Middleton Family History

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On the 6th July 1926 my grandparents Doris Ivy Middleton and Leslie James Southwood married in a hotel in Ontario Canada. She was born 21st May 1901 at 49, Amwell Street North, Clerkenwell, the youngest of the five children of William Henry Middleton and Elizabeth Christina Middleton nee Spanswick. She was very keen on ballet, a pupil of Edouard Espinosa, she taught ballet initially at the Brentham Institute and later briefly in Ontario. Her elder brothers and sister were all also born in London : Jessie Elizabeth Middleton at 14, Eagle Dwellings, City Road, Holborn on 7th September 1896; William Francis Middleton at 12, Cookham Buildings, Bethnal Green; and John Henry Middleton known as Jackie, who died at 33, Cookham Buildings, Bethnal Green on 12th November 1901 of Hooping Cough, aged just over two months. The elder children attended the Hugh Myddleton School, just up the road from the present Family Record Centre. But before the outbreak of WWI, at the suggestion of a friend, they moved out of London, to 39, Brunner Road , Ealing (see link). . After the death of William Henry and Elizabeth Christina Middleton, Jessie my great aunt decided to move, settling in a Bungalow called the "Chalet" on Totteridge Hill, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.



William Henry Middleton William Henry Middleton (see photograph on left) was the eldest of four children of William Longley Middleton and Mary Ann Middleton nee Watson. He was born in Hoxton, Middlesex on 17th February 1874 and baptised at St John the Baptist, Hoxton 15th March 1874. On 27th October 1895 he married Elizabeth Christina Spanswick at St James Pentonville, Clerkenwell (for details of her family please follow my Spanswick links). From his pension details he joined the GPO as a Temporary Sorter on 30th May 1892, becoming an Overseer 18th February 1931 and an Assistant Superintendant 2nd August 1931 . He retired in 1934 after 41years 8 months service , on a final salary of £349 per annum. He survived my great, grandmother by only a few years, she died 9th November 1950 and he 23rd March 1955 both were buried at Ealing and Old Bromford Cemetery.

William Henry Middleton had one sister, Jessie Matilda Middleton who died aged 8 months 21st June 1876 at 88, East Road, Hoxton. William also had two younger brothers, Edgar Arthur Middleton and Sidney Charles Middleton. Edgar (Eddie) Arthur Middleton was born 17th June 1877, 44 Hall Street, St Lukes Holborn, he married Prudence Emily Stanfield on 25th December 1898 at St Jude Bethnal Green and they are believed to have had two sons who worked in London, he died2nd July 1927 at Leytonstone in Essex while Prudence died in Dagenham, Essex on 9th May 1940. Sidney Charles Middleton was born 19th April 1879 at Old Street, St Lukes, Holborn, he is believed to have married in his forties but so far I have been unable to trace the marriage .



William Longley Middleton was a Silver Chaser, the second of six children of Thomas Middleton and Elizabeth Middleton nee Coleman. He was born 11th February 1845 along with all his sister and four brothers at their home of 28, Bevenden Street, Hoxton, and baptised along with his elder brother Thomas Middleton as St John the Baptist Hoxton, Middlesex 16th March 1845.

Mary Ann Watson On 8th March 1873 William married Mary Ann Watson (see photograph on left) the daughter of Edward Watson a Sawyer and Matilda Watson nee White. On a more personal level, three months after they married William and Mary almost certainly visited Sheerness and bought back a small card as a Souvenir (see link).








Part of William Longley Middleton Indenture 1858 While photograph's of William Longley Middleton have been passed down the family, I do have his apprenticeship indenture of 1858, when he was apprenticed to George Tapley for seven years to learn the art of a chaser and modeler (see link left) witnessed by Tho. Tunstall and Chas. Jones, also an account book (dating from 1873), some examples of designs he worked on (see link), , a tin type photograph of an example of his chasing, and finally his Memorial Card have survived. He died relatively young on 27th July 1883 at a hospital in Soho Square and was buried in a family grave with his parents and younger brother Charles Middleton at Highgate Cemetery.



Mary Ann Middleton nee Watson is said to have left her husband and family before her husbands death in 1883 , returning terminally ill to die with her son (my great grandfather) William Henry Middleton on 12th April 1900 in Bethnal Green.



Thomas Middleton , William Longley Middleton's elder brother was born the 15th May 1843 at baptised at St John the Baptist Church. When he married Charlotte Maria Prizeman at St Peters Church , Bethnal Green on 8th June 1864 his occupation is given as publican. From the 1881 Census I know they had at least six children: Thomas F Middleton born c.1865 in Bethnal Green; Charlotte Annie Middleton born 20th September 1867 at 33, Alma Road, Hoxton; Alice F Middleton born c.1872 at Bow; William A Middleton also born at Bow c.1872; Caroline F Middleton born c.1875 in Hoxton; and Ethel M Middleton born c.1880 in Tottenham.

Edward Tunstall Middleton , a younger brother of William was born 3rd March 1847 a Compositor, he married Rosetta Kew on 4th July 1875 at St.Bartholomew the Great, London. By the time of the 1881 Census they had two sons Edward Middleton born c.1878 in London and Francis Stuart Middleton born 16th May 1880 at 15 Upper Charles Street, Holborn.

The next two youngest children, John Middleton born 6th August 1850 and Ann Middleton born 3rd June 1853 have not been traced though John appear on the 1881 Census.

The youngest however Charles Middleton was born 6th September 1855 , a Telegraph Clerk GPO, he married Mary Ann Webb Essex 15th March 1879 at St Philip the Evangelist, in Islington. They are known to have had one daughter Elizabeth Mary Middleton who was born at 10, Dunford Road West, Islington on 25th December 1879. Charles died 27th October 1888 at Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum . His wife, who was by then living at No1, Elmore Street Islington, was granted administration (he died intestate) of his estate on 9th July 1891. Interesting for me is that Charles is the first person on my family tree to have been baptised twice. First at St.John the Baptist in Hoxton on 6th September 1855 and again in his mother's parish , Ramsbury, Wiltshire.



Thomas Middleton I am extremely fortunate to possess a photograph of Thomas Middleton (see left), believed to have been given to my Great Grandfather William Henry Middleton by his Aunt Ann Middleton after the death of his grandfather Thomas in 1891.

Thomas Middleton was born c.1805-1809 at "St James" Middlesex, (the age given on his marriage and death certificate would indicate he was born c.1805 while the 1851 and 1881 Census indicate 1808 to 1809). As I have yet to locate his baptism I've been forced to fall back on his marriage entry as my source for his fathers name, given as William Middleton and fathers occupation that of cabinet maker.

Thomas married Elizabeth Coleman (daughter of William Coleman and Hannah Coleman nee Hollick of Ramsbury Wiltshire) at St Mary le Strand on 31st March 1841. He was a Beer Seller, and appears in the 1842 Post Office London Directory at the Albion Public House, 28, East Road, Hoxton. He appears in directories up to the 1870's and in the 1881 census gives his occupation as "Retired Beer Seller". He may infact of given up running the Beer House in 1876, the date of an agreement with his son William Longley Middleton (see link). His wife Elizabeth died at 28, Bevendon Street, Hoxton on 2nd December 1855 . Thomas lived until 17th May 1891 , dying at one of three houses named in his will, that of 55, Allerton Street, Hoxton. He was buried with his wife and sons Charles Middleton and William Longley Middleton, who had predeceased him, at Highgate Cemetery. Notes on which were made by my Great Grandfather William Henry Middlton (see link), and who was not mentioned in the will - possibly the agreement regarding the Beer House (above) being his fathers inheritance.



Middleton Headstone - Highgate Cemetery My final photograph (on the left) is of the Middleton Family Headstone from Highgate Cemetery (square 22, grave 7007).









The inscription on the headstone reads as follows: "Family Grave of Mr Thomas Middleton / OF EAST ROAD HOXTON / Sacred to the memory of / Mrs Elizabeth Middleton / Wife of the above / Who died on the 2nd of December 1855 / in the 39th year of her age / Also of William Middleton / died July 20th 1883 aged 38 / Charles Middleton died / Oct 26th 1888 Aged 33 / Thomas Middleton died May 17th 1891".



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