[Robert Froom WINDEATT (1832-1887), Jeweller and Goldsmith
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Robert Froom WINDEATT (1832-1887)
When he was 19, Robert was still living at home with his parents in the 1851 census and working as a jeweller, perhaps for one of his uncles: George Turner or Richard Windeatt.
But he must have moved to Clerkenwell, London within the next couple of years or so because he married Hellen Naylor there in 1854:
1854 Marriage solemnized in the Register Office in the District of Clerkenwell in the County of Middlesex
| Date | Name & Surname | Age | Condition | Rank or Profession | Residence at the time of Marriage | Father's Name and Forename | Rank or profession of Father | Witnesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/12/1854 | Robert WINDEATT | 23 | Bachelor | Jeweller | 26 Sekforde Street Clerkenwell |
John WINDEATT | Plasterer | M. HORWOOD Stephen BLACKBURN |
| Hellen NAYLOR | 20 | Spinster | - | 27 Sekforde Street Clerkenwell |
Thomas NAYLOR (deceased) | Brush Maker |
Signed by the Registrar and the Superintendent Registrar (probably because Hellen was under age). A lot of FROOM relatives had moved from Devon to Clerkenwell and he probably followed them (information from a kind correspondent). By1881 he was living at 26 Hollington Street, Camberwell, Surrey, England - see census transcription below.
Parents and Siblings
- John WINDEATT and Mary Ann FROOM and their children [ More . . . ]
Spouse 1 - [H]ellen NAYLOR (?1835-1883)
We know little about her except what appears on the marriage certificate (see above) and the fact that the census reveals she was born in Wiltshire. Information from a kind correspondent on the Devon Family History Message Board is that an IGI record exists for an Ellen NAYLOR baptised on 21/6/1835 at Westbury, Wilts to Thomas and Mary Ann NAYLOR. This is likely to be her because our Ellen gives her father's name as Thomas on the marriage certificate. There is also a GRO index of a death of an Ellen WINDEATT, aged 48, in Camberwell in the September quarter of 1883 [reference 1d 429) which is likely to be her.
Spouse 2 - Ellen GAIN (?1832-?)
According to the GRO index a Robert Froom WINDEATT married in the December quarter of 1885. This would have been a couple of years after the death of the first Ellen. The second Ellen's new husband, our Robert above, sadly died within a couple of years of their marriage and here is the widowed Ellen living with her sister and a son at 18 Camden Street, in the parish of St. Mary's, Newington together with four other people in three households.
1891 Census
| Name | Rel | Status | Age | Occupation | Employment | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Windeatt | Head | Wid | 58 | Dressmaker | Neither employed nor employee | Battle, Sussex |
| Ernest R Windeatt | Son | S | 21 | Jeweller's Assistant Gold | Employed | Camberwell, London |
| Elizabeth Gain | Sister | S | 45 | Domestic Servant | St. Leonards on Sea, Sussex |
1901 Census
She was still alive in 1901 and, living with her sister at 18 Morcambe Street, Stoke Newington, in a house shared with three other single-person households.
| Name | Rel | Status | Age | Occupation | Employment | Working at home | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Windeatt | Head | Wid | 68 | Dressmaker | own account | at Home | Battle, Sussex |
| Elizabeth Gain | Sister | S | 59 | Domestic Servant | St. Leonards on Sea, Sussex |
Her son, Ernest Robert, has left home by 1901. He is recorded as having been born in the March qtr of 1869 in Camberwell (GRO Ref:1d 631 ) - here they are in earlier censuses:
1871 Census
Living at 10 Camden Street in a house with one other lodger (Sarah Lewis) and a small family (The Edwards)
| Name | Rel | Status | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Gain | Head | U | 48 | Dressmaker | Battle, Sussex |
| ?Robert Gain | Son | 12 | Surrey, Newington |
1881 Census
Still living in Camden Street but at number 18 this time and sharing the house with an old couple.
| Name | Rel | Status | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Gain | Lodger | U | 39 | Dressmaker | Battle, Sussex |
| Ernest R. Gain | Son | 12 mo. | Scholar | Surrey, Camberwell |
Children
Robert Froom WINDEATT had the following children:
1. Robert John (1856-?)
born 1856 Clerkenwell, married in 1880 Pancras and buried in Wandsworth
2. James Edward (1856-1904)
born 1858, Holborn. Unsure what happened to him after the 1871 census.
A trip to Devon to stay with the grandparents
James appears in the census for the first time in 1871 aged 13 but where was he when in 1861 when he was three? Well he was down in Devon with his grandparents, John and Mary Ann WINDEATT, and three of their children, another grandchild (Sarah J. SANDERS) and three boarders. Why was he there? Perhaps Mary Ann, his baby sister, was already very ill and his mother, Ellen/Hellen was finding it difficult to cope. Perhaps he was recovering from illness and was recuperating down on the Devonshire coast. Teignmouth with its beautiful scenery, beaches and reputation as a convalescent centre would have been a paradise for a child compared to smoky South East London. [Link to Beautiful Devon website as an illustration]
3. Mary Ann (1858-1861)
born 1858, Holborn, died Sept quarter 1861, Newington.
4. Frederick Charles (1862-1925)
born 1862 Newington, married in the September quarter of 1884 St. Saviours to an Ada ECKERSLEY or a Clara WOOD. He died in 1925 Hitchin
Frederick is missing from the 1871 census (when he would have been about 10). Where was he?
5. Tom (1865-1937)
born 1865 in Birkenhead, married 1892 Camberwell, died 1937, aged 72, in Birmingham.
Birth in the Sub-district of Birkenhead in the County of Chester 1865
| When & Where | Name | Sex | Name and Surname of Father | Name, surname and maiden surname of mother | Occupation of father | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28th February 1865 11 Ivy Street |
Tom | Boy | Robert Froom WINDEATT | Ellen WINDEATT formerly NAYLOR | Jeweller Journeyman | Ellen WINDEATT Mother 11 Ivy Street, Birkenhead |
Third April 1865 |
Tom, himself, perhaps had three children:
- Tom James born 1893, St. George's Hanover Square;
- Grace Violet, born 1894, Lambeth and
- Robert William born 1898, married 1922, Birmingham
He served twelve years as a gunner in the Armed Forces from September 1885 (when he was recorded as being 19 years and 6 months old) to 1892 when he was transferred to the Reserve until his discharge in 1895. His Service Record is available from which we learn that he was married to a Mary Ann GRUNDY at the Emmanuel Church, Camberwell in on 3rd October 1892 (GRO REF 1d 1371). On joining up he was recorded as having a father, Robert, living at 39 Picton St. Camberwell with three older brothers, Robert, James and Frederick and a sister Ellen. We also learn that in 1885 he was 5' 5" tall, with brown eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion with a large mole on his back. We also learn that he had previously worked as a groom.
A Little Mystery?
There is a mystery here in that Tom was born in Birkenhead in 1865 and yet the family lived in London both before and after this birth. What were they doing up in Birkenhead? This is strange. Did they go to Liverpool intending to emigrate and then change their minds?
6. Ellen (1868-?)
There is a GRO index record for Ellen's birth in the September quarter of 1868 [reference: Camberwell 1d 648] which accords with the 1881 census information given - presumably - by her parents. However, curiously, in 1891 she reports having been born in Devon. Here is a transcription of Ellen's marriage certificate the details of which have been kindly provided by a correspondent:
1888 Marriage solemnized at Emmanuel Church in the Parish of Camberwell in the County of Surrey
| Date | Name & Surname | Age | Condition | Rank or Profession | Residence at the time of Marriage | Father's Name and Forename | Rank or profession of Father | Witnesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/5//1888 | George Henry SMITH | 23 | Bachelor | Carman | 41 Picton Street | Samuel SMITH (deceased) | Engineer | ?Awins BULLINGER's mark X Sarah BYRNES |
| Ellen WINDEATT | 21 | Spinster | ditto | Robert WINDEATT | Jeweller |
Ellen and Robert soon started a family and a couple of years later she appears in the 1891 census living in the parish of St. Saviour's Southwark with her husband and two children: George aged 1 and Ellen aged three months. Sadly Ellen died before the year was out (GRO reference 1d 509 Sep qtr.1891) However, the 1901 census reveals that the Smiths went on to have several more children because George (12) John (10), Frederick (5), William (2) and Charles (3 months) were then living with them in Borough Road, St. Saviours, Southwark, London. From the pattern of the births it looks as though they may have had other children (between John and Frederick) who also may have died.
Census Transcriptions
1841 Census (taken 6th June 1841)
Here's Robert, aged 9, living with his parents and brother and sisters in Fore St., West Teignmouth, Devon in 1841.
| Name | Age (rounded down) | Occupation | Born in County |
|---|---|---|---|
| John WINDEATT | 35 | Plasterer | Y |
| Mary Ann WINDEATT | 30 | Y | |
| Robert WINDEATT | 9 | Y | |
| Emma WINDEATT | 8 | Y | |
| Charles WINDEATT | 3 | Y | |
| Mary Ann WINDEATT | 2 | Y | |
| Betsey WINDEATT | 2 months | Y | |
| Living in same house - recorded as in a separate household - but probably lodgers | |||
| Richard CAUSELEY | 20 | Stone Mason | Y |
| Elizabeth FROOME* | 14 | Female Servant | Y |
(HO.107/220/16 Folio. 12 Page.17)
1851 (taken 30th March 1851)
Ten years older and still living in Fore Street, West Teignmouth, Devon with even more brothers and sisters. He is now working as a jeweller, probably for his uncle, George Turner, in Lower Union Street.
| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | DOB? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John WINDEATT | Head | M | 46 | M |
Eating & Coffee House Keeper |
Horabridge-Devon | 1804 |
| Mary Ann WINDEATT | Wife | M | 42 | F | --- | Oterton-Devon | 1808 |
| Robert WINDEATT | Son | U | 19 | M | Jeweller | Exeter-Devon | 1831 |
| Emma WINDEATT | Daur | U | 17 | F | --- | Exeter-Devon | 1833 |
| Charles WINDEATT | Son | - | 15 | M | School | Exeter-Devon | 1835 |
| Mary Ann WINDEATT | Daur | - | 13 | F | School | Teignmouth-Devon | 1837 |
| Elizabeth WINDEATT | Daur | - | 11 | F | School | Teignmouth-Devon | 1839 |
| Louisa WINDEATT | Daur | - | 9 | F | Scholar | Teignmouth-Devon | 1841 |
| Eliza WINDEATT | Daur | - | 7 | F | Scholar | Teignmouth-Devon | 1843 |
| Charlotte WINDEATT | Daur | - | 5 | F | Scholar | Teignmouth-Devon | 1845 |
| John WINDEATT | Son | - | 3 | M | Scholar | Teignmouth-Devon | 1847 |
| Edward RICE | Vist | M | 61 | M | Seaman | Teignmouth-Devon | 1789 |
1861 (taken 7th April 1861)
Robert must have moved to London shortly after the previous census - perhaps a couple of years later when he was 21 and would have finished his apprenticeship? Perhaps he went with his cousin, George TURNER, who had also left home by 1861? He then married in London in 1854 and started a family. Mary Ann sadly died a few months later the same year but Robert John survived and the couple also had another child, James aged 3, who was staying with his paternal grandparents in West Teignmoouth.
Here they are living at no. 1G Elizabeth St. in the parish of St. Mary's, Newington, Lambeth.
| Name | Status | Marr | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Froom WINDEATT | Head | M | M | 29 | Goldsmith & Jewller | Exeter, Devon |
| Ellen WINDEATT | Wife | M | F | 26 | - | City of London |
| Robert John WINDEATT | Son | U | M | 5 | " | |
| Mary Ann WINDEATT | Dau | U | M | 1 | " |
Living at the same address but marked as a different household are William GILBERT (33), a ?Cooper, and his wife, Sarah Jane (a Boot Binder aged 30) and their twelve-year old daughter Caroline. William and his daughter were both born in Devon and Sarah in Exeter. I wonder if Sarah is a relation but I cannot find any obvious candidate? The GRO index has a 'Sarah Annie WINDATT' who married in Stoke Damarel in the December quarter of 1854 but that is a bit of a long shot.
1871 (taken 2nd April 1871)
Details courtesy of kind correspondents on the Devon Family History Society Message Board and the Lancashire UK Gen Forum.
Here is the family, still in South London, now at 22 Westmoreland Road, St. Mary, Southwark, Surrey in 1871. But there has been an odd event in the intervening ten years. Robert and Hellen/Ellen had a son, Tom, who was born in Birkenhead (near Liverpool) in 1865. What were they doing up there? Had they planned to sail to America or Australia and then had cold feet and returned? As far as we know, there are no family connections in Birkenhead although there are some distant ones in the Liverpool area (a second or third cousin, Sally, born about 1835 and who grew up in Shaldon just across the bridge was probably living in the West Derby area of Liverpool about then).
| Name | Status | Marr | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Froom WINDEATT | Head | M | M | 37 | Goldsmith & Jeweller's Assistant | Exeter, Devon |
| Hellen WINDEATT | wife | M | F | 35 | - | Wiltshire |
| Robert WINDEATT | son | U | M | 15 | Errand Boy | London |
| James WINDEATT | son | U | 13 | Errand Boy | London | |
| Tom WINDEATT | son | U | F | 6 | Scholar | Cheshire |
| Hellen WINDEATT | dau | U | M | 3 | Scholar | Walworth |
Where's Frederick?
This time Frederick, who would have been about 9, is missing from the family. He wasn't with his grandparents. Perhaps he was staying with another family member - perhaps one of his many aunts.
1881 (taken 3rd April 1881)
Here's Robert and his family in 1881 living at 26 Hollington Street, Camberwell, Surrey, England
| Name | Status | Marr | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert F WINDEATT | Head | M | M | 50 | Goldsmith & Jeweller | Exeter, Devon |
| Ellen WINDEATT | Wife | M | F | 47 | - | Clerkenwell |
| Frederick WINDEATT | Son | U | M | 20 | Brass Finisher | Camberwell |
| Thomas WINDEATT | Son | U | M | 17 | Labourer | Cheshire |
| Ellen WINDEATT | Daur | U | F | 13 | Scholar | Camberwell |
| William USHER | Visitor | U | M | 18 | Labourer | Greenwich, Kent |
RG11 0694 Folio 133 Page 43
According to Booth's London Survey, Hollington Street was not a very nice place to live in 1899. Let's hope it was more pleasant two decades earlier.
Death
Robert Froom Windeatt died in the September quarter of 1887, aged 55. We don't have the death certificate but the GRO index is: St. Saviour 1d 109. His widow, the second Ellen, survived him and appears in both the 1891 and the 1901 census (see above).
Acknowledgements
This page has been recently updated (January 2008) thanks to information received from a descendant, Frances Lees. If you have any further information on this family please leave a message on the Message Board.
