Biographical notes

Images of the register entries for births and baptisms at Rochester, kent are available on-line. Examination of these show one set of five entries for a family called Cardall in the St. Margaret's parish church, St. Margaret's Street. In all instances the father's name is given as William Cardall with his wife's first name (no surname) as Mary. The earliest entry is for William Cardell born 11 March 1810. Then Sarah Cardall born 3 January 1812 (erroneously given as 27 March 1812 in the LDS IGS listing). Mary Ann Cardall, born 7th June 1814, her father, William Cardall has the occupation of Brick-Layer. William Edward Cardall, born 31st December 1816, when again, William Cardall has the occupation of Bricklayer. Caroline Cardall, born 23rd March 1818, and again her father William has the occupation of Bricklayer. No record of the birth of George Cardall but it seems at least possible that William and Mary were his parents - particularly as his father William has the occupation of builder on both of his marriage certificates which would agree with that of bricklayer on the birth register entries for George's siblings.

The earliest tentative census record of George Cardell is in the 1841 Census. The place was Kingsland Road, Tower Hamlet, St Leonard's, Shoreditch. His place of birth is recorded as being outside the Census County which is consistent with later Census returns stating his birthplace as Rochester, Kent. His age is given as 15 (to the nearest 5 years in the 1841 Census). He is not with the rest of his family, but crucially his occupation is given as Cheesemongers Assistant. This occupation is consistent in all the other registration documents in which he is listed.

The place and date of birth of George Cardell is subsequently recorded fairly consistently from the census records of 1851, 1861 and 1871, which give dates for his birth of 1820 (1851 Census), 1825 (1861 Census) and 1824 (1871 Census). The place of birth is consistently stated to be Rochester, Kent. The earliest surviving registration document, records his marriage to Caroline Fulcher on 20th August 1844 in Shoreditch. This (as all other surviving registration documents) records his occupation as that of Cheesemonger, and his father William (deceased) as a builder. The marriage only lasted a few weeks as Caroline died of fever on the 30th September.

On the 4th January 1846, he married Mary Ann Brook who was the daughter of Joseph Brook, undertaker. There were two children from this marriage, Rosina (b. 6th Nov 1846), and Sarah (b. 26 Dec 1848). Both registration documents describe George as a Cheesemonger and this is also his occupation when the family are listed in the 1851 Census, living in St Leonards Shoreditch.

On the 25th December 1852, Mary Ann Cardell gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Mary Ann Southwell, and fled with her lover, Robert John Southwell, to Bristol. The situation is further complicated by Robert John Southwell adopting the identity of his lover's husband George Cardell so that in the 1861 Census, they appear as George Cardell and Mary Ann Cardell living in Bristol. However, the birth place of George is given as Oundle, Nothamptonshire and his occupation is that of a Warehouseman.

In 1857, the 'real' George Cardell married Ann Lambert (this marriage was probably bigamous on the part of George), and the 1861 Census show them living in St Leonard's, Shoreditch. George is a Cheesemonger's Assistant and the family includes Sarah from his marriage to Mary Ann. Two other children; George William Cardell (b. 5 April 1857), and Mary Ann Cardell (b. 1860) complete the family.

The 1871 Census shows little change, George is still a Cheesemonger, born Rochester Kent, with his wife Ann born in Southampton. Ther only major change is the appearance of two additional daughters.

By 1881 George has died as Ann Cardell is shown as a widow living with her daughters which includes their last child Louise Ellen (Nellie ?), born in 1872. The death registration of George Cardell has not been located but must be sometime between 1873 (after the last child was born) and the 1881 Census.