Annie Ellen Lane

Annie Ellen was born on 25 December 1862 at 5, Devonshire Terrace. Mill Wall, Poplar. and baptised 15th November 1863 at St Anne's, Limehouse. Father shown as a Plater living in Millwall.....

In1881, aged 18, Annie was working as a Domestic Servant at the Piermasters House, Brunswick Dock. Poplar (Josiah Middleton - Master). Her family, (Mother & two Sisters) lived at 3, Dolphin Lane, Poplar.

On 13th March 1886 she gave birth to Florence at Poplar Union Workhouse. No Father was recorded but two years later on 15th October 1888 Annie Ellen married Thomas Ledgett at Poplar Registry Office.

Florence was therefore illegitimate. Unmarried pregnant women were often disowned by their families in those days and the Workhouse was the only place they could go during and after the birth of their child. This was most probably the fate of Annie Ellen, particularly as her home was only 100 yards or so from the Workhouse. At the time of her marriage to Thomas Ledgett they were living together at 86, Ladbourne Street, Bromley. Middlesex and it is fairly certain that Thomas was not the biological father of Florence. Annie's sister Fanny Jane Lane acted as a witness to the marriage.

Annie and Thomas went on to produce four more children, one of whom died in infancy. ( listed below).

In August 1906 Annie was a witness to the marriage of daughter Florence to John William George and less than three years later became ill with Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) and died, aged 46, on the 23rd June 1909 at 'The Sick Asylum', Stepney. (See notes below). Daughter Florence was in attendance and registered the death two days later. (...difficult days for Florence as she was eight months pregnant with Frederick and, presumably, lugging around her firstborn Lewis who would have been 3 years old at the time).

At the time of Annie's death her husband Thomas and three remaining children lived at 206, Leven Road, Bromley. Poplar. (Their ages at the time were: Annie Ellen 20; Edward 17 and George 14).

NOTES.

The new Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum was erected in 1869-71 at Devon's Road in Bow, on a narrow 4.5 acre site immediately to the south of the Stepney workhouse. It opened its doors on August 17th, 1871, to serve "the sick, bedridden and infirm". In 1920 it changed its name to St. Andrew's Hospital and is still serving the community to this day (2003).