Elizabeth Maud Howell - Hewitt

Elizabeth always said she was born in Ladymoor, Staffordshire, England. 'Ladymoor' and 'Broad Lanes' were listed as separate hamlets in the 1860s, but by the ninties they would have probably merged into a village. Both settlements were built along the route between Bilston and Wolverhampton. The area as classed as Ettingshall, Coseley, Broad Lanes and Ladymoor - even Bilston, Wolverhampton or Sedgley - it all depends on which source you look at - but my nan liked to say she came from Ladymoor!

This is an older map - from the mid 1800s. On this you can see two distict clusters of homes.

1895

Age 3

1898

Age 6

1900

Age 8

1901

Age 9

Elizabeth was 9 years old at the time of the Census.

In 1901 her father Thomas Howell was working as a wheelwright's labourer, he was 39 years old. His wife Ada was 38. His eldest son James was 15 and working as a crane driver. Elizabeth's other siblings were still scholars: Leonard Howell was 13, Teresa Howell was 11, (George) Thomas Howell was 6 and Christiana Howell was 3.

They were living at 54, Broad Lanes. Her Grandfather was living in Swan Row Ettingshall with his daughter's family - with Elizabeth's Aunt Louisa (Wright - she later moved to Stoke-on-Trent where she lived until she died in 1954).

1904

Age 12

Residence at the Forge Hammer Inn, Coseley, Staffordshire, England.

Marital Status: Single - age 19

Relation to Head of House: Servant

'Lizzy' was in service at the Forge Hammer. Her duties involved getting up very early, before 6 o'clock, to light the fires. She would help to prepare meals, wash up, do the cleaning and help in the bar. It was hard work - pubs closed at 11 o'clock at night and she would then have to help clear up and bank up the fires.

She got on very well with John and Maria Fellows and maintained a friendship with them for many years.

The Springvale Furnaces Ltd and the Staffordshire Steel and Iron Ingot Co amalgamated in 1897 to become Alfred Hickman Ltd together with "adjacent collieries and brickworks", this later became part of Stewarts and Lloyds who were a principle employer in Wolverhampton in the twentieth century. Hundreds of mem would have worked in the area in the early part of the twentieth century - hard, thirsty work!

1912

Age 19

July-Sept 1913

Age 21

Marriage to George Hewitt. The exact date is unknown - but it was during the third quarter.

George worked in a steel rolling mill. He probably worked at the Manor Sheet Rolling Mills and frequented the Forgehammer. This is probably how he met 'Lizzy'. She told me tales of canoodling with George 'under the bridge'... so she must have met up with him under the canal bridges around there in her free time.

This romance led to marriage, family life and a house on the Parkfield Road.

Birth of Son

Thomas Hewitt (1914–1977)

Thomas Hewitt and his wife Bridget emigrated to Sydney Australia - both at the age of 60. They travelled on the Mooltan P&O Ship. By that time Thomas was a Mill Superintendant. That is a very high paid job and he would have been very much in demand in Australia at the time.

He had been living in Villiers Street, Bilston before he emigrated - a large semi-detached.

8th April 1953

Age 60

Death of husband

The executor was their son Thomas.