Prequel - The Catts of Tenterden - Isaac's story

Isaac Catt was born in Tenterden, Kent in the final quarter of 1841. There are 2 births registered in that district for that quarter of Male Catt, and I assume he is one of those. Perhaps it was a twin birth - the index is almost illegible - and the boys were not expected to live, so not named. His parents are Charles and Margery Catt, and they lived at Mansden Cottage from before 1851 to after 1881. Charles was a gamekeeper, (James and George Catt (his brothers?) are also gamekeepers in Tenterden) presumably for the Morghew Estate, where another Catt - Joseph - was Bailiff.

In 1841 Charles, Margery and daughter Jane, aged 2 (later called Charlotte apparently) are living in Newnhams Cottages, Birdsile, Tenterden, and Charles is described as an Ag. Lab. Isaac was born in the autumn of that year, and appears on the next census in 1851 aged 10, along with siblings Charlotte (12), Mark (8?), James (6), Stephen (3?) and Amos (? mths). Charles is now at Mansden and is gamekeeper.

In 1861 Charlotte, Isaac and Mark are absent but Charles (8) and Albert (6) have been added. Charlotte had married William Oliver in Hastings in 1860. Isaac had moved to Deptford, and was a fireman on the railway - the same line where he must have watched the trains passing near his home. I believe I have found him in 1861 at 76 Railway Grove, Deptford: he is named as Isaac Hirer (?) a lodger aged 19, born in Tenterden and a fireman. Louisa his future wife (age 18) is living at 87 Railway Grove with her mother Susan Robson.

Isaac married Louisa Robson in October 1861 as Isaac Cattley. In 1871 they are living at 17 Clifton Rd., Deptford. Isaac is an Engine driver (Railway), aged 31; Louisa is aged 27(?), Elizabeth (8), William (7), Stephen (3), Albert (9m). They have the surname Catt in the census, though at least two of the children were baptized/registered as Cattley.

Isaac Cattley is the father's name on the baptism registers for St James Hatcham for two of his children: Stephen James Cattley (1868, 15 Clifton Road, Fire man) and Louisa Margaret Cattley (1873, 5 Angus Street, Stoker). I have not yet found further details of Albert (1870), Emma (1874?), or my Great grandmother Elizabeth Alice (1864?) whose birth was not registered either.

Isaac died on 22nd November 1873 from Typhoid fever and pneumonia - his death was registered as Isaac Catt by Louisa (Laura?) Catt. The adddress of 5 Angus Street and Isaac's occupation of Railway Stoker tallies with the details given on the baptism of their daughter Louisa Margaret Cattley on 23 Feb 1873. After his death the family name becomes consistently Cattley. His children's story is continued in Louisa's below. Isaac's father died in 1900 at the age of 85, and his mother in 1907 at the age of 92.

Louisa's Story

Louisa Frances Robson was born on 31 December 1843 in Lewisham Village. Her father John Robson was a coachman and her mother was Susannah Rosina Robson formerly Divall. Louisa married Isaac Cattley on 20 October 1861 at the parish church of St. Paul, Deptford, when she was 17. She was illiterate and probably pregnant. Isaac's father Charles Cattley was a gamekeeper, and Isaac - also a minor - is described as a farmer. Louisa's mother Susan Robson witnessed the marriage, with her new husband of a week, William Cater - both widowed, they had been married in the same church on October 13 1861. Susan(nah)'s father is given as John Divall, licensed victualler, and the witnesses are Isaac Cattley and Louisa Robson.

Between them Louisa and Isaac produced at least six children: Louise Cattley was born in 1861 in Camberwell; Elizabeth Alice Cattley was born in New Cross - as were the subsequent children - in 1864; Steven James Cattley in 1867; Albert Cattley in 1871; Louisa Cattley in 1873; Emma Cattley in 1875. These at least are the ones still living with their mother in 1881 at 22 Gervase St, Old Kent Road.

By 1881 Louisa now aged 36 had been widowed - probably around 1875 - and her eldest daughter Louise was married to Frederick Burke, and had a son of 6 months called William. Frederick Burke is the head of the household, enjoying the company of his mother-in-law and his wife's younger siblings.

Louisa and Elizabeth both have the occupation of furrier, while Steven was a box maker; the remaining children are scholars. Frederick Burke is a carman.

In 1891 Louisa is living at 248 Commercial Road, Peckham. She has not remarried and her occupation is machinist. With her are William Cattley, her son, aged 23 and a carman, Albert Cattley her son aged 20 and a printer's assistant; Louisa Cattley, 18 a machinist; and Emma Cattley 16 also a machinist.

Her daughter Elizabeth Alice is now married and living at 268 Commercial Road, Peckham with a family of her own. She was married to Mihaly Molnar on May 28th 1888 at the parish church in Camberwell. Mihaly was a Hungarian-born furrier (his father was also Mihaly Molnar, also a furrier) aged 37 in 1891. The marriage was witnessed by Louisa Cattley - Elizabeth's mother and Henry Rossner a Hungarian-born, naturalized wholesale furrier, possibly Mihaly's - and the Cattley machinists' - employer. Elizabeth and Mihaly's children are Nellie Erehn (Yren) Molnar, 2, born 70, Falmouth Road, Newington (Southwark), 20 March 1889, and Emma Molnar, 6 months, born in Camberwell.

By 1901 things had changed again. Louisa Cattley is still living at 248 Commercial Road, Peckham, and with her is her youngest daughter Emma now aged 25 and a furrier. Also at this address are Nelly Melnor, her grandaughter aged 12, Grace (Emma in 1891?) Melnor, her granddaughter aged 11, and Louis Melnor, her grandson aged 1. Elizabeth had died on 14 June 1900 shortly after giving birth to Louis, and the informant on the death certificate is Louisa Cattley, her mother. Mihaly was obviously not around - nor does he appear to be included in the 1901 census - though his death occurred on 31 October 1913 in Camberwell Infirmary at the age of 61 - Nellie Molnar, his daughter the informant.

The spelling Melnor is not an error of the 1901 census transcribers - that is how it is written: it was either a mis-hearing at the time, or else Louisa was still illiterate. Or was she angry with this foreigner who had disappeared and left her with all these small children - one a baby - and deliberately got the name wrong! Her age is certainly entered in the wrong (male) column on the return sheet, and as her surname has been transcribed as Cattle she was virtually impossible to find.

Louisa died on the 7th November 1918 at 6 Hornshay Place, Deptford. Her age is given as 71, but she was in reality, 74. Her daughter, Louisa Parkin of 11 Blockhouse St. was the informant, (her youngest daughter had married George Colvin Parkin in 1891). She is described as the widow of Isaac Cattley, Railway engine driver. Isaac is described as a Railway stoker in 1867 (Stephen James' birth certificate) and Engine driver in 1891 (Stephen James' marriage certificate).

Louis Alexander Molnar died in 1968 in Peckham.

Nellie Erehn Molnar

Nellie Erehn Molnar married Charles Frank Murray on 4 January 1914 at St. Laurence Catford. She died on 29 April 1931 in St Thomas' Hospital in childbirth. She was 42. Her husband is given the occupation Butcher's Machine Man - my mother said he was a sausage maker. Their address was 87 Fitzalan Street, SE 11 which is the house where my mother, Nellie Murray was born on 24 May 1916 and grew up. The house and all its contents ("even the piano vanished completely") was destroyed by a direct hit in World War II. The Murrays were mostly elsewhere - evacuated, serving in the armed forces, the Land Army, or as in the case of my mother and her sister Grace, in the London Fire Brigade. Charles Frank Murray, my grandfather was dug out of the Anderson shelter unharmed.

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