The John who became a Jane - Jane Neighbour, Wife of John Neighbour of the Albion, Bridge Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire

Monument to Jane Neighbour, All Saints Churchyard, Boyne Hill. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.


"John Neighbour who died Sept 2nd 1898 aged 54 years."


I had to admit that this particular grave stone had me stumped, until I discovered I was researching the wrong person.  This is not the gravestone of John Neighbour, but his wife Jane.  The top portion of the gravestone with her dedication is missing.

Jane Neighbour was born Jane Willis in Hambledon, Berkshire (now Hampshire) in 1844.  I have been unable to locate Jane before her marriage to John H Neighbour, a gardener, in Henley in 1862.  In 1863 their first son Joseph is born in Henley, a second son Walter is born in 1867 in Aldershot, Hampshire, followed by a third son Henry in 1870.

In 1871 John and Jane are living in Aldershot, Hampshire along with their sons, Joseph, Walter and Henry, and Ann, John's widowed mother. Sometime before 1878 the family moved to the Boyn Hill area of Maidenhead.

In 1878 John was summoned to court for keeping an unlicensed dog. He did not appear. On 22nd May 1878, the Maidenhead Advertiser reported:

"John Neighbour, of Boyn-hill, another defendant, did not appear, and was said to be ill.— Mr. R. Smith said he saw the dog, and was told by Neighbour's mother that it belonged to her son, who sold it to a man in a cart for a shilling, but the animal came back.—A fine of £1 5s. was ordered."

On the 1881 Census, John and Jane can be found living in Boyne Hill Lane, Maidenhead, Berkshire, with their two sons and John's elderly mother, Ann Neighbour.  At that time Jane's occupation is listed as a laundress.

Sometime before 1884 John and Jane had moved to Bridge Street, Maidenhead and were running the Albion Inn.  

Jane was part of an inquest into the death of an unknown man who was lodging at the Albion Inn.  On 20th December 1884 the Berkshire Chronical reported:

"An inquest was held before Mr. W. Weedon, county coroner, on Monday, at the Union, Cookham, on the body of man whose name was unknown. —Jane Neighbour said: I am the wife of Jno. Neighbour, a beerhouse keeper. We keep the "Albion," Bridge Street. I have known the deceased nearly two and a half years. He has been lodging with us the last three months. On the 1st inst., about half-past three in the afternoon, when going upstairs, he fell and injured himself. The doctor was sent for, and advised his being put to bed. He was brought here the next day. On the morning of the 1st inst., he left our house between nine and eleven, and came back about two rather the worse for drink. When he was in that state he usually went to bed. The deceased always went with us by the name of Farmer. He was a labourer. He said he came from Wiltshire, but that was all. I never could learn anything from him about himself. I should think he was about fifty years of age. —Godfrey Watson said: I am an oil and colourman. I live next door to the Albion." Tho deceased was a stranger me. I was called in on the 1st inst. and found the deceased the foot of the stairs. His head was on the stones and his feet on the stairs, with pool of blood under his head. He was insensible and breathed heavily. 1 took him into the taproom. Mr. Samuel Plumbe, M. D., said: I saw the deceased on the 1st inst., in the taproom of the Albion." He was lying on the form insensible. He had small cut on the back of the head, and was bleeding from the right ear. He had apparently sustained considerable injury to the brain. I ordered his removal the infirmary next morning, and have seen him every day since. He died on Friday night from haemorrhage into the brain due to the fall. There were no other marks about the body.—A verdict of “Died from an accidental fall" was returned."

In 1884 a daughter, Lucy was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, followed by a sister Emily in 1886.

The family were still at the Albion Inn in 1891

Sadly, on 2nd September 1898, Jane suddenly passed away. On 10th September, the Reading Mercury reported:

"SUDDEN DEATH—Early on Friday the death occurred suddenly of Mrs. Jane Neighbour, aged 54, wife of Mr. John Neighbour, of the "Albion", Bridge-street. Mrs. Neighbour suffered from heart disease, and died suddenly in bed."

In 1900 John married Harriet Brown in Maidenhead Berkshire.  They continued to run the Albion Inn together, where they can be found on the 1901 Census.  Sadly, after nine years of marriage, Harriet passes away, leaving the now twice widowed John alone.

On the 1911 Census, John is listed as a retired publican lodging at 21 Bell Street in Maidenhead Berkshire.  John Neighbour passes away in 1913 in Maidenhead.