Myra Rachel Mead

Female, b. 26 October 1823, d. 1887
     Myra Rachel Mead, daughter of William Mead and Mary Ann Tyler, was born at Laindon, Essex, on 26 October 18231 and was christened on 1 December 1823 at The Independent Meeting House, Billericay, Essex.2,1

It seems likely that Myra was a female servant at the time of the 1841 census, living at The Chapelry, Billericay, Essex, situated on the road from Laindon to Billericay.3

Myra Rachel Mead gave birth to a son on on 3 February 1849 at 1 Whitehouse Court, Goodmans Fields, Whitechapel, London (Middlesex). She was unmarried but most probably the father was William Nicholas of Great Burstead.4

By 1851 Myra was back at Laindon, Essex, living in the village at Laindon Common with her two year old son and making ends meet by mangling. Living with her was 46 year old blind Chelsea Pensioner Thomas Thompson.5

Myra Rachel Mead married Thomas Thompson on 1 January 1855 at the District Church, Billericay, Essex.6,7 In the next few years they produced children Sarah Ann and Thomas Anthony to join their half brother John Charles Mead, and Thomas' nephew William Thompson also became a part of the family.8,9,10

In 1861 the Thompson family lived at High Street, Billericay, Essex, and at the time of the census Myra's Aunt, Sarah Cave (Sally Mead), was staying with them as a visitor.11 Ten years later Thomas and Myra were still living in the High Street, Billericay, Essex, with their children but Myra's firstborn, John, had now left home.12

Thomas Thompson died in 187913 but Myra and their daughter Sarah and son Thomas, both unmarried, continued to live in the High Street, Billericay, Essex, where in 1881 the census shows that Myra is now bringing up her grandson John, the child of John Charles Mead. Sarah is a dress maker and Thomas a schoolmaster.14

Myra Rachel Mead died in 1887, her death being registered at Islington, London (Middlesex). Perhaps her last days were spent with her son John Charles Mead who worked for the North London Railway and lived in his area.15,16

Child of Myra Rachel Mead and William Nicholas

Children of Myra Rachel Mead and Thomas Thompson

Citations

  1. [S115] Correspondence from D.C. Green, Chepstow, to A.R. Mead A.R. Mead's records, Epsom, Surrey, reference COR7, relating to Robert Mead's family and descendants, 1742-1920. DCG refers to Manor Court Books, Land Tax returns, Quit Rents, the IGI and Robert Mead's will and descendants; source references are generally not identified. [COR7/6]
  2. [S124] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch TM Website (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JMJB-MHV : accessed 09 March 2013), Myra Rachel Mead, 26 Oct 1823. [FSIGI]
  3. [S131] Ancestry.co.uk Website (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 26 Mar 2013), household of Mary Horn (b 1771). Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841, Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1841. Source citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 322; Book: 5; Civil Parish: Great Burstead; County: Essex; Enumeration District: 3; Folio: 21; Page: 13; Line: 1; GSU roll: 241360. [C1841-0019].
    "Road from Laindon to Billericay, In the Chapelry; Mary Horn, F, 70, F.S., Y; Mary Mead, F, 15, F.S., Y".
    Only first names and surnames were recorded in the 1841 census and ages were given in five year groups recorded as the youngest year in the group, so '15' could indicate an age of anything from '15' to '19'. No reference can be found for Myra Mead. Myra was born in Laindon and this household is on the road from Laindon to Billericay. Myra did have an older sister named Mary Ann but she was born around 1819 and would therefore have been 22, recorded as 20 in the census. In fact neither of her sisters Mary Ann and Martha can be found, nor her mother Mary Ann, and it may be that they had died. It seems quite possible that '15' year old Mary is 17 year old Myra. Indeed it is likely that the unusual name of Myra was incorrectly heard when it was given to the enumerator to write down.
  4. [S115] Correspondence from D.C. Green to A.R. Mead, 1989-1993.
    When Myra's son was christened at Whitechapel on 25 February 1849 the father's name was recorded as John Charles but with no surname. When the birth was registered in March the child's father's name was given as William Mead. That could simply have been a convenient name as it was that of Myra's deceased father but the birth certificate also shows Myra as 'formerly Nicholas' which was not true. A family rumour persisted into the 20th century that John Charles Mead's parents were cousins. Myra did have a sort of family relationship to William Nicholas in that his stepmother Mary Clement was descended from Thomas Mead, as was Myra herself. John Charles Mead's children maintained contact with the subsequent legitimate children of William Nicholas although they never explained to their offspring exactly what the relationship was. In fact it would seem that they were cousins. [COR7/36-37]
  5. [S132] Ancestry.co.uk Website (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 16 Mar 2013), household of Myra Rachel Mead (b 1824). Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851, Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851. Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 1774; Folio: 385; Page: 3; GSU roll: 207421. [C1851-0019].
    "Laindon, Village, Laindon Common; Myra Mead, Head, U, F, 27, Mangling, Laindon, Essex; John Mead, Son, M, 2, Middlesex, Wt Chapel; Thomas Thompson, U, M, 46, [Lad2] Chelsea Pensioner, Gt. Burstead, Essex, Blind."
  6. [S115] Correspondence from D.C. Green to A.R. Mead, 1989-1993.
    "Thomas Thompson, Full age, Bachelor, Father Anthony Thompson, Publican; Myra Rachel Mead, Full Age, Spinster, Father William Mead, Farmer". [COR7/27]
  7. [S133] (GRO : accessed 28 March 2013). Ancestry.co.uk Website. FreeBMD Marriage Index 1837-1915, ISBN FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915. [GROINDXM].
    Q1 Mar 1855 Billericay 4a 103.
  8. [S136] Ancestry.co.uk Website (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 03 January 2008), household of Thomas Thompson (b 1804). Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861, Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861. Source Citation: Class: RG 9; Piece: 1076; Folio: 8; Page: 9; GSU roll: 542748. [C1861-0006].
    "Billericay High St; Thomas Thompson, Head, Mar, M, 57, Chelsea Pensioner, Essex, Gt Burstead, Blind [obscured]; Myra Rachel Thompson, Wife, Mar, F, 37, Essex, Gt Burstead; John Mead, Son-in-law, M, 12, Scholar, Essex, Gt Burstead; Sarah Ann Thompson, F, 6, Scholar, Essex, Gt Burstead; Thomas A Thompson, M, 3, Essex, Gt Burstead; William Thompson, Nephew, M, 8, Middlesex, Beth[nal Green?]; Sarah Cave, Visitor, ?, F, 60, Essex, Gt Burstead".
    This and subsequent census returns consistently show Sarah's birth year as 1855, which ties in with her parents marriage at the beginning of that year. However, her birth was not registered until 1858, after the registration of her younger brother Thomas.
  9. [S134] (GRO : accessed 28 March 2013). Ancestry.co.uk Website. FreeBMD Birth Index 1837-1915, ISBN FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915. [GROINDXB].
    Q4 Dec 1857, Thomas Anthony Thompson, Billiericay, 4a 123.
  10. [S134] Ancestry.co.uk Website. FreeBMD Birth Index 1837-1915.
    Q3 Sep 1858, Sarah Ann Thompson, Billericay, 4a 106.
  11. [S136] Ancestry.co.uk Website, household of Thomas Thompson (b 1804) . Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861.
  12. [S137] Ancestry.co.uk Website (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 23 March 2013), household of Thomas Thompson (b 1804). Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861, Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871. Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 1658; Folio: 11; Page: 13; GSU roll: 829951. [C1871-0013].
    "Billericay, High Street; Thomas Thompson, Head, Mar, M, 67, Chelsea pensioner, Essex, Grt Burstead, Blind; Myra R Thompson, Wife, Mar, F, 47, Essex, Grt Burstead; Sarah A Thompson, Daur, F, 16, Essex, Billericay; Thomas A Thompson, Son, M, 13, Scholar, Essex, Billericay."
  13. [S138] (GRO : accessed 1 April 2013). Ancestry.co.uk Website. FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915, ISBN FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915. [GROINDXD].
    Q2 Jun 1876 Thomas Thompson, 75, Billericay 4a 134.
  14. [S139] Ancestry.com Website (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 Mar 2013), household of Myra Rachel Thompson (b 1824). Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881, Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881. Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 1758; Folio: 27; Page: 20; GSU roll: 1341423. [C1881-0015].
    "High St, Billericay; Myra Thompson, Head, F, 57, Annuitant, Essex, Gt Burstead; Sarah Thompson, Daur, Unm, F, 26, Dressmaker, Essex, Billericay; Thomas Thompson, Son, Unm, M, 23, Schoolmaster, Essex, Billericay; John Mead, Grandson, M, 6, Scholar, Scotland".
    The place of birth for John Mead, son of John Charles Mead is incorrect in the census return. He was actually born in Wales.
  15. [S138] Ancestry.co.uk Website. FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915.
    Q2 Jun 1887 Myra Rachel Thompson, 63, Islington 1b 159.
  16. [S115] Correspondence from D.C. Green to A.R. Mead, 1989-1993. [COR7/7]