.
.

Previous Section 36: Title
Previous Chapter 36.x : ???

Section 36 : Worcester and Birmingham; 1775-1948

Chapter 36.D

Cornelius Brush and family
1828 - present day

Cornelius[W17] was a child of John[W7] and Mary Ann (Fleet) and the grandson of Thomas[W1].  He is the link between the Worcester families of the late 18th/early 19th centuries and their surviving Brush descendants centred on Birmingham.

He was baptised on 27 April 1828 at St Peter's in Worcester.  At the 1841 census, age 12 he is with his parents at Spring Place, Willow Walk, Worcester.  I have not been able to idenitfy this location within St Peter's parish which is on the southern outskirts of Worcester.

On 25 March 1850 at St Martin's Birmingham, age 21, he marries Eliza HUNT.

They appear in the 1851 census but he is listed as Henry Brush.  Both give their occupation as Horse Hair Weaver.  Their address is "no.7 back of 124 Bradford Street".  At 1861 he has reverted to being Cornelius.  They are in the St Martin's ward and he is then an electro plater.  The electro plating industry began in Birmingham in the mid 1800s.  His age is given as 32, hers as 37.  Which is rather different to the information when they married.  I cannot find them in the 1871 census.

An image from Wikipedia of an early nickel plating works.

Eliza dies in Q2 1874 in Birmingham, age 41.  Which puts her birth as 1832/3 - which would have made her 18 at their marriage.  Rather closer to her declared age of 19 than the 1861 census information.

Cornelius wastes little time.  He marries again in Q3 1874, to Fanny Shaw.  At the 1881 census he is shown as age 50 (which is at least two years understated) and she as 40 - so around 33 when the married.  In the seven years after their marriage they have had four children - Henry 5, Rose 4 , William 3 and Horace 1.  He is shown still as an electro plater.

Rose Angelina's birth is registered in Q4 1876 in Birmingham RD. Horace born 1879

A year before the census, in Q2 1880, the birth of George Brush is registered in Birmingham.  The FWB tree includes him as a son of Henry Cornelius but he does not appear in the 1881 or 1891 censuses and may be the son of Charles of Ripple considered in section 38.E

At 1891 both Cornelius and son Henry have the occupation of a 'silver dipper' and Fanny is a burnisher.  14 year old Rose is a button coverer.  William is no longer listed and there is another son Fred, age 5.  They now live in the Aston Manor district. His age is now shown as 64, and Fanny as 44. Which puts his age at their 1874 marriage as 47 and hers as 27. The death of a 5 year old William was recorded in Q4 1883.

Rose Angelina marries in 1899 to coachman William BLUNT and at 1901 census they are living in the parish of Aston Manor with a 9 month old daughter Lily. At 1911 they still have just the one daughter Lilian though William's father George is living with them. William's occupation is 'Laundry Vanman'. Rose's occupation is "Huckster", working from home. This means simply a person who sells things from door to door. The pejorative American sense of agression or hustling does not necessarily apply in a census description! She dies in 1914 and is buried on April 4th. Her age is given in the burial register as 33 - which is less than it should have been. Her death registration in Q1 gives the age as 37.

The ages change again at 1901. Cornelius, now of 'no occupation' is age 72, Fanny is 55. Henry is a metal dipper, Horace a Rubber Lapper and Frederick a labourer at a Vinegar Brewery - probably the Aston Manor brewery which (may?) have later become the HP sauce factory. Somewhere I used to visit while working for Imperial Foods.

At his death in January 1908, buried on 21 January, his name is given as Henry Cornelius and he is listed as age 77 - yet again understated.

Henry Cornelius junior

Henry marries Jessie Campbell URQUHART in 1906. Like his father he has gone for a woman younger than himself. But the certificate image seems to overstate this. It actually says she is 25, not 20 as it appears at first glance.

Dorothy is born on 13 July 1907 and is baptised on 31 July. Alternative possibilities for her marriage. It seems likley that she married Ivan Whitehouse in 1931 - supported by the 1939 register - but the GRO index for this marriage shows Barbara Brush.

At 1911 son Henry Cornelius is listed as head of the household at 19 Rocky Lane, Aston. He is an Electro plater of thimbles. As well as his wife and their children Dorothy and Harry the household includes his mother Fanny, age 66 and brother Frederick, a steel tube examiner.

Fanny appears in rate books and electoral register in 1912 and 1913 - using the name Fanny Shaw Brush. She dies in Aston in 1913. The GRO index lists her age as 77, the burial register says she was 70. The actual year of birth seems to have been either 1842 or 1843.

Harry was born on 17 June 1909 ( a detail from the 1939 registration list) and was baptised on 2 July 1909 at St Peter and St Paul in Aston. The family address is 9 Pugh Road. His birth is registered in Q3 1909 - more than two weeks after the birth.

George Frederick was baptised on 2 April 1913 at St Peter and St Paul in Aston. The family address is 3 Victoria Terrace, Park Road. Henry Cornelius's occupation is given as 'dipper'.

Elsie Elizabeth was born on 2 January (again, from the 1939 record) and baptised on 17 January 1917 at St Peter and St Paul in Aston. The family address remains 3 Victoria Terrace, Park Road and Henry Cornelius's occupation is again given as 'dipper'.

Henry Cornelius, Jessie Campbell, Dorothy, Harry, Frederick George and Elise Elizabeth are listed in the 1921 census at Birmingham parish in Aston RD.

In Q2 1837 Elsie Elizabeth marries George A Owen in Birmingham. At 1939 he is listed as an Insurance gent and she is a housewife "unpaid domestic duties". They are living at 22 Knightwick Crescent in Birmingham. Judging by the closed entry there is one child.

George Frederick dies in Q4 1938

Harry marries Gladys I. STRETTON in 1939. He dies on 11 November 1948. I do not know if there were any children.

Horace and family (1879-present day)

Horace, born 1879 marries in Q4 1906 to Norah Farrell. Their first child, Horace junior is born on 29 November 1907 ( not 1908 as the 1939 register says) and is baptised on December 20th. At the 1911 census he is a Tube Inspector in the steel industry. They are living at number 3, back of 241 Tower Road, Aston Manor, a dwelling with four rooms. At 1921 there are six in the household. Horace, Norah, Horace junior, Rosie Brush born 1914, Lilian Brush born 1916, and Hilda May Brush born 1921.

The FWB tree shows Dorothy (1907) as a daughter but this is incorrect. Dorothy was a daughter of Henry Cornelius - evidenced by the baptism register.

Horace senior dies Norah dies Horace junior marries 1930 Gertrude Bullock Rosie Lilian Hilda May FWB tree. All apparently from GRo indexes - proper linkage or just dates and places? H has two sons Ronald F 1930 (m June Stokes 1953)and Alan J 1935 ( m Gwendoline Sharp 1956) Ronald F has two sons Paul N 1959 (m Lyn Bryan 1979 )and John Rodney 1968 (m Angela Everett 1996) Alun J has one daughter Jacqueline Y 195? (m Peter dawson 1977) Paul N has two sons David Joseph 1983 and Richard James 1984 John Rodney has three children Craig Daniel 1992 Jennifer Laura 1992 and Leigh Hannan 1993 There are some later Birmingham births Frederick William b1865 Birm d 1955 Birm m Florence waterfall 1914 Aston. 6 children 1915 Fanny E at Aston, d 1918 Aston 1917 Jessie Aston m George Moakes 1939 Birm 1919 Frederick Aton m Matilda Sheffield 1962 Birm 1921 Connie Aston m Thomas C Nicholls 1948 Birm 1924 Vera Aston m Albert W Mason 1946 Birm 1932 Beryl Birm N m Thomas W F Woodward 1961 Birm

Sarah Ann (Holden) m Charles Thomas BRUSH 1878 at Dudley, died age 76 so born 1857/8. CTB born in Twyning, son of Thomas

Next Sections
Chapter 36C: John and family. and
Chapter 29D: The children of John and Mary and