52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Mary Jane French in 1891 The 1891 census offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the life of my great‑grandmother Mary Jane French , capturing her at a moment of transition, resilience, and quiet complexity. At twenty‑eight, she is living at 25 Ivory Place, Brighton , a tightly packed street just east of the Level, in Brighton surrounded by the noise and bustle of Victorian urban life. But unlike many women in similar circumstances, Mary Jane is not alone. The census shows her living with William Moore , the father of her children, a detail that adds depth and nuance to her story. Mary Jane’s early life was rooted in rural Sussex. Born in North Mundham in 1863, she grew up in an agricultural world — Bramber Farm in 1871, then Hove by 1881 as her family followed the shifting opportunities of the late‑Victorian labour market. By 1891, she had taken another step into the town, settling in Brighton, where work was more plentiful and anonymity easier to maintain. The presence of William Moor...