 |
| High Street, Great Dunmow cc-by-sa/2.0 - © William Metcalfe - geograph.org.uk/p/388676 |
Joseph Wilton (b. 1815 in Royston, Hertfordshire), son of Stephen Wilton and Elizabeth Hankin, married Ann Thurlbourn (b. 9 Sep 1820 in Cambridge), daughter of John Thurlbourn and Rhoda Poarcher, in Cambridge in Q2 of 1841, and brought his new wife to Great Dunmow, where in 1841, we find Joseph Wilton (25) Tailor and Ann Wilton (20) in the High Street, where his uncle, eldest sister and two brothers already lived. If one could take a time-machine back to Great Dunmow in 1841, imagine how long it would take to get any shopping done after greeting all the family en route!
Joseph and Ann Wilton had thirteen children:
- Sarah Ann Wilton b. 1842 M Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 12 Page 84
- Edwin Joseph Wilton b. 1843 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 12 Page 77
- Eleanor Wilton b. 1845 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 12 Page 77
- Kate Wilton b. 1846 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 12 Page 75 (d. 1870 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 294)
- Clara Jane Wilton b. 1848 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 12 Page 67
- Arthur Thurlbourn Wilton b. 1850 J Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 12 Page 87
- Alice Maria Wilton b. 1852 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 316 (d. 1854 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 242)
- Lydia Ann Wilton b. 1853 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 273
- Alice Maria Wilton b. 1855 S Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 297
- Herbert Charles Wilton b. 1857 S Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 304 (d. 1858 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 261)
- Fanny Wilton b. 1859 M Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 372
- Marion Louisa Wilton b. 1860 D Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 308 (d. 1861 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 228)
- Frederic John Wilton b. 1862 S Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 334 (d. 1879 S Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 234)
Most of the registrations correctly spell the mother's maiden name as THURLBOURN, so someone in the family must have been literate.
Having often joked that I come from a long line of Essex girls (white stilettos optional), little did I know quite how much influence on 'Essex style' (stop thinking TOWIE), my relatives may have had, having served the clothing needs of the population in Great Dunmow for probably three centuries or more.
Robert Hockley (bap. 1775), who may also have been my relative, was listed as a tailor in Pigot's Directory of Essex 1823 and as a tailor and draper in the High Street in 1841. They may have been in competition, but as Robert Hockley was then 65, there also exists the possibility that my Wilton relatives took over the business from my Hockley ones. Joseph Wilton was once again listed in White's Directory of Essex 1848, as a Tailor and Draper.
The difference between tailor and draper is that tailor makes, repairs, or alters clothes professionally, especially suits and men's clothing while draper is one who sells cloths; a dealer in cloths; as, a draper and tailor. And a clothier is a person or company that makes or sells clothes or cloth, while an outfitter is a shop selling men's clothing.
As the census returns for 1851 in Great Dunmow are missing, we have to wait until 1861 - when Joseph's occupation is described as Tailor And Clothier - to encounter them again. That census locates Joseph's premises three-doors-down, on the same side of the road, from the The Saracen's Head Hotel, with a confectioner and a clockmaker between them and a draper and grocer on the other side, with eight of the nine then surviving children still at home.
In 1871, Joseph Wilton, Clothier, employing 3 men and 1 boy, was still in the same position with the Willis brothers next door (although the clockmaker had changed career to become an insurance agent) and then the Parker family, confectioners. In the Wilton household were Joseph (56), wife Ann (50), Edwin Joseph (27), Eleanor (25), Arthur (20), Lydia Ann (17), Alice Maria (15), Fanny (12) and Frederick (8). Clara Jane (21) was living with her sister, Sarah Ann Jarvis (28), also in the High Street, Great Dunmow.
Joseph Wilton died, aged 58, on 11 Aug 1873 (1873 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 242), leaving effects valued 'Under £600'.
Ann Wilton died at 56 in 1876 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 248.
Kate Wilton died, aged 23, in 1870 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 294; Sarah Ann Jarvis died at 31, in 1874 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 271 and Frederick John Wilton died, aged 17, in 1879 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 234. The level of loss in this family between the 1850's and 1870's is heart-breaking.
In 1881, it fell to Edwin Joseph Wilton to carry on the Outfitters Shop, High Street, Great Dunmow, assisted by his brother Arthur Thurlbourn Wilton (30) Clothier. Eleanor Wilton (29 ish) Tobacconist; Clara Wilton (27) Tobacconist, Tom Jarvis (13) Cashier Clerk, Nephew born in Thaxted [William Thomas Jarvis son of Sarah Ann Jarvis] and a Lodger were at 3, Duke Street, Chelmsford, Essex. Alice Marie Wilton (25) Governess and Fanny Wilton (22) Governess were elsewhere in the High Street, Great Dunmow.
In 1891, Alice Wilton (31) Schoolmistress; Fanny Wilton (28) Schoolmistress; Eleanor Wilton (38) Dressmaker; Clara Wilton (36) Dressmaker and Lillie Wilton [Lydia Ann] (32) Governess. The last three were visitors in the household of the first two in the High Street, Great Dunmow.
In 1901, Eleanor Wilton (claiming to be 45) Dressmaker and Clara Wilton (42 ish) were living in Fairfield Road, Chelmsford; Arthur T Wilton (50) Clothiers Assistant, was a Lodger at The Brook, Great Dunmow. Lydia A Wilton (42), Alice M Wilton (41) and Fanny Wilton (37) were all listed as Teacher Private School and living together in New Street, Great Dunmow.
Alice Maria Wilton died at 51 in 1906 J Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A 385. Essex Newsman of 9 Jun 1906: "MISS ALICE WILTON, of New Street, Dunmow, died very suddenly on Friday last. The deceased lady was in her usual health until the previous Wednesday afternoon, when she was seized with pain, and on the doctor's arrival it was found necessary for her to undergo and operation without delay. This was carried out, but death followed very soon afterwards, from heart failure. The funeral took place at the Congregational Church Burial Ground on Tuesday, when a large number of fiends attended, The mourners were Mr E J Wilton of Brighton and Mr Arthur Wilton, brothers; Messrs J W Beard, L Saville, A Dennis ad J V Mackenzie, Mr James Mackenzie, Mr & Mrs Scarfe, Mr & Mrs Dennis, the Choral Society, the Choir, the Misses White (old pupils), Mr & Mrs Budd, of Chelmsford, and the pupils of the school. The funeral service was conducted by the Rev D B Thomas.
In 1911, Arthur Thurlbourn Wilton (60) Outfitter, was a Boarder in Market Street, Great Dunmow; Eleanor Wilton (55 ish) Dressmaker and Lets Apartments was still living in Chelmsford with sister Clara Jane Wilton (51) and two Boarders; Lydia Ann Wilton (47) School Mistress and Fanny Wilton (42 ish) Music Teacher were still in Great Dunmow.
Clara Jane Wilton died at 70 in 1919 D Quarter in CHELMSFORD.
In 1921, Arthur Thurlbourn Wilton (70) Formerly Clothier, was an Inmate in Severalls Mental Hospital, Colchester (Severalls Hospital: the Evil Inside The Asylum); Eleanor Wilton (72) Lodging house keeper; Lydia Ann Wilton (56) and Fanny Wilton (52) were at 10, Fairfield Road, Chelmsford with Thomas Cunnington (23) Accountant Clerk from Gorleston on Sea, Boarder.
Arthur Thurlbourn Wilton died at 72 in 1923 M Quarter in COLCHESTER Vol 04A Page 772; Fanny Wilton died at 67 in 1926 D Quarter in CHELMSFORD Vol 04A Page 620; Lily Wilton [Lydia Ann] died at 74 in 1928 M Quarter in CHELMSFORD Vol 04A Page 724 and Eleanor Wilton died at 82 in 1928 J Quarter in CHELMSFORD Vol 04A Page 684.
None of them, other than Sarah Ann and Edwin Joseph, ever married.