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94 Sturton Street
The Dunns and the Fletchers
1881 – 1891
Head of household in 1881 is Robert John Bunyan Dunn, a 36 year old railway carriage cleaner who was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. He is married to Eleanor Mary, aged 38, who was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk.
The couple have six children. Harriet Emily is 15, Robert Charles is 13, Edith May is 8, William Edmund is 5, Frederick Owen is 3 and Sidney John is 5 months old. The elder children all go to school. An article in the Cambridge Independent Press, under “Town and County News” for 26th January 1878 states that Robert Charles won a Foundation Scholarship to the Perse School. He had previously attended St Paul’s School.
Eleanor’s mother, Harriet Golding, is living with the family at the time of the Census. She is 67, widowed and recorded as working as a nurse. Harriet was born in Orford, Suffolk.
The family can be found in 1871 living at 31 Coronation Street, where Harriet was running a boarding house. All her boarders, including her son Owen, worked for the Railway Clearing House.
Robert and Emily had another son, Herbert Ironsides, in 1883.
Robert died August 4th 1886 aged 42. He is buried in Mill Road Cemetery. His daughter, Grace Mary, was born in 1887, after he passed away.
Harriet Golding died March 19th 1889 aged 76, she is buried with Robert.
In 1891 Eleanor is head of the household. Daughter Harriet isn’t living with the family now and cannot be located on the 1891 census. However, there is a marriage record for her on the 12th June 1905. She married Ernest Clarey, a labourer from Exning.
Edith is working as a domestic nurse for the Kenneth family of 5 Benet Place, Lensfield Road.
Robert Charles is now 23 and works as a County Court Clerk. He marries Annie Elizabeth Prime of 26 Burleigh Street on the 27th December 1898.
William is now 15 and a Signal Telegraph lad.
Frederick (13), Sidney (10), Herbert (7) and Grace (4) are all still school children.
The family appears to have moved away from 94 Sturton Street by the following year as a George Freestone is recorded on the electoral register at this property from 1892 – 1895. The Dunn family move to 11 Norfolk Terrace.
“At the Cambridge Police Court on Monday, Frederick Ernest Carpenter, of Brewhouse Lane, was committed for trial on a charge of stealing … A further charge of stealing two live tame rabbits from 94 Sturton Street was adjourned till Friday.” East Anglian Daily Times 24 January 1893
1901 – 1966
Head of household in 1901 is Robert Fletcher, a 43 year old Clerk from Cambridge. He is married to Phoebe (nee Burton), aged 42, who was also born in Cambridge.
The couple have five children. Charles Robert is 21 and works as a brewer’s assistant. Harry is 18 and a jam factory hand. He probably works for Chivers. Helen Sarah is 16 and a housemaid. William is 13 and an errand boy. The youngest is 11 year old Frederick James Fletcher. The Census doesn’t state that he’s a scholar, but back in 1899 Robert was summoned for not sending his children to school.
“EDUCATIONAL DEFAULTERS – For disobeying Magistrates’ orders … Robert Fletcher, 94 Sturton Street, and Arthur Odell, Swann’s Terrace, were summoned for neglecting to send their children to school, and an attendance order was made in each case.” Cambridge Chronicle and Journal 10 February 1899
In 1901 Phoebe’s mother, Ellen Burton, aged 83 was also living with the family. There was also a 22 year old visitor, William Austin, who worked as a grocer’s assistant.
Harry married Jane Esther Keay in Eastbourne 1904. They are living at 12 Flower Street in 1911 and he works as a College kitchen porter.
Ellen died here in 1906, she was 88. She is buried with her husband in Mill Road Cemetery.
Helen married Hector Garner in 1908.
Robert died in 1908, leaving Phoebe to become head of household on the 1911 Census.
Phoebe records that she was married for 33 years, and has had eight children, 3 of whom have died. She works as a bedmakers help at a college. She doesn’t state which college, but when she dies in 1939, the Head Porter and Matron of Gonville and Caius are present at the funeral and a wreath is received from the servants of Gonville and Caius.
William is now 23 and a porter for a grocery shop. Frederick is 21 and a college kitchen porter. He also doesn’t state which college he is working at, however, in the Cambridge Independent Press for 24th July 1903 a mention is made of Frederick being fined 10s at the Borough Police Court for riding his bike in Free School Lane. It gives his place of employment as St. John’s College. “Defendant said he did not think Free School Lane was a footpath“.
On the 27th May 1912, William married Maud Louisa Hancock. He gives his profession as “horse driver”.
Frederick marries Alice Eva Walter in 1913. The couple remain at 94 Sturton Street until 1939. On the 1939 Register Frederick is employed as a College Waiter. Alice is working as a College Bedmaker and there are two children. Edna is 19 years old and works as a short hand typist and Reginald is 15 and a cinema attendant.
Birth records show that Frederick and Alice had at least five children.
Eldest daughter Alice Phoebe Elizabeth was born in 1913. She married Bertie Pluck in 1932, and the couple can be found at 43 Adam & Eve Street in 1939.
Son Charles was born in 1916. He died, aged 2, in 1918.
Frederick died on May 6th 1945, aged 56. Alice and her family continue to live at 94 Sturton Street, the electoral registers show her there until the records end in 1966.
Sources – 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 UK Census, England Births and Christenings (1538-1975), Mill Road Cemetery, East Anglian Daily Times (24 January 1893), Cambridge Chronicle and Journal (10 February 1899), Civil Registration Marriage Index (1837-1915), Cambridgeshire Marriages, Cambridge Daily News (01 February 1939) (08 May 1945), Cambridge Independent Press (24 July 1903), Cambridge Weekly News (22 April 1992), Cambridgeshire Electoral Registers (1722-1966),
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