In 1841, he was a servant, with a publican in Clanfield, Oxfordshire (not far from Swindon). This is likely to have been the Mason's Arms (now the Clanfield Tavern). In 1851, he may have been an excavator living in a boarding house in Hastings.
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| Former Mason's Arms, Clanfield (my photo) |
Rebecca Weaver was born in 1829 in Walmley Ash, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. Her parents were Benjamin and Hannah Weaver.
In 1841, she was a servant in Sutton Coldfield. In 1851, she was a servant in Aston.
William and Rebecca were married in 1853. This is recorded as having been in Aston nr Birmingham but that registration district covered Sutton.
Rebecca already had a son, to whom William became a loving stepfather; they had a daughter together. The children, both born in Sutton, were:
In 1841, she was a servant in Sutton Coldfield. In 1851, she was a servant in Aston.
William and Rebecca were married in 1853. This is recorded as having been in Aston nr Birmingham but that registration district covered Sutton.
Rebecca already had a son, to whom William became a loving stepfather; they had a daughter together. The children, both born in Sutton, were:
- 49.1.1 - John Wheaver (1850)
- 49.1.2 - Hannah James (1857)
John kept his mother's surname, increasingly with an added 'h'.
More on these individuals in Chapter 49.
In 1861, the family were living in 'The Coldfield', Sutton Coldfield and he was an agricultural labourer. Some of the neighbours were fork makers. In 1871 and 1881 they were a couple in 'Blabbs', Sutton Coldfield. Blabbs was an agricultural hamlet off the Coleshill Road. The name possibly referred to a blabbing brook. The site is now occupied by a Ford garage.
It is worth observing that, until this time, most of the family would have been on the land but that had by now ceased to be the case. Agriculture was now only a fifth of the economy, and would continue in relative decline. Improved farming methods and mechanisation meant fewer jobs on the land, as did increased competition from imports. The industrial revolution made possible by this surplus of labour created whole new classes of employment.
William died in 1888, so would have witnessed improvements in ploughing, and all sorts of other farm machinery. He might have witnessed the dawn of mechanisation: 8000 portable steam engines were in use by 1851; self-propelled 'traction' engines were developed from the 1860s. Rebecca ("Granny James") lived on until 1924, so she would have witnessed steam power becoming commonplace.
Rebecca reverted to being a live-in domestic servant in Erdington. In 1901 and 1911, she was in Almshouse 5 in Blind Lane, Sutton. These almshouses had been built at the same time as the Town School (now the Baptist Church) in 1826. At some point, the almshouses were demolished and the site is now occupied by Mill St car park.
Next (William's siblings)
More on these individuals in Chapter 49.
In 1861, the family were living in 'The Coldfield', Sutton Coldfield and he was an agricultural labourer. Some of the neighbours were fork makers. In 1871 and 1881 they were a couple in 'Blabbs', Sutton Coldfield. Blabbs was an agricultural hamlet off the Coleshill Road. The name possibly referred to a blabbing brook. The site is now occupied by a Ford garage.
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| Former Town School, Sutton Coldfield (my photo) |
William died in 1888, so would have witnessed improvements in ploughing, and all sorts of other farm machinery. He might have witnessed the dawn of mechanisation: 8000 portable steam engines were in use by 1851; self-propelled 'traction' engines were developed from the 1860s. Rebecca ("Granny James") lived on until 1924, so she would have witnessed steam power becoming commonplace.
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| McLaren Traction Engine of 1893 (my photo) |
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| Clayton & Shuttleworth Threshing Machine of 1907 (my photo) |
Next (William's siblings)
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