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Richard Charles Eyre TANNER (1819–1897)
His wife Mrs Elizabeth TANNER, née Walker (1821–1899)
St Paul section: Row 9, Grave A17

Richard Charles Eyre Tanner was born in Berrick Salome, Oxfordshire on 1 March 1819 and baptised there on 3 April. He was the son of James Tanner, a farmer, and Mary Quartermain Eyre, who were married at Ewelme on 8 April 1815 and had three other children baptised at Berrick Salome: Anne Eyre Tanner (1816), Theresa Tanner (1817), and John Eyre Tanner (1820). At the time of the 1841 census Richard was a young man of 20, lodging in Queen Street in St Peter-le-Bailey parish, Oxford and working as a joiner. By the time of his marriage two years later he was living on the other side of Oxford in St Peter-in-the-East parish (probably in Longwall Street) .

Elizabeth Walker was born in Oxford on 20 July 1821 and baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 19 August. She was the daughter of Edward Walker, a servant of Brasenose College, and his first wife Mary, who then lived in King Street (the part of the present Merton Street that runs southwards from the High). Her parents were probably the Edward Walker of Holywell who married Mary Ashby at St Peter-in-the-East on 2 January 1821. By 1826 Elizabeth’s family had moved to the parish of St Peter-le-Bailey: her mother died there at the age of 26 shortly after giving birth to her son Richard, who died at the age of three months: they were respectively buried at St Peter-in-the-East churchyard on 2 August and 1 October 1826. On 20 September 1827 Elizabeth’s father married his second wife, Harriet Mayers, at Cuddesdon, and he was described as the Porter of Brasenose College when Elizabeth’s step-siblings Mary Harriet Walker and Albert Walker were baptised at Holywell Church in 1833 and 1834 respectively. At the time of the 1841 census Elizabeth (20) was living with her father and stepmother in Blackfriars Road, St Ebbe’s.

On 20 September 1843 at St Ebbe's Church, Oxford, Richard Charles Eyre Tanner married Elizabeth Walker, and they had the following children:

• Richard Edward Tanner, also known as Edward Richard (born at Longwall Street, Oxford in 1844 and privately baptised on 9 August; admitted to St Peter-in-the-East Church on 6 October)
• Mary Elizabeth Tanner (born in St Pancras, London in late 1845)
• Theresa Ann Tanner (born in Clerkenwell, London in 1846/7)
• Louisa Harriet Tanner (born at Bridport Street, Oxford in 1848 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 17 December)
• Emma Catharine Tanner (born at Bridport Street, Oxford in 1850 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 15 September)
• John Charles Tanner (born in St Ebbe’s, Oxford in 1851 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 12 October)
• Bessie Augusta Tanner (born at Friars Street, Oxford in 1855 and baptised at St Ebbe’s Church on 11 February)
• Charlotte Martha Tanner (born at Friars Street, Oxford in 1857 and baptised at St Ebbe’s Church on 11 October).

The family was evidently living in Longwall Street in Oxford until at least late 1844, but had moved to London by the end of 1845. They were back in Oxford by the end of 1848, living in St Ebbe’s: first at Bridport Street, and then at Friars Street.

At the time of the 1851 census Richard Tanner (32), a journeyman carpenter, can be seen living at Bridport Street, St Ebbe’s with his wife Elizabeth (30) and their first five children Richard (6), Mary (5), Theresa (4), Louisa (2), and Emma (nine months).

Richard is described as a builder by 1855. At the time of the 1861 census he was living at Grandpont in St Aldate’s with his wife and six of his children. The two missing ones were Mary Elizabeth (15), who was a house servant, living at the Westminster Hall pub at 93 St Aldate’s with the family of Benjamin Roberts, a clothier’s cutter and victualler, and Theresa (14), who was at boarding school in Reading,

On 12 February 1867 George Young, Richard Charles Eyre Tanner, and Joseph Young announced in the London Gazette that the partnership subsisting between them “carrying on business as Builders, at Grandpont Wharf, in the city of Oxford, under the style and firm of Young and Company” had been dissolved by mutual consent on 9 February.

In 1871 Richard Tanner (52), described as a surveyor, was living at 19 Walton Crescent with his wife Elizabeth (49) and all eight children: Richard (26); Mary (25), who was a photographer’s assistant; Theresa (24), who was a governess; Louisa (22), who was a milliner); Emma (20), John (18), who was a surveyor; Bessie (16), who was a milliner’s apprentice; and Charlotte (13), who was at school. Also living with them was Richard’s mother Mary Tanner (77) and a nurse.

Five of their children were married in the 1870s:

• On Christmas Day 1872 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Emma Catherine Tanner married James Arthur Hughes, a printer of 13 Walton Crescent
• On 15 July 1873 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Mary Elizabeth Tanner married William Bartlett London, a shopman of Richmond Road (then called Worcester Terrace)
• On 15 July 1873 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Louisa Harriet Tanner married John William Tombs, a compositor of Paradise Square (presumably a double wedding with her sister Mary above)
• In 1874 at Wandsworth, John Charles Tanner married Susanna Barrett;
• On 11 August 1875 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Theresa Ann Tanner married Henry London, an ironmonger’s assistant of Hereford and brother of her sister Mary’s husban.

Their daughter Mrs Emma Catherine Hughes had two children before she died at the age of 26 in 1876: for more details see the grave of her parents-in-law John & Ann Hughes, where she is buried.

At the time of the 1881 census Richard Tanner (62), described as a retired architectural surveyor, was living at 40 Walton Crescent with his wife Elizabeth and three of their children: Richard (35), Bessie (26), and Charlotte (23), and their motherless granddaughter Florence Catherine Hughes (6).

Their daughter Bessie was married in 1884:

• On 14 August 1884 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Bessie Augusta Tanner (29) married George Pottinger (25), a schoolmaster of Little Ilford, Essex.

Their eldest son Richard Edward Tanner died at Walton Crescent, Oxford in 1882 at the age of 37 and was buried on 9 February, probably in Osney Cemetery, as his burial is recorded in the parish register of Holy Trinity Church, St Ebbe's. .

Richard and Elizabeth were still at 40 Walton Crescent in 1891 with Charlotte (33) and their granddaughter Florence Hughes (16), who was now a teacher of drawing.

Richard Tanner died on his 78th birthday:

† Richard Charles Eyre Tanner died at 40 Walton Crescent at the age of 78 on 1 March 1897 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 4 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

He was described as a gentleman in his probate record, and his effects came to £2,689 8s. 9d. His executors were his wife and his unmarried daughter Charlotte.

His wife Elizabeth died two years later:

† Mrs Elizabeth Tanner, née Walker died at 40 Walton Crescent at the age of 77 on 16 June 1899 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 20 June (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

Surviving children of Richard & Elizabeth Tanner

• Mary Elizabeth Tanner, Mrs William London (born 1845) was living at 4 Walton Crescent in 1881 with her husband, who was a hairdresser, and their first three children. By 1901 they had moved to 48 Broad Street where William was a stationer and sub-postmaster: five children were at home: William (24), Frank (22), Bessie (20), Miriam (18), and John (13). Mary and William were still there in 1911 with Bessie (31) and John (23), who both assisted in the business. Mrs Mary Elizabeth London died in Oxford at the age of 92 in 1938.
• Theresa Ann Tanner, Mrs Henry London (born 1846/7) was a widow of 34 in 1881, living at 5 Wytham Terrace, Kingston Road with her only son Henry London (4). In 1901 she was living alone at 39 Kingston Road (probably the same house) and described herself as a lodging house keeper; she was still there in 1911. She died in Surrey at the age of 91 near the beginning of 1938.
• Louisa Harriet Tanner, Mrs John Tombs (born 1848) was living at 5 Albion Place in 1881 with her husband John, who was a printer compositor, and their daughters Eveline Bessie Tombs (5), Frances Tombs (3), and Mabel Louisa Tombs (one month). By 1891 she was a widow of 42, described as a lodging house keeper and living at 53 Juxon Street with Eveline (15), who was a fancy goods apprentice, and Mabel (10), as well as her mother-in-law Mrs Temperance Tombs (95). In 1901 Louisa was a lodging house keeper at 132 Walton Street; her daughters Eveline Bessie Tombs (25) and Mabel Tombs (20) were with her, and she had just one boarder. She was still there in 1911 with Eveline. Louisa Tombs died in Oxford at the age of 96 in 1944.
• John Charles Tanner (born 1851) was an architectural surveyor like his father. In 1881 he was living at 18 Marlborough Road, Acton with his wife Susannah and their children Sydney (5) and Una (3). In 1891 he was lodging away from his wife at Little Hempston in Devon. In 1901 he and Susannah were living at 59 Stile Hall Gardens, Chiswick with their daughters Una (23) and Muriel (18).
• Bessie Augusta Tanner, Mrs George Pottinger (born 1855) was living at Ivy Villa in Little Ilford, Essex in 1891 with her husband George, who was a schoolmaster, and their children Herbert George Pottinger (5) and Gladys Mary Pottinger (3). In 1901 they were living at 18 Durham Road, East Ham and had another daughter, Dorothy. Bessie died at West Ham at the age of 46 on 24 December 1902.
• Charlotte Martha Tanner married Thomas Nutt Cowing, a clerk from London on 19 December 1899 at St Giles’s Church, Oxford: they had no children. In 1901 Charlotte was living at 65 Inderwick Road, Hornsey with her husband Thomas, who was a builder’s clerk, and her niece Florence Hughes (26), who was an artist. By 1911 Charlotte was a widow of 53 at 5 Barrow Road, Streatham, with her artist niece Florence (36) still living with her. Charlotte died in Islington at the age of 83 in 1941.