Introduction

There appears to have been 67 Brechts and 4 Brights (1) listed in the 1911 Census.

There should be another 2 at least as there seems to have been a couple living at 2 Hedgers Grove in Homerton, that I have not traced.

By 1911 the family had hit upon bad times:

1. George Brecht was in Pentonville (see final note)

2. Edward Brecht was in the Workhouse and 3 of his children were in a Training School. 2 other children were staying with a family called Warner. Edward remarried later in the year.

The whereabouts of his children are listed below by two asterisks

The Sad Life of Edward Brecht

3. Henry Brecht's daughters Rose & Ivy were in service.

4. Albert Brecht was adopted

Summary of Brecht Entries

Mary A. Brecht, Widow

Mary's Children & family

Arthur & Ellen Brecht & family
Henrenor Brecht, Widow & family
Edward Brecht
Henry & Helen Brecht & family
James & Margarett (Brecht) Collier & family
William & Ellen Brecht & family
Charles & Julia Brecht & family
Albert & Jessie Brecht & family
Walter & Ruth Brecht & family
John & Louisa Brecht & family

 

Other Descendants

Lucy Ann Brecht (Mrs) & family
George & Frederick Brecht (brothers)
Rose & Ivy Brecht (in service) Sidney, John & Ethel Brecht (Siblings)
Albert Brecht (adopted by the Malletts
William John Brecht (with Aunt & Uncle)
George Brecht (in Pentonville)

 

Unrelated (?)

Christain Henri Brecht
Arthur & Annie Brecht & family
Gustav & Anna Brecht & family
Doris Helene Helm Brecht

Details in Census Entries

Great Grandparent

Mary A Brecht Mother (73) Widow born Shadwell
- staying with daughter Margarett Collier (see below)

Grandparents

78 Clemence Street, Limehouse (married 11 yrs)

Arthur Brecht Head (35) Carpenter (General) born Bow
Ellen Brecht Wife (34) born Plaistow
Arthur Brecht Son (9) born Canning Town
Ellen Brecht Dau (4) born Canning Town
Emily Brecht Dau (2) born Canning Town
Stanley Brecht Son (1) born Limehouse

Arthur Brecht's Siblings

51 Hermit Road, Canning Town

Henrenor Brecht Widow 56 born Plaistow, Essex
George Henry Brecht Married Son 30 Ships Fireman born Plaistow, Essex
Oliver Brecht Son 29 Labourer born Plaistow, Essex
Roserettea Brecht Daughter 28 Shop Assistant born Limehouse, Middlesex
Alf Brecht Son 21 Labourer born Bromley, Middlesex

Poplar Branch Workhouse, 95 Forest Lane, Forest Gate

Edward Brecht Inmate 50

28 Whitwell Road, Plaistow (married 2 yrs)

Henry Brecht Head 44 House Painter born Shadwell, London
Helen Annie Brecht, Wife 30 born Canning Town, Essex
Henry John Brecht Son 17 Carpenter's Boy Casual born Plaistow, Essex
Edith Brecht Daughter 13 School born Plaistow, Essex
Miriam Brecht daughter 9 School born Plaistow, Essex
Leslie Brecht Son 1 born Plaistow, Essex

450 Barking Road, West Ham

James Collier Head 46 Lighterman born Bow
Margarett Collier Wife 45 born St George E
James John Collier Son 22 Lighterman born Poplar
Margarett Collier Daughter 20 Laundress born Essex
Mary A Collier Daughter 19 Cosque Hand born Poplar
Emily E Collier Daughter 16 Bag maker born Essex
William Collier Son 14 Office boy born Essex
Arthur I Collier Son 9 born Essex
Mary A Brecht Mother 73 Widow born Shadwell

30 High Street, Poplar

William Brecht Head 41 Fishmonger born Shadwell, London
Ellen Brecht 46 born Mile End, London
Mary Brecht Daughter 12 born Poplar, London
Albert Brecht Son 10 born Poplar, London

In their Census entry the couple state that they had 4 children still alive
It appears that the other 2 children were William John Brecht (age 13 staying with Aunt & Uncle below)
and Eleanor Rosina Brecht born 1903 (not traced in the 1911 Census)

17 Thomas Street, Limehouse (married 14 yrs)

Charles Brecht (39) Head Painter born Burdett Road, London
Julia Brecht Wife 39 born Threadneedle Street, London
George Charles Barnet Brecht 1 born Burdett Road, London

37 Liverpool Road, Canning Town, Essex (married 12 yrs)

Albert Brecht Head 34 Dock Labourer born St Pancras, London
Jessie Brecht Wife 37 born Poplar, London
Albert Brecht Son 8 born Poplar, London (Paralysed from birth)
Arthur Brecht Son 7 born Poplar, London
Jessie Brecht Daughter 5 born West Ham, London
Selina Brecht daughter 3 born West Ham, Essex
Louie Brecht Daughter 10 months born West Ham, Essex

5 Sewell Street, Plaistow

Walter Brecht Head 32 Carpenter born London, Limehouse
Ruth Brecht Wife 28 born London, Plaistow
Ruth Brecht daughter 9 School born London, Plaistow
Gertrude Brecht Daughter 7 School born London, Plaistow
Walter Brecht Son 6 School born London, Plaistow
Doris Brecht Daughter 4 born London, Plaistow
William Brecht Son 1 born London, Plaistow

 105 Ceres Road, Plumstead

John King Brecht Head 29 Police Constable born Limehouse, London
Louisa Mary Brecht Wife 28 Bromley, London
John George Brecht Son 3 born Plumstead, London
Louisa Mary Brecht Daughter 1 born Plumstead, London

Descendants of Arthur Brecht's Siblings

1 Oak Road, Canning Town, Essex

Lucy Ann Brecht Head Married 29 Factory Hand Bottle Fillers born Millwall, Middlesex
Albert Earnest Brecht Son 10 born Tidal Basin, Essex
George Henry Brecht Son 8 born Tidal Basin, Essex
Alf Brecht Son 5 born Plaistow, Essex
Frank Bert Brecht Son 15 months born Plaistow, Essex

3 Langton Street, Poplar (Robert & **Clara Warner & family)

**George Brecht Single Brother in law 22 Box Maker born Bow, London
**Frederick Brecht Single Brother in law 19 Portmanteau Bagmaker Bow, London

White House, High Road, Chadwell Heath (Wade family)

Rose Brecht Servant Single 20 Domestic Servant born Bow, London

34 Mansfield Road, Ilford (Brown family)

Ivy Brecht Servant 14 Nursemaid Domestic born Plaistow, London

Poplar Training School, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex

**Sidney Brecht Inmate 15
**John Brecht Inmate 12
**Ethel Brecht 8

36 Bingley Road, Custom House

William Mallett 44 Fitters Labourer born Mile End London
Caroline Mallett 44 Wife born Dalston, London
Albert Brecht 6 Adopted son born West Ham, Essex

76 Bloomfield Road, Mile End Old Town

Charles William Green Head 70 Retired Blacksmith born St Georges in the East
Clara Green Wife 53 born Mile End Old Town
William John Brecht Nephew 13 born High Street, Poplar

Question Mark (see Final Note)

HM Prison, Pentonville

George Brecht Inmate 31

Other Unrelated Brecht entries

Poplar Cottage, Hammond Street, Cheshunt, Herts

Christian Henri Brecht 55 Boarder Nurseryman born Deibzig Anhalt, Germany

13 Bloomfield, Leeds

Arthur Brecker or Brecken Head 39 Blacksmith born Leeds
Annie Brecker or Brecken Wife 38 Stricker out of work born Leeds
Charlie Brecker or Brecken Son 17 Works in Woollen Warehouse born Leeds
Harry Brecker or Brecken Son 12 born Leeds
Arthur Brecker or Brecken Son 8 born Leeds
Horace Brecker or Brecken Son 6 born Leeds

THIS FAMILY WERE INDEXED AS BRECHT BUT ARE "CLEARLY" BRECKER OR BRECKEN

50 Thomas Street, West Stockport

Gustav Brecht Head 31 Foreman, Gramaphone Manufacturer German Resident
Anna Brecht Wife 26 German Resident
Gustav Brecht Son 7 German Resident
Gertrude Brecht Daughter 6 German Resident
Lisbeth Brecht Daughter 4 German Resident
Frida Brecht Daughter 2 German Resident

9 Private Road, Nottingham (Bell Family)

Dora Helene Helm Brecht Governess 22 Educational and Domestic Work born Bremen, Germany

Final Note - George Brecht in Pentonville Prison 1911

The publication of the Household Questionnaire for the 2011 Census may have solved a mystery over why George Brecht's name appears to have been included twice in the 1911 Census:

HM Prison, Pentonville

George Brecht Inmate 31

51 Hermit Road, Canning Town

Henrenor Brecht Widow 56 born Plaistow, Essex
George Henry Brecht Married Son 30 Ships Fireman born Plaistow, Essex
Oliver Brecht Son 29 Labourer born Plaistow, Essex
Roserettea Brecht Daughter 28 Shop Assistant born Limehouse, Middlesex
Alf Brecht Son 21 Labourer born Bromley, Middlesex

George Henry Brecht's wife was living with her children:

1 Oak Road, Canning Town, Essex

Lucy Ann Brecht Head Married 29 Factory Hand Bottle Fillers born Millwall, Middlesex
Albert Earnest Brecht Son 10 born Tidal Basin, Essex
George Henry Brecht Son 8 born Tidal Basin, Essex
Alf Brecht Son 5 born Plaistow, Essex
Frank Bert Brecht Son 15 months born Plaistow, Essex

On page 2 of the 2011 Census questionnaire are the instructions:

It is important to include visitors staying overnight in this household to make sure no-one is missed. Visitors who usually live elsewhere in the UK must also be included on a census questionnaire at their usual address.

On page 31 are the instuctions:

Anyone who is temporarily away from their permanent or family home on (census day) should be included at their home address.....This includes people who are in prison on remand (for any length of time) or sentenced to less than 6 months imprisonment.

If similar instructions were in place in 1911, prisoner George Brecht may also have been included by his mother in her census entry as well as the prison entry.

Colin Bower
31 January 2009 (Updated 30 June 2017)

Links to:
Brecht Family - Censuses 1841-1901

Brecht Family - Main Links

Family History - Main Index