Uncle Fred

Today would have been Uncle Fred's 108th birthday, so to celebrate his birthday I thought I'd write a few words about his life. I have this wonderful photograph of him working behind the bar at the Flower Pot Hotel near Henley-on-Thames, where he worked for many years. I first remember meeting Uncle Fred at the pub during a family gathering which took place there back in the 1980s. He asked me whether I was still interested in astronomy (my interest had waned by this point), and I was introduced to other uncles, aunts and cousins that I'd never met before. The bar had log fires and mounted on the walls were display cases of big fish from the Thames that didn't get away. It was full of family members and locals alike.

Fred behind the bar at The Flower Pot

After this introduction, I remember Uncle Fred driving up to visit Grandma at Christmas times with his lovely black Labrador, Polly and we would spend time with him there.

When Fred retired as the landlord of the Flower Pot in June 1987, his friends gave him the trip of a lifetime that he would never forget. The first part was a trans-Atlantic voyage on the QE2 to New York, then it was a stay in a luxury hotel and the return journey was on Concorde, piloted by his friend "Tom" Cobley. On returning to Heathrow a fortnight later, Fred was met by 25 of his friends waving a huge welcome home banner, who had travelled to the airport on a double-decker bus. He made friends on the QE2 and this ultimately led to him going missing  after he accepted an invitation by one friends, a Bacardi heiress, to stay at her country home. Fred forgot to notify the hotel or his friend, Mr Cobley, and this led to a moment of panic until he resurfaced two days later.



Whilst recounting these old stories and memories, I realised that I knew little about Fred's life, so I've done some research. Frederick Henry Hewitt was born in Upper Holloway, London on 13th March 1912, just over a month before the ill-fated RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. He was the second son and third child of Herbert Arthur Hewitt and Ada Louisa Deacon and his father worked as a publican at the Whittington Stone on Highgate Hill. He was baptised at St John's church, Upper Holloway, on 27th March. The record reveals that Fred and his parents were living at 4 Wedmore Gardens along with older siblings, Bert and Lily. Fred's younger brother, William Arthur Hewitt, was born 2 years later on 10th April 1914.

The family moved to Essex when their father took over the licence at The Plough on Ilford Lane and would have lived upstairs above the bar. Fred's younger sisters Wynne and Daisy (my grandma) were born there in 1917 and 1919. The family stayed there until 8th November 1924, when his father's declining health forced him to give up the license and they moved to an address further up Ilford Lane.

Extract from 1939 UK register

By 1939,  Fred was employed as a wireless maker, probably at Plesseys, and lived with his mum and 4 other siblings at 23 Twyford Road, Ilford. His younger brother Bill was working as a shop assistant in a grocers shop (images of Granville in "Open All Hours" spring to mind here). His older brother Bert was a steward on a cruise ship called "Brittanic" and his younger sisters Wynne and Daisy (redacted in the record above). Lily had left home by this point and had married a butcher named Horace Lewsey.

Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, Fred enlisted with the RAF and was sent for training up at Blackpool. The group photograph below was taken from Granddad's war scrap book and Fred is in the front row marked below with a cross.

Fred in the RAF at Blackpool

It was while he was a serviceman during the war that Fred first visited the Flower Pot and helped out behind the bar. He fell in love with the village and before long he was regularly helping out the licencees, Mr and Mrs Mace. Over the years the character of the village changed. The farm workers that used to congregate in the bar gradually ebbed away and were replaced by commuters into London and the ferry that used to cross the Thames ceased to operate. In spite of these changes, the Flower Pot continued to serve as a hub for the community and was a regular focal point for the annual Guy Fawkes Night bonfire which took place in the field behind the building. By 1973, Mr Mace had died and his widow, Marie, took over the license. Fred continued working behind the bar, entertaining the local clay pigeon shooting club and fishing parties, right up until his returement in 1987. His final years were spent in nearby Twyford and he died peacefully on 7th June 2000.

The Flower Pot Hotel

William Delves Collier

Introduction
This is the story of William Delves Collier, my 5x great-grandfather, who was the last in a line of silk weaving Williams from London's East End. His story is intertwined with the changing fortunes of the silk weaving industry, the growth of Bethnal Green and its turbulent local politics, which at the time were dominated by the infamous Joseph Merceron.

Extract from John Rocque's 1746 map showing Shoreditch and Bethnal Green

Early life
William Delves was born in Shoreditch, Middlesex on 1st December 1772.  His unmarried parents, William Collier and Phoebe Booth, had him baptised at St Margaret's church in Westminster on 26th December, presumably to avoid any scandal. At this time, the family were living at New Inn Yard and his father was working as a "Fringe, Ferrit and Velvet Ribbon maker".

Baptism record at St Margaret's

William and Phoebe went to have 3 more children before deciding to cement their relationship by marriage at St Leonard's, Shoreditch on 3rd September 1782. William's baby brother, Matthew, had died only the year before and it's likely that this tragic event prompted them to tie the knot and provide security for the family. The church was made famous in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons: "When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey. When I am rich. Say the bells of Shoreditch". It's not difficult to imagine ten year old William standing in church alongside his surviving younger siblings; five year old Ann and three year old Thomas.

In the years that followed his parents wedding, the family grew with the arrival of his sister Sarah Delves 11th December 1782 and Phoebe on 31st January 1785. Three years later, on 7th February 1788, William was apprenticed to James King of the Worshipful Company of Butchers. Less than two months after he was apprenticed, he received news that his grandfather, who lived in Chester, had died. He had evidently doted on him as in his will he describes him as his "dear beloved grandson" and he left him all his books, writings and accounts.

Record of marriage at Christ Church, Spitalfields

On 9th November 1795, William married Eleanor Evitt at Christ Church, Spitalfields . After the wedding, the couple made their home in Spencer Street and later Bateman's Row, both in Shoreditch and were soon blessed with children. In the ten years following their marriage; Matthew Delves, Sarah, Eleanor, Ann and John were all born there.

London's population was growing sharply at this time and the rich landowners to the east of Shoreditch were leasing out parcels of land here for development by builders. They would, in turn, sub-lease the completed houses to people either as homes or as investment opportunities. The turn of the 19th century coincided with the worst poverty in living memory for the weavers of Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Bethnal Green , as a steep increase in food prices, caused by the war with French and by two successive poor harvests took its toll.

Moving East
Sometime around 1805/06, William applied for and was granted a license to run the White Horse public house in nearby Bethnal Green.  At the time, the parish was firmly under the dictatorship of Joseph Merceron, who had by now abolished independent scrutiny of the parish accounts. Parish funds poured into his bank account and he continued to divert money intended for the relief of the poor. His control over the various statutory authorities which governed the local amenities was absolute. He chaired the Bethnal Green pavement commission and watch trust, and was the licencing magistrate for all public houses in the parish, many of which he owned, including the White Horse. Merceron had a close business relationship with the local breweries, especially Truman Hanbury and Buxton, who operated the Black Eagle Brewery opposite his father's old pawnshop on Brick Lane.

The White Horse at 44 Hare Street was a few doors away from the workhouse, which at the time housed between 500 and 700 even though there were only beds enough for 300 inmates. The situation there was appalling with people sleeping 3 or 4 to a bed, shivering with cold and starving while Merceron siphoned off the funds intended for their relief and lived like a king. Several attempts were made to end the corruption, but Merceron was able to deflect these by threatening or bribing witnesses.

In May 1807, William received news that his uncle, Matthew, a successful orris (silk lace) weaver living at 21 Little Queen Street in Westminster, had passed away. William was left £100 in the will, which is roughly £10,000 in today's money. Later that month, on Saturday 30th May, at about half past six in the evening , an incident took place which must have shaken him. He was attending a benefit society meeting in the pub's club room when he heard a noise downstairs. When he descended the stairs, he saw his wife in a scuffle with a man who was trying to leave. William grabbed hold of him and his wife told him that the man had stolen a quart pot. In the scuffle, the pot fell from under his coat. The scuffle continued outside and it was apparent that the thief had a bag. Upon examining the bag, William found that it contained two pint pots that belonged to other publicans. The parish watch officer was called and the man was taken into custody. At the subsequent trial, which took place at the Old Bailey on 1st July 1807, the defendant, 24 year old William Cabbady, was sentenced to be transported for 7 years, leaving his wife and two children to fend for themselves.

William's father, William Collier, died the following year. He had been living at 1 John Street in Spitalfields and was working as a "Narrow Velvet Maker" The funeral took place on 20th December at Christ Church in Spitalfields . His will reveals that he had amassed a substantial property portfolio during his lifetime:

"I give and bequeath to my eldest son William Delves Collier of the White Horse in Hare Street Bethnal Green my three houses in St John Street Bethnal Green for the remainder of the lease thereof I also give and bequeath to him my four leasehold houses numbers 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in Shacklewell Street also three leasehold houses numbers 23, 24 and 25 in Carter Street Bethnal Green and I likewise give and bequeath to the said William Delves Collier my ten shares in the Hope Insurance" 

His sister Ann inherited 4 leasehold properties in Princes Court, Princes Street, Bethnal Green.  In addition, she was left their father's house in John Street, Spitalfields and the house adjoining it. His younger brother, Thomas, inherited 7 leasehold properties in Shacklewell Street and in addition to those, two leasehold houses in front of Shacklewell Court being numbers 2 and 4 and eight houses in the same court. Princes Street and Shacklewell Street were on the Tyssen Estate which her father must have bought the leases on when it was developed in the late 18th century.

William's rental income from those 10 properties alone is estimated to have been in the region of £100 per year, which equates to roughly £10000 in today's money. The ownership of these properties meant that William was entitled to a vote in the local parish vestry at St Matthews, which was still firmly under Merceron's control.

Horwood's map 1819 showing leasehold properties bequeathed by William Collier

The transcript of the Old Bailey trial mentioned above reveals that William was attending a benefit society in an upstairs room of his pub. This is likely to have been a masonic meeting. Indeed, records show that the Lodge of Prosperity 65 was meeting at the White Horse in 1810. The following year, William was initiated into the Lodge of Prudent Brethren 145, who regularly met at The Ship public house in Brick Lane.

During his tenure at the White Horse, William went on to have four more children: James, Thomas, George and Caroline; all of whom where baptised at St Matthews. However, by the time daughter Jane was baptised on 14th August 1814, William was no longer the licensee at the White Horse and had returned to weaving silk for a living. Why? Had the economy improved? He was also living at nearby St John Street which is likely to have been one of the properties his father had left him in his will.

Towards the end of the decade, opposition to Merceron's tyranny grew in strength. An 1817 parliamentary select committee investigation into the licensing of premises in London uncovered evidence that Merceron  had granted licenses to "disorderly houses"  and "flash houses". It transpired that many of these pubs, that were brothels or dens of thieves, were under his ownership. However, the White Horse in Bethnal Green was evidently one of the better pubs in the East End:

"...the White Horse, in Hare-street, we have been to twice or three times, and found them at a very late hour, but in general it is a very good house; when we have found them open they have assigned reasons, that there was a club or party, or something of that kind; I have found them lately in pretty fair order." 

In 1818, Merceron was put on trial for embezzling the sum of £925 1s 3d from the local parish. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment at the Kings Bench Prison in Southwark. Being a very wealthy man, he was able to ensure that his time there was relatively comfortable. By late 1819 he was back in Bethnal Green and set about regaining control of the parish vestry. The account of the vestry election held on Easter Monday 1822 hints at riotous and corrupt nature of local politics at the time:

"...when the vestry doors were opened, a crowd had already gathered outside St Matthew's church... Inside, a fight ensued over who should chair the meeting...After the election, several vestrymen moved for an inquiry into the goings on at the workhouse. Merceron signalled his approval, but made sure the investigation was well-stacked with his own supporters." 

Middlesex Sessions House, Clerkenwell Green

By this time, William, who would have been present at the election by virtue of the property he owned, was living in Edward Street. He was elected as a Justice of the Peace, a role that he must have been given with Merceron's blessing. The Middlesex Sessions of the Peace met 8 times a year at the Sessions House on Clerkenwell Green. The records reveal that he was responsible for examining a number of bastardy cases under the Poor Law between 1822 and 1824. After that, he disappears from the records entirely and there is some evidence that suggests he was involved in some sort of a scandal and forced to resign.

Given the chaotic nature of parish affairs at the time, its no wonder that I cannot find a surviving burial record for William and given the likelihood that he died before the advent of civil registration in 1837 and there is no record of a will, there is no way of determining exactly when he died. One source says that he died on 11th January 1835, but I am unable to confirm this.

St Matthews, Bethnal Green 6th February 2020

Sources:

1. Woodford J.  - The Boss of Bethnal Green

2. House of Commons  - Police Report: Relative to the Licensing of Public Houses in the Metropolis 1817 

Football and flowers

As I wrote previously, my great-grandfather, John Robert Melton (Bob), was the trainer of Barking Town FC from 1920/21 until the late 1930s. I've discovered that he previously played at half back for Tower Hamlets FC while his older brother George played as a forward, but a recent search of the British Newspaper Archive has revealed that he played for Barking FC as early as 1903:

Essex Guardian 5th December,1903

The following is the report of a London Senior Cup tie that took place between Barking and Townley Park on 28th November 1903 at Vicarage Field and was reported in the Essex Guardian the following Saturday transcribed below:

The teams met on the ground of the former at Barking on Saturday. 
Townley Park won the toss, and running down Boyd tested the home custodian. At the end of twenty minutes there was no score.
Half time was fast approaching when Cotton gave the home side the lead with a neat header.
The second half saw Townley making frantic attempts to draw level, but their efforts only served to bring out the fine defensive qualities of the Barking men. Morgan, at back, and Hatcher, at centre-half played a fine game. Barking added a second goal towards the end, and Townley Park eventually made their exit form the competition, beaten by two goals to nil.
Teams:
Barking: H. Goddard; W. Steward and F. Morgan; C. Dereson, J. O. Hatcher and A. Cornell; J. Cottis, F. Moule, J. R. Melton, G. Shaldens and F. Ridley.
Townley Park: C.N. Hymen; H.T. Booker and H. L. Griffiths; R.L. Peel-Yates, E.G.Gayler and H.V. Edwards; G.G. Boyd, S.R. Beck, F.H. Beck and S.E.A Hoe. 

I remember my Dad once told me that he was also a keen gardener, but I didn't realise exactly how much growing flowers meant to him until I uncovered this article from the Barking, Ilford and East Ham Advertiser dated 9th November 1912:

CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW AT BARKING

WONDERFUL DISPLAY AT THE BATHS

The 19th Annual Exhibition arranged by the Barking and Ripple Amateur Chrysanthemum Society, was held at the Public Baths, Barking on Thursday, and was attended with unprecedented success. The president of the society is Mr W. Mills of Loxford Hall, who is supported by a large number of influential gentlemen as vice-presidents. The officers responsible for the arrangements were as follows:- Chaiman of the Committee, Mr H. Ferguson; vice-chairman, Mr W Barkley; treasurers, Mr J. Clark and Mr G Glenny; hon. Secretary, Mr J. Simmonds; committee, Messrs. J. Bones, T. Botison, H. Davis, T. Masters, J. Garbett, H. Prior, W. Richardson, J.C. Smith, W. Clark, G. Spurway, R. Upton, G. Jackson, C.C.J. Fotmor, H. Prior jun, J. Hopkins, J. R. Melton and A Farmer. The judges were Mr J.B. Riding and Mr C. H. Goodman.

The show was an excellent one, there being an improvement both in the quality and number of exhibits as compared with the previous year. The entries for chrysanthemums were 84, as compared with 79 last year; children's entries 80, against 59; allotment holders vegetable classes 54, against 43, and small-holders 3 against 2. Mr A. E. Martin, J P chairman of the Barking Urban Council, presented a silver shield for the best group of chrysanthemums exhibited by a member of the Society, and this was won by Mr. J. Hopkins, who succeeded last year in winning the outright cup given by Mr Martin. An excellent group of chrysanthemums and other flowers was tastefully set out on the platform by Mr J. Hopkins, and an excellent collection of vegetables not for competition was exhibited by Messrs. C. H and A. Goodman of Gale Street Farm.

Bob won prizes in 6 categories, as listed below:

  

At the close of the judging officials and members of the Committee sat down to luncheon at the Bull Hotel. Mr J. Clark presided and Mr C.H. Goodman was in the vice-chair. The chairman proposed "The Health of the Judges" and in doing so described the show as an excellent one and something for Barking to be proud of - Mr C. H. Goodman and Mr. J. B. Riding replied, both gentlemen speaking highly of the show, which they considered to be the best ever held by the society.

THE OPENING

The opening ceremony took place in the afternoon and...During the evening an excellent programme of vocal and instrumental muses was rendered. A string orchestra was under the capable direction of Miss May Masters, songs were sung by Miss Sara Jones and Mr Arthur Drew and recitations given by Mr Cyril Lidington, madame Irene Mackenzie being the accompanist.

A large number visited the show and expressed their great delight at its excellence. 

The show was continued on Friday.

The Bull Hotel, Barking circa 1918

An infamous reverend?

St Vedast, Foster Lane

The church St Gregory in Fledborough, a hamlet by the banks of the River Trent seems a world away from our family's roots in southern and eastern England, and yet my journey back through time on the Sherwood branch of my father's side of the family has led me to this quiet backwater on the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire border. The vicar of this remote parish was Reverend William Sweetapple, my 7x great-grandfather.

William, the son of John Sweetapple, and his wife, Amy; was born in London on 28th March 1688 and baptised at St Vedast, Foster Lane on 10th April. The church survived the Great Fire, but the damage sustained during the disaster was severe enough for repairs to be carried out between 1695 and 1701. Brother John born a year later and sister Amy the following year.During his childhood he would have witnessed the nearby edifice of St Paul's Cathedral slowly rising from the ashes of the fire to be completed in 1708

William was admitted to Balliol College, Oxford on 21st June 1705. He graduated in 1709 with a BA, but stayed on at Oxford and graduated with an MA on 16th January 1712 at the age of 23. His career in the church began later that year when he was ordained as a deacon at Christchurch cathedral, Oxford on 16th May. Six weeks later, on 29th June, he was at Bishopsthorpe Palace in York being ordained as a priest and he was appointed as the rector of Fledborough.

Family tree from great-grandmother, Charlotte Sherwood, back to to William Sweetapple

Fledborough's population of just 60 people meant he would have to wait until 1715 before performing his first marriages at the parish church of St Gregory. Two more marriages took place in 1717, and then on 23rd June 1721 his own marriage, to Elizabeth Chapman, took place there.

Their first son, William was born in 1724, but sadly died at the age of 2. He was buried in the churchyard on 13th 1726. That same year, they had a daughter, Amy and in the years that followed they had 3 more children; Elizabeth (1729), Edward (1731), Caroline (1733) and John.

His father died in 1727 and may have received a substantial inheritance. That same year he took local landowner and nobleman Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston, to court in a dispute over tithes, glebe land and right of common. The action, brought at Serjeant's Inn in London's Fleet Street, succeeded and he was permitted to assert his right to the glebe land and right of common.

Legal action at Serjeant's Inn

Between his marriage and his death in 1755, Rev. Sweetapple performed a further 8 marriages for which the banns had been called conventionally in church, but during this period he also solemnised an astounding 488 marriages by means of licences which he had issued himself, having been empowered by the bishop to issue surrogate ecclesiastical marriage licences in 1728. As you can imagine, this ruffled a few feathers in within the church establishment. Writing in 1950, Frank West, the Archdeacon of Newark said ‘gradually it became known that in this snug little hamlet on the banks of the Trent, an ideal spot for a clandestine marriage, there was an obliging parson who would grant a licence without asking awkward questions at the rectory one moment, and perform the marriage ceremony in the church at the bottom of his garden ten minutes later…From Bawtry to Bingham and from Mansfield to Newark, every apprentice who was plotting to run away with his master’s daughter, every reckless young scapegrace who had persuaded an heiress to elope with him knew that he would find a willing accomplice in the…rascally Mr Sweetapple’.

Despite the accusations, research shows the truth may have been somewhat more prosaic. It is true that several spouses came from considerable distances to marry in Fledborough, such as William Belyeat from the Isle of Ely; Robert Slainey, a widowed brick-maker, from Bolsover; Francis Spencer, a joiner, from York, Lydia Style from Buckinghamshire and Anne Calvert from Doncaster. However, these were the exceptions. 33% of grooms and 38% of brides came from within five miles of Fledborough, and only 4% of grooms and 3% of brides originated from more than twenty miles distant. The average ages at which the licensees married was also fairly typical for the period, being 26 for men and 24 for women, so it was not the case that only young people were flocking to Fledborough. There were also relatively few of the gentry, and at the opposite end of the social spectrum, few labouring people – the majority of his clients appear to have been relatively local, middling farmers, tradesmen and craftsmen. Interestingly, there were 4 mariners, 2 ferrymen, a bargeman, a waterman, and a sea-captain, pointing to Fledborough’s location near the River Trent.

The marriages solemnised by Rev. Sweetapple were ‘clandestine’ in the strictest sense of the word, in that they probably breached aspects of matrimonial law, particularly the canon which stated that either the husband or wife should live in the parish where the wedding took place. The marriages he performed by licence infringed these rules, but the ecclesiastical authorities must have turned a ‘blind eye’ to his activities and he was never accused of malpractice.

The reason so many people went to the considerable trouble of marrying at Fledborough remains an enigma. Sweetapple may have a had a reputation for being more accomodating, or he may have charged less for the licence, but Outhwaite concludes that ‘it may also be the case that the chief attraction was Fledborough's relative isolation: it was off the beaten track. If privacy was the quality licence seekers most desired, then this lowly populated Trent-side parish could certainly offer it’. It's not clear how Sweetapple himself benefited. He died a relatively wealthy man and in his will left £500 and silver to his daughter Elizabeth, £200 and more silver to his daughter Caroline, silver to his son John and land to his son Edward and smaller monetary gifts to his son-in-law and grand-daughter.

Sweetapple died in 1755, the year after the surrogate power to issue ecclesiastical marriage licences had been withdrawn. He and his wife are buried in the church.

St Gregory, Fledborough, Nottinghamshire

From silk weaver to pewterer - the story of Matthew Collier

My 4× great-grandfather, Matthew Delves Collier was born on 14 November 1797 in Shoreditch, Middlesex, the first born child of William Delves Collier, a silk weaver, and his wife Eleanor. He was baptised on 18th September 1798 at St Leonard's church Shoreditch and at the time the family were living in Spencer Street off New Inn Yard.

Baptism record (St Leonard's church, Shoreditch)

In the years that followed, the family grew quickly with the arrival of siblings Sarah, Ann, Eleanor, John and Amelia by the time he was 7 years old. The following year, the family moved the short distance to the growing suburb of Bethnal Green, and by the time he was 16, in the year 1814, he had 5 more brothers and sisters: James, Thomas, George, Caroline and Jane. By then, Matthew was working at a pawnbrokers shop in Berwick Street, Soho owned by a Mr and Mrs Alders and his contribution to the family finances would have helped them keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. It must have been difficult to make ends meet and the temptation to make some easy money must have been strong. So strong that on 23rd October 1814 he stole a shirt, a handkerchief, a pair of gloves and a pipe reed from his employers. Three days after the incident, he was before a judge at the Old Bailey and was found guilty. However, after calling two witnesses that provided testament to his good character, he got away with a 1s fine and was discharged. The court transcript is below:

MATTHEW COLLIER was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 23rd of October , a shirt, value 4 s. a handkerchief, value 1 s. a pair of gloves, value 18 d. and a pipe reed, value 2 s. the property of Elizabeth Ann Alders and James Alders .

JAMES ALDERS . I am a pawnbroker . The prisoner was my journeyman . I lost the things, and on the 23rd of October I found them in the prisoner's possession; I missed them from Berwick-street, Soho. On the 12th of October, a person applied for a pair of stockings pledged with us, and on searching the book, it appeared redeemed; I could not find them. I sent for an officer, and the things were found in the prisoner's box.

WILLIAM CARVEN . I am an officer. I took the prisoner into custody. The shirt and handkerchief he had on, the other articles were in his box. This is the pipe reed. I produce the property.

Prosecutor. They are my property; the pipe reed was an article that we had in the window for sale.

The prisoner called two witnesses, who gave him a good character.

GUILTY , aged 16.

Fined 1 s. and Discharged.


Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Recorder.

It seems that his brush with the law put him off engaging in any further criminal enterprises and less than 5 years later he was married. He wed Elizabeth Richards at St Matthews, Bethnal Green on 1/08/1819 and the couple were soon blessed with children. Their first son, Matthew Delves, was born on 11th August 1820 and he was joined by Samuel on 27th December 1821. Both sons were baptised at St Matthews, Bethnal Green and at the time, Matthew was working as a weaver and the family were living in Hope Town, a newly-built area of Bethnal Green situated to the north of Church Road/Bethnal Green Road.

Extract from Greenwood's map 1827 showing Hope Town

The family doubled with the arrival of two daughters: Eliza Elizabeth on 2nd October 1824 and Clara Louisa on 12th May 1827.

At the time, the theft of recently buried corpses was prevalent in the area. In a bid to deter the body snatchers, a watchhouse was build at the corner of St Matthews churchyard in 1826. However, with corpses for dissection being in high demand at London's teaching hospitals, the crimes continued. Nova Scotia Gardens, just a few streets away from Matthew's home, became the centre of the most notorious case of body snatching in London. In 1831, a young boy thought to be of Italian descent was seen screaming and waving for help by John King and his 11 year old sister Martha as they hung the washing out at their home in Crabtree Road. The boy was thought to be Carlo Ferrero, and came to be known as the 'Italian Boy'. He was the first known victim of the 'London Burkers'. The gang were eventually caught and the ringleaders, John Bishop and Thomas Williams, were hanged outside Newgate Prison on 5th December 1831.

The Spitalfields Acts which had protected the local silk weaving industry were repealed in 1824. This lead to an influx of cheaper silk imports from the 1820/30s which undercut the local workforce and resulted in widespread poverty. In response to this, Matthew evidently retrained as a pewterer and by 6th June 1841, the family were living above the Jolly Weavers pub at 60 Wheeler Street, Spitalfields. Matthew, his wife Elizabeth and their children (Clara) Louisa and James lived there along with the landlady's family.  

1841 census

His wife, Elizabeth, died in late 1846 and was buried at St Matthews, Bethnal Green on 31st December. The whole area was going through enormous changes at this time. Several years earlier a new railway terminus for the Eastern Counties Railway was built on the eastern side of Bishopsgate and on the late 1840s the slum housing was cleared to make way for Commercial Street that ran northwards from Whitechapel. 

At the turn of the decade, Matthew remarried. His new wife, Susan Cooper was considerably younger than him at just 29 years old. The wedding took place at St Mark's church, on the corner of Old Street and City Road, on 10th March 1850. The census taken the following year shows the couple were living at 11 Charlotte Street.

Extract from 1851 census

In the autumn of the following year, the couple had a child. Susan Collier was baptised at St Bartholomew's church, Bethnal Green on 17th October 1852. By this time the family had moved to 4 Tapp Street, close to the railway station and two doors down from a pub called The Lion, which over a century later, became associated with the Kray Twins. By this time, Susan was already suffering frequent bouts of coughing due to Phthisis (Tuberculosis). Her illness worsened as autumn turned to winter and she died at home with Matthew by her side on 13th February 1853. She was laid to rest at St Bartholomew's church on 22nd February.  

Susan Collier death certificate

St Bartholomew the Less, Bethnal Green

The following year, Matthew married for the third time. His new bride, Mary Smith, was a widow and much closer to his own age. The wedding took place at St Bartholomew's in 17th April 1854. 

Seven years later, Matthew, his wife Mary and their 8 year old daughter were living a short distance away at 47 Wilmot Street. Matthew is incorrectly named 'Joseph' on the 1861 census, but it must be him because all the other details are correct.

In the years that followed, it's likely that Matthew became progressively more forgetful and may have struggled to undertake even basic tasks. Unable to cope, his wife approached the local poor law authorities for help. After assessing his case, Matthew was removed from his home at 18 Seabright Street in 1870 to the local workhouse infirmary and after a short stay there, was taken to he newly-built Leavesden Asylum in Hertfordshire. By October of the following year there were 739 male and 899 female patients. According to the 1881 census recorded a local population of 3,643.

1881 census - Leavesden Asylum

The 1881 census describes Matthew as a 'lunatic' and although this is a derogatory term by today's standards, in Victorian times it had more of a medical connotation. A lunatic was someone who sometimes had good and sound memory and understanding, and sometimes did not. Similarly, an imbecile was someone with the mental age of an infant.

Patients at the asylum who were capable of working were taken under strict supervision to various areas. The women worked in the laundry, needleroom and the female staff quarters. Men worked in the gardens, on the farm, in the shoemakers, tailors, upholsterers and paint shops, and in the laundry kitchen and bakehouse. Patients who were unsuitable for these jobs were employed on the wards scrubbing and corridors and stairs. 

Leavesden Asylum

Patient's clothing was made on the asylum premises: men's corduroy suits in the tailor's shop, and women's dresses in the needleroom. Neckerchiefs were issued to the men and bonnets and shawls to the women. At night, all clothing was taken out of the dormitory and kept in a room at the end of the ward. The men wore day shirts and vests at night. 

Recreation was considered an important part of the patient's life. However, discipline was strict. The sexes were segregated, apart from the weekly dance and chapel service, but even then, women were made to sit on one side and men on the other.

Register of death

The asylum was Matthew's world for the last 16 years of his life until his death due to bronchitis on 24th December 1886 at the age of 89. He had probably been suffering from dementia for around 20 years, a disease which may have been caused by working with pewter, which in those days, contained lead.