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| Chichester Cathedral Francis lived in villages near Chichester |
A few months ago, Francis was just a name on a family tree with a date of birth and marriage. After a chance reading of a newspaper article I became curious and started to investigate this individual. Amazingly for a poor agricultural labourer I have found over 35 references to Francis in historical records. His life story has been constructed from records in various sources (Birth Marriage Death Records, Parish Records, Censuses, 1939 Register, Newspapers, Military Records, Asylum Records, Petty Session Records and Cemetery Records).
The records show life was not kind to Francis, life was hard and set in a time when social services did not exist and support for the poor and mentally ill was lacking.
Francis Titheridge of East Meon
Francis was born in 1854 in the Hampshire village of East Meon. He was the youngest of fifteen children born to William Titheridge and Elizabeth Lee; his parents were in their late forties when he was born. He was born 27 years after William and Elizabeth’s first child and 5 years after his nearest sibling. On the 1861 census he was living with his parents at Frogmore, East Meon and on the 1871 census he was living with his older brother in Old Down, East Meon. After this time Francis’s age is very inconsistent on documents, with his year of birth varying from 1839 – 1856. To confuse matters further his name is sometimes abbreviated to Frank.
First Marriage to Emily Jane Port 1877 -1882
On 13 October 1877 Francis married Emily Jane Port in East Meon. They had one child Henry born March 1879. On the 1881 census Emily and son Henry are living in Farlingham near Portsmouth, however Francis is not with them and I cannot find him on the census. Tragedy struck in 1882 when Francis was widowed, Emily’s death is registered in the December quarter in Midhurst, Sussex. In East Meon church yard there is (or was) a headstone for her, the inscription reads "To the memory of Emma Jane Titheridge, who departed this life 24 Oct 1882, age 31". She was married as Emily Jane but her death was registered as Emma Jane. There is no further record of the son Henry.
Army Service 1882-1883
On 5 December 1882 Francis joined the army, less than 3 months after Emily’s death. He joined the Royal Artillery as a driver at Fort Rowner, Gosport and was found fit for service. He was described as five feet four and half inches, 130 pounds with a fair complexion, dark blue eyes and brown eyes, age 23 years 11 months, with Methodist as his religion. The form notes “Scar above left orbit which he states is the result of an injury from a fall ten years ago”. The army did not suit Francis and he managed just 219 days of service of which 55 were spent in hospital. His service record shows on 28 February 1883 he had a fall off his horse at drill and had a contusion of his arm and was in hospital for 22 days. Released on 22 March just six days later he was re-admitted to hospital for a dislocated shoulder. He spent 33 days in hospital being released on 30 April. On 12 May he left his sentry post and was then subject to court martial for “leaving sentry post and injuring clothing” He was tried and sentenced on 24 May. On 28 May he was brought before a Medical Board and was found “unfit for service for defective intellect”. It states the deficient intellect was due to an accident before enlistment. It is noted that he was slovenly and bad tempered. He was invalided out of the army on 10 July 1883.
Court Appearance 1885
Article from Horsham Petworth Midhurst and Steyning Express – 27 January 1885
Headline: Petersfield Theft from the Workhouse
Francis Titheridge, a pauper, pleaded guilty to stealing a cape, value 6 shillings, the property of the Guardians of the Petersfield Union, on the 5th inst. – Prisoner had been an inmate of the workhouse, and, on leaving, took with him the cape, which was used by a pauper who came into the town on errands. The prisoner took the cape to Chichester and sold it for 1 shilling to a general dealer. – A previous conviction was proved and prisoner was sentenced to three months hard labour.
Second Marriage to Alice Emma Langrish 1886 – 1892
Three years in later in 1886 32-year-old Francis married 18-year-old Alice Emma Langrish from Compton in Chichester. The couple lived on the Sussex Hampshire border and led a very nomadic life with Francis working as a labourer and moving around regularly.
• 1887
Minnie Catherine was born on 1 April 1887 in the Westbourne district Sussex, probably in West Marden
• 1888
Mabel was born in the June quarter in Droxford but christened in East Meon, Hampshire on 4 November 1888. The family were living at Coombe, East Meon
• 1889
Mabel was 1 year old when she died. Mabel’s death was registered in Fareham and she was buried at St Mary, Porchester, Hampshire on 7 August 1889. (A previous blog has already told of the death of daughter Mabel).
• 1890
Florence Mary was born in East Meon and christened on 8 January 1890. The family were living at Drayton, East Meon
• 1891
The 1891 census shows Francis and Alice with children Minnie and Florence at South Street, Compton, Sussex
On 19th October 1891 Minnie started school at Stoughton, Sussex having come from a school at Compton
• 1892
William George was born in the March quarter in Westbourne and christened in Stoughton, Sussex on 20 Mar 1892. The family were living in Walderton, Stoughton.
On 25 March 1892 Minnie left school at Stoughton Sussex for an unknown destination.
Florence Mary was just two years old when she died on 18 September 1892. Florence’s death was registered in Midhurst, Sussex and she was buried at Heyshott, Sussex.
It appears that Alice and Francis separated sometime between 1892 and 1894. On the 1901 and 1911 census Alice is living in Aldershot with Robert Cannings. They are calling themselves man and wife, although there is no record of a divorce from Francis and no record of marriage to Robert. On the censuses there are 11 children recorded living with Alice and Robert all with the surname Cannings. However Minnie born in 1887 and William born in 1892 are Alice’s children from the marriage with Francis and should be called Titheridge. The first child registered to Robert and Alice is born in 1894. In 1904 daughter Minnie reverts to the Titheridge surname when she marries a soldier William Allen in Aldershot, she gives her age as 19 but she was only 16.
Arson Charge 1897
After 1892 the next record of Francis is found in a newspaper article of 1897.
Article from Portsmouth Evening News - 09 February 1897
Headline: Farm Fire at East Meon - Charge of Arson
At Petersfield, on Monday, Francis Titheridge was charged on suspicion with arson. On Saturday night a fire occurred at Coombe Farm, East Meon, the stable being gutted and three horses burnt to death. Prisoner had had charge of the horses for one week, and was allowed to sleep in the stable. He was seen looking at the fire, refusing, it was alleged, to assist at extinguishing it, and when told that the horses were in the stable, exclaimed, “Oh let them burn”. He was remanded.
The article only says "suspicion of arson" and that he was remanded. Inspection of Petersfield Petty Sessions Minute Book at the Hampshire Record Office showed that Francis was remanded until 11th February and on this appearance the case against him was dismissed.
Story to be continued in next Blog……
