Emily Ivall was a sister of my great grandfather George Ivall (1853-1932). Their parents were David Ivall (1816-67) and his wife Elizabeth Ann (1817-92) nee Gibson, who had nine children. David Ivall was a journeyman coachmaker - meaning that he worked for other people. The available evidence indicates that he was not well off, so Emily would have grown up in a moderately poor, working- class household.
Emily was born in 1845 in the St Pancras registration district of North London. At this time, her family lived in Somers Town, which included the site (next to St Pancras Station) where the British Library is now located.
The 1851 census lists David (aged 34, a coach maker) and Elizabeth (33) living at 29 Bull Place, St Pancras with their children Henry (9), Georgiana (7), David (2) and Elizabeth Ann (8 months). Emily Ivall (age given as 3 but should be 5) is listed with her grandparents Thomas (aged 54, a coach-lace weaver) and Ann (54) Gibson at 49 Wilsted Street, St Pancras.
David and his family moved from St Pancras to Southwark sometime between 1851 and 1853. By 1861, the family were living at 19 Nursery Row, Walworth, Southwark and consisted of David (aged 44, a coach maker), Elizabeth (43), Georgiana (17), Elizabeth (10), George (7), Louisa (5) and William (2). Emily is not listed with them. By then she would have been 15 and might have left home for work reasons eg she could have been living elsewhere as a servant. I have not found Emily in the 1861 census.
On 15 August 1864, Emily married William Ralph, at St Peter’s Church Walworth. Their marriage certificate shows that William, aged 25 was a mariner. His father was Thomas Ralph, a labourer. Emily was aged 19. Her residence at the time of marriage is shown as 19 Nursery Row (where her family lived). Her brother Henry and sister Georgina Jane were witnesses to the marriage (Emily witnessed Georgina’s marriage in 1866).
William Ralph in 1860
Emily and William had a child, Emily Elizabeth, in 1867. Another
child, William, was born in 1869 but died in 1870. Emily’s husband William
Ralph died on 17 March 1871 aged 32. His death certificate says that he was a
stoker (someone who shovelled coal into the furnace of a ship’s steam engines)
in the Royal Navy. He died from an aortic aneurism at the Royal Naval Hospital
at East Stonehouse in Devon. The census in April 1871 showed Emily (aged 25, a
widowed dressmaker) and her daughter Emily (aged 3) living at 125 Salisbury
Place, Newington, Southwark. Another daughter, Rose Jane, was born later in
1871.
Emily married James Christmas Dennis (a railway guard) on 8th April 1872 at St John’s Walworth. She was aged 26, he was 33. The 1881 census lists James (aged 42, a general dealer) and Emily living at 24 Green Hundred Road (a shop), Camberwell, which is close to the Old Kent Road. Living with them were Emily’s children from her first marriage, Emily (13) and Rosy (9) Ralph as well as Ann (7), Ellen (3) and James (1) Dennis, from her second marriage.
The family were living at the same address in 1891 and consisted of James (52, still a general dealer), Emily (45), Charles (9), Louisa (7) and Ada (5) Dennis. By 1901, the family at 24 Green Hundred Road were James (62, a general carman), Emily (55), Charles (19, a general dealer), Louisa (17) and Ada (15). Also in the household was Rose Barrett (widow, 29, a laundress) together with Rose’s children Charles (7) and Rose (1) Barrett (Emily’s daughter Rose had married Frederick George Barrett in 1891, but he died in 1899).
Charles Booth arranged a survey of London’s working class and their housing between 1886 and 1903. His team produced a map in which the roads were classified into 7 categories ranging from the poorest (1) to the most affluent (7). Green Hundred Road at the northern end was classified as category 2 (very poor, chronic want), the rest being category 3 (poor, 18s to 21s a week for a moderate family). The property at 24 Green Hundred Road no longer exists.
Emily Dennis nee Ivall
In 1911 Emily (65) and James (72, a retired carman) were living in one room at 492 Old Kent Rd, Walworth. The census return says that 10 children had been born to their marriage, of whom 7 were alive. GRO records show the following 7 Dennis births with Ivall as the maiden name
Ann Ralph Dennis (1873-1931)
Ellen Alice Dennis (1877-?)
James Dennis (1879-82)
Charles Ernest Dennis (1882-1942)
Louisa Susan Dennis (1883-1956)
Ada Dennis (1886-1973)
Florence Maud Dennis (1890-1890)
If Emily’s 3 children by her first marriage are included,
it brings the total to 10.
Emily died in 1911 aged 65 in Camberwell. She was buried in a common grave in Camberwell Old Cemetery on 9 September 1911. There is no grave marker. Her husband James died in 1915 aged 76 and is also buried in Camberwell Old Cemetery in a common grave.
Emily’s eldest four children, namely Emily Elizabeth (1867-1970, she lived to the age of 102), Rose Jane (1871-1964), Ann Ralph and Ellen Alice emigrated to Canada. Bev, one of their descendants, has kindly provided me with information and pictures for this article.
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