The Family of John Gillett, Inventor and Manufacturer of Brailes and Cheltenham
Some genealogical information
John Gillett (1801-1869) was the son of
.
John married Eliza Matilda Scuse (1804-1877), who was born in
,
Gloucestershire, in 1827. She was the daughter of George Scuse (1769-1860), a maltster and wine merchant, and
Elizabeth (1769-1845). Eliza Matilda's siblings included: Caroline (1796-1880) who also
married Joseph Fardon,
Robert (1798- ), Mary Ann (1799-1892), Hannah (1802-1887), Georgina (1809- ).
John Gillett and Matilda had nine children:
- 1. George Frederick Gillett (1828-1899)
- 2. Emily Gillett (1829-1892)
- 3. Caroline Gillett (1831-1845)
- 4. Edward Gillett (1833-1891)
- 5. Marianna Gillett (1835-1906)
- 6. Sophia Matilda Gillett (1837-1871)
- 7. Eliza Gillett (1840-1925)
- 8. Robert Scuse Gillett (1841-1876)
- 9. Joseph John Gillett (1847-1875)
John Gillett died December 17 1869 at Portland Cottage (2 Portland Terrace), Cheltenham now 35 Prestbury Road. Eliza Matilda died January 19 1879 at 11 , Cheltenham
(subsequently re-numbered 16 and now a listed building) and was buried in
Charlbury. John Gillett was initially a wine merchant, then took over his father's farm and plush factory in Brailes. He was also an inventor of
agricultural implements - his patented
is exhibited at the
Museum of Science in Oxford.
Descendants of John Gillett and Eliza Matilda Scuse
1. George Frederick Gillett married Hannah Smith (c. 1825-1909) in 1853. They arrived in Victoria,
Australia after a 74-day journey from Liverpool on the New Brunswick-built clipper
on January 25 1854. The Black Ball Line's Marco Polo was described at the time as the fastest ship in the world
but she ran aground the next morning after losing her anchor while waiting for a pilot and was not freed until
January 31. The 1871 census shows them in Gloucester with George as a
merchant's clerk. They have three children, all born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Victoria Flinders (1855-1923), Hannah Scuse (1858-1922) and Frederick Smith (1866-1892).
2. Emily Gillett married Aquila Warner (1846-1892) of Bristol, a grocer's assistant,
at Charlbury in 1871. Aquila was born in Eastington, Gloucestershire and was possibly the son or nephew of
Edwin and Mary Warner. Edwin was a grocer/draper in 1851 and an accountant in 1861. Emily and Aquila had a child,
Marianna Smith Warner (1876-1942), died York, and both appear to have died in Bedminster (Gloucester/Somerset border)
in March quarter 1892. Marianna S. Warner was a creamery assistant in the 1901 census, working at Smith & Co., "The Creamery", at
1 Cornmarket Street, Oxford with her aunt, Marian Smith, born 1866 in Charlbury as manageress (see below). In 1911
she was living in Headington with Sophia, Marian, Annie Caroline and her sister Kate's daughter.
3. Caroline Gillett (1831-1845)
4. Edward moved to Featherston, near
Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand. He is not known to have married. Correspondence from others to
the family at home suggested he may have had a struggle with alcohol.
5. Marianna Gillett married Thackwell Smith (1834-1905) of Charlbury, a grocer, at
Brailes on September 16 1860. Thackwell was born in Witney to Samuel Smith (born 1790), bacon curer and
Hannah Tyler (born 1793) who married 12 October 1827 in Chipping Norton when Samuel was described as a
cheesemonger. Samuel was the son of Joseph Tyler and Ann of North Newington, Oxfordshire. In 1841,
Thackwell, aged 6, was living with his maternal uncle, John Tyler and family at Broad Street, St. Lawrence,
Reading. In 1851, he was living in Bridge Street, Witney with his mother Hannah (48), grocer and draper, and sisters
Lydia Ann Smith (c. 1830) {married Richard Gillett, Thackwell's father-in-law's first cousin}, Sarah Smith
(c. 1834) and Ann Tyler Smith (c. 1837). Witnesses at Samuel and Hannah's wedding included William Coles of
Chipping Norton, druggist (someone who prepared drugs for sale) and William Albright (1815-1909), draper of
Charlbury. William Albright was a prominent Quaker and Thackwell's employer, who handed the business over to him
in 1858.
6. Sophia Matilda married Henry Charles Langbridge (1797-1880),an ironmonger of
Hastings, in Cheltenham in 1868. Sophia Matilda died in London 1871
7. Eliza married Edward Jacob Walter (see
) and Robert Scuse was a witness. Both Eliza's parents died in
Cheltenham.
8. Robert Scuse married Ada Mary Millard (c. 1843) in Cheltenham in September 1864.
In the 1871 census they were living in Hay-on-Wye (4 Town Hill) where he was an ironmonger. They had two children:
George John Gillett (1856-1936) and Robert Scuse Gillett (1868-1887), born in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
An Ada Mary Gillett died in St. Saviour (now Southwark) in December quarter, 1873, aged 32 years. Robert died in Liverpool in December quarter,
1876 aged 35 years.
In the 1881 census George was living with his aunt Marianna and her husband Thackwell Smith (46) at
Church Street, Charlbury, Oxfordshire.
Robert Scuse (12) was at
(Sibford Ferns, Banbury, Oxfordshire) - established as a co-educational school for the
children of Quaker families in 1842 and still active. Based on the old Manor House at Sibford, it was bought from Joseph Harris for £1200 with
money provided by Joseph Ashby Gillett, the older Robert's uncle). A Robert Gillett died at St George in the East (London/Middlesex) in 1887
aged 27.
George married to Fanny Charlotte Carvill (1866-1944) born in Camberwell, London.
They married in East Grinstead in September quarter 1887. In 1891, they were living in Park Street, Charlbury.
George was a general decorator and they had two children: Ada May Gillett (born 1888) and Alice Maud Gillett
(born 1890). By 1901, they were living in Dudeneys, Lewes, East Sussex with
3 more children: John Carvill Gillett (born 1893), Charles Walter Gillett (born 1897), both born in
Charlbury and Reginal Cyril Gillett born 1899 in Lewes. In 1911, they lived at Ivy Cottage, St. John's Street, Lewes.
George was a general house decorator, John was a fishmonger's assistant, Charles was a telegraph messenger, Reginald
was an errand boy. They also had Gladys Evelyn Gillett (born 1902) and Harold Smith Gillett (born 1904).
Also in 1911, Ada was working as a telephone operator and living at North Terrace, Hurstpierpoint, with her maternal
grandparents, John Carvill (1828-1912), a house agent, Fanny Charlotte Carvill (1844-1919), a telephone
supervisor at exchange, and her aunt Annie Sarah Carvill, aged 39, a housekeeper. George and Fanny Gillett
both dies in Lewes.
9. Joseph John probably married Maria Annie Oldfield (born 1848) {or
Eliza Jane P. Watkin} in Cheltenham in 1871. He died in Chipping Norton Registration district in 1875.
.
Last updated July 2010. Queries or comments? Contact us through editor@hrmguide.net
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