Updated FAMILY TREE

I have recently ordered and received a number of death certificates, and I am working on a chart
of all the Hammond deaths at Lea Bridge - (name, address, age, location of death, cause of death, reported by) which I will post in the next few weeks.  Sadly, the last generations of Hammond men at Lea Bridge died young, and it is quite possible that the descendants in Ontario are the only survivors of the line.  I have not been able to trace any other Hammond lines.  Perhaps with a new census for England (1921) I will be able to find some children of Henry Hammond and Elizabeth Murphy.

A George Hammond (son of John) at Lea Bridge was an alcoholic according to his death certificate, perhaps a hazard of growing up in the family business which was a public house for many years.  Many died of tuberculosis related diseases which probably means an unhealthy diet, perhaps a hazard of youth generally.  The area was not that densely populated being north-east of London.  The Lea River was very polluted, but TB is air-borne not water-borne.  The Hammond women of the later generations lived long lives except for Mary Huard who died from a miscarriage. 

I am still missing the deaths for Sarah Green (aunt to John, William, May, Alfred and George)  and for a cousin named George Hammond.  I have a death in a work-house for a George but no proof that it is the same George.  Some deaths predate civil registration and therefore, only church burials are available.

Interestingly,  Ann Hammond Pascoe, daughter of George James, died in Queensland, Australia (source:  ancestry.com).  They probably emigrated in the 1870s with one child born in England. 

Clik on image to enlarge.

News Reel Video of 1940 Fire

http://www.tales-of-the-old-east-end.co.uk/thetribe.html

Go to the above website for some interesting memories of Lea Bridge.  Scroll down
to a black square on the right side.  Click it for the video of the Latham timbersheds
burning in 1940.

Middlesex Wharf 1926 and 1980s

Click on photo to enlarge - In the 1980s, I wrote a letter to the Latham timber company at Lea Bridge and they kindly shared these photos with me.  Above is what Middlesex Wharf was like when I visited the Kings Head Public House early in the 1980s.  It appears that the river has been diverted in the above photo perhaps after a serious flood.

Above is an aerial view of Lea Bridge in 1926 looking south, before the cottages were destroyed.  Above the middle-left of the photo, you can see a large clump of trees.  To the right of the trees are the Hammond cottages. In the sunlight, is the Kings Head PH and the 6 cottages (Dears) opposite, which included a shop.  I believe the Radley boat house is on the north side of the Lea Dock and visible in this photo just below the Kings Head and a little to the left.

Fire in 1940 - Recently I found on-line  a video of a fire which destroyed some Latham Timber sheds at Lea Bridge.  I was told that the Kings Head was rebuilt after a fire, so I presume it was the 1940 fire.

1868 Map of Lea Bridge

                                                  Click on map to enlarge it

There is an interesting website about Lea Bridge http://leabridge.org.uk/preface/family-histories.html
which contains a lot of information about the Radley boat builders and some wonderful photos.  Their boathouse was located north of the Lea Dock and is visible in the banner photo at the top of this blog.  However, the above map is an ordnance map for 1868 and at that time, there appears to be no building above the Lea Dock.  It would seem that Radley's boatworks at that location must have been built after 1868.  Green's Boat Works, close to the Jolly Anglers, would have predated it.

St John at Hackney Churchyard History

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/st-johns-churchyard-clearance.htm

This website has the history of the churchyard as well as some photos.

"Churchyard Clearance


"By the 1850s, the churchyard of St John at Hackney was full and apart from those with space left in a family vault, no more internments took place. The churchyard became quickly overgrown and fell into disrepair in places. In 1884 an act of parliament allowed disused burial grounds to be cleared to become parks in urban areas.

"It took 10 years for Hackney to adopt this idea and it was decided that the gravestones would be moved to create a green space in the by now very built-up urban environment. There were protests, but the decision was made eventually as the work provided local unemployed men with labour.

"The standing gravestones were stacked along the east and west walls, ledger stones were grassed over, and the churchyard became a park for Hackney's residents to enjoy.
"Further work was done in the 1950s, and most recently a lottery grant was received in 2007 to improve the site, with lighting, CCTV, clearance of shrubs, the addition of a children's play area, new benches and plantings and more even paving. Some tombstones were also restored.
"The churchyard is managed and cared for by the council's Parks department but it remains consecrated church land."

Mary Hammond Huard, Baptism of 1st Child

Baptism of Alfred James Huard (left column, second entry from top).  He was the first child of Mary Hammond and James Huard, born May 14, 1881 and baptised June 23, 1881.  Perhaps he was named after Alfred James Hammond, his cousin. The Huards lived at Bromley, Middlesex at this time and James' occupation was 'splint cutter.'

Probate Records

John Hammond - second from the bottom of the above document. Probate January 20, 1858

Sarah Hammond - top entry of above document.  Probate September 30, 1868

John Hammond - bottom entry in above document. Probate October 3, 1878

1911 Census - Wathamstow, Essex

By 1911, Sarah (Hammond) Green's daughter, Kate, is married to John Aylett and they have three children. Also living with them is Kate's brother, John Green, and their cousin, Daisy Huard.  Charlotte Matilda is deceased by this time and it seems that Sarah Green might also be deceased. 

1798 Land Tax - Waltham (Abbey), Essex

Click on the image to enlarge.
This beautiful document lists our ancestor, William Hammond, in the top left area of the left page.  He is renting from Joseph Hoy and the columns to the right give the amount of tax..  We have had this information for sometime, but this is the first time I have seen the original document.  There are also several Littlers shown on the two pages. (Ancestry.com)