The Trimmer Family Line: This is an overview of some of the main family members.
The Trimmer Family line is connected via the Bailey Family and I have traced them back as far as the birth of my 3 x Great Grand Father, Edward Trimmer, born in Odiham, Hampshire in 1762. Edward married Martha Hellier in Odiham on 11th December 1787. Martha was also born in Odiham in 1766. I have found confirmed records for 1 son, William, (my 2 x Great Grand Father), born in Odiham on 8th August 1790. However, there is also some contradictory evidence to suggest that they had some additional children but I have not yet been able to prove or disprove this. No records have been found relating to the deaths of either Edward or Martha.
William was born in Odiham, Hampshire on the 8th August 1790 and at some point moved to Surrey where he married Elizabeth Nepthen in Mitcham on the 5th August 1811. Elizabeth had been born in Braintree, Essex in 1791 and had presumably moved south to Surrey for employment, but no evidence of this exists. They had 8 children, Eliza in 1812, Thomas in 1814, William in 1818, Mary Ann in 1820, Joseph in 1822, twins Edmund and Martha in 1825 and my Great Grand Father, Henry James Trimmer in 1829. Following their marriage, William and Elizabeth had settled in Merton, Surrey and it was there that all of the children were born. William appears on 2 Census Returns in 1841 and 1851 where he is described as a 'Snuff Maker' in 1841 and a 'Snuff Manufacturer' in 1851. William died in Merton, Surrey in 1870 and Elizabeth in 1878 in Petersfield, Hampshire.
Great Grand Father, Henry James Trimmer was born in Merton, Surrey on the 3rd May 1829. He married his 1st Cousin, Charlotte Trimmer in Merton on the 29th September 1862. Charlotte was the daughter of Thomas Trimmer and Charlotte Mills and was born in Priors Dean, Hampshire in 1827. Thomas was probably a brother of William Trimmer born in 1790, (see above). Henry James and Charlotte had 2 children, Louisa Florence in 1866, (my maternal Grand Mother), born in Forest Hill, Kent and Emily Anne Jane in 1870, born in Lee, Lewisham, Kent. Henry James has been found on all of the Census Returns between 1841 and 1901 with the exception of 1861 and is generally described as a Gardener or Domestic Gardener. Their Daughter, Emily Anne Jane, was described on the 1901 Census as being an 'Imbecile', a term that of course we would not use now and on the 1911 Census as 'feeble-minded from birth'. Considering that her parents were 1st Cousins and that her Mother was 43 years old when she gave birth to Emily, it is possible that she was a 'Downs Syndrome' child. She did however live to the age of 55 and died in 1925. Henry James died on the 14th April 1902 in Lee, Lewisham, and Charlotte on 9th June 1921 in Greenwich.
Louisa Florence Trimmer (my Maternal Grand Mother) was born in Forest Hill, Kent on 19th July 1866 and first appears on the 1871 Census with her parents aged 4. The 1881 Census for the family is somewhat of a puzzle. I know that I have found the correct Census although the enumerator has recorded Charlotte's name as Elizabeth and Louisa Florence as Susan. Henry and Emily Anne are correctly named as is the ages and birth places of all 4. Coincidently, they had 2 Lodgers, a Police Constable and his wife, whether there was a deliberate attempt to disguise family members we will never know. On this Census, Louisa Florence (aka Susan) is correctly shown as being aged 14 years old and is 'At Home', so presumably she had finished school but was not at that stage in employment. The 1891 Census shows that she was aged 24 and employed by the Pinniger family in Lee as their Housemaid. In the same year she married my Maternal Grand Father, William James Bailey in Lewisham on 13th October 1891. See the Bailey family for details of their children. as mentioned in the 'Bailey Family'. the 1901 Census records that the Trimmers were co-habiting with the Baileys at No 2 Manor Lane in Lee. Louisa Florence died on the 23rd December 1934.