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Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2003-10 > 1065094051


From: "Sarah Fegredo" <>
Subject: Restating Intersts and Brick wall (GARDNER and GILLER)
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2003 12:27:40 +0100


Hi List
I've emailed about this family before but I've looked at my information again and tried to make any sense of it and can't. Any look-ups or ideas about how to proceed will be gratefully received. The family are as follows:

Benjamin Gardner born 1834 Bethnal Green London, married to Lydia Chambers born 1842 Ipswich Suffolk. Benjamin appears as a Chemical Labourer in the West Ham area on both 1881 and 1901 censuses (?). They have 9 children starting with Benjamin Walter in 1865, Colchester Essex, followed by the rest up to Arthur E in 1881 all born in West Ham.

It's Benjamin Walter I'm interested in - he married Mary Ann Giller in 1890 at the Parish Church in West Ham. His occupation is given as labourer and his address as 18 Earnest Road (possibly-it's not clear). In 1893 they were in West HAm because Rosa Mary was born, and I suspect they were also the parents of Benjamin Walter born in 1895. There were 2 other daughters but I don't know their names.

The reason I'm interested in Benjamin Walter is that he was an early Labour Party activist and apparently knew Kier Hardie and other Labour notables. By 1914 he was secretary of the Independent Labour Party South West Ham branch and a Councillor for Canning Town Ward. At some time he was also MP for Upton, West Ham, and when he died (in 1948) he received a large obituary in the local paper all about his great contribution to local life and politics. It would appear from that, therefore that he spent his whole life in West Ham. So WHY WHY WHY (screams with frustration!) can't I find him or his family in the 1901 census anywhere in the UK. I have tried every possible way of searching for him and his wife and children to no avail. I would be really keen to try and flesh out his career some more, but feel that without some basic info about where he lived, and the rest of his family I'm a bit stuck. I'm aware that there are some records in the Labour Party history archives!
in Manchester, but I can't travel to them just now - any other ideas, or can anyone find them on the 1891 census???
I've got a great big bump on my head from banging it on this particular brick wall.
Thanks in anticipation
Sarah Fegredo
Nottingham UK

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