A Father and Disowned Son - Thomas and William Owen Stuchbury

"Mr Thomas Stuchbery.  Who died 26th August 1874.  Aged 85.  Sarah.  His wife.  Died 26th April 1848.  Aged 60.  William Owen.  Their youngest son.  Died 8th May 1869.  Aged 46.  Thomas.  Their eldest son.  Died 26th May 1845.  Aged 33 - Interred at Highgate -  Maria Pegg.  Their eldest daughter.  Died 31st July 1882.  Aged 67 - Interred at Cores End -  Richard.  Their second son.  Died 30th January 1893.  Aged 79 - Interred at Maidenhead Cemetery - Elizabeth their third daughter.  Died 4th February 1896.  Aged 74 - Interred at Maidenhead Cemetery.  Lucy.  Their youngest daughter.  Died 30th September 1907.  Aged 83 - Interred at Maidenhead Cemetery - Sarah.  Their second daughter.  Died 11th July 1917.  Aged 97 - Interred at Maidenhead Cemetery - "

Thomas Stuchbery Snr was born 5th March 1789 to William Stuchbery and Elizabeth Webster, the eldest son of ten children.  1802 Thomas joined his uncle James in his High Street ironmongery store which was established in 1760.  On the 6th July 1811 Thomas married Sarah Swallow, daughter of Richard Swallow and Maria Poulton. Together they had seven children, Thomas, Richard, Maria, Sarah, Elizabeth, William Owen and Lucy.

Thomas Snr and Sarah were devout Countess of Huntingdon Connection followers (a Methodist movement in England and Wales), with Thomas becoming a lay preacher in Maidenhead.

The 1841 Census finds Thomas Snr listed as a Grocer, living with his wife Sarah and daughters Sarah and Elizabeth at Maidenhead High Street.

Sarah was to pass away on 26th April 1848

On the 1851 Census the recently widowed Thomas Snr, now listed as an Ironmonger, is still living in Maidenhead High Street. Living with him at the time are his children, Maria, Sarah, William (listed as Owen) an assistant in his father's business, Lucy, and Rachel his seven-year-old granddaughter. Also lodging with the family are Thomas Newman an Ironmonger's Assistant, John Messenger a Servant, and Sarah Stafford a Housekeeper.

In 1856 William Owen angered his father when he married outside of the Countess of Huntingdon Connection, to Jane Thompson, daughter of Peter Thompson and Sarah Reynolds in Wargrave.  The union caused Thomas Snr to cut his son out of his will, but Thomas Snr was to outlive his son. 

Thomas Snr is still living in Maidenhead High Street in 1861, along with his daughters Sarah, Elizabeth, and Lucy. Lodging with the family is Mary Butler a Servant, William Courtney an Ironmonger's Assistant, Henry Plumber an Ironmonger's Assistant, and Joseph Baldwin a Servant.

By 1861 William and Jane have moved to Ware in Hertfordshire where William is now a Grocer living at Ware High Street. Living with then is their three-year-old daughter Sarah Stuchbury, and their Servant Betty Hale. Visiting the family is Jane's younger sister Elizabeth Thompson. Before his death, William returned to Maidenhead and ran the Stuchbury Ironmongery store. William Owen died in 1869 and the business passed into the ownership of his wife Jane.

The 1871 Census finds the elderly and retired Thomas Stuchbury Snr living at Castle Hill, Maidenhead with his daughters Sarah, Elizabeth and Lucy. Living with the family is Hilda Wheeler a Servant. 

The recently widowed Jane Stuchbury can be found on the 1871 Census listed as a Grocer and Ironmonger in Maidenhead High Street, living with her children Jane born in 1863 and Thomas William born in 1867. Lodging with the family is Alfred Bennett an Ironmonger's Assistant, William Richardson a Grocer's Assistant, and Jane Harris a General Servant. Living next door to Jane is her brother Nathan Curtis Thompson, a Grocer, and his family.  In 1874 Jane went into partnership with her brother Nathan Curtis Thompson and began trading under the name of Stuchbery & Thompson.  However, their partnership was dissolved by mutual consent on 9th May 1881.

Thomas Stuchbury Snr was to pass away on 26th August 1874 aged 85. 

in 1881 Jane Stuchbury is still living next to her brother Nathan in Maidenhead High Street. Staying with her at that time was her eight-year-old niece Lina Thompson. Also living at the home was Mary Snell, a General Servant.

Jane later married Richard Silver in 1883 and lived in Eturia House (named after the Roman Villa excavated on the site), Grenfell Road, where my husband's great grandmother, Martha Jane Sealey, lived with the Silver family as a Domestic Servant. Jane Silver was to pass away in Maidenhead aged 75 in 1907.

Sketcher of Mesopotamian Antiquities - William and Eliza Boutcher

All Saint's Cemetery,
Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK.

"William Boutcher

Born at Broadclyst, Devon

Aug 29th 1828

Died at Elbury, Maidenhead, Dec 14th 1900

Also of

Eliza Boutcher

Dearly Beloved Wife of the Above

Died May 24th 1922 Aged 86 Years,"

William Boutcher was born on 29th August 1828 in the village of Broadcylst in Devon to parents William Boutcher and Jane Newton.

William can first be found on the 1851 Census as an Architect's Clerk living in Upper Sandgate Road, Folkestone, Kent.

In the 1850's William was employed by the British Museum as an artist on W K Loftus's archaeological excavations in the city of Niveah, Mesopotamia. The collection of William's drawings can be found here, British Museum Catalogue.

Sandgate Road, Folkestone, Kent.

Eliza Boutcher was born Eliza Milliship on 30th November 1835 in Marylebone, London to parents George William Milliship a builder, and Margaret Sweetman. 

Eliza first appears on the 1841 Census living at Portman Place, Marylebone, London, with her parents and siblings. Living with the family are Mary Ann Burton and Mary Ann Hitchins, both domestic Servants. By 1851 the family had moved to 13 Paddington Green, Paddington, London.

Eliza's father George Milliship passed away in the October of 1855.

~ ~ ~

On the 29th November 1860 at Saint Saviour Church, Warwick Avenue, Westminster, London, William Boutcher married Eliza Milliship.

Saint Saviour Church, Warwick Avenue,
Westminster, London.

In 1861 the now married William and Eliza Boutcher can be found living at 7 Kensington Park North Terrace, Kensington, London with their Domestic Servant, Matilda Rodgers. in 1862 William and Eliza welcome their first child, a son Alan George Boutcher, he was followed by his sister Edith Mary Boutcher in 1864. Liliam Mabel Boutcher arrived in 1865, followed by Harold William Boutcher in 1868, and Douglas Leolin Boutcher in 1870.

The 1871 Census finds the family along with Eliza's widowed mother Margaret Milliship, living at 125 Lancaster Road, Chelsea, London, along with their two servants Emma Bartlett and Ellen King.

William and Eliza were to have two more children, Ernest Noel Boutcher born in 1872, and Hilda Margaret Boutcher in 1874.

1881 and the family has moved to 128A Lancaster Road, Chelsea, London. Living with them are their servants, Hannah Peck a Cook, and Matilda White a Housemaid.

By the 1891 Census the family has moved to the village of Cores End, Wooburn, Buckinghamshire. The family are listed as 'living by own means', with the exception of Harold William Boutcher who is an Artist in Painting and Sculpture, and Ernest Noel Boutcher who is a Student in Chemical Laboratory. Living with the family are their two servants, Maria Clements, and Fanny Woodley.

On 14th December 1900 William Boutcher was to pass away at suddenly at his home, Elbury, Ray Park Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire.  The Maidenhead Advertiser reported on Wednesday 19th December 1900 as follows:

"Death of Mr William Boutcher

We regret to record the death of an esteemed townsman, Mr. William Boutcher, of "Elbury," Ray Park-avenue, who passed away somewhat unexpectantly at about noon on Friday last. Some three or four years ago Mr. Boutcher had a stroke of paralysis, but up to within a day of his death he was able to get about fairly well, and was frequently to be seen in the town and at Marlow at cricket, football, and tennis matches, in which he took considerable interest. On the day before his death he was about the house as usual, but on the following morning he developed alarming symptoms and his medica adviser deemed it necessary to suggest the summoning of members of the family, and this was done. Mr. Boutcher passed away, however at noon. The deceased gentleman had resided in Maidenhead for some years, and he had a great deal to do with the development of the Ray Lodge estate, now one of the most picturesque residential parts of the town.

Before coming to Maidenhead, Mr. Boutcher resided for ten years at Bourne End, prior to which he lived in London, where he took great interest in parochial and more public affairs. He was for some time Chairman of the Works Committee of the Kensington Vestry and was a member of the Metropolitain Board of Works. The British Museum contains testimony of Mr. Boutcher's research in respect of antiquities on Nivevah, as he went out with an expedition which brought back stones and other things relating to the buried city of considerable antiquarian interest, plans and sketches of which Mr. Boutcher made before the stones were separated for dispatch to England, in order that they might be re-erected here as originally discovered. Mr Boutcher subscribed liberally to local institutions, and took a keen interest in the affairs of the town. His death will be heard with great regret. The funeral took place on Monday at the Cemetery." - Maidenhead Advertiser, Wednesday 19th December 1900.

1901 finds the recently widowed Eliza and her daughter Hilda Margaret Boutcher still living at Elbury, Ray Park Avenue with their servant Rose Merlands.

By 1911 the now elderly Eliza has moved in with her artist son Harold William Boutcher and his wife Nellie Constance "Daisy" Boutcher, at The Vine, West Byfleet, Surrey

West Byfleet, Surrey c1914

Eliza was to pass away on 24th May 1922, aged 86 in Surrey, England.