Very little is known about Elizabeth Monica Lawrence. From the certificate for her marriage to Thomas Percy Hilditch we learn that, at least before April 8th, she was 20 years old in 1912. She was a spinster and her deceased father was named as Thomas Lawrence. At the time of her marriage she was residing at 24 Cranston Road, Forest Hill in Kent.

Elizabeth Hilditch née Lawrence October 1923

Family recollection suggests that she was born at the Islington Workhouse and this could well be true. On July 4th 1892, Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth Lawrence, was born at Islington Workhouse, St John's Road. This wasn't the only workhouse in the area however and although there was an Elizabeth Lawrence at the St John's Workhouse recorded in the 1881 census, she was a widow aged 68, from Monmouth. I have not yet found Elizabeth in the 1901 census or her mother in 1891.

Elizabeth does appear in the 1911 census with some useful corroborative evidence. She is described as a visitor, age 18, in the household of Albert Fred Howard, silversmith, and her occupation is typist. Albert Fred Howard was one of the witnesses for Elizabeth's marriage a year later. Her full name, Elizabeth Monica Larwrence, is also given for the census, as it appears on the marriage certificate. It looks as if she added a year to her real age for her marriage in April 1912 when she claims to be 20 years old.

Another photograph of Elizabeth, this time with her three daughters.

On the reverse appears the inscription "Priscilla, Gwen, Baby, Mama October 23rd 1923" and above "Baby" is written "Jess", in brackets.

The 1911 census provides cause for some intriguing possibilities involving Elizabeth, some of them verging on the very probable. Use the link below to see more.

Census 1911