Ellen Young (1862 - 1928)

And another great grandmother

Ellen Young

Sad Nell

Ellen Young was born on 25 April 1862 at 50 Bishop Street, Portsea[1]. She was one of at least three daughters born to Cornelius John Young, a baker, and Elizabeth Ann Potter. The family was still living in Bishop Street in January of the next year when Ellen was baptised[2] but by 1871 they had moved to 140 High Street, Portsmouth where her father was styled a baker and grocer[3].



Come 1881, Ellen was a servant in the establishment of Thomas Wintle, a grocer and wine merchant, of 143 High Street, Ryde, IoW[4]. She married Walter Russell at the parish church in Ryde on 13 April 1886[5]. Both their children were born back on the mainland in Portsea where Walter was a prison warder[6][7].



Between 1891 and 1901 they moved to Portland[8][9] and by 1911 they were in Newport, IoW[10].

The next record I have of Ellen is her death on 26 September 1928[11] at The Old Manor, Salisbury, a psychiatric hospital[12]. There is some mystery surrounding Ellen's illness and death. My father said that she was seldom talked about although he did remember going to Salisbury and becoming lost in the Cathedral. He suggested that taboos surrounding mental illness may have had something to do with this silence[13]. Neil Russell told a similar story although he suggested that a disease such as Alzheimer's may have been involved[14]. Joan Holland, however, wrote that her mother Ethel, Ellen’s sister, was convinced that Ellen had become deeply distressed at the condition of servicemen returning from World War I and that this had shattered her nerves. Joan wrote that Ethel wished to nurse Ellen at home but this never happened. She hinted that Walter Russell might have been against this. It is clear from her letter that Ellen was known as Nell to the family[15]. Ellen left an estate valued at £512[16].

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[1] Birth registration GRO reference 1862 Jun Portsea 2B 373.

[2] Baptismal record for Portsea 1863, p72.

[3] 1871 England and Wales census RG10/1135/117/34.

[4] 1881 England and Wales census RG11/1178/31/52.

[5] Marriage registration 1886 Jun I Wight 2B 967.

[6] Birth registration GRO reference 1888 Mar Portsea 2b 453.

[7] Baptism register, Holy Trinity, Portsea 1889, p19.

[8] 1891 England and Wales census RG12/859/81/4.

[9] 1901 England and Wales census RG13/1997/80/45.

[10] 1911 England and Wales census RG14/5701/83/2/4/64.

[11] Death registration GRO reference 1928 Sep Salisbury 5A 156.

[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Manor_Hospital,_Salisbury accessed 2 December 2017.

[13] Conversation with Charles Roskelly Bawden 5 August 1995 and other undocumented conversations.

[14] Neil Martin Russell letter 0013.

[15] Joan Holland letter 0034.

[16] England and Wales National Probate Calendar 1938 177.