WILLIAM SHELLAKER was born in the year 1788 in the village of Lyndon in the County of Rutland in the English Midlands during the twenty-eighth year of the reign of King George III.
But it is evident, from the very first historical document in which he is mentioned, that William’s existence was in peril at the very outset of his life as the records show that he received a ‘private baptism’ on Friday 12th September 1788.
A record of a private baptism, which customarily took place within the home of the child, was usually an indication it was considered highly unlikely the child were expected to live. So it is reasonable to conclude William Shellaker’s own survival was uncertain at birth.
The Book of Common Prayer states a baptism is to take place on either the first or second Sunday after the birth or on the religious festival nearest to them, or if not the nearest convenient date.
The Book goes on to state, in regards to private baptisms,….
If a Child which hath been privately baptized do afterward live, it is expedient that it be brought into the Church, and be received into the Congregation.
So William survived whatever danger befell him and consequently, three weeks after his birth, as per the convention stated in The Book of Common Prayer, he was publicly baptised on Sunday 5th October 1788 in the village church of St Martin in Lyndon, which is pictured above right and reproduced by permission of LeicesterPhoto).
Below is a copy of that first historical document from 1788 in the Lyndon parish records showing the dates of William’s private and public baptisms.
William, Son of Richard & Mary
Shellaker was baptized, privately Sept 12th.
Publicly Oct 5th
WILLIAM’S FATHER
William was, insofar as parish records indicate, the first child and only son of RICHARD & MARY SHELLAKER and he was the fifth generation of the Shellaker family to live in the small Rutland village of Lyndon. At the time of William’s birth, his father RICHARD was around 26 years old as as records show he was baptised on Sunday 11th October 1761, also in church of St Martin in Lyndon. It is extremey probable Richard Shellaker was farmer as in a book entitled ‘The Place Names of Rutland’ I found a record of a field name in Lyndon of a ‘Shelakers Close’ and an indication the field given that name belonged to a ‘Mr. R. Shelakers’ who was a resident in Lyndon in 1794. This man was undoubtedly William’s father. The original document listing this field name is in a manuscript in the Lincolnshire Archive Office.
WILLIAM’S MOTHER
At the time of William’s birth his mother was also 26 years old. She was born on Thursday 3rd June 1762 in the Leicestershire village of HALLATON – her maiden name was MARY GIBBONS. Hallaton is a village approximately 13 miles south west of Lyndon. William’s parents, Mary Gibbons and Richard Shellaker, married on Monday 19th November 1787, again in the village church of St Martin, Lyndon. To date I have found 38 records – baptisms, marriages and funerals – of people carrying the ‘Shellaker’ name which took place in this church. This is far more than in any other church or chapel in the last four hundred years. Three such events have already been mentioned in this narrative so far; William’s own baptism in 1788 and that of his own father Richard in 1761 and also the marriage of his parents in 1787. Two further baptisms now follow….
TWO SISTERS
Based upon the Church of England baptism convention, I estimate William was born in the second week in September 1788. His birth may have been the 12th of that month, the date of his private baptism and if not the 12th probably only a few days prior to that date. A birth date for William of early September is around 9 months after the date of the wedding of his parents in November 1787 – so that all fits very nicely. Two years later, in 1790 Richard & Mary Shellaker have a second child, a sister for William who was now approaching his second birthday. She was named KATHERINE and was baptised on Sunday 10th October 1790.
Over two years pass until February 1793 when another girl arrives. She was named SARAH and was baptised on Friday 15th February 1793. William was over four years old at the time of the birth of his second sister. His younger sister Katherine was two years and four months old. Both of this children lived into adulthood. William’s youngest sister Sarah married a man named BARSBY and need to undertake further research on this marriage.
William other sister Katherine also marries when he was around 24 years old. There is a record of a ‘Catherine Shellaker’ marrying on Monday 30th May 1814 in the village of WING in Rutland. This ‘Catherine’ is same girl who was baptised as ‘Katherine’ in October 1790. Wing is less than two miles from Lyndon. Her husband, JOHN PARTRIDGE, was from the nearby village of PRESTON in Rutland. Records show this marriage produced at least two children born a few years after the wedding; ANN born around 1829 and THOMAS born around 1832. These four people; William Shellaker’s sister Catherine, brother-in-law John, niece Ann and nephew Thomas were recorded on the 1841 Census as living in MANTON, a village two miles from Lyndon. John’s occupation is that of a Miller and Baker. Catherine Partridge (née Shellaker) died in the spring of 1848 at the aged of 58 years old.
It is highly probable William Shellaker attended the weddings of both of his sisters but back to the subject of this narrative and a record of William’s own marriage….
WILLIAM’S MARRIAGE
I do not know how long William continued to live in Lyndon but it appears he lived in Uppingham at some point in his life as that was his stated residence at the time of his own marriage. His wedding took place on Monday 13th November 1815 in the grand parish church of St Peter & St Paul, in the village of EXTON, the record of which can be seen in the parish records of that village
“William Shellaker of the parish of Uppingham, Bachelor, and Sarah Hester of this Parish, Spinster were married in this church by Banns this thirteenth day of November in the year One thousand eight hundred and fifteen”.
By me: John Elliot – Vicar.
This marriage was solemnised between us {Signed} William Shellaker Sarah Hester
In the presence of {Signed} Mary Jane Ruff, Sophie Rosillbridge, Elizabeth Roya.
I’m not sure if I have correctly identified the names of these witnesses as the writing in not clear.
Please note these are the actual signatures of William & Sarah on this record of their marriage. They have not used an ‘X’ to make their mark as was the practice if one or both of those marrying were unable to write. It is also interesting to note that William and both of his sisters were all married on a Monday – I have no idea if this is significant for any reason.
Although the present church originates from the 13th and 14th centuries it was extensively restored in Victorian times, a few decades after William & Sarah married there in 1815 consequently the whole external appearance is now very different and has a Victorian aesthetics which would not have been seen on William’s wedding day. The reason for the restoration was a violent hailstorm which took occurred on 25th April 1843, 18 years after William’s wedding, during when the original spire was struck by lightning sending masonry crashing through the roof of the nave and destroying much of the west end of the church. A recent picture of this church is below and reproduced by permission of LeicesterPhoto.
WHY DID WILLIAM & SARAH MARRY AT EXTON?
Simple answer – I don’t know.
The village of Exton was situated around five miles* north of William’s birthplace of Lyndon so it would not be so strange to find William marrying in that village, although his bride was not local by birth – Sarah Hester was born in Lincolnshire.
I cannot find any connection, other than their wedding, to link either the bride or groom to the village of Exton. I can only speculate both or at least Sarah worked for the Noel family, owners of the estate. Within Exton village is Exton Park a large country estate which had belonged to the Noel family (Earls of Gainsborough) for over four centuries.
At the time of William and Sarah’s wedding it was home to Sir Gerard Noel, the 2nd Baronet, who represented Rutland as a Member of Parliament for over forty years, initially as a supporter of William Pitt the Younger. He had inherited the estates of his uncle, Henry Noel, 6th Earl of Gainsborough, although not the peerage, which could not pass through the female line, at which point he changed his surname to Noel.
* The journey would now be around seven miles as the massive, and beautiful, expanse of Rutland Water is now a located between the two villages.
SARAH HESTER – THE WIFE OF WILLIAM SHELLAKER
As mentioned above William’s wife Sarah Hester did not originate from Rutland or Leicestershire but was born in the county of Lincolnshire – in the Spittlegate area of Grantham, also spelt Spitalgate. (This information is revealed in a later Census record for Sarah). Her birthplace is described as ……..
SPITTLEGATE, a township, in the parish and union of Grantham, Wapentake of Winnibriggs and Threo, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 1 mile (S. by E.) from Grantham.
And as with the spelling of the Shellaker surname there are also inconsistencies in Sarah’s surname; on the record of her wedding it is written as ‘Hester’ and that is how she has signed her name. However, on what I believe is the record of her christening, the spelling is ‘ESTHER’.
There is a record in the Lincolnshire archive of a christening in Grantham on 7th June 1794 of a ‘SARAH ESTHER’. Her parents are ROBERT & ANN ESTHER. (Index ref Batch/Film No C011242 Serial/Sheet No. 2887). I believe this record is that of William’s wife as the year 1794 as this year is compatible as her birth year as recorded in later Census records which will be mentioned further on in this narrative. I also found an entry for one of Sarah’s sisters, SUSANNAH ESTHER, christened 30th Sept 1807.
[There are also entries on the IGI records for other christenings of children of Robert and Ann Hester in Abington, Berkshire; 1787 Ben, 1789 Hannah, 1791 Catherine and 1793 Martha.
I am not sure if these are part of the same family, although the dates do fit with Sarah’s birth in 1794 and Susannah birth in 1807 suggesting that the Esther/Hester family may have moved from Berkshire to Grantham shortly before Sarah’s birth – but this is not proven and is research I do not intend to pursue.]
Next Page: William and Sarah start a family
RICHARD’S BIRTH
Richard Shellaker was born on Sunday 25th April 1830 in the village of Tugby in East Leicestershire. He was the third child of William and Sarah Shellaker and was subsequently baptised around 5 weeks later on Tuesday 8th June 1830 at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Oakham in Rutland.
On the record of the baptism Richard’s father William is recorded as a ‘Shoemaker’ – he is now 41 years of age and his wife Sarah is recorded as ‘the daughter of Robert and Ann Hester’. She is approaching the age of 36 years. The young baby boy was given the same Christian name as his paternal Grandfather and he was my Great-Grandfather.
Richard the Son of William Shillaker of Tugby in the Parish of Tugby in the County of Leicester Shoemaker and of Sarah his wife, who was the daughter of Robert and Ann Hester was born on the Twenty fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty. And solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the Eight day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty. By me William Mourat
[LRO – R46 Not MF46 Record No. 192]
Although Richard was the third child of William and Sarah, only one child was alive at the time of his birth.
THE FIRSTBORN CHILD OF WILLIAM & SARAH
Their first child was a daughter born on Saturday 13th May 1826 and baptised on Saturday 27th May 1826 at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Oakham.
The girl was named MARY SHELLAKER and she is recorded as being the daughter of William & Sarah (née Hester) Shellaker. On this record William is also recorded as a ‘Shoemaker’ and his wife Sarah as being ‘the daughter of Robert and Ann Hester’. The Minister conducting the baptism was Richard Eland. At this time William was 37 years old – his wife Sarah was 31 years.
Mary the Daughter of William Shillaker of [Tugby crossed out] Lyndon in the Parish of Lyndon in the County of Rutland, Shoemaker, and of Sarah his wife, who was the daughter or Robert and Ann Hester was born on the Thirteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty-Six. And solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the Twenty Seventh day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty-Six. By me [Unknown].
LRO – R46 Not MF46 Record No. 123
On this record of Mary Shellaker’s birth and baptism is a clue as to the date the Shellaker family moved from Lyndon to Tugby. The entry starts ‘Mary, the daughter of William Shellaker of…‘ at this point the village name is required – the first entry was ‘Tugby’ but name was crossed out and replaced with the word ‘Lyndon’ and continues with ‘….in the Parish of Lyndon in the County of Rutland’.
It is conjecture that in May 1826 the family may have been in the process of moving from Lyndon to Tugby or had not long moved, so maybe they decided Lyndon should be the village to appear on this official document.
WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH – DEAN STREET OAKHAM
In the mid-nineteenth century there were Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist Churches in Oakham. The Wesleyan Church, which was probably built in 1811, was in Dean Street behind the site of the present church – it has long since been demolished. The image on the right shows the Dean Street Wesleyan Methodist church. However this picture was taken around 1920 and consequently is not contemporary with the baptism of the children of William and Sarah Shellaker.
Incidentally this baptism in 1826 in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel is the very first evidence of religious non-conformity within the Shellaker family which continues to this day.
A Nonconformist in England is one who does not belong to the Established Church – The Church of England. These include Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers, Methodists, Unitarians and Plymouth Brethren all of whom are considered Nonconformists.
DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN
However, by the spring of following year their firstborn baby daughter had died. Mary Shellaker, the daughter of William & Sarah (née Esther) Shellaker died on Saturday April 28th 1827 aged 11 ½ Months and around two weeks short of her first birthday. Mary was buried in the graveyard of Tugby church. At this time William was now 38 – his wife Sarah 32 years.
A copperplate engraving of Tugby Church c.1804. The gravestone of Mary Shellaker onto which I have overlaid the inscription
A SECOND DAUGHTER
Just under a year after the death of her baby daughter, Sarah gave birth to a second daughter on Tuesday 1st April 1828 and was named MARY JANE SHELLAKER. She was baptised on Tuesday 29th April 1828 also at the same Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Oakham as their first child
As on the previous baptism the document shows she was daughter of William Shellaker a ‘Shoemaker’ and Sarah Shellaker ‘the daughter of Robert and Ann Hester’. At this time William was 39 years old – his wife Sarah was approaching 31 years of age.
Mary Jane the Daughter of William Shillaker of Tugby in the Parish of Tugby in the County of Leicester Shoe Maker and of Sarah his wife, who was the daughter of Robert and Ann Hester was born on the First day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty Eight. And was solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the Twenty Ninth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty Eight. By me Daniel Kirby Shufflebotham
[LRO – R46 Not MF46 Record No. 148]
THE FAMILY AT THE TIME OF RICHARD’S BIRTH
The Shellaker Family of Tugby in 1830
Richard’s paternal grandparents were also alive at the time of Richard’s birth. His grandfather, Richard Shellaker of Lyndon, was 68 years old and lived for a further four year after his grandson’s birth. Richard’s grandmother, Mary Shellaker (née Gibbons), was also 68 years. She lived until May 1843, accordingly she would have seen her grandson reach his twelve birthday. I have no fuirther details of the parents of Richard’s mother, Sarah Hester
On the wedding day in 1815 in the village of Exton, William was 27 years old – his wife Sarah was 21. Theres is a perplexing I gap of over a decade between the marriage of William & Sarah and the record of their firstborn in 1830.
A BROTHER FOR RICHARD
Three years after Richard’s birth, his parents, Richard and William & Sarah have a fourth child – a second son born on Christmas Day – Wednesday 25th December 1833. He was given the name of his Father , WILLIAM and was baptised at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Oakham. The date of his baptism was Tuesday 11th February 1834 and as before, the father William was recorded as a ‘Shoemaker’ and the child mother Sarah as ‘the daughter of Robert and Ann Hester’.
William the Son of William Shillaker of Tugby in the Parish of Tugby in the County of Leicester Shoemaker and of Sarah his wife, who was the daughter or Robert and Ann Hester was born on the Twenty Fifth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Thirty Three. And solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the Eleventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty-Six. By me Richard Pattison
[LRO – R46 Not MF46 Record No. 162]
In the spring of 1834 William & Sarah Shellaker have three children; their new born son William, Mary Jane who had now reached the age of 6 years and Richard aged 4 years.
ANOTHER DEATH IN THE FAMILY
Eighteen months pass and sadly their youngest child William dies at the age of 20 months on 1st October 1835. As was his sister, he was buried in the churchyard at Tugby. At this time William is around 45 years old and wife Sarah is approximately 39 years old.
1841 CENSUS – RICHARD SHELLAKER IN TUGBY – AGE 10
In this Census William and Sarah and their two surviving children remain in Tugby. Also in their house are two other people, a boy aged 15 years old named Henry Sewell and a man, Isaac Sumpter who was aged 25 years who appear to be apprentices of William Shellaker.
The ages of William and Sarah are recorded as being 50 years and 45 years respectively. Their daughter MARY recorded as being 12 years old and son RICHARD 10 years. However this is not an accurate record of their ages at this time. William was actually 52; Sarah was 46.
NB – This is not an error, in this Census the ages of people up to 15 years old are listed exactly as reported but ages over 15 were rounded down to the nearest 5 years (i.e. William’s aged of 52 years would be listed on the census as age 50 years). However the children whose ages should have been recorded accurately are both apparently incorrect by one year. Mary, being born on the 1st April 1828, would have been 13 years old on the day of the Census- 6th June 1841. Likewise her brother Richard, who was born on 25th April 1830, would have been 11 years old at this time.
1841 Census – William & Sarah Shellaker in Tugby
Tugby RG number: HO107 Piece: 593 Book/Folio: 23/6 Page: 10
Although the information on this Census is relatively clear I have reprinted the details below:
| Name | Age | Occupation | Whether Born in same County |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Shellaker | 50 | Shoemaker | Yes |
| Sarah Shellaker | 45 | No | |
| Mary Shellaker | 12 | Yes | |
| Richard Shellaker | 10 | Yes | |
| Henry Sewell | 15 | Shoemaker App | No |
| Isaac Sumpter | 25 | " | No |
FURTHER DEATHS IN THE FAMILY
The year after the 1841 Census, Richard’s sister Mary Jane Shellaker, the daughter of William & Sarah, dies on Thursday 6th October 1842 at the age of 14 years old. When their daughter Mary Jane died, William was 53 years old, his wife Sarah was 47 years old. Mary was buried in Tugby churchyard, sharing the same grave her infant brother William who died some seven years before.
FAMILY BIBLE
Within a Bible which belonged to William Shellaker, I found a page, shown on the right, which details the baptism dates of three of the four children of William & Sarah Shellaker.
Mary Jane. The Daughter of William Shellaker and Sarah his wife was born on the 1st Day of April 1828.
Baptised the 29th April 1828
By Daniel Kirby Shufflebotham
Richard was born the 25th day of April 1830.
Baptised the 8th day of June
By William Mourat
William was born the 25th day of December 1833.
Baptised the 11th day of February 1834
By Richard Pattison
Mary Ann Shellaker. Died the 6th October 1842
There are two unexplained items to mention;
Their first child, named ‘Mary’ and was born in May 1826 but died in April 1827 is not listed and
Secondly the daughter born in 1828 is named ‘Mary Jane’ on this list and on the official record on her baptism but at the bottom of the list her death is written as ‘Mary Ann’ and not ‘Mary Jane’, which is puzzling.
THE ONE SURVIVING CHILD
Of William & Sarah’s four children now only one child survives. The continuation of this Shellaker line is now entirely reliant upon the survival of their 12 year old son, Richard…
The Shellaker Family of Tugby in 1842
Next Page: Richard become an Apprentice
1864 – POLLY’S BIRTH AND THE EARLY YEARS
On the last Friday in August, just before the 19th century had reached two-third of its span, MARY JANE SHELLAKER was born in the east Leicestershire village of TUGBY. The date of her birth was Friday 26th of August 1864, which was in the twenty-ninth reign of her majesty Queen Victoria. Mary Jane was the third child of RICHARD & MARY SHELLAKER.
Although I have located records for baptisms of the other Shellaker children, I have been unable to locate a record of Mary Jane’s baptism. However the Tugby parish records for Baptisms are incomplete for the period when she was born.
Her father, Richard was a butcher. He was also born in Tugby, thirty-four years prior to Mary Jane’s birth, in the year 1830. Her mother originated from the nearby Leicestershire village of Hallaton, where her family were carpenters by trade. Her maiden name was MARY ANN GROCOCK and she was around twenty-six years old when she gave birth to Mary Jane. Mary Jane’s birth was registered by her father on Saturday 3rd October 1864, and although she was named ‘Mary Jane’ on the official certificate, she was to be known as ‘POLLY’ from a very early age, a name which she kept throughout her life and one which I will now use for the remainder of this narrative.
Polly’s paternal grandfather WILLIAM SHELLAKER had died in Tugby in the November of 1855, nine years before Polly’s birth. However at the time of Polly’s birth, her paternal grandmother, SARAH SHELLAKER, the widow of William Shellaker, was alive and also living in Tugby.
Polly’s grandparents, William and Sarah, are pictured on the right.
William was born in the year 1788 in the village of LYNDON in the county of Rutland and subsequently moved to Tugby sometime after his marriage in 1815. Parish records show the Shellaker family had lived in Lyndon for five generations, since around 1680.
Prior to Lyndon, the Shellaker family can be traced further back to the village of LODDINGTON, which is on the border of east Leicestershire and Rutland. (In these older parish records the family name is also spelt “Shelacres”, “Shellakars” & “Shillaker”).
Sarah was seventy years old when her granddaughter Polly was born. Sarah Shellaker’s maiden name was ‘Esther’ and she was born in the Spittlegates areas of Grantham, in the county of Lincolnshire. Sarah Shellaker was a member of the “Wesleyan-Methodist Society” and prior to his death her husband William had been a Leader of the Wesleyan Chapel in Tugby.
In the year prior to Polly’s birth her Grandmother Sarah is recorded as living in her own house in Tugby from where she was running a business. The 1863 publication of “White’s Trade Directory for Leicestershire” records that Sarah Shellaker ran a “Beerhouse”. [A Beerhouse was not a Public House but was basically a private house licensed to sell beer but not spirits, possibly just from one room.]
THE VILLAGE OF TUGBY, LEICESTERSHIRE.
In contemporary Victorian trade directories of Leicestershire the village of Tugby around the time of Polly’s birth and her early childhood is described thus:
“Tugby, a pleasant village upon an eminence on the road between the two towns, is seven and a half miles West of Uppingham and nearly twelve miles East by South of Leicester. The parish contains 1,540 acres of land and 364 inhabitants and lies partly in the East Goscote Hundred and partly in the Gartree Wapentake (or Hundred) in the eastern division of the county.
In the village was Anglican parish church dedicated to St. Thomas a Becket (pictured on the right). It was in this church that Polly’s parents, Richard & Mary, married on the 12th March 1861, three years prior to her birth and would be the church in which Polly was baptised.
In addition to the church there was a relatively new ‘Wesleyan Chapel built in 1844’ in the village. It is highly probable Polly attended this chapel with her parents, siblings and grandmother Sarah as the Shellaker family were non-conformists.
The village also had two public houses – The Black Horse and The Fox & Hounds, one of which still remains.
Around the time of Polly’s birth the main local employment in the Village is recorded as “Farmers” & “Graziers” and in common with most small English villages of that time, it was largely self-sufficient. Village trades and occupations recorded included Tailors, a Boot & Shoemaker, a Blacksmith, Grocers, Bakers, a Carrier and Toll Collector, a Wheelwright, a Farm Bailiff and a Higgler – (which is a Pedlar, usually with a horse and cart). There was also a Public Elementary School was built in 1872 and which was enlarged in 1885 and 1896 to hold up to 119 children.
POLLY’S FAMILY
When Polly was born her parents already had two children; SARAH, who was born on the 17th August 1861, celebrated her third birthday on the Wednesday of the week prior to Polly’s birth and WILLIAM , named after his paternal grandfather, who was around 18 months old, having been born in March 1863. It should be noted the first child Sarah, was born a mere five months after the marriage of her parents!
THE SHELLAKER FAMILY AT THE TIME OF POLLY’S BIRTH
In August 1866, when Polly was two years old, her mother Mary gave birth to another daughter, who was named EMMA. The family increased again four months after Polly’s third birthday, when a fifth child and fourth daughter, who was named ELIZABETH, was born on the 16th December 1867. As Polly was growing up there were many sad occasions in the Shellaker household; between Polly’s fifth and thirteenth birthday, her mother gave birth to a further six children, all of whom died in infancy or in their early childhood years. The first of these children was LOUISA, who was born a few days before Christmas 1869 when Polly was five years old. Louisa lived for only six months dying in June of the following year, in 1870.
1871 – CENSUS
The 1871 Census taken on Sunday 2nd April 1871, records Polly, now six year old, living with her parents and her three surviving sisters; Sarah, Emma and Elizabeth, and her brother William.
1871 Census – The Shellaker Family in Tugby
1871 CENSUS – THE SHELLAKER FAMILY IN TUGBY
As the information for this Census is not totally clear I have reprinted the details below:
| Name | Relationship | Condition | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Shellaker | Head | Marr | 40 | Butcher | Leicestershire, Tugby |
| Mary A Shellaker | Wife | Marr | 33 | Leicestershire, Hallaton | |
| Sarah A Shellaker | Daughter | 9 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| William Shellaker | Son | 8 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| Mary J Shellaker | Daughter | 6 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| Emma Shellaker | Daughter | 4 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| Elizabeth Shellaker | Daughter | 3 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| George Talby | Servant | Not Known? | 17 | General & Domestic | Leicestershire, Hallaton |
MORE CHILDREN & POLLY’S GRANDMOTHER DIES
On 18th February 1872, when Polly was eight years old, another daughter was born who was named FANNY but she again died in infancy on 22nd April. The following year, 1873, twin girls were born. Richard and Mary gave these girls the same names as their recently deceased daughters LOUISA & FANNY but like their namesakes, these twins also died in March 1873. Around this period another boy was born but he also subsequently died in infancy. He was named RICHARD after his father.
In June 1874 Polly’s paternal grandmother, Sarah Shellaker (née Esther), died aged eighty years. She was buried in Tugby churchyard alongside the graves of her granddaughters Fanny & Louisa and the twins of the same names. Polly was nine years old when her paternal grandmother died and when she was twelve her mother gave birth to another son, born on 19th October 1876, he has named JOHN RICHARD but he lived for only seventeen months before dying on 6th February 1878. At this time Polly has one surviving brother, William and four sisters; one of whom was older, Sarah,and two were younger, Emma and Elizabeth.
SCHOOLING
Polly attended the local school in Tugby in the year it opened in 1872. She started her schooling on the 14th October 1872, at the age of eight years and 2 months and on the same day as her younger sister Emma, who was just over six years old. They were joined, the following week on the 21st October, by their sisters Sarah and Elizabeth, who were aged eleven and approaching five respectively.
The Education Act of 1870 required the establishment of elementary schools throughout the country for which the school boards could charge a fee. This undated photograph may relate to the time the Shellaker girls attended the school. The interior of the school was reported to have a cold brick floor and was heated by open fires in the classrooms.
The children could not leave until they achieved a certificate of efficiency from the school. The children had tests twice a year. In one of the regular reports from the school inspector, after visiting in 1873 (at the time Emma and her sisters were in attendance), reported: “The children are in fair order, reading fair, writing neat, spelling pretty fair, arithmetic weak, and needlework requires more attention. Punctuation requires further attention”.
TUGBY SCHOOL REGISTER
Below is a section of the school register that relates to Mary Jane (Polly), No. 50, also included in this section is one of Polly’s sisters, Sarah – No. 43. In this section the date of Sarah’s birth is incorrectly recorded as 1862. She was born in 1861.
Section of Tugby School Register Showing the Grades Achieved
Mary Jane (Polly) Shellaker, as mentioned is number ’50’ on this list, achieved the ‘5th Standard’ and subsequently left Tugby School on Friday June 8th 1877, as shown on the column on the far right, two months prior to her 14th birthday.
Her sister Emma, No.59, went on to achieve Grade VI, (‘The Sixth Standard’) which is evidently the highest standard attainable at this school. Polly’s sister Elizabeth, No. 68, also achieved Grade VI and her sister Sarah numbered ’43’ on this list, achieved Grade III. [Click on the image to view a larger copy of this list click on the image].
School Standards Explained. School Standards feature in the Thomas Hardy novel, ‘Jude the Obscure’. This book published in 1895 has a story primarily set between the years 1870 and 1886. (This period is around the same time period the Shellaker girls attended Tugby school). In this book one of the female characters is referred to as “a schoolgirl out of her standards”. In the end notes this sentence is explained as follows; “i.e. out of elementary school, the sixth standard being the last for children, the seventh standard for would-be teachers, the standards being degrees of proficiency as measured by exams.”
TWO FURTHER SIBLINGS ARRIVE
Two years after Polly left school and after six consecutive deaths of her infant siblings, Polly now aged fourteen, had a baby sister, HELENA (known thereafter as NELLIE), born on 19th April 1879 and two years later another brother was born who was named JOHN. He was born on 21st December 1881 when Polly was seventeen years old. Both these children lived well into adulthood. This 13th child, John Shellaker is my Grandfather. The birth of John was the final child of Mary Shellaker who, over a period of twenty years between the age of 23 to 43, gave birth to 13 children, seven of whom survived beyond infancy, six of whom lived into old age.
1881 CENSUS – TUGBY
Nine mounths prior to the birth of her young brother John and four years after leaving school Polly is recorded on a second Census, taken on Thursday the 3rd of April 1881. She is living with her family in Tugby aged sixteen years. Her younger sister Emma is not listed as living in the family home in Tugby, she is boarding in Leicester at this time where she was attending a local school, training to become a teacher.
1881 Census – The Shellaker Family in Tugby
1881 CENSUS – THE SHELLAKER FAMILY IN TUGBY .
Although the information for this Census is relatively clear I have reprinted the details below:
| Name | Relationship | Condition | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Shellaker | Head | Marr | 50 | Butcher & Grazier | Leicester, Tugby |
| Mary A Shellaker | Wife | Marr | 43 | Leicester, Tugby* | |
| Sarah A Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 19 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| William Shellaker | Son | Unmarr | 18 | Butcher | Leicester, Tugby |
| Mary J Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 16 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| Elizabeth Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 13 | Scholar | Leicester, Tugby |
| Helana Shellaker | Daughter | 1 | Leicester, Tugby |
CHAPEL LANE, TUGBY
For most, if not all, of of her early years, Polly probably lived with her family in a house in Chapel Lane, Tugby, where her father also had a Butcher’s shop. I have not, as yet, found any old photographs of the actual house in which Polly lived with her family but below are two relatively contemporary photographs of Chapel Lane, Tugby which show, in the photograph on the right a lady in a white apron in front of the Butchers with two people either side of her and also two boys further forward. Could these be people be Shellakers? – We will never know. [Click on the images below to see a larger picture of these photograph].
The Butcher’s shop is the building on the right of that photographs. I understand the Shellaker family home was next to the Butcher’s Shop, both of which are on the right of this lane. The roof apex of Butcher shop, which faces towards the camera can be seen in both of the photographs below. The date of these pictures is unknown although it is possible they were taken after the family had left the village in 1886. If anyone can supply an old photograph of the ‘far end’ of Chapel Lane which shows Butcher’s shop and the house in which the Shellaker family lived I’d be grateful if you would contact me. NB – The identity of the lady with the pram and children on the left picture below is unknown but it extremely improbable these people have any connection to the Shellaker family.
The original Butcher’s shop no longer remains although there is still a new Butcher’s shop on the same site in Chapel Lane – ‘G. T. Doughty Butchers Shop’, under the ownership of Gary Gregg. The large house directly on the left was the village bakery and is now known as ‘The Old Bakehouse’.
Next Page: Dissatisfaction with a new home
EMMA SHELLAKER was born on Wednesday 15th of August 1866, during the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Queen Victoria. She became the fourth child and third daughter of RICHARD & MARY SHELLAKER and was born in the East Leicestershire village of of TUGBY.
1866 – The Birth Certificate of Emma Shellaker
Richard & Sarah’s had three other children when Emma was born; SARAH & WILLIAM, who were five & three years old respectively, and MARY JANE, known as ‘POLLY’, who would celebrate her second birthday in the week following Emma’s birth. Emma’s father was one of the village butchers, her mother originated from the nearby Leicestershire village of Hallaton, where her family were carpenters. Her maiden name was MARY ANN GROCOCK and she was around twenty-eight years old when she gave birth to Emma. Richard Shellaker registered her arrival the following month in September. In the year following Emma’s birth, on December 16th 1867, another daughter was born, she was named ELIZABETH.
HER SHELLAKER GRANDPARENTS
Emma’s paternal grandfather, WILLIAM SHELLAKER, pictured below on the right, had died eleven years prior to Emma’s birth, also in Tugby, in November 1855 at the age of 67 years.
He was born in the year 1788 in the village of LYNDON in the county of Rutland and subsequently moved to Tugby sometime after his marriage in 1815. Parish records show the Shellaker family had lived in Lyndon for five generations, since around 1680.
Prior to Lyndon the Shellaker family can be traced further back to the village of LODDINGTON, which is on the border of east Leicestershire and Rutland. (In these older parish records the family name is also spelt “Shelacres”, “Shellakars” & “Shillaker”).
When she was born, Emma’s grandmother, SARAH, the widow of William Shellaker, pictured on the right, was still alive aged 72 years and also living in Tugby. Sarah Shellaker was born in 1794, in the ‘Spittlegates’ area of GRANTHAM, in the county of Lincolnshire. In William Shellaker’s family Bible I found two receipts, for the years 1859 & 1865, confirming Sarah Shellaker’s membership of the “Wesleyan-Methodist Society”.
After the death of her husband, Sarah Shellaker, whose maiden name was ‘HESTER’, lived in her own house in Tugby from which she ran a business. The 1863 publication of “White’s Trade Directory for Leicestershire” records that Sarah Shellaker ran a “Beerhouse”. [A Beerhouse was not a Public House but was basically a private house licensed to sell beer but not spirits, possibly just from one room.]
EMMA’S CHILDHOOD YEARS – THE FAMILY GROWS
Undoubtedly Emma experienced much family sadness during her early years as a total of seven siblings died between Emma’s third and twenty-second birthdays; four sisters were born during that time all of whom died as infants; the first being LOUISA, born in 1869 when Emma was three years old. Louisa died within the year, aged six months and was buried in the churchyard at Tugby. The 1871 Census taken on Sunday the 2nd of April in that year, records Emma living with her parents and her three surviving sisters; Sarah, Mary Jane (Polly) and Elizabeth, and also her brother, William.
1871 Census – The Shellaker family in Tugby
As the information for this Census is not totally clear I have reprinted the details below:
| Name | Relationship | Condition | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Shellaker | Head | Marr | 40 | Butcher | Leicestershire, Tugby |
| Mary A Shellaker | Wife | Marr | 33 | Leicestershire, Hallaton | |
| Sarah A Shellaker | Daughter | 9 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| William Shellaker | Son | 8 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| Mary J Shellaker | Daughter | 6 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| Emma Shellaker | Daughter | 4 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| Elizabeth Shellaker | Daughter | 3 | Scholar | Leicestershire, Tugby | |
| George Talby | Servant | Not Known? | 17 | General & Domestic | Leicestershire, Hallaton |
FURTHER DEATHS IN THE FAMILY
Another sister named FANNY, was born in 1872 when Emma was five and also twins girl were born in 1873 when Emma was six, these twins were (confusingly) also given the names LOUISA & FANNY – these three girls all died in infancy and were buried in the churchyard in Tugby.
The following year, 1874 there was another death, on this occasion Emma’s paternal grandmother, SARAH SHELLAKER (née HESTER), died aged 80 years and was buried in Tugby churchyard. Emma was approaching her eight birthday when her grandmother, ‘Granny Shelacre’, died.
When Emma was ten years old, her mother Mary had a second son who was named JOHN RICHARD, but he lived for only fifteen months before passing away in February 1878 when Emma was eleven. During these years it is believed that another son was born who was named RICHARD. (I have not yet identified the year of his birth.) He also died in infancy. However, in April 1879 another sister arrived when her mother gave birth to HELENA. Helena, who was known thereafter as ‘NELLIE’, was born when Emma was twelve.
CHAPEL LANE, TUGBY
Emma probably lived most of her early life with her family in a house in Chapel Lane, Tugby where her father also had a Butcher’s shop. I have not, as yet, found any old photographs of the actual house in which Emma lived with her family but below are two photographs of Chapel Lane, Tugby. I believe these pictures are relatively contemporary to the time the Shellaker family lived there. In the photograph on the right a lady in a white apron in front of the Butchers Shop with two people either side of her with two boys further forward. Could these be people be Shellakers? – We will never know. [Click on the images below to see a larger picture of these photograph].
I understand the Shellaker family home was next to the Butcher’s Shop, both of which are on the right of this lane. The roof apex of Butcher’s shop, which faces towards the camera can be seen in both of the photographs below. The date of these pictures is unknown although they may have taken after the family had left the village in 1886. If anyone can supply an old photograph of the ‘far end’ of Chapel Lane which shows Butcher’s shop and the house in which the Shellaker family lived I’d be grateful if you would contact me. NB – The identity of the lady with the pram and children on the left picture below is unknown but it extremely improbable these people have any connection to the Shellaker family.
The original Butcher’s shop no longer remains although there is still a new Butcher’s shop on the same site in Chapel Lane – ‘G. T. Doughty Butchers Shop’, under the ownership of Gary Gregg. The large house directly on the left was the village bakery and is now known as ‘The Old Bakehouse’.
SCHOOL DAYS (PART 1)
However, back to the year 1872….
The Education Act of 1870 required the establishment of elementary schools throughout the country for which the school boards could charge a fee. On Monday 14th of October 1872, at the age of 6 years old, Emma was admitted to the local village school at Tugby. Starting school with her on that same Monday was her sister, 8 year old Polly. Her other sisters Sarah & Elizabeth, started the following Monday, the 21st of October. Sarah was 11 years old, Elizabeth, two months short of her 5th birthday.
This undated photograph may relate to the time the Shellaker girls attended the school. The interior of the school was reported to have a cold brick floor and was heated by open fires in the class rooms. The children could not leave until they achieved a certificate of efficiency from the school. The children had tests twice a year. In one of the regular reports from the school inspector, after visiting in 1873 (at the time Emma and her sisters were in attendance), reported: “The children are in fair order, reading fair, writing neat, spelling pretty fair, arithmetic weak, and needlework requires more attention. Punctuation requires further attention”
Tugby School Register
In 1998 I asked my mother, Beryl Leedham (née Shellaker), if she knew of anybody who could provide any old photographs or information relating to the village of Tugby. One of the people to whom she spoke was Mr. Tom Weare, a retired garage proprietor living in Billesdon who had in his possession the original register from Tugby school. This register, which dated from 1870 to 1924, had been retrieved from a dustbin by Mr. Weare’s late wife, Eda who had been a school teacher at Tugby. At the time I copied sections of this register relating to the Shellaker children but regrettably I fear this Tugby School Register has since been destroyed. I will include on this website every page I copied as the register will be of interest to other who are researching their own family history. Below is the opening page of the register which lists the Master and Mistresses of the school since it opened.
Masters and Mistresses of Tugby School 1870 – 1924
Emma Shellaker’s name appears in the page below. (Next to the number ‘59’) but her date of birth has been entered incorrectly. Emma’s older sisters are also listed, Sarah is the first name on the list (no. 43), Mary Jane (Polly) is number 50. Their sister Elizabeth is further down this page (Number ‘68’) with the year of her birth also being incorrect as she was born in 1867. I have a copies of the birth certificates of both Emma & Elizabeth which confirm the birth date information in this registered as being inaccurate. At the bottom of this section (Number ‘72’) is a ‘Kate Kempin’, who features later in this story. (Her full name was Keturah Kempin). On the right of this page reveals the differing grades the children achieved by the children. Four Shellaker girls are included on this list. [To see a larger view of this register click on the image].
Section of Tugby School Register Showing the Grades Achieved
Sarah Shellaker, numbered 43 on this list, achieved Grade III. Mary Jane Shellaker (Polly) – No. 50, reached Grade V. Emma (No.59) went on to achieve Grade VI, (‘The Sixth Standard’) which is evidently the highest standard attainable at this school and subsequently left Tugby School on Friday June the 18th 1880, as shown on the column on the far right, two months prior to her 14th birthday. Emma’s sister Elizabeth (No. 68) also achieved Grade VI. [Click on the image to view a larger copy of this list click on the image].
School Standards Explained. School Standards feature in Thomas Hardy’s novel, ‘Jude the Obscure’. This book, which was published in 1895, has a story primarily set between the years 1870 and 1886 which almost covers the same time period (1872-1880) in which Emma Shellaker attended Tugby school. In this book one of the female characters is referred to as “a schoolgirl out of her standards”. In the book’s End Notes this sentence is explained as follows; “i.e. out of elementary school, the sixth standard being the last for children, the seventh standard for would-be teachers, the standards being degrees of proficiency as measured by exams.”
This supports my comments that Emma Shellaker achieved the highest academic standard achievable during her time at Tugby School and also would indicate that her subsequent education, details of which will follow, was undertaken with the intent of achieving a level of education to the ‘seventh standard’, thereby providing the required qualifications for entry into the teaching profession.
1881 CENSUS – TUGBY – EMMA IS ‘MISSING’.
In the second Census on which Emma’s is recorded – the 1881 Census, which was taken on Thursday the 3rd of April 1881, she is not listed as living in the family home in Tugby.
1881 Census – The Shellaker Family in Tugby – but no Emma
Although the information for this Census is relatively clear I have reprinted the details below:
| Name | Relationship | Condition | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Shellaker | Head | Marr | 50 | Butcher & Grazier | Leicester, Tugby |
| Mary A Shellaker | Wife | Marr | 43 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| Sarah A Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 19 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| William Shellaker | Son | Unmarr | 18 | Butcher | Leicester, Tugby |
| Mary J Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 16 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| Elizabeth Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 13 | Scholar | Leicester, Tugby |
| Helana Shellaker | Daughter | 1 | Leicester, Tugby |
Fourteen years old Emma’s exclusion from this Census does not necessarily indicate she had ‘left home’ but indicates on the night of the 3rd April 1881 she was residing elsewhere.
Next Page: Living in Leicester
Eighteen years, one month and a week after her marriage to RICHARD SHELLAKER, MARY ANN SHELLAKER gave birth to their twelfth child in the East Leicestershire village of TUGBY. The child was a girl, their eighth daughter, born on Saturday the 19th April 1879. She was named ‘HELENA’ but she was to be known thereafter as ‘NELLIE’.
Nellie’s father, Richard was a Grazier and Butcher who supplied meat to the villagers of Tugby and people of the surrounding area. He was born in 1830, also in Tugby, forty-nine years prior to Nellie’s birth. Her mother Mary originated from the nearby village of HALLATON, where her family trade was carpentry. Her maiden name was GROCOCK and she was approximately forty-one years old when she gave birth to Nellie and it was she who registered her daughter’s birth – a section of which is below.
1879 – The Birth Certificate of Helena Shellaker
AN OLD SHELLAKER NAME
Several of the various derivatives of the name Helen can be found within the Shellaker family over the last 400 years. The name Helen is an English derivative from the Greek name Helene. The name Helena is a Latin version of Helen. The names Eleanor, Ellenor and Elinor are English versions of an old French respelling of the Old Provençal name of Alienor, which was taken as a derivative of Helen.
The name Eleanor was first introduced into England by Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) who came from Southwest France to be the wife of Henry II, and subsequently became the mother of Richard the Lionheart & King John. The name was also borne by Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III and Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I.
NELLIE’S SURVIVING SIBLINGS.
Nellie was the twelfth child of Richard & Mary Shellaker although only five children remained alive at the time of her own birth.
The first child of Richard & Mary Shellaker, a girl, was born in August 1861, a mere five months after Richard & Mary’s married at the parish church at Tugby on the 12th March 1861. This first-born child was named SARAH. The couple then had a son, born in March 1863, who was named WILLIAM. The following year, in August 1864, another girl was born and although she was christened MARY JANE she was known thereafter as ‘POLLY’. Two years later, in 1866, on 15th August another daughter arrived, she was named EMMA. Sixteen months passed and Mary gave birth to another girl in December 1867. She was christened ELIZABETH and she was the fourth girl and fifth child of Richard and Mary. These five children were alive when Nellie was born that spring of 1879 and all were considerably older; Sarah was seventeen, William had just reached his sixteenth birthday, Polly was fourteen years old, Emma was twelve and Elizabeth had reached her eleventh year in the winter preceding Nellie’s birth.
BROTHERS AND SISTER NELLIE NEVER KNEW.
However, between the birth of Elizabeth in December 1867 and Nellie’s birth, eleven years later in 1879, Mary Shellaker gave birth to six children none of whom survived beyond infancy. A girl LOUISA was born in 1869, but she died within a few months aged only sixth months old. In 1872 another child was born, she was named FANNY but again she died in infancy. In 1873 twin girls were born to whom Richard & Mary gave the same names as their two recently deceased daughters; LOUISA and FANNY but they also died in infancy. A son was born in 1876, he was named JOHN RICHARD but he lived for only fifteen months before passing away in February 1878, the year prior to Nellie’s birth. During the years 1868 and 1878 it is believed that another boy was born but subsequently died in infancy. He was named RICHARD.
THE SHELLAKER FAMILY AT THE TIME OF NELLIE’S BIRTH
THE VILLAGE OF TUGBY.
Tugby, around the time of Nellie’s birth, is described in a Victorian trade directory as.. “…. a pleasant village upon an eminence on the road between two towns, is seven and a half miles West of Uppingham and nearly twelve miles East by South of Leicester. Its parish contains 1,540 acres of land, and 364 inhabitants.”
There is a church in the village, St Thomas a Becket (which is pictured right and is reproduced by permission of LeicesterPhoto). This was the church in which Nellie’s parents were married in 1861. In addition a “Wesleyan chapel was built in 1844”. It is probable Nellie may have attended the Wesleyan chapel with her parents as her parents were nonconformists and played an active role within that chapel. A school was built in 1859 – which Nellie attended as a young child. The village also supported two public houses; “The Black Horse” and “The Fox and Hounds”.
Around the time of Nellie’s birth the main employment for the men of Tugby was that of “Farmers” & “Graziers”, and, comparable with most small English villages of that period, Tugby was largely self-sufficient. The other Tugby village trades and occupations included; “Tailors, a Boot & Shoemaker, a Blacksmith, Grocers, Bakers, A Carrier and Toll Collector, a Wheelwright and a Farm Bailiff.”
In addition a local had a trade described as a ‘Higgler’. This ancient occupation is described by Thomas Hardy in his novel ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ as “a dealer who buys and sells by picking up and delivering goods either on foot or by cart” also known as ‘Haggler’.
CHAPEL LANE, TUGBY
The Shellaker family lived in Chapel Lane, Tugby where they also had a Butcher’s shop. I have not, as yet, found any close-up old photographs of the house in which Nellie lived with her family but below are two relatively contemporary photographs of Chapel Lane, Tugby one of which shows a lady in a white apron in front of the Butchers shop with two people either side of her and also two boys further forward – could these be members of the Shellaker family? – We will probably never know.
I understand the Shellaker family home was next to the Butcher’s Shop, both of which are on the right of this lane. The roof apex of Butcher shop, which faces towards the camera can be seen in both of the photographs below. The date of these pictures is unknown although it is possible they were taken after the family had left the village. If anyone can supply an old photograph of the ‘far end’ of Chapel Lane which shows Butcher’s shop and the house in which the Shellaker family lived I’d be grateful if you would contact me. NB – The identity of the lady with the pram and children on the left picture below is unknown but it extremely improbable these people have any connection to the Shellaker family.
The original Butcher’s shop no longer remains although there is still a new Butcher’s shop on the same site in Chapel Lane – ‘G. T. Doughty Butchers Shop’, under the ownership of Gary Gregg. The large house directly on the left was the village bakery and is now known as ‘The Old Bakehouse’.
[Click on the images below to see a larger picture of these photograph].
NELLIE IS BAPTISED.
Nellie was baptised by the Reverend Henry Johnson, just over a month after her birth on May 22nd 1879 – which was a Thursday. This was significant to our story as all of the seven other baptism recorded directly under that of Nellie’s took place on a Sunday, which was the traditional day for baptisms within the Church of England. A baptism on a Thursday indicates Nellie was ill and near to death. This is supported by a note on the left of the record in the Tugby Parish Records indicating that this was a ‘Private Baptism’. A private baptism, which often took place within the home of the child, is usually an indication that it was considered highly likely the child was not expected to live. Helena, at this time, was seriously ill with, it is thought, inflammation of the lungs.
Below is the relevant section of the Tugby parish register on which her name is incorrectly spelt “Eleanor” and not “Helena” as on her birth certificate.
May 22nd 1879 – The Private Baptism of of ‘Eleanor’ Shellaker
1881 CENSUS – TUGBY.
The 1881 Census, which was taken on Thursday 3rd of April of that year, is the first that records the young Nellie Shellaker. The Census records her age as ‘1’ which is correct although when the Census was recorded she was only two weeks short of her second birthday. On this Census Nellie is recorded as living in Tugby with her parents, her brother eighteen year old William and three of her sisters; Sarah, Mary Jane (Polly) and Elizabeth who were nineteen, sixteen and thirteen respectively. The street name has not been recorded by the census enumerator although we know the family lived in Chapel Lane in Tugby. (NB. The number ’54’ is not significant; it is only a sequential number of the recorded households).
1881 Census – The Shellaker Family in Tugby
Although the information on this Census is relatively clear I have extracted the details in the table below. * Please note on this Census the birthplace of Nellie’s mother, Mary Ann Shellaker, is incorrectly recorded as Tugby. She was born in Hallaton.
| Name | Relationship | Condition | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Shellaker | Head | Marr | 50 | Butcher & Grazier | Leicester, Tugby |
| Mary A Shellaker | Wife | Marr | 43 | Leicester, Tugby* | |
| Sarah A Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 19 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| William Shellaker | Son | Unmarr | 18 | Butcher | Leicester, Tugby |
| Mary J Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 16 | Leicester, Tugby | |
| Elizabeth Shellaker | Daughter | Unmarr | 13 | Scholar | Leicester, Tugby |
| Helana Shellaker | Daughter | 1 | Leicester, Tugby |
Nellie’s other sister Emma is not listed with the family. At this time she was living as a ‘boarder’ at ’94, Brunswick Street, Leicester’. Emma, who was fourteen years old at this time, was attending Wyggeston Girls School in Humberstone Gate in the center of Leicester.
ANOTHER BROTHER ARRIVES
In December 1881, when Nellie reached the age of two years and eight months, her mother gave birth to her thirteenth and final child.
The child, a boy, was named JOHN. He was baptized at the local parish church at Tugby in February of the following year, 1882. (This new baby, John Shellaker, was my grand-father).
The picture on the right is of Nellie as a young child. This photograph may have been taken just a few years after the birth of her young brother.
A family story tells of an incident, when Nellie, at the age of six, nearly drowns after falling through ice while playing on a frozen pond. She was rescued by her younger brother John Shellaker who himself was only around three or four years old!
NELLIE STARTS HER SCHOOLING AT TUGBY SCHOOL
Several years ago I saw documents showing Nellie attended the village school in Tugby and shortly afterwards, in the village of Billesdon. The Education Act of 1870 required the establishment of elementary school throughout the country for which the school boards could charge a fee.
On Monday 25th June 1883, at the age of 4 years and two months, Nellie was admitted to the local village school at Tugby. Her sisters Emma, Polly, Sarah & Elizabeth had also attended this school together but all had left a few years before Nellie’s first school day.
The undated photograph below could well be contemporary with the time in which Nellie Shellaker attended this school – she could be in this picture!
The interior of the school was reported to have a cold brick floor and was heated by open fires in the class rooms. The children could not leave until they achieved a certificate of efficiency from the school. The children were tested twice a year. In 1873 (ten years prior to Nellie’s first day), one of the regular reports from the school inspector reported: “The children are in fair order, reading fair, writing neat, spelling pretty fair, arithmetic weak, and needlework requires more attention. Punctuation requires further attention.”
TUGBY SCHOOL REGISTER
Back in 1998 I saw the original school register from Tugby School and photocopied sections relating to the Shellaker children. The section of the register relating to Nellie’s schooling while at Tugby is below. The entry for Nellie is on the second from bottom line, against the number ‘345’. Her name is incorrectly spelt ‘Eleanor’. Her start date, as mentioned above, is recorded as 25th June 1883, together with her date of birth – April 19th 1879. (Click on this record to view a larger version).
[Regrettably I do not think this register no longer exists]
Although I no longer have the document, there was one puzzling aspect in this register regarding Nellie’s leaving date – there are two entries for ‘Eleanor Shellaker’ in this register. Both of which have the same date of birth and the same staring date but against one entry the leaving date is Monday 27th October 1884 and on the second entry (shown above) the leaving date is blank.
In October 1884 Nellie would only be five and a half years old and in a record of Nellie’s life written many years later it is written …..
“at the age of seven (1886 / 1887) the family moved to Billesdon Lodge Farm. At this time she was receiving lessons from her sister, Emma. She started Billesdon School in Standard II. ”
It is known Nellie went on to achieve the ‘5th Standard’ at the age of eleven in June of 1890 while at Billesdon School – the copy of her certificate is on the following page. So we can speculate Nellie left Tugby School in October 1894, for reasons unknown but I will speculate shortly, and was taught by her sister Emma until the family moved to Billesdon.
School Standards Explained. School Standards feature in Thomas Hardy novel, ‘Jude the Obscure’. This book published in 1895 has a story primarily set between the years 1870 and 1886. (This period is around the same time period the Shellaker girls attended Tugby school). In this book one of the female characters is referred to as “a schoolgirl out of her standards”. In the end notes this sentence is explained as follows; “i.e. out of elementary school, the sixth standard being the last for children, the seventh standard for would-be teachers, the standards being degrees of proficiency as measured by exams.”
Next Page: The Family move to Billesdon
A marriage took place on Monday 10th of October 1892 at the Finkin Street Methodist Chapel in the Lincolnshire market town of Grantham, England – this chapel is pictured on the right.
The bride was MARY JANE SHELLAKER, who was born in Tugby, Leicestershire and who was known from an early age, and hereafter in this narrative, as ‘POLLY’.
At the time of her marriage Polly was recorded as a Spinster of twenty eight years residing at 8, Chapel Street, Grantham.
At the time of her marriage she was employed as a Housekeeper to Mr. Frederick Wardle, the owner of a Dairy Business who was a widower originating from Nottingham.
The bridegroom was FRANK JAMES BROWN, recorded as being a bachelor of Grantham, thirty-two years and living at 24, Manthorpe Road, Little Gonerby, Grantham.
As can be seen below, the respective fathers of Polly & Frank, as recorded on the wedding certificate, are RICHARD SHELLAKER, a Farmer and HENRY ISAAC BROWN, a Builder (deceased).
Certificate of Marriage 10th October 1892 – Francis James Brown & Mary Jane Shellaker (Polly)
News of the wedding has announced in the local paper shortly after on 22nd October 1892. After their marriage Polly and Frank initially lived at 1, Brownlow Street, Little Gonerby, Grantham. This house still remains and is diagonally opposite the house in Chapel Street where Polly was the housekeeper to Mr. Frederick Wardle. The picture below shows Frank and Polly and was possibly taken around the time of their wedding.
Over the subsequent decades POLLY & FRANK raised six children, remaining together as man and wife for around sixty years until Frank’s death in December 1953 with Polly dying on 18th July of the following year.
Not much of a story so far? Stay with me….. it gets interesting if we delve into the backgrounds of this happy couple.
THE BRIDE
Polly was born in twenty-ninth year of the reign of her majesty Queen Victoria on Friday 26th of August 1864, in TUGBY, a village of around 275 souls in East Leicestershire. Polly spent all of her childhood and adolescence years in this village, attending the local village school, as did her four sisters; SARAH, EMMA, ELIZABETH and HELENA (‘NELLIE’).
Polly also had two brothers, WILLIAM and JOHN who contrary to their sisters did not receiving formal schooling, working instead with their father Richard who was one of the local butchers in the village.
At around twenty-two years old Polly moved with her parents, Richard and MARY (née GROCOCK), and her siblings, a few short miles to Billesdon Lodge Farm located just over a mile north of the village of BILLESDON.
Within the Shellaker family was a long tradition of religious non-conformity. Polly’s Grandmother SARAH SHELLAKER was a member of the Wesleyan-Methodist Society and her Grandfather WILLIAM was, for some time, the leader of the non-conformist Chapel in Tugby. It was believed her father Richard may have played the violin as part of the musical accompaniment to the singing of Hymns.
After the move to Billesdon this conviction continued as the family became heavily involved in activities at the Baptist Chapel in Back Street, one of three chapels in that village. During this time Billesdon Lodge Farm, or ‘Shellaker Farm’ as it became known, also was the scene of many Chapel social events. Polly’s sister, Emma was the choir mistress at the Chapel, a position she subsequently held for decades.
As she grew up, Polly, who was acknowledged within the family as being the prettiest of the Shellaker sisters, was seemingly eager to move away from Billesdon. It was said she “got fed-up with getting up at the Lodge at half past four each morning in order to feed the animals”, so sought employment elsewhere and consequently moved to Grantham to work as a Housekeeper.
THE GROOM
What is known of ‘FRANK JAMES BROWN, Bachelor of Grantham’?
‘Frank James Brown’ cannot be located living in Grantham within the 1891 Census, recorded only a year prior to his wedding to Polly, nor strangely as living anywhere else in the country. Curiously neither can his name be found on the Census Returns for 1881 or 1871 nor can this name be discovered in Army or Navy Records or amongst the registers of those incarcerated in Jail or travelling overseas.
Inexplicably his name is even missing as an infant on the Census of 1861. No record of his birth can be found nor any record of a Baptism of a child with that name c.1860.
A SECOND WEDDING
The single definitive clue which unlocked the mystery of Frank James Brown’s ancestry is an official document recorded over four decades after the marriage in Grantham in 1892. This document was a Wedding Certificate dated 27th February 1934 at Kingston upon Thames in the Counties of Surrey and Middlesex. The couple getting married on that Tuesday is recorded as being ….
MARY JANE SHELLAKER (POLLY) aged 69 years, a Spinster residing in Surbition, daughter of Richard Shellaker (deceased), Farmer and FRANK BROWN aged 73 years, a Widower also residing in Surbition, son of HENRY ISAAC CABLE (deceased), Builder.
The Certificate of Marriage 27th February 1934 – Francis James Brown & Mary Jane Shellaker (Polly)
The groom signs his name ‘Francis Brown’ although in the section on the certificate for ‘Name and Surname’ he writes ‘Francis Cable otherwise Brown’ It is clearly evident, from the information on this document, Polly and Frank went through a second wedding ceremony, not a blessing or a repeating of their vows but a bona fide second wedding ceremony, over 41 years after their first in Grantham in 1892.
Furthermore, the notation of ‘widower’ as Frank’s status as recorded on this document is unambiguous evidence he had been previously married to someone who had since died. It was also evident that back in 1892 the man walking down the aisle at Finkin Street Methodist Chapel to marry Polly Shellaker was not ‘Frank James Brown, Bachelor of Grantham’ , but was, in reality, FRANCIS JAMES CABLE. And when Frank made his vows to commit to stay with Polly… “for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part” , Frank was also committing a crime….. the crime of BIGAMY.
And so begins a search for Frank Cable’s family………………
Next Page: The Search for the Cable Family
My father, GEORGE HARRY LEEDHAM, was born on Sunday 10th January 1897. He was born in the City of Leicester in the English Midlands. From an early age he was known as ‘HARRY‘ and I will refer to him by that name hereafter.
He was the third child of WILLIAM and LYDIA LEEDHAM; an elder brother WILLIAM was around nine years old, being born, I believe, on 16th May 1887. Harry also had an sister, GERTRUDE, who was seven years old when he was born, her date of birth was 26th May 1889. When Harry was born his father, William was around 30 years old, his mother Lydia was around 31.
At the time of Harry’s birth it is probable the family lived at 147 Curzon Street, Leicester – the family’s address at the first Census, four years after his birth.
BRITAIN IN 1897
Queen Victoria, official Diamond Jubilee portrait – Diamond Jubilee Service at St. Pauls –Lord Salisbury, British PM – Boar War in South Africa – 1st publications of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and H. G. Wells’ The Invisible Man
The family is recorded on the 1901 Census, which took place on the night of 31st March of that year, as living at 147 Curzon Street, Leicester in the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Matthews.
| Road /Street | Name | Relationship | Marriage Status | Age | Occupation | Employer/Worker | Working at Home? | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 Curzon St | William Leedham | Head | Married | 34 | Shoe Hand Riveter | Worker | Leicester | |
| Lydia Leedham | Wife | Married | 35 | Leicester | ||||
| Willie Leedham | Son | 13 | Occupation Unclear | Leicester | ||||
| Gertrude Leedham | Daughter | 11 | Leicester | |||||
| Harry Leedham | Son | 4 | Leicester |
This Census record identifies the parent of George Harry Leedham as William Leedham (born 1866 or 1867) and Lydia Leedham (born 1865 or 1866).
NB – I’ve since confirmed William’s date of birth, as shown on his baptism record, was 20th November 1866 and maybe Lydia’s as 20th July 1864
In July 1902 a second daughter was born, her parents named her IDA LYDIA. At the time of Ida’s birth Harry would have been 5 years old, William (Willie) 15 years old and Gertrude 13 years old.
The Leedham Family in 1902
CURZON STREET, LEICESTER
What remains of Curzon Street is now only a short street off Dysart Way (highlighted in Red in at the top of the map on the right). However it was originally much longer (the house numbers in the 1901 Census go up to at least No. 205).
The image below left from 1960, shows house numbers 155 to 173. Therefore 147, Curzon St, where the Leedham family were living in 1901, is only a few doors away from this picture.
There are no longer any residential building at either end of the original street, as all the houses were demolished in the 1960’s as part for a slum clearance initiative when the St. Matthews Estate was totally redeveloped. Consequently Curzon Street was split and almost disappeared by these redevelopments, with the Humberstone Road end of Curzon Street being renamed Madras Street (highlighted in Red) but it is very clear from the modern Google Map where the line of the original Curzon Street lay.
NB. The low house numbers were at the Madras Street end, which allows speculation regarding the location of number 147.
1902 Ordnance Survey Map showing Curzon Street
LEICESTER RECORDS OFFICE: Get Coloured street map of Curzon Street c. 1901
The second Census on which George Harry Leedham was recorded took place on the evening of Sunday 2nd April 1911.
On this Census he is recorded, with his family, as living at 63 Norman Street Leicester, off the Narborough Road, near the City centre. The house in which they lived at this time was a relatively new house, around 14 years old, having been built in 1897.
Full record of occupants of at 63, Norman Street, Leicester.
| Name | Relationship | Marriage Status | Age | Occupation | Employer/Worker | Working at Home? | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Leedham | Head | Married | 45 | Commercial Traveller – Stationery | Worker | Leicester | |
| Lydia Leedham | Wife | Married | 46 | Housewife | Leicester | ||
| Willie Leedham | Son | Single | 23 | Printer | Worker | Leicester | |
| Gertrude Leedham | Daughter | Single | 21 | Shoe Trade | Worker | Leicester | |
| Harry Leedham | Son | Single | 14 | School | Leicester | ||
| Ida Lydia Leedham | Daughter | Single | 8 | School | Leicester |
The record show William and Lydia had been married for 24 years (1886 or 1887) also shows the number of children ‘born alive’ and those ‘Still Living’ – both numbers are ‘4’. This confirms there were no children of William and Lydia who died in infancy.
The record also shows us the William Leedham’s actual handwriting and his signature as, unlike previous Censuses, the 1901 Census requires the Head of the household to enter the information.
NORMAN STREET, LEICESTER
LEICESTER RECORDS OFFICE: Get street map of Norman Street c. 1911
Next Page: The Parents of George Harry Leedham