Malcolm MACPHERSON & Caroline BROOKER were married at Kensington
Register Office (3.9.1857). Malcolm, a printer, came from Perth, Scotland
(as did the MacLachlan's) Their son Malcolm was born less than three weeks
later. They had 4 children as follows
Malcolm 1857 16 Charles St *1.3.1869 Charles St
Caroline Susanna 1859(4) Kens 1a 54 10.3.1933 4 Kelso Place, Kens.
Sydney 1862(2) Kens 1a 56 1891(3) Kens 1a 78
Leonard 1863(4) Kens 1a 98 not known
Tragedy was to follow: she lost her husband in 1863 (died of "cerebral
disease" 19.10.1863), her mother in 1868 and son Malcolm in 1869.
Moreover it appears (see below) that Sidney was a Down's Syndrome child.
But Caroline was clearly a tough cookie: she survived until 1900 aged
79.
Census returns
1861 shows the family at 16 Charles Street: Malcolm(32,Printer & Compositor,
born Scotland), Caroline(40), Malcolm(3) Caroline Susanna(1) and Susanna
Brooker(76, born Lechlade, Gloucestershire).
1871 The family is still at 16 Charles St. Caroline (dressmaker), Caroline
Susanna (11), Sydney(9), Leonard(8).
1881 The family is still at 16 Charles St. Caroline(60) dressmaker, Caroline
Susanna(21, unmarried), dressmaker, Sydney(19) deaf & dumb, Leonard(18),
shoemaker.
1891 The residual family (Caroline, Caroline Susanna and Sydney) have
moved to 4 Kelso Place (not far from Charles St.) which is shared with
3 or 4 other families. Sydney died later the same year. We do not know
when Leonard left home or where he went.
Sydney could have been one of the children in Harry Brooker's painting
"A house
of cards" (1889) except that he was about 27 by this time.
Caroline senior survived until 5.1.1900 when she died from bronchitis.
The death certificate describes her (late) husband as a 'master printer'.
The informant was Caroline McPherson who was present at the death at 4
Kelso Place Caroline continued to live there as a dressmaker until her
death in 1933 aged 73. She died as a result of an accidental fall (fractured
femur). Nothing is known of her brother Leonard after 1881.
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