George Restieaux and the French connection

Today it is so easy to begin your family history research. With a couple of clicks of a laptop mouse you can enter a whole world of internet possibilities. Of course, there are pitfalls one of which is mis-transcriptions with websites such as Ancestry and Find My Past littered with them. I came across some examples such as Rasticand and Reastreamy when researching the surname Restieaux.

George Francis Restieaux was just sixteen years old (the newspaper report says 18) when he died in 1881. George was born in Neath, Glamorgan but Restieaux was definitely not a Welsh name. He was the son of coachbuilder/painter Edward Alban Restieaux and Susannah Matthews. Edward was employed in the GWR Works and in 1881 the family lived at 2 Bristol Street. Edward and Susannah had married in 1854 at St Pancras Church when they both lived in that London parish. By 1861 they were living in Neath, Glamorgan where George was born in 1865. His father Edward states that his own place of birth was Norwich in Norfolk and I wondered how the Restieaux family had ended up there.

With a few clicks of that laptop mouse I was able to find Edward’s parents Joseph Restieaux and Elizabeth Tidman who married in St John de Sepulchre, Norwich in 1804. Back one more generation and I arrived at the French connection; Andre Restieaux born in Bordeaux about 1740 who married Marguerite Magdalaine Mignot on January 6, 1766 at St Anne’s, Soho.

There is, however, only so far you can get with internet research and at some point you have to look at original documents. It would be interesting to discover what Andre’s occupation was and how he and Marguerite ended up in London, but that is a task for someone else out there. But beware of the pitfalls.

The first burial service in accordance with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church in the new cemetery was performed on Saturday last by the Rev Father Eikerling and the members of the St. Cecilia Society, of which deceased was a member. The body of deceased, George Restieaux, aged 18 years, having been removed from the house of his parents to the Roman Catholic Chapel in Regent Street, the service, which throughout was choral, commenced, lasting close upon an hour, when the body was removed to the hearse and conveyed to the cemetery, accompanied by the Rev Father Eikerling and his attendant acolytes, the relatives and friends and members of the choir and society. At the cemetery chapel the service was resumed by the singing of the Requiem aeternam of Cacciolini, at the close of which the officiating priest preached a brief sermon, in course of which he reviewed the life of deceased and his connection with the St. Cecilia Society. The procession having been reformed, the corpse was borne to the grave, the choir singing the “Miserere,” concluding with the Requiem aeternam. At the grave the singing, which was particularly effective, was brought to a close by the singing of the anthem “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

The former Roman Catholic Chapel painted by local artist George Puckey in 1890

Despite a rather elaborate funeral service, young George was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery in a public grave, plot A353, where he lies alone.

His father Edward died 14 years later in 1895 and his mother Susannah in 1912. Both were buried in separate, public graves. Edward in B2434 and Susannah in B1609. George’s brother John Valentino Restieaux died in 1928 and was buried in grave plot C61, another public grave.

Swindon – more interesting than many towns which are more beautiful

John Betjeman (Poet Laureate 1972-1984) wrote an essay for a book entitled Studies in the History of Swindon published in 1950 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the Borough. Betjeman’s ‘short architectural study of Swindon’ provides some examples of architecture (and yes, we still have some) but he also gives credit to the construction of the familiar red brick terraces, describing Swindon as ‘more interesting than many towns which are more beautiful.’

Much of 19^th century Swindon, old and new, was built piecemeal in short terraces by individual builders; houses that are different styles and different sizes. Occasionally a terrace name survives in brick work such as Albert Terrace in Dixon Street.

Betjeman talks about ‘artisan buildings’ for ‘mechanics and handicraftsmen built consciously as such’ ‘well built and weatherproof,’ and he mentions Hawkins Street, Thomas Street, Charles Street and Manton Street in Rodbourne.

And more than 70 years later there are still interesting features to be found; the trick is to look up! Take a wander down any street in Rodbourne and you will see decorative plaques beneath the eaves. On the terrace between Linslade Street and Jennings Street there is a plaque – Lucknow Terrace 1880 – named to commemorate the Siege of Lucknow in 1857. Perhaps the builder, TP, was a veteran of that war?

Closer to the cemetery is Albion Street where building dates from 1877. Between house numbers 9 and 10 there is situated a decorative plaque enclosing the initials JD and the date 1878.

Three years later, at the time of the 1881 census, Joseph Deacon, a carpenter and joiner, lived in number 9, (a property he probably built along with number 10) with his wife Eliza and their three young children Sarah Jane 3, Harry 2 and one month old baby William James.

For more than 70 years the Deacon family lived at numbers 9 and/or 10 Albion Street. In 1901 Eliza ran a general shop at number 10 where she later died in 1917 and youngest daughter Julia died at No 9 in 1955.

Joseph died in 1925. He was buried on June 4 and shares grave plot C3415 with his wife Eliza and daughter Julia.

Below – decorative plaques on Rodbourne streets

Albert Terrace, Dixon Street

Skerten family undertakers

The Skerten family of undertakers had a presence in Swindon for more than 75 years. For most of that time they were busy in Radnor Street cemetery and the early burial registers reveal the many funerals they performed there.

Carpenter and joiner Richard Skerten married Ann Brown at St Paul’s Church, Bristol in 1844 and by 1851 they had moved to Swindon and a home at 32 Reading Street with their three young daughters.

By 1871 Richard was established as both a joiner and an undertaker but his business very nearly came to an end when a disastrous fire totally destroyed his Regent Street workshops. It happened on Friday June 15, 1877 when it was believed the heat of the sun ignited oils in the workshop. Neither the buildings, the stock-in-trade nor the workmen’s tools were insured.

However, Richard re-established his business at 1 Queen Street where his wife Ann and younger son Richard continued to run the family firm after his death in 1886.

Meanwhile, by 1881 elder son Arthur had established his own business at 5 King Street. On April 29, 1887 Arthur had the sad task of burying his twin baby sons Richard and Joseph just 3 and 4 days old respectively. Perhaps surprisingly the babies were buried in a public plot with three others – burial conventions were different then.

Probably the most extraordinary funeral Richard Skerten junior arranged was that of gipsy patriarch Timothy Buckland. For about a month the terminally ill Timothy camped in a field near the Wharf, Drove Road with some nine other vans and tents and 50 members of his family.

According to the Swindon Advertiser the funeral attracted several thousand spectators to the churchyard at Christ Church.

For the funeral the arrangements were placed in the hands of Mr Richard Skerten, undertaker, of New Swindon, and a hearse and eleven mourning coaches were engaged, the adult members of the family occupying the latter. The coffin was of French polished oak, with brass fittings, and bore the simple inscription on a brass plate “Timothy Buckland, died 8^th Nov. 1890, aged 70 years.

Extract from the Swindon Advertiser, Saturday Nov 15, 1890.

When their time came all three Skerten undertakers were buried in Radnor Street Cemetery, which seems very fitting.

Richard Skerten senior was buried on May 20, 1886 in grave plot E8434 where he was joined by his wife Ann who died in 1902.

His son Richard was buried on December 11, 1911 in grave plot D1319 where his wife Ann joined him in 1936. Buried with them is their son-in-law Leslie Ernest Adams, their daughter Annie Amelia’s husband, who died at 1 Queen Street in October 1959.

Arthur Skerten was buried on February 9, 1934 in grave plot C1785 joining his 12 year old daughter Isabella May who died in 1907 and his wife Betsy who died in 1930.

Mary Jeanes and her granddaughter

What was life like for the ordinary people who lived and died in Swindon at the end of the 19th century? So many were incomers, attracted to the town by the many opportunities presented by the Great Western Railway Works and the affiliated jobs that grew up around it, including the food and vibrant retail industries. Some families put down roots and stayed, others moved on. The Jeanes family did both.

Widowed Mary Jeanes appears to have arrived sometime in the 1870s with her daughter Ellen 21 and her 15 year old son (Frederick) John. The family were originally from North Petherton, Somerset and arrived in Swindon via Bridgewater.

By 1881 they were living at 46 Regent Street where Mary’s son worked as a Master Baker. Frederick married and settled down in Swindon. His sister Ellen married Frederick Barnstaple/Barnstable and left. By 1891 they were farming at Llantarnam, Monthmouthshire.

Mary Jeanes died in February 1887 aged 65 and was buried in grave plot A1038. When Ellen and Frederick’s 15 year old daughter Florence Nelly died in 1888 they chose to have her buried with her grandmother Mary in Radnor Street Cemetery.

William Ormond – Swindon solicitor

This fulsome account of the life of William Ormond pretty much says it all. However, in 1890 William and his wife Georgina were at the centre of the much publicised case of their daughter Marion and the scandalous Rev Newton Ebenezer Howe, Vicar at Christ Church, which you may like to read here.

Death of a Swindon Solicitor

Mr W. Ormond passes away at the age of 82

A well known and highly esteemed gentleman, who practised as a solicitor in Swindon for many years, has just passed away, in the person of Mr William Ormond, at No. 1. Devizes Road, or, as it is now known, Croft Road. The deceased gentleman, who attained the advanced age of 82 years on the 1^st of last August, had been in failing health for some time past. Still he was able to get out and about, and displayed almost wonderful vitality right up to the end.

About three weeks ago, however, weaknesses incident to old age became more and more pronounced and eventually Mr Ormond was compelled to take to his bed, although even then he expressed his intention of getting up and attending Church only last Sunday, when he was obviously in an unfit condition to do so. The wiser counsels of those about him prevailed, and Mr Ormond remained at home. His condition became perceptibly worse, and at times he exhibited a tendency towards delirium and was at other times oblivious to things about him, bordering on unconsciousness. On Thursday it was observed that the end was not far off, and at 6.50 this morning Mr Ormond passed peacefully away.

The deceased gentleman was born at Wantage, in Berkshire, on the 19^th August, 1826, and it is a fact worth recording that, until old age compelled him to lay up, he had never, to the knowledge of his family spent one day of illness in bed.

In the month of October, 1849 he went to Abingdon, where he settled down as a solicitor, working up a good practice, which he continued to hold until 1855.

In March of that year he removed to Swindon, entering into partnership with Mr J.C. Townsend, and taking offices in High Street. Many years after he was in practice by himself, with offices in Victoria Street.

In May, 1858, Mr Ormond married, at North Road, Cheshire, Georgina Mary Lamprey, formerly of Marchwood, Southampton, and the newly married pair, after the honeymoon, returned to Swindon. Eight children were born to them – one son and seven daughters.

The son served his country in South Africa. He became a Lieutenant of the Imperial Light Horse, and died a soldier’s death at the hands of the Boers at Naaupoort on Jan. 5^th, 1901.

Of the seven daughters, four are living. The second daughter died in 1861; and the youngest daughter, Winifred, who became the wife of Mr Frank Chapman, of the firm of Messrs Spencer, Chapman, and Co., solicitors of London, died on the 21^st May, 1907.

Mrs Ormond passed away two years ago.

The deceased gentleman never took any active interest in public affairs. He was somewhat of a retiring disposition, and was highly esteemed and greatly liked by all who enjoyed the privilege of his acquaintance.

He retired from active professional work about seven years ago. The deceased gentleman was one of those who performed many acts of real charity in a quiet and unostentatious manner – even in a secret. In a word, he delighted in doing good by stealth as many can testify. The last striking example of this was in his recent gift of £400 to the Parish Church for a Men’s Club, which was referred to as recently as Wednesday night by Canon Estcourt at the Parish tea.

The funeral will probably take place on Tuesday, and the family desire, in deference to the deceased gentleman’s expressed wish, that no flowers should be sent.

The Swindon Advertiser, Friday, November 27, 1908.

Mr and Mrs Dashfield – married fifty years.

I can’t help but notice that Mary Dashfield doesn’t get equal billing in this story of her Golden Wedding Anniversary – so I shall redress the balance.

Mary Maria Sartin was born on February 6, 1859 and baptised at St. James with St. Stephen Church, Trowbridge on June 19. She was the youngest child of James and Martha Sartin. James worked as a Wool Dyer and Martha as a Laundress and Mary grew up in the Castle Street/Lower Courts area of Trowbridge.

She married John Dashfield in 1879 and by 1881 they had moved to 37 Cheltenham Street, Swindon with their baby son William.

By 1891 they were living at 1 Lambeth Terrace, Swindon with their six children. By 1901 they were at 21 Westcott Place, the three eldest sons already employed in the Works.

In 1911 Mary had already notched up 32 years as a wife and mother. She states that she has had 9 children of whom 8 are living.

Her life had been one of child raising and housekeeping, so maybe I don’t know that much about her after all, but hopefully this is a more rounded account than the newspaper article.

Married Fifty Years

To-day Mr and Mrs John Dashfield, of 21, Westcott Place, Swindon, celebrate their golden wedding.

Mr Dashfield is 72 years of age, and his wife is two years his junior. Both, who are in the enjoyment of good health, are natives of Trowbridge.

Mr. Dashfield came to Swindon 57 years ago, and entered the service of the GWR as a shunter. At the age of 18 he had the misfortune to lose his right leg whilst in the execution of his duty. He was afterwards given a position as storekeeper in the W Shop, which post he held until his retirement two years ago.

For 40 years Mr Dashfield was a co-worker or shopmate with the present Mayor of Swindon (Councillor G.H. Stevens).

Mr and Mrs Dashfield had a family of nine children, seven of whom are living. One son is at Weymouth, another at Christchurch, a third in Nigeria, and two are in Swindon. One of the daughters is Mrs A.M. Chappell, wife of the licensee of the Borough Arms, Wootton Bassett.

Mr Dashfield is interested in the club life of Swindon, and he is a keen horticulturist.

John Charles George Dashfield died at his home, 21 Westcott Place in 1943 aged 86 years. He was buried in grave plot D769 which he shares with Joan Mary Dashfield who died in 1926 aged 6 years old (most probably a granddaughter); his wife Mary Maria who died in October 1945 aged 86 years and Rosabella Minnie Chappell their daughter who died in 1948 aged 59 years.

Angelo Vitti – revisited

Paul Vitti kindly responded to my recent blogpost about his great grandfather Angelo Vitti. He has sent me a copy of the original photograph from which the grainy newspaper one was taken and some additional information about the family and 26 Albert Street. Many thanks Paul.

Angelo Vitti was my great grandfather. I can go back to 1700 in Settefrati where Loretto was born. Then Michele, Francesco, Antonio, Angelo, Alexander, Gerald and then me, Paul. Angelo’s brother Cesidio is also buried in Radnor Street. He died in 1899 in Swindon and in the same year his wife gave birth to a son, also Cesidio, Angelo’s nephew, in Italy. In 1926 Cesidio jnr. set sail for America followed, 2 years later, by his mother and his wife. They settled in Struthers, Ohio. Their house there is now a car park but two adjoining houses remain.

26 Albert Street, the former Rhinoceros. Angelo owned all the properties up to the ‘Roaring Donkey’. In this photo is Angelo and Maria plus my grandfather Alexander, his brother Laurence and several sisters. I am in contact with one of Maria’s great nieces. My grandfather sold the premises in the fifties for £4,500. The whole site has just been redeveloped with new apartments and some houses. In this photograph the fellow looking out of the window is in what became my bedroom for a while until my parents moved into two room digs in Princes Street. It was a fascinating old property with a cellar that ran under all those adjoining houses, an internal courtyard and dormitories along the rear boundary in Little London. The 1911 census shows 63 lodgers living in the various properties and dorms. I remember it all so well.

Cesidio Vitti died at his brothers home, 26 Albert Street and was buried on June 5, 1899 in grave plot C442.

Amelia Cowan – Gentlewoman

William Cowan married Amelia Roberts at the parish church in Corse, Gloucestershire in 1879. It was a second marriage for both of them.

William had previously been married to Frances Weston who appears to have arrived in Swindon via Brixton after a few stops along the way (much as I have). She died in 1870 and is buried in Reading Cemetery.

Amelia had lived her entire life in the Gloucestershire parish of Ashleworth where she married John Roberts, a farmer of 40 acres, in 1827.

At her second marriage Amelia describes her status as that of ‘Gentlewoman’ an old fashioned term which has slipped out of usage but one I’d like to see revived! The definition of a gentlewoman is a woman who belongs to a high social class; one who is kind, polite and honest, cultured, educated and well mannered. Aren’t we all, ladies, aren’t we all?

Amelia and William’s marriage was of a relatively short duration, which was probably unsurprising given their ages – William was 79 and Amelia 70 when they married.

Amelia died at her home, 23 King William Street, and was buried on August 7, 1882 in grave plot E8636. William died in 1889 aged 89 years and lies buried with Amelia.

Thomas Anne Fergusson

Without a budget to purchase civil registration certificates and wills my research is dependent on local and online resources and sometimes it does involve a bit of detective work. Take for example Thomas Anne Fergusson who died on March 5, 1886 at 9 Rolleston Street, Swindon. Consulting the work of family historians on Ancestry, I was fortunate to come across this photograph of Thomas Anne. A clue to her movements is in the name of the photographer – Robert H. Preston, Penzance.

The Swindon link to this woman is her daughter Sophia Catherine Fergusson with whom she lived at the time of her death. Both women were born in Ireland and it would seem that Thomas Anne was probably known as Florence, using her official name on formal documents only.

Thomas Anne married Benjamin Tierney Fergusson at St Peter’s, Dublin on October 21, 1847. Sophie Catherine was born in Dublin in 1851 and just three years later her father died. The whereabouts of Thomas Anne and her young daughter between 1851 and 1881 are yet to be discovered. Sophia Catherine married Martin Etheridge in St. Mary’s, Penzance in 1883. On the entry in the marriage register her father is recorded as Benjamin Fergusson (deceased). The photograph of her mother, then aged 75, was taken in a Penzance photographic studio.

In 1886 Sophia and Martin lived in Swindon where Thomas Anne died. Both are mentioned as beneficiaries on Thomas Anne’s will. By 1891 Sophia and Martin and their three young children were living in Prestbury, Cheltenham where Martin worked as a Market Gardener.

The Etheridge family kept on moving and Sophia died in 1923 in Crickhowell, Breckonshire. Anyone researching Thomas Anne’s Swindon family (like me) would come up against a bit of a brick wall as there wasn’t one.

Thomas Anne Fergusson was buried on March 8, 1886 in grave plot A1062 where she lies alone.

Mr Nicholas Webb Baker – A Veteran Forester

The cemetery volunteers have been busy this weekend and Kevin has discovered another interesting character and a rather magnificent memorial by the chapel. Mr Nicholas Webb Baker is buried in a ‘black-lined brick grave’ according to the newspaper report.

The Late Mr N.W. Baker

A Veteran Forester

The Funeral

The numerous friends of Mr N.W. Baker of 33, Rushey Platt, Swindon, will deeply regret to hear that he passed away suddenly on Friday morning, at his residence. He had been ailing for some time, but was not seriously ill. Had he lived till to-morrow he would on that day have celebrated his 73^rd birthday.

For the long period of 44 years, Mr Baker was time-keeper in the GWR Works, retiring from that post about six years ago.

By members of the AOF deceased was well known and highly respected throughout North Wilts. For a great number of years, he was Treasurer of the North Wilts District AOF which position he held at the time of his death. He was Secretary of Court “Briton’s Pride,” AOF for 36 years, and only retired from that office a month ago, owing to failing health.

Deceased leaves a widow and seven grown-up children – five sons and two daughters – for whom the deepest sympathy will be felt.

Bro. Baker was elected to the post of Treasurer of the North Wilts District, AOF, just 20 years ago, viz., in 1883 he succeeding Bros. J.W. Painter. Prior to that time, Bro. Baker was for a few years – from 1876 to 1879 – District Secretary, retiring in 1879 when Bro. T. Hill was elected.

The funeral cortege left deceased’s late residence, No 33 Rushey Platt, at four o’clock. The coffin, which was covered with beautiful wreaths, was conveyed in a hearse, the chief mourners following in carriages, while there was a large and representative number of Foresters, representing Courts in Swindon, Aldbourne, Avebury, Faringdon and Highworth.

The officiating minister was the Rev J. Jones (Primitive Methodist Superintendent), and the Foresters’ Burial Service was most impressively read by Bro. Tom Smith, PD.C.R. and District Trustee.

The remains of deceased were interred in a black-lined brick grave, and the breast-plate on the coffin bore the following inscription:

Nicholas Webb Baker,

Died July 31, 1903,

Aged 72 years.

Extracts from the Swindon Advertiser, Friday, August 7, 1903.

And it seems likely this was the former home of Mr Baker.

Nicholas Webb Baker died at his home, Rushey Platt House, on July 31, 1903. He was buried on August 4 in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot D1557, which he shares with his wife Elizabeth.