Welcome back to the life of, Alice Southwell.
Before we being let’s have a little recap of her life so far. Or you can read part 1 here.

Alice was born at, East Wellow, on Thursday the 19th of December 1861.
From the age of 9, Alice worked for her maternal uncle, William Reeves, at the Angel Inn, in Romsey, Hampshire, England .
At the age of 19 Alice got engaged to, Edward Taylor aka Teddy. Their marriage banns were called but Alice decided not to go through with the marriage due to his obsessive drinking and violent nature towards her.
Alice moved to, Southampton, to work and live at the, Hope and Anchor Beer House, where she fell in love with the Publican, Charles House. She fell pregnant and give birth to her illegitimate son, Herbert Southwell, on Thursday the 12th of March 1885, at Number 30, Cross Street, Southampton, Hampshire, England.
Alice married, Charles House, on Sunday the 15th of May 1887, at The Parish Church Of Freemantle, Christ Church, Freemantle, Southampton, Hampshire, England.
They welcomed their baby girl, Winifred House, into their hearts, family and home, on Tuesday the 9th April 1889.
Heartbreakingly married life was short lived as her husband Charles House, died on Friday the 12th of April 1889, from Epilepsy and Pneumonia.

We are all caught up, so let’s see what happened over the next 10 years in Alice’s life.

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Poor Alice seemed to met sadness and struggles at every crossroads in her life, including a fiance, who was abusive towards her and, drank way too much. When she found love and married, her husband died leaving her two children and a public house to run.
Thankfully Cupid was on her side and it wasn’t long until she met her future husband and possibly the love of her life, Samuel Lucas, son of, Samuel Lucas and Helena Lucas nee Morten.

Alice Southwell married 27 year old, Bachelor, Samuel Lucas, a Baker, in The Parish Church of Freemantle, Southampton, Hampshire, England, on Sunday the 30th of March 1890, when she was 28 years old. They gave their residence as Freemantle and named their Fathers as, George Southwell, a Market Gardener, and Samuel Lucas, deceased. Their witnesses were, Andrew Thomas Palmer and Annie Lucus. 

Just over a year later in the year 1891, Queen Victoria was on the throne, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) was Prime Minister, Arthur Conan Doyle‘s detective Sherlock Holmes appears in The Strand Magazine for the first time.
St Mark’s Church, Archers Road, Southampton, was built in the Decorated Gothic style, to the design of Messrs Cutts of London. The local firm John Bull and Sons undertook the building work. One of the best features of the church were the stained glass windows designed by Henry Holiday. The church was demolished in 1983, and proceeds from the sale of the site for housing development were used to modernise and adapt the church hall, built in 1933, for services and parish functions.

Le Dansk Margarine Factory, which cost £40,000 to build, was established in Princes Street, Northam in 1891. The factory prospered and in the 20th century branched out into processed cheese production. It was employing about 200 staff by the 1930s. It closed down in 1960 and was used for a time as a motor repair works.

And more importantly to us, the 1891 Census was held on Sunday the 5th April.

It shows, Alice Lucas and her daughter, Winifred M House, residing at, the Anchor & Hope Inn Beer House, Wellington Road, Millbrook, South Stoneham, Hampshire, England, with her sister, Emma Hedges nee Southwell and Brother In-law, George Hedges and their children, George and Alice Hedges.
Alice was working as a domestic cook and her brother in-law George was a Beer retailer. Alice Hedges was a scholar.

Her husband, Samuel was a boarder at, Above Bar Street, Southampton, Hampshire, England, in the “Ebborn” household. They were George Albert Ebborn, a 26 year old, Pastry Cook and Confectioner, his wife Ellen Ebborn and their son, Francis W Ebborn, also Anna Welland, a 14 year old nurse maid and Elizabeth Blake, a general domestic servant.
Samuel was working as a baker.

Why he was residing there so soon after his and Alice’s marriage is a mystery. I think it could be work related but I guess we will never know. 
I am sure it wasn’t because the marriage was in trouble, because Alice gave birth to their first born, a Son, a year later, whom they named, Samuel Lucas.
Samuel was born on Sunday the 24th April 1892, at their home, Number 4, Cement Terrace, Southampton, Hampshire, England. 

Samuel was working as a, Baker Journeyman, at the time of his son Samuels birth.
Alice registered Samuels birth on Tuesday the 7th of June, 1892, in Southampton.

The exact date isn’t known but somewhen between April 1892 and the year 1900, Alice, Samuel and their children, moved to The Royal Oak, Evens Street, Southampton and became Landlady/landlord

Alice was soon in the family way again, and on Saturday the 5th of May 1894, at Number 5, York Street, Southampton, Hampshire, England, she gave birth to a baby girl, whom they named Ellen Lucas.
Ellen’s birth was registered on Friday the 8th of June 1894, in the Southampton, Hampshire.
Ellen went on to marry Eli Staw and died on the 27th February 1953.
She left her husband Eli, the sum of £299 3s 4d.
Ellen was known as Nellie.

Just slightly under two short years later, Alice gave birth to another daughter, whom they named, Annie Lucas, who was known as Nancy.
Annie was born on Friday the 1st of May 1896 at, Number 5, York Street, Houndwell, Southampton, Hampshire.
Her birth was registered on Friday the 5th of June 1896, by Alice, in Southampton.
Annie went on to marry, Richard Grace.

There are a few moments in life we all hope will never come, one would be, the death of a loved one. We all dread the day we get a phone call or a visit to be told someone you love and treasure is no longer of this Earth.

On Saturday the 16th of April 1898, one of those life shattering moments came, when Alice’s father, George Southwell, a Farmer, died in his town village of, Shootash, East Wellow, Romsey, Hampshire, England, aged 76.
George died from Vesical Catarrh. Catarrh is an exudate of inflamed mucous membranes in one of the airways or cavities of the body, usually with reference to the throat and paranasal sinuses. It can result in a thick exudate of mucus and white blood cells caused by the swelling of the mucous membranes in the head in response to an infection.
Alice’s brother George Southwell, from East Wellow, was present and registered his death on the 16th April 1898, in Romsey.

George Southwell, was laid to rest at, St. Margaret of Antioch Churchyard, East Wellow, Romsey, Hampshire, England.

Jumping forward to Wednesday the 7th of March 1900, Alice’s life was once again, thrown into mayhem, when her beloved husband, Samuel, licensed victualler of The Royal Oak, had an Epilepsy attack of some sort and died, at their home, The Royal Oak, York Street, Houndwell, upper district, Southampton, Hampshire. He was only 36 years old. 
Alice was present at his death and she registered it on Thursday the 8th March 1900, in Southampton.

What are the odds that both your husbands would die from Epilepsy? It seems a little strange to me. Do you agree?

Alice, family, friends and possibly their punters, laid Samuel to rest, at Southampton Old Cemetery, Hill Lane, Southampton, Hampshire, England, in Row N, Block 150, Number 201.

His headstone reads –

In Loving Memory Of
Samuel 
The beloved Husband Of Alice Lucas
Who Died March 7th 1900
Aged 36

My dear friend Bruce, was his normal kind self and found Samuels grave for us, cleaned it and took photos. He is such a selfless soul. Thank you Bruce.
The strange thing is, while he was chatting to the lady who conducts the murder tours at the old cemetery, he discovered that she already knew all about Alice and deaths of her two husbands, as well as the other deaths, that you have yet to read about.
I hate to say it, but was there more to Samuel and Charles death?
Was Alice somehow to blame?
Did she have a helping hand in their deaths?
Do we have our very first murderess in the family?
Sarah and I have a feeling there is definitely more to their story than meets the eye.

Samuels probate was granted on the 24th August 1900, It’s reads, 

LUCAS Samuel of the “Royal Oak” York-street Southampton died 7 March 1900 Administration London 24 August to Alice Lucas widow Effects £145.

Taking our suspicious minds out of the equation, my heart aches for Alice and her bairn’s.
Alice had already witnessed so much loss and sadness in her short life. She must have been incredibly strong in character. I have a gut feeling that even though she was strong, I feel she was of kind nature and trustworthy. There must have been something extra special about her, to run a Public House/Ale House, in the late 1800s early 1900s, when it was mainly men and the odd, lady of the night, using ale houses and licensed premises.
I so very much wish, I could have met her, heard her memories, seen the clothes she wore but most of all, comforted her in her sorrow.

I will leave you with your thoughts and imagining what her life would have been like as a landlady in the late Eighteen Hundreds, the sights she would have seen, the fights she would have had to calm, the drunks she would have sent of their merry way back home to their wife’s and the conversations she would have had with her punters.

All in all, even though her life had its awfully sad moments, I’m sure as sure can be, it wouldn’t have been boring, but rather exciting and intriguing.
Sarah and I would love to hear your thoughts on Alice and the possibility that she may have had a dark side. Please share.

And please pop back soon, to find out what happened next in the life of Alice Lucas nee House nee Southwell.
Too-da-loo for now.

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Sarah and I have brought and paid for all certificates,
Please do not download or use them without my permission. 
All you have to do is ask.
Thank you.