Marion was the wife of Sidney Vatcher, the vicar of St Philip, Stepney in 1888. From Ancestry.co.uk: Sidney Vatcher was "the Vicar of St. Phillips Stepney church. I believe he was born in Jersey in 1845. His family are originally from Exeter." "Rev. Vatcher was somehow involved with the Dr. Barnardo's Home for Children around the late 1800's ...".
We also found Vatcher converting the crypt of his church into a welcoming Christmas venue for the distressed. Active in the Metropolitan Public Garden Association, This OU study names a number of gardens he was involved in creating, including one very close to his church, Brewers' Garden.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this lady and can confirm that her husband was not born in 1845 in Jersey, but that his birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1848 in the Exeter registration district, Devonshire. She was born as Marion Lankester, her birth being registered in the 1st quarter of 1850 in the St James registration district in Westminster. She was the third of the eight surviving children of Edwin Lankester (1814-1874) and Phebe Lankester née Pope (1826-1900). Her parents had a total of eleven children.
In the 1851 census she is shown as living at 22 Old Burlington Street, Westminster, with her parents, her sister Phebe Lankester (1846-1924), her brother Edwin Ray Lankester (later Sir Edwin Ray Lankester, KCB, 1847-1929), together with a footman, a cook, a nurse and a housemaid.
The 1861 census shows her living at 8 Saville Row, Westminster, with her parents, seven siblings: Phebe, Edwin, Samuel Rushton Lankester (1851-1894), Edward Forbes Lankester (1855-1934), Nina Lankester (1856-1923), Jessie Lancaster (1858-1939), Alfred Owen Lankester (1859-1933), together with a cook, a housemaid, a nursemaid, a nurse and a footman.
At the time of the 1871 census she was recorded as living at Walton House, 6 Burgess Hill, Hampstead, with her parents, six siblings: Phebe, Samuel, Edward, Nina, Jessie & Alfred, a cousin once removed called Fanny Caine (b.1841), four visitors: Sidney Vatcher (whom she would later marry), Reginald Templer, Lawrence Templer & Charles Templer, together with a governess, a cook, two housemaids and a page.
On 27 February 1872 she married John Sidney Adolphus Vatcher (1848-1926) at St John-at-Hampstead Church, Church Row, London NW3 6UU where the marriage register shows that she was living in Hampstead and that her husband was a clerk in holy orders living in Alresford, Hampshire.
Post Office Directories in 1875 lists him as the curate of St George's-in-the-East, Stepney, and that they were residing at 62 Philpot Street, Commercial Road East and this address is confirmed in the 1881 census that shows her living there with her husband and a female domestic servant.
The 1891 census shows her living at 'Minswell', Gomshall Road, Shere, Guildford, Surrey, with her husband and a female domestic servant caretaker and that her husband's occupation was recorded as Vicar of St Phillip's, Stepney.
The UK Clergy List of 1897 shows them living at St Philip's Vicarage, Newark Street, Whitechapel Road and the 1901 census states that she was living at 38 Newark Street, Stepney, with her husband, their two-year-old godson, Sidney Bradbury (1899-1982), together with a nurse to their godson, a cook, a parlour maid and a kitchen maid.
They were later to adopt their godson and by the time of the 1911 census she was shown still at 38 Newark Street, living with her husband, a housekeeper, a housemaid, a parlour maid and a kitchen maid, whilst their adopted son was recorded as Sidney Vatcher living at 9 High Beech, Felixstowe, Suffolk, with a governess, a housekeeper, a housemaid and a kitchen maid.
Her husband died, aged 77 years, on 3 January 1926 at 9 High Beech, Felixstowe, and when she was jointly granted probate on 9 April 1926 with her adopted son and Barclays Bank Ltd, her husband's effects totalled £54,755-11-11d.
Probate records confirm that her address remained 9 High Bank, Felixstowe, but that she died, aged 83 years, on 1 February 1933 at 5 Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone, the home of her brother Alfred Owen Lankester. Probate was granted on 15 March 1933 to Barclays Bank Ltd and her effects totalled £9,984-19s-9d. She was buried in St Peter and St Paul Church, Church Road, Felixstowe, IP11 9NF.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
