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Strictly speaking, this is just a branch of my own family but the letters we have in our possession are like a Victorian melodrama.
Effie and Mabel Prossor were the children of my great great grandfather Henry Prossor by his first marriage.
Henry appears to have run into financial difficulties at the same time as his wife Eve (nee Worster) died in the mid 1870s.
The two girls were born in Northampton, may have lived in Southampton for a while but were fostered, possibly by a former servant of the family, in York.
Effie was eventually fetched by her father. She was placed in a convent, then as an adult married a Walter Hill, later sailing to a new life in Utah, USA.
Poor Mabel, meanwhile, stayed in care in York, and sought "her folks" via a newspaper appeal. She eventually made contact with Henry Prossor, but it is unclear if she ever saw him before she died of typhoid. The big question is whether Henry was her father. Certainly, Effie was given preference over Mabel, and the marriage broke up when Mabel was a babe in arms.
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From the Yorkshire Herald, Saturday September 7, 1907.
York Lady's Search for her Father
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A Romantic Story
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"Mysterious Beautiful Lady"
Romance is by no means dead in this workaday world. It pops up here and there, often in unexpected places. People there are, for instance, even in York , the unruffled surface of whose lives conceals secrets on which might be built a three-volume novel.
As an example, the case of Mrs Bramley, of Webster's Court, York, might be quoted. For some years she has been engaged in the difficult task of finding her father. Her mother she has never seen, and never will see in this world, because there appears to be no doubt that she long ago passed beyond the veil. Mrs Bramley's parentage is a mystery that she would like to have unravelled. About 32 years ago, she was brought, a babe one month old, to York, and handed over the to the care of Mr and Mrs Young, who resided in Jewbury. By Mr nd Mrs Young, Mabel, that is Mrs Bramley's Christian name, was brought up until at the age of 22 she married.
The strange part of the story is to follow. Her mother, she has been told, was a woman of great beauty and considerable wealth. When she visited York she was, according to people who saw her, handsomely dressed, wearing costly jewels, and had an air of great refinement. Another child was brought to Young's whether or not at the same time as Mabel it is not clear, but this one, Effie, was taken away when two years old and placed in a convent. Occasionally, Mrs Young was visited by a lady who took a great interest in Mabel. This lady is believed to have been Mrs Bramley's mother. At any rate, Mrs Bramley possesses a photograph of a lady who bears a striking resemblance to herself, and she has been told it is the likeness of the lady who brought her to York.
Who was this mysterious beautiful lady? Mrs Bramley has learned, from what may be regarded as reliable sources, that she was named Woolley [was this Eve Worster, and if so, was Woolley a stage name?], that her family were wealthy dealers in wine and spirits and that they owned considerable property in Southampton. But then it is stated that she was also an actress of great ability and renown who married a prosperous solicitor. And lastly, Mrs Bramley has been told that her mother's married name was Prossor. One thing is clear: a gentleman named Henry Prossor visited York, and took away Effie, in April 1876.
Enquiries reveal many curious features of this simple but very human story. Mr Young died a long time ago; Mrs Young, who is over 80 years old, lives at Selby. Neither would reveal to Mabel the secret of her parentage. They told her repeatedly that they took her for charity's sake; but they appear to have admitted to others that they were well paid for all they did. More than once, in bursts of confidence, Mr Young declared that there was great wealth to come to Mabel; Mrs Young has said that Mabel had blue blood flowing in her veins. At any rate, she was carefully guarded, well educated, and brought up in the belief that her origin was no common one.
Her mother died at the age of 25, broken-hearted by some secret sorrow. Where is her father? And who was he? Mr and Mrs Young strictly enjoined Mabel never to enquire after him, on no account to seek him out, as he would not be pleased to see her. In spite of that warning, however, as was only natural, she has sought and is seeking him. She has obtained a clue as to his whereabouts, and that he has a second wife and a grown-up family. This clue has yet to be fully investigfated, and Mrs Bramley would be glad of the assistance of anyone who can help her to probe the mystery of her birth.
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Mabel's letter No1
Letter from Mabel Prossor (married name Bramley; she may not have used her maiden name, perhaps taking surname of people she was placed with after Henry Prossor's great misfortune ). Undated. Presumably sent to Effie Prossor (married name Hill) in Utah. Letter among bundle returned to the UK by William Frank Bramhill after holiday in 1976 with Edwin and Ruth Hooper, direct descendants of Effie.
Sent from 6 Fern Street, Garden Street, Groves, York.
[Fern St still standing in spring 2000, a neat tidy terrace a five minute walk from the Minster]
Dear sister
Will you kindly write to me and let me know something of Father and Mother and yourself and if I have any other brothers and sisters, also while all these years I have never heard of any of my people. I have recieved [sic] your New Years cards through the post office the last three years but why do you never weite to me. I have your photo taken years ago which I treasure very much and have always prayed for you and my peo9ple ever since I was a child and hoped some day to hear from some of you. Is myFather and Mother a Lady and gentleman as Mrs Makins whom my Father will know told he he was. I should so like your photo also Father and Mother. I am not living with the people with whom I was left to be brough up nor have not been for a number of years. Mr Young is dead and is only of late years I have got to know I did not belong to them. I have advertised in several Newspapers for you or my Father even as late as last week there was an advertisement in for news of you. I do hope you will write. I was told by a Gentleman at the Public Library that this was your address. Hoping soon to hear from you.
I remain your loving sister
Mabel
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Mabel's letter No 2
Undated. Sent from 6 Fern Street, Gover, York
My Dear Sister
Many thanks for your kind letter and wishes received. I trust you are all quite well. I have had one of the children bad with a cold or Bronchitis and have had him to nurse or I should have written you before. I trust Mother is quite well. I am afraid she has her troubles. What does she think to another daughter turning up after all these years [I don't think she means her real mother Eve Worster - perhaps she is referring to Henry Prossor's second wife Louisa Richardson; maybe Effie did not tell her too much of the family's background]. Give my best respects to the boys. I have quite taken a fancy to them: the light haired one is the image of me so everyone says who sees it! I hope some day to be able to see them. I had forgotten to tell you I have two children, one Ada May age 7 years and Ernest Wilfred age 2 years 5 months old. They are very nice children you would say so if you saw them. I trust you may some day? Tell Mother Mrs Young is living with her own relations at Selby; they got all the propery and money at his death. I got nothing. I never expected anything as they were so greedy during life. All the years I lived with them they never gave me a penny piece, only my bare keep and clothing. When I left to get married they gave me an old wooden bedstead and mattress for a wedding present and yet he died worth a lot of money and property. They always gave me to understand they kept me out of charity and always told everybody who they ever came in contact with I always had hard to work for them too? But I do not mind, I have a home of my own now so can do without them. Has my papa got a photo of my own Mother or himself he could send me? I wonder what made him leave me all those years and take my sister from me? It is so willed that God has brought to light what he would have kept in the dark and I am thankful that God has restored to my my sister that I have longed for all my life and also to know I have other brothers and sisters living. Trusting soon to hear from you.
I remain your loving sister,
Mabel.
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Mabel letter No3
Letter to Henry Prossor from A Bramley [presumably Mabel's husband]. Sent from 8 Jewbury [York] and dated Dec 1st 1907
Dear Mr Prosser [sic]
Please accept my thanks for you sympathy in our sad bereavement . It was my intention to write you at my earliest opportunity. But it has been so dreadfully sudden and I have had everything to see to myself that I have not had any time before. Poor Mabel was only in bed a week. We had her own doctor last Monday and he said that she was suffering from Influenza and that she was to keep warm in bed and he would send a bottle of good medicine to make her all right again. He never hinted at anything serious nor left any instruction except that she might have some beef tea. She seemed to be going on all right till the weekend. In fact on Friday she felt so much better and looked so too, that we thought she would be able to gt up on Sunday. But I am sorry to say that on Saturday when I got home from work May had been for another doctor as her mother was much worse. She told us it was typhoid fever and that she would have to be removed to the Fever Hospital. But towards evening she got very weak. I got a nurse from the Nurses Home to her and fetched the doctor again. They never expressed any opinion except that I had better stay up with her and that I must not let her have anything but milk and soda unless she became very faint. She did not complain of anything fresh except that her throat was very dry and she wanted a drink every few minutes nearly. She remained like that till about 6 next morning when I saw a change come over her face. I gave her some brandy to revive he but she laid quite still and took no notice when I spoke to her. I sent for the doctor again but she was past all human aid before one came. I was not quite sure she was dead, I thought she was only unconscious but the doctor said she had been dead a quarter of an hour. I have had so much bother with the Health Authorities. They took everything away she had worn and slept on. And after the funeral they came and fumigated both bedrooms and sealed them up. We had taken another house before Mabel was taken ill and had packed up most of the things as we had to be out by the month's end.
I should have kept her longer than Tuesday but both the nurse and undertaker advised me not to do so under the circumstances as they were afraid she might change quickly. Only three friends came to see her after she was dead although others called but were afraid to go upstairs though I am told there is no infection from Typhoid after death but if that is so why are theHealth Authorities so particular? I could not remove my things till I got an order. I hope you will excuse me writing any more at present bu t you will quite understand that the subject is very painful to me.
Believe me
to remain
Yours Sincerely
A Bramley
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