Abraham William Bristow c1828 - 1883

Abraham William Bristow was born in around 1828.  He was one of my great great great grandfathers.  On 28th December 1828 he was baptised at St George the Martyr church in Ramsgate, Kent.  The church had only fairly recently been consecrated having been built between 1824 and 1827.  Abraham's parents were Henry Bristow and Eleanor Chipperfield.  Abraham's father, Henry, was a coachman by profession.

1828 Baptism of Abraham William Bristow (courtesy of Find My Past)

The first census document which Abraham appears on is that for 1841.  He was living with his parents, Henry and Eleanor, in the family home which was in Belle Vue Place in Ramsgate.  There doesn't appear to be a Belle Vue Place in Ramsgate any more although there is a Belle Vue Road.  I suppose Belle Vue Place must have been near this road.

1841 Census Abraham Bristow (courtesy of Find My Past)

I have found 9 siblings for Abraham.  These were:

Charles 1816 - 1900
Henry 1820 - 1824
Lucy 1824 - 1907
Henry 1826 - 1866
Harriett 1831 -1914
Helen 1833 - 1841
Emily 1835 - 1856
John 1837 - ?
Rose 1840 - 1842

Abraham's brother Charles was later to emigrate to Natal in South America.  Charles became a policeman for a while.  I have been in contact with one of Charles' descendants who now lives in Australia.  She lent me a photograph of Charles.  My father does bear a resemblance to him so the family looks do seem to have travelled down to modern times!

On 2nd December 1848 Abraham married Elizabeth Ansell.  On the marriage certificate Abraham was listed as a minor and Elizabeth was of full age.  I think Elizabeth was roughly a year or so older than Abraham.

On the 1851 census William and Elizabeth were living at 25 Camden Square in Ramsgate.  Camden Square still exists but the house where the family lived is no longer there.  On the census return the couple have 2 children and Abraham's profession is as a shipwright.

1851 Census Abraham Bristow (courtesy of Find My Past)

Abraham and Elizabeth were to have 9 children.  They were:

Abraham William 1849 - 1877
Emily Elizabeth 1850 - 1852
Henry George 1852 - 1857
Alfred John 1853 - 1882
Cecilia Emily 1855 - 1857
Lavinia Eleanor 1858 - 1917
Frederick Henry 1861 - 1929
Walter Earnest 1865 - 1866
Horace Walter 1867 - 1955


On the 1861 census Abraham and his family were living at 3 Adelaide Place in Ramsgate.  I cannot find an Adelaide Place in Ramsgate but there is an Adelaide Gardens.

1861 Census (courtesy Ancestry)

At some point in the mid 1860s Abraham became the landlord of the Fountain Inn on York Street in Ramsgate.  The couple's last 2 children Walter Ernest and Horace Walter were both born in the pub.  On their birth certificates Abraham's profession is given as a licenced victualler.  Sadly the pub was demolished some time ago.

Fountain Inn, Ramsgate c 1890 (courtesy Dover Kent Archives website)

By the 1871 census Abraham is no longer a publican, clearly the profession didn't suit him.  In 1865 he was charged in court with opening the pub outside proper pub hours - opps!  On the 1871 census Abraham was living in Albion Cottage in Ramsgate.  His profession was back as a shipwright.

1871 Census (courtesy Ancestry)

In 1872 Abraham's wife, Elizabeth, died (more about her later).  On the 1881 census Abraham was living at 7 Plains of Waterloo in Ramsgate.  He is listed as a shipwright and apparently has a new wife whose name is Martha.  Martha's son, Henry Philpott, was living in the household.  Abraham and Martha never actually married but it probably seemed better to tell the census enumerator that they were married.  I think Martha's maiden name was Setterfield.  Her husband was possibly James Philpott who had died in 1867.  I believe that Martha died in 1912.

1881 Census (courtesy Find My Past)

The house on Plains of Waterloo still exists in Ramsgate.  Abraham died on 20th May in 1883.  He died in the house at Plains of Waterloo.  He died of tuberculosis, one of the major killers of the 19th century.  Abraham was 54 years old when he died.