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Brentford Families - Fleetwood

A family of tailors

Pauline Chidwick writes: 'My Great, Great Grandparents (Reuben and Louisa Fleetwood) were tailors living at schedule 80 High Street in 1851 having moved there from Whitechapel about 1844/45. They had two sons, Reuben and John, who were also working as tailors in 1851, presumably for their Father and my Great Grandmother was born there.

By 1871 Louisa was a widow, still tailoring, and living at schedule 24 High Street with her daughter Emma who was a chignon maker.'

Research notes

Reuben Fleetwood senior appears in the 1851 and 1861 censuses as a tailor, heading households of 9 and 5 (including himself). He was 52 in 1861. He was living in the same property in each census, and it appeared to lie between what became numbers 232 and 233, when the High Street was numbered in 1876. This is on the north side of the High Street in Old Brentford. Checking the OS maps for 1865 and 1894 shows St Paul's Road was built here presumably around when St Paul's church opened in 1868 and apparently two properties, incuding Reuben's, were demolished to build the new road. More details of the area where Reuben lived.

The 1871 census entry found by Pauline shows Louisa and her daughter Emma at around (what became)number 12 High Street: this was on the south side in an area which was demolished when the Gas Works expanded in the 1870s. More details of the area where Louisa lived.

The 1881 census shows Emma Fleetwood with a 14 day old daughter Frances and 5 sons aged 2 to 13 living at number 54 with Emma Gaunt, both ladies were dressmakers. Pauline noted 'Mrs Emma Gaunt was the Mother of Emma Fleetwood. Emma was the widow of Reuben Fleetwood, junior and was left with 5 children under 13 to bring up. However she remarried (George Knight) and had 3 further children.' More details of the area where Emma lived.

A PCC will from 1831 indicates a James Fleetwood had settled in Old Brentford by this date. Is he related? No firm evidence found to date to suggest he is. The will shows he owned properties in the area and had a brother in Chancery Lane, London.