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Miss Eliza Mary FLEETWOOD (1835–1911)
Her daughter Miss Lavinia Georgina TAUNTON [FLEETWOOD] (1858–1926)
St Paul section: Row 17, Grave A18½

Eliza Mary Fleetwood was born in Oxford in 1835 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 18 October. She was the daughter of the shoemaker John Fleetwood (born in Kennington, Berkshire in c.1800) and Jane Minn Court (born in Oxford in 1796 and baptised at St Ebbe's Church on 8 June). Eliza's mother Jane Court had a daughter before her marriage, Elizabeth Minn Court, who was born in George Street (then a lane in St Mary Magdalen parish) and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 3 September 1817.

Eliza's parents were both living at Wolvercote when they were married there on 1 May 1831. Eliza's older brother William Charles Fleetwood was baptised at St Thomas's Church on 18 November 1831 and her younger sister Emma Fleetwood on 2 December 1838.

At the time of the 1841 census Eliza (5) was living at Wellington Street in Jericho with her father John Fleetwood, described as a shoemaker, and her mother Jane. Her younger sister Emma (2) is wrongly recorded as Hannah.

In 1851 Eliza Fleetwood (15), her half-sister Elizabeth Minn Court (33, but recorded as 30), and her sister Emma Fleetwood (12) were living with their widowed aunt Mrs Catherine Court (60) in the part of Walton Street that falls in the St Paul's district chapelry of St Giles's Church: Eliza, her aunt, and her half-sister were all laundresses. Meanwhile Eliza’s parents John Fleetwood (48) and Jane (51), and her brother William (18), were living in Hollybush Row in St Thomas's parish.

In 1857 in Oxford (reg. third quarter), Eliza's sister Emma Fleetwood (18) married James Belcher (22).

Eliza Fleetwood, who never married, gave birth to a daughter the following year:

• Lavinia Georgina Taunton Fleetwood (born in Oxford in 1858 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 14 February).

She was registered and baptised with the surname Fleetwood, but thereafter her daughter was known as Lavinia Georgina Taunton, which suggests that her father may have been a member of the important Taunton family of St Giles.

On 5 September 1858 at St Paul’s Church, Eliza’s brother William Charles Fleetwood, a shoemaker of Clarendon Street, married Harriett Mary Ann Jackman of Albert Street. They do not appear to have had any children.

At the time of the 1861 census Eliza (25), who was working as an ironer, was living at 105 Walton Street with her daughter Lavinia (3). Eliza’s older half-sister, Elizabeth Minn Court (43, but recorded as 40), who was a laundress, was the head of the household, and also living there were Eliza's sister Mrs Emma Belcher (23), her husband James Belcher (26), and their children Leopold (3) and Rosa (2). Eliza’s parents were now living at 2 Church Street in St Thomas's parish.

Eliza's father John Fleetwood died at Nelson Street at the age of 76 and was buried in St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 6 April 1870. The St Paul's grave reference was D24, but the grave has not been located.

At the time of the 1871 census Eliza Fleetwood (35), who was a laundress, and her daughter Lavinia (13) were living at 105 Walton Street, again with Eliza's half-sister Elizabeth Minn Court (53, but recorded as 51), who was still working as a laundress. Also living with them were Eliza's mother Jane Fleetwood (73), another laundress, and three of Eliza’s Belcher nieces, namely Rosa (12), Emma (5), and Eliza (3).

Eliza’s mother Jane Mina Fleetwood died at Walton Street at the age of 79 and was buried at St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 16 March 1876. Notwithstanding the fact that St Paul's register records a different reference from her husband (A22), it seems likely that they would have been buried together.

By the time of the 1881 census Eliza Fleetwood (45) was living at 112 Walton Street with her daughter Lavinia Taunton (23), who was a dressmaker. Her half-sister Elizabeth Minn Court (63) was still a laundress and the head of the household. The same three Belcher daughters were living with them.

Eliza’s older half-sister Elizabeth Minn Court never married. She died at the age of 65 and was buried in St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 2 August 1882 (with yet another St Paul's grave reference, P17: she may be buried in her parent's grave).

At the time of the 1891 census, Eliza Fleetwood (55), who was still working as a laundress, was now the head of the household at 13 Juxon Street. Her daughter Lavinia Taunton (33) was paying a visit to the Tomkins family at 20 Portland Place, Brighton, but her three Belcher nieces, who were all dressmakers, were at home with her.

On 2 May 1891 Jackson's Journal reported that a man was charged at Oxford City Police Court with stealing Lavinia's pet rabbit:

John Chiddington, 7, Peacock's-yard, St. Thomas's, bird catcher, was charged with being concerned in stealing from the back premises of 13, Juxon-street, between 10.30 p.m. on the 21st inst. and 7 a.m. on the 22nd, a tame rabbit, value 2s. 6d., the property of Lavinia Georgina Taunton. – Miss Taunton identified the rabbit (dead) produced by a notch in one ear: it was kept in a hutch in the garden at the back of the house, and was quite safe at 10.30 on Tuesday night, and was missed at 7 o'clock the next morning. She next saw it hanging up outside the shop of Mr. Claridge, butcher, Union Street, Jericho, and at once identified it, and gave information to the police. She would not have taken half-a-guinea for the rabbit. She had not sold it, or given it to anyone.

At the time of the 1901 census, Eliza Fleetwood (65), who was a laundress, and her daughter Lavinia Fleetwood (45), who was a dressmaker. were living at 13 Juxon Street. Her two unmarried nieces Rose Belcher (41) and Emma Belcher (35), who were both also dressmakers, continued to live with her.

Eliza’s brother, William Charles Fleetwood, died in the Workhouse at the age of 67 in 1901 and was buried on 5 October, probably in Osney churchyard, as his burial is recorded in the register of St Thomas's Church.

Eliza Fleetwood herself died early in 1911:

† Miss Eliza Mary Fleetwood died at 13 Juxon Street at the age of 76 on 27 February 1911 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 3 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

At the time of the 1911 census Eliza's daughter Lavinia (53), who was still a laundress, was living at 13 Juxon Street with her cousin Miss Rosa Eleanor Belcher (52), who was a dressmaker.

Eliza’s sister Mrs Emma Belcher (75) of 21 Cambridge Street died at the age of 75 on 13 March 1914 and was buried in the St Michael section of St Sepulchre's Cemetery: see her grave for more information about her family.

Lavinia died in 1926, with her surname registered as Taunton (even though her birth had been registered with the legally correct surname of Fleetwood):

† Lavinia Georgina Taunton died at 18 Cranham Street at the age of 68 on 17 November 1926 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 20 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

Her effects came to £1,103 10s. 6d., and her executors were three of her cousins – Miss Rosa Eleanor Belcher, Mrs Emma Elizabeth Gillam (wife of Charles Richard Gillam) and Mrs Eliza Minn Gomm (wife of George Octavius Gomm).