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William Harvey Druitt and the Girl from Whitechapel
I did post a bit of info about this on the old boards but I have done some more work since.
In 1891 William Harvey Druitt was listed as follows:
Montgomery, Herley Road, Holdenhurst, hampshire
Head: William H Druitt aged 34 born Wimborne - Solicitor
Servants:
Jane Peckham aged 30 born Ringwood, Hants - Cook
Eliza J Whiteman aged 15 born Whitechapel - Parlour maid
Both members of his domestic were obviously very satisfactory as they were both still with him at the time of the 1901 census, albeit at a different address:
Westdale, Cambridge Road, Bournemouth
Head: William Harvey Druitt aged 44 born Wimborne - Solicitor
Servants:
Jane Peckham aged 40 born Ringwood - Cook
Eliza J Whiteman aged 26 born Whitechapel - Housemaid
These two women, Jane Peckham and Eliza Jane Whiteman were related. Jane Peckham was either Eliza's mother or aunt. I deduced this as follows. In 1881, the very young Eliza Whiteman is listed in the Peckham household:
Kings Arms Lane, Ringwood, Hampshire
Head: Eliza Peckham aged 56 born Southampton
Children:
Walter aged 23 born Ringwood - Bricklayer
Edward aged 21 born Ringwood - Dealer in vegetables
George aged 18 born Ringwood - Dealer in vegetables
Henry aged 15 born Ringwood - Errand Boy
Grand-daughter: Eliza J Whiteman aged 5 born London
In 1881 Jane Peckham was a servant in the household of Frank Wareham, a butcher, at 106 Commercial Road, Holdenhurst, Hants
That Jane Peckham was a daughter of this Eliza Peckham can be shown from the 1871 census:
Kings Arms Lane, Ringwood
Head: Daniel Peckham aged 49 born Ripley, Hants - Labourer
Wife: Eliza Peckham aged 47 born Millbrook, Hants
Children:
Charles aged 20 born Southampton - Shoeing smith
Edward aged 18 born Southampton - Tailor
Walter aged 14
Jane aged 10
George aged 8
Henry aged 5
Ann aged 3
All five above born in Ringwood
The birth of Eliza Whiteman was registered as follows:
Eliza Jane Whiteman
1875 Quarter 4
St George in the East
For Eliza Whiteman to be Eliza Peckham's grand-daughter, as listed in 1881, there are only a limited number of possibilities.
1) Jane Peckham was the mother. At the time of Eliza Whiteman's birth Jane would have been 15 or 16 years old. She had a younger sister, Ann, but she could not possible have been the mother, being herself only 3 years old in 1871. If Jane Peckham was the mother, and the father was named Whiteman, I can find no trace of a marriage.
2) One of Eliza's sons fathered the child, but if so where did the name Whiteman come from?
I will be sending for the birth certificate and it will interesting to see her parentage. It would be interesting to know when she left Whitechapel and what she told William Druitt of the area.
I did post a bit of info about this on the old boards but I have done some more work since.
In 1891 William Harvey Druitt was listed as follows:
Montgomery, Herley Road, Holdenhurst, hampshire
Head: William H Druitt aged 34 born Wimborne - Solicitor
Servants:
Jane Peckham aged 30 born Ringwood, Hants - Cook
Eliza J Whiteman aged 15 born Whitechapel - Parlour maid
Both members of his domestic were obviously very satisfactory as they were both still with him at the time of the 1901 census, albeit at a different address:
Westdale, Cambridge Road, Bournemouth
Head: William Harvey Druitt aged 44 born Wimborne - Solicitor
Servants:
Jane Peckham aged 40 born Ringwood - Cook
Eliza J Whiteman aged 26 born Whitechapel - Housemaid
These two women, Jane Peckham and Eliza Jane Whiteman were related. Jane Peckham was either Eliza's mother or aunt. I deduced this as follows. In 1881, the very young Eliza Whiteman is listed in the Peckham household:
Kings Arms Lane, Ringwood, Hampshire
Head: Eliza Peckham aged 56 born Southampton
Children:
Walter aged 23 born Ringwood - Bricklayer
Edward aged 21 born Ringwood - Dealer in vegetables
George aged 18 born Ringwood - Dealer in vegetables
Henry aged 15 born Ringwood - Errand Boy
Grand-daughter: Eliza J Whiteman aged 5 born London
In 1881 Jane Peckham was a servant in the household of Frank Wareham, a butcher, at 106 Commercial Road, Holdenhurst, Hants
That Jane Peckham was a daughter of this Eliza Peckham can be shown from the 1871 census:
Kings Arms Lane, Ringwood
Head: Daniel Peckham aged 49 born Ripley, Hants - Labourer
Wife: Eliza Peckham aged 47 born Millbrook, Hants
Children:
Charles aged 20 born Southampton - Shoeing smith
Edward aged 18 born Southampton - Tailor
Walter aged 14
Jane aged 10
George aged 8
Henry aged 5
Ann aged 3
All five above born in Ringwood
The birth of Eliza Whiteman was registered as follows:
Eliza Jane Whiteman
1875 Quarter 4
St George in the East
For Eliza Whiteman to be Eliza Peckham's grand-daughter, as listed in 1881, there are only a limited number of possibilities.
1) Jane Peckham was the mother. At the time of Eliza Whiteman's birth Jane would have been 15 or 16 years old. She had a younger sister, Ann, but she could not possible have been the mother, being herself only 3 years old in 1871. If Jane Peckham was the mother, and the father was named Whiteman, I can find no trace of a marriage.
2) One of Eliza's sons fathered the child, but if so where did the name Whiteman come from?
I will be sending for the birth certificate and it will interesting to see her parentage. It would be interesting to know when she left Whitechapel and what she told William Druitt of the area.
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