New page 12 October 2014.
This line traces back to Hampshire, but in the 19th century moved to the London area, living on the eastern and southern fringes. One member turns up in Brighton at one point too.
5. Charles (b abt 1814, living 1881) and Emily Rebecca (b abt 1820, living 1881) of Millbrook, near Southampton. Emily had been a RIDGES of Totton (also in Hampshire). More
4. Edward John (1857-1900) and Mary Ellen (b 1862, d early 20th century) of Beckenham, London/Kent. Mary had been a SHAW, originally from Stoke-on-Trent More
3. Edward Colin (1894-1944) and Gwendoline Olive (1901-97) of Bromley, Kentish Town and East Finchley in the London area. Gwendoline had been a GARROOD of East Finchley. More
Charles ROBINSON was born about 1814 in Southampton, Hampshire. In 1853, so aged nearly 40, he married Emily Rebecca RIDGES in Kensington (ref Marriages Q2 1853 ROBINSON Charles to RIDGES Emily Rebecca, Kensington 1a 39). Emily was about six years younger than him, and from Totton - a few miles from Southampton itself, across the river Test.
They lived at Millbrook, between those two birthplaces at least from 1857 to 1881. Their street address was recorded as Waterhouse Lane or Millbrook Lane - I'm not totally sure they were different places though. In 1881 at least they were specifically at Blighmont Stables. Charles was a blacksmith or a master blacksmith during this period and then in 1888 he’s described as an engineer.
They had Emily, born about 1854, and Edward John, born 1857.
Research notes: Order the marriage. Look for deaths, 1881 onwards. Also look for Charles and Emily separately in 1851 and 41.
Edward John ROBINSON was a shipping clerk (or merchant’s clerk, just clerk, or even accountant on his death certificate). In 1888 he was living in West Ham on the eastern fringe of London, but marrying Mary Ellen SHAW in Shirley, Hampshire, near his own family home. Mary was living with her family in that parish at that time, but had been born where her parents came from near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire and had also lived in Dorset with her uncle and aunt Thomas and Anne DONNELLY.
Mary joined Edward in the London suburbs when they were married and by 1891 they were living at 2 Clay Lane in Beckenham, Kent. Mary’s aunt Anne also now lived with them. By 1894 when their son Edward Colin was born they were living at 2 Cavendish Villas, Elmers End Road, in the same neighbourhood. I’m told by relatives that they also had two other sons, Frank and Leslie, younger than Colin.
However, in 1900 Edward John died, at Selhurst, Croydon (now considered south London). He died aged only 42, of bronchitis caused by an underactive thyroid, and his death was registered by Myra SHAW, describing herself as his step-mother – therein lies a tale, told on the page of Hiram SHAW, Edward’s father-in-law.
In 1901, Mary, as a widow, is keeping a lodging house in Brighton (judging from the census page her address, Bedford Square, has several such). Mary has only Edward Colin of her own family with her, the only male in the establishment: her lodgers are three elderly ladies and one of their spinster daughters, and there are a few female servants too.
Family tradition has it that Mary also died not long afterwards; the boys lived for a bit in an orphanage, but then were brought up by an aunt in Walthamstow (east London) with a large family of her own.
Research notes: Plenty to follow up in censuses and perhaps orphanage records there. Keep looking for the boys under their own names. Aunt Anne Donnelly in 1901, 1911? She was childless so not the aunt in family tradition. Anyone of the name Shaw or Bedson in Walthamstow? I can’t identify an aunt Edie or Evie as I’ve been told of. I have tried looking for Mary Ellen’s death but Mary ROBINSON is a very common name and I haven’t picked one out.
Edward Colin ROBINSON (known by his middle name) was born 9 July 1894 in Beckenham, Kent. Both his parents died young and I am told by a relative that he and his two brothers spent time in an orphanage before being brought up by an aunt in Walthamstow with a large family of her own.
Colin served in the Great War and was exposed to gas attack. In the early 1920s he was working as a commercial clerk and living in Kentish Town, a suburb north of central London, at 27 Ryland Road. On 21 March 1923 he married Gwendoline Olive GARROOD at Barnet register office. She was the daughter of a leather works manager, and from East Finchley, a suburb further north again. He was 28 and she 21. Members of each family witnessed the marriage.
The couple lived in East Finchley, in one of the ‘county roads’ (this may have been in Bedford Road, Gwendoline’s address when she married and perhaps the Garrood family home). Colin continued to work as a commercial clerk, at a bank, insurance company or similar City firm. They had two children some years apart in the 1920s and 30s (I don’t give details of this generation on the web to protect living persons).
Colin died of tuberculosis in 1944. Gwendoline later remarried – for details see her entry on the GARROOD page.
If you are interested in this line I'll be very pleased indeed to hear from you. Email me at deletethis.ianwilliamson161@gmail.com though obviously you edit the email address before you send - leaving just my name and number @ service provider.