Tanjore Abraham Ward (1832-1920) – businessman and publican

Tanjore Abraham Ward (1832-1920) and Amelia Lambourn (1834-1895).
My 2nd great-grand uncle and aunt.

Tanjore was born on 12 August 1832 and baptised at All Hallows in Tottenham, Middlesex, on 27 July 1834. Of all William Ward and Mary Ann Downer‘s children, Tanjore is the most curious. His name comes from a city, also known as Thanjavur, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which lies on the south bank of the Kaveri River. It’s famous for the Brahadeeswarar Temple, constructed more than a thousand years ago.

But was Tanjore named as a result of a family connection with the city? Was it that there was Indian blood running in the family? Or was he Indian and adopted by William and Mary Ann? Could there be another story waiting to be told about his background? A surviving photo of him does suggest that he had South Asian heritage. A distant cousin on Ancestry.co.uk messaged to say that some of Tanjore’s relatives and descendants had similar looks and rumours in the family suggested military service in India and subsequent Indian ancestry.

Either way, Tanjore went on to have a successful business career as owner of the Cook’s Ferry Inn (top) in Edmonton, as revealed in census, electoral roll and directory records. However, earlier census records show that he worked as a railway porter (1881, when the family lived in Ashley Road, Tottenham; and 1871 & 1861, when they were at Railway Cottages in Tottenham).

By the 1891 census, Tanjore was at the Cook’s Ferry Inn with his wife Amelia Lambourn, his children and nieces.

Further Post Office directories show Tanjore living and working at the pub in 1894, 1899 and 1914.

The Cook’s Ferry Inn in Angel Road, Edmonton (though it was on the Chingford side of the river) was a major hostelry on one of the very few major crossings of the River Lea. In more recent times – 1960s and 70s – it hosted many legendary rock acts before they became famous, before being demolished to make way for the enlarged North Circular Road.

In his will, Tanjore left the pub, property at 3 Ashley Road in Tottenham, 100 £10 shares in the British Steamship Company, £500 of Great Eastern Railway stock, 25 £1 shares in Haig and Haig Ltd and two houses at 4 and 5 Cottage Place in Tottenham Hale to his sons. In fact, the Index of Wills shows he left effects worth £7,555. Whatever his true story, he died a successful man.

Sources: Wills, BMDs and census info at Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com, where I also accessed the British Newspaper Archive. Birth records at gro.gov.uk. Websites linked to in the text.