There really were two boys called James Butters

I have said before that a young boy called James Butters was apparently in two places at the time of the 1911 census, once with his own parents and sisters and once with the half-sister of his great aunt. https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/james-david-butters-1905-1968/ The 1921 census shows that both households still contained a boy called James Butters, so they were obviously 2 different people.

One of the boys was James David Butters, son of Henry David Butters and Eleanor May Kemm. In both 1911 and 1921, this family—including James—was at 7 Green Street, Paddington (London).

The other boy was in 1911 with George Cousins (a sewerage farm labourer), his wife Hannah (1859-1933, nee Giles) and 4 of their 6 children (Hipsley, Sidney, Edmund and Margaret) at East Heath, Wokingham (Berkshire). The household was occupying 5 rooms. Hannah’s parents were my 3 x great grandmother Amy Hawkins (1822-1912) and her 1^st husband, Thomas Giles. https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2020/12/14/henry-cummins-and-amy-hawkins/

1921 census

In 1921, Hannah’s family was occupying 6 rooms at Easthead, Evendons Lane, Wokingham. By now, Hannah, who was from Hurst (Berkshire and said to be 60 years and 8 months) was a widow, working on home duties. With her were the following people, all single:

• Hippsly George Cousins, son (32y 5m, born Wokingham), bricklayers labourer, Dyke [?] builders, Barkham & Wokingham.
• Alice Cousins, daughter (27y 2m, Wokingham), knitter, Middleton & Co. Embrook Wokingham
• Eddie [transcribed as Eclelie!] Cousins, son (24y 3m, Wokingham), General labourer G Ford
• Margaret Cousins, daughter (21y 0m, Wokingham), out of work knitter, last place of work: Middleton & Co. Embrook. The layout of the form doesn’t make it entirely clear whether it is Eddie or Margaret who is out of work.
• Richard Taylor Gurden, lodger (62y 2m, Headington, Oxfordshire), Gardener, Mrs Shaw at Russley, Finchampstead
• James Butters [transcribed as Butler!], lodger (14y 11m, Middlesex. general labourer, F Hutt, Evedons Lane, Wokingham
• Edward Watson, visitor, 31y 0m, single, Tanfield (Durham)), out of work coal miner, last employer joicy [?], Tanfield Moor

James Butters

The index transcribers have transcribed his name as the much more common name Butler, but the original hand-written document clearly says Butters, and so does the 1911 census.

The census return states that both of James’s parents were still alive. I haven’t found any trace of his birth and so can’t look for his parents. I also haven’t found out what happened to him after 1921.

Edward Watson

The visitor Edward Watson is intriguing. Why would an out of work miner from County Durham be hundreds of miles away in Wokingham, an area with no mines?

Maybe there is some link to Rhoda, the half sister of Hannah Cousins (née Giles). Rhoda was baptised in Hurst (Berkshire) on 15 March 1846 as Rhoda Watson or Hawkens, daughter of Amy, a singlewoman of Hurst (or London). https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2021/06/24/rhoda-watson/
Rhoda’s birth place is given as Hurst on all the censuses. Rhoda’s younger sister Amy’s birth place is given as London, Middlesex, in 1851 and 1861 but as Hurst in every later census.

So it seems plausible that Rhoda’s father might be called Watson, and could have lived in either Hurst or (perhaps more likely) London.

I haven’t yet found any connection between Hannah and Rhoda’s family and the Edward Watson from Tanfield.  All his ancestors came from the Tanfield area. Maybe one of the (large) family came to London in the 1840s. That doesn’t seem particularly likely, but it seems more likely than any link with Hurst or Wokingham.

There may not have been a prior connection between Edward Watson and the Cousins family, but one did arise later (or at the same time). In the 3^rd quarter of 1922, a marriage was registered in Wokingham between Alice E Cousins and Edward Watson. Nevertheless, it is difficult to imagine how Edward came to be in Wokingham in the first place.

1939 register

The 1939 register shows Edward and Alice E Watson at 102 Evendon Lane. Wokingham, with (Alice’s brother) Hipsley G [Hipsley George] Cousins. Edward was a Clay digger brickwork, Alice was on unpaid domestic duties and Hipsley was a gardener.

The electoral register shows they were all still at 102 Evendon Lane in 1950. Hipsley was still there at his death in 1953 and administration of his estate of £196 12s. 8d. was granted to Alice. Alice Emily Watson was also still there when she died in 1962, with administration of her estate of £1,287 10s.being granted to Edward, a retired lengthman.

A lengthsman or lengthman is someone with the job of maintaining a stretch (length) of road, railway or canal.

Hannah E Cousins (née Giles) died in the Wokingham area in 1933.

Follow up

I haven’t yet:

• worked out who James Butters’ parents were, or what happened to him after 1921
• written up details for Henry David Butters’ family. Now written up at https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2022/03/29/henry-david-butters-1871-1953/
• written up details of the other children of Hannah Giles and George Cousins
• worked out what brought Edward Watson to Wokingham