Rose Mylett Biographical details

[Debra A]

Following on from the excellent research done by Bill Beadle in his dissertation
The Real 'Rose' Mylett in which he mentions that Rose "had a child, a little girl, apparently residing in Sutton at the time of Catharine's death. According to press reports her name was 'Florrie' or 'Flossie'. Research has thus far failed to pinpoint her."
(The caseboook biography on Rose Mylett says that her child was a son.)

Rob Clack and I have been doing some research into Rose Mylett, and using the information from Bill Beadle, that Rose's son may actually have been a daughter named flossie or Florrie, we managed to locate a likely candidate for Rose and her daughter in 1881.

1881 census transcription details for: 40 Lincoln St, Mile End Old Town
National Archive Reference:
RG number: RG11 Piece: 485 Folio: 10 Page: 13


Reg. District: Mile End Old Town Sub District: Mile End Old Town Eastern
Enum. District: Ecclesiastical District:
Parish: Mile End Old Town City/Municipal Borough:

Address: 40 Lincoln St, Mile End Old Town
County: Middlesex
Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth
Year Occupation,
Disability Where Born

DAVIS, Kate Head Married F 22 1859
Whitechapel
Middlesex

DAVIS, Florence B Daughter Single F 0 1881
Mile End
Middlesex

SOLMONDE, Blanche Lodger Single F 55 1826 Needlewoman
France

We used this census information to locate a birth certificate for this Florence Davis, and the details from this confirm that Rose did in fact have a daughter.

Twelfth September 1889 at 6 Maidman Street
Florence Beatrice, girl
Father: Thomas Davis, commercial traveler
mother: Kate Davis, formerly Mylett
Informant: K Davis, mother, 6 Maidman Street Mile End
registered twenty second October 1880.

this birth certificate also seems to confirm the fact that Rose was married, although we have been unable to trace a marriage certificate as yet.


In 1891 Florence appears on the census with the surname Mylett and not Davis.

Kensington And Chelsea District School Or Cottage Homes, Banstead Surrey
National Archive Reference:
RG number: RG12 Piece: 547 Folio: 142 Page: 22


Reg. District: Epsom Sub District: Epsom
Enum. District: 14 Ecclesiastical District: Banstead
Parish: Ewell City/Municipal Borough:

Address: Ewell, Banstead
County: Surrey

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth
Year Occupation,
Disability Where Born

MYLETT, Florence Scholar Child F 12 1879
Mile End
London

Other workhouse records also confirm that Rose's daughter Florence was at one time sent to a Sutton School.

[Uncle Jack]

Fantastic work Debs and Rob. Well done

[Chris Scott]

Hi Debs and Rob
Great research and thanks for posting
I found some notes I did on Mylett and these may be of some use:

The Times
28 December 1888

"Some years ago she (Rose Mylett) married a man names Davies, whom Mrs Mylett believed was an upholsterer by trade. They had one child but, but as they frequently disagreed they separated."

Although her mother said her real name was Rose Mylett, she was also known by the forename of Catherine. The most likely birth record is:
1860 Quarter 1
Catherine Mylett
Whitechapel
1c 393

This family in 1861 are listed as follows:
13 Thomas Street, Whitechapel
Head: Henry Mylet (sic) aged 35 born Ireland - Starch maker
Wife: Margaret Mylet aged 30 born Ireland
Children:
Mary aged 6
William aged 4
Catherine aged 1
All born in London

The family are at the same address in 1871:
13 Thomas Street, Whitechapel
Head: Henry Millett (sic) aged 34 born Ireland - Labourer at Starch Works (This age should read 44)
Wife: Margaret Millett aged 40 born Ireland
Children:
Mary aged 16 born Westminster - Seamstress
William aged 14 born Whitechapel - Errand boy
Catherine aged 11 born Whitechapel
John aged 8 born Whitechapel
Boarder: Patrick Ward aged 48 born Ireland - Labourer at Starch Works

1881 Census:
46 Thomas Street, Whitechapel
Head: Henry Mylett aged 56 born Loughlyn, Ireland - Warehouse labourer
Wife: Margaret Mylett aged 57 born Ballinlough, Ireland
Children:
William aged 25 born Whitechapel - Clerk in record office

Catherine is not listed in the 1881 census with her family. At that stage she would have been circa 21 years of age.

[Rob Clack]

Hi Chris,

Debs pointed me to Bill Beadles dissertation about Rose here on Casebook, and Bill found a Catherine Mylett born on the 8th December 1859 to Margaret Mylett (nee Haley) and Henry Mylett living at 13, Thomas Street, Whitechapel.
And Debs found Rose in the 1881 census. The details are:

40 Lincoln Street, Mile End Old Town.
Kate Davis, Married age 22, born Whitechapel
Florence B Davis daughter Single age 0, born Mile End

Rob

[Debra A]

Thanks Adam.

Hi Chris,
I believe that the Mylett family living in the premises of the starch works in the vicinity of Thomas Street were also relations of Rose's.

Thanks Rob.
I would like to find more on the French needlewoman woman Rose was living with in 1881. Rose herself has no occupation given and no husband in sight on the entry.

[Monty]

Debs and Rob,

Good stuff.

I too am fascinated by this Blanche Solmonde, what a name!

Do you know which Sutton school?

Monty

[Debra A]

Do you know which Sutton school?

Monty

Monty,
There were a couple of schools at Sutton and Banstead which were used for children whose parents were in the workhouse or Infirmary on a regular basis, no specific school is named on Rose's Infirmary entry, just that her daughter was sent to a Sutton school.
The school that Florence Mylett was in in 1891 was mainly for orphaned children, providing a more or less permanent residence, aimed to equip these children with the skills needed for lives as domestic servants etc. We did briefly check the records for the school last year but didn't come across Florence.

The 1881 entry is interesting as it could suggest that Rose may have chosen the life of career prostitute quite early on (If Ms. Solmonde is what I think she may have been!). Some tend to think MJK exceptional in that she was a young, supposedly good looking woman who was plying her trade in amongst the dregs of whitechapel when maybe she could have been doing better. Rose's life seems to follow a similar pattern though, she was from a respectable and hard working family, was described a good looking at the time of her death, but she chose the lifestyle she led.

[Rob Clack]

While doing some background research into Rose, I came across a reference in The Manchester Times (29 December 1888) that Rose may have had other children beside Florence:

It is stated that the woman some time ago buried two of her children, leaving her with the one now in a school at Sutton.

Most contemporary sources I have seen just state that Rose only ever had a daughter.

With a lot of help from Debs, we managed to find out that Rose had at least one other child, a boy born in the Whitechapel Union Infirmary on the 29 June 1883.
According to the admission and discharge registers, Rose entered the Infirmary (under the name Kate Davis) at 1:30 on the 29 June and gave birth at 5:30 to a boy named Henry. They stayed there for approximately 2 weeks and were discharged on the 13 July 1883. Henry, may unfortunately have died the following year. I'm still waiting for the birth and death certificates to be sure.
There can't be any doubt that this is Rose as the name used is the one she used to register her daughters birth (Davis is the name of her husband). And the address she gave is her parents address at 46 Thomas Street, Whitechapel. Her father died February 1882 at this address.

Rob

[Debra A]

This is an excellent find by you, Rob. Well done!
Dr Brownfield's medical expertise and evidence in the Mylett case should surely come under some closer scrutiny now, given that he declared Rose had never given birth to a child, let alone two!

[Rob Clack]

Team work Debs, team work.

Rob

[Paddy]

Florence Mylett Removal Order From Stepney Union to Mile End

Hi Debs Here is the removal order for Florence dated 3rd Aug 1888.
I do apologise, I have cut off the bottom of the second picture and accidently cut out her date of birth.
Thanks for the tip where to post it ! I came across it by chance and recognised the name Mylett.
Best wishes
Pat Marshall

[Debra A]

Hi Pat,
Thanks very much for posting this! An excellent find.
It answers the question of whether Catherine (Rose) Myleytt was really married to the Thomas Davis named as her spouse and father of her two children, Florence and Henry, on their birth certificates.
Debs

[Paddy]

Henry Mylett

Thanks Debs.
Could I ask how far you have got with Roses two children as I would like to help?
Best wishes
Pat Marshall

[Debra A]

Some help would be great, Pat.

In 1891 Florence was listed at the Banstead cottage homes and school as I mentioned in an earlier post. She would have probably been trained to go into service.

I'm looking into whether Florence was the Florence Millett, servant to George and Emily Vernon in 1901 who seem to have adopted Florence by 1911 (adopted appears under relation to head)
This Florence Millett appears on the electoral registers right up until he late 1930s early 40s in Barnet living with the Vernon family and children as they grow up. She died a spinster in 1946 and the spinster daughter, Muriel Sophy, of the Vernon's is mentioned in the probate documents.
The year of birth sometimes 1881 sometimes 1883 fits and Florence only ever gives her place of birth as London,coupled with the fact this Florence Millett was seemingly adopted (even though she was probably an adult at the time) makes me think she's a good probable.

As far as Henry goes, Rob Clack and I looked for him after his birth in the Whitechapel infirmary in 1884 but didn't have much luck finding further mention of him or a death record. It is possible that Catherine also had more than these two children.

[Debra A]

Just a small correction to my last post-Henry was born June 1883, not 84.

Here's the probate entry for the Florence I mentioned in my previous post.