Arthur and alice evans

Subject Names :  Arthur Evans      (b 1848 – d 1932)                  
                              Alice Evans         (b 1857 – d 1882) 

Researcher :        Jean Libaert

GUILDFORD WORKHOUSE LABOUR MASTER AND SUPERINTENDENT OF FEMALE VAGRANTS 1878 – 1882

Arthur and Alice Evans were appointed as a young newly-wed couple with no children to the joint posts of Labour Master and Mistress at the Guildford Union Workhouse in 1878.  They had 3 children there.  When Alice died of typhoid in 1882, and despite the Master of the Workhouse being happy with their work, Arthur and his children were forced to leave because of the rules of the time.

Family Background

Arthur EVANS was born on 19 December 1848 [i] at Winter Hill in Worplesdon.  He was baptised on 14 January 1849 [ii] at St John the Evangelist in Merrow, the second child of Benjamin and Rose. His father was a labourer, living in Worplesdon. He is shown with his parents and 4 half-siblings (John, Phoebe, William and Ann) and his 2 full-siblings  (Sarah and Edward) in the 1851 census [iii] .

Benjamin Evans and Rose née Lambert had married on 23 August 1846 [iv] at St James Church, Shere.  Their marriage certificate stated that Rose was a widow. Her first marriage to George Rose had produced 5 children in Send & Ripley. Benjamin and Rose had 7 children, including Arthur.  So Rose with her two husbands had 12 children.

Arthur grew up in Guildford with his parents and siblings. On the 1861 census [v], he is living at 8 Milkhouse Gate, Guildford and his occupation was a ‘labourer boy’. In the same household was his half-brother William and his half-sister Ann as well as his five younger siblings. On the 1871 census [vi], age 22, he was living at 135 Chertsey Street with his parents, again his five younger siblings and Elizabeth, their granddaughter.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Ann Rose, Arthur’s half-sister and Edward Owen (married in Oct 1863 [vii]).  His father, Benjamin died, aged 62, in September 1875 [viii], followed by his mother Rose, aged 61, in November 1876 [ix] just after Arthur’s marriage.

26-year-old Arthur, a labourer, had married 19-year-old Alice Blake at Stoke next Guildford, on 14 October 1876 [x].  Arthur ‘made his mark’ indicating he could not write, but Alice did sign.

Alice was born in early 1857 [xi] in West Horsley, Surrey, and baptised on 1 February 1857 [xii] at Stoke next Guildford.  She was the daughter of James Blake and Elizabeth Cole, who had married on 12 Oct 1842 [xiii] in West Clandon, Surrey. She too came from a large family of 12, growing up in Guildford. The 1861 census [xiv] showed her living at Warren Farm cottages with her parents and siblings.  In 1871 [xv] she was a general servant for a pork butcher situated in 32 High Street, Guildford.

Arthur and Alice start work at the Guildford Union Workhouse

In January 1878 [xvi], the Labour Master and Mistress of the Guildford Union workhouse, George Beagley and his wife Elizabeth resigned from their posts of Labour Master and Labour Mistress. The Board of Guardians “… resolved that their resignation be accepted and the matter was referred to the House Visiting Committee to take what steps they think necessary with the view of filling the vacancy”.

Arthur and Alice applied for the roles and on the 9^th February 1878 [xvii] the Board of Guardians recommended their appointment: “The House Visiting Committee recommended that Arthur Evans and Alice his wife should be appointed Labour Master and Mistress in the room of Mr & Mrs Beagley resigned.  When it was resolved that they be appointed all the wages of 18/- per week with lodgings coals gas milk and vegetables”

Their appointment was not without controversy, as the posts had not been advertised, and objections were raised as to the way it had been handled. However, on 9 March 1878 [xviii], their positions were confirmed by the Local Government Board, who oversaw staff appointments made by all Boards of Guardians.

It’s not known exactly what qualifications Arthur and Alice needed, but they would have been expected to be married, without children [xix].

It seems unusual that Arthur and Alice were appointed to the positions of Labour Master and Labour Mistress as a newly-married young couple, likely to have children, but that was clearly overlooked by the Guildford Board of Guardians at the time.    

Literacy was also clearly not a concern, as Arthur had not been able to sign his name on his marriage certificate.  It would have been the Workhouse Porter who would have the job of officially registering new arrivals.

By the April 1881 census [xx], “Superintendent of Labour” Arthur and “Superintendent of Female Vagrants (Nurse)” Alice had two dependents   Two-year-old Alice Elizabeth and a baby Emma Jane.  In 1882, during their tenure, a third child, Benjamin was born.

As Alice was mentioned also as a ‘nurse’ on the Census, perhaps she helped out in the Workhouse Infirmary or Lying-In ward.

The Roles

The 1834 Poor Law Act stated that all able-bodied bodied inmates were expected to work for their keep.

As Labour Master and Labour Mistress at the Guildford Union Workhouse, Arthur and Alice’s duties would have been to supervise the able-bodied inmates, and casuals, in their given tasks, such as oakum picking (breaking down old rope), stone breaking or wood chopping for the men, and oakum picking, domestic tasks, including laundry, for the women.

As ‘Superintendent of Female Vagrants’, Alice would have overseen the bathing of the female vagrants (tramps and casual stays) and fumigation of their clothes on their admittance to the workhouse. 

Alice succumbs to Typhoid, Arthur forced to leave his job

After some 4 ¾ years at the Workhouse, Alice died aged 25 and was buried 13 September 1882 [xxi] at the St John the Evangelist, Stoke next Guildford.  Her death certificate showed that she died of typhoid fever at Royal Surrey County Hospital [xxii].

This resulted in Arthur having to leave his position at the Guildford Union Workhouse.  The Master of the Workhouse, Richard Davis commented that Alice’s “loss was to be regretted in more ways than one”, as the Local Government Board regulations also meant that as Arthur was no longer married with a wife able to “attend to the female tramps”, he would have to leave, having been “a good servant to the Board”.

Arthur and Alice’s successors were appointed on 30 September 1882 [xxiii], so little consideration seems to have been given to the plight of Arthur and his 3 young children being evicted at short notice.  “LABOUR MASTER & LABOUR MISTRESS; John PLANK and Sarah Ann his wife this day appointed as Labour Master and Labour Mistress on the same terms as Arthur Evans and his wife were appointed”.

Arthur’s life after the Workhouse

No definitive record can be found as to where Arthur and his children went when he left the workhouse in 1882.  Arthur’s parents were deceased but the 1881 census [xxiv] shows that Alice’s parents, James and Alice Blake were still living, now with 6 children aged between 15 and 26 years at Warren Farm Cottages, Stoke next Guildford, where Arthur’s deceased wife Alice had spent her childhood. James Blake, Alice’s father, had died in May 1881 [xxv], but it is still possible that Arthur and his children went to live with his mother-in-law.  Warren Farm was a working farm at that time (part of the Earl of Onslow’s Estate [xxvi]) and so Arthur may have found work there.

Just three years later, Arthur married again, in late summer 1885 in Guildford [xxvii]. His second wife was Mary Weller, born in 1846 in Worth, Sussex [xxviii].  According to the 1891 census [xxix] Arthur, Mary, and Arthur’s three children were living at 342 Worplesdon Road, Stoke Next Guildford.  Arthur was working as a ‘general labourer’. 

Ten years later in 1901 [xxx], Arthur was working as a labourer in a timber yard, living at 38 Acacia Road, Stoke Next Guildford, with wife Mary and youngest child Benjamin, a carpenter’s apprentice.  Arthur and Mary had no children of their own. Mary died aged 59 in Autumn 1905, after 20 years of marriage.

Two years after that Arthur married for a third time, on 14 December 1907 [xxxi], at St John the Evangelist, Stoke next Guildford.  His new wife was Amelia Elizabeth Pinn, born in 1874 in East Ham [xxxii].  Amelia was aged 33 and Arthur 57.  They went on to have two children, Alan Leonard in 1909 and Arthur John in 1911.  Arthur was still a labourer in a timber yard, but by the 1911 census [xxxiii] the family had moved to the Bellfields area of Guildford.

The 1921[xxxiv] census recorded the family at 14 Avenue Terrace, Woodbridge, still in Guildford, with Arthur working just a short distance away as a labourer for Sutton Company Timber Merchants in Woodbridge Road.

Arthur died at 14 Avenue Terrace, in January 1932, aged 83 [xxxv].  His death certificate recorded that he died of cardiac failure, bronchitis, and old age. His death was witnessed by Amelia. 

Amelia was relatively young, aged 54, on Arthur’s death.  She moved to Bolton, Lancashire, where she died in February 1946 [xxxvi].

October 2024

References

Note: all references  are from Ancestry.co.uk unless otherwise stated

[i] Arthur Evans birth: 1849 Q1, Guildford, Vol. 4, Pg 219 (GRO)
[ii] Arthur Evans baptism: Surrey, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1921, St John the Evangelist, Merrow, Surrey
[iii] Arthur Evans 1851 England census, Stoke next Guildford, Class: HO107; Piece: 1594; Folio: 418; Page: 39
[iv]Benjamin and Rose Evans marriage: Surrey, England, Church of England Marriage and Banns 1754-1937, Shere, Surrey, St James.[v] Arthur Evans 1861 England census: Guildford Holy Trinity, Guildford, Class: Rg 9; Piece: 428; Folio: 62; Page: 15.
[vi] Arthur Evans 1871 England census: Guildford Holy Trinity, 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 812; Folio: 88; Page: 28
[vii] Ann Rose and Edward Owen marriage: Surrey, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937, Stoke next Guildford, Surrey
[viii] Benjamin Evans death: England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index 1837-1915, Guildford, Surrey, Vol 2a, Page 30
[ix] Rose Evans death: England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index 1837-1915, Guildford, Surrey, Vol 2a, Page 42
[x] Alice Blake and Arthur Evans marriage: Surrey, England, Church of England Marriage and Banns 1754-1937, Stoke Next Guildford, Surrey, Parish Church
[xi] Alice Blake’s birth: England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915, Guildford, Surrey, Vol 2a, Page 47
[xii] Alice Blake baptism: England Select Births and Baptisms, 1538-1975, Stoke Next Guildford, Surrey
[xiii] James Blake and Elizabeth Cole marriage: Surrey, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937, West Clandon, Saint Thomas of Canterbury Parish Church, Surrey, England
[xiv] Alice Blake 1861 England Census; Stoke Next Guildford, Guildford, Class: Rg 9; Piece: 427; Folio: 5; Page: 1
[xv] Alice Blake 1871 England Census; Stoke, Guildford, Surrey, Class: RG10; Piece: 812; Folio: 32; Page: 7
[xvi] Minutes of the Board of Guardians, Guildford Union Workhouse, Book BG6/11/20 Page 177
[xvii] Minutes of the Board of Guardians, Guildford Union Workhouse, Book BG6/11/19 Page 182
[xviii] Minutes of the Board of Guardians, Guildford Union Workhouse, Book BG6/11/19 Page 193
[xix] Surrey Advertiser & County Times 13 June 1885 FindMyPast/British Newspaper Archive
[xx] Arthur Evans and Alice Evans 1881 England census, Guildford Union Workhouse: RG11; Piece: 778; Folio: 90; Page: 1
[xxi] Alice Evans death: England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index 1837-1915, Guildford, Surrey, Vol. 2a, Page 44
[xxii] Surrey Advertiser & County Times 18 Sep 1882 FindMyPast/British Newspaper Archive
[xxiii] Minutes of the Board of Guardians, Guildford Union Workhouse, Book BG6/11/20 Page 341
[xxiv] Alice Blake 1881 England Census, Stoke next Guildford, Class: RG11; Piece: 776; Folio: 4; Page: 2
[xxv] James Blake death: England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915, Guildford, Vol 2a, Page 49
[xxvi] Warren Farm, Guildford, The National Archives
[xxvii] Mary Weller and Arthur Evans marriage: Surrey, England, Church of England Marriage and Banns 1754-1937, Stoke Next Guildford, Surrey, St John the Evangelist
[xxviii] Mary Weller birth: England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915, Brighton, Sussex, Vol 7, Page 290
[xxix] Arthur and Mary Evans 1891 England census, Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Stoke, Surrey, England, Class: RG12; Piece: 559; Folio: 47; Page: 56
[xxx] Arthur and Mary Evans 1901 England census, Stoke next Guildford, Class: RG13; Piece: 602; Folio: 69; Page: 23
[xxxi] Amelia E Pinn and Arthur Evans marriage: Surrey, England, Church of England Marriage and Banns 1754-1937, Stoke Next Guildford, Surrey, St John the Evangelist
[xxxii] Amelia Elizabeth Pinn birth: England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915, Ham, Essex, Vol 4a, Page 77
[xxxiii] Arthur and Amelia Evans 1911 England Census, Guildford, Surrey, Reg. District 33, ED14, Piece 3080
[xxxiv] Arthur and Amelia Evans 1921 England census, Guildford, Surrey FindMyPast.co.uk
[xxxv] Arthur Evans death: England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index 1837-1915, Croydon, Vol 2a, Page 213
[xxxvi] Amelia E Evans death: England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index 1837-1915, Bolton, Lancashire, Vol 3c Page 380