Genealogy Chat

Recently I have discovered a gravestone of potential relatives at the Municipal Cemetry, Twickenham, Middlesex.
The headstone reads from the top:
John Fletcher died 1879 aged 80
Also of Sarah, widow of John Fletcher died 1894 aged 93
Also Emily Smith dIed 1873 aged 85

Obviously Emily was buried first, followed by John, then Sarah. I am assuming the gravestone was erected after Sarah's death????

Is anyone able to explain whether this was common practice and should I be assuming Emily is a relation of John and Sarah?

Regards
David Fletcher

The grave would be a private grave as it has a headstone.you usually purchased a grave that would take 3 people as the basic purchase .we have several like that in the family that would be for the married couple and then for any other family member as agreed later. The headstone may have put there with the second burial and the other names added later
You would need to look for the family connection.
It's possible too that the grave was a public one and then purchased when the second person was buried

John Fletcher of Twickenham, Gentleman.

Estate: Under £3K Widow, Sarah Fletcher & Eliza Isabella Jones (wife of William Jones) the niece, both Executixes


England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Name: John Fletcher
Probate Date: 10 May 1879
Death Date: 11 Mar 1879
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: Principal Registry

Proved by John Fletcher, Gentleman, sole Executer under £450


England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Name: Emily Smith <<<Widow
Probate Date: 13 Nov 1873
Death Date: 27 Oct 1873
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: Principal Registry

To William Jones, Gentleman £1630 9s 4d


England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Name: Sarah Fletcher <<Widow
Probate Date: 3 May 1894
Death Date: 28 Feb 1894
Death Place: Middlesex, England <<Twickenham
Registry: London, England

1881 England Census
about Sarah Fletcher
Name: Sarah Fletcher
Age: 80
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Hanworth, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Twickenham
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address: 1 Trafalgar Rd Same address as the probate records
Condition as to marriage: Windower (Widower)

Occupation: Gentlewoman

Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Twickenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 1343
Folio: 60
Page Number: 43
Household Members: Name Age
Sarah Fletcher 80
Elizh. Jones 52 <<Servant

I have some where the headstone names 8 people, some children and others of 5 adults. From the slightly different styles on the ones I have I would guess in general names were added at each successive death. But in this case Shirley's explanation sounds good.

Sometimes the connection of someone who on the face of it has no connection can be hard to find. I have one where I have not found the connection after several years but I am 95% certain there is one somewhere.

1871

Name: Emily Smith
Age: 83
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1788
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Bungay, Suffolk, England
Civil parish: Twickenham
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Twickenham
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England
Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Twickenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Household schedule number: 41
Piece: 1316
Folio: 65
Page Number: 7
Household Members: Name Age
Emily Smith 83 Living on Interest from Life Annuity
Mary C Farr 15 Servant


1861

Name: Emily Smith
Age: 70
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1791
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Bungay, Suffolk, England

Civil parish: Teddington
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View image

Registration district: Kingston
Sub-registration district: Hampton
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 27
Piece: 458
Folio: 159
Page Number: 4
Household Members: Name Age
Emily Smith 70
Emily A Rice 16 Servant


1851

Name: Emily Smith
Age: 57
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1794
Relation: Sister
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Beccles, Suffolk, England

Civil parish: Twickenham
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Isleworth
ED, institution, or vessel: 2e
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 84
Piece: 1698
Folio: 522
Page Number: 25
Household Members: Name Age
John Fletcher 49 Occ. From Houses and Interest on Money
Elizabeth Fletcher 48
Emily Smith 57 Widow Occ. From Landed Properties



So looks like Emily was John's sister.

can't find a marraige of an Emily Fletcher to .... Smith though that isn't to say there was not one.

Could she have been Elizabeth's sister?

If Emily and Elizabeth inherited the properties at that time I think Elizabeth's share would have considered as belonging to her husband. Just a thought

1871 England Census

Name: Sarah Wallace <<Unmarried
Age: 70
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Relation: Head
Where born: Hanwell, Middlesex, England
Civil parish: Twickenham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
Town: Twickenham
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England
Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Twickenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Household schedule number: 80
Piece: 1315
Folio: 33
Page Number: 17
Household Members: Name Age
Sarah Wallace 70
Rebecca Wallace 78
Ann McNelly 72
Dinah Smith 22
Sothia Montague 49







Name: Sarah Wallace
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Coates Jessie St George Hanover Square 1a 521
Fletcher John St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 521
Hutchings Frederick Christopher St Geo H.Sq 1a 521
Wallace Sarah St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 521


Im thinking Sarah was John's second wife? I cant see a death that matches the above Sarah Wallace. There is a Sarah in the workhouse in 1881 and a death in 1885 (Same person I would guess)

But as Sarah Fletcher left a Wwill and money, I doubt very much, she is the one in the workhouse

1871 England Census
Name: John Hetcher
Age: 69
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1802
Relation: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Lutham, Middlesex, England
Civil parish: Twickenham
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Twickenham
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England
Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Twickenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Household schedule number: 315
Piece: 1316
Folio: 88
Page Number: 53
Household Members: Name Age
John Hetcher 69 Widow
Mary Tuwell 46


Maybe another wife, so Sarah was his third?


1861 England Census
Name: John Fletcher
Age: 59
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1802
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Tabitha Yates
Where born: Fulham, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Twickenham
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address: 1 Trafalga Sq (same as probate record)


Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Twickenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 130
Piece: 776
Folio: 75
Page Number: 23
Household Members: Name Age
John Fletcher 59 Retired publican
Tabitha Yates 54



Deaths Mar 1865
--------------------------------------------------------
YATES Tabitha Brentford 3a 43

So she was not married to John

????

1841 England Census
about John Fletcher
Name: John Fletcher
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Where born: Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Stepney
Hundred: Ossulstone (Tower Division)
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Registration district: Stepney
Sub-registration district: Ratcliff
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 714
Book: 3
Folio: 4
Page Number: 1
Household Members: Name Age
John Fletcher 40 <Publican
Elizabeth Fletcher 35
Emily Fletcher 4 Mo

Wow!
Firstly thank you for all your replies!
This is my first post and was not expecting so much help.

Stepping back a little, I traced John & Sarah through my ancestors in Tasmania.

My great grandfather was:
Henry Edward ("Harry") Fletcher
Born 30/1/1872 at Port Sorrell, Tasmania
Married Alice Tempest 27/4/1899 at Strahan, Tasmania
Died 5/9/1908 & buried at Lyell, Queenstown, Tasmania

Henry's father was Arthur Fletcher
Born 15/07/1844 at Campbell Town, Tasmania
Married Annie Clarke 27/1/1880 at Port Sorrell, Tasmania
Died 10/08/1917 & buried with his wife at Latrobe Cemetry

Arthur's father was John Fletcher
Born c1799 around Middlesex
Married Sarah Kelly 14/6/1921 in New Brentford, Middlesex
Two children (possible twins) in 1835 Sarah Holcrow & Jeanet Holcrow)
Transported to Tasmania 15/4/1837 "for life" after being convicted (Bedford Quarter Session) of killing a deer

Not sure when Sarah arrived in Tasmania, however they had a further 3 children with only Arthur surviving.

My assumption is that John & Sarah emigrated back to the UK sometime after John received a pardon.
This is only based on the gravestone i have found with correct dates and in the area they orginally lived.

There appear to be very few records between 1844 & 1879 showing shipping arrivals into London from Australia.

Once again thanks to all who replied to my original post.
Very kind regards,
David