John Guard Finch (George Finch Leicester) was born in Barnstaple, Devon, 20th October 1844. His parents were William Harman Finch (bapt 29 March 1818 Pilton - 27 December 1871 Newport, Monmouthshire Tiverton) and Fanny Seward (b 1817/18 in Tiverton to Richard Seward). George was the oldest of his siblings (b.1844): Ann Eliza (b. 1846/7), Emily Jane (b. 1855/6), Edith Ellen (b.1854/5), Elizabeth Alice (b.1859/60), Fanny Seward (b.1861/2), Judith Florence (b. 1862/3), Tom Clifford (b. 1868/9). His father is listed as a timber merchat of Barnstaple, Devon in 1843 and an accountant in Newport, Monmouthshire in 1871.
Fanny Dorothea Southbeer was born 21st December 1845, in Lambeth in London or Southwark, Surrey. Her birth seems to have been registered in early 1846 at St George, Southwark using the name Fanny Dorothy Southbeer. The 1881 British Census lists her birth place as Lambeth, Surrey. Her parents were John and Eliza Southbeer and Fanny was their fifth child.
Her siblings were Eliza, John, Margaret, Clara, and Walter.
(Above census information researched and shared by Anthony Barrier of Alkham, Kent, England.)
Fanny and George were both in the entertainment industry. John Finch was a comedian and an actor, and
used a professional stage name of George Finch Leicester and seems to have mostly called
himself George. Fanny was an actress.
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Fanny Leicester |
Fanny and George married 1st November 1865 in Oldham, Lancashire.
At the time of the 1881 British Census, Fanny and George lived with Fanny's parents (JB Johnstone age 78 and Eliza age 66) and their children at 36 Lambeth Road, St George, Southwark, Surrey. It lists Fanny (age 29) and George F. Leicester (34) as having three children at that time: William (age 13) and two younger sisters called Hellen (age 11) and Eliza (age 6). It says that William was born in Lambeth but Hellen was born in Lancashire and Eliza in Yorkshire.
By the time of the 1901 British Census, Fanny and George lived at 26 Reedsworth Street, Lambeth, London. George was fifty-five and Fanny was fifty-three. Fanny is listed as being an actress.
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This is from the 1911 census showing George F Leicester and Fanny Leicester.
It lists 40 as the number of years married, and 5 children born and 4 children still alive.
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At the time of the 1911 census, Fanny and George were staying as visitors at the home of Harry Wrigley of 100 King Street, Southport. They are listed as George F Leicester and Fanny Leicester. Fanny's age is incorrect - she was 65 rather than 62 - apparently lying about age on the census was very common. Their occupations are listed as Actor and Actress - Music Hall Artiste. It reveals that they had four children as well as one child who died.
George died in 1916, aged seventy-two, before any of his Aldous great grandchildren had been born.
Fanny lived a very long life and knew all seven of her Aldous great grandchildren. Since her husband was born in Devon, it is interesting that she moved to Devon. Fanny lived on Old Mill Road, Torquay, Devon, when she wrote a birthday note to her great grand-daughter Freda Aldous, who turned twenty-one in 1940.
Fanny died in 1943 in Torquay, Devon.
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Letter to Freda from Fanny on the occasion of her 21st birthday |
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