William Hubert

  General Notes:

The date of the drawing above and the exact location were not recorded on the Vauxhall Society website where it appeared under the "Nine Elms" heading. It is possibly a little later than the Huberts' time in Nine Elms but it should give the feel of the riverbank at the time.

  Chronology:

In 1851 he was a 20 year old Lighterman living in Nine Elms, Surrey (probably close by his father's barge building yard) with his parents, sister Elizabeth (30, School Mistress), brother Samuel (18,Instrument Maker) and sister Ann (13,scholar).

The map shows Nine Elms shortly before William's birth in 1830. His family probably lived in one of the buildings on the southern shore of the river. ⁷

In 1854 at the time of his marriage he was described as a Lighterman living at Harwich, Essex (just across Holbrook Bay from Ipswich).

Between July and December of that year he was recorded as the Master of the coaster Providence which traded between Ipswich and London. Prior to that he had sailed on the Express of India.

The ship on the left of this 1860 photo of the Ipswich Wet Dock is thought to be the Providence. ^{8 9}

In 1858 at the time of his son William's birth he was a Master Mariner living at Wycks Bishop Street, St Clements, Ipswich (shown on this 1902 map in green). His father had moved to Ipswich sometime between 1851 and 1861.
Mike Hubert remembered his father telling him that William owned sailing barges. ^{10 11}

In 1861 he was a Waterman and Lighterman living at 14 Church St , Poplar with wife and two sons. Church Street is now named Gleng.(something) St. and Christ Church stands on its Manchester Road corner.

Note that 20 years later the family was around the corner at 193 Manchester Road. ¹²

In 1871 he was a Patient at Woodford Hall, Essex. It is not known why or for how long but a few years later this was described as a Convalescent Home for non-contagious diseases. The birthplaces of his children indicate that the family moved to Rotherhithe, Kent before 1867 and then to Deptford where Esther and most of the children were living in 1871. William James was not with the family and so far I have been unable to find him. Daughter Ada, 4, was with widow Emma Hubert, 40, and her 13 year old daughter Elizabeth in Lambeth where Emma apparently ran a china shop. Ada is recorded as being Emma's niece but I have so far not been able to discover the identity of her husband. By 1872 the family was back in Poplar.

Entry from an 1879 list of charities:
"GLADSTONE'S (MRS.) FREE CONVAL. HOME, Sec., Woodford-hall, Essex. Convalescents, non-contagious "

Victorian London - Publications - Social Investigation/Journalism - The Terrible Sights of London, by Thomas Archer, 1870 - Chapter IV and Chapter V (p456)
"It is to convalescent homes like that established at Woodford by Mrs. Gladstone, that we must look for the completion of the work done in our hospitals for the sick. It was during the time of the last cholera epidemic, and when the poor patients taken from the infected districts to the London Hospital were saved from death only to be sent back to their bare rooms, unable to obtain the food necessary to renew their strength, that this charitable lady first opened the pleasant house at Woodford with thirty beds. All those whose applications were received underwent an examination at the hospital, that no inmates might be accepted who were then suffering from any contagious or infectious disease; so that it was only a weakly, and riot an unhealthy, family assembled in the Forest district to drink-in fresh vigour with the clear air, and to gain strength daily from the nourishing country diet. None but those who have seen the work in progress can estimate what a boon to these poor convalescents is the opportunity of removing, if only for a week or two, from the foul neighbourhoods where they would have been in imminent danger of a relapse, or of contracting some other disease, the result of half starvation and depressed energy."

Woodford Hall was also the childhood home of William Morris the Arts and Crafts designer:
"The Morris family remained there until 1848. In 1869 the Woodford Hall estate was sold to the British Land Company for building development.The house was used until 1900 as Mrs Gladstone's convalescent home and part of it still remains to be seen today behind the parish church Memorial Hall which was built in front of the site in 1902." ^{13 14}

In 1881 he was working as a Lighterman and living with Esther and their eight children at 193 Manchester Road, Poplar. The photo shows a view looking north up Manchester Road to Christ Church and was taken in 1954. Even though this is about 70 years after William lived there the houses most likely date from his time there. The 1881 census and current street numbering indicate that 193 would have been about 15 houses beyond the Christchurch corner on the left. ¹⁵

In Sep 1887 at the time of his son William's marriage he described himself as a Merchant Seaman. ¹⁶

In Oct 1890 at the time of wife Esther's death he was described as a Lighterman (Journeyman). Esther died at 12 Launch St, Poplar and this also recorded as the residence of the informant C.Hubert. A few months later, son Charles was recorded on the 1891 census as boarding with a family at 15 Gordon Terrace, Launch St. Launch Street is short and crosses both Strattondale Road and Galbreith Street where William's son William James lived in 1891 and 1902 respectively. ¹⁷

In 1891 he was a widower living at 68 Willis St, Poplar with son John and his wife Catherine, and son Moses (incorrectly shown as grandson). Both William and John are described as Lighterman (Barge) ¹⁸

In 1895 at the time of his death William was recorded as being a Lighterman of 109 Liverpool Road, Canning Town which is a few hundred yards north of Canning Town tube station.
He died on 7th September 1895 on Millwall Dock. Some words on his death certificate are difficult to read but here is my interpretation .......
Cause: "Found Dead - Syncope (ie fainted) from intensive heat & exertion after being out of work for some months (signed)"
Informant: "Certificate received from Wyane and Baxter Coroner for London, Inquest held September 10th 1895" ¹⁹

William married Esther Lucas, daughter of John Lucas and Sarah McIntrye, on 29 Oct 1854 in St Nicholas Parish Chapel, Harwich, Essex.^{1 2} (Esther Lucas was born Cal 1835 in Stowmarket, Suffolk (just north of Ipswich) ¹⁵ and died on 30 Oct 1890 in 12 Launch St, Poplar ^{19 20}.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

This photo is a recent one of St Nicholas Parish Church, Harwich. I'm not sure it's the same as the "Chapel" where they were married but if not the chapel is likely close by. The witnesses of the marriage were a John and Emily Everett. John was a local blacksmith and both were born in the Essex. later in 1891 they lived at "Alpha House" in West Street, Harwich.

The church was dedicated on 20th July 1822. An earlier church is known to have occupied the same site since 1177. For centuries Harwich has been both a port and a ship-building town, and St Nicholas is the Patron Saint of sailors. Christopher Jones, Master of the Mayflower, was married in the former church.

It is also worth noting that in 1859 William's sister Ann married John MacIntyre Lucas. Based on the fact that Esther's mother's name was originally McIntyre and her father was John, there is a strong possibility that John was Esther's brother. ²¹