Emily Newton (OH's MFM)

[ElizabethHerts]

Name - "official" name and what they were known as
Emily Newton

Date and place of birth
1 December 1850
Gorsty Hill Cheadle Staffs.

Names of parents
John Newton and Ann (nee Tuffnall)

Date and place of baptism - if applicable
Baptism not yet found

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any
To George Herbert Newton (no relative)
2 June 1877 St John the Evangelist Penge Surrey
Occupation(s) - if any
Matron in a boy's boarding school after she was widowed

Addresses where they lived - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on.
1851 Census
Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 2143; Folio: 243; Page: 35; GSU roll: 87773-87774.
61 Bag Lane St Peter Derby
Thomas Swindell Head Mar 42 Inn Keeper Derbyshire Parwich
John Newton Visitor Mar 35 Fund Holder Lincolnshire Braceby
Ann Newton Visitor Mar 30 Staffordshire Checkley
Emily Newton Visitor Infant 4 months Staffordshire Cheadle
Herbert Butler Lodger Unm 25 Labourer Stafford
Mary Ann Webb Servant 18 Servant Staffordshire Rugeley

1861 Census
Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 85; Folio: 60; Page: 27; GSU roll: 542570.
1, Sherborne Street Prince Albert (Dorset Square and Regents Park Ward) Marylebone London
John Head Mar 44 Licensed victualler Lincolnshire Braceby
Ann Wife Mar 39 Staffordshire Tean
Emily Daur Un 11 Scholar Staffordshire Cheadle
Arthur 6 son U 6 Scholar Middlesex Fulham
Henry 3 son U 3 Scholar Middlesex Fulham
Frederick 1 son U 1 Middlesex Fulham
Elizabeth Tufnell niece Un 15 Serv Domestic Staffordshire Cheadle
Helen Smith Serv Un 21 Servant Domestic Middlesex Marylebone
John Goodger Serv Un 22 Servant Domestic Buckinghamshire Eston

1871 Census
Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 851; Folio: 6; Page: 6; GSU roll: 827760.
27 Oakfield Road, St. John, Penge Lewisham Surrey
John Head Mar 54 No occupation Lincolnshire Braceby
Ann Newton Wife Mar 49 Staffordshire Tean
Emily Newton Daur Unm 20 Staffordshire Tean
Mary Ann Swindell Neice Unm 20 Derbyshire Derby

1881 Census

47 Selby Road Norwood Croydon
George H Newton Head Mar 30 Architect Surrey Southwark
Emily Wife Mar 30 Staffs Tean
Cecil H Son 2 Surrey Penge
Rose Elsie Daur 1 Surrey Anerley
Percy G Son 5 m Surrey Anerley
Mary Whitefield Servant Un 21 Genl. Servant Devon S Molton
Sarah Braxton Servant Unm 26 Servant Nurse Dom Hants Longparish

1891 Census
Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 802; Folio 115; Page 5; GSU roll: 6095912.
15 Atlingworth Street Brighton
Emily Newton Head Widow 40 Nil Stafford Stoke on Trent
Percy G Newton Son 10 Scholar Surrey Annerley
Ann Newton Mother Widow 65 Nil Stafford Checkley
Blanche J D Newton Cousin S 27 Nil London Shepherds Bush

1901 Census
RG13; 267; 129; 2
Christ’s Hospital Newgate Street, London City
Emily Newton Matron Widow 50 Matron of Ward N (or V?) Staff. Cheadle

1911 Census
RG14PN5274 RD81 SD2 ED28 SN9999
Christ Hospital School, Christ Hospital, West Horsham, Sussex
Emily Newton Matron 60 Widow 3 children born alive 3 children still living (crossed out) School Matron Staffs, Cheadle

It appears that Emily went to live in Ballinrobe Co. Mayo in Ireland at the end of her life. This is where her eldest child, Cecil, had settled as a Chemist. She was travelling back to Ballinrobe when she tragically died.


Date, place and cause of death
1919
8 September
Emily Newton died at Holyhead
“in the sea off the pier Holyhead U.D.”
“off Holyhead pier by misadventure fell into the sea whilst going aboard the S.S. Ulster and was killed”
“Widow Medical Hall Ballinrobe Coy Mayo Ireland”

I have newspaper reports of Emily's death. She apparently dropped her bag and was trying to retrieve it.

Date and place of burial / cremation.
Beckenham Cemetery (will have to dig out details) with husband George Herbert. Later her son Percy Gerald and daughter Rose Elsie were buried in the same grave.

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable
None found.

Memorial inscription - if any
Sadly most of the letters have fallen off.

[Mary from Italy]

Goodness, what a tragic death.

[ElizabethHerts]

Mary, it took me a long time to discover what happened to her. If anyone is interested, please read the following, otherwise ignore!!

Emily Newton (née Newton)
1st December 1850 – 8th September 1919

For a long time I searched for Emily Newton’s death certificate.

Her granddaughter, told us that “she died between ship and shore” whilst travelling to Ireland, where her son lived. She thought that she was about 7 when her grandmother died, and I trawled the death records, but didn’t find her. In fact, the granddaugther was only two years old when Emily died.

However, I had a breakthrough last year when we visited Beckenham Cemetery and found the grave of George Herbert Newton together with Emily and their children Percy Gerald and Rose Elsie.

From this gravestone, I was able to establish when Emily died, and at the same time a contact found a newspaper article in Ireland about her death.

What we did not know was that Emily was living in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, Ireland, where her eldest child, Cecil Herbert Newton, was living.

I contacted the Archives at Holyhead, and a very helpful member of staff found further newspaper articles for me, transcripts of which are below.

The manner of Emily’s death was tragic.

There are some factual errors in the newspaper articles.

The Chronicle, September 12, 1919

HOLYHEAD PIER FATALITY

LADY DROWNED WHILE BOARDING STEAMER

A sad drowning fatality occurred of the Admiralty Pier, Holyhead, shortly after three o’clock on Monday morning, the victim being a married lady named Newton, aged about fifty. She was a passenger from Euston to Ballinrobe, Ireland and arrived at Holyhead on the Irish mail. She was about to board the mail boat and was proceeding along the plank which connected with the gangway, when she dropped a small handbag which she was carrying and in trying to recover it she lost her balance and fell between the ship and the pier. Then minutes later she was picked up out of the water, but life was then extinct. A deep cut on the top of her head suggested that she struck he head on falling, and that death was due to a fractured skull. The body was taken to the mortuary pending an inquest. The deceased’s address had not been ascertained, but relatives have been informed.

Sitting without a jury on Tuesday evening, Mr R. Gordon Roberts, Deputy Coroner, held an inquest.

Mr. Rhys/Rice R. Williams appeared to represent the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, whose marine superintendent, Capt. E. R. McKinstry, J.P., C.B.E., was also present.

Mr Cecil Herbert Newton, chemist, Ballinrobe, County Mayo identified the body as that of his widowed mother, Mrs Emily Newton. She resided with him and had been to visit to his sister in Kent and was travelling back alone. He last saw her at the beginning of June, he expected her to arrive at Ballinrobe about midday of the 8th inst.

Mr John Rowland, seaman, 3 Front Bath-street, said at 3.15 on the morning of the 8th inst. he was on duty at the Admiralty pier. He was standing by the gangway whilst the passengers boarded the outgoing mail steamer Ulster. Three ladies and the deceased were the last of the civilian passengers. The deceased was leading and instead of proceeding along the gangway she turned to the right to allow the other ladies to pass. It was a clear gangway, and there was nothing to prevent the deceased proceeding along it. A moment later he hear a shout “Woman overboard”, and he rushed on deck to get things with which to get the deceased out of the water. Then minutes from the time she fell into the water she was picked up dead. Two doctors, who were on board, testified that she was dead, and also Dr. T. W. Clay, who arrived later. The deceased must have struck her head in the rubber belting on the steamer’s side and when the body was recovered she was bleeding profusely.

Replying to Mr Newton, the witness said he was standing on the left side of the gangway.

Was there anyone standing on the right? – No.

Was one of your duties to protect passengers going aboard? – Yes.

Could you have caught her when she was falling? – I did not see her falling. If she had gone straight on the accident would not have happened.

Mr Rice? Williams: Did all the other passengers get on board safely? – Yes.

There was not difficult at all in their doing so? - No, none at all.

In addition to the rope protection on each side of the gangway there is a rail running along each side of the gangway? – Yes.

The Deputy Coroner said that he was quite satisfied that the deceased had met her death accidentally and that would be his verdict.

Capt. McKinstry said he desired to express on his own behalf and that of the component his deepest sympathy with the bereaved family. The Deputy Coroner also expressed himself in similar terms.

The Holyhead ? Friday September 12th 1919

SAD FATALITY

On Tuesday an inquest was held before Mr. R. Gordon Roberts (Deputy Coroner for Anglesey) touching the death of a passenger, Mrs Emily Newton (widow). Mr R.R. Williams, solicitor, appeared on behalf of the City of Dublin Co. Capt. E. R. McKinstry (local superintendant) was also present. Edward Newton (son) said his mother was 67 years of age. He had not seen her since June last as she was living the other side of London. He knew she was going over to Ireland, and he expected her on Monday. – John Rowlands, seaman and gangwayman on the pier, said he was on duty on Monday morning about 3.15 at the gangway. He noticed Mrs. Newton followed by three others coming on board. She turned to the right to allow the others to go before her. The gangway was clear at the time, and she was just about to step onto the gangway when he heard a shout. An alarm was raised that a woman had fallen overboard. Then minutes afterwards she was got on board the steamer, but was found to be dead. She seemed to have struck something in falling. In answer to the deceased’ son, witness said it was his duty to protect the passengers, and that there was a rope from the gangway to a post on the pier. The rope was about three feet high. He could not have saved her. There were passengers between him and her when the said event happened. – In answer to Mr. R.R. Williams, witness said the tide was very low, and that all the passengers went the same way on board as the deceased would have gone. – A verdict of “Accidentally drowned” was returned. Capt. McKinstry expressed his own sympathy and the City of Dublin Coy.’s with the relatives. - Mr Newton thanks the police for the way in which they had assisted the family.