Find Ancestors

Hi Ginny,

I think that the record that you have found for Emily Jane Speller in 1911 is generally correct. My dad says that he was always told that his Frederick's wife was a dressmaker to the Queen. This sounds far fetched but it does link in with the census records that show Emily as a Fur Liner and Frederick as a Furrier. Then in later census records she is shown as a Silk Hand or Tailor.

I had another thought. Eardley is a common surname so I thought that maybe Frederick's mother might have been an Eardley or that Frederick was an Eardley and then changed his name to Speller. But alas I can find no evidence to support these ideas.

The other thing that I find very odd about all of this is that the Speller surname is historically very peculiar to one part of the country - the southern part of Essex including Billericay, Brentwood, Southend etc. It is therefore very strange that Emily is consistently listed as coming from this area and Frederick is not listed as being so.

Also I have not found one census result for Emily where Billericay is spelt correctly. This might suggest she was not brought up there?

More sleepless nights ahead me thinks !

Hi Ginny,

I think that the record that you have found for Emily Jane Speller in 1911 is generally correct. My dad says that he was always told that his Frederick's wife was a dressmaker to the Queen. This sounds far fetched but it does link in with the census records that show Emily as a Fur Liner and Frederick as a Furrier. Then in later census records she is shown as a Silk Hand or Tailor.

I had another thought. Eardley is a common surname so I thought that maybe Frederick's mother might have been an Eardley or that Frederick was an Eardley and then changed his name to Speller. But alas I can find no evidence to support these ideas.

The other thing that I find very odd about all of this is that the Speller surname is historically very peculiar to one part of the country - the southern part of Essex including Billericay, Brentwood, Southend etc. It is therefore very strange that Emily is consistently listed as coming from this area and Frederick is not listed as being so.

Also I have not found one census result for Emily where Billericay is spelt correctly. This might suggest she was not brought up there?

More sleepless nights ahead me thinks !

Im starting to wonder if 'Fred' took Emily' name and this is his birth?

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
about Richard Frederick Eardley
Name: Richard Frederick Eardley
Record Type: Baptism
Estimated Birth Date: abt 1833
Baptism Date: 1 Sep 1833
Father's name: James Eardley
Mother's name: Sarah Elizabeth Eardley
Parish or Poor Law Union: St George the Martyr
Borough: Southwark

Ginny, This seems like a good answer. Frederick gives his birthplace as Hackney in the only census result that we have and this seems to closely match.

Why would a man take his wife's surname back in the 1800s. What are the likely reasons why this might take place?

I dont know the reason why a man would take his wifes name but I have seen this before, many times

It seems Richard Fred just disapears after the baptism that I posted, no marriage or death

This shows his parents and siblings


1851 England Census
about Jas Eardley
Name: Jas Eardley
Age: 45
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1806
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Sarah E Eardley
Mother's name: Anne Woollard
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Staffordshire, England

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

Registration district: Shoreditch
Sub-registration district: Holywell
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 33
Piece: 1533
Folio: 64
Page Number: 12
Household Members: Name Age
Jas Eardley 45 <<Cotton machinist on the baptism he is a Tailor
Sarah E Eardley 50
Thos Eardley 16
Eliza Eardley 13
Elizah Eardley 9
Anne Woollard 42
Sarah Vaesairy 33
Joseph Vaesairy 14
Henry Woollard 10
Elizth Cole 35
Edward Hopkins 24
Jno Pitman 65
David Thomas 27
Eliz Thomas 33

I am related to the Paxtons of the 1871 census. George and Mary were my grandmother's parents. She was not born at the time. I've had trouble finding birth, death or marriage for George Paxton and birth or marriage for Mary. On most of the birth certificates for her children she had her maiden name as Watts, but on one it had Speller! I'd seen this census return before and wondered what the connection might have been between the two families, if any. The only document that clearly states Mary's birthplace says it was Tingewick, Bucks.

HI Rowland,
My husband is John Michael Speller.
His grandfather was Henry Speller, married to Caroline Hughes.
John's Dad was Albert Arthur Speller, who had a brother Frederick (born 1905), whom John remembers from childhood.
I do hope that this isn't another dead end for you.
Seems more than coincidence though.
Please contact us, if you think we're related..
Sincerely Christine Speller ( nee Clayton )
Ps.. Henry's great grandfather was Frederick..

Christine - dd you actually click on his name to send him a PM?
(we've exchanged messages off board)