myroots
Ephgraves in service in the late 1800s
posted Sunday, 17 April 2005
Charles and Sarah Ephgrave's many children variously worked in domestic service. Charles worked as a Carpenter (1871 census). After he died in 1877, his widow Sarah nee Philpott must have needed to find a way of supporting herself. In the 1881 census she is a 'nurse (domestic)' aged 65 in the household of James Williams of Gustard Wood. James is a Builder/Decorator 'in partnership with JF Owen). He and his wife have five young children including 'Infant Williams, aged under 1 month'. Apart from Sarah, the household is supported by a 19-year old cook.
Charles and Sarah's daughter Emily was born in around 1850/1. In the 1871 census she is working as a Kitchenmaid at what is called Ampthill House in Church Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire (the next major building on the page being the Feoffee Almshouses). The head of household is a Mr Hardwicke, Manager of the Gas Works. Although they have seven servants, including a Swiss lady's maid, an Assistant Governess, two housemaids and two footmen, Mrs Hardwicke is described as a dress-maker, and their son Walter is a 14-year old 'stoker at gas works'. Their eldest daughter Emily is a pupil teacher aged 15. So the whole family is engaged in work of some kind. There is a marriage record for an Emily Ephgrave later in 1871, so she may not have stayed in service too long.
Emily's sister Fanny is aged 16 in 1871, and is the only servant at Island House, The Village, Harpenden. Head of household Thomas Simons is a Grocer and Baker. Fanny probably had a very hard time helping out Mrs Simons with the housework generated by 9 children, a widowed mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I haven't found her yet in subsequent censuses, but hope this doesn't mean she succumbed to the hard work.
George Ephgrave, another of Charles and Sarah's children, doesn't (yet) appear in the 1871 census, but is found in 1881 working as a Butler (servant) aged 33 in Long Ditton, Surrey. The head of household is John Hill, Australian Merchant Shipowner, whose young wife was born in India. They have one child and six servants including a cook, two housemaids and two kitchenmaids. The address is described oddly as 'Village Private House'.
Like many of his siblings, George vanishes by the 1891 census, but with a name like Ephgrave, the scope for mistranscription is quite large!
Charles and Sarah's daughter Emily was born in around 1850/1. In the 1871 census she is working as a Kitchenmaid at what is called Ampthill House in Church Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire (the next major building on the page being the Feoffee Almshouses). The head of household is a Mr Hardwicke, Manager of the Gas Works. Although they have seven servants, including a Swiss lady's maid, an Assistant Governess, two housemaids and two footmen, Mrs Hardwicke is described as a dress-maker, and their son Walter is a 14-year old 'stoker at gas works'. Their eldest daughter Emily is a pupil teacher aged 15. So the whole family is engaged in work of some kind. There is a marriage record for an Emily Ephgrave later in 1871, so she may not have stayed in service too long.
Emily's sister Fanny is aged 16 in 1871, and is the only servant at Island House, The Village, Harpenden. Head of household Thomas Simons is a Grocer and Baker. Fanny probably had a very hard time helping out Mrs Simons with the housework generated by 9 children, a widowed mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I haven't found her yet in subsequent censuses, but hope this doesn't mean she succumbed to the hard work.
George Ephgrave, another of Charles and Sarah's children, doesn't (yet) appear in the 1871 census, but is found in 1881 working as a Butler (servant) aged 33 in Long Ditton, Surrey. The head of household is John Hill, Australian Merchant Shipowner, whose young wife was born in India. They have one child and six servants including a cook, two housemaids and two kitchenmaids. The address is described oddly as 'Village Private House'.
Like many of his siblings, George vanishes by the 1891 census, but with a name like Ephgrave, the scope for mistranscription is quite large!
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