Victoria Edith Smith (Joule) Baskeyfield (bef. 1856 - 1928)

Born before 29 Sep 1856 in Rusholme, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Frederick Baskeyfield — married 4 Apr 1907 in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 19 Oct 1928 after age 72 in Silverdale, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Victoria was born in summer or autumn 1856, the second daughter and third child of John Joule and Isabella Smith. Victoria's father had previously left the family brewery business, which was sold in 1854. The family remained in the Manchester area, where Victoria gained another sister, Alice.

Grandfather Benjamin passed away at the end of 1858. Victoria's family subsequently moved to the Isle of Man, with the 1861 UK census finding them living in Onchan. Victoria was 7 years old when her father passed away in winter 1864. Victoria, her siblings and widowed mother returned to Salford, where Isabella passed away in spring 1867. Victoria was 10.

The 1871 UK census found Victoria and her siblings living at 5 Teneriffe Street in Salford, with maternal aunt Margaret Smith.

Victoria's activities for the next twenty years currently remain unknown. It is equally unknown whether Victoria ever officially married a man called Charles A. Fisher, but she and Charles were found in the 1891 and 1901 censuses together. They were listed as a marriage couple, first in London as comedian/comedienne, then in Liverpool as actor dramatic. Evidently the two performed in various comedy/burlesque shows, at minimum between 1891^[1] and 1893,^[2] where she was billed as Miss Victoria Joule.

In autumn 1892, Victoria and her sisters sued their uncle Benjamin for breach of trust:

The plaintiffs were Miss Mary Isabella Smith Joule and Miss Alice Gertrude Smith Joule, of Wardle-road, Sale, and Mrs. Victoria Edith Smith Fisher, of Covent Garden, London, and the defendant was their uncle, Mr. Benjamin St. John Baptist Joule.^[3]

The dispute was based around uncle Benjamin's handling of their father's estate (and by extension, the proceeds of the Joule brewery of Salford), by which the girls received income. The sisters settled with their uncle out of court after two days.^[4]

Some time in the mid-naughts Victoria split from Fisher, although by late 1904 she claimed to be widowed, and was living with one Frederick Baskeyfield:

Between December 1904, and September, 1905 [Baskeyfield] acted as manager of a wine and spirit business in Newcastle [under Lyme], and lived on the premises, and Mrs. Fisher resided with him... previous to these dates Mrs. Fisher had acted as housekeeper to him on other premises. ^[5]

Baskeyfield had borrowed money from Victoria, and accrued several other debts, in a venture operating the Red Lion Hotel in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The pair hatched a plan to sidestep the bankruptcy court proceedings, where Baskeyfield settled with Victoria by way of cash and property, then the pair married on April 4, 1907. By this point she was 50 years old, whereas Frederick was just 29.^[5]

The 1911 UK census found Victoria citing her age as 48 (she was 54), and husband Frederick listed as retired publican, age 34 (he was 33). They lived, along with Frederick's sister and nephew, at Watlands Villa in Wolstanton. Evidently the group was supported by Victoria's legacy income.

Victoria Edith Smith Baskeyfield passed away in autumn 1928.^[6]

Research Notes

The 1891 census and advertisements make a fairly compelling bit of evidence, as they match in the following way.

It is currently unknown whether Charles A. Fisher is a birth name or stage name, whether Charles and Victoria were ever officially married, and whether he was deceased prior to Victoria's marriage to Frederick Baskeyfield. It appears likely that Victoria was never married to Charles, their set lived a rather Bohemian lifestyle, and Victoria, who received far less praise than her compatriots but provided a steady income from the Joule estate, was cut loose after she reached her 40s.

Sources

1. ↑ "ROLLO BALMAIN'S COMPANY IN 'THE ROYAL OAK'...", THe Era (London), April 25, 1891, page 3
2. ↑ "STOCKPORT - NEW THEATRE ROYAL...", The Era (London), May 27, 1893, page 21
3. ↑ "CHANCERY OF LANCASHIRE", Manchester Courier, November 18, 1892, page 2
4. ↑ "ACTION AGAINST A TRUSTEE", London Guardian, November 22, 1892, page 3
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "NEWCASTLE LICENSED VICTUALLER'S AFFAIRS", Staffordshire Sentinel, June 20, 1906, page 3
6. ↑ Free UK Genealogy CIO, https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=tBg9miMtpAHd8DIr0yK1bQ&scan=1