Harry and Sophie Newland

Henry (Harry) Newland 4/10/1872 – 5/7/1954 – Stanley Newland’s father.

Harry was born at 34, Union Road, Newington, South London. He was the eldest child of Henry Newland and his wife Frances (Fanny) (maiden name Kemp). He had three sisters and one brother. Harry’s father was a tailor, and from censuses, it seems that the whole family were involved in the business. Harry spent his working life as a tailor too.  There were two shops in Southampton Street, Camberwell. This road is now known as Southampton Way; I haven’t been able to work out whether the properties are still there. There was another shop at 70a Peckham Rye. It looks as though that building has gone, replaced by modern flats. You can see the approximate location on Google Maps here.

 

Sophia (Sophie) Pearman 14/4/1874 – 17/7/1957 – Stanley Newland’s mother. 

Sophie was born at 10, Sultan Terrace, Avenue Road, Camberwell. By 1881 the family were living at 36, Wyndham Road, Camberwell. There’s a picture of Sultan Terrace in 1939 here and some views of Wyndham Road here. Not a very salubrious area! Sophie’s parents were William Pearman and his wife Emma Elizabeth (maiden name Pasby). Sophie had more than ten siblings and at least seven of them survived childhood. Sophie’s sister, Florence, married Harry’s brother, Herbert, in 1901. Sophie’s father was a carpenter and joiner and in later censuses he described himself as a builder and then a decorator.

Harry and Sophie were married on the 11^th of August 1898 at St Giles Church, Camberwell. The witnesses were Sophie’s father, William, and two of her sisters, Florence and Amy. In 1901 Harry and Sophie were living at 19, Manaton Road, Peckham and in the 1911 and 1921 censuses they were at 103, Southampton Street, presumably living above the shop. By 1936 they had moved to 25, Melville Road, Sidcup, Kent. A definite improvement on Sultan Terrace! Google maps.

Harry and Sophie had five children:-

·       Vernon was born in 1899.

·       Stanley was born in 1901. 

·       Leslie was born in 1903

·       Constance (Connie) was born in 1905.

·       Reginald was born in 1909.

Harry doesn’t seem to have played any part in the two World Wars. Conscription was introduced in 1916 during the First World War. Unmarried men under the age of forty were the first to be called up. Towards the end of the war the upper age limit was increased to fifty and married men were called up too. Conscription continued until 1920. By the time that WW2 started Harry was well over fighting age.

Here are some memories of Harry and Sophie from Stiggo:-

“Harry and Sophie were a very dear couple who came to stay for a week at a time or at Christmas. He was a tailor by trade and was full of fun. Sophie was very quiet in comparison- think I was a bit in awe of her! I left some of my dinner one day and she told me that children across the sea often didn't have any dinner so I should eat mine all up. Apparently, I said - let them have mine then. It didn't go down too well Mum said!! We loved having them to stay though.”

Harry died on the 5^th of July 1954, aged 81. He was buried at Sidcup Cemetery. Sophie died on the 17^th of July 1957, aged 83 and was also buried at Sidcup cemetery. Sophie didn’t leave a will but administration of her estate amounting to £354 5s 4d was granted to Vernon Newland.