Fanny and William Tucker appear on the 1871 census in Queens Road, making them some of the road's earliest residents. I couldn't read William's occupation but in later records he was a wheelwright. Children Rose aged 6, Joseph aged 3, Mary aged 1 and little baby Caroline completed the family. To help with the children the couple had a nurse living with them - 64 year old Phoebe Wood. This was a poor family so it is possible Phoebe was getting free accommodation in return for helping out, but she certainly also worked as a nurse for others with children outside that household.
The couple, minus the nurse remained in Queen's Road at the time of the 1881 census. Earlier in 1881 Fanny took William to court for his alcohol fuelled cruelty to her. He had told her he was throwing her out. When she refused to leave her home and young children he beat her and pushed her out the door. She remained outside all night in the cold. This was not the first time a similar thing had happened. In the morning she went in to make her children's breakfast and found William just as threatening to the point she had to leave again. The magistrate who heard the case raged at William for his "unmanly" behaviour and sentenced him to 14 days in jail. This may not sound much but for any assault in those days, it was. Without any income coming in from her husband during those two weeks Fanny would have suffered too. She must have been highly motivated to try to shock William out of his behaviour to launch the case. None of the children then living at home seem to have been working yet- 15 year old Ada and 13 year old Joseph were both still described as scholars. Sadly Ada died the next year.
Prior to her marriage Fanny (nee Darvill, daughter of Joseph Darvill and Rebecca nee Hopcraft) had worked as a lacemaker. Aged 13 she was listed as such living with her already widowed at age 28 sister Jane Rogers, a grocer on the 1851 census in Monks Risborough, Bucks. Life probably wasn't easy for Jane and Fanny as Jane had been summoned the year before for failing to pay her poor rates. Living with her sister was presumably a choice rather than a necessity for Fanny however, as her parents were still alive, in Monks Risborough. Dad Joseph was a hay dealer and carrier, mum Rebecca was a dressmaker.
The Tucker family were still in Queens Road in 1891. Sons William aged 17 and Charles aged 15 were working as garden labourers. There were market gardens off Queens Road which may have employed them.
In 1897 William senior was a 60 year old in the Wycombe Union workhouse. He was one of several men upon which suspicion was thrown that they were pleading inability to work whilst being able bodied and fit to support themselves. He was ordered to undergo medical tests. The outcome of these I haven't found.
By 1911 as a widow Fanny went to live with her also widowed son Joseph who was a coach builder living in Oxford Road. I believe she died in 1915. Joseph's wife had been Julia née Plumridge whom he married in 1890.
Queens Road as it is now, most buildings are modern. It would be unrecognisable -bar the Duke of Cambridge pub- to the Tuckers.
Related Posts:
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Everyday life in old Marlow post index here
Duke of Cambridge landlord listing: here
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Researched and written by Charlotte Day. Census transcribed by Charlotte Day and Jane Pullinger. Census information always remains Crown Copyright.
©Marlow Ancestors.
