Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Lydia Bean

c1797

Straw plaiter who had three children outside marriage and died a spinster age 86 years

• Melanie Hilton

Lydia Bean (1793-1879)

Lydia was born to 22 year-old single mother Sarah Bean from Edlesborough, Bucks and baptised as Lydia Simmonds Bean at Little Gaddesden church 1^st September 1793. (In later census returns she gives her place of birth variously as Edlesborough, Leighton Buzzard and Hudnall, which is within Little Gaddesden parish). Edlesborough is five miles NW of Little Gaddesden.

In 1803 another daughter of Sarah’s was baptised at Little Gaddesden as Charlotte Cook Bean. It seems reasonable to conclude that they were half, not full, sisters.

How Sarah and her children supported themselves is not known – possibly by straw plaiting which was practiced by many women and children in the area to supply the hat industry of Dunstable and Luton.

Lydia gave birth to a son John in 1813 who was baptised at Little Gaddesden, as was Caroline in 1817. She also had a daughter Emma, probably born in 1818. All appear to have been born out of wedlock.

Emma married maltster George Kemp in 1840 and in 1841 Lydia was living with them in Leighton Buzzard in Bell Pightle, the High Street. This was probably an alleyway next to the Bell, or “Top Bell” to distinguish it from the Lower, or Golden Bell on the High Street.

By 1851 the Kemp family and Lydia had moved to New Street, Woburn. On the census return Lydia is described as “Widow” and her occupation as “Nurse”.

By the time of the 1861 census Lydia had moved to Berkhamsted and was living alone in Castle Street. She gave her date of birth as 1794, her place of birth as Leighton [Buzzard], her occupation as straw plaiter and her marital status as “Unmarried”.

In 1871 she was living with her widowed sister Charlotte Bunce and niece Sarah, both straw plaiters, in Castle Street. Lydia gave her date of birth as 1798 and the place as Hudnall, Bucks.

Lydia died in 1879. The death registration gives her age as 82, when in fact she was 86.