My Leedham Antecedents

THE PARENTS OF GEORGE HARRY LEEDHAM

The Census records of 1901 and 1911 show the parent’s of Harry Leedham were William and Lydia, consequently I’m now going back in time to provide details of their roots.

The first Census in which they should be recorded is the one taken in 1871 but I prefer to work slowly back in time so I will start with the Census of 1891, ten years prior to the Census of 1901, when the family were recorded as living at 147 Curzon Street, Leicester.

1891 – CENSUS

In this Census, which was taken on night of Sunday 5th April 1891, the family; father William, mother Lydia and their infant children, William and Gertrude, are living at 150 Curzon Street, which must have been almost opposite number 147 where they were living, ten years later in 1901. Curzon Street is in the Parish of St. Margarets.

A SEARCH FOR A MARRIAGE

As their first child, William was born in May 1887, a date for a marriage of William and Lydia would likely be either 1885 or 1886, when the couple would both be around 20 years old.

There is a record, in the 3rd Quarter (July – August – September) of 1886, of a marriage in Leicester of a ‘WILLIAM SMITH LEEDHAM’ and ‘LYDIA HARRIET CURTIS’. The ‘SMITH’ element in the name is interesting.

I sent for the actual birth certificate to confirm details which is below.

The marriage certifciate of William Smith Leedham and Lydia Harriet Curtis – 13th August 1886

• William Smith Leedham married Lydia Harriet Curtis on 13th August 1886.
• The wedding took place at the parish church of St.Martins in the City of Leicester (image right) and was conducted by Edward Atkins, assistant curator. In 1927 the church was dedicated as Leicester’s Cathedral

• The ages of the couple were 21 and 22 respectively
• William’s occupation is recorded as a ‘Shoehand‘.
• They both lived at Thornton Lane; William at number 24, Lydia at number 13.
• William’s father is also named William and like his son, has an occupation of ‘Shoehand‘.
• Lydia’s father is John Samuel Curtis and is a ‘Last Maker’, an occupation in the shoe industry. Both parents are alive at the time of the wedding as the certificate would have shown ‘deceased’ against their names if they had died.
• The witnesses to the wedding were Lydia’s father, John Samuel Curtis and one of her sisters,  Mary Ann Elizabeth Curtis, who was around 24 years old at this time.

At this juncture, I will initially follow the records for the father, William Leedham, as obviously, ten years prior to the Census 1881, the couple would not be married.

Next Page:  Harry’s Father – William Leedham