12 Sturton Street

History of the Houghton Family

1881 – 1939

Emma Houghton is head of the household in 1881.  She is fifty years old and was born in London. Her nephew George James Houghton (19, a shoeing smith) and niece Emily Ellen Houghton (21 and a laundress) are living with her.

Emily married George Frederick Nears in 1882.

George married Eliza Sanderson in 1883.  They move to 36 Ainsworth Street.

In 1891 another of Emm’a nephews is living with her.  He is James Henry Houghton, 24 and a tailor.

Emma never married and died on the 24th May 1891.  James remains at 12 Sturton Street and married Alice Cook in 1893.

By 1901 James and Alice have two children, Frederick William aged 4 and 5-month-old Harry.

The 1911 Census shows that they have had four children. Frederick and Harry are now joined by Wilfred who is 8 and 4-year-old Alice May.  James is still a tailor and makes coats.

James and his family remain at 12 Sturton Street until at least 1939. They are on the 1939 register with two more children, Gladys Irene who was born in October 1911 and Percy Reginald who was born in October 1916.   Gladys is a shop assistant for a soft furnishers.  Percy is a Police Constable, which was a Reserved Occupation meaning he might not have fought in the Second World War.

Source – 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 UK Census, England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995, England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005, 1939 Register, Cambridgeshire, England, Electoral Registers, Burgess Rolls and Poll Books, 1722-1966, BBC WW2 People’s War,

In 2025 MM sent this note:

This was my grandparents, they had 7 children in total. My mother Gladys Irene was the sixth of seven. She Married Thomas McGregor, and they lived at number 18 Sturton street. They had four children, Mary, myself, Malcolm, Ian and the youngest Andy. We are all still alive. I have lots of information both anecdotal and factual that I could contribute. My cousin, Henry James Houghton, the same age as me lives in Perth Australia and has been trying to build the family tree. His father Ruben emigrated to Australia in the 1950’s all of their children survive and live in Perth where he worked in the pathology department of Perth hospital.