Elizabeth was born 26 November 1848 at Stapleford Tawney, Essex, to James Belsham, a labourer and Sophia formerly Brewitt.
She was baptised 24 December 1848 at Stapleford Tawney, of Church Houses, Essex, James was a gardener.
In the 1851 census of Church House, Stapleford Tawney, in the home of her parents, Elizabeth was aged 2 and born at Stapleford Tawney.
In the 1861 census of The Plain, Epping, Elizabeth Belsham was aged 12 and born at Tawney, Essex. She (as cousin) was in the household of John J. Lucy, aged 69, a retired fish salesman, born in Newington, Surrey, with his wife, Lucy E. Lucy aged 48 and born at Havant, Hampshire. There were also three unmarried servants, Jane Layel a cook aged 21 born at Dagenham, Susan Wright, a housemaid aged 25 and born at Epping and William Shepperd, a groom and gardener, born at Shalford, Essex.
Perhaps when her father married again in 1855, or when her mother died in 1852, Elizabeth was taken into the family of John George Lucy and Lucy Eliza late Collins formerly Lee. It is certain that she was brought up by the Lucys and it is probable that Elizabeth was married from the Lucy family home in Streatham in 1870. Although kinship between the Lucys and Elizabeth was suggested in the 1861 census, no blood link has yet been found. Lucy Eliza in her will described the relationship with Elizabeth as ‘adopted niece’, and she was certainly treated as one of the family, inheriting the residue of Lucy Eliza’s estate on her death in 1885.
She married Frederick Seymour Banks at St Andrew Holborn, London, 7 May 1870 and died 13 December 1934.
Posted 2 September 2013