Lucy Lockwood Vize 1835-1900

Lucy was the third child of John Vize (1804-1840) of Rotherhithe, Surrey and Matilda Lucy (1797-1837) of Stratford On Avon, Warwickshire [1]. Both families were relatively well-off middleclass tradespeople. Matilda received a financial settlement from her father’s estate when she married John [2]. John worked as a schoolmaster but after his marriage established a business as a bookseller in St Mary-le-bone [3]. He did not do well and the business folded.

 Little is known of the Lockwoods for whom Lucy's middle name was given. It is likely that Esther was from the Stepney or Whitechapel area of London and that ties were maintained with moember of this family.

 The family moved around before finally settling in Clapham about 1835. Lucy was born at their home here in Foster Place off Bedford Road. She was baptised at St Mark’s Kennington Oval on 2 August 1835 [4]. At this time her father John was once again working as a schoolmaster [5].

 Only days after Lucy’s second birthday, her younger brother Charles Lucy Vize was born [6]. By this time William’s mother was quite unwell with tuberculosis [7], affecting both the health of the baby and her own. They both died within days of each other and were buried at St Matthew’s Brixton on 26 August 1837 [8]. At this time John Edward was 6, William Henry was 3 and Lucy Lockwood had just turned 2 years old.

 In August 1938 William’s grandmother Esther Vize died [9], leaving to her three surviving children the assets from their father’s brewing business – mainly savings in the Bank of England [10]. At this time the family was still living at Foster Place in Clapham [11].

 John continued to work as a schoolmaster and moved the family to Tower Hamlets in South Hackney some time before March 1840 [12]. Sharing the same tenement with the Vize’s was William Lockwood, probably Esther’s brother (John’s uncle) and his wife Ann [13]. William also worked as a schoolmaster and the Lockwoods may have helped with the children.

 On 28 March 1840 John died, also from tuberculosis [14], leaving the three children aged 9, 6 and 5 years, orphans. It was John’s uncle William Lockwood that registered his death [15]. John was buried at St Matthew’s with Matilda and Charles [16]. In 1841 they were still living in the tenement in South Hackney and described as having “independent means” [17]. This is most likely the funds left by their grandmother and Matilda’s marriage settlement.

 It appears that the children stayed on in Hackney, possibly under the care of the Lockwoods, as John Edward reportedly attended Hackney Grammar [18]. It seems likely that William received the same education. It is not certain how long Lucy stayed in Tower Hamlets with her brothers. By 1851 she was living with her aunt Mary Power (Matilda’s sister) and family in Atherstone, Warwickshire [19]. She may have received some education here as Mary’s husband, Rev Edward Power, took pupils [20] or, as there were a number of schools for young ladies in Hackney [21], perhaps she had been educated there.

 In 1857 Lucy married Henry Willicombe at King’s Norton on the outskirts of Birmingham [22]. It’s not certain how she came to meet Henry who was from Tunbridge Wells in Kent [23] and worked there in his father’s building business. There may have been a connection between Lucy’s aunt Harriet Bowen Vize, who married Joseph Collis [24] and Henry’s mother whose maiden name was Collis [25]. Lucy’s brother William served his apprenticeship with a druggist in Tunbridge Wells [26], which is another possible connection.

 Lucy was of some social standing, probably through her connection to the Lucys, as her marriage appeared in the Gentleman’s Magazine (none of the other Willicombe marriages were thus treated).

 At Edgbaston near Birmingham by the Rev Isaac Spooner MA Vicar Henry Willicombe Esq of Tunbridge Wells to Lucy Lockwood only dau of the late John Vize Esq of Hendon Middlesex. [27]

 After their marriage Lucy and Henry established their household in Tunbridge Wells. Henry’s father William’s business was flourishing, and Henry worked for the company, initially as a builder’s clerk [28] but eventually taking over the business in partnership with his father’s foreman [29]. Many landmarks of the area were built by William Willicombe [30]. The Willicombes were a very large family (16 children of whom only three died young) and mostly stayed living around Tunbridge Wells at this time [31].

 Lucy and Henry had four children: William Henry (1858-1860), Helen Lucy (1859-), Florence Maria (1861-) and Edward (1862-1862) [32]. It is not clear whether any more babies were born after 1862.

 Henry and Lucy continued to live in Tunbridge Wells and in 1869, when Henry’s father died, he took over the business in partnership with William Oakley. Prior to this William had already made Henry and Oakley partners in the business so this business was dissolved and a new business formed [33].

 NOTICE- is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between the undersigned, William Willicombe, Henry Willicombe, and William Oakley, in the business of a Builder and Contractor, carried on by them at Calverley, Tunbridge Wells, in the county of Kent, has been by mutual consent dissolved, as from the 30th day of September last, so far as regards William Willicombe. The business will in future be carried on by the said Henry Willicombe and William Oakley, under the style of Willicombe and Oakley, by whom all liabilities and credits of the late firm will be discharged and received. – Dated the 18th day of October, 1869. W. Willicombe. H. Willicombe. W.Oakley. [34]

 It is thought that William left the business in a very healthy financial state and the business appears to flourish with Henry and Oakley making substantial expansions employing 375 men in 1881 [35]. However, financial troubles were lurking around the corner and in March 1882 Willicombe and Oakley entered voluntary liquidation. Henry and Oakley lost the business as well as all of their personal assets.

 The Bankruptcy Act, 1869. In the County Court of Kent, holden at Tunbridge Wells. In the Matter of Proceedings for Liquidation by Arrangement or Composition with Creditors, instituted by Henry Willicombe and William Oakley, of Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, Builders and Contractors and Copartners trading under the style or firm of Willicombe and Oakley.

<p style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:1.0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> NOTICE is hereby given, that a First General Meeting of the creditors of the above-named persons has been summoned to be held at the Guildhall Tavern, King-street, Cheapside, in the city of London, on the 10th day of May, 1882, at two o’clock in the afternoon precisely. – Dated this 13th day of April, 1882.

<p style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:1.0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> KEEP, LANE and CO., 3, Queen-street-place, London, E.G., Solicitors for the Debtors. [36]

<p style="margin-top:6.0pt"> A further three notices appeared in the London Gazette and the proceedings dragged on until October 1883 when the debt was discharged having paid four dividends amounting to only about 2 s in the pound to their creditors [37]. As several Willicombe family members went through similar financial difficulties [38], they were probably not in much of a position to receive assistance from the family.

<p style="margin-top:6.0pt"> Lucy and Henry moved to Hammersmith with their two daughters and Henry found work as a travelling salesman [39]. Up until this time, the family had lived in a large house with several servants [40]. By 1891 they were living in very reduced circumstances, though still able to keep one maid [41].

<p style="margin-top:6.0pt"> Lucy died in late 1900 aged 65 in the Borough of Fulham [42]. Henry died 10 years later, also in the Borough of Fulham [43]. It has not been possible to trace either Helen or Florence, though neither had married in 1891, the last census in which they can be found.

[1] St Mark’s Kennington baptism register; plus

[2] See John Vize 1804-1840

[3] Ibid.

[4] St Mark’s Kennington baptism register

[5] Ibid.

[6] England BDM Charles Lucy Vize

[7] Matilda Vize death certificate

[8] National Burial Index; St Matthew’s Brixton burial register

[9] Esther Vize death certificate

[10] Will of Esther Vize, widow of Edmonton, Middlesex

[11] Ibid.

[12] John Vize death certificate

[13] 1841 England Census, William and Ann Lockwood, South Hackney schoolmaster

[14]{C} John Vize death certificate

[15] Ibid.

[16] National Burial Index; St Matthew’s Brixton burial register

[17] 1841 England Census, John Vize, William Vize, Lucy Vize, South Hackney independent means

[18] Preece, 2000

[19] 1851 England Census, Lucy Vize Atherstone niece

[20] 1851 England Census, Edward Power Atherstone niece

[21] History of Middlesex – Hackney - Education

[22] England BDM Henry Willicombe and Lucy Lockwood Vize

[23] 1861 England Census, Henry Willicombe, Tunbridge Wells builder’s clerk

[24] Faculty Office London, marriage licence

[25] Church marriage register

[26] 1851 England Census, William Henry Vize, Tunbridge Wells druggist’s apprentice

[27] The Gentleman’s Magazine, daye

[28] 1861 England Census, Henry Willicombe, Tunbridge Wells builder’s clerk

[29] newspaper notice from June

[30] Willicombe reference

[31] Ibid.

[32] England BDM William Henry Willicombe; England BDM William Henry Willicombe; England BDM Helen Lucy Willicombe; England BDM Florence Maria Willicombe; England BDM Edward Willicombe; England BDM Edward Willicombe

[33]  unpublished June Bridgeman

[34] paper ref

[35] 1881 England Census Henry Willicombe, Tunbridge Wells builder

[36] The London Gazette [date]

[37] paper refs

[38] unpublished June Bridgeman

[39] 1891 England Census, Henry Willicombe, Lucy Willicombe, Helen Willicombe, Florence Willicombe, Hammersmith traveller

[40] 1881 England Census Henry Willicombe, Tunbridge Wells builder

[41] 1881 England Census Henry Willicombe, Hammersmith traveller

[42] England BDM Lucy Lockwood Willicombe

[43] England BDM Henry Willicombe

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