The Benton Family of Plaistow, West Ham, EssexElizabeth Martha BentonElizabeth Martha Benton was born 30 April 1828 at West Ham to Benjamin and Elizabeth BENTON. She was the youngest of their five children. Elizabeth was baptised in All Saints Church, West Ham on 17 August 1828.
She married James WILLIAMS on 22 September 1850 at Leytonstone St John the Baptist, Essex. The witnesses were James BENTON, her brother and Charlotte LERPENIERE who would later marry into the Benton family.
Elizabeth and James had seven children:
1851 Census: In 1851 Elizabeth and her new husband James were living with her brother James Benton at the family grocer's shop, Black Lion Row, Plaistow.
1861 census: James and Elizabeth were living at 8 Stephenson St, West Ham, which is adjacent to Church St. They now have 5 children.
1871 Census: They were now living at 12 Junction St, West Ham. They had 2 more daughters as well as James' unmarried sister Eliza Williams (aged 41) and his nephew Henry Williams (aged 15). Their daughters Martha Jane and Ellen Bridget had died in 1855 and 1861, each less tan a year old.
Death of James WILLIAMSJames WILLIAMS died about 10 November 1880 and was buried at West Ham (Newham) Cemetery on 12 November 1880 in plot SW/F/41. 1881 Census: Elizabeth was now living at Elizabeth Cottage, Howe Road, West Ham with her daughters Clara and Charlotte and son Henry:
Death of Elizabeth Martha WILLIAMSElizabeth Martha (née BENTON) died in West Ham about 17 November 1886 and was buried with her husband James at the West Ham Cemetery on 19 November 1886. The Children of James and Elizabeth Martha WILLIAMSClara Elizabeth WILLIAMSHenry James WILLIAMSClara and Henry appear to have lived all their lives together. Neither married. Clara was born in 1851 and Henry in 1853 in West Ham to James and Elizabeth WILLIAMS. Neither appear to have been baptised at All Saints West Ham or nearby churches. Neither married, living with their mother until Elizabeth died in 1886 and then with other brother sisters. They lived at 60 Grange Rd, Plaistow from about 1886 until their deaths and then their niece remained at the same address until at least 1951. Grange Rd runs west-east alongside the East London Cemetery at Plaistow. 1891 Census: Clara was living as housekeeper for her brother Henry at 60 Grange Rd, Plaistow.
1901 Census: In 1901 Henry and Clara were still living at 60 Grange Rd, but they now had their widowed sisters and their children living with them as well. The house would have been crowded with 4 adults and 4 children.
1911 Census: In 1911 Charlotte and her children had left, but Rose and her daughter were still living with Clara and Henry at 60 Grange Rd.
Death of Henry James WILLIAMSHenry died in December 1918. He was buried with his parents at West Ham Cemetery, plot SW/F/41. Clara continued to live at 60 Grange Rd. She died there on 21 September 1938. I cannot find a burial record for her, she was not buried at West Ham with her parents. Probate was granted to her sister Rose Ada (GANGL) and her niece (Rose's daughter) Martha Elizabeth (CLUNN), who were still living with her at 60 Grange Rd.
Emily WILLIAMSEmily was born in 1858 in West Ham to James and Elizabeth WILLIAMS. Like her siblings, Emily does not appear to have been baptised at All Saints West Ham or nearby churches. She is with her parents in the 1861 and 1871 censuses. In 1881 Emily was working as a general servant to Janet LEWIS and family at 5 Silvester Row, Hackney, London.
Emily married Frederick William CHILDS (a bricklayer labourer) at St Mary, Plaistow on 9 October 1886. The bride's father was James Williams. This is probably the correct marriage but the father James had died in 1866 but was not recorded as deceased on the marriage; Emily's age is wrong (21 whereas she should have been 28). The witness was Eliza Ann WILLIAMS, Frederick's sister. There were other marriages for an Emily WILLIAMS to a CHILDS around this time but all have father's names inconsistent with the correct Emily. However, some doubt remains.
Assuming we have the correct marriage, Frederick and Emily had two children, Frederick and Florence. There were 3 Florence Emily CHILDS born around this time in West Ham, all with mother's maiden name of WILLIAMS (1887, and 1894 both less than 1 when they died) and the third in 1891 in Rochford, which includes Prittlewell. In the 1891 census the family were living in Prittlewell at Southend, near the coast. Frederick was a bricklayers Labourer, confirming this is the same couple who married in 1886.
1901 census: In 1901 Emily and Frederick were living alone at 153 Harley Rd, Barking, London. Frederick was a bricklayers labourer. They did not have the children living with them.
I cannot find anything more on the children. There is a record for a Florence CHILDS boarding with a family but no evidence that this is the correct person. Neither Florence nor Frederick are in the 1901 or 1911 censuses - all persons of that name have incorrect parents. There is a marriage for a Frederick William in 1921, marrying the widow Eleanor PIGGOTT (maiden name RISELY) but the marriage record at Christ Church Wanstead shows his father was Edward Daniel CHILDS.) I suspect both Frederick and Florence died between 1891 and 1901. Charlotte Ellen (Bridget) WILLIAMSCharlotte was born in 1862 at West Ham. Her birth was registered as Charlotte Ellen (the Ellen possibly after her older sister Ellen Bridget who had died soon after birth). By the time of the 1881 census her name had changed to Charlotte Bridget. She is listed in the 1871 and 1881 censuses with her parents. She married Edward TINDALE (or TINDALL) at Stepney St Thomas on 29 June 1884. Edward was a schoolmaster.
Charlotte and Edward had five children:
The three siblings who survived were all baptised together, along with their cousin Martha Elizabeth GANGL at Plaistow St Andrew on 6 June 1897. Note that both families were residing at 60 Grange Rd, Plaistow.
In 1891 the family was living at 11 Morgan St, West Ham. With them were Edward's mother Mary A. Tindale (widow, aged 60) and his sister Louisa aged 19.
Death of Edward TINDALE: Edward died in late 1893 a few months after the birth of his youngest child, Dora Mary. By 1901 Charlotte and children had shifted back to 60 Grange Rd, Plaistow to live with her brother, her sisters and their children.
All the family members living at 60 Grange Rd may have become too much, as by 1911 Charlotte and two of her children had moved to 27 Cumberland Rd, Plaistow. Note that Charlotte was back to being Charlotte Ellen!
Death of Charlotte: Charlotte Ellen TINDALE (née WILLIAMS) died in early 1916 (West Ham March qtr). The Children of Charlotte and EdwardCharlotte Mary Ann Coningham TINDALE: Charlotte was born 4 August 1885 and baptised at Plaistow St Mary on 6 June 1897. She married Clement Richard James GREEN at Barking, Essex on 1 December 1908. Clement died in 1954 and Charlotte in 1955. They had one child, Dorothy Veronica GREEN who married Rolfe Maxwell TREW in late 1936. Dorothy and Rolfe did not have children. Dorothy died in 1979 and Rolfe in 1992. Edward George TINDALE: Edward was born 12 May 1890 and baptised at Plaistow St Mary on 6 June 1897. He married Florence Ellen NUNN in mid-1915 in West Ham. They had had one child, Ronald Edward John TINDALE, born 26 April 1916. By that date Edward was serving in the Royal Engineers in "H" Company, Special Battation. These comapnies were set up to cope with gas attacks and to deliver gas attacks via mortars. He was killed 30 June 1917 and is buried at Coxyde Cemetery Belgium. His widow, Florence, married Frank Percy LARKINS in 1919, they had three children Victor (1919) Deric (1921) and Iris (1925). Florence NUNNS/TINDALE/LARKINS died in late 1974. Dora Mary TINDALE: Dora was born 12 June 1893 and baptised at Plaistow St Mary on 6 June 1897. She married Frederick Reginald SKEELS in mid-1921 in West Ham. They did not have any children. In 1939 Frederick was an electrical engineer and Dora was a telegraphist at the GPO. Frederick died in 1959 and Dora in 1994. Dora Mary TINDALE: Dora was born 12 June 1893 and baptised at Plaistow St Mary on 6 June 1897. She married Frederick Reginald SKEELS in mid-1921 in West Ham. They did not have any children. In 1939 Frederick was an electrical engineer and Dora was a telegraphist at the GPO. Frederick died in 1959 and Dora in 1994. Rose Ada WILLIAMSRose Ada was born 3 January 1864 at West Ham, but as with her siblings does not appear to have been baptised. Rose married Albert GANGL, a tailor, on 11 November 1888 at Kensal Green St Andrew & St Philip. Her oldest sister, Clara, was the witness. Albert was Austrian, born in abo9ut 1864.
Rose and Albert had one child, Martha Elizabeth GANGL, born 11 March 1892. Albert had died in July 1891. I cannot find Rose in the 1861 census, but it would appear that soon after the birth of Martha, she returned to live at 60 Grange Rd, with her brother Henry and sister Clara. Rose is at this address in 1901 and 1911 and in the 1939 register. With the outbreak of war in 1914, people with certain citizenship by marriage were either interred or asked to swear allegiance to the King. This Rose did on 4 January 1916.
Rose remained living at 60 Grange Rd for the rest of her life. She died there on 11 January 1951, aged 87. Her daughter Martha Elizabeth, married James Ernest Woodward CLUNN on 1 January 1919 at Plaistow St Andrew.
Martha and James had one child, James Henry CLUNN, born 22 February 1922. In 1939 Martha and family were living with her mother at 60 Grange Rd.
James CLUNN died in West Ham in late 1941. His wife Martha died on 4 January 1974 at Chelmsford. Their son James Henry married Doreen M.R. SHEADER in West Ham in late 1944. They had two children, Maureen (17 Dep 1948) and Linda (1952). James Henry died 19 April 2012. Last updated: 29/06/2020 |
