Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook

   Cause of his death was Old Age.

  General Information:

Ebenezer worked at the Fuller Brush Company for his entire life (11 years old forward).

In the 1901 British Census he is given the title of "Managing Clerk" for the Fuller Brush Company.

  Research Information:

The Following Information is Partially Based on Recently Discovered Information Found on Ebenezer Fulbrook's Death Register Giving His Full Name as "Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook".

Based on the Census Records and Birth Documentation noting Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook it seems apparent that a man by the name of Ebenezer Cooper was the biological Father of Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook.

Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook was born in 1872 in Hungerford, Berkshire, England to Emma Fulbrook; listed as "unmarried" - this information was obtained through the English Birth Directory for 1872 and is only documented in that directory.

Based solely on Census records from 1881 - 1901 one may quite easily believe that Emma Fulbrook was the Aunt of Ebenezer Fulbrook.

To help clarify this situation, consider the following information and theory.

In the 1871 Census Emma Fulbrook is living in the Cooper household at 121 Drury Lane, Saint Clement, Danes, London, England. Emma is working as a Domestic Servant in the Cooper home. It is also duly noted in the Census that there were three members of the Cooper family living at 121 Drury Lane during this time.

In 1871:

The head of the Cooper household was George B. Cooper - An Ironworker employing 13 boys and 16 men. He was born 1814 in Marylebone, Middlesex, England.

His Wife, Mary Cooper, is listed as not employed. She was born 1813 in Saint Clement, Middlesex, England.

George's only son was one Ebenezer Cooper, is present in the home as well.

Ebenezer Cooper was born the same year as Emma Fulbrook; in Saint Clement, Middlesex, England in the June of 1852. In 1871 both Emma and Ebenezer were in their 19th year of age.

It must be assumed, based on information discovered, that Emma Fulbrook and Ebenezer Cooper became involved with each other and that Emma conceived a child by Ebenezer Cooper.

At this point in history it would not have been a socially/morally acceptable situation to conceive a child out of wedlock. This situation would possibly have been made more difficult since Ebenezer Cooper was the son of a successful business owner and Emma was merely part of the house help. Class systems of the day must be taken into consideration in this matter. Marriage may not have been an acceptable option for many reasons. The primary reason being that the Cooper family would have been considered as "well to do" financially. Any family that can employ 29 men/boys plus a team of domestic staff were far exceeding the economic standard of the day.

It is unknown whether or not Emma informed Ebenezer Cooper of her pregnancy or whether or not it was his or her idea to not marry (this being based on the premise he was aware of Emma's condition).

Records indicate that Emma made her way back to her Father's home in Hungerford, Berkshire where Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook was born in 1872.

Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook carried the first and surname (as his middle name) of his Father and the legal surname of his Mother - serving to reinforce the prior stated theory of Paternity.

In 1873 Ebenezer Cooper married a young lady named Margaret J. (Unknown Maiden Name) and by 1881 he and Margaret had three daughters; Mary G. (1874), Margaret J. (1876) and Florence H. (1878).

To summarize, Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook's actual name should have been Ebenezer Cooper, the same name as his biological Father. It is also known (if this theory is accurate) that Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook had at least 3 half sisters that he was probably unaware of.

It is not known whether or not Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook was aware of his lineage and/or the Cooper family of Drury Lane, London. It is known that he was aware that his Mother was unmarried at the time of his birth.

Based solely on the fact that Emma named her son Ebenezer Cooper Fulbrook at birth (full name listed on death record), it can be assumed that she was not attempting to hide the true identity of her son's biological Father.

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Original Documentation Date: September 7, 2006

Information Revised/Edited: March 7, 2012

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Ebenezer married Elsie Caroline Brearley, daughter of William Brearley and Fanny Matilda Davies, in Mar 1895 in Aston, Warwickshire, England. (Elsie Caroline Brearley was born in Nov 1870 in Aston, Warwickshire, England, died on 10 Apr 1941 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England and was buried in Yardley Cemetery, Birmingham, England.) The cause of her death was Injuries Caused by Bomb Blast.