When the 1841 census was taken my ancestor, Richard Montesquieu Bellew, was living alone in New Burlington Street. His wife had died in 1828, a year after their marriage, and he never re-married.
He was a Member of Parliament for Co Louth 1832 – 1852 and then again 1859 – 1865. This was made possible because of Catholic emancipation. His brother, Patrick, was also an MP for Louth in the 1830s before being created Baron Bellew in 1848. So in 1841 Montesquieu was living alone in London attended by his Irish butler (Ward), two other male servants and fourteen female servants. Although Patrick was a member of Brooks’s my guess is that he found it pretty comfy staying in New Burlington Street with his brother.
Meanwhile down the road at 102 Piccadilly another ancestor, MP and member of Brooks’s, George (Punch) Bryan, was living with his daughter Eliza, butler (Carmody) and nine more servants. The youngest, aged fifteen, was Henry the knives and boots boy. It was not a happy time in his life; his wife, Augustine, had died two months previously. They had been married for forty-six years.
Neither ancestor lived exclusively in London. Montesquieu went to Barmeath to stay with his brother and Punch had a house in Dublin and Jenkinstown in Co Kilkenny. Queen Victoria was on the throne, the sun was rising over the British Empire and for the rich at least life was good.
Sixty years later, in the 1901 census, my great-grandfather is living with his second wife (his first, my great-grandmother, died in child birth) in Grove Road, Bournemouth. My grandfather and his brother are away, presumably at school, but Aline, Ada, Courtenay and George are living at home. They have a Scottish governess, and from Ireland a butler (Moylan), cook, kitchenmaid and footman. The other servants are English, namely two house maids and two nurses for the two babies, Courtenay and George. In an earlier census my great-grandfather described himself as a farmer; in 1901 he opts for “Living On Own Means”.
The house I have lived in since 1984 is also recorded in the 1901 census. Walter Steward and his wife Elinor, both aged twenty-eight, are here with one servant, nineteen year old Maud Humphrey from Forest Hill originally. His occupation is “secretary of public cops”. Perhaps that is a mis-reading of public company? Here is the remains of the bell that Walter and Elinor used to summon Maud and one of the fireplaces that had to be cleaned out and laid. It is the original fireplace and still works.
I do not record any servants in my census return but in the next one I too will be able to enter Living On Own Means, I hope.
When I began my “career” in the Bank, customers were required to present their passbooks in order to deposit or withdraw funds.
In 1980, a few entries for occupations included “Gentleman”.
It just seems so dated today, doesn’t it?
I have never read any Galsworthy, not even seen the famous TV series that emptied churches on Sunday evenings in 1968, but “A Man of Property” also seems apt.
My grandfather once placed an advertisement in The Drogheda Independent requesting that replies be addressed to the sub-agent at Barmeath. His ad was so successful that it never needed to be repeated. I’ll be mightily impressed if anybody knows or remembers what he sought with such success.
HI Christopher, I am researching local history on Castleliney village (Tipperary) and I understand that your fore bearer Richard Montesquieu Bellew had a residence there circa 1828 possibly following his marriage to Mary Lalor who died around this period. Do you have any knowledge of this period of his life or where his deceased wife was interred.
Michael, I will look into this when I get back from holiday.
much appreciated Christopher, MB