The STORIES

Friends of Horton Cemetery The Burials

Our Volunteers and the Stories they write.

The following stories have been written by our volunteer researchers who are all amateurs, united by a deep-rooted passion to preserve the memory of those buried in Horton Cemetery.

Once written, the researchers often return to stories at a later date when further information is unearthed. Occasionally, the researchers find case notes and photographs in the local archives and these details are woven into the stories. Sometimes, family members have come forward to add detail to the stories.

If you believe that any of the following might be someone significant in your family history, please do not hesitate to contact us.

  • PFAFFENBACH, Augustus
    PFAFFENBACH, Augustus
    The German Tailor who came to London
  • BRYANT, Percy Henry
    BRYANT, Percy Henry
    b.1890-d.1914 Percy’s family and early life Percy was born, the eldest of seven children, on 2nd December 1890 and baptised on 22nd February at St…
  • GORSUCH, Joseph
    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…
  • SEARS, Emma
    SEARS, Emma
    b.1865-d.1914 Known Facts Emma Sears died at the age of about 49 whilst a patient at Manor Asylum, Epsom, Surrey. Her alleged age suggested a…
  • MAURISCHE, Marie Theresa
    MAURISCHE, Marie Theresa
    Additional difficulty of not speaking English
  • THREDGILL, Lavinia pply. Nevilla Elizabeth
    THREDGILL, Lavinia pply. Nevilla Elizabeth
    b.1858-d.1911 Note: The unusual name has several different spellings throughout the archived documents. Lavinia pply. Nevilla Elizabeth Thredgill is the name on the burial record.…
  • CUTHBERT, Thomasine
    CUTHBERT, Thomasine
    b.1845 - d.1915 Throughout her life, the names of Thomasine, Thomasina, and Thomasinie have been used. Thomasina Bridie was born ~1845 in Anstruther-Easter, Fife, Scotland,…
  • BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie
    BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie
    b.1844-d.1914 Agnes Bessie Corke was born in the 4th Quarter of 1844 in the Registration District of Camberwell, London, although her actual birth place was…
  • PELHAM, George
    PELHAM, George
    Survivor of The Titanic
  • HODGES, Annie Harriet
    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…
  • TIDYMAN, Samuel
    TIDYMAN, Samuel
    Escaped childhood murder!
  • COLSON, Mary Ann
    COLSON, Mary Ann
    The Lambeth Needlewoman
  • WOOD, Mary Ann
    WOOD, Mary Ann
    b.1837 - d.1911 Mary Ann Wood neé Pearce was born abt.1836 in Hackney, Middlesex, England. Her birth is too early to locate on the GRO…
  • BURTON, Susan
    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…
  • VAHID, Henrietta
    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…
  • GILBERT, George Frederick
    GILBERT, George Frederick
    Died aged just 22
  • FAY, Tottie
    FAY, Tottie
    The Worst and Wickedest Woman in London
  • HIRONS, Matilda Lucy
    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…
  • KROMBACH, Edward
    KROMBACH, Edward
    b. 1874-d.1912 On the 1911 Census form our subject signed his name Edward Krombach. However, during his lifetime his name appeared on documents variously as…
  • YOUNG, Kate
    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…
  • ENDERSON, Gertrude
    ENDERSON, Gertrude
    b.1863-d.1918 Uncertain origins This lady’s birth is uncertain. Searching the registrations of birth I was unable to find a Gertrude Enderson born within two years…
  • HONEY, Joseph Thomas
    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…
  • HAMILTON, Sarah Lloyd
    HAMILTON, Sarah Lloyd
    b.1846-d.1930 Sarah’s story was brought to us by her family and they are happy for it to go on our website. They kindly provided the…
  • STREET, John
    STREET, John
    It is not clear why John entered Manor hospital. His family were interesting. John's brother George, a builder, left £6m in his will. His son…
  • KOEKKOEK, Hendrick B.
    KOEKKOEK, Hendrick B.
    A famous Dutch artist from a famous artistic family; yet missing from the historical records. Why did this son end up at the Asylum?
  • COPELAND, Mary Ann (née Myring)
    COPELAND, Mary Ann (née Myring)
    b.1845-d.1915 Mary Ann’s parents Mary Ann Myring’s birth is registered in the 4th quarter of 1845 in Sapcote which is a small town around 12…
  • BAILEY, Kate
    BAILEY, Kate
    b.1882-d.1914 Kate Bailey née Cheer was born in 1882 in Abingdon, Berkshire to a farming family. Unfortunately, there is little cheer in this family’s story,…
  • WILSON, Frederick Leon
    WILSON, Frederick Leon
    The common story of someone with epilepsy whose life was marred by a lack of understanding of the condition.
  • ROADS, Francis Elliot
    ROADS, Francis Elliot
    Many people will not know what a coprolite merchant is. This story will make all clear.
  • BELLAMY, Louisa
    BELLAMY, Louisa
    Lost her twin brother, aged 4
  • KILMINSTER, George Thomas
    KILMINSTER, George Thomas
    The Kensington Plumber
  • JONES, Grace Ethel Primrose
    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,…
  • LEWIS, James
    LEWIS, James
    b.1859-d.1912 James's parents and siblings James was born on 30 September 1859 in the Camden Union workhouse and at his baptism on 19 Oct 1859…
  • WILSON, Eleanor Lydia Kate
    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…
  • HAYCOCK, Hannah
    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…
  • FRESTON, Catherine Louisa
    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…
  • MASSEY, Harriet
    MASSEY, Harriet
    b.1832-d.1907 Death I have had to start at the end of Harriet Massey's life and try to work backwards in order to tell her story. …
  • CARR, Arthur
    CARR, Arthur
    b. 1874 - d. 1915 Arthur Henry Carr, a twin, was born on the 14th of July 1874 at 10.30 am in Mile End Old…
  • FELL, Sachinais Alicia
    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…
  • FRANCIS, Amelia
    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…
  • CORBETT, John Francis
    CORBETT, John Francis
    b.1858-d.1908 This story is probably typical of the majority of unfortunate people who passed through the asylum system during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. John…
  • BOLTON, Thomas
    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,…
  • ABBOTT, Mary Winchester
    ABBOTT, Mary Winchester
    The Yale graduate and published author
  • EVANS, Ida Ellen
    EVANS, Ida Ellen
    b. 1876 - d. 1913 1870s Born Ida Ellen Jacobs, Ida's birth was registered in the 1st Quarter of 1876 in the Registration District of…
  • TRIGGS, George
    TRIGGS, George
    The Railway Porter
  • GARLAND, Percy Ernest
    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…
  • WATERER, Richard James
    WATERER, Richard James
    A 20ft fall led to strange behaviour
  • KING, Harriet
    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…
  • COPPING, Ada
    COPPING, Ada
    An epileptic since birth
  • CORKE, Henrietta
    CORKE, Henrietta
    The author says, "This has been such an interesting case to try to unravel and kept a couple of us up to the early hours…
  • PFAFFENBACH, Augustus
    PFAFFENBACH, Augustus
    The German Tailor who came to London
  • BRYANT, Percy Henry
    BRYANT, Percy Henry
    b.1890-d.1914 Percy’s family and early life Percy was born, the eldest of seven children, on 2nd December 1890 and baptised on 22nd February at St…
  • GORSUCH, Joseph
    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…
  • SEARS, Emma
    SEARS, Emma
    b.1865-d.1914 Known Facts Emma Sears died at the age of about 49 whilst a patient at Manor Asylum, Epsom, Surrey. Her alleged age suggested a…
  • MAURISCHE, Marie Theresa
    MAURISCHE, Marie Theresa
    Additional difficulty of not speaking English
  • THREDGILL, Lavinia pply. Nevilla Elizabeth
    THREDGILL, Lavinia pply. Nevilla Elizabeth
    b.1858-d.1911 Note: The unusual name has several different spellings throughout the archived documents. Lavinia pply. Nevilla Elizabeth Thredgill is the name on the burial record.…
  • CUTHBERT, Thomasine
    CUTHBERT, Thomasine
    b.1845 - d.1915 Throughout her life, the names of Thomasine, Thomasina, and Thomasinie have been used. Thomasina Bridie was born ~1845 in Anstruther-Easter, Fife, Scotland,…
  • BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie
    BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie
    b.1844-d.1914 Agnes Bessie Corke was born in the 4th Quarter of 1844 in the Registration District of Camberwell, London, although her actual birth place was…
  • PELHAM, George
    PELHAM, George
    Survivor of The Titanic
  • HODGES, Annie Harriet
    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…
  • TIDYMAN, Samuel
    TIDYMAN, Samuel
    Escaped childhood murder!
  • COLSON, Mary Ann
    COLSON, Mary Ann
    The Lambeth Needlewoman
  • WOOD, Mary Ann
    WOOD, Mary Ann
    b.1837 - d.1911 Mary Ann Wood neé Pearce was born abt.1836 in Hackney, Middlesex, England. Her birth is too early to locate on the GRO…
  • BURTON, Susan
    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…
  • VAHID, Henrietta
    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…
  • GILBERT, George Frederick
    GILBERT, George Frederick
    Died aged just 22
  • FAY, Tottie
    FAY, Tottie
    The Worst and Wickedest Woman in London
  • HIRONS, Matilda Lucy
    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…
  • KROMBACH, Edward
    KROMBACH, Edward
    b. 1874-d.1912 On the 1911 Census form our subject signed his name Edward Krombach. However, during his lifetime his name appeared on documents variously as…
  • YOUNG, Kate
    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…
  • ENDERSON, Gertrude
    ENDERSON, Gertrude
    b.1863-d.1918 Uncertain origins This lady’s birth is uncertain. Searching the registrations of birth I was unable to find a Gertrude Enderson born within two years…
  • HONEY, Joseph Thomas
    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…
  • HAMILTON, Sarah Lloyd
    HAMILTON, Sarah Lloyd
    b.1846-d.1930 Sarah’s story was brought to us by her family and they are happy for it to go on our website. They kindly provided the…
  • STREET, John
    STREET, John
    It is not clear why John entered Manor hospital. His family were interesting. John's brother George, a builder, left £6m in his will. His son…
  • KOEKKOEK, Hendrick B.
    KOEKKOEK, Hendrick B.
    A famous Dutch artist from a famous artistic family; yet missing from the historical records. Why did this son end up at the Asylum?
  • COPELAND, Mary Ann (née Myring)
    COPELAND, Mary Ann (née Myring)
    b.1845-d.1915 Mary Ann’s parents Mary Ann Myring’s birth is registered in the 4th quarter of 1845 in Sapcote which is a small town around 12…
  • BAILEY, Kate
    BAILEY, Kate
    b.1882-d.1914 Kate Bailey née Cheer was born in 1882 in Abingdon, Berkshire to a farming family. Unfortunately, there is little cheer in this family’s story,…
  • WILSON, Frederick Leon
    WILSON, Frederick Leon
    The common story of someone with epilepsy whose life was marred by a lack of understanding of the condition.
  • ROADS, Francis Elliot
    ROADS, Francis Elliot
    Many people will not know what a coprolite merchant is. This story will make all clear.
  • BELLAMY, Louisa
    BELLAMY, Louisa
    Lost her twin brother, aged 4
  • KILMINSTER, George Thomas
    KILMINSTER, George Thomas
    The Kensington Plumber
  • JONES, Grace Ethel Primrose
    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,…
  • LEWIS, James
    LEWIS, James
    b.1859-d.1912 James's parents and siblings James was born on 30 September 1859 in the Camden Union workhouse and at his baptism on 19 Oct 1859…
  • WILSON, Eleanor Lydia Kate
    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…
  • HAYCOCK, Hannah
    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…
  • FRESTON, Catherine Louisa
    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…
  • MASSEY, Harriet
    MASSEY, Harriet
    b.1832-d.1907 Death I have had to start at the end of Harriet Massey's life and try to work backwards in order to tell her story. …
  • CARR, Arthur
    CARR, Arthur
    b. 1874 - d. 1915 Arthur Henry Carr, a twin, was born on the 14th of July 1874 at 10.30 am in Mile End Old…
  • FELL, Sachinais Alicia
    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…
  • FRANCIS, Amelia
    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…
  • CORBETT, John Francis
    CORBETT, John Francis
    b.1858-d.1908 This story is probably typical of the majority of unfortunate people who passed through the asylum system during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. John…
  • BOLTON, Thomas
    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,…
  • ABBOTT, Mary Winchester
    ABBOTT, Mary Winchester
    The Yale graduate and published author
  • EVANS, Ida Ellen
    EVANS, Ida Ellen
    b. 1876 - d. 1913 1870s Born Ida Ellen Jacobs, Ida's birth was registered in the 1st Quarter of 1876 in the Registration District of…
  • TRIGGS, George
    TRIGGS, George
    The Railway Porter
  • GARLAND, Percy Ernest
    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…
  • WATERER, Richard James
    WATERER, Richard James
    A 20ft fall led to strange behaviour
  • KING, Harriet
    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…
  • COPPING, Ada
    COPPING, Ada
    An epileptic since birth
  • CORKE, Henrietta
    CORKE, Henrietta
    The author says, "This has been such an interesting case to try to unravel and kept a couple of us up to the early hours…

In total, there are about 9000 stories to be written.