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For the descendents of Richard Dearie and his son John Russell


George Oscar Frier Hogg

19 June 1828 –January 30 1888

Gold prospector and Wool Merchant

“The finest son” according to Gertrude Fox. She also wrote: “Uncle Oscar's defiance of society loved by all the best who knew him”

Compiled by Claire Grey with notes from Agnes and Cecil Rough.

Oscar was born in Perth, Scotland on 16 June 1826 according to his sister Agnes but according to the old parish register he was born on 19 June 1828.

”George Oscar Frier Hogg lawful son of John Hogg jeweller residing in the said parish and Elizabeth Mugridge his spouse and baptised on the 25th day of June said year by the Reverend James Esdaile, Minister of the East Church, Parish of Perth. Cross Street Pomarium West Church Parish, Perth the 19th day of June 1828 was born”

Pomarium was the weavers' district of Perth. (1)

Oscar was only five when his oldest sister Eliza left home and had an illegitimate child in 1833. We presume that at some point between the years of 1838 when Eliza married in London, and 1841, Oscar’s father John died.

Oscar can be found as a schoolboy on the 1841 census at Belgrave Lodge in Chiswick with his mother, and two of his sisters. He is not on the 1851 UK census with his mother when he would have been 23. Disappointed in love he may have gone to Australia by then. He went gold prospecting but came back too early and missed the Australian gold rush. (The document claiming his land in Australia still hung in a frame on Agnes and Cecil’s wall in 1985.)



“ Gertrude Fox wrote:” Dear Uncle Oscar was refused by handsome Jenni Burr (Robert Rough’s niece) Uncle Oscar left his disappointments of life and went to Australia living adventurously gold digging for some years. Returned to England married a dear country bred woman (pitted with small pox I remember) and he made a small ? home for her and her old mother lovely garden full of wild birds and ? space ? he bought a little wool shop in Goodge Street which became rapidly one of Aristocracy. His sister Agnes widow lived nearly all her live with Lady Sophia Cecil whose father gave the ball before Waterloo. Uncle Oscar brought up his sister Agnes’ son. Uncle Oscar’s other sister Elizabeth my grandmother married unhappily R. Dearie and U. O. did much for her children.”

Gertrude Fox has got this slightly wrong as Oscar’s fortune turned out to be made by his marriage to Sarah whose father already ran the shop and built the house in New Malden. The 1851 census for 43 Goodge Street shows Thomas Penney head, aged 50 trimming seller born in Wakefield, York, his wife Sarah 47 born in Edgeware Middlesex, his daughter Sarah 20, born in Marylebone. There is also a shopman, servant, a visitor and a pewterer living there. Why does Gertrude Fox call Sarah country bred? Is this a comment of a geographical nature or does it refer to her class? Marylebone was not really the country although it was on the edge of London. Perhaps she shared her father’s Yorkshire accent?

Oscar married Sarah Elizabeth Penney on the 27 Aug 1853 at Old Church St Pancras.

The Villa at New Malden

New Malden was agricultural land before the railway station opened in 1846. Some London businessmen liked the idea of a country estate accessible from town. The Groves were built first; Chestnut Grove, Lime Grove, Acacia Grove, Poplar Grove and Elm Grove, now Elm Road. The first two houses built in the Groves were Beulah and Perth Villas now numbers 48 and 50 Chesnut Grove.

The district was an artistic community with opera singers and painters and also had its own gas works and gas lighting in the streets.

According to Agnes Rough Beulah Villa was built in 1864 by Thomas Penney who was killed during its construction when he fell from the scaffolding. He was 53 years old. It was what is now number 48 Chestnut Grove and was built with bricks from Suffolk and had a well in the cellar.

Thomas' death seems to have been earlier as records show that he was buried at Kensal Green on 13 June 1854 in a grave bought on 12 June 1854 by George Hogg and Sarah Penney of 43 Goodge Street.

Top right: Beulah Villa in open fields, then as part of the street.

Bottom two pictures: the garden.

 

 



The family can be found on the 1861 census in New Malden. Sarah Penney Oscar’s mother in law is head of household. Her daughter Sarah Elizabeth Hogg aged 29, George her husband aged 32 haberdasher, and visitor Lucy Ann Davenhill unmarried, a dressmaker born in Whitechapel.

By the time of the 1871 census George Oscar is head of the household at Beulah Villa aged 43, wife Sarah aged 40, mother in law Sarah aged 67, Archibald Rough nephew aged 8 and one servant.

On 1881 census at Chestnut Grove, George Hogg head aged 52 born Perth, warehouseman, wife Sarah aged 49, his mother in law Sarah Penney aged 77, and Archie Rough nephew aged 18.

The kept lots of animals. There were large painted portraits of all the family in the house, including the one painted by Oscar's mother's former neighbour Ruben Sayers in the 1850s. Agnes didn’t know what became of them.

Sarah Penney died in 1884 and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery on December 27th in the same grave as her husband Thomas.

 

Left: Enlargement of the garden pictures shows Oscar with his wife Sarah, her mother and a young Archie Rough wearing a mortar board.

 


The Wool and Art Needlework Shop

The wool shop was established in 1831 and was a going concern before Oscar married Sarah. Directories say that number 43 was Thomas Penney, Trimming seller in 1853 and by 1865 Hogg and Lee wholesale Haberdashers. According to Agnes the assistants lived in the shop.

It was on the direct route to Liverpool Street Station for Sandringham, and Sarah Hogg always went out and curtseyed when the Royal party went past.

Sarah was an astute businesswoman and travelled daily to the shop by the 8 am train from New Malden Station.

 

 

 

New Malden Station


Oscar died on January 30 1888 at Beulah Villa, Chestnut Grove, New Malden Kingston aged 59 years and 6 months.

Sarah his wife registered his death on February 1st. The cause of death a malignant abdominal tumour.

He was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery on February 2 1888 in the family plot.

In his will made on 7 July 1887 he left £861 18s 1d to his wife Sarah Elizabeth. The will was witnessed by Charles Edward Knapp, 12 Harefield Road Brockley S.E. and by Ann Sutton, New Malden Surrey.


It can be assumed that Jack Russell’s close association with Archie and his wife Emilie Brown came from his connection with his Great Uncle Oscar.

Oscar possibly helped Jack’s mother Jessie and even her mother Elizabeth. Did this help give rise to the description of his “ defiance of society”?

Jack bought his house in Elm Road in 1884 so that he was near Oscar; Elm Road is at the end of Chestnut Grove. He might even have lived in Waterloo and Westminster Roads because the railway line from New Malden linked to Waterloo Station.

Among the names that Jack gave his children were the family names of George, Oscar, Archie, and Cecil.

Left: Thomas and Sarah Penney, Oscar and Sarah Hogg's grave photographed by Claire Grey in 1999 when it was still upright. By 2010 it had either fallen over or been laid flat. Freer seems to have been written as Fred by the stone mason which must have annoyed Sarah.

The grave number is 11578/14/3R

 

 

Sarah Hogg lived on with her “adopted son” Archie and his wife Emilie and their children, Joe, Agnes and Cecil. Nancy Godwin writing in 1967 recalled:"I still have very vivid memories of visiting Aunt Sarah at Malden, and watching fascinated while she carefully washed each piece of a glass chandelier. The other very clear memory is of the parrot!"

Sarah died aged 91 at Beulah Villa on 31 January 1924. She was buried in Kensal Green on February 4th.


Archie Rough his nephew went on to run the shop himself.
From left: Sarah Hogg with Jack Russell, Emilie Rough, Archie Rough and Joe.

Oscar photographed at Reed's studio at 16 Tottenham Court Road on Dec. 18th 1873
Sarah photographed at Reed's Studio in Tottenham Court Road on Aug 8th 1864
Left: Numbers 27 and 29 Goodge Street, the original number 43 can be seen below the window. Above: The two shops today photographed in 2010 by Claire Grey
St. Pancras Old Church. Photo. by Claire Grey 2010