The Philpott Women

In the 1851 census for 39 Brunswick Square there were three female servants with the same surname. In addition, they were all born in Thanet. This was probably not a coincidence so I decided to try to find out the relationship between Sophia (aged 44, unmarried), Ann (a 52-year-old widow) and Jane Philpott (unmarried, age 32).

It turns out that Sophia and Jane were half-sisters. In 1851 they were in the employ of Sir Ralph Darling. By the time of the 1861 census Sophia was a servant of Sir Ralph’s widow, Elizabeth. In a further example of connections between the two families, in 1861 Jane was a servant of Sir Ralph’s daughter Cornelia (who, in 1851, had been recently widowed and was living with her parents). By 1871, however, Sophia and Jane had been reunited. They were living in East Grinstead, both described as retired domestic servants.

East Grinstead in the 1860s

By 1881 they had moved to Stone Street in Tonbridge. Sophia is the head of household and Jane is recorded as her sister. The information for 1891 is very similar – they are still living in Stone Street.

Finding Jane in the 1861 census helped solve the puzzle of what the sisters’ relationship was with Ann. Jane’s full name is given as Jane Susanna Philpott. I had already found out that Sophia’s parents were probably called Richard and Susanna. So, when I found a Jane Susanna Philpott whose parents were called Richard and Ann, it finally made sense. Richard’s first wife Susanna had died and his second wife Ann was Jane’s mother!

Sadly, Sophia Philpott died in 1893 and Jane not long after, in 1896. They share the same grave monument in St Mary Church burial ground, Hartfield, Sussex.

St Mary the Virgin Church, Hartfield

Research by Teresa Preece, 2022

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