office website but her baptism certificate gives her date of birth as 3…

ALLEN, Mary Ann
BUCKERIDGE, Lily Ada

b.1873-d.1914 Lily Ada Buckeridge was born on 8th Sept 1873 in Deptford Kent. Her parents were John Thomas Buckeridge (1848 –1924) born in Newbury, Berkshire…

BUCKERIDGE, Lily Ada
FRANCIS, Amelia

The mysterious case of the Widow and the Decorator - The mystery of a lady who left home and was never seen again. Only years…

FRANCIS, Amelia