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Family Members.
Thomas Nottingham Ashforth, was my Great, Great Grandfather. He was born in
Wootton, North Lincolnshire.
He was christened on 09/07/1821.
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| Wootton, North Lincolnshire. |
The
first mention I found about Thomas was in the 1856 “History, Gazetteer & Directory of Lincolnshire”,
page 389. He is listed as the Station Master for Hougham.
Hougham is a Village 6 ½ Miles NNW of Grantham.
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| Hougham, South Lincolnshire. |
Hougham Railway
Station was opened on 1/8/1855. I can only assume that Thomas was the first Station Master. This has yet to be verified.
While researching;
the book “Was your Grandfather a Railwayman”, by the Author Tom Richards, reads: - “Station Master’s
mostly came from Clerical (Salaried) Staff, who, after Station Experience, would be Promoted to small Stations & progress
upwards”. As Hougham was only a small Station, I assume this was Thomas’s first appointment.
Reading old
copies of the “Post Office Directory of Lincs”, I find the following information:
- In 1849 Hougham is only a “Parish” on the Great Northern Line. i.e.
there was no Station.
- In 1855 the Station isn’t mentioned as such. (See above details).
So, armed with this information,
I would make an educated guess that Thomas is perhaps the first Station Master at Hougham. (See above details).
In the 1861
copy of the “Post Office Directory of Lincs”, on page 148, a Robert Johnson was the Clerk of the Station. This
shows the Station’s Status had diminished somewhat as it didn’t merit a Station Master. However, Thomas is still
mentioned as thus: “Chapman & Ashforth, Coal Merchants; stores, Railway Station”. But by the 1863 copy
he was gone as the “Coal Merchants (Dealers in Coke, Lime & Cake)” were J & T Chapman.
The next
information I have for Thomas comes from the Census forms, as follows.
- 1881 Census form. He is living at No. 1, Wellington Street, Lincoln.
He is listed as an “Agent”.
- 1891 Census form. He is an Inmate at the Lincoln Workhouse. He is listed as being
Single, aged 69 and a Retired painter.
As his Son Arthur was born in 1859 I’m guessing that Thomas moved to Lincoln between 1861 & 1863.
Arthur Ashforth was born in Hougham, 6½ miles NNW of Grantham, in 1859. His Father being Thomas Nottingham Ashforth and his Mother being
Elizabeth Hall.
The first mention of
Arthur is in the 1861 Census, living at 47 Commercial Rd, Spittlefields, Grantham. By the 1891 Census he is living at 39,
Risen
Lane, Lincoln, Aged 33. His occupation is “Painter”.
His wife Elizabeth (31), Daughter Kate (7) and Sons Alfred (6) and John (1) are also in the Household.
Interestingly,
in the 1891 Census Arthur is listed as being born in “Rougham, Nott’s”. This is obviously a misspelling.
Elizabeth is listed as being born in Scotter, Lincs. The Children
are all Lincoln born.
In
Akrill’s City of Lincoln Directory for 1894. He is listed
as an “Antique dealer, Pictures”, at 10, the Strait Lincoln. In the 1896 Kelly’s directory for Lincoln he is still at 10, the Strait, but is listed as a Printseller.
By
1901, 10, the Strait was in use as a Tailor’s. The Proprietor being a Mr Charles Cox.
In
the 1901 Census Arthur is living at 15, Drake Street, Lincoln. His occupation is “Painter & Decorator, Own Account”. Also in
the household are F.C. Ashforth (29) “Sister” and Sons Alfred (16), John (11), Frank (5) and Thomas (9
Months).
Questions
are raised at this point as Elizabeth, his wife, has disappeared, but his Sister F.C. is living with him. As Thomas has just
been born, (9 Months), it looks in the first instance that Elizabeth
may have died in childbirth. This is not so as it is documented that she actually died in 1895, aged 36. (District –
Lincoln, Vol – 7a, Page 296). This raises another
more worrying question as to who is Thomas’s Mother? If it is F.C. this would indicate incest, according to the Census
form.
Further
investigations do indeed find that Fanny Carr Ashforth is the mother of Thomas, his Father being Arthur. However, nothing
untoward has been happening in the Ashforth household as Fanny is Arthur’s second wife. Fanny Carr Aelberry married
Arthur Ashforth in 1899. (District – Lincoln, Vol
– 7a, Page – 1044). Even this entry cause’s confusion as Arthur’s name is misspelled ASHFORD.
It can be found that
Arthur was living at 15, Drake Street, Lincoln
from 1901 – 1903. He is listed as a Painter. From 1905 he is living at 22, Hewson
Road, Lincoln. He is listed as a Painter & Decorator. In 1905
though he is listed as “Harry” Ashforth, Decorator.
I
think by this time Arthur was a bit more than a “Painter & decorator”. Because in 1908 he painted the ceiling
of Shireoaks St Luke Church. Information about this can be found on the web site
http://southwellchurches.history.nottingham.ac.uk/shireoaks/hintro.php
On
this site is the quote “The painting is described as being ‘executed in rich soft colours with beautiful effect’,
the designs being created by Mr Ashforth of Lincoln to15th
Century specimens”. There is no mention about costs etc. for this work.
Arthur
died on 02/11/1911 aged 54. His death certificate records the following:
Occupation
– Master Painter & Decorator. Cause of death – Chronic Bright’s disease, Chronic Ursomia? and Wasting.
(Bright’s disease is a Generic term for Kidney Disease, coined by a Dr. Richard Bright in about 1836).
The “Informant”
was R.J. Aelberry, Father - in – Law. His address was 4, Sutton Street,
Lincoln.
John Ashforth, Arthur's son
and my Grandad's half brother was born in 1889, in Lincoln. For his story, we go back
in time to the Great War. Below, is a picture of John and also one of his grave stone which is at Arras Road Cemetery in France. He was killed on 18th August 1915. The grave stone picture was taken by
my Uncle Dave, while he was doing his National service.
Also pictured is the War
Memorial that John is remembered on. It is sighted adjacent to the Lloyds Bank on Lincoln High Street. I'm ashamed to say
it, but I never knew his name was there until I started to draw up my Family Tree.
I doubt there were
many families that weren't affected by the "War to end all Wars". John was only 25 when he gave his life.
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