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2017 RGL

The Royal Albert Benevolent Society Almshouses

History of Royal Albert Almshouses

Pevsner notes (Cambridgeshire p. 329): The Royal Albert Almshouses, 1859,. By Frederick Peck (Peck & Stephens) after John Edlin was manoeuvred off the commission. Quite a large composition in Gothic style, with sharp gables: yellow, red and blue bricks. Rear ranges dated 1877 and 1879 (S), 1882 (N).

Enid Porter notes in ‘Victorian Cambridge’p.109  that the Royal Albert Benevolent Society of  Decayed Tradesmen and Others, was established in March 1846 to provide homes for aged and inform poor members. The annual membership subscription was 5s and the Society planned to erect its homes on any suitable freehold land within two miles of Great St Mary’s Church. For 13 years there were various fund raising events; Josiah Chater reported going to an event at the Town Hall on 16th and 27th May 1858. The occasion produced a lot of criticism of the state of the Town Hall.

The foundation home of the homes was laid on 28th June 1859, chosen as being the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. It was a gala day in Cambridge; there were flags and the shops were closed. There was a service at Great St Mary’s church and then a procession to the Hills Road site. The Cambridge Amateur Musical Society sang the Hallelujah Chorus.

1861 (Albert Asylum)

2 Charles Coleman, 62, retired whitesmith, b Norfolk; Eliza, 61, b Cambridge

3 Mary Kemp, widow, retired house, b Ickleton; Harriet Pilgrim, grand daughter, 15, companion, b Gt Chesterford

Alice L Clayton, widow, 64, retired cook, b Hunts; Robert C Gray, grandson, b Cambridge

4 Sarah Peachey, 54, retired farmer’s daughter, b Cambs; Sophia Gibbon, visitor, 76, b Cambridge

---

1871

Albert Buildings

1 Sarah Reynolds, 80, b Essex house proprietress

2 Susanna Hammond, 72, b Norfolk, annuitant; Elizabeth M Hammond, 30, b Cambridge

3 Susan Woolnough, 37, b Cambridge

4 Elizabeth Coleman, 71, annuitant

5 Mary Kernk, 84, b Ickleton, annuitant; Mary Clark, servant, 13, b Chesterton

6 John S Readhead, 72, b Cambridge; Jane Rogers, servant, 44, b Dry Drayton

7 Elizabeth Rayment, 76, b Gt Shelford

8 Sarah Peachey, 69, b Cambs, annuitant

9 Ann Craghill, 62, b Hunts, annuitant

10 Rose Curzon, 66, b Teversham, annuitant; Rose Ann Curzon, 31, b Cambridge, semptress

11 Joseph Fuller, 75, b Cambridge, formerly confectioner

12 Susan Bonett, 76, b Cambridge, annuitant

---

1881

(Albert Asylum)

Hills Road

1 Hannah Doughty, 75, b Meldreth; Lily B Snarcy, 13, granddaughter, b Chesterton

Elizabeth Gidley, 69, b Devon; Amelia S Hunt, 54, niece, b Middlesex

2 Susan Woolnough, 71, b Herts

Sarah Green, widow, 89, b Bassingbourn; Anne Randall, visitor, 59, retired servant, b Cambs; Emma Whitehead, 59, b Cambs

3 Elizabeth Coleman, 81, widow, b Cambs

4  Mary Anne Muggleton, 73, b Cambridge

Sarah Peachy, 79, b Burwell

5 Rose Curwen, 75, b Cambridge

Ann Craghill, 72, b Hunts

6 Joseph Fuller, widower, 84, formerly fruiterer, b Cambridge

English Tyler, 79, formerly confectioner, b Essex

Ann, wife, 58, b Essex

Avenue Road [Brooklands Avenue]

1 Johnathan Appleby, 73, formerly cook, b Waterbeach

Harriet, 68, b Duxford

2 Charlotte Frost, widow, 74, b Cambridge

3 vacant

4 Sarah Thurlow, 74, b Fulbourn

Emma Thurlow, 42, dressmaker, b Cambridge

5 John Atkins, 67, former tailor,  b Kent

Mary, 68, b Suffolk

6 Margaret J Renton, 68, former lodging house keeper, b Lambeth

7John Cole, 67, former tailor,  b Middlesex

Martha, 67, b Cammbridge

8 Thomas Saunders, 73, annuitant, b Cambridge

Eliza, 70, b Cambridge

Mary Anne, 40, b Cambridge

---

1891

(Albert Asylum)

1. Eliza Saunders, 81, b Cambridge; Mary A E S, 50 living on own means; Mary A Dunkley, servant, 18, b Hunts
2. Isabella Cherry, widow, 57, b Cambridge
3. John Barton, widower, 77, house agent,  b Cambridge
4. William Chapman, 77, retired builder, b Cambridge; Hannah, 70, b Cambridge
5. Sarah Thurlow, widow, 85, b Cambridge; Emma, 52, dressmaker, b Cambridge
6. William Male, 76, retired shoemaker, b Dry Drayton; Elizabeth, 67, b Newmarket
7. Edward Bird, 76, retired tailor, b Cambridge; Frances, 79, b Cambridge, b Cambridge
8. Thomas Isaacson, 73, iron monger’s salesman, b Cambs; Mary A, 62, b Cambs
9. –
10. James  Dewberry, 73, retired bootmaker; Sarah, 69, b Cambridge
11. John Willimott, widower, 64, reitred butcher, b Chesterton; Elizabeth Kidman, servant, 74, b cambridge
12. Rhoda Wakefield, widow, 71, b Cambridge
13. Susannah Rowton, 73, retired schoolmistress, b Cambridge
14. –
15. Mary A Muggleton, widow, 84, b Cambridge; Elizabeth Safford, 46, servant, b Cambridge
16. William Fletcher, 68, retired maltster, b Notts;Caroline Fletcher, widow, 85, b Wimpole
17. Ann Craghill, 81, b Hunts; Mary Kirkham, servant, widow, 54, sick nurse, b Whittlesea
18. –
19. James Edwards, 78, retired plumber, b Cambridge; Eliza, 81, b Cambridge; Sarah Nicholson, daughter, married, 45, b Cambridge
20. Mary Fuller, widow, 71, retired dressmaker, b Leics
21. Joshua Barker, 73, retired butcher, b Bourn; Alfred Barker, 21, electrical instrument maker, b Cambridge
22. George Rayment, 78, retired bootmaker, b Cottenham; Eliza, 74, b Cherry Hinton
23. Mary Page, widow, 69, retired licensed victualler, b cambridge
24. George Caddy, 66, retired bootmaker, b Norfolk; Anne, 64, b Warwicks.
25. Charles Plumb, 76, widower, retired printer, b Suffolk

---

1901

1. Stephen Bell, widower, 87, retired tailor, b Cambridge; Elizabeth Bell, daughter, 48, b Chesterton
2. Isabella Cherry, widow, b Cambridge; Ellen M Drury, companion, 23, b Cambridge
3. Robert Samuel Mullen, widower, retired corn dealer, b Norfolk; Sarah Mullen,  b Norfolk
4. William Chapman, 87, widower, carpenter, b Cambridge; Martha Pratt, 56, housekeeper, b Cambridge
5. Naomi Jarman, widow, b Cambridge
6. William Barton, retired fish dealer, b Cambridge; Eliza Barton, Cambridge
7. Helen Maze, 73, b London; Beatrice M Dibley, granddaughter, 18, b Middlesex
8. Joseph Wilmott, retired baker and corn dealer, b Barrington; Sarah Wilmott, b Norfolk
9. Rebecca Odams, 65, b Cambridge
10. Phoebe Holden, 74, b Cambridge; Sarah Hardman, 70, servant, b Cambridge
11. William Dann, 82, b Cambs; Elizabeth Dann,  widow, born Cambridge
12. Obadiah Barker, 78, b Saffron Walden; Julia H Barker, daughter, 55, b Great Chesterford
13. Sarah Fletcher, 74, widow,  b Suffolk
14.  Susan Lincoln, 83, widow, b Norwich
15.  Harriet Sandfield, 75, b Cambridge
16. Caroline Fletcher, widow, 85, b Wimpole; Rebecca Fletcher, 53, b Notts
17. –
18. William B Cross, 68, retired grocer ;Mary Theand Cross, b Norfolk
19.  Orpah Dickinson, widow, 74, b Cambridge
20. Arthur Mole, 75, retired tailor, b Beds; Maria Mole, widow, b Cambridge
21. –
22. Eliza Haslop, 69,  b Cambridge; Elizabeth Rackham, 70, visitor, 70,  b Norfolk
23. Grace Newell, 77, b Ely
24. George Caddy, 76, retired bootmaker, b Norfolk; Anne, 74, b Warwicks.

---

1911

1. Mary Ann Careless, 81, retired draper, b Cambridge
2. Isabella Cherry, 71, widow, b Cambridge; Hannah Careless, visitor, 35, b Trumpington
3. Robert Samuel Mullen, 89, widower, b Norfolk; Ann Stearn, companion, widow, 62, b Cambs
4. Elizabeth Sarah Barber, 79, widow, b Cambridge
5. Naomi Jarman, 88, widow, b Cambridge; Amelia Wallis, 68, widow, companion, b Cambridge
6. William Barton, 79, retired fish dealer, b Cambridge; Eliza Barton, 70, b Cambridge
7. William Thurlow, 80, shoemaker, born Cambs
8. Joseph Wilmott, 81, retired baker and corn dealer, b Barrington; Sarah Wilmott, 84, b Norfolk
9. Alfred Edward Tuck, 91, widower, retired tailor, b Cambridge; Anne Jane Rowell, 53, housekeeper, widow, born Cambridge
10. Sarah Channell, 76, widow, b Cottenham
11. Elizabeth Dann, 86, widow, born Cambridge
12. Charles Barker, 75, retired gardener, Cambridge; Mary Barker, 74, b Bottisham
13. Elizabeth Lucy Key, 75, widow, Northants; Edith Emma Key, daughter, 47, housekeeper, b London
14.  –
15.  –
16. Mary Ann Beaumont, 75, widow, born Cambridge; Anne Kay Beaumont, 38, b Cambridge; Mary Ann Beaumont, 36, dressmaking, b Cambridge
17. William Holmes, 91, widower, retired shoemaker, b Ely; Elizabeth Head, 65, housekeeper, born Herts
18. Mary Theand Cross, 75, widow, b Norfolk
19.  –
20. Maria Mole, 82, widow, b Cambridge; Arthur Mole, 55, no occupation, b Cambridge
21. Emma Thurlow, 72, single, b Cambridge
22. Eleen Plumb, 65, widow, born Cambs; Kate Ellen Mildred Plumb, 35, single, bookkeeper, b Cambridge
23. William Henry Crouch, 78, late watchmaker, b London; Sarah Crouch, 65, b Cambridge
24. Mary Rawlins, 84, widow, b Kent; Charlotte Hills, 77, widow, born Kent; Dorothy Ponting, niece, 17, student correspondence, b Surrey
25. George Henry Barker, 79, retired carpenter, b Cambridge; Caroline Barker, 79, born Cambridge

 

1913

24 out of 25 apartments occupied

Sketching Cambridge by Michael Large

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