Third Generation

10. Elizabeth MILLER²⁶ was born in 1834 in Wilmington, Kent.²⁷ She was living on 30 Mar 1851 in 1 Orange Tree Row, Wilmington, Kent.⁷ She was living on 5 Apr 1891 in 2 Coopers Cottage, Sutton at Hone, Kent.²⁸ She was living on 31 Mar 1901 in 2 Claremont Cottages, Hawley. Sutton at Hone.²⁹ She died Mitral Disease Dropsy on 27 Dec 1901 in 2 Claremont Cottages, Hawley. Sutton at Hone.² Working back from her son, William George's, birth, an entry for Elizabeth can be found in the 1851 census and earlier in the 1841 census for Wilmington. In fact the 1851 return shows the address as 1 Orange Tree Row whereas the 1841 returns simply states the village name of Wilmington.

From both of these returns Elizabeth's year of birth of about 1834/5 can be extrapolated, depending on the exact date the census was taken. The civil registration of births, deaths and marriages did not come into being until 1 July 1837. Prior to that births deaths and marriages where recorded in the local parish registers so finding a record of Elizabeth's birth is another project.

There is a family story that Elizabeth eventually marries a man called James Booker. Very often there is more than a grain of truth in family stories and rumour so this was the starting point for the research into Elizabeth's movements.

A record exists of a marriage of an Elizabeth Miller and James Booker, a gardener, on the 6 February 1860 in Northfleet, Kent. On the marriage certificate Elizabeth's father is named as George Miller a Labourer. This reflects what is known from the 1841 and 1851 census. Additionally, Elizabeth's age on the marriage certificate ties in with what we already know. Elizabeth's place of residence is shown as Northfleet but quite what she was doing there will remain a mystery for some time to come.

George, Elizabeth's father, died about 1869.

Elizabeth and James appear on all the census returns from 1861 to 1901. In each case Elizabeth's place of birth is Wilmington.

In the 1871 census James and Elizabeth are back in Wilmington. In fact they are living at number 5 Orange Tree Place, next door to Elizabeth's widowed mother, Jane. It is probable that James and Elizabeth had been living there before George died as their children where all born in Wilmington, the oldest of which was aged 6 at this time.

The 17 year old William George is still living with his grandmother working as a Pawnbrokers Assistant.

By 1881 William is a Police Constable living in Spenser Road, Acton with his wife Emily Herbert (1858 - 1930) and two children Edith, 2, and Thomas, 2 months. However, Elizabeth and James are still living in Orange Tree Place in Wilmington. As there is no trace of Jane Miller at this time it looks like she had died between 1871 and 1881. As she was born was born about 1803, this is quite likely.

Sometime between 1881 and 1891 James and Elizabeth moved from Wilmington to the nearby hamlet of Hawley with four of their five sons. Both James and Elizabeth are shown to be still living there in 1901 with one son Alfred, 32 and one Samuel Saunders, a platelayer from Bury, Lancaster.

Elizabeth died on 27 December 1901 in Hawley, Sutton at Hone, Kent of Mitrial Disease, Dropsy.

Thomas's name comes from the birth certificate of William George Miller that records his profession as "Carpenter". Interestingly, there is a Thomas Kingsland in Dartford on the 1851 census (HO107; Piece: 1607; Folio: 499; Page: 25) that is an "Apprentice Carpenter" aged 16, born about 1834 in Crayford, Kent. Could this be our Thomas Kingsland? Elizabeth MILLER and Thomas KINGSLAND had the following children:

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i.

William George MILLER.

Elizabeth MILLER and James BOOKER were married on 6 Feb 1860 in Northfleet, Kent.³⁰ James BOOKER (son of Thomas BOOKER and Harriot LOVEGROVE) was born in 1834 in Shoreham, Kent.³¹ He was christened on 6 Dec 1835 in Easebourne, Sussex.³² He was living on 31 Mar 1901 in 2 Claremont Cottages, Hawley. Sutton at Hone.³³ He died about 1912. There is a James Booker whose death in Datford that is registered in the June quarter for 1912 Volume 2a; Page 663. From all the census records collected James appears to have been a gardener all his life. Interestingly James place of birth differes on the 1901 census from all other census returns. in 1901 it is given as Hull, Yorkshire although it seems pretty safe to discard this information as, according to the 1851 census, all his brothers and sisters where born in Shorham.

James' brothers and sisters where:

Harriott born about 1832
John born about 1842
Hellen born about 1844

As these are not of a blood line there is no current reason to follow them up or add them to the data base. Elizabeth MILLER and James BOOKER had the following children:

25	i.	James BOOKER was born in 1865 in Wilmington, Kent. In the 1881 census James is an undergroom. By 1891, when the family had moved to Hawley, James seems to have either stayed behind or moved on elsewhere.
26	ii.	Alfred BOOKER was born in 1869 in Wilmington, Kent. He was living on 31 Mar 1901 in 2 Claremont Cottages, Hawley. Sutton at Hone.29 On the 1891 census Alfred is shown as a "Bricklayers Labourer". However, he is shown on the 1901 census as an "Ordinary Agricultural Worker".
27	iii.	Louis BOOKER was born in 1871 in Wilmington, Kent. On the 1891 census Louis is shown as a "General Laborer".
28	iv.	Henry (Harry) BOOKER was born in 1874 in Wilmington, Kent. On the 1891 census Henry (or Harry) is shown as a "General Laborer".
29	v.	Albert BOOKER was born in 1876 in Wilmington, Kent. On the 1891 census Albert is shown as a "Gardeners Boy, Domestic".