Sarah Robinson 1821 - 1887 (2nd Great Grandmother)
Sarah Robinson was born 1821 at Selston, Notts. Her father was Samuel Robinson a collier.
Whilst agriculture was the main occupation in earliest times, coal mining also had a great part to play in Selston's history, as the parish is located over an area where coal was found on or very near the surface. Landowners who discovered coal on their lands soon found that they could supplement their incomes by leasing out mining rights. The original lease for coal in Selston is said to date from 1206, while in the 15th century the monks of Beauvale Priory leased mining rights in Greasley and Selston. In the 18th century, Thomas Walker and Thomas Barber also took out coal leases on land in Selston parish (as well as in other local areas), eventually forming the Barber, Walker Co. Ltd.
Work in mines in the 1820s / 30s was hard and dangerous. Often whole families worked down the pit. Those who dug the coal (hewers) were paid by the amount of coal carried to the surface. Hewers therefore often paid their wives and children to carry the coal. These workers, coal bearers and putters, worked extremely hard for long periods of time. Miners were expected to pay rent for their house. If a miner lost their job in the pit, they could also lose their house. Often housing was of a poor standard with one or two rooms and no toilet or running water. The houses were usually one or two storey buildings made from cheap brick.
Sarah Robinson married Hunter Osborne on 21 Jan 1839 at Kirkby in Ashfield Parish Church. The couple set up home in Bleak Hall Buildings at Kirkby, both working as Framework knitters. Sarah and Hunter went on to have 5 children at Bleak Hall, Louisa was born in July 1839, 7 months after her parent’s wedding indicating Sarah was pregnant at the time of her marriage, Hunter (1841), Thomas (1846), John (1859) and William Henry (1862). Unfortunately Hunter died in 1865 at Kirkby age 50 of inflammation of the liver.
Sarah was left a widow, with two young children, making life difficult. In 1868 Sarah remarried to a Joseph Williamson, who was 11 years’ her senior. Joseph was a frame smith (maker on Frame Work Knitting Machines). By 1881 the couple had moved to Forest Villa St, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham. Sarah died at Kirkby in Ashfield in 1887 of Chronic Bronchitis age 65.
Whilst agriculture was the main occupation in earliest times, coal mining also had a great part to play in Selston's history, as the parish is located over an area where coal was found on or very near the surface. Landowners who discovered coal on their lands soon found that they could supplement their incomes by leasing out mining rights. The original lease for coal in Selston is said to date from 1206, while in the 15th century the monks of Beauvale Priory leased mining rights in Greasley and Selston. In the 18th century, Thomas Walker and Thomas Barber also took out coal leases on land in Selston parish (as well as in other local areas), eventually forming the Barber, Walker Co. Ltd.
Work in mines in the 1820s / 30s was hard and dangerous. Often whole families worked down the pit. Those who dug the coal (hewers) were paid by the amount of coal carried to the surface. Hewers therefore often paid their wives and children to carry the coal. These workers, coal bearers and putters, worked extremely hard for long periods of time. Miners were expected to pay rent for their house. If a miner lost their job in the pit, they could also lose their house. Often housing was of a poor standard with one or two rooms and no toilet or running water. The houses were usually one or two storey buildings made from cheap brick.
Sarah Robinson married Hunter Osborne on 21 Jan 1839 at Kirkby in Ashfield Parish Church. The couple set up home in Bleak Hall Buildings at Kirkby, both working as Framework knitters. Sarah and Hunter went on to have 5 children at Bleak Hall, Louisa was born in July 1839, 7 months after her parent’s wedding indicating Sarah was pregnant at the time of her marriage, Hunter (1841), Thomas (1846), John (1859) and William Henry (1862). Unfortunately Hunter died in 1865 at Kirkby age 50 of inflammation of the liver.
Sarah was left a widow, with two young children, making life difficult. In 1868 Sarah remarried to a Joseph Williamson, who was 11 years’ her senior. Joseph was a frame smith (maker on Frame Work Knitting Machines). By 1881 the couple had moved to Forest Villa St, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham. Sarah died at Kirkby in Ashfield in 1887 of Chronic Bronchitis age 65.
Margaret Osborne (maiden name not known) 1784 - 1849 (3rd Great Grandmother)
To date I still don’t know anything about where in Scotland Margaret was born, her maiden name, her parents or when she married John Osborne, but I feel it was about 1810/1812.
She is listed on the 1841 census as being born in Scotland in 1784. Glasgow expanded rapidly between 1810 and 1820 so it is possibly Margaret was born anywhere in Scotland. In addition the Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands in the 18th century. They led to mass emigration to the coast, the Scottish Lowlands and abroad.
Between 1814 and 1817 John and Margaret moved to Kirkby in Ashfield, possibly due to the unsanitary conditions in Glasgow.
As the first passenger railway only opened in 1825, which was the Stockton to Darlington line, it is likely Margaret and John had moved to Nottinghamshire with their children by coach and horse. In the beginning of the19th century, the main mode of transportation was the horse and carriage. It wasn't until the latter part of the century that railways changed people's lives and habits. Coaches were enclosed, four-wheel vehicles used for long-distance travel, the stagecoach stopped at various pre-appointed stages in order to pick up and drop off passengers. Alternatively people could travel on the mail coach which were subsidized or owned by the post office and painted uniformly. They carried four inside passengers and up to eight outside passengers. Mailbags were piled on the roof and luggage was carried in receptacles called boots
John and Margaret settled in Kirkby in Ashfield where their son Luke was born in 1818, followed by John (1820), Samuel (1821), James (1823) and Mark (1825).
In Kirkby the ancient fairs which had long been obsolete, were revived in 1832, being held on the second Tuesday in April, and the last Tuesday in September, for the sale of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, cheese &c. A hiring for servants is held on November 25th, or on the following day if that day should be on a Sunday, and a market is held every Saturday, for provisions.
At the time of the 1841 census they lived at Bleak Hall Buildings, Kirkby in Ashfield. Margaret died in 1849, age 65 and is buried at St Wilfreds, Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts, England.
She is listed on the 1841 census as being born in Scotland in 1784. Glasgow expanded rapidly between 1810 and 1820 so it is possibly Margaret was born anywhere in Scotland. In addition the Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands in the 18th century. They led to mass emigration to the coast, the Scottish Lowlands and abroad.
Between 1814 and 1817 John and Margaret moved to Kirkby in Ashfield, possibly due to the unsanitary conditions in Glasgow.
As the first passenger railway only opened in 1825, which was the Stockton to Darlington line, it is likely Margaret and John had moved to Nottinghamshire with their children by coach and horse. In the beginning of the19th century, the main mode of transportation was the horse and carriage. It wasn't until the latter part of the century that railways changed people's lives and habits. Coaches were enclosed, four-wheel vehicles used for long-distance travel, the stagecoach stopped at various pre-appointed stages in order to pick up and drop off passengers. Alternatively people could travel on the mail coach which were subsidized or owned by the post office and painted uniformly. They carried four inside passengers and up to eight outside passengers. Mailbags were piled on the roof and luggage was carried in receptacles called boots
John and Margaret settled in Kirkby in Ashfield where their son Luke was born in 1818, followed by John (1820), Samuel (1821), James (1823) and Mark (1825).
In Kirkby the ancient fairs which had long been obsolete, were revived in 1832, being held on the second Tuesday in April, and the last Tuesday in September, for the sale of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, cheese &c. A hiring for servants is held on November 25th, or on the following day if that day should be on a Sunday, and a market is held every Saturday, for provisions.
At the time of the 1841 census they lived at Bleak Hall Buildings, Kirkby in Ashfield. Margaret died in 1849, age 65 and is buried at St Wilfreds, Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts, England.
Elizabeth Gascoign 1750 - (4th Great Grandmother)
Very little is known about Elizabeth, but I believe she came from the north Notts area, and was born about 1750.
Thomas Osborne married Elizabeth Gascoign at Sutton in Ashfield in 17 July 1773, at the time of the marriage both of them came from the Sutton in Ashfield parish, where the couple set up home and raised their 6 children. George was born in 1775, followed by Joseph (1776), Marcus (1780), Samuel (1782), Benjamin (1785) and John in 1789.
It is likely that Elizabeth and possibly Thomas worked with spinning machines, as a form of income. Before factories as we would identify them, all manufacture of products like textiles was done at home and on a small scale. Work was confined to a cottage with everybody doing their bit. Work done at home was slow and laborious. Daniel Defoe, of "Robinson Crusoe" fame -wrote about his journey through Yorkshire in about 1720 and described how he saw small cottages, small scale production and each family working for itself. However, not everything was done under one roof. The process in the making of wool for clothes started with the cleaning of the wool after it had been sheared from the sheep. Followed by carding of the wool - this was brushing it to separate the fibres. If a comb was used, this would be to get the fibres parallel. The cleaned and carded wool would then be spun by spinsters. This was frequently done by young girls. If these girls had not got married at a young age, it was believed that they would remain unmarried all their life - hence the term spinster today. The finished product of the spinsters was called yarn. The yarn would then be woven by a skilled weaver using a handloom. The finished product would then be sold to a clothier
Each of these processes probably took place in separate cottages and spinning was seen as a job for women while weaving was seen as a man’s job.
As the women of a family usually worked at home, someone was always there to look after the children. Conditions of work were better as windows could be open, people worked at their own speed and rested when they needed to. Meals could be taken when needed. as people worked for themselves they could take a pride in what they did. Tension in the work place was minimal as the family worked as a unit. The best home produced goods were of a very good quality - though this probably was not true at a general level.
Thomas Osborne married Elizabeth Gascoign at Sutton in Ashfield in 17 July 1773, at the time of the marriage both of them came from the Sutton in Ashfield parish, where the couple set up home and raised their 6 children. George was born in 1775, followed by Joseph (1776), Marcus (1780), Samuel (1782), Benjamin (1785) and John in 1789.
It is likely that Elizabeth and possibly Thomas worked with spinning machines, as a form of income. Before factories as we would identify them, all manufacture of products like textiles was done at home and on a small scale. Work was confined to a cottage with everybody doing their bit. Work done at home was slow and laborious. Daniel Defoe, of "Robinson Crusoe" fame -wrote about his journey through Yorkshire in about 1720 and described how he saw small cottages, small scale production and each family working for itself. However, not everything was done under one roof. The process in the making of wool for clothes started with the cleaning of the wool after it had been sheared from the sheep. Followed by carding of the wool - this was brushing it to separate the fibres. If a comb was used, this would be to get the fibres parallel. The cleaned and carded wool would then be spun by spinsters. This was frequently done by young girls. If these girls had not got married at a young age, it was believed that they would remain unmarried all their life - hence the term spinster today. The finished product of the spinsters was called yarn. The yarn would then be woven by a skilled weaver using a handloom. The finished product would then be sold to a clothier
Each of these processes probably took place in separate cottages and spinning was seen as a job for women while weaving was seen as a man’s job.
As the women of a family usually worked at home, someone was always there to look after the children. Conditions of work were better as windows could be open, people worked at their own speed and rested when they needed to. Meals could be taken when needed. as people worked for themselves they could take a pride in what they did. Tension in the work place was minimal as the family worked as a unit. The best home produced goods were of a very good quality - though this probably was not true at a general level.
Alice Alvey 1721 - 1810 (5th Great Grandmother)
Alice Alvey was born 1721 at Mansfield, to parents James Alvey and Elizabeth Leverton. She was baptised on 13 Nov 1721 at Mansfield. She was the 5th of the couple’s 8 children.
Her siblings were;
Robert Alvey (1712 – 1794) occupation Stone Cutter
Alice Alvey (1714)
James Alvey (1718)
Elizabeth Alvey (1718)
Henry Alvey (1725 – 1727)
Catherine Alvey (1732)
Mary Alvey (1734)
After their marriage James and Alice stayed in Mansfield, where they raised their 7 children. Thomas was born in 1742, and christened on the 20th September, indicating Alice was pregnant at the time of their marriage. Then I have been unable to trace any more births for 10 years (which is unlikely), after this was Joseph in 1752, Jane (1754), Elizabeth (1757), Charles (1760), John (1762), and James (1764).
Her husband James died in 1787, age 71. Alice continued living in Mansfield until her death in November 1810, when her death was noted in the Mansfield newspaper, listing her as Mrs A Osborn, widow of James Osborn (Stone Mason) who died in her 90th year.
The surname ALVEY is reputed to evolve from the first name of the father - ie the son of “AELFWIG”. - an old English origin meaning “elf war. Famous Nottinghamshire Alvey’s include –
In 1557 Robert Alvye was Chamberlain of Nottingham
In 1558 Robert Alvye was the Sheriff of Nottingham,
in 1564 Edward Alvey matriculated from Nottingham to Cambridge University.
In 1572 Nicholas Alvey was Chamberlain of Nottingham
In 1573 Robert Alvey was Mayor of Nottingham
In 1576 Nicholas Alvey was the Sheriff of Nottingham
In 1580 Robert Alvye Mayor of Nottingham
In 1587 Robert Allve was the Mayor of Nottingham
In 1594 Robert Alvey was Mayor of Nottingham
In 1596 Henry Alvey was Chamberlain of Nottingham
In 1598 Henry Alvey (Cordwainer) was the Sheriff of Nottingham
In 1611 John Alvey was Chamberlain of Nottingham
Her siblings were;
Robert Alvey (1712 – 1794) occupation Stone Cutter
Alice Alvey (1714)
James Alvey (1718)
Elizabeth Alvey (1718)
Henry Alvey (1725 – 1727)
Catherine Alvey (1732)
Mary Alvey (1734)
After their marriage James and Alice stayed in Mansfield, where they raised their 7 children. Thomas was born in 1742, and christened on the 20th September, indicating Alice was pregnant at the time of their marriage. Then I have been unable to trace any more births for 10 years (which is unlikely), after this was Joseph in 1752, Jane (1754), Elizabeth (1757), Charles (1760), John (1762), and James (1764).
Her husband James died in 1787, age 71. Alice continued living in Mansfield until her death in November 1810, when her death was noted in the Mansfield newspaper, listing her as Mrs A Osborn, widow of James Osborn (Stone Mason) who died in her 90th year.
The surname ALVEY is reputed to evolve from the first name of the father - ie the son of “AELFWIG”. - an old English origin meaning “elf war. Famous Nottinghamshire Alvey’s include –
In 1557 Robert Alvye was Chamberlain of Nottingham
In 1558 Robert Alvye was the Sheriff of Nottingham,
in 1564 Edward Alvey matriculated from Nottingham to Cambridge University.
In 1572 Nicholas Alvey was Chamberlain of Nottingham
In 1573 Robert Alvey was Mayor of Nottingham
In 1576 Nicholas Alvey was the Sheriff of Nottingham
In 1580 Robert Alvye Mayor of Nottingham
In 1587 Robert Allve was the Mayor of Nottingham
In 1594 Robert Alvey was Mayor of Nottingham
In 1596 Henry Alvey was Chamberlain of Nottingham
In 1598 Henry Alvey (Cordwainer) was the Sheriff of Nottingham
In 1611 John Alvey was Chamberlain of Nottingham
James Alvey 1686 - (6th Great Grandfather)
James Alvey was born circa 1686 at Mansfield Notts. His parent’s details are not known. On 17 Feb 1711 James Alvey married Elizabeth Leverton at Mansfield. They had the following children Robert Alvey (1712 – 1794) occupation Stone Cutter, Alice Alvey (1714), James Alvey (1718)
Elizabeth Alvey (1718), Alice Alvey (1721), Henry Alvey (1725 – 1727), Catherine Alvey (1732), Mary Alvey (1734).
The couple stayed in Mansfield and raised 8 children.
Elizabeth Alvey (1718), Alice Alvey (1721), Henry Alvey (1725 – 1727), Catherine Alvey (1732), Mary Alvey (1734).
The couple stayed in Mansfield and raised 8 children.
Elizabeth Leverton 1692 - 1753 (6th Great Grandmother)
Elizabeth Leverton was born 1692 at Mansfield. Her father was Robert Leverton. She was baptised on 18 May 1692. On 17 Feb 1711 James Alvey married Elizabeth Leverton at Mansfield. They had the following children Robert Alvey (1712 – 1794) occupation Stone Cutter, Alice Alvey (1714), James Alvey (1718), Elizabeth Alvey (1718), Alice Alvey (1721), Henry Alvey (1725 – 1727), Catherine Alvey (1732), Mary Alvey (1734).The couple stayed in Mansfield and raised 8 children.
Robert Leverton 1660 - (7th Great Grandfather)
Robert Leverton was born in Mansfield in 1660. He married on 11 July 1686 at Mansfield. However his wife’s name is not listed on the documents I have.
He had at least one daughter, Elizabeth born in Mansfield in 1692.
He had at least one daughter, Elizabeth born in Mansfield in 1692.