Frank Cable’s Son – Frank Harry Cable

CHAPTER II

Harry’s father ‘disappears’ and the family move to Kent

1891 – APRIL: CENSUS – FRANK’S SON, FRANCIS HARRY CABLE
Ten years later, on the census of 1891, taken on 5th April of that year, the young Frank Harry Cable was not living with his mother, Catherine Cable (née Feltham) and father, Frank Cable. On the night of the 1881 Census, unlike in 1881, his parents were recorded in this 1891 Census they are living together, on this occasion they are at 60 High Street in the parish of St John in West Hackney, London.

As mentioned above, the young Francis Harry Cable not living with parents on the night of this Census. He can be found living over sixty miles away in Kent.

He is recorded as staying with his ‘uncle‘, William Feltham. However, this is an inaccurate entry on the census as William Feltham is actually Francis Henry Cable’s half-brother; he is Catherine’s oldest son who was born in September 1862 who is now a 28 year old Carpenter and Joiner. The young Francis is recorded as being ‘Scholar‘. Also in the house are William’s wife, 24 year old Margaret and their three daughters, Ellen, Edith and Kate, aged four, three and one respectively, plus a 15 year old servant from Scotland. This family living in Kent at South View Villas, King’s Road, Herne Bay.

One can only speculate why the young Francis Harry was not with his parent at this time. Maybe it’s a short holiday on the coast for the lad. He may have been in poor health and was given the opportunity to exchange the smells and grime of Victorian London with the fresh air of Kent coast or conceivably he had a better chance to attend a school in that area. Incidentally his place of birth is recorded as ‘New Inn‘, in Kent which is inconsistent with the Census of 1881 which states his birthplace was ‘Peckham‘.

1891 Census – Frank Cable’s son, Francis Harry Cable, with his ‘uncle’ in Kent.

1891 CENSUS – FRANK & CATHERINE CABLE
As mentioned above, Frank Harry Cable was not with his parents on the night of the 1891 Census, they were together at 60 High Street in the parish of St John in West Hackney, London. As I mentioned, Catherine Sarah F. Cable, recorded as being aged 45 years, is with him. Her age in incorrect, she would be 50 years old in April 1891, the date of this Census.

The census records Frank’s ‘relationship’ with the Head of the household, who is a 26 year old man named as WALTER CHAPMAN FORD, as ‘father-in-law’. Walter’s wife is EMILY ELLEN FORD who is 23 years of age. Emily is therefore identified as Catherine Sarah F. Cable’s daughter who was recorded as ‘Emily Feltham’ aged 12 years on the 1881 Census taken ten years previously. Also in the house is JAMES FELTHAM, aged 19 years, Catherine’s son and there is also an 18 years old servant girl, Eliza Elrich in the house, who is apparently from Switzerland. However notably absence from this household is Frank & Catherine’s ten year old son – FRANCIS HARRY CABLE. The image of the Census below has been amended as it was originally over two pages.

Around 18 months after this Census records Frank living with his wife Catherine in West Hackney with his son-in-law, Frank bigamously marries Polly Shellaker in Grantham.

1891 Census – Frank Cable with his wife Catherine in the home of his son-in-law Walter Chapman Ford

HIS FATHER, FRANCIS CABLE, DISAPPEARS FROM THE RECORDS……
From this time onwards there are no further records of a man named ‘Francis Cable’, his life under that name ends. He became ‘Francis Brown’, and is next recorded as living in Grantham, Lincolnshire, but not under the surname of ‘Cable’!

FRANK HARRY CABLE’S FATHER MARRIES – BIGAMOUSLY!
On Monday 10th of October 1892, at the Finkin Street Methodist Chapel in the Lincolnshire market town of Grantham, England, FRANK HARRY CABLE’S FATHER, FRANK JAMES CABLE, marries MARY JANE SHELLAKER, from Tugby, Leicestershire and who was known from an early age, and hereafter in this narrative, as ‘POLLY’.

At the time of her marriage Polly was recorded as a Spinster of twenty eight years residing at 8, Chapel Street, Grantham and she was employed as a Housekeeper to Mr. Frederick Wardle, the owner of a Dairy Business who was a widower originating from Nottingham.

Mr. Wardle’s profession as a ‘Dairyman’ is interesting as you will see as this narrative continues.

The bridegroom, FRANK JAMES BROWN, is recorded as being a bachelor of Grantham, thirty-two years and living at 24, Manthorpe Road, Little Gonerby, Grantham. This house still remains and is diagonally opposite the house in Chapel Street where Polly was the housekeeper to Mr. Frederick Wardle.

The picture on the right shows Frank and Polly and was possibly taken around the time of their wedding.

As can be seen below, the respective fathers of Polly & Frank, as recorded on the wedding certificate, are RICHARD SHELLAKER, a Farmer and HENRY ISAAC BROWN, a Builder (deceased).

Consequently HENRY ISAAC BROWN is the grandfather of FRANK HARRY CABLE.

Certificate of Marriage 10th October 1892 – Francis James Brown & Mary Jane Shellaker (Polly)

But this narrative of FRANCIS HARRY CABLE continues……..

1901 – MARCH: CENSUS – FRANK’S WIFE CATHERINE AND HER SON FRANCIS HARRY CABLE
Ten years previously, in the Census of 1891, Frank & Catherine’s son, Francis Harry Cable, was living in Herne Bay, Kent with his half-brother William Feltham and his family.

Ten years on, on the night of 31st March 1901, Frank’s son FRANCIS HARRY CABLE, is still living in Kent, approximately seven miles from Herne Bay but now he is with his mother CATHERINE. They are living together at 5 Oxford Street, Seasalter, an area just outside Whitstable.

[Seasalter is a village located by the sea on the north coast of Kent, between the towns of Whitstable and Faversham. It faces the Isle of Sheppey across the estuary of the River Swale. It is approximately five miles north of Canterbury. A picture of Seasalter beach is shown on the right.

The house at 5 Oxford Street, Seasalter still remains and can be seen on Google Street where it can be seen as a shop selling Knitting related merchandise. However, the area known as Seasalter has since been absorbed into Whitstable.]

Catherine, as can be seen at the bottom of the page in the Census below, is recorded as ‘KATE CABLE’ and is working at home as a ‘Confectioner/Baker’. Her son FRANK HARRY CABLE also works in the Bakery industry as a ‘Confectioner/Bread worker’. Some of the occupations of their immediate neighbours – ‘Ship-builder’, ‘Oyster Dredger’ and ‘Mariner’ are evocative of the coastal location of this home. Catherine age is recorded as 50 years, with her son, Frank as 21 years old. Frank age is correct; Catherine’s age is incorrect by over a decade. She was born in June 1840 and therefore she had reached the age of 60 years in the previous year.

Interestingly Frank Cable’s wife describes herself as a ‘Widow’. On this occasion the notable absentee from the family home is Frank Harry’s father, Frank Cable himself. But as we know, at this point in this story, ‘Frank Cable’ no longer exists; around 18 months after the 1891 Census Frank has bigamously married Polly Shellaker in Grantham in October 1892 and thenceforth became ‘Frank Brown’. In 1901 Frank Cable, now known as ‘Frank Brown‘, has been ‘married‘ for nearly nine years and is living with Polly Shellaker and their five children.

1901 Census – Catherine (recorded as ‘Kate’) Cable, with her son Frank.

Next Page: A Marriage in West Hackney