- Page top
.
.
Section 45.D
Charles Isaac George Keys BRUSH
Charles Isaac George Keys BRUSH was the third son, and fifth child, of Thomas Brush and Eliza, nee Grubb, who are considered here. He was born on 21 April 1840 and was baptised on 7 June 1840 at Dartford. His birth certificate even tells us that he was born at 3pm. The family home was at Lowfield Street in Dartford. Why he had so many forenames is a mystery. More than anyone else in this history. They appear only in his birth and baptism record. After that he only uses the name Charles.
Three of his siblings died as infants. His two surviving sisters, Sarah and Eliza, married and had children, also discussed in the 'Dartford Brickmakers chapter. His older brother, Thomas Charles Brush, also had a large family.
During Charles's childhood, the period 1840 to 1855, the family moves around a lot (as shown by baptisms and burials of his siblings). In 1844 to 1846 they are at Dowlas Street in Camberwell but by 1849 appear to be back in Kent as Charles's mother Eliza is imprisoned there for four months for larceny as a servant. At the 1851 census Thomas & Eliza and three children - Eliza, Thomas and ten year old Charles - are at White Hall, Crayford (near Dartford). Father Thomas is a Brickmaker. His sister Sarah had been recorded at White Hall in December 1949. Later in 1851 Charles's sister Eliza marries in Crayford. At 1855, when his father dies, the address for his father and daughter Eliza is 2 John Street, Commercial Road, Peckham - an address which seems to have disappeared but was probably no more than a mile from the previous address of dowlas Street. Later in 1855 banns are called for Eliza, Thomas's widow, at St Mary Magdalene, Peckham to widower John Clarke.
All researchers seem to agree that Charles I J K is the Charles BRUSH who married Louisa MOODY on 24 March 1862 at Hammersmith parish church. The marriage certificate identifies him as a labourer and his father as a Thomas BRUSH, Labourer. Charles had been listed the previous year in the 1861 census at 9 Albert Place in Hammersmith as a labourer. His age is given as 24 (which is overstated) and Louisa, age 20, is identifed as his wife - a year before their wedding. Although listed as a separate second household at that address his relationship to the head of the household seems to be given as Lodger, though the entry is unclear. According to theundergroundmap.com "Albert Place, W12 [, a] Road in/near Shepherds Bush, existed between the 1850s and 1914". Louisa's place of birth is given as Stone in Buckinghamshire. At their marriage her father had been identifed as James Moody, a labourer.
Albert Place, Starch Green
As the following entries show, the family moved around a lot in South London.
The first known child is Louisa born on 6 June 1861 in Kensington RD and baptised in Hammersmith on 28 June 1861. But she dies in the same year, also in Kensington RD. Hammersmith is within the Kensington RD. The baptism register identiifes Charles as a brickmaker. The address is Masboro Road North. Masboro Road North was where Charles' brother Thomas and family were living at the 1861 census.
To modern eyes, being a brickmaker in Hammersmith appears strange. But around this time time "the area from Brook Green to Shepherd's Bush & east to Counter's Creek was almost wholly devoted to brickmaking". This piece of information, and the photo below, I discovered in the surprisingly named Facebook account 'Hammersmith Palais - Old Skool' drawing on research by a historian named Barbara Denny(1). Another quote says "the gravel pits between Shepherd’s Bush & Brook Green, [were] known as the ‘Ocean’ owing to its marshes & lying water caused by digging for brick clay.....'The ‘Dismal Swamp’ between Shepherd's Bush & the present site of Olympia was described in the 1860s by the Medical Officer of Health as an ‘utter abomination.
A brickmaking 'gang' - as discussed in the chapter on Charles' father.
The following year, 1862, Charles Thomas is born on 14 June in Kensington RD. He was baptised on 13 July 1862 at St Stephens, Shepherds Bush. The family address at this point is 9 Albert Place, Starch Green. Charles is listed as a labourer. Register image : https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1558/images/31280_190979-00148 On 6 July 1884 he marries Jane Holyhead in Battersea.
William Osborne birth registered Q1 1865 in Camberwell RD. At 1881 a greengrocer, with parents. Married 1886 at St Saviour
Eliza b 1868 Greenwich, Kent d 1870 St Olave, London
Matilda Birth Q1 1867 Camberwell RD but baptism not until 12 January 1873 at St George the Martyr,Patmore Street Battersea: At 1881 she is no longer listed with her parents. It is possible she is listed in1 881 census in Chelsea as Matilda Burch . 18 November 1888 marriage, age 21, at St Mary Newington to George Samuel Adey a cab driver age 26. The address for both of them given as 16 Doddington Grove ( which was not it seems the road currently of that name) . https://www.ancestry.ca/imageviewer/collections/1623/images/31280_197629-00342
At the 1871 census Charles and Louisa are living, as lodgers, at 16 Friendly Street in Deptford with three children Charles 8, William 6 and Matilda 4 - all three recorded as scholars. Charles is listed as a labourer and bricklayer. Louisa as 'no occupation'
At the 1873 baptism of Matilda the family address given as 26 Arden Street, Charles a Brickmaker.
Thomas b 27 August 1871 at Willson Street, Deptford
Louisa b 1874 Greenwich
Horace James. His birth is registered in Q3 1877 in the Camberwell RD, simply as James, and he appears age 3 as James in the 1881 census with the family where his birthplace is given as Nunhead in Surrey which is in the south of Camberwell near to Peckham. The fuller name of Horace James appears only from records in Australia. Helpfully the Australian Death Index identifies his parents as Charles and Louisa. He,a nd his children will in due course have ther own chapter. See https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/19914073/person/29344712269/facts https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/61563/records/575004
Edward 31 January 1880 and baptised at St Nicholas Tooting Graveney on 21 October 1883 (with brother Henry) 14 months at 1881 censsus. Moved to Austraia https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/19914073/person/29344712270/facts
At 1881 Charles, Louisa and five children are living at 189 Crystal Palace Road, Camberwell. Matilda is no longer withthem.
Henry born 22 June 1882 ( registerd Q3 1882 Croydon RD) and baptised on 21 October 1883 at St Nicholas Tooting Graveney when the family are living at Fountain Road. Charles is listed as a labourer
Possible: Birth of brother Arthur Brush (1885–1966) 1885 • Wandsworth Surrey 1d 743 Sept qtr
At 1888 marriage of Matilda, Charles is described as a 'Contractor'.
In 1889 John Edward, James and Henry are enrolled at Eardley Raod School in Lambeth, with their address given as 101 Eardley Road https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/1938/records/8998805
The birth of a Horace Reginald Brush is registered in Q1 1889 in the Wandsworth RD ( 1d 785). It seems likely that he was another child of the family and a tree in Ancestry asserts that he was and that he died in 1891.
By 1891 they appear to have emigrated - no census
TEXT
Jumping a long way further in their story the Golden Wedding of Charles and Louisa is recorded in the Melbourne, Australia, newspaper 'The Age'. I mention it at this point because it records that she was the mother of 13 children, 34 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. This is one more child than I have been able to identify.
TEXT
(1) back to text Barbara Denny was a Historian, journalist and author who researched a number of books including ‘The History of Kensington and Chelsea’ and ‘Notting Hill and Holland Park’