Albert Underwood, born 19th June 1863 at Brighton, was the fourth child of John Harmer’s sister Zilpah and her husband Henry Underwood. This makes him John’s nephew.
As a young boy Albert lived at 11 Pelham Square, then for less than a year at 93 Upper North Street until the Underwood family settled at 99 Upper North Streetin 1871. His father died of cancer in 1874, followed by his mother (who died of consumption) in October 1881. In the census of April 1881 17 year old Albert was working as a cashier at an Italian warehouse. Although I have yet to identify this shop, Albert seems to have worked there all his life.
Marriage
Albert’s wife Clara Boxell was born in 1863 at Brighton. In 1881’s census, when she was 19, she was working as a live-in servant for a bootmaker on St. James’s Street, and as a child she had spent time at an Industrial School in Chelsea. She may have been a poor cousin of Brighton-born Clara Esther Boxell (1858 – 1908), who married Albert’s brother Frank in 1888.
They married between April and June 1885 and set up home at 54 Clifton Street, which would remain their home until their deaths. Today the house is a three bedroom, two bathroom family property, but in 1891’s census it was being shared by Albert and Clara, a family of five and their servant, and a lodger. By this time the Underwoods had had two children, Albert (5) and Minnie (1) – so it must have been a bit of a squeeze! Albert was working a colourman’s assistant.
By 1901, when he was 37, Albert was the manager of an oil and colour shop, and the family had the house to themselves. Albert Jnr., 15, was working as a solicitor’s clerk.
Children
In October 1910 Minnie married Fred Harold Carpenter at The Chapel Royal in North Street. Their wedding reception was held at the family home, 54 Clifton Street. After their marriage the couple set up home at nearby 17 Buckingham Road. 26 year old Fred’s occupation is given as a solicitor’s managing clerk in the 1911 census, so perhaps he worked with Minnie’s brother Albert.
Albert Jnr. also married in 1910, but at St. Thomas in Devon. His wife Jessie Kate Hexter was born at Exeter in 1883, and was working as a draper’s assistant in 1901. In the 1911 census Albert was living at home with his parents, and still working as a solicitor’s clerk, whilst Jessie was visiting friends or family in Exeter. We don’t know when the couple moved out of Albert’s family home, but around 1928 they moved to 76 Osborne Villas in Hove. Sadly Albert died in 1937, when he was just 50. He and Jessie had no children.
Death of Clara
Clara died at Brighton in June Q 1932, when she was 69. By the time of the 1939 Register Albert was retired, and we learn that he had eventually become a managing director and company secretary. He was 76 by then, and being kept company by a housekeeper, Merinda M.G. Wood (66).
Death
Albert passed away on 15th May 1953 at The Royal Sussex County Hospital. He was 89 years of age, and had outlived Clara by 21 years.
Children
Albert Underwood (1885 – 1937)
Minnie Carpenter née Underwood (19th Oct 1889 – 1975 )
In 1939’s Register Minnie and her husband Fred, who was by then a qualified solicitor, were living at Kingway opposite Hove Lawns. With them was their only child Joan M (born 29th Oct 1915), who was an actress and also volunteering as an ambulance driver to help with the war effort. Joan may be the same Joan M. Carpenter who married Percy E. Nash at Brighton in Dec Q 1945. If you know what became of Joan I would love to hear from you!
Fred passed away on 6th March 1947 when he was just 59. He and Minnie were living at Embassy Court in Hove, although he died at 26 Cromwell Road. Minnie passed away on 13th March 1975. Her home at that time was 11 Langdale Road, Hove. How long ago, and of what a different age, her pretty wedding of 1910 must have seemed!
