Portrait of Elizabeth Jones nee Helsham 1801-1866
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Elizabeth Jones (nee Helsham)

of Woodbridge in Suffolk

Photographic portrait of Elizabeth Jones nee Helsham 1801-1866
Click for larger image

Born: 22 March 1801 and died 18 April 1866.
Daughter of: Henry Helsham and his wife Catharine Helsham (nee Crowe) (Katharine). 
Sister of:1. Catharine Helsham, born 2 February 1797, died unmarried 24 October 1818.
2. Ann Helsham, born 2 November 1799, died unmarried 12 July 1822.
3. Henry Helsham BA, born 12 February, died unmarried 14 March 1828 and was buried beneath St James Church, Bath (I understand this is now Tesco).
4. George Helsham, born 25 January 1806, surgeon and apothecary, died unmarried at Woodbridge, Suffolk, in May 1836.
Elizabeth married: Dr Richard Jones (1814-1888) 2 August 1837 (in Berkshire?).
Elizabeth and Richard had three children as follows:
1. Col Henry Helsham Helsham-Jones RE (1838-1920), who married Elizabeth Jane Hesketh (1842-1869) and then Mary Littledale Greenwood (Mrs Rohde Hawkins, 18??-1913).
2. Henrietta Elizabeth Helsham-Jones who never married, born 2 March 1840 (died November 1919?).
3. Arthur Helsham-Jones (1841-1919) who married Alice Harriette Elizabeth Tooke (1846-1929).

Elizabeth had a distant cousin Dr Arthur Helsham (1795-1875).

Elizabeth Jones (nee Helsham): An Overview

The information I have about Elizabeth Jones comes from the following sources:
1. Her diary.
2. General notes written by her son Col Henry Helsham Helsham-Jones.

Elizabeth's diary is headed "The Mother's Reminiscences" and seems to have been written during her final years at the request of her son Henry.  Most of the diary is in her own handwriting but the last few pages are written by her son Henry, presumably as her ability to write deteriorated.  Her story concentrates on her younger days before she married.

Elizabeth was presumably born in Stoke Ferry in Norfolk, where her father practised as a doctor, however he died in 1806 when she was only 5 years of age.  From this time she appears to have lived in a number of places as her mother did the best she could to raise the family.  Sadly most, if not all, of Elizabeth's relatives died one by one.  Her brother George Helsham became a doctor and practised in Woodbridge in Suffolk but in 1836 he also died.  Presumably through her brother George, Elizabeth had met up with Richard Jones (another doctor) to whom she married and lived the remainder of her life at Woodbridge in Suffolk.  Their marriage was unusual as it would appear that Richard was 13 years younger than Elizabeth and their first child, Henry, was born a year before they were married?

Elizabeth died in 1866 and her husband Richard died in 1888.  In 1888 her three children all changed their surnames from Jones to Helsham-Jones.

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