TheTheThe GardhamsGardhamsGardhamsthe story behind my family tree

Jane Gardham

TheTheThe GardhamsGardhamsGardhams

the story behind my family tree

Jane Gardham

© Jane Gardham 2013

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ContentsContentsContentsContents

The Gardams of the East Riding ........................................................ 5

The family moves south ...................................................................... 8

The home of all Gardhams ............................................................... 10

John Gardham’s sibblings ................................................................. 15

Leaving South Cave ........................................................................... 18

The Gardhams in Merseyside ........................................................... 19

About Jane Gardham nee Davies ..................................................... 21

The Davies family in Prescot ............................................................ 23

A Gardham grave............................................................................... 24

The First World War ........................................................................ 26

The Spencers ..................................................................................... 30

The move to Warrington .................................................................. 34

The Terrys ......................................................................................... 36

Rooted in poverty .............................................................................. 38

Family trees ........................................................................................ 40

4

The Gardhams: From the left - Jim, Olive, Dot, Jane and Alfred in around 1940

The GardamsThe GardamsThe GardamsThe Gardams

I n 1700 (or thereabouts), my seven times Great Grandfather, Thomas Gardam (he didn’t have an ‘h’ in his surname), was born in the East

Riding of Yorkshire.

During his life, Thomas worked as a shepherd. He died in Rowley (to

the east of Hull) which is still so rural that it is just a blank space on the

map.

When he died in 1740 his son, my Great Great Great Great Great

Great Granddad, Thomas Gardam was just 13. Thomas was the oldest

of five brothers - Robert, Martin, Roger (who died when he was just

three years old) and Stephen. He worked as an innkeeper and was also a

church warden for Hotham Church.

Thomas married Mary Freeman on 12th June 1752 at Hotham and they

had five children - (Great Great Great Great Great Granddad) John,

Main Street, Hotham in the 21st century.

Photograph by Ben Stephenson

5

Thomas, Mary, William and Ann. All the children are recorded on

Census returns as having the all-important ‘h’ and are now Gardhams

rather than Gardams.

Mary lived until she was 78 years old, dying in Hotham in 1808. Her

husband died 20 years before her.

Incidentally, at this time only some people (and no women) could vote.

Trawling through the 1834 electoral register has yielded just one relative

- William Gardham, who was in Hotham and qualified to vote by virtue

of owning a house and garden in the village. William was one of Great

Great Great Great Great Granddad John’s sons.

St Oswald’s Church at Hotham. This church has been around since Norman times so is

probably where Thomas was warden and where he married Mary.

© Ian S (geograph.org.uk)

6

Barton upon

Barton upon

Barton upon

Barton upon

Humber

Humber

Humber

Humber

Beverley

Beverley

Beverley

Beverley

HULL

HULL

HULL

HULL

River Humber

River Humber

River Humber

River Humber

Aldborough

Aldborough

Aldborough

Aldborough

Rowley

Rowley

Rowley

Rowley

Brantingham

Brantingham

Brantingham

Brantingham

Ellerker

Ellerker

Ellerker

Ellerker

South Cave

South Cave

South Cave

South Cave

Gardham

Gardham

Gardham

Gardham

Cottingham

Cottingham

Cottingham

Cottingham

Hotham

Hotham

Hotham

Hotham

Humber

Humber

Humber

Humber

Bridge

Bridge

Bridge

Bridge

Market

Market

Market

Market

Weighton

Weighton

Weighton

Weighton

NN NN

10 miles

10 miles

10 miles

10 miles

00 00 Key places in the lives

Key places in the lives

Key places in the lives

Key places in the lives

of the Gardhams in

of the Gardhams in

of the Gardhams in

of the Gardhams in

the early days

the early days

the early days

the early days

7

The family moves south The family moves south The family moves south The family moves south

G reat Great Great Great Great Granddad John Gardham was born in Hotham, as were his parents, in 1762 when his mother, Mary,

was 32 and his father, Thomas, was 35.

John married Mary Baterman who was nine years younger than John.

Mary was the daughter of William Baterman (a blacksmith) and

Thomason. John’s mother and sister were also both called Mary.

Mary and John had seven children. Great Great Great Great Granddad

Martin was the youngest. When Martin was born, his grandmother,

Mary was still alive - she died when he was five.

When Martin, an agricultural labourer, was 23 he married Elizabeth

Todd who worked as a cook. Martin and Elizabeth had 12 children, all

of whom were born in Ellerker, four miles south of Hotham, including

Great Great Great Granddad John Gardham. Martin died in Ellerker

when he was 58. His wife outlived him by 25 years, dying when she was

81. They both outlived their son, William, who died at sea. Was he a

sailor? Or a fisherman?

All three share a grave in St. Anne’s Church, Ellerker.

8

John’s John’s John’s John’s

siblingssiblingssiblingssiblings

J ohn had eleven brothers and sisters: Sarah, Mary,

Alice, Hannah, William,

George, Helen, Elizabeth,

Ann, Martin and David.

While earlier Gardhams don’t

seem to have appeared in the

papers before, we can learn

something of John’s siblings

through the family notices.

MARRIAGES

February 12 at West Teignmouth

Church, Mr. William S. Cockram, to

Miss Alice Gardham, of Ellerker,

Yorkshire.

Older sister Alice married in Devon:

Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post, February 19, 1857

DEATHS

GARDHAM—Nov 13th. Ann

Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late

David Gardham, of Welton, aged 64.

Funeral at Welton on Tuesday. Nov.

17th, at 2.30pm.—At rest.

The death notice of John’s brother David’s

daughter: The Daily Mail November 16th 1931

DEATHS

GARDHAM—On the 20th inst., at

Elliker, near Brough, after a long and

painful illness, Helen Gardham aged 40

years.

Helen was ten years younger than John and

died young: The York Herald, September 22nd 1884

DEATHS

GARDHAM—At Ellerker, Anne

Elizabeth, widow of the late George

Bateman Gardham, passed peacefully

away Feb. 25th, aged 94 years.

Interment at Ellerker Friday 3 o’clock.

Anne was the wife of John’s younger brother,

George: The Daily Mail, February 27th 1936

John’s brother, my Great Great

Great Granduncle David Gardham.

John was 13 when David was born.

15

ELLERKER

INTERMENT.—The death occurred

on Monday morning of Mrs M.A.

Gardham, wife of Mr Martin

Gardham, after a long illness, The

interment took place on Wednesday

afternoon at Ellerker Churchyard.

The service was conducted by the

Rev W. Nakwell, curate-in-charge.

The chief mourners were the

husband, Miss E Gardham, Miss

Ruth Gardham and Mrs Hurd

(daughters), Mr William and David

Gardham (sons). Miss Lily and Dora

Gardham (granddaughters), Mrs

Hazel, Mrs Robinson and Mrs Kirby

(sisters), Mr Thos. Yorke (brother),

Mrs Thresh (sister-in-law). Mr and

Mrs Geo. Gardham (brother and

sister in law), Mrs F Allison (niece),

Mr M Gardham (nephew), Mr and

Mrs Yorke (nephew and niece), Mr

and Mrs H. Boulton (nephew and

niece), Mrs Hulse, Mrs Bean, Mrs

Noble, Mr and Miss Wood, Mrs H

Bristow, Mrs Gill, Mrs Harper, Mrs

Williamson, and many others. Mr T.

Watson was the undertaker. John’s son, Martin attended: The Daily Mail August 5th 1922.

HEARD UNDER S. CAVE CLOCK

The remains of a sister of Mr Martin

Gardham were conveyed from Stone, in

Staffordshire, for interment in South

Cave Cemetery on Saturday.

When John’s sister died, the Daily Mail

reported her being a sister of Martin: The Daily Mail, September 29th1924

DEATHS

GARDHAM—On July 31st, at

Ellerker, Mary Ann, beloved wife of

Martin Gardham, 68 years. Funeral on

Wednesday afternoon, at three o’clock.

The death notice of Martin’s wife: The Daily Mail, August 1st1922

DEATHS

GARDHAM—May 27th, suddenly, at

Ellerker, Martin Gardham, aged 81.

Funeral at Ellerker on Thursday at

3.0pm.

Martin’s own death notice: The Daily Mail, May28th1930

John’s brother Martin was two years

younger than John. He started his

working lie as an agricultural labourer as

did most of his brothers. It does seem

that at some point he became a local

notable as his wife’s funeral was covered

in some detail by the Daily Mail, a

national newspaper.

16

The First World WarThe First World WarThe First World WarThe First World War

W hile I don’t know what Alfred and Jane did in the First World

War and how they contributed to the war effort, I do know that

Alfred’s younger brother, John Thomas Gardham served in the Loyal

North Lancashire Regiment. In 1914, Alfred was aged 30, John Thomas

was just 18.

The Loyal North

Lancashire Regiment was

one of seven infantry

regiments recruiting in

Lancashire and was

known as ‘The

Cauliflowers’. Many

battalions of the

Cauliflowers served in

France.

British War Medal and Victory medal awarded to John

Thomas

Below—the Cauliflowers in 1916

with new steel helmets.

26

Tom

b. 1906,

St Helens

George

b. 1882,

South Cave

Tailor’s cutter

Edith

b. 1886,

Hull

Dressmaker

Annie

b. 1887,

Hull

Clara

b. 1889,

Hull

Tilly

b. 1891,

Hull

Elsie

b. 1900,

St Helens

John

Thomas

b. 1896

St Helens

Sarah A

b. 1861, South Cave

Eda

b. 1863

South

Cave

Martin

b. 1870,

South Cave

coachman

Sarah

b. Fleet

Fen

John

b. 1868

South

Cave

Thomas Gardham

b. 1861, South Cave

Stone Mason

Martin Gardham

b. 5th May 1803

Hotham, E Yorks

m. 9th April 1826

Elizabeth Todd

b. 16h March 1805

Melton, E Yorks

John Gardham

b. 1833, Ellerker

Groom & Gardener

m. December 1859

Alfred Gardham

b. 1884, South Cave

m. 1902 and 1909

Cooper

Olive

b. 1910,

St Helens

40

Jane Davies

b. 1882, St Helens

m. 1909

Monthly nurse

Elizabeth Ann

Hulme

b. c.1879

m. 1902

Clara

b. 1865

d. 1924

Jane Sunderland

b. 1838, Hedon

Sarah E

b. 1893,

St Helens

Catherine

b. 1855

St Helens

m. 1880

William Davies

b. 1855, Sutton

m. 1880

Coal miner (Hewer)

Amelia

b. 1851,

Lancs,

Sutton

Edward

James

b. 1857,

Margaret

b. 1860,

Lancs,

Sutton

Ellen

b. 1862,

Lancs,

Sutton

Thomas

b. 1865,

Sutton

Henry

b. 1867,

Sutton

Ann Jane

b. 1848,

Lancs

James

b. 1868

Sutton

Gerty

b. 1897,

St Helens

Dorothy

b. 1914

Prescot,

St Helens

Unknown

b. ?

d. pre.

1911

Unknown

b. ?

Easter

b. 1803, Lancs

William Platt

b. 1803, Lancs

Coalminer

Martha Davies

b. 1789

James

b. 1833,

Lancs

Thomas

b. 1820,

Lancs

Elizabeth

b. 1816,

Lancs

Richard

b. 1822,

Lancs

Joseph

b. 1830,

Lancs

? Davies

d. pre 1841?

Myra Gardham

b. 1916, Warrington

m. 1938

d. 1992, North Wales

Maggie

b. 1891,

St Helens

Henry

b. 1885,

St Helens

Cooper

John Platt

b. 1837,

Lancs

William

b. 1831,

Lancs

41

Margaret

b. 1839,

Lancs

James Davies

b. 1826 Wigan

Glass Smoother

Labourer (1861)

Alice Platt

b. 1826 Sutton

Coalminer

William

b. 1899,

St Helens

Frances

b. 1911,

Warr’n

d. 1911

Elizabeth Warner

b. 1821, Derbyshire,

Ashbourne

James

b. 1869,

Wolves

Arthur

b. 1887,

Warr’n

Elizabeth

b. 1855,

Ashbourne

Dressmaker

Sarah

Ann

b. 1851,

Wolves

Elizabeth

b. 1865,

Wolves

d. 1872

Phyllis

b. 1913

Warr’n

Freda

b. 1915

Warr’n

Douglas

b. 1918

Warr’n

Sarah

b. 1838

Derbys

George

b. 1836

Derbys

Elizabeth

b. 1832

Lymm,

Cheshire

Thomas

b. 1831

Ashbourne

Carter

Hannah

b. 1829

Derbys

William Spencer

b. 1822, Ashbourne,

Derbyshire

William Spencer

b. 1806 Derbyshire

Mary

b. 1805 Derbyshire

John H Spencer

b. 1890, Warrington

m. 1910

Wire drawer

William

b. 1884,

Warr’n

John

b. 1880

Wolves

Eliza

b. 1878,

Wolves

Selina Poole

b. 1847, Wolves

m. 1863, Wolves

d. 1902, Warrington

John Spencer

b. 1911,

Warrington

Iris

b. 1923

Warr’n

John Spencer

b. 1846, Staffs / Derbys

Forge Labourer

Harriet

b. 1860,

Wolves

Mary

Elizabeth

b. 1885,

Warr’n

William

b. 1890,

Warr’n

Wire

drawer

Agnes

b. 1892,

Warr’n

Thomas

b. 1894,

Warr’n

Frances

b. 1897

Dress

maker

Sarah Usherwood

b. 1820, Warrington

Wire maker

d. 1880

Elizabeth

b. 1846,

Warr’n

Samuel

b. 1860,

Warr’n

Margaret

b. 1848,

Warr’n

William

b. 1850,

Warr’n

Ellen

b. 1839, Co. Mayo

m. in Ireland pre 1961

Housekeeper

d. 1898, Preston

Elsie

b. 1899,

Warr’n

Emily

b. 1901

Warr’n

John

b. 1903,

Warr’n

Maurice

b. 1908

Warr’n

Thomas CE Terry

b. 1864, Warrington

m. 1883

Wire drawer

Margaret (Alice)

Terry

b. 1888, Warrington

Mary Connor

b. 1863, Warrington

Silk doubler

m. 1883

Thomas Lomax

Terry

b. 1819, Warrington

Blacksmith

Elizabeth Lomax

b. 1795, Warrington

Laundress

d. 1862, Warrington

William Leggatt Terry

b. 1782, Stockton, Durham

Currier (hide-tanner)

d. 1863 Warrington Union

Workhouse

43

Gladys

b. 1906

Warr’n

John

b. 1855,

Warr’n

Sarah

b. 1852,

d. 1852

Dorothy Swardill

b. 1757, Crathorne,

Yorks

d. 1823 Stockton

Henry Terry

b. 1743

d. 1821 Stockton,

Durham

Myra Spencer, née Gardham

My Grandma

44

This is a journey of

discovery through the last

two centuries of our

Gardham family. From

Thomas Gardam the

shepherd born more

than 200 years ago in

Hull, to the wire-workers

of the Warrington war

years. The Gardhams

brings to life family

members we never even

knew existed and

memorialises those that

we knew and now

sadly miss.

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