Our Family History

Emelia Rachel Thomas Sharman

 

 

Emelia Rachel Thomas was born in Crouch End,  North London on November 5th 1863. She was baptised on 27 Mar 1864  at St Mary's Church in Hornsey.

 

In 1871, Emelia, her younger brother William and her parents, David & Sarah Ann Thomas, were living at 5 George Mews, Islington London. Her father was employed as a coachman and her mother had been a domestic servant before getting married.

 

In 1881, Emelia turned 18 and was living with her parents and 5 Younger Brothers at 5 Mitford Road, Islington. Her Father's occupation was Domestic Coachman, and her 16 year old brother, William was employed as a Stable Boy.

 

On 29 June 1884 at  Canonbury St Paul, Islington, Emelia married Thomas Joseph Sharman, who was a Coachman & Groom just like her father. Emelia had been working as a cook before her marriage.

 

In 1891 Emelia was living at 11 Lordship Road, Stoke Newington, with her husband and their 2 young children, Olive and Thomas.

 

By 1901 Emelia and Thomas Sharman were living at 23 Sanford Terrace, Hackney and had 3 more sons - Frank, John & Sidney. In 1901 Emilia was born, followed by Arthur in 1903 and Ethel Nellie in 1905.

 

In 1906 Thomas was kicked by a horse and died of the resulting injuries. There is no evidence to support this fact, but his daughter Ethel always claimed this was true.

 

In 1911 widowed Emelia and her children had moved to 7 Albert Road, Edmonton. Emelia's widowed mother, Sarah Ann moved in with them. There was also a Boarder - James O'Brien, a 52, year old widower and ex-army man who was originally from Malta.

 

Emelia and her mother took in laundry to earn money. The oldest children all had jobs. Olive (22) was employed as a Dyers Ironer, John ( 16) was employed as a Dyers errand boy, Frank (18) and Sidney (15) were both employed as a Milk Boys.

 

Emelia and her children moved into the basement of a house in the East End of London. After the 1st world war ended, eldest daughter, Olive and her family came to live at 46 Libra Road too.

 

For many years Emelia worked as a cook in soup kitchen's for the poor run by a charity with wealthy patrons.

 

She died in March 1927 at the age of 63 after suffering a bout of food poisoning.

 

Emelia's daughter Ethel recalled the following about Emelia :

 

"My mother worked at a soup Kitchen in the East End. Often my brother Arthur and I would go and collect a large tureen of soup for our own evening meal. It was so heavy, it took 2 of us to carry it home.

 

The wealthy family who employed my mother at the soup kitchen knew she was a widow with a large family to support, and they would often give her clothes for us children to wear. We also got hampers of food at Christmas. Over the years my mother's employers were very good to her.

 

During the General Strike of 1926 we were living at  46 Libra Road, Bow, East London with my sister Olive and her family. The Soup Kitchen my mother was now working at, was in Peckham, South London. As there was no public transport running, my mother had no option but to walk all the way to work. When her employers found out she had done this, they sent their own personal chauffer driven car to take her to and from work everyday until the strike ended. All our neighbours came out to have a look at the car, and we were the talk of the street. In later years my mother was plaugued with Rhuematism and her employers gave her for a weeks holidy and paid for her to go to  the Buxton Spa's.