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Lander Family Genealogy

the vicar's wife who ran off with the local doctor

The Lander Family?

In August 2007 I received a letter from Miss R.M. Jerram, after having been given her details by Gloria Edwards, a Knight Family historian.

Miss Jerram is a great granddaughter of Edward Knight (1806-1876), a son of Thomas Knight. She was able to tell me a great deal about Edward's descendants. A lot of this information I already had of course but she also had some information about some descendants of Edward's sister, Henrietta (1801-1890).

Henrietta had married James Mansfield in 1822 at Gretna Green and I had for some time been in touch with Nan Spedding, the wife of their great great grandson. Nan and I (mostly Nan) had put together what we thought was a fairly complete listing of their descendants.

Nan had also given me a copy of a letter that Henrietta had written to her grandson Charles Spedding in which she had told him of a family secret. This secret remained a secret as someone had completely and purposefully blacked the passage out. A secret never to be revealed. Perhaps.

Miss Jerram's letter contained some information about the Lander family who she said were descendants of Henrietta's. I doubted this and told her so. I had three daughters for Henrietta and they were all accounted for.

Perhaps this Lander family was attached to another of Miss Jerram's lines? Miss Jerram (90 years old) was certainly not confused. She shot back a detailed, hand-written letter to me of about 20 pages which included, amongst many other subjects, the details of the Lander family.

From Miss Jerram's clues, I began the hunt for Mamie Lander who had bequeathed Thomas Knight's silver to Miss Jerram's father.

Miss Jerram's Clues

Part of Miss Jerram's letter appears below, but summarised here are her pieces to the Lander jigsaw:

1) Mamie Lander inherited Thomas Knight's silver through Henrietta and the Henrietta's daughter, Elleanora.

2) Miss Jerram's father, Frederic Jerram, had stayed with Lander cousins in Shropshire in 1881 (actually it was 1891). He remembers two boys and two girls, who were more his age.

3) Mabel Lander was Mamie's cousin. A letter from Mabel Lander, piano teacher to The Queen and Princess Margaret, to Frederic Jerram, written in about 1942 confirms that
--- Mabel was one of the girls at Sutton Farm and that Maud was the other.
--- Arthur has sold the farm
--- Winifred is Mamie's neice, her brother Eaton's child. Eaton also had a son who died after WW1 in a gliding accident.

4) Eaton and Mamie were orphaned cousins of the Shropshire Landers.

5) Eaton and Mamies' mother was a daughter of Henrietta Knight.


Mabel Lander Letter (an easy letter to transcribe if someone wants to)

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Looking For Mamie Lander

I quickly found the Shropshire Lander family in the 1891 Census. This is the family that Miss Jerram's father remembers visiting.

Miss Jerram had said that Mamie was a cousin to this Shropshire family. That census shows a neice, Mary Lander, born in Sydney, Australia in about 1867.

A Mary Lander was indeed born at Sydney, NSW, Australia in 1865. Her parents were Thomas Eaton Lander and Isabella. I ordered a copy of her birth certificate immediately.

Dr Thomas Eaton Lander is a brother of Richard Ridley Lander, the head of the Shropshire family. This confirms that Mary Lander (born 1865) is a cousin to the Shropshire Lander family.

Is it possible that Mary is "Mamie"? Miss Jerram had told me that Mamie and her brother Eaton were orphans. Perhaps Mary was adopted by her uncle Richard, who called her "Mamie" to avoid confusion with another Mary, his own daughter.

Miss Jerram had also told me that Mamie's mother was a daughter of Henrietta Knight. The mother of the Mary Lander born in Sydney was listed as Isabella.

Henrietta did have a daughter Isabella, but that Isabella was married to Reverend Francis Spedding, Curate of Shifnal.

The Speddings

Isabella Mansfield married Reverend Francis Spedding in 1846.

They had six children and at the 1861 Census they are listed at Shifnal with sons: Frank and Charles, and daughters: Marion and Isabella.

Two other children had died previously in infancy.

Reverend Francis Spedding was the Curate of St Andrews, Shifnal. He transferred to Donisthorpe in 1865. Shifnal would not have been a happy place for him after the events of 1861.

He was living in Donisthorpe, Debyshire at the time of the 1871 Census, Isabella having died in America (according to a letter from her sister Elleanora).

Charles Spedding - Family History and Genealogy

Charles Spedding Letter
In March 1880 Charles Spedding, aged 22, received a letter from his grandmother, Henrietta Mansfield (Knight). The letter has a family secret blacked out. What did his grandmother tell him?

Australian Time Line

1861 April

Dr Thomas Eaton Lander and Isabella Spedding at home in Shifnal, Shropshire with their respective spouses.

1861 May

Isabella is pregnant with Dr Lander's child

1862 February

A daughter Lisette Lander born at 211 Crown Street, Sydney on 18 February 1862. Parents Eaton Lander, physician (born Shropshire, England, age 43) and Isabella Mansfield, late Spedding, (born Shropshire, England, age 30)
Parents married at Shropshire, England 1857
Previous issue: Marion 3 1/2, living, 1 boy living by former husband
Informant: Isabella Lander, mother, Crown Street
Present at birth: Dr Lander, Mrs Mean
Registered: 12 April 1862, Sydney
note: details altered November 1865 (see below)
see birth certificate

1862 October

Daughter Lisetta (sic) Lander dies at 211 Crown Street, Sydney on 4 October 1862 of diarrhoea.
She was aged 7 months. Parents Eton Lander (physician) and Isabella Mansfield.
Informant: Bridget Bourke, servant, 211 Crown Street
Medical attendant: Dr Lander
Buried 6 October 1862 at Sydney
Witnesses: John Ikin, William Abbott
Registered: 6 October 1862
note: details altered November 1865 (see below)
see death certificate

1864 (approx)

Son Thomas Eaton Lander born at Sydney, NSW. (no record found)

1864 September
Daughter Isabella Mansfield Spedding dies at 211 Crown Street, Sydney on 3 September 1864 of scarlet fever. She was aged 3 years and 11 months. Parents Francis Spedding (Clergyman of Church of England) and Isabella Mansfield.
Young Isabella had spent 9 months in NSW. (???)
Informant: Jane B..., servant, 211 Crown Street
Medical attendant: Dr E Lander
Buried 6 September at Camperdown Cemetery
Witnesses: C Lander, Henry Abbot
Registered: 4 September 1864 at Sydney
see death certificate

1865

Isabella claims to have married Thomas Eaton Lander at Liverpool. No record found.

1865 August

A daughter, Mary Lander born at South Head Road, Sydney on 22 August 1865. Parents Thomas Eaton Lander, physician (born at Shiffnal, England, age 45) and Isabella Mansfield (born Cumberland, England, age 34)
Parents married at Liverpool 1865
Previous issue: nil
Informant: Thomas Eaton Lander, father, South Head Road
Present at birth: Dr Lander, Jane Parry
Registered: 6 August 1865, Sydney. (Registration date is correct, error in birth date)
see birth certificate

1865 November

Birth details for Lisette (February 1862) were altered. Details of parents marriage was omitted and "illegitimate" inserted. Lisette's name changed to Mansfield. Signed by Isabella Mansfield, now Lander 27 November 1865.
Death details for Lisetta (October 1862) were altered. Father's name was omitted and name of Lisetta Lander changed to Lisetta Mansfield. Signed by Isabella Mansfield, now Lander 27 November 1865.

1869 Q4

Dr Thomas Eaton Lander died at Ludlow, Shropshire in Q4 1869, aged 49.

1871 Census England

Young Thomas staying with a Lander relative at Birmingham, Warwickshire.
Young Mary not found

Family Secret Revealed

In a nutshell, Isabella Spedding deserted her family in 1861-1862 and ran off to Australia with the local GP, Dr Thomas Eaton Lander.

She definitely took her youngest child, Isabella with her, but probably left the other three children behind, including young Charles, aged 4.

Thomas and Mary (Mamie)

Mary "Mamie" Lander was indeed raised by her uncle, Richard Ridley Lander in Shropshire. She died during WW2 in London.

Her brother, Thomas Eaton Lander, known as Eaton, can be seen in the 1901 Scottish census living with his wife Eliza and children: Thomas E Lander born in 1894 in India, and daughter Winifred E M Landerborn at Kippin, Stirlingshire, Scotland in 1896.

Winifred married Q1 1926 at Bedford, Bedfordshire, England and became Winifred Harris.

Questions

What happened to Dr Thomas Eaton Lander's wife, Elizabeth Sarah Harriet Lander (nee Eyke)? I cannot find her in the 1871 Census. Was she dead? When?

Where was Mamie in the 1871 Census?

Where and when did Isabella Spedding die?

What happened to Mamie's daughter, Winifred? She married ??? Harris at Bedford in Q1 1926.

Spedding and Lander Family Census 1861
A storm was brewing - here are the participants

1861 Census (night of 7 April)
Drayton Lodge, Shifnal , Shropshire
Francis Spedding	head	married	42	farmer	Gilling, Yorkshire
Isabella Spedding	wife	married	33		Papcastle, Cumberland
Frank S Spedding	son		12	scholar	Shifnal, Shropshire
Marion Spedding	daughter		4		Shifnal, Shropshire
Charles Spedding	son		3		Shifnal, Shropshire
Isabella Spedding	daughter		6 months		Shifnal, Shropshire
Innage, Shifnal, Shropshire
Thomas E Lander	head	married	41	General Practitioner	Shifnal, Shropshire
Elizabeth S H Lander	wife	married	39		Stanton, Shropshire
Ann Eyke	wife's aunt	unmarried	68		Stanton, Shropshire

Relevant Census 1871-1901

1871 Census
The Hene Farm, St Andrew, Shifnal , Shropshire
Richard R Lander	head	married	41	farmer	Shifnal, Salop
Matilda A Lander	wife	married	40		Edgbaston, Warwickshire
Mary M Lander	daughter	single	12	scholar	Shifnal Evelitte, Shropshire
Richard M Lander	son	single	7	scholar	Shifnal Evelitte, Shropshire
Kate Lander	daughter	single	1		Shifnal The Hene, Shropshire
Edith Lander	daughter	single	0		Shifnal The Hene, Shropshire
Rusholme, Lancashire
Mary Ann Lander	head	unmarried	77	annuitant	Birmingham, Warwickshire
Thomas E Lander	great nephew		7	scholar	Sydney, Australia
New Street, Shifnal, Shropshire
Ann Eyke	boarder	unmarried	79	annuitant	Stanton, Shropshire
Parsonage House, Donisthorpe, Leicestershire
Francis Spedding	head	widower	52	Vicar of Donisthorpe	Gilling, Yorkshire
Isabella Spedding	sister	unmarried	42		Gilling, Yorkshire
Latin Grammar School, Appleby, Derbyshire
Charles Spedding	boarder		13	scholar	Shifnal, Shropshire
Stanton House, Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire
Marian C Spedding	boarder		14	scholar	Shifnal, Shropshire

1881 Census
Farm, Shifnal , Shropshire
Richard R Lander	head	married	51	late farmer	Shifnal, Salop
Ada M Lander	wife	married	39		Edgbaston, Warwickshire
Richard M G	son	single	17		Evelith Shifnal, Shropshire, England
St Johns College, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex
Thomas E Lander			17	scholar	Sydney, Australia
Broomfield Hall, Franche Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire
Mary Lander	boarder		15	scholar	Sydney, Australia
Kate Lander	boarder		11	scholar	Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Edith Lander	boarder		10	scholar	Shifnal, Shropshire, England

1891 Census
Sutton Hill, Albrighton, St Mary, Shropshire
Richard Lander	head	widower	61	farmer	Shifnal, Salop
Richard M G Lander	son	single	27		Shifnal, Salop
Mary Lander	niece	single	24		Sydney, Australia
Kate Lander	daughter	single	21		Shifnal, Salop
Edith Lander	daughter	single	20		Shifnal, Salop
Ada K Lander	daughter		16		Shifnal, Salop
Ernest O Lander	son		15		Shifnal, Salop
Arthur E Lander	son		14		Shifnal, Salop
Maud E Lander	daughter		11		Shifnal, Salop
Mabel I Lander	daughter		8		Shifnal, Salop

1901 Census
Sutton Hill, Sutton Maddock, Shropshire
Richard R Lander	head	widower	71	agricultural farmer	Shifnal, Salop
Richard M G Lander	son	single	37	agricultural farmer	Shifnal, Salop
Kate Lander	daughter	single	31		Shifnal, Salop
Edith Lander	daughter	single	30		Shifnal, Salop
Maud E Lander	daughter	single	21		Shifnal, Salop
Mary Lander	daughter	single	33		Sydney, Australia

The Lander Family and Thomas Knight's Silver
from Miss Jerram
August 2007

During the last war my father inherited "out of the blue", the Knight silver collection.
I have a list from the warehouse from which it was delivered, and a note from my Mother saying it was the legacy from Mamie Lander.
(Sadly the silver was later sold by my brother, understandably, as it would never have been safe to leave out, and we live in a different way to the Victorians!)
I examined everything very carefully, checking on dates, and briefly:
- the tea sets ("K" initials) were c.1825 (or possibly 1785)
- 4 boat shaped salts (lovely) 1770
- various cutlery 1788/1803, mostly shell pattern (assorted) and most with the Knight crest and/or "TK"
- There were also 2 plain spoons initialled "HM" and 3 spoons and forks initialled "EB".

I think we can take it for granted that the silver belonged to our Thomas and Isabella and were presumably inherited by Henrietta Mansfield and then to Eleanora Burr. (I don't know why they had their own initials on them. Perhaps they went to boarding school? (We had to bring our own cutlery at school!)

After this, it is a mystery. The following may help-
I will send a copy of Mabel Lander's letter, the only correspondence I have regarding this.
She refers to an item in my father's Reminiscences of which he presumably reminded her. He wrote:

"When I was about 8, I went to stay with cousins, the Landers, who had a farm in Shropshire. The two boys were pupils of my father's, and there were two girls more my age. This was the year of the Great Blizard when the River Severn was frozen, 1881"

The letter from Mabel Lander says "Yes, I was one of the two sisters, Maud being the other one with whom you played at Sutton Hill". She mentions "Arthur" who has now sold the farm. Her brother?
"Winifred is Mamie's neice, her brother Eaton's child."
Mamie seemed to be living in London or nearby.

Just found a note saying Mamie was the neice of Eleanora Burr ("a cousin of Florence Jerram") who lived in Brighton with her cats (no, I think it was Eleanora who lived there with the cats. But this could solve part of the problem.

I have a feeling that Mamie and Eaton were orphans, brought up by Eleanora??? but not sure what relation to Mabel.

Just found another reference

Henrietta Knight = Mansfield
Henrietta	Eleanora = Burr	another daughter = Lander
		Eaton	Mamie
		Winifred

Eaton and Mamie were orphaned cousins of the Shropshire Landers who were Ernest, Arthur, Maud, Mabel. (probably, not sure!)

Included with the silver was the cover of Thomas Knight's family bible. I can't recall who would now have this. I hope it is in safe hands, but I did copy the names and later sent to Gloria (who would have passed them to you.
.

Richard Ridley Lander

Richard Ridley Lander
Christened 26 January 1830 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England (parents Thomas Eaton Lander and Ann Ridley)
Died Q1 1909 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Married (1) Matilda Ann Goodall, Q3 1856 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Born 1830 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Died Q3 1871 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Children: Mary (1859), Richard (1863), Kate (1870), Edith (1871)
Married (2) Ada Margaret Osborne, Q2 1873 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Born Q3 1841 at Kings Norton
Died Q3 1886 at Shifnal, Shropshire, England
Children: Ada (1874), Ernest (1875), Arthur (1876), Maud (1879), Mabel (1882)