Caroline Hill: 1827-1906

Caroline Hill: 1827-1906

CAROLINE HILL: 1827-1906

by Monica Barnett, November 1998

When I decided to write as much as I knew by about my ancestors, it seemed best to start with one of whom I had heard first--hand spoken stories. My Gt. Gt. Grandmother Caroline seemed to be the best one to start with. She was the mother of Susan FROST my Gt. Grandmother who had told me a great deal about her mother and what she had told her about her earlier life.

Caroline was the daughter of Charles HILL and Maryanne HILL (BAILEY) and she was born in 1823 at Lawshall, Suffolk. They lived in a small cottage with a thatched roof, which was still standing until the 1970s after which it fell into disrepair. Charles HILL was a farm labourer, and at that time life was very hard for the country people as machinery was being introduced into farming, therefore fewer labourers were needed. Education was not compulsory, so Caroline didn’t attend school, but much later however, she did learn to read and write, because she signed her own name on her marriage certificate.

Most farm workers’ daughters went ‘into service,’ either working as domestics in the local big house or going further afield when they heard of work elsewhere. Caroline went to London to work. I did find out that there was a HILL recorded who worked in London as a milk deliverer who had been born in Lawshall, so perhaps he found a job for Caroline, as quite often the housekeeper of the big house would ask the tradesmen who called if they knew of someone who wanted a job in the kitchen.

All I was told from Gt. Grandma was that Caroline was employed in a London house of an Alderman (Richard BELL) a merchant of wealth. Gt. Aunt Kit [Kate Mary Frost] (Gt. Grandma’s daughter) told me that her mother’s birth was something to do with the manufacture of the new--fangled lucifer matches-- the boxes which held them had a bell pictured on the box. This improvement on the flint and stone which had been the only means of making a spark was the use of a small stick tipped with phosphorus, the manufacture of which incidentally made many of the factory girls suffer with their lower jaw becoming diseased.

I made enquiries of Bryant & May, or 57 Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire who had the only museum of the match industry, and they sent me the following details, which confirmed what Great Aunt Kit had told me.

Richard BELL founded his business in 1832-- the root of the British match making and first made matches at South Street (now known as Garrett Lane, Wadsworth). The London Directory first records him in 1837 as ‘Match Maker of 22 Bread Street, London’. In 1839 his address changed to 16 Basing Lane and in 1855 to 21 Cannon Street West, so census Basing Lane was in two parishes-- St. Mildred Bread St., and St. Mary Aldermary. I the latter Richard BELL was Elector No. 13459 of the City of London. The ‘City of London’ consists of the square mile around St. Paul’s Cathedral and was established as far back as the 13th century in the poet Chaucer’s time when walls enclosed it. Outside the walls was all countryside. Even to this day, when the reigning monarch enters the square mile of the City of London, permission has to be obtained from the Lord Mayor London to enter, so on a royal procession of the monarch such as the wedding of Diana to the Prince of Wales, the royal coach had to stop for the ceremony of obtaining the right to enter the boundary to reach the Cathedral. Indication of the boundary is depicted by a shield of white with a red cross on the side of a building or pillar (Gt. Grandma Susan was born in 1848). In my research I found the place of Alderman Bell’s business just off Fleet Street---- which was the Newspaper centre of London at that time.I also looked at the 1841 census (HO 107 1841 Folio 30 entry 1069),Garret Lane, Wandsworth, Surrey:

Richard BELL55 Merchantnot born in the county

Samuel BELL30 brother “ “ “ “ “

William BELL5born in the same county

Jane HAUGHTON 55 widow “ “ “ “ “

Ann ALEXANDER 65 widow

John BELL 30 merchant

Sarah MARTIN 15 domestic

Elizabeth NOUSHAL 15 domestic

Catherine RAULTON 20 domestic

So, Caroline was not with the household in 1841 when she would have been 17 years old, and one concludes that she took up service there after that time.

From the Strand one goes down Fleet Street and then up Ludgate Hill towards St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it is the route taken annually by the LORD MAYOR of LONDON’s procession in November. Richard BELL became an Alderman of the City of London----a fact which I confirmed on reading the Voters’ Register of 1844 which revealed the following:

No 1130040 Alderman Richard BELL of Garret Lane, Wandsworth & 16 Basing Lane, London. (Records in the Guildhall, London.)

He would have eventually been elected the LORD MAYOR if his death hadn’t prevented this.

The continuation of the story as written by Bryant & May states that in 1875 a new name enters the BELL factory, that of Charles Grubb, who registered the Trade Mark of R. Bell & Co., for Mr. Bell at the address of 83 Knightrider Street, Doctor’s Common, London. Mr. Grubb subsequently changed his name to BELL, thus keeping the original name in the business. The year 1886 saw a new address-- ‘ Richard BELL of 24 St. Johns Hill Grove, Wandsworth, Surrey. The business of R. BELL & Co Ltd. was carried on by Chas Robert Edward BELL and William Tar at 73 Queen Victoria Street, London. William Tarr died in 1915. In 1922 the partnership of R. Bell & Co., and Maguiure, Miller, Paterson & Palmer waas taken over by Bryant & May. Production then moved to Glasgow, Scotland.

After Susan’s birth in Lawshall in 1848 where Caroline had returned, she was brought up by her grandparents (John & Maryanne HILL) and indeed, for a long time thought that John HILL was her father, as she put him as her father on his marriage certificate when she married Henry FROST. Eventually, Caroline HILL told the whole story to her daughter Susan, who recounted it to me:

Caroline was seduced by the son (John BELL). He was sent by his father to negotiate with an American Company----the Diamond Match Co., regarding the industrial manufacture of phosphorus matches. Unfortunately, the son never reached the USA as the boat on which he was travelling floundered in the Atlantic Ocean and was drowned.

The BELL family kept an interest in Caroline awaiting the birth of the child in Lawshall as, of course, the baby would be their grandchild. After Susan’s birth was recorded at Lawshall-- 6 February 1848 as ‘daughter of Caroline HILL’ (no father’s name given), her upbringing was supported by the BELL family. Normally, a girl giving birth to a child, with no father named, would have been a burden on the parish, and the mother would have had to prove her Settlement in the village, otherwise she would have been turned out of the village to look after herself and her child as best she could. A further chapter will deal with the details of Susan’s upbringing and education.

Returning to the story about Caroline, Gt. Grandma Susan told me that her mother was exceptionally pretty (This might have been in the first place the reason for her downfall!) Caroline is entered in the 1851 census for Suffolk as living in Lawshall, but what she did I cannot discover. However, Caroline married a Robert SADLER on 22 August 1861 in St. James’ Church, Bury St. Edmunds when she was 38 years old. Her address given then was Looms Lane, Bury St. Edmunds. [Note: Additional research shows that in the 1851 census, Caroline is living in the household of John Payne at 73 Shimpling Road, Lawshall, and she is working as a servant. In the 1861 census, both Caroline Hill and Robert Sadler were working for Samuel Newland at 10 Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Caroline was a general servant, and Robert was a groom.]

Robert Samuel SADLER was a farm labourer, but eventually became a gamekeeper on an estate at Gr. Livermere just north of Bury St. Edmunds. They had two children-- a son called Robert who apparently at the age of 12 years climbed a tall tree, fell out of it and was killed. A daughter named Jane married someone called WALDEN and was present at her mother’s death on 31 March 1900 at 2 Salem Row, Cemetery Road, Bury St. Edmunds-- possibly the daughter’s house. [Note: We know from additional research that the information in this paragraph is incorrect. The 1871 census of Great Barton, Suffolk, shows Robert and Caroline Sadler living there with 4 children: Robert, age 9; Susannah, age 7; Harriett, age 5, and Emma, age 3. Herbert Hamilton Frost also received a letter from Jack Everitt telling about 3 of Robert and Caroline’s children, Robert, Harriett, and Emma.]

One of Gt. Grandma Susan’ daughters-- Jenny, who had married Jack Everitt----was very fond of her grandma Caroline and Jenny’s husband used to cycle all the way from Colchester to Bury St. Edmunds to visit her, stay the night with her and then return to his butcher’s shop in Colchester. He used to tell me that his legs were very tired after that long ride!

It is interesting to note that I have had first--hand accounts from Caroline’s daughter (Gt. Grandma Susan) and other relatives who knew this proud and upright old lady very well. This is connection with an ancestor who was born in the reign of George IV of England who was king from 1820--1830, when slavery was still in force. Caroline was only seven years old when William IV ascended the throne (1830--1837) and the village of Lawshall would have had some sort of celebration when news reached that part of the country from London. Caroline would have been in her first domestic post just when Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837-- a young girl only 3 years older than Caroline. The year 1848 (in which Susan her daughter was born), was the same year that the Third French Revolution began.

In 1851 Caroline must have joined in with everyone else the celebrations when the 1851 Exhibition took place in the Crystal Palace. Caroline lived through many wars-- the Crimean War of 1853, the American Civil War pf 1861, the Boer War in 1899. There were many innovations during her long life-- the introduction of the postal service 1839, the inauguration of police constables in England’s towns and cities, gas lighting, and so many others. Everything she recounted to her daughter Susan was passed on to me. I have one existing photograph of Caroline, which shows her sitting very upright in a chair when she married Robert Sadler who was standing behind her. She is wearing the type of bonnet popular with ladies of her age then, with only a short brim raised up at the front and tied under the chin with a large bow of ribbon. Her black dress was full length with a wide band of watered silk running from neck to hem at the front. She wore a three--quarter length dark jacket with wide sleeves and a feathered boa wrapped round her neck. She carried black gloves. It is very noticeable to me that my grandma (Ethel MOSS (nee FROST) resembled her very much.

I have copies of her baptism, her marriage certificate to Robert Sadler, her death certificate, and a photocopy of the one photograph which I have mentioned.

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Census Records for Caroline Hill

1841 Census, Lawshall, Suffolk, England

HO107; Piece: 1011; Book: 18; ED 9; Folio: 10; Page: 12; Line: 7; GSU roll: 474633, The Green

Charles Hill 40 M Ag Lab Y

Mary Ann Do 32 F Ag Lab Y

Caroline Do 13 F Y

Thomas Do 11 M Y

Harriet Do 3 Y

John Do 9 months Y

1851 Census, Lawshall, Suffolk, England

HO107; Piece: 1789; Folio: 656; Page: 17; GSU roll: 207438, #73, Shimpling Road

John Payne Head W 52 Farmer, 260 acres, employing 11 men

Robert Payne Son U 18

Mary Palmer Servant U 62

Caroline Hills Servant U 23 Suffolk Lawshall

1861 Census, Bury St. Edmunds, St. James, Suffolk, England

RG 9; Piece: 1141; Folio: 158; Page: 11; GSU roll: 542762, #11, 10 Angel Hill

Household of

Samuel Newham Head Mar41 M Genl Medical Practitioner Norfolk Lyn

Sarah E. doWifeMar37 F Suf Worlingham

FannydoDau7 F Suf Bury

Caroline HillServUnm33 FGenl Serv Suf Lawshall

Anne DraneServ Unm 21 F Do Nor Thetford

Robert SadlerServ Unm 29 M Groom Suf Langham

**Bury St. Edmunds s1861 census Looms Lane is on p. 94. Caroline and Robert listed their residence at Looms Lane on their marriage banns, Aug 1861.

1871 Census, Great Barton, Suffolk,

RG10; Piece: 1726; Folio: 117; Page: 7; GSU roll: 830765, #33, East Barton cottages

Robert Sadler head mar M 40 groom Suffolk Langham

Caroline do wife mar F 45 do Lawshall

Robert do son M 9 scholar do Horringer

Susannah do daur F 7 scholar do Great Barton

Harriett do daur F 5 scholar do do

Emma do daur F 3 do do

1881 Census, Great Barton, Suffolk, England

RG11; Piece: 1841; Folio: 20; Page: 7; GSU roll: 1341445. East Farm

William N. King Head M M 56 Gazeley, Suffolk Farm of 440 Acres Employing 15 Men 5 Boys

5 family members

5 other servants

Caroline Sadler Servt M F 53 Lawshall, Suffolk Cook & Dairy St [Servant]

Kilverstone, Norfolk, England, 1891 Census

RG12; Piece: 1578; Folio: 78; Page: 2; GSU Roll: 6096688, #7, Farm House

Arthur Wade Cooper Head

4 family members

Robert Sadler Servant M M 59 Domestic Gardener X Suf La ngham

Caroline Do Do M F 65 Nurse X Suf Lawshall

**Robert and Caroline’s son Robert is living 2 houses away with his wife Emma and their 3 children.

Death Index 1837-1915

Name: Caroline Sadler

Birth year: about 1827

Registration Year: 1898

Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep

Age at Death: 71

Registration District: Thingoe

Volume: 4a

Page: 514