1871/1881 census address

[Ceci]

Could anyone look up this address for me in the 1871 or 1881 census. It is the address given by my GG Grandmother on her divorce papers in 1875. I know she was not there for either census, but think she may have been a servant/nurse there in 1875 and am wondering who for.

The address is 29 Hill Street, Berkeley Square, Middlesex. I think it was probably in the St George Hanover Square District.

Many Thanks,
Ceci

[millerina]

Hi Ceci,

I think this must be the right street, the civil parish is St Margaret, but the registration district is St George Hanover Square:

1871 census:

29 Hill Street

George Papendorff (Head)(mar) age 55 born Ramsgate, Kent - a Waiter
Mary A Papendorff (wife)(mar) age 66 born Middlesex Highgate
Mary E Papendorff (dau)(unmar) age 31 born Middlesex Highgate
William Freeman (lodger)(unmar) age 41 born Middlesex Highgate - General Clerk
Edward Newnham (lodger)(unmar) age 21 born Middlesex Highgate - Genreal Clerk
Sarah Tethered (lodger) (unmar) age 86 born Devon Crediton


1881 census:

29 Hill Street

Geo Papendorff (head)(widow) age 64 born Ramsgate - Waiter
Mary E Papendorff (dau) (unmar) age 36 born Highgate Middlesex
William Freeman (lodger) (unmar) age 48 born London - Clerk

Neighbouring streets to this Hill street include Montpelier Square, Montpeleir Mews and Alfred Street, that should help you to determine whether this is the correct Hill Street!

All the best,
millerina 

[Ceci]

Hi Millerina,

Many thanks for your reply. Giving me the names of the next streets was very useful as I have a map of Victorian London and was able to see the Hill Street you referred to. Actually it is south of Hyde Park whereas the one I am after is East of Hyde Park.

I have had some luck now with the 1881 census as I found the Hill Street off Berkeley Square in a 1882 Post Office Directory online. Abraham Robarts, a banker, was living there and I already have him in the 1881 census in Lillingstone Darrell, Buckinghamshire and my GG Grandmother is there with him as a servant. By entering one of the neighbours, Emily Beaufort, dowager Duchess of 19 Hill Street, from the PO directory into Familysearch and working my way through the neighbours, I now have the 1881 census for 29 Hill Street. (RG11/96 f.75 p.27) The head (in brackets) of household is Richard Andrews, the butler and there are a few other staff which all ties in with the actual head of household being elsewhere. The address on the census is down as plain Hill Street, London, Middlesex, so no wonder it was difficult to find the right one!

If you have access to the 1871 census I would greatly appreciate if you could see if Abraham Robarts is living at 29 Hill Street then (or his staff!) The adjoining streets besides Berkeley Square are Farm St, Hayes Mews, John Street & Union Street. Neighbours in 1882 were
33 Samuel Charles Allsopp
31 Lord Rowton
27 Earl Roden
25 James Jenkinson Bibby

Thanks for your help,
Ceci

[oberon]

Hi Ceci

Abraham Robarts was my GG grandfather and I am a full member of Ancestry.co.uk so have ascertained that in 1871 Abraham was residing in Lilligstone Dayrell which was the family seat (the London house was for business and social use).

Do you have dates and a name for your gg grandmother - if so I can do a search for her.

David

[Ceci]

Hi David,

Thank you for your reply. So my GG Grandmother worked for your GG Grandfather! Her name was Eliza Ann Lyons, and she was born in Melbourn Cambridgeshire in Oct 1839. I have all the census records for her now and know that she was in New Hall, Bodenham, Wiltshire, in 1871, nurse for Edward Buckley, General & magistrate, and his wife Lady Catherine Bouverie.

Do you know whether 29 Hill Street, Berkeley Square was Abraham Robart's London address in 1875/76? Since divorce was quite unusual in those days, I wonder whether she had help and advice from some of the influential people she worked for. Family legend claims that she also nursed King Alfonso of Spain at some point although I can't be sure about this. I know this is a long shot, but have you come across any association between King Alfonso and Abraham Robarts?

Regards
Ceci

[oberon]

As far as I am aware he still owned 29 Hill Street at his death in 1926 so he may easily have helped your gg grandmother - I assume she divorced her husband rather than vice versa which would have been even rarer!

There's no conection that I know of between Abraham and King Alfonso perhaps he was Alfonso's banker but nothing that I know of.

David

[Ceci]

Hi David,

Yes you are right, she did divorce her husband. It looks like she was employed by Abraham Robarts at the time, so if she did have help, it was probably from him. Thanks for your help which has given me the information I was looking for.

Many thanks,
Ceci