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Edward Hornsey WHITBREAD (1838–1883)
His brother Alfred Hornsey WHITBREAD (1843–1868)
Edward's wife Mrs Harriet WHITBREAD, née Lucas (1843–1886)
Their son Alfred William Lucas WHITBREAD (1867–1893)
St Giles (Ss Philip & James) section: Row 4, Grave B29

The first burial here was in 1868, but this grave marker could not have been put up until after the death of Edward Hornsey Whitbread in 1883. It is uncertain whether the five infant children mentioned on the marker are buried here or in the infants' area of the cemetery.

Edward Hornsey Whitbread was born in Oxford in 1838 and baptised at Holywell Church on 23 April. He was the son of Edward Hornsey Whitbread senior of St Peter-in-the East parish and his second wife Mary Day who were married at St Giles's Church, Oxford on 8 October 1835. Edward junior's father, who was a servant of Magdalen College, had married his first wife, Harriet Gibbons of St Mary Magdalen parish, at St Peter-in-the East Church on 16 February 1832, and their daughter Harriet Mary Whitbread was born in Longwall Street and baptised at that church six months later on 27 June 1832. Edward's younger sister Louise Harriet Randall Whitbread was baptised at Holywell Church in 1839. At the time of the 1841 census Edward (3) was living at Longwall Street with his parents, his half-sister Harriet Mary (9), and his sister Louise Harriet (2), plus another child called Louise Randall.

The family then moved to North Parade, where Edward's twin brothers Alfred Hornsey Whitbread and Frederick William Whitbread were born in 1843 (baptised at St Giles's Church on 26 November). Edward and Alfred's sister Harriet Mary died at the age of 15 (at St Clement's, so she was possibly in service), and was buried in St Giles's churchyard on 21 January 1848. The family then moved to St Aldate's Street, where their brother Frederick Willilam died at the age of five. At the time of the 1851 census Edward (12) and Alfred (7) were both still at school and living in St Aldate's Street with their parents. Their father, who was still a servant, died in 1853.

In 1861 Edward and Alfred's widowed mother Mrs Mary Whitbread (55) was running a register office for servants at 52 St Giles's Street (which stood on the site of the present St Giles’ Café). Alfred (17), a clerk in a lawyer's office, was still living with her, but Edward (22) was the head cook at a hotel in Market Square, Aylesbury.

Harriet Lucas was born in Aylesbury in 1843 and baptised at St Mary's Church there on 10 September. She was the daughter of William Lucas and Ann Wootton. Her mother died at the age of 42 on 13 February 1846, and at the time of the 1861 census Harriet was a 17-year-old milliner, living at Temple Street, Aylesbury with her father William (63), who was an accountant.

On 28 September 1864 Edward Hornsey Whitbread (26) took out a licence to marry Harriet Lucas (21) at St Stephen's Church, Paddington: they were both then staying temporarily in that parish, and Harriet was probably already pregnant. Edward, a college cook, grandly described himself as “Esquire” on the licence. They had the following children:

• Lizzie Emmeline Whitbread (born at Marston Street, east Oxford in 1865 and baptised at St James's Church, Cowley on 21 May)
• Edith Eleanora Annie Whitbread (born at Marston Street, east Oxford in 1866 and baptised at St James's Church, Cowley on 24 October); died at North Parade in 1872
• Alfred William Lucas Whitbread (born at Marston Street, east Oxford in 1867 and baptised at St James's Church, Cowley on 26 June)
• Florence Emma Whitbread (born at Marston Street, east Oxford in 1869 and baptised at St James's Church, Cowley on 27 December)
• Ida May Whitbread (born at 3 North Parade Terrace, Oxford in late 1871 but not baptised at Ss Philip & James Church until 3 October 1872)
• Elsie Lilian Whitbread (born at 3 North Parade Terrace, Oxford in late 1873 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 22 February 1874); died there in 1875
• Rose Helen Whitbread (born at Leckford Road, Oxford in 1875 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 27 June
• Constance Louisa Whitbread (born at Leckford Road, Oxford in 1876 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 16 January 1877)
• Hubert Edward Whitbread (born at 41 Leckford Road, Oxford in 1878 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 11 April); died there later that year
• Ernest Augustus Whitbread (born at 41 Leckford Road, Oxford on 29 May 1879 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 7 August)
• Effie Margaret Whitbread (born at 41 Leckford Road, Oxford on 1 September 1880 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 16 December); died there in 1881
• Agnes Maud Whitbread (born at 41 Leckford Road, Oxford on 17 November 1882 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 11 January 1883); died there later in 1883.

Edward and his wife Harriet moved to Marston Street in east Oxford after their wedding. He continued to work as a college cook and manciple.

Edward Hornsey Whitbread's younger brother Alfred died at their mother's house over the servants' registry in 1868 and was the first to be buried in this grave:

† Alfred Hornsey Whitbread died at 52 St Giles's Street at the age of 24 on 28 April 1868 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 4 May (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles's Church).

His death notice in Jackson's Oxford Journal read: “April 28, at 52, St. Giles's, in his 25th year, after a long illness, borne with Christian fortitude, Alfred Hornsey, youngest son of the late Mr. E. H. Whitbread, beloved and respected by all who knew him.”

The couple began their married life in Marston Street in east Oxford, and were there from at least 1865 to 1869.

By the time of the 1871 census Edward Hornsey Whitbread (32), described as a cook, was living at 9 Cowley Road with his wife Harriet (27) and their first four children Lizzie (6), Edith (4), Alfred (3), and Florence (1), plus a general servant.

By the following year they had moved to North Parade, which had been taken into the new parish of Ss Philip & James in 1863 (but until April 1875, burials in the new parish were only recorded in the register of St Giles's Church). Their daughter Edith Annie Eleanor Whitbread died there in November 1872 at the age of six, and the St Giles's parish register states that she was buried in St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 5 November. She is not named on this grave, and may be buried in a section for infants.

Their daughter Elsie Lilian Whitbread was born at North Parade near the end of 1873, and soon after her birth they moved to Leckford Road. She died there at the age of 14 months and the St Giles's parish register states that she was buried at St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 12 January 1875.

Their son Hubert Edward Whitbread was born at 41 Leckford Road in 1878 but only survived eight months. He was buried at St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 14 August 1878 (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles and Ss Philip & James's Church)..

Their next son Ernest was born in 1879 and their daughter Effie in 1880.

At the time of the 1881 census Edward and Harriet Whitbread were at home at 41 Leckford Road with their eight surviving children. Their daughter Effie Margaret Whitbread died there at the age of fourteen months, and was buried at St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 3 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles and Ss Philip & James's Church).

Their last child Agnes was born on 17 November 1882, and her father Edward died just a few months later:

† Edward Hornsey Whitbread died at Leckford Road at the age of 45 on 3 May 1883 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 8 May (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles and Ss Philip & James's Church).

His personal estate came to £142, and his wife was his executrix. His probate record states that he was a cook at Oriel College.

Mrs Whitbread then moved to 59 Kingston Road, where her daughter Agnes died later the same year:

† Agnes Maud Whitbread died at 59 Kingston Road at the age of 11 months 3 weeks on 14 November 1883 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 17 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles and Ss Philip & James's Church).

Her death notice in Jackson's Oxford Journal read: “Nov. 14, at 59, Kingston-road, Oxford, Agnes Maud, daughter of the late Mr. E. H. Whitbread, aged one year.”

Mrs Whitbread died in 1886:

† Mrs Harriet Whitbread née Lucas died at 59 Kingston Road at the age of 42 on 1 July 1886 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 5 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles and Ss Philip & James's Church).

Her death notice in Jackson's Oxford Journal read: “July 1, at 59, Kingston-road, Oxford, Harriet, widow of Mr. Edward H. Whitbread, aged 42.”

Her daughter Lizzie was admitted to Littlemore Lunatic Asylum on 17 June 1889, and released on 29 June 1890. At the time of the 1891 census Lizzie (26), described as a musician, was head of the household at 59 Kingston Road and lived there with three of her siblings: Alfred (23), who was an assistant librarian; Rose (15); and Ernest (11). Florence (21) was a milliner living with her widowed aunt Mrs Ann Smith (66) at Aylesbury; Ida (19) was an assistant teacher at Wantage; and Constance (14) was visiting a couple in Grimsby.

On 6 February 1892 Lizzie was readmitted to Littlemore Lunatic Asylum.

Her brother Alfred died in 1893:

† Alfred William Lucas Whitbread died at Kingston Road at the age of 25 on 12 March 1893 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 16 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Giles and Ss Philip & James's Church).

In 1901 four of the siblings were living together at 107 Kingston Road: Florence (31), who was a milliner; Rose (25), who was a hospital nurse; Constance (24), who probably kept house; and Ernest (21), who was a footman. Their sister Lizzie (36) was permanently ensconced in Littlemore Lunatic Asylum, and Ida (29) was an infant teacher boarding in Shrivenham.

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Surviving children of Edward and Harriet Whitbread after 1901

• Lizzie Emmeline Whitbread (born 1864/5) died at Littlemore Lunatic Asylum at the age of 52 on 4 February 1917.
• Florence Emma Whitbread (born 1869) emigrated to the USA when she was aged 41, arriving at New York on 16 September 1910, and married the Revd Frank Percy Carpenter in Miami later that year. They had one daughter, Mary Theodora Carpenter, born in 1911. Florence's husband died in Hull, Yorkshire in 1924, and Florence died in Louth, Lincolnshire at the age of 90 in 1959.
• Ida May Whitbread (born 1871) never married. She was still a teacher in Shrivenham in 1911. She died in Horncastle, Lincolnshire in 1930 at the age of 58.
• Rose Helen Whitbread (born 1875) never married. She died in the Aylesbury district at the age of 29 and her funeral was at Ss Philip & James's Church on 21 March 1903.
• Constance Louisa Whitbread (born 1876) never married. She died at 201 Cowley Road at the age of 26 near the beginning of 1903.
• Ernest Augustus Whitbread (born 1879) was a single man of 30 in 1911, working as a footman in the household of the publisher John Murray at 50 Albemarle Street, London. He does not appear to have married. He was killed in France in the First World War at the age of 38 on 28 June 1917, and is buried in the St Sever Cemetery extension at Rouen.