William my 3x Great Grandfather was listed as a Traveller on the 1881 census, originally from Danehill in Sussex, he married Louisa Maria my 3x Great Grandmother in 1850 and they lived in Bermondsey for several years before settling in Westminster for a while. In 1861 they are living just off Oxford Street, where he is listed as an Egg Salesman.
They are hopefully happy in 1881 for a while now they have put down our family roots in Battersea. William is 58 and Louisa is 59. They have their daughter Louisa Elizabeth (my 2x Great-Grandmother) age 22 living with them, this is three years before she marries James when they are living in the next street (Aegis Grove). They also have their daughter M.A. Clara (18) and Granddaughter L. Cecilia (2) living with them.
I can imagine them popping into the Welsh Harp public house, or one of the other many pubs that were built around that area.
I am not sure how long they stayed in New Road, but in September 1888 Louisa Maria dies age 65, and they are documented as living at 77 Livingstone Road right next to the back entrance of Clapham Junction station, which was still fairly new and had only be opened 20 years at the time.
William married again 13 months later to a Nurse, Eleanor Mary who was 10 years younger and had also been widowed. They continued to live in the same house during the 1901 census.
I am not sure what happened to him after this as the only record I can find would mean the following…
William died age 78 in Wandsworth Lunatic Asylum in June 1902, having been a patient since December 1889. This was later known as Springfield Mental Hospital, and finally in 1939 they dropped ‘Mental’ from the name.
…Could he have been registered in Livingstone Road, as well as a patient at Wandsworth Lunatic Asylum? I hope I can find a happier ending for him.
Facts about Springfield Hospital
Battersea.Blog 