Help with Harriet's occupation 1861.

[Necromancer]

one of the more entertaining threads in this Forum   

[charlotteCH]

Mr & Mrs Vassal could be local bigwigs - did your ancestor live on an estate owned by a Vassal family?

Browsing the close-by census pages could well answer that question..

charlotte

[John Bell]

Hi to all,
Thank you very much for your interpretations and ideas so far.
'Steward of a vessel's wife'  is a nose in front at the moment although I have no other indication that he had ever been at sea.... but then, not being around at the time who am I to say!
Looking at other pages around Deptford no names similar to Vessels, etc jump out although there is a Thos Vassel, Corn Dealer in Deptford.
They were living in Hope Cottages, George Street in St Pauls Deptford in 1861 so I wouldn't think there were any Estates of note around that area.

I have not been able to locate George St, or their previous address at Frances St in St Paul's, Deptford...any ideas as to what that area would be called now as I think those street name have now dissapeared.

Regards,
John

[Rena]

The archaic job description has been bugging me. As there were so many wars in the 19th century I thought possibly a French/foreign dignitary holding the title of vassal could have been living here, but I was unlucky.

However, I found a few references to the word "vassal" in the online British archives.  I should think the modern day equivalent would be a tenant or lessee of Crown Land (state owned land)

Year 1810
Country: Portugal Secret articles of the treaty between Great Britain and Portugal, touching the good offices of Great Britain to preserve peace between Portugal and Turkey and the vassals of the Porte.

Year 1853
Scotland: Hardship on vassals by revival of Scottish act of 1469 which requires payment of year's rent on demise of each heir

Year 1914
Office of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues. Repayment by Crown of feu duties to the sub-vassal and discharge thereof from the rental on lands at Over-Newton, Partick.

Cheers,
Rena

[lizdb]

Still think it is Steward of a Vessel  's wife.

What was her husbands name and date/place of birth?

[Rena]

wish the occupation had simply said "(a)vessel steward's wife"
or wife of a ship's flunkey 

[JenB]

I too read it as 'Steward of a vessel's wife'

That is to say, she was the wife of someone who, at that time, was a steward on a vessel.

Jennifer

[John Bell]

Hi to all,
Lizdb,
Her husband was Frederick Wallis, details below.

1818. Frederick Wallis born Lamberhurst, Kent

1843.Was a Police Officer No 20366 in London from 7.8.1843 to 30.12.1845.

1851 census:
ref HO107 1584 folio 348:
6, Francis Street, St Pauls, Deptford
Frederick Wallis head mar age 30 plate layer Greenwich Railway born Sussex Lamberhurst
Harriet      Wallis wife mar age 29 born Sussex Ticehurst
no children shown

1853. Daughter Fanny was born 1853, 25 Francis St, Deptford.

1861 Census
Frederick Wallis not found with family.
1861 Census
2 Hope Cottages, George St, Deptford. Parish of St Pauls (Surname spelt WELLES)
Harriet Welles, Wife (of head), Marr, 39. Steward on a vessel's wife. Sussex Ticehurst.
Fanny Welles, Dtr                             , 8                                   Kent Deptford.
(Fred Wallis was not at household but probably on a vessel somewhere.)

1871 Census. Cottage in Church Yard , Stone, Dartford, Kent. Ecc Dist Rochester.
Frederick Wallis Head 50 Platelayer Rail       b. Lamberhurst SSX
Harriet Wallis      Wife  49                            b. Ticehurst SSX

1881 Census. Church Yard Cottage , Stone in Dartford.
Frederick Wallis, Head, Platelayer, 60, b Lamberhurst, Kent.
Harriet Wallis,     Wife,                  57, b Ticehurst Sussex.

1891 Census. No 1 Church Yard Cottage, Stone, Dartford, Parish of St Marys
Frederick Wallis 70 General Labourer, Kent Lamberhurst
Harriet Wallis     64                               Sussex Ticehurst

1895. Have copy of Death Cert. Frederick Wallace,Church Yard Cottage, Stone, Dartford.

[lizdb]

oooh

I  just wondered in case his ship was in port in 1861 and we could find him as a steward!

But nothing looking likely.