Brett - Howcroft

There is a Mary Ann Brett at this MyHeritage.com page that appears to match John Brett’s partner and Michael’s mother.

FeeBMD has no record of a marriage between “John Brett” and someone with surname “Howcroft” between 1840 and 1902. Christiana Payne’s biography notes that “as far as anyone has been able to ascertain, John Brett and Mary Ann Howcroft […] were never actually married.”

The record for John Brett’s household in the 1881 census records these household members at No 6 Keswick Road, London:

Name Age Relation
John Brett 49 Head
Mary Brett 37 Wife
Michael Brett 9 Son
Daisy Brett 8 Daughter
Jasper Brett 6 Son
Alfred J. Brett 4 Son
Pansy Brett 2 Daughter
Spencer Brett Son
Margaret Reeve 22 Cook
Elizabeth Rulings 19 Housemaid

John’s occupation is “Painter (ARA)”.

1881 England Census. Class: RG11; Piece: 656; Folio: 128; Page: 30; GSU roll: 1341152

The 1891 census has his address as Daisy Field, and members:

Name Age Relation
John Brett 59 Head
Mary Brett 44 Wife
Michael Brett 19 Son
Daisy Brett 18 Daughter
Pansey Brett 12 Daughter
Spencer Brett 10 Son
Gwendoline Brett 7 Daughter
Jessie Barrett ?67 Governess
Ellen Amor 24 Servant ? cook
Ada R Cliffe 23 Housemaid

The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 445; Folio: 94; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6095555

Alfred J Brett appears to be at Winchester, in 1891:

The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 937; Folio: 131; Page: 3; GSU roll: 6096047