French women in Knightsbridge

[miss marple]

I had a few idle hours, so I thought I would research Frenchwomen living in Knightsbridge using directory 1882 and census 1881.
Firstly Knightsbridge, although not as grand as Belgravia, has mainly upper middle class inhabitants,living off income, retired civil servants, solicitors, artists and other professionals plus a large number of tradesman, small businessmen, policeman and upper servants. no real poor.
There are not as many foreign born subjects as in the East End, and surprisingly few French.
Firstly I checked out women with french names.Some will be Huguenot and will have been in London for generations
I eliminated Eleonor De Mancourt, lodging house keeper 41 Brompton Sq, born in France, on account of her age and respectibility age 78. On census night visitors are an elderly magistrates wife and a barristers wife and a nun is one of her lodgers
Then Madame Allibert, dressmaker, 46 Brompton Sq [ dressmakers and milliners usually title themselves Madame as its more fashionable] but Madame Allibert, Elizabeth was born in Dulwich and married to a french chef, Maxamier.1881 census
In the household were, daughter Florence 14
Agnes m Glover cousin, 18 dressmaker
Harriet Wheatly 2o cook
Elizabeth Fan 16 domestic
Ellen Sullivan 15 born Ireland, nurse domestic servant.
There was a Miss Seguiet 44 Montpelier Place, but she turned out to be 83 and born in London.
The one who intrigues me is Madame Pochet living at 15o Montpelier Sq, listed in 1882 directory, but cannot find her on 1881 census or her first name.
This is just a start, quite a few streets to do, but not a lot of french!
Cheers Miss Marple

[Robert]

Hi Miss Marple

The 1882 PO directory lists Madame Pochet as living at 150 Brompton Rd, a few doors away from its junction with Montpelier St. The family, which seems to be "Pocket" in 1881, is at RG11/ Piece 44/ Folio 10/Page 14.

[Graham]

Very interesting.

My mother's family name was Diaper, a corruption of D'Ypres. It would seem that her predecessors fled the Huguenot persecutions in the second half of the 17th century and settled in Whitechapel as lace-makers, until moving to Worcestershire sometime in the early 19th century. My g-g-grandfather was a glove-maker at Eckington; my grandfather moved to Birmingham in the late 19th century to find work.

I wish I knew just where in Whitechapel my mother's ancestors settled; but lacemaking was a very widespread trade, certainly in the 18th century.

Graham

[miss marple]

Huguenots

Graham,
The Huguenots who settled in Whitechapel [Spitalfields] went to the French Church Eglise Francoise in Crispin St. The Huguenot Society has complete records of the church birth, marriages and deaths going back to 18th century. I think they are online, but they were also published in the early 2oth century, I ve been lucky enough to use the books, The indexes will tell you how many entries there are for the surname.
Robert ,
Could you post the census entry for Pocket? I have tried to see it but both freecen and family search don't recognise it.
So is Madame Pochet an englishwoman pretending to be french? why?
Cheers Miss Marple

[miss marple]

Dressmakers

There were a large number of French women working as dressmakers, and in the fashion business.I will be checking out some names I have shortlisted.
My speculation is this, a dressmaker could be a procuress for a west end brothel.
Expensive West End prostitutes needed expensive glad rags, so a girl wanting to work in a west end brothel would need the wardrobe, so could run up a bill with a dressmaker, she would have to work to pay her back.
Mrs Buki supposedly went with Mary Kelly to get back some expensive dresses from a french lady in Knightsbridge. Suppose she kept the dresses because MK had not paid her and and when Mary returned from France did not go back to the west end brothel?
Mrs Buki does not say whether the dresses were collected.
Cheers Miss Marple

[Zodiac]

Hi Miss Marple

The 1882 PO directory lists Madame Pochet as living at 150 Brompton Rd, a few doors away from its junction with Montpelier St. The family, which seems to be "Pocket" in 1881, is at RG11/ Piece 44/ Folio 10/Page 14.

Hi Robert, hi Miss Marple,

"Pocket" or "Pochet". Hmm Reminds me of "Keeping up Appearances"!!! "Bucket" or "Bouquet". I wonder if Mrs Pocket/Mme Pochet was fond of hosting candlelight suppers?

Best wishes,

Zodiac.

[Chava]

But the French lady may not have had a French name if she was married to an Englishman. Also, an English lady with an eye to high-toned West End tastes might have called herself a French name and affected a French accent in order to give her establishment some cachet. When I was a student living in the Bayswater/Paddington area of London in the late 60s, the newsagents' windows were full of postcards advertising prostitutes and a good proportion of them--even then--were calling themselves Lulu and Gigi and so on.

Did anyone ever find 'Mrs Buki'? I can't remember if any of the journalists tracked her down. I've always assumed her name was actually 'Bukowski' or some variant of that, which would be a fairly common Polish name that also could be Jewish. Locals might have had a hard time with that and reduced it to the easier-sounding 'Buki'. But then it might not have been 'Buki' at all. But 'Bookie'. Which opens up a whole new avenue of investigation... In any case, I've tried multiple ways and multiple nationalities and cannot find Mrs Buki anywhere around!

[miss marple]

Perhaps Mrs Buki was really Mrs Bucket!! Or Bouquet !

Did'nt Sam Flynn identify Mrs Booty of Limehouse as a possible candidate?
The name Boky was in census but not in London.
It is fairly straightfoward to fish out english women married to frenchman, harder to find french women married to englishman. As there was a cachet in being french both in fashion and prostitution, it is easier to start from the premise that Mary's contact had a french name. I do think she was a dressmaker it seems to go with the known information.
Cheers Miss Marple

[Robert]

I tried to find Onslow but no luck.

[Simon Wood]

1882 Street Directory

Hi All,



Regards,

Simon

[Simon Wood]

1880 Watch & Clock Trade Directory

Hi All,



Regards,

Simon

[Zodiac]

Onslow? Shabby genteel? Well, one out of two ain't bad!!!

I tried to find Onslow but no luck.

Hi Robert,

It's the elusive Sheridan that is top of my suspect list!!!

Best wishes

Zodiac.

[Robert]

http://www.casebook.org/ripper_media/book_reviews/non-fiction/castofthousands.mrs-buki.html

Sheridan rang earlier today, Zodiac. He is going hiking with a friend. Somehow it's going to cost me £500.

It's no fun being married to Hyacinth.

[Zodiac]

http://www.casebook.org/ripper_media....mrs-buki.html

Sheridan rang earlier today, Zodiac. He is going hiking with a friend. Somehow it's going to cost me £500.

It's no fun being married to Hyacinth.

Oh do come along Richard... Don't dawdle dear!!!

Best wishes,

Zodiac.

[Robert]

But Hyacinth, it's a long way to go just on the off chance that the Queen's in.