House explosions in Cheltenham 1904

Ashley Church St James

In my book Tetbury & district through Time I have a picture of St James, Ashley,  both before and after the 1858 alterations took place.  These were funded by the Estcourt estate and other wealthy landowners in the area.  What is not so commonly known is that donations from the villagers, of whom there were few, paid for a pulpit cushion and a cloth for the Reading desk in December 1858 making it a church that really was funded by all for all.

Whilst studying the archives in writing the book I used notes [held at Gloucestershire Archives P21 CW 3/1] regarding these changes and included is an almost insignificant piece of paper with the churchwardens notes of income and expenses.  What is so precious about this piece of paper?

Ashley [one time Wiltshire, one time Gloucestershire] is a farming community consisting of a manor house, which is a very fine building indeed, the church of St James, the vicarage and a school house.  There are also a couple of larger farm houses and a terrace of farm workers cottages.  Nowadays barns have been converted into rural dwellings but no new builds seem to be allowed.  I think the largest number of house holds ever was 19.  All the farm workers would have been scattered across the area walking many miles to go to church or work.  The workers would have been in tied cottages attached near to the farm and on annual contracts moving their families with them when they moved on after the annual mop fair in Tetbury.  This is what makes this piece of paper so special.

The census following  would have been taken two years and a few months after this list of

donations, so for itinerant workers this may be the only record of presence in the village for some workers.   This of course presented me with a challenge to find out about these ordinary

men who were listed.  So, who have we got listed and what became of them using data from census records and other appropriate sources:

• Alfred Bick - in 1851 a 16 year old is an agricultural labourer in Crudwell just a few miles away.  He is the son of paupers and there are three younger children at home, so he is the sole breadwinner at this time.  I would think it unlikely that he was in a position to donate money but fortunes do change.  I can find no further record of him apart from a possible marriage of an Alfred Bick, in Tetbury 1860 to Mary Tuck.

• William Edmonds - widowed ag lab in 1861 born c.1791 in Lechlade, GLS, son Robert, his wife and family of six children are lodging  with William.  Robert was a carter born in Ashley c.1816.  William's wife, Ann, died between 1851 & 1861 and had also worked on the land.  William died in 1870 and Robert died in 1879 aged 64.

• William Fry - a carpenter and machinist from Tetbury, married to Ann with children ranging from adult to young child in 1861.  They moved to Ashley between 1831 and 1836 having first spent a few years in Avening.  Ann died between 1871 & 1881 and William in 1890.

• John Giddings born in Ashley c.1842 and son of William.  He worked as a farm labourer from an early age [1851 census aged 9 and working!].  This early start must have paid off as by 1861 he is a groom still living with his parents and six brothers.  Grandfather John Giddings is also living with them.  By 1871 he is living in Upton, GLS and married with children.  1881 has a change of career - still in service working as groom and gardener.  Wife Sarah works as a laundress and their seven children range in age from 16 to 9 months.

• Joshua Gould - nothing conclusive from census.  There was a family headed by Simon Gould and wife Caroline, from the Stroud area who worked as farm labourers, and it could be that their son Joshua is this one who was working on a farm for a year.

• Jesse Howard - became postmaster at Cherington, with his wife Jane.  He was formerly a  coachman, servant and gardener, from Bailham, SFK.  In 1861 he was living in Ashley, having married in 1855 at Rodmarton.  He died on 22 November 1904 naming one of his daughter's as executor of his will.

• John King - an agricultural labourer from Ashley, married to Hannah has in 1841 10 children age ranging from 20 down to 8 months.  By 1861 one of the older married daughters is living with them with two of the grandchildren.  He was unable to work by 1881 - he was after all aged 81 and wife Hannah aged 83!  he died in 1883 at the grand age of 84.  Hannah survived until the latter part of 1891 and appears on the census of that year aged 96 and 'living alone'.  What an amazing lady she must have been!

• Henry Large - a shepherd from North Cerney, married with children,  moved to Ashley between 1855 - 1856 having lived for short periods of time in Stroud and Crudwell.  They stayed in the village for approximately 10 years moving to Kemble by 1870.

• Charles Preston - from Coln St Dennis was in Ashley by 1841 and working as an agricultural labourer.  He was married to Sarah, with three children the youngest being 6 days old and called [by the enumerator] 'Preston infant'.  By 1851 he was working as a carter which would have been a better paid occupation enabling him to make one of the larger donations of 2s.  Charles died 1879.

• Sarah Prichard - an unmarried lady born in Ashley c.1794, living on her own and working as a farm labourer or servant.  She died in 1863.

• James Ritchings - an agricultural labourer from Rodmarton, married to Ann.  His mother in law Anne Smith was living with them in 1851, 10 years later a carter's widow was living with them - a kind hearted couple caring for the elderly perhaps.  James died in 1879.

• Sarah Tanner - a carter's widow who was born in the village c.1790, she died in 1866.

• Richard Tayler - in 1851 Richard was a single farmer, living with his brother and sister.  He was born in Avening c.1810 and farmed 480 acres and employed 23 people.  I wonder if this is the same man as the one listed as if so it is a very meagre offering made.  However, let us not judge, it may have been to make up the amount not met by the workers.

• William Tilling - nothing although there were Tillings around the area in Kingscote primarily.

• David Truss - labourer, married to Esther who was the school mistress.  James was their son and born in Rodmarton c.1834.  The census for 1861 lists a much younger son also born in Rodmarton.  David died in Ashley in 1887, well into his 80s and Esther died in 1882.

• John Truss lived next door and was married to Jane.  He was an agricultural labourer and of the same generation as David so probably his brother.

• John Tuck - an ag lab from Crudwell born c.1795, he was widowed by 1841 with three children living with him, the youngest aged 10.  His daughter aged 20 was living with him in 1851 but the others had flown the nest.  She was born in Ashley so John will have moved to the village prior to 1831.  He died in 1880 probably having been widowed longer than he was married.

The largest amount given was 3 shillings and the smallest 1 1/2 pence.