George Poulter and Grace Calvert

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Michael, Bishop's Stortford, Tuesday, 9 August, 2011

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

George Powter (sic) (bap. 30 Oct 1730 at St Michael's Church, Bishop's Stortford), son of John Poulter, Bricklayer, and Elizabeth Nicholls, married Grace Calvert (bap. 12 Jan 1730 Julian calendar, 1731 on the Gregorian calendar, at St Mary's, Standon, Hertfordshire), daughter of Samuel Calvert and Martha Faircloth, at St Michael, Bishop's Stortford on 6 Aug 1753.

On George's baptism, his and his parents' surname was spelled Powlter; he married as Powter, but on his burial record, he was listed as Poulter. The last of these seems like the most reasonable option and is the consistent spelling of the name in previous generations. Grace was baptised with the surname Colver, as was her sister Martha, but her brother was baptised Samuel Culver. Upon marriage her surname is listed as Calvert, and in 1765, both Grace, his daughter and George, his son-in-law, were beneficiaries to the will of Samuel Calvert. Clearly these were written as each clerk imagined upon hearing.

On 1 Jul 1745, when he will have been about 15, George Powter, son of John Powter, was apprenticed to Master Crips Northage of Bishop's Stortford, as a Pattenmaker, then, a skilled craftsman making patten shoes (outdoor clogs or overshoes to raise feet out of the mud ... and horse poo). 

George and Grace had seven children:

1. Sarah Powtor (sic) (reads as Powtor, transcribed as Pewter) bap. 4 Apr 1754 at St Mary's Church, Ware, Hertfordshire
2. George Poulter bap. 19 Jun 1757 at St. Cecilia, Little Hadham
3. Samuel Pewter (sic) bap. 7 Dec 1760 in Little Hadham
4. Martha Pewter (sic) bap. 25 Sep 1763 in Little Hadham
5. Edward Powtor (sic) (again, reads as Powtor, but has been transcribed as Pewter) bap. 21 Sep 1766 in Little Hadham
6. John Pewter (sic) (this time, reads as Pewtor, but has been transcribed as Pewter) bap. 6 May 1769 in Little Hadham
7. Mary Pewter or Pauter (sic) (original record reads as Pauter and transcribed as both) bap. 15 Aug 1773 in Little Hadham

As we can see, they were still having immense trouble with the surname, but all are clearly listed as the children of George and Grace.

George Poulter was buried at St. Cecilia, Little Hadham on 26 Dec 1779.

Grace Powter, aged 80, was buried in Standon, Hertfordshire on 26 Jun 1810. Whilst it's tempting to imagine she had merely been sent back to be buried in her parish of birth, son George was then living in Standon.

George Thompson and Diana Shatford

Broughton church, dedicated to St Andrew
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Philip Halling - geograph.org.uk/p/4116541

George Thompson (bap. 15 Apr 1836), eldest son of Daniel Thompson and Mary Adcock, married Diana Shatford, daughter of John Shatford and Mary Chapman, on 6 Aug 1862 at Broughton church. Diana's father was a Victualler And Farmer of High Street, Broughton (he held the large 18th century pub, The Red Lion, on the corner of High Street and Church Street).  

At 14, in 1851, George Thompson was already employed as a carpenter in his father's business in Cransley Street, Broughton. After his father's death in 1854, he took over the business and, in 1861, was employing 2 men and 1 boy, having moved to 9, Mount Pleasant, Broughton. Staying with him in 1861 was his widowed mother, Mary Thompson (née Adcock), his brother Dan (12), sister Sarah Elizabeth Botterill and her sons Daniel (4) and Benjamin (0).

After they married in 1862, George and Diana had five children: 

1. Mary Elizabeth Thompson b. 1863 M Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 182, bap. 1 Mar 1863 at Broughton church
2. John Daniel Thompson b. 1865 S Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B Page 168
3. Diana Shatford Thompson b. 1867 D Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B 159
4. Francis George Thompson b. 1870 J Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 177. Died 1870 S Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 137
5. Charles Francis Thompson b. 1871 S Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B Page 170, bap. 30 Jul 1871. Died 1873 M Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B Page 125, aged 19 m, buried on 11 Feb 1873 at St Andrew, Broughton.

In 1871, George Thompson (34), carpenter, was in Broughton with Diana Thompson (30), Mary Eliza Thompson (8), John D Thompson (5), Diana S Thompson (3) and apprentice, Samuel Draper (15). 

George Thompson died, aged 37, in 1873 S Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 91 and was buried at St Andrew's Church, Broughton. 

Diana Thompson then remarried to Thomas Skellham (bap. 4 Dec 1842 in Pytchley, Northamptonshire), son of William Skellom (sic) and Mary Streather in Q3 1875, also at St Andrew's Church, Broughton.

Thomas and Diana went on to have three further children:

1. Joseph Thomas Skellham b. 1876 J Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 189. bap. 30 Apr 1876 in Broughton
2. Amy Isabella Skellham b. 1879 M Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B 193
3. Clara Eliza Skelham (sic) b. 1881 D Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B 191

In 1881, Thomas Skellham (38) Carrier, Diana Skellham (40), John D Thompson (15) Wife's son; Joseph T Skellham (5), Amy I Skellham (2) and Edward S Brown (22) Boarder were living at 5, Tilleys Hill, Broughton. Mary [Elizabeth] Tompson (18) was working as a Barmaid at the Victoria Tavern, 46 Three Colt Street, Limehouse, London for her uncle Benjamin Thompson; Diana Thompson (13) was living with her grandmother, Mary Shatford (64) Innkeeper, at the Red Lion Inn, 69, High Street, Broughton.

In 1891, Thomas Skellham (48) Publican was living in Main Street, Broughton - presumably the Red Lion - with Diana Skellham (50), Joseph T Skellham (16), Amy I Skellham (12) and Clara E Skellham (9). Diana Tompson (23) was a Hotel Barmaid for Alice Slight (39) in Sheep Street, Kettering.

In 1901, Thomas Skellham (58) Market Gardener was living in Mill Road, Kettering with Diana Skellham (60), Amy Skellham (22), Clara Skellham (19) and Francis Bates (25) Boarder.

In 1911, still in Kettering, were Thomas Skellham (68) Garden Labourer, Diana Skellham (70) and Amy Skellham (32).

Thomas Skellham died, at 76, in 1919 J Quarter in WELLINGBOROUGH and he was buried in Plot E582 at Newton Road Cemetery, Rushden.

Diana Skellham died, aged 89, in 1930 S Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B 151.

Broughton, Red Lion
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mike Faherty - geograph.org.uk/p/3972560

John Shatford (bap. 25 Dec 1817 in Broughton, Northamptonshire), son of Joseph Shatford and Diana Dainty, married Mary Chapman (b. 1817 in Little Addington), in Q1 1839, in the district of Thrapston, Northamptonshire. 

John and Mary had eight children:

1. Elizabeth Shatford b. 1839 S Quarter in KETTERING UNION Volume 15 Page 262, bap. 13 Aug 1839 in Broughton, Northamptonshire
2. Diana Shatford b. 1840 in Brixworth, Northampton Q4 Vol 15 P 219
3. Joseph Shatford b. 1842 J Qtr in BRIXWORTH Vol 15 Page 220
4. Amy Deacon Shatford b. 1844 D Quarter in KETTERING UNION Volume 15 Page 272, bap. 10 Nov 1844 in Broughton, Northamptonshire. Died, aged 3, in 1848 S Quarter in KETTERING Volume 15 Page 184
5. William Francis Dainty Shatford b. 1846 D Quarter in KETTERING UNION Volume 15 Page 282, bap. 6 Dec 1846 in Broughton
6. John Shatford b. 1849 M Quarter in KETTERING Volume 15 Page 315, bap. 18 Mar 1849 in Little Addington, Northamptonshire
7. Mary Amy Shatford b. 1851 S Qtr in KETTERING Vol 15 Page 306
8. Charles Chapman Shatford b. 1857 D Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 148, bap. 3 Nov 1858 in Broughton, Northamptonshire. Died, aged 8, in 1866 S Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 94 and was buried on 20 Sep 1866, in Broughton, Northamptonshire.

All of the birth registrations show the mother's maiden name as Chapman.

In 1841, in High Street, Hannington, Northamptonshire, were John Shatford (20) and Mary Shatford (20), Dihannah (sic) Shatford (0), Naomi Dainty (12), William Chapman (70) and Hannah Chapman (65). (William Chapman and Hannah Bird, married on 27 Dec 1791 in Little Addington. They could be Mary's parents, or perhaps grandparents.) Elizabeth Shatford (1) meanwhile was staying in Loddington, in the household of Francis Dainty (40).

In 1851, John Shatford (33) Farmer Of 63 Acres Employing 3 Labourers was in High Street, Broughton with Mary Shatford (34), Elizabeth Shatford (11), Joseph Shatford (8), William Shatford (4), John Shatford (2) and George Brigs (30) Servant. (John's father, Joseph Shatford (60) Victualler, Diana Shatford (54) and William Shatford (26) were also in High Street, Broughton, possibly at the Red Lion.) Diana Shatford (11) was in Loddington with Rebecca Dainty (47) Licensed Victualler, her great aunt. (Rebecca was the widow of Francis Dainty, with whom Elizabeth was staying in 1841. Francis and Rebecca probably held the The Hare at 5 Main Street, Loddington.)

In 1861, John Shatford (43) Victualler And Farmer Of 63 Acres Employing 3 Men was still located in High Street, Broughton with Mary Shatford (44), Elizabeth Shatford (21), Diana Shatford (20), John Shatford (11), Mary A Shatford (9) and Charles C Shatford (3). Joseph Shatford (16) and William Shatford (14) were also living in Broughton High Street with their widowed grandfather, Joseph Shatford (71) Victualler & Grocer. 

In 1871, in Broughton were, John Shatford (53) Farmer, Mary Shatford (54), Joseph Shatford (81) Father, William F D Shatford (24), Mary A Shatford (19) and George Briggs (50) Lodger. (Elizabeth had married in 1864 and Diana in 1862; Joseph, it seems, had emigrated to New Zealand in 1865 and John Shatford married that year and was living with his in-laws.)

John Shatford died, at 54, on 16 Jan 1872 M Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 117, leaving his effects to his widow, Mary Shatford and William Shatford. John's father, Joseph Shatford, died in the same quarter, at 82, 1872 M Quarter in KETTERING Volume 03B Page 119.

In 1881, Mary Shatford (64) Innkeeper, Widow was at the Red Lion Inn, 69, High Street, Broughton with her granddaughter, Diana Thompson (13) (daughter of George Thompson and Diana Shatford). William F D Shatford (34) was Innkeeper at the The Three Cranes in Cransley and John Shatford (32) was Innkeeper at the Buccleuch Arms, 48, High Street, Broughton.

Mary Shatford died, at 71, in 1888 J Qtr in KETTERING Vol 03B Page 101.