AUGUSTA MIRIAM WALKER nee Wills. 

Augusta was born in early 1845 in Dartmouth, Devon. Q1 1845 Totnes 9 330 (her middle name has been mis-transcribed as William).

She was baptised on 12 January 1845 in Dartmouth.

Her parents were Henry & Augusta Stevens (nee Hodge) Wills.

No record of them has been found for 1851 but in 1861 the family were living at 11, James’ Terrace, Hackney, Middx. Henry, 46, was a Ship Broker & Augusta S. was 43. They had another daughter, Mary Ann, 13 & born in Stepney. An aunt, also Mary Ann, 73, widow & born in Bristol, was also living with them.

However, at the time of the census, Augusta was back in Dartmouth visiting the Eales family in Lower Street.

Again, no record of them has been found in1871 but in 1875 Augusta married Rev James Walker. The marriage took place at the church where he was Curate, St. Peter’s, Hackney. She was living at Airedale House, King Edward’s -road, Victoria Park.

 By 1881 they had moved to Saxmundham, Suffolk where James, 43 & born in Wath, Hovingham, Yorkshire, was Curate of Snape & Friston. They were boarding with Charlotte Newman & her son who were Bootmakers.

 By 1891 they had moved again to Harvington, near Evesham, Worcs. James is 53 & a Clerk in Holy Orders. Augusta is 46 & they have an eight-year-old daughter, Marianne, born in Aldeburgh on Sea, Suffolk.

 1894 saw the family at Froxfield, Wiltshire but in dire straits. Newspaper reports (attached) show them to be in severe financial hardship & Augusta is ill with some form of paralysis. Eventually, James is declared bankrupt & the whole family have to enter the Newbury Union Workhouse.

Augusta dies there on 10 June 1893 (Q2 1893 Newbury 2c 151), aged 48, & is buried at NRC on 14 June 1893.

 It is not known what happened to James but Marianne married in 1920, aged 37, & died in 1938, aged 55.

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