11. Walter Henry Brown born 1858 St Albans Hertfordshire

Walter Henry Brown almost disappeared from family memory.  Eddie (Frederick Edison) Brown mentioned in passing that his father had a brother who died when he was young.  That small glint linked to the death certificate.  As Walter was single, the information on the certificate would have come from his brother Frederick (Eddie’s father).

1915 Death Walter Henry Brown

Name              Date                         Location

Walter Henry   26/1/1915 (age 57)   153 A’Beckett St Melbourne

Occupation     Married                   Children

Labourer          Unmarr                     Nil

Parents             Richard Henry Brown, Baker Harriet Brown nee Gooch

Cause              Fibroid disease of the lungs, cardiac dilation of the heart.  Post mortem held by Dr Mollison 27/1/1915 no inquest requird

Residence of Informant G Millar Const 5624 Bourke St Police Station

Where buried   Springvale

Born                England 13 years in Victoria (c1902)

 

Information on his birth confirmed the basic details. 

 

1858 Birth Details Walter Henry Brown

Name              Christening Date     Location

Walter Henry   11 AUG 1858           Abbey, Saint Albans, Hertford, England

Father Richard Walter Brown (Baker), Mother Harriet Brown

And while the immigration record proved more difficult (nothing relevant comes up on the Inward Shipping Index), there is an entry on the outwards shipping:

Emigration

Walter Brown Depart London 27 May 1902 to Melbourne aged 41, Baker (forgot to note down the ship).  Birth date is a bit out (as birth certificate is 1858 and makes would make Walter 44). I haven't found any record of immigration to Melbourne.

However understanding the information between these records is more difficult

I couldn’t find any thing on the voter’s roll.  But Census has some information that may be relevant (but it is problematic because it brings together the Richard Brown and Robert Brown confusion).

1861 Census Richard Walter and Harriet Brown Household

Address New England Field St Albans

Name          Status                Occupation                 Age        Birthplace

Richard       Head                  Baker                          29          Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

Harriet        Wife                  Straw Bonnet Maker   25          St Albans Hertfordshire

Henry         Son                    Scholar                        2            St Albans Hertfordshire

Emma Neale  (unmrr)           Lodger                        Straw Bonnet Maker        28        Wheathampstead Hertfordshire

1871 Census

Brown Family
Schedule Type Household
Registration District Poplar
Sub-District Poplar
Parish Poplar
County London, Middlesex
Father Richard W Brown, age 32, born Hampshire. Mother Francis Brown, age 35, born Herefordshire. Son  Walter H Brown, age 13, born Herefordshire. Son Horace Brown, age 6, born Herefordshire. Son Frederick Brown, age 4, born Herefordshire. Dau Kate Brown, age under 1, born Poplar.
This information from Familysearch.org index.  Looking at the digitised record on Ancestry.com, the script is very poor and hard to read.  For Richard W the birth place looks closer to Herefordshire or maybe Hertfordshire.  All the other mentions of birth place are "do" that is same as above (except for Kate which is clearly Poplar).  Mother "Francis" could be Harriet poorly written.

 

1881 Census

Address 105 High Street Poplar London, Middlesex, England 

Name                   Status       Occupation              Age        Birthplace

Robert                  Head         Journeyman Baker    49          (1832)St Albans Hertfordshire

Harriet                Wife                                          45          (1836)St Albans Hertfordshire

Frederick (unmarr)                Son                           Plasterer 17            (1864)St Albans Hertfordshire

Martin (unmar)     Son           Baker                        21          (1860)St Albans Hertfordshire

Kate                     Dau          Scholar                     11          (1870)St Albans Hertfordshire

Lottie                   Dau          Scholar                     7            (1874)St Albans Hertfordshire

1891 Census

I haven't found anything for this census

1901 Census

Address 41 Ettrick Street Poplar London, Middlesex, England (3 rooms)

Name                   Status       Occupation              Age        Birthplace

Harriet                  Wid                                           64          (1837)St Albans Hertfordshire

Walter (unmarr)   Son           (s)BreadworkerBaker              42           (1859)St Albans Hertfordshire

Kate (unmar)        Dau          (s)Forewomen confectioner30    (1871) Poplar London

plus three boarders (cooper and to gas stokers)

1911 Census

Address 41 Ettrick Street Poplar London, Middlesex, England (3 rooms)

Name                   Status       Occupation              Age        Birthplace

Harriet                  Wid          Old age pensioner     74 (1837)   St Albans Hertfordshire (for the last three years paralysis)

Kate                     (unmarr) Dau                             Boys trouser machinists (wkr)       42 (1869)Poplar London

plus one boarder

Here is Your Problem

If Robert and Richard Brown are two different people there are many coincidences.  Both with similar though slightly different ages, birth locations, both having the same trade, both marrying women call Harriet and both having (some) with the same name and roughly the same ages. 

There is a Robert Arthur Brown bapt 26/12/1832 St Albans Hertfordshire, parents William and Sarah.

Walter Brown living with his mother and sister in Poplar in 1901 looks like the child of Robert Brown (location, sister Kate), but emigrates to Melbourne and is identified at death as being the son of Richard and Harriet Brown.