Biography

Born on 27 January 1838 at Tagg St, Bethnal Green, Middlesex, to John Telling, a plumber, and his wife Lydia Telling (born Perrin). Florence Matilda was baptised on 4 Apr 1858 at St Matthias, Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets.^[1][2]

In 1861, her mother Lydia Felling [Telling] 33, laundress, was living at 2 Walton Street, Shoreditch, with daughters Emma S Felling [Telling] 10; Alice M Felling [Telling] 8; Clara F Felling [Telling] 4; Florence M Felling [Telling] 3; and Kate M A Felling [Telling] 6 months. Florence's father John Telling might have died by the time of this census.^[3]

In 1871, Florence, 13, scholar, was living at 19 Elder Street, Norton Folgate, with her stepfather Cyrus Smith, 44, tin plate worker; mother Lydia Smith, 44, tin plate worker wife; sister Emma Lloyd, 20, machinist; sister Alice Lloyd, 18, machinist; sister Clara Lloyd, 15, confectioner; sister Kate Telling Lloyd, 10, scholar; half brother Francis Lloyd, 5; and half brother Albert Lloyd, 6 months. Cyrus was listed as being born in Birmingham. Lydia and her eldest children were born in Bethnal Green; Kate, Francis and Albert were born in Norton Folgate.^[4]

In 1881, Florence Telling, 22, dressmaker, was living at 202 Richmond Road, West Hackney, with her stepfather Cyrus Smith, 53, tin plate worker; mother Lydia Smith, 53, tin plate worker wife; sister Kate Telling Lloyd, 19, dressmaker; half brother Frank [Francis] Lloyd, 15; and half brother Albert Lloyd, 10, scholar.^[5]

Florence Matilda Telling of Shoreditch married Alfred Smith of Shoreditch about Jan/Feb/Mar 1883. They had 4 children together.^[6]

In 1891, Florence was aged 33 and living at South-West Hackney with her husband Alfred Smith 42 brushmaker, their children Florence M Smith 7 scholar, Alfred F Smith 5 scholar, Ada M Smith 2, Eva G Smith 3 Months, and sister-in-law Susan Smith 46 machinist. Alfred's older sister was listed as being born at Suffolk Sudbury and he was listed as being born at Essex Halstead. In 1891, Florence’s stepfather Cyrus Lloyd, 63, gas meter maker, was living at 50 Shrubland Gove Hackney, with only his wife Lydia, 63, and their youngest son Albert, 20, silk trimmer unemployed.^[7]

In 1901, Florence was aged 42 and living west of Cassland Road, South-East Hackney, with her husband Alfred Smith aged 59 brushmaker and 4 children Florence M Smith 19 commercial clerk, Alfred F Smith 15 electrical merchandise lad, Ada M Smith 12 and Eva G Smith 9.^[8]

In 1911, Florence was aged 52 and living at 23 Sach Road, Upper Clapton, N E with her husband Alfred Smith 62 brushmaker and children Florence Matilda Smith 26 clerk leather mills, Ada Maud Smith 22 schoolteacher and Eva Gladys Smith 20 student. Son Alfred was not listed.^[9]

In 1915, her husband's war service records list her as next of kin living at 29 Bradmore Park Rd, Hammersmith, W.^[10]

In the 1921 census, Alfred Smith, 72, born in Halstead, was employed by Rigby Battock Ltd as a brushmaker at the Mt Pleasant works in Clapton. He lived at 110 James Lane, Leyton, with his wife Florence Smith, 63, born in Bethnal Green; and his unmarried daughter, Ada M Smith, 33, born in Hackney, an elementary school teacher employed by London County Council at Woolmore Street School, Poplar E14.^[11]

Florence's husband Alfred passed away in about 1932.

In the 1939 census, Florence Smith (b 27 Jan 1857), a widow and invalid, was living at Seaford, Sussex, with daughter Eva G Smith (b 16 Jan 1891), a retired school teacher, and daughter Ada M Smith (b 4 Jun 1888), an elementary school teacher.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Volume: 1c Page: 308
2. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p72/mts/006
3. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1861 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Class: RG 9; Piece: 231; Folio: 8; Page: 9; GSU roll: 542596
4. ↑ England Census 1871 The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 503; Folio: 71; Page: 16; GSU roll: 823379
5. ↑ England Census 1881 Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1881 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Class: RG11; Piece: 300; Folio: 140; Page: 83; GSU roll: 1341064
6. ↑ FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Volume: 1c Page: 188
7. ↑ England Census 1891 The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 194; Folio: 12; Page: 20; GSU roll: 6095304
8. ↑ 1901 England Census Class: RG13; Piece: 232; Folio: 113; Page: 32
9. ↑ 1911 England Census, Class: RG14; Piece: 1039. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911.
10. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Originally from The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO).
11. ↑ The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/8622, ED 36, Sch 434; Book: 08622. https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/63150/records/13213518
12. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: Rg 101/2528j