Alfred Ayrton

Willow Walk
Chertsey
London
England From 'The Chaplin and Skinner Families' page 21:

He lived at Chertsey, where he died unmarried on 8th March 1858. A man of eccentric character and peculiar habits.

There is a tale which relates, rightly or wrongly, that his death was due to his falling into the Thames, as he was in the habit of walking about with his eyes shut. He had been told by a doctor that within a certain period he would probably lose his sight, and he therefore proposed to accustom himself to this state of things. Mrs. M. A. Chaplin assured me that this tale was true.


From the Chaplin and Skinner Family Book:

ALFRED AYRTON, who lived at Chertsey, where he died unmarried on the 8th March, 1858. A man of eccentric character and peculiar habits. There is a tale which relates - rightly of wrongly - that his death was due to his falling into the Thames, as he was in the habit of walking about with his eyes shut. He had been told by a doctor that within a certain period he would probably lose his sight, and he therefore proposed to accustom himself to this state of things. Mrs. M. A. Chaplin assured me that this tale was true.

END Letter to Frederick Ayrton at 38 Beaumont Street, Marylebone, London:

27 June 1833

Had I not been casually informed by a lady of the demise of your mother that event had still remained incognito to me.

From some unexplained circumstance, Dudley, who used to call on me in Hampton Wick, when he went to Chertsey has never had the sense, to make any communication, relative to her decease.

I conjecture therefore, that Dudley is one of that cast of characters who calls on people, when there is no occasion and when there is occasion -- keeps away -- these sort of Blades are indeed useless to the whole community.

I believe to the best of my recollection, that you will be of age next month, or some time in July, and of course will next month be entitled, I believe to a fifth part of the property, left by your father and I should presume to a certain share in your mother's effects.

I am informed by my Solicitor, that your Mothers Will, has not been proved, at the Commons - had a probate been taken out, upon your Mothers Will, it might have enabled me to convey advice by letter -- but as the affairs of your late Father, and Mother stand at present -- I can only advise you how to act, and what to do -- by obtaining a personal interview.

I shall be at home in Hampton Wick on Sunday at 11 in the morning and also at one o'clock in the afternoon and also, on Sunday week at the aforesaid hours of 11 and one o'clock -- and we can adjourn to the White Hart where a parlour will be provided for the occasion.

I received last week a kind letter, from poor Victoire in America, dated from the 8th she says that, in her next letter she will give a long account of America etc. -- Poor creature, had I not been worse than swindled out of my fortune by the Hodges, there would not have been any occasion for her to have gone to America at all.

The distillers family have not agreed to continue me, any portion whatever of my mother's (?), or annuity and as you may suppose I have difficulty keeping my head above water. I must console myself with the fool's consolation, that it will be all one a hundred years hence.

At Mr (?)
Hampton Wick

I am yours truly
Alfred Ayrton From Marilyn Maybury, Ayrton One-Name researcher, August 2005:

This is the man that Matilda Adriana CHAPLIN (nee AYRTON) thought had drowned in the Thames because he was walking around with his eyes closed to prepare for impending blindness.

Unfortunately, his death certificate appears to disprove this.
Remarkably, no actual cause of death was given, just "Unknown. Not certified". However, his death was registered by Eliza NORRIS of Church Yard Passage, Chertsey, who was present at his death. I suppose that it is just possible that Eliza saw him fall into the Thames and when they fished him out they couldn't decide whether he'd died before entering the water or drowned, but it seems somewhat far fetched! It would be interesting to know whether an Inquest was held. There's no reference to
one on the certificate, but Eliza took 6 days to register the death, which is a little unusual. Edward died at Willow Walk, Chertsey. I've just had a look on Multmap.co.uk and Willow Walk doesn't run alongside the Thames.

END