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'George's Story'.

George's Story 1800 to 1871

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Introduction
This story is the 250 years history of an ordinary family. John Harris and Dave Wilson both share a common great grandfather George Musgrove. This is a serious attempt to fully research our common families. Already we have compiled a comprehensive collection of family documents including over 750 Birth, Marriage, Death Certificates, and cemetery records. We also have many photographs of family members, census records showing where they lived. Also there are local maps, directory listings and many photos of family houses. There are over 200 pages.
Our story starts at the end of the eighteenth century and continues to this day. The story is by no means finished as research brings to light new information which is added to this story on a regular basis.
Scottish Roots

George John Aitchison Musgrove's family roots begin with the Aitchison family from Scotland. George and Margaret Aitchison moved from Kelso and were married in London on the 30th June 1817 at the Christ Church Greyfriars. George Aitchison established a cabinet making business in the St Pancras area of London. During the next fifty years (he lived untill 82). He and his family lived in a substantial property in Princes Street now Whitfield Street and George was very influential on the family during this long period.

Over the next twelve years George and Margaret had six children, Christiana (born 1818) John (born 1821) Margaret (born 1822) George (born 1824) Ann (born 1827) and Jessie (born 1830). Most of the family are listed on the 1841 census at 5 Hertford Street St Pancras. Its interesting to note that this address became 5 Princes Street about 1850 when the road was renamed. Princes Street was renamed again around 1868 and became Whitfield Street its current name. The daughter missing on the above census is Christiana Aitchison who at the time was employed in domestic service in nearby Gordon Square. Her employer was the Lord of the Manor of Shillington in Bedfordshire, and this was his London house. His name was George Musgrave Esq and this family may later feature in this story.

Christiana Aitchison (eldest daughter of George and Margaret) had married on the first of February 1843 Thomas Musgrove (an artist colourman) in Chelsea. This is the first instance of the Musgrove name being linked to the family. Thomas Musgrove was the son of a gentleman of means also named Thomas Musgrove. He was then living in Sidney Terrace Marlborough Road Chelsea (now named Draycott Avenue). Christiana was living nearby in Sloane Street and pregnant with Thomas's child. Their daughter Christiana was born the fifth of April 1843. The couple then moved back to the Aitchison family home and she was baptised in St Pancras on the fifth November 1843.
............ . George Musgrove's Early Years

Our research has shown George John Aitchison Musgrove was born in 1845. He was then named George Aitchison. The identity of his parents is uncertain. However we are certain that his mother was one of the three unmarried daughters of George and Margaret Aitchison namely Margaret, Ann, and Jessie. Margaret is unlikely as she was in domestic service in the Clerkenwel area. No trace of Ann Aitchison can be found on any Census's, so we can assume she may have died in childhood. The most probable mother is Jessie Aitchison who would have been 15 at the time of George's birth. This would explain why 'our George' would be very close to Jessie in later years even after she married Henry Cole. The 1851 census shows him as George Aitchison's grandson.

By 1849 Thomas and Christiana Musgrove's second daughter Elizabeth was born in The Queen Charlotte Laying-in Hospital in Euston Road. She was baptised in 1850 at St Pancras but sadly died within seven months, and was buried at the Old St Pancras Church Cemetery. The family had moved to nearby Tonbridge Street but after Elizabeth's death we cannot trace any further details of Thomas Musgrove. Christiana and her daughter Christiana moved back to her parent's (George and Margarett Aitchison) home in Princes Street St Pancras.

On 1851 census for Princes Street which was taken on the night of Sunday 30th of March, we find 'our George' with his grandparents George and Margaret Aitchison and his aunt Christiana Musgrove and her daughter Christiana but no sign of her husband Thomas Musgrove. Unfortunately Christiana Musgrove died of consumption (TB) aged 35 in June 1851 'Our George' continued to live with his grandparents.

We assume the family had 'our George' baptised at the age of six in the Old St Pancras Church in September 1851. This is the first mention of George's surname being Musgrove. The Baptism Certificate shows an intriging discrepancy. Up to this date 'our George' was known as George Aitchison. The Baptism Certificate states his surname as Musgrove, with his first names as George Aitchison. The Parents are shown as John and Elizabeth Musgrove of Princes Street St Pancras and John is shown as a broker deceased. Note the date shown is stated as being before December 24th 1845 which implies nobody at this time new precisely when he was born. Exactly why 'our George' was baptised at this date and why his name was changed from Aitchison to Musgrove remains a mystery. Remember at this time John Musgrove was Dead and we can find no trace of an Elizabeth Musgrove being connected to the family. We are satisfied that these details relate to 'our George' as the name, address Princes Street (at this time it was a very short street) and age all exactly match. We leave 'our George' aged six living for the next few years with his grandparents George and Margaret Aitchison and his eight year old cousin Christiana Musgrove.

George Aitchison's sons John and George by 1851 had established thier own separate businesses. They had originally worked together as pianoforte makers, but John Aitchison had now married Ellen Isaacs and had set up an Undertakers in nearby Henry Street St Pancras. His son George carried on the pianoforte business and married Ellen Denny . They had three children, Ann, George and Ellen Chrstiana. Their son George unfortunately died within three days of birth. George himself died suddenly aged 31 in 1856 after contracting Typhoid.

Another family who would be very influencial in our George's early years were the Cole family who by 1841 were living in Loxton Place off Munster Square St Pancras.

In 1856 another of Geoge Aitchison's children, Jessie married Henry Cole at the parish church at St Pancras they then also lived in 5 Princes Street with our George and his grandparents. 26 days earlier Jessie's mother Margaret Aitchison had died of Bronchitis at 64. Georges uncle Henry Cole played an important part in Georges early life.

The various addresses of both the Aitchison and Cole families are shown on this St Pancras map of the period.

We now move on to the 1861 census. This shows our George livng at 36a Charlotte Street Marylebone with his uncle Henry Cole and aunt Jessie. They appeared to have lived here for only a short while. George Musgrove is now 18 years old and works as a railway porter. Note his uncle Henry is a railway clerk. Henry and Jessie's first child, Harry John George Cole was born on Friday 18th of September 1863 at 36a Charlotte Street. He was not Baptised until the first of January 1865 (15 months after his birth) the family were now living at 7 Southampton Street Fitzroy Square. In nearby Princes Street George Aitchison was the head of the family on the 1861 census also living there was his grandaughter Cristiana Musgrove who was now 18
.......... ........ George and Christiana Marry

An important event that was to effect George Musgrove's future was the death of his grandfather George Aitchison who died in 1864 aged 81 at Princes Street. After his death his daughter Margaret remained at Princes Street and was joined by the Cole family and George Musgrove ( who had been living with the Cole family from at least 1861) also in the household was the young Christiana. Once again he was sharing a house with his cousin now aged 21. Early in 1867 Christiana (Chrissie) was conceived and she was born on the eleventh October. To cover the embarrassment of Chrissie being illigitament the parents names on the birth certificates were slightly disguised. George used his previous surname of Aitchison and Christiana showed her name as Aitchison formerly Musgrove implying that she was married to George.They were to marry in two years time in June 1869. the marriage was witnessed by George's uncle Henry Cole. Christiana's father is given as Thomas Musgrove colourman. George's father as just "Dead". George is still a porter. Note the cross described as his mark where his signature would have normally been he was obviously illiterate.

When George Aitchison died in 1864 the family comprised of his daughter Margaret Aitchison, Henry and jessie Cole their son Harry, Christiana and George Musgrove. They stayed untill around October 1868 but remained living in the area. If we assume the house was sold at this time it could account for the family receiving money from his estate, this assumption probably is not true as a result of definite information later in the story

1871 was very important year for George Musgrove. We first find him on the census taken on Sunday on the second of April 1871 living with his wife Christiana and their three year old daughter Christiana at 116 Upper Kennington Lane Lambeth. The property is shown in an October 1870 rate book as being occupied by an Augustus Hawkins. George is next mentioned on the rate book dated the eigth of April 1871 but it appears from the note in the margin that he has 'gone'. At the same time George's uncle Henry Cole and family had also moved into the Kennington Lane area and was living at number twelve Shepherds Place off Upper Kennington Lane with a family named Conolly. The rate book for Oct 1870 shows the Harris family having just moved in to number 17 Shepherds Place and would have been close neighbours of the Cole family. From this time the fortunes of the Musgrove and Harris family closely entwined.

The Harris family comprised of James Banfield Moore Harris born 18th Dec 1820 in Bath Somerset he was christened 14th Jan 1821 St George the Martyr Southwark he married Sophia Elizabeth Woodcock in 1846 (born /baptised 1827 Lambeth). They had nine children: James born 1837, Betsy Sophia born 1850, Emily Sophia born 1852 (married Goerge Musgrove in 1871), Lambert William born 1853, Sophia born 1856, Charles born 1858, George born 1860, William born 1863 and Ada born 1866. We have marked all their known addresses on this really nice 1831 map.The 1871 census in April shows the Harris's living at 17 Shepherds Place. Henry Cole and his family are shown at number 12 but shortly to move to number 14. One of the Harris children is missing on this census, this is Lambert William Harris who at the age of nineteen was working as an assisstant licensed victuller at The Globe Public House High Holborn possibly he was living in. Lambert William Harris was later to marry Alice Bristow in 1879 and live with George Musgrove and Emily (Lambert's sister) in Benwell Road in the early 1880''s.

Back in 1871 George and his first wife Christiana would probably have been regular visitors to the Cole family in Shepherds Place. The Cole family would have introduced the Harris's to the Musgroves as the wives had a common interest in dress making. George during this period would have got to know the Harris family, in particular the young 18 year old Emily.