Author: Linda Martin

Born: 1836

Died: 27^th December 1876

Buried: 30^th December 1876 St Francis Hospital Burial Ground

Jane was born before the Registration of Birth Act of 1836 which took effect in 1837 and unfortunately Jane’s birth date has not been found on any available online documents.

There is however a transcribed baptism of a child, Jane Palmer Davis on 10 August 1836. The given   parents were William and Caroline Davis of Speldhurst near Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

Further research proved Jane’s father to be John Palmer Davis and not William and her mother was Caroline nee Turner.

Jane was the only child found born to John and Caroline.

Jane’s father, John Palmer Davis was baptised in Woodstock Oxfordshire on 28 Oct 1794, the son of William Davis and Sarah Palmer.

John married Jane’s mother Caroline Turner on 24 Oct 1835 at St Nicholas Church Brighton.

Caroline was the daughter of William Turner and Ruth Hersey, she was baptised on 11 November 1802 in the village of Rudgwick, Sussex close to Horsham.

William and Ruth married on 2^nd February 1792 in Slinford, another village close to Horsham approx. 5 miles east of Rudgwick.

1840’s

The 1841 census finds Jane’s family in the village of Frant part of Tunbridge Wells.

John Davis, given age of 40, was a Publican at the Nevill Arms, Caroline aged 40, and Jane aged 4. John’s age is incorrect he is around 46 years of age.

1850’s

The 1851 census shows that the Davis family are now in the centre of the parish of Speldhurst, Recorded as “visitors” at the Duke of York in the Market place, Tunbridge Wells. John is shown as 50, still incorrect as he is around 56 years old, his occupation is noted as a retired Innkeeper. Caroline his wife, given age 45, is in fact 50 and Jane aged 14 their daughter.

Jane’s Marriage

Jane married John Braby on 13 April 1854 in Speldhurst, Kent. Jane is close to 18 years of age and John is 21. Jane’s father is recorded as John Davis.

John Braby born 1833c in Storrington Sussex was the second son born to John Braby and Johanna Dicker. James the first son was born 1831c in Storrington. Both sons were baptised in Cootham, Storrington, their father John Braby Snr. is also a Publican, like his son’s father in law. Some family trees online state he was the publican of the Crown Inn at Cootham which still exists.  As yet I cannot confirm this.

Sadly, John Braby Jnr’s mother Johanna died in 1836 aged about 30 when he was 3 years old. His father remarried aged 32 in Angmering in 1839 to Mary Turner aged 37.

John Braby Snr’s new wife Mary was a possible relation of Jane’s mother, Caroline, both born in Rudgwick within a year or two couple of years of each other, both had a father named William and both shared the maiden name Turner. Mary’s recorded place of birth on the 1851 census is confirmed as Rudgwick. The online Rudgwick baptism book doesn’t show a baptism for a Mary Turner between 1796-1812. I can only speculate they were indeed related.

John and Jane Braby’s Family

Jane gives birth to their first child Alice Palmer registered in the 3^rd quarter of 1855. No online baptism found.

Followed by John registered in the 4^th quarter of 1859. Baptised 6^th Jan 1860 in Tunbridge Wells.

By 1861 the family are living in Tunbridge Wells. The High Street “London Paris house”, Victoria Terrace.

John aged 27 a working Jeweller, Jane aged 24, Alice aged 5 and John aged 1. Also present are Jane’s parents. John Davis aged 60, a Cook and his wife Caroline aged 56. A William Seggie aged 15 an Apprentice working jeweller from London Middlesex was also present. 

Jane was pregnant and a few months later possibly middle to late June Jane gives birth to another son, George, no baptism has been found.

Tragically George died of Pneumonia on the 19^th February 1862 aged 8 months. His death was registered by Eliza Baker who was present at death. Found in the 1861 census, Eliza Baker was a married woman living with her family at 7 Tunnel Terrace, Tunbridge Wells and occupation a Nurse.

The death of George must have been devastating for the family. It is possible that Jane suffered from depression after such a loss.

In 1862 Jane found herself pregnant again and she gave birth to Mary on 17^th March 1863. Was there a trauma at the birth? As later records show something happened to Jane’s mental health around this time.

I am unable to find a registration of Mary’s birth and she wasn’t baptised until 16^th February 1877 at Battle, Sussex aged 14.

A few weeks after the birth of Mary, dated 2^nd May 1863, I found an entry in the Lunacy register of a Jane P Braby admitted to Peckham House a private Asylum in Camberwell, London.

Peckham house in 1859 was one of five licenced houses in the London metropolitan district, all large establishments. Peckham House catered for pauper and private patients of both sexes. In 1863 the patient total was 367 and only 50 of those were private.

It’s not known who was paying for Jane’s stay of 2 months, presumably it was her husband. Jane was discharged “Relieved” on 4th July 1863.

Three weeks later another entry is found in the Lunacy Register, Braby Jane P admitted on 24^th July 1863 to St Lukes. She was discharged as not improved one year later 29^th July 1864.

Ancestry transcribed St Lukes as being in Derbyshire a possible error as there was a St Lukes in Yorkshire.

However, there was a private St Lukes Asylum in Islington London. I believe this to be the correct asylum.  

St Lukes was originally founded in 1751; it was the second public institution for the mentally ill in London. St Mary’s Bethlam (Bedlam) being the first in 1246. It was a converted foundry building in Windmill Street, Upper Moorfields for 25 people. It was extended over time but became overcrowded and by 1786 it moved to a purpose-built premises on Old Street, Islington.

1865 a year after Jane was discharged the population was around 150-160 patients. A large percentage were private patients taken from the middle classes. It was 60 to 70% as opposed to 15% in other pauper asylums.

(Photograph and information taken with gratitude from Wikipedia.)

1870’s

I cannot find any more information on Jane until the 1871 census when she is living with her widowed father John Davis in 9 Kensington Street in Tunbridge Wells. Her mother Caroline had died in 1864. John is now aged 78, a former Innkeeper, Jane aged 35, though her age is given as 32 on the census form. In the last column on the census form it states she has been an “Imbecile for 8 years”. This coincides with the admissions found in 1863 and following the birth of her daughter Mary.

At the time of the 1871 census her husband John and their children Alice and Mary are living separately at 37 High Street in Tunbridge Wells. Their son John is away at school in Edenbridge, Kent.

In 1875 on 27^th January, Jane is admitted to Sussex Asylum (named St Francis Hospital in the future) as a Private Patient. She remained in Sussex Asylum until her death on 27^th December 1876. Her cause of death was brain wasting and her Death Certificate was signed by S W D Williams MD and registered by Richard Greene acting superintendent of Sussex Lunatic Asylum. Wivelsfield.

Jane was buried on 30^th December in an unnamed grave and subsequently her husband had a headstone erected over her grave in the shape of a cross stating she was the wife of John Braby of Tunbridge Wells. (See image at the top of the story.)

Jane’s family.

A possible death for her father is registered in Ticehurst in the 4^th Quarter of 1876 age 83. If this is indeed her father it would indicate that father and daughter died within a few months of each other at the end of 1876.

Husband John Braby and children.

As stated earlier by 1871 John aged 37 was living separately from Jane at 37 High Street in Tunbridge Wells. He was a Jeweller employing 5 men and a boy. He had a Housekeeper a Margaret McDonald, and his daughters Alice aged 15 and M J J aged 8. (Mary Jane Joanna). including three of his employee’s and a William McDonald aged 2. His son John Jr was a live-in pupil at Stangrove House School, Edenbridge in Kent.

An extensive amount of information can be found on John. In 1869 and 1871 newspaper articles relating to robberies at the Jewellers. This could have led to John changing his occupation. Again, through newspaper articles in 1872 John has taken over as proprietor of the Kentish Hotel. He appears to have been there until sometime until November 1875 when the license is transferred.

In 1875 he is advertising as the proprietor of the Wellington Hotel, Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells.

Newspaper articles in November 1875 record the Hotel’s opening as a grand affair. John Braby appears to be well respected and there was great anticipation this would be an asset to the town. The interior furnishing is reported to have cost £7,000. All this is going on whilst his wife Jane is in the asylum. He obviously just got on with expanding his business.

 From 1876 onwards he is also importing wines, spirits and tobacco

The 1881 census shows John as the hotel proprietor of the Wellington Hotel now aged 47, with a new wife Emily wife aged 26 and his daughter Mary JJ aged 18 acting as a book keeper presumably for the hotel.

(Today the Wellington Hotel is a Grade 2 listed building on the National Heritage List. It was first listed in 1974. See https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1084461?section=official-list-entry )

There is some confusion on the remarriage of John Braby to Emily Maynard.

Two marriages are registered for the couple – one in 1875 in Brighton whilst Jane is still living then another in Tonbridge in the first quarter 1877 just after Jane’s death.

Sadly, for John Emily died in 1887 aged 33 from what the paper described as a “dangerous illness”.

By the 1891 census John was still proprietor of the Wellington Hotel, age given as 53, a widower. There is also an E. Maynard aged 19, a niece is resident along with employees.

On 15^th July 1896 John died and left a substantial amount. £19597 1s 10d. It was said in his obituary he was a kind-hearted and jocular man who did many good deeds. There was no mention of Jane.

Jane’s Braby’s children.

Alice

Alice married in 1876 John Edmund Byass, they emigrated to Australia. Along with their daughter Julie Alice. Their daughter Marion Annie was born 1879c in Australia. Alice died in 1927. Both daughters remained spinsters.

John

John Jr. married Florence Emma Benzie in 1880, the divorce papers state they had five children but only two alive in 1898. John was a Wine Merchant. The family moved around living in Tunbridge, Uxbridge Maidstone and the USA. There seems to have been a falling out within the family most likely because John has left the family and is co-habiting with an unknown woman in the USA. his father John has put a caution in the newspapers regarding any debts occurred by son John.

Immigration records show John travelling to the USA in 1883 and 1885

In 1897 Florence petitioned for a divorce on grounds of John adultery and desertion. A divorce was granted in 1898.

John then emigrated to Canada where he had another family with an Alice Cooke. Their first of 8 children I have found was born in 1890.

Mary Jane Joanna

Mary Jane Joanna baptised as Mary. The names Jane, from her mother and Joanna from her paternal grandmother. Mary was first seen with these initials in the 1871 census.

Mary married in 1881 William Benjamin West in Tonbridge, he is a musician (music Teacher). Mary was aged 18 and William aged 28.

They had two daughters Lucy and Alice. In the 1891 census they are both living with William, “wife left” is noted in Marriage Status column for William who is “living on own means”. William remarried in 1892 to a Clara Agate.

Mary J J remarried in Canada in 1906 to Joseph Daws and she went on to have further children. She died in Canada in 1933 her son J B West was the informant.

I cannot find when Mary emigrated to Canada it could be assumed she moved to be near her brother John.

Author’s notes.

Without Jane Braby’s admission and medical records, I can only surmise that her mental illness was probably caused by some trauma during or after the birth of Mary, added to the tragic earlier loss of her son George.  

Obviously, we do not know of her husband John’s character, on paper it looked a financially safe union.

Their children went their own way in adulthood leaving England for Canada and Australia.

Jane’s life was short and there is very little information about her mental illness, however, she left a large number of grandchildren and their descendants. She is also found in Family Trees on Ancestry.