John Abel

1840 - 1915  (74 years)

• Name	John Abel
  Birth	8 Sep 1840	Hulme, Manchester
  Baptism	2 Oct 1840	Manchester Cathedral
  Gender	Male
  Census	1841	Hulme, Manchester
  Census	1851	6 Plumstead Place, Plumstead, London
  Near Woolwich Arsenal Station
  Census	1871	60 Brewer St, Woolwich, London
  Census	1881	9 Brewer Place, Woolwich, London
  Census	1891	33 Brewer St, Woolwich, London
  Census	1901	57 Brewer St, Woolwich, London
  Census	1911	57 Brewer St, Woolwich, London
  Death	28 Jan 1915	London
  Burial	3 Feb 1915	Greenwich, London
  Person ID	I61	Ash Family Database
  Last Modified	3 Nov 2025

  
  

  Father	John Abel,   b. Nov 1806, Aberdeen, Scotland d. Jun 1877, Woolwich, London (Age 70 years)
  Mother	Mary Ann Capon,   b. Jan 1813, Easton by Framlingham, Suffolk d. 1883, Plumstead, Woolwich, London (Age 69 years)
  Marriage	22 Jun 1835	St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, London
  Family ID	F655	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth (Lizzie) Rachel King,   b. 9 Jan 1847, Pettistree, Suffolk d. 25 Nov 1923, Woolwich, London (Age 76 years)
  Marriage	19 Jun 1869	Woolwich Parish Church, London
  	John and Lizzie both married from 41 Wellington Street, Woolwich. The witnesses were John and Edith Abel.
  Children	1. Edith Mary Abel,   b. 2 Jan 1875, Plumstead, Woolwich, London d. 24 Aug 1957, Eltham, London (Age 82 years)
  Family ID	F24	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Nov 2025

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 8 Sep 1840 - Hulme, Manchester Baptism - 2 Oct 1840 - Manchester Cathedral Census - 1841 - Hulme, Manchester Census - 1851 - 6 Plumstead Place, Plumstead, London Census - 1871 - 60 Brewer St, Woolwich, London Census - 1881 - 9 Brewer Place, Woolwich, London Census - 1891 - 33 Brewer St, Woolwich, London Census - 1901 - 57 Brewer St, Woolwich, London Census - 1911 - 57 Brewer St, Woolwich, London Burial - 3 Feb 1915 - Greenwich, London  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  John Abel

  
  

• Notes

  It is likely that this is the John Abel who was baptised in Manchester Cathedral on 2nd October 1840, the son of John Abel and Mary Ann. We know Mary Ann to be John's mother from census records. John and Lizzie Abel and their first son appear in the 1871 Census living at 60 Brewer St, Woolwich, a short walk from the Royal Artillery Barracks. John is a carpenter aged 30 and Elisabeth is 24. Young John is only 11 months old. (Brewer Street has since been renamed John Wilson Street and is just across the river from London City Airport). Ten years later, John Abel, then aged 40, was working at Woolwich Royal Arsenal as a carpenter. He and Lizzie now had a young family of 5 children (John, James, Edith, Charlotte and William) were living at 9 Brewer Place, Woolwich. The children were aged between 1 and 10. Their next door neighbours at 10 Brewer Place were Lizzie's elder brother, Francis (46), a blacksmith and Chelsea Pensioner like his father, with his wife Matilda (40) and their 8 children aged between 1 and 15. In 1891, John and Lizzie were living at 33 Brewer Street, Woolwich with John (20), Edith (16), James (19), Charlotte (13) and William (11). The younger John was working as a fitter, Edith as a dressmaker and James as a carpenter like his father. Charlotte and William were at school. The London Electoral Register has John Abel at 33 Brewer St, Woolwich in 1893. On the night of the 1901 Census John, Lizzie and their 6 youngest children were living at 57 Brewer Street, Woolwich. He was still employed as a carpenter. Living with them at the same address were John's eldest son, John Alfred (30), with his wife Clara (21) and their son Harold (1). John Alfred was working as a bookkeeper at the Woolwich Arsenal. In 1911, John appears on the Census record without Lizzie (but listed as 41 years married and not a widower) with three of his unmarried children, William (31), Matilda (24) and Amy (21). John is now shown as holding a pension from the Royal Arsenal and William has followed in his footsteps: he works as a machinist for the same employer. Matilda is a shirtmaker and Amy a milliner. The family is living at 59 Brewer Street, Woolwich. External Links Royal Arsenal History