Fanny Forty (Kidger) Sprague (1858 - 1953)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 2 Census 3 Research Notes 4 Sources

Biography

Fanny was born on the 26th December 1858^[1][2] at Clerkenwell^[3] or St. Luke^[4], Middlesex, England. She is the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Kidger and possibly Henry Wood or Henry Forty.

On the 25th April 1888 a Frances Ann Wood-Kidger married Sydney Grant Sprague at St. Pancras, Middlesex, England. Sydney Grant Sprague, 34, bachelor, printer's reader of 49 Burton Street, son of Henry Sprague (wine merchant); and Frances Ann Wood-Kidger [sic], 29, widow [sic], of 49 Burton Street, daughter of Henry Wood-Kidger [sic] (Grocer, deceased). Witnessed by William Chapman and ? Rose. N.B. Frances Ann's step-father Reuben Budd was a grocer^[5].

Fanny's husband Sydney Grant Sprague died in 1911 in London, England and was buried at Epping, Essex, England.

In 1929 Frances appears to have been in the service of Lady Matilda Maria Commerell (widow of Admiral Sir John Edmund Commerell) of 45 Rutland Gate, Westminster, London, England^[6].

By 1932 Frances was living at 128 Lillington Street with her widowed half sister Alice Maud Smith and William John Smith (possibly unrelated)^[7]

In 1939, widowed Frances Sprague (b. 14th December 1858 corrected to 26th December 1858) was living with her widowed half-sister Alice Maud Smith (b. 16th December 1871) at 128 Lillington Street, Pimlico, Westminster, London, England^[1]

Census

1861 Census of England & Wales: 7th April 1861
26 Brooke Street, Holborn, Middlesex, England

First Name	Last Name	Relationship	Marital Status	Gender	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
Elizabeth	Kidger	Wife [sic]	Mar(ried) [sic]	Female	25	needlewoman	Staines, Middlesex
Fanny	Kidger	Daughter	-	Female	2	-	Clerkenwell, Middlesex
William	Kidger	Son	-	Male	7 months	-	Clerkenwell, Middlesex
Josephine	Lusken [sic]	Niece	-	Female	5	-	Hoxton, Middlesex
Catherine	Lusken [sic]	Niece	-	Female	3	-	Clerkenwell, Middlesex

N.B. Katharine and Josephine were Elizabeth's nieces, the illegitimate daughters of Elizabeth's sister Louisa Kidger^[3]

1871 Census of England & Wales: 2nd April 1871
1 Sandwich Street, Pancras, Middlesex, England

First Name	Last Name	Relationship	Marital Status	Gender	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
Reuben	Budd	Head	Married	Male	41	Wine Merchant Carman	Sussex
Elizabeth	Budd	Wife	Married	Female	35	-	Staines, Middlesex
Fanny	Kidger	Daughter	Unmarried	Female	12	-	St. Lukes, Middlesex
Kate	Budd	Daughter	Unmarried	Female	3	-	Marylebone, Middlesex
Minnie	Budd	Daughter	Unmarried	Female	1	-	Marylebone, Middlesex
Catherine	Kidger	Daughter [sic]	Unmarried	Female	18	-	Clerkenwell, Middlesex
Josephine	Kidger	Daughter [sic]	Unmarried	Female	15	-	Clerkenwell, Middlesex

N.B. Katharine and Josephine were Elizabeth's nieces, the illegitimate daughters of Elizabeth's sister Louisa^[4]

Research Notes

On the 25th April 1888 a Frances Ann Wood-Kidger married Sydney Grant Sprague at St. Pancras, Middlesex, England. However, on the marriage entry, Frances Ann states that she is a widow, but gives her fathers name as Henry Wood-Kidger (grocer, deceased). If Frances Ann was a widow her surname should not have been the same as that of her father unless she had married a paternal cousin with the same surname. Frances Ann Wood-Kidger is the same woman as Fanny Forty Kidger because when she married in 1888, she was resident at the same address (49 Burton Street) that her half-sister Kate Budd gave when she married William Henry Smith on the 25th December 1889 at St. Pancras.

No Frances Ann Wood-Kidger or Henry Wood-Kidger can be found in census prior to 1888. No record can be found for a Henry Wood-Kidger at all.

Frances Ann Sprague does not appear in the census with her husband, and they do not appear to have had any children.

A Frances Sprague (b. abt. 1859) died aged 94 years in the Folkestone registration district in 1953.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "1939 England & Wales Register" Ref: RG101/0622B/009/10 Letter Code: AYAK. Image available at Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast (£) Accessed 9th May 2029
2. ↑ "Birth Index of Fanny Forty KIDGER" General Register Office Birth Index 1859 March quarter, Clerkenwell Registration District' Volume 1b Page 505 Mother’s Maiden Name: (-) i.e. Illegitimate (currently missing from GRO waiting for correction)GRO Online Birth Indexes
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "1861 England and Wales Census" Holborn, Middlesex, England; Class: Rg 9; Piece: 186; Folio: 104a; Page: 19. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861. Image available at Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast (£) Accessed 11th May 2023
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "1871 England and Wales Census" Class: RG10; Piece: 213; Folio: 20; Page: 32 Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871. Image available at Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast Accessed 8th May 2023
5. ↑ "Marriage of Sydney Grant SPRAGUE and Frances Ann WOOD-KIDGER [sic]" St. Pancras, Middlesex, England Marriage register 1888 Pg. 220 Entry No. 439. London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P90/PAN1/156. Image available at Ancestry.co.uk (£) Accessed 11th May 2023
6. ↑ London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 for Frances Sprague. City of Westminster Hamlet of Knightsbridge Ward; 1929 Pg. 83 Entry No. 4679 Image available at Ancestry.co.uk (£) Accessed 11th May 2023
7. ↑ London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 for Frances Sprague; Westminster St. John Ward 1932 Pg. 102 Entry No. 1647 Image available at Ancestry.co.uk (£) Accessed 11th May 2023