Annie Wheeler
My 3 x Great Grandmother
Part One – Annie’s Childhood
Annie Wheeler spent her childhood in Lower Fore Street, Lambeth, a street “of filthy tumbledown buildings of rancid odours and Lambeth fog…of dirt, decay and bad smells.” Cholera arrived in London via Lower Fore Street, in September 1848.
Annie’s parents were Henry Wheeler, an habitual criminal, and his second wife, widow Mary Ann Campin. Henry was sixty when Annie was born, Mary Ann was forty-one. Annie’s half-brothers, Charles and Richard, spent time in prison for larceny. Ironically, Mary Ann’s father was a policeman.
Newspaper reports from 1860. Annie was three years old. These reports offer a graphic description of her childhood.
A serious fire in Lower Fore Street, May 1861.
The newspaper reports for Lower Fore Street continued in the same vein with fires, suspected murders, accidents and beatings. As you can see, Annie’s childhood was all about survival. Somehow, she made it through to her teenage years. What awaited her then? More next time.
As ever, thank you for your interest and support.
Hannah xxx
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