Hannah Elizabeth Stephens (1848 – 1918)

Hannah Benson was born in 1849 in Hungerford the daughter of Jane Benson. She was baptized on 11 June 1849 at Hungerford as the daughter of Jane Benson with no father recorded. Their address at the time of the baptism was the Union Workhouse (at Hungerford). She was recorded as Hannah with no second name on both baptism and marriage.

In the 1851 census Hannah was living with her uncle James Benson and his wife Mary along with her mother Jane, sister Anne aged 10 and brother Elijah aged 6 in Lambourn. Ten years later in the 1861 census Hannah was recorded with her mother Jane, sister Ann aged 20 and brother George aged 7 in Green Lane in Lambourn. Jane was an agricultural labourer.

Hannah was recorded in Hurstbourne Tarrant in Hampshire in the 1871 census, her occupation was a general servant.

Hannah married John Stevens on 1 December 1872 at Lambourn Woodlands. John was recorded as a shepherd and Hannah as a servant. John was born in 1850 in Burghclere, Hampshire.

In the 1881 census Hannah and John were living in Letcombe Regis in Berkshire with children Henry aged 8, Ellen aged 4 and James aged 1. John was recorded as an agricultural labourer.

Ten years later in the 1891 census John and Hannah with sons Henry aged 18, James aged 11 and Frederick aged 2 along with Hannah’s mother Jane Benson were living in Sheepdrove Hill, Wantage Road in Lambourn. John was recorded as paralysed and formerly an agricultural labourer while sons Henry and James were both agricultural labourers. John and Hannah with son Frederick aged 12 were living near the Gas Works in Lambourn in the 1901 census with Hannah’s occupation recorded as “washing”.

John died in July 1904 aged 54 and he was buried at All Angels in Lambourn on 16 July 1904.

Hannah died on 21 September 1905 aged 55 and was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 25 September 1905. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 28 September 1905 as below.

STEPHENS – Sep 21, at Newbury Lodge, Sandleford, Hannah Elizabeth, widow of the late John Stephens, of Lambourn, Berks, aged 55 years.

Author: G Soper
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