George HAMBROOK (1820 – 1891) and Maria CLEMENTS (1821 – 1899)
George HAMBROOK was the son of George HAMBROOK (1780 – 1858) and Sarah LAWRENCE (1781 – 1839). He was the eighth of nine children I know that were born to them and was baptised 01-Apr-1820 in East Langdon 1, Kent, England.
Maria CLEMENTS was the daughter of Thomas CLEMENTS (1790 – 1876) and Elizabeth Neville MORRIS (1791 – 1864). She was the second of five children I know that were born to them. She baptised on 09-Dec-1821 at East Langdon, Kent, England.
As they are a similar age it is likely that George and Maria grew up quite closely together or at the very least knew each other when attending church. The families may have actually been neighbours but this is not known. Looking at the population break down on the A Vision of Britain Through Time 2 website for the parish we see at the time of their birth that there were 194 men and 153 women recorded.
It appears that have not actually done much research on the HAMBROOK family at this level and so not sure what has happened to most of the siblings of George junior. One died before he came along and two lived much longer but the others have not looked into at all. When he was 18 it seems that George junior lost his mother who was about 57.
In the 1841 Census we find both father and son are a household with what would be assumed is an unrelated married couple. In the index they are named HAMBACH with the other couple as MAHED but think it is more likely to be MARLER. The address only given as East Langdon but the property is next door to Church Farm. Unfortunately cannot actually read the job role they both have (the second there with ditto marks) but believe it may say Blacksmith 3 which is referenced in later sources.
George junior married Maria in Q4 1844 in Dover District, Kent, England. About a year later on 11-Oct-1845 their first child was born. They had two more children on 19-Oct-1847 and 02-Jan-1850. Baptisms took place at St Augustine Church on 09-Nov-1845, 19-Dec-1847 and 17-Mar-1850.
In the 1851 Census the family are living in a Cottage in East Langdon. The enumerator appears to have referenced the type of building as there are about four pages of Cottage until you get a Dwelling House then back to more Cottage idents. Langdon Court is number one on schedule and Four Bells Inn 4 number nine and they are at place 25 on the list.
Two more children are born in 1854 and 1856. One is registered in Q2 1854 and baptised on 23-Jul-1854 whilst the other registered Q3 1856 and baptised 27-Jul-1856. Then George senior died and was buried on 19-Aug-1858 at St Augustine, Northbourne.
The 1861 Census has nine people recorded under the roof of the property. George and Maria with their five children. Also there is Stephen FAGG, an Uncle, and Ann BAGLESS as a visitor. George described as a Blacksmith whilst Stephen is a retired Shoe Maker and Ann employed as a Governess.
Another decade on and the 1871 Census has George along with three children with the place shown as St Margaret’s Village. The eldest son, named after his father, is also a Smith. Currently have not found Maria on an 1871 Census but perhaps travelling to visit family or help out a friend. She is definitely still alive.
The second eldest child married at the beginning of 1875 and had four children between 1875 and 1888. Their eldest child married towards the end of 1875 and went on to have five children between 1876 and 1886. One son then got hitched in 1877.
The census in 1881 has the couple, aged about 60, with one son still under their roof. George is a Blacksmith whilst this son is a Carpenter. They have an eighteen year old lad there as an Apprentice whose trade shown as Blacksmith.
Will need to look into the children more as their youngest died at the age of 28 with burial 27-Mar-1885. Then George’s namesake son, died in Q2 1888 and buried 22-May-1888 leaving behind a wife and seven children under age of 10.
The next census was taken on 05-Apr-1891 and George, aged 70, now noted as Retired Blacksmith. They are found in Lower Street, Tilmanstone and not sure how long they have been in the village. Perhaps some point between the censuses when the apprenticeship finished so he could pass on the business. Maria is described as Blind.
Just a few months later however George is dead. He appears to have died on 06-Jul-1891 and was buried on 21-Jul-1891. Probate was not settled until 1909 and says that he was of Tilmanstone and passed away in Chartham. Hopefully one of the remaining three children took Maria in as she lived almost another eight years and was buried in St Augustine, Northbourne on 11-May-1899.
Footnotes –
References to be provided for evidence at a later date but most research has been done using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps.
- Kent Online Parish Clerks – https://kent-opc.org/Parishes/EastLangdon.html ↩︎
- A Vision of Britain Through Time – https://www.visionofbritain.org/unit/10221810/cube/GENDER ↩︎
- Ancestry – https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62979/records/1226 ↩︎
- Dover Kent Archives – http://www.dover-kent.com/Four-Bells-East-Langdon.html ↩︎
