Joseph Croucher (1839-1917?)

Dates

Birth: 13 March 1839 Reigate, Surrey, UK
Father: George Croucher 1796-1870
Mother: Mary Smith c1804-1877

Christening: Unknown

Marriage: 07 February 1863 St Saviour, Surrey, UK
Wife: Ellen Pitt 1840-1917

Death: October-December 1917 Milton, Kent, UK (but see notes)

Children

Leo Croucher 1866-1956
Hannah Croucher 1869-a1871
Joseph Croucher 1871-a1881
Oliver Croucher 1873-a1881
Owen Croucher 1876-1943

Notes

There are two entries in FreeBMD for the birth of Joseph Croucher in January-March 1939 in Reigate (4 413 and 415 although only the former appears on the handwritten original).

In the 1841 census as Joseph Croucher aged 2, born in Surrey and living with George and Mary (parents?), two bothers (Henry and Peter), and two (half)sisters (Esther and Mary) at Woodhatch, Reigate Foreign, Reigate, Surrey. (Reigate Foreign is now known as Redhill).

In the 1851 census as Joseph Croucher aged 12, born in Reigate, Surrey, and living with his parents (George and Mary), four brothers (George, Henry, Peter and William) and sister (Lydia) in the Foreign of Reigate, Surrey.

In the 1861 census as Joseph Croucher aged 21, born in Reigate, Surrey, single, a gardener, and living with his parents (George and Mary), and two brothers (Henry and William) at Cockshot Hill, Reigate Foreign, Surrey.

Marriage of Joseph Croucher and Ellen Pitt in FreeBMD in January-March 1863 in St Saviour (1d 15).

His son and daughter were born in Kew in 1866 and 1869.

He was Superintendent of Kew Royal Botanical Gardens 1865-1871.

In the 1871 census as Joseph Croucher aged 32, born in Reigate, Surrey, a botanist and living with his wife (Ellen), son (Les) and daughter (Hannah) at 5 Devonshire Street, Fulham, London.

Joseph was born in Fulham later in 1871, Oliver in Hammersmith in 1873 and Owen in Bermondsey in 1876.

In the 1881 census as Joseph Croucher aged 42, born in Reigate, Surrey, a florist, married but not with his wife, and living with his three sons (Joseph, Leo and Oliver) and daughter (Hannah), a housekeeper (Emily Pitt aged 37, born in Chailey, Sussex, and single), and four boarders (Alfred M. Pitt aged 34, born in Chailey, Sussex and a carpenter, Caroline Beck aged 36, born in East Grinstead, Surrex, married, and a packer at a factory, Ellen Beck aged 6 and born in Hammersmith, and Marion Moss aged 40, born in Torquay, Devon, widowed and a teacher) at 63 Brook Green, Hammersmith, London. His wife was a visitor to Harry Broomfield and family at 23 Cornwall Road, and she was widowed and a laundress. His son Owen was living with his grandmother Charlotte Pitt at 252 Rolls Road, Bermondsey, Surrey

His son Leo emigrated to the USA in 1883, Owen was living with his mother in 1911, but I cannot find any other entries for him - was he living abroad. His wife was widowed throughout this period - owen was living with her in 1911 and she died in 1917 in Battersea.

Death of Joseph Croucher in FreeBMD in October-December 1917 aged 80 in Milton (2a 1201) - however this may be the Joseph Croucher born in Sheppey in October-December 1939, and he may have died soon after 1881.

Tim Wright has an entry in Roostweb WorldConnect for Joseph Croucher born in 1839, parents George Croucher and Mary Smith.

Jane Hedley and Tim Wright have entries in Ancestry Public Member Trees for Joseph Croucher born in 1839 in Regiate, Surrey, parents George Croucher and Mary Smith. Four other entries add his death in 1917 in Milton, Oxfordshire. Another two entries add his marriage to Ellen Pitt and a son Leo. Another gives his son's name as Leonard. Stanley Cassius Croucher gives his birth on 13 March 1938, his marriage on 7 February 1863 in Southwark, Surrey, and three children Hannah, Owen Morgan and Leo.

The following entry is in The Eponym Dictionary of Southern African Plants:

croucheri: for Joseph Croucher (1838-1917), for a time first head gardener and Superintendent at Kew Gardens and succulent plant specialist. In 1869 Hooker had described a species in Curtis's Botanical Journal stating, "This, the handsomest Gasteria of the kind that has hitherto flowered at Kew, is named after the intelligent foreman of the propagating department, Mr. Croucher, under whose care the succulent plants of the Royal Garden are placed, and to whose zeal and special love for this class of plant the collection owes much of its value and interest."

There is an obscure entry in The History of Co-Operation by George Jacob Holyoake:

In Oldham, joint-stock companies do not give workmen, as workmen, a chance. A town without the co-operative instinct of equity is not favourable to the enfranchisement of labour. Mr. Joseph Croucher, writing from the Royal Gardens, Kew, related that a gentleman once told him that he was stopping at an hotel, and noticing the waiter (a-Yorkshire- 1 Co-operative News, December 16, 1876, art. by Mr. E. V. Neale. man) to be a sharp fellow, he asked him how long he had been in the place. "Eighteen years, sir," was the answer- " Eighteen years ! " said the gentleman ; " I wonder you are not the proprietor yourself!" "Oh," said the waiter, " my master is a Yorkshireman also." 1 Wit may outwit wit : equity alone gives others a chance.

Judith Zastawny posted the following on GenForum on 11 February 2001 and on My Family on 13 April 2001:

Seeking a death record for a Joseph Croucher, d. 1917 Milton, Oxford (note that Milton is in Kent, not Oxfordshire), age 80. My Joseph Croucher b. Reigate, Surrey, England 13/03/1838, s/o George Croucher and Mary Smith; (m) Ellen Pitt 07/02/1863, Southwark, Surrey, England. Joseph was a botanist/gardener, previously employed as Superintendent of Kew Gardens, Surrey, England until 1872. Wife, Ellen Pitt, d. 1917 in Battersea, London, England; a widow. Children: Leo, Hannah, Owen.

Home page
Gendex