Person:Eliza Timothy (1)

Eliza Timothy was born on 1st March 1818 in the parish of Stepney, in the eastern suburbs of London, daughter of Mary Timothy, formerly Davies, and her husband William Timothy, who worked variously as a warehouseman for the East India Company, milkman and victualler. Eliza was baptised baptised when she was one month old (alongside an older brother) at the Borough Welsh Congregational Chapel in Southwark. Although Eliza was born in the London area, the family appear to have been Welsh - as well as using the Welsh-language chapel in Southwark, her mother later gave her place of birth as Wales. Eliza herself sometimes gave her place of birth as Wales as an adult.

The family's financial standing was sometimes precarious; Eliza's father spent some time in a debtor's jail around 1812.

By 1838 the family had moved to 7 Mansion House Street (later renamed Cottington Street) in the Kennington area of Lambeth. Eliza's father died there in 1838. Eliza was the informant for his death certificate, and had been present when he died.

The 1841 census finds Eliza living at Goldsmiths Place in Shoreditch, living with her mother, brother and sister in law.

On 5th Augusut 1843, aged 25, Eliza married William Christopher Killwick at Stepney in Middlesex, in the eastern suburbs of London. They went on to have two sons together. Their first son, Edward William, was born in 1845 in St Pancras, when William was described as a cheesemonger and the family was living at Brill Row. Their second son, David, was born in 1847 in the Kent Street / Old Kent Road area of Southwark.

The 1851 census finds Eliza, William, their two sons and a servant living at 15 Kent Street in Southwark, with William working as a master upholsterer, and Eliza as an assistant in the business.

Eliza's mother died in 1860.

By 1861 Eliza, William and their children had moved to 5 St James's Place in Bermondsey.

In 1868 Eliza's older brother David died. In his will he left Eliza £100, which he expressly described as being for her "sole and separate use and benefit independently of the debts control or engagements of her present or any future husband". Whilst such wording was not uncommon when leaving money to a married woman, David's legacy was perhaps made in the knowledge that William's financial position was precarious. In 1869 the business failed and William was declared bankrupt. He was described as a mattress manufacturer and upholsterer at the time, with premises in both Clerkenwell and Rotherhithe. Hearings into his bankruptcy continued over the next couple of years. It was established that he had debts of about £1,972 but his assets were only around £1,417.

The 1871 census finds Eliza, William, and their younger son living at 87 Jamaica Road in Bermondsey, along with a servant called Jane Timothy, who was likely a relative of Eliza's. The family was still at 87 Jamaica Road in 1881, when William was listed as 'David Killmark' and described as a furniture dealer.

Some time between 1881 and 1891, Eliza and William seem to have separated. The 1891 census finds her living with her elder son at 153 Devonshire Road in Mile End Old Town, in the East End of London. William had set up home with a woman called Elizabeth Brain and was living with her in Stratford-le-Bow.

Eliza died in 1894 in the Edmonton area of Middlesex, aged about 76. Her estranged husband William survived her by fifteen years.

1. ↑ England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970 (The National Archives)
   Piece 4335: Guildford Street Independent, Southwark (Borough Welsh Congregational).

   When Baptized: April 6 - 1818
   Child's Christian Name and Sex: Elizabeth, the daugh[te]r of
   In what Parish Born: Parish of Stepney
   When Born: March 1 - 1818
   Names of both Father and Mother, with the former Name of the Mother: William and Mary Timothy formerly Davies
   Abode: Church Row
   Business of Profession: Milkman
   Signature of the Minister by whom the Baptism is performed: D.S. Davies

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 704; Book 3; Folio 9; Page 10, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Goldsmiths Place, Shoreditch, Middlesex
   Mary Timothy, female, 70 [1766-71], not born in county
   Eliza Timothy, female, 23 [1817/18], born in county
   John Timothy, male, 31 [1809/10], Upholsterer, born in county
   Mary Timothy, female, 22 [1818/19], 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 1563; Folio 276; Page 8, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: 15 Kent Street, Southwark (St George the Martyr), Surrey
   Will[ia]m Killwick, head, married, male, 32 [1818/19], Upholsterer Mast[e]r, b. Ceylon, British Subject
   Eliza Killwick, wife, married, female, 30 [1820/1], Assistant, b. Stepney, Middlesex
   Edw[ar]d Killwick, son, male, 6 [1844/5], b. Pancras, Middlesex
   David Killwick, son, male, 4 [1846/7], b. St Geo[rge] the Mar[tyr], Surrey
   Emma Davis, servant, unmarried, female, 18 [1832/3], House Servant, b. Lambeth, Surrey

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 320; Folio 7; Page 7, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: 5 St James's Place, Bermondsey, Surrey
   William Killwick, head, married, male, 46 [1814/15], Upholsterer, b. Africa, British Subject
   Eliza Killwick, wife, married, female, 38 [1822/3], b. Stepney, Middlesex
   Edward Killwick, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1845/6], b. Somers Town, Middlesex
   David Killwick, son, male, 13 [1847/8], b. Kent Road, Surrey

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 634; Folio 126; Page 29, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 87 Jamaica Road, Bermondsey, Surrey
   William Killwick, head, married, male, 50 [1820/1], Upholsterer, b. Africa
   Eliza Killwick, wife, married, female, 47 [1823/4], b. Wales
   David Killwick, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1848/9], Upholsterer, b. Old Kent Road, Surrey
   Jane Timothy, servant, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], General Serv[ant], b. Old Kent Road, Surrey

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 565; Folio 111; Page 13, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address 87 Jamaica Road, Bermondsey, Surrey
   David Killmark, head, married, male, 69 [1811/12], Furniture dealer, b. Ceylon, British
   Eliza Killmark, wife, married, female, 50 [1830/1], b. Wales
   Caroline Edwards, female, 16 [1864/5], Domestic Serv[ant], b. Marlow

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 306; Folio 33; Page 4, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 153 Devonshire Street, Mile End Old Town, London
   3 rooms occupied
   Edward Killwick, head, married, male, 43 [1847/8], Business Agent, neither employer nor employed, b. London
   Clara Killwick, wife, married, female, 34 [1856/7], b. London
   William Killwick, son, single, male, 18 [1872/3], b. London
   Eliza Killwick, mother, married, female, 70 [1820/1], b. N[ot] K[nown]

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

   d. Eliza KILLWICK, March Quarter 1894, Edmonton Registration District, Volume 3a, page 264, aged 74 [1819/20]