Person:Zilpha Finch (1)

Zilpha Finch was baptised on 22nd August 1830 at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, daughter of a charwoman named Elizabeth Finch and her husband James Finch, an agricultural labourer. Zilpha appears in the 1841 census living with her parents and siblings at 'Leek Street' (modern Lake Street) in Leighton Buzzard. By the time of the 1851 census Zilpha was working as a straw plaiter, and she and her younger sister Eliza were lodging on Lake Street.

On 9th January 1852, aged 21, Zilpha married a James Dimmock. They had four children together, all born at Leighton Buzzard. However, James died in 1860 just before the youngest was born, leaving Zilpha a widow at the age of 29 with three small children and one due imminently. The 1861 census finds Zilpha, her four children and her parents and some of her siblings all living together on Workhouse Lane in Leighton Buzzard.

In 1864, just over four years after James's death, Zilpha married again. Her second husband was a labourer named George Linney, who was about eight years younger than her. Zilpha and George did not have any more children. The 1871 census finds Zilpha and George living with three of her Dimmock children at America Road in Leighton Buzzard.

Some time between 1871 and 1881 Zilpha and George left Leighton Buzzard and moved to Luton, a few miles to the east. The 1881 census finds them living on Hitchin Road on the east side of Luton. They later moved slightly up the hill away from the town centre to 106 / 106a Hitchin Road, where they appear living in two rooms in both the 1891 and 1901 censuses.

George died in 1904, aged 66. After his death Zilpha went to live on Cobden Street, not far from Hitchin Road, where she appears in the 1911 census along with two seemingly unrelated people. She reported that three of her four children were still living.

Zilpha died in 1914, aged 83.

1. ↑ Church of England. Leighton Buzzard Parish Register Transcripts, 1562-1885. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   ch. 22 Aug 1830, All Saints, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: Z...r [FamilySearch has transcribed as Zilpen] daughter of James & Elizabeth FINCH, labourer

2. ↑ England. 1841 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 HO107; Piece 5; Book 21; Folio 12; Page 9, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Leek Street, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   James Finch, male, 30 [1806-11], Labourer, born in county
   Eliz[abet]h Finch, female, 30 [1806-11], born in county
   Mary Finch, female, 13 [1827/8], born in county
   Zilpher Finch, female, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Eliza Finch, female, 8 [1832/3], born in county
   Sarah Finch, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Jesse Finch, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1756; Folio 180; Page 24, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: "North East Leak Street" [enumerator's description at front of book says "north east side of Lake Street"], Leighton Buzzard
   Levener Green, head, unmarried, female, 22 [1828/9], Straw Plaiter, b. Tilsworth, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Finch, lodger, unmarried, female, 18 [1832/3], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Zilpha Finch, lodger, unmarried, female, 20 [1830/1], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Green, son of L.G., male, 3 [1847/8], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 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 RG9; Piece 1005; Folio 74; Page 33, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Workhouse Lane, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Zilpah Dimmock, head, widow, female, 30 [1830/1], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Ann Dimmock, daughter, female, 7 [1853/4], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Jane Elizabeth Dimmock, daughter, female, 4 [1856/7], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Harriet Dimmock, daughter, female, 2 [1858/9], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Jane Dimmock, daughter, female 8mo [1860], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   James Finch, father, married, male, 55 [1805/6], Agr Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Finch, mother, married, female, 57 [1803/4], Charwoman, b. Woburn, Bedfordshire
   Susannah Finch, sister, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   George Finch, brother, male, 14 [1846/7], Agr Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ 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 1562; Folio 9; Page 12, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: America Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   George Linney, head, married, male, 32 [1838/9], Ag Lab, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Jilther Linney, wife, married, female, 41 [1829/30], Straw Plaitter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Jane Dimmock, daughter in law, female, 15 [1855/6], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Dimmock, daughter in law, female, 13 [1857/8], Straw Plaitter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   James Dimmock, son in law, male, 11 [1859/60], Scholar, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ 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 1650; Folio 89; Page 13, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 13a Hitchin Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Linney, head, married, male, 42 [1838/9], Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Zelpha Linney, wife, married, female, 49 [1831/2], Straw Plaitter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ 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 1272; Folio 118; Page 24, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 106a Hitchin Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   2 rooms occupied
   George Linney, head, married, male, 52 [1838/9], Labourer at Iron Foundry, employed, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Zilpah Linney, wife, married, female, 58 [1832/3], Straw work, employed, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

8. ↑ 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 1517; Folio 97; Page 16, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 106 Hitchin Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   2 rooms occupied
   George Linney, head, married, male, 63 [1837/8], Iron Founders Laborer, worker, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Sophia Linney, wife, married, female, 68 [1832/3], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

9. ↑ 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 9004; Schedule 349, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 20 Cobden Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Watts, head, male, 36 [1874/5], single, Iron foundry labourer, worker, b. Park Street, Luton
   Rose Trott, female, 48 [1862/3], married, 9 children born alive, 6 children still living, Straw Hat Machinist, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Sophia Linney, female, 79 [1831/2], widow, 4 children born alive, 3 children still living, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

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

    d. Zilpha LINNEY, March Quarter 1914, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 519, aged 80 [1833/4]