James Sidey
James Sidey was my great great great grandfather and married Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) and had two sons James and Samuel and two daughters Mary and Esther. All were baptised at St.Mary’s church, Lambeth, Surrey. The daughters were baptised together on 20th July 1800. James Sidey was baptised on 18th May 1794 and Samuel was born on 27th October 1796 and christened on 4th December 1796.
Samuel Sidey
Samuel Sidey was my great great grandfather. Not much is known about him other than that he was a Goldleaf manufacturer and that he married Jane Maund on 20th April 1817 in St.James, Paddington. Jane was born in Surrey in 1795. On the 1841 census for 30 Baldwin Street, St.Lukes, Samuel’s occupation is given as gold beater. Various trade directories of the period show Samuel as a gold beater during the period 1842 – 1854. History of Goldbeating
Samuel died on 4th June 1858 of cancer, John Sidey is listed as informant of death on the death certificate. Samuel is buried at Abney Park Cemetery Grave No. 20918 Section F3. Abney Park was the foremost burial ground for non-conformists and was open to all, regardless of religious conviction. It is one of the ‘Magnificent Seven‘ garden cemeteries in London.
I visited the cemetery in the summer of 2001 and the whole area was badly overgrown and the grave covered with moss, ivy and brambles. We couldn’t find any inscriptions. The Victorian cemetery has turned into an ‘urban wilderness’ over the years and is a fascinating place to visit.
Trade directories for 1860 show only Samuel’s wife carrying on the business, she by this time would have been sixty five. The 1861 census describes her as a widow of independent means. Jane died of cancer of the womb at the marital home on 29th August 1866. I have found a will for Jane in which it states: “I Jane Sidey give and bequeath to my beloved children to be equally divided all my household furniture, wearing apparel, books, jewellery, pictures and other effects including all sums of money which be found in my house or about my person or due to me at the time of my decease.”
Her son John Sidey was the executor of the will and witnesses were John Sidey and Franklin Levy (Jane’s son-in-law, the husband of her daughter Jane).
The London Commercial Directory of 1856 and 1862 have an entry under Stephen Street, Tottenham Court Road ‘No 5, Maund & Sidey, engravers’.
Esther Sidey, the sister of Samuel Sidey (senior), gave birth to an illegitimate daughter on 11th March 1824 in the workhouse. The child, Elizabeth, was baptised on 7th April 1824 at St.George the Martyr church, Southwark. It appears that the church had its own workhouse which was opened in 1729 at Mint Street, Southwark. In the 1841 census Elizabeth is shown as residing with her brother Samuel and his wife Jane at 30 Baldwin Street and is described as their daughter. She is single and aged seventeen at that time. In the 1851 census her age is given as 29.
The children of Samuel and Jane Sidey were Charles George, Henry, Elizabeth (see above), Jane, Rebecca, Harriet, Samuel, Mary, James Maund and John.
Charles George Sidey was baptised on 10th May 1818 at St.Lukes Church, Old Street. The 1848 Post Office Directory of London shows him as an engraver of 30 Arlington Street, Mornington Crescent. He is also listed under the same occupation as ‘Sidey & Maund’ of 5 St.Stephen Street, Tottenham Court Road. The 1862 Commercial Directory shows ‘Sidey, Charles George, engraver, see Maund & Sidey’.
He married Mary Ann Hiland on October 14 1844 in St.James, Westminster. I have found a will for Charles who died in 1863 at Grove Villa, Friern Park in the Parish of Friern Barnet. In the document it states: “I give to my wife Mary Ann Sidey the whole of my freehold property also the whole of my leasehold property as well as the furniture and other effects contained in my dwelling house Grove Villa before mentioned. In fact I wish it to be understood that I leave everything that I am possessed of in this world to my wife Mary Ann. My wife to be sole executrix.”
Witnesses to the will were Joseph John Swindell, surgeon and Charles Maund.
Charles Maund is believed to be the brother (or relative) of Jane Maund. He was married to Rebecca Hiland on 16th November 1812 at St.James, Westminster. In the 1851 census for 30 Arlington Street, Mornington Crescent he is listed as a visitor at the home of Charles George Sidey and is described as a widower, aged 55, retired engraver. It is believed that Charles Maund was in partnership with Charles Sidey.
Henry Sidey was baptised on 2nd May 1820. In the 1841 census he is shown as a wood carver. The 1848 Post Office Directory of London shows his occupation as a carver of 31 Baldwin Street, City Road. By the 1851 census, Henry had left home and was trading as a wood carver from 69 Banner Street (Commercial Directory for 1851), a mere ten minute walk from Baldwin Street In the 1862 edition of the Commercial Directory he is shown as occupation chairman of 58 Great Cambridge Street, Hackney Road.
Jane Sidey was baptised 17th July 1825. She married Franklin Thomas Levy on 9th September 1844 in Shoreditch St.Leonard. In the 1871 census Franklin and Jane are living in St.Leonards Shoreditch. They are both aged 47 and Franklin is a shoemaker. They have 3 children living with them, Sarah aged 18 is a brush drawer, William aged 16 is a cabinet maker and Thomas aged 13 is an errand boy. In 1881 Franklin and Jane are living at 34 Paul St., Franklin is still a shoe maker. Sarah their daughter aged 28 is living there, she is still a brush drawer and also living there is Jane Green a grand-daughter aged 15 a cigar maker.
By 1891 Franklin is widowed and a lodger living in Shoreditch.
Rebecca Sidey was baptised 15th July 1827 at St.Lukes Old Street. In the 1841 census she is shown as a brush drawer. She married Robert Bowdler on 14th July 1856 at St.John the Baptist Church, Shoreditch. (Brush drawing – in drawing, a wooden brush back is made and holes drilled through it to take the knots of bristle. This part of the brush would usually be the part that included the wooden handle. The holes were each drilled with two bits, one wider than the other so that half of the hole was of a larger bore. A length of wire or thin twine was then passed in loops through the holes from the back of the brush. A small bundle of bristles, about two inches or so long was then pushed through each loop, so that as the loop was pulled from behind the brush back the bristles folded over into the wider part of the hole and were held tight as the wire or twine was pulled. If the brush was for hair the bristles would be left slightly uneven. If it was for clothes, etc they would be fixed so they would all be even. After a row of bristles had been inserted the wire was tied off so that they were held tight, and this was continued until the whole brush was “filled” with bristles. To hand draw a good hairbrush would be a days work!’)
Harriet Sidey was baptised 16th August 1829 at St.Lukes Old Church. Her occupation in the 1841 census is also given as brush drawer.
Samuel Sidey was born in the district of St.Luke, almost certainly at 30 Baldwin Street. He was baptised on 28th September 1834 at St.John the Baptist Church, Shoreditch. In the 1851 census, he is described as goldbeaters apprentice. In September 1852 he married Ann Patience Murphy at Shoreditch. By 1881 he is living at 419 Kingsland Road, Hackney with his wife and children, although by now he describes himself as a general dealer. Between 1881 and 1890 he moved and is at 35 Richmond Road, Dalston (Kellys Hackney Directory). In the 1911 edition of the same publication he is an Insurance Agent and his daughter Jane (known as Jennie) is residing with him and is engaged in the same business. Samuel died at 35 Richmond Road, Dalston on 15th July 1915 at the age of 81, cause of death given as heart failure and senility. Both he and his wife Ann Patience are buried together in grave NO. R/N 14982 sector C8 at Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington. The grave was visited on 12th March 1998 by David Arthur Sidey their great grandson. He found the headstone standing and still readable but the surround has completely disappeared.
Mary Sidey was baptised 28th September 1834.
James William Maund Sidey – see below
John Sidey was born 6th June 1839. His occupation in the 1851 census is given as butchers apprentice. He married Rose Hannah Stirling in 1857 in Whitechapel, Middlesex. The Commercial Directory for 1862 shows John working as easy chair maker at 18 Kings Street, St.Lukes. In 1871 he and Rose have 7 children – John (aged 10), Arthur (aged 8), Rose Jane (aged 7), Louise (aged 5), Lydia (2) and Herbert G (aged 11 months). Rose’s mother Hannah aged 53 is living with the family and they have a servant Fanny Rode (aged 15). In 1881 he is residing at 97 Downham Road, Hackney, Middlesex along with his wife and 9 children. His occupation is given as chair maker. The children were John (aged 20), chair stuffer (cabinet), O (aged 18), coal merchant’s clerk, Rose J. (aged 17), surgical instrument maker, Louisa (aged15), vellum sower (book binding), Lydia (aged 12), Herbert (aged 11), Clara E. (aged 9), Alexander (aged 7), William H. (aged 5) and a domestic servant Fanny McDermott (28).
James William Maund Sidey
James was my great grandfather. When I began researching all I had to go on was the name James William Sidey on my grandfather’s birth certificate. It was fortunate that an aunt of mine had been contacted a few years earlier by someone researching the Sidey family history and she had kept the correspondence. I wrote to Jeanette Sidey who kindly sent me all her information. Initially I couldn’t see any connection with her husband’s family, as the only James she had was James Maund Sidey, which I assumed was probably nothing to do with me. However when I received a copy of the certificate of James’ marriage to Emily Hubner on 24th July 1859 in London St.Giles Cripplegate, his name was given as James Maund Sidey. His occupation was gold and silver beater. Witnesses at the wedding were John Sidey (bridegroom’s brother) and Lydia Hubner (bride’s sister). Now that I knew that James William was James William Maund, I had the connection to Reg Sidey’s family and was able to make use of all Jeanette’s information.
Jeanette also found some information a few years ago about brothers John and William Siday who were involved in large robberies and were executed at Tyburn. Their wives were also mentioned in the trial transcripts – the wife of John Siday was acquitted but the wife of William Siday was transported for 14 years (probably to America). We don’t know if these Sidays are related to our Sideys but it would seem a possibility as the name was not a common one.
My mother and I went to a local Family History Fair in the late 90s when we first started researching and it was a very exciting moment when we found James and Emily in the 1881 census, living at 18 Britannia Row, Islington with five of their children – Emily, James, Selina, Charles and Frederick. This was the first major piece of information my mother and I had found and she now knew the names of her aunts and uncles. In the 1871 census, the family are living at 5 Hulls Terrace and there is another daughter Mary Jane aged 6. I found the family in the 1891 census, living at 2 Richmond Grove. Mary and Selina are both machinists. Helena Hubner, Emily’s sister is also in the household, occupation envelope folder. Charles Sidey is unemployed and Fred is a shop boy. In the 1901 census the family is living at 80 Halton Road, Islington. Looking again at the 1881 census, I have found a Mary S aged 16, a domestic servant, living at 31 Sussex Street with Mary and John Jones, this is probably Mary Sidey. In 1901 Selina, Charles and Frederick are all living with their parents – Selina aged 31 also a dress machinist, Charles aged 28 a stereotyper and Frederick aged 24 a totter (probably ‘fitter’) engineer.
When I got the birth certificates of the other offspring, 4 of the children’s birth certificates gave the father’s name as James William and 2 as James William Maund (although Maund is spelt differently both times).
In the 1851 census, James’ occupation was given as goldbeaters apprentice and in the1862 Trade Directory there is the following entry “Sidey Brothers Gold Beaters”, Samuel and James were the two brothers referred to.
In 1882 the family were still living at 18 Britannia Row and in the Post Office London Directory for that year James is now listed as running a chandlers shop.
(‘chandler – candle seller, grocer, provisioner, usually associated with provisioning ships’)
Emily died on 17th January 1910 at 63 Talfourd Road, SE15, cause of death Brights disease (glomerulonephritis – kidney disease) and anaemia. The informant on the certificate was M.J.Sidey, daughter. James died in the Islington Workhouse, Johns Road on 2 July 1911. His death was caused by syncope, exhaustion, gangrenous condition of right foot and leg, supervening bruising of the ankle. An inquest was held on 5 July 1911. On his death certificate, his occupation was given as goldbeater, late of 80 Halton Road, Islington.
I have found the following information so far on my grandfather’s brothers and sisters
Emily Eliza was born on 28th April 1862 at 30 Baldwin Street. She married Alfred Weston on 20th December 1888, witnesses were James Henry Sidey – bride’s brother, and Elizabeth Ann Manning. Emily’s address was given as 49 Lever Street. Alfred was aged 22 from Abbots Langley, occupation dealer. His father’s name was Samuel, occupation also dealer. In the 1901 census Alfred and Emily are living at Buckhurst Park, Winkfield, Berks. Alfred is aged 35 and a gamekeeper, Emily is aged 38. They have two daughters Selina aged 9 and Lydia aged 2 both born in Herts Abbots Langley. In 1911 the family is living at Brights Farms, Christian Malford, Chippenham. Alfred is a woodman and Emily is a ‘work of the house’. Lydia is there aged 12 and there is another daughter Winnifred aged 6.
Mary Jane was born 7th August 1864 at 1 Castigny Place, St.Luke. I couldn’t find Mary in the 1881 census, but I did find a Mary S …. (entry not legible) a domestic servant living at 31 Sussex St. She was living with John Jones, a carpenter, and his wife Mary. She appeared in the 1901 census living at the family home 80 Halton Road, Islington. She is aged 36 and unmarried, a dress machinist working at home on her own account. In 1911 she is aged 45 a dressmaker living on the second floor 44 Florance Road, Stroud Green Edmonton. She died in 1949 in Uxbridge aged 85.
James Henry was born on 7th March 1867 at 4 Little Mitchell Street, St.Luke. In the 1891 census he is aged 24 and living at the Inns of Court Hotel, working as a servant. His occupation is given as stoker. He married Emma Edith Young on 4th November 1893 at St.Pauls Church, St.Marys, Newington, witnesses were Edwin William Young (father of the bride), and Frances Eliza Young. The address of both people was 32 Lorrimore Street. James’ occupation was engineer and Emma’s father’s occupation was electrotyper – (worked in the printing trade). In the 1901 census, James is aged 34, an engineer living with Emma aged 31 at 37 Keston Road Camberwell. They have one daughter Emmie aged 6 born in London Kensington. In the 1911 census James and Emma are living at 63 Talfourd Road, Camberwell. Daughter Emma Frances is aged 16 a student and there is a son Harold James aged 7. James is an engineer of lifts or electric in charge. James died in 1929 in Billericay, Essex.
Selina Sophia was born on 11th July 1869 at 27 Waterloo St., St.Luke. She died in Rochford, Essex in 1949 aged 80.
Charles Albert was born on 23rd June 1872 at 4 Hulls Terrace, St.Luke. He married Beatrice May Pierotti (see below) on 22nd July 1905 at St.Marys Church, Hammersmith, witnesses were Charles Ernest Pierotti, Charles Goddard Watts and Helena Florence Chapman. His address was 242 Goldhawk Road. Charles’ occupation was stereotyper.
In the 1911 census Charles and Beatrice were living at 45 Claygate Road, W.Ealing. Charles is still a stereotyper and they have 2 daughters Winifred aged 3 born in Acton and Margaret aged 6 months born in Ealing. Charles Watts is visiting, he is single aged 43 and a bank clerk born in Clerkenwell. Charles died in 1957 in Harrow. (A stereotyper was a printer. Having set the text of a newspaper using lines of type set out in a framework called a forme standing upright on a metal bench (for some reason called the stone) it was then necessary to make from it a curved printing plate to bolt onto the cylinders of the rotary press. This was done by placing a wet papier mache sheet, called a flong, onto the pages of type and then putting the whole lot into a press at high pressure. Thus the image on the type became a reversed image on the flong. The flong was then curved to the shape of the cylinder and typemetal injected producing a curved metal plate with the same raised surface as the original type. This plate was called a stereo and the printer whose job it was to make the stereos from the forme of type was a stereotyper.)
Beatrice’s father was Charles William (deceased), occupation wax modeller. I found the following information about Pierotti dolls.
Pierotti Dolls
The Pierottis were one of the most famous doll-making families in England. Domenico Pierotti came to England from Volterra in Tuscany in 1770 when he had been injured and needed medical treatment. He stayed in Portsmouth with an uncle and aunt, by the name of Castelli. He was taught modelling by his aunt, who made small dolls out of papier mâché and coated them in wax. Later Domenico ran away to London, where his skill as a modeller in papier-mache was soon much in demand. In 1790 he married an English girl Susanna Sleight, daughter of John and Susanna Sleight born on 17th January 1773 (Domenico’s mother was also English). He founded a doll-making business in London and in 1849 he started modelling Queen Victoria’s children, winning a prize in the Pantheon, Paris for his ‘babies’. He was succeeded by his ninth child, Americho Cephas, known as Henry, a very fine craftsman, who had a shop at 108, Oxford St, called Crystal Palace after he showed dolls at the Great Exhibition.
Henry married Jane Gumbrell in 1828 and they had four daughters and five sons, said to have been models for some of the most charming dolls. Henry died in 1871 and the business was taken over by his son Charles William (the father of Beatrice).
Initially the dolls were made of bees wax but then they used a mixture of bees wax, candle wax and turpentine. To get the colour they used carmine and white lead. But lead is poisonous and Charles died of lead poisoning in 1892. His widow, mother and sisters carried on the doll-making, the girls dressing the dolls which were made by the brothers, Henry and Charles Ernest (Beatrice’s brother who was a witness at her marriage), cooking up the cauldron of wax on the kitchen range. Mrs. Pierotti cut and sewed the cloth bodies until she was nearly ninety years old. Several of the Pierotti dolls are found with initials “C.P.,” which is confusing, as there were children with these initials in several generations. It is impossible to be sure which C. Pierotti was responsible for the various models, especially as Celia Pierotti (B. 1831) also helped her brother Charles William and might well have marked some of her own work. Charles retired in 1935 at the age of 75 and after his death in 1942, many of the moulds, tools and accessories were donated to and displayed at the Rottingdean Toy Museum in Sussex, with another group given to the Bethnal Green Museum some years later.
I have found the following information on the Pierotti family.
Anericho Cephas Pierotti (Henry) was born about 1810 and died in 1871. He married Jane Gumbrell (born 1819) in Bloomsbury in 1828. I have found the following children:
Charles William born 1842 and died 1892
Jane born 1830
Celia born 1832
Helena born 1848
Walter born 1854
In 1871 Henry aged 61 and Jane aged 60 are living at Pine Cottage, Hammersmith. Henry’s occupation is inventor of model dolls. Their daughters Celia and Helena are there as well as son Walter, a model doll maker.
I found Charles William and Mary Ann (surname Perrotte) in 1871 living at 24 Crown Street, Hammersmith. Charles is a wax doll maker and is living with his children, Charles aged 10, Alice aged 7, Alfred aged 5, Florence aged 4, Rose aged 2 and Joseph aged 2 months.
I finally found the family in the 1881 census (Purvotti). They were living at 40 Brackenbury Road, Hammersmith.
C.W. (Charles William) is aged 39, born St. Pancras, occupation doll maker.
His wife M.A. (Mary Ann Roche) is aged 38, born Marylebone, occupation doll maker. They had 10 children at this time.
Charles .H. a son aged 20, born Marylebone, also a doll maker
Alice.M. a daughter aged 17, born Marylebone, a florist
Alfred George a son aged 16, born Marylebone, a grocer’s assistant
Florence C. a daughter aged 14, born Hammersmith
Rose H. a daughter aged 11, born Hammersmith
Joseph.L. a son aged 10, born Hammersmith
Anericho Walter a son aged 8, born Hammersmith
Albert David a son aged 7, born Marylebone
Augustin F. a son aged 5, born Marylebone
Maud Louise a daughter aged 2, born Marylebone.
Also in the house were J. Pierotti (formerly Jane Gumbrell), mother of Charles, a widow aged 71 born in Marylebone, occupation doll maker and C.Pierotti, sister of Charles, aged 59, born in St.Pancras. She is unmarried and her occupation is also that of doll maker.
I have now found the family in the 1901 census, living at 324 Goldhawk Road. Mary is a widow aged 57 and 3 sons are living with her, Chas E is aged 40, a wax modeller working on his own account, Walter A is aged 28 a commercial traveller, Augustin F is aged 25 a railway clerk. Her daughter Beatrice M is aged 18, a florist.
Also living at the same address are
Alfred G Pierotti 35 a doll maker, his wife Harriett aged 29 born in Stroud, Glos and their daughters Beatrice M aged 5, Rose G aged 3 and Kathleen J aged 11 months all born in Hammersmith.
Frederick Thomas Sidey
My grandfather was born on 21st April 1876 at 5 Mitchampton St., Hoxton. He married Lilian Rose Jane on 7th September 1905 at Wandsworth Register Office. Witnesses were James J.Webber, bride’s stepfather and Harriet Ellen Webber, bride’s mother. Frederick’s occupation was engine fitter, journeyman. The groom’s address was Westminster Palace Hotel, and the bride’s address was 17, Orville Road, Battersea. They had 7 children and my mother, Maisie, was the youngest.
In the 1911 census Fred and Lilian were living at 4 St.Werburghs Road, Bristol. Fred was a laundry engineer. Three children were living with them. Amy was aged 4 born in Fulham, Charlie was aged 3 also born in Fulham. Florrie was aged 1 born in Ashley Vale, Bristol.
Apparently Lilian wasn’t happy living away from London and they moved to 21 Pyrmont Road where Hetty was born in 1916.
Below: Fred Sidey at the family home, 21 Pyrmont Road, Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick.
My mother has written the following about her father
“From what I have been told of the family history, father came from a comfortable middle class family and his father had a good position as a Goldbeater. They had a special school for the sons of Goldbeaters and my father of course was sent there, but he must have thought it was not what he wanted and ran away to Canada. His mother got him back by tricking him, having a cable sent to say she was dangerously ill, when he arrived home and she opened the door to him they had a big row. She offered to set him up in business to get him to stay, but he refused, but eventually agreed to train as an engineer, hoping to go back to Canada soon as his training finished.
In the meantime he met my mother who worked as a maid in a hotel. His parents once again were not pleased with his choice as they considered she was not good enough for him, this all happened about 90 years ago and snobbery was very much in evidence then. Despite his parents’ opposition they did marry and they would have nothing to do with him afterwards. I can remember Amy and Florrie telling me that his sister sent food and clothing when they were young and my father sent it all back, he was a very proud and stubborn man.”
After the death of Lilian in 1934, Fred married again in 1949 to Emily Jane Nute, a widow. Fred died on 9th September 1954 at the age of 78. He is buried at Chiswick Cemetery in a private grave with his second wife’s husband Charles Nute.
Below: Fred Sidey and Emily Nute
