Edmund Forder was born in 1842 in Downton, Wiltshire. At the time, he was the only child of his parents, George and Fanny Forder. His father was an agricultural labourer, and the family was far from wealthy. Like most men, George Forder probably had to work long hours to support his family.
What was Downton like?
Downton is a parish in Wiltshire, England, which had a population of around 4,000 people when Edmund Forder was born. At the time, Downton had a papermill, two hotels, a fire engine and a new school. The parish also had doctors.
The New Forest
Downton lies close to the New Forest, providing excellent opportunities to explore the local wildlife. The site thenewforest.co.uk describes the scenery as follows: “Deer meander beneath canopies of mighty oak and beech… The open heathland is an ideal basking ground for adder and grass snake, and the many pools dotted around the area make great conditions for frogs, toads, lizards, newts and other reptiles and amphibians…
“With wetlands, woods and heathlands, there is quite a variety of birds to spot here and many rare birds come to the New Forest over the winter months… Our ancient woodlands come alive with beautiful flora and fauna in the spring months with the rich greens of the oak trees and beech trees and the brightness of our bluebells carpeting the woodland floor during the spring months. The fungi and mushrooms that can often be found in the autumn months offer a richness of colour and some strange shapes emerging from fallen trees and the forest floor.”
Much of Downton also offered a similar experience. Back in 1804, a traveller named Pratt described a place called Morgan’s Vale, part of Downton, as being “out of the bustle of town” and added that “nothing but a curious and inquisitive traveller would have deemed it worth while to turn his horse’s head or his own towards Morgan’s Vale.” He described the place as having “about twenty cottages, to each of which was attached a garden and orchard.”
Interestingly, Pratt goes on to relate that he visited one particular cottage that caught his interest, that of the Forder family. There he met Edmund’s great-grandparents! To read Pratt’s intriguing account, including dialogue, access via this link (pages 25-29).
Troubles in Town
Life was difficult for paupers in Downton, including Edmund’s family. Employment options were limited, especially after more farmers began replacing human labour with machinery. In 1836, the parish decided it would be cheaper to pay for about 10% of the poor population to immigrate to Canada than to continue providing for them in Downton.
On April 07, 1836, the ship King William departed from England, carrying about 220 passengers from Downton. Among those onboard were Edmund’s father, George Forder, and George’s two brothers. The three young men arrived in Montreal, Canada, where sadly one died. George, who was suffering from ill health, was advised by his doctor to return to England. His return was funded by charity.
However, on December 19, 1837, George Forder was prosecuted for not having reimbursed the parish for his passage to Canada. He pleaded that he was unable to do so, as he did not have the £7. He also explained the above details. So the court decided that the money would be deducted from his future wages.
Edmund’s Family
Edmund likely spent his early years at the Battens’ house, where his parents were living in 1841, the year before Edmund was born. The small family consisted of William and Rebecca Batten along with their five year-old son, also named William.
While the men of the house were out working as agricultural labourers, young William Batten likely helped his mother with various household duties. He probably spent a lot of time with baby Edmund, who may have become like a younger brother to him. By the time of the 1851 census ten years later, William was still an only child of the Batten family. Did he want a brother? Did Edmund come to fill a comparable role?
Next door lived Edmund’s grandparents, James and Rebecca Forder, along with some of his aunts and uncles, including his 10 year-old aunt Mary. Also living with them was Edmund’s great-grandfather, James Forder senior, the patriarch of the large family. He was now in his 90s, and was well-known in the town. He and his wife, now deceased, were the ones whom the explorer Pratt had met back in 1804, as mentioned earlier.
Although having been blind for the last thirty years, James Forder continued to make the most of his situation by going around visiting his friends regularly with the aid of a long walking stick. He died in 1843 at the age of about 94. Edmund was only an infant at the time, so he likely never got to know his great-grandfather well.
Edmund’s other grandparents were William and Sarah Harrington, also of Downton. William Harrington was descended from the Snelgar family, and was likely related to the branch who set up the first papermill in the town in the 1700s.
A New Chapter
Tragically, Edmund’s mother passed away only two years after he was born. She died in 1844 at the age of 24. Edmund’s widowed father, George Forder, remarried the following year to Clarissa Champ, a single mother with a baby daughter, Catherine. Catherine may have been the namesake of one of her mother’s sisters, who had died as a baby in 1833. Clarissa was the eldest daughter of James Champ and Eliza Moody.
By 1847, George and Clarissa had two other children, whom they named William and Fanny. Fanny was likely named after George’s first wife. Edmund was now an older brother to three half-siblings.
In late 1846, their father, George Forder, became ill and was unable to work. The family relied on money from a club he belonged to in order to survive, but it was not enough to cover their needs. After sixteen weeks, George Forder was prosecuted for not paying a rate of 4 shillings and 6 pence. Thankfully, the magistrates showed consideration for his situation and requested that the overseers of Downton reconsider this matter.
Possibly due to the financial situation, it seems that Edmund was afterwards sent to live with his grandparents, William and Sarah Harrington. The reason behind this speculation is that he was in their house at the time of the 1851 census. Whether he was living with them or merely visiting is uncertain, however. If indeed Edmund was sent to live outside of his father’s home, did he ever feel less cared for than his younger siblings, who probably received more time and attention from their father? How was his relationship with his step-mother?
Edmund’s Grandparents– The Harringtons
Living with the Harringtons was William’s widowed mother, Susanna, who was Edmund’s great-grandmother. She was now about 90 years of age, having been baptised in Downton in 1760. She likely lived her entire life in this town, and would have seen many developments during her time.
Now 9 years old, Edmund might have explored the New Forest with his grandfather. As mentioned earlier, the forest was home to exquisite wildlife, including deer and rare birds visiting during the winter. In Spring they could have seen “the rich greens of the oak trees and beech trees and the brightness of our bluebells carpeting the woodland floor.” And in Autumn “the fungi and mushrooms… offer a richness of colour and some strange shapes emerging from fallen trees and the forest floor.” (Quotes from thenewforest.co.uk)
We might imagine the scenery as Edmund and his grandfather came home one evening (speculating here). It was likely similar to what the explorer Pratt, mentioned earlier, saw when he visited back in 1804: “The evening continued lovely, beyond the power of describing its variety of charms. There was certainly nothing in the imagery of the heavens above, or of the earth below, to render the prospect less exhilarating.
“The parting beams of the sun were yet playing on the cottage of laurels and yew; and the summits of the roofs of the delightful habitations beneath were burnished with a ray yet more golden; the surrounding foliage partook of the tinge; and the intermediate heath-ground was rich in those colourings which, when the most magnificent orb of heaven is about to set, paints every object so exquisitely.”
The Next Few Years
Edmund Forder was homeschooled, probably by his grandparents. He learned to both read and write. One of the most important things in a family, and in any relationship, is spending time with one another. Learning at home no doubt afforded Edmund much time to spend with his family, strengthening their bond, hopefully.
Edmund’s father, George Forder, died in 1859, when Edmund was about 17 years old. By 1861, Edmund was living with his uncle William Harrington and was working as a shepherd.
Becoming a Husband and Father
In 1864, Edmund Forder married 22 year-old Catherine Harrison, daughter of William Harrison and Leah White. About three years later, their daughter Fanny Kate was born. She was likely named after Edmund’s mother, who died when he was young. This may demonstrate how much Edmund had missed his mother during his childhood.
Now having a child of his own, Edmund may have been determined to make the most of his time as a father, hoping he would live to see his children reach adulthood. By 1871, Edmund and Catherine also had a baby daughter named Alice. As an agricultural labourer, Edmund had to work hard to support their growing family. By 1883, he had experience both in farm work and in shepherding.
Neighbours– The Shergold Family
In 1871, next door lived the Shergold family, whose 18 year-old daughter Sophia was a local schoolteacher. If Edmund were to send his children to school in the near future, they would likely be taught by Sophia, who could have a significant influence on their childhood.
At the time, school was not compulsory, but it became so in 1880. In Edmund’s own case, he had been home-schooled. If the Forders did decide to send their children to school before 1880, this may say something about their impression of Sophia. She was obviously an intelligent young woman, being entrusted with the education of the town’s children even at such a young age.
No doubt to Sophia’s embarrassment, however, it seems that her father acted somewhat immaturely for his age. Once in 1871, he was fined 10 shillings for assaulting Edmund Forder, apparently over a dispute about the sizes of their garden allotments. Shergold allegedly pushed Edmund several times and struck him on the arms. A witness said that Shergold “proclaimed war” against Edmund. It was also said that Edmund’s wife Catherine was so shocked by this event that she fell down in a fainting fit. This event was likely talked about in the town, perhaps also at the school where Sophia taught.
Over the next few years, Edmund and Catherine had three more children: Leah, Frank and William. At least since Leah was baptised in 1874, the family’s religion was Methodist. More specifically, they stated their denomination as Wesleyan in 1883. Edmund may have been raised as a Wesleyan, as his step-mother’s family were members of the same church.
Settling in Tasmania
In 1883, some of Edmund’s relatives, including his half-sister Ellen, immigrated to Tasmania on the ship Iberia. Whether or not any individual initiated the family move is uncertain. But Edmund, his wife and their five children were among those who departed from London on the 14th of June, 1883. They settled in Launceston, Tasmania, a rapidly growing town where trade flourished. It was quite different to Downton.
Within walking distance of their new home was Cataract Gorge, which offered spectacular views of the local terrain beside South Esk River. See a picture below:
A Growing Family
In December 1884, the year after their arrival, Edmund’s eldest daughter Fanny, now aged 18, married Edwin James Roden in Launceston. He was aged 21 and worked as a gasfitter.
In Launceston, Edmund and Catherine had a sixth child, whom they named Walter Edwin Forder. He was born on the 7th of March, 1885. However, he died of bronchitis only a few months later, on the 23rd of September that same year.
The following year, on the 10th of January, 1886, Edmund and Catherine became grandparents. Their daughter Fanny and son-in-law Edwin James Roden had a child, whom they named Maud Kate. She would be the first of five children, her younger siblings being born in the following years: Alfred Henry (1887), Alice May (1889), Charles Edwin (1893) and Francis William Anthony (1895).
Sadly, however, Edmund and Catherine’s second-eldest daughter passed away in 1887. On the 14th of March, Alice lost the battle to phthisis at the age of only 16. At the time, her father’s occupation was recorded as pipe-layer.
Later Years
At some point, Edmund set up a shop on Charles Street, Launceston. He likely had employees working for him. However, one Saturday in 1890, the charwoman, or cleaner, whose name was Mary Ann Connors, began to feel very unwell at about 3:30 in the afternoon, while she was working at Edmund’s shop. She lay on the sofa waiting for the doctor, but passed away about 20 minutes before the doctor arrived. An inquest determined that she had died from natural causes, probably heart disease. She was 41 years old at the time.
In March 1892, Edmund and Catherine’s daughter Leah, now aged 19, married 21 year-old Charles James Vaughan, who worked as a painter.
Edmund Forder later died in Launceston, Tasmania, on the 5th of July, 1898, at the age of 55. He died at his residence, 202 Charles Street, on the same street as his shop. One of his sons, Frank Forder, later settled in Auckland, New Zealand.
Leave a Reply