Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Isaac WEST (1857-1942)

and Susan BACK (1860-?)

Isaac West and Susan Back married by banns on 25 December 1880 at St. Peter's in Brighton.  He was then a 23 year bachelor and carpenter of 40 Cobden Road, Brighton and she a 21 year old spinster of 16 Oxford Street, Brighton.  Their fathers were named as Jesse West and George Back.  The witnesses to their marriage were Jesse West and Kate West.  The bride, groom and witnesses all signed their names.  (They were not my direct ancestors, but they were the 2x Great Grandparents of Darren Randall, to whom I am grateful for providing much of the additional details about this family.  Susan's father was the brother of my 3x Great Grandmother.)

Isaac West was born on 18 December 1857 at 33 Red Cross Street, Brighton and was the son of Jesse West (c1828-1896) and Esther Peters (1830-1898).  He died on 16 December 1942 in New South Wales, Australia.    When the 1861 census was recorded Isaac was 3 years old and living with his parents at 18 Wellington Terrace in Brighton.  His father was then a carpenter and joiner and his mother a laundress.  By 1871 he was a 13 year old scholar and living with his parents at 40 Cobden Road, Brighton.

Susan Back was born on 29 January 1860 at 11 Gloucester Street in Brighton.  She was the daughter of George Back (1820-1900) and Sarah Shearlock (1823-1864).  At the time of her birth her father was a bricklayer's labourer.  Her mother registered her birth on 8 March 1860.  Susan was baptised on 11 March 1860 at St. Nicholas, Brighton.  She was a year old at the time of the 1861 census and living with her parents.

When the 1881 census was recorded the couple were living at 52 Beaconsfield Road, Preston, Sussex and Isaac was a carpenter.  By 1891 the couple and their 4 children were living at 2 Richmond Gardens in Brighton and Isaac was a carpenter and joiner.  In 1901 the family were living at 40 Islingword Place, Brighton.

Isaac West and Susan Back had 8 known children:

1. Louisa Sarah West was born in 1882 in Brighton.  She was a 9 year old scholar in 1891.  In 1901 she was an unmarried 19 year old laundress and living at home with her parents.

2. Alice Esther West was born in the first quarter of 1884 in Brighton.  In 1891 she was a 7 year old scholar.

   Alice married William Stephen Lipscombe 1905 in St. Saviours Church, Brighton.  (Their marriage was registered in the Steyning registration district in the fourth quarter.)

3. Emma West was born in third quarter of 1886 in Brighton (or Eastbourne as per the 1901 census).  She was a 6 year old scholar in 1891.  In 1901 she was a 16 year old laundress and living at home.

   Emma married Ernest Alfred Cole in 1906 at the Belgrave Street Church in Brighton.  She/they became USA citizen(s).

4. Elizabeth Florence West was born in the second quarter of 1887 and died in the fourth quarter of 1888, in Brighton.

5. Isaac Thomas West was born 28 September 1889 at 2 Richmond Gardens in Brighton.  He died in 1976 in Sydney NSW.  He was a year old at the time of the 1891 census.  In 1901 he was 11 years old.

   Isaac married Gwladys Eveline Walter.

   Gwladys was born on 13 January 1890 and died on 11 March 1944.

   Thanks to Darren for the following about his great grandfather:

   Isaac Thomas West came to Australia as a young man and was sugar cane cutting in Ingham, Queensland when WW1 broke out.  He travelled the 120km south to Townsville and enlisted and served in France as a private in the 4th Pioneer Battalion, 1st AIF.  Returned to Australia in 1919.  Now, he must have made a good impression whilst on leave in England as shortly thereafter his wife to be - Gwladys Eveline Walter arrived and he married her virtually straight off of the boat.  (Her address on the marriage certificate WAS the boat she arrived on!!)  One of their children was Nancy Evison West - my grandmother.  Isaac Thomas got the name Nancy from the town in France, but he wouldn't elaborate on what happened there that made the name stick!  Isaac Thomas West then again served in the 2nd AIF as a Warrant Officer in Sydney before his age retirement at the end of the war.

6. Herbert George West was born in the fourth quarter of 1892 in Brighton.  In 1901 he was 8 years old.  He died on 14 November 1960.

7. Jesse West was born in the fourth quarter of 1896 in Brighton.  He was 4 years old in 1901.

8. Edith May West was born in the second quarter of 1898 in Brighton.  She died on 29 July 1960.  She was 3 years old at the time of the 1901 census.

   Edith married Ernest Philip Carter.

I would like to thank Darren Randall for filling in some of the details about the above family.  Unfortunately, Darren does not have any photos of the family, so if anyone out there in wwwland does, could we have copies please?

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