Louis Furminger was born 19th February 1817 in the Village of Brede, East Sussex. (Less than two years after Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo)

He was the fourth child of Thomas & Mary Furminger (nee RUMENS) and his early life was spent in and around Brede, most probably working as an agricultural labourer.

Then on the 2nd September 1839 he married Charlotte PHILCOX in the parish Church at Brede. The marriage was a short one with Charlotte dying in 1840, I suspect this was either in or due to childbirth as their son Louis Philip Furminger was born 11th August 1840. (Louis Philip died 15 Jan 1842)

On the 1841 Census Louis seems to be living on his own in Brede, I cannot find a record of Louis Philip.

Louis married for the second time on 6th November 1842 to Elizabeth BEARMAN at the parish church in Brede, she was born in 1822 Sandwich, Kent. On the 1841 Census she is living in Brede at Brede Hill with Robert Noakes (a publican) and family, there is also a James and John Bearman at the Union Workhouse in Brede, these could be her brothers.

Thier first two children, Louis Hope and Albenia were born 1844 and 1846 in Brede and by 1849 the family has moved to Road side cottage, St Leonards on sea where the third child Malvania Kathleen was born in 1849.

It is at Road Side Cottage where they were still living at the time of the 1851 Census and their fourh child, George Alfred was born on 13th April 1852.

For a reason that remains unknown Louis moved his family to Folkestone in Kent sometime before 1861 (It is likely that the move to Folkestone was for work.)

Elizabeth died in 1868 and currently the location of her burial remains unknown.

Between 1864 and 1866 Louis was the licensee of the Wheatsheaf public house at 12 Bridge street, he then moved to the Two Bells on Canterbury Road from 1866 until 1871.

On the 1871 Census Louis is recorded as the publican of the Two Bells public house.

Four years earlier in 1867,his eldest daughter Albenia married George BREWER (Son of George & Charlotte) in Folkestone and they settled in Bridge street, first at number 13 and later at 27. Ablenia and George had 8 children.

Then in 1868, his eldest son Louis Hope had married Susannah FAGG (daughter of William & Ann), in Folkestone they lived first at 26 Sydney Street and later 55 Bridge street. They had 13 children.

In 1871 Malvania Kathleen married George HARNDEN (Son of Charles & Ann) in Folkestone. I believe George had some connection with the army and their 8 children were born all over the country and Ireland.

On the 19th December 1875 George Alfred married Ellen Elizabeth EDWARDS (Daughter of William & Harriot) in Folkestone. She was born abt 1850 in Ashford, Kent. They had 9 Children.

On the 1881 Census we find Louis living in Cheriton at Tile Kiln (probably Tile Kiln lane - certainly near the White Lion pub on Cheriton High Street. Did Tile Kiln Lane meet Cheriton Hight Street at that time, where Ashley Avenue is today ?)

Louis eventually died on the 8th January 1891 at 55 Bridge Street, Folkestone and is buried in plot 6638 at Cherition Road Cemetery, Cheriton. He was living with Louis Hope and Susannah at the time of his death.

Each of Louis's four children are shown in the navigation bar at the top and link directly to pages showing their lives in more detail.