Ann Speed was the seventh child of John Speed & Hannah Storey born June 10th, 1821 at Zion St & christened February 10th, 1822 at Sunderland, Co Durham.
Ann married Robert Horsley on September 21st, 1840 at St Michael & All Angels, Bishopwearmouth. Robert was born c1820 in Hartlepool, Co. Durham, the son of Mary Horsley.
In 1841 Ann & Robert were living at John St, Hartlepool & Robert was described as a fisher.
Robert & Ann were living with Robert’s mother, Mary Horsley, proprietor of houses in 1851. Robert was now a pilot & they now had 4 children – Elizabeth Ann (9), Margaret (4), Robert (9) & Sarah Jane (2). Also living with them at Northgate St, Hartlepool were 2 more of Mary’s grandchildren – William Horsley (20) listed as a cripple, & George (15), an assistant pilot. There was a also a 22 year old visitor, Mary Golightly, a blacksmith’s wife.
Daughter Eliza married John Smith, an engine driver on the railway, in 1861 in Hartlepool. Eliza & John & family were living in Newburn St, Hartlepool in 1871 with 2 sons & a daughter. Sadly Eliza died in 1875 & by 1881 John Smith had remarried & he & his wife Emma (nee Wood) & family were living at Newburn St, Hartlepool.
The family could not be found in 1861 but by 1871 they were living at 2 Marina Terrace, West Hartlepool & Robert was still a pilot. Daughters Hannah (19), Boadicia (18), Anne M S (15), Helena (12) & sons Robert (12) & John George (7) were all at home. A grandson was also listed – Thomas William Jackling (1). Also at home were daughter Margaret & her husband William Pounder Kilbride, a pilot, & their 10 month old son Horatio. Margaret’s husband William suffered mentally when he lost his pilot’s licence & was taken to the Hartlepool Union Workhouse. He died later in 1871, his body being identified by Robert Horsley, pilot. Widowed Margaret was still living in Hartlepool in 1881. Margaret married again, her second husband being John Leach Ford, a seaman.
Ann & Robert appear to have had 2 sons who they named Robert – the first born in 1845 and another in 1861. First born Robert was married to Ann by 1871 & living in Hartlepool with 2 children. The birth records for the children show that the mother’s maiden name was Hastings & there is a marriage for Ann Hastings in April-June 1865 in Hartlepool to Robert Horsley Stubs. ? Robert had become a pilot like his father & he continued to live in Hartlepool until his death in 1903. The Northern Guardian of April 1st, 1895 carried a report of Robert Horsley, a pilot, neglecting to maintain his wife & family. His wife maintained that after nearly 20 years of marriage he had left her 5 months ago & during that time had only given her 25s. She had at home a family of 2 daughters & a son who hadn’t worked for a long time. Her husband had refused to give her money several times & she had had to go to the soup kitchen for her & her family. The defendant, Robert, stated that he had gone home about 5 months ago & found his wife very drunk. He had given his wife half his earnings. He stated that they had driven him out of the house & pointed to his daughter in the court & said ‘she doesn’t look very much like being starved’. Daughter (Mary) Ellen was then called & stated that she had not wanted for food & her father had helped to maintain when he could. The reason he had left was because he could not agree with her brother. Robert was ordered to pay 8s a week & to pay costs. (Interestingly a notice in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail of April 2nd, 1895 stated that Robert of 2 Pimlico St was no longer responsible for the debts of his wife Ann Horsley.)
Daughter Sarah Jane had married George Alfred Bourne on May 19th, 1867 at Stepney, Middlesex. She was listed with her brother Robert & wife Ann & family at 2 Pimlico St, West Hartlepool in 1871. Husband George, a mariner, was not with her and she had a 3 year old son George A. Sadly her husband George died at sea a year later. Sarah Jane married again in 1873 on August 7th at Christ Church, Hartlepool. Her second husband was Henri Hugo Ochskar Eisenblatter, also a mariner. The 1881 census shows her with son George & daughter Amy Ann Bourne & new daughter Ida Alexia Maria Eisenblatter. Tragically Henri too was drowned whilst on the SS Tom Pyman in 1890. Sarah Jane married for the third time on December 22nd, 1895. She married John William Spencelayh, a stoker at the shipyard & in 1911 they were living in Whitby St, Hartlepool.
Daughter Hannah married Thomas Parkinson, a blacksmith, in 1870 in Hartlepool.
Robert was still working as a pilot in 1881 & he & Ann were living at 31 Whitby St, West Hartlepool. Only daughter Helena was still at home & there was an 18 year old visitor, Mary Burnham Miller, a domestic servant.
Robert had his pilot licence suspended for 3 months in June 1883. He was in charge of the steamer Kaiser on her voyage from Hamburg to West Hartlepool when she was grounded while Robert was guiding her into Hartlepool.
Son Robert (number 2) married Alice Gray in 1883 at All Saints, Hartlepool. By 1901 he & his wife & family were living in Alverstoke, Hampshire & he was a carpenter’s mate. By 1939 Robert was widowed & living with daughter Jane A now married to Frank Perkins in Portsmouth. He was still a carpenter’s mate.
Robert died suddenly aged 65 on January 28th, 1885 at 21 George St, Hartlepool. An inquest into his death stated that he had complained of dizziness for several months & on the 28th he retired to rest at 10p.m. When Ann went upstairs a short time later she found him dying. A verdict of natural causes was returned. (Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, January 29th,1885) A report in the Northern Weekly Gazette of February 7th 1885 remarked that many people may not have known that Robert had been coxswain of the West Hartlepool No. 1 lifeboat for more than 30 years. A presentation of an address & £10 had been made to him on the occasion of his retirement from the post 6 months ago. It is not known how many lives he saved but on one occasion he & his crew rescued no less than 15 people.
In 1891 widowed Ann was living with her married daughter Helena O’Neil, & her 2 young children at 11 Dundas St, West Hartlepool. Helena had married George O’Neil in 1883. By 1901 Helena & husband George, a mariner, & family were living in Whitehaven, Cumberland.
There is a death for Annie Horsley aged 71 in Oct-December 1892 at Dundas St, Hartlepool.
Daughter Anne Maria married Auguste Johansen (Johnson), a mariner, on July 19th, 1884 at Hartlepool. Anne & Auguste had 2 known children – Robert Augustus in 1886 & Peterineta Strumberg in 1888. Auguste died in 1889. Anne married again in 1890 in Hartlepool. She married David Jenkins & her name was listed as Hannah Maria Speed Johnson at the time of the marriage. In 1901 Anne & David, a stationary engine driver, were living at Catherine St, West Hartlepool & with them were Anne’s son Robert (15) & daughter listed as Nellie (13) from her previous marriage. Anne & David now had 3 children of their own. By 1911 Ann was widowed & living in Robinson St, W Hartlepool with 2 sons & a daughter. Her daughter Brenda enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in WW1 giving her address as 3 Robinson St. & her mother as next of kin. Her trade was a general fitter & she served in France.
The children of Ann Speed & Robert Horsley were:
sp.1.5.1.3.7.1 Eliza Ann Horsley born July-September 1841 & christened November 21st, 1841 at St Hilda’s, Hartlepool; died Aug 31st 1875 at Newburn St, Stranton, Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.2 Elizabeth Mary Horsley born Oct-December 1843 at Hartlepool; buried May 21st, 1846 at St Hilda’s, Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.3 Robert Horsley born April-June 1845 & christened February 21st, 1846 at St Hilda’s, Hartlepool; died Oct-December 1903 at Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.4 Margaret Horsley born Oct-December 1846 at Hartlepool; died April-June 1913 at Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.5 Sarah Jane Horsley born Jan-March 1849 at Hartlepool; died April 15th, 1918 at 30 Whitby St, West Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.6 Hannah Horsley christened April 26th, 1851 at Hartlepool; buried December 5th, 1883 at Oxbridge Cemetery, Stockton
sp.1.5.1.3.7.7 Boadicia Horsley born Oct-December 1853 & christened January 1st, 1854 at Stranton, Hartlepool; died October 11th, 1881 at George St, Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.8 Anne Maria Speed Horsley born April-June 1856 & christened June 22nd, 1856 at West Hartlepool
sp.1.5.1.3.7.9 Helena Horsley born July-September 1858 in Hartlepool; died Jan-March 1932 at Whitehaven, Cumberland
sp.1.5.1.3.7.10 Robert Horsley christened June 2nd, 1861 at Brougham St. Chapel, West Hartlepool; died Oct-December 1949 in Portsmouth
sp.1.5.1.3.7.11 John George Horsley christened September 13th, 1863 at Hartlepool