Mary Compton (buried 1893)

At a glance

At a glance
Surname: 
Compton
First name: 
Mary
Other Christian names: 
Gender: 
Female
Children: 
Yes
Burial number: 
215
Born: 
0/9/1867
Died: 
23/08/1893
Buried: 
28/08/1893
Occupation: 
Wife of Edwin Jesse Compton, Baker, Journeyman resident at 2 Brunswick Road Heene
Distinction: 
Typhoid Victim
Heene Hallmark: 
No
Commonwealth War Grave: 
No

The Grave

The grave
Cemetery area: 
NWS
Cemetery row: 
9
Cemetery plot: 
8
Burial remains: 
Unknown
The headstone
Endowed grave: 
No
Headstone description: 
Mary Compton is buried under the headstone for Alice and David Frame
Headstone inscription: 
In memory of Alice wife of David Frame M.A. M.D. died 30th January 1935 and of her husband David Frame M.A. M.D. died 2nd March 1947

Life story

Life story

Mary's maiden name was Attewell and she was the daughter of Frederick, a farm labourer, and Eliza, his wife, nee Dance. She was baptised at Enbourn, Berkshire, on 1 September 1867. In July 1887 she married Edwin Jesse Compton in Brighton. Her father-in-law was Edwin Compton, an artist born in Worthing in 1848, whose mother's maiden name was Dyer, which is important to this account. He gave art lessons at 6, Chapel Road, Worthing. and there are three of his paintings in Worthing Art Gallery and Museum. Edwin Jesse was witness to an attempted murder in Buckingham Road, Worthing, on 13 July 1892. The screams of children were heard in the backyard of a neighbouring house where Robert Dyer, his wife, Ellen Elizabeth, and their five children lived. Ellen was discovered standing beside a water tub holding her youngest child, William Robert, aged 2 years, face down in the water. Emily Richards, of 3, Buckingham Road, next door, struggled to pull Ellen away from the tub and called for help. Another neighbour, Mrs Compton, helped by a young man, Edwin (Jesse) Compton, (aged 24 at the time) managed to take the drenched but conscious child from Ellen and took him to her own home. This was not MARY Compton but reported in the Worthing Gazette to be REBECCA Compton, Robert Dyer's sister. She was the wife of Albert Compton, of 5, Buckingham Road, a brother of Edwin Compton, the artist. William soon recovered and it was discovered that his mother had been detained in the Haywards Heath Asylum between 19 January 1884 and 30 August 1884 and was generally known to be convinced that her children would be taken away. She was arrested and at Lewes was found guilty but "not responsible for her actions" and she was ordered to be "detained during Her Majesty's pleasure." Where she was detained was Broadmoor. She was discharged on 17 May 1897. Surprisingly, in the 1901 Census she was back with her husband, Robert, and children, including William, now aged 11. Meanwhile, Mary Compton had died during the Typhoid epidemic on 23rd August 1893 and on 27 October 1894 Edwin Jesse Compton married his cousin, Rebecca Compton, the daughter of Albert and Rebecca Compton. Mary was buried at Heene on 25 August 1893. Her husband was given a small amount of money from the Sick Poor Fund to help with funeral expenses. He wrote to the local paper to complain that it wasn't enough to cover the funeral and child care costs.

Burial researcher: 
Angela Levy

Further information

Birth
Date born: 
00/09/1867
Marriage
Maiden name: 
Attewell
Marriage 1
Spouse one first names: 
Edwin Jesse
Spouse one last name: 
Compton
Marriage one date: 
00/07/1887
Marriage one address: 
Brighton, Sussex, England

Death

Death (details)
Date of death: 
23/08/1893
Age (at time of death): 
27
Cause of death: 
Enteric Fever 17 days, Exhaustion
Address at time of death: 
The Training Home (temporary hospital), High Street, Worthing, Sussex, England

Census and miscellaneous information

Census information
1871 census: 

Living at Beecham Lane, Speenhamland, Berkshire - Frederick Attewell, 30, head, farm labourer; Eliza Attewell, 31, wife; William T Attewell, 10, son,scholar; Alice, 8, daughter, scholar; Emma, 6, daughter, scholar; Mary Attewell, 4, daughter; Harry C , 1, son

1881 census: 

Living at Peach Street, Wokingham - Frederick Attewell, head, 40, general labourer; Eliza, 31, wife; Joseph, 22, son, brewer; Mary Attewell, 16, daughter, domestic servant; Daniel, 9, son, scholar; Arthur, 5, son, scholar; Frederick R Dance, 24, son-in-law, general labourer

Miscellaneous information

Old Cottages in Heene painting by Edwin Compton
Old Cottages in Heene painting by Edwin Compton

Edwin Compton

painted this oil on canvas in 1891. it is 47.0 x 60.8 and is housed in Worthing Museum and Art Gallery.