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74 York Street

A Labourer Turned Coal Merchant

1881

Elizabeth Baker, head, widow, 23, 1858, washerwoman, St Ives, Huntingdonshire
James Baker, son, 5, 1876, scholar, Cambridge
William Baker, son, 1, 1880, Cambridge
Elizabeth Howard, mother, widow, 60, 1821, day nurse (S.M.S.), Upwood, Huntingdonshire
Geo. Spaxman, lodger, 24, 1857, brickmaker, Ditton, Cambridgeshire
William Sands, head, 28, 1853, bricklayer’s labourer, Brighton
Alice Sands, wife, 30, 1851, London, Middlesex
Elizabeth Sands, daughter, 2, 1879, London, Middlesex

S.M.S. stands for Subsidiary Medical Services.  Elizabeth isn’t a trained nurse, but she’s showing that she has experience.

1883 – 1907

George Spaxman, head, labourer, 33, 1858, Dilton,
Betsy Spaxman, wash woman, 33, 1858, St Ives, Huntingdonshire
James Spaxman, labourer, 15, 1876, B. Cambridge
Willer Spaxman, scholar, 11, 1880, B. Cambridge
Elizabeth Howard, mother-in-law, retired nurse, 70, 1821, Upwood, Huntingdonshire

1901

George Spaxman, head, 43, coal merchant, 1858, Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire
Betsy Spaxman, wife, 43, 1858, St Ives, Huntingdonshire
Elizabeth Howard, mother-in-law, 89, 1812, Upwood, Huntingdonshire

Electoral rolls show that the Spaxman family lived here from 1883 until 1907 at least.  By 1908 they are living at 141A York Street.

1911

Thomas Farrington, 29, general labourer at cement works, b. Cambridge

Susan Farrington, 30, b. Cambridge

Charles Thomas Farrington, 4, b. Cambridge

Emma Farrington, 2, b. Cambridge

Henry Farrington, 6 months, b. Cambridge

Florence Farrington, 6 months, b. Cambridge

Henry Bruse, 65, father-in-law, widower, farm labourer b. Cambridge

Susan and Thomas have been married for five years and have had four children.

Sources: 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 UK Census, GENUKI, Cambridgeshire Electoral Registers, Burgess Rolls and Poll Books (1722-1966),

ID emailed 2023: Elizabeth Baker of the 1881 census is the same individual as Betsy Spaxman of the 1901 census. She became widowed and married the lodger. Her children retained their baker surname. James Baker Junior even ended up living next door at no.72.

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