Photographers 1840 – 1940 Great Britain & Ireland

William Heathman c1834 – 1905

 

Photographic Business

Although William’s cartes de visite say that the firm was established in 1855 there is no evidence that it was established as a photographic business.

It was not until 1861, when he was about 27, that he was recorded as a photographer on his son’s birth certificate in Woolwich in London.

He had two different studios in London and then moved to Aldershot in Hampshire and opened a photographic studio there. His last advertisement for a studio was in 1880 when he was about 45 years old.

William’s other jobs included being a baker, in his early days, a music seller and, latterly, a publican and a boot maker.

William died in 1905.

 

Census

1841 – age 6 at Cockles Cottage, Charles Street, St. Paul’s, Deptford, Greenwich, Kent with his family
1851 – age 16 at Thames Street, Greenwich (occupation – baker)
1861 – returns from the Woolwich & Woolwich Arsenal are missing from the 1861 census
1871 – age (35-37) at 56 Church Street, Woolwich, London at the Alhambra pub (later becomes the White Lion) with Georgiana and son Harry
1881 – age 40 at Aldershot Arms, 7 High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire (occupation – publican) Widower with son Henry
1891 – age 65 (55-57) at 33 High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire (occupation – living on his own means) with Kate Grover and Nelly and Vernon but mentioned as a jeweller on his marriage certificate to Kate 9th Sep 1891
1901 – age 61 (65-67) at White Hart pub, 89 High Street, Whitechapel, London (occupation – publican) with Kate Grover and Nelly, Vernon, Maud, May and Lilly

 

William Heathman was born around 1834/35 in Greenwich, London and was the son of William Heathman, a baker, and Mary Grive.

Early records show that William Junior was also a baker. However, William had many occupations – as well as four ‘wives’, two of whom he married officially!

William married his first wife, Martha Ester Davies (1825 -1891) in St. Mary’s Church, Marylebone, London on the 23rd August 1856. According to his marriage certificate William was a house agent living at 8 Stingo Lane, Marylebone. William was 21 and Ester was 10 years older.

On the 8th September 1856, a few weeks after the wedding, Ada Martha Mary Heathman was born. William’s occupation on her birth certificate was given as ‘music seller’ and his address as London Road, Greenwich.

Ada was followed by Emily Amelia Heathman in 1859. Sadly, Emily died within a month of her birth.

Later in 1859, William was a baker in Trafalgar Road, Greenwich.

William and Martha also had twin sons born on the 14th January 1861 at 78 Wellington Street (William’s first photographic studio address). They were Alfred George Heathman and William Absalom Heathman. On William Absalom’s birth certificate William senior was listed as a photographer living at 78 Wellington Street, Woolwich. Alfred died at the age of 13 and William died 10 years later.

William’s studio in 78 Wellington Street, Woolwich was open in 1861 but by 1872 he was succeeded by Cobb & Challis.

William opened an additional studio in 1865 at 63 Wellington Street, Woolwich and this was advertised for several years until 1876 – so he had two studios open for a period of about 7 years.

Also in 1865, after only nine years with Martha, William was with a new partner, Georgiana Brimfield (confirmation of his marriage to this 2nd ‘wife’ yet to be found). William was 30 and Georgiana was 23. Georgiana was born in 1842 and died during childbirth in 1877 at the relatively young age of 35.

Whilst living at 78 Wellington Street, Greenwich (William’s photographic studio), William and Georgiana had a son Harry, born in 1865, and another son who was born on the 14th August 1866 but he died immediately after birth and was not named. His birth certificate listed William as a photographer at the Criterion Studios, 77 & 78 Wellington Street.

By 1869, William had turned his hand to being the licensee of the Alhambra public house (later renamed the White Lion), Church Street, Woolwich. This means he was a publican and a photographer at the same time so must have had help with one or both businesses.

Two more children were born at 78 Wellington Street, Charles Edward Lindsey Brimfield, who died as a baby and Henry Heathman who was born in 1870.

In the census of 1871, Martha was living in Amersham Lane, Deptford with their three children Ada, William and Alfred. It appears that William had abandoned them.

In the same census, William and his second family, Georgiana and son Harry, were at 56 Church Street, Woolwich, London where he was still running the Alhambra pub. He remained the licensee until 1872.

Another child, Florence Emma Heathman, was born in 1872.

On the 17th July 1874, a tragedy struck the Heathman family when Alfred George Heathman, one of the twins born in 1861, died from drowning in the Grand Surrey Canal.

William appears to have sold his photography businesses by 1876 (when he last advertised a studio in Woolwich) and by 1877 the family had moved to Aldershot in Hampshire where he opened another studio at 14 High Street.

On his move to Aldershot in 1877, William also took on a pub – the Aldershot Arms (later named ‘The New Victory’).

By permission of the Aldershot Historical & Archaeological Society http://ahasuk.com/gallery.php

 

According to trade directories, William Heathman closed his photographic studio sometime in or after 1880 and is listed in the 1881 census as a publican at the Aldershot Arms. He is shown as a widower.

In 1882 William was still a publican and had other children with another woman, Mary Ann Green, who was shown as a barmaid in William’s pub the Aldershot Arms in 1881. The children, both born in the pub, were Nelly Heathman who was born on 20th October 1883 and Vernon Heathman who was born on 10th March 1885.

On the 24th January 1884, according to The Pall Mall Gazette, William owned arcade shops in the High Street and Union Street Aldershot but these were burned out early that morning.

William’s first spouse, Martha Esther Davies died in Deptford on the 2nd September 1891.

One week later, on the 9th September 1891, at the age of 56, William married Kate Grover at the Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot and was living at 33 High Street. He was described as a jeweller. William and Kate went on to have three daughters, Maud Ethel Heathman (1891), May Mary Heathman (1894) and Lady Lily Heathman (1896).

About the same time, according to a report in the Liverpool Mercury of the 10th September 1891, William appeared before the Croydon County Court for receiving stolen goods. He was shown as a boot maker in business in Aldershot. Evidently, on the 6th September 1889 Messrs. Bradbury & Co Limited of High Holborn, London sold to a Mr. Dunn a sewing machine valued at five guineas. Dunn then sold the machine illegally to William Heathman at Messrs. Aldridge’s Auction Rooms in South Norwood. Dunn was later caught and sentenced to a month’s prison with hard labour. William Heathman was ordered by the court to return the sewing machine to the defendants, thereby losing a considerable amount of money. See the report below.

William and Kate moved back to London by 1901 where they were living with their three daughters as well as with Nelly and Vernon, William’s children from his liaison with Mary Ann Green. William was the publican of the White Hart pub, 89 High Street, Whitechapel, London E and remained so until 1903.

Interestingly, the ‘White Hart’ in Whitechapel is still in existence and is well known for its link to Jack the Ripper. Apparently established in 1721 the ‘White Hart’ is situated on the north side of Whitechapel High Street by the covered entrance to Gunthorpe Street. In 1890, the main Ripper suspect Severin Klosowski (aka George Chapman) was working as a barber in the cellar of the pub, firstly as an assistant and later as the proprietor. He was hanged for the murder of two of his wives in 1903. The pub is also close to the murder site of Martha Tabram one of the Ripper’s victims. It would appear that William Heathman ran the pub just after these events !

It is also believed that William was a Freemason but this has yet to be proved.

William Heathman died on 11th February 1905 in Poplar, London from pneumonia and cardiac failure. His death was registered by his son Vernon and his address given as 87 Bow Road, East London and his occupation as ‘master builder’ – which seems rather unlikely.

Clearly he had lived a very interesting life with 4 ‘wives’, 14 children and a variety of occupations!

 

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Family

Father William Heathman (1794 – 1866)

Mother Mary Grive (1802 – 1863

 

William

Born c 1834/5 in Greenwich, London

Baptized 15 Jun 1856 in St. Alfedge, Greenwich, London (shown as an adult – he was c 21)

Married (1) 23 August 1856 to Martha Esther Davies, (1825 – 1891) at St. Mary’s Church, Marylebone, London, Middlesex

Child 1 Ada Martha Mary Heathman, born 8 September 1856 in Greenwich, Kent. Married Howard James Attree 30 March 1878 and had 7 children

Child 2 Emily Amelia Heathman, born 1859 in Greenwich, died 1859 at one month old

Child 3 Alfred George Heathman (twin), born 14 January 1861 in Greenwich, died 17 July 1874 from drowning in the Grand Surrey Canal

Child 4 William Absalom Heathman (twin), born 14 January 1861 in Greenwich, died 25 August 1884

Married (2) Not married – 1865 to Georgiana Brimfield (1842-1877)

Child 5 Harry Heathman, born 1865 in Greenwich

Child 6 Heathman, a son, born 14 August 1866 and died shortly after birth in 1866

Child 7 Charles Edward Lindsey Brimfield (1869-1869)

Child 8 Henry Heathman (1870- )

Child 9 Florence Emma Heathman (1872- )

Married (3) Not married – c1881 in Aldershot, Hampshire to Mary Ann Green, born c.1860 in Aldershot

Child 10 Nelly Heathman, born 20 October 1883 in Aldershot, Hampshire

Child 11 Vernon Heathman, born 10 March 1885 in Aldershot, Hampshire. Died 1961

Married (4) 9 Sep 1891 (age 55-57) to Kate Grover, born 29 July 1866 in Aldershot, Hampshire, in Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot, Hampshire

Child 12 Maud Ethel Heathman, born 1891 in Aldershot, Hampshire

Child 13 May Mary Heathman, born 1 June 1894 in Haggerston, London

Child 14 Lady Lily Heathman, born 1896 in Hackney Wick, London. Died 1978.

Died 11 Feb 1905, aged 62 (!), in Poplar, London.

 

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Compiled by Ron Cosens © www.cartedevisite.co.uk

Sources

• Steve Heathman heathmansteve@hotmail.com Heathman family historian, who provided information for the life story above
• Jacqueline Weston jacquelineweston@tiscali.co.uk , great granddaughter of William Heathman and the grandchildren of May and Lady Lily, family historians, who provided information for the life story above
• Sandy Barrie for trade directory information
• Marcel Safier for additional research
• Ron Cosens for images from the Victorian Image Collection

 

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William Heathman – Gallery

Below are examples of William’s photography.

William Heathman carte de visite photograph 1	William Heathman carte de visite photograph 1(verso)
William Heathman carte de visite photograph 2	William Heathman carte de visite photograph 2 (verso)
William Heathman carte de visite photograph 3(verso)	William Heathman carte de visite photograph 3(verso)
William Heathman carte de visite photograph 4	William Heathman carte de visite photograph 4(verso)
William Heathman carte de visite photograph 5	William Heathman carte de visite photograph 5(verso)

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