George's Story 1790 to 1871
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.........................The Aitchison's of St Pancras
Christiana Aitchison (eldest daughter of George and Margaret) had married on the first of February 1843 Thomas Musgrove (an artist colourman) in Chelsea. This is the first instance of the Musgrove name being linked to the family. Thomas Musgrove was the son of a gentleman of means also named Thomas Musgrove. He was then living in Sidney Terrace Marlborough Road Chelsea (now named Draycott Avenue). Christiana was living nearby in Sloane Street and pregnant with Thomas's child. Their daughter Christiana was born the fifth of April 1843. The couple then moved back to the Aitchison family home and she was baptised in St Pancras on the fifth November 1843. .

Our research has shown George John Aitchison Musgrove was born in 1845 but not under this name. He was born George Aitchison and was the illegitimate son of George and Margaret Aitchison's son George. His mother was named Elizabeth Green of whom we can find no details. George was now aged 21 and relationship with Elizabeth must have been short lived. For whatever reason 'Our George' moved to live with his grandparents in Princes Street. It is quite possible that Elizabeth died shortly after he was born. Obviously George at 21 could not bring up the child alone. Much later in life George Musgrove would joke with his children "that his was born a bastard".

George Aitchison's sons George and John had worked together as pianoforte makers. By 1847 George was living at Harris Place Oxford Street when he married Ellen Denny in October. George and Ellen's first daughter Ann Margeret Aitchison was born in May 1848. They were now living at 6 Pitt Street St Pancras within a few hundred yards of the Aitchison home in Princes Street. George and Ellen's next child George Aitchison was born in October 1849. Their son George unfortunately died within three days of birth. The family were now living at 7 Charles Street St Pancras.George and Ellen's next daughter Ellen Christiana Aitchison was born in January 1852.The family had now moved to 4 Gresse Street off Rathbone Place. George himself died suddenly aged 31 in 1856 after contracting Typhoid. By 1861 his widow Ellen was living at 15 Warren Street St Pancras, which was on the corner of Princes Street and a short distance from the Aitchisons.

John Aitchison married Ellen Isaacs in 1850. She was recently widowed when her husband Isaac Isaacs died in 1849. He had established an Undertakers in nearby Henry Street St Pancras. John Aitchison took over the Isaac's business and move into 43 Henry Street with wife Ellen and her three children. John expanded the business with a second property at Cook's Terrace, Old St Pancras Road, which was in use by 1855. John died in 1863 and the business was ran by his wife Ellen for a number of years.

By 1849 Thomas and Christiana Musgrove's second daughter Elizabeth was born in The Queen Charlotte Laying-in Hospital in Euston Road. She was baptised in 1850 at St Pancras but sadly died within seven months, and was buried at the Old St Pancras Church Cemetery. The family had moved to nearby Tonbridge Street but after Elizabeth's death we cannot trace any further details of Thomas Musgrove. Christiana and her daughter Christiana moved back to her parent's (George and Margarett Aitchison) home in Princes Street St Pancras.

On the 1851 census for Princes Street which was taken on the night of Sunday 30th of March, we find George and Margaret Aitchison and thier married daughter Christiana Musgrove with her daughter Christiana but no sign of her husband Thomas Musgrove. Also in the household is the six year old George Aitchison, who was the illegitimate child of George and Margarets son George who was now liviing with them.

The six year old George Aitchison was baptised in September 1851 at St Pancras Old Church. This was because he was being adopted by his Aunt Christiana Musgrove who had just lost a daughter Elizabeth. The Baptism Certificate shows that George's parents were John and Elizabeth Musgrove, the father being shown as deceased, having had an occupation as a Broker. These details are not correct as research has shown.

Unfortunately Christiana Musgrove died of consumption (TB) aged just 35 in June 1851. We have checked the cemetery burial registers for St Pancras but no trace can be found of Christiana's grave. This may suggest that her husband Thomas Musgrove decided to have her buried elsewhere. We leave 'our George' aged six living for the next few years with his grandparents George and Margaret Aitchison and his eight year old cousin Christiana Musgrove at Princes Street.

Another family who would be very influencial in our George's early years were the Cole family who by 1841 were living in Loxton Place off Munster Square St Pancras. In 1856 another of Geoge Aitchison's children, Jessie married Henry Cole at the parish church at St Pancras they then also lived in 5 Princes Street with our George and his grandparents. 26 days earlier Jessie's mother Margaret Aitchison had died of Bronchitis at 64. Georges uncle Henry Cole played an important part in Georges early life.

The various addresses of both the Aitchison and Cole families are shown on this St Pancras map of the period.

We now move on to the 1861 census. This shows our George livng at 36a Charlotte Street Marylebone with his uncle Henry Cole and aunt Jessie. They appeared to have lived here for only a short while. George Musgrove is now 18 years old and works as a railway porter. Note his uncle Henry is a railway clerk. Henry and Jessie's first child, Harry John George Cole was born on Friday 18th of September 1863 at 36a Charlotte Street. He was not Baptised until the first of January 1865 (15 months after his birth) the family were now living at 7 Southampton Street Fitzroy Square. In nearby Princes Street George Aitchison was the head of the family on the 1861 census also living there was his grandaughter Cristiana Musgrove who was now 18
.......... ... ....... George and Christiana Marry

An important event that was to effect George Musgrove's future was the death of his grandfather George Aitchison who died in 1864 aged 81 at Princes Street. After his death his daughter Margaret remained at Princes Street and was joined by the Cole family and George Musgrove ( who had been living with the Cole family from at least 1861) also in the household was the young Christiana. Once again he was sharing a house with his cousin now aged 21. Early in 1867 Christiana (Chrissie) was conceived and she was born on the eleventh October. To cover the embarrassment of Chrissie being illegitimate the parents names on the birth certificates were slightly disguised. George used the surname of Aitchison and Christiana showed her name as Aitchison formerly Musgrove.

1868 was to be the last year the remaining members of the family were to live at 102 Whitfield street. The family had lived here for over 40 years when George Aitchison the Cabinet Maker had moved to the area in the 1820's. The household in 1868 consisted of Henry and Jessie Cole and their sons Harry and Walter Edmund Cole who was born June. There was also Margaret Aitchison (Jessie's sister), and George Musgrove who was now living with his cousin Christiana, and their daughter Chrissie.

George and Christiana were to marry in June 1869. The marriage was witnessed by George's uncle Henry Cole. Christiana's father is given as Thomas Musgrove colourman. George's father is shown as just "Dead". George is still employed as a railway porter. Note the cross described as his mark on the certificate where his signature would have normally been. He was obviously illiterate.

When George Aitchison died in 1864 the family comprised of his daughter Margaret Aitchison, Henry and jessie Cole their son Harry, Christiana and George Musgrove. They stayed untill around October 1868 but remained living in the area. If we assume the house was sold at this time it could account for the family receiving money from his estate, this assumption probably is not true as a result of definite information later in the story

1871 was very important year for George Musgrove. We first find him on the census taken on Sunday on the second of April 1871 living with his wife Christiana and their three year old daughter Christiana at 116 Upper Kennington Lane Lambeth. The property is shown in an October 1870 rate book as being occupied by an Augustus Hawkins. George is next mentioned on the rate book dated the eigth of April 1871 but it appears from the note in the margin that he has 'gone'. At the same time George's uncle Henry Cole and family had also moved into the Kennington Lane area and was living at number twelve Shepherds Place off Upper Kennington Lane with a family named Conolly. The rate book for Oct 1870 shows the Harris family having just moved in to number 17 Shepherds Place and would have been close neighbours of the Cole family. From this time the fortunes of the Musgrove and Harris family closely entwined.

...............................The Harris's of Lambeth

The Harris family comprised of James Banfield Moore Harris born 18th Dec 1820 in Bath Somerset he was christened 14th Jan 1821 St George the Martyr Southwark he married Sophia Elizabeth Woodcock in 1846 (born /baptised 1827 Lambeth). They had nine children: James born 1837, Betsy Sophia born 1850, Emily Sophia born 1852 (married Goerge Musgrove in 1871), Lambert William born 1853, Sophia born 1856, Charles born 1858, George born 1860, William born 1863 and Ada born 1866. We have marked all their known addresses on this really nice 1831 map.The 1871 census in April shows the Harris's living at 17 Shepherds Place. Henry Cole and his family are shown at number 12 but shortly to move to number 14. One of the Harris children is missing on this census, this is Lambert William Harris who at the age of nineteen was working as an assisstant licensed victuller at The Globe Public House High Holborn possibly he was living in. Lambert William Harris was later to marry Alice Bristow in 1879 and live with George Musgrove and Emily (Lambert's sister) in Benwell Road in the early 1880''s.

Back in 1871 George and his first wife Christiana would probably have been regular visitors to the Cole family in Shepherds Place. The Cole family would have introduced the Musgroves to the Harris family as the wives had a common interest in dress making. George during this period would have got to know the Harris family, in particular the young 18 year old Emily.
................ ..... ...Christiana Dies

George and Christiana only lived in Kennington for a couple of months having left by April 1871 just after the census was taken. George's occupation is shown as 'retired railway servant' (aged just 26!!). This indicates that Both George and Christiana were now living off Christiana's inheritance. We are uncertain where they moved to at that time but a tragic event in September was to dramatically change everything.

George's wife Christiana died on Monday the eleventh of September 1871 at Lower Holloway after only 27 months of marriage aged just 28. The circumstances surrounding this event are suspicious. The Death Certificate shows that Christiana died at 85 George's Road a poor area of Holloway in North London. Whether the Musgrove family were living there at this time is uncertan. Remember the census five months earlier had the family living in a nice house with a servant in Kennington so it is strange that they moved to a poorer area. The Death Certificate shows George's occupation has reverted back to being a Railway Porter with no mention of him being retired. This information would have been given to the registrar when her death was registered on the following day Tuesday the twelfth of September. The certificate also shows that the informant of Christina's death was M Harris of 58 Carlisle Lane Lambeth. We know from family recollections that this person was actuallly Emily Harris, daughter of James Banfield Moore Harris, who had been living with her parents at 17 Shepherds Place Kennington. She is shown at this address on the April census.

We can find no other documents that mention the Musgroves living at Georges Road or any mention of Emily Harris at Carlisle Lane Lambeth. We know that George would have met Emily when he lived in Kennington and they obviously were having an affair while Christiana was still alive. George was to marry Emily Harris within a month of Christiana's death. This poses the obvious question of whether Christiana died in suspicious circumstances baring in mind that George, upon her death, became the sole beneficiary of Christianas inheritance and trust fund.