Person:Harriet Benbow (1)

Harriet Annie Benbow was born on 18th April 1889 at Newington in the southern suburbs of London. She was the daughter of Harriet Martha Benbow, formerly Tyler, and her husband Arthur Jones Benbow, a coach smith. She was baptised when two months old at Lady Margaret’s Church in the Walworth area of Newington. The family’s address at the time of her baptism was given as 1 York Place, Darwin Street.

Harriet appears in the 1891 census living with her parents living at 19A Beckett Street in Camberwell. By 1901 the family had returned to Newington (which had been absorbed into the borough of Southwark in 1900) and were living at 104 Brandon Street. Harriet’s father died in 1904.

The 1911 census finds Harriet living with her mother and siblings and some of her siblings’ children at 106 Brandon Street.

On Christmas Day 1918, aged 29, Harriet married Wallace Lionel Rudolph Jeffery, a labourer. They went on to have four children together between 1919 and 1925. Wallace died late in 1924, aged 34, whilst Harriet was pregnant with their youngest daughter. Harriet's mother died shortly afterwards, early in 1925.

In 1929 Harriet married again. Her second husband was John Meakins, who worked as an engine driver and watchman.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Harriet and John were living at 7 Eltham Street in Southwark. John died in 1949, aged 76.

Harriet survived John by thirteen years, dying in 1962, aged 73. She was buried at Nunhead Cemetery in Camberwell on 1st October 1962.

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

   b. Harriet Annie BENBOW, June Quarter 1889, St Saviour Southwark Registration District, Volume 1d, page 102, mother’s maiden Tyler

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Newington, London: Parish Registers of Lady Margaret Church, Walworth (London Metropolitan Archives, London).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of St John Walworth in the County of Surrey (at the Church of the Lady Margaret) in the year One thousand eight hundred and eighty nine
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   596	1889 June 19	Harriet Annie	Arthur & Harriet	Benbow	1 York Place, Darwin St[reet]	Coach Smith	W.I. Phillips

3. ↑ 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 487; Folio 83; Page 13, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 19A Beckett Street, Camberwell, London
   Arthur Benbow, head, married, male, 37 [1853/4], Coachsmith, neither employer nor employed, b. Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
   Harriet Benbow, wife, married, female, 36 [1854/5], b. Gravesend, Kent
   Arthur Benbow, son, single, male, 16 [1874/5], Coachsmith, employed, b. Southwark
   Albert Benbow, son, single, male, 15 [1875/6], Coachsmith, employed, b. Southwark
   Ernest Benbow, son, single, male, 13 [1877/8], Greengrocer, employed, b. Walworth
   Francis Benbow, son, single, male, 11 [1879/80], Scholar, b. Walworth
   Elizabeth Benbow, daughter, single, female, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Walworth
   Harry Benbow, son, single, male, 7 [1883/4], Scholar, b. Walworth
   Emily Benbow, daughter, single, female, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Walworth
   Oscar Benbow, son, single, male, 3 [1887/8], b. Walworth
   Harriet Benbow, daughter, single, female, 1 [1889/90], b. Walworth

4. ↑ 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 380; Folio 151; Page 28, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 104 Brandon Street, Newington, Southwark, London
   Arthur Jones Benbow, head, married, male, 47 [1853/4], Coachsmith, own account, b. Newport, Buckinghamshire
   Harriett Martha Benbow, wife, married, female, 46 [1854/5], b. Gravesend, Kent
   Frank Benbow, son, single, male, 21 [1879/80], Coachsmith, worker, b. Newington, London
   Elizabeth Benbow, daughter, single, female, 19 [1881/2], Mothers help, working at home, b. Newington, London
   Harry Benbow, son, single, male, 17 [1883/4], Fathers help, b. Camberwell, London
   Emily Benbow, daughter, single, female, 15 [1885/6], b. Newington, London
   Oscar Benbow, son, male, 13 [1887/8], b. Newington, London
   Harriett Benbow, daughter, single, female, 11 [1889/90], b. Newington, London
   John Benbow, son, single, male, 9 [1891/2], b. Newington, London
   William Benbow, son, single, male, 7 [1893/4], b. Newington, London
   Annie Benbow, female, 6 [1894/5], b. Newington, London

5. ↑ 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; Folio 268, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 106 Brandon Street, Walworth, Newington, Southwark, London
   5 rooms occupied
   Harriet Benbow, head, female, 56 [1854/5], widow, married 38 years, 13 children born to marriage, 12 children still alive, Private Means, b. Gravesend
   Arthur Benbow, son, male, 36 [1874/5], widower, married 11 years, 3 children born to marriage, 2 children still living, Coach Smith – Engineers, worker, b. Southwark, London
   Francis Benbow, son, male, 31 [1879/80], single, Tyre-Smith, worker, working at home, b. Walworth, London
   Oscar Benbow, son, male, 23 [1887/8], Single, Tyre-Smith, employee, working at home, b. Walworth, London
   Harriet Benbow, daughter, female, 21 [1889/90], single, b. Walworth, London
   John Benbow, son, male, 19 [1891/2], single, Blacksmiths Striker – Van Builders, worker, b Walworth, London
   William Benbow, son, male, 17 [1893/4], single, Blacksmiths Striker - Van Builders, b. Walworth, London, failing sight
   Harriet Benbow, granddaughter, female, 10 [1900/1], b. Walworth, London
   Arthur Benbow, grandson, male, 8 [1902/3], School, b. Walworth, London
   William Roos, boarder, male, 42 [1868/9], single, Blacksmiths Striker – Tyre Smith, worker, working at home, b. Walworth, London
   Henry Felton, boarder, male, 29 [1881/2], single, Blacksmith Striker – Engineers, worker, b. Walworth, London

6. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Southwark Metropolitan Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 7 Eltham Street, Southwark, London
   MEAKINS, John / male / b. 9 Sep 1872 / married / late Engine Driver now Watchman
   MEAKINS, Harriet A. / female / b. 18 Apr 1889 / married / unpaid domestic duties
   [two records closed]

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

   d. Harriet A. MEAKINS, September Quarter 1962, Surrey Mid Eastern Registration District, Volume 5g, page 277, aged 73 [1888/9]

8. ↑ Deceased Online.

   bur. 1 Oct 1962, Nunhead Cemetery, Camberwell, London: Meakins, Harriet Annie, aged 73 [1888/9], No. 44352, Square 18