Submitted by Catherine Schnetler - 20th April 2023
I am currently researching my maternal great grandmother’s family ancestry & found out they lived in Hythe before settling in Canada & South Africa in the 1890’s after Eliza Perry (Gardner) passed away. I have found they were owners of the Red Lion Inn, Hythe and wondered whether anyone has any info the Inn or my ancestors during this time? The first mention of them that I could find is Eliza Perry (nee Gardner … her parents were Vince & Hannah Gardner living in Chapel St & Market St in 1841 & 1851 census respectively) as the Inn Keeper/owner in the 1881 census & then her daughter Rosina Perry Davidson (later marrying James Kirkcaldy – Hythe School of Musketry) as “Lodging House Keeper” in the 1891 census. My great grandmother was Alice Perry (daughter of Joseph Beckett & Eliza Perry) who lived with her sister Rosina once their parents died (1891 census has Alice’s occupation as a “Milliner’s apprentice”.) Alice passed away as a young woman in South Africa when my grandpa was only 5 so most of what we have discovered of the family is what I have been able to find & piece together (with the help of some lovely kind strangers along the way).
My questions are:
• Was it unusual for women to inherit this type of business when their husband passed away?
•Are there any digitised online links where I can find more info on the St Leonards church marriage/burial records etc. for Perry/Gardner/Davidson
•Do you have any info on the Red Lion Inn & the Gardner’s/Perry’s being there?
•Any links to the Hythe School of Musketry & James Kirkcaldy?
•Was immigration to Canada etc. popular in the early 1890’s?
•Were there many Milliners in the Hythe are in 1891?
I would love to visit Hythe one day to explore where my ancestors walked & do some digging in the local archives but at the moment I live in Australia so I have to rely on websites & any info I can get online lol.
Sorry for all my questions but thank you very much for your time & any help or pointers you can give me to direct me in discovering more about my family,I greatly appreciate it! Please feel free to email me on catherine.schnetler@gmail.com
Response from Anne Petrie - 21 April 2023
Hello Catherine
Eliza Perry was not, in fact, the owner of the Red Lion, which belonged to the Mackeson brewery. As she is referred to as an ‘innkeeper’, she probably held the licence, which was granted by the local magistrates. She could not have inherited it, but would have had to apply for herself after her husband’s death.
You can read more about the history of the Red Lion here:http://www.dover-kent.com/Red-Lion-Hythe.html
Many of the records of St Leonard’s church are on the genealogy websites. The original records are held in Canterbury Cathedral.I can’t find a record of any millinery shop in Hythe in 1891. It was (and is) a small town. However, general drapers often sold millinery and you ancestor may have worked in one of these or travelled to nearby Folkestone, which had a larger selection of shops.I’m afraid I can find nothing about James Kircaldy. The School of Musketry was established in the town in 1853. You can read about its history here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Arms_School_Corps
Yes, Canada was a very popular destination for British emigrants right through the 19th century
Wishing you well in your future research.