Mike O’Regan

THE WESTONS

James Weston and Emma Wells
of Yardley Gobion their ancestors & descendants

 MY MOTHER’S FATHER’S FAMILY

On 27 July 1835, my great great grandfather on my mother‘s father‘s side, James Weston married Emma Wells at Ashton, Northamptonshire.     James and Emma lived in one of the two buildings marked 35 the other may have been an ale house or a farm building. MORE Building 24 is the Packhorse Public House run later by two of his sons, Frederick and James. Building 50 is the Elms farm where Henry Weston and Helen Franklin, later lived. The road pointing towards the top of the page is the road that leads to the Wharf (see map below) where son John lived.

 

The 1841 Census for the hamlet of Yardley Gobion , Northamptonshire gives James Weston, 30, Publican , born in Northamptonshire.; Emma, 28, not born in Northamptonshire; John, 5, Frederic[k],3, born inYardley Gobion on December 25th, 1836, according to his Birth Certificate Robert, 2, born inYardley Gobion on September 1st, 1837, according to his Birth Certificate Alfred, 6 months, born inYardley Gobion on December 31st, 1840, according to his Birth Certificate

The 1851 Census for Yardley Gobion shows the family as consisting of:-

James Weston, victualler, aged 42, born [about 1809] in Brackley, Northamptonshire.

Emma Weston aged 38, born [about 1813] in Yardley Gobion.

This is probably a mistaken transcription

as the 1861 Census gives Emma as born in

Ullesthorpe and John in Yardley Gobion.

John Weston aged 14, born [about 1837] in Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire.

Frederic Weston aged 13,

Robert Weston aged 11,

Alfred Weston aged 10,

James Weston, my great grandfather, aged 8, born in Yardley Gobion, on August 3rd, 1843, according to his Birth Certificate.

Joseph Weston aged 6, born in Yardley Gobion, on November 25th, 1844, according to his Birth Certifiicate.

Septimus T. Weston aged 4. Septimus Thomas was born in Yardley Gobion on November 26th, 1846, according to his Birth Certificate.

Octavius C. Weston aged 1, born in Yardley Gobion. William Charles was born on June 7th, 1849, according to his Birth Certificate. He is subsequently called Charles, but the certificate of his second marriage calls him Octavius Charles.

The Birth Certificates of Frederic, Robert and Alfred give “Publican” as the occupation of their father. Those of James, Joseph, Septimus Thomas and William Charles give “Victualler”.

 

In 1871 James Weston, the father, now a widower, was living with his son John at Rectory Farm, Hannington , Northamptonshire (North of Northampton on the way to Kettering). He was then 63.

John Weston, aged 33, was described as a “Farmer 222 acres Empl. 6 men & 3 boys”. He was married to Fanny (maiden name probably Savage), aged 39, and so born about 1831 at Passenham, Northamptonshire. They had two children. Robert or John Robert was aged 6, born at Passenham and christened about 7 August 1864 at Deanshanger (Northants.). Alfred was aged 6, also born at Passenham about 1866.

In 1881 John Weston lived at Gordon’s Lodge , Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, described as a “Farmer

153 acres employing 5 men”. His wife (now 48) and sons (aged 16 and 14) were still with him, but not his father. A “Farm servant (indoor)”, Fredric Gardner (age 19) lived with them.

In 1891 John (54) was living at Salcey Lawn , Hartwell (Northants.) still a farmer. Acreage of farms is not given after the 1881 Census.

Fanny was 59, John Robert was 26 and Alfred was 25. Also living or staying with him were his nieces Flora (aged 19) and Effie (aged 14 and described as “scholar”, i.e. still at school), daughters of his brother, James (my mother’s aunts).

In 1901 John (65) was at Park Farm , Hartwell (Northants.), still described as Farmer and employer. Fanny (70) was still with him, as was Alfred (34) still single. Also living with them was Darris [Dorris?] F. Weston, a granddaughter, aged 5, so born about 1896 at Lillington Lock (Bucks). Doris Frances, daughter of John Robert Weston (Farmer) and Amy Alice (formerly Brafield) was born on September 6th, 1895, at The Hall, Lillingstone Lovell, Buckinghamshire, according to her Birth Certificate. I can find no other mention of her,

In 1901 John Robert was living at Ashton Lodge Cottage, Ashton. With him were his aunt Sarah Savage, widow, 68, born at Elmley Lovett, Worcs., “housekeeper“, and his cousin Hannah Savage, single, 34 born in Llandegai, N. Wales “assistant maid“. Sarah’s late husband Stephen born in Passenham, Northants. about 1827 had a sister, Fanny, born in Passenham about 1832, who in 1861 was still unmarried and living with her parents at Hanger Lodge, Passenham. She was probably John Robert’s mother. John Robert was a farmer, a worker (i.e. not an employer) working at home.

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The second son, Frederick Weston (32, a labourer) was living in Wolverton (Well known now for its Railway Works) in 1871, on King Street, with his wife Mary Louisa (26, born in Potterspury, maiden name unknown) and their son Robert (3, born in Liverpool).

In 1881 They were still in Wolverton but had moved to 538 Glyn Square . Frederick was now a clerk and their family had increased. Robert was 13; Ernest, born in Stony Stratford, was 7; Alick, born in Stony Stratford, was 3, and Grace F., born in Wolverton, was 1. They also had a boarder, Frederick Burrows (26, a “Finisher Artezan”).

They were still at the same address in 1891, and Frederick was still a clerk. Ernest (17, a Trimmer), Alick (13, Scholar), and Grace (11, scholar) still lived with them, as did their fifth child, Willie W. (7).

Earlier in that year, recorded in the March Quarter 1891, at Potterspury, Robert had married Minnie Bishop. Ernest and Minnie (22, born in Potterspury) lived at 77 Aylesbury Street , Wolverton. Robert was a Railway Coach Builder.

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In 1901 Frederick (63, a Railway Clerk) and Mary Louisa (56) lived at 64 Aylesbury Street with Grace F. (21) and Willie W. (17, a Railway Coach Finisher). Robert (33, a “Railway Break Finisher”) and Minnie lived at 62 Aylesbury Street with their son Fred (8).

Ernest’s wedding to Annie Simkins was recorded in the September Quarter of 1900 at Potterspury, and in 1901 they lived at the Navigation Inn , 2 Castlethorpe Road, Cosgrove. The inn is at Thrupp Wharf . Annie (26) was born at Cosgrove. Ernest was an “Innkeeper Coal dealer-farmer” and an employer.

Alick had also left home and was a Cabinet maker, a visitor with James and Jessie Barris in Harlestone, (Northants.).

Frederick died on August 15th, 1906, aged 68, a”clerk in Railway Works”, at 64 Aylesbury Street, Wolverton Station.

By 1861 three of the sons of James and Emma Weston had left Yardley Gobion.

In 1861 the third brother Robert, aged 21 and unmarried, was a draper’s assistant in Liverpool. The “household” consisted of five houses, 58, 60, 62, 64 and 66 Lord Street, St. Peter’s , Liverpool. The head of the houselhold was Godfrey L. Duckett, aged 29, Draper. In these houses live 54 Draper’s Assistants, 4 Draper’s Clerks, 2 Draper’s Porters, 7 General Servants and 1 Housekeeper. In the June Quarter 1867, Robert’s death at the age of 27 was recorded at Potterspury. He is buried in Yardley Gobion churchyar

Mike O’Regan