Person:Elizabeth Kempson (1)

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Childhood

Elizabeth Kempson was born on 10th October 1873 at Park Lane in Luton, daughter of a plait bleacher and bricklayer named James Kempson and his wife Sarah Ann Smith. The family's surname was occasionally given as Kempster rather than Kempson, with Elizabeth's birth certificate being one such instance. Elizabeth was one of 12 children, although by the time of the 1911 census her mother Sarah reported that five of the twelve children had died.

Elizabeth's early childhood was spent at Park Lane (or Park Place), a narrow lane off Park Square, part of the original staggered crossroads at the centre of Luton. The town's market was held immediately west of Park Square on Market Hill, whilst the parish church of St Mary's was immediately east of Park Square on Church Street.

By the 1891 census the family had moved to the Park Town area, a Victorian suburb of modest terraced houses to the south of the town centre, where they were living at 48 Chobham Street. However, Elizabeth's father James was not at home on census night - he was in St Albans jail. What precisely he had done to be put in jail on that particular occasion is unclear, but he was many times convicted of poaching and related offences. Elizabeth was described in the 1891 census as a straw hat sewer.

Adulthood

Elizabeth and John on their Golden Wedding in 1944

John and Elizabeth had five children together. Their three elder sons are all believed to have served in the army during the First World War. Elizabeth's eldest son, Ralph, was killed in action in 1917, dying in France of wounds received at the Battle of Arras. Elizabeth's mother died just after the war in 1919.

Elizabeth's surviving four children were all married between 1919 and 1933, and she had five grandchildren born between 1920 and 1938. At the outbreak of the Second World War Elizabeth and John were recorded still living at 44 Cambridge Street.

Elizabeth at her daughter Cissie's house, c.1960

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   1873. BIRTH in the Sub-district of Luton in the Counties of Beds and Herts
   No.482
   When and where born: Tenth October 1873, Park Lane, Luton, Beds
   Name: Elizabeth
   Sex: Girl
   Name and surname of father: James Kempster
   Name, surname and maiden surname of mother: Sarah Ann Kempster formerly Smith
   Occupation of father: Hat Blocker
   Signature, description and residence of informant: X the mark of Sarah Ann Kempster, Mother, Park Lane, Luton, Beds
   When registered: Twenty Second October 1873
   Signature of Registrar: Charles Maffin, Registrar

   
2. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1651; Folio 4; Page 2, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Park Place, Luton, Bedfordshire
   James Kempson, head, married, male, 32 [1848/9], Bleacher plait, b. Chalk Hill, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Kempson, wife, married, female, 33 [1847/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Kempson, son, unmarried, male, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Kempson, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Clara Kempson, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ernest Kempson, son, male, 4 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Agnes Kempson, daughter, female, 1 [1879/80], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

3. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1273; Folio 69; Page 13, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 48 Chobham Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Sarah Kempson, head, married, female, 42 [1848/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Fred Kempson, son, single, male, 19 [1871/2], Straw Hat Packer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Kempson, sister, single, female, 17 [1873/4], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Clara Kempson, daugher, female, 15 [1875/6], Straw Hat Finisher, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Earnest Kempson, son, male, 14 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Agnes Kempson, daughter, female, 11 [1879/80], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Bertie Kempson, son, male, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Minnie Kempson, daughter, female, 7 [1883/4], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Maud Kempson, daughter, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1516; Folio 119; Page 3, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 33 Albert Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   John Marshall, head, married, male, 30 [1870/1], Bricklayer, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Marshall, wife, married, female, 27 [1873/4], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ralph Marshall, son, single, male, 6 [1894/5], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Stanley George Marshall, son, single, male, 4 [1896/7], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Stewart John Marshall, son, single, male, 2 [1898/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Agnes Kempson, visitor, single, female, 21 [1879/80], Straw hat finisher, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 8995; Schedule 230, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 44 Cambridge Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 rooms occupied
   John Marshall, head, male, 40 [1870/1], married 17 years, 5 children born alive, 5 still living, Straw Trade Blocker, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Marshall, wife, female, 38 [1872/3], married, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ralph Marshall, son, male, 16 [1894/5], single, Straw Trade Clerk, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Stanley Marshall, son, male, 14 [1896/7], single, Foundry, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Stuart Marshall, son, male, 12 [1898/9], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Cissie Marshall, daugher, female, 9 [1901/2], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Marshall, son, male, 6 [1904/5], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Luton Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 44 Cambridge Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Marshall, John / male / 8 Sep 1870 / married / Felt steamer Hats
   Marshall, Elizabeth / female / 10 Oct 1873 / married / unpaid domestic duties

7. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT Luton
   1961 DEATH in the Sub-district of Luton in the County of Bedford
   No. 413
   When and where died: Seventeenth January 1961, 34 Rutland Crescent, Luton
   Name: Elizabeth MARSHALL
   Sex: Female
   Age: 87 years [1873/4]
   Occupation: Widow of John Marshall, Hat Blocker
   Cause of death: Ia. Bronchial Pneumonia, c. Acute Bronchitis, II. Senility, Certified by R.F. MacLatchy M.D.
   Informant: E.C. Mead, Daughter, Present at the death, 34 Rutland Crescent, Luton
   When registrered: Seventeenth January 1961
   Registrar: R.H. Pawson, Registrar

   
8. ↑ The 1903 Kelly's Directory lists J. Marshall at 44 Cambridge Street.
9. ↑ Elizabeth Marshall is listed at 44 Cambridge Street in the electoral rolls for each year up to and including 1959, but a different family is at that address in 1960.