The Mayze Family
Lydia Matilda Mayze was born Lydia Matilda Bradley, the natural
child of Jane Bradley of Greenwich. She was born on 27 October 1840 and
baptised at St Paul’s, Deptford, in January the following year, when her
father’s name was given as William Bradley. This was probably a clerical
error, as William was Jane’s 16-year-old brother who may have been standing in
as godfather[1] [Fig 1].
At the time of the 1841 census,
Lydia was living in a house in Lewisham Road, Greenwich, with her grandparents
– John and Elizabeth Bradley – her mother Jane; a spinster aunt, Mary; and her
uncle, the young William Bradley[2].
John and William were both coal porters and Jane was a dressmaker.
Jane married George Mayze later
in 1841[3]
and Lydia was given her stepfather’s name. George Mayze was born in Staughton,
Huntingdonshire, in about 1813 and, although she grew up in Greenwich, Jane had
been born in Fulham in about 1819.
Jane and George were to have two
more children: Elizabeth Jane Mayze (b1842) and Henry William Mayze (b1856)
John and Elizabeth Bradley died
in 1846 and 1848 respectively[4]
and the occupants of the house in Lewisham Road in 1851 were: George and Jane
Mayze, Lydia and her new sister, Elizabeth; a two-month-old “nurse child”
George Clark; William Bradley and his wife of less than a year, Tabitha, and
Tabitha’s 4-year-old daughter Sarah Ann. There were also two young watermen lodgers, George
and Thomas Cooper[5].
George Mayze was described as
“out of employ formerly horsekeeper” and William Bradley as a carman.
On the night of the 1861 census,
George Mayze, a carman, was living at 11 St James Place West, Greenwich, with his
three children (Lydia, Elizabeth and Henry) and George Clark, now 10 years old
but still described as a “nurse child”[6].
On the same night, Jane was
described as “nurse” and was not far away with her brother William and his
family, Tabitha having just given birth to her fourth child[7].
Elizabeth Mayze married George
Taylor on 24 May 1863 at St Nicholas, Deptford, and Lydia Matilda Mayze signed
with a confident hand as one of the witnesses[8]
[Fig 2].
However, the Mayze family
fortunes declined.
Each year, over an 12-year period starting in January 1870, George Mayze
was in and out of Greenwich Workhouse; in total, he spent more than the
equivalent of four years there – and another two and a quarter years in the
infirmary[9].
Until 1877, the details in the register of admissions and discharges
give little more than his previous employment (usually as a labourer) and the
reason for admission, always because he was destitute, but sometimes because he
was ill or had a bad leg as well. From 1877, the records also give his last
place of residence (frequently lodging houses in Deptford or Greenwich) and
the name and address of the next of kin, where known. In George’s case, this
was usually his daughter, Elizabeth Taylor of 2 Sisters Cottages, Seymour St,
St Johns Road, Deptford.
George was in the Workhouse at the time of both the 1871 and 1881
censuses[10].
In 1871 Jane Mayze, described as a nurse, was living with her young son Henry
(an office boy) at 8 King Street, Deptford, the same house as her brother
William Bradley and his family[11].
Pea-Bee has not been able to find Jane in the 1881 census (Henry had, by then,
enlisted in the Royal Navy[12]
and was in Malta in 1881[13]).
George left the infirmary at his own request on 27 May 1882 – after
which there is no record of him[14].
By 1891, Jane and her son were together again (Henry having completed his
10-year term of service) at 30 Friendly Street, Deptford[15].
At 72, Jane had no occupation, but Henry was an engine fitter, following on from
his naval trade of engine room articifer. Interestingly, Jane stated she was
married – so either George was still alive or the family did not know if he was
dead. Jane herself died in 1896[16].
No further record has been found for Henry Mayze after the 1891 census.
Elizabeth Mayze, who had married George Taylor in 1863, was widowed in 1870[17]
but not before she and George had had three children. In 1871, Elizabeth was
living in lodgings at 14 Strickland Street, Deptford, with her three children
and although it is stated she was a widow, no occupation is given[18].
In 1881 she was described as a dressmaker, living at 2 Sisters Cottages,
Seymour Place, Deptford – and she had acquired two more children, both born
several years after George’s death[19].
Besides her pregnancies, Elizabeth was a witness at the 1874 marriage of the
mysterious “nurse child” with whom she grew up, George Clark[20].
She continued to work as a dressmaker in Deptford for many years and never
remarried. She died, aged 73, on 12 October 1916[21]
and was buried at Ladywell & Brockley Cemetery [Fig 3].
Lydia Matilda Mayze has not been
found in the 1871 census but a photograph exists of her in about 1870 [Fig 4].
Thomas Barham was a son of
William and Eliza Barham of Chislehurst (see part I of this Blog series)
See also later blog with additional information
[1]
London Metropolitan Archives, Deptford St Paul, Register of Baptism, p75/pau,
Item 008 (Ancestry.com London, England, Births and
Baptisms, 1813-1906 Lewisham>St Paul, Deptford>1841>image 2)
[2] 1841 England Census
Class HO107; Piece 489; Book 8; Civil Parish Greenwich; County Kent; Enumeration District 4; Folio 5; Page 3;
Line 21; GSU roll 306881 (Ancestry.com 1841 Census
Kent>Greenwich>Greenwich West>District 4>image 3)
[3] England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index,
1837-1915 Lewisham Q3 1841 Vol 5 p318 (via Ancestry.com)
[4]
London Metropolitan Archives, St Alfege Greenwich, Register of Burials Call
No P78/ALF/074 (Ancestry.com
London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 Greenwich>St
Alphege, Greenwich>1846 image 23 and >1848>image 36)
[5] 1851 England Census Class
HO107; Piece 1586; Folio 473; Page 46; GSU roll 174823 (Ancestry.com 1851 Census
Kent>Greenwich>Greenwich West>District 19>image 47)
[6] 1861 England Census Class
RG 9; Piece 398; Folio 95; Page:16; GSU roll 542630 (Ancestrty.com 1861 Census
Kent>Greenwich>Greenwich West>District 5>image 17)
[7] 1861 England Census Class
RG 9; Piece 399; Folio 79; Page 9; GSU roll 542630 (Ancestrty.com 1861 Census
Kent>Greenwich>Greenwich West>District 12>image 10)
[8]
London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Nicholas, Deptford, Register of marriages,
P78/NIC, Item 026 (Ancestry.com London, England, Marriages
and Banns, 1754-1921 Greenwich>St Nicholas Deptford>1863>image 11)
[9]
George was admitted to the Workhouse on 12 occasions and discharged as many
times. Each movement has a separate reference and for brevity, only one is
given here, for his last discharge:
London Metropolitan Archives, Board of Guardians; Hospital and Infirmary, Vanburgh Hill, SE10,
1881-1882; Reference No: GBG/220/005 (Ancestry.com
London, England, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records,
1430-1930 Greenwich>Greenwich>Admission & Discharge>Hospital
& Infirmary, Vanburgh Hill SE10,1881-1882>image 186)
[10] 1871 England Census Class
RG10; Piece 761; Folio 40; Page 23; GSU roll 824728 (Ancestry.com 1871
Census Kent>Greenwich>Greenwich East>District Greenwich Union
Workhouse>image 24); 1881 England Census Class
RG11; Piece 727; Folio 71; Page 25; GSU roll 1341169 (Ancestry.com 1881
Census Kent>Greenwich>Greenwich East>District Union Workhouse>image
27)
[11] 1871 England Census Class RG10; Piece 749; Folio 59; Page 14; GSU roll 824723 (Ancestry.com 1871 Census
London>St Paul Deptford>District 58>image 15)
[12] National
Archives, Admiralty: Royal Navy
Registers of Seamen's Services, ADM 188/114/99856 - Name
Mayze, Henry William Official Number: 99856
[13] 1881 England Census Class RG11; Piece 5637; Folio 11; Page 1; GSU roll 1342355 (Ancestry.com 1881 Census Royal
Navy>Vessels>District Gar>image 2)
[14]
London Metropolitan Archives, Board of Guardians; Hospital
and Infirmary, Vanburgh Hill, SE10, 1881-1882; Reference No: GBG/220/005 (Ancestry.com
London, England, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records,
1430-1930 Greenwich>Greenwich>Admission & Discharge>Hospital
& Infirmary, Vanburgh Hill SE10,1881-1882>image 186)
[15] 1891 England Census Class
RG12; Piece 501; Folio 11; Page 15; GSU roll 6095611 (Ancestry.com 1891 Census
London>St Paul Deptford>District 34>image 15)
[16] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index,
1837-1915 Greenwich Q3 1896 Vol 1d p663 (via Ancestry.com)
[17] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index,
1837-1915 Greenwich Q4 1870 Vol 1d p474 (via Ancestry.com)
[18] 1871 England Census Class RG10; Piece 748; Folio 73; Page 28; GSU roll 824722 (Ancestery.com 1871 Census
London>St Paul Deptford>District 52>image 29)
[19] 1881 England Census Class RG11; Piece 712; Folio 41; Page 21; GSU roll 1341166 (Ancestry.com 1881 Census
London>Deptford St Paul>District 52>image 22)
[20]
London Metropolitan Archives, Holy Trinity, Blackheath Hill, Register of
marriages, P78/TRI1, Item 068 (Ancestry.com London, England, Marriages
and Banns, 1754-1921 Greenwich>Holy Trinity, Blackheath Hill>1874>image 3)
[21] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index,
1837-1915 Greenwich Q4 1916 Vol 1d p1261 (via Ancestry.com)
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