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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Lucy M Evans on Sunday 15 January 17 12:42 GMT (UK)
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Hi!
I'm writing a biography of William Edward Armytage Axon (1846-1913), a Manchester antiquarian, librarian, author and journalist, as well as vegetarian and temperance pioneer. I've worked out quite a lot of his family connections and am currently trying to track through another post the descendants of his daughter, Sophia Haddow, in New Zealand. In the UK his family line seems to die out - I know of his son Ernest C A Axon (1871-1947), and his grandson Geoffrey Rogerson Axon, b 1892, but cannot trace Geoffrey's son, referred to as Keith, who was apparently at Dunkirk. There was possibly a granddaughter, Geoffey's sister, Florence b.1896. Through his second marriage, William had a daughter, Dorothy b. 1894, m. Leonard Aston in 1922. I suspect all these lines died out but if anyone has further information I'd be very grateful.
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From freebmd
Births Jun 1892
Axon Geoffrey Rogerson Chorlton 8c 984
Marriages Sep 1915
Geoffrey R Axon
Mabel W Lee
Chorlton 8c 2299
Deaths Sep 1961
AXON Geoffrey R age 69
Wellington 9a 184
Freebmd has birth in 1917 and marriage in Dec qtr 1939 for Keith
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Keith Lee Axon
Birth 18 Dec 1916
Death Feb 2002 - Wrekin, Shropshire
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Freebmd has two possible Axon births for Keith and his wife, you can find these by using surname Axon and the mothers maiden name
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Manchester Evening News 19th Dec 1916
Births---AXON. On 18th inst. at a nursing home to Private and Mrs Geoffrey R Axon (nee Mabel W Lee) of 20 Percival Street, Longsight, a son.
There is aalso a marriage for Geoffrey and Mabel in 1915, relatives mentioned.
Cathy :)
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Hi!
I realise this is over 18 months later, but if it's still of interest I'm an ancestor. As far as I can tell, Dorothy married Lennard (roughly 1887-1946) in 1915. They had two children - Barbara (1923-2018) (my grandma), and Peter (b. 1930). Both married and have living children & grandchildren. If you'd like to know any more let me know :)
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Hi!
Thanks so much for picking this up - I am really really interested to find out more about Axon's daughter Dorothy and this is so exciting. I'm now met up with Roger Axon and his family. They are descended from Dorothy's half brother Ernest Axon. Roger's grandfather was Geoffrey and his father Keith. Roger remembers visits to his great great aunt Dorothy as a child but that's all. Roger has the Axon Family Book, full of photos and letters but very little for Dorothy. I've written the first four chapters of my biography and would love to trace more about Dorothy and her family. I'm happy to provide email address etc, Very best wishes, Lucy
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Ah amazing! I'm completely new to here, is there a way to message you or are you happy to post your email?
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Hi! I've only used occasionally and hard to fathom out! I think if I send my email via personal messages no one else sees that. I'll try anyway. Thanks so much for replying! Lucy
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Hi,
I have been planning to write a page about WE Axon on my website rusholmearchive.org. William Axon spent his final years living in Victoria Park, (Rusholme), the house that he lived in, Fairfield, is now demolished, but I do have a photograph of the property. I have a wide range of information about him from local papers but I am now seeking an image of of him. My page will not challenge the biography that Lucy Evans is writing but be an illustration of yet another interesting Victoria Park. Axon did collaborate with another Victoria Park resident, H.T. Crofton, to translate a verse of Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam into English Romany. Any help would be welcome................
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Hi! I think we may have corresponded by email last year - about St James Rectory? Happy if you want to contact me again via email. I have several images of WEA Axon plus I did visit Summerfield (Sir Harry Smith's house) which was opposite Fairfield and looks very like it! Fairfield looked so huge from the photo in Manchester Archives I knew Axon could not have lived there as renter or owner - I found out it was a vegetarian guest house. Axon was then president of the Vegetarian Society and the couple who ran it were friends. Axon was at Fairfield for the last year or so of his illness and it was there that Manchester University actually came to the house to confer a degree on him. He died a few weeks later. Sorry this is all a bit scrappy as I'm only mid way through my biography and I put the Fairfield stuff to one side. I'll dig it out again and confirm details. He was an amazing man and glad you're planning to add him to the blog. Before he moved into Fairfield he lived on Plymouth Grove - moving there from Southport after the death of his second wife. Anyway let me know what is useful and I'll sort it out over the next week, Best wishes, Lucy
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Hi Lucy
I have stumbled across your interest in W.E.A Axon. He is my great great grandfather. My great grandmother was Sophie Haddow. Sophie was one of 2300 signatories on the 1893 suffrage petition in NZ. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/suffragist/sophie-haddow
Archives NZ want descendants of signatories to write biographies of them so I was thinking about what would have made her sign the petition. She may have been influenced by Emily Pankhurst who was in Manchester when Sophie was and because of William maybe she was surrounded by interesting people!
I couldn't find another way to contact you so thought I'd try this.
I am also interested in the book you are writing - I can't see it has been published yet?
Thanks
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Hi! Thanks so much for getting in touch. I'm in contact with Suzie Haddow and her father George in NZ (Sophie and Joe's grandson through their son Ughtred) and they've become great friends via email. Through them I have found out a great deal about Sophie and her husband Joe. I'm still writing my biography of Axon - about 5 chapters to go! I'm not sure anyone would publish it as will hit the usual problem of being too long and detailed. But I'll make it freely available as PDF or something. I think Sophie would have been inspired by Miss Lindsay in Manchester - she was a family friend and strong on women's rights. Axon was a firm supporter of equal rights - he was a great supporter of the black activists in the USA. He certainly knew and supported the Manchester feminists like Miss Lydia Becker. I've not found any connection with the Axons and Pankhursts - and they are really a slightly later wave. Joe and Sophie emigrated in 1891 so I think it was Miss Lindsay, Miss Becker and probably Mrs Jacob Bright who were likely influences - if she needed any coming from parents like Axon and his wife Jane! Another family friend, Miss Mathilde Hompes, who was significant in the vegetarian movement and a teacher would also have been an influence. She taught Sophie German and stayed in contact all her life with her. Here are two extracts from my draft that might help:
"Joe describes both WEAA and Sophie as having chests of ‘strong tempered steel’ but even so at one stage Sophie suffered weakness and ill health. In 1886 she was sent to stay with Miss Lindsay in her rooms at Onchan in the Isle of Man. Miss Lindsay was a Girton College scholar, a mathematician who as a woman could not be awarded a full degree, an absurdity that lasted for Girton College until 1947"
1881 "Women’s Protective and Provident League at the Mechanic’s Institution: WEAA presided over the meeting. (The League primarily supported working women who had as yet no trade union to represent them and it was planned to open a branch in Manchester. Mrs Jacob Bright, Miss Becker and other feminists WEAA knew were present. WEAA must have been both highly trusted and regarded to be asked to take the chair role at such a progressive meeting.)"
Hope this helps - I can send more information on Sophie if you'd like it. Do you know Suzie Haddow?
Best wishes
Lucy
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Hi
Thanks so much for that info. Kate Sheppard was the best known suffragist in NZ and she was influential in the temperance union in NZ. Sophie could also have been influenced by her.
My mother Linley was a cousin of George Haddow and has left me all her papers and info she collected as she was a keen family historian. Her brother Bill (with a middle name of Axon) is also an interested family historian and will also be interested in your info - I will pass on your message.
I went to a Haddow reunion many years ago now. Mum was often in touch with George.
Thanks again and it would be really interesting to get a copy of your book once it is complete. It would be good to keep in touch too.
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Hi! I'd send my email address but know that's not recommended on Rootschat. But if you're in touch with George or Suzie Haddow they have it and could pass on. It's great re your mother and uncle - and how brilliant to have Axon as a name. If you come across any mentions that you think might be good for the biography I'd be so glad to have them. In particular any letters between the UK and New Zealand branches up to 1920 ish would be interesting. I keep resisting the temptation to write about Axon's descendants - but someone should do that book! Best wishes, Lucy
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Hi Lucy
Not related by blood but I'm a descendant of the Axon family that adopted William. My ancestral line is via my grandfather who's father was Aloysius Axon, I think it was his father that took in William.
Happy to help with any info I have from my genealogy research. Interested to read the biography!