BRYER of Dorset Family Chart no. 80

	Arthur Blewert BRYER
	b. circa 1807 [in Dorset ?]
	d. 17 Mar 1886 at Newington, SRY
	Gentleman

His Children

Who They Were

Arthur was a man of some substance. His will of 1879 (proved 1886) was detailed and generous. He mentions family in Cheltenham, cousins in Liverpool and Torquay, friends and servants (his care for the provision of his cook and housemaid, Eliza KELLEY and Jane WHATMAN, is particularly touching). He asks to be buried in his own tomb in South Metropolitan Cemetery, Lower Norwood Surrey (now called the West Norwood Cemetery). This cemetery is also the final resting place of some famous people, including Mrs Beeton (of cookery book fame), Sir Henry Doulton, Dr William Marsden, Baron Julius de Reuter, Charles Spurgeon and Sir Henry Tate.

The names that appear in his will are very interesting when coupled with the will of Mary Bryer of Weymouth, dated 1823. The same names - SABINE, TALBOT, etc. - also appear in her will, and she was the mother of William Wyndham BRYER, whom Arthur mentions was his cousin also. The evidence for a Dorset connection grows very much stronger.

Arthur died of senile decay; the informant at his death was E. Fuller. So far I have not discovered if this person was a relative.

Where They Lived

In the 1851 Census, he was living at 6 Canterbury Row, St Mary Newington, Surrey, together with three servants (Housekeeper Mary Brown, a Cook and a Housemaid). He was at the same address in 1861, and Mary Brown was still his housekeeper, although the Cook and Housemaid had changed. His will states that the road was renamed and his house became 11 Kennington Park Road before the 1871 census. In 1871 and 1881, he was living in the same house, now named 11 Kennington Park Road. He had no Housekeeper in 1871, although he still employed a Cook and Housemaid. In 1881, he still had the Cook/Housekeeper (Eliza Kelley, who had been with him for more than 20 years), a housemaid (Jane Whatman, who had been with him in excess of 10 years), and a Nurse (Caroline Thomas). In all four censuses he gave his place of birth as Newington, but in 1861 he was a little more specific, stating 6 Canterbury Row as his place of birth; this has helped me to identify him as the son of Robert BRYER (born in Dorset), who died in Canterbury Row in 1820.

Family Group Identifiers

Family: B-DORDOR01
Family Group: b-dor080