Finding Fanny's Family - a Jewish Jigsaw

As we work back through time in our family trees, the availability of “direct” evidence (i.e. sources which directly state the answer to a research question) reduces and we must pull together all the indirect evidence we can find to build a picture of the ancestor being researched (like putting a jigsaw together without knowing the final picture). This problem often depends on the nationality or social group of an ancestor, as different countries or different religions and sects within religions kept different types of record for different life events with differing levels of detail and varying levels of survival. This is particularly so for a Jewish ancestress who married “out of the faith” and was born before registration, such as my 3xgreat-grandmother, Fanny/Frances Common nee Isaacs. Is there any way of working out who her parents were and if she had any siblings? I’ve been fortunate in being able to find a lot of indirect evidence out of which I was able to build a picture of the family Fanny came from.

The Birth Certificate of my great-great-grandfather Henry John Common indicates he was born on 4 May 1844 at 55 Rosemary Lane, Whitechapel to Henry Common and Frances née Isaacks.¹ Further research found that the marriage for Henry Common and Fanny Isaacs took place at St Leonard’s Church Shoreditch on 4 Sep 1843.² Fanny is stated to be of full age, resident in New Inn Yard and the daughter of Hyam Isaacs. The witnesses were Samuel Bailey and Sophia Isaacs. Given the shared surname, Sophia is a possible relative of Fanny’s particularly as Henry and Fanny later named one of their daughters Sophia.

I was unable to find a Fanny or Frances Isaacs in the 1841 census, but Henry and Frances Common appear in the 1851 census living in 3 Mary Street, St George in the East.³ Despite being born only 8 months after the marriage, Henry John is not the oldest child in the 1851 family having an older brother, Simon Robert, age twelve and thus born about 1839. From this I was able to find an 1841 entry for “Francis” Common age 20+ and her son Robert Common, age 18 months.⁴ I was unable to find an entry in the 1841 England and Wales census for Henry Common. Birth registrations and baptisms were found for both Simon Robert and Henry John confirming their relationship to Henry Common and Fanny Isaacs.^1,5,6,7 I was also unable to find an entry in the 1841 census for Hyam Isaacs.

1. First step towards a family group for Fanny

In 2009-10 Ancestry released the London Metropolitan Archives holdings of Church of England parish registers. In the “Marriages and Banns 1754-1938” data set you are able to search for a father’s name. Just on the off chance (after all “Fanny Isaacs” is a rather Jewish name and she might have been the only one of her family to marry “out of the faith”) I ran a search for “Hyam Isaacs” as father of a party and this threw up four matches in addition to Fanny’s marriage:⁸

• 7 Aug 1843 at Christchurch Spitalfields, Betsey Isaacs daughter of Hyam Isaacs married Charles Stephens. The witnesses were Henry Common and Sophia Isaacs
• 8 Dec 1843 at Christchurch Spitalfields, Rosetta Isaacs daughter of Hyam Isaacs married Thomas Watling. The Witnesses were Charles Stephens and Elizabeth Stephens
• 26 Nov 1849 at St John at Hackney, James Isaacs son of Hyam Isaacs married Sarah Gable. The witnesses were John Pogson and Matilda Pogson
• 25 Jul 1862 at St George in the East Church, Elizabeth Stevens, widow age 37, daughter of Hyam Isaacs married Edward Martyn. The witnesses were Petter Halverson and Frances Common

So Sophia Isaacs witnessed the marriages of Betsey and Fanny Isaacs, Fanny’s (at that time de-facto) husband, Henry Common being the other witness of Betsey’s marriage. The recently married Charles and Elizabeth (AKA Betsey) Stephens then witnessed the marriage of Rosetta Isaacs and, after the death of Charles Stephens, Frances (AKA Fanny) Common nee Isaacs witnessed the second marriage of Elizabeth (AKA Betsey) Stephens nee Isaacs. The inference to be drawn from this “cross-witnessing” is that Fanny, Betsey, Rosetta and Sophia Isaacs were closely related in some way, possibly sisters (though we have no evidence as to the name of Sophia’s father). James is another possible sibling, though not tied to the other offspring of Hyam Isaacs by witnesses.

When the same search was performed on parish registers from the City of Westminster Archives (added to the Ancestry site in 2020) a marriage for Henry Isaacs son of Hyam Isaacs to Ann Elizabeth Peach on 21 Mar 1859 at St Anne Soho was found, the witnesses being Henry Common and Frances Common nee Isaacs.⁹ Thus we have another possible sibling for Fanny.

2. Family group with siblings inferred from Church of England marriage records

Further support for the connections above comes from the marriage entry of Fanny’s daughter, Sophia Common, to Conrad Hoffman 24 Feb 1867 at St Leonard Shoreditch, the witnesses being Henry Isaacs and Frances Common.⁸

Leaving aside James Isaacs for the moment, we have a group of people of surname Isaacs who, together with their spouses, are witnessing each others’ marriages. All but one of these Isaacses are stated to be offspring of Hyam Isaacs. The odd one out is Sophia Isaacs. However there is an earlier pre-1837 marriage for Henry Isaacs, also celebrated at St Anne Soho, on 23 Mar 1835 to a Sophia Maishman.⁸ Henry and Sophia then appear together in both the 1841 and 1851 censuses (Henry aged 25+ in 1841 and 38 in 1851).^4,3 This is probably the Sophia Isaacs who witnessed the marriages and she is thus an Isaacs by marriage rather than by birth. (Incidentally Charles and Elizabeth Stevens are living in the same house as Henry and Frances Common in 1851.³)

Fitting this small group of puzzle pieces together we have 4 potential siblings, offspring of Hyam Isaacs (Henry, Fanny, Betsey & Rosetta) plus one probable (James) giving us more lines of research for finding information on Hyam Isaacs.

3. Using Church of England marriages to put Sophia in the right place

Searching the 1841 census for a Betsey and a Rosetta appearing in the same family leads us to the entry for Hyam Issaacs [sic] age 70+ (indexed as Hyam Josaus by Ancestry).⁴ The household includes Catherine age 50+, Betsy age 18, Rosa age 16, Isaac age 16 and Elizabeth age 8. This is almost certainly the family of the parents of Fanny Isaacs. Catherine (age 63) appears living on her own in the 1851 census, Hyam having died on 21 Jul 1849, at Russell Court, Blue Anchor Place, Whitechapel.^3,10 The informant for the death of Hyam was Zuss Isaacs of Spitalfields. We know that Betsy and Rosa had married by 1851, but what happened to Isaac and Elizabeth? Elizabeth is possibly the Elizabeth (age 16) residing with Zuice Isaacs (age 36, = Zuss) and his family, though she is listed as Zuice’s daughter.³ She does not appear with Syes (age 25+, =Zuss) Isaacs and his family in 1841 and is probably too old to be the daughter of Zuss’s wife (Louisa/Rachel, age 34 in 1851).^4,3 Isaac is the right age to be equated with the James son of Hyam Isaacs who married Sarah Gable (age 25 in the 1851 census, c.f. 16 in 1841).^3,4 We now have a potental set of seven siblings: Henry (c. 1812), Zuss/Zuice/Syes (c. 1815), Fanny/Frances (c. 1820), Betsy/Elizabeth (c. 1823), Rosa/Rosetta (c. 1825), Isaac/James (c. 1826) & Elizabeth (c. 1833).

4. After finding the 1841 census entry and death certificate for Hyam

At this point I would have been stuck but for the work of enthusiastic Jewish Genealogists who transliterated and published some of the records of the London Synagogues. From the marriage records of the Great Synagogue came the following two entries:¹¹

• GSM 49b/13 1799 14 July: Isaacs, Hyman s. of Isaac Galaga & Hart Fanny Frumat d. of Hirtz
• GSM 102/49 1806 20 Aug: Isaacs, Hyam: Son-in-law of a Privileged Member: Moshe Chaim; s. of Isaac Pressburg & Levy, Catherine: Daughter of a Privileged Member: Trynla d. of Leib S.G.L.

The second, 1806, marriage could easily be the parents of Fanny and the siblings listed above.

In the marriage records transliterated from the Hambro Synagogue records were the following three entries for people whose father was Hyam Isaacs:¹²

• HSM138 (15 Aug 1827): Myer [Meir] Myers, son of Hyam b. Mordecai of Gravel Lane, Houndsditch = Sarah [Sarah] Isaacs daughter of Mr Hyam Isaacs
• HSM255 (4 Dec 1836): Michael [Yechiel k/a Michael] Isaacs, son of Hayim Isaacs of Rosemary Lane = Leah [Leah] Myers, daughter of Mr Jacob Myers
• HSM257 (30 Mar 1837): Zose [Eleazer Zesman] Isaacs, son of Mr Hayim Isaacs of Rosemary Lane = Rachel [Rachel] Abrahams, daughter of Abraham our father

The last of these can be identified with Zuss/Zuice/Syes who registered the death of Hyam and “adopted” Elizabeth, the probable youngest child of Hyam and Catherine. Michael, whose father was also “of Rosemary Lane”, can be tracked through the censuses and is too old (born c. 1801) to be a child of Hyam and Catherine, but could be a child of Hyam and Fanny Hart.^4,3 By the time of the 1841 and 1851 censuses Sarah Myers née Isaacs had apparently died and Myer Myers had remarried, though three of his children predate his second marriage and must be the children of Sarah.^4,3 We do not have enough data to determine an approximate date of birth for Sarah and must just leave her as a probable child of our Hyam Isaacs.

5. After finding information in some published transliterations of Jewish Records

As these and further transliterations are gradually made available on the internet, I’ve been able to find a few more events, in particular the following curcumcision records:¹³

• 10 May 1809: Samuel (Samuel) Isaacs, son of (Hiam) of Rosemary Lane
• 28 Dec 1810: Henry H (Zvi Hirsh) Isaacs, son of (Hiam) of Ratcliffe Highway
• 21 Nov 1815: Jacob (Jacob) Isaacs, son of Hyam (Hiam) of Rosemary Lane

This Henry can be equated to our Henry who eventually migrated to the USA and who at times uses the middle name “Hyam” (Ratcliffe Highway is not far from Rosemary Lane). In addition to the relationship to “Hiam” of Rosemary Lane, I have also found and purchased the marriage certificates for Samuel (son of Hyam Isaacs to Hannah Lyon, 8 Aug 1838) and a John Isaacs (son of Hyam Isaacs to Mary Solomon, 10 Dec 1837).^14,15 John’s ages in the censuses are variable but it is not out of the ball park to identify him with Jacob.^4,3,16,17 So we now have nine children who are probably the offspring of Hyam and Catherine. In roughly birth order: Samuel (1809); Henry Hyam (1810); Zose/Zuss/etc (c. 1813); Jacob/John (1815); Fanny/Frances (c. 1820); Betsy/Elizabeth (c. 1823); Rosa/Rosetta (c. 1825); Isaac/James (c. 1826) and Elizabeth (c. 1833). We also have a probable son of Hyam and Fanny (Michael, c. 1801)) plus a possible daughter of Hyam, mother uncertain (Sarah). The final family structure built from this mixture of direct and indirect evidence is shown below.

6. With information from an ever increasing amount of online databases

Further support for this family structure comes from DNA matches for myself and my father. I have identified 18 matches who are descended from six of the eight full siblings of Fanny Isaacs enumerated above, plus one match who descends from Michael.^18,19 According to specialist researchers I am what is known as a “golden nugget” for Jewish Genealogical research.²⁰ Having just one Jewish ancestor (at the 3xgreat-grandparent level) clarifies relationships for relatives with extensive, recent Jewish ancestry where the ancestral lines are confused by endogamy within the Jewish community. To quote Douglas Adams, “glad to be of service”.

7. Support for my work from DNA matches. The green highlighted box is my ancestor, Fanny Isaacs. The yellow highlighted boxes are proposed siblings of Fanny among whose descendants I have been able to trace a DNA match.

I cannot guarantee that there will not be further additions to this family in the future, but I’m reasonably confident that the family group is accurate as far as it goes.

Sources

1. England and Wales, birth certificate for Henry John Common, born 4 May 1844; citing 2/526/491, Jun quarter 1844, Whitechapel registration district, Holgate sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
2. England and Wales, marriage certificate for Henry Common and Fanny Isaacs, married 4 Sep 1843; citing 2/368/335, Sep quarter 1843, Shoreditch registration district; General Register Office, Southport.
3. 1851 England Census, UK Census Collection, Ancestry.com, accessed 25 Dec 2009.
4. 1841 England Census, UK Census Collection, Ancestry.com, accessed 25 Dec 2009.
5. England and Wales, birth certificate for Simon Robert Common, born 14 Nov 1839; citing 2/102/389, Dec quarter 1839, St George in the East registration district, St Paul sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
6. St George in the East Parish Registers, St George in the East, London, England, Ancestry.com.au, accessed 19 Nov 2010.
7. Christ Church Watney Street Parish Registers, St George in the East, London, England, Ancestry.com.au, accessed 19 Nov 2010.
8. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938, Ancestry.com.au, accessed 25 Dec 2009.
9. Westminster, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935, Ancestry.com.au, accessed 26 Sep 2020.
10. England and Wales, death certificate for Hyam Isaacs, died 21 Jul 1849; citing 2/765/448, Sep quarter 1849, Whitechapel registration district, Aldgate sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
11. Shire, Angela, Great Synagogue Marriage Records 1791-1830, Crediton, 1999.
12. Gent, Frank J., New Synagogue Records CD, Crediton, 2002.
13. Synagogue Scribes, https://synagoguescribes.com/blog/, Accessed 21 Sep 2020.
14. England and Wales, marriage certificate for Samuel Isaacs and Hannah Lyons, married 8 Aug 1838; citing 02/161/11, Sep quarter 1838, City of London registration district, General Register Office, Southport.
15. England and Wales, marriage certificate for John Isaacs and Mary Solomons, married 10 Dec 1837; citing 02/261/6, Dec quarter 1837, City of London registration district, General Register Office, Southport.
16. 1861 England Census, UK Census Collection, Ancestry.com, accessed 25 Dec 2009.
17. 1871 England Census, UK Census Collection, Ancestry.com, accessed 25 Dec 2009.
18. Ancestry ThruLines for Alfred Commons (https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-geneticfamily/thrulines/5C9DF31B-1477-4562-84BC-ED25F3066CCC?filterBy=all).
19. Ancestry ThruLines for Susan Law (https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-matches/list/080ab020-82f7-4145-bc9c-3bf177830102).
20. Legacy Family Tree Webinars, 'Dealing with Endogamy', https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/dealing-with-endogamy/?fbclid=IwAR3GSWO1eKwU4OnenUqMUyUqAOkSjjEbjdSw4bjcoTAPD_iHHYxmjK_tZps, Accessed 13 Sep 2022.

Arriving in London

Introduction

This short piece was written as a 250-word weekly assignment piece for the Diploma of Family History Unit “Writing Family History”. For this assignment we had to “think about a moment in your ancestor’s life where they arrived in a new place and ask yourself some of the key questions of family history: what? where? when? how? why?”

John Common was baptised in 1779 in Longhorsley, Northumberland. In 1806 his first child by Mary Oldfield was buried in Wapping, London. Given that there were coalmines in Longhorsley and that massive amounts of coal were being shipped from the Northumberland ports (including Newcastle) to London, it is almost certain that John would have made the trip by collier. How would a young man who had grown up in a rural Northumberland village feel as the collier slowly made its way up the Thames estuary?

---

Arriving in London, circa 1800

It was the sheer size which stunned John as the collier drifted up the Thames estuary within sight of the northern shore. A bare, flat shore with just the occasional church tower which the master noted one by one as they passed. Initially John couldn’t make out the southern shore, but then it appeared as a flat hazy line on the horizon. It was so different to the Tyne back in Northumberland, where the estuary showed as a clear gap between the low cliffs.

Gradually the banks edged together, but it was still very wide when the river began to meander, wide sweeping loops between the flat lands. He suddenly felt a longing for the hills around Longhorsley.

At Blackwall they heaved to as a boat rowed out from the old docks to check their cargo and direct them to their wharf. Then they continued left, right, left up a series of long reaches. Gradually small groups of cottages appeared on the flat banks. They made a final left turn and suddenly there were buildings as far as the eye could see across a mass of ships. He gasped and asked the man next to him if that was London. “Nay,” came the answer, “’Tis just Shadwell.”

As they approached the wharf he saw that the houses were just as small, mean and pokey as the cottages he had left behind in Longhorsley and as well just as crowded as Newcastle. Well, he was committed to a future here now.

Sources

1. Parry, Naomi, ‘Module 5 Writing Activities’, HAA004: Writing Family Histories, Accessed 23 Nov 2011.
2. Baptism of John Common, baptised 30 August 1779, Parish Registers of St Helen’s Church, Longhorsley, Northumberland, England, FHL microfilm 252593, item 1.
3. Marriage of John Common and Mary Oldfield, married 27 Jul 1806, Parish Registers of Saint John of Wapping, Wapping, Middlesex, England.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mining_in_the_United_Kingdom
   https://web.archive.org/web/20160418022803/http://www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nblandcf.htm.
5. http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/mhn/1896-33.htm.
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collier_(ship).
7. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/urban-history/article/abs/industrial-coal-consumption-in-early-modern-london/5777CBD7E2B6D476303AF91CEFBA4D1D.
8. https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/womens-history/maritime-women/perils/.
9. https://maps.nls.uk/view/102341461.
10. https://maps.nls.uk/view/102342032.
11. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-map-of-the-Thames-Estuary-showing-in-two-parts-up-and-down-estuary-of-the_fig1_226079902.
    

Was John Common a Bigamist?

My 4xgreat-grandfather, John Common, was baptised in Longhorsley, Northumberland (north of Newcastle), on 30 Aug 1779.¹ By 1805 he was resident in Red Lion Street, Wapping and on 27 July 1806 he married Mary Oldfield, daughter of a Yorkshire-born coal-ship owner.^2,3,4

 

Figure 1: The Ruins of St Helen, Longhorsley, photographed by Susan Law, 27 June 2019.

The couple lived around the Wapping waterfront producing children at regular intervals up to 1815 (William Oldfield 1808 at 115 Wapping St, Frances born 1809 at Wapping Wall, Mary born 1811 at 64 Wapping Wall, Henry born 1813 at 64 Wapping Wall, Ann Maria born 1815 at 64 Wapping Wall). In the baptism records for these children, John is listed as a grocer, not very different from the “victuallers” who organised the work gangs who unloaded the coal ships.^5,6,7

The production of children continued in 1817 with Sarah Barbara Common but she was born and baptised in St George in the East. Two final children followed: Robert Robinson born 1819 in Wapping and Jane born 1822 in St George in the East. In these baptism records, John is stated to be a “Coal Undertaker”.^5,7 Note that Robert, Robinson, Sarah and Barbara are all names in the pedigree of the Commons family in Longhorsley (see Figure 2).

 

Figure 2: Ancestors and siblings of John Common of Longhorsley (generated from Legacy Family Tree).

At this time the surname Common was rare in the East End of London. However in 1815 a John Common of unknown origin married Elizabeth Mary Sheffield in Bethnal Green.⁸ In 1822 William John Sheffield Common was baptised in Shadwell, close to where the first John Common resided. William had been born in 1818.⁹ This family was living at 18 Star Street, Wapping and John was a “Hat Maker”, different from the “Coal Undertaker” listed in the later “John and Mary” baptisms.¹⁰

However, there were changes made to the baptism entry: William John’s surname had originally been entered as “Sheffield” but this was struck through and replaced with “Common”, then “Sheffield” added as a third given name. The handwriting on the correction is different from that of the original entry.⁹

 

Figure 3: Baptism entry of John William Sheffield Common.

Note that the marriage took place in Bethnal Green, where the first John would have been unknown, but the baptism took place in Shadwell, the area in which he had been living for nearly twenty years. The modified baptism entry could support possible bigamy because if it was the same John Common the Shadwell clerics would have known of the pre-existing marriage. There is no indication of when the correction was made.

In 1826 the last two children of John & Mary (Robert, 1819 and Jane, 1822) were baptised at St John of Wapping and the 1829 the Post Office Directory lists a single John Common as a silk hat manufacturer of 48 High Street Shadwell.^5,10

In 1830 Elizabeth Common age 34 of High Street was buried at St Paul, Shadwell.¹¹ This is the right age for the wife of the 1815 marriage. In 1834 Mary Common of Spring Street Shadwell died age 50 and was buried in the Ebenezer Chapel, Shadwell.¹² This is the right age for the wife of the 1806 marriage. On 18 July 1836 John Common witnessed the marriage of William John Sheffield Common.¹³ The signature is similar to the other John Common signatures.

Figure 4: Signatures of "John Common" from: Marriage Licence Allegation 1806; Marriage entry 1806; Marriage entry 1815; Marriage entry of W. J. S. Common 1836 (witness).

 

So between 1815 and 1836 we apparently have two Johns with two families. Unfortunately from this point on the records indicate the existence of only one John Common. Apart from his death registration, the age is correct for the John from Northumberland, but the records are inconsistent with regard to his occupation:

• 24 July 1840: John Common of Shadwell, widowed, disabled labourer born c. 1781 admitted to the Mile End Workhouse at Ratcliff.¹⁴
• 23 October 1840: John Common of Shadwell, widowed, disabled hatter, born c. 1780 admitted to the Mile End Workhouse at Ratcliff.¹⁴
• 6 June 1841: Census, John Common, age 60, hatter, not born in Middlesex resident in the Mile End Workhouse in Ratcliff.¹⁵

The age in these records is consistent with John from Northumberland. The crucial piece of evidence is the 1851 Census where John Comnon is listed as a widowed pauper, age 69 (i.e. born c. 1782), a journeyman hatter born Northumberland/Newcastle.¹⁶ This information combines the occupation of the second John with the age and rough birth place of the first.

The death and burial entries in 1858 which form a series with the workhouse and census records give John’s age as 71, but this could be a transcription error for 77, consistent with the earlier information from the Workhouse.^17,18

So was John Common from Northumberland a bigamist? If so it was a risky thing to do because at this period in time bigamy was a criminal offence which carried a jail term (though there is no record of this happening to John Common). This is one case where a genetic link would be helpful.

A Family Historian’s Nightmare

I’ve traced my Commons/Common line for a hundred years in Tower Hamlets from Albert Edward Common (Why Chris Locke?) to the marriage of John Common and Mary Oldfield on 27th July 1806 at St John of Wapping Parish Church.¹ By various pieces of evidence I have identified the groom as John Common baptised 30 Aug 1779 at St Helen’s Longhorsley Northumberland.²

The Ruins of St Helen's Church, Longhorsley, photographed by Sue Law 27th June 2019

In 2009 I ordered the FHL film covering the Longhorsley registers. Using these I was able to track the Common line back to the marriage of William Common and Isabel Robson on 9th June 1719.³ During this time the family married into other local families, especially the Robsons, Hills and Prudlocks.

Unfortunately on page 2 of the first register is written:

“This oldest Register, belonging to this Parish was falling to Pieces for want of attention & was given by the Vicar abt 1761 to an illiterate Parish Clerk to revew. The Clerk copied only such names as he himself could decypher & burnt the Original Register imagining it of no use which is the reason of this being so imperfect.

The above is from the report of several responsible Persons who remember the circumstance inserted by me March 8, 1803,
Richd. Oliphant, Curate.”

Just to make things worse the extant Bishop’s transcripts for Longhorsley only start in 1769.⁴

One fairly solid brick wall, though I think I may be lucky with the Commons, as the records seem to indicate that William was the first Common to move to Longhorsley.

A Common family headstone in St Helen's graveyard, photographed by Sue Law 27th June 2019

  Sources

1. St John of Wapping (Wapping, Middlesex, England), "London Metropolitan Archives P93/JN2/018, Register of Marriages 1803-1812," page 38, marriage of John Common & Mary Oldfield, 27 Jul 1806; LMA microfilms X089/160, London Metropolitan Archives, London.
2. St Helen (Longhorsley, Northumberland, England), "Northumberland Archives EP 145/1, General Register 1667-1670; 1695-1723," page 46, baptism of John Common, 30 Aug 1779; FHL microfilm 252593, item 1.
3. St Helen (Longhorsley, Northumberland, England), "Northumberland Archives EP 145/1, General Register 1667-1670; 1695-1723," FHL microfilm 252593
4. Holdings of Bishop’s Transcripts from St Helen’s Longhorsley, Durham University Library Special Collections Catalogue GB-0033-DDR/EA, Durham Diocesan Records: episcopal administration,  (http://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?docId=ark/32150_s1gf06g2666.xml#DDR-EA-PBT-2-t, Accessed 21st February 2020)

Why Chris Locke?

When my father was a teenager in Brighton (Sussex, England) people who found out who he was used to say "Oh! Chris Locke's son." Dad couldn't understand this because his father's name was Christopher Henry Common(s). The reason goes back to his grandfather's childhood.

Albert Edward Common was born on the 11th August 1877 at 76 Cornwall Street, St George in the East, London. He was the fourth son and sixth (and last) child of Henry John Common & Jemima Hummerston. Part of Cornwall Street still exists, but the area was a slum and when it was badly damaged during WWII it gave the local councils an excuse to clear it. Henry John had various occupations during his life, but at the time of Albert's birth he declared that he was a "general dealer". From what I have read this is a rag-and-bone man (think "Steptoe and Son").¹

Albert was baptised on 2nd September 1877 in St George in the East Parish Church.²

St George in the East Parish Church

By 6th April 1881 the family had moved to an even poorer location - Albert Street, Shadwell - and their second daughter (Jane Elizabeth) had died.³ In 1887, when Albert turned 10, his mother died.⁴ Albert was the only child too young to be thrown on his own resources. (His next eldest sibling, James, was 17.) The next census (5th April 1891) shows the family had split up. Henry John was living on his own at 83 Cornwall Street.⁵ Albert was living with his sister Fanny or Frances (born 25th February 1865).⁶

On 2nd August 1891 Frances married Christopher William Locke in St George in the East Parish Church.⁷ Aha!! The couple's child, Frances Sophia, was born on 19 May 1892 in St George in the East.⁸ By 1901 the family had moved to Worthing, Sussex and Christopher was a fish dealer.⁹

On 3 Dec 1900 Albert married Elizabeth Jane Shadbolt in Christchurch, Spitalfields.¹⁰ This was six months after the birth of their first child (Albert James George) but, hey, even a bride-groom-two-witnesses marriage cost money.¹¹ On 31st March 1901 they are living at 7 Mary Street, the same address as Elizabeth's parents (James & Elizabeth Shadbolt).¹² Their next two children were also born at this address (Christopher Henry, 25th July 1902, Charles James, 18th July 1904).¹³

Elizabeth's father, James Shadbolt, died on 27th June 1904 and the couple's next child (Leonard Arthur, 11th November 1906) was born back in the old Common stomping ground, Cornwall Street.¹⁴ Further tragedy struck - Leonard Arthur died on 28th April 1908 and it was probably around this time that Elizabeth's mother was committed to the "Metropolitan Asylum for Pauper Imbeciles" at Leavesden, Hertfordshire.¹⁵

The couple fled London, and Henry Edward was born at 97 Church Street, Brighton on 10th March 1909 with Albert listed as a "Fishmonger's Assistant".¹⁶ Who was he assistant to? Well by 1911 Christopher Locke is a fish dealer in Brighton.¹⁷ Church Street is a street full of shops and it is possible that Albert and Elizabeth were living above Christopher's shop. The next three children are all born at 97 Church Street.¹⁸

World War I started in 1914 and in 1916 Albert was conscripted.¹⁹ After various transfers he ended up in a battalion of the Cheshire Regiment stationed in Salonika.²⁰ Like so many servicemen in that region he contracted malaria, was transferred to a service battalion and probably spent the rest of the war oscillating between field hospital and road building.²¹ He survived the war, but died on 21st August 1920, probably due to recurrent malaria.²² He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in Brighton General Cemetery and his name appears on the Brighton Cenotaph (see photograph).²³

The Brighton Cenotaph, photographed by suelaw1954, 11th July 2016

Dad's father worked in the fish business on and off and owned his own fish and chip shops at times.²⁴ It is probable that when young he worked for his uncle, Chris Locke. Having the same given name, he could have been referred to by his uncle's surname. One family story proved possible.

1. England and Wales, birth certificate for Albert Edward Common, born 11 Aug 1877; citing 1c/386/470, Sep quarter 1877, St George in the East registration district, Saint Paul sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
2. St George (St George in the East, Middlesex, England), Parish Registers, "London Metropolitan Archives P93/GEO/027 Register of baptisms,"  page 43, baptism of Albert Edward Commons, 2 Sep 1877; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Unlimited Company, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 21 Sep 2009)
3.  1881 census of England, London, Shadwell, folio 128, page 28, Henry Commons; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 11/460; England and Wales, death certificate for Jane Elizabeth Common, died 7 Mar 1877; citing 1c/292/332, Mar quarter 1877, Saint George in the East registration district, Saint Paul sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
4. England and Wales, death certificate for Jemima Commons, died 17 Jan 1887; citing 1c/230/493, Mar quarter 1887, Whitechapel registration district, Whitechapel Church sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
5. 1891 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 109, page 30, Henry Common; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 28 Apr 2006); citing PRO RG 12/287
6. 1891 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 100, page 12, Frances Common; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 12/287
7. St George (St George in the East, Middlesex, England), Parish Registers, "London Metropolitan Archives P93/GEO/065 Register of marriages,"  page 151, marriage of Christopher William Locke & Frances Common, 2 Aug 1891; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Unlimited Company, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 22 Sep 2009)
8. St George (St George in the East, Middlesex, England), Parish Registers, "London Metropolitan Archives P93/GEO/030, Register of baptisms,"  page 271, baptism of Frances Sophia Locke, 12 Jun 1892; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Unlimited Company, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 12 Jul 2010)
9. 1901 census of England, Sussex, Worthing, folio 20, page 32, Christopher Locke; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 2 Jul 2006); citing PRO RG 13/959
10. England and Wales, marriage certificate for Albert Edward Commons and Elizabeth Jane Shadbolt, married 3 Dec 1900; citing 1c/460/436, Dec quarter 1900, Whitechapel registration district; General Register Office, Southport
11. England and Wales, birth certificate for Albert James George Commons, born 11 Jun 1900; citing 1c/319/87 (?), Sep quarter 1900, St George-in-the-East registration district, Saint Georges North sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
12. 1901 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 166, page 50, Albert E. Commons; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 13/309; 1901 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 166, page 49, James Shadbolt; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 20 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 13/309
13. England and Wales, birth certificate for Christopher Henry Commons, born 25 Jul 1902; citing 1c/844/20, Sep quarter 1902, St George in the East registration district, St George & St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Charles James Commons, born 18 Jul 1904; citing 1c/327/431, Sep quarter 1904, St George-in-the-East registration district, St George and St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
14. England and Wales, death certificate for James Shadbolt, died 27 Jun 1904; citing 1c/214/66, Jun quarter 1904, St George in the East registration district, St George and St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Leonard Arthur Commons, born 11 Nov 1906; citing 1c/292/311, Mar quarter 1907, St. George-in-the-East registration district, St George and St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
15. England and Wales, death certificate for Leonard Arthur Commons, died 28 Apr 1908; citing 1c/180/428, Jun quarter 1908, ST. GEORGE-IN-THE-EAST registration district, St George & St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; 1911 census of England, Hertfordshire, Kings Langley, Elizabeth Shadbolt; digital images, Brightsolid Online Publishing Ltd, Find My Past (http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed 28 Jan 2009); citing  RG 78, RG 14 PN 7739, registration district (RD) 140, sub district (SD) 4, enumeration district (ED) 7, schedule number (SN) 9999
16. England and Wales, birth certificate for Henry Edward Commons, born 3 May 1909; citing 2b/210/312, Jun quarter 1909, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
17. 1911 census of England, Sussex, 7 Cheltenham Place Brighton, C. W. Locke; digital images, Brightsolid Online Publishing Ltd, Find My Past (http://www.findmypast.com.au/ : accessed 27 Jan 2009); citing  RG 78 PN 227, RG 14 PN 5137, registration district (RD) 79, sub district (SD) 2, enumeration district (ED) 17, schedule number (SN) 369
18. England and Wales, birth certificate for Leslie Common, born 2 Jul 1910; citing 2b/205/214, Sep quarter 1910, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Frances Elizabeth Commons, born 21 Apr 1912; citing 2b/409/69, Jun quarter 1912, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Mabel Isabel Commons, born 17 Aug 1914; citing 2b/397/162, Sep quarter 1914, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
19. After Albert's call up, Elizabeth wrote to the army to get her under-age son (Albert James George) discharged. This happened in July 1916. Albert James George Commons Service Record, Soldiers’ Documents from Pension Claims, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, England, WO364, 'British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920', Ancestry, Accessed 1st December 2008
20. suelaw1954 to Various, forum thread on Albert Edward Commons, Great War Forum, 'Soldiers and their Units', https://www.greatwarforum.org/, Accessed 3rd December 2008
21. Martin Marix Evans, Forgotten Battlefronts of the First World War, The History Press, Stroud, 2003
22. England and Wales, death certificate for Albert Edward Commons, died 21 Aug 1920; citing 2b/219/408, Sep quarter 1920, Brighton registration district, East Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
23. Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, Commonwealth War Graves Commission (http://www.cwgc.org/ : accessed 2 Sep 2006), A. E. Commons
24. Patricia Commons, numerous conversations over many years to author