Last month I wrote about Thomas Neville, the second child born to James and Elizabeth and baptised at St Lawrence, Reading in Berkshire. This was also the church where his elder sister Mary Neville was baptised on 24 October 1783, Mary is my 3rd Great Grandmother, and this story follows her life.^[1]  

Baptism of Mary Nevile at St Lawrence, Reading, Berkshire. Image by author at Berkshire Records Office Reading Ref: Page 261 Ref. Reading St. Lawrence Fiche Set 7.

When about five years old her family moved to Henley-on-Thames and it appears likely Mary would have gone out to work in her early teens to help her widowed mother support her large family, the children could all write so did their mother Elizabeth teach them herself? Mary’s father James had died in 1806 reportedly after drinking cold water whilst working hard in the field, he was employed as a Gardener at the Sandhurst military establishment at Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire and left three children under ten years for the mother, Elizabeth (ms Onion) to raise.

Marriage entry for James Gearey and Mary Nevell on 11 Sept 1820. Image from London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; Ref. No: DRO/026/A/01/025. https://www.ancestry.com.au/

Apart from Thomas her brother, Mary had a sister Amy and three more brothers surviving to adulthood. Whilst living in Heston parish near Hounslow in Middlesex Mary, possibly then considered well and truly a spinster at 36 years old, met her husband to be, maybe she had been the one to live with and support her widowed Mother? James Geary a bachelor from the same parish was eight years younger than Mary and a market gardener. Her sister Amy and her husband William Jacobs were both witnesses to the marriage on 11 September 1820.^[2]

St Leonard’s Church, Heston, Hounslow, Greater London Authority. Reference: CGH01/01/0426. https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/archive/policies/using-images/

In the following five years the couple had four children, Jonathan, James, Mary & Charlotte in Twickenham near Isleworth, Middlesex. Shortly after their marriage they moved to Orwell Cottage in London Road where James continued working as a market gardener, and as the years went on, he leased multiple additional fields in the area.

By the time of the 1841 census, their daughter Mary aged 17yrs was living with her two cousins, James Tyndall Neville and Rhoda Neville in the Town Square, Isleworth. Her parents, James & Mary Geary and the other children Jonathan (20), James (15 rounded down) and Charlotte (15 rounded down) were all at home in Orwell Cottage, Twickenham. The couple’s neighbours there were John & Ann White and their children including the eldest son William aged 20. The following year in 1842 Charlotte Geary and William White were married, Charlotte at this stage was only 17 yrs old and her parents were witnesses to the marriage.

Returning to Mary’s story, her husband James was shown as a market gardener leasing four separate lots in Twickenham Parish in the 1845 Tithe Applotment:
Lot 160 leased from G.B. Cole Esq of 4 acres 3r 2p. Amount of rent charged £3/4/4d
Lot 171 leased from Miss Rosina Tubbs of 1acre 2r 14p. Amount of rent £1/5/11d
Lot 173 leased from Miss A. Lester of 1acre 0r 35p. Amount of rent charged 19/6d
Lot 177 leased from Samuel Davis of 2 acres 0r 14p. Amount of rent charged £1/10/3d

The family residence, Orwell Cottage was on Lot 160 with James and Mary remaining in that cottage for at least twenty years. On the below map you can see the location of the house in the SW (ie bottom left) corner of Lot 160.

James Geary’s 1845 tithe map showing his leased lots 160, 171, 173 and 177. Orwell cottage in London Road was signified by a red rectangle. Thanks to https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/ for this map and tithe details.

Two of the couple’s children, son James and daughter Charlotte continued to live in the local area at Isleworth and Ealing. Elder daughter Mary married Henry White of Bletchingley in 1847 at St Marys Marylebone and lived at Limehouse following her marriage, prior to emigrating to Australia in October 1857; they are my great-great-grandparents.

James’ role as a market gardener stands out in my family tree, which features a wide range of occupations throughout the 19th century. This role prompted me to delve deeper into understanding it within the historical context of the time. In February 2014 a three-year project was underway to learn more about the lost heritage of market gardens, which once dominated much of west London. From one of the site’s facts sheet I learnt that throughout the 1800s, Middlesex’s economy was heavily influenced by the demand to feed London’s growing population.^[3] Parishes like Twickenham on the River Thames, became key centres for commercial agriculture. However, as London’s urban area expanded, market gardeners were gradually pushed out of central London into the southwestern suburbs.

Changes to the Enclosure Acts transformed common grazing land into market gardens, leading farmers to shift their focus to horticulture, converting traditional farms into orchards and market gardens. The arrival of the railway in Twickenham in 1848 allowed market gardening to spread further into Middlesex, moving away from the river. However, as London’s growth continued, housing estates began to replace orchards. By the 1870s, the agricultural industry reached its peak before gradually giving way to urban development.

In view of this later housing development, maybe the fact that both James and Mary passed away in the 1860’s was timely to save them the anxiety of having to re-establish themselves elsewhere. Mary’s death certificate lists her age at 81 years when she died on 25th February 1864 at Brook Terrace, Old Brentford. Shown as the wife of James Geary, Market Gardener, Mary died of Chronic Bronchitis. Her death was notified by her daughter Charlotte White present at Brook Terrace Old Brentford on 3rd March 1864.She was buried in the ‘New’ burial ground in Ealing Parish, Middlesex.^[4]  James passed away on Boxing Day, 26 December 1869 at ‘Worpoles’ Isleworth seemingly the home of his son, James Geary junior, a greengrocer living in South Street at Isleworth.

On one of my UK visits we drove to London Road, to see just what remained of the area from the Geary’s time. As expected, the suburb is now fully housed with major roads dissecting the area, although it does appear that part of James Geary’s lot 160 remains as part of the Cavendish House Allotments for current local residents.

Satellite image from https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/ which appears to be of part of James Geary’s lot 160 remaining as the Cavendish House Allotments for local residents.

[1] Ref: Viewed film 1279466 St. Lawrence Reading Parish.  1735-1836 (item 1-4).  also Berkshire R.O. Reading Ref: Page 261 BRO Ref. Reading St. Lawrence Fiche Set 7. Fiche 3  D.P 97.1.5
[2] London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: DRO/026/A/01/025. Source Information  Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
[3] https://jamyesterdayjamtomorrow.wordpress.com/
[4] London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Board of Guardian Records, 1834-1906/Church of England Parish Registers, 1813-1906; Reference Number: dro/059/018  Source Information  Ancestry.com