Co-churchwarden in Stepney parish, Mile End Old Town in 1885.
The 1879 gives his address as 4 Eastbury Terrace.
Alfred Furness was born on 28 February 1828 in Shoreditch, Middlesex (now Greater London), the youngest of the three children of Robert Furness (1784-1864) and Martha Furness née Hesford (1783-1867). He was baptised on 1 June 1828 in St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, where in the baptismal register he is shown as Alfred Furness. The register also confirms his date of birth, that his family were living in Kingsland Road and that his father was an oil man.
His two siblings were: Maria Furness (b.1820) and Henry Furness (1825-1884).
In the census that was compiled on 6 June 1841 he was shown aged 13 years and living in Pearson Street, Shoreditch, with his parents and his sister. His father was described as a grocer.
On 15 February 1848 he married Henrietta Parkes (1829-1911) in the St John at Hackney Church, Lower Clapton Road, Hackney, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the marriage register he is shown as of full age, a bachelor and a mercantile clerk living in Dalston, Middlesex (now Greater London), the son of Robert Furness, an oil man, whilst his wife was described as of full age and a spinster who was also residing in Dalston, the daughter of Joseph Sylvester Parkes, a cooper. They were both, of course, only aged 19 years and not 21 years or over to be classed as of full age.
They were to have ten children: Henrietta Furness (1850-1850); Alfred Furness (1852-1895); Robert Joseph Furness (1854-1940); Charles Henry Furness (1857-1923); Maria Louise Furness (b.1859); Henrietta Furness (1860-1923); Richard Furness (1862-1940); Arthur Hesford Furness (1864-1940); Frederic William Furness (1866-1904) and Alice Martha Furness (1868-1891).
He was shown in the census that undertaken on 30 March 1851 as aged 23 years and a potato salesman, living at 64 Pearson Street, Shoreditch, with his wife.
He was described as aged 43 years in the census that was taken on 2 April 1871. His occupation was recorded as 'house property' and he was residing at 4 Eastbury Terrace, Mile End Old Town, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife and their nine surviving children: Alfred Furness - a clerk; Robert Joseph Furness - a clerk; Charles Henry Furness - a scholar; Maria Louise Furness - a scholar; Henrietta Furness - a scholar; Richard Furness - a scholar; Arthur Hesford Furness - a scholar; Frederic William Furness - a scholar and Alice Martha Furness, together with his widowed sister Maria Furness.
He was still living at 4 Eastbury Terrace, Mile End Old Town, when the census was taken on 3 April 1881. He was shown as aged 53 years and as a retired potato salesman who was living with his wife and five of their children: Alfred Furness - a grocer's clerk; Maria Louise Furness; Henrietta Furness; Arthur Hesford Furness - a grocer's assistant and Frederic William Furness - a scholar.
He had moved to 5 Eastbury Terrace, Mile End Old Town, when the census was completed on 5 April 1891 and was living there with his wife and their daughter, Henrietta Furness. He was aged 63 years and no occupation was recorded against his name.
The census that was compiled on 31 March 1901 shows him as aged 73 years, still residing at 5 Eastbury Terrace, Mile End Old Town, with his wife and their daughter Henrietta Furness. He was shown as retired and a workhouse official.
When he completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he described himself as aged 83 years and of no occupation. He was still living at 5 Eastbury Terrace, Mile End Old Town, that he described as an eight roomed property, with his wife and their daughter, Henrietta Furness, together with a married niece, Catherine Smith. He stated that his wife had given birth to ten children but that only six were still alive.
His death was registered as aged 85 years in the 1st quarter of 1913 in the Mile End Old Town Registration District, London. Probate records confirm that his address remained as 5 Eastbury Terrace, Beaumont Square, Mile End, London and that he died there on 9 March 1913. Probate of his will and codicil was granted on 14 May 1913 jointly to three of his children: Robert Joseph Furness - a stationer; Arthur Hesford Furness - a grocer and Henrietta Furness - a spinster. His effects totalled £1,946-2s-9d.
He is shown as 'ALFRED FURNESS' on the Mile End Old Town boundary marker at 20 Morgan Street, London, E3.
Note: Eastbury Terrace is the road running along the north side of Beaumont Square. None of the houses have survived.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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