Lutterworth Petty Sessions, Thursday July 28. (Before J. A. Arnold and R. Gough, Esqrs.)
Joseph Bott and Ebenezer Tristram Jones were charged with assaulting Superintendent Frie. Defendents had been ejected for making a disturbance at the New Inn, Shearsby; subsequently a crowd of between fifty and sixty people assembled and dared the police to take any of them. Jones, taking an active part, was secured. An attempt was then made to rescue him; and Bott, being one of the leaders, was taken into custody, and conveyed to the lock-up. Convicted in penalty and costs 10s. each.
The name ‘Ebenezer Tristram Jones’ is surprisingly common in Leicester, from whence he and presumably Bott came. The 50 or 60 people who assembled so quickly may have been more local though.
The following year Superintendent Frie had again to deal with disorderly drunkenness in Shearsby, apprehending Job Whitmore, William Bottrell and Thomas Hardy on the morning of the 4th July. They were brought before the justices at the Lutterworth Petty Sessions on 20 July and each fined 3s with costs of 5s 4d.
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, July 30, 1842;
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, March 04, 1837
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, June 10, 1843
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, July 22, 1843, p2.
Job Whitmore living in Hill Street, Shearsby in 1841. “England and Wales Census, 1841,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQYK-1WC : 13 December 2017), Job Whitmore, Knaptoft, Leicestershire, England; from “1841 England, Scotland and Wales census,” database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
Thomas Hardy, born in Shearsby in 1822. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4M-SYPQ : 6 June 2018), Thomas Hardy, 16 Jun 1822; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 12, Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
William Bottrell living in Butter Pot Lane, Shearsby in 1841. “England and Wales Census, 1841,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQY2-M3C : 13 December 2017), William Bottrell, Knaptoft, Leicestershire, England; from “1841 England, Scotland and Wales census,” database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
On the 3rd of July 1867 Mr. Thomas Simons died at the advanced age of 94. A few years earlier the census had found him living on London Road, Oadby as a retired grocer with 10 year-old Jane Simons (his nephew Richard’s daughter), and a servant from Lutterworth. Back in 1851 he had been living in Main Street, Oadby, unmarried, with his younger sister Susannah. Susannah had died in March 1856 and been buried in Shearsby. Their father was Thomas Simons, long-time clerk to the village of Shearsby, who had also lived to a good age.
In September 1867 the properties of Thomas Simons in Oadby and Shearsby were put up for auction at the White Horse Inn, Oadby. There were to be two lots of Oadby properties and three lots for those in Shearsby.
The Robert Simons mentioned had been born in 1811, probably in Oadby, and had, in May 1842, married Mary Williams (b.1817), from Shearsby. In 1851 he was living in Oadby as a beer seller and grocer. He died and was buried in Shearsby in 1872.
Oadby
Lot 1. All that brick-built dwelling House and Shop, with suitable offices at the back thereof, situate and being in the centre of the pleasant village of Oadby aforesaid, with a large productive garden at the back thereof, late in the occupation of Mr. Thomas Simons, deceased.
And also all those three messuages or tenements, adjoining the above, fronting to the main street, with two Workshops and good Gardens at the back thereof, the whole containing a frontage of about 82 feet.
Lot 2. All that Dwelling House, with Grocer’s Shop, Bakehouse, Stable, Piggeries, and numerous out-offices, together with a good garden at the back thereof, situate in the main street, in Oadby, aforesaid, for several years in the occupation of Mr. Robert Simons, containing a frontage of about 54 feet.
Shearsby
Lot 1. All those three messuages or tenements, with Cow-house, Piggeries, and other Out-offices, together with a productive Orchard and Garden, situate in the centre of the village of Shearsby aforesaid, containing three roods or thereabouts, and now in the several occupations of Richard Simons, William Deacon and – Lee, and containing a frontage of 129 feet or thereabouts.
Lot 2. All that piece or parcel of land, situate at the upper-end of the village of Shearsby aforesaid, near the mill, and now in the occupation of Richard Simons, containing one acre or thereabouts.
Lot 3. All those two messuages or tenements, with out-offices, garden and yard attached, situate at the top of the main street of Shearsby aforesaid, now in the occupation of Thomas Simons, and containing a frontage of 47 feet or thereabouts.
References
The Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury (Leicester, England), Saturday, August 31, 1867;
The Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury (Leicester, England), Saturday, July 06, 1867; pg. 8
It fell to friend and fellow-farmer Richard Messenger to manage the disposal of the estate of Thomas Read after his death on 12 November 1843. He arranged the burial in the Shearsby church-yard and, the following month, supervised the sale of ‘the whole of the livestock, hay, farming implements, household furniture, brewing and dairy utensils, etc.’ which was held over two days on the late grazier’s premises in Back Street. Thomas Read’s farm neighboured that of John Goode.
On 24 January the following year two fields were put up for sale at Robert Burdett’s New Inn by the trustees of the the will of Thomas Read. Pinfold Close (2 roods and 14 perches) and Townend Close (2 roods and 20 perches) were both at ‘the north or bottom end’ of the parish.
The burial records have Thomas as being born around 1775. In census of 1841 he was living with Elizabeth and Susannah Read, both 40 in the census taker’s rounded figures. Elizabeth had been born in 1797 and Susannah in 1801. A child, Louisa Wylde, was also present. Ann Read (born 1809) had married John Wylde in August 1830, so Louisa would have been their child and grand-daughter to Thomas.
Thomas had other sons present in the village in 1841: Thomas, John and Ralph Hobill Read. Thomas has been christened in Shearsby on 20 November 1803, John in March 1806 and Ralph in 1817. Thomas was an agricultural labourer in 1841, married to Ann and living with his daughters Sarah (10), Ann (6), Mary (3) and Eliza (1). Both John and Ralph were fellmongers, working in the leather trade. In 1841 John lived on Hill Street with his wife Hannah and their children John, Elizabeth, Jane and William, while Ralph was in Mill Street with his wife Mary and son John. Ralph had married Mary Bindley in Shearsby on 17 April 1836.
Thomas had married Elizabeth Hobill in December 1796, but she had died in April 1837. She was the only child of Ralph and Susanna Hobill. Ralph Hobill had married Susanna Meadows in Shearsby in December 1770 and Elizabeth been christened on 9 February 1772.
Thomas and Elizabeth had other children: Elizabeth, christened 1797; Mary, christened 1811 and William, christened 1814, who later moved to Bitteswell and became a butcher. In January 1835 he had married Harriet Gilbert there.
Thomas Read’s gravestone poetically records his frustrations with the abilities of the local doctors, though it is not clear whether the complaints were for physical or emotional ailments:
Afflictions sore long time I bore, Physicians were in vain; Till God did please to give me ease, And free me from all pain.
Memorial for Elizabeth Read, wife of Thomas Read, Fellmonger, who departed this life April 9th, 1837, aged 65 years.
References
“Multiple Advertisements and Notices ” The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, November 25, 1843;
“Multiple Classified ads.” Leicester Chronicle, January 20, 1844, [1]+. British Library Newspapers (accessed March 22, 2019).
Burial of Thomas Read, 1843. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4Q-B13P : 6 June 2018), Thomas Read, 15 Nov 1843; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Burial, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 25, citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Thomas Read in 1841 Census. “England and Wales Census, 1841,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQYK-YBL : 10 April 2019), Thomas Read and Elizebth Read and Susannah Read and Louisa Wylde, Knaptoft, Leicestershire, England; from “1841 England, Scotland and Wales census,” database and images, findmypast(http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
Marriage of Thomas Read and Elizabeth Hobill, 1796. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4W-QD1J : 6 June 2018), Thomas Read and Elizabeth Hobill, 29 Dec 1796; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Marriage, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 4, citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Baptism of Elizabeth Hobill, Bruntingthorpe, 1772. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPWB-T3K8 : 6 June 2018), Elizabeth Hobill, 30 Apr 1772; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 1, Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Baptism of Elizabeth Hobill, Shearsby, 1772.”England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4M-MKLZ 6 June 2018), Elizabeth Hobill, 9 Feb 1772; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page , Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Burial of Elizabeth Read, 1837. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP43-1GYV : 6 June 2018), Elizabeth Read, 13 Apr 1837; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Burial, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 21, citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Elizabeth Read, 1797. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4M-42NH : 6 June 2018), Elizabeth Read, 28 May 1797; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page , Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Thomas Read, 1803. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPW1-CB2Q : 6 June 2018), Thomas Read, 20 Nov 1803; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page , Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
John Read christening 1806. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4M-S3TZ : 6 June 2018), John Read, 22 Mar 1806; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page , Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Ralph Hobill Read christened 1817. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPW1-LSSS : 6 June 2018), Ralph Hobill Read, 9 Feb 1817; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 5, Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Mary Read. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPW1-D6FS : 6 June 2018), Mary Read, 1 Dec 1811; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page , Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
William Read. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPW1-YGJ8 : 6 June 2018), William Read, 20 Mar 1814; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Baptism, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 2, Citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
Marriage of Ralph Hobill Read. “England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4H-FW7M : 6 June 2018), Ralph Hobill Read and Mary Bindley, 17 Apr 1836; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Marriage Banns, Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 18, citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
William Read, 1851. “England and Wales Census, 1851,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGFS-LDT : 1 November 2017), William Read, Bitteswell, Leicestershire, England; citing Bitteswell, Leicestershire, England, p. 3, from “1851 England, Scotland and Wales census,” database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
Shearsby History Notes 