John Funnell & Elizabeth Bristow

In the 1911 Census we find that there was a boarder residing in the home of my great grandparents, Frederick and Elizabeth Bristow, and their family. His name was John Funnell. In the 1911 Census his age is given as 10 years and his place of birth as Wivelsfield, Sussex.

John Funnell with Elizabeth Bristow

In 1911 John is living with the Bristows at Old Farm Chailey Green. Lucy Bristow, my grandmother, is also there, aged 12 years. My mum remembers that Frederick and Elizabeth had a very close relationship with John Funnell and that they were like a mum and dad to him.This is rather confirmed by the two photographs here.

Looking at the returns for the 1901 Census we find John living with his parents in Wivelsfield Road, Wivelsfield. His father is John Funnell, a 33 year old Cowman, and his mother Anna, aged 32 years.

If we want to know why John was residing with the Bristows in 1911 we perhaps find the answer in the death records, where we have the death of an Anna Funnel registered at Lewes in the third quarter of 1907.

John Funnell died at Southland Hospital, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex on 28th December 1947.

It is interesting to find that John Funnell's estate of just over £568 was administered by a Ann Esther Ellen Langridge, the wife of Henry Cecil Langridge. The marriage records indicate that Henry Cecil Langridge married Anna E E Funnell in 1937. In the 1911 Census an Ester (sic) Funnell, aged 5, was living with a John and Eva Wright in Wivelsfield. John's occupation is given as Cowman Gardner. John's relationship (as Head) to Ester is given as "nurse child". This leads me to wonder whether John had a sister who, after the death of their mother, went and lived with another family whilst he went and stayed with the Bristows. This sister then administered his estate upon his death.

John Funnell and Elizabeth Bristow

With thanks to Ian Braban for supplying both the photographs on this page!