Elizabeth Boulter
(1854-1927)

Elizabeth Boulter (later Elizabeth Dewey) was the oldest of the ten children of labourer Robert Boulter and his wife Mary Ann Moden of the fenland village of Wentworth, Cambridgeshire, England.

Elizabeth gave birth to an illegitimate son named John Boulter in 1873. He went on to appear on censuses as "John C. Dewey" after Elizabeth married agricultural labourer John Freeman Dewey of nearby Witchford in 1878.

The couple became parents to nine Dewey children, and it remains unclear as to whether Elizabeth's illegitimate son was actually John's son as well, although it might be that the father was from the Doddington area - where Elizabeth is noted as a dairymaid in 1871.

In 1900, their second eldest daughter, Lizzie Dewey gave birth to her illegitimate son, Herbert Percival Dewey and he was brought up by his Grandparents - John and Elizabeth, believing that he was their youngest son. Lizzie's younger brothers and sisters believed Herbert to be their brother until it was eventually revealed that he was actually their nephew.

John and Elizabeth lost their son Walter Dewey, whilst he fought in Flanders during the First World War, and I am yet to locate information for their son William George Dewey beyond the 1891 census. Their son Arthur emigrated to the USA in 1906.

In 1927, John and his wife Elizabeth were living at St Barnabas Road, Cambridge, when Elizabeth died in hospital following an illness, 8 days after surgery on her appendix. John remained at their home with their daughter Albina until his own death from pneumonia in December 1943.

There are no known surviving photographs of Elizabeth.

Life Events

Born

• 22nd April 1854 at Wentworth, Cambridgeshire, England.

Baptised

• 18th June 1854 at St. Peter's Church, Wentworth, Cambridgeshire, England.

Married

• John Freeman Dewey (1856-1943) on 2nd December 1878 at St. Peter's Church, Wentworth, Cambridgeshire, England.

Children

• John Boulter (1873-1955) married Alice Watts (1878-1950)
• Sarah Jane Dewey (1879-1956) married George William Anderson (1878-1965)
• Lizzie Dewey (1880-1956) married Allen Pumfret Taylor (1885-1945)
• Arthur Robert Dewey (1881-1973) married Ruth Ernst (1887-1934)
• Walter Dewey (1883-1915) married Annie Kirby (1884-?)
• Albina Dewey (1884-1957)
• Francis Henry Dewey (1885-1960) married Mabel Money (1889-1958)
• William George Dewey (1887-?)
• Edith Dewey (1889-1890)
• Ernest Edward Thomas Dewey (1896-1991) married Susan Jane Moden (1896-1981)

Census and Residence

• 1861: 6yrs, Grunty Fen Lane, Wentworth, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1871: 16yrs, Benwick Road, Doddington, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1881: 25yrs, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1891: 36yrs, Main Street, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1901: 46yrs, Main Street, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1911: 55yrs, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1927: 73yrs, 76 St. Barnabas Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.

Employment

• 1871: Dairymaid for Tingay Triplow (Farmer) of Doddington
• 1891: Seamstress
• 1901: Dressmaker

Death

• 20th November 1927 at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, aged 73 years. Cause of death: '1a. Toxaemia, 1b. Gangrenous appendix, 1c. Bronchitis. 2. Operation for appendicectomy on 12th Nov 1927. No Post-mortem'.

Burial

• 23rd November 1927 with her husband John, at St. Andrew's Church, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England.