Brand Family

The name Brand had a short association with Steeple Morden, when from 1881 to 1883 Elizabeth Brand was tenant and licensee of The Little Wonder beerhouse, now 20 North Brook End [above].

Elizabeth Young, daughter of Martin and Anne Young, was born at Hauxton, Cambridgeshire in 1822 and baptised in the parish church 3 March 1822. Aged just 17, she married William Brand of Elmdon, Essex on 21 November 1839 at St Nicholas, Elmdon. William was a native of Elmdon and baptised there 31 January 1819 son of Robert and Hannah.

Their first child Emily Jane was baptised at St Nicholas, Elmdon on 25 December 1840 and on Census night 6 June 1841 the family were living at Elmdon and William’s occupation was labourer.

At the 1851 Census on 30 March William and Elizabeth were living at Potton Green, Wenden Lofts, Essex and the family had grown with the addition of children Robert, Susannah, Charles and Elizabeth. To support his larger family William was now a gamekeeper.

William next became a publican, keeping the George & Dragon at old Stevenage and he and Elizabeth are recorded there in the Census 7 April 1861.  Children: George, Hannah, Elizabeth (the 2^nd) and Jane are new additions.

Come the 2 April 1871 Census and times are tough, with William’s occupation given as labourer unemployed and he and Elizabeth are living with her brother Charles Young at Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire and they have with them only their two youngest children Jane and new arrival Beatrice. Elizabeth had given birth to nine children from 1840 to 1867.

Husband William died 20 December 1879 at Stevenage and in 1881 widow Elizabeth became a beerhouse keeper at The Little Wonder, Steeple Morden, which lasted until 1883, when she moved to Cambridge and it appears she had a difficult time, until she died there in 1897.

Below is a transcript of the 3 April 1881 Census for Elizabeth at The Little Wonder, which was pretty full that night with its varied residents.

Click on image to view. Click again to enlarge. Drag to view entire image.