Person:Eliza Large (1)

Eliza Large was born in 1871 at Newington in the southern suburbs of London, daughter of Louisa Large, formerly Downs, and her husband John Large, a carman. The family lived at 8 North Row in Newington, appearing there in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses. Eliza’s younger siblings included two pairs of twins. In 1891 Eliza was working as an artificial flower maker.

On 16th May 1892, aged 21, Eliza married a stone cutter called Thomas Bibby at St John’s Church in the Walworth area of Newington. They went on to have five children between 1893 and 1899, although two died young. Thomas died in 1899, whilst Eliza was pregnant with their youngest daughter.

The 1901 census finds Eliza and her three surviving children living at 9 North Row in Newington (which had been absorbed into the borough of Southwark the previous year). She was working as a charwoman, and her sister Jennie (or Jane) was living with them.

Eliza married again in 1904. Her second husband was a soldier called John Meakins, and they married on 11th July 1904 at St Mark’s Church in Walworth. John had spent several years serving with the army in India and South Africa, and had only returned to Britain in September 1903.

Eliza and John went on to have another five children between 1905 and 1915, although their first child died young.

John retired from the army in 1909 and worked as a dock labourer. The 1911 census finds Eliza, John and their children (including her three children from her first marriage) living at 10 Eltham Street in the Walworth area of Southwark.

In August 1914, a few days after Britain joined the First World War, John rejoined the army. He would later be posted to France on at least two separate occasions. He was only demobilised from the army in February 1919 after the war was over.

Eliza died in 1926, aged 55. She was buried on 16th August 1926 at Nunhead Cemetery in Camberwell. John survived her by nearly 23 years.

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

   b. Eliza LARGE, March Quarter 1871, St Saviours Surrey Registration District, Volume 1d, page 129, mother's maiden name Downs

2. ↑ 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 620; Folio 95; Page 6, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 8 North Row, Newington, Surrey
   John Large, head, married, male, 21 [1849/50], Carman, b. Lambeth, Surrey
   Louisa Large, wife, married, female, 23 [1847/8], b. Lambeth, Surrey
   John T. Large, son, male, 3 [1867/8], b. Lambeth, Surrey
   Eliza Large, daughter, female, 3m [1870/1], b. Lambeth, Surrey

3. ↑ 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 550; Folio 4; Page 6, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 8 North Row, East Street, Newington, Surrey
   John Large, head, married, male, 31 [1849/50], Carman, b. Lambeth, Surrey
   Louisa Large, wife, married, female, 30 [1850/1], b. Lambeth, Surrey
   John Large, son, male, 13 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Newington, Surrey, Cripple
   Eliza Large, daughter, female, 10 [1870/1], b. Newington, Surrey
   Mary Large, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Newington, Surrey
   Emma Large, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Newington, Surrey
   Alice Large, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], b. Newington, Surrey
   Janey Large, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], b. Newington, Surrey
   Louisa Large, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], b. [blank]
   James Albert Large, son, male, 4 months [1880], b. [blank]

4. ↑ 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 363; Folio 26; Page 11, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 8 North Row, Newington, London
   3 rooms occupied
   John Large, head, married, male, 41 [1849/50], Carman, employed, b. Lambeth, London
   Louisa Large, wife, married, female, 40 [1850/1], b. Lambeth, London
   John Large, son, single, male, 23 [1867/8], Carman, employed, b. Walworth, London
   Eliza Large, daughter, single, female, 20 [1870/1], Flower maker artif[icial], employed, b. Walworth, London
   Alice Large, daughter, single, female, 16 [1874/5], Domestic Servant, employed, b. Walworth, London
   Emma Large, daughter, single, female, 16 [1874/5], Domestic Servant, employed, b. Walworth, London
   Jane Large, daughter, single, female, 14 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Walworth, London
   Louisa Large, daughter, single, female, 14 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Walworth, London
   James Large, son, male, 10 [1880/1], b. Walworth, London
   Nellie Large, daughter, female, 9 [1881/2], b. Walworth, London
   Rosey Large, daughter, female, 5 [1885/6], b. Walworth, London

5. ↑ 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 381; Folio 12; Page 16, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 9 North Row, Newington (Civil Parish), Southwark (Metropolitan Borough), London
   3 rooms occupied
   Elizabeth Bibby, head, widow, female, 28 [1872/3], Charwoman, own account, b. Walworth, London
   Elizabeth Bibby, daughter, female, 8 [1892/3], b. Walworth, London
   Florence Bibby, daughter, female, 5 [1895/6], b. Walworth, London
   Jennie Bibby, daughter, female, 2 [1898/9], b. Walworth, London
   Jennie Large, sister, single, female, 25 [1875/6], General Dealer Shop, worker, b. Camberwell, London

6. ↑ 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 1814; Schedule 254, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 10 Eltham Street, Brandon Street, Walworth, London SE (Parish of Newington, borough of Southwark)
   4 rooms occupied
   John Meakins, head, male, 40 [1870/1], married 6 years, 3 children born to marriage, 2 children still living, Dock Labourer, worker, b. Southwark, London
   Eliza Meakins, wife, female, 38 [1872/3], married, Occupation None, b. Southwark, London
   Eliza Bibby, stepdaughter, female, 18 [1892/3], single, Box Maker – Perfumery, worker, b. Southwark, London
   Florence Bibby, stepdaughter, female, 15 [1895/6], single, b. Southwark, London
   Jennie Bibby, stepdaughter, female, 12 [1898/9], Occupation None, b. Southwark, London
   John Meakins, son, male, 4 [1906/7], b. Southwark, London
   Henrietta Meakins, daughter, female, 1 [1909/10], b. Southwark, London
   William Bibby, brother in law, male, 47 [1863/4], single, Horse Keeper – Carman Contractor, worker, b. Lambrest, Sussex
   Albert Beacham, friend, male, 30 [1880/1], single, Warehouse Man – byder[?], b. Weston super Mare, Somerset

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

   d. Eliza MEAKINS, September Quarter 1926, Southwark Registration District, Volume 1d, page 22, aged 54 [1871/2]

8. ↑ Deceased Online.

   bur. 16 Aug 1926, Nunhead Cemetery, Camberwell, London: Eliza Meakins