jemina_and_louisa

Jemina and Louisa Murray-Prior

Thomas and Jemina had at least three children over three years: 1. Jemina Frances Sophia M-P (born on 15 September 1814 or 15 September 1813 in the Southampton suburb of Shirley1), d. 1899); 2. Louisa Elizabeth Catherine M-P (26 December 1816–24 July 1891); and 3. In 1814 or 1815 they had a son, William Amherst M-P, who died in London in 1815 'in infancy'.2)

This unfinished sketch was from a collection most likely drawn by William M-P. Given the age of the woman and that it was kept by the family, it is perhaps one of his step-sisters, Jemina or Louisa.3)

These photos are studio ones from TLM-P’s album.4) They are labelled ‘Aunt J.’ and ‘Aunt Jeminia [check; my mistake?] M.P’. The former has a signature on the back dated 1872; the signature ends with Prior, and is possibly JMPrior - Jemina Murray Prior?

Jemina, like her sister Louisa, remained single. She was wealthy, pious and generous enough to leave £200 to set up a charity, ‘The Prior Gift’. This Gift contributed to the salary of the verger at the Holy Trinity Church, Shirley, Southampton, as well for an annual distribution of food tokens to 36 ‘deserving poor’.5)

to get from T&T: Insert photo taken by Andrew Darbyshire at Southampton church, Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia, St Lucia History Group Research Paper No.8. pp.59,60. https://brisbanehistorywest.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/08-a-fair-slice-of-st-lucia-thomas-lodge-murray-prior.pdf

Louisa Murray-Prior



These three photos are studio ones from TLM-P’s album, labelled ‘Aunt Louisa’ and 'Aunt Louisa M.P’.6) The second photo has the inscription on the back ‘For Morres[?] with Aunt Louisa's Love’. Judging from Louisa's large Crinoline, the photos were taken in the mid-nineteenth century.

Louisa was christened on 22 January 1817 by the Forces chaplain: this fits in with Thomas Bertram M-P's belief that she was born in Boulogne, France.7) She was again baptised two years later at Wells cathedral.8)

In 1863, Louisa lived at 18 Oxford Terrace, St Peters, Islington, London. In the 1890s, she lived with her sister Jemina at Howden Lodge, 14 Clarendon Road, Southsea.9)


1)
Thomas Bertram M-P, Some Australasian Families Descended from Royalty, ms, n.d, p.5.
2)
TLM-P, genealogical notes in John & John B. Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland: M to Z, London: Henry Colburn Publisher, 1846; Thomas Bertram M-P, Some Australasian Families Descended from Royalty, ms, n.d., p.5. See also QJO, Praed papers, 10/12/51.
3) , 4) , 6)
Provenance: From Nora M-P to her son Robert or daughters Dorothy & Ruth M-P, to E.S.M-P, to J. Godden.
5)
Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia, St Lucia History Group Research Paper No.8. Faced with large scale poverty, philanthropists in the Victorian age tended to be obsessed with restricting aid to those who were ‘deserving’, that is, poor through no fault of their own and living blameless lives. The latter requirement alone substantially reduced the call on the philanthropists’ purses!
7)
Thomas Bertram M-P, Some Australasian Families Descended from Royalty, ms, n.d., p.6.
8)
QJO, Praed papers, 10/12/50
9)
Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia, St Lucia History Group Research Paper No.8.
  • jemina_and_louisa.txt
  • Last modified: 2018/05/27 21:16
  • by judith