User:J.cullwick

Hannah Cullwick (1833-1909)

Hannah Cullwick (always pronounced with the "w") was a Victorian diarist born in Shifnal, Shropshire on 26 May 1833. She came from solid Salopian yeoman stock. Her father was Charles Fox Cullwick (1803-1847), a Master Saddler of Shifnal and a Burgess (Parliamentary voter) of Bridgnorth. The Cullwicks had been voters in Bridgnorth since 1630, usually voting in the Whitmore interest. And the Cullwick family had been Master Saddlers in Shropshire since the great great grandfather of Charles - Richard Cullwick of Newport (1648-c1720)set up his saddlery business in about 1670.

Hannah's mother was Martha Owen (1800-1847), who had been a Lady's Maid to Mrs Eyton, the wife of Rev John Eyton, Rector of Wellington, Salop. Martha's eldest brother was Richard Owen (1791-1864), the parish clerk of Shifnal.

Hannah had more than a dozen uncles and aunts and over 50 first cousins. All of them were literate and most of them were in business - as farmers, publicans and saddlers.

Charles, Hannah's father, appears to have suffered business losses and the family were subsequently very poor. There were 5 children. James (1830-1915) was the oldest. Then Hannah. Then Dick (1836-1882). Then Ellen (1839-1919). And lastly Polly (1844-1924). James was a master wheelwright and owned houses latterly. Dick was a master saddler and became a harness maker in London. Ellen married the Registrar for Poplar in London, William Cook. And Polly owned a large haberdashery store in the Ipswich Buttermarket.

All 5 children received a rudimentary schooling. Hannah was fortunate to be sent for a couple of years to the Bluecoat Charity school in Shifnal, paid by her godmother Anna Eyton. However, money was so short that Hannah had to contribute to the family purse from the age of 8. Firstly, in the home of solicitor's wife Mrs Revill Phillips, a friend and neighbour of the Cullwicks. Then Hannah worked in the inn next door before embarking on her long career in service.

References Please note:My main reference is my own extensive family research over 25 years and previous research done by my uncle Professor E Geoffrey Cullwick (who appeared in Who's Who from 1927 until his death in 1981). I also have tapes of a great niece of Hannah Cullwick (Esther Cullwick of Ipswich 1899-1978) who spoke about meeting her great aunt and her husband Arthur Munby.

I have written to one or two members of my family, including the daughter of Esther and the daughter of Professor Geoffrey. Here is one reply:

"I would persist with Wikipedia, quoting our 'corporate' research, and that of Prof. Geoffrey (OBE, DSc, FRSE, which probably 'trumps' most, if not all, of them), saying that we have talked directly to people who knew the C19th Cullwicks and that the name was never pronounced "Cullick" on our side of the family (which, of course, includes Hannah). Also, these so called researchers, who do the work largely for their own gratification and qualification, have no reason to bother about anything but the 'hypothesis of the moment'!"

Within the family, we have always been very upset with a book produced by Dr Liz Stanley in the 1970's. She has since become an "authority" on Hannah. We would reject the veracity of most of her work (I can give chapter and verse about the inaccuracies if required). The recent book "Love & Dirt" by Diane Atkinson and a previous book "Munby - Man of Two Worlds" by Derek Hudson are more reliable study aids.