Found the Lady again and once more!

I donated a Calling Book to the St Barbe Museum in Lymington in 2006 without knowing the name of the Victorian lady who had kept it.

Later in November 2008, I found the missing pieces of the jigsaw which proved that the lady was Mary Fawcett who married Henry Murray in 1883 (when Mary started to use the Calling Book).

I produced a "Final" Report in June 2009 thinking that that was that, forgetting the power of the internet!

The Murrays lived at Efford Cottage in Everton per the 1891 and 1901 Censuses.

The Calling Book had entries under the place name Hoopers Hill and a marriage settlement in 1922, that I found in Winchester, had given Henry Murray's address as Hoopers Hill but I had no more evidence of this.

More Evidence

Recently I was offered a condolence envelope from Cambridge addressed to the daughter Ruby at Hoopers Hill, New Milton and dated May 1908.

The back of the envelope indicates that the envelope was received at Brockenhurst Railway Sub Office postmark May 5 1908.

Found Again!

Then out of the blue, a member of the Milford on Sea Historical Research Discussion Group contacted me. He had indexed the graves at All Saints Church in Milford on Sea and spotted the graves of Mary and her husband. The graves had been grassed over but the headstones were temporarily revealed so that the inscriptions could be read.

The Graveyard of All Saints Church, Milford on Sea with the graves grassed over

 

Henry & Mary's headstones

 

Inscriptions

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
HENRY STUART MURRAY
AT REST 18TH NOVEMBER 1943 AGED 82
BELOVED BY ALL

AND OF
MARY FLORENCE
HIS WIFE FOR 62 YEARS
24.4.1862-1.10.1958
'IN PERFECT LOVE'

Found Once More!

This inspired me to return to the subject of when the Murrays moved from Efford Cottage to Hoopers Hill (previously estimated by me as 1893). The 1911 Census has the following details:

Hoopers Hill, Angel Lane, Milton near Ashley Clinton

Henry Stuart Murray (49) Retired Major H M Army born Edinburgh
Mary Florence Sophia Murray (48) born Lymington, Hampshire
Ruby Claudia Stuart Murray (19) born Lymington, Hampshire
Geoffrey Howard Reynolds (24) Visitor/Estate Pupil born Brockenhurst, Hampshire
plus servants

The Censuses record occupancy as follows:

1891 - 1901 Efford Cottage
- Henry & Mary Murray

1891 Hoopers Hill
- James & Emma Blunt

1901 Hoopers Hill
- Not in occupation

1911 Hoopers Hill
- Henry & Mary Murray

Other useful dates:

3 December 1906
- Deed Poll by Warren Thomas Peacocke of Efford Cottage, Lymington

May 1908

- Condolence envelope addressed to daughter Ruby Murray at Hoopers Hill

 

Conclusion

The heading 'Hoopers Hill'in the Calling Book is followed by a series of calls at Hoopers Hill including Mrs Blunt.

This suggests that Mary Murray resumed use of the Calling Book some time between 1901-1906 after the family moved to Hoopers Hill.

Thanks to the local historian in Milford, I can offer a more complete picture:

1861 Henry & Mary Fawcett living at Pennington House (rented) (per Census)
1862 (2nd Quarter) Mary Fawcett born (parents Henry & Mary Fawcett)
1871 Mary (age 8), Parents and Family living at Wainsford House, Milford (Everton) per Census
1881 Mary (age 18), Parents and Family living at Wainsford House, Milford (Everton) per Census
1883 Married Henry Murray (First Quarter) in Lymington
1883 In York (April-May)- Entry in Calling Book
1885 In Galway (Jan-June) - Entry in Calling Book
1885 Living at Efford Cottage (per Kelly’s)
1886 Meeting at Efford Cottage - Entry in Calling Book
1888(?) In Sion Place, Sion Hill, Leeds - Entry in Calling Book
1891 Henry Murray, Captain, 4th West Yorkshire Regiment & Mary (age 28) - Living at Efford Cottage (per Census)
1897 Henry Murray living at Efford Cottage (per marriage settlement)
1901 Henry Murray, Major, 4th West Yorkshire Regiment & Mary (age 38)- Living at Efford Cottage (per Census)
1901-1906(?) Meetings at Hoopers Hill – Entries in Calling Book
1906 It appears that Warren Thoms Peacocke was living at Efford Cottage (per Deed Poll)
1908 Condolence letter to daughter Ruby addressed to Hoopers Hill, New Milton arrived Brockenhurst Railway Sub Office 5 May 1908
1911 Henry Murray, Retired Major H. M. Army & Mary (age 48)- Living at Hoopers Hill (per Census)
1922 Henry Murray living at Hoopers Hill (per marriage settlement)

1943 Henry Murray dies (age 82) buried at All Saints Church, Milford on Sea
1958 Mary Murray dies (age 96)buried at All Saints Church, Milford on Sea

 

Colin Bower
30 March 2017

Find the Lady! Progress over the years

Final Report