Arthur DESBOROUGH
Abt 1834 -
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Name Arthur DESBOROUGH Birth Abt 1834 Middlesex 
[1] Gender Male 1841 Census Locks Lane, Mitcham, Surrey [2] At 1841 Census, he is 12 1851 Census 5, Chiswell St., Camberwell, Surrey [1] At 1851 Census, he is 17, occ "Ropemaker" 1861 Census Absalom Place, South Street, Camberwell, Surrey [3] At 1861 Census, he is 28, occ "Rope and ?Twine? Maker", and a widower 1871 Census 7, Little Park Place, Walworth, Surrey [4] At 1871 Census, he is 40, occ "Ropemaker"; living at same address as Joseph Edward Desborough 1881 Census 7, Little Park Place, Walworth, Surrey [5] At 1881 Census, he is 53, occ "Bag Maker" (probable census) Individual Note best match on death is Southwark Apr qtr 1881, vol 1d, p66, aged 54 Person ID I253 Webb Last Modified 19 Mar 2026
Father James DISBOROUGH, b. 16 Aug 1791 d. Abt 1843, Mitcham, Surrey (Age 51 years) Relationship natural Mother Mary Ann BAILEY, b. Abt 1803, Rochester, Kent d. Abt 1857, Camberwell, Surrey (Age 54 years) Relationship natural Marriage 23 Aug 1817 St. Pancras Old Church, Pancras Road, Camden, Middlesex [6] Marriage Fact Note - marriage details are dependent on finding children born nearby and soon after... Family ID F183 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Sarah Anne KNIGHTS, b. 1836, Carlton-Colville, Suffolk Marriage 31 May 1880 St. John's, Walworth, Surrey [7] Notes - It is not clear if all the details here are right or not, and so the story may change.
The only available marriage details for Arthur, are the ones here, and so the implication is that they were living together for more than 25 years before deciding to get married.
Tracking back to the 1871 Census, we find Arthur with his wife Sarah Ann, identified as husband and wife, with Sarah's birth location given as Lowestoft. This coupled with the name of Sarah's father suggests that we do have the right Sarah Ann KNIGHTS. Note the witness at the wedding could be, though clearly not for certain, Sarah's mother.
However Arthur states he is a widower at his marriage in 1880, and also in the 1861 Census. In addition the baptism of his children gives the mother as "Sarah", though of course this is a common name.
It is not clear where Sarah Anne was at the 1861 Census.
I have not found any marriage for Arthur around 1851-3 with a Sarah, but there is a Sarah Desborough buried in Camberwell in Oct 1857. The FindAGrave transcript says she was aged 34 (ie born around 1823).
My current suspicion is that this "other" Sarah is the children's mother, and that at some point after 1861, Sarah Anne Knights came to live with them, perhaps as some form of home help. But I cannot locate anything that provides more information about this (new) Sarah.
Children 1. Elizabeth Sophia DESBOROUGH, b. 1 Nov 1855, Milk St., Camberwell, Surrey d. 1923, Southwark, Surrey (Age 67 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]2. Adelaide Emily DESBOROUGH, b. 26 Dec 1853, Chiswell St., Camberwell, Surrey [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]Family ID F197 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 19 Mar 2026
- It is not clear if all the details here are right or not, and so the story may change.
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Event Map 
Birth - Abt 1834 - Middlesex 
1841 Census - At 1841 Census, he is 12 - - Locks Lane, Mitcham, Surrey 
1851 Census - At 1851 Census, he is 17, occ "Ropemaker" - - 5, Chiswell St., Camberwell, Surrey 
1861 Census - At 1861 Census, he is 28, occ "Rope and ?Twine? Maker", and a widower - - Absalom Place, South Street, Camberwell, Surrey 
1871 Census - At 1871 Census, he is 40, occ "Ropemaker"; living at same address as Joseph Edward Desborough - - 7, Little Park Place, Walworth, Surrey 1881 Census - At 1881 Census, he is 53, occ "Bag Maker" (probable census) - - 7, Little Park Place, Walworth, Surrey 
Marriage - 31 May 1880 - St. John's, Walworth, Surrey = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend 
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
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Notes - Arthur Desborough's 2nd(?) wife, Sarah Ann is actually living at the same address in 1871. She and he are listed as man and wife, although they get married in 1880, though this might be the enumerators mistake, especially as there are other KNIGHTs living at the same address too.
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Sources - [S547] 1851 Census :- 5, Chiswell St., Camberwell, Surrey.
- [S450] 1841 Census :- Locks Lane, Mitcham, Surrey.
- [S535] 1861 Census :- Absalom Place, South Street, Camberwell, Surrey.
- [S517] 1871 Census :- 7, Little Park Place, Walworth, Surrey.
- [S553] 1881 Census :- 7, Little Park Place, Walworth, Surrey.
- [S1110] Marriage register :- St Pancras Parish Chapel (1817).
- [S1117] Marriage register entry :- Arthur Desborough - Sarah Ann Knights (1880).
- [S547] 1851 Census :- 5, Chiswell St., Camberwell, Surrey.