For my last dig around in the photographic debris of the 19th century I'm going to put a few folk, who've been scattered round ebay, back with their families. Already this little game has reunited two photographed folk with their descendants ... maybe another?
The biggest bundle is the Poland family: a selection from three generations ... George Alfred POLAND (d Florence Lodge, Streatham Hill 29 January 1883) and his wife Hetty Rosina née ESQUILANT (b Rathbone Place, St Pancras 9 December 1818; d Florence Lodge 25 November 1888)
George, as you can see from his fancy dress (civic? guild? mason?) had a colourful life, and a successful one. Professionally, he was in the clothing business. His father, George (b c 1796; d Camden 10 May 1860), was a furrier at various addresses, all in Oxford Street, and young George, who in the 1851 census, described himself as a strawhat maker and Hetty as a milliner, joined and took over his father's business. On his 1842 wedding certificate he describes himself as 'furrier'. The founding father of the firm and family was John George Poland, and furrier of -- since 1804 -- 90 Oxford Street (b Hof, Germany December 1764; d 24 September 1816). His brother Peter [Raymond] Hof also operated in the wholesale skin and fur business.
There must have been money in furs, because I see that G A owned his own freehold house in Portman Square before his marriage. Maybe it was Hetty, whose father was a fringemaker, who was into straw hats. He seems to have been a fur man. Even though he became Grand Master of the Guild of (Wallpaper) Painters and Stainers. Which may have been the excuse for the above robes. He also seems to have been quite deeply involved in civic affairs and (Liberal) politics, and shortly before his death he was, briefly, a member of the Metropolitan Board of Works. When he and Hetty died, the extent of his investments in property could be seen
On top of all these activities, he was an impenitent breeder. Both of show pigeons and of children. I have lost count of the numbers of his children, but I spot a Maria (Mrs South), Emily Julia (Mrs Harrington, partner of Charles Poland, architect), Hetty Jane (Mrs Ord), Rosina Jane, Sidney Michael, Henry Gordon, Charles Ernest, Frederick William (1860-1934) pictured below
and George Edward POLAND (d Leaverdon Asylum, Watford 7 January 1907), hereditary furrier, pictured here with his wife Mary Anne Eliza née BAKER
George and 'Marian' gave bith to a son, George Victor Poland (b Oxford Street 3 June 1874), who continued in the fur trade, and to a daughter, Lillian Maud Marian (b Oxford Street 24 August 1879; d 11 Spencer Hill, Wimbledon 24 July 1950). Here is 'Lily' ...
There are a hundred peregrinations to be made into the Poland family -- Peter's son became High Sheriff of London and was dubbed -- but I shall just stick to the pictures ... and send you for further information to http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/31598/1/hope.david_phd.pdf for the story of the Poland brother's large part in the 19th century fur trade.
Oh, number 90 Oxford Street (between Dean Street and Wadour Street) survived well over a century as a furrier's, until it became a Dorothy Perkins shop. Apparently is now 'The Sunglasses Hut'. How the glorious are fallen: from the heights of furry fashion to the pits of pseudo-fashion!
Husband and wife only this time ..
Samuel BRAME (b Bedale 1838; d West Bromwich 1909) and his wife Marie née BALL (d 1879)
The firm went bankrupt in 1880 (8s in the pound) and was liquidated in 1883.
Samuel remarried, Alice Matilda Boston, of Acock's Green, in 1882 (21 January), and switched to a new career, as a political agent. I don't know what he actually did ... but he did it for the rest of his visible life, up to his death aged 71.
The next family, to my surprise, I had already encountered in my work on D'Oyly Carte singers. This is Margaret ENGLISH née ABRAHAM (b Carlisle 20 December 1816, d 1872), wife (1845) of Liverpool shipbuilder's clerk (later shipowner and broker, Charles John English (b 1820; d Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool 10 May 1898).
The Englishes had seven children: Margaret Orpah, Charles Robert, Rebecca (Mrs Burdon), Mary Condliff (Mrs Isaiah De Zouche), Evangeline (Mrs Walter Norris Jones), Robert Abraham and Francis George. Alas, there is no photo of eldest daughter 'Madge Inglis', contralto of the Carte companies, but we have three of her siblings.
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| Francis in 1879 |
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| Robert in 1876 |
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| Rebecca in 1867 |
Well, it's a whole week, now, that I've been digging in this photo box. It's been fun, it's been interesting, but it's time to get back to the Victorian theatre.
I've still got a folder of folk, uninvestigated, in my Dropbox, so maybe I'll return to them one day ... and, of course, more will surface daily ...
2 comments:
I’m a direct descendant of both John George Poland and his brother Peter Raymond Poland. I’m deeply impressed by your extensive and interesting research. Historically, PR Poland’s descendants have been very interested in their family history and have done much research. But JG Poland’s descendants have been somewhat less interested which is presumably why you have come across this treasure trove of Polands floating about homelessly on the likes of E-bay etc. I have spent about 15 years researching my family history and can confirm much of what you’ve discovered. Do you actually have these photos? I’d be very interested to know if there is any information on the back of the photos.
Alas, I don't have the photos, but I suspect that, had there been anything on the backs, I would have included it.
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