An "ordinary mother" who lived at the house with the plaque for 53 years, 1892 - 1945.
Elisabeth Dipp was born on 19 January 1867 in Walshausen, Hessen, Germany and married Karl Heinrich Wilhelm Hagedorn (1867-1939) in circa 1889 in Paris, France.
In the census that was compiled on 5 April 1891 she was shown as aged 24 years and living in one room at 108 * Ravenshaw Street, Hampstead, London, with her husband, Karl Hagedorn, aged 24 years and a tailor who had been born in Hanover, Germany, together with their 4 months old twins, Karl Hagedorn (1890-1961) and Albert Hagedorn (1890-1987) who had been born in Hampstead.
When her husband completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he described her as aged 44 years and living in a seven roomed property at 15 Ravenshaw Street, Hampstead, with himself - aged 44 years and a tailor maker and their eight children: Karl Hagedorn - a plumber; Albert Hagedorn - a plumber; Francis Henry Hagedorn (1893-1975) - a tailor's apprentice; Elisabeth Henrietta Hagedorn (1896-1982); Frederick William Hagedorn (1897-1959) - at school; Winifred Dorothy Hagedorn (1900-1973) - at school; Wilhelm Otto Hagedorn (1903-1964) - at school and Dorothy Elsie May Hagedorn (1905-1987). He confirmed that his wife had given birth to a total of eight children and that these were still alive.
The census return form that was completed by her husband on 19 June 1921 shows his wife as aged 55 years, 5 months and on home duties, living in five rooms within 15 Ravenshaw Street, Hampstead. He described himself as aged 55 years, 4 months, a ladies tailor working on his own account. Although giving their towns and country of birth for himself and his wife he claimed that they both had 'no nationality'. (World War One had only ended less than two years earlier with the signing of The Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919 and anti-German sentiment probably meant they wished to keep a low profile). Also on the census form were six of their children who were shown as: Henry Hegedorn, aged 28 years, 5 months - a foreign agent working on his own account; Elisabeth Hagedorn, aged 25 years, 5 months - a dairy bookkeeper employed by Ben Davies & Son, dairymen at King Street, London, W2; Fred Hagedorn, aged 23 years, 8 months - a shorthand typist employed by Foster McClellan Co, manufacturing chemists at Wells Street, London, W1; Winnifred Hagedorn, aged 20 years, 11 months - a filing clerk working at Derry & Toms, drapers at High Street, Kensington, London; William Hagedorn, aged 17 years, 7 months - a general clerk employed by Van Houten Ltd, cocoa manufacturers at 15-17 City Road, London, EC1 and Dorathea Hagedorn, aged 15 years, 4 months - on home duties.
Also listed on separate census 1921 census form was her son, Albert Hagedorn, aged 30 years, 6 months - a plumber working on his own account. He was living within two rooms at 15 Ravenshaw Street, Hampstead, with his wife, Elsie E. Hagedorn née Kossowsky (1891-1959), aged 30 years, 2 months, who was a German and their surviving daughter Dorothy Elsie Hagedorn (1912-1992), aged 8 years, 7 months who was in whole time education.
In the England and Wales Register that was completed on 29 September 1939 she was shown as Elisabeth Hagedorn, a widow who was born on 19 January 1867 and on unpaid domestic duties, residing at 15 Ravenshaw Street, Hampstead, together with two of her daughters: Elisabeth Henrietta Hagedorn - a secretary (dairy trade) and Dorothea Hagedorn - a supervisor (machinist).
As a German female enemy alien, she was exempted from internment on 14 December 1939 at a tribunal where she expressed her desire not to be repatriated to Germany and was issued with a Police Registration Certificate, Number I.B.385170.
Her death was registered as aged 78 years in the 1st quarter of 1945 in the Hampstead Registration District, London. Probate records confirm her address to have been 15 Ravenshaw Street, Hampstead and that she died on 30 January 1945. Her on 2 February 1945 in , in Hampstead Cemetery, Fortune Green Road, London, NW6 1DR. Probate was granted on 18 June 1945 to her daughter Elisabeth Henrietta Hagedorn, a spinster and her effects totalled £490-18s-6d.
* In the 1891 census the Hagedorn family was listed, living in one room at 108 Ravenshaw Street. However, 2025, the highest number in that street is 97. That census showed the numbering in the street to be irregular with some gaps and some unnumbered Lodges and Villas. The numbering now seems to be regular so we assume the street was renumbered at some stage. All we can say about number 108 is that it was probably on the west side of the street and towards the southern end.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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