Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Henry James BACK (1857-1939)

and Sarah OVETT (1863-1918)

Henry James Back and Sarah Ovett married by banns on 14 September 1884 at St. Peter's in Brighton, Sussex.  He was then a bachelor and labourer and she a spinster.  They were both of 14 Francis Street, Brighton.  Henry then named his father as Henry Back a stonemason.  The witnesses to the marriage were John Perver and Fanny Perver.

Henry James Back was born on 28 November 1857 at 2 Brunswick Court, Brighton.  He was the son of Elizabeth Back (1839-?).  Henry died on 13 February 1939 at 44 Lennox Street in Brighton.  At the time of the 1861 census he was a 3 years old and living with his mother and maternal grandmother at 2 Brunswick Court, Brighton.  When the 1871 census was recorded he was 13 years old and living with his mother and step-father at 2 Brunswick Court.

Sarah Ovett was born on 6 October 1863 in Brighton.  She was the daughter of Henry Ovett (c1828-1885) and Elizabeth Harvey (c1837-1901).  Her father was a fisherman.

At the time of the 1891 census, the couple were living at 7 Brunswick Court in Brighton.  Henry was then a 33 years old railway labourer and Sarah was a 27 year old ironer.  With them on census night were 5 of their children and Sarah's sister, 17 year old Martha E. Ovett who was also an ironer.  By 1901 the family had moved to 26 Carlton Row, Brighton.  Henry was a 43 year old general labourer and Sarah was still an ironer and she was then 37.  With them were  6 children.

Henry James Back and Sarah Ovett had 10 known children:

1. Ann Elizabeth Ovett was born on 6 August 1884 in Brighton, before her parents married.  Her father was apparently in the Army and stationed where he was not able to get back home before her birth to marry Sarah.  The 1891 census records that she was a 6 year old scholar.  The 1901 census described her as a step daughter and she was a 16 year old charwoman.  Both census recorded her surname as Ovett.  As Annie Elizabth Beck she married Robert George Winters in the third quarter of 1906 in Brighton.

2. Emily Eliza Back was born in the third quarter of 1885 in Brighton.  In 1891 she was a 5 year old scholar.  The 1901 census records that she was 15 years old and in domestic service.  Emily lived with her father and brother George on Lennox Street, presumably as a widow.  She was known as Aunt Emm, by the son of her sister Elsie, and she lived in Crabtree Avenue, Hollingbury when she was very old.

   As Emily Beck she married Henry Fairhall in the fourth quarter of 1908 in Brighton.

   They had the following children:

   1. Nellie L. Fairhall was born in the first quarter of 1912 in Brighton.

   2. Henry J. Fairhall was born in the first quarter of 1915 in Brighton.

   3. John Charles Fairhall was born on 11 April 1917 in Brighton.  He died aged 88 years in October 2005 in the Southwark registration district.

   4. Annie B. Fairhall was born in the third quarter of 1920 in Brighton.

   5. Thomas Edward Fairhall was born on 22 August 1923 in Brighton.  He died there aged 77 years in March 2001.

   6. George W. Fairhall was born in the second quarter of 1925 in Brighton and died there in the first quarter of 1926.

3. Henry James Back was born in the first quarter of 1887 at 26 Carlton Row in Brighton.  He died aged 70 years at the general hospital in Brighton on 23 November 1957.  His cause of death was cardiac asthma, chronic bronchitis, flu and rectal cancer.  In 1891 he was a 4 years old scholar.  He was a 14 year old errand boy in 1901.

   Henry married Naomi Elizabeth Lankstead on 6 July 1912 at the registry office in Brighton.  The witnesses to the marriage R. H. Tully and S. A. Tully.

   Naomi was born on 31 May 1890 at 2 Boston Street in Brighton and was the daughter of Charles William Lankstead (his name was just William on Naomi's birth certificate) and Mary (formerly Fox nee Smith).  Naomi died aged 95 years on 25 January 1986 at 19 St. Andrew Road in Brighton.  Her cause of death was acute bronchopneumonia.

   Henry and Naomi had the following children:

   1. Henry J. Beck was born in the third quarter of 1912 in Brighton.

   2. Lillivan M. Beck was born in the third quarter of 1913 in Brighton.

   3. Henry C. Beck was born in the second quarter of 1915 in Brighton.

   4. Philip F. Beck was born in the first quarter of 1917 in Brighton.

   5. Veda E. Beck was born in the first quarter of 1922 in Brighton.

   6. Joyce E. J. Beck was born in the first quarter of 1924 in Brighton.

   7. William T. Beck was born in the fourth quarter of 1928 in Brighton.

   8. Edna P. Beck was born in the second quarter of 1931 in Brighton.

4. Sarah Alice Back was born on 2 June 1889 in Brighton.  She died on 28 October 1944 in Brighton.  At the time of the 1891 census she was a year old.  She was an 11 year old at the time of the 1901 census and living with her parents and siblings.

   Sarah married twice.  Firstly as Sarah Alice Beck to Robert John Tully in the second quarter of 1908 in Brighton.

   Robert John was born in the second quarter of 1886 in Brighton and was the son of Robert Tully (1864-?) and Mary Jane Williams (c1867-?).  He was killed on active service during WW1 on 17 August 1916.  He was then said to be 34 years old and a gunner with 65^th Small Arms Ammunition Col., Royal Field Artillery.  At the time of his death, his parents were living at 1 Lincoln Cottages in Brighton and his wife Sarah was living at 37 Holland Street, Brighton.  When the 1901 census was recorded, Robert was a 14 year old newspaper boy living with his parents at 42 Washington Street, Brighton.  His father was then an ironmonger's carter.

   Robert and Sarah had the following children:

   1. Henry J. Tully was born in the second quarter of 1914 in Brighton.

   2. Emily S. B. Tully was born in the second quarter of 1917 in Brighton.

   Sarah next married widower Arthur John Herridge in 1920.

   Arthur John was born on 13 December 1888 in Brighton and died there on 21 April 1938.  He was the son of Arthur Herridge (1864-?) and Ellen (c1866-?).  At the time of the 1901 census he was 12 years old and living with his parents at 79 Whichelo Street, Brighton.  His father was then a house painter.  Arthur John had previously married Edith Tasker in the third quarter of 1913 in Brighton.

   Arthur and Sarah had the following children:

   1. Robert William Herridge was born on 7 December 1921 in Brighton.  He died aged 82 years in January 2004.

   2. Irene Peggy Herridge

   3. Jack T. Herridge

5. Fanny Rosina Back was born and died in the second quarter of 1891 in Brighton.  The 1891 census records that she was a month old.

6. George Frederick Back was born in the third quarter of 1893 in Brighton.  He was recorded as 6 year old George Back in the 1901 census and he was living at home.  He may have married Charlotte Kay or Keay, or he may have remained single.

7. John David Back was born on 20 November 1897 in Brighton.  He died on 23 August 1991 in the USA.  John was 3 years old at the time of the 1901 census and living at home.  He was known as Jack and went to Trinidad where he married Joy Gregorio in 1921.  They had 4 daughters.

   Jack married Ivy Gregoria, a native of Maderia in Trinidad, in 1921.  He was employed by BP Tar Sands after coming out of the army.  They had 4 daughters:

   1. Joyce

   2. Elsa

   3. Avis

   4. Jean

8. Thomas Edward Back was born in the third quarter of 1902 in Brighton.

9. Beatrice May Back was born on 15 August 1904 in Brighton and died there aged 80 in January 1985.  She was known as Aunt Triss, by the son of her sister Elsie, and lived at 29 Dewe Road.  She was a happy and jolly person.

   Beatrice married George Walter Stepney in the third quarter of 1929 in Brighton.

   They had 3 children:

   1. Jean Stepney

   2. Beatrice Stepney

   3. David Stepney

10. Elsie Edith Back was born on 13 June 1909 in Brighton.  She died on 24 January 1994 in Croydon.

    Elsie married twice, firstly to Ernest F. Trott in the first quarter of 1927 in Brighton.  He also went by the name of Sweetman.  He may have been born in the first quarter of 1906 in Brighton and his birth may have been registered as Ernest Frederick Trott.

    Ernest and Elsie had 3 children:

    1. Alfred Trott

    2. Margaret Trott

    3. Ernest Trott

    Elsie then married Deric W. J. Nitsche in the third quarter of 1947.

    Deric and Elsie had twin sons:

    4. Alan Nitsche

    5. John Nitsche

    Deric William J. Nitsche was born on 30 April 1915 in Stockwell Road, Brixton, over what was to become Pride & Clarke Motorcycles.  He died in the first quarter of 1978 in the Lambeth registration district.  He was the son of Wilhelm Nitsche and Dorothy B. Weekes.  Wilhelm worked as a chef/cook in a London Hotel.  The family went to Germany and remained there, although Derek came back to England and lived in Brighton, possibly with his mother's family.  His mother wrote to him from Germany up until the 1960's.

    (Might Dorothy have been born Dorothy Barbara Weekes in Wadhurst, Sussex in 1895 and have been the daughter of John Weekes and Alice Kennard?  When the 1901 census was recorded she was living with her parents at 4 Kingsbury Street in Brighton.  Her father was then a carman.  He was also born in Wadhurst and about 1868/9 and was the son of Josiah Weeks and Ann Nash Manktelow.  Josiah was born in 1839 and was the son of Samuel Weeks and Frances Stephens.  Samuel was born about 1808/9 in Wadhurst and was the son of Samuel Weeks and Jane Groves.)