Rebekah Finnis (buried 1908)

At a glance

At a glance
Surname: 
Finnis
First name: 
Rebekah
Other Christian names: 
Gender: 
Female
Children: 
Yes
Burial number: 
570
Born: 
00/00/1824
Died: 
06/10/1908
Buried: 
09/10/1908
Occupation: 
Housemaid;
Heene Hallmark: 
No
Commonwealth War Grave: 
No

The Grave

The grave
Cemetery area: 
EB
Cemetery row: 
4
Cemetery plot: 
40
what3words location: 
https://what3words.com/wanted.bump.clay
Burial remains: 
Unknown
The headstone
Headstone inscription: 
To the proud and cherished memory of L.Col. Cecil George Edward, 13th London (Kensington) Regt., only son of George William and Millicent Burden (grandson) of the late George and Rebekah (Finnis) who fell in the Battle of the Somme 9th Sept. 1916 aged 24yrs. (Stone Surround) Also in loving memory of our dear mother Rebekah wife of George Finnis died Oct. 6th 1908 aged 88

Life story

Life story

Rebecca was born in 1824 Rebecca Kent in Hempnall, Norfolk England to Isaac Kent and Sarah Morley. She was baptised at St Margaret Church in Hempnall. Rebecca was one of 7 children born to Isaac and Sarah. Her father's occupation was a Carpenter.

Rebecca came to work in Worthing for the Thellusson family as a housemaid. This was a very wealthy family, and the head of the house was the last surviving person in the highly publicized trial of The last of the Thellusson will case of Peter Thelluson

Rebecca met George Finnis a family of shoe smiths and Blacksmiths and they married on 25 May 1852 in Broadwater. Rebecca had her first child in Worthing that same year and then her second Sarah Fanny Finnis was born in her hometown of Depwade in Norfolk in 1854, the following year her father dies in Depwade Norfolk. The following year in 1856 the family are settled in London where George her husband works as a Police constable in Westminster. Another 6 children follow Henry 1856, Caroline 1858, Emily 1860, Mary Ann 1862 who dies the following year. Eliza 1864, and Mary 1868.

The family stay in London at 34 Ponsonby Place, St George Hanover Square, London until husband George resigned from the Metropolitan Police in Westminster on 1st March 1878 on account of Debility and long service. The family moved back to Worthing and lived at 12 Thorn Terrace in Worthing with a pension of £62 and 8 Shillings a year. In 1891 Rebecca, her husband and 3 of their daughters are living in Thorn Road. Her husband is working as a fisherman and a boatman at that time.

Rebecca loses her daughter Eliza aged 36 of septicaemia in 1901, who worked as a dressmaker, and is buried in Heene cemetery. (Her other daughter Millicent Burden and her husband George William Burden are later buried with Eliza in 1924 and 1926)

Rebecca dies 7 years later, on 6th October 1908 at the age of 83 in Worthing and is laid to rest close by to her daughter's grave in Heene on 9th October.

Husband George dies 6 years later in 1914 and was buried across from Rebecca's grave along with daughter Sarah Fanny who died in 1927

Burial researcher: 
Gail Warner-Clarkson

Further information

Birth
Date born: 
00/00/1824
Marriage
Maiden name: 
Kent
Marriage 1
Spouse one first names: 
George
Spouse one last name: 
Finnis
Marriage one date: 
25/05/1852
Marriage one address: 
Worthing, Sussex, England

Death

Death (details)
Date of death: 
06/10/1908
Age (at time of death): 
83
Cause of death: 
Unknown
Address at time of death: 
12 Thorn Road, Worthing, Sussex, England

Census and miscellaneous information

Census information
1861 census: 

Rebecca 35yrs is living at 34 Ponsonby Place, St John E, Westminster with George 33yrs Police Constable, Millicent 8 yrs scholar, Fanny S 7 yrs scholar, Henry 5yrs scholar, Caroline H 3yrs, Emily 1yrs

1871 census: 

Rebecca 45yrs is living at 34 Ponsonby Place, St George Hanover Square, with George 43yrs Police Constable, Millicent 18yrs pupil teacher, Henry 15yrs Messenger, Caroline 13yrs scholar, Emily 11yrs, scholar, Eliza 7 yrs scholar, Mary 2yrs

1881 census: 

12 Thorn Terrace Worthing, George aged 54, working as a fisherman. Rebecca aged 55, Eliza aged 17 working as a milliner, Mary aged 12 at school

1891 census: 

Rebekah 66 yrs is living at 12 Thorn Road, Worthing with George Finnis 63yrs retired Police Sergeant and Boatman, Emily 31yrs dressmaker, Eliza 29yrs dressmaker, Mary E 22yrs Assistant Schoolmistress, Madaline F Dubois 11yrs granddaughter scholar, William H Stainer 19yrs Tutor in School

1901 census: 

Rebecca Finnis 76yrs is living at 12 Thorn Road, Worthing with husband George Finnis 73yrs Boatman Own Account, Fanny Finnis 47yrs dressmaker Own Account and Eliza Finnis 37yrs dressmaker Own Account

1911 census: 

George Finnis 83yrs Metropolitan Police Pensioner living at 25 Thorn Road with Fanny Sarah 57yrs dressmaker