Note 1: Sophie was born in France (according to census records), and she was a second cousin of Edwin Newman through the Jekyll family, as recorded in her son E.H.A. Newman's obituary. This is confirmed by Diane Howard who reports that:

"Re 1851 census, Sophia Hoise Armstrong [see correction below] is Head and it is stated Fund Holder. She is widowed, and living at the same address are Sophia Baskerville Armstrong, daughter, and staying with them are two nieces Elizabeth Jekyll and Clara Campbell Lucy Jekyll. (Most likely these two neices were cousins and not sisters - see Note 3 below.) They have a servant living with them also and their address looks like Gothic Cottages Millbrook in the village of Shirley. This record is the same Sophia Baskerville Armstrong who then went on to marry Edwin Newman and so Sophia Baskerville Newman also was related to the Jekyll family".

Diane goes on to report that:

"Sophia Jekyll G. Newman, first daughter of Sophia Baskerville and Edwin Newman, thought to have died as a child as she was not previously found on the 1871 census, has turned up. Info as follows:- Living in Porchester Hampshire with Sophia Storie [Armstrong], head of the household, aged 32 unmarried. Sophia S Armstrong aged 64, stated as cousin and Sophia J G Newman aged 13 also a cousin, born St Georges Middlesex. Sophia S Armstrong was Sophia Baskerville Newman’s mother and of course young Sophia’s grandmother. Maybe the young Miss Newman was visiting her cousin although it was stated on the census that she was a scholar. She was not living with her cousin in the 1881 census. As she was not living with her parents, she would have been 23 by that time so was possibly married. Note: Sophia Armstrong’s middle name is shown on the 1851 census to be Hoise, and on two later censuses the middle initial is shown as S. I wonder if Hoise is a mistake and should be Storie. My Grandfather also had Storie as a middle name." (See Note 2 below)

Diane Howard reports that Public Records Office data show Sophia Baskerville Newman's death as June 1899 at in Edmonton near London.

Note 2: In Dec 2005, Diane sent further information as follows:

"Clara went on to do very well for herself becoming the 2nd wife of Lord Anthony Henley on the 30th of June 1870, being recorded as the daughter of Joseph Henry Storie Jekyll Esq. (Just for interest Lord Henley’s 1st wife died 1862 and was daughter of the very Rev John Peel Dean of Worchester and their was also a connection with Sir Robert Peel).

I have also found that Sophia B Newman’s mother’s middle name was indeed Storie as in my own granddad‘s name, not Hoise as in the (1851) census. But more importantly her surname before marriage was Jekyll. This information came from documentation of Sophia Jekyll's marriage to Henry King Armstrong in 1834. So Edwin Newman and his wife Sophia B both had mothers from the Jekyll family! Most definitely cousins."

Note 3: In January 2006, Diane sent further clarification as follows:

"1. Edwin 1829 -1883 married Sophia B. Newman nee Armstrong. Both had mothers from the Jekyll family. Edwin’s mother as you know was Charlotte Newman nee Jekyll. Sophia B Newman nee Armstrong’s mother was Sophia Armstrong nee Jekyll born 1807 in Wells Somerset who later married Henry King Armstrong and died June 1874 Hanover Square (possibly staying with Sophia B and Edwin who lived in London).

2. I don’t think that Elizabeth Jekyll and Clara Campbell Lucy Jekyll are sisters most likely cousins, since they are both stated as being 15 in the 1851 census and Clara was born in London and Elizabeth was born in Paris - hence unlikely to be twins! Of course the ages written in the census could be wrong, however the 1861 census has Clara C.L. Jekyll aged 23, as living in London with her mother Clara Amelia Jekyll who was a widow aged 43, a sister Salina who is aged 22 - so it is rather unlikely that Elizabeth is also a sister due to their ages being so close. Clara also has a brother Henry Joseph aged 17. (Both Salina and Henry were born in Shirley Hants).

Elizabeth Jekyll during the 1861 census was visiting the Leir family at the rectory Charlton Musgrove Somerset (Ian Caldwell makes reference to the Leir family on your web site on George Jekyll page). Also visiting with Elizabeth at that time was a Sophia Jekyll aged 17. They could possibly be sisters.

3. A few points to clarify: Sophia Robina Storie (cousin to Sophia Armstrong nee Jekyll and Sophia B Newman nee Armstrong) was not an Armstrong. Storie is her surname. Her father was Thomas Storie, rector of Hascombe. The connection of Storie is with the Jekyll side. Sophia B Newman nee Armstrong’s mothers maiden name was Sophia Storie Jekyll, and Clara C.L. Jekyll's father's name was Joseph Henry Storie Jekyll. I have made no further connections with Newman and Jekyll family. Enough to say they are close.

I have made a few links between the Storie family at Hascombe, Surrey and Gertrude Jekyll renowned garden designer. She lived in Godalming Surrey. Apparently Godalming museum has an exhibition relating to Gertrude Jekyll which I intend to visit."

See husband Edwin Newman's page for relevant information.