albert freelove

Subject :            Albert Freelove (b 1869 – d 1955)

Researcher :      Mike Brock

 

Guildford Union Workhouse orphan makes career as a tailor

Albert Freelove was born illegitimate and orphaned at the age of 2, but his time in the Guildford Union Workhouse saw him learn to be a tailor, going on to make a full-time career in the business as well as successfully raising a family in Handsworth, near Birmingham.

George Albert Freelove, to give him his full name, was born on 23rd April 1869 in ‘Pislake’ (now Peaslake), Shere, Surrey, the illegitimate son of Eliza Freelove 1.  No father was named on his birth certificate.  Eliza, aged 19, was the youngest of seven children of labourer John Freelove, and his wife Sarah 2.  No record has been found of Eliza having had an occupation, but this may have been because at this time she was caring for her mother Sarah who passed away a few months later in early 1870 from ‘apoplexy’ aged 64 3. 

The following year, in April 1871 the Census showed one-year-old Albert, as he came to be known, and his mother Eliza, living in Pislake with Albert’s widowed grandfather John Freelove and another of John’s grandsons 4.  Eliza was the ‘housekeeper’. 

Eliza was pregnant again at the time of that Census, but just two months later, she died in June 1871 after losing her unborn child and then suffering from complications 5.  Eliza was just 21, leaving 2-year-old Albert as an orphan. The Guildford Union paid for her medical expenses and coffin 6.

There are no records to show if Albert remained in the care of his grandfather, but John too passed away in February 1879 7.  The likelihood is that Albert was already in the Guildford Union Workhouse, where he was an inmate and a scholar when the 1881 Census was taken, just a couple of weeks before his 12th birthday 8.

As well as learning the basics in the Workhouse school, Albert would’ve been taught practical skills to help him find employment when he left the Workhouse.  Tailoring was one such subject, with the Board of Guardians having employed a tailor, William Cheney, from about 1847 until his retirement in 1883 9. 

Albert appeared to have learnt well from William Cheney and probably his successor, as the 1891 Census showed Albert to be a tailor, lodging in Eton, Buckinghamshire 10.  Although just 21, he was clearly well respected in his job as he was a member of the Windsor and Eton Tailors’ cricket team. However, a scorecard showed him being caught for a duck in a match against Cippenham, so hopefully his tailoring was of a somewhat better quality than his cricketing skills! 11

Albert moved to Handsworth just to the north-west of Birmingham where he met Liverpool-born dressmaker Sarah Jane Daniel.  They had their first child Albert Daniel there in September 1899, and although the birth certificate indicated Albert and Sarah Jane were married, this did not happen until the following year 12, 13.  The birth certificate also showed that Albert was a ‘tailor journeyman’, a title that originated from the French word for day, ‘jour’, meaning that he was paid on a day-by-day basis 14.

The 1901 Census showed 31-year-old Albert, Sarah Jane, 24, and their son, living with Sarah Jane’s widowed mother Jane in Douglas Road, Handsworth, along with Sarah Jane’s five younger siblings 15.

By the time of the 1911 Census, Albert and Sarah Jane were in a five-roomed property at the back of 97 Booth Street, Handsworth, where they would spend the rest of their lives 16.  They now had three more siblings for 11-year-old Albert – Sidney Leonard (6), Dorothy Jane (4) and Walter William Lloyd (1).  Walter William, though, passed away shortly after the 1911 Census, the family’s second loss as son Norman Owen had lived for only a short time in 1908 17, 18.  One more daughter, Marjorie Ella, was born in 1913, the year before the outbreak of World War 1 19. 

Albert and Sarah Jane’s first son Albert Daniel was a month short of his 17th birthday when he enlisted in July 1917 with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment 20.  Despite his young age, his civilian occupation had been a motor driver for WH Smith.  In April 1918, Albert transferred to the 5th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers and was sent to France in August.  Less than a month later, he suffered a gunshot wound to his right elbow and was returned to England for treatment.  Fortunately, the wound healed well and with the Armistice called in November, Albert was discharged from the Army in February 1919.  He returned to work for WH Smith 21.

Later that year, Sarah Jane and Albert’s seventh and final child, Horace George, was born 22. 

20 years on, the 1939 Register showed 70-year-old Albert, Sarah Jane, 62, and their youngest son Horace, 20, at Booth Street 23.   Once again, with the outbreak of World War 2, Albert and Sarah Jane had to endure a son of theirs going overseas, with Horace serving in the Royal Army Service Corps in Burma 24.  He came through the conflict, being released from duty in March 1946 and awarded the Burma Star Medal.

Albert and Sarah Jane, after almost 55 years of marriage and 45 years living in Booth Street, were finally separated when Albert passed away at home on 4th February 1955, aged 85 25.  Sarah Jane died 10 years later aged 87, at ‘back 97’ Booth Street 26, 27.

April 2025

Footnote:  Albert’s aunt Emma Freelove (1835-1918) was also in the Guildford Union Workhouse in the 1881 census.  

Spike Lives is a Heritage project that chronicles the lives of inmates, staff and the Board of Guardians of the Guildford Union Workhouse at the time of the 1881 Census.  The Spike Heritage Museum in Guildford offers guided tours which present a unique opportunity to discover what life was like in the Casual/Vagrant ward of a Workhouse. More information can be found here

References

Note : the source is Ancestry.co.uk unless otherwise noted. Spellings are as per original documents

  1. George Albert Freelove 23 Apr 1869 birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 2A; page 54 Digital copy of certificate from Government Register Office GRO.gov.uk
  2. Emma Frelove 1 Mar 1835 Baptism
    William Frelove 17 Jul 1836 Baptism
    Ann Frelove 21 Oct 1838 Baptism
    Surrey History Centre, Woking; Surrey Church of England Parish Registers; Shere, St James; Reference SHER/4/2
    Hannah Freelove 1841 Jul-Aug-Sep Birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 4; page 148; mother Allen
    James Freelove 1843 Oct-Nov-Dec Birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 4; page 155; mother Ellen
    Ellen Freelove 1847 Apr-May-Jun Birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 4; page 163; mother Allen
    Eliza Freelove 1850 Jan-Feb-Mar Birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 4; page 192; mother Allen
  3. Sarah Freelove 26 Jan 1870 Death England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 4; page 192 Digital copy of certificate from Government Register Office GRO.gov.uk
    Sarah Freelove 31 Jan 1870 burial Surrey History Centre, Woking; Surrey Church of England Parish Registers; Shere, St James; Reference SHER/5/2
  4. John, Eliza, William, Albert Freelove 1871 England Census for Pislake, Shere, Surrey; Class RG10; Piece 810; Folio 70; page 33
  5. Eliza Freelove 10 Jun 1871 death England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index; Guildford, Surrey; vol 2A; page 35 Digital copy of certificate from Government Register Office GRO.gov.uk
  6. Eliza Freelove 1871 Michaelmas (half year ending 29 September 1871) Guildford Union Poor Law Half-Yearly Accounts 1864-71; ref SHC BG6/33/1 Available at Surrey History Centre, Woking SurreyCC.gov.uk
  7. John Freelove 25 Feb 1879 burial Surrey History Centre, Woking; Surrey Church of England Parish Registers; Shere, St James; Reference SHER/5/2
  8. Albert Freelove 1881 England Census for Guildford Union Workhouse, Stoke next Guildford, Surrey; Class RG11; Piece 778; Folio 93; page 7
  9. Board of Guardians 14 Apr 1883 West Surrey Times, page 8 British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk (to advertise for tailor/industrial trainer)
    Guildford Union Appointment of a Tailor as Caretaker of the Boys 21 Dec 1883 Surrey Times, page 1 British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
  10. Albert G Freelove 1881 England Census for 13 Eton Square, Eton, Buckinghamshire; Class RG12; Piece 1134; Folio 51; page 27
  11. Windsor and Eton Tailors v Cippenham 17 Aug 1892 Maidenhead Advertiser, page 3 British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
  12. Albert Daniel Freelove 4 Sep 1899 birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Birmingham; vol 6D; page 167 Digital copy of certificate from Government Register Office GRO.gov.uk
  13. Albert George Freelove & Sarah Jane Daniel Apr-May-Jun 1900 marriage England & Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index; Birmingham; vol 6D; page 338
  14. Journeyman Wikipedia.org
  15. Jane, May, Ella, Norman, Edith, Gladys Daniel; Albert, Cissy (Sarah), Albert D Freelove 1901 England Census for 104 Douglas Rd, Handsworth, Staffordshire; Class RG13; Piece 2711; Folio 48; pages 42&43
  16. Albert George, Sarah Jane, Albert Daniel, Sidney Leonard, Dorothy Jane, Walter William Lloyd Freelove 1911 England Census for Bk 97 Booth Street, Handsworth, Staffordshire; Class RG14; Piece 17212; schedule 72
  17. Walter William Lloyd Freelove Apr-May-Jun 1911 birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; West Bromwich; vol 6B; page 396
  18. Norman Owen Freelove Apr-May-Jun 1908 birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; West Bromwich; vol 6B; page 863
    Norman Owen Freelove Jul-Aug-Sep 1908 death England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index; West Bromwich; vol 6B; page 389
  19. Marjorie Ella Freelove Apr-May-Jun 1913 birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; West Bromwich; vol 6B; page 1584
  20. Albert Daniel Freelove 31 Jul 1917 enlisted, 28 Feb 1919 demobilised The National Archives, London; British Army First World War Service Records; War Office ref WO363
  21. Albert Daniel Freelove 1921 England Census for 59 Victoria Rd, Aston, Warwickshire; Class RG15; Piece 14365; ED22, schedule 288; book 14365
  22. Horace George Freelove Apr-May-Jun 1919 birth England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Birmingham; vol 6D; page 383
  23. Albert G, Sarah J, Horace G Freelove 1939 England & Wales Register for 95 Booth St, Birmingham; Class RG101; Piece 5625A; ED QCFK, schedule 196
  24. Horace George Freelove 6 Mar 1946 discharge The National Archives, London; British Army World War II Medal Cards; War Office ref WO460/194
  25. Albert George Freelove 4 Feb 1955 death England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index; Birmingham; vol 9C; page 39 Digital copy of certificate from Government Register Office GRO.gov.uk
  26. Sarah Jane Freelove Apr-May-Jun 1965 death England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index; Birmingham; vol 9C; page 175
  27. Sarah J, Dorothy J Freelove 1965 Electoral Roll for back 97 Booth Street, Parliamentary Constituency Birmingham All Saints; Soho Ward; Midlands Historical Data, Solihull; Midlands Electoral Rolls; ref M0657