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Biography of Susanna Margaret Salt (1848 – 1908)

Summary

Susanna Margaret Salt was born on 8 May 1848 in Burton‑on‑Trent, Staffordshire, England. She lived through the Victorian era and into the early 20th century, witnessing industrial expansion, social reform, and the shifting political landscape of Britain. In 1881 she married William Edward Charlton Fleming, an Irish clergyman, and settled in the rectory at Kilskeery, Tyrone, Northern Ireland. She had five children and died of heart disease on 11 July 1908 in Kilskeery. Susanna is buried at the Church of Ireland cemetery there.

Early Life (1848–1871)

  • Birth & Baptism
  • Born 8 May 1848 in Burton‑on‑Trent, Staffordshire.

  • Baptised 13 June 1848 at Holy Trinity Church, Burton‑on‑Trent.

  • Family Background

  • Father: Thomas Fosbrooke Salt (1808–1864).
  • Mother: Mary Frances Atkinson (1817–1857).

  • Susanna was one of eleven siblings, including sisters Mary Ellen, Clara, Marian Emma, Frances, and brothers Thomas Fosbrooke, Edward Dawson, William Cecil, Charles John Selleck, and George Atkinson.

  • Residences & Census Records

  • 1861: Listed as a 12‑year‑old daughter at Stapenhill House, Stapenhill, Staffordshire. Census entry notes her as a scholar.
  • 1871: Recorded at Willington Hall, Willington, Derbyshire, as a 22‑year‑old unmarried sister. No head of household is listed; William Cecil Salt, her brother, was absent from the census.

Historical Context (1848–1908)

Era Key Events & Trends
1840s–1850s The Industrial Revolution accelerates; railways expand. In Staffordshire, coal mining and pottery industries thrive.
1850s–1860s Reform Act 1867 expands the electorate; the Chartist movement’s influence wanes. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 remains in force, affecting rural poverty.
1870s–1880s The Elementary Education Act 1870 establishes compulsory schooling; Victorian social reform gains momentum. In Ireland, the Land War (1881‑1892) heightens tensions between landlords and tenant farmers.
1890s–1900 The rise of the Labour movement; debates over Home Rule for Ireland intensify. Technological advances bring electricity and telegraphy to rural areas.
Early 1900s The Edwardian era begins (1901). Social attitudes shift toward greater gender equality, though women still lack voting rights. The First World War looms on the horizon (1914).

Susanna’s life intersected with these developments: she grew up during industrial growth, married into the Anglican clergy during Ireland’s agrarian unrest, and lived in a rural Irish community that was beginning to experience the early stirrings of modernity.

Marriage & Adult Life (1881–1908)

  • Marriage
  • Wed William Edward Charlton Fleming on 23 February 1881 at St Michael’s, Willington, Derbyshire.

  • According to family lore relayed by Aunt Evelyn to Estelle Theodora Schrecker, her parents initially disapproved of the match because Fleming was an impoverished Irish clergyman. Susanna reportedly wept for four years before her family relented.

  • Residence in Ireland

  • By 1901, census records show Susanna (age 52) as the wife of William Fleming living in The Rectory, Kilskeery, Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

  • She remained there until her death.

  • Children

  • William Edwin Charlton Fleming (1882–1946)
  • Arthur Fleming (1883, died 1883)
  • Evelyn Marie Anna Fleming (1886–1968)
  • Thomas George Fosbrooke Fleming (1886–1954)
  • Cecil James Dudley Fleming (1889–1977)

Later Years & Death

  • Health

  • Susanna’s death was attributed to “heart disease old standing,” indicating chronic cardiac illness.

  • Death & Burial

  • Died on 11 July 1908 in Kilskeery, Tyrone.
  • Interred at the Church of Ireland cemetery in Kilskeery.

Legacy

Susanna Margaret Salt’s life spanned a period of profound change in Britain and Ireland. From her birth during the height of industrial expansion to her death at the dawn of the 20th century, she experienced shifts in social policy, religious life, and rural community structures. Her marriage into the Anglican clergy and her long residence in Kilskeery reflect the intertwining of English and Irish histories during a pivotal era.