Genealogy Chat

Can anyone help me find out the details of a house in which my ancestors lived? I have a photo of it (sadly it was demolished in 1970s) but do not know how to find out anything of its previous occupants in the census records prior to their occupancy in the 1930s. Can one look in the census if one only has the address? :-S

You can usually find an address. I could look on the 1911 census if the house was around then.

Kath. x

Hi Kath,

The house looks mid 1800 or perhaps a little later. One potential problem is that I only knew it by the name of Hempstead (this was the name of the dairy business my grandfather ran from there). It was on Whitehall Road, at the corner with Whitehall Lane in Woodford Wells, Essex; it was one of a pair of houses.
If you could find out anything, I would be very grateful.

Jo :-)

Jo, did your grandfather/mother live there when they died? Just wondering if death cert or a probate record might give full address? if you post the names I can take a look for you if you want.

A mention below...

Chris :)

07 June 1907 - Chelmsford Chronicle - Chelmsford, Essex, England

Epping.
Samuel Johnson, Hempstead House, Woodford Wells, was summoned for driving a motorcar at night without having rear light thereon...


12 January 1901 - Barking, East Ham & Ilford Advertiser, Upton Park and

SERVANTS WANTED
GENERAL, good ; plain cook ; two in family; boy kept, - Hempstead House, Whitehall Lane, Woodford Wells.


(a search on 1911 Summary Books (Ancestry) not occupied)


http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/getpage.aspx?id=35

(would think more held in Essex Record Office)

? on image not actually at number 1

Miller Household (6 People)
1 Hampstead Farm Whitehall Road , Wanstead and Woodford M.B., Essex, England


FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER
Charles S Miller 18 Apr 1905 Male Dairyman & Pig Breeder (Pro) Married 17 1
Lilian F Miller 16 Aug 1904 Female Unpaid Domestic Married 17 2
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Frederick W Whiston 20 Jan 1900 Male Glass Woods Engineer Tool Garge ? Married 17 4
Daisy Whiston 24 Apr 1907 Female Unpaid Domestic Married 17 5
Brenda J Shepherd (Whiston) 08 Jan 1936 Female Under School Age Single 17 6

I have a book on Woodford but unfortunatley my aunt has it at the moment. I used to go to Woodford Wells with mum shopping sometimes back in the 1960.

My gt gran lived in a cottage there but they pulled those down and built flats there.

Thank you for those replies :-)
My grandfather didn't die there; he moved out to a smaller house and left the business in the hands of his sons so no probate, death certificate help there.

I note that there was a mistake by the enumerator in the spelling of the house; it was known as Hempstead Farm Dairy on the board above the front gate during the late 1930s and through WW11; I have a photo of that. They also had a shop in the High Road, Woodford Green (where the bookshop is now) and another branch in Hackney. (Mel - I would be interested to know the title of the book on Woodford to see if I may be able to source a copy for myself).

I will check if I can open that closed record that was mentioned.

I really want to establish when it was that they moved to Hempstead House and who lived there before them (it would also round off the story if I could find out when it was built)

Thank you for your help and interest,
Jo

You could use historical ER to back-track the address to find the occupants names. Before 1918, its likely that only the male electorate names will be shown.
If you ask at a local library, they could probably tell you where they are held

I hadn't thought about ER, I will try that thank you. :-)

A large library or archive local to the address may hold maps, which should show when various houses start to feature.

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Hempstead House, Whitehall Road, Woodford St Mary, West Ham, London & Essex, England


Samuel H Johnston Head Married Male 24 1877 Engineer Cheml ?chel Forest Gate, Essex, England

Lillian Johnston Wife Married Female 23 1878 - Ealing, Middlesex, England

Victorine Johnston Servant Single Female 35 1866 Cook Domest France

Christina Ridley Servant Single Female 14 1887 Housemaid Domest Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England

Samuel Johnston (see also the newspaper report posted above by Chris) in 1901, at Hempstead House, which is listed on Whitehall Road (not Lane):

Saml H Johnson
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Saml H Johnson
Age: 24
Estimated birth year: abt 1877
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Spouse: Lillian Johnson
Birth Place: Sx, Forest Gate
Civil Parish: Woodford
Ecclesiastical parish: All Saints
County/Island: Essex
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Education:
Employment status:
View image
Registration district: West Ham
Sub-registration district: Walthamstow
ED, institution, or vessel: 79
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 1635
Folio: 70
Page Number: 35
Household schedule number: 190
Household Members:
Name Age
Saml H Johnson 24 - chemical engineer
Lillian Johnson 23
Victorine Johnson 35
Christina Ridley 14


Having scoured the 1891 census, I don't see any mention of any house name including the word Hempstead on either Whitehall Road or Lane.

EDIT:
Snap, Choccy! You posted while I was still looking at 1891!

British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920

Name: Thomas Henry Ridley

Gender: Male

Birth Date: abt 1888

Enlistment Age: 28

Document Year: 1916

Residence Place: Hempstead House Whitehall Rd, Woodford Essex

Regimental Number: 5149

Regiment Name: Durham Light Infantry

Number of Images: 5

Wow, thank you for the information, it is all very useful????Jo