The hospital of St Thomas, being by the river Thames and helping freely the people, helped to save my great great grandfather William Maxted's life after he was badly burnt upon his legs, arms and body, and thought not likely to survive. William was at that time a young teenager, training as a boiler maker for the railways, and the dreadful accident which maimed him was due to an exploding tar barrel within the workshop where he laboured. The grand reputable St Thomas hospital, which was just across the river from the houses of parliament, took care of our William. No doubt he would always have had scars from this dreadful experience, but he went on to love and marry and have a big family.
William Maxted was born at home in Lambeth, at 2 Spring Gardens, in 1863, on 27th September, he therefore having the starsign of Libra, and he was baptised at St Barnabus church in Lambeth on 20th December. His father Charles was a fitters labourer on the railways, from a Kent family, and his mother Sarah was from a London family. William was the 8th born of 12 children. His name, William, was reused from an older son that had died, as was was the custom in old families.
Baptism 20th December 1863 at St Barnabus, Kennington, of William Maxted of 2 Spring Gardens, son of Charles and Sarah Maxted, father being a fitters labourer
William shown as a 7 year old in the 1871 census for Lambeth, living at 1 Spring Gardens with his family
St Barnabus church where William Maxted was baptised
When William was about 10 years old his dear mother Sarah died from childbirth complications. She was 43 and already had quite a brood of children, this latest baby who also would not survive. The pressure of giving birth had caused a vein to clot in Sarah's leg and this became septic. On the twelfth day after giving birth she died. Sarah Maxted, age 43, of 54 Riverhall Street, Wandsworth Road, Lambeth Parturition, 12 days, phlebitis, certified wife of Charles Maxted, an engine fitter, present at the death deceased 14th October 1873, registered 15th October
There was so much of William's extended family around in Lambeth, aunts and uncles, many cousins, and two widowed grannies both called Elizabeth. Naturally, with the family being so close, there were always family reunions, events, elders to help and to advise one and cousins to play with. Heartbreak would return. It was just a year later, in 1874, that William's blind granny Elizabeth died. A true matriarch of the family, on being widowed by the death of her husband George, who had fallen from a haybale onto a stick which fatally impaled him, she had uprooted from the Kent countryside to resettle with her many children in London.
In the following years after his mothers death, William's father got an introduction to a young widow, Mary Ann Spink, thanks to young Edwin Savage, a neighbour of hers at Queens Place in Clapham, who happened to at that time be romancing Charles's daughter Sarah. With Charles and Mary Ann soon themselves romancing, she being as much as 14 years younger than him, and she also being a handy new mother to care for his many children, all moved in for a while with her in Clapham until the marriage there at St Pauls church. Charles then brought his new bride and all the children back to Riverhall Street with him.
By the age of 15 Wiliam had begun his career as a boiler maker on the railways and then as we have seen already while still at a young age he was in a dreadful accident, from the exploding of a barrel of tar in his workshop. This was back in 1879 and was talked about in a few newspapers. William and another man were burnt all over, legs, arms and bodies, for which they were conveyed to London's St Thomas Hospital, their condition described as 'dreadfully burned'. And how could such an accident be recovered from, but certainly William survived although surely he would have had scars always from then on.
1879 Newspaper article in the Aldershot Military Gazette about William Maxted and a colleague getting seriously burnt (William's age had been given incorrectly as he was really 15)
Despite his terrible accident, William returned to the railway workshops to continue his career as a boiler maker. This can be seen in the census of 1881, the family now living at 22 Fountain Street in Lambeth, William's older brother John following the same trade.
William found love with an Irish girl, Mary Dolan, who had come over to England from Westmeath. On Mary getting pregnant by William, the honourable decision was made to get married. The couple were already living together at 12 Miles Street at Hammersmith, over the other side of the Thames river from Lambeth, and as always William was working as a boilermaker. We can see from their eventual marriage on 21st February 1887 at the church of St Peter in Hammersmith that Marys father Michael Dolan had died. She does appear to have been much alone in London, only Williams family having been witnesses to the marriage.
Marriage on 21st February 1887 at St Peters church Hammersmith of William Maxted and Mary Dolan, both of 12 Miles Street, his father Charles Maxted being an engineer and her father Michael Dolan being dead, witnessed by Henry Maxted and Emma Maxted
St Peters Church Hammersmith where William Maxted and Mary Dolan married in 1887
That summer a baby girl was born, Sarah Kathleen, on June 15th, named after both William's mother and maybe Mary's mother or one of her grannies; like, there is a mystery about Mary's Irish origins to the point of there being no certainty about who was even her mother; all we know is that her father was called Michael. Sarah Kathleen would sadly die on reaching the age of 13. By which time other children had been born: William Charles, named after William and his father; Mary Jane, after Mary and possibly one of her grannies; Florence Maria, my great grandmother; Henry Charles, named after a grandfather and great grandfather; and Lillian Norah.
As a family man, William Maxted and his Irish wife Mary at first lived rather a nomadic lifestyle, their first few babies having been born in different locations, as can be seen from the census of 1891, their childrens listed birthplaces indicating firstly Sarah Kathleen Hammersmith in London, then William Charles in Dartmouth in Devon, and after that Mary Jane in Sunderland in County Durham. The children born after this time would all be born in the same place, Chiswick.
I know not where the family lived when they were in Dartmouth. Getting the birth certificate of William Charles would shed some light on this.
1891 Census showing William Maxted working as a boilerman in Sunderland, with his Irish wife Maria and their children born in different locations
In Sunderland the family lived at 16 Northumberland Street. I have seen note of a catholic baptism given to Mary Jane while the family was in Sunderland, which would have been for the benefit of Williams wife and her family, the first real sign of her being from a Roman Catholic family. The baptism was written of in Latin, and I haven't seen the original, but what was recorded was that little Mary was called in full Mary Joanna Maxted and her father as Gulielmi Maxted. She had been born on 17th September 1890 and was baptised on 2nd October at St Mary's, Sunderland ( a church serving Sunderland's rather large catholic community). Being a catholic baptism it would have included names of godparents as well. I would presume on discovering this that others of the children would also have got catholic baptisms.
A roman catholic place of baptism for William and Marys daughter Mary Joanna (Jane)
And so it is on looking for any more catholic baptisms at this church that I find one for another of the children, but not one I knew of, for which I have to suppose she did not survive so long. Her name was Emma Maria. She was born 3rd December 1892 and was baptised on 25th December (Xmas Day). Emma Maria would have died any time up to the age of three, her second name of Maria having then been reused for my ancestress Florence Maria. And indeed I have found her death registered in 1894 when the family had returned to London and she was one year old.
I have looked at Williams astrology, via his signs and aspects, and I see a strong willed, hard working, courageous, responsible and yet affectionate man, suiting of the times. He had a seriousness, by which even as a child he had seemed older than he was. From a young age he had to work. As a boy life was sometimes seeming far too strict, and severe and as we know there were terrible crises, his mother dying and then his catching fire in an explosion, and also as a man there would arise the deaths of two of his daughters, all for which he would feel sorry for himself and bitter and sometimes depressed, and then again, although there were indeed setbacks he would often have luck in life too, for which he would at other times have optimism and faith in himself. He would have chosen Mary as a wife for various reasons, because of her self respect and humility and sincerity. And for Mary he was such a romantic man, totally in love with her. He was not one to break agreements and took his marriage with Mary seriously. From her he expected honesty and in return he offered spiritual strength and integrity along with his love. He admired her physical practicality and required her subservience, and would not have respected her if she were otherwise, and anyway this was the male female politics of the times, long before the arising of womens liberation. Nevertheless, a more liberal spirit in her would have aided him to be the best of which he was capable. He could not have borne to be alone and really was quite dependant on her. Lifes routines demanded much of him, and he would like to have indulged in life and had more pleasures and to have explored what it is to be free, which he had such a longing for, but he also accepted his responsibilities and for the poor working man there were not really any other options. William was both aggressive and competitive, never one to run away from a fight or challenge. He was a manly man essentially, with abundant physical energy, including a powerful sex drive. Regardless of obstacles he would not give up on his standards. He could intimidate others with his strength and lack of compromises, and also he would win them over with his authentic friendliness and genuine warmth. This friendliness helped him through life. Even enemies came to like him. He loved socialising and communicating with others, in either large or small gatherings. He would be sensitive to what others said of him, and yet do his thing anyway, and especially when younger he was rebellious against authority. In any debate or argument he would be a formidable opponent. His mind was quick and he could understand that which not all others could. His opinions he would base on sound principles. Being a lover of freedom he wanted to see everyone get a fair break and was just and true and would question how things were and help others get their rights. Even as a boy he had remarkable insights which would surprise others. His greatest handicap was his unwillingness to let go of the past and naturally he pained always for the mother who he had lost. Due to this loss he had a fear of abandonment and was possessive over his wife and family, not daring to also lose them, nor to see them get hurt. Unusual experiences, like travel, appealed to him, as can be seen early on from his roamings to different parts of England, and the exotic appeal of his wife being a foreigner, a Roman Catholic from Ireland, also was an allure for him. He accepted her differences in faith and culture, as much as accepting for her to baptise their children as catholics. Being around people very different from himself made him in turn feel more alive and interesting.
So we know the family had moved down to Chiswick in London by 1894, this being where dear little Emma Maria had died there (and I await her death certificate to understand why). At least one of the children was being educated in Chiswick, the first born for sure, Sarah Kathleen, who it was recorded was attending school there.
By 1895 the family had returned to Chiswick, residing at 67 Windmill Road, in the area of Turnham Green, for in the spring of that year my ancestress Florence Maria, alias Florrie, was born, a red haired child, which does incline me to think Mary herself had red hair. 1895 8th March, 67 Windmill Road, Turnham Green, Florence Maria, daughter of William Maxted and Maria Maxted formerly Dolan, fathers profession: boiler maker, registered by W Maxted, father, 67 Windmill Road on 17th April
In the winter of 1897 a son Henry Charles Maxted was born in Chiswick.
By 1898 the family had moved back to Hammersmith, living at 3 Western Terrace, off Black Lion Lane, as can be seen from Sarah Kathleen's new school details. Sarah Kathleen was now eleven years old, being registered to attend the Waterloo Street School, where she would study for half a year. After that half year the family again went to be in Chiswick. 24th January admission date for Sarah Maxted, father is William Maxted, boiler maker, address of 3 Western Terrace Black Lion Lane, sarahs birthday is 15th June 1887, her last school attended was Chiswick Board, departed 6th June 1898. In the spring of 1900, in Chiswick, a daughter Lillian Norah was born.
And then there would be the very sad death, in the autumn of 1900, of 13 year old daughter Sarah Kathleen (again I have ordered this certificate to understand what happened here). Never from this point on did Mary have any more children, as if her grief at losing two of them would not permit her to risk bringing into life any more. The family temporarily returned up north to Sunderland , which I only know from a note later being made that little Florence attended for a little while a convent school up there. The teachers of that school were Irish nuns, known as the Sisters of Mercy.
In 1901 the family moved back down to London, this time south of the Thames to be in the company of extended family at Lambeth, there where William had been born and raised. In being back in the place of his roots, William and Mary would have had the support and camaraderie and clannishness of being part of a large family. Their home was made at 18 Springfield Place and the childrens Roman Catholic education was exchanged for a Church of England one, as is seen in daughter Florence's admission details into Lambeth's Springfield School: Springfield School, Lambeth, Florence Maxted, daughter of William Maxted, a boiler maker, of 18 Springfield Place, born 8th March 1895, former school marked at first as none, then later was added The Convent, Sunderland
At 18 Springfield Place, uncle George Maxted moved into the house, he being a printers press cutter.
1901 Census Lambeth, London 18 Springfield Place William Maxted, age 37, boilermaker, born South Lambeth Maria Maxted, wife, age 39, born Ireland George Maxted, brother, age 22, press cutter print, born Lambeth Children: William, 12, born Dartmouth, Devon; Mary, 10, born Sunderland, Durham; Florrie, 6; Harry, 3; Nora, 11 months - all born Chiswick
In 1904 a fellow plate layer had a fatal accident while at work: Most Hazardous Work, autumn October Alfred Wright, age 54, a plate layer employed by the London & South Western railway, of Battersea, while working near the west signal box, Queens Road, was knocked down and killed by the 5:25 fast train from Waterloo to Horsham. At the inquest, the coroner expressed his conviction that no matter what railway companies did to remove causes of danger to their workers the occupation would still remain the most hazardous in the world. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Between 1908 and 1910, the family upped and left the Nine Elms Lambeth area of London, and moved to the Hampshire coast, to Eastleigh, near Southampton, this being in response to the Locomotive Works, which built and repaired trains, and which had long now employed William, changing location. The carriage and wagon department had already been removed there 18 years before, and now it was the turn of the locomotive works. Between 4, 000 and 5,000 people would be affected by this and the transfer would take a year to complete. The new site was nine acres and building on it had begin five or six years previously. The boiler shop was removed from 1908 to 1909 and the steam, so much relied on at Nine Elms was to be superceded by electricity as the motive power of the larger machines and pneumatic or hydraulic force would be used for some of the smaller apparatus. The new works were to generate their own electricity, hence a power house had also been contructed. Some of the new buildings were gargantuan in size. The machine shop measured 765ft by 90ft, the boiler and wheel shop 405ft by 117 ft, and the principal foundry 255ft by 110ft. The locomotive works of London, in which William had worked since a child, adjacent to Vauxhall, was Nine Elms, which including the works and other buildings, covered 45 acres. These buildings comprised the locomotive works, the running sheds and the goods department. In every street the railway uniform was to be seen. Back in 1864 when the locomotive works had been established in a modest way the employees were warned not to take up permanent quarters, as orders for their transference to the countryside might be expected any day. From being a village of little repute, with a sparse population, Nine Elms became an important town of 8,000 to 10,000 people. When the carriage works were moved to Eastleigh in 1891 the immigration totally upset the numbers of people attending church there. This was still the golden age of railways.
The town of Eastleigh was actually created upon farmland and pasture especially for the arrival of the many train workers. I have seen note made of the working hours, which began at six in the morning, which included three quarters of an hour for breakfast. There would be an hour for lunch and the day would end at half past five. Saturday mornings would also be worked. By the time all were transfered from London, 2,000 people worked in the locomotive works alone. In March 1909, the Hampshire Independant noted 'It appears the total number of men coming into Eastleigh works will be about 1,450. Over a thousand of these will be married and many with families, so that the neccessary living accomodation required is rather large. At the present time there are in Eastleigh about 130 empty houses, 80 are building, and plans have been submitted for 40 more.' In April 1st the first contingent arrived of 180 workmen, who with their families too, amounted to a thousand people. By May of 1909 it was said in one newspaper that Eastleigh had grown from a village of 300 persons to a town of some 10,000 souls and it would still grow 'owing to the London and South West Railway Company having transferred its locomotive works there'.
1909 On December 11th the Hampshire Telegraph talked of the huge move from Nine Elms to Eastleigh. The Locomotive Works Transfer The transfer of the locomotive works staff from Nine Elms to Eastleigh is now in full swing. Each week sees a large number of men searching for house accomodation, which unfortunatly is very limited in the new district.
In August 13th 1910 there was a fatal accident of one of the workers, an electrical engieer, Ernest Edward Bird, aged 22 years, who fell from the roof of the locomotive works. In December of the same year there was another tragedy, in which nine lives were lost in a train accident, on the Scotch Express, north of London. The carriages caught fire and some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. One of the dead bodies was the five month old baby of Mr Gray, a worker at the Eastleigh locomotive works. As it was written in a newspaper report, up to 60 Eastleigh people had travelled on the Scotch Express just the day before the said accident. As it can then be seen in the next census of 1911 the family was living at 94 Chamberlayne Road, and rather a large house it was compared to those the family had to make do with in densely crowded London. Mention was made in the census details that two children had died and surprisingly Mary did not give away that she was born in Ireland, saying instead that she was born in Lambeth.
1911 Census showing the Maxted family living at 94 Chamberlayne Road in Eastleigh
1911 Census Eastleigh, Hampshire 94 Chamberlayne Road (living in 6 rooms) William Maxted, age 48, boiler maker L S W R, at Locomotion Works, born south Lambeth, London Maria Maxted, wife, age 39; born south Lambeth, London (married for 24 years; have had 7 children, 2 of whom have died) Children: William, 22, builder, born Dartmouth, Devon; Mary Jane, 20, born Sunderland: Florrie, 16; Harry Charles, 13; Lilian Laura, 10 - all born Hammersmith, London
In the spring of 1914 one employee of the Eastleigh locomotive works, William Graham, tried to commit suicide shooting himself with a rifle four times but survived. He told the doctor he'd dreamt there was a revolution and that he was too late for it so 'did himself in'. The doctor believed his mind was unhinged from having lately drunk too much alcohol.
It was in 1914 that William and Mary's daughter, Mary Jane, married her beloved Lionel Brown, with whom she would have eight children, the daughters all named after plants - Ivy, Myrtle, Violet and Iris.
1914 a posting in The Era about renting some of the family's rooms: Eastleigh, Mrs Maxted, 94 Chamberlayne Road. Highly recommended by the "Bonny Pit Lad" company
1916 a posting in The Stage: Apartment vacant, Eastleigh, Mrs Maxted, 162 Market Street In 1918, another daughter married, my ancestress Florence. She was already nine months pregnant so I don't know what scandal this reflected. She had been working in a bar in wartime Southampton. Three weeks before the birth of her red haired daughter Eileen she married in a registry office a ship chef, Percy Spencer, who was considerably older than her. On her marriage certificate we learn that the family was living at 206 Market Street in Eastleigh. This house, back in 1909 had been described as a private dwelling house situated in an excellent position. In the spring of 1919 a 15 year old lad who worked at the locomotive works as a messenger had gone into a lift. On noticing it moving he attempetd to jump out, whereon the descending part of the lift caught his head and killed him instantly.
In the spring of 1921 one of the employees of the locomotive works, Frederick Varney, aged 53, was knocked down by one of the train engines near the works and was killed.
It was also in 1921 that William and Mary's daughter Lillian Norah married her fiancée, a brigade fireman called William Garwood. Lillian Norah would end up blind.
In the summer of 1925, a truck of coal was being unloaded at the locomotive works when a birds nest was found in the centre of the coal. Seven tonnes of coal had been cleared before the nest was discovered. It contained three eggs, and the nest, which was that of a 'polly dishwasher', or pied wagtail, was in perfect condition.
In 1928, son Henry Charles married in Winchester to his belle Glendora Rogers. They also had a daughhter called Eileen. Their son Roy would immigrate to Perth in Australia.
In 1932 a 61 year old man, William Boxall, who worked for the locomotion works as a riveter went missing and was then found dead in the river Itchen. It was a 12 year old boy who found his body. Williams legs had been bound with wire and another length of wire had been attached to his left wrist.
In 1933 Williams own time was up, the cause of which I don't know as yet. All I know is that he was buried in Eastleigh on the 1st of July. And what of Mary Dolan, she died four years later, buried at Eastleigh in 1937.