Illustration Christine Fuller
The Norwich Mercury of Saturday 27th June, 1863, reported on several recent cases at the East Harling Petty Sessions. The report included the case of Elizabeth Peas, a single woman, of Great Ellingham.
Elizabeth was charged by miller John Browne of stealing a pair of drawers at [Great] Ellingham on the 6th June. The case was proved. Elizabeth was committed to prison for three months with hard labour.
John Brown
The 1861 census captures 35 year old Besthorpe born innkeeper John Brown at The Chequers Inn, Great Ellingham. With him is his 35 year old wife Charlotte and their two children, Clara 3 and Thomas 1.
On the 26th June, 1864, John and Charlotte Brown took three of their children for baptism in St James’s church.
Thomas, born on the 25th March, 1860, John born on the 25th July 1861 and William born on the 7th November, 1862.
However, John Brown’s tenure at the Chequers Inn is fairly short. By around 1865, the Brown family had moved out of the village.
Elizabeth Pea
I believe Elizabeth is a daughter of John and Susan Pea (nèe Ashby). She was born in Great Ellingham c.1848 and baptised in St James’s Church on the 16th April of that year. Elizabeth’s maternal grandparents, Joseph and Sarah Ashby lived in ‘The Cottage‘ in Penhill Road.
Early Life in Great Ellingham
The census of 1861 captures Elizabeth (then aged 12) living with her widowed mother Susan Pea and her younger sister Emma at Low Common. I am certain that they are actually living in Swamp Lane. This makes Elizabeth aged around 14 at the time of the misdemeanor.
Ten years later in 1871, Elizabeth is still living with her mother and sister in Swamp Lane. However, Elizabeth now has a 3 year old daughter Alice and a one year old son, Albert Charles (Charles).
However by 1881, Elizabeth, her mother Susan and her sister Emma had all moved to Yorkshire.
Yorkshire
The 1881 census finds Susan Pea with her daughter Emma (who was then married to Joseph Robertshaw), in Bingley, Yorkshire.
Elizabeth is also married, and in Yorkshire.
In 1878, Elizabeth married Norfolk born William Starr in the Bradford District of Yorkshire. The 1881 census captures 32 year old Elizabeth with her 35 year old Thompson born husband William Starr, at School Green Houses, Thornton in Bradford. They have three children with them. William’s 13 year old son George Starr and his five year old daughter Martha Starr. Elizabeth’s son, 11 year old Charles Pea, completes the household.
Death of William Starr
Tragically not long after the 1881 census (3rd April), William Starr died.
Re-marriage
Nevertheless in 1899, widow Elizabeth Starr married John Metcalfe in the North Bierley District of Yorkshire. Sadly, Elizabeth was again widowed, as John Metcalfe died before the 1901 census was carried out.
1901 census
Life may well have been difficult for Elizabeth after the death of her husband, John Metcalfe. The census of 1901 finds 52 year old widow Elizabeth Metcalfe in the North Bierley Union Workhouse at Clayton, Yorkshire. However, I wonder whether Elizabeth was in the workhouse because of illness rather than being destitute.
Nevertheless, the 1911 census captures 64 year old widow Elizabeth Metcalfe occupying a three-roomed dwelling 22 Market Street, Thornton, Bradford. With her is her 43 year old unmarried daughter Alice and Alice’s 22 year old daughter, Edith.
Strangely, although widowed, Elizabeth states on the census that she has completed 32 years of marriage! It has been around 32 years since she had married William Starr. However, he died in 1881 and Elizabeth had since remarried.
Nevertheless, the census also tells us that Elizabeth had given birth to two children who were still alive in 1911.
Although 64 year old Elizabeth does not appear to be working both Alice and Alice’s daughter Edith are working as worsted weavers.
1921 census
Great Ellingham born widow Elizabeth Metcalfe is still living with Alice and Edith at the time of the 1921 census. The household is in North Bierley, Yorkshire, where I assume that Elizabeth ‘sees out’ the rest of her life.
I wonder whether she ever told her children or grandchildren about her ‘brush with the law’ as a young girl in Great Ellingham!
Sources:
Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: England, Marriages, 1538–1973. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
27th June, 1863. Norwich Mercury. Viewed via the British Newspaper Archive
GRO Index. Viewed via FreeBMD website
1851 census HO107/1823/127
1861 census RG9/1237/95
1871 census RG10/1841/94
1881 census RG11/4468/7
1891 census RG12/3644/22
1901 census RG13/4179/144
1911 census RG14/26608/318
1921 census RG14. Index only viewed online via FindMyPast website
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office.PD609. Also available via FamilySearch website and other subscription sites