Marr. Cert. m. 9 March 1861 at Parish Church of Great Cornard (near Sudbury, Suffolk) to Eliza Day, spinster. He was a labourer. Both signed register. Parents are shown as John Ponder, and Thomas Day, both labourers. Witnesses were James Day and Susanna Agatha Armfield.
1851 census Upper Tye, Great Cornard, Suffolk
54, (with family)
Age 13, Farm Labourer.
HO/107/1789/23 page 10
1861 Census Great Waldingfield Garrison Road with Thomas Day & martha
James Ponder visitor 23 Ag Lab
Eliza Ponder Visitor 29
RG9/1131/? page 14
1871 census 23 St Nicholas Street Mile End old Town RG10/566 page 6
James PONDER head mar 37 Laborer b Suffolk Cornard
Eliza PONDER wife mar 39 b Gt Waldinfield
James Harry PONDER son 7 scholar b Midx Mile End
Arthur PONDER son 5 scholar b Midx Mile End
Eliza PONDER 3 b Midx Mile End
In 1881 census Mile End Old Town, 13 Green St. (now part of Roman Road to east of Regent’s Canal) Piece 0478 Folio 151 page 47
James PONDER age 43 Brewer's servant.
Eliza Ponder, age 51, born Gt. Waldingfield, Suffolk,
Harry age 17, telegraph messenger b. Bethnal Green;
Arthur age 15 office messenger b. Mile End.
and Eliza age 13 scholar, born Mile End.
1891 census 45 Nicholas St Mile End Old Town RG 12/305/117 page 27 (Wife has died)
James PONDER head mar 52 brewer’s servant b Suffolk Gt Cornard
Harry J PONDER son S 27 Bookseller’s assistant b London Beth Green
Arthur PONDER son S 25 bookseller’s assistant b Mile end old town
Eliza PONDER daur S 23 b Mile end old town
1901 census “Lyndhurst” Oaklands Road Bexleyheath
James Ponder widower age 63 retired brewer b. Cornard Suffolk
Eliza daughter single 33
Ellen Ryde boarder 25 Elementary School Teacher.
Ida M Burnell boarder 24 elementary school teacher
RG13/696/28 page 3
1911 census “Lyndhurst” 34 Oaklands Road Bexleyheath
James PONDER head Widower 73 Pensioner Brewer’s Drayman born Suffolk Great Cornard
Eliza PONDER daughter single 43 born London Mile End
Death certificate: age 78, brewer’s foreman (retired), died of senile decay, certified by Gordon Pounds (the family doctor my mother says), informant was daughter Eliza, present at death.
Will made 4 Dec 1911, died 13 June 1916, probate granted to Eliza PONDER daughter, 26 June 1916.
Eliza has freehold house & premises known as Lyndhurst Oaklands Rd, all household furniture plate linen china ornaments books pictures and household effects, and 33 shares in the United Realization Co Ltd.
James Harry PONDER (son) has 34 such shares
Arthur PONDER (son) has 33 such shares.
Catherine PONDER (daughter) has the remaining 12 of such shares.
Witnesses H P Russell solicitor Bexleyheath, J Gregory BROWE clerk to solicitor.
Gross value of estate £407:15s:0d Net value of personal estate £27:15s:0d
Lived in the east end of London.Worked for a brewery as a drayman, (my mother thinks it was Charringtons he worked for) He had three houses built at Oaklands Road Bexleyheath. They lived in detached "Lyndhurst" No 34, oldest son Harry in the next, a semi “Ashlea”, No 36, and Arthur [and Hannah] in the third, the other half of the semi,"Carlton", No 38. Copy of sale of land to son Arthur would seem to question whether James paid for them all. There is also a diagram of the 3 houses, probably from when the sewage/water system was put in.
My mother remembers him but cannot remember her grandmother.
2 She says her grandfather was not very affectionate, rather distant. She says Aunt Eliza used to go out and fetch him a jug of beer from the pub. Harry, Arthur, and Eliza were all born in London, but Catherine was born in Suffolk, and was there in 1881 aged 9 with her mother’s brother Henry Day, and there she remains. There must have been a reason that she didn’t come to London and live with her parents. She is only left 12 shares in her father’s will, presumably her Uncle Henry DAY would have provided for her.
In 1997 visit to Great Cornard Church on the list of men who served in 1914-1918 war were these Ponders- Bertram,George, Walter and Alfred., mainly Suffolk Reg.