In the Autumn of 1863, Great Ellingham born Stephen Houchen became embroiled in a case of robbery in Norwich. It involved his association with widow Susan Bayes.
The Guildhall, Norwich. 23 September 1934. George Plunkett. georgeplunkett.co.uk
The case was brought before the Magistrates at the Guildhall in Norwich. On the 20th February 1864, the Norfolk Chronicle reported on the case.
Princes Street, Norwich. 12 July 1936. Photograph George Plunkett. georgeplunkett.co.uk
Pauper Susan Bayes was charged with stealing wearing apparel and other articles from the house of Mr James Bennett of Princes Street, Norwich. She had been employed as a nurse to the late Mrs Bennett, who had died in October 1863. The newspaper report describes Susan as ‘middle aged’.
It was after his wife’s death that James Bennett noticed that certain items were missing from his house. The police investigated. Detective Starkey recovered some of the items from the porteress at the workhouse where Susan Bayes was then an inmate.
Stephen Houchen had known Susan Bayes for around 3 years. He had ‘given up’ an upper back room in his house to Susan ‘for stowage’. Because of this, the Detective also searched Stephen Houchen’s house in Crook’s Place, Queens Street, Norwich.
Houchen confirmed that Susan Bayes had come back and forth to his house. Indeed the night before she went into the workhouse, Susan Bayes had put ‘a bundle or two’ in the room at Houchen’s house. The Detective recovered two boxes and a bundle from the room. These also contained items belonging to the late Mrs Bennett.
Although Stephen Houchen was taken into custody, he was released and ‘admitted as evidence against the prisoner’. Susan Bayes was sent for trial at the Quarter Sessions.
Born in Great Ellingham
Stephen Houchen is a son of Robert Houchen (1792-1855) and his wife Mary nèe Terrington (1795-1875). He is a first cousin to Stephen Houchen c.1820-1869, a son of Edmund Houchen and his wife Mary nèe Taylor.
Parish Church of St James, Great Ellingham
Stephen was born in Great Ellingham c.1822 and baptised in the Parish Church on the 9th June, 1822.
The 1841 census finds his parents Robert and Mary Houchen (both in the forties) living in Great Ellingham. They have three of their sons with them. Berry 15, George 14 and eight year old Jeremiah. However, I cannot locate Stephen at this time, but he may already be in Norwich.
Marriage to Eliza Daines
St Mary Coslany. 19th May 1940. George Plunkett. georgeplunkett.co.uk
On the 20th December, 1847, at the age of 27, Stephen marries Deopham born spinster Eliza Daines. The marriage takes place at the Parish Church of St Mary at Coslany, Norwich.
Queen Street, Norwich
The 1851 census captures the couple living in Queen Street in the Parish of St Stephen in Norwich. 29 year old Stephen is a journeyman shoemaker, skilled in his trade. 31 year old Eliza is working as a staymaker (corsetmaker). 18 year old shoemaker Jeremiah Houchen is also with his brother’s household.
Death of Eliza Houchen
Sadly, Stephen Houchen buried his 42 year old wife Eliza at the beginning of February 1861.
1861 census
The 1861 census taken on the night of the 7th April finds 38 year old bootmaker and widower Stephen Houchen still living in Queen Street, Norwich. With Stephen is his 72 year old mother-in-law, Elizabeth Dains. 34 year old Deopham born Elizabeth Blazer is a visitor at the Houchen household.
Living next door is 41 year old shoemaker, George Starling with his 35 year old wife Elizabeth and their three children. George Starling dies before the next census. Stephen later marries his widow Elizabeth Starling.
It is a couple of years after the 1861 census, that Stephen Houchen becomes involved with the robbery case brought against Susan Bayes.
1871 census
The 1871 census finds 47 year old Stephen Houchen living alone at Crooks Place, Queen Street, Norwich. Occupying the nearby property is 45 year old Suffolk born widow Elizabeth Starling and her daughters, Elizabeth 17 and three year old Rose. George Starling’s death his registered between January and March 1870.
Marriage to widow Elizabeth Starling
Stephen Houchen marries Elizabeth Starling in 1874.
1881 census
The 1881 census captures 58 year old bootmaker Stephen Houchen at 1 Queens Street, Norwich along with 13 year old Rosa Houchen, who is described as Stephen’s daughter.
However Rosa’s birth in 1867 is registered as Rose Anna Starling. George Starling is still alive at the time of her birth. In 1881, it seems that Rose has adopted the surname ‘Houchen’ – or, at least, Stephen Houchen is referring to her as Rose Houchen.
Stephen’s wife, Elizabeth Houchen, is an inmate at St Andrew’s Workhouse. In 1890 she is discharged to Bow Asylum.
Death of Stephen Houchen
Great Ellingham born 70 year old shoemaker Stephen Houchen of the Lion & Castle Yard, Orford Hill in Norwich died on the 9th January, 1894. Probate is granted to spinster Rose Ann Starling.
Death of Elizabeth Houchen
Sadly Stephen’s widow Elizabeth appears to have remained institutionalised for the remainder of her life. The 1901 census captures 74 year old widow Elizabeth Houchen at the Norwich City Lunatic Asylum at Hellesdon. She died in November, 1906.
Sources:
20 February 1864 Norfolk Chronicle. Viewed via The British Newspaper Archive
GRO Index. Also viewed via FreeBMD website
Marriage 20 Dec 1847 St Mary at Coslany. Norfolk Record Office; Norwich, Norfolk, England; Norfolk Church of England Registers; Reference: PD 1/13 Ancestry.com. Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Church of England Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
1841 census HO107/781/8
1851 census HO107/1815/228
1861 census RG9/1217/75
1871 census RG10/1816/107
1881 census RG11/1947/15
1891 census RG12/1523/106
1901 census RG13/1833/169
Norwich Death Returns 1894. Norfolk Family History Society.
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available at www.familysearch.org
Thanks to Pauline Bezant for the additional information with regard to Elizabeth Houchen formerly Starling nèe Ward