Bluebell Family History Research

Edward Vincent MARSH (1845 – 1920) and Maria TUPPER (1844 – 1926)

Edward Vincent MARSH was born to Henry MARSH (1821 – 1897) and Jane Ann BRETT (1823 – 1898) on 09-Jul-1845. He was then baptised on 28-Jul-1845 in St Margaret’s at Cliffe [St Margaret’s], Kent, England.

His future wife Maria TUPPER was born to Jesse TUPPER (1811 – 1894) and Elizabeth Betsy DANIELS (1811 – 1893). Have not found a baptism but believe the family was in the Waltham, Kent, England area at the time.

Henry and Jane had I believe nine children with Edward being the second eldest but their first born had died in infancy. Jesse and Elizabeth had six offspring with Maria coming along fourth.

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1851 Census – Henry and Jane with their two surviving children are found at East Bottom Cottage No 2, Ringwould, Kent, England. Henry is employed as an Agricultural Labourer and although they have not moved far he is shown as born in St Margaret’s whilst Edward’s birth is given as West Cliff which at the time was distinct but now falls within St Margaret’s.

Whilst Jesse and Elizabeth, with their four youngest, are at Little London in Waltham. He is a farm labourer whilst the two middle children there, at 7 and 3, are scholars. Turns out this property is now Grade II listed ¹.

1861 Census – Have not found Edward on a 1961 Census but know there are some missing pieces ² and so possible he is found within these. Or one of the many other Edward MARSH records is for him but with inaccurate information records. His parents with some siblings are now in Capel-le-Ferne, Kent, England.

Maria is transcribed as Maria SUPPER and aged 20 is working as a domestic servant for the MUDFORD family. They are housed at 21 St George’s Place, Canterbury, Kent, England. The head of the household is described it seems as a Fundholder whilst the eldest son is a Newspaper Proprietor and Editor. Buildings in that vicinity are Grade II listed ³and part of a terrace circa 1840.

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Maria has two children out of wedlock and not sure if anyone has established their paternity. Previously people had researched some of this family line and attributed them with being the children of Edward but that they did not marry until later on so not convinced. Without knowing where he was between 1851 and 1873 and when she left Canterbury unable to make any conclusions whether they were in proximity.

Eliza TUPPER (1864 – 1944) was baptised on 24-Apr-1864 in Alkham, Kent, England with name indexed as Elisa TOPPER, daughter of Maria TOPPER. Her birth recorded Q1 1864 in Dover District but have not found a GRO listing for the event at this time. Maria was only about 21 at the time.

Elizabeth Daniels TUPPER (1865 – 1949) was baptised on 22-Nov-1865 in Buckland (near Dover), Kent, England. Her birth registered Q4 1865 Dover District with mother’s maiden name noted as – (implying the same as child) on GRO. On occasion there would be a nod to the father with the middle name but this is her maternal line surname.

What I don’t know either is if the girls had the same father. If she only had one out of wedlock could have presumed that perhaps the father was someone she’d met whilst in Canterbury and left the area to have her child. But with a second one coming along had she moved already and it was someone locally there.

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1871 Census – In the 1871 Census Maria is the head of the household and clearly listed as unmarried. At 27, she is occupied as a needlewoman, and both girls are Scholars who were born in Alkham it seems. They are living in Church Alkham Cottage which is next in the schedule to The Vicarage.

Edward is not found on this return either. Is he going by his first name? There does not appear to be missing census entries for Kent on that date. His parents and siblings are recorded in Lady Well Place, Charlton, Kent, England so within the town of Dover. It appears this area was demolished ⁴ in 1938 to build the police station as per a post on the Dover (Kent) History Pages of Facebook.

Just under two years later Edward is back in the picture when he and Maria marry Q1 1873 in Dover, Kent, England. This was actually 03-Feb-1873 at the Parish Church, Alkham, Kent, England which would make sense based on where she was living. They are both noted as residing in Alkham at the time. Ages appear 28 for both and he is a Farm Labourer whilst she is a Servant. Both fathers are Farm Labourers,

The birth of Euphemia Paulina MARSH (also noted as Eugenia) took place on 05-Jun-1873 and she was baptised on 07-Sep-1873 in Capel-le-Ferne. Then Mary Jane MARSH (1876 – TBA) was baptised on 02-Jul-1876 also in Capel-le-Ferne and Edward Vincent MARSH (1878 – 1913) on 26-May-1878 in the same place.

Another child, Minnie MARSH (1880 – 1973) was baptised apparently at Church of England, Westbere, Kent, England but I believe there is an issue with many of the records for this location. It feels more likely a vicar took the records from more the Capel-le-Ferne area with him on moving on which have been assumed to relate.

Finding a number of documents where events that logic indicates are from around Alkham / Capel-le-Ferne areas appear to have had everyone travelling about 16 miles. If I had more time would look to see the movements of vicars around that date from the parishes to see if one that spent time on the outskirts of Folkestone / Dover then moved to take up a position north of Canterbury.

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3. _____ _____ + Maria TUPPER
   1. Eliza TUPPER (1864 – 1944)
   2. Elizabeth Daniels TUPPER (1865 – 1949)
4. Edward Vincent MARSH + Maria TUPPER
   3. Euphemia Paulina MARSH (1873 – 1957)
   4. Mary Jane MARSH (1876 – TBA)
   5. Edward Vincent MARSH (1878 – 1913)
   6. Minnie MARSH (1880 – 1973)

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1881 Census – In this we have the couple of Edward and Maria living at Everden, Swingfield, Kent, England which is where Minnie was born. Edward is employed as an Ag Lab with the elder two girls noted as Scholars. Maria’s first born daughters are not found with them.

Eliza ‘TIPER’, at 17, is a servant for the SEATH family who are found at Lower Standen Farm, Hawkinge. She is a General Servant Domestic and the head of the household is a farmer of 217 Acres employing 9 men and 1 boy.

Whereas Elizabeth, aged 15, is a Domestic for the DANIELS family. This property is Malmains Farm where the head of household is a farmer of 85 acres employing three men. Other TUPPER family are a couple of properties away as well. Now a farm of this name heavily features in my paternal ancestry but that one is more under Waldershare whilst this is found in Slip Lane, Alkham.

In 1884 Elizabeth has a son out of wedlock who was sadly killed in 1914 ⁵ when the ship he was on (HMW Aboukir) was destroyed by enemy action. She married in 1889 a few months after her elder sister and both expanded their families.

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1891 Census – By this date Edward and Maria are aged 47 and found in Old Farm House No 2 in Swingfield area. He is a Farm Servant and his 13 year old son, named for him, also employed in farm work. The two youngest girls are Mary J. being a Servant (domestic) at 15 and Scholar for 10-year-old Minnie.

Euphemia is as Servant for the HERITAGE household at Chalksole Green, Alkham. [One of her future son’s marries the granddaughter of the man living next door to her at this date. Yet again another document showing long term relationships between families as they do not get hitched until almost thirty years after this event.]

She becomes the next to marry in the latter part of 1892 and I’m not sure what becomes of Mary Jane but there is a potential marriage from 1893 which needs more investigation. Her younger siblings don’t marry until after the next census.

1901 Census – In this document something has gone awry again with Edward’s age as he is 53 but Maria potentially 59. He is transcribed as Edward W (and sure I’ve seen reference to Winson being noted for Vincent in places). They are on Lower Everden Farm, Swingfield and he is an Agricultural Labourer. There’s a word written over the top making it difficult to see what seems to be noted after Labourer. Another property under the same address is unoccupied.

1911 Census – In this document they are described as 65 and 68. On this one Edward and Maria are noted as having been married 39 years and that they have 6 children born alive with 6 still living. Which either gives credence that the first two girls were his or that he considers them his daughters. Alternatively there are two more children who just magically don’t appear on any census with their parents.

They are at Meggett Cottage, Alkham, Kent, England which has 8 rooms based on the 1911 requirements for count. They also have their youngest Minnie, her husband and their three children along with a boarder under the roof. Both Edward and the boarder are Farm Labourers whilst their son-in-law is a Bricklayers Labourer.

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Very sadly it seems their son Edward died in 1913 aged just 35 leaving his wife with two young children. Have not investigated to learn if this was due to illness or from an accident. I am sure the families rallied around to help out. He is buried in Alkham.

Then with the son of Elizabeth also dying it must have been a very sad period as well as stressful living through the war. Have not reviewed all their other grandchildren to learn their fates but for those I know about they at least lived to good ages.

Edward senior’s death is recorded Q4 1920 in Dover, Kent, England and think it actually took place on 02-Nov-1920 at Little Meggett Farm and he was buried at the Church of St Anthony the Martyr, Alkham ⁶ on 06-Nov-1920. He was 75 when he died and his spouse Maria outlived him for a few years.

1921 Census – Maria is living in Maggot Cottage, Alkham (these properties are also documented as Megget and Meggett) with an almost 18-year-old granddaughter. They are both described as undertaking Home Duties and next door on the farm is her son-in-law and daughter Euphemia with more of her grandchildren from that line.

Maria died on 14-Aug-1926 at the farm aged 82. She was the mother of six and grandmother of at least 32. There are many descendants around the area although think some lines are out of the country let alone county like myself.

Footnotes –

References to be provided for evidence at a later date but most research has been done using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps.

1. Historic England, Little London, Waltham – https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1085518 ↩︎
2. Find My Past, Census for England, Wales and Scotland Missing Pieces – https://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/census-for-england-wales-and-scotland-missing-pieces ↩︎
3. Historic England, 29-34, St Georges, Place – https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1411995?section=official-list-entry ↩︎
4. Facebook, Dover (Kent) History Pages – https://www.facebook.com/groups/DoverHistoryPages/posts/24001681222760608/ ↩︎
5. Western Front Association, The Live Bait Squadron: the sinking of the HMS Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy 22 September 1914 – https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/2021/february/the-live-bait-squadron-the-sinking-of-the-hms-aboukir-hogue-and-cressy-22-september-1914/ ↩︎
6. Historic England, Church of St Anthony the Martyr – https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1084358 ↩︎

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