Sophia Cross

LIFE GOES ON: AN INTRODUCTION

MY GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

THE SIXTEEN FAMILIES

KNOTT - I - BOWLES - I - WATERS - I - HARRALL - I - PAGE - I - WISEMAN - I - CROSS - I - CARTER

CORNWELL - I - HUCKLE - I - MORTLOCK - I - MANSFIELD - I - REYNOLDS - I - CARTER - I - ANABLE - I - STEARN

CHRONOLOGY - I - DRAMATIS PERSONAE - I - WHERE PEOPLE CAME FROM - I - CALENDAR

MAP OF ELY - I - MAP OF MEDWAY
MAP OF CAMBRIDGE AND DISTRICT

THE WORKHOUSE

WORLD WAR I - I - WORLD WAR II

simonknott.co.uk I home I e-mail

LIFE GOES ON

Sophia Chapman Cross
born Ely, Cambridgeshire, 1882
died Ely, Cambridgeshire, 1958

on the Page family tree
part of the Cross and Carter family stories

married to Arthur Page

mother of Phyllis Page

sister of Herbert Cross

daughter of
Thomas Cross
and Sarah Carter

Sophia Chapman Cross (1882-1958). My Father's Mother's Mother. My Great-Grandmother.

The Cross family came from the same part of Ely as the Pages. Sophia was still alive to appear on my parents' wedding photograph in 1956, but had died before I was born in 1961. She lived all her life in the Waterside area of Ely. Sophia's husband Arthur was killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, and her younger brother Herbert was killed in the Battle of Gaza in 1917. It is said that, on reading the telegram telling her of the death of her husband, Sophia went stone deaf, a condition from which she never recovered during the more than forty years remaining of her life. She was known to my parents' generation as Grandma Sophie, and is pictured on the far left of the photograph above of the Waterside 1937 Coronation street party in 1945. She lived in a house just out of shot to the left.

1882: Sophia was born on the 9th January at Broad Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire. her father's occupation is given as Railway Labourer. Her mother's maiden name is given as Carter. The birth was registered by her mother, who signed with a cross.

1891 census:

Sophia was nine years old at the time of the 1891 census. The Cross family were living in Potters Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Her father Thomas is shown as a gas works labourer. He was 41 years old. Her mother Sarah was 32.

Sophia was one of five children living at home. Alice was also 9 (in fact, Alice was born about nine months after Sophia). Tom was 5, James was 2 and Herbert was 4 months old. On 18th June 1917, Herbert would be killed when a Private in the 1st/5th Batallion of the Suffolk Regiment in Gaza, Palestine. Also in the house on the night of the census was Sophia Convine, aged 37 and described as a visitor.

Sophia was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, as was her father Thomas and the other children. Her mother had been born at Prickwillow on the outskirts of Ely. The visitor, Sophia Convine, was also born at Prickwillow, suggesting that she was a friend of Sarah's or even a relative. The transcript for their entry is here.

1901: Sophia married Arthur Page on 12th January in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral, which served as the parish church of Holy Trinity, Ely. He gave his age as 22 and she as 20: in fact, they were 21 and 19. He gave his occupation as labourer. His home address was in Bull Lane, while hers was in Potters Lane. The witnesses were Robert John Dewsbery and Alice Cross. Alice was Sophia's younger sister by 13 months. Before the end of the year, Alice would marry Robert Dewsbery.

1901 census:

Sophia was twenty years old at the time of the 1901 census. The Page family were living on west side of Bull Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Her husband Arthur is shown as a baker's labourer. He was 22 years old.

Sophia was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, as was her husband Arthur. The transcript for their entry is here.

1911 census:

Sophia was twenty-nine years old at the time of the 1911 census. The Page family were living on Back Hill, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Her husband Arthur is shown as a general labourer, aged 32. They had been married for ten years.

Sophia had four children at the time of the census: Arthur aged 9, Violet aged 6, Beatrice aged 5 and Percy aged 1. Another child, 3 year old Florence, is entered on the form and then crossed out because she was living and sleeping at Mrs Sophia Stubbins Back Hill. She had probably been farmed out because her mother was nine months pregnant - Sophia's daughter Dorothy was born three days after the census.

Sophia was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, as was her husband Arthur. The children were all born in Ely, with the exception of Beatrice, who was born in Peterborough. The transcript for their entry is here. You can view the original form here. The form for the household where Florence was staying is here.

1913: On the 10th October, an article in the Cambridge Independent Press reported a serious accident which had befallen Arthur and Sophie's daughter Florence:

1916: On 20th July, Sophia's husband Arthur was killed at Delville Wood in the Battle of the Somme, France. He was 37 years old. The Ely newspapers reported the Page family's plight. On 28th July the Cambridgeshire Times, which was incorporating the Ely Standard for the duration of the War, reported that Yesterday (Thursday) morning Mrs Page of Waterside, received a letter from the Chaplain to the 2nd Suffolk Regiment, informing her of the death in action of her husband, Sergt A. Page. He leaves a wife and seven children, for whom great sympathy is felt. On the same day, the Cambridge Independent Press reported that Mrs Page, Waterside, Ely, has received news that her husband Sergt A. Page, of the 2nd Suffolks, has been killed in action. The Chaplain of the Regiment has written a letter of sympathy to the widow, who is left with seven children.

1918: On the 1918 Electoral Roll, the first to feature women (though only those aged thirty and above), Sophia is shown livng at Waterside, Ely.

1921 census:

at the time of the 1921 census. The Page family were living on Waterside, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Sophia was 39 years old. She was recorded as a widow, and worked as an agricultural help at Woodhouse Farm, Chettisham. There were five children in the house on the night of the census.Nineteen year old Arthur was a bricklayer's labourer for JJ Ambrose, builders. Sixteen year old Violet was a jam factory hand at the Ely Fruit Preserving Company, Brays Lane. Beatrice aged fifteen was recorded as being on home duties. Percy was twelve and Phyllis was eight. They were both recorded as being in whole time education.

As in 1911, fourteen year old Florence was entered on the form and then crossed out. And, as in 1911, Florence was living with Sophia Stubbings, a widow of Powells Yard, Newnham Street. Florence was recorded as her grand-daughter (in fact, Sophia was her great-aunt).

Ten year old Dorothy was also not at home on the night of the census. Everyone in the household was recorded as being born in Ely, although in fact Beatrice was born in Peterborough. The census return is here.

1924: Sophia's daughter Florence died in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. She was 17 years old.

1927: Sophia's son Percy died at 31, Silver Street Ely. He was 27 years old.

1932: When Sophia's youngest daighter Phyllis married Vincent Helgia Knott at Ely Register Office, Phyllis's address was given as 29a Fore Hill, Ely.

1935: On the Electoral Roll Sophia is shown as living at 20 Waterside, Ely. In the same household was her son, Arthur Thomas Harry Page.

1939: Sophia Chapman Page is shown on the 1939 Register as a widow living at 20 Waterside, Ely. Living with her is her son Arthur Thomas Harry Page aged 38, who is shown as married, and his occupation is given as a shop porter - furnisher.

1958: On the Electoral Roll Sophia is shown as still living at 20 Waterside, Ely. Still in the same household was her son, Arthur Thomas Harry Page. However, Sophie died in Ely, Cambridgeshire, during the 1st quarter of this year. She was 76 years old.