All information kindly supplied by Jean Buswell
A listing of historical public housess, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in London.
This is the story about the family of Chater, Lea and Plumb - plus their
association with several London pubs (and an early cycle/motorcycle/car
manufacturing business).
Annie Elizabeth Plumb was born Annie Elizabeth Chater at Rothwell Lodge,
Kettering, Northamptonshire, and was the niece by marriage of my
Great-Great-Great Aunt Ann Chater.
Annie Elizabeth Chater married farmer William Lea, and they lived at
Cransley, in Northants. In the 1861 census there was also a son, William
Chater Lea (more on him later).
Farm Lodge, Cransley, Northamptonshire:
1861/William Lea/Farmer 86 Acres, 2 Labourers/26/Broughton,
Northamptonshire/Census
1861/Anne Elizabeth Lea/Wife/25/Rothwell, Northamptonshire/Census
1861/William Chater Lea/Son/1/Cransley, Northamptonshire/Census
Their other children included Annie Rebecca Dolby Lea (misspelled on the
1871 census at the Red Deer as
Annie R D Lee); She wasn’t born until 1862. William Lea died in 1867.
His widow Annie Elizabeth married George Thomas Plumb from Corby in 1870.
They married in Bethnal Green, so they had both moved to London at that
stage, but Annie’s son William Chater Lea had been left behind in
Northamptonshire, boarding with a schoolmaster at Corby.
The following year, 1871, saw George, Annie and most of her children at the
Red Deer, 393 Cambridge Road,
Hackney/Bethnal Green.
In 1875 and 1876 you George T Plumb is at the
Angel, 61 High Street, St Giles in
Fields, Bloomsbury.
By the 1881 census. the family is now at the
King of Prussia, 21 Bevenden
Street. Annie R D Lea is again listed (this time her surname is correct).
Incidentally, although she is described as George’s daughter-in-law, she is
actually his step daughter. George Thomas Plumb is still listed here in
1882.
In 1884 the Post Office Directory lists ‘Wm Chater’ at
the King of Prussia. The name
could be just a coincidence, of course. Annie had several relations called
William Chater but they were farmers and mostly the wrong age. There was her
son William Chater Lea, and I wonder if it could have been him.
George T Plumb is next listed as the licensee in 1884 at the
Baxendale Arms, 164
Columbia Road, Hackney Road, Bethnal Green. In 1885 the name is Mrs Ann
Rebecca Dolby Lee. This is surely George’s stepdaughter Annie Rebecca Dolby
Lea (Miss, not Mrs).
The next people to run the
Baxendale Arms are shown as Lea & Co in 1886. I feel sure this is a
company set up by the family, though I’ve no proof.
In 1887 Annie R D Lea married John Flavell White in Hackney district. He was
a carpenter at the time of the 1891 census; whilst George Thomas Plumb and
his wife Annie retired from pub-keeping, and were shown in 1891 as living on
their own means at Greenwich.
They returned to Northamptonshire and George worked as a Carman, which
appears to mean someone who drives a horse-drawn delivery vehicle.
Meanwhile Annie’s brother William Chater Lea set up in business to make
bicycles. This led to motorcycle manufacturing, and eventually to car
production. He has a mention in the
Wikipedia
- you will see he has hyphenated his name for the purposes of branding his
vehicles, probably to make it more memorable than just Lea. If you google
his name you will find other hits where some of his old bikes and cars are
still owned by enthusiasts. William’s sons John Chater Lea and Bernard
William Lea followed their father into the business and took over the
running after his death.
Cransley Lodge, Dyke Road Avenue, Patcham, Sussex :
1911/William Chater Lea/Motor Engineer/51/Cransley, Northamptonshire/Census
1911/Pamela Lea/Wife/43/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1911/Pamela Edith Lea/Daughter/20/Hackney, London/Census
1911/Lilian May Lea/Daughter/19/Hackney, London/Census
1911/John Chater Lea/Son, Engineers Son, Assisting in Business/17/Hackney,
London/Census
1911/Bernard William Lea/Son/5/Brighton, Sussex/Census
1911/Edward Bradford Ware/Visitor/26/Camberwell, London/Census
1911/Charlotte Bulmer/Visitor/15/Leytonstone, London/Census
1911/Ellen Rowland/Servant/28/Horsham, Sussex/Census
1911/Nellie Jane Smith/Servant/24/Wick, Sussex/Census
1911/Olive May Adcock/Servant/19/Havant, Hants/Census
William’s brother in law John Flavell White who was a carpenter in 1891
became in 1901 a cycle engineer. In 1911, following the death of his wife
Annie R D Lea and his remarriage, he must have still been working for the
Chater Lea firm as he is shown as a Steel Carboniser – Motor Manufacturer.
** Provided by Jean Buswell