FIFTH GENERATION

Robert Edward TURNEY was born on the 9 Oct 1827, and was baptized on the 24 Aug 1828 in St. John Westminster, Middlesex^1a. He died on 15 November 1900 in St. Anne, Soho, London^1b.

His occupations have been variously recorded as :-
Servant (1841 Census)
Porter (1851 Census)
Tailor's Shopman (1861 Census)
Tailor's Cutter (Daughter Louisa's Birth Certificate 1869, wife's Death Certificate 1878)
Assistant to Tailor (1871 Census)
Tailor's Trimmer (1881 & 1891 Census, Death Certificate 1900)
Tailor (Marriage Certificates 1850 & 1881)

Recorded addresses :-
Wilton St, Westminster St John (1841 Census - with parents)
74 Regent St, Westminster St James (1851 Census)
38 Wilton St, Westminster St John (Marriage Certificate 1850 & 1861 Census)
15 York St, Battersea (1865 - address of wife as informant on mother-in-law Anna Spitty (nee Slater) death certificate)
101 Princes Rd, Lambeth (1869 Daughter Louisa's Birth Certificate)
20 Thomas St, Lambeth (1871 Census)
82 Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth (1877 sons Alfred & James - Admission register St Mary the Less School, Lambeth)
99 Elsted St (1881 Census & Marriage Certificate 1881)
13 Compton St, St. Anne Soho (1891 Census)
4 St. Annes Court, Soho, London (1900 - Death Certificate)

He was married to Elizabeth Mary Malt SPITTY on 6 Mar 1850 in St. John, Westminster³.

After the death of his first wife Elizabeth, Robert married Emily Constance GREGORY on the 11 July 1881 in Newington, London⁴. She was a 25 years old seamstress and the widow of George Budden GREGORY (married 26 May 1874 St. Giles Cripplegate, London) with 3 children Nellie (1875), George (1877) & Sydney (1878). In the 1891 census Emily stated that she was 36 (born ca. 1855) and born in Doctor's Common. On her marriage certificate to Robert she named her father as Joseph DEWIS deceased, occupation Designer. After Robert's death it appears Emily reverted to her previous married name of Gregory, as this is how she is recorded in the 1901 & 1911 censuses. What this means is unknown, was the 2nd marriage an unhappy one?

His 1st wife Elizabeth Mary Malt SPITTY was born on the 21 Apr 1826^1c and was baptised on the 10 Sep 1826 at St. Margaret Westminster^1c. She died on 8 April 1878 in Lambeth, Surrey².

Her occupation was recorded as :-
National School Mistress (Marriage Certificate 1850)

Recorded addresses :-
Wilton St, Westminster St John (1841 Census - with parents)
74 Regent St, Westminster St James (1851 Census)
38 Wilton St, Westminster St John (Marriage Certificate 1850 & 1861 Census)
15 York St, Battersea (1865 - address of on mother's death certificate as informant)
101 Princes Rd, Lambeth (1869 - Daughter Louisa's Birth Certificate)
82 Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, London (Death Certicate 1878)

Elizabeth's death certificate incorrectly records her husband's name as Robert William instead of the correct Robert Edward. As Elizabeth's set of Christian names "Elizabeth Mary Malt" is distinctive there is no doubt that Robert Edward is her husband's correct name as elsewhere recorded eg. marriage certificate etc.
Children were:

i. Elizabeth TURNEY was born in 1851 in Westminster St James, London. She married Reuben McKay, a Poulterer in 1871.
ii. Robert TURNEY was born in 1853 in Westminster St. John, London. He was an India Rubber Worker.
iii. Ellen (Eleanor?) TURNEY was born about 1855. It is probable that the Eleanor in the 1861 census is in fact Ellen.
iv. Emma TURNEY was born in 1858. She married William (Bill) Henry McKay in 1882.
v. Ann TURNEY was born about 1861 in Lambeth, Surrey.
vi. James TURNEY was born in 1864 in Battersea, Surrey.
vii. Alfred E TURNEY was born in 1867 in Battersea, Surrey.
viii. Louisa TURNEY was born on 24 Jun 1869 in Lambeth, Surrey⁵. She died on 20 Aug 1928 in Newington, London. She was buried on 23 Aug 1928 in Nunhead Cemetery.
ix. Alice TURNEY was born in 1872 in Kennington, Surrey.
x. William TURNEY was born 1855 ??.
There is a William registered 1855 at Westminster in the Birth records (Certificate not obtained as yet). Family lore has a William in the family, however none has been found in the censuses to date. But in the 1881 census there is a William Tierney age 26 in a boarding house and one of the other lodgers is a Benjn Culverwell, and William's sister Ellen married a Henry Culverwell. If William was born in 1855 then there is the question of why he is missing from the family group in the 1861 census?

Sources :-
1a. Parish Register of St. John Westminster.
1b. Robert's Death Certificate - 1900, Dec Q, Westminster, 1a-345
1c. Parish Register of St. Margaret Westminster.
2. Elizabeth's Death Certificate - 1878, Jun Q, Lambeth, 1d-259
3. 1st Marriage Certificate (Robert & Elizabeth) - 1850, Mar Q, Westminster, 1-350
4. 2nd Marriage Certificate (Robert & Emily) - 1881, Sep Q, St. Saviour, 1d-10
5. Louisa's Birth Certificate - 1869, Sep Q, Lambeth, 1d-340
6. Census returns :-
      1841 - HO107/737/2/f.4/p.2 (same for both Robert & Elizabeth)
      1851 - HO107/1484/f.91/p.22
      1861 - RG9/47/f.68/p.39
      1871 - RG10/676/f.109/p.44
      1881 - RG11/549/f.21/p.35
      1891 - RG12/88/f.26/p.5

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