Frederick RANDELL (Gambling) 1837
Frederick Randell was the eldest child of James Randell and Mary Gambling but Frederick, was born prior to the marriage of his parents and as a consequence of law was christened Frederick Gambling.
In the 1841 census he was recorded as Frederick Gambling living in North Walsham with his mother, Mary. He was at the home of 61 year old chair maker, Robert Gambling, who was the father of Mary Gambling.
Frederick was born, 31 December 1837, some five years before his parents married but he grew up with the Randells and was listed as ‘Frederick Randell - son' on every subsequent census. He was the quintessential Randell and provided the ‘F’ in F.Randell Co Ltd.
He was clearly known as Frederick Randell but in a legal oddity it was Frederick Gambling that married Fanny Valentine Spence, 25 March, 1860 at the Parish Church, Norwich. In an peculiar extension of this, each of his three children were also registered as Gambling.
His wedding certificate states his father was James Randell, Ironmonger, North Walsham and the Norfolk Record Office holds a document which is catalogued as “1864 Frederick Randell admitted as the reputed grandson of John Randell.’ Presumably, this is legalese for confirming that he was Randell. It’s impossible to know the actuality of their relationships but Victorian society imposed a rigid structure and presented a myriad of obstacles which may have hindered his parents marriage.
Whatever the circumstances of his arrival, Frederick and Horace were to oversee the expansion of Randell Brothers from modest beginnings to an enterprise employing 33 men and 11 boys by the 1881 census. The family business which was started around 1828 by John Randell continued to expand under Frederick’s tenure and in 1897 became a Limited Company with Frederick Randell as managing director.
Frederick and Fanny lived out their lives in North Walsham. The death of Fanny left Frederick a widow in the 1901 census. He was living in Bacton Road, with his son Frank and his family. Also staying as a house guest, was 62 year old Mary Kitton also a widow. She was the sister of Fanny Valentine and the mother of Edith Kitton. Edith was the second wife of Edward Howes following the unfortunate death of Frederick's own daughter Ellen.
The 1901 census reveals the Randells had three female servants resident in the house. According to a contemporary Victorian article this was 'perfectly acceptable if you were prepared to endure a modest breakfast'.
Frederick Randell died, 19 November 1918, a few weeks short of his 81st birthday.
ANCESTRY ~ James / John / James / Frederick
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Fanny Valentine SPENCE 1837
Fanny Valentine Spence was born 25 July 1837 in St Georges Colgate, a pleasant riverside suburb of central Norwich. She was the child of George Spence and Mary Geary both who had originated in Leicestershire. George was born in Saint Menton in 1809 and was recorded in census information as a machinist, however in Kelly's Directory, and on his daughters wedding certificate, he was stated to be a Clock and Watchmaker. Fanny's mother Mary was born in 1812 in Barwell, Leicestershire which is a small market town not far from Hinkley. Mary was rather impressively a librarian.
Fanny lived in Norwich with her family until marrying Frederick, 25 March 1860. She was one of four children, three sisters and a brother. Her sister Mary, married Frederick Kitton and was staying with the Randells in 1901.
Fanny Valentine Spence became Fanny Valentine Randell, despite the record showing rather confusingly she married Frederick Gambling to achieve this.
On the night of the 1861 census, George Spence, her father, was staying with the recently married couple.
Her life was cut short, when in the winter of 1892, age 55 she died. Prior to that she appeared in each census as wife of Frederick Randell and mother of three children. As a macabre piece of trivia, by the time of her death, 11 November 1892 she was officially regarded as Fanny Valentine Randell.
Frederick and Fanny had the following children:
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