Hannah Cuffey was born in Hoxton, London, the daughter of William Cuffey, a labourer from London and Maria Dodd from Hampton, Surrey. Hannah was baptised at the parish church of St Leonards Shoreditch on Tuesday 17 April 1827 [1]. At the time the Cuffey family where living at Edward Street and Hannah's father was employed as a labourer. In the four years since the birth of her eldest brother William Isaac in 1823 [2] her family was living in the Kingsland Road, Hackney, and her father was employed as a carpenter, so it appears that the family fell on hard times. When Hannah was ten years old the Cuffey family were admitted to the Shoreditch workhouse [3]. On Saturday 19 May 1837 her father William was admitted to the workhouse, and the rest of the family, including her mother and five sibling were admitted the following day. It is strange how her father was admitted a day before the rest of the family, one can only summise that he was suffering from some form of illness, and that the family, with no means of support, were forced to follow. Some four weeks later, on Monday 12 June 1837, the family were discharged by an Order of Removal to Tottenham workhouse, located in Tottenham High Road. It is not known what then happened to the Cuffey family, as the admissions / discharge records for Tottenham workhouse have not survived.

Hannah was the third of nine siblings born to William and Maria Cuffey (see family tree, below).

Hannah Cuffey (1827 - 1901)

Hannah Cuffey's Immediate Family

The 1841 census [4] for South London shows Hannah, aged 15, working as a live-in servant for a family in New Park Road, Streatham. At this time it was quite common for girls to go into 'service' from the age of fourteen, as it meant one less mouth to feed for their family. The female servant, or maid, was expected to do all the work of the house, including cleaning, dusting, cooking, shopping, bedmaking and laundry. In a typical day, the servant would rise early before the family of the house and clean out the grate and light the fire before preparing breakfast and then onto the normal daily chores associated with housework. Considering the long hours and little reward that female servants received, it is little wonder that most of them could not wait to get married to escape the drudgery of being a servant.

By 1851, Hannah has moved back home with her family at 6 Stratford Place, Shoreditch, refer to the 1851 census [5] but is still employed as a servant. Sometime between 1851 and 1860, Hannah moved south of the river Thames and set up home with Josiah Denson in Newington. It is not known where or if they were ever married, as no trace of any marriage can be found.

Hannah and Josiah's first daughter Annie was born in Newington, Surrey in 1860 [6]. At that time the Denson family were living at 7 Trafalgar Place, Newington situated just to the east of where Elephant and Castle station now stands. Josiah was employed as a market porter, possibly at Borough Market.

The 1861 census [7] for Borough, South London shows three members of the Denson family living at 3 Victory Place, Newington: Hannah's husband, Josiah Denson, a light porter aged 32, Hannah aged 36 and their daughter Annie aged three months.

In 1863, at the time of the birth of her eldest son Joseph, the Denson family were living at 9 John Street, Newington, which was demolished in 1912 and has been replaced by Barlow Street.

Sometime between 1865 and 1871 the family moved from Newington, south of the Thames across London to settle in Finsbury, north London.

The 1871 census [8] for Finsbury shows five members of the Denson family living at 83 Whitecross Street, St Lukes: Annie Denson aged 46; her husband Josiah, aged 41; Annie aged 11; Joseph aged 9 and William aged 5.

After her husband Josiah died in 1874 there is no trace of Hannah or her two children Joseph and William in either the 1881 or 1891 census. The next reference to Hannah is found in the 1901 census [9] which shows Hannah, a retired charwoman, as a patient at the Holborn Infirmary. At the time of the census (31 March 1901) she was close to death, and died a week later aged seventy-eight on Sunday 07 April 1901 in Holborn Infirmary, Islington, London due to the effects of bronchitis [10].

Notes and Abbreviations:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901
  11.  'Hanh' stands for 'Hannah'

Notes and Abbreviations:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901
  11.  'Hanh' stands for 'Hannah'

Notes and Abbreviations:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901
  11.  'Hanh' stands for 'Hannah'

Notes Abbreviations:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901
  11.  'Hanh' stands for 'Hannah'

Notes:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901

Notes:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901

Notes:

  1.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, Hannah Cuffey, 1827
  2.  Baptism Register St Leonard's Shoreditch, William Isaac Cuffey, 1823
  3.  Hackney Shoreditch Workhouse Admissions, 1837
  4.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1068/2 f23 p4
  5.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1536 f236v
  6.  GRO, Birth Certificate Annie Denson, 1860
  7.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/337 f91v
  8.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/405 f33v
  9.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/405 f33v
  10.  GRO Death Certificate Hannah Denson (nee Cuffey), 1901
 

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