The Moore Granddaughter

Eliza E Moore, age 7, born Christchurch Hampshire, was a Granddaughter in the household of William and Elizabeth Moore in the 1871 census (mentioned previously in 21 siblings - part 3).  In the next census Eliza was still with them, age 17, occupation Dressmaker.  Life moved on for her and in the 1891 census she was a Ladys Maid, progressing to Housekeeper by 1901 and then in the 1911 census her occupation was Proprietress Apartment House, with a Parlour Maid and Kitchen Maid living there too.

There was a death registration for Eliza E Moore age 76 in 1939 so it seems she remained unmarried.  That deprives us of the opportunity to find her father's name on a marriage certificate.  Also, there is no sign of a birth registration for Eliza Moore in the Christchurch district, which would have provided the name of her mother and father.  So who were her parents and which one of them connected Eliza to the grandparents in whose house she lived during her childhood?

Let's examine the census records more closely for any clues about family connections:

• 1891:  Ladys Maid in the household of Lavinia A Dutton age 76, Head of the household, Widow, occupation: Living On Own Means, and her Daughter Louisa E L Dutton age 40, Single, occupation: Chicken Fancier.  In total there were four Servants: Housekeeper, Ladys Maid (Eliza), House Maid and Footman.
• 1901 census  Housekeeper-Domestic, with two young women as General Servant-Domestic, in the household of Frederick Lovell age 57, Lodging House Keeper.
• 1911 census  Proprietress Apartment House and in her household was Frederick Lovell age 68, Widower, Stepfather.

Now let us not get distracted by the concept of being a Ladys Maid to a Chicken Fancier!  Note that in 1901 Eliza is a Servant Housekeeper in the Lodging House of Frederick Lovell then 10 years later the two of them are still together but Eliza is the Head of the household, Proprietress, and Frederick is recorded as her Stepfather, which would make him the husband of Eliza's mother.  What luck - a new clue!

There was a marriage registration for Frederick Lovell and Phoebe Moore late in 1879 and a little over a year later Frederick Lovell age 37, Lodging House Keeper, was with his Wife Phoebe Lovell age 39 in the 1881 census.  Eliza was 16 years old at the time of the marriage between her mother and stepfather.

To summarise the overall story once the various information is joined together, William Moore married Elizabeth Hoskins who brought with her a daughter only a few months old called Phoebe Hoskins and she grew up in his home as Phoebe Moore.  Then history repeated itself - at about the same age as her mother had been, Phoebe had her own daughter, whose birth was registered and baptism recorded as Eliza Elizabeth Hoskins (1863, Christchurch).  Like her mother before her, Eliza grew up in William's home and used the surname Moore throughout her life.