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Tyne Cot Cemetery. Photo: Mike Thurston Some rights reserved |
- William James Parsons b. 1906 D Qtr in BARNSTAPLE Vol 05B 407
- Olive Mary Parsons b. 1908 M Qtr in BARNSTAPLE Vol 05B 421
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Tyne Cot Cemetery. Photo: Mike Thurston Some rights reserved |
All Saints Church, Holcombe Rogus cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Smith - geograph.org.uk/p/5100720 |
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Cottages, High Street, Halberton cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Roger Cornfoot - geograph.org.uk/p/1177578 44 High Street, Halberton, is the blue cottage in the centre |
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Grave of Francis Stone and Frances Mary Jerred in Uplowman Churchyard |
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Royal Marines' Stonehouse Barracks, Durnford Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth |
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Inside the Grade II* Listed St Peter’s Church in Uplowman |
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Tiverton : Gold Street cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Lewis Clarke - geograph.org.uk/p/1658721 |
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Loveday is the Middle English form of the Anglo-Saxon name Léofdæg, derived from the Old English lēof ' "dear, loved"+ dæġ 'day'. Léofdæg was in use before the Conquest of 1066 and managed to survive to good use in the Middle Ages as Loveday and with the alternative pronunciation Lowdy.
The term "loveday" is also a literal translation of dies amoris, a day of reconciliation on which enemies met to settle disputes and the name was sometimes given to babies who were born on such a day. By the 16th century, the given name was predominantly used in Cornwall and Devon and mostly for girls. Over the course of the 19th century, Loveday was fairly consistent in use, averaging around eight births per year. It declined by the 1930s.
The earliest record [so far] in the family was that of Loveday Flew, daughter of Richard Flew and Jane Wright, who was baptised in Rackenford, Devon in 1804. She married John Land and they named one of their daughters Loveday Land. They were also the parents of James Land, who, with his second wife, Rose Anna Beamer, named their daughter Loveday Jane Land (b. 1864).
Loveday Jane Land, along with her husband (my great-grand uncle), Frederick James Stone, named their third daughter Loveday Jane Stone (b. 1884).
And in turn, Loveday Jane Stone, with her husband, James Shopland, named their only daughter, born on 14 Feb 1907, Loveday Jane Shopland. The name is nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but that was a happy accident.
Loveday Jane Shopland married Leonard Southcott. Their daughter, Loveday Jane Southcott, born in 1930, was probably one of the only ones by then.
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Church of St John the Baptist, Ashbrittle cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Smith - geograph.org.uk/p/5104522 A plaque near The Ancient Yew of Ashbrittle declares, "Generations of local people have cherished this tree, one of the oldest living things in Britain." |
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Court Place, Ashbrittle cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Roger Cornfoot - geograph.org.uk/p/3819462 |
In 1871, with their address merely given as Cottage, Ashbrittle, were Henry and Mary with Mary Ann (12), Tom (9), Harriet (6), Francis (3) and Charles (1). Frederick Stone (16) Ag Lab Indoor', was working for Henry Oxenham at Chevithorne, Tiverton. Henry Stone (13), Indoor Agricultural Labourer working for Richard Poole (62) a Farmer at Bathealton, Somerset.
In 1873, aged 15, John Stone, was arrested and taken to the Devon County Prison, on 2 Jun, accused of "Attempting to ravish and carnally know Maria Disney on the 28th May, 1873, at Hockworthy." The committing magistrate was J. C. New, Esq., of Cullompton, but John wasn't tried: the bill was ignored for assault with intent to ravish, indecent assault and assault. No further details or clues as to why the case did not proceed, but as Peter Calver of Lost Cousins suggests, securing a conviction was difficult in those times. (On the 1871 census, Mariah Disney (then 12, so 14 at the time of the alleged assault), daughter of John Disney, farm labourer, was living at Hockford Barton, Hockworthy. John's sister, Harriet Stone, married their first cousin, James Ridgway. James Ridgway's mother was Ann Tooze, who's mother was Eliza Disney, so John was also "keeping it in the family"!)
In 1875, the family were living in Hill, Huntsham, according to son Francis Stone's school record, when he was enrolled at Huntsham County Primary School that year. At the time he left school in 1879, Francis was attending school in Chevithorne, so presumably the family had relocated there.
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Some of the listed buildings at Widhayes |
By 1881, the family had moved to Lands Mill, Uplowman (Now demolished, Lands Mill, was part of the Widhayes estate, so assuming Henry was employed by Edward Chave at Widhayes Farm. The stable block, barn, linhay, gate house and farmhouse at Widhayes are Listed Buildings) with Henry (51) and Mary (49), Harriet (16), Francis (14), Charles (11) and Lucy Jane (8), granddaughter, Ellen Snow (2) and widowed Sister-in-Law, Jane Vickery (43). Visiting were Mary Ann Tarr (27) and Jane Tarr (22), General Servants. Widening the area of search, I eventually found John Stone on the 1881 census living in the household of Henry Payne, Railway Tunnel Miner, at Railway Hut, Hurst Green, Oxted, Godstone, Surrey. Living there were Henry Payne (31), his wife, four children aged 5 to 11, as well as nine men, all boarders, all railway tunnel labourers. And at the bottom of the long list was John Stone (22), Tunnel Miner's Labourer, born in Somerset. The Oxted Tunnel - on the Oxted line, which passes under the North Downs in two tunnels, and then splits into two branches at Hurst Green, adjoining Oxted in Surrey - opened in 1884. Living in such horrendous conditions, with so many people crammed into an overcrowded space, lacking in facilities, will have been a perfect environment for transmitting infectious diseases ...
Mary Stone died, aged 52, on 28 Dec 1885 (1885 D Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 306) and was buried on 3 Jan 1886, also in Uplowman.
In 1891, Henry Stone (63), Widower, was living at Greengate Cottage in Uplowman, with daughter Harriet (25), son Francis (23), granddaughter, Ellen Snow (12) (Henry's daughter) and grandson Francis (3) (Harriet's son).
In 1901, Henry (71), Widower (listed incorrectly as Henry Ridgway), working as a Labourer on Roads, was still living at Greengate, Uplowman, this time in the household of James Ridgway (34), who was married to Harriet Stone.
Henry Stone died, aged 72, on 26 Nov 1901 and was buried on 30 Nov 1901 at Uplowman. Henry and Mary are buried together in Uplowman Churchyard along with their son, John. Finding their grave was something I came across quite by accident online, thanks to the magnificent work of Janice Dennis, contributing at Find A Grave. We'd even been to the church and didn't bother to look, because we didn't expect the family to have had the resources.
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Grave of John, Mary and Henry Stone in Uplowman Churchyard. |
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Axminster: Church of St Mary and WWI War Memorial cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mr Eugene Birchall - geograph.org.uk/p/3423250 |
Harry Stone (b. 17 Nov 1902), youngest son of Charles Stone and Emma Middleton, married Ellen Minnie Loud (b. 6 Sep 1904), 13th child of George Alfred Loud and Tryphena Davis, on 26 Dec 1929, in Axminster.
In 1939, Harry Stone, General Labourer and Ellen M Stone, Ironer (Laundry) lived at 12, North Street, Axminster. Living with them was Amelia M Stratchcombe (b. 1918), Domestic Servant. My feeling is that she was most likely to have been a boarder or lodger who worked elsewhere.
Harry and Ellen had one son in 1948 (afaik, still living).
Ellen M Stone died on 15 Feb 1966, aged 61.
Harry Stone died on 12 Apr 1982, aged 79.
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St Dunstan & All Saints, Stepney cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/3477079 |
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Blackchurch rock looking across Mouthmill beach. cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Andrew Bolton - geograph.org.uk/p/1701554 |
St Peter's Church, Tiverton |
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Bridge and Uplowman church cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Smith - geograph.org.uk/p/4097757 |
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Interior of St Peter's Church, Tiverton, Devon cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Voller - geograph.org.uk/p/3683165 This church is famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) in that upon its organ, seen left of picture, was played for the very first time, the tune that was destined to send shivers up the spine of many a strong man. It was of course ... (intake of breath) "The Wedding March". On June 2nd 1847, at a wedding ceremony here, Felix Mendelssohn's composition ushered the bride and groom out of the church as man and wife. The couple were, I believe, friends of the composer. |
No idea why she later chose to change her name from Emma to Emily (fashion perhaps?), but she didn't seem to be trying to hide her son William Henry's illegitimate status, but might have been trying to play down her own, because Emma (Emily) "invented" a father called William Middleton for the marriage certificate. As we now know Middleton was not only hers, but also her mother's maiden name, so that couldn't be her father's name. Emma (Emily) had an older brother and an uncle William Middleton, both of whom she never met as they died as infants, whose name she was clearly borrowing.
Well, I say she wasn't trying to hide William Henry's true origins, but clearly someone came up with a story later, because my father was always under the mistaken impression that William Henry Middleton, his "Uncle Bill", was the product of Emily's "first marriage". Of course there was no such alliance.
1 Silver Street, Tiverton where my grandfather was born on 6 Jun 1898 |
Charles and Emma (Emily) Stone added four more children:
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Charles and Emma with their children: Charley (rear right), Albert (rear left), Emily, (front right) and Harry (front left) |
4 Hayne Lane, Bolham in 2016 |