Nehemiah Best, Cab Proprietor, and his Second Wife Emma Best

Monument to Nehmiah Best and his wife Emma Best. All Saints' Churchyard, Boyne Hill, Maidenhead Berkshire.

"In Loving Memory Of
Nehemiah Best

who entered into rest

February 7. 1882

Aged 65

Thy Will Be Done

Also Emma beloved wife of the above

Died April 13. 1886

Aged 58"

Nehemiah Best was born around 1817/1818 in Durweston, Dorset to Christopher James Best and his wife.  Nehemiah first appears on the 1841 Census aged 20, living with his first wife Elizabeth James, and their two children, daughter Augusta Caroline, and son Christopher James. Nehemiah's occupation is listed as M.S. this was an abbreviation on the 1841 Census for Male Servant, this category included domestic servants and various estate staff such as game keepers, butler,s footmen, and grooms. From   information gathered from later Census returns it seems probable that Nehemiah was a groom.

In 1851 Nehemiah, Elizabeth and their family were living at 11 Ledbury Mews West, Kensington, London. Nehemiah is now listed as a cab proprietor, and Elizabeth is a dress maker. The family has expanded to include Mary, Nehemiah Jr, Elizabeth, and Benjamin. Sadly Elizabeth Sr was to pass away in 1858 in Kensington. On may 17th 1859 at St Matthew Bayswater church, Middlesex, Nehemiah married Emma Keeley.

St Matthew Bayswater Church,
Middlesex, London.

Emma Keeley was born in 30th July 1827 in West Mousley, Surrey to Christopher Keeley, a show maker, and his wife Anne Longland.  It seems Emma Keeley is a popular name in West Mousley and I am having difficulty finding the correct Emma.

In 1861 the newly wed Nehemiah and Emma were living at 8 Palace Villas, Kensington London. along with Nehemiah's children from his first marriage, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Joseph, and Samuel. Visiting the family is Emma's elder sister Anne. Not long after the 1861 Census Nehemiah and Emma moved to Maidenhead where their only child, daughter Emma Best was born in 1862.

In 1871 Nehemiah, Emma, and their daughter were living in Boyn Hill, Maidenhead. Nehemiah was currently unemployed, while Emma worked as a dressmaker. Sadly not long after the Census was taken, little Emma passed away.

1881 Nehemiah and Emma were living at Stuchbery Villa, Castle Hill, Maidenhead. Emma is still working as a dressmaker. Visiting them at the time were Sarah Frith a dressmaker, and Agnes Fisher aged 10 years.

Nehemiah was to pass away on 7th February 1882, followed by his second wife Emma on 13th April 1886.

Henry Hance, Wheelwright and Carpenter of Cox Green, his First Wife Mary Ann, and the Suicide of his Second Wife Kate

Monument to Mary Ann and Henry Hance, All Saints Churchyard, Boyne Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

"In Loving Memory 

of 

Mary Ann Hance

 beloved wife of 

Henry Hance 

of Cox Green.  

Died February 6th 1900 aged 80 years.  

Also of 

Henry Hance.  

Died January 8th 1914 aged 85 years

 - Rest In Peace-"

*Author's Note: This was a difficult and frustrating monument to research because there were two Henry Hances, both born in White Waltham around the same time, who both married a Mary Ann around the same time, and both lived in Maidenhead. The other Henry and Mary Ann Hance ran the Craufurd Arms, Gringer Hill.*

Mary Ann Hance was born Mary Ann Mantle in 1820 in Hurley, Berkshire to James Mantle a bricklayer and his wife Mary. Mary first appears on the 1841 Census aged 21 living in Flint Grove, White Waltham, Berkshire with her parents and siblings. Sometime between the 1841 and 1851 census Mary's father passed away. In 1851 she can be found living with her widowed mother and her siblings at Flint House, Maidenhead Thicket. By 1861 Mary and her family had moved to Woolley Road, Woolley Green, White Waltham. Mary's sisters are working as school mistresses and she is assisting them.

On the 1871 census Mary has moved back to Flint House and is living with her sisters Matilda, Emily and Ellen. Her occupation is given as a school manager. In 1876 Mary married Henry Hance in Maidenhead Berkshire.

Henry Hance was born in White Waltham, Berkshire in 1828 to John Castle Hance, a grocer and fruiterer, and his wife Martha Hatch.

Henry first appears on the 1841 census listed as Henry House , aged 14 living with his parents and siblings in White Waltham. In 1851 the family were living on the Bath Road, White Waltham and Henry was assisting his father in the grocery business.  

Strangely Henry is listed on the 1871 census as living in Holloway, White Waltham with Mary listed as his wife. Some funny business must have been afoot because in 1871 Mary is listed under her maiden name f Mantle, living with her sisters in Flint House, White Waltham, and of course Henry and Mary didn't officially marry until 1876. It is not uncommon to find people appearing on census returns twice in different locations. The 1871 census was recorded on the night of Sunday 2nd April 1871, however in some areas with large populations some enumerators started filling their returns out the previous evening.  This as well as enumerator error, people unsure of their exact age, place of birth, and even the spelling of their name, this can make research frustrating.

In 1881 Henry and Mary were now living in Cox Green, Maidenhead. Living with them at the time is Keiza Gilding, an elderly widow who has been incorrectly recorded as the mother-in-law to the head of the household.

We find Henry and Mary again on the 1891 census living at Fern Villas, Cox Green, Maidenhead. In fact Henry and Mary lived at a property called Fern Cottage and owned and rented out several properties called Fern Villas. Sadly Mary was to pass away on 6th February 1900.

1901 finds the recently widowed Henry still living at Fern Villas in Cox Green along with his domestic servant Jane Cambray.  

In 1902 Henry was remarried to Kate Mortimore, daughter of William Henry Mortimore and agricultural labourer, and his wife Mary Headington. Sadly the marriage was to be short as Kate committed suicide Thursday 6th July 1905.

On Wednesday 12th July 1905 the Maidenhead Advertiser reported:

"Tragedy At Cox Green

Wife Cuts Her Throat Behind The Chapel

On Friday last, the body of Mrs. Kate Hance, the wife of Mr. Henry Hance, who owns several houses at Cox Green, was discovered by her husband at the rear of the little Primitive Methodist Chapel at Cox Green, with a big gash in her throat. She was quite dead, and there was every appearance that the body had been laying there all night. There was a pool of blood near, and also a black-handled razor - which the husband explained at the inquest was deceased's property, and used by her for cutting corns and nails.

It is evident from what transpired at the inquest, that for the past few weeks the poor woman, who was 51 years of age, had been strange in her manner. The alteration in this respect was noticed by her brother-in-law (Mr. Fletcher), and a neighbour (Mrs. Weller) On Thursday evening Mrs. Hance went into the greenhouse attached to her house, where her husband was engaged mixing up some paint, which he intended using at one of his houses. Nothing particular was passed between them, and there was nothing unusual about the deceased's condition or appearance to excite the least suspicion on the part of the husband. After her visit to the greenhouse, the deceased appeared not to have gone indoors, as her husband supposed she had done, bit evidently proceeded to the rear of the chapel, and during a fit of insanity took her life.

Deceased was not missed until between 8 and 9. Her husband made a search for her, and was assisted by Mr. Fletcher and others, but they failed to trace her whereabouts. The next morning the search was resumed , and acting on the suggestion of Mrs. Weller, Mr. Hance paid a visit to the chapel grounds, and was horrified to find his wife dead, and lying in a pool of blood, with a deep wound in her throat.

It was mentioned at the inquest that the deceased appeared to have worried a great deal - and she was naturally of a worrying disposition - over some additions that her husband was carrying out at one of his houses. She thought he would never get his money back on the outlay. Beyond this she appeared to have no other worry. Much sympathy is felt with Mr. Hance, who is an old and much respected resident of Cox Green, and  who is just recovering from an accident, which he received a short while ago. *He fell from some scaffolding* The police having been communicated with, the body was removed from the chapel grounds to the deceased's residence to await the inquest."

Painting of the Primitive Methodist Chapel,
Cox Green Lane, Cox Green, Maidenhead

The Inquest was held the day after Kate's body was found, at The Foresters public house, Cox Green, by Coroner Mr. W. Weedon. The Foresters was a very short distance from Fern Cottage, the home of Henry and Kate. The grounds of the Primitive Methodist Chapel were separated from Fern Cottage and Fern Villas, where witness Mrs Weller lived, by a fence.

Just three years before his passing Henry can be found on the 1911 census living at Fern Villa, Cox Green, with his housekeeper and nurse Jane Longhurst.

 

Regiment of the 1st Life Guards - Household Cavalry - Arthur Richard Silver

All Saints Cemetery
Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK.

 

"In 

Loving Memory 

of

Arthur Richard Silver

Born Feb 19th 1874

Fell Asleep

August 8th 1906

~

Whosoever Liveth and Believeth In

Me Shall Never Die - St. John Chap 11. Ver26."

Arthur Richard Silver was born on 19th February 1874 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, the only son to parents Joseph Love Silver, a builder and church organist, and Eliza Mills.

Arthur can be first found on the 1881 Census aged 7, living with his parents and siblings in Fountain Cottage, Tittle Row, Maidenhead, Berkshire. Arthur is still living there in 1891 at the age of 14. His occupation is listed as being a builder's assistant.

In 1900 Arthur was selected to represent the Regiment of the 1st Life Guards (The Household Calvary) at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer reported as follows: 

"Mr Arthur Silver, late assistant at Messrs. Stutchbury and Thompson's, High-street, Maidenhead, and son of Mr. J. Silver, "Avondale", All Saints' Avenue, is one of eight men chosen from the 1st Life Guards to represent that regiment on the occasion of the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia, Mr Silver is twenty years of age, (he was actually 26), and only joined the Army 1st March. The men selected are of splendid physique, of first-class education, and bear the highest character. Each man will be presented with £5, and are looking forward with delight to pleasant trip to the Antipodes." - Slough, Eton, and Windsor Observer, November 17th 1900.

1901 finds Arthur still living with his parents in Fountain Cottage at Tittle Row, Maidenhead Berkshire. On March 24th 1903 Arthur married Louisa Mary Hawker, the sister of his sister Kate's husband Charles Frederick Hawker.  An announcement was placed in the Maidenhead Advertiser:

"Silver - Hawker

On March 24th, at All Saints' church, Maidenhead, by the Rev. E. J. G. Forse, M. A., Arthur Richard Silver, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Silver, of Altwood-road, Maidenhead, to Louisa, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. Hawker, King-street, Maidenhead."

In 1904 Arthur and Louisa celebrated the birth of their daughter Dorothy Edna Silver.  Sadly, Arthur was to pass away just two years later on 8th August 1906. An announcement was placed in the Maidenhead Advertiser on 15th August 1906:

"Sliver - On August 8th, at The Walnuts, Altwood-road, Maidenhead, after a short illness, Arthur Richard Silver, in his 33rd year."

Arthur's widow Louisa and his daughter Dorothy can be found in 1911 in running a boarding house at Thistledene, 9 Bourne Street, Eastbourne, Sussex

Family Connections:

Parents Joseph Love Silver and Eliza Mills.

Grandmother Mary Kay/Kuy, Great Uncle Augusta, and Great Aunt Annette.