Edward and Ada Meredith 1911 Census

May 27, 2009, Tim Sunter, 1911, Ada Keziah Meredith (Hill), Edward Meredith, Gertrude Witts (Meredith), Jennifer Sunter, Winnie Meredith, , 0

Why was Jennifer not called Susan? What connection has the family got have with the Vaudeville and Music Hall? And how old was Auntie Gertie/Trudy? Read on and all will be revealed…

The last published census in the UK is 1911. A quick search reveals Fred’s parents, Edward and Ada Keziah were living in Cecil Street , Stourbridge. But is a surprise.

On the night of the census three young females, all in their twenties were lodging with the family. Here is the entry:

• Edward Meredith, Head, Married 8 years, M, 34, Drayman, Staffordshire, Brierley Hill
  
• Ada Meredith, Wife, Married, F, 34, Worcestershire Hagley
• Edward Meredith, Son, M, 4, Worcestershire Stourbridge
• Gertrude Meredith, daughter, F, 1, Worcestershire Stourbridge
• Marguerite Mackenzie, visitor, single, F, 23, Singer, Edinburgh
• Florence Fookes, Visitor, Single, F, 22, Singer, London
• Cameron, Norah, Visitor, Single, F, 22, Singer, Scotland Pinger

But when I showed Fred the entry she was not surprised at all.

“My mother took in performers from the Vaudeville and Music Hall in Stourbridge – where the Odeon used to be” she said. The she seized on another bit of information that revealed the solution to a lifelong mystery.

“Ah Trudy must have been born in 1910, she would never tell me when she was born and I was never quite sure how old she was.”

The family are living at living at 3 Bath Cottage, Cecil Street. As Fred pointed out this was what to become 6 Cecil Street (1,2,3 Cecil Street renumbered 2,4,6 )where Jennifer was born. Fred and Lofty thought about naming her ‘Susan’, but then thought that having and name and address of “Susan Sunter, 6 Cecil Street, Stourbridge” might be taking alliteration a little too far. So Jennifer was chosen an alternative(after Auntie Jenny, Lofty’s sister?).

I remember Auntie Trudy really well. She went on and married Jack Witts and had Martin and Margaret.

Fred was surprised that I remember Uncle Edward (4 at the time of the census). I do remember going with Fred and Lofty to visit him in hospital one summers day. He was later to die of TB.

Edward married Winnie and lived in Bedworth. Winnie was a doting aunt and come to think, wasn’t Winnie who we got Lassie, the family pet from?
 

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