Another intriguing revelation on the 1911 census for Cleveland House

You will remember from a previous post that Maude Alice Ritchie was living at Cleveland House in St James Square in 1911. The census lists her as being a cook in domestic service along with 2 other female servants. David, her son, is not with her because he is living with his aunt and uncle, Emily and William Smith. And there is something else of interest as well.

Unlike previous censuses, the 1911 census included questions about the duration of a person's current marriage, the number of children born within that marriage, the number of children living and the number of children who had died. Thus, it reveals things we did not know before. Maude states that she has been married 10 years, which is about right as her marriage to David Scott Ritchie Sr took place in February 1902, 9 years and 2 months earlier. What we didn't expect to find, though, was that she had 2 children within that marriage. One of those children was still living and one was deceased. obviously, my grandfather was the one who survived, but what of the other?

There is no telling from the census when the deceased child was born. he or she may have come before David Scott Ritchie Jr, in which case he or she would definitely have been born out of wedlock. Or the child could have been David's twin since no proper record for David's birth has been located. The only document pertaining to David's birth is Maude's statutory declaration signed in 1918, and she would not have thought it necessary to refer to the deceased child at that point. Or the deceased child may have arrived after David. he or she would then have been a younger sibling to Grandad, an uncle or aunt to my mother and a great-uncle or great-aunt to me.

What the note in the census also communicates is that Maude knew loss even before her husband was admitted to the London County Asylum. now, it is well known that infant mortality rates at the turn of the 19th century were significantly higher than they are today and that mothers who bore children lived in constant fear of their infants contracting diarrhoea, tuberculosis, measles, mumps and other dread diseases. Even so, having a baby die always leaves an indelible mark on a person. How Maude must have suffered, asking herself what she could have done differently to save the baby's life! Did she ever find the grace that would let her peacefully accept the loss or was she forever haunted by grief, guilt or rage?

I would like to find out more about this deceased relative of mine. Judy Lester of Kerrywood Research ran a check to see if anything obvious turned up but nothing did. i expect the answer will come from an unexpected source, such as a long-lost diary, letter or fragment of family lore passed down to a distant living cousin. Or perhaps the answer will never come. But somewhere out there is a tiny grave, moving me to remember all the little ones who died before they had a chance to really live.

Photo: Maude Alice Ritchie