Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Emma Sills (820)

1843 –07/08/1904

Launderess and wife of Stephen Sills; mother of photographer George Sills

Relatives

Stephen Thomas Sills — husband

George Henry Sills — husband

• Jane Dickson

Emma Sills née Holloway

Emma Holloway was the daughter of Richard Holloway and Harriet née Tomlin. Richard, of the parish of St Alban’s Abbey and Harriet, of Hemel Hempstead, had married by Licence on 23^rd November 1834 at St Mary’s Hemel Hempstead. They had six daughters, of whom Emma was the fourth. Their eldest, Sarah Anne was born in Boxmoor in 1835; by 1841 they had moved to Gossoms End and had two more daughters: Mary Ann, born 26^th April 1837 and Eliza, born 9^th February 1841.

Emma’s birth was registered in Berkhamsted in the 1^st Quarter of 1843 and she was followed by Lucy, born in 1845. Their father Richard worked as a plasterer but died aged only 36 and was buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery on 22^nd November 1847. He left a 29 year old widow with 5 daughters, the eldest only 12 years old, and pregnant with a sixth, Ann, who was born on 25^th January 1848.

By 1851 Harriet and her daughters had moved to Berkhamsted High Street. Emma and Lucy were at school while 13 year old Mary Ann and 10 year old Eliza worked as straw plaiters, providing the family’s only apparent source of income. That cottage industry was vital in providing income for women and children locally, with the plaits going to the Luton and Dunstable hat industry. Emma, aged 8, was fortunate to be still at school, as children were sometimes employed in straw plait making from a very young age. Their mother’s occupation was listed as ‘Home’, with 3 year old Ann. However, 16 year old Sarah may also have provided financial support as she was a house servant to Mr William Wooton, Landed Proprietor, in Kings Langley.

As a widow, Emma’s mother would have needed to support herself and she later worked as a laundress, another trade which could be undertaken by women in their own homes. By 1861 18 year old Emma, her mother, her married sister Sarah Anne Andrews and her sister Eliza all worked as laundresses, still living in the High Street. Their sister Mary Ann was an invalid and Lucy a servant, while Ann had no occupation listed. Their household also included 6 year old Louisa Holloway, recorded as Harriet’s daughter and Sarah’s 4 month old daughter Mary Ann Andrews.

On 2^nd January 1869, 25 year old Emma married Stephen Thomas Sills, a 30 year old bachelor, who worked as a railway porter and had lived with his mother, a Laundress, in Canalside. They were married at St Peter’s Church after Banns, which were read on Sundays 13^th, 20^th and 27^th December 1868. Their only child George Henry Sills was born on 22^nd September 1869 and baptised at St Peter’s on 7^th November that year.

 By 1871 32 year old Stephen, 28 year old Emma (a ‘domestic wife’) and 1 year old George Henry lived in Holliday Street; later Census returns suggest that Emma did not have paid work after George was born. Her husband Stephen continued to work as a railway porter. Ten years later they had moved again, living in the High Street, Berkhamsted with Emma’s mother Harriet, still working as a Laundress, together with her widowed daughter Eliza Richardson, 40 and niece 20 year old Mary A Andrews.

 The 1891 Census records Stephen as a Senior Porter and their son George Henry as a married “Photographer, Gilder and Picture Frame Maker”. He became one of Berkhamsted’s three famous photographers, the others being William Claridge and James Newman.

 By 1901, the family address was shown more precisely as 234 High Street, which is now Simmons Bakery. Stephen and Emma lived there with their son George, his wife Amelia and their three grandchildren Charles George, born 23^rd September 1891, Albert William Stephen, born 28^th July 1893 and Edward Victor, born 21^st July 1897. Aged 63, Stephen retired from railway employment on 24^th October 1901.

 Emma, of 234 High Street died, aged 61, on 7^th August 1904 and was buried in Plot 820 three days later, the service conducted by the Revd. H Constable Curtis, Rector of St Peter’s. Her widowed husband Stephen continued to live at 234 High Street with his son’s family until his own death on 19^th April 1925, after which 

Photograph of Emma Sills by kind courtesy of Denise Huckle

Stephen Thomas Sills

21/05/1838 –19/04/1925

Railway porter and father of photographer George Sills

Relatives

Emma Sills (820) — wife

George Henry Sills — son

• Jane Dickson

Stephen Thomas Sills

 Stephen Thomas Sills was born on 21^st May 1838 in Berkhamsted, the only child of Charlotte Sills, a single woman. The 1841 Census records him, aged 3, living in Waterside (close to the canal at the north end of Holliday Street) with his mother Charlotte, 28, a straw plaiter and his widowed grandmother Jane, 65. Their surname is recorded as Siles. Aged 8, on 13^th September 1846, he was baptised at St Peter’s Church. By 1851 he had moved, with his mother and grandmother, to Prospect Place (off Highfield Road). He was then a 13 year old Scholar and his mother still a straw plaiter. The 1861 Census records that Stephen found employment as a railway porter; he would have been working for the London and North Western Railway at Berkhamsted Station. By then he and his mother lived at Canalside and she worked as a laundress.

 On 2^nd January 1869, Stephen Thomas Sills, a 30 year old bachelor, married Emma Holloway, also of Berkhamsted, at St Peter’s Church after Banns, which were read at St Peter’s Berkhamsted on Sundays 13^th, 20^th and 27^th December 1868. Emma, aged 25, was a laundress, born in Berkhamsted and living with her widowed mother and her sisters in Berkhamsted High Street. Their only child George Henry Sills was born on 22^nd September 1869 and baptised at St Peter’s on 7^th November that year.

 By 1871 32 year old Stephen, 28 year old Emma (a ‘domestic wife’) and 1 year old George Henry lived in Holliday Street though they later moved to Berkhamsted High Street. A Railway Employment Record for the Coaching Department at Berkhamsted Station gives more precise information about Stephen’s employment from 14^th May 1877: he was a railway parcels porter. This record also notes that he was 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 metres) tall and earned 17 shillings and 6 pence (87.5p) per week.

 By 1891, Stephen had reached the rank of senior porter and his son George Henry was a married “Photographer, Gilder and Picture Frame Maker” who became one of Berkhamsted’s three famous photographers, the others being William Claridge and James Newman. In 1901, the family address was recorded more precisely as 234 High Street, which is now Simmons Bakery. Stephen and Emma lived there with their son George, his wife Amelia and their three grandchildren Charles George, born 23^rd September 1891, Albert William Stephen, born 28^th July 1893 and Edward Victor, born 21^st July 1897. In 1901 Stephen was almost 63 years old, though the Census gives his age as 60. His Railway Employment record gives his retirement date as 24^th October 1901.

 Stephen’s wife Emma, of 234 High Street died, aged 61, on 7^th August 1904 and was buried in Plot 820 three days later, the service conducted by the Revd. H Constable Curtis, Rector of St Peter’s.

 After his wife’s death, Stephen continued to live with his son George and family at 234 High Street. In 1911 he is still listed as a railway porter but absence of the word ‘Worker’, at least implies retirement.

 Electoral Register entries and the Burial Register show that Stephen remained at 234 High Street until his own death, aged 87, on 19^th April 1925. On 23^rd April 1925, he was buried in Plot 820 with Emma, the service conducted by the Curate of St Peter’s, the Revd. E. J. Anthony.

 Their kerbed memorial bears the inscription: “Emma, the beloved wife of Stephen Thomas Sills, 7th August 1904 aged 61/ also of Stephen Thomas Sills died 19th April 1925 aged 87.”

 Their son George Henry Sills, who died 14^th December 1951 and daughter in law Amelia Mary Sills née Ledger, who died 17^th March 1941 are buried in Plot 901 at Rectory Lane.