A tale of marriages and work on farm and in service in the 1870's, involving the Stacey boys marrying Wansbury girls plus some other connections. By the end of the 1870s John Stacey married Mary Wansbury, Ellen Wansbury married James Blundell and Anne Stacey married Henry Titchener.
Both the families were now growing up. John Titchener was in training as a teacher, Henry was away at Streatham. William Stacey was working in Chelsfield and Annie was in service with Mrs. Baxter at Shoreham, and afterwards with the Brookers at Paul's Cray Place (farm on left going towards Sidcup).
One day, William Stacey was seen putting on his best clothes and polishing his boots brightly. "Where are you going," asked his mother. "Over to Filson, Mother, to see Uncle Tom Titchener." This rather puzzled his mother, since it was the third time within a few weeks that he had being over to see Uncle Tom, who lived at Filson. These visits continued at frequent intervals. They were at last explained by William bringing home a young woman who lived with the Loves at Filson, named Emma Wansbury. In due course she and William Stacey were married and lived in Rose Cottage at the top of Well Hill.
Before this, however, Emma Wansbury had left Filson and gone to live with the Gordons at the Court Lodge, Chelsfield, and when she left to be married her place was taken by her sister Polly. John Stacey, who had being working first as carter boy for Mr. Fox at Lily's Farm, then as groom at Woodlands and afterwards as gardener at Broke, was as attracted by Polly as William had been by her sister Emma. John left home to work at Mr. Peed's nursery at Norwood, afterwards taking a gardener's place at Streatham. In due course he and Polly Wansbury were married and settled down at Streatham.
A third of the Wansbury sisters, Ellen, visited her sister Emma at Well Hill, and while there met a friend of the Stacey and Titcheners, James Blundell, whom she afterwards married. One of James Blundell's friends was a handsome, black bearded young man, with a rich base voice, named George Miles. He was often invited up to Rose Cottage, where the young people concerned in our story often were entertained by William and Emma Stacey. Often they would have an evening's sing-song, and George's bass voice rounded off the tuneful songs that floated out on the rose-scented air. William's younger sister Eliza was often one of the party, and as she had to walk down the hill to Woodlands, where she was now living with Mrs. Waring, it was natural that George should walk down with her, and so another romance was started, and soon George and Eliza were married and settled down on Wellhill.
Henry Titchener was by now a young man of twenty-five years and an energetic assistant in his Uncle's business. He had a good many friends at Streatham, for he regularly attended Emmanuel Church and the meetings at the Assembly Hall near by. Also he frequently accompanied his uncle on journeys with the Streatham cricket club, for which John Carll acted as scorer. Very often on an early closing day or on a Sunday he would visit Chelsfield and spend a few hours with his parents and his sister at the Back Hill, sometimes visiting his Aunt Ann Stacey and attending services at the Chapel. Thus, although living away he was quite familiar with the little circle of friends at Chelsfield whom we have been following, the Titcheners, Staceys, Miles, Blundells and their acquaintances. Very often he would meet Annie Stacey both while she was at home with her mother and while she lived at the Court Lodge. Very often on his journey homeward and while he was about his work at Streatham the memory of her face and her voice would come to his mind and he would think how happy he would be if she came to live with him as his wife at Streatham. All this time Henry had lived almost as the son of John and Mary Carll, and he hardly dared to think how they would view the idea of his bringing home a wife to Streatham. Early in 1879 John Carll, who had long been in poor health, died, and left Henry Titchener as his Aunt's sole helper in the business, and this increased his diffidence at mentioning to her the idea of marriage.
Soon, however, the way was to open up more easily than he had anticipated. On June 5th, 1879, the two sisters Polly and Ellen Wansbury were to be married to John Stacey and James Blundell respectively, and Henry was invited as a guest and knew that Annie would be there too. He determined that this would be his opportunity to speak to Annie, but still hesitated to say anything about it to his Aunt. A day or two before the wedding, however, when they were talking about the coming event his Aunt Carll gave him a pleasant surprise. "Well, Henry," she said, "when people go to a wedding they often get a start themselves. You had better look out for Annie Stacey." Of course, Henry pretended that he had never thought of such a thing, but still he felt that now all was clear and he need have no fear as to whether his Aunt would welcome Annie as his wife.
The wedding day came, but it brought a disappointment to Henry Titchener, for after the ceremony was over and the guests had assembled at Rose Cottage (the home of William and Emma Stacey) Annie was missing. She had - a rare thing for her - a bilious attack and was obliged to go home. Henry returned to Streatham without speaking to her. As the train hurried him homeward, he felt that he could wait no longer. His Aunt Carll seemed very anxious when he arrived to know whether he had seen Annie and disappointed because he had not found an opportunity of speaking to her. Henry did not say much to her that evening, but was busy writing. The next morning at breakfast time, Mary Carll again broached the subject. "Well, Henry," she said, "you had better write to Annie Stacey." "How do you know I haven't?" was his reply.
This was how it came about that on a June morning in 1879 Annie Stacey, as she was beginning her day's work at the Court Lodge, received a letter which, she said, was a great surprise to her. At the first opportunity she ran down the Landway to her Mother, and before long a favourable reply was on its way to Henry Titchener at Streatham.
So we reach the end of our story of the two families of Titchener and Stacey, with the happy marriage of Henry Titchener and Annie Stacey on September 25th, 1879.