George Athill

Almost certainly George Athill, free man of colour, son of James Athill Chief Justice of Antigua, and brother of John (q.v.) and Samuel.

1. In 1851 George Athill farmer of 150 acres aged 44 born West Indies was living at Cole Harbor, Hildenborough Tonbridge with wife Charlotte aged 34 born Ashford, daughters Ann aged 16, Eliza aged 15, Esther aged 13 and Georgeina [sic], all born West Indies, and sons George and John aged 5 and 4 both born Islington, and daughter Alice aged 1, born Tonbridge. It seems certain that the first four children are daughters of an earlier marriage. The death of a George Athill was recorded at Bridge, Kent Q1 1857.

2. If our identification is correct, then this George Athill was the great grandfather of the publisher and memoirist Diana Athill (b. 1918). Her grandfather was The Rev. Herbert Athill (born Bridge, Kent, 1851-1919 ) and her father Lawrence Francis Imbert Athill (1881-1957), her mother Alice Katherine Carr. The link with Diana Athill is supported by the fact that in 1871 Charlotte Athill aged 54 appears at Sandgate Road Folkestone as boarding house keeper with daughter Mary A. 21 born Tonbridge and son Herbert 19 'architectural student' born Canterbury (in 1861 Charlotte Athill had appeared as a boarding house keeper at 1 Langhorne [?] Gardens Folkestone with children Alice born Tonbridge aged 11, Charles 7 Christopher 5 and Jane 4, all born Bridge, and her mother Charlotte Tappenden 82).

3. The son 'George ' of the census is George James Athill, Adm. pens. at ST JOHN'S, Oct. 4, 1871. S. of George, merchant. B. at Islington, London. Bapt. May 18, 1846. Matric. Michs. 1871; B.A. 1875; M.A. 1878. Ord. deacon, 1874; priest (Chester) 1875; C. of Christ Church, Bootle, Lancs., 1874-7. C. of St Mary's, Truro, 1877-84. Diocesan Inspector for Truro, 1879-83; for Winchester, 1883-95. V. of St Bartholomew's, Hyde, Winchester, 1895-7. Died there Dec. 13, 1897. (Crockford; Scott, MSS.)

Susan Lowes, The Peculiar Class: the formation, collapse and reformation of the middle class in Antigua, West Indies 1834-1940 (PhD Columbia University, 1994), http://antiguahistory.net/uploads/3/0/5/2/3052847/lowes_part02.pdf [accessed 20/11/2012] Chapter 5 'Neither black nor white, neither slave nor free'.

1. 1851 census online; a marriage for George Athill is recorded Q1 1845 at West Ashford Kent, England and Wales FreeBMD Marriage Index 1837-1915; England and Wales FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915; the will of George Athill merchant of No. 5 Manor Villas Holloway proved 18/7/1857 PROB 11/2254/118 might also refer to him.

2. 1861 and 1871 censuses online

3. Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900