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Not Brentford

Postcard showing the Hinton Bailey family of 17 Adelaide Road Brentford, sent Christmas 1908

A rare postcard image sent by Howard Webb: "Postcard by Wakefield of Brentford and Chiswick. The lady at the back in the middle has been added later by the photographer. I don't know who the family are but I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to identify them if you have access to trade or post office directories."

Studio family portrait

The card was sent to:
Mr G Challis and Family
Critchell House
Brentford

With the following message:
17 Adelaide Road
Brentford
23/12/08
We one and all wish you & family a merry Xmas and happy and prosperous new year
J.H.B.

It was delivered by hand.

The Bailey family

Kelly's Ealing, Acton, Hanwell, Brentford, Gunnersbury and Chiswick Directory ("Buff Book") for 1907 shows:
     John Hinton Bailey RN at 17 Adelaide Road
As this matches the initials on the postcard it is likely he is our man.

The 1911 census for 17 Adelaide Road provides more information:
Henrietta Hinton Bailey Head Widow Female 71 1840 S Queensferry (Resident)
Alfred William Hinton Bailey Son Single Male 37 1874 Commercial Traveller Jam Manufacturers Lerwick Shetland I (Resident)
Helen Beatrice Hinton Bailey Daughter Single Female 30 1881 Teacher London County Council Barton on Humber

The Bailey's home had six rooms, sufficient for the three adults recorded in 1911. Henrietta completed information about the length of her marriage - 53 years - and children -15 of whom 12 survived; as she was a widow this was not required, but it helps explain the number of individuals shown in the family portrait. Her husband's death was registered in Brentford in the first quarter of 1909, within weeks of the card being sent.

The 1901 census reveals more about the family, which was then living at 90, Whitestile Road, Old Brentford:
John Hinton Bailey Head Married Male 64 1837 Retired Naval Officer C O Wappenham, Northamptonshire, England
Henrietta H Bailey Wife Married Female 62 1839 Scotland
Alfred Hinton Bailey Son Single Male 27 1874 Clerk Scotland
Isabel Bailey Daughter Single Female 31 1870 Teacher Scotland
Louisa Bailey Daughter Single Female 25 1876 Dressmaker Scotland
Alice Bailey Daughter Single Female 21 1880 School Teacher Scotland
Helen Bailey Daughter Single Female 20 1881 Pupil Teacher Lincolnshire, England

Ancestry has several references to the family: John senior had a son, also named John Hinton Bailey, born around 1864, who married Marion Summers at St Paul's Old Brentford in 1884. The son was living at Boston Park Road and was a clerk; his father's occupation: Coastguard. One of the witnesses was Kate Gainsford, a niece of Joseph B Lewis, Brentford Local Board member.

Mary Hinton Bailey was married at the same church, 21st July 1898, to John Henry Allan, clerk. Mary was of Meslip? Villa, Whitestile Road and her father a Retired Coastguard.

Louisa Marion Hinton-Bailey married in the third quarter of 1901 in Brentford Registration District.

Alfred William Hinton Bailey, a commercial traveller age 45, married Dorothy Alice Welch, 27, at Twickenham parish church 30 September 1919; Dorothy was of 46 Adelaide Road, Alfred of 26 Yor(k/ter?) Street, presumably in Twickenham.

A family tree on Ancestry includes the following names of John and Henrietta's children and their birth years:

  • James McBain Hinton Bailey 1859
  • Elizabeth Henrietta Hinton Bailey 1860
  • Christina Hinton Bailey 1862
  • John Hinton Bailey 1864
  • Henrietta Hinton Bailey 1866
  • Isabella Hinton Bailey 1869
  • Mary Jane Hinton Bailey 1871
  • Adeline Edith Hinton Bailey 1872
  • Alfred William Hinton Bailey 1874
  • Louisa Marion Hinton Bailey 1876
  • Ethel Minnie Hinton Bailey 1878
  • Alice Maud Hinton Bailey 1880
  • Helen Beatrice Hinton Bailey 1881
Presumably most of the above are included in the photograph which shows parents John and Henrietta with ten adult women and two adult men. All are dressed in dark clothing apart from one woman, seated between her parents, who is dressed in white. Perhaps she had just married the person behind her? Unfortunately it is difficult to make out whether she is wearing a wedding ring. The lady Howard spotted who was 'cut and pasted' into the centre of the back row may be a deceased daughter or one that could not get to the photo session.

The matriarch, Henrietta Hinton Bailey, stayed in Brentford and her death was registered in the first three months of 1921 at the age of 81.

The Challis family

The card was addressed to George Challis who was a local councillor. He was living at 24 Windmill Road, Brentford in 1907 (electoral register) and was at the same address in 1911. A James Challis, possibly related, was living at Adelaide Road in 1907.

Page published April 2018