Maria Yarrow
(1817-1901)

Maria Yarrow was the tenth and eleven children of William Yarrow, and his wife Elizabeth Wright of Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England.

By 1839, Maria had moved to London and was living with her married older sister Mary Owen (née Mary Yarrow). She worked as a waitress and barwoman at their 'Eating House' known as The Yorkshire Grey Tavern, and run by her.

Maria appears twice in court, once as a witness up against a very grumpy London Mayor in 1839, and again in 1841 against the City Solicitor, to give witness evidence against allegations that the eating house had been serving beer and cider outside of legal hours. In both instances, the cases were dismissed.

She then married welshman Owen Owen (a carpenter) in 1846, and by 1851, Owen is noted as an 'Eating House Keeper' in Clerkenwell, London. It appears that they couple never had any children - or if they did, then they did not survive infancy.

By the 1881 census both Maria and Owen are in their 60s, and Owen is noted as a 'retired Dining Room Keeper', living in Acton, Middlesex. They are joined by their niece Sarah Yarrow (daughter of James Yarrow of Little Thetford), who is noted as an Milliner, unemployed.

Owen dies in 1888, leaving Maria as a 74 year old widow on the 1891 census. She is joined by her 47 year old neice, Maria Yarrow, and her 19 year old servant, Lillian Faken.

She appears again in 1901 for her last census, as an 84 year old widow, living in Acton. Again, her niece Maria Yarrow is with her, as is Eliza Keith, who is described as a 'Ladies Companion' and noted as a servant. Maria dies just three months later in July, at the age of 84.

Life Events

Born

• circa 1817 at Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England.

Baptised

• 10th March 1817 at St. George's Church, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England.

Married

• Owen Owen (1815-1888) on 6th December 1846 at St. Vedast Church, Foster Lane, London, England.

Census and Residence

• 1839: 19yrs, The Yorkshire Grey, 53 Lower Thames Street, All Hallows Barking, London, England.
• 1841: 20yrs, The Yorkshire Grey, 53 Lower Thames Street, All Hallows Barking, London, England.
• 1851: 32yrs, 10 Jerusalem Passage, Clerkenwell, London, England.
• 1861: 45yrs, 59 Great Lower Street, Barking, London, England.
• 1871: 54yrs, 12 Gainsborough Road, Mile End, London, England.
• 1881: 64yrs, 5 Oxford Terrace, Churchfield Road, Acton, London, England.
• 1891: 74yrs, 5 Oxford Terrace, Churchfield Road, Acton, London, England.
• 1901: 84yrs, 8 Faraday Road, Acton, London, England.

Employment

• 1839-1841: Waitress at The Yorkshire Grey (Eating House)
• 1891-1901: Living by own means.

Death

• 20th July 1901 in London, England, aged 84 years.

Burial

• 25th July 1901 with 'no church service', Acton, London, England.