Isaac Raven

Isaac was born into an itinerant family in Essex in about 1850, one of nine (known) children born to Alfred Raven and his wife Elizabeth (Brooks).
Several of the children’s births, including that of Isaac appear to have gone unregistered.
Angelina Raven Q3 1876 Orsett RD vol 4a page 219
Jonathan Raven Q3 1877 Maldon RD vol4a page 294
Alfred Raven circa 1878 South Weald Essex
William Raven circa 1880 Dulwich / Herne Hill, Surrey
James Thomas Q1 1883 Wandsworth RD vol 1d page 824
Emily Elizabeth Raven Q1 1886 Orsett RD vol 4a page 375
Arthur Herbert Raven Q1 1888 Orsett RD vol4a page 391
Isaac Raven circa 1890 Southend Essex
Alice Louisa Raven Q4 1895 Hoo RD (Allhallows) vol 2a page 543

The eldest, Angelina, died Q4 1876, Billericay RD, vol 4a page 127

In 1891 Elizabeth and her parents Jacob and Maria Brooks were living ‘in an encampment on Tilbury Common’. Her husband Alfred was not with them and I have been unable to locate him. It’s possible that he was detained somewhere ‘at Her Majesty’s pleasure’ and recorded by initials only, but more likely he was looking around to find employment and somewhere more permanent for the family to live; sleeping rough and moving on before the census enumerator caught up with him.

The move to Allhallows was some time between April 1891 and late 1895 when Louisa was born. Although it’s possible that they found someone to row a boat across the river, it’s much more likely that they took the ferry from Tilbury to Gravesend and then the steam train to Allhallows.

In 1901 Alfred, Elizabeth and the five youngest children were living at Windle Green, Allhallows. Alfred was a general labourer and William was a team man on a farm (overwritten by the census officials as Ag Horse).

Elizabeth Raven died aged 50 Q3 1906 Hoo RD vol 2a page 412.
Alfred D Raven died aged 65 in Q1 1915 Hoo RD vol 2a page 1214
Neither of them were buried in Allhallows.

In 1911 all of Isaac’s brothers were in Allhallows or Stoke and his sister Emily was in Chatham. Isaac himself and younger sister Alice Louisa cannot be found.

His fatherAlfred aged 53 was living at New Hall farm, Allhallows with his unmarried son William, 29. Alfred was a chimney sweep and William was a wagoner on a farm. Also in the household was 36 year old widowed housekeeper Lottie Dodson. Was she really a housekeeper or a partner to William? Both Alfred and Lottie (incorrectly) answered the question asked only to married women about length of marriage and numbers of children. Lottie said married 5 years, 2 children born both still alive. Where were they?

Alfred said he had been married for 35 years with 8 children all still alive. 35 years back from 1911 takes us to 1876, the year little Angelina was born and died. Sadly Alfred seemed to have forgotten about her. However no Alfred Raven-Elizabeth Brooks marriage can be identified.

Also at New Hall Farm were Isaac’s brother Alfred, wife Kate and children Alfred, John and Kate. Their form was signed by a Lotty Raven Who was she?

Isaac’s brother Arthur Herbert and his wife Mary Ann (Rist) and daughter Emily were living at Nord Corner
His brother James Thomas , wife Sarah (Chapman) and children Dorothy and James were also at Nord Corner

His brother Jonathan, wife Clara (Rist) and daughter Eva were living in Lathery Cottages, Stoke.

Isaac’s sister Emily married Wilfred Loft; another brother to Albert and Ernest Loft. They lived in Strood and had just one child Arthur Wilfred born 1908. Wilfred died in 1909 and is buried at Allhallows. Emily remarried in February 1911 to Thomas Davidson, a gas fitter’s mate, at Medway Register Office. In the 1911 census they were living at Darland Terrace, Upper Luton Rd, Chatham. They had two daughters, Emily E born Q3 1911 and Dorothy V born Q4 1913. In 1939 Emily and Thomas were living at Windmill Street, Frindsbury.

Because Isaac appears to have been one of the soldiers whose papers were lost during WW2 there is very little else recorded about him other than the

Isaac died 10 November 1914 in Northern France. His war gratuities were paid to his father Alfred, brothers John, Arthur, Alfred and William, to his sisters Emily Davidson and Mrs James, presumably Alice although there is no suitable Raven-James marriage in the indexes. The gratuities were presumably paid to his siblings because his father had died in 1915.


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