Amelia Edgcome Richards was born on 23rd February 1839, in Wandsworth, Greater London, Surrey. She grew up in a bustling era of the early Victorian period, a time marked by rapid industrialization and social change in England.
By 1841, at the age of 2, Amelia was living in Wandsworth Wimbledon, Surrey. Her family expanded with the birth of her brothers Robert in 1842, Henry in 1846, and George in 1847. The Richards family moved to Limehouse, Middlesex, by 1851, where Amelia lived as a daughter in the household.
Tragedy struck in February 1853 when Amelia’s mother, Philippa Elizabeth Periam, passed away. Amelia was just 14 years old at the time. Despite this loss, she continued to grow and learn, eventually becoming an apprentice draper by 1861, residing in Kingston, Surrey.
Amelia married Walter Brown on 12th March 1867, at the Ebenezer Chapel in Hammersmith, Greater London. The couple settled in Tottenham, London, where they started their family. Their first child, Henry Walter Brown, was born on December 25, 1867, but sadly, he passed away in July 1868.
The Browns went on to have several more children: Arthur Edgcome Brown in 1869, Amy Edith Brown in 1870, Walter Brown in 1872, Millie Periam Brown in 1874, George Ernest Brown in 1876, William Robert Decon Brown in 1880, Emily Philippa Brown in 1881, Lilian May Brown in 1885, and Percy Frank Brown in 1887. Unfortunately, not all of their children survived infancy, with Walter, William, and Lilian passing away at young ages.
Throughout her life, Amelia experienced the growth and changes of Victorian England, from the expansion of the British Empire to the advancements in technology and industry. She lived through significant historical events, such as the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the introduction of the first public railway in 1825, which revolutionized transportation.
Amelia’s father, John Edgcome Richards, a reverend, passed away in 1884, and her brother John Edgcome Richards died in 1895. Amelia herself passed away on 29th March 1897, in Tottenham, Middlesex, at the age of 58 due to carcinoma of the liver. She was buried in Tottenham Cemetery.
Amelia’s life was marked by both joy and sorrow, but her legacy lives on through her surviving children and their descendants. Her story is a testament to the resilience and strength of a woman who navigated the challenges of her time with grace and determination.
not just any family 