8 Stone Street, Cambridge

A Coal Porter and his family

Number 8 is one of a terrace of 8 houses on the south side of Stone Street.

1881

Alfred Wilkin, 37, grocer’s warehouseman, b. Cambridge

Rosena Wilkin, b. Surrey

Ellen Wilkin, 4, b. Cambridge

Frank Wilkin, 2, b. Cambridge

William Wilkin, 8, nephew, scholar, b. Clerkenwell, London

1888 -1915

Head of household is John Silk, a 44-year-old coal porter who was born in Stow.  He lives here with his wife Eliza, 44, who was born in St. Ives, Huntingdonshire.  They have moved from number 7 Stone Street and electoral registers show the family at number 8 at least until 1915.

They have five children.  The eldest is John James, aged 16 and a coal porter like his father. The census enumerator has helpfully recorded that John was born on York Street.  The other four children are all Scholars.  Kate (given name Kathleen Constance) is 11, William is 10, Maude (given name Alice Maude) is 7 and Lillian is 6.  They were all born in Cambridge.

William joined the Suffolk Regiment in August 1900, but was discharged in October of that year “as not likely to make an efficient soldier”

The family is still here in 1901.  John senior and John junior are both coal carmen.  Kate, now 21 and Maude, now 17, are both jam factory hands.  William is 19 and a railway labourer.  Lily is 16 and there is now another child, 6-year-old Tom. Kate married in the summer of 1901.

By 1911 John is a widower and still a coal porter.  His son John lives with him, he’s a bricklayer’s labourer.  Daughter Lily is recorded as father’s housekeeper.  Maude married Charles Eley in 1902 and they had three children.  Sadly she is now a widow and living at 8 Stone Street with her father.

Lily married in 1916.

1921 Census
William Peters, 54, general labourer for the Cambridge Coporation based at the Stone Yard on Mill Road
Maud Peters, 38, Home Duties
George Peters, 4, school whole time
Tomas Peters, 2
Alfred Eley, 10, stepson (father dead), school whole time
Violet Eley, 11, stepdaughter (father dead), school whole time

Source: 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921UK Census, Cambridgeshire, England, Electoral Registers, Burgess Rolls and Poll Books  (1722-1966), British Army Service Records,