Ann Pluckrose and Edward Pluckrose

 

Tree 1015 is unusual in that it has been constructed to answer the question of whether Edward Pluckrose (also known as Edward Turner), born in 1844, the illegitimate son of Ann Pluckrose (PL 2319), is the same person as the Frederick Edward Pluckrose who first appears at his marriage in 1865.

The head of this tree is Ann Pluckrose (PL2319), born 1824 in Royden, the daughter of John Pluckrose (PL0867) and Ann Brown (PL0871). The family can be found in Tree 1007 (Harlow and East London).

What is known about Edward Pluckrose?

Ann gave birth[1] to Edward in the newly built Epping Union workhouse at Theydon Garnon on 12 August 1844. Ann was unmarried and the part of the birth certificate that should show the father's name was left blank. Edward was christened[2] in the parish church of St Andrew in Netteswell a few days later, the register noting "single woman, Epping Union". Netteswell is now part of Harlow New Town, but in 1844 it was a separate parish to the west of Harlow.

Ann married David Turner about a year later[3]. She can be found in the 1851 census of Barking[4], together with her son Edward, now called Edward Turner, and three other children from her marriage with David. David died a few months later and Ann remarried, this time to James Barker, with whom she had three more children. The family can be found in the 1861 census of West Ham[5], but by this time Edward had left home and was now living in Enfield. In the census[6] he is a lodger in the Walker household, named Edward Turner, aged 17, born in Epping and working as a gunsmith. A number of his neighbours are also shown as gunsmiths and they probably all worked at the Royal Small Arms factory about a mile away. Although described as a gunsmith, it is unlikely that he served an apprenticeship. He probably worked on the recently introduced factory production line.

This is the last record found relating to Edward Pluckrose/Turner.

What is known about Frederick Edward Pluckrose?

In 1865 Frederick Edward Pluckrose married Eliza Moss at the church of St Thomas in Stepney. The marriage certificate[7] shows the groom's father to be Frederick Edward Pluckrose, labourer.

Apart from the birth of four children, Frederick Edward does not appear in official records until the 1881 census. He also appears in the 1891s and 1901 censuses. He has not been found in the 1871 census.

Frederick Edward Pluckrose was consistent in his census declarations:

1881: born 1846 Epping - F.E.Pluckrose, carman working for Gregor & Co builders
1891: born 1847 Epping - Frederick E Pluckrose - caretaker working for Gregor & Co
1901: born 1845 Epping - Fredk Ed Pluckrose - builder's carman working for Gregor & Go, builders.
He lived on the premises throughout this period.

He died in 1904 and his death was registered (by his daughter-in-law Agnes Heberlein) under the name of Frederick Edward Pluckrose [8].

There are problems with this story, though.

1. There are no records relating to Frederick Edward Pluckrose prior to his marriage in 1865. He does not appear in any censuses and no birth record has been found.
2. There are no records relating to his father. He would certainly have been born before civil registration began in 1837, and he could well have married before that date, but there is definitely no death record that could apply to him and he does not appear in any of the censuses. The only place that he appears is on Frederick Edward junior's marriage certificate.

Can Edward Turner, son of Ann Pluckrose, be linked to Frederick Edward Turner who appears in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses?

It is easy to come to the conclusion that they are the same man:

1. Both were born in Epping at some time around 1844/5
2. They do not overlap in the censuses.
3. Frederick Edward's father does not appear to have existed. He may have been invented to avoid embarrassment.
4. There is no birth record for Frederick Edward but there is one for Edward.

However, an absence of information is not proof.

If this is the same person, we have to face the question: why did he change from Edward Turner in 1861, presumably happy enough with his status, to Frederick Edward Pluckrose just four years later in 1865? Perhaps the occasion of his marriage caused his mother to tell him the truth about his origins and his father. It is possible, but unlikely, that David Turner was his father. It is also possible that his father was related to his mother, perhaps already married, or perhaps too closely related to undertake a marriage.

Speculation does not solve the problem. The only way of disproving the theory that Edward Pluckrose/Turner and Frederick Edward Pluckrose are the same person is to find proof that they existed at the same time. Such proof has not been found. Recently, however, information from late in Frederick Edward's life seems to prove that Edward and Frederick Edward were the same person:

1. When Edward Pluckrose Jnr (PL2324) married Maria Porter in March 1900 the marriage certificate shows Edward's father as Edward Pluckrose;
2. When his widow died in August 1910 she was recorded (by her son Edward) as the "widow of Edward Pluckrose, carman, of 8 Broad Street, Stratford".

Sources

1. The birth certificate records: When and where: 12th of August 1844 at the Union Workhouse, Borough of Theydon Garnon. Name: Edward. Sex: boy. Name and surname of father: blank. Name of mother: Ann Pluckrose. Occupation of father: blank. Informant: Edward Champness, Occupier, Union Workhouse, Theydon Garnon. When registered: 20th September 1844.
2. The Nettleswell parish register records: 18 August 1844, Edward Pluckrose, son of Anne Pluckrose [single woman, Epping Union].
3. Ann Pluckrose married David Turner in 1845 [Q4 1845 Romford 12, 465].
4. HO107/1772, f.451.  Back of Chapel Row, Barking, Essex

   David Turner, head, married, age 31, shoemaker, born in Romford, Essex.
   Ann Turner, wife, married, age 26, born Cheshunt, Herts.
   Edward Turner, son, unmarried, age 7, scholar, born Romford, Essex.
   Eliza Turner, daur, unmarried, age 5, scholar, born Romford, Essex.
   Elizabeth Turner, daur, unmarried, age 4, scholar, born Romford, Essex.
   David Turner, son, unmarried, age 2, born Ilford, Essex.

5. RG9/1057, f. 113.  31 Langthorne Street, West Ham, Essex.

   James Barker, head, age 44, labourer on sewer, born Maidenhead, Berks.
   Ann Barker, wife age 35, born Roydon, Essex
   Elizabeth Turner, step-daur, age 12, domestic servant, born Romford, Essex.
   David Turner, step-son, age 10, factory worker, born Ilford Essex.
   Rosetta Barker, daur, age 5, scholar, born West Ham, Essex.
   Georgeana Barker, daur, age 3, scholar, born West Ham, Essex.
   Charles R Barker, son, age 1, born West Ham, Essex.

6. RG9/800. f.31, p.27. Walker household in Old Road, Enfield Highway.

   Edward Turner, lodger, unmarried, age 17, gunsmith, born Epping Essex.

7. The marriage certificate records: marriage solemnized at St Thomas in the Parish of Stepney in the County of Middlesex on the 6th February 1865 between Frederick Edward Pluckrose, of full age, bachelor, Carman of Stepney, father Frederick Edward Pluckrose, labourer, and Eliza Moss, minor with consent, spinster, of Stepney, father George Moss, deceased. Witnesses: Thomas and Rosetta Austin. (Rosetta was Eliza's sister).


8. GRO death indexes: Q3 1904 Frederick E Pluckrose, West Ham 4a, 18, age 58.

 

Some other notes about the rest of the family

PL No	Surname	Forenames	Notes
2332	GORMAN	Clara Florence	There are five potential Gorman-Scales children in the GRO index between 1911 and 1925. Thomas Scales died in 1931, Clara married Sidney Pluckrose a couple of years later. There don't appear to have been any children of her second marriage to Sidney.
2326	HEBERLEIN	Agnes	No GRO birth record found. C1901; C1911: age 40, married 20 years, 5 children, 4 still living.
2321	MOSS	Eliza	C1881, C1891, C1901.
2672	NICHOLS	Maude Amelia	The second wife of Bert Pluckrose. She was the widow of Barney Grint who she married in 1935. She lived until she was 105.
2351	PLUCKROSE	Adelaide Elizabeth	Ann Middendorp's mother.
2329	PLUCKROSE	Agnes	C1901 did not marry and lived to 98.
2319	PLUCKROSE	Ann	In 1851 and 1861 censuses. Not found in 1841. Three partners, two marriages. Both of her marriage certificates identify her father as John Pluckrose, blacksmith. Joseph Pluckrose, probably her brother, was a witness at her marriage to David Turner .
2350	PLUCKROSE	Bertram Edward	C1911: Bartram [Pluckson] Pluckrose, age 8, patient in the Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum, Devons Rd, Bromley E
2682	PLUCKROSE	Colleen P	Two daughters.
2320	PLUCKROSE	Edward	C1851: he is recorded as Edward Turner, age 7, born Romford (the same as the rest of the Turner family).[HO107/1772, f.451] C1861: he is living in the Walker household in Old Road, Enfield Highway: Edward Turner, lodger, unmarried, age 17, gunsmith, born Epping Essex. [RG9/800. f.31]. C1871: Not found C1881: F.E. Pluckrose, age 35, born Epping; carman working for Gregor and Co builders of West Ham. [RG11/1703 f.132]. C1891: Frederick E Pluckrose; age 44, born Epping; caretaker, still working for Gregor's, builders of Kennard Road. [RG12/1311, f.6] C1901: Fredk Ed Pluckrose; age 56, born Epping, builder's carman still working for Gregor's builders. [RG13/1563, f.74].
2324	PLUCKROSE	Edward	1881 (born Stratford), C1891. C1901 Edwin (age 23, born Stratford). This is a slightly puzzling entry. He is a boarder living in Northfleet, Kent. He is an engine fitter, married, but no sign of his wife. I have not found her in the 1901 census. Perhaps he was working away from home. None of the family found in the 1911 census. Edward's WW1 army service record: age 39, 5'4", 35chest, married Maria Adelaide Porter at St Mark, Bow, on 18-3-1900: children: Bertram Edward 19/7/02; Frederick Onesiphorus 15/7/04; Adelaide Elizabeth 1/7/09; William Edward 9/8/06; Lillian Annie 26/7/11; Gracie Eleanor 9/7/17. All born in Bow.
2353	PLUCKROSE	Edward Frederick George	died age 4 months - marasmus exhaustion
2324	PLUCKROSE	Eliza	C1881 (born Stratford), C1891.
3232	PLUCKROSE	Emily Katherine	The birth appears to have been registered again in May 1995 (Cambridge, D58C, 3311D, 178).
2670	PLUCKROSE	Florence May	Florence was killed by a falling V2 rocket. She died in the early hours of 8 Feb 1945 at 15 Rowden Park Gardens in Walthamstow when a V2 rocket demolished a public 'Surface Brick Shelter' in the early hours of the morning, killing 8 in the shelter and a further 8 in surrounding properties. The total casualty list amounted to about 50. Information taken from "The Story of Civil Defense, by Ross Wyld. The War over Walthamstow. Issued by Walthamstow Borough Council, Oct 1945. I am surprised that anyone was in the shelter. Where I lived, in Waterloo, they were scorned by the local population and were considered of little use except as protection from shrapnel (and for dumping rubbish). They had brick walls, and a thick concrete roof, and were very damp. Their main drawback, though, was that a nearby blast could blow in the brick walls and the falling roof would crush anyone inside. The deep tunnels at the nearby Underground station were much more popular. See http://londonist.com/2009/01/london_v2_rocket_sitesmapped.php
2322	PLUCKROSE	Frederick George	C1881 (born Stratford). C1901; C1911: age 42, living at 81 Lett Road, Stratford, E., working as a packer.
2686	PLUCKROSE	Frederick W	His birth is not in the GRO index.
2323	PLUCKROSE	George Charles	C1881 (born Poplar)
2673	PLUCKROSE	Jane/Joyce	Page 234 of 'Births Registered in October, November and December, 1922' has two manuscript entries at the bottom of the page: (1) Pluckrose, Joyce, Kerry, Norwich, 4b, see J27. and (2) Pluckrose, Jane, Kerry, Norwich, 4b, see J27. The first entry has been crossed through. (J 27 means the June quarter of 1927). The April-June 1927 register has: Pluckrose, Joyce, Kerry, Norwich, 4b, 260. The 1927 entry post-dates Daisy's marriage to Bert. 'Joyce' was used throughout her life.
2694	PLUCKROSE	John	ilary TD records that "he died trying to rescue a child in the river near Acle.
2684	PLUCKROSE	Mulveen	Two daughters and one son.
2331	PLUCKROSE	Sidney	C1901. Probate: 90 Cherrydown Avenue, Chingford, Essex, died 30 July 1961, Probate London 12 September to Clara Florence Pluckrose widow. Effects £5826 5s.
2327	PORTER	Maria Adelaide	C1911; not found.
2554	TURNER	David	He was a shoemaker. He died aged 31/32.

Acknowledgements

My thanks go to Hilary Thompson Dredge, Lesley Murray and Patricia Halley for their help in compiling this tree. In particular, the mystery of Frederick Edward's origins would not have been solved without the sterling efforts of Hilary Thompson Dredge.