Appendix M. Fanny Woodham and Augustus Toulmin (see *132139)

Mrs Edith Meredith (EM) is descended from a connection of Fanny's mother, William

Borrodaile Wilson, and has a lot of information about that family. Everything

except for my comments in [...], is my paraphrase of information she supplied.

Fanny may have been a great-granddaughter of Thomas Wilson, blacksmith, who

married Isabel Faucet at Ravenstonedale, Westmoreland, in 1753; Mrs Meredith is

great-granddaughter of Thomas's great-grandson William Clarendon Wilson. The steps

between Thomas Wilson and Fanny are not clear at present (possibly, indeed, she was

related rather to Catherine Brown, whom his son Richard Wilson married). However,

a family tradition (from a letter that W.C.Wilson's sister Amelia wrote on 5 May

1892) was that she was the daughter of William Thomas Woodham and Amelia Drimmy,

Thomas Wilson's granddaughter. (The letter reports that William Woodham was "an

officer in the Life Guards, a harum-scarum Irishman who became very dissipated and

was expelled his regiment and, Capt Steel told Father, actually became a

Prize-fighter.") On the other hand, the only marriage of a William Thomas Woodham

at about the right date that can be traced is to Hannah Blanch, spinster, at St

George Hanover Sq, 18 Mar 1816, and Census evidence (Grove House, Lewisham, 1851,

HO107/1591 f.386; Lewisham, 1861, RG9/415) confirms that William, b. Bromley 1793

(son of William and Ann), was married to Hannah, b. Chelsea about 1794. Nearby, in

1851, there were a couple William and Ann Woodham, who may have been related, though

this Ann was too young to have been his mother. Hannah was bur. 8 Jan 1863: wife of

Wm Th Woodham of Leonard Cottage, Keston, Kent (TQ4164), to whom admon. was granted:

this is surely the same. [William T Woodham, widower, 77, retired schoolmaster, b.

Bromley, Kent, was living in a cottage un-named but adjacent to Leonard Place,

Keston, in 1871 (RG10/875, f.80); the only other in the household was a

servant-maid.] Finally, William Thomas Woodham d. Bromley Jan-Mar 1878, aged 87

must be the same, despite the slight discrepancy in age.

The following magazine article was handed down to Amelia Wilson by her father in

1845; its source has not been identified, but it is attributed to 1838 in Amelia's

letter [the wording suggests some years earlier].

"Fanny Woodham, born at Bromley in Kent in the year 1817. It was early

discovered that her voice only required Cultivation to render it most valuable. At

the age of eight years she was placed under the tuition of a Mr Toulmin who had

previously instructed the infant's sisters.- A year afterwards she had a concert at

the Argyle rooms which was very numerously attended, more from the attraction of

witnessing precocious talent than from any expectation of scientific display;

nevertheless it must be well remembered how the audience was astonished and

delighted at the manner in which she sang "Let the Bright Seraphim", accompanied by

Mr Harper on the Trumpet.

"Some time after this Period she was with the cheerful consent of her parents

removed from her Instructor and placed under the care of Trustees who are

indefatigable in promoting her advancement, and have with the utmost solicitude for

her future good chosen for her a most excellent School in Euston Square where se is

receiving an education that joined to her natural talent and gracefulness of person

will render her fit to adorn any Society in which she may afterwards be placed.

Signor Lanza and Mr Kealmark teach her the piano. There is every probability that

they will have reason to be proud of their pupil.

"Much indeed may be expected from her progress if the necessity for over-exertion

does not occasion this fair bud of promise to wither before it expands to

perfection.- At present there seems little fear of such a result, for she has had

the distinguished honour of being introduced to some of the members of our Royal

Family who have been pleased to take a benevolent interest in her future prospects

and have promised her their high patronage, expressing to her friends their high

appreciation of her talents and performances. On the 18 May ...6(?) she had a

concert at the Kings Theatre and we are happy to find she was highly appreciated by

the musical world who seem to Cherish the talent of perhaps a future Billington."

(There is also a record of her singing "Let the Bright Seraphim" and Rossini at the

Hanover Sq Rooms in 1831, when she was 14: "Times", 12 July 1831 p.3, col.3)

As well as the article, Amelia Wilson received from her father a portrait of Fanny

of which which Mrs Meredith has a photograph, and "the charge to take especial care

of it, as, trifling as it may be considered, it may afford valuable assistance in

establishing a claim that time and neglect may seem to have caused to be forfeited".

The claim was apparently by Fanny and her Wilson cousins to an estate named

Bracondale near Norwich. The legal circumstances are very obscure, but it seems

that in connection with it, but not in settlement, some money was handed over to the

Wilsons, and another sum placed in trust for Fanny, in September 1818. (Possibly

from someone in Salisbury?)

The "Mr Toulmin" who taught Fanny in her early years has been identified as Oliver

Hughes Toulmin (*132112), first cousin of Augustus (*132159) whom she married.

It seems that she did not give up the profession of singing on her marriage, but

only some 5 years later (see the note under *132159), about when she had her second

child. Presumably her death on 29 July 1851 was either in childbirth or shortly

afterwards: the last child was rather touchingly named Fanny Woodham Toulmin after

her. Augustus survived her for over fifty years, but never married again.

[I quoted in the Notes the entry from the Royal Society of Musicians register for

Fanny; it seems worth noting that there is also a Woodham in the list:

Woodham, Joseph 1 February 1795 (date of election)

b. 8 December 1767, d. 25 January 1841

Performs on the Violin, Tenor, Double Bass, Horn, Trombone & Trumpet...

is engaged, at Sadlers Wells, the Concert at Free Masons Hall, &

Oratorios Covent Garden Theatre, is a Member of the new Musical Fund.

Perhaps a relation of Fanny's father, William Thomas Woodham (possibly an uncle, as

his father was also William). The "Mr Harper" who accompanied her at the Argyle

Rooms can also be identified with some probability. He not only also belonged to the

RSM:

Harper, Thomas 5 March 1815

b. 3 May 1786 d. 20 January 1853

Performs on the Trumpet, Horn & Pianoforte -- is engaged as first Trumpet

at the Theatre Roayal Drury Lane and the English Opera -- Lyceum Theatre

-- Oratorios -- Music Meetings &c.

but even gets an entry in Grove 5:

"In 1820 he was engaged as principal trumpeter at the Birmingham Musical

Festival, and in the following year succeeded the elder Hyde at the Concert of

Ancient Music, the Italian Opera and all the principal concerts and festivals, a

position which he retained for upwards of a quarter of a century".

His appearance to support Fanny's singing at the age of nine would seem to be a

real tribute to her ability.

For the Argyll Rooms and the concert room at the King's Theatre, see again Grove 5

(under the names and under London). The former seem to have enjoyed a slightly

ambiguous position: they were the site of many notable concerts, but often for the

exhibition of "precocious talent" rather than "scientific display". "The

Harmonicon", the leading musical magazine of the time (not the source of the above

article), refers in 1830 (p.259) to the Rooms (then recently burnt down) as having

"an atmosphere in which best flourished whatever of the wonderful kind failed

elsewhere" -- apropos of a gentleman who played tunes on his teeth. Mr Harper's

presence suggests that Fanny's appearance was a more serious affair; and the King's

Theatre was perhaps the most important concert site.

Fanny appeared in two concerts at the Assembly Rooms, Cheltenham, on 7-8 Nov

1842. The announcement is of "Two Grand Concerts for which they have engaged

Madame Ronconi, Mrs A.Toulmin, Mr John Parry, and Signor Ronconi and the deservedly

celebrated and first Pianiste of the day Sigismond Thalberg. This brilliant

assemblage of talent it is hoped will atone for the unavoidable disappointment

occasioned by the illness of Madame Grisi". Another item states the same party "have

given Concerts this week with the greatest success at Brighton, Oxford, Bath,

Bristol and Exeter" (Chelt.LO 5 Nov 1842). The report of the concert notes that

"Madame Ronconi and Mrs Toulmin sang a number of popular songs, and took part in a

variety of harmonized pieces - acquitting themselves in all with very considerable

ability" (Chelt.LO 12 Nov 1842). All Fanny's colleagues figure in Grove 5, though

Fanny herself does not; indeed this very tour is noticed under Giorgio Ronconi:

having begun his career in England in London in April 1842, and sung during the

opera season, "He then made a provincial tour with [his wife], Thalberg, and John

Parry".

It is probably coincidental that the vicar of Ravenstonedale (where Thomas Wilson

was married in 1753) from about 1715 to 1728 was the Rev Thomas Toulmin (**1321). I

suppose this might just have provided the introduction to Oliver Hughes Toulmin as

Fanny's tutor, though there seems to have been no close connection between these

branches.]

As to Augustus, Mrs Meredith also supplied the following sketch of his life:

Augustus does not want to do medicine. So his father places him with the

Honorable East India Company around 18, as a clerk; when Augustus has spent 3-4

years there he wants to go into business for himself. Father has already given

Henry Heyman Toulmin, his brother, the money for a ship (HW); Henry could have

brought wine freight-free from France, thus helping Augustus. At any rate, he was

in business by the time he was married in 1838.

Augustus makes a marriage settlement on Fanny (we know from his will) but uses

her dowry to expand. They move both household and business premises 6 or 7 times

as Augustus prospers, taking on partners and opening a second shop eventually.

Fanny becomes pregnant with Augustus Jnr, and has a comfortable house with

servants. She then has Caroline and gives up the RSFM. But she is still interested

in it, of course. She may possibly have sung before Queen Victoria, maybe at one of

her concerts in the Argyll Rooms, Hanover Square, where Fanny's early tutor Oliver

Hughes Toulmin showed off his students' abilities from time to time.

They move from Alexander Sq to Bloomsbury, and later to Harewood Sq, Marylebone

(by 1851). By now, Fanny has had Frank, and is pregnant with little Fanny. The

census is taken at the end of March 1851 and that night at home there are Augustus

38, Fanny 32 ("born London"), Caroline 9, Frank 8, and four servants. Augustus jnr

(11) may have been at a boarding-school of with relatives that night. Augustus has

now taken in a partner, Linklater, and has business premises at 30 Great St Helens,

Bishopsgate and 117 and 269 Wapping High St, and is now importing Irish and foreign

provisions, wine spirits, and beer merchandising, and is also a ships' chandler.

Quite an expansion.

They celebrate Fanny's birthday, mid-July, perhaps, and she is now 33. Then,

tragedy strikes and Fanny dies in childbirth, or soon after, leaving a grieving

Augustus and motherless children: "Deaths. On the 29th inst, Fanny, the beloved

wife of Mr Augustus Toulmin,; of 27 Harewood Sq, Marylebone, aged 33" ("Times", 31

June 1851).

Augustus picks up the pieces and rears the children with the help of a nanny.

Since he started the business in 1835, he has come a long way, and trades on,

supported by the nice Henry Heyman and his other sisters and Calvert. As both his

brothers had ships, then it was easy to arrange freight. He imported high-class

wines and has capacious cellars, stocks rare wines, and specialises in his private

cuvee champagne. He conducts his "brisk business on sound, eminently respectable

lines" (Illustrated London News 1893). He is highly regarded by his clients, for

his efficiency and sound judgement.

Fanny's sons grow up and become interested in the wine business. Eventually,

Augustus Snr hands over the business to Augustus Jnr, who continues with the firm.

Frank probably continued in it also.

By 1881, their sons had left home, and Augustus was living with his daughter

Caroline, now wife of George H. Flood (brass-founder) and Mary C. (19) and Evelyn

Frances (5), her children. Little Fanny is married too.

Augustus may have lived to see his grand-daughter, Ethel Mary [*13215923] marry

the Rev. Charles Roberts. In 1898, he was living at 21 Campden Hill Gardens,

Kensington, but died at 5 Ilchester Gardens, [Bayswater, LProb] Middlesex on 30 Aug

1901.

In his Will [made 15 Oct 1898, proved 3 Dec 1901 (Som.Ho)] he directs the terms

of his marriage settlement to be kept; he leaves Evelyn Frances Flood [his

grand-daughter, *13215933] 10 guineas, and forgives a debt of £4000 borrowed by his

son Augustus. £4000 was to be invested for Caroline Maria Flood [his daughter,

*1321593], then [with residue of estate in trust] to Evelyn Frances Flood, then to

her heirs. Trustees H.J.Toulmin of The Pre, St Albans (*1321562) and Robert Field

Aubert [bank manager, LProb] of 25 Ickburgh Rd, Upper Clapton (presumably related to

J.L.Aubert, [132158]); solicitors Edw Wm Beal, Tower Chambers, Moorgate. The

estate was valued at £12000 [£6699-11-4, LProb].

There is no mention of his other daughter, Fanny, now Mrs Barton [*1321596], or

the family of his son Frank [*1321594, d.1892]: perhaps they were provided for by

the marriage settlement. A curious provision is that his body be opened after

death, to be certain he would not be buried alive, and his coffin to be filled with

quicklime so that his earthly remains should be disposed of quickly.

[I think Fanny's birthday in mid-July is a guess by EM, based on the Census age of

32, at 30 March 1851; but if she was born in 1817, as the article stated, she must

have been at least 33 at the Census. (She was registered as 23 at the 1841 census.)

Augustus was born 7 years before Queen Victoria, and outlived her by 7 months.]