Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Thomas Richard Slatter

11/12/1869 –10/06/1953

Born in Apsley, engine fitter, married Nellie Meager.

Relatives

Nellie May Slatter (1117) — wife

• Karen Evans

Thomas Richard Slatter 11 December 1869-10 June 1953

Thomas Richard Slatter was born in Apsley End, the son of John Robert Slatter and his wife Frances (nee Sharman). Thomas’ father was a baker from St Albans, who appears to have settled in the Two Waters/Frogmore/Apsley district of Hemel Hempstead after his marriage in 1864. Thomas was one of four sons, all of whom appear to have been born and raised in Apsley.

William John baptised on 27th June 1866 at St John’s, Boxmoor

Frederick Henry baptised on 16^th September 1868 at St John’s, Boxmoor

Thomas Richard baptised 17th May 1874 at St Mary’s, Apsley End

Albert (Arthur) Edward baptised 17th May 1874 at St Mary’s, Apsley End

In 1871 the family were living in the Bright Buildings, Frogmore End, which today would be considered to be Apsley. The Bright buildings were situated off Weymouth Street.

In 1881 John Robert had moved into his own baker’s shop on the London Road at Two Waters, next door to a public house called The Fountain. All four sons appear to have helped their father in the business, as they were all listed as being a “Baker’s assistant”.

In 1891 Thomas was living well away from the Dacorum area at 46 Maximfeldt Road, Erith, Dartford, Kent. He was one of three boarders living at that address, which was in an area of Dartford inhabited by a number of mechanics, fitters and engineers. Thomas gave his occupation as being a “Fitter and Turner”. We can not know why Thomas did not follow the family business as Thomas’s father seems to have been well-known local, as reported the Herts Advertiser of 21^st May 1892:

“APSLEY END

PRIMROSE MEETING – In connection with the Apsley Ward of the West Herts Primrose Habitation, a tea was provided by Mr John Slatter, Apsley End, in the boys’ schoolroom, at which nearly a hundred members were present. After the tea an entertainment was given in the infant schoolroom”.

The bakery business appears to have included pastries and confectionary, and after John’s retirement  prior to 1901, was taken over by Thomas’s brother Arthur.

 Thomas Richard Slatter married Nellie May Meagre at St Peter’s Church, Berkhamsted on 9^th January 1892, and the couple provided her widowed mother, Elizabeth Meagre, with a home in her old age in Castle Street. In 1901 Thomas and Nellie May were living at 7 Castle Street, where Thomas was described in the census as being a “fitter Engineer”, whilst Nellie May was a dressmaker who was stated as being an employer, rather than working for anyone. Nellie’s mother stayed with them until her death in 1910.

The 1911 shows Nellie and Thomas still living at 7 Castle Street and states that they never had any children. Thomas’ occupation was given as “Engineer, Paper Trade”. As he was born and raised in Apsley, it is probable that he worked at the Dickinson’s paper factory in Apsley. This assumption was proved correct as the 1921 census states that Thomas was an “Engineer’s fitter”, employed by John Dickinson & Co., Stationers at Apsley Mills. No occupation was given for Nellie on this census. By 1939 Thomas had retired and he and nellie were living together at 7 Castle Street with no other family nearby.

Nellie May died at 7 Castle Street, on 2^nd June 1941 and administration of her estate, which was valued at £506 was given to her husband, Thomas. Thomas died on 10^th June 1953 at West Herts Hospital in Hemel Hempstead. Probate was granted on 7^th September 1953 and granted to Philip Edwin Johnson and Ida Muriel Gent. Philip Edwin Johnson appears to have been the solicitor dealing with Thomas’ will, whilst Ida Muriel was born Ida Muriel Young and was raised in Gravel Path, Berkhamsted. She married Henry William Gent in 1928 and the couple lived at 5 Castle Street, making her a neighbour of Thomas and Nellie. There appears to be no familial link between Thomas and Ida.

Nellie May Slatter (1117)

02/03/1874 –02/06/1941

only one of 10 siblings to remain in Berkhamsted; wife of Thomas Slatter

Relatives

Thomas Richard Slatter — husband

George Meager — father

Arthur Meagher (x312 — brother

• Karen Evans

Nellie May Slatter 02 March 1874 – 02 June 1941

Nellie May Slatter was born Nellie May Meager. Her father George Meager married her mother, Elizabeth Fowler, at St Peter’s Church Berkhamsted on 14^th October 1854. George and Elizabeth Meager settled in Cox Lane. Beorcham in the Berkhamsted Review of Aug 1946 describes Cox Lane as “the narrow lane which was widened in late Victorian days and renamed King’s-road. In a row of eight cottages there was but one drinking water tap and one rainwater tank. The cottagers also shared a big old-fashioned brick oven, taking turns to cook their dinners.”

George was a labourer in 1861, whilst Elizabeth gave her occupation as being a Bonnet Sewer. George and Elizabeth had ten children, of which Nellie May was the youngest:

1)      George William baptized on 23^rd May 1858

2)      Sarah Ann baptized on 23^rd May 1858

3)      Frederick Daniel born on 3^rd February 1859

4)      Emily born on 3^rd November 1860

5)      Arthur born 13^th August 1862

6)      Frank born 30^th December 1863

7)      Harry born 29 August 1866

8)      Ernest born 16^th April 1869. Frederick, Emily, Arthur, Frank, Harry and Ernest were all baptised together at St Peter’s on 2^nd January 1870.

9)      Albert baptised 23^rd July 1871

10)   Nellie May born 2^nd March 1874 and baptised on 13^th April 1874.

 In 1871 George senior was a labourer on the railway, whilst George junior was a railway clerk. This census saw the family name spelt Meagher for the first time, and the family appear to have adopted this spelling for future use. Nellie’s father, George, passed away in the spring of 1877, living his wife a widow, aged 40. However, Elizabeth was probably able to get financial help from her children. Her eldest daughter, Sarah Ann, was already working in Sunnyside as a Housemaid by the time she was 14 in 1871. The Elizabeth and the younger children remained in Cox Lane/Kings Road

The first of Nellie’s siblings to get married was Frederick, who married Mary Ann Luft from Aylesbury in March 1880. Frederick was working as a bricklayer in 1881, when he and his new wife can be found living in Upper Kitsbury Road. In 1881 Arthur was also working as a bricklayer, though still living at home with his mother and younger siblings. Nellie’s second sister, Emily, had also gone into service, working as a housemaid for Mr Frank Moore, J.P. of Woodcock Hill. On 17^th November 1885 Emily married John Bonfield, a butler from Yarmombe in Devon, at St Peter’s Church.

 From this time onwards the Meagher family appear with less frequency in records relating to Berkhamsted. The first clue to what was happening to the family can be found in a local newspaper. On 20^th March 1886 The Bucks Herald reported the following:

“The Perils of the Deep

On board the Cunard liner Oregon, which collided off New York on Sunday morning, and sank eight hours afterwards, were two young mechanics belonging to Berkhampstead who, after spending the winter here, were returning to Chicago. Their names are Noah Foskett and Arthur Meager. A Miss Attewell, formerly of Berkhampstead, was also among the passengers, who were all saved”.

The SS Oregon was a record breaking British passenger liner that won the Blue Riband for the Guion Line as the fastest liner on the Atlantic in 1884. She was sold to the Cunard Line after a few voyages and continued to improve her passage times for her new owner. The Oregon sailed from Liverpool on 6th March 1886 with 852 people on board, 647 passengers (186 First Class, 66 Second Class and 395 Steerage) and a crew of 205, along with 1,835 tons of cargo and 598 bags of mail, under the command of Captain Phillip Cottier. At about 4:30am on 14^th March, only a few hours from her scheduled arrival in New York City (about 15 miles to the west), she collided with an unidentified schooner, most likely Charles H. Morse, which disappeared in those waters about the same time. The schooner sank almost immediately upon impact with all hands. Passenger lists reveal that this was not Arthur’s first trip overseas. On 15^th May 1882 Arthur arrived in New York, having travelled aboard the “Naesland” from Antwerp, with his brother, Frank. Frank appears to have stayed in the USA because in 1888 there is a record of his naturalisation. It seems that Cook County, Illinois was an attractive proposition for more than the single men in the Meagher family. In 1883 Nellie’s second eldest brother, Frederick emigrated with his wife Mary Ann and two daughters, Emily and Ethel. The family settled in the town of Lake, where Frederick was a bricklayer. Three years after Frederick and his family arrived in the United States, another brother, Ernest, also emigrated, receiving his naturalisation from the Circuit Court of Cook County, on 29^th September 1890. Eleven days later, on 10^th October 1890 a third brother, Harry, received his naturalisation from the same court in Cook County. Sadly their brother, Frank Meagher, single man and carpet fitter, had previously died in Cook County, Illinois, on 23^rd April 1888, aged 25.

The emigration of her brothers to the United States meant that in 1891 Nellie was living in the Kings Road with her mother, Elizabeth and one remaining brother, Albert. Her sister, Emily, had left Berkhamsted and was living in Kings Langley parish, near to Rucklers Lane. This situation was not to last long, as Albert, the youngest of the Meagher boys, soon followed his brothers over, travelling from Liverpool to Ellis Island on the RMS Umbria. He received his naturalisation from Cook County’s Circuit Court on 21^st October 1902. The emigration of the Meagher family to the USA was not yet complete. In 1903 Nellie’s sister, Emily, and her husband John Binfield, took their three children to Liverpool and travelled on the RMS Umbria to Ellis Island. The Bonfields appear to have settled in the Manhattan district of New York, rather than join Emily’s brothers in Chicago.

In the end Nellie May was the only one of the Meagher children to stay in Berkhamsted. She married Thomas Richard Slatter, a local man from the Apsley part of Hemel Hempstead, at St Peter’s Church, Berkhamsted on 9^th January 1892, and the couple provided her widowed mother, Elizabeth, with a home in her old age in Castle Street. In 1891 Thomas and Nellie May were living at 7 Castle Street, where Thomas was described in the census as being a “fitter Engineer”, whilst Nellie May was a dressmaker. The census stated that Nellie was an employer, rather than working for anyone. Nellie’s mother stayed with them until her death in 1910.

The 1911 census shows Nellie and Thomas still living at 7 Castle Street and states that they never had any children. Thomas’ occupation was given as “Engineer, Paper Trade”. As he was born and raised in Apsley, it is probable that he worked at the Dickinson’s paper factory in Apsley. This assumption was proved correct as the 1921 census states that Thomas was an “Engineer’s fitter”, employed by John Dickinson & Co., Stationers at Apsley Mills. No occupation was given for Nellie on this census. By 1939 Thomas had retired

Nellie May remained at 7 Castle Street, dying there on 2^nd June 1941. Administration of her estate, which was valued at £506 was given to her husband, Thomas. Thomas survived his wife by 12 years, dying on 10^th June 1953 at West Herts Hospital in Hemel Hempstead.