George Courtney of Shoreham Sussex c1842

George Courtney of Shoreham - Theory #1

The mystery of Arthur George Courtney my second great grandfather continues.

It was deduced back in 2010 that the Arthur George/George William COURTENAY who is listed in the 1871 with Abigail Courtenay nee Paice and their 3 daughters at 14 Sun Street, Woolwich was highly likely to be George Courtney of Shoreham Sussex. The ages and occupations are similar and in addition this George Courtney does not appear in the 1871 census anywhere else.

It was on this basis that I DNA tested in 2010 hoping to be a match to his family. It's now over a decade, I've tested many more in my family and still no obvious matches to any of them!

Family Tree of George 1842 on WikiTree (@WikiTreeOfficial).


This deduced George was born 8 Nov 1842 to parents George and Sarah (WILKINSON) in New Shoreham Sussex, with the birth registered at Steyning. George was the youngest of 4 children, Frederick James, Eleanor and Mary Elizabeth.

By the time of the 1851 census Frederick James has probably gone to sea, George is still living in New Shoreham with his parents and 2 sisters. His father is listed as a 'Trinity pilot', it is understood this is a form of lighthouse keeper.

In 1861 George is at sea sailing on the 'Two Sisters', he is listed as an apprentice engineer, unmarried, and a visitor on the ship. The ship census was taken at Carmarthenshire in Wales. His brother Frederick James Courtney is the master of the ship.

In 1871 it is believed that he is listed in the census as ARTHUR GEORGE COURTENAY living at 14 Sun Street, Woolwich, Kent, living with Abigail Courtenay and their three daughters, Edith aged 4 and twin girls of 3 months, Abigail Ann Maud and Alberta Beatrice Emma. He is stated as being born in 1841 Middlesex Marylebone, Also at the residence is a nurse Ann Muggeridge also listed as being from Middlesex Marylebone. Arthur George provides his occupation as labourer in brass works, unemployed.

By the time of the 1881 census, this George is back in Sussex, he is now listed as a Brass founder employer, employing 21 men and 10 boys. He is now listed as unmarried and is living with his parents and his aunt Rebecca Wilkinson. No record can be found of Abigail snr or Alberta in the 1881 census, but her other daughters Edith and Abigail are living in Holdenhurst, lodging with William and Jane BROWN.  If this is our George then it would appear that George never married Abigail even though she may have expected it. In the September quarter of 1882, at 40 years of age, George marries Emily Lydia West, at Midhurst, Sussex, she was a woman 15 years his junior, the niece of the landlord of the pub next door where she was working as a barmaid. 

Abigail lists herself as a widow by the 1891 census presumably she knows about his marriage to Emily, so perhaps she gave up hope. Not surprising, perhaps told by her sister Harriet TITHERIDGE nee Paice, who lived just 5 minutes walk away from George.  It does seem odd that having noted on Edith’s birth certificate that she was still a PAICE (presumably unmarried), that she indicated on Abigail and Alberta's that she was married, if she wasn't.  Perhaps if they were living together by that time and she had assumed permanency in the relationship.  George may not have been Edith's father or they may have married some time between 1867-1871, no record however has ever been found.

By 1891 George and Emily are living at 139 Albion Street, Sussex Lodge, in Southwick Sussex. He is now listed as a Marine engine maker, yacht builder. His nephew George F COURTNEY age 22 (son of Frederick) is living with them.  In 1901 George and Emily are now living at Spes Bona?, 6 Colebrook road, Southwick, Sussex. H e is listed as an employer, managing director of a yacht company.  By late December Emily has died.  It is believed they had no children.

In June 1903, at age 61 George marries Alice Brazier, a widow, (nee Elliott), a woman 23 years his junior. By 1911, they are living in Lymington; at The Anchorage in Bath Road with Alice's son Wilfred age 11. George is working as the manager of the shipyards, building and repairing yachts, but is now listed as a worker.

George died on 15 April 1930, with probate granted on 20 May 1930. His estate was valued at 199 pounds, and was granted to his wife Alice.

The following article was provided by Vyvyan Jones:  "GEORGE Courtney, who took over the Shuttleworth shipyard from John Shuttleworth, was not a ship builder, he described himself as a foundry man and engineer, writes Ted Heasman. Mr Courtney already owned the Star Foundry in Brighton. I do not know when he came to Southwick, but John Shuttleworth built his last ship in Southwick in 1874, the Belle Isle, but, by 1878, George Courtney was mentioned in Kelly's Directory, so it is reasonable to assume that he came to Southwick in the middle, to late, 1870s.'

''By 1877, the yard was known as the Albion Foundry. By 1890, he had been joined by Percy Birkett, and the firm was then known as Courtney and Birkett. They described themselves as "yacht builders and engineers, steam and sail yachts built, steam launches built and repaired". Courtney and Birkett were responsible for the maintenance of the rolling stock and tracks of the horse-drawn trams that ran along the coast road. They also built a funicular railway that ran down the north side of the Dyke, to Poynings."

"This railway was opened on July 24, 1897. It was 840 feet long and rose 395 feet. The gradient of it was not the same all the way up, as was usual with funicular railways. There were two cars, each of them able to carry 12 passengers and a conductor. The cars ran on a three-foot gauge and were hauled up by an oil engine, which was housed in the station at the top of the track. The brakes on the cars were automatically applied if at any time the cable was relaxed. This funicular railway went out of use about 1907. Even today, it is possible to see the scar where it was."

Whilst it is not conclusive that this is the same person, no other census record can be found for this George in 1871.

The Titheridge/Hinxman connection

There is evidence to suggest that George may have met Abigail via her sister Harriet PAICE.  Sometime between 1861 and 1871 Harriet moved to Southwick, Sussex following her marriage to James TITHERIDGE and is living about 5 minutes walk away from George and his parents.  James's great aunt Sarah TITHERIDGE was married to Richard HINXMAN a gentleman, giving Harriet by marriage a connection to the HINXMAN family.   Her sister Abigail may also have become acquainted with George COURTNEY through her.  Of course they could all be connected via the Paice family - Abigail and Harriett's 2nd great grandfather was Thomas HINXMAN!  Richard and Thomas HINXMAN are probably related but exactly how I have been unable to establish.  

There is an Elizabeth COURTNEY living in Barton Stacey who is connected with Kate Paice (the illegitimate daughter of Abigail’s step sister Marsha) and the Hoare and Joyce families who appear to be working for her.  Elizabeth’s father was Jacob Hinxman Courtney, her grandfather William Courtney.  William was Abigail and Harriet's 4th cousin once removed.  Is George somehow connected to this family?  You can find Elizabeth's pedigree on Wikitree - please click here.


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2024 Addendum:  In reviewing the DNA evidence for my George, I reviewed this George of Shoreham Sussex again.  I can't help but think the genealogical similarities to my George are strikingly accurate, he worked in a brassworks, then was an engineer and can't be found in the 1871 census - yet there are no DNA matches to either side of his family.  

I can't help but wonder if perhaps the problem lies with his parentage.  He is the last child.  Perhaps George Courtney is not his father?  Sussex George had no descendants so there would be very little other DNA around to test any theory.  

I recently was considering the identity's of George mother though matches on the X chromosome.  In that blogpost I hypothesised that his mother may have been a Webster.  There seem to be no connections to the Webster family in Sarah Wilkinsons line, but probably further research is warranted.  We have a birth certificate so it seems unlikely he was adopted.


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This blog is dedicated to finding my second great grandfather Arthur 'George' Courtney c1841.   To see a summary of my research click here.  

If you help with any of questions raised in this post, please contact me using the contact form on this blog or send me a private message via Wikitree, Ancestry or Facebook. 

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