Person:Ann Stapley (2)

Ann Stapley was born in 1847 at Tunbridge Wells in Kent, daughter of Keziah Stapley, formerly Burgess, and her husband William Stapley, an agricultural labourer. When Ann was born, Tunbridge Wells straddled the parishes of Tonbridge, Speldhurst and Frant, and Ann was born in the part of town which came within the parish of Speldhurst. Her birth was registered as Ann, but in several later records she was called Annie, suggesting that is how she was known. In 1851 Annie was living with her parents at Calverley Parade Mews, in the part of the town which was within Tonbridge parish.

By 1861 Annie had left home and was working as a servant for a lodging house keeper at 1 York Place in Tunbridge Wells. She continued to work as a domestic servant for several years, appearing in the 1871 census working as a house maid at a big house in Upper Norwood in the parish of Croydon in Surrey.

In 1876, aged about 29, Annie married a carpenter called Enoch Kempson. They married in the Tunbridge Wells area. Enoch was eleven years her senior, had been married before; it would appear that his first wife was still alive. As divorce was exceedingly rare at the time it is possible that Enoch and Annie's marriage was bigamous.

Annie and Enoch went on to have ten children together between 1877 and 1892, although three died young. They moved around the area to the south-east of London. They appear in the 1881 census with two children at 2 Palace Terrace in Norwood, close to where Annie had been working as a servant ten years earlier. They spent some time in the 1880s living in the Sydenham area, and by 1891 were living back in Tunbridge Wells.

By 1897 the family had moved to 2 Rose Cottage on Staines Road in Twickenham, Middlesex. This was to be Annie's last home. She died on 11th September 1847, shortly after turning fifty. Enoch survived her by about 25 years.

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

   b. Ann STAPLEY, June Quarter 1847, Tonbridge Registration District, Volume 5, page 497, mother's maiden name Vurgis

   [This entry recorded on old index as Ann SHAPLEY]

2. ↑ 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 1614; Folio 217; Page 15, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Calverley Parade Mews, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Kent
   William Stapley, head, married, male, 30 [1820/1], Ag[ricultural] Laborer, b. Willingham, Sussex
   K. Stapley, wife, married, female, 30 [1820/1], b. Speldhurst, Kent
   E. Stapley, daughter, unmarried, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Speldhurst, Kent
   A. Stapley, daughter, unmarried, female, 4 [1846/7], b. Speldhurst, Kent
   H. Stapley, son, unmarried, male, 2 [1848/9], b. Speldhurst, Kent
   G. Stapley, son, male, 3mo [1850], b. Speldhurst, Kent
   Maria Burgess, sister in law, female, 12 [1838/9], b. Pembury, Kent

3. ↑ 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 492; Folio 61; Page 38, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: 1 York Place, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Kent
   Thomas Cavie, head, married, male, 73 [1787/8], Lodging house keeper, b. Frant, Sussex
   Mary Cavie, wife, married, female, 50 [1810/11], Lodging house keeper, b. Tunbridge, Kent
   Thomas Cavie, son, unmarried, male, 36 [1824/5], Librarian, b. Tunbridge Wells, Kent
   Ann Stapley, servant, female, 14 [1846/7], Servant, b. Speldhurst, Kent

4. ↑ 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 849; Folio 93; Page 28, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: "The House", Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood, Croydon, Surrey
   Fred[eric]k Horne, head, married, male, 51 [1819/20], Spanish Merchant, b. Streatham, Surrey
   Emma Horne, wife, married, female, 48 [1822/3], b. Southgate, Middlesex
   Anna W. Horne, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], b. Croydon, Surrey
   Ernest W. Horne, son, male, 5 [1865/6], b. Croydon, Surrey
   Ernoque Parellada, visitor, unmarried, male, 17 [1853/4], Scholar, b. Barcelona, Spain
   Mary A. Barnard, servant, unmarried, female, 29 [1841/2], Parlour Maid, b. London
   Emma Beale, servant, unmarried, female, 41 [1829/30], Cook, b. London
   Frances Leinell, servant, unmarried, female, 22 [1848/9], Nursery Governess, b. Switzerland
   Annie Stapley, servant, unmarried, female, 23 [1847/8], House Maid, b. Tonbridge Wells, Kent

5. ↑ 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 630; Folio 27; Page 19, 3 Apr 1881.

   2 Palace Terrace, Norwood, Lambeth, London
   Harry Kempson, head, married, male, 37 [1843/4], Carpenter, b. Somersetshire
   Annie Kempson, wife, married, female, 34 [1846/7], b. Tunbridge Wells, Kent
   Charles H. Kempson, son, unmarried, male, 4 [1876/7], b. Upper Norwood
   John E. Kempson, son, unmarried, male, 6mo [1880], b. Upper Norwood
   Hannah Stapley, visitor, unmarried, female, 20 [1860/1], no occupation, b. Tunbridge Wells, Kent

6. ↑ 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 676; Folio 137; Page 8, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 9 Cumberland Walk, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
   Enock Kempson, head, married, male, 49 [1841/2], Builder, employer, b. Tatnell, Bedfordshire
   Anne Kempson, wife, married, female, 44 [1846/7], b. Tunbridge Wells, Kent
   Harry C. Kempson, son, single, male, 14 [1876/7], b. Upper Norwood, Surrey
   John E. Kempson, son, single, male, 10 [1880/1], b. Upper Norwood, Surrey
   Robert E. Kempson, son, male, 7 [1883/4], b. Sydenham, Kent
   Frederick K. Kempson, son, male, 5 [1885/6], b. Sydenham, Kent
   Rosa A.S. Kempson, daughter, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Sydenham, Kent
   Margaret Allan, servant, single, female, 16 [1844/5], General Servant Domestic, b. Hammersmith, Middlesex

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

   d. Annie KEMPSON, September Quarter 1897, Brentford Registration District, Volume 3a, page 57, aged 50 [1846/7]

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

   1897
   KEMPSON Annie Stapley of 2 Rose-cotage Staines-road Twickenham Middlesex (wife of Enoch Kempson) died 11 September 1897 Probate London 1 October to the said Enoch Kempson builder Effects £60 16s.