Sarah Ann Robertson - the other Mrs Maybrick

[Chris Scott]

Sarah Ann Robertson
The other Mrs Maybrick

In the Casebook entry on James Maybrick, there is the following section:
"While the marriage of James Maybrick to Florence is well known and documented, Scottish lawyer William MacDougal alleged in 1891 the existence of a previous spouse. Although no marriage certificate has ever been found, the 1891 census records, released in 1992 after one hundred years, appear to confirm this allegation. Sarah Ann Robertson, listed as single and aged 44, was residing in London at the time. Other legal documents, however this same person as Sarah Ann Maybrick. In 1868, her step father's will, for example, shows her as "Sarah Ann Maybrick, wife of James Maybrick." Upon her death on January 17, 1927, she is listed in the records as "Sarah Ann Maybrick, otherwise Robertson." She lived for a while on Bromley Street, near Whitechapel, and on Mark Lane, across the road from Whitechapel."

With one exception, the census listings for Sarah Robertson show her living with her aunt, Christiana Lindsay Robertson. Christiana was married twice, the first occasion being in 1847 when she married Charles James Case in the City of London. By the time of the next census, in 1851, Sarah is already listed living with her and her husband.
1851:
1 Pastern Row, Tower Hamlets
Head: Charles James Case aged 36 born Strand, London - Tobacconist
Wife: Christiana Case aged 31 born Sunderland
Niece: Sarah Ann Robertson aged 15 born Sunderland
By the time of the 1861 census, Charles Case had changed his trade and Sarah was no longer living with her aunt.
1861:
36 Jamaica Street, Stepney
Head: Charles J Case aged 40 born St Catherine - Watch jobber
Wife: Christiana Case aged 42 born Sunderland
Sarah herself is listed as an assistant as follows:
172 Fenchurch Street, London
Head: Ellen Dewdney (Widow) aged 27 born Stepney - Hair jeweller
Assistant: Sarah Robertson aged 25 born Sunderland

Christiana's first husband died in 1863, the death being registered as follows:
Death:
Name: Charles James Case
Year of Registration: 1863
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Mile End Old Town
County: London, Middlesex
Christiana's second husband was Thomas Conconi, a naval paymaster. He is listed in 1861, before their marriage as follows:
1861:
Vessel: Ganges
Thomas D Conconi (Unmarried)aged 32 born Margate - Paymaster 4th Class
The couple married in Mile End in 1866, and by the time of the 1871 census Sarah was again living wither her aunt and new husband. This 1871 census entry is the only occasion on which she is listed as married under the name of Sarah Maybrick:
1871:
55 Bromley Street, Stepney
Head: Thomas Conconi aged 42 born Margate, Kent - Paymaster (Ret.)
Wife: Christianna Conconi aged 48 born Sunderland
Niece: Sarah Maybrick (Married) aged 33 (sic) born Sunderland - Merchants clerk wife

In the 1881 census Sarah has reverted to the surname of Robertson, and her aunt Christiana is again widowed:
1881:
237 Queen's Road, Deptford
Head: Christiana Conconi (Widow) aged 59 born Sunderland, Durham - No occupation
Niece: Sarah A Robertson aged 35 born Sunderland - No occupation
Daughter: Gertrude B Conconi aged 8 born Portsmouth
Nephew: George Smith aged 14 born Sunderland
I have been unable to find a birth record for Gertrude, supposedly the daughter of Christiana. However, as Christiana is listed as 59 years of age in 1881 and Gertrude is only 8, this does throw some doubt on her parentage.
In 1891 the three women were living at a different house in the same road:
1891:
265 Queen's Road, Deptford
Head: Christiana Conconi (Widow) aged 69 born Sunderland - Living on own means
Daughter: Gertrude aged 18 born Portsmouth
Niece: Sarah Robertson aged 44 born Sunderland

Sarah's aunt died in 1895, as follows:
Death:
Name: Christiana Lindsay Conconi
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1820
Year of Registration: 1895
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 75
District: Greenwich
County: Greater London, Kent, London
Her cousin, if that was indeed what she was, married in the same year:
Marriage:
Name: Gertrude Emily Conconi
Year of Registration: 1895
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Greenwich
County: Greater London, Kent, London
Her husband was George Bridge
Gertrude is listed in 1901 with her husband:
1901:
25 Tyrwhitt Road, Lewisham
Head: George Bridge aged 39 born Kensington - Artist and worker in mosaic
Wife: Gertrude E Bridge aged 28 born Fratton, Portsmouth

There remains the problem of Sarah's age. In successive census years her age is listed as follows:
1851: 15
1861: 25
1871: 33
1881: 35
1891: 44
I have certainly seen other examples where there is an equal disparity of ages over successive censuses, but it makes tracing her birth and parentage problematic. Any further info I will post here.
As there is only one listing (that for 1871) which lists her name as Maybrick, I am posting this for reference.

[ChrisGeorge]

Excellent information, Chris. Many thanks for posting these census details.

Chris

[Chris Scott]

Hi Chris
Many thanks for the message

The article in my first post refers to Sarah's death in 1927. This gives her age at death as 72 which would indicate a year of birth of circa 1855 but she is already listed in the 1851 census as aged 15. The entry is below.

[Mrs. Fiddymont]

Interesting, has anyone followed up on this?

Also I wonder--how common was it for a married woman, after being widowed or divorced, to revert to her maiden name in Victorian times??

Any children from this supposed marriage?

[Soothsayer]

Interesting, has anyone followed up on this?

Also I wonder--how common was it for a married woman, after being widowed or divorced, to revert to her maiden name in Victorian times??

Any children from this supposed marriage?

About six, remarkably, Mrs. Fiddymont, if memory serves ...

Much of Sarah Ann's census history and other interesting stuff (including her photograph) are also to be found in Feldman, and in Harrison's 'The American Connection'.

[Mrs. Fiddymont]

SIX!!! Okay, yes, she definitely had children, lol!

(Forsooth, Sooth, art thou following me??? ;-) )

[Jenni Shelden]

Hiya,

i dont wish to be picky, but i didnt really feel Feldman conclusively proved - that Maybrick married Sarah Robertson, lived with Sarah Robertson -or knew her.

Im not picking on Chris Scott - who as always has come up with some interesting stuff. But what I am questioning is the evidence - that backs up Feldman's research - I seem to remember a lot of talk of paper parents and other such - frankly - seeming nonsense

Jenni

[rwhites1]

1901/11 census sarah maybrick

I think the Sarah A. maybrick who died in 1927 is not the sarah ann robertson


1911

125 douglas st depford

Hannah E.HARNETT head wid 39 greengrocer DEPTFORD
Sarah A.MAYBRICK aunt wid 59 Sanker?DUMFRIESHIRE
Nellie HARNETT dau unm 19 dressmaker New Cross LONDON
Elsie HARNETT dau 9 Deptford

1901
9 the market,Greenwich

William HARNETT head m 43 decorator & painter DEPTFORD
Hannah HARNETT wife m 30 DEPTFORD
Nellie HARTNETT dau 8 DEPTFORD
William HARTNETT son 3 DEPTFORD
Sarah MAYBRICK step mother wid 50 SCOTLAND

[Sam Flynn]

Thanks for finding that out, RW

1911

125 douglas st depford

Hannah E.HARNETT head wid 39 greengrocer DEPTFORD
Sarah A.MAYBRICK aunt wid 59 Sanker?DUMFRIESHIRE

"Sanker" = Sanquhar

...just for reference.

[rjpalmer]

This thread was abandoned 13 years ago, but since Sarah Ann Robertson's name has recently come up, I'd like to post an update of sorts, with a couple of things I've discovered.

In Chris Scott's first post, he has Sarah Robertson in the 1851 Census living with her 'aunt' in the Tower Hamlets. This is the woman who has been identified as Maybrick's first wife or mistress.

1851:
1 Pastern Row, Tower Hamlets
Head: Charles James Case aged 36 born Strand, London - Tobacconist
Wife: Christiana [Robertson] Case aged 31 born Sunderland
Niece: Sarah Ann Robertson aged 15 born Sunderland [about 1836]

For future reference, the marriage cert. shows that Charles James Case married a Christiana Lindsay Robertson.

Based on this 1851 entry, Paul Feldman and Keith Skinner speculated that Sarah wasn't really Christiana [Robertson] Case's niece, but her daughter, theorizing that the 'niece' designation was to hide the fact that the child had been born out-of-wedlock.

Feldman also writes that they couldn't find any earlier trace of Sarah Ann Robertson, nor any registration of her birth.

I think I can explain why.

As we can see, Christiana's middle name was Lindsay, which is one reason we know this is the same woman who was later in London and Deptford, married first to Charles Case, then to Thomas Conconi, and who was supposedly Sarah Ann Robertson's aunt. (Her name is listed as Christian Lindsay Conconi, for instance, in her 1895 death cert).




As can be seen, her father was Alexander Hay Robertson. He was born Edinburgh, Scotland.


In the 1841 Census, he can be found living on Flag Lane, Sunderland.


Three pages earlier in the same census, also on Flag Lane, is a woman whose name is given as Christiana 'Robinson' who has a daughter named Sarah.



I think this is why Feldman's team couldn't trace her. I suspect that this is actually Christiana Robertson and not Robinson, and her four-year-old daughter (with the correct birth year) is Sarah Robertson [Maybrick].

Besides the grandfather Alex. Hay Robertson living on the same street, and the name coincidences, there are three other reasons for believing this.

1. There are no birth registrations for a Sarah Robinson in Sunderland that fits this family, nor for the brother George Robinson, born 1840.

2. Nor is any such family listed in the 1851 Census for Sunderland.

3. There is, however a birth registration for a George Robertson, born in Sunderland in 1840, that would fit the above entry.




George Frederick Taylor Robertson. I suspect that 'Taylor' is the name of the birth father, and the child was born out of wedlock.

All of this tells me that the family in the 1841 Census is actually supposed to be Robertson, and that this is Sarah Robertson, born 1836, who was later Maybrick's first wife/mistress.

This shows, I think, that Feldman and Skinner were correct, and Christiana Roberston Case/Conconi was Sarah's mother and not her aunt.

[rjpalmer]

Someone calling themselves rwhites made the following objection to Chris Scott's research:

1901/11 census sarah maybrick

I think the Sarah A. maybrick who died in 1927 is not the sarah ann robertson


1911

125 douglas st depford

Hannah E.HARNETT head wid 39 greengrocer DEPTFORD
Sarah A.MAYBRICK aunt wid 59 Sanker?DUMFRIESHIRE
Nellie HARNETT dau unm 19 dressmaker New Cross LONDON
Elsie HARNETT dau 9 Deptford

1901
9 the market,Greenwich

William HARNETT head m 43 decorator & painter DEPTFORD
Hannah HARNETT wife m 30 DEPTFORD
Nellie HARTNETT dau 8 DEPTFORD
William HARTNETT son 3 DEPTFORD
Sarah MAYBRICK step mother wid 50 SCOTLAND

What raised his doubts is that this Sarah Maybrick lists her birthplace as Scotland, whereas it had been previously given as Sunderland, Durham. The age is also off.

But if you recall, Skinner and Feldman couldn't actually find any birth record for Sarah Robertson in Sunderland, Durham. Her brother George, we have now seen, was registered there, but not Sarah.

Also recall that the paternal grandfather, Alexander Hay Robertson, was born in Scotland.

Could the explanation be that the unwed mother Christiana was shuffled off to relatives in Scotland during her confinement?

We've seen this sort of thing in census records before--the person's place of birth changes from census to census, sometimes reflecting where they were raised, and sometimes reflecting the actual location of their birth (such as the hospital).

I don't think there is any real doubt that Sarah Maybrick living in Greenwich is the same Sarah Maybrick who was the daughter of Christiana Conconi, who died in Greenwich in 1895. She just lied about her age and started giving the location of her actual birth, as opposed to the city she grew up in.

Maybe further research could confirm this, if anyone was interested in doing the legwork.

[rjpalmer]

Final observation.

The following won't be of any interest other than to hardcore brick heads, but it concerns a mysterious woman known as Gertrude Emily Conconi, born in Portsmouth around 1873.

She shows up living with the Robertson/Conconi clan in London in both 1881 and 1891, identified as a 'daughter.' Yet, since she was likely to have been the wrong age to be a daughter of Christiana [Robertson] Conconi, it was theorized by Feldman's team that Gertrude was actually the illegitimate daughter of Sarah Robertson. In short, she was Gertrude Emily Maybrick.

Here's what Chris Scott posted about her:


In the 1881 census Sarah has reverted to the surname of Robertson, and her aunt Christiana is again widowed:
1881:
237 Queen's Road, Deptford
Head: Christiana Conconi (Widow) aged 59 born Sunderland, Durham - No occupation
Niece: Sarah A Robertson aged 35 born Sunderland - No occupation
Daughter: Gertrude B Conconi aged 8 born Portsmouth [Her middle name is elsewhere given as Emily, but I think the middle initial 'B' represents Blakiston--more later. RP]
Nephew: George Smith aged 14 born Sunderland

Chris continues:

I have been unable to find a birth record for Gertrude, supposedly the daughter of Christiana. However, as Christiana is listed as 59 years of age in 1881 and Gertrude is only 8, this does throw some doubt on her parentage.

In 1891 the three women were living at a different house in the same road:
1891:
265 Queen's Road, Deptford
Head: Christiana Conconi (Widow) aged 69 born Sunderland - Living on own means
Daughter: Gertrude aged 18 born Portsmouth
Niece: Sarah Robertson aged 44 born Sunderland

___

Okay, what do we make of this?

Like Chris Scott, Feldman also wrote that he couldn't find any birth record for Gertrude Conconi or Getrude Robertson born in Portsmouth in or around 1872/3.

It was a complete mystery.

However, they noted that when she married in 1895 she listed her name as "Blackiston (sic?) otherwise Conconi."





It is not clear why Feldman's team failed to locate her, but there was very much a Gertrude Emily Blackiston (sic) born in Portsmouth in 1872, though her name in the register is given as Emily Gertrude Blakiston, which might have thrown them off. (Portsea Island is part of Portsmouth)




A look at the 1871 Census for Portsmouth comes up with the family of George Blakiston, a clerk in HM Dockyards, born Hammersmith.

Note that the mother's name is Emily, which would explain the daughter's name being Gertrude Emily or Emily Gertrude Blakiston.

This is surely the child that Feldman couldn't trace, but the mystery remains.

Why the hell this kid later turns up in the Conconi/Robertson household in London listed as their daughter is anyone's guess. It's strange. I thought it may have been a mistake in 1881 and she was just a servant, but why was the same 'mistake' made in 1891?

It seems, however, unlikely to be Sarah Robertson's daughter, as she is listed as living in Stepney in 1871, unless she made her way to Portsmouth by the end of the year and was impregnated by Blakiston.

Whatever the case, there is certainly no evidence it was James Maybrick's daughter, as Feldman theorized.

I haven't yet found any other connection between Conconi and Blakiston, but then, I haven't looked, either.

Ciao.

[MrBarnett]

Interesting stuff, RJ.

I did have a bit of a look at the Greenwich Sarah Maybrick. The 1921 census has her place of birth as ‘Dumfriesshire, Scotland’.

[barnflatwyngarde]

I confess that I have no real interest in anything Maybrickian, but I can take my hat off to the people on this site who do some amazing research work.

Hats off to you all!

[MrBarnett]

As the head of the household in 1921, Sarah should have signed the census form. This is the signature that appears on it.