Person:Rosa Godsmark (1)

Crawley

Rosa Godsmark was born on 5th December 1869 in the small town of Crawley in Sussex. She was the fourth of ten children of a bricklayer named George Godsmark and his wife Susan Bryant. However, the eldest two children had both died young before Rosa was born, such that Rosa was the second eldest of the children who lived. Rosa grew up in Crawley, which was also where her father was from. She will have known her paternal grandparents well, as they lived nearby. Rosa's paternal grandmother, Elizabeth, died when Rosa was nearly 13, whilst her paternal grandfather, Richard, died when Rosa was 20. By contrast, her maternal grandparents lived nearly 80 miles to the north at Hinxworth in Hertfordshire - with the entire rapidly growing metropolis of London in between. Despite the distance, the family clearly remainded in touch with the Bryants in Hinxworth; Rosa had a younger brother who was born at about the same time that their maternal grandfather, Thomas Bryant, died up in Hinxworth - and the boy was named Thomas Bryant Godsmark.

In the 1881 census Rosa and her family were living at New Town in the parish of Ifield, although New Town was effectively a western suburb of Crawley, which was outgrowing its ancient parish boundaries at the time into the eastern part of the neighbouring parish of Ifield.

London

Rosa as a young woman.

The following year, aged 22, Rosa was married to Walter Edmund Savage, who worked as a chemical packer. He had also been living in the Islington area, appearing in the 1891 census living with his widowed mother and siblings at 31 Rupert Road, which is the address that both Rosa and Walter gave on their marriage certificate. However, it is worth noting that Walter’s mother was also originally from Crawley – in the 1871 census Walter’s aunt had been living next door to Rosa’s family in Crawley, so they may well have known each other before moving to London. They married at All Saints Church in the Tufnell Park area of Islington on 1st August 1892.

Rosa's signature from her marriage.

The couple initially stayed in Islington, where their first three children were born between 1893 and 1896, before moving a little further north to Tottenham, where they had another two children in 1900 and 1903, although all five of these children were baptised at All Saints, Tufnell Park, where they had married. In Tottenham, they lived in three rooms at 24 Hartham Road. In 1904, their eldest child died, aged 10, after which the family left London.

Dartford

Rosa and Walter, probably early 1920s.

In 1910, Rosa's mother, Susan, died aged 68 down at Ifield.

By the 1911 census the family was living at 195 Fulwich Road, which was described as having five rooms. Rosa reported that the marriage had produced seven children, six of whom were still living - and all six children were at home on census night. The family stayed at 195 Fulwich Road for several years, living there throughout the First World War.

In September 1923, Rosa's father, George, died aged 81 in Crawley. Just two months later, Rosa's husband Walter Edmund also died, aged 55. He died in London, but his funeral service was held back in Dartford.

Rosa outlived Walter Edmund by nearly 30 years. The couple appears to have had at least seven grandchildren born in Dartford (although two died young), all of whom were born after Walter Edmund's death. Rosa also lived to see at least two great grandchildren.

By the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Rosa was living at 17 Marcet Road, Dartford, a 1930s terraced house to the west of the town centre, along with her daughter Rosa Lily. Rosa's daughter Rosa Lily never married and died in 1948, with Rosa administering her daughter's estate.

Rosa lived at 17 Marcet Road for the rest of her life. She died on 10th June 1952, aged 82. She left a will, with her daughter Susan and Susan's husband acting as executors.

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

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT East Grinstead
   1869 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Worth in the County of Sussex
   No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden name of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   478	Fifth December 1869 Crawley	Rosa	Girl	George Godsmark	Susan Godsmark formerly Bryant	Bricklayer Journeyman	S. Godsmark Mother Crawley	Thirteenth December 1869	James Fillery Registrar

   
2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Crawley, Sussex: Parish Registers (West Sussex County Council, Chichester).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Crawley in the County of Sussex in the Year 1870
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   517	1870 Jan[uary] 9	Rosa	George & Susan	Godsmark	Crawley	Laborer	John Soper, Rector

3. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1059; Folio 88; Page 6, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Crawley St[reet], Crawley, Sussex
   George Godsmark, head, married, male, 29 [1841/2], Bricklayer, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Susan Godsmark, wife, married, female, 28 [1842/3], b. Hinxworth, Hertfordshire
   Emma Godsmark, daughter, unmarried, female, 3 [1867/8], b. Crawley, Sussex
   Rosa Godsmark, daughter, unmarried, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Crawley, Sussex

4. ↑ 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 1109; Folio 34; Page 36, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: New Town, Ifield, Sussex
   George Godsmark, head, married, male, 39 [1841/2], Bricklayer, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Susan Godsmark, wife, married, female, 38 [1842/3], b. Hinksworth, Hertfordshire
   Emma Godsmark, daughter, female, 13 [1867/8], General Serv[ant], b. Crawley, Sussex
   Rosa Godsmark, daughter, female, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Susan Godsmark, daughter, female, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Louisa Godsmark, daughter, female, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Crawley, Sussex
   George Godsmark, son, male, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Thomas B. Godsmark, son, male, 1 [1879/80], b. Ifield, Sussex

5. ↑ 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 173; Folio 69; Page 5, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 57 Petherton Rd, Islington, London
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Lucy A. Smith, head, widow, female, 50 [1840/1], Living on own means, b. Bradninch, Devon
   Harriet Dewdney, sister, single, female, 56 [1834/5], Living on own means, b. Bradninch, Devon
   Mary E. Herring, niece, single, female, 30 [1860/1], Governess, b. Canonbury, London
   Elizabeth A. Barton, servant, single, female, 28 [1862/3], Housemaid, b. Lisson Grove, London
   Rosa Godsmark, servant, single, female, 21 [1869/70], Cook, b. Crawley, Sussex

6. ↑ 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 1246; Folio 165; Page 33, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 24 Hartham Road, Tottenham, Middlesex
   3 rooms occupied
   Walter Savage, head, married, male, 33 [1867/8], Packer (Chemists), worker, b. Southampton, Hampshire
   Rosa Savage, wife, married, female, 31 [1869/70], b. Crawley, Sussex
   Walter Savage, son, single, male, 7 [1893/4], b. Tottenham, Middlesex
   Rosa Savage, daughter, single, female, 6 [1894/5], b. Tottenham, Middlesex
   Louisa Savage, daughter, single, female, 4 [1896/7], b. Tottenham, Middlesex
   William Savage, son, single, male, 7mth [1900], b. Tottenham, Middlesex

7. ↑ 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 3771; Schedule 265, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 195 Fulwich Road, Dartford, Kent
   5 rooms occupied
   Walter E. Savage, head, male, 43 [1867/8], married, Packer - Chemical Work, worker, b. Southampton, Hampshire
   Rosa Savage, wife, female, 41 [1869/70], married 18 years, 7 children born, 6 children still living, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Rosa L. Savage, daughter, female, 16 [1894/5], single, Student, b. London, Middlesex
   Louisa M. Savage, daughter, female, 14 [1896/7], Student, b. London, Middlesex
   William R. Savage, son, male, 10 [1900/1], School, b. London, Middlesex
   Alfred E. Savage, son, male, 8 [1902/3], b. London, Middlesex
   Susan P. Savage, daughter, female, 6 [1904/5], b. Dartford, Kent
   Walter Savage, son, male, 4 [1906/7], b. Dartford, Kent

8. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Dartford Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 17 Marcet Road, Dartford, Kent
   Savage, Rosa / female / 5 Dec 1868 / widow / Unpaid domestic duties
   Savage, Rosa L. / female / 26 Sep 1894 / single / Clerk General
   Drewet[?] George J. / male / 29 May 1902 / married / Electric Crane Driver

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Rosa SAVAGE, June Quarter 1952, Dartford Registration District, Volume 5b, page 447, aged 84 [1867/8]

10.   England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

    1952
    SAVAGE, Rosa of 17 Marcet Road Dartford Kent widow died 10 Jun 1952 Probate London 19 July to Susan Priscilla Jones (wife of Lyndon Herbert Jones) and the said Lyndon Herbert Jones milk roundsman. Effects £1536 12s. 1d.