From Parish of Frien Barnet: "... born in Okehampton, Devon ... made a fortune from a patent carpet cleaning process. By 1891, Sydney and his wife Annie were living in Friern Barnet at their house Okehampton in Friern Park (its site now occupied by the flats of Okehampton Close). His generosity to the people of Friern Barnet in paying for the purchase of The Friary Estate to become a public park {Friary Park}, was matched by like generosity to the people of his birthplace. ... churchwarden of St James’s Church and, for a time, chairman of Friern Barnet Urban District Council, as well as being a Justice of the Peace. He was the founder and president of Friary Park bowling club and patron of the Scouts."
Founder of the Patent Steam Carpet Beating Company Ltd. Good friends with Sir William Treloar. Simmons' wife, Annie, died in 1935.
Our colleague Andrew Behan also writes that Sydney Simmons was born in 1840 in Okehampton, Devon, the youngest of the seven children of Thomas Simmons (1799-1848) and Elizabeth Simmons née Abbott (1800-1886). When the 1841 census was taken on 6 June 1841 he was shown as aged 8 months, living in Water Lane, Okehampton with his parents and his brother Thomas John Nicholas Simmons (1824-1870), together with two female domestic servants. His father was described as a printer. Two of his five other siblings had died before he was born: Sydney Simmons (1831-1837 and Ellen Simmons (1835-1837), whilst the other three were: Elizabeth Ann Abbott Simmons (1825-1908); Mary Ann Simmons (1827-1895) and Sophia Simmons (1829-1869).
In the 1851 census he is shown as a 10 year-old scholar, living in Church End, Friskney, Boston, Lincolnshire, with his married sister Elizabeth Ann Abbott Johnson, her husband William Joseph Johnson (1830-1893) who was the Master of the Parochial Church of England School, their son William Thomas Johnson (1850-1932), together with a female house servant.
He was described as a draper's assistant in the 1861 census residing in Bedford Street, Plymouth, Devon, in a property with four other male draper's assistants, five male apprentices, two male draper's clerks, a male apprentice clerk, five female draper's assistants, one female millinery assistant and one female apprentice draper, together with a housekeeper, a cook and two housemaids.
On 18 March 1871 he married Martha Weatherall (1843-1875) in St John's Church, 18 Railway Street, Chatham, Kent. The 1871 census shows him as a carpet agent living at 267 Stanhope Street, St Pancras, London, with his wife and a male lodger. The death of his wife was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1875 in the Edmonton registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London).
He married Annie Goodridge (1859-1935) on 20 September 1879 in Holy Trinity Church, Haverstock Hill, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the marriage register he is described as a widower and a steam carpet beater residing 59 Clarence Road, Haverstock Hill, whilst his wife was shown as a spinster living in Maitland Park, Haverstock Hill.
Both he and his wife are shown living at 86 St Augustine's Road, Kentish Town, Middlesex (now Greater London) in the 1881 census, together with a cook and a housemaid. He was described as a partner in a carpet beating works.
He was listed as a carpet cleaner in the 1891 census living in a house called 'Okehampton' in Friern Barnet, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife and two female domestic servants and in the 1901 census he continued to be described as a carpet cleaner, living in the same property with his wife, a cook and a parlour-maid.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as the managing director of the Patent Steam Carpet Beating Company Limited and that he was living in the eleven roomed property, Okehampton', Friern Park, North Finchley, London, N., together with his wife and two female domestic servants.
His death was registered, aged 83 years, in the 2nd quarter of 1924 in the Barnet registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London) and probate records confirm that he died on 29 April 1924, that his address remained as Okehampton', Friern Park, Friern Barnet, Middlesex. Probate was granted on 15 August 1924 jointly to: his widow; James Piper gentleman; Brendon Ball Newcombe retired Major H.M. army and Wallace Rice Harvey company secretary. His effects totalled £144,333-0s-3d.
His Wikipedia page and the Okehampton Town Council website give much information about this man who is also commemorated in All Saints Churchyard, Church Path, Okehampton, EX20 1LE.
