George William Topping Hutchinson Records

[Archaic]

Numbers Seem Slightly Off

Toppy’s marriage certificate – 15th May 1898 to Florence Jervis.He is listed as a plumber aged 29. She was 20.

This is Toppy in the 1901 census.
He is listed as George Hutchinson, married and head of the household, aged 35, a plumber employed by someone else (i.e. not self employed), born in Surrey. Living with him is his wife Florence (aged 32), ...

Hi Lechmere. Sorry, I'm confused by some of the ages given. In Post #20 you showed George & Florence's 1898 marriage certificate. If in 1898 he was 29 and she was 20, then in 1901 he would have been closer to 32 years of age and she would have been closer to 23.

I haven't sat down yet with a pencil, paper and the exact dates to work out the precise numbers (too sleepy-headed at the moment), but thought I better mention the discrepancy now as experience has shown that interesting Toppy threads rapidly grow to hundreds of posts.

I was thinking about Florence being 7 months pregnant when she and Toppy married. I don't feel it's a case of the "precise" Toppy being hoodwinked. They may have already been planning to get married (probably when he was more financially secure), or they may have gotten married in a hurry because they suspected Florence was pregnant and George wanted to do the right thing.

Thanks again for sharing these records with us, they're quite interesting.

Best regards,
Archaic

[Rubyretro]

Thanks again for sharing these records with us, they're quite interesting.

Only "quite" interesting , Bunny ???

[Lechmere]

Archaic - it has often been commented that census returns are notoriously inaccurate as to ages.
I hadn't noticed that discrepancy although it is clearly the same people involved.
Yes Toppy should have been 32 or so in 1898.
I think Florence was 2 months pregnant when they got married. I wasn't suggesting Toppy had been hoodwinked, I was suggesting he wasn't as prim and proper as Reg later believed.
When I have reproduced more documents we will be able to compare the fluctuations in age better.

[Robert]

In 1911, his age is given as 41. And when he dies in 1938, it's 71. I think ages for poor people did fluctuate and these ranges are OK. I think Lusk's age veered about much more wildly, yet it's still one and the same Lusk.

[Archaic]

Thanks guys.

Best regards,
Archaic

[Robert]

Lech, have you got him in 1881 and 1871? I have a candidate family but the 71 is a bit problematic.

[Lechmere]

Yes but my copies aren't very good.
I'll see if I can get them up later.
I also had his father for 1861 and I think also 1851 and 1841 - but I have mislaid them and may have to get them again. I also seem to have mislaid his parents marriage certificate. But if I can't find them I will easily get them again.
I also need 1911, but I will get that soon.
And I've got to check the Southwark electoral registers properly.

[Robert]

Hi Lech

I might be barking up the wrong tree, but I think his dad remarried and fathered a child in his 60s. And so far as I can tell he may have remarried in 1888. I can't tell for sure. Any of this ring a bell with you?

[Lechmere]

I remember reading that his father had re-married. I will try and locate all the records possible - the easiest first!

[Robert]

OK Lech, well if you want me to send you any images, just PM me your email address.

[Lechmere]

Toppy in 1881
Civil Parish of Eltham (Kent, now in the London Borough of Greenwich), Ecclesiastical Parish of St John the Baptist. This is still the parish church for Eltham.
The Hutchinson family lived at 4 Roper Street.
At least I think it says Roper Street. There is still a Roper Street, just off Eltham High Street, with oldish looking houses. Probably not old enough though – I would estimate 1900 ish.

They shared no 4 with the Mitchell family – A husband and wife, two children and a brother in law.

The Hutchinson family consisted of:
George Hutchinson – Head. A widow aged 54 - a plumber born in Chelmsford, Essex.
Jane Hutchinson – daughter, aged 19 – a housekeeper born in Hornchurch, Essex.
George Hutchinson – son, aged 14 – a scholar born in Norwood, Surrey (otherwise known as Toppy).

[Lechmere]

Toppy in 1871
Civil Parish of Lambeth St Mary’s
No 8 (I think) ward of the Parliamentary Borough of Lambeth, in the village of Norwood, and the Ecclesiastical District of St Luke’s, Norwood.
This is now in the London Borough of Lambeth but then was part of Surrey.

The Hutchinson family lived at no 5 Champneys Terrace. This was near Clive Road in SE21 ( a very humble street).
The household consisted of:

George Hutchinson – head, aged 44 and a plumber, born in Chelmsford, Essex.
Jane Hutchinson – wife, aged 39, born in Cambridge.
George Hutchinson – son, aged 4, born in Surrey.
Jane Hutchinson – daughter, aged 10, born in Hornchurch, Essex.

6 other people lived in the same house, all listed as lodgers.

[Lechmere]

I have seen what I am sure is a misidentification of Toppy’s wifes’ family. I also found this record - of a Florence Jarvis in the 1891 census at 189 Manchester Road, Poplar (actually on the Isle of Dogs). But this Florence’s father was called John (a sawyer) and her mother was called Susan.
As we have seen her parents were William and Clara Jervis and he was a clerk or book keeper.

Robert - you are welcome to post other images up direct!

[Garry Wroe]

Here's the Toppy entry from post 41:-



Given the similarity between this example and those signatures examined by Frank Leander, is it possible that Toppy went from labourer to plumber to census enumerator?

[Robert]

Hi Lech

The 1871 was the one I thought was a bit iffy before. Actually I'm sure it's the right family, but George jnr's age certainly looks like 11, not 4.