Sepia Saturday has commented on how many of our family snapshots are taken in the doorway of the home and asked us to take that as our starting point for Sepia Saturday 203
My first post for Sepia Saturday spoke of Tom Tansey leaving Snitterfield near Stratford on Avon in Warwickshire and coming to Australia. This is his mother Mary Matilda Tansey photographed with an unidentified girl in the doorway of the home where Tom grew up. The house was in The Green, Snitterfield which is near Stratford on Avon in Warwickshiure. If the girl is Matilda’s youngest daughter Ellen Matilda then this places the photo c1900
I never met my great grandmother Matilda but our lives overlapped for a while so I feel as though I can reach out and touch her, and through her touch her grandfather William Hutchins who was born in 1782. Matilda was the youngest of five children and as her father was a lot older than her mother Matilda was less than three years old when her father died in 1853 Her mother was left with five children aged twelve and under to look after.
Next door lived Matilda’s grandfather, William Hutchins, a widower.
You might have expected a father to give his widowed daughter a helping hand. but a complaint was made against William Hutchins for not maintaining his daughter Mary Checketts and in 1854 the Overseer of the Poor at Stratford Union ordered him to pay 5 shillings a week in order to maintain his widowed daughter and her children.
BUT, he didn’t do as he was told to and on 21 July 1854 it was ordered that goods of his should be taken to cover the debt and the expenses.
BUT no goods to sell to cover his debt could be found at his house and he was committed to the Common Gaol at Warwick for three months. It cost four shillings and six pence to transport him there.
By 1861 William, his daughter Mary Checketts and four of her five children were all living together in a house in The Green, Snitterfield, one hopes happily ! He is even listed as a retired brickmaker and the Head of the Household in the 1861 Census. So through my great grandmother Matilda who was later to marry Thomas Tansey Snr. I feel I know her naughty grandfather.
It does raise a few questions.
1. At the time he was a brickmaker. Was he just “crying poor” so that his daughter could get extra money ?
2. No goods worth selling in his house ? Sounds to me as if they weren’t allowed to seize tables and chairs, beds etc
3. If he genuinely couldn’t pay then why put him in gaol ?
But then again it might just have been discord between the two families when you look at this entry from the National Archives
[no title] ER10/3/1101 27 April 1852 Contents:
Poor William ! He survived until just after the 1861 Census. I hope his daughter and her family were nice to him.
See more doorways with the links on Sepia Saturday 203
Intriguing! Family relationships aren’t always happy of course. A lovely photo of Matilda in her apron and the unknown girl with her. Those pinafores were no doubt excellent for protecting dresses.
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It sounds as if William just didn’t have the money to give. Gaol seems a bit harsh, but who are we to know what really happened?
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To start with that is a wonderful photograph – the subjects really do seem to stretch right out to meet us. And what a tale you tell. Family history at its best.
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Times were different then with no state benefits available. A sad story too – not what I was expecting from the fine opening photo.
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Loved your comment about feeling you can “reach out and touch…” I think that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it — reaching out and touching your past through photographs…
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A fascinating story leading from that one photograph. Like Deb, it was your comment about telling you “can reach out and touch” that struck a chord with me so much. That is what makes family history such an all absorbing hobby.
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a tragic tale and yes, one wonders what good did jailing do, other than punishment..I admire that name, Snitterfield. The photo is lovely.
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As I was reading, those questions you raised came straight to my mind too, especially two and three. I hope you can research further and find the answers.
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My first thought at looking at the photo was that Mary must have enjoyed gardening and had a green thumb – so much greenery at the doorway. Your story took us in a completely different and interesting direction!
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I was also asking question no. 3. It’s good there are archives to try to piece the story together. First glance at your photo – I thought it was really charming!
Hazel
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That is a lovely shot.
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Mary Matilda and the girl seem to reach out to the viewer as if to finish the story. I looks as tho her later years may have been a bit easier for her. Lovely setting, doorway, vines — as were the two subjects.
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I would think if he COULD have helped he would have just to avoid jail time. Interesting story, regardless.
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That’s quite a story. Let’s hope they really did find harmony eventually.
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Sad yes, you just never know. The photo of the two is quite a capture. Excellent post.
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Excellent research B, and a story well told.
BTW, I wonder how Snitterfield got its name – the sound of it makes me smile for some reason.
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Very interesting read. Looking into my family history and this was BRILLANT. Mary was my great great great grandfathers sister.
We should talk.
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We certainly should talk and we made a good start last night. Thanks for making contact. I’m sure we’ll be able to share a lot of information.
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