A Stone, chair manufacturer High Wycombe 1863

[artifis]

An ancestor of mine, Joseph Springell of Radnage, died on 21 May 1863 at Hitchin after falling off his horse drawn wagon.  His death was reported in the Hign Wycombe news section of the Buckinghamshire Free Press on Saturday 23 May 1863 where he was referred to as the brother in law of A Stone chair manufacturer of this town.

Joseph married a Mary Stone on 10 August 1835 at Radnage where there was a large Stone presence.  Mary was born circa 1811 taken from censuses.

There are three Mary Stone baptism records in the relevant period:
17 Sept 1809 d/o John & Mary Stone
24 June 1810 d/o William & Elizabeth Stone
30 Sept 1810 d/o Robert & Ann Stone.

There is the possibility that A Stone was either the sibling of Mary Stone that Joseph that Joseph married or married one of Joseph's sisters.

I also cannot find a brother with a forename beginning A for any of the above Mary Stones.

I can't find an A Stone anywhere in Buckinghamshire in the relevant period to try to resolve this in the 1851, 61, 71 and 81 censuses.

I therefore wonder if the initial A was incorrect, there was another error in the report which must have been prepared in some haste seeing that Joseph died on the Thursday, the printing press types must have been prepared on the Friday for sale on the Saturday.  Hitchin and High Wycombe were some distance apart and as far as I can see there was no easy railway link between the two.  There is also debatable evidence that Joseph's son was with him in spite of saying so when he registered Joseph's death at High Wycombe five weeks after the event - a Hitchin coroner had already registered Joseph's death at Hitchin on the Wednesday after his death!

I wonder if anyone has access to trade directories of the 1863 period to see if an A Stone is listed as a chair manufacturer or whether one with a different forename is listed.

[ColC]

Alfred Stone
1854 & later years.
London road
Buckinghamshire, England
Chair Manufacturer

Colin

[ColC]

1851 High Wycombe      
Edmond Atkins    53   
Pheabe Atkins    52   
Alfred Atkins    17   
Ellen Atkins    12   
Alfred Stone son in law 22   Born    Chesham, Buckinghamshire - Chair Maker
Ann Stone  wife    26   
Ernest Stone son 4 Mo   

Colin

[ColC]

Name:   Alfred Stone
Birth Date:   Born 8 Oct 1831
Baptism Date:   Baptised 29 Jan 1832 with his year older brother John George.
Baptism Place:   High Street Independent,Chesham,Buckingham,England
Father:   Daniel Stone – Hoop Maker
Mother:   Sarah Hearl

Danl Stone   1806   Birth   16 Jul 1806   Lie Green, Buckinghamshire, England   John,Ann

Mary Stone 1811 Birth 4 Jun 1811   Lie Green, Buckinghamshire, England   John,Ann

Hope this helps.

Colin

[artifis]

That's brilliant, thanks.

It does create a problem though in that if he was born in Chesham I'm not sure how he can be Joseph Springell's brother in law as his wife was born in Radnage according to census returns.  I'll have to look into that again.

I guess that the London Road address in 1854 and later is in High Wycombe as reported in the newspaper?

[bucksboy]

Brother in Law in those times, could also be used as a Cousin, or most close family relations. 

He may well be a brother in law, but as you say....you need to work through it.!

1871 census.
Alfred Stone c1829, Chesham.........Living in Easton Street, High Wycombe.  Chairmaker manufaturer, employing 24 men, and 12 women.

Easton Street is part of the London road, out of High Wycombe.(A40).

1891 census.  Alfred Stone, 1829, Chesham, retired Chairmaker.  Living in 46, Temple Street.


Steve.