alfred allat townsend
Alfred was born in Marylebone on 5 May 1816 and baptised at the local parish church on 15 July. He was one of six children born to James Townsend and his wife Susanna Jackson. Alfred’s father was a successful publisher and the family lived in relative comfort in Marylebone.
Alfred emigrated to the colony of Vancouver Island and settled in the port town of Victoria. His emigration date is unknown and the first record of him in Victoria is his marriage to Charlotte Townsend on 26 March 1864. They had five children, all born in Victoria. Alfred worked in a variety of jobs including a clerk, general agent, publican and hotel keeper. Alfred died, aged 67 years, on 6 July 1884 and he was buried at Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria.
james townsend + susanna jackson
According to the 1851 Census, James was born in the parish of St Bride’s in London in 1778. The parish church, designed by Christopher Wren, still stands and is located on Fleet Street near Ludgate Hill. The only possible baptism record found to date is one from the Carter Lane Presbyterian chapel in nearby Blackfriars — James Townsend, the son of William Townsend a ‘hard ware man’, was baptised on 2 July 1777.
c. 1850
James married Susanna Jackson in 1804, most likely at St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street. James applied for a licence on 6 March 1804 and stated that both he and Susanna resided in the parish of St Gregory and requested that a licence be granted allowing them to marry at St Mary Magdalen which was united with St Gregory. These two ancient parishes, that lay to the south of St Paul’s Cathedral, date to the 12th century and both churches were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Only one church was rebuilt and the two parishes were united. An 1831 description provides more information on the history of the parishes:
St Mary Magdalene Old Fish Street with St Gregory by St Paul, the church of, is situated on the north side of Knightrider Street at the west corner of the Old Change. Its name is derived from that of the saint to which it is dedicated, and its situation in the ancient fish market. This church was formerly a vicarage, in the tenure of the canons of St Paul’s, so early as 1181; but for some centuries past, it has been a rectory in the gift of the minor canons of that cathedral. The old church was destroyed at the time of the great fire of 1666, as well as its neighbor St Gregory [by St Paul’s] which is at the southwest corner of St Paul’s Cathedral. This latter is a rectory of very ancient foundation, and took its name from Pope Gregory the Great, who sent St Austin the Monk to convert the English nation to Christianity. The church was rebuilt in 1685 by Sir Christopher Wren. The patronage of this church is also in the minor canons of St Paul’s Churchyard, and the two parishes united by act of parliament.
James and Susanna had six children — four sons followed by two daughters. Their first son, Jackson, was born on 15 December 1804 and baptised at St Faith under St Paul on 10 January 1805. The parish of St Faith was located to the north of Old St Paul’s Cathedral but in 1255, the parish church was demolished to allow for an extension of the original gothic cathedral and the parishioners were given a crypt at the western end of St Paul’s. By the 16th century, their worship space was moved to the Jesus Chapel and remained there until the cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire 1666. After losing their home once again, the parishioners opted to share a worship space with the nearby church of St Augustine on Watling Street.
Their second son, Turner, was born on 3 March 1808 in Edmonton and baptised at All Saints on 14 March. In the baptismal record, their abode is listed as Ludgate Street so it does not appear that they moved to Edmonton. The record also notes that James’ occupation was a Warehouse Man. William Sheppard was born on 25 July 1812 and baptised at St Gregory by St Paul on 10 November. Alfred Allat was born on 5 May 1816 and two years later, their first daughter Susanna Everington was born on 13 February. Both Alfred and his sister were baptised at St Marylebone on 15 July 1818 and the baptism record listed their father’s occupation as Esquire and their abode as Marylebone. The term esquire had no specific meaning but it generally indicated a man of higher social standing and often one who had no occupation or profession.
Daughter Emma was born on 25 May 1820 and baptised at Old St Pancras on 27 February 1823. Later census records list her place of birth as France but it is not known if the family moved there or were simply vacationing when she was born. When she was baptised, the family was living in Kentish Town near Regent’s Park in north west London and James’ occupation was listed as Publisher.
James and Susannah have not been located in the 1841 Census but their eldest son Jackson was living in Liverpool and Turner was working as a Silk Merchant in Germany when the census was taken. On 21 July, he married Marie Christiane Schulz at Crefeld in Rheinland and when they returned to London, they had a second ceremony at St Giles Camberwell on 23 August with both his father James and brother Jackson appearing as witnesses. Marie’s father, Jean Theophile Schulz, was a silk manufacturer so Turner likely met his wife through his business connections in Germany. Three years later, Jackson married Pauline Yaniewicz in Edinburgh and they went on to have seven children.
c. 1900
In 1851, James and Susanna were living in Addington Square in Camberwell along with three of their adult children: William, who was working as a Warehouseman, and daughters Susannah and Emma. Turner and Marie were also in Camberwell, at Rye Terrace, and were hosting a silk merchant from Germany and his wife but it does not appear that Turner and Marie had any children. Jackson was still working as an attorney and lived at 25 Princes Street in Birkenhead with Pauline, their four young children and three domestic servants.
Susanna Jackson died in Camberwell in 1856 aged 74 years. In 1861, James was still living at Addington Square, at number 50, and William, Susannah and Emma were still at home. William’s occupation was listed as Clerk to a Silk Manufacturer and James was listed as a retired publisher. Turner and his wife lived alone at 7 Champion Hill Terrace in Camberwell with only servants in the household and Turner’s occupation was listed as Importer of Foreign Silks.
James died in Camberwell one year later and his son Turner was named as the executor of his estate that was valued at less than £100. After his father’s death, William moved to 58 Chichester Road in Kilburn, north west London, along with his two sisters, Susanna and Emma, and one domestic servant. In 1879, William died at his home at 58 Foreign Street in Lambeth and his sister Susanna was named the executor of his estate. Turner had retired by 1871 and was living with his wife Marie on Camberwell Grove.
In 1881, Turner and his wife were still living in Camberwell. Emma was lodging at 16 Maude Grove in Chelsea and her occupation was listed as Annuitant but her sister, Susanna, has not been found in the census. Ten years later, Emma was still in Chelsea while sister Susanna was living with her brother Turner and his wife.
Emma died in Chelsea on 8 January 1893, Susanna on 23 November 1895 at Camberwell and Turner at his home 171 The Grove, Camberwell on 19 August 1896. His neice, Pauline Douglas, acted as the executor of his estate valued at almost £20 000.