41. Alfred and Agnes Squire of Yorkshire

Alfred Squire was born in 1820 in Sherburn in Elmet nr Selby, Yorkshire. His parents were John and Sarah Squire.

Agnes ("Annie") Green was born in c. 1826, possibly in Audley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Her parents were John and Mary Green. She was brought up in Barnsley.

Alfred married Annie at St Mary's Church, Barnsley in 1853.

In 1841, at age 20, Alfred was one of three apprentices, living with a druggist in Brotherton, six or so miles from home. In 1851, he was one of four shopmen living in at a linen draper's at 24 Briggate, Leeds. (It makes me chuckle seeing Leeds handwritten in the records, as I remember some American researchers - back in the day when one had to consult the indexes in London - excitedly announcing yet more discoveries in Seeds!) In both censuses, our man is listed as Alfred Squires. The shop became Dyson's clockmakers in 1872, although had apparently variously been a distillery, saddlery, barber and perfumier, and stationer prior to that. The building is Grade II star listed, so I photo'd it for my collection, before I knew of the connexion! The gilded time ball mechanism was linked to Greenwich and dropped at exactly 1pm each day; this feature, together with the window mechanism, makes Dyson's "a rare survival of elaborate Victorian/Edwardian shop innovation and design" (EH listing).

Time Ball Building, Briggate, Leeds (my photo)

The Borough of Leeds was thriving at the time. The railway network constructed around the town, starting with the Leeds and Selby Railway in 1834, had provided improved communications with national markets and, significantly for its development, an east-west connection with Manchester, and the ports of Liverpool and Hull, giving improved access to international markets. Alongside technological advances and industrial expansion, Leeds retained an interest in trading in agricultural commodities, with the Corn Exchange opening in 1864. Marshall's Mill was one of the first of many factories constructed in Leeds from around 1790 when the most significant were woollen finishing and flax mills. My photos of Leeds are here.

For some reason, Alfred left Leeds for the smaller mining and manufacturing town of Barnsley, which was connected to Leeds by rail from 1850.

There is a scandalous rumour explaining why! There is an old Fowler family story implicating a member of our Squire family in the birth of George ("Squires") Fowler by their Sarah Fowler in 1853 when she was 18. Sarah was raised at her father's farm in Little Fenton, two miles from Sherburn. In 1851, she was a domestic servant in Park Lane, also in Leeds town centre, working for a 'druggist' called Trant. The family story was that his family refused to allow him to marry Sarah and sent him away. If that it true, it didn't work, as Agnes had been a shopgirl herself, in Barnsley, from age 15. Apparently, Squires went on to name one of his own sons Squire, and Sarah named one of hers Alfred after she had married.   Agnes was still a shopgirl in 1851, living with her uncle, George Traviss, a hatter (as discussed in Chapter 18).

In 1861, the couple were living at 11 Market Hill, Barnsley. If the street hasn't been renumbered that the Zabka store on the top right (next to Ladbrokes) is on the site of his shop. He was a hatter and tailor, employing 5 men, 2 boys and 4 women. They had moved to No 10 by 1871 and 1881.

Market Hill, Barnsley (my photo)

They had eight children:

• 53.1.1 - John Traviss Squire (1855)
• 53.1.2 - Annie Squire (1858)
• 53.1.3 - Sarah Ellen Traviss Squire (1860)
• 53.1.4 - William Squire (1860)
• 53.1.5 - Agnes Squire (1861)
• 53.1.6 - Caroline Squire (1864)
• 53.1.7 - Edgar Squire (1866)
• 53.1.8 - Mary Squire (1868)

More on these individuals in Chapter 53.

In 1891, Alfred had become a coal agent, living at 27 Pitt St. Mary was still at home, and they kept a servant. He died in 1900.

Mary stayed with her mother, and became a shopkeeper and draper herself - they lived at 2 Roper St, and 33 Western St.  Agnes lived until she was over 90, dying in 1918.

Next (Alfred's siblings)