The Ledden Sisters
There were eight sisters born in
Woolwich to John and Mary Jane Ledden between 1882 and 1901 who all lived well
into old age: their average age at death was 85. There was, however, a ninth child who
died in infancy.
Of the sisters who grew to adulthood,
four were married and four remained spinsters. Their mother was widowed in 1907[1] and at some point between 1911[2]
and 1918[3] moved
to 55 Cranbury Street, Fulham. After the mother’s death in 1933[4],
one of the sisters continued to live in the house until at least 1965[5]
and after World War II, four other sisters came to join her at different times.
John Ledden was born in Ireland
in about 1857[6]
and joined the Army. He became was a bombadier in the Royal Artillery, hence his
presence in Woolwich. His wife was born in Woolwich in about 1859[7],
but it has not been possible to find Mary Jane’s maiden name or a record of
their marriage, although it appears to have taken place about 1882, the year
the first of the sisters was born.
1. Mary Jane Ledden was born 1882[8]
and died in 1961[9].
She was cook in the house of bank manager William Adams at 19 Park Hill Road,
Croydon, in 1911[10].
Her whereabouts until 1947 is not known but in that year she was listed as a
voter with her younger sisters at 55 Cranbury Road and she was still there when
she died[11].
She never married.
2. Ellen Frances Ledden was born in 1887[12]
and died in Thanet in 1957[13],
but where she lived over those 70 years is not known. She never married.
3. Agnes Ledden was born 24 March 1889[14]
and died in 1979 in Chelsea[15].
In 1911[16],
she was a general domestic servant to a commercial traveller for a drapery firm
in Great Yarmouth. At some point she married a man named Parkinson, but was
widowed or separated by 1948 when she joined her sisters at 55 Cranbury Road[17].
She was to remain there until at least 1965.
4. Mabel Annie Ledden was born in 1891[18]
and died in 1981 in Hammersmith[19].
In 1911[20]
she was the parlourmaid in the Croydon house of William Adams where her sister
Mary Jane worked. She joined her sisters at 55 Cranbury Road in 1947[21]
and was still there in 1965. She never married.
5. Margaret Alice Ledden was born on 12 July 1893[22]
and in 1911[23]
was a housemaid in the same house in Croydon as two of her sisters. In 1913[24]
she married James Edward Bathe (1891-1972[25]).
James served in World War I and was a corporal in a mechanised transport unit
of the RASC[26].
He later became a motor mechanic and ran the Picton House Garage in Lee High
Road from about 1922 until 1959, living with his family “above the shop”[27].
In 1965, Margaret and James were at 55 Cranbury Road with Margaret’s sisters[28]. James
died in Chelsea in 1972[29]
and Margaret died in Fulham in 1982[30].
They had three children[31].
6. Eva Grace Ledden was born on 14 July 1895[32]
and died in Fulham in 1980[33].
She was living at 55 Cranbury Road in 1930[34]
with her mother – the first year she appears on the London electoral roll – and
remained as the only member of the family in the house until 1947 when she was
joined by two of her sisters. She was still there in 1965[35].
She never married.
7. Elsie Hilda J Ledden [what the J stands for is not known] was born
on 24 March 1898[36].
In 1911[37],
she was a scholar at The Convent of The Faithful Virgin and Roman Catholic
School, Central Hill, Upper Norwood. In 1926[38]
she married George Bax (1896-1968[39]) who
had been a Lance Corporal in Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment during
World War I[40]. The
couple had three children[41]
and moved several times but after World War II they lived mainly in the
Wandsworth and Clapham area of London[42]
where Elsie died in 1982[43].
8. Beatrice Kathleen Ledden was born on 24 August 1901[44].
In 1911[45],
she was with her widowed mother, although the name entered on the census form
was “Kathleen Grace”. In 1925[46]
she married Lionel Last (1897-1967[47]).
Lionel served as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers in France, Salonika and
Palestine during World War I[48]. The
couple did not have any children. Beatrice died in Bromley in 1995[49].
In the 1911 census[50],
Mary Jane Ledden stated she had had nine children of whom one had died. The
ninth child was possibly Catherine
Ledden who appeared in the 1901 census and born about 1897[51],
but there is no record of either her birth or her death or indeed any other
Ledden in Woolwich.
[1] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q3 1907 Vol 1d p550 (via Ancestry.com)
[2] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 2858 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census London>Woolwich>District
01>image 454)
[3] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Islington>Finsbury and
Fulham>1918 image 748; Hammersmith and Fulham>Fulham East and West>1932
image 420)
[4] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Fulham Q2 1933 Vol 1a p330 (via Ancestry.com)
[5] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Fulham> Fulham>1965 image 99)
[6] 1891 England Census Class: RG12; Piece: 530; Folio: 34; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6095640 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census London>Woolwich>Woolwich
Dockyard>District 08>image 5); 1901 England Census Class: RG13; Piece: 569; Folio: 63; Page: 22 (Ancestry.com 1901 Census London>Woolwich>District
Brookhill Married Quarters>image 23)
[7] 1891 England Census Class: RG12; Piece: 530; Folio: 34; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6095640 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census London>Woolwich>Woolwich
Dockyard>District 08>image 5); 1901 England Census Class: RG13; Piece: 569; Folio: 63; Page: 22 (Ancestry.com 1901 Census London>Woolwich>District
Brookhill Married Quarters>image 23); 1911 England Census Class:
RG14; Piece: 2858 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census London>Woolwich>District
01>image 454)
[8] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q4 1882 Vol 1d p1199 (via Ancestry.com)
[9] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Fulham Q1 1961 Vol 5c p589 (via Ancestry.com)
[10] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 3294; Schedule Number: 227 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census Surrey>Croydon>South
Croydon>District 13>image 454)
[11] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Hammersmith and Fulham> Fulham East
and West>1947 image 124); London Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers (Ancestry.com
London Electoral Registers Hammersmith and Fulham> Fulham>1961 image 45)
[12] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q2 1887 Vol 1d p1189 (via Ancestry.com)
[13] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Thanet Q2 1957 Vol 5b p748 (via Ancestry.com)
[14] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q2 1889 Vol 1d p1201 (via Ancestry.com)
[15] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Chelsea Q1 1979 Vol 11 p2068 (via Ancestry.com)
[16] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 11083; Schedule Number: 299 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census Norfolk>Great
Yarmouth>Yarmouth Northern>District 07>image 604)
[17] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Hammersmith and Fulham> Fulham East
and West>1948 image 117)
[18] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q3 1891 Vol 1d p1178 (via Ancestry.com)
[19] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Hammersmith Q1 1981 Vol 12 p1891 (via Ancestry.com)
[20] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 3294; Schedule Number: 227 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census Surrey>Croydon>South
Croydon>District 13>image 454)
[21] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Hammersmith and Fulham> Fulham East
and West>1947 image 124)
[22] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q3 1893 Vol 1d p1246 (via Ancestry.com)
[23] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 3294; Schedule Number: 227 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census Surrey>Croydon>South
Croydon>District 13>image 454)
[24] England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index,
1837-1915 Bromley Q4 1913 Vol 2a p1048 (via Ancestry.com)
[25] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Dartford Q4 1891 Vol 2a p461 (via Ancestry.com); England & Wales,
FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007 Chelsea Q1 19721 Vol 5a p2002 (via Ancestry.com)
[26] WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls;
Class: WO 329; Piece Number: 2006 (via Ancestry.com British War Medal &
Victory Medal>Royal Army Service Corps>Piece 2006: Royal Army Service
Corps>image 80)
[27] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Lewisham>Lewisham>1922 image
359)
[28] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Fulham> Fulham>1965 image 99)
[29] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Chelsea Q1 1972 Vol 5a p2002 (via
Ancestry.com)
[30] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Fulham Q4 1982 Vol 12 p0793 (via Ancestry.com)
[31] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Bromley Q4 1914 Vol 2a p993 (via Ancestry.com); England & Wales,
FreeBMD Birth Index, 1916-2005 Lewisham Q2 1918 Vol 1d p1491 (via Ancestry.com);
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1916-2005 Lewisham Q2 1921 Vol 1d p2018
(via Ancestry.com)
[32] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q3 1895 Vol 1d p1263 (via Ancestry.com)
[33] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Fulham Q4 1980 Vol 12 p0812 (via Ancestry.com)
[34] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Fulham>Fulham East>1930 image
387)
[35] London
Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Fulham> Fulham>1965 image 99)
[36] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q2 1898 Vol 1d p1220 (via Ancestry.com)
[37] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 3404 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census Surrey>Croydon>North
Croydon>District 37-38>image 32)
[38] England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index,
1916-2005 Fulham Q3 1926 Vol 1a p932 (via Ancestry.com)
[39] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Bromley Q4 1896 Vol 2a p435 (via Ancestry.com); England & Wales,
FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007 Wandsworth Q3 1968 Vol 5e p432 (via
Ancestry.com)
[40] WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls;
Class: WO 329; Piece Number: 1451 (via Ancestry)
[41] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1916-2005
Croydon Q3 1930 Vol 2a p601 (via Ancestry.com); England & Wales,
FreeBMD Birth Index, 1916-2005 Croydon Q4 1932 Vol 2a p505 (via Ancestry.com); England & Wales,
FreeBMD Birth Index, 1916-2005 Dartford Q4 1935 Vol 2a p1089 (via Ancestry.com)
[42] Eg
London Metropolitan Archives, Electoral Registers
(Ancestry.com London Electoral Registers Wandsworth> Wandsworth Central>1965
image 153)
[43] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Wandsworth
Q3 1982 Vol 15 p1338 (via Ancestry.com)
[44] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Woolwich Q3 1901 Vol 1d p1316 (via Ancestry.com)
[45] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 2858 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census London>Woolwich>District
01>image 454)
[46] England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index,
1916-2005 Fulham Q1 1925 Vol 1a p509 (via Ancestry.com)
[47] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 Wandsworth Q1 1897 Vol 1d p623 (via Ancestry.com); England & Wales,
FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007 Bromley Q4 1967 Vol 5a p516 (via Ancestry.com)
[48] WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls;
Class: WO 329; Piece Number: 487 (via Ancestry); The National Roll of the Great War, 11 volumes Section
VII, London (Ancestry.com England, The National Roll of
the Great War, 1914-1918, Section VII, London image 232)
[49] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1916-2007
Bromley Q1 1995 C24 2221C 208 (via Ancestry.com)
[50] 1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 2858 (Ancestry.com 1911 Census London>Woolwich>District
01>image 454)
[51] 1901 England Census Class: RG13; Piece: 569; Folio: 63; Page: 22 (Ancestry.com 1901 Census London>Woolwich>District
Brookhill Married Quarters>image 23)
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