From the Secretary
It is always a pleasure being at the Mill during Open Days as you never know who you will be welcoming to the Mill.
Last weekend was no exception when a gentleman and his wife introduced themselves to me. He told me the story of his grandmother who had a very interesting connection with the Abraham’s family. His letter and story are below.
Can I remind those who have not yet paid their membership subscription that they are due. A renewal form is included.
The Hon.Secretary,
Friends of Upminster Windmill,
Friends of Upminster Windmill,
Dear Mr. Winn.
On Saturday, last, 1st August 2009, my wife and I visited Upminster Windmill. This was a pilgrimage that I should have undertaken, long before now! Long before my recent 80th. birthday!
I say, "pilgrimage", because of the close connection between our surviving family, and that of the Abraham family, who owned and operated the mill in the 1890s. This relationship involved my paternal grandmother, when she was a slightly crippled teenaged orphan, and the kind and loving Abrahams family who took her into their care, rather than she should face the alternative, i.e.: the Workhouse!
I have taken the liberty of enclosing a synopsis of this event, plus a photo of the Boys' Training Ship, "Cornwall", at Purfleet, which is part of the story.
Are there any surviving members of the Abraham family, who might be interested to read my humble account?
We very much enjoyed our visit, and were greatly impressed by the knowledge and courtesy of our guides and of the other volunteers.
We send our best wishes, and would like to express our gratitude to all the volunteers, whose efforts are preserving this monument to the past,
Yours sincerely,
Denis A.T. Sherringham
The Sherringhams' Family Connection
to the Windmill at Upminster
to the Windmill at Upminster
and with the Abraham Family in the 1890s.
Florence Maud Grover, my grandmother, was an inhabitant of Upminster. She was born on 3rd. January 1875. Her father, a bricklayer (according to a newspaper cutting – which I am trying to retrace) was also a well known local cricketer. Unfortunately, he died whilst my grandmother was a young teenager. I do not know if there were any siblings, and I shall try to investigate further, through the Internet. If any other of the "Friends", possibly locals of Upminster, are more IT qualified than myself, (I am 80 years old!) perhaps they might find evidence of the Grover family, quicker than I can! Any help would be most welcome.
Upon the death of her father. I understand that Florence Maud, who was slightly crippled through rickets, faced going into the workhouse. Fortunately, a friendly gesture was made by the Abrahams family. My Gran. (as I always knew her) was taken on as a maid. I sense a resemblance to Tattycoram, in Dickens' "Little Dorrit". I say this because of what happened, that caused her to leave the mill, at the age of 19 years, to marry a man, three times her age –57 years old!
How it came about, none of the surviving members of our family can recall. Gran did tell us that the Abrahams family were shocked by this turn of events. They tried, desperately, to persuade Gran to give him up, and offered to provide her with a wedding, as if she were their daughter, if she would marry a man, nearer her own age, and of whom they approved. It was not to be!
They were married on Boxing Day 1894, eight days before her 20th. birthday. On the marriage certificate, grandfather gave his age as 45 years! He was, in fact (I have a copy of his birth certificate) born on 13th. November, 1837, shortly after Queen Victoria came to the throne. Birth certificates were introduced only from 1st July, 1837!
Another fib on the marriage certificate was that his father was given as, "a doctor"! On grandfather's birth certificate, his father was shown as, "A Common Soldier – at Aldershot Barracks"!
In fact, grandfather had also served for most of his life in the army, as a bandsman. When he met Gran. he was Bandmaster of the Boys' Training Ship, "Cornwall", based at Purfleet.
His previous wife had died. He had three or four grown-up children, older than Gran, at his family home. The children did not wish to know their new, younger, "step-mother"!
Gran and grandfather had five children. One, a twin died at childbirth. Gran's only, very much loved, daughter, Winifred, died in her arms, of diphtheria, at age of five years.
My father was the youngest, born in 1905. My grandfather died in December 1928, aged 91. This was eight months before I was born in July, 1929, at Southend-on-Sea. Grandfather is buried in Ashingdon churchyard. Gran died in 1955, shortly after the birth of our second and last child, a second daughter. Gran is buried in Sutton Cemetery.
I wrote that her relationship with the Abrahams family, reminded me of Tattycoram, in “Little Dorrit". This is because, in both cases, although taken in by a generous and kind family, she could not help but feel subservient. Grandfather's offer of marriage, offered her an independent way of life. Tattycoram also ran away, but she, later, regretted it, and went back.
Notes:
By the mid 1920s, at about the time that my mother met my father (I was an only-child), Gran had become deeply religious. She was a devout member of the non-conformist Elim Church, in Ashingdon, Rochford, Essex, where they were living, at the time. She was very abstemious, much to the chagrin of poor grandfather, who, by then, was confined to a rocking chair. in their parlour! Having been in the army, he was, apparently, fond of his pipe and a pint! Gran would not supply him! My mother used to slip him a packet of his favourite baccy, when Gran was not looking!
Grandfather was William Sherringham. He had descended from the Sherringhams in Norfolk. Obviously, the name comes from the town of Sheringham (one R). We have visited the parish of Foulsham, Norfolk, where many Sherringhams and Sheringhams are buried. The reason for the variance in spelling, as explained to me by the Vicar of that parish, at that time, Rev. Michael Pickeringham, is :- when a child was taken for christening, the church warden would ask the family name. The parents, being illiterate country folk, would reply, "Sherringham", or whatever. How the warden spelled that name in the register, made it permanent.
Denis Alfred Thomas Sherringham.
August 2009
