The Banting & Colebrook Families

Two Families & Two Croxley Public Houses

Introduction

This is the story of a young coachman from Middlesex and a farm labourer from Rickmansworth who ended up running separate public houses in Croxley Green before their two families became closely linked through marriages.

Cassio Bridge,and The Halfway House 1908

Henry Colebrook 1849 – 1907: The Halfway House

1. (Record of Birth) 1849 Baptism of Henry Colebrook

At the age of two, according to the 1851 census he was a “nurse child” living with the White family in Harrow. Children who for whatever reason had been taken away from their parent(s) and placed with another family were recorded as a “Nurse Child”.

2. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1851 Census Henry Colebrook

The 1861 census still has him living with the White family but by 1871 he is a lodger living in Stratford Road, Watford - occupation “Coachman”

3. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1871 Census Henry Colebrook

Eliza Birch, his future wife, was also born (1851) in Harrow Weald, but by 1871 she is working as a domestic servant in a house in Park Road Watford, which is just round the corner from Stratford Road – did they know each other as children? We’ll never know. They meet and were married in 1872.

4. (Wedding Certificate) 26th August 1872 Henry Colebrook & Eliza Birch

The marriage does leave us with unanswered question though: why a City of London Church; Henry quotes his occupation as labourer, not coachman, and states his father’s name was Henry. Nine years later in 1881, they are living at Moon’s Lodge, Rouse Barn Lane, Croxley Green with four children to their name – Henry, Amy, Bertha & Frederick. Henry now re-states his occupation as coachman.

5. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1881 Census Henry Colebrook

What’s interesting here is the visitor, Sarah White, she’s from the family he originally lived with. Sarah never marries and lives to be 86.
Ten years later (1891) they have move on and are established in the Halfway House, Cassio Bridge Wharf, Croxley Green.
Henry is listed as a Licenced Victualler. It must have been during the 1880’s when the two families got to know one another, the Colebrook’s at the Halfway House and the Bantings at the Fox and Hounds.

6. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1891 Census Henry Colebrook

George Banting 1841 - 1902: The Fox and Hounds, New Road, Croxley Green

George Banting [2] was born in 1841, the 2nd of 7 children born to John Banting and his wife Sarah nee Taylor. John was born in Hampshire 1805 and presumably moved to Hertfordshire in search of work. He is listed as a gardener, living in Mill End, Rickmansworth in 1851.

7. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1851 Census John Banting

Unfortunately, John dies in 1858 and Sarah remarries so by 1861 we find George living in Croxley Green, with his mother Sarah, stepfather William Rogers, and sisters Ann and Lucy.

8. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1861 Census George Banting

Life had not been without sadness and joy because sisters Sophia died 1846 and Lucy in 1863, but sisters Charlotte marries Cornelius Gibson in 1855 and Emma marries James Starkins in 1856. The whereabouts of brother William has never been established. His other sister Ann will marry a French man, Jean Frederick Lentz in Islington, before returning to Croxley Green to marry Frederick Heckford in 1891 after Jean’s death in 1886.

On the 29thJuly 1865 George marries Mary Ann Harris and by 1871 he is listed as a beer retailer, New Road, with two children Charles and Alice.

9. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1871 Census George Banting

In 1881 George Banting, along with all his extended family, is still listed as a beer retailer but now the premises are referred to as the Fox and Hounds.

10. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1881 Census George Banting

Colebrook/Banting Marriage

Lots of changes take place over the next ten years especially 1897, not only does Charles Banting marry Amy Colebrook, Alice Banting marries Henry Colebrook, Emily Banting marries William Hodgkiss and William Banting marries Ada Spencer.

1901 sees Henry and Alice Colebrook running the Fox and Hounds, George Banting having “retired” and become a farmer at Bury Farm, Rickmansworth, whilst Henry Snr is still at the Halfway House with Eliza.
Sadly, Amy Banting nee Colebrook only enjoyed two years of married life because Charles died in the first quarter of 1899, so his son Charles born Jun 1899 never actually knew his father. Amy with her two boys move to 33 Cardiff Road, Watford and are listed as a beer retailer - it was more of an off-license than a public house. Her younger brother Frederick also lives with them.

11. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1901 Census Any Banting

Amy goes on to marry George Watson Lunn in Watford 1909 and resides at the Dog and Partridge, Hunton Bridge with sons Charles, George and their new daughter Doris born 1910.

12. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1911 Census George Watson Lunn

By 1911 both Henry and Eliza have passed away and their son Frederick is now running the Halfway House with his wife Maud nee Caryl.
They have three children Helena Maud born 1906, Irene May born 1908 and Frederick just 4mths. The sad part here is that within 3 years both parents have passed away. The children fortunately go and live with Harry and Hannah Carly, who for a brief time become the licensees of the Halfway House. All three children subsequently marry, Helena 1926 to George Allan, Frederick 1931 to Winifred Price and finally Irene 1937 to Felix Wilkin. All marriages were registered in Watford.
Henry Colebrook died 1907 but Alice nee Banting continued to run the Fox and Hounds and was still there in 1939 with her niece Winifred Hodgkiss.

13. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1939 Register Alice Colebrook

As for the other Bantings in1911, William Banting and his wife Ada nee Spencer were farming at Red Heath near Croxley Green.

14. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1911 Census Frederick William Colebrook

Annie (Banting) and her husband Frank Hutchings were now running the Off Licence in Cardiff Road Watford, Emily (Banting) now Mrs.Hodgkiss lived in Watford with her children Rhoda and Sidney. Rhoda Humphries nee Hodgkiss and Annie Hutchings nee Banting –lived in Frankland Close and Road, Croxley Green. Ada Banting who had married James Braid Kerr [3] 1908 was living in Croxley Green with her mother Mary Banting and their son George Meldrum Kerr. Unfortunately, Ada died in 1914 and five years later James marries, his niece, Elsie Colebrook, the daughter of Henry Colebrook and Alice nee Banting. In 1939 we find them living in Church Street, Rickmansworth with children George M and Yvonne Kerr.

15. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1939 Register Elsie Kerr

The only remaining daughter was Ellen Banting, who, in 1899 married licensed victualler Robert Cooke . They had three children before his death in 1907. At the time of her 2nd marriage to William Macaulay in 1912 she was the manageress of The Bell, Church Row, Aldgate.

16. (© National Archives - IL-1491) 1911 Census Helen Cooke

She subsequently has four more children, all girls, Eileen, Edna, and Mavis, pictured here, and an elder sister Kathleen.

George Banting was my Great Grandfather, and I never knew my mother’s parents, William and Ellen Macaulay nee Banting. When you are young you never think to ask aged relations questions about your family and their memories, you are left to rely on your own recollections from family life.
Please contact me, through the Croxley Green History Project if you have information or pictures that may expand the above story.

Jeffrey Coleman (July 2022)

1) The Colebrook Tree

2) The Banting Tree

3) The Kerr / Colebrook / Banting Tree

Below are full versions images of the documents used above

1. (Record of Birth) 1849 Baptism of Henry Colebrook

4. (Wedding Certificate) 26th August 1872 Henry Colebrook & Eliza Birch