Ellen Haffenden (buried 1925)

At a glance

At a glance
Surname: 
Haffenden
First name: 
Ellen
Other Christian names: 
Gift
Gender: 
Female
Children: 
Yes
Burial number: 
1213
Born: 
0/0/1866
Died: 
30/11/1925
Buried: 
05/12/1925
Heene Hallmark: 
No
Commonwealth War Grave: 
No

The Grave

The grave
Cemetery area: 
NWS
Cemetery row: 
5
Cemetery plot: 
14
Burial remains: 
Unknown
The headstone
Headstone inscription: 
In loving memory of our dear mother Ellen Gift Haffenden passed away Nov 30th 1925 aged 59 also of our dear father James Haffenden passed away Jan 6th 1930 aged 68

Life story

Life story

Ellen Gift was born in Chiddingly, daughter of Robert and Sarah Russell (nee Thorpe), both from Chiddingly families.  Robert and Sarah married in 1846 in Hailsham, and were living in Whitesmith, Chiddingly  in 1861 with their first 5 children.

In 1871 Ellen was the 6th of their 8 (soon to be 9), children. Robert was an Agricultural Labourer and Farmer of 7 acres, and the family lived at the Bird in Hand, Whitesmith in Chiddingly.

10 years later, the family was still there, Ellen and 2 brothers with them, and Grandson Walter Thomas, aged 1.

Ellen married James Haffenden on 24th April 1886 in Chiddingly.

James was born in Hailsham, Sussex in 1861, son of Benjamin and Ann Elizabeth, (nee Croft).

In 1881, aged 20, James was a Stoker aboard HMS Euryalus, and was awarded medals for the Egyptian and Sudan campaigns, in 1882 and 1884.

In the 1891 census, James and Ellen were living in Tarring Street. He was a Blacksmith, and they had three sons, James, Ernest and Charles. Daughter Bertha was born later that year.

In 1901 the family was living in St Dunstan's Road. James did Shoeing, and was a General Smith and Plumber, working from home.

By 1911, they were living in Heathfield House, Tarring Road, with sons Ernest and Charles. James was then a General Smith and Plumber, working from home.

All four of James and Ellen's children then lived in Worthing.

In 1921, James and Ellen were living alone  together in Heathfield House, Tarring.

He was described as a Blacksmith and Plumber. She had Household Duties'.

Ellen died in 1925.

In 1927, in the Worthing Gazette, this appeared:

HAFFENDEN In never fading memory of our dear mother, Ellen Gift, passed away November 30th, 1925.

Gone from us but not forgotten,

Never shall her memory fade;

May our thoughts for ever linger

Around the grave where she is laid.

Jim, Ern, Charlie and Bertha.

(It may be no coincidence that James remarried in 1927....)

Haffenden is an old Sussex name, apparently of Norse/Viking origin. Denn, in Norse, means farm and hof was a church or temple so the original Haffendens lived in a farm near a Church!

(It does look as if Ellen's family had doubts about her age...she would have been nearer 60 than 50 in 1925)

Burial researcher: 
Liz Lane

Further information

Birth
Date born: 
19/05/1871
Marriage
Maiden name: 
Russell
Marriage 1
Spouse one first names: 
James
Spouse one last name: 
Haffenden
Marriage one date: 
24/04/1887
Marriage one address: 
Chidingly, Sussex, England

Death

Death (details)
Date of death: 
30/11/1925
Age (at time of death): 
59
Cause of death: 
Unknown
Address at time of death: 
Worthing, Sussex, England

Census and miscellaneous information

Census information
1871 census: 

Living at Highlands Farm, Chiddingly - Robert Russell, 51yrs, Farmer of 7 acres and Agricultural Labourer; Sarah, 40yrs; Mary J, 19yrs; Harriett A, 17yrs, Domestic Servant unemployed; Sarah E, 15yrs, Domestic Servant unemployed; Ruth, 11yrs; Albert E, 7yrs: Ellen G, 4yrs; Gertrude Isabella Hannah, 1yr; Miller, 5mths;

1881 census: 

Living at Bird in Hand, Chiddingly - Robert Russell, 61yrs, Agricultural Labourer; Sarah, 49yrs; Albert Edward, 16yrs, Agricultural Labourer; Ellen Gift, 14yrs; Gertrude I H, 11yrs; Walter Thomas, 1yr, Grandson;

1891 census: 

Living in Tarring Street, Tarring - James Haffenden, 30yrs, Blacksmith; Ellen, 24yrs; James, 4yrs; Ernest, 2yrs; Charles, 1yr;

1901 census: 

Living at Melbourne House, St Dunstan;s Road, Tarring - James Haffenden, 40yrs, Shoeing and General Smith, plumber and employer; Ellen G, 35yrs; James H, 14yrs, Plumbers Labourer; Ernest, 12yrs; Charles 11yrs; Bertha, 9yrs;

1911 census: 

Living at Heathfield House, Tarring Road, Worthing - James Haffenden, 50yrs, General Smith and Plumber; Ellen Gift, 45yrs; Ernest, 22yrs, Bakers Assistant; Charles, 21yrs, Plumber;

1921 census: 

Living at Heathfield House,Tarring Road, Worthing, Sussex.

James Haffenden Head Male 1861 60 Heathfield, Sussex Blacksmith And Plumber -
Ellen Gift Haffenden Wife Female 1865 56 Sussex, England Household Duties