1
MEMBERS OF THE GROUPNo Name Address
4 Mr Colin W Plant 14 West Road, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM23 3QP
E-mail: [email protected]
6 Mr Michael Plant The Coach House, Monyash Road, Bakewell,
Derbyshire, DE45 1FG
E-mail: [email protected]
10 Mrs Pamela Plant London
16 Mrs E C Reed 31 Walton Gardens, Codsall, Wolverhampton
WV8 1AH
18 Mr Peter Johnson 57 Helston Close, Brookvale, Runcorn WA7 6AA
20 Mr Anthony David Plant 53 Green Curve, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 1NS
� E-mail: [email protected]
29 Mrs Shirley Hughes 14 Criss Grove, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks. SL9 9HG
� E-mail: [email protected]
32 Mrs Catherine Sproston Birtles Lodge, Chelford Road, Birtles, Nr Macclesfield,
Cheshire.E-mail: [email protected]
37 Mr Patrick Pearson Valrublen, Bowl Corner, Battisford, Stowmarket,
Suffolk IP14 2LH
E-mail: [email protected]
38 Mrs Sian Plant 12 Dalmeny Road, New Barnet, Herts, EN5 1DE
� E-mail: [email protected]
45 Mr David Johnson PO Box 4059, Tinana Queensland, 4650, Australia.
E-mail: [email protected]
47 Mrs Stella Robson Mill View, Great Whittington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
NE19 2HP
52 Dr John S Plant Computer Centre, University of Keele, Staffs. ST5 5BG
E-mail: [email protected]
59 Mr Nigel Burroughs 45 Farleigh Fields, Orton Wistow, Peterborough, PE2 6YB
E-mail: [email protected]
69 Mr Andrew Plant 36 Second Street, Watling Bungalows, Leadgate,Co Durham.
E-mail: [email protected]
71 Mr G Brian Plant 54 Bean Leach Drive, Offerton, Stockport, Cheshire.
SK2 5HZ
74 Mrs Alice Doreen Mercer 11 Stewart Place, Barrack Heights, New South Wales,
Australia. 2528
E-mail: [email protected]
75 Mr Michael John Plant Crown Hill House, Worcester Road, Newnham Bridge,
Tenbury Wells, Worcs. WR15 8JAE-mail: wow [email protected]
Roots and Branches, series 1, issue 33 (Jan 2007)The official journal of the Plant Family History Group
Redacted
2
85 Mr John E Ransley 14 Rosary Crescent, Highgate Hill, 4101 Queensland
# Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
89 Mrs Estelle Nobles 73 Downside Close, Bladford Forum, Dorset.
DT11 7SDE-mail: [email protected]
90 Mrs M R Lake 16 Western Avenue, Felixtowe, Suffolk. IP11 9SB
E-mail: [email protected]
95 Mrs Linda S Wheeler 2210 Larkspur Drive, Alpine, CA 91901, U S A
E-mail: [email protected]
98 Deanne Richards 4 West Road, Capel, Western Australia 6271
E-mail: [email protected]
111 Mr Malc John Plant 38 Faithful Street, Benalla, Victoria 3672, Australia.
113 Mrs Heather Plant 6 Peatmoss Street, Sunnybank Hills, Queensland, 4109,
Australia.
E-mail: [email protected]
114 Mr John Russel Ingamellis Room 41, Resthaven, 336 Kensington Road, Leabrook,
Adelaide, 5068, South Australia.
116 Miss Joan Plant 12 Grenadier Street, N. Woolwich, London E16 2LP
119 Mrs Florence Plant PO 192, Nagambie, Victoria 3608, Australia.E-mail: [email protected]
121 Kathy Compagno 855 Bates Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530, U.S.A.
E-mail: [email protected]
122 Mrs Elizabeth A Messer Bearsden, 9 Pinehurst Ave., Mudeford, Christchurch,
Dorset, BH23 3NS
E-mail: [email protected]
123 Dr Andrew Thomas Plant The Spinney, Hill Top, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst,
� Hants, SO42 7YR
124 Mr Alan Plant 1 Templar Terrace, Porthill, Newcastle, Staffs. ST5 8PN
127 Mr William T Plant 298 Newhampton Road West, Wolverhampton,
West Midlands WV6 0RS
131 Mrs Jean Walpole 40 Frederick Rd., Cheam, Surrey, SM1 2HR
E-mail: [email protected]
132 Miss Linda Wilks 127 Western Road, Mickleover, Derby, DE3 9GR
E-mail: [email protected]
138 Mrs Jean D Ray 124 Lyth Hill Road, Bayston Hill, Shropshire, SY3 0AT
E-mail: [email protected]
139 Mrs Judith Kirkby 53 Mersea Avenue, West Mersea, Colchester, Essex.
CO5 8JL
Redacted
3
140 Mrs J Bateman 52 George Frederick Road, Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands B73 6TD
E-mail: [email protected]
141 Mr Malcolm Revell 22 Melton Road, North Ferriby, East Yorkshire.
HU14 3ETE-mail: [email protected]
143 Miss Freda Lawrence ‘Brades’ Lower Penkridge Road, Acton
Trussell, Stafford, ST17 0RJ
E-mail: [email protected]
145 Mr Graham Wingfield 34 Hereford Road, Harpur Hill, Buxton,
Derbyshire. SR17 9PG
E-mail: [email protected]
147 Mr John Ronald Plant 49 Bourke Avenue, Yattalunga, NSW 2251, Australia.
E-mail: [email protected]
153 Mrs Frances Plant 80 Buxton Cres., Sutton, Surrey, SM3 9TP
E-mail: [email protected]
162 Aloa Dereta Contact W Keith Plant
165 Mrs Gillian Jenkins 42 Edgemont Road, Weston Favell, Northampton,
NN3 3PQ
E-mail: [email protected]
167 Mrs M J Plant 204 Dunkery Road, London SE9 4HP
168 Mr Philip Plant 33 The Dawneys, Crudwell, Wilts. SN16 9HE
E-mail: [email protected]
169 Mrs Hazel M Morgan The Woodlands, 7 Rose Avenue, Alvechurch,
Nr Birmingham. B48 7PG
E-mail: [email protected]
174 Mrs Fay Bielewiez 63 Allen Road, Nanango, Queensland 4615, Australia.
E-mail: [email protected]
177 Mr Earl John Davis 27 Boucher Road, Leek, Staffs ST13 7JH
E-mail: [email protected]
178 Mr Anthony W Brown Façade, Tinkers Alley, 42A High St., Sharnbrook,
Bedford, MK44 1PF
e-mail: [email protected]
179 Mrs Dorian G Greenbaum 27 Pill Hill Lane, Duxbury, MA 02332 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
(also temporary address) – Flat 215, Albany House, 41 Judd Street,
Bleamsbury. London, WC1H 9QS
181 Mr Jack Plant 35 Oakdene, Cottingham, East Yorkshire. HU16 5AS
E-mail: [email protected]
182 Linda Plant Wagoner 11 Millbrook Avenue, Dover, New Jersey 07801 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
183 Mr Chris Plant 12 Whytecliffe Pde, Woody Point, Queensland 4019
Redacted
4
Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
186 Mr Bill Lowe 21 Katoomba Road, Beaumont, South Australia 5066
Australia.
187 Dr Ruth Young 11 Douglas St., Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 9HB
E-mail: [email protected]
189 Mrs Nanette Pafumi Clos-Joli, 1321 Arnex-sur-orbe, Switzerland.
E-mail: pafclosjoli@hotmail,.com
194 Mrs Ann Wilkinson Hawthorn Cottage, Oak Lane, Treflach, Oswestry
SY10 9HE
E-mail: [email protected]
195 Mr David Plant 169 Wulfruna Court, Dale St., Graiseley,
Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV3 OPE
199 Mrs Judith Wilkinson 26 Meadow Gardens, Beccles, Suffolk,
NR34 9PA
E-mail: [email protected]
201 Mr Ronnie Plant 15 York Street, Leek, Staffs. ST13 6JE
E-mail: [email protected]
202 Mrs Audrey Hunt 16 Chalford, Northcroft, Woodburn Green,
High Wycombe, Bucks, HP10 0BS
E-mail: [email protected]
203 Mrs Shirley Goodall 49 Reservoir Road, Shobnall, Burton-on-Trent,
Staffs, DE14 2BP
E-mail: [email protected]
205 Mrs Christine Milner Paddock Farm, Swythomley, Macclesfield,
Cheshire, SK11 0RF
207 Mr John Plant 17 St Margaret’s Close, Cottingham, HU16 5NG
E-mail: [email protected]
210 Mrs Andrea Bone Sawmill Cottage, Marholm, Peterborough, Cambs,PE6 7HZ
E-mail: [email protected]
212 Mrs Rosalie G Kneller Summer House, Ilsington, Devon, TQ13 9RE
E-mail: [email protected]
213 Mr Kenneth T Plant 1 St Martins Close, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 2NF
216 Mrs Jennifer Plant 45 Teme Road., Cradley, Halesowen, West Midlands,
B63 2LY
E-mail: [email protected]
217 Mrs Sylvia Wells 16 Third Ave., Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4EY
E-mail: [email protected]
218 Mr Walter F Plant 33 Cheltenham Road, Evesham, WR11 1LA
E-mail: [email protected]
Redacted
5
219 Mr Michael Plant 57 Brocklehurst Ave., Sheffield, S8 8JF
E-mail: [email protected]
220 Mr Mark Ernest Plant 13 Bedford Road, Firswood, Manchester M16 OJB
E-mail: [email protected]
221 Mrs Sue Tudor Millennium Cottage, 48 Kyl Caber Parc,
Stoke Climsland, Cornwall, PL17 8PH
E-mail: [email protected]
223 Mr Colin H Plant 26 Manor Road, Wendover, Aylesbury, Bucks.,
HP22 6HN
E-mail: [email protected]
224 Mrs Kathleen Bean 15 Owington Grove, Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees,
TS23 3LX
E-mail: [email protected]
225 Mr Richard A Plant 79 Caledonia St., Scarborough, North Yorks.,
YO12 7DP
E-mail: [email protected]
226 Mrs Valerie Hall Moorhill, Granby Road, Bradwell, Hope Valley
S33 9HU
� E-mail: [email protected]
228 Irene Plant Berger 63 Candlewood Shores Rd., Brookfield, CT 06804,
USAE-mail: [email protected]
229 Mr Benjamin John Plant Hilbre House, 24 Ringland Rd., Taverham, Norfolk,
NR8 6TG
� E-mail: [email protected]
230 Mr Brian John Hunt 5 Loxley Ave., Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands,
B90 2QE
E-mail: [email protected]
231 Mrs Doris Howorth 9 Sandbank Gardens, Whitworth, Rochdale, OL12 8BH
E-mail: [email protected]
232 Mrs Michele Watson Pine Lodge, Steventon End, Ashdon, Essex, CB10 2JE
E-mail: [email protected]
233 Professor Dennis Wood 12 Selly Wick Drive, Selly Park, Birmingham, B29 7JH
E-mail: [email protected]
235 Revd Cyril D Blount 92 Weather Hill Road, Huddersfield, HD3 3LD
E-mail: [email protected]
236 Mr Charles Paulton Plant 4049 West 36th Avenue, Vancouver, BC,Canada, V6N 2T1
E-mail: [email protected]
240 Col. Mike Walker Hannstead House, Richmond Road, Sherborne, Dorset,
DT9 3HL
E-mail: [email protected]
Redacted
6
241 Mrs Nicole Lankester 67 Regent Road, Brightlingsea, Essex, CO7 0NN
E-mail: [email protected]
243 Mr Peter Robert Plant 23 Mill Rd., Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey, LL65 2TA
E-mail: [email protected]
244 Mrs Sydney Anne Holt 3913 S Oak St, Tempe, AZ 85282-5753 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
245 Mr Frederick Ernest Plant 60 Kenmore Rd., Whitefield, Manchester, Lancs M45 8FS
E-mail: [email protected]
248 Mrs KS Cosgrove Highfield House, Common Lane, Lach Dennis, Cheshire, CW9 7TE
E-mail: [email protected]
249 Mr Richard George Plant 9 Relesah Drive, Ningi, Queensland, 4511, Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
250 Ms Linda Brice 24 The Parade, Church Village. Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff,
Mid Glamorgan, CF38 1BU
E-mail: [email protected]
251 Mr Ian Plant 5 Avonview Park, Oxford Road, Ryton on Dunsmore,
Warwickshire, CV8 3EB
E-mail: [email protected]
252 Mr Christopher Johnson 4 Chestnut Vale, Mollington, Banbury, OX17 1AW
E-mail: [email protected]
253 Mr David Capes 8 Wakerley Road, Scotter, Gainsborough, Lincs, DN21 3TD
E-mail: [email protected]
254 Mr Duncan Jones 10 Oak Street, Belle Vue, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 7RH
E-mail: [email protected]
255 Mrs Linda Mockford 8 Kennet Close, Henley Green, Coventry, CV2 1QS
E-mail: [email protected]
256 Mr Matthew Plant 17 Edlingham Close, South Gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 1RH
E-mail: [email protected]
Ú 257 Mr Michael Perkins 4 Churchill Drive, Amblecote, Strourbridge,
West Midlands, DY8 4JS
E-mail: [email protected]
Ú 258 Tina Charlesworth 1 Ponker Nook Lane, Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield,
Yorkshire, HD8 9AJ
E-mail: [email protected]
Ú = New Member
� = Change of address or e-mail address.
# Rejoined
Redacted
7
MEMBERS INTERESTSMembership Interest
No Name
4 Mr Colin W Plant 19c North Staffordshire/
6 Mr Michael Plant Any period South Staffs/North Worcs/
10 Mrs Pamela Plant e19c Stockport Cheshire/
16 Mrs C Reed L18c e19c North Staffordshire/
18 Mr Peter Johnson L19c Manchester Lancs/19c Mid Cheshire/
20 Mr David Plant Pre 19c Clowne Derby/19c Doncaster Yorks/
19c Notts./ 19c Cheltenham Glos/
29 Mrs Shirley Hughes L17c + 18c Rowley Regis Worcs/19c Dudley
Worcs/L19c Sydney Australia/
32 Mrs Catherine Sproston Any Period Cheshire/
37 Mr Patrick Pearson Any period Stockport Cheshire/
38 Mrs Sian Plant e19c Denton Lancs/19c Leicester/
20c Rounds Northants/
45 Mr David Johnson 19c Kidsgrove/
47 Mrs S Robson General/
52 Dr John S Plant 19c Sheffield Yorks/e19c Clowne
Derbyshire/
59 Mr Nigel Burroughs L18c 19c Burslem + Longton Staffs/
69 Mr Andrew Plant M18c + M19c Little Bowden and Market
Harborough/19c London
71 Mr G Brian Plant Any period Cheshire/
74 Mrs Alice D Mercer 19c Leicester/L19c Nottingham/
75 Mr M J Plant e19c Shropshire/e19c Cheadle Hulme
Cheshire/
85 Mr John E Ransley 18c & 19c Staffs/
89 Mrs Estella Nobles Any period Fenton + Cheadle + Longton
Staffs/
90 Mrs M R Lake m18c Suffolk/
95 Linda Shields Wheeler pre 1700 Staffs/Cheshire/John Plant
(emigrant)from UK to US/
98 Deanne Richards 19c Eckington Derbyshire/Sheffield
(Brightside)/
111 Mr Malc John Plant Any period Sibsey Lincs/
8
113 Mrs Heather Plant Pre 1850 Herts, (Hertford, Stapleford & Saccabc)/
114 Mr John Russel Ingamellis 18c Lincs/
116 Miss Joan Plant e19c Bristol/
119 Mrs Florence Plant L19c Staffordshire/
121 Kathy Compagno 19c West Bromwich + Walsall, Staffs/
L18c + e19c Brierley Hill/ e 18c Old Swinford
122 Elizabeth Messer L19c Cheadle Staffs/
123 Dr Andrew Thomas Plant 18c + 19c Northants/19c Rutland/19c Hants +
Cambs/L19c + e20c Bedfordshire
124 Mr Alan Plant General Staffordshire/
127 Mr William T Plant 18c + e19c North Staffordshire/
131 Mrs Jean Walpole m19c Wolverhampton Staffordshire/
L19c Camberwell, Surrey/
132 Miss Linda Wilks Any period Potteries, Staffordshire/
138 Mrs Jean Ray 19c Sheffield
139 Mrs Judith Kirkby Pre 1850 Macclesfield Ches/
140 Mrs J Bateman Pre 1900 Staffs/pre1900 Worcs/Any period
Dudley,Tipton Halesowen, Rowley Regis,
Brierley Hill, Langley, Oldbury Cradley, West
Bromwich, Smethwick/
141 Mr Malcolm Revell 18 + 19c Burslem + Longton + Stoke on Trent
Staffs/
143 Miss Freda Lawrence Any period Bloxwich, Eccleshall, Norbury,
Shallowford, Stoke-on-Trent, Stone Stoweby,
Chortley, Swynnerton, Yarnfield (Earnfield),
Staffs.
145 Mr Graham Wingfield 19c Lower + Higher Whitley + Little Leigh,
Cheshire/
147 Mr John Ronald Plant Pre 1900 Stoke on Trent, Staffs/
153 Mrs Frances Plant 19c Leek Staffs/
162 Aloa Dereta Any Period pre 1860 Leek Staffs/
m 19c Sheffield, Yorks/
165 Mrs Gillian Jenkins m 19c Wolverhampton + West Bromwich,
Staffs/
167 Mrs M J Plant Any period Market Harborough,
Little Bowden, Great Bowden, Foxton,
Leics/Sutton St. Edmund,
Halbeach, Lincs/ Brighton Sussex/Haverhill,
Suffolk/Battersea, London/
9
168 Mr Philip Plant As for member 167 plus North Wiltshire/
169 Mrs Hazel Morgan 19c Meerbrook, Grindon, Staffs/Ashbourne,
Derby/
174 Mrs Fay Bielewiez 18c Ches (Alsager)/19c North Staffs/
177 Mr Earl John Davis Cheadle, Staffs/
178 Mr Tony Brown e + m 19c Laxfield, Suffolk/ (see correspondence
Journal 33)
179 Mrs Dorian Greenbaum 18c + 19c Dudley/Kingswinford/Brierley Hill/
181 Mr Jack Plant 19c South Yorks/North Derbyshire/
182 Linda Wagoner Any period USA/Immigrants from
UK to USA/
183 Mr Chris Plant prc 1720 Leek/post 1720 Cheadle Staffs/
186 Mr Bill Lowe 19c Birmingham/
187 Dr Ruth Young 19c Castle Church, Stafford/ m19c Stone, Staffs/
m19c Longton, Staffs/e19c Breuood, Staffs/
189 Mrs Nanette Pafumi Any period Cheshire/
194 Mrs Ann Wilkinson 19c Newport, Shropshire/
195 Mr David Plant Any period West Midlands/18 + 19c Dudley +
Brewood, Staffs/
199 Mrs Judith Wilkinson 18 + 19c Dudley, Tipton, Halesowen, Rowley
Regis, Brierley Hill, Langley, Cradley, West
Bromwich/
201 Mr Ronnie Plant L19c Dudley South Staffs/
202 Mrs Audrey Hunt 18 + 19 + 20c Castle Church, Castletown,
Forebridge, Queensvill, Staffs/
203 Mrs Shirley Goodall 19c Appleby Magna, Leics/
20c Burton-on-Trent, Staffs/
205 Mrs Christine Milner 19c Stockport (Plants Hat Block Co)/
207 Mr John Plant Lincolnshire/
210 Mrs Andrea Bone L19c Peterborough Cambs/
212 Mrs Rosalie Knellar 19c Liverpool/Bradford/West Bromwich,Staffs/Warwick/Handsworth, Staffs/
213 Mr Kenneth Plant 18c + 19c South East, Leicestershire + Rutland
Border/
216 Mrs Jennifer Plant 18c + 19c ‘Black Country’/
217 Ms Sylvia Wells 19c Market Harborough/London area/
10
218 Mr Walter Frederick Plant Woodthorpe, Nr Chesterfield/Woodthorpe,
Nr Loughborough/
219 Mr Michael Plant M + L 18c Sheffield/M + L 18c NE Derbyshire
220 Mr Mark Ernest Plant L19c Manchester, Lancs/Staffs?
221 Mrs Sue Tudor RH + SL Plant + Company (Pottery)/
223 Mr Colin H Plant William Plant 17c/early 19c Hundleigh, Lincs/
L18 + E19c Hundleby, Lincs/
224 Mrs Kathleen Bean 17c Grinton North Yorks/19c Cassop,
Co Durham/
225 Mr Richard Plant L19c Lincs/
226 Mrs Valerie Hall 18c Derbyshire (Hope, Bakewell,Hartington/18c Cheshire (Macclesfield, Taxal)/18c Staffs
(Leek, Alstonfield)/
228 Irene Plant Berger 19c Birmingham/
229 Mr Benjamin John Plant 18 + 19c Lichfield, Staffs/19c Liverpool,
Lancs/
230 Mr Brian John Hunt Canning Pottery Co – Subsidiary Co of
RH + SL Plant & Co.
231 Mrs Doris Howorth 18c + e 19c Manchester/17c & 18c
Frodsham & Gt Budworth, Ches/
232 Mrs Michele Watson m19c Duckmanton, Derbyshire/L19c + 20c
Australia (Melbourne)/
233 Professor Dennis Wood 17c to 20c Rowley Regis + Oldbury/
235 Revd Cyril D Blount m 19c Cheadle, Staffs (James Plant)/
236 Mr Charles Paulton Plant L 19c e 20c Wolverhampton (Charles Poulton
Plant)/L 18c Brewood, Staffs/ 20c Canada
240 Col. Mike Walker 19c + 20c Longton Staffs (Samuel Lucas Plant
+ Frederick Sutton Plant) RH + SL Plant & Co/
241 Mrs Nicole Lankester 18c + 19c + 20c Preston, Ashton-on-Ribble,
Poulton-le-Fylde (Plant Solicitors) Lancs/
243 Mr Peter Robert Plant E19c Tittesworth + Ipstones, Staff/
244 Mrs Sydney Anne Holt M19c Hanley, Staffs/L19c Stoke, Staffs/
245 Mr Frederick Ernest Plant 20c Lower Broughton, Salford, Lancs/
248 Mrs K Cosgrove 19c + 20c South Staffs/
249 Mr Richard George Plant 19c Sibsey, Lancs/
250 Ms Linda Brice L19c Wakefield, Pontefact, Purston, Yorkshire/m19c
Gresley, Derby/m19c Cheadle, Staffs/
11
251 Mr Ian Plant m19c Sedgley, Staffs/19c Bilston, Bradley, Staffs/
M19c Calderbank, Scotland/
252 Mr Christopher Johnson L19c e18c Edensor, Derby/m17c Bakewell, Derby/
253 Mr David Copes 18c + 19c Harthill + South Auston + Rotherham, Yorks/
254 Mr Duncan Jones 19c Sheffield, Yorks/e19c Adwick on Dearn, Yorks/
E20c Manchester, Lancs/L19c Bristol/
255 Mrs Linda Mockford L19c Dudley, South Staffs/
256 Mr Matthew Plant 19c Eccleshall + Bierlow + Sheffield, Yorks/
257 Mr Michael Perkins All periods, Black Country/
258 Tina Charlesworth 18c + 19c Rotherham, Ardwick-upon-Dearne, Yorks/
12
NEW MEMBERS
Three new members have joined the Group since the issue of the last Journal.
No 256 Matthew Plant Newcastle
Matthew’s interests are centred on Eccleshall and Bierlow, Sheffield, where, in 1881,
his ‘family’ lived in New Hereford Street.
From the information given by Matthew it was possible to locate the family in the
1861 Census living in 30 Duke St., Sheffield.
Benjamin Plant H M 43 Flask maker & Corweaver born Chard. Derbyshire
Elizabeth Plant W M 43 born Sheffield
William Plant S U 20 Gem change? Maker born Sheffield
Mary Ann Plant D 11 born Sheffield
Charles Plant S 8 born Sheffield
Elizabeth Plant D 17 Powder Flask Stitcher? born Sheffield
From the above it would appear that Benjamin & Elizabeth married c1840. There is a
marriage registered first qtr., 1840, Benjamin Plant, Sheffield, Vol., 22, page 361 and
I would consider that there is a good chance that this could be the marriage of
Benjamin & Elizabeth.
Charles married Clara? and Mathew is descended from this line.
Charles and Clara produced Alice b c 1890, Herbert b c1896 and Charles b c1900.
Herbert married Jenny Dungworth and Charles b 1933 and Trevor b 1935 resulted.
This Charles is Matthews father.
Any members with connections to this family please contact Matthew direct.
No. 257 Michael Perkins Stourbridge
Mike has for some time been exchanging information with (in his words) ‘The Girls
of the Black Country Brigade’ as his interests are Plants in the Black Country.
No. 258 Tina Charlesworth Huddersfield
In September I received an e-mail from Tina who was researching her mother in law
maiden name of Plant, the family originating in Rotherham, Yorkshire.
The earliest known record was a William Plant living in Adwick-upon-Dearne,
Yorkshire c1803.
However, that information was enough as our records showed John Plant son of
William & Ann Plant was baptised at Adwick-upon-Dearne on 28 August 1804 or 5.
William Plant married Ann Askew at Adwick-upon-Dearne on 27 November 1803.
13
Mr Duncan Jones (member No. 254) is descended from this family and I presume
they have been in touch. It may also be worthwhile contacting other members with
Yorkshire connections.
14
CORRESPONDENCE
From Richard Plant – Member No. 225
‘Re Jack Plant – Singer (see p43 Journal No. 32)
Further to the information contained in this
article, see below his death Certificate
confirming the details previously stated.
WKP Note: It is quite probably that his
given name of Rose gives a clue relative to
his biological father. There was a family
called Rose living in Partington, where Jack
was born, (just round the corner from Jack
in fact) with three sons William Henry Rose,
Frederick Rose and John Rose (age 29, 26
and 24 respectively) either of whom could
have been Jack’s actual father.
By 1901 William Henry Rose had moved to
Lymm m to Ellen – his eldest child had been
born in Partington prior to moving to Lymm(approximately 8 miles distance).
There is no record of John Rose in 1901.
Frederick however was still living in
Partington in 1901, married to Annie, living
with two children.
So on balance and assuming that Jack’s father was one of the Rose boys, it is likely to be Frederick.
But we shall probably never be sure.
From Mr Donald Dykes [email protected] Postal address: 9 Residence des Quatre Vents,56150 St Bartholemy, France.
Many years ago I lived at Stone, and assisted my son in tracing the family history of the Plant Family
associated with Tuscan China. I carried out a great deal of research at Wegewood and in the Library at
Stoke. Much of this information I wrote down, and I was wondering if there is any member of the
Plant Family History Group with similar interest. I have recently purchased Tuscan China here in
France.’
WKP – If any member has similar interests pleas make contact direct.
From Allan Collier [email protected]
‘I have recently bought a school sampler made by Betty Collier aged 11 1790: inside the frame there is
a note ‘on my mothers side born 29 May 1777 Mrs Plant nee Collier): the note looks genuine in ink and
period paper. My best guess is that Betty married a Plant and one of her children wrote the note.
15
Two pictures of sampler
’
WKP Note
If Betty Collier was born 29 May 1777 she would have married c1800.
I looked through our marriage records and found:
William Plant, bachelor, to Elizabeth Collier, spinster on 29 May 1804 at Ellaston, Staffs.
I then looked through the Ellastone P.R. births, 1708 – 1812 and found:
9 Dec 1810 John son of Wm & Elizabeth Plant
20 Dec 1812 Frances dau of Wm & Elizabeth Plant
Further investigation into the Ellastone P.R. 1770 – 1791 revealed the following:
bt July 3 1777 Mary d of John & Ann Collier
bt Jan 3 1780 Ann d of " " "
bt Jan 1 1783 Sarah d of " " "
bt May 13 1785 John s of " " "
bt Mar 23 1788 Jane d of George & Ann Collier
bt Nov 1 1789 Dorothy d of John & Ann Collier
bt Nov 13 1789 Hannah d of John & Patience Collier
I then looked through the Ellastone registers between 1804-1810 and extracted the Plant and Collierreferences as follows@
m May 29 1804 Wm Plant b & Elizabeth Collier sp
m Jan 23 1806 Samuel Swinson b & Sarah Collier sp
m June 8 1806 John Collier b & Judith Salt sp
bt July 27 1806 John s of Joseph & Ann Collier
m Oct 1 1807 John Thompson b & Dorothy Collier spb Aug 2 1807 Wm Collier aged 84
m Apr 3 1809 Thomas Collier & Hannah Warrington
bt Jan 1 1809 Samuel s of George & Ann Collier
bt Dec 9 1810 John s of Wm & Elizabeth Plant
16
From ‘Graham Shenton’ [email protected]
‘Hello Keith
I’ve found your email address from the Guild of One-Name Studies, and I’m hoping that you may be
able to help in my search for my 4xg-grandmother Ann PLANT, which has been going nowhere for
several years.
The information I have is that she married my 4xg-grandfather John SHENTON at Stone,
Staffordshire, on 26 April 1762 by licence. The marriage allegation and bond give little information
about Ann other than that she is “of the Parish of Stone” and a spinster “aged 24 years and upwards”.
These seem to be standard phrases, so her age and place of birth are rather indeterminate. When last at
the Staffordshire Record office (in 2000) I did look at the registers for Stone (and Fulford) and noted
two baptism entries either of which might be my Ann, assuming she was actually born at Stone. Firstly
at Stone, Ann (or Hanna – the register was in Latin), the daughter of Stephen PLANT on 29 September
1732; and secondly at Fulford, Ann the daughter of William and Mary (or possibly Margaret) PLANT,29 June 1739. Of these two I am inclined to think the Fulford baptism is the more likely, assuming that
the families stayed put until Ann’s marriage, as John SHENTON was of the parish of Church Leigh
which is only a few miles away. Or it could be neither of these of course!
I would be very grateful if you could shed any light on these events. Even negative information could
be useful, for example if you know that the two Ann’s I have identified married someone else or died
young. I have, unfortunately, been unable to locate the burials of either John or Ann which would
hopefully give an indication of their ages at death.
Regards
Graham Shenton (Uckfield, East Sussex) ’
If anybody has information on this family, please contact Graham direct.
From June Smallpeice [email protected]
‘Just to say hello – I am the great granddaughter of Sarah Ann Plant born 1869, daughter of William
Plant and Mary Bates, of Newcastle under Lyme.
I recently visited Hick Street where Sarah Ann lived on the 1881 census with her grandmother Maria
Plant and also Hassells Street, where her brother George lived with grandparents Sarah and Joseph
Bates.
Sarah Ann married David Barber in 1889 and with the first few of their eventual 7 children they moved
to Blyth Northumberland where David was a miner. My grandmother, my mother and I were all born
in Blyth.
WKP note – In 1871 the family lived in Newcastle under Lyme, 16 Market St., the Census of that year
showing:
William Plant H M 42 Puddler in Ironworks bn Snentill, Shrop.
Mary Plant W M 32 bn Newcastle, Staffs
William Plant S 10 Scholar bn Hanley, Staffs
Thomas Plant S 6 Scholar bn Newcastle, “
* Sarah Ann Plant D 1 bn “ “’
17
From Tony Brown – Member No. 178
‘I wish to renew my membership of the Group for a further year and have enclosed the Application
Form together with a Cheque.
Perhaps if there is the opportunity, you could re-phrase the note regarding my area of interest:-
I wish to know the ancestry of a JOHN PLANT who married ELIZA
MICKLEBOROUGH in Laxfield, Suffolk on 23 May 1836. The 1851 census (HO
107/1796/314b) lists JOHN PLANT age 36 a Ratcatcher, born Laxfield, together with wife
ELIZA age 32 and seven children. Where did John come from?’
From Victoria Rowe [email protected]
‘Hello to both of you,
My reason for contacting you is to discover whether you know anything about an Eliza Plant (neeNaden) who went to America in c1840?
I am a member of a local history group called Red Hot History based in Hollinsclough – approximately
7 miles south of Buxton in the Peak District. Approximately 12 months ago, we started to research the
history of our houses – House Detectives. My house was first occupied around 1560 so it has been a
long job.
Very briefly, the Naden family moved to Hollinsclough in about 1560, when naming all their offspring
they exhausted all the names of the Old Testament. They lived in my house 1764-1878. The last male
Naden to live here was called Samuel; he had 3 daughters and in his will, dated 4th May 1850, he left
property and money to each daughter. He left £100 to Eliza Plant “who now lives in America”. Elizaobviously married a Plant and, according to hearsay, she married before going to the US.
Plant is not a Hollinsclough name and I have not seen any records relating to her marriage in any parish
records. I have looked on various potential internet sites but to no avail. As an absolute long shot, I
wondered if you have any knowledge etc????
I would be delighted if you can throw any light on Eliza’s story.
Thank you
Victoria’
Chapter 33
James Plant: a Victorian ‘Little Mester’October 2006. One of a series of Chapters by Dr. John S. Plant, Keele University, England, ST5 5BG.
THE KIN OF A MUCH-ADVERTISED SHEFFIELD TRADESMAN
It seems that the Plant’s Yard Plants moved from north east Derbyshire to Sheffield in the late
eighteenth century. One of their descendants was evidently a Sheffield shoemaker, William Plant
(1803-48). It was his eldest son, the Victorian tradesman James Plant (Figure 33.1), who became
the Plant who appears most consistently in Victorian Sheffield’s many surviving Trade Directories.
Though a few large industrial concerns were developing in Sheffield, manufacturing was based
mainly on a host of so-called ‘Little Mesters’ who each had relatively few employees.
33.1 The Sheffield Little Mester James Plant (1829-1904)
The Plants Yard Plants descended from William Plant of Duckmanton ( Wm(0) ) whose 1768 will
was described in Chapter 27. A shoemaker called William Plant was evidently Wm(0)′s great-
grandson ( labelled Wm(shoe) or W
m(2a) ); and Shoemaker William’s origins and kin was the
title of section 20.5 of Chapter 20. It may be recalled of Wm(shoe)′s children that, in the 1841
Census returns for Sheffield, both James (12) and Emma (5) were living with other siblings and
their parents in Sylvester Street, prior to their father’s death there in 1848 (cf. Figure 33.2). By
1851, in Court 2 of Sylvester Street, in the household of William Shaw, there is listed a ‘visitor’
Emma Plant (15) silver burnisher who is undoubtedly the sister of James. James himself was
by then living nearby with his wife at 262 Sylvester Street, sharing the house with the family of
shoemaker (journeyman) William Beaumont (39).
33.1.1 James’s marriage
In 1850 James, who is described as a shot pouch maker and son of shoemaker William, was
married St George’s Church Sheffield, though the addresses of James and his bride are given as
Sylvester St and Eyre St, which are near the foot of ‘The Moor’ in Sheffield. The father of James’s
bride Mary is given on the certificate as ‘Geo.=’, suggesting that there may have been some prob-
lem distinguishing whether the original handwriting was ‘Geo.’ or ‘Cha.’ — it is known from other
information that Mary’s father was elsewhere called Charles. The witnesses on the marriage certifi-
cate had the forenames William and Charlotte and the bride’s family surname, which is variously
spelled as R(o/a)(w/l)li(n/s)son(s/S)treet. Mary’s father ‘Geo.=’ (actually Charles) is here described
as a tableknife ?manager — there is an 1833 Sheffield Trades Directory entry...
• Charles Rollison, table knife and razor mfr., 92 Peacroft; home 24 Pyebank (White’s 1833)
33.1.2 James’s early businesses
A few months after their marriage, the 1851 Census shows that James (aged 22) and his wife Mary
(aged 19) were living in Sylvester St, where his father Wm(shoe) had died in 1848 and where
18
33.1. THE SHEFFIELD LITTLE MESTER JAMES PLANT (1829-1904) 19
Figure 33.1: James (1829-1904) with wife Mary (nee Rowlinsonstreet) and children including
James (b 1858) and Tom (b 1859)
William ( Wm(2a) )
shoemaker, b ?1803d 8.10.1848 aged 45m 13.7.1828 SHEFFIELD
Elizabeth Hartleyb ?1805-11
James dram flask maker, bap 16.1.1829d 10.4.1904 (aged 75)m 25.12.1850 Banns, St Georges SHEFFIELD
Mary RowlinsonStreetb ?1831/2, d 7.8.1908 (aged 76)
Emma, b ?1851/2, d 20.3.1876 (aged 24)
Annie, b ?1857.qtr1 (9c 321)
James (Jim), b ?1858.qtr4 (9c 290), To USA
Tom, b 28.11.1859, d 20.10 1931m .12.1890 St Georges SHEFFIELD
Rose Beatrice Wright
see Figure 33.4
Mary, b ?1861/2
Kate, b ?1864/5, m Herbert Harvey Hugh
Ada, b ?1865/6, m Mr Martin
Jack D L, m Peggy
Colin, m Peggy
Duncan
Mabel, b ?1872/3
Sarah, b ?1830/1
Elizabeth, b ?1832/3
Emma, b ?1835/6
William — Wm(3a) , b 1838.2qtr, d 3pm 7.9.1838 aged 3 months
Thomas, b 25.2.1840, d 7.1.1849 aged 8yrs 11mths
Figure 33.2: William’s son James’s siblings and children
20 CHAPTER 33. JAMES PLANT: A VICTORIAN ‘LITTLE MESTER’
• Firth Peter and Co., optician and powder flask manufacturers, Arundel-street (W.Brownell
Directory 1817)
• Sykes & Son, patent powder flask and shot belt manufacturers, 12 Duke St (Gell’s 1825)
• Sykes & Beatson, manufacturers of real patent fire proof powder flasks and secret spring
pocket shot charges, brass inkstands, etc., Coalpit Lane (Gell’s 1825)
• Firth Peter and Co., opticians & patent powder flask and shot belt mfrs., 32 Arundel st., home
Sheaf bank (White’s 1833)
• Sykes & Sons, patentees and manufacturers of the fire-proof powder flask, & of Sportsmen’s
pocket liquor bottles mark ‘Sykes’ and ‘Sykes’ patent, Duke St (Piggot’s 1834)
• Sykes William, powder flask & shot belt maker, Coalpit lane (Piggot’s 1834)
• Sykes Wm, powder flask & shot belt manufacturer, No 44 Coalpit Lane (Robson’s 1839)
Under Powder Flask manufacturers in Kelly’s 1854 Directory...
... Bartram, Harwood & Snowden, North street works, 53 North street
... Bartram John, 100 Wellington street
... Dixon James & Son, Cornish place, Cornishstreet
... Plant James, 6 Furnival street
... Richardson William, 6 Broom close, London road
... Wilkinson Charles, 39 1
2South street
Table 33.1: Some records for Sheffield’s early 19th century Powder Flask Makers
James’s had been living prior to his marriage. James is here described as a powder flask maker
(journeyman). A journeyman is a qualified (as distinct from an apprentice) artisan who works for
another.
Table 33.1 lists some records of Sheffield’s early nineteenth century Powder Flask Makers and
it can be noted, for example, that the name Sykes appears in this capacity in Coalpit lane in 1825,
1834, and 1839. The name Richardson appears as a Powder Flask manufacturer in Broom Close in
1854. Coalpit lane and Broom Close correspond with the two Sheffield locations of Plant’s Yard.
The Sykes’s business interests in Coalpit lane had also included the manufacture of Sportsmen’s
pocket liquor bottles in 1834, which evidently corresponds with James Plant’s subsequent primary
interest in Dram Flask manufacture. By the mid 1850s, there appears in Sheffield Trades Directo-
ries:
• James Plant, Powder Flask manufacturer — flask, dram bottle & shot belt manufacturer, 6
Furnival street (Kelly’s 1954)
• James Plant, Dram Bottle and Pouch Maker, home Furnival Street (W.White’s 1856)
This indicates that, by 1854, James was running his own businesses and that these included Dram
Bottle making.
By 1859, James had evidently extended his business activities..
• James Plant, wholesale and retail tobacconist and cigar merchant, 28 Union st (Melville’s
1859)
• James Plant, manufacturer of powder flasks, shot pouches, dram bottles, and cigar cases,
Pinstone street (Melville’s 1859)
33.1. THE SHEFFIELD LITTLE MESTER JAMES PLANT (1829-1904) 21
33.1.3 James and his apparent uncle Ben(shoe)
It may be recalled from Chapter 9 that James’s apparent uncle Ben(shoe) was recorded as a
shoemaker in 1841 and as a cordwainer by 1851. Although cordwainer often implies simply
a shoemaker, it more generally means a worker or trader in leather goods. Thus, the description
of Ben(shoe)′s occupation as cordwainer in 1851 might cover, it seems, both Ben(shoe)′srecorded occupation as a shoemaker in 1841 and as a Powder Flask Maker by 1857 — evidence
that Ben(shoe) was a Powder Flask Maker appears in a deed dated 15 August 1857 (TX-421-
5021) which is in the name of Benjamin Plant of Sheffield, Powder Flask Maker.
It hence seems likely, from the 1851 description of James’s occupation as a Powder Flask
Maker (Journeyman), that in the early 1850s the fatherless James could have been helping his uncle
Ben(shoe) who is known to have been a Powder Flask Maker by 1857. Such activities may have
followed on from the Plant family interest in Coalpit lane, for example, where the Sykes family were
active in this trade. On the other hand, it is conceivable (though perhaps less likely) that Ben(shoe)adopted the trade of Powder Flask Making only after having been influenced by the 1851 activities
of his nephew James as a Journeyman in that trade.
It seems that Ben(shoe) survived at least 10 years after Wm(shoe)′s 1848 death which had
left Wm(shoe)′s son James fatherless at the age of 19. Ben(shoe) is known to have been living
in Attercliffe, towards the northern edge of Sheffield, in 1851 (Chapter 9), and the aforementioned
1857 deed for the Powder Flask Maker Benjamin Plant is in accord with this in so far as it is for
property at ‘Nursery and Tom Cross Lane, Brightside’ near Attercliffe2. Another deed (UD-31-41),
in the name of Benjamin Plant, is for Attercliffe itself (Town Street) and it is dated 1858. Thereafter,
there are several deeds in this area in the name of a William Plant who, it seems likely, was the eldest
son William (b 1841) of Ben(shoe) . The deeds for (?this) William are for property at Brightside
in 1859 (UH-739-887 and UI-483-564), at Jenkin Lane in 1860 (UW-190-207) and at George Street
in 1863 (XI-711-758).
It seems that James retained a close association with his apparent uncle Ben(shoe)′s family
beyond the times when Ben(shoe)′s eldest son William was left, possibly, fatherless in 1858 at
the age of 17, as will be outlined further below.
33.1.4 James in the 1860s
In the 1861 Census returns, James (stated age 31) is shown to be living at 28 Union Street with
his wife Mary (29) who is here described as a tobacconist’s wife. This 1861 Census return and
subsequent records suggest that such ‘shopkeeping’ activities may have fallen mostly under the
auspices of James’s wife Mary. James himself is described as ‘Dram Flask Maker employs 2 men,
1 boy and 10 girls’. His listed children are Emma (9), Annie (4), James (2) and Thomas (1).
Also in the household are James’s sister Elizabeth (28) general servant, mother-in-law Elizabeth
Rollinson (64) cutler’s widow and the additional general servant Emma Bennett (17) unmarried
from ‘?Holmsfield, Yorkshire’.
In the 1860s James’s businesses are listed in Trades Directories as follows:-
• James Plant, vict. Devonshire Arms, 60 Ecclesall road (White’s 1860)
• James Plant, powder flask manufr., yard 38 Pinstone street, and tobacconist, 28 Union street
(White’s 1860)
• James Plant, Dram Bottle manufacturer and Tobacconist, 28 Union Street
(F.White’s 1862)
• James Plant, Manufacturer of Powder Flasks, Dram Bottles and Cigar Cases,
39 Pinstone Street and 181 Cemetery Road (& London) (Drake’s, 1863)
1Wakefield Deeds Office, ibid.2Nursery Lane is near Ben(shoe)′s 1851 address at The Wicker. Brightside extends about 2 miles to the north east.
22 CHAPTER 33. JAMES PLANT: A VICTORIAN ‘LITTLE MESTER’
• James Plant, powder flask, dram bottle, etc. mfr., 39 Pinstone st; home 181 Cemetery rd
(White’s 1864)
• James Plant, shopkeeper, 96 Little Sheffield (White’s 1864)
• James Plant, manufacturer of powder flasks, shot pouches, dram bottles, cigar cases, etc.
Dram Flask works, 194 Fitzwilliam street. The entry also states ‘See advertisement (page
143)’. (Kelly’s, 1865)
• James Plant, Dram Bottles, Melville Place, 181 Cemetery Road (Kelly’s, 1865)
• Jas. Plant, manufacturer of powder flasks, shot pouches, and dram bottles, yard 154 Fitzwilliam
street; home 181 Cemetery road (White’s 1868)
• Jas. Plant, confectioner, 201 Cemetery rd (White’s 1868)
Thus, for example, James is listed with a home (?and business) address of 181 Cemetery Road
(Melville Place) in 1863, 1864, and 1865 and, shortly before, the Census return of 1861 shows
that the family of a merchant’s clerk William Christopher Banister (aged 43) was living there3.
There is also for James an 1868 address of 201 Cemetery road, for which the circumstances seem
a little more curious. The address 201 Cemetery Road (Holly Mount) was evidently the home in
1861, 1862, 1863, and 1865 of a corn factor William Plant from Shireoaks and, in 1861, of his
brother a tailor and draper John Plant. Unless the house numbering changed, this same address
then appears in 1868 to have become a confectionery of the dram flask maker James Plant who, it
seems however, was no closer that a third cousin of the two Plant brothers from Shireoaks.
The aforementioned evidence of a likely business link to Ben(shoe) in the 1850s, as well as the
listed evidence for James developing business interests throughout the 1850s and 1860s, provides a
general picture of how it was that James came to be employing two of Ben(shoe)′s daughters in
his Dram Flask Making business by 1871, as was described in Chapter 9. The daughters and wife
of Ben(shoe) were then living near James. Ben(shoe)′s son William was, in 1871, a breech
loading implement maker living near the Ponds in the same general area of Sheffield.
33.1.5 The White House, Bramall Lane
By 1871, Wm(shoe)′s son James was living in the White House(s) on Bramall Lane which was
0.5 miles south of his father Wm(shoe)′s earlier Sylvester Street home and just 0.2 miles SE from
the Little Sheffield site of Plant’s Yard. In the 1871 Census returns there are 6 households called
‘White Houses’, interspersed by the households of the keepers at the ‘Bowling Green’ and the
‘Cricket Ground’ and by ‘White House Cottage’, but James Plant lived in the last of those listed
as the ‘White Houses’ and his is seemingly the most substantial of the ‘White Houses’ households;
listed next is the large household of a cooper (master) at ‘Sheaf Cottage’ with 3 servants and then
that of a plumber, glazier and innkeeper at ‘Sheaf House’, also with 3 servants. A photograph of
the White House(s), perhaps taken some time later, is shown Figure 33.3
This can be compared with a 1977 account by David Robbins4:-
3It is hence not clear whether this clerk was working for James, as James’s business is not known for certain to have
been there until 2 years later.4In A Century of Sheffield 1835 to 1935, Folio 6 (1977), David Robins describes the White House as follows:
Another old house that was still with us in 1975 is the White House in Bramall Lane. It belonged
to Messrs. Arnold Laver next door who have, despite protests, pulled it down to make space for their
vehicles. etc.... The area appears to have been a sporting centre, for, in 1850, there was a swimming
bath in John Street and within the confines of the present football ground, at the corner of John Street
and Shoreham Street, was a large roller skating rink, remains of which were still there in the 1930’s after
its destruction by fire at the turn of the century. Between John Street and St. Mary’s Church there was
a cricket ground named the ‘old’ cricket ground after the new one was created at the other side of John
Street by the formation of the Sheffield Cricket Club about 1837 and which, toward the end of the 1890’s
33.1. THE SHEFFIELD LITTLE MESTER JAMES PLANT (1829-1904) 23
Figure 33.3: James Plant (1829-1904) the dram flask maker and the White House on Brammal
Lane
(The White House in Bramall Lane) was the home of Mr. D Bramall, after whom
the lane is named. ... (Bramall) was the proprietor of a file factory in Cherry Street
opposite the football ground5. etc... Almost next door (to the White House) was the
Sheaf House built by the same D.Bramall and between these two houses was a large
building where indoor sports took place. Unlike the White House, the Sheaf House is
not in danger of demolition for road improvements as it stands well back and could be
there for many years yet; its present function is as a public house of that name.
It may be recalled from Chapter 13, that Ben(bellows) (i.e. the brother of James’s great
grandfather Thomas Plant of Clowne) was the rate payer of the Spurr Whl when it was sold to the
filesmith Daniel Bramall in 1802.
33.1.6 James in the 1870s
In the 1871 Census returns, there appears James Plant (stated age 41) of White Houses, Bramall
Lane, husband of Mary (age 39) and father of Emma (19), Annie (14), James (12), Tom (11), Mary
(9), Kate (6) and Ada (5); all the children are described as scholars. Here, James is described
as a Dram Flask Maker (Master employing 4 men, 3 boys, 22 girls). Also at the White Houses
address in 1871 is the domestic servant Harriet A Pickering (17) from Grenoside, Yorkshire and
concurrently there appears:
• James Plant, Dram Bottle and Pouch Maker, 154 Fitzwilliam Street, home Whitehouses, Bra-
mall Lane (1871)
became the Sheffield United Football and Cricket Club.
5Bramall’s goods were protected by trade marks and in 1905 a Birmingham manufacturer infringed one of his patents
and was ordered to pay Bramall’s £2000 in compensation. Bramall Lane really was a narrow lane at that time and
finished as a path to the silver mills at Heeley.
24 CHAPTER 33. JAMES PLANT: A VICTORIAN ‘LITTLE MESTER’
It may be recalled (Chapter 9) that the two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary A., of James’s pre-
sumed uncle Benjamin (i.e. Ben(shoe) ) were dram flask closers in 1871 and, hence, were
apparently among the 4 men, 3 boys and 22 girls said to be working for James at that time. It may
have been the William who was Ben(shoe)′s son who also turned his hand to similar activities as
indicated by the Directory entry:-
• William Plant, (journeyman) powder flask maker, 110 Pumona Street (White’s 1976)
Although James’s son Tom was still only 16 in 1876, it can be added that, according to family
stories, he met his future wife Rose Beatrice Wright whilst she was employed by James, to sow
leather.
James homes address appears to have remained the Whitehouses throughout the 1870s, as evi-
denced by the further directory entries:-
• James Plant, dram flask and cigar case manufacturer, 154 Fitzwilliam street; home Brammall
lane (White’s 1876)
• James Plant, manfr. of dram bottles, powder flasks, shot pouches, cigar cases, and butchers’
knife sheaths, 154 Fitzwilliam street, home 1 Whitehouses, Bramall lane (White’s 1879)
The numbering ‘1’ Whitehouses, along with clues from section 33.1.5, suggests that James’s home
was at the town end of the row of houses show in Figure 33.3. In other words, his house was
apparently the White House, nearest the camera, and it seems that other white houses abutted it.
It seems that James may have prospered during the ‘golden age’ of English Industry (1850-73),
though at some time between the Sheffield slumps of 1873-8 and 1884-6, he changed both his home
and business addresses.
33.1.7 James in the 1880s and 1890s
In the 1881 Census returns, James Plant of 41 Harcourt Road is recorded as a dram flask maker
living with his wife Mary (age 49) and children James (22), Tom (21), Mary (19), Kate (16), Ada
(15) and Mabel (8); the occupation of sons James and Tom is given as Merchants Clerk and that
of Kate and Ada as Pupil Teacher School.
Shortly after, there are the Trades Directory entries:-
• James Plant, dram flask manufacturer, 245 Rockingham Street (Residence 41 Harcourt Road)
(White’s, 1883)
• James Plant, dram flask manufacturer, 245 Rockingham st (Huley 1884)
• James Plant, dram flask, shot pouch and solid knife sheath mfr., Ecclesall Wks. 245 Rocking-
ham st.; home 41 Harcourt rd. (White’s 1884))
James’s home address of Harcourt Road overlooked the Dams of Crooks Valley Park, which lies
behind the Weston Park site of the subsequent University.
It seems that James’s son Tom became involved in some of the family business interests in
1887:-
• Tom Plant, manufacturer of dram bottles, powder flasks, etc., 245 Fitzwilliam st (Slater’s
1887)
at which time the business address of James (?senior) changed from 245 Fitzwilliam Street to Tudor
Street:-
• James Plant, dram bottle & powder flask manufacturer, Tudor st (Slater’s 1887)
• James Plant, leather shot pouch etc. maker, 13 Tudor Street (Kelly’s 1888, 1890, and 1893)
33.1. THE SHEFFIELD LITTLE MESTER JAMES PLANT (1829-1904) 25
By 1895, there is a further change of home address:-
• James Plant, dram flask manufacturer, 13 Tudor street; home Chesterfield Rd., Meersbrook
(Pawson & Brailsford 1895)
In the late nineteenth century, history records that views in Sheffield on ‘temperance’ had be-
come fierce — this may offer some explanation of why the ‘dram flask’ aspect of James’s interests
was omitted from his advertisements around 1888-93, though the above entry shows that the de-
scription dram flask manufacturer again appears, in 1895. It is said that James’s son Tom was
later forced to close the business and it is against such a background that Tom and his family were
destined to become both teetotal and relatively poor. Two further Trades Directory entries are:-
• James Plant, manufacturer of dram & powder flasks, cigar cases, knife sheaths etc., 13 Tudor
street (White’s 1898 and 1902)
though, in White’s Directory of 1903, there is no mention of James or his son Tom.
33.1.8 James’s death
James Plant (senior) died (aged 75 in 1904) at 44 Onslow Road, Ecclesall. He was buried in his
wife’s family grave, which dated back to 1820, though the site of this grave in Ecclesall All Saints
parish churchyard has subsequently been re-landscaped. Also listed on the inscription for this grave
were James’s eldest daughter Emma (d 1876), his infant grandson James (Tom’s son, d 1896) and
his wife Mary (d 1908), who was the last mentioned on the memorial inscription and who brought
the total (mostly Rollissons) to 7 adults and 2 infants.
33.1.9 Some tales of James (snr) and his children
A grand-daughter, Diane Marshall, of this James’s son Tom writes (1987 and 1990), in connection
partly with some notes made by her mother:-
James Plant was a dram flask and fancy leather goods manufacturer. He also had
a tobacco shop at the top of Moorhead which [subsequently] had the first plate glass
windows in Sheffield.
I have part of a sheet of notepaper which is headed Memorandum from James Plant,
245 Rockingham Street and 150 Rockingham Lane established 1850 and which appears
to have been used to practise writing; it includes a variety of notes Grammar, French,
Arithmetic and Geometry and interestingly Thos Plant, James Plant, Lord Chamber-
lain, Duke of Albany and Leopold. The latter may suggest that he was supplying the
nobility or even the court, especially as the handstamp states warranted.
In October 1894 Mr Plant of 13, Tudor Street was approached by James Pinder &
Co requesting his ‘best terms’ for powder flasks.
A receipt issued the following May shows that James was a manufacturer of every
description of Dram Bottles, Powder flasks, shot pouches, dogwhistles, cigar cases,
butcher knife sheaths, shale straps etc.
The following further information has also been supplied by descendants of James’s son Tom.
James’s sons James (jnr) and Tom (snr)
James and Mary’s sons, James and Tom, went to the USA. James (jnr) could not return due to sea-
sickness and it is thought that he remained there and had 12 boys, and a girl who died young. It
is said that Tom was advised to take a sea voyage due to illness and it was thus that he returned to
work in the family business in Sheffield.
26 CHAPTER 33. JAMES PLANT: A VICTORIAN ‘LITTLE MESTER’
Tom had been born in 1859 at 28 Union Street near where, in 1863, the Crimean Monument
(which was moved to Endcliffe Park in the 1950s) was erected at the corner of Union Street and
Pinstone Street; one of the addresses of James’s businesses in 1863 was nearby on Pinstone Street
— this area was subsequently altered, when the new Town Hall was built in the 1890s. Tom was
confirmed on Friday March 23rd 1877 at St Mary’s Church — this is the year in which his name
appears on the Fitzwilliam Street business, when Tom would be 18. In 1884 he took a reduced pas-
sage, and therefore presumably intended to emigrate, to Australia. There is a family story (perhaps
allegorical) that he dropped a ring over a bridge in Sydney, apparently as a futile gesture of ‘love
lost’. He only stayed in Australia for about 8 months and arrived back in Plymouth at 6am 17th
October 1885. This was probably the trip he was sent on to separate him from Rose in the hope that
he would forget her. It seems possible that after he returned, and possibly around the time of his
marriage to her in 1890, he was largely disowned by his father.
Sister Ada of Tom (snr)
The husband of Tom’s sister Ada is reputed to have been the ‘?owner of a shipping line’. There
is a letter from this Ada Martin (nee Plant) written 27.12.1933 which includes some interesting
information. She was staying with her son Jack D L Martin and his wife Peggy and children Barbara
(3.5 years) and Dick (2 years) at Hankow, China; this was 600 miles by river steamer from Shangai
where her younger son Colin and his wife Peggy and their children Jenifer Ann (2 years) and
Rosemary (9 months) lived. They were all to visit England the following spring. Ada hoped that her
sister (not named) would not be ill as she was during a visit the previous year. Ada often thought
of her ‘dear brother Tom’ and had just received a letter from her brother Jim whose daughter Josie
had married Mr Emmes. In a further letter, written 20.12.1946, Ada was staying at 46 Chartfield
Avenue, Putney Hill, London SW15 but planning to visit her youngest son Duncan and his wife in
Canada; Duncan was in the RCM (Royal Canadian Mounties); Peggy was due to join her there and
accompany her to South Africa.
Sister Kate of Tom (snr)
Another of Tom’s sisters, Kate, married a Mr Harvey, who owned a grocers shop called Sharmans
in Glossop Road, and used to send Tom Christmas hampers. Kate, in a letter dated 6th September
1927, had been staying in Belfast for six weeks but was returning to Sheffield that week. Although
her address is not stated she was obviously in contact with Tom’s family. Indeed there is a letter
of sympathy following (Tom’s daughter) Elsie’s death; on 25.2.1954 Kate Harvey (she would, by
then, be aged 91) was living a 66 Bents Road, Sheffield 11 and, apart from rheumatism, was well
for her age although not able to go out alone. When Kate Harvey lived at 66 Bents Road, Sheffield
she had an Irish housekeeper; her son Hugh lived at Baslow and Hugh’s daughter worked at Steel,
Peach and Tozer (in the same office as James Varney (snr) of Figure 33.4) where she met a fellow
employee whom she married.
Other sisters of Tom (snr)
According to family stories, Tom’s sister May (?Mabel) married and lived at Hunters Bar with son
Gerald and a daughter. The family were in the habit of walking in the adjacent Botanical Gardens,
which was considered to be fashionable at that time. Tom’s sister Mary emigrated to Australia, the
second eldest sister to the USA, and one sister died young after a fall off the swings in the stables.
33.2 James’s son Tom (snr) and his children
Tom (snr) married Rose Beatrice Wright in 1890 at St Georges, Hanover Square. According to the
aforementioned Diane Marshall’s mother their children James and Cyril Valentine died young, one
33.2. JAMES’S SON TOM (SNR) AND HIS CHILDREN 27
Tom (snr)b 28.11.1859d 20.10.1931m .12.1890
Rose Beatrice Wright
Jamesb 9.2.1892, d 17.3.1896
Austinb 9.11.1893, d 10.10.1917
Cyril Valentine
b 14.2.?, d young
Normanb 1.7.1895d 13.8.1963m 1933 Ada Rushby
b 3.11.1906d 6.2.1994
Pauline Roseb 3.5.1934m Russell Edward
Scott Masonb 1.10.1925d 24.5.2004
Jonathanb 9.12.1960
Charlotteb 25.9.1967adoptedm 15.8.1992
Richard Kaye
Rowan Emilyb 16.10.199
Fletcher Scottb 25.2.2001
Travisb 6.5.2003
Margaret Annb 25.5.1943m Evan Gough
b 21.2.1942
Timothyb 5.2.1970d 7.2.1970
Nicholas
b 10.9.1975m 6.8.2005
Sarah ElizabethJoy Anderson
Matthew Jamesb 11.7.2008 Oxford
Richardb 24.4.1979m 28.6.20003
Lindsay Rachel Hodge
Jessieb 13.2.1900, d 1920
Beatriceb 20.8.1901, d 17.2.1988
Elsie Mabelb 13.5.1903, d 17.2.1954
Tom (jnr)b 10.4.1905d 6.10.1989m 11.8.1934
Ada Vaseyb 13.3.1903d 16.7.1992
George Austinb 17.1.1939m 16.7.1960
Barbara AileenBradshawb 12.2.1937
Geoffrey Davidb 1.5.1966 at
Chesterfield, Derbyshirem 15.9.1990
Deborah Jane Richardsondivorced .12.1994
= Rachael Whitem 1.7.2006 Melton Mowbray
Kim Absolom
Eleanor Day (White)b 12.9.1995 Loughborough
Louie Davidb 12.11.2003
Reuben Georgeb 3.10.2005
Richard Nevilleb 10.12.1967 at
Matlock, Derbyshired 30.9.2001 at
Rugby, Northamptonshire
John Stewartb 27.9.1945m 15.6.1968
Denise MargaretHarwoodb 1.5.1946
Robert Stephen
b 12.1.1973 inSydney, Australia
m 17.3.2001 Lancaster, EnglandHiroko Elizabeth Shortb 16.4.1972
Freya Meganb 12.3.2004 Reading
David Andrewb 22.9.1974 in
Grenoble, France= Vanda Teuta Vucucevic
b 12.11.1978 Sarajevo
Mary Winifredb 16.1.1907, d 18.11.1983m James Russell
Varneyb 3.1.1904, d 1.11.1980
Rosemaryb 24.8.1935
d 7.4.2009
James Russellb 26.11.1938d 14.10.1982
Ada Millicentb 8.2.1912, d 1989m Alec Frank
Marshalld 18.6.1998
Celia Beatrice
b 11.4.1945m Michael Bignell
John Stephenb 21.4.1975
Mark David
b 22.9.1977m 22.7.2006 Knowle
Jie
Gemma Louiseb 9.2.1980
Diane Mary
b 11.11.1954
Figure 33.4: Descendants of James’s son Tom (snr).
28 CHAPTER 33. JAMES PLANT: A VICTORIAN ‘LITTLE MESTER’
Figure 33.5: Some children (c1910) of James’s son Tom Plant (snr), showing from the left the elder
girls Jessie, Beatrice, Elsie and, in front, young Winnie and Tom (jnr) (photograph kindly supplied
by Celia Bignell (Figure 33.4) whose still younger mother Millie does not appear in the group
of meningitis and the other of malnutrition. Furthermore another child, Austin, was born in 1893
at 15 Court, 4 House, Granville Street which does not sound like a prosperous address; Tom, was
then employed as a cigar case maker and appears to have been an ordinary worker rather than the
potential heir to a thriving firm. Following his father’s death in 1904 at 44 Onslow Road Ecclesall,
Tom found that business debts had not been honoured and he was forced to close the firm. He was
able to obtain work via a sister’s influence, though only as an electric tramcar conductor.
There is a family story that, when Tom had to close the business, he had to go to see a relative
called Charles. It may be no more than coincidence, however, that the shoemaker Benjamin had a
son called Charles Thomas who lived near Tom in his childhood (see Chapter 9). This Charles was
only 7 years older than Tom despite his being a cousin of Tom’s father James.
33.2.1 Tom’s son Tom (jnr)
Thus it was that Tom’s son Tom (jnr) was born in 1905 to much poorer circumstances (Figure 33.5)
than his father had been (Figure 33.1). An inherited family photograph shows young Tom (jnr),
33.3. SUMMARY 29
perhaps around 1915, with his father Tom amongst the ‘shooting fraternity’, who evidently related
back to the company that Tom (snr) had kept when he briefly took over the family business of ‘dram
bottles, powder flasks, etc.’. Tom (jnr) recalled that this fraternity moved in noticeably higher social
circles than those in which this family had by then found itself.
After working for the engineering firm Tyzacs at Heeley, Sheffield, Tom (jnr) went on to Teacher
Training College around 1930 postponing his marriage until qualified. The early years of his mar-
ried life, through the times of the second World War as Home Guard and teacher, were spent in
Meersbrook Avenue in Sheffield, still not far from his grandfather’s Chesterfield Road address of
1895, though in the 1960s he moved to leafier suburbs of southern Sheffield near some of his sis-
ters at Norton who later died or moved to Solihul, Birmingham. By 1954 he had become national
President of the National Federation of Class Teachers and the press coverage of his Presidential
Address highlighted such items as the difficulties of secondary schools on ‘shoestring’ budgets and
the shared responsibility of parents with teachers to uphold discipline. Subsequently he remained
President, then Treasurer for many years of the Sheffield Branch of the National Union of Teach-
ers, becoming Headmaster of Meynell Road Secondary and then Chaucer Comprehensive Middle
Schools at the far northern side of Sheffield whilst still living to the south of Sheffield at Norton.
33.2.2 Other children of Tom (snr)
Tom (snr) and Rose Beatrice had 10 children but the first and third, James and Cyril, died young and
the second, Austin, was killed in the First World War in 1917 aged 23. The fifth child, Jessie, died
shortly afterwards in Lodge Moor isolation Hospital, after contracting influenza in the epidemic
whilst nursing an elderly Aunt Newman6 near Town Head Street in central Sheffield.
33.3 Summary
There seems to be little room for doubt that the Sheffield shoemaker William Plant (1803-48) was
related to the Plant’s Yard Plants and that he and his descendants remained near the Little Sheffield
site of Plant’s Yard until late Victorian times, by when they were moving outwards with the ex-
panding southern outskirts of Sheffield. William’s son James (1829-1904) seems to have enjoyed
reasonable fortunes as a dram flask maker, at least at times; but his son Tom (snr) married one of
the workers, amidst class-ridden Victorian attitudes, and his young family fell upon harder times.
One of those children, my father Tom (jnr) (1905-89), became a Trades Union official and eventually
by the 1960s a headteacher.
6This was an aunt of Tom’s wife, Rose Beatrice Wright.
30
PLANT EXTRACTS FROM
CALENDAR
Of the
Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration
1853 to 1860 inclusive
Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury from 1st January 1853 to 31 December 1857.
Plant William Staffs Aug 1853 Ref. No. to Registered Will 626
Plant William Middx July 1854 “ “ “ “ 556
Plant James Wilts May 1855 “ “ “ “ 445
Plant Thomas Staffs Sept 1857 “ “ “ “ 703
Probate
Plant John of Birmingham, Warwick – Effects under £450 8 February 1858
The Will of John Plant late of Great Hampton-row in the Borough of Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Pearl Button Manufacturer deceased who died 26
March 1857 at Great Hampton-row aforesaid was proved at Birmingham by the
oath of Thomas Short the elder of Honduras Wharf Snow-hill Birmingham
aforesaid Merchant the sole Executor.
Plant John of Leek, Staffs – Effects under £800 4 May 1858
The Will of John Plant late of Stockwell-street Leek in the County of Stafford
Gentleman deceased who died 27 February 1858 at Leek aforesaid was proved at
Lichfield by the oaths of George Plant of Warslow in the said County Innkeeper
and William Billinge of Leek Frith in the said County Farmer the Executors.
Plant Matilda of Southwold, Suffolk – Effects under £800 18 June 1858
The Will of Matilda Plant late of Southwold in the County of Suffolk, Widow
deceased who died 6 December 1857 at Southwold aforesaid was proved at
Ipswich by the oath of Thomas Rounce of Southwold aforesaid Ship-owner one of
the Executors.
Plant Thomas of Warminster Wilts and Bankside Surrey – Effects under £100 23 March 1858
The Will of Thomas Plant formerly of Warminster in the County of Wilts and late
of 4 Elizabeth-place Emerson-street Bankside in the County of Surrey Painter
deceased who died 19 July 1856 at Elizabeth-place aforesaid was proved at the
Principal Registry by the oath of Mary Plant of 4 Elizabeth-place aforesaid Widow
the Relict and the sole Executrix.
Plant William of Castle Church, Staffs – Effects under £450 1 July 1858
The Will of William Plant late of Spittle Brook in the Parish of Castle Church inthe County of Stafford Licenced Victualler deceased who died 26 October 1856 at
Spittle Brook aforesaid was proved at Lichfield by the oath of William Bowen of
Stafford in the said County Gentleman one of the Executors.
Plant Elizabeth of Bromley and Mile End Middlesex – Effects under £200 5 March 1859
The Will of Elizabeth Plant formerly of Bromley House Bromley but late of
Victory-cottages Regent street Mile End both in the County of Middlesex Widow
31
deceased who died 8 December 1858 at Victory-cottages aforesaid was proved at
the Principal Registry by the oath of John Henry Brooks of 2 Victory-cottages
aforesaid Gentleman one of the Executors.
Plant Henry otherwise Henery of Trimley St Martin Suffolk –
Effects under £20 22 February 1859
The Will of Henry otherwise Henery Plant late of Trimley St. Martin in the County
of Suffolk Laborer deceased who died 1 January 1857 at Trimley St. Martin
aforesaid was proved at Ipswich by the oaths of Mary Plant of Trimley St. Martin
aforesaid Widow the Relict and Ephraim Hunt Friend of Burgh in the said County
Laborer the Executors.
Plant James of Cheadle Staffs – Effects under £100 20 August 1859
The Will of James Plant late of Cheadle in the County of Stafford Collier deceased
who died 29 May 1859 at Cheadle aforesaid was proved at Lichfield by the oaths
of John Collis of Cheadle aforesaid Builder and James Plant of the same placeJoiner the Son the Executors.
Plant John of Leek, Staffs – Effects under £200 12 May 1859
The Will of John Plant late of the Easing in the Parish of Leek in the County of
Stafford Farmer deceased who died 13 March 1859 at the Easing aforesaid was
proved at the Principal Registry by the oath of John Plant of the Easing aforesaid
Farmer the Son and one of the Executors.
Plant John of Stone, Staffs – Effects under £200 3 December 1859
The Will of John Plant late of the Furnace in the Parish of Stone in the County of
Stafford Yeoman deceased who died 20 June 1859 at the Furnace aforesaid was
proved at Lichfield by the oaths of William Brammall of Normicot in the said
County Manufacturer and Thom as Plant of the same place Potter the Son the
surviving Executors.
Plant Thomas of Congleton, Cheshire – Effects under £100 1 January 1859
The Will of Thomas Plant late of Congleton in the County of Chester Innkeeper
deceased who died 1 September 1858 at Congleton aforesaid was proved at
Chester by the oaths of William Clulow of Congleton aforesaid Gentleman and
James Dale of Crewe in the said County Yeoman the Executors.
Plant William of Roydon Norfolk – Effects under £300 30 December 1859
Letters of Administration (with the Will and Codicil annexed) of the Personal
estate and effects of William Plant late of Roydon in the County of Norfolk
Gentleman deceased who died on or about 30 July 1824 at Roydon aforesaid left
unadministered by William Webster and Isaac Webster the Younger the Great
Nephews and the Executors named in the said Will were granted at the Principal
Registry to John Frederick Webster of Redenhall with Harleston in the said County
Commercial Traveller one of the Residuary Legatees named in the said Will he
having been first sworn. Former Grant Prerogative Court of Canterbury October1824.
Plant Ann of Liverpool, Lancs – Effects under £200 23 January 1860
The Will of Ann Plant late of 6 Catherine-terrace Old Swan near Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster Widow deceased who died 30 December 1859 at Catherine-
terrace aforesaid was proved at Liverpool by the oaths of Thomas Livesley Plant of
13 Bennett’s-hill Birmingham in the County of Warwick Agent the Son and James
32
McCormack of 13 Newsham-street Liverpool aforesaid Accountant two of the
Executors.
Plant Eli of Leek, Staffs – Effects under £100 5 July 1860
The Will with a Codicil of Eli Plant late of Leek in the County of Stafford Tailordeceased who died 5 May 1860 at Leek aforesaid was proved at the Principal
Registry by the oaths of Richard Plant of Poolend in the Parish of Leek aforesaid
Tailor the Nephew and Thomas Clowes of Leek aforesaid Yeoman the Executors.
Plant Elizabeth of Loughborough, Leicester – Effects under £800 5 April 1860
The Will of Elizabeth Plant late of Loughborough in the County of Leicester
Spinster deceased who died 16 March 1860 at Loughborough aforesaid was proved
at Leicester by the oath of Thomas Warner Lacey of Cotes in the said County
Farmer the surviving Executor.
Plant James of West Bromwich, Staffs – Effects under £450 22 May 1860
The Will of James Plant late of West Bromwich in the County of Stafford Miner
deceased who died 25 December 1859 at West Bromwich aforesaid was proved at
Lichfield by the oaths of William Plant of Hill Top in the Parish of West
Bromwich aforesaid Cordwainer and James Plant of West Bromwich aforesaid
Engineer the Sons and the Executors.
Plant James of Macclesfield, Cheshire – Effects under £1000 16 August 1860
The Will with a Codicil of James Plant the Elder late of Macclesfield in the County
of Chester Writing Clerk deceased who died 23 July 1860 at Macclesfieldaforesaid was proved at Chester by the oaths of Nancy Plant of Macclesfield
aforesaid Widow the Relict James Plant of the same place Attorney’s Clerk the
Son and William Bradbury Robinson of the same place Brush Manufacturer the
Executors.
Plant John of Ashborne, Devon – Effects under £1000 28 December 1860
The Will of John Plant late of Clifton in the Parish of Ashborne in the County of
Devon Farmer deceased who died 11 December 1860 at Clifton aforesaid was
proved at Derby by the oath of Thomas Swindell of Mayfield in the County of
Stafford Farmer one of the Executors.
(WKP note: I think this should have read Ashborne in the County of Derby not
Devon.)
Plant Joseph of Cheadle, Cheshire – Effects under £160000 7 February 1860
The Will of Joseph Plant late of Cheadle in the County of Chester Gentleman
deceased who died 28 November 1859 at Cheadle aforesaid was proved at Chester
by the oaths of James Plant of 44 Ardwick-green Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Cotton Spinner the Brother Mary Anne Plant of the same place Spinster
the Sister and Edward Chantler Faulkner of 25 King-street Manchester aforesaid
Attorney and Solicitor the Executors.
Plant Reuben of Kingswinford, Staffs – Effects under £800 8 February 1860
The Will of Reuben Plant formerly of the Wallowes near the Round Oak and late
of Pensnett both in the Parish of Kingswinford in the County of Stafford Colliery
Manager deceased who died 19 March 1859 at Pensnett aforesaid was proved at
Lichfield by the oath of Daniel Plant of Brierley-hill in the said Parish Butcher the
Nephew and one of the Executors.
33
Plant Robert of London + Canonbury Park, Middlesex – Effects under £2000 11 January 1860
The Will of Robert Plant formerly of Gracechurch-street in the City of London
Hosier but late of Hope-villas Canonbury Park in the County of Middlesex
deceased who died 12 September 1859 at Hope-villas aforesaid was proved at the
Principal Registry by the oath of Sarah Plant of Hope-villas aforesaid Widow theRelict and the surviving Executor.
Plant Sarah of Holmes Chapel, Cheshire – Effects under £200 24 November 1860
The Will of Sarah Plant late of Holmes Chapel in the County of Chester Spinster
deceased who died 7 October 1860 at Holmes Chapel aforesaid was proved at
Chester by the oath of John Penketh of Cranage in the said County Farmer the
Nephew and one of the Executors.
Plant Thomas of Holmes Chapel, Cheshire – Effects under £100 6 November 1860
The Will of Thomas Plant late of Church Hulme otherwise Holmes Chapel in theCounty of Chester Wheelwright deceased who died 31 August 1860 at Church
Hulme otherwise Holmes Chapel aforesaid was proved at Chester by the oath of
William Plant of Church Hulme otherwise Holmes Chapel aforesaid Wheelwright
the son and one of the Executors.
All wills which have been proved after 1858 are held at Somerset House and can be consulted at the
Probate Search Room, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP, Telephone No.
0171 936 7000. Microfilm copies can also be found at the Family records Centre.
34
SIR ARNOLD PLANT (1898-1978)
Taken from Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Plant, Sir Arnold (1898-1979), economist, was born on 29 April 1898 at 48 Pitfield Street, Hoxton,
London, son of William Charles Plant, librarian, and his wife, Thomasine Emily Hollingshead. He
attended Strand School, leaving in 1914 to work in an engineering factory. In 1916 he joined up for
military service, but soon returned to work in engineering since poor eyesight made him unsuitable foran overseas posting. New regulations in 1918 altered this, however, and he joined the Royal West
Kent regiment. On demobilization early in 1920 he returned to work in engineering but, William
Piercy suggested to him that he gain a more systematic training in management.
Later in 1920, Plant registered as a full-time student at the London School of Economics (LSE),
specializing in economic history. Alongside this formal tuition he read for a commerce degree by
private study as an external student. After only two years of study he sat the BCom degree in 1922
together with the first cohort of LSE commerce students to graduate: his success in this examination
was repeated in the following year, when he was awarded a first-class BSc (Econ). Shortly after
graduating he was offered a senior post at the University of Cape Town, where he became founding
professor of commerce and dean of the faculty in 1924. He returned to the LSE in 1930 as Sir Ernest
Cassel professor of Commerce, a post that he held until his retirement in 1965. He had married EdithRose Render (b. 1898/9) on 13 February 1925, her father, Charles, being a shopkeepter in Cavendish
Street, just a few streets from Plant’s parental home. From the early 1930’s they lived in North
Hampstead, London, where they brought up their two sons.
Plant published relatively little, despite the senior academic positions he enjoyed from the age of
twenty-six – during an academic career of more that forty years he held only two posts, both chairs of
commerce. His influence was none the less substantial, and was exercised directly: through teaching,
through developing management education and through sitting on committees, his work for the
Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission between 1953 and 1956 being especially significant.
As a student in the early 1920’s he had attended the economics lectures of Edwin Cannan, and his
simple but robust and practical approach to economic analysis was modelled on that of his teacher.
Plant’s ability to employ basic principles to great effect is evident in his first paper of 1927 concerned
with the economic effects of racial segregation in the South African labour market. In 1934 he
published two papers on patents and on copyright, which his student, Ronald Coase has described as
his best economic work. In a round-table BBC radio discussion of 1937 entitled The Planning
Business, Harold Macmillan stated that he had ‘never listened to a more hard-boiled conception of free
Capitalism than that which he [Plant] advances’ (script in Plant papers, file 180), suggesting that such
ideas belonged to the nineteenth and not the twentieth century. However, Plant’s insistence on the
power of competition, private property, and market forces to produce efficient and equitable outcomes
had by the end of the twentieth century become once more conventional wisdom. Employing this
framework in the context of labour-market segregation in South Africa, he demonstrated the implicitinefficiencies where access to employment is controlled by sectional interests, harming the welfare of
all: this framework was later extended to criticism of government regulation as well as of monopoly
and restrictive practice in the private sector. Likewise, the two papers from 1934 considering the
interplay of economic incentives, innovation, and regulation foreshadow an analysis of intellectual
property issues that first gained wide acceptance towards the end of the century.
The rapid development of higher commercial education was, by the early 1920’s, an international
phenomenon, and the new LSE BCom undergraduate degree reflected this trend. Plant’s appointment
at the LSE in 1930 coincided with an extension of commercial education, the new department of
business administration supplying training for the employees of the private companies who provided
financial support. Plant and his colleagues gained, in this way, an important network of commercial
and industrial links which many early ventures in commercial education lacked. He energeticallydeveloped the work of the new department, gathering information on current management practice
through numerous factory visits and interviews with individual businessmen. The high quality of the
management education offered can be indeed from Some Modern Business Problems, edited by Plant in
1937 following a series of evening lectures to business people given at the LSE over the winter of
1936-7. His early experience as a progress-chaser in an engineering firm was used to good effect in
35
academic administration, and is especially evident in his work for the Commerce Degree Bureau,
whose director he became in 1938.
From 1940 to 1946 Plant was a temporary civil servant, beginning as the director of the wartime social
survey in 1940, subsequently being chiefly concerned with the allocation of wartime materials. He had
already become a member of the Cinematograph Films Council in 1938, a position he held until 1969:and during the post-war years, he became an increasingly active committee member. From 1953 to
1956 he and George Cyril Allen served the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission as
economists during its initial extensive surveys of British industry: the Federation of British Industry
had successfully lobbied against the appointment of an economist as chairman on the grounds that
economists were biased against restrictive practices, which was certainly true of Plant. Among other
appointments, he was chairman of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council from 1955 to 1967, and of
the Advertising Standards Authority from 1962 to 1965. The Institute of Economics Affairs sponsored
the publication of his collected essays in 1974, one of its leading members, Arthur Seldon, having been
his research assistant from 1937 to 1939.
Plant was knighted in 1947. He died at the Royal Free Hospital, Camden, London on 19 April 1978;
his wife survived him.
WKP Note:
The 1901 Census contains the following information:
Civil Parish of Shoreditch Parliamentary Borough of Hoxtown
Shoreditch Library
William C Plant H M 43 Borough Librarian born Leek, Staffs
Thomasine Plant W M 35 born Buxton, Derby
Gladys Plant D 10 born Buxton, DerbyNorman Plant S 4 born Buxton, Derby
Arnold Plant S 2 born Hoxton, London
It looks as though William and his family lived in property attached to the library itself.
Therefore William and his family lived, firstly in Buxton before moving to London just prior to
Arnold’s birth, April 1898. Arnold’s father, William Charles Plant, was born c1858 in Leek, the son of
George & Elizabeth Plant living in 1861 in the township of Titterworth. His siblings were Mary born
1852 and Samuel John born 1855. According to the 1861 Census, George was a 30-year-old Silk
Throuster from Leek and Elizabeth a 36-year-old Silk Weaver, also from Leek.
36
STAFFORDSHIRE MARRIAGE INDEX 1500’s TO 1837
From Sibyl to Thomas
No. Name Status Occupation Residence Name Status Occupation Residence Date Place Notes Banns/Lic.492 Sibyl s Shaw, John 30 Mar 1823 Leek
493 Silva s Billingham, Silvanus b 13 Oct 1819 West Brimwich
494 Simon Lymer, Mary 3 June 1811 Cheadle
495 Simon w Burton, Mary 8 Jan 1818 Cheadle l
496 Simon Nutt, Margaret 22 Mar 1818 Cheadle
497 Stephanus Tagg, Maria Swinnerton 15 Nov 1737 Colton
498 Stephen Higginson, Hannah Eccleshall 16 April 1727 Stone
499 Stephen Eccleshall Browne, Anne Norton-le-Moors
26 Jun 1758 Norton-le-Moors l
500 Stephen Myott, Prudence 30 May 1767 Wednesbury `
501 Stephen Forton Cope, Ellen Myott Forton 7 Mar 1791 Forton l
502 Stephen Bourne, Rebecca 9 May 1814 Norton-le-Moors
503 Susann Burslem Bates, Thos Burslem 10 Feb 1806 Norton-le-Moors
504 Susanna Kidderminster,
WOR
West, Joseph 13 Dec 1756 Upper Arley,
WOR
505 Susanna s Burns, John b 17 Aug 1788 Walsall
506 Susannah w Cook, Sam 14 Nov 1697 Leek
507 Susannah Price, William 2 Sep 1787 Kingswinford
508 Susannah Mountford, Isaac 10 Apr 1814 Norton-le-Moors509 Susannah Brookes, William 25 Jul 1815 Kingswinford
510 Theophilus b Cheswardine Harding, Frances s Swynnerton 22 Jul 1775 Swynnerton l
511 Thirza Stoke Cook, William Stoke 5 Aug 1811 Bucknall
512 Thirza Broadhurst, Thomas 26 May 1837 Bagnall
513 Tho Smith, Eliz Leek 29 Dec 1669 Leek
514 Tho Hurdlowe Bromly, Jane Elkeston,
Alstonfield
15 Feb 1670/1 Leek
515 Tho Malkin, Jane Leek 30 Apr 1674 Leek
516 Tho Snape, Susanna Leeke 16 May 1693 Dilhorne
517 Tho Leek Dod, Jane Cheadleton 5 Aug 1693 Leek
518 Tho Hurdlowe Woolley, Ellin Hurdlowe 8 Apr 1706 Leek, Burslem
519 Tho Red Earth Barnett, Jane Red Earth 18 Nov 1721 Leek520 Tho Leek James, Mary Leek 9 Jul 1723 Leek
521 Tho Hurdlow, DBY Bullock, Sarah Austonfield 17 Aug 1732 Leek l
37
No. Name Status Occupation Residence Name Status Occupation Residence Date Place Notes Banns/Lic.522 Tho Taylor, Mary N’castle 8 Nov 1752 Stoke-on-Trent b
523 Thomas Beech, Alice ** Nov 1568 Stone
524 Thomas Hyndley, Anne ** June 1609 Stone`
525 Thomas Moore, Anne 5 Dec 1651 Bradley
526 Thomas Stone Boulton, Dorothy 8 Feb 1718/9 Milwich
527 Thomas James, Dorothea 30 Mar 1719 Stone528 Thomas Stafford St Mary Carr, Mariam Stafford St
Mary
18 Jun 1720 Stafford St Mary
529 Thomas Boone, Lydia 31 Dec 1722 Stoke-on-Trent
530 Thomas Plant, Mary Stone 8 Feb 1724/5 Newcastle-
under-Lyme
531 Thomas Merriford, WAR Cope, Elizabeth Longdon 11 Apr 1725 Longdon
532 Thomas Muckso Blakemore, Eleanor 22 Nov 1727 Pattingham
533 Thomas Walters, Eliza Swinnerton 21 Feb 1731 Keele
534 Thomas Sansan, Martha Pattingham 12 May 1731 Wolverhampton l
535 Thomas Haynes, Ann 8 Jun 1736 Ellaston
536 Thomas Red Earth, Leek White, Jane Leek 12 Mar 1736/7 Leek
537 Thomas Hawkin, Mary 21 May 1738 Stone538 Thomas Rupel, Mary 7 Jul 1745 Lichfield St
Mary
s
539 Thomas Turner, Mary 14 Nov 1747 Gnosall
540 Thomas Ratcliff, Anne 26 Jul 1748 Stone
541 Thomas Spooner, Mary 31 Dec 1750 Cheadle l
542 Thomas Flower, Sarah 27 May 1751 Cheadle
543 Thomas Walton, Elizabeth 10 May 1756 Eccleshall
544 Thomas w Beards, Jane w 11 May 1770 Wolverhampton b
545 Thomas Dyer Shilton, Mary s 2 Jul 1770 Burton-on-Trent
546 Thomas Collier Evans, Elizabeth s 12 Dec 1772 Cheadle
547 Thomas Ellenhall Lockley, Sarah Ellenhall 8 Jul 1776 Ellenhall548 Thomas Wall, Elizabeth 22 Sep 1779 Stone l
549 Thomas b Milwich Bailey, Elizabeth s 14 May 1781 Leigh
550 Thomas Wood, Mary 4 Sep 1781 Alstonefield l
551 Thomas Farmer Simpson, Mary w 8 Nov 1786 Stoke-on-Trent l
552 Thomas Eccleshall Simkin, Elizabeth Eccleshall 21Jan 1788 Eccleshall
553 Thomas Stevens, Nancy 27 Dec 1790 Kingswinford
554 Thomas Madeley Mitchell, Elizabeth Stoke 20 Apr 1794 Whitmore
555 Thomas Eccleshall Reynolds, Margaret Eccleshall 5 Oct 1795 Eccleshall l
556 Thomas Stoke Rhodes, Catherine 6 Aug 1800 Whitemore
38
No. Name Status Occupation Residence Name Status Occupation Residence Date Place Notes Banns/Lic.557 Thomas b Leek Deavill, Joyce s Leek 19 Jan 1801 Leek
558 Thomas Beddard, Hannah 26 Aug 1804 Kingswinford
559 Thomas Eccleshall Dunn, Dorothy Eccleshall 10 Oct 1805 Eccleshall l
560 Thomas Bullough, Ann 22 Sep 1806 Lichfield St
Mary
561 Thomas b Jennings, Ann s 9 Sep 1807 Rowley Regis l562 Thomas Eccleshall Orwell, Elizabeth Ellenhall 29 Dec 1807 Ellenhall
563 Thomas b Collins, Maria s 1 Jun 1811 Wolverhampton
564 Thomas b Sawyer, Julia s 20 Jul 1812 Stoke-on-Trent
565 Thomas b Stone Marsh, Anne s 25 Apr 1813 Chebsey l
566 Thomas Tunnicliff, Elizabeth 20 Nov 1813 Fulford
567 Thomas b Turner, Catherine s 23 Mar 1814 Leek
568 Thomas Beech, Sarah 18 May 1814 Norton-le-Moors
569 Thomas Stanley, Catherine 2 Oct 1815 Norton-le-Moors
570 Thomas Lees, Priscilla 2 Aug 1817 Norton-le-Moors
571 Thomas b West Bromwich Page, Ann s West
Bromwich
26 Dec 1820 West Bromwich b
572 Thomas Russel, Elizabeth 31 Dec 1820 Cheadle573 Thomas Buxton, Mary 20 Jan 1823 Stone
574 Thomas b Potter Hammersley, Jan s 19 May 1823 Stoke-on-Trent
575 Thomas b Stafford St Mary Clewley, Ann s Stafford St
Mary
21 Jun 1823 Stafford St Mary
576 Thomas Ratcliff, Mary 31 Dec 1823 Biddulph
577 Thomas b Gratrix, Hannah s 1 Feb 1824 Shenstone
578 Thomas b Weaver Frost, Mary s 17 Dec 1823 Leek
579 Thomas Moore, Mary Eccleshall 28 Dec 1825 Chebsey
580 Thomas Rowley Regis Harris, Anne Rowley
Regis
13 Mar 1825 Clent, WOR
581 Thomas Hassall, Ann 12 Oct 1826 Stone582 Thomas Eccleshall Bates, Kate Eccleshall 20 Mar 1827 Eccleshall
583 Thomas b Attwood, Keziah s 4 Jun 1827 Rowley Regis
584 Thomas Mills, Elizabeth Bradley 10 Nov 1828 Gnosall
585 Thomas Leeke, Harriet 16 Feb 1829 Mucklestone
586 Thomas Eccleshall Barlow, Elizabeth Eccleshall 13 May 1830 Eccleshall
587 Thomas b Hawley, Margaret s 18 Jun 1831 Cheadle
588 Thomas b Farmer Stoke-on-Trent Ocklin, Ellen s Stoke-on-
Trent
19 Sep 1831 Stoke-on-Trent
589 Thomas b Doorbar, Sarah s 23 Apr 1832 Burslem
39
No. Name Status Occupation Residence Name Status Occupation Residence Date Place Notes Banns/Lic.590 Thomas b Tailor Hulme, Ann s ` 25 Aug 1832 Rushton,
Spencer
591 Thomas b Wrench, Mary s 8 Oct 1833 Stoke-on-Trent
592 Thomas b Jennings, Maria s 5 Oct 1834 Sedgley
593 Thomas Evans, Mary Seighford 10 Feb 1835 Ellenhall
594 Thomas Eccleshall Simcock, Mary Eccleshall 21 Jan 1836 Eccleshall595 Thomas Eccleshall Simcock, Mary Eccleshall 21 Jan 1836 Swynnerton, RC
596 Thomas b Beardmore, Ann s 8 Apr 1837 Cheadle
597 Thomas
Watkin
Adbaston Robinson, Elizabeth Forton 12 Nov 1804 Forton `
598 Thos City of Exon Doncastle, Margret Trentham 12 Jul 1704 Trentham
599 Thos Swinerton Arbrey, Sarah Swinerton 26 Jul 1705 Caverswall
600 Thos Dunington Blakemore, Eleanor Dunington 25 Nov 1727 Kingswinford l
601 Thos Cook, Eliz Uttoxeter 12 May 1729 Norbury, DBY
602 Thos Marsh, Rebeckah Hanly 1 Jan 1749 Stoke-on-Trent
603 Thos Mucklestone Thomas, Ann Mucklestone 4 Sep 1750 Mucklestone
604 Thos Stoke Hatton, Mary Trentham 16 Apr 1751 Trentham
605 Thos b Clulow, Sarah s 22 Jun 1769 Leek l606 Thos s Leek Yardley, Ann Biddulph 19 Jan 1771 Biddulph age
18
l
607 Thos b Cluelow, Mary s 10 Jan 1771 Leek
608 Thos b Gibson, Martha s 20 Oct 1773 Leek
609 Thos w Davenport, Esther 26 Jan 1777 Trentham l
610 Thos Potter Stoke `Taylor, June Stoke 16 Sep 1783 Newcastle-under
-Lyme
611 Thos b Leek Holland, Sarah s Leek 23 Dec 1788 Leek
612 Thos w Leek Fernihough, Hannah s Leek 22 Sep 1793 Leek
613 Thos b Cheadle Hollinsworth, Eliz 21 Nov 1793 Norbury, DBY
614 Thos Leek, Smith, Ann Egginton,DBY
21 October1799
Eggington, DBY l
615 Thos Winser, Ann 26 Jun 1803 Norton-le-Moors
616 Thos Hus. Bailey, Judith Biddulph 7 Apr 1806 Biddulph
617 Thos b Leek Hargraves, Ellen s Leek 3 Jul 1809 Leek
40
THE BRITISH CENSUS
It was becoming apparent that, at the end of the 18th century, nobody was sure whether Britain’s
population was growing or declining and the first official attempt at a census was carried out in March
1801.
Prior to the first Government Census, population estimates were calculated from parish registers and
tax returns. In 1753 an attempt had been made to pass a bill establishing a national census, but it had
been defeated by fears that the information gained would give the government control of the
population. [Things don’t change do they.]
However, by 1800 the matter was becoming more serious brought about partly by the population
explosion and an economic crisis caused by the war with France and the need to know how many
people would need to be fed if food became scarce.
An Act was therefore passed by Parliament in December 1800 and the first census took place three
months later followed by subsequent returns every ten years.
The first four censuses were carried out by clergymen and parish officials who were empowered to
collect information about the size of the population in the local parish, the occupations, the number of
occupied houses, and the baptisms, marriages and burials which had occurred in certain years. The
returns were sent to the Home Office in London who collected the information and published reports.
From 1841 over 40,000 men (and from 1891 a few women) were temporarily recruited to distribute
and collect schedules. These enumerators were employed by Local Registrars of births, marriages and
deaths and were expected to be ‘a person of intelligence and activity: he must read and write well and
have some knowledge of arithmetic: he should not be younger than 18 years of age or older than 65: he
must be temperate, orderly and respectable, and be such a person as is likely to conduct himself with
strict propriety, and to deserve the goodwill of the inhabitants of the district’. Considerable local
knowledge was essential, though this was not always possible, particularly in densely-populated ares.
In 1862 the returns for the censuses between 1801 and 1831 were transferred to the Public Record
Office (PRO). There they remained unsorted until 1904 when the PRO destroyed them. However, a
41
few of the returns escaped (perhaps the Incumbent at the time did an extra copy and retained this copy)
and Local Historical Societies or County Record Officers may store these earlier census records.
By the 1830’s it was clear that previous returns left a lot to be desired and various organisations
pressed for more detailed questions. There was a considerable amount of opposition for politicians
who were worried about invading people’s privacy.
As a result the 1841 Census only went part way towards all subsequent census returns in the 19th
century. This is why people were asked whether they were born in the county or not and were not
asked the name of the village or town as was the case in later census returns. Additionally, the ages of
adults were rounded down to the nearest five years.
The 1851 Census and all subsequent census in the 19th
century were in the same form with the
occupants of each household grouped together with the relationship to the head of the household
shown for each occupant. Ages were given accurately together with occupation and where the person
was born – County and Town.
In 1862 the PRO took the records for the 1841 and 1851 censuses before they were eventually returned
to the General Register Office returning once again to the PRO in 1912.
When the census records reached the PRO in 1912 the government was persuaded to make the records
available to the public. It was not until 1962 that the 1861 Census became available at the PRO.
Because of increasing use of the records in the early 1970’s the PRO microfilmed them in order to
protect the originals and these films could be seen in a special room made available in the Land
Registry Building in London. By the time of the release of the 1891 records in 1992 a larger room was
constructed out of a disused strong room in the basement of the PRO building in Chancery Lane. The
records were finally moved to the new Family Records Centre in London in early 1997.
Some ten years ago the Church of Latter Day Saints carried out a major exercise, producing CD’s of
the whole of the 1881 Census enabling searches by name nationally and by county. Most Local
History Societies have microfiche or CD copies of their own particular county and in the case of the
1881 Census CD’s of the whole of England, Scotland and Wales. Additionally, local libraries hold
copies for their localised area.
42
The 1901 Census, released in 2002, lists 32.5 million inhabitants of England, Wales and the Channel
Islands and the Isle of man who were at home on Sunday 31st March 1901.
The presentation of the information is generally in the same form as the previous returns for the second
half of the 19th
century, but access to the information is different. For the first time, the enumerator’s
books were digitised and the images made available on the internet. The index is free and if you think,
you have the correct entry, you can then buy and exact copy of the page on which the entry occurs.
Additionally, most Family History Societies have micro-fiche copies of the records for their own
particular area, although as yet, most of these fiche have not been indexed by the person’s name. Most
however have been indexed against place and street name. There is usually only a nominal charge for
using these fiche’s provided you are a member of the Society.
The Census records are a prime source of information for the 19th century. However, be careful.
Names re frequently miss-spelt.
Not all the information is correct. If there was something in the family that was not talked
about, the informants deliberately gave incorrect information to the enumerator and he didn’t
know any different.
The place of birth was sometimes the place where the informant was brought up and not where
they were born.
It was a common practice, particularly in Industrial areas, for the grand parents to bring the
children up so that the children’s parents could continue to work.
Relationships were often wrong.
Correct ages and birth places vary from census to census.
In a small number of instances children under 12 months were not included.
If the enumerator did not know the area, some households were missed altogether.
43
Most of the records have been defaced by the Clerks in the Census Office when they extracted
information for the tables which appeared in the published reports. Often they would tick the
item to ensure that no information was omitted and it is not uncommon to find amendments to
entries.
Apart from 1841, census dates were fixed for early spring, when it was considered that most people
would be at home. After April it was expected that many men and their families would be away from
their normal place of residence looking for agricultural work.
As some of you know, I used to lecture on Genealogy and preparing this piece has reminded me of an
event 5 years ago when I was talking to a Probus group (Retired business men). I had reached the
section on Census returns when a man in the audience asked if he could relate a story relating to his
experiences when acting as an Enumerator in the 1991 census. He was asked by the lady head of the
house for his assistance in completing the form. Her problem concerned what to enter in the column
‘Relationship to Head’ as, as she explained, the man she was living with ‘was not her husband’. After
a little further thought she asked for the form back and then wrote in the appropriate column, ‘Acting
Husband’. As the enumerator was about to return the completed form to his bag, she asked for it back
again and then added against her previous statement ‘Acting Husband’ – ‘and not very good at it
either’. I wonder what any researcher in 2091, when the information is released, will make of that
comment.
44
PALMERS INDEX TO THE TIMES
Palmers Index to the Times was compiled in the late 19th century and constitutes 450 volumes including many items of
interest to Family Historians.
The extract below covers the period 5 June 1861 to 23 February 1869.
Civil Actions: Harris v. Plant
The Times 5 June 1861, 11b
Court of Exchequer, June 4.
(Sitting in Banco, at Westminster, before the Lord Chief Baron, Mr Baron Martin, Mr Baron Bramwell, and Mr Baron
Channel.)
Harris v. Plant
Mr Gray moved for a rule absolute in the first instance on behalf of the plaintiff that a sum of money paid into court by the
sheriff of Glamorganshire should be paid out to the plaintiff and another claimant.
The plaintiff obtained a judgment against the defendant for 207/. 18s., and issued a writ of fieri facias, under which the
sheriff of Glamorganshire levied on the 8th of November, 1860, and on the 24th and 29th of November two more executions,
at the suit of other persons, were lodged with him. Plant was possessed of two leasehold properties in Glamorganshire,
called Lanelay and Lanharry, and was interested as joint tenant in an undivided moiety of a leasehold mining company
called Trecastle. The sheriff levied on Trecastle and Lanelay. The Birmingham Banking Company made a claim to themachinery on the Trecastle colliery, and a person named Cadman, who was interested as a joint tenant in that colliery, also
made a claim. An order was made by Baron Martin directing an issue to be tried between Cadman and the execution
creditor, but they settled their differences by the latter taking a moiety. The sheriff served under all the writes in his hands,
and advertised in the usual way to sell by peremptory sale by auction. A Mr Lyne, who had a mortgage upon the Trecastle
property, caused a notice to be served upon the auctioneer claiming the goods, and requesting the sale not to take place.
Several summonses were taken out, and applications made to Judges at Chambers, Mr Baron Channell making an order on
the 26th of February this year, dismissing a summons, upon Lyne undertaking to withdraw his notice, such withdrawal to be
without prejudice to any action he might bring against the sheriff. Lyne withdrew the notice, and the money was paid to
the sheriff, who paid it into court. Summonses relating to the present matters came before Mr Baron Wilde at chambers,
who sent the parties to the full Court.
Mr. Gray now appeared for the execution creditor, Mr Lush, Q.C., for Cadman, Mr Prentice for the sheriff, and Mr Broun
for Lyne.
The sheriff, it was said, was put into a position of great difficulty by the settlement of the plaintiff and Cadman, that
inasmuch as there was not enough to satisfy the claims of all the execution of creditors, he could not pay the money over
without a direction of the Court, in order to protect himself against them as well as against Lyne’s claim.
Mr Lyne’s attorney consented by letter to the payment of half the amount paid into the court to the plaintiff, without
prejudice to Lyne’s right of action, as embodied in the terms of Baron Channell’s order.
Ultimately the rule was made absolute to pay Harris and Cadman sums of money, Lyne consenting and undertaking with
the sheriff, according to the terms of the letter by his attorney, which was to be embodied in the rule.
45
Civil Actions: Plant v. Taylor
The Times 8 Jul 1861, 11c
Court of Exchequer, Westminster, July 6,
Plant v. Taylor.
At the trial a verdict was found for the defendant; afterwards a rule was obtained by the plaintiff to set it aside and enter a
nonsuit, and a cross rule was obtained by the defendant for a new trial, on the ground of rejection of evidence.
The Court made the first rule absolute, and discharged the second.
Their Lordships were occupied upwards of two hours in reading the various judgments [ie, this and the others reported]
Bankruptcies: Thos. Plant
The Times 5 Apr 1862, 5a
BANKRUPTS
Thomas Plant, Manchester, journeyman joiner, April 15, at 10, County Court, Manchester.
Bankruptcies: Reuben Plant
The Times 10 Sep 1862, 6a
BANKRUPTS
Reuben Plant, Bloomsbury-st, Bedford-sq., Sept, 23, at 12.
Bankruptcies: Wm. Plant
The Times 29 Nov 1862, 6b
BANKRUPTS
William Plant, Walsall, greengrocer, Dec. 12 at 12, Bankrupts’ Court, Birmingham.
Bankruptcy Court: Rueben Plant
The Times 29 Nov 1862, 11d
Court of Bankruptcy, Basinghall-street, Nov. 28
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd)
In Re Reuben Plant
The bankrupt was a proprietor of mines, of Foster-house, Woodsley, and latterly of Euston-square, and half a dozen other
places. This was an examination meeting.
Mr. Harcourt appeared for the assignees, Mr Linklater, Mr. Randall, and Mr. Homer, of Brierley-hill, for the creditors, and
Mr. Lawrance for the bankrupt.
The bankrupt’s accounts show, unsecured creditors, 8,083/-: secured ditto, 4,151/.: liabilities on bills discounted, 5,067/.:
property held by creditors, 6,850/.: doubtful debtors, 13,688/.
It appeared from the bankrupt’s examination by Mr. Homer that he had sold furniture at his late residence Foster-house,
near Stourbridge, to his father-in-law (Mr. George Cooke). He had been chairman of Brierley-hill Gasworks, but could not
46
say how many shares he had held in the company, or what had become of the whole of them. He had purchased an estate
for about 1,500/. That estate he now valued at 40,000/. He had had accommodation bill transactions with Mr. Jeffreys by
accommodating Jeffreys, but Jeffreys had never accommodated him. He had been a sufferer by Jeffreys.
Some other evidence having been given.
Mr. Homer asked for further accounts, with a view to show that he (Mr. Homer) had been defrauded.
Mr. Lawrance.—The charge is wholly unfounded, as I shall be able to prove.
An adjournment was then ordered.
Bankruptcies: Chas. Plant
The Times 14 Feb 1863, 8b
BANKRUPTS
Charles Plant, Sandbach, Cheshire, licensed victualler, Feb 21, at half-past 12, County Court, Congleton.
Civil Actions: Joy v. Plant
The Times 30 Mar 1863, 11b
Northern Circuit, Liverpool
Friday, March 27.
Civil Count – (Before Mr Justice Keating)
Joy v Plant
This was an action to recover compensation for injuries sustained by the plaintiff through the alleged negligence of the
defendant, in having insufficient rope to a hoist in his mill, which broke, and the plaintiff was in consequence seriouslyinjured.
Mr. Overend, Q.C., and Mr. Cobbert appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. Temple, Q.C., and Mr J.A. Russell for the defendant.
It appeared that the plaintiff had been overlooker at a large cotton mill at Todmorden, belonging to the defendant, and in
the mill there was a hoist for the purpose of raising heavy weights from one floor to the other and also for letting the
persons employed in the mill up and down, - this mill consisting of five floors. In June, last year, the plaintiff got into the
hoist for the purpose of being raised to a higher floor, when the rope by which the hoist was being worked broke, and the
plaintiff was precipitated with very great violence from the third to the second floor, where he luckily caught the landing,
and so saved himself from being thrown to the ground. His left arm was however, caught by the machine in its descent,
and literally smashed to pieces, and his left leg was also injured. He was inconsequence confined to his bed for a long time,and his medical attendant expressed an opinion that he was permanently unfitted for following his occupation.
For the defence it was proved that both the defendant and his manager were aware of the insecure condition of the rope,
which required to be replaced by a new one, and that the manager had given instructions to the men in the mill that they
were not to ride in the hoist, and several of the men proved that the plaintiff was aware of this order, and was himself
personally cautioned against doing so; that he continued to ride up and down as he required in spite of this caution, and
after the accident he had said that it was all his own fault.
The learned Counsel for the plaintiff said, after this evidence he could not resist a verdict for the defendant.
Mr. Temple, for the defendant, said that his client would not, under the circumstances, press for costs, and would do whathe could for the unfortunate plaintiff. –Verdict for the defendant.
Bankruptcies: John Plant
47
The Times 14 Oct 1863, 4b
BANKRUPTS
John Plant, Sandbach, Lower Whitley, Cheshire, beerhouse keeper, Oct 29, at 11, County Court, Warrington.
Bankruptcies: T.E. Plant
The Times 19 Dec 1863, 6a
Thomas Edward Plant, Liverpool, master mariner, Jan 5, at 3, County Court, Liverpool.
Bankruptcies: John Plant
The Times 8 Nov 1865, 4b
BANKRUPTS
Plant, John, Wolverhampton, grocer, Nov. 20 –Birmingham.
Bankruptcies: J.D. Plant
The Times 17 Feb 1866, 6a
BANKRUPTS
Plant, J.D., Monk’s Coppenhall, builder, March 2 –Liverpool.
Bankruptcies: Stubbs & Plant
The Times 7 Nov 1866, 7f
BANKRUPTS
Stubbs, James, and Plant, William, Longton, Staffordshire, china manufacturers – Nov 19, Birmingham.
Bankruptcies: Frank Plant
The Times 17 Jul 1867, 9e
BANKRUPTS
Plant, Frank, Hampstead-rd, and High-st, Camden-town, hatter – Jul 29, at 2.
Civil Actions: Plant v. Brandon
The Times 5 May 1868, 11b
48
Vice-Chancellor’s Court, May 4.
(Before Vice-Chancellor Sir R. Malins.)
Plant v. Brandon
This bill was filed for the specific performance of an agreement for a lease of land, containing coal, at Cheadle, in
Staffordshire, and to restrain the hindering the plaintiff and the Cheadle Coal Company (limited) from searching for the
coal, and also to restrain an action of trespass. It appeared that in February, 1866, the company was projected by the
plaintiff and others, and the defendants, who were the owners of Millhaven Farm, containing 90 acres, being applied to by
the plaintiff, attended a meeting of the promoters, and the agreement in question was entered into, at a rate of 40/- per acre
for the estate, 20/. Minimum rent for the minerals, and 4/. 10s for damage per acre. A correspondence then ensued between
the respective solicitors, during which the present question – which was whether the terms were not quite inadequate - was
raised, ending in this suit. The case was opened some days since, and the plaintiff and other witnesses cross-examined inCourt. The defendants, or one of them, were resident at Stone, in Staffordshire.
Mr. Glasse, Q.C., and Mr. Bevir appeared for the plaintiff, Mr Huddleston, Q.C. (of the Common Law Bar), and Mr C.C.
Barber for the defendants.
Mr. Glasse, Q.C., was heard in reply.
The Vice-Chancellor reserved his judgment, observing that, although now that operations had been commenced, and it had
been settled that there were minerals, which at the time of the contract was uncertain, it was almost admitted that there was
an inadequacy of rent, at the time of the contract everything was perfectly fair, and the defendants had time to take advice.
On the other hand, more time might have been given before the agreement was drawn up. There was much difficulty in thecase, and his Honour would be prepared to dispose of it early in Trinity Term; but meantime it would be well if both parties
would agree to modify the terms of the contact.
Bankruptcies: James Plant
The Times 13 Feb 1869, 7b
BANKRUPTS
Plant, James, Tideswell, [tinman] – March 1, Bakewell.
Bankruptcies: John Plant
The Times 13 Feb 1869, 7b
BANKRUPTS
Plant, John, Stone, grocer, Feb 23, Stone
49
SHROPSHIRE BURIALS
Extracts from Shropshire Burial Index – Shropshire Family History Society
Date of Burial Forename Age Abode Church Appr. Year. of
birth
1814 Aug 30 John 15 Sheriffhales Sheriffhales St Mary 1799
1815 Mar 2 Samuel Inf Lawley Wellington All Saints 1815
1816 Apr 9 George Inf Woodhouses Dawley Magna Holy Trinity 1816
1816 Feb 16 Mary Little Drayton Market Drayton St Mary
1817 Apr 7 William 18 Workhouse High Ercall St Michael & All Angels 1799
1817 Feb 27 Eliza Inf Little Drayton Market Drayton St Mary 1817
1818 Oct 21 Mary 1 Lincoln Hill Madeley St Michael 1817
1819 Feb 9 Charles Inf Donnington Wood Wellington All Saints 1819
1820 Aug 28 Francis 83 Sheriffhales Sheriffhales St Mary 1737
1820 Jan 11 Richard 26 Sheriffhales Sheriffhales St Mary 1794
1820 Nov 12 Robert 56 High Hatton Stanton upon Hine Heath St Andrew 1764
1821 Apr 18 John 6w Meole Brace Meole Brace Holy Trinity 1821
1821 Feb 22 Willm 18 Oakengates Wellington All Saints 1803
1821 Mar 4 George 32 Dawley Green Dawley Magna Holy Trinity 1789
1822 Feb 21 Eliz 53 Stanton Hodnet St Luke 1769
1822 Nov 15 Stephen 87 Newport Newport St Nicholas 1735
1823 Jan 5 Benjamin 73 Wellington, New Works Little Wenlock, St Lawrence 1750
1823 May 2 Benjamin 12 Horsehay Dawley Magna Holy Trinity 1811
1824 Dec 11 John 9m Field Aston Church Aston St Andrew 1824
50
Date of Burial Forename Age Abode Church Appr. Year. of
birth
1825 May 10 Elizabeth 13m New Works Little Wenlock, St Lawrence 1825
1825 Nov 23 Elizabeth 6 Green Lane Chetwynd St Michael 1819
1826 Jul 16 Sarah 9d Booley Stanton upon Hine Heath St Andrew 1826
1826 Jul 16 Elizabeth 20 Booley Stanton upon Hine Heath St Andrew 1806
1826 Jun 13 Rebecca 4 Wrockwardine Wood Lilleshall St Michael 1822
1826 Nov 18 Elizabeth 84 Donington, Chapel
House
Donington (Albrighton) St Cuthbert 1742
1826 Oct 8 Mary 20 New Works Little Wenlock, St Lawrence 1806
1827 Feb 19 Ann 29 Wrockwardine Wood Stanton upon Hine Heath St Andrew 1798
1827 Mar 15 Mary 62 Stoke on Tern, Eaton Childs Ercall St Michael 1765
1828 Jan 5 Tamar 28 Wrockwardine,
Donnington Wood
High Ercall St Michael & All Angels 1800
1828 Jun 1 Eleanor 73 New Works Little Wenlock, St Lawrence 1755
1828 Mar 5 Robert 1 Sowdley Cheswardine St Swithin 1827
1828 Mar 5 John Inf Lawley Bank Wellington All Saints 1828
1829 Aug 1 Sarah 1 Sowdley Cheswardine St Swithin 1828
1829 Jun 18 James 43 Sowdley Cheswardine St Swithin 1786
1829 Mar 30 John 68 Stanford Bridge Chetwynd St Michael 1761
1829 May 18 Charles 9w Cluddeley Wrokwarding St Peter 1829
1830 Jun 29 George Inf Lawley Bank Wellington All Saints 1830
1831 Aug 19 Henry 5m Chetwynd Aston Church Aston St Andrew 1831
1831 Aug 30 Frances 79 Hospital Preston upon Weald Moors St Laurence 1752
1831 Feb 13 John 10w Newport Newport St Nicholas 1831
51
Date of Burial Forename Age Abode Church Appr. Year. of
birth
1831 Feb 6 Martha 9m Booley Stanton upon Hine Heath St Andrew 1831
1831 Oct 22 John 70 Plough Sheriffhales, St Mary 1761
1832 Aug 26 John 68 Chetwynd Aston Church Aston St Andrew 1764
1832 Dec 2 William 74 High Hatton Stanton upon Hine Heath St Andrew 1758
1832 Jul 6 Enoch 18 Lawley Bank Wellington All Saints 1814
1834 Dec 14 Mary Anne Inf Dawley Bank Dawley Magna Holy Trinity 1834
1835 Apr 22 Sarah 9m Chetwynd Aston Church Aston St Andrew 1835
1835 Jan 4 Elizabeth 15 Paynes Lane Donnington Wood Chapelry at St
George
1820
1835 Jun 21 Edmund Inf New Works Little Wenlock, St Lawrence 1835
1836 Aug 7 Mary 4 Summer Hill Chetwynd St Michael 1832
1836 Aug 8 John 27 Lydbury Lydbury North St Michael & All Angels 1809
1836 Jun 5 Elizabeth 62 Snedshill Wombridge SS Mary & Leonard 1774
1836 Sep 18 Joseph 11m Church Aston Church Aston St Andrew 1836
1837 Jun 4 Henry 8m Newport Chetwynd St Michael 1837
1918 Nov 9 Joseph Holland 49 Coalbrookdale Coalbrookdale Holy Trinity 1869
52
MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL TRADE DIRECTORIESMiscellaneous Records
- Manchester –
1772 James Plant Dealer by Commission Princess Street
Raffold John Plant Stay-maker Bank Saracens Head
Lawrenc Plant Secretary to the Infirmary Smithy Door
1788 James Plant Agent to the Sun Fire Insurance
Lewis’s Office Princess Street
John Plant Stay-maker Pool Street
1800 James Plant Shopkeeper 14 Red Lion Street, Church Street
Banck’s
1828 Plant & Bell Saddlers 41 Deansgate
Joseph Plant & Co Cotton Spinners Piccadilly Mill, Upton Street
1834 Plant & Bell Saddlers & Harness Makers 1 St Ann’s StreetPigot & Co George Plant Surgeon 107 Piccadilly
Joseph Plant & Co Cotton Spinner Piccadilly Mill, Upton Street
Samuel Plant &
Robert Appleton Manufacturers of and dealers
In Cotton goods 1 Tippings Court
“ “ Manufacturers of Fustions “ “
“ “ “ “ Muslins etc. “ “
Samuel Plant Acadamies, Seminaries and
Public Schools Collyurst
1852 Plant & Co Cotton spinners & fustian
Whallen & Co Manufacturers 37 York St Mills, Beswick
Mrs Ann Plant 44 Ardwick Green
Benj Plant Vict. White Lion, 18 Todd Street
George Plant Greengrocer 1 Catherine Street, Bury Street
George Plant Surgeon 107 Piccadilly
George Plant Agent & Collector Queens Terrace, Rochdale St.
James Plant Cotton Merchant 6 Back Sq. Street, Ann’s Street
Ho. = 33 Ardwick Green
James Plant Cotton Spinner Ho = 45 Ardwick Green
John Plant Timber Measurer 2 Blanshard Street. HulmeJohn Plant Varnisher Old Factory Yard, Miller Street
Ho = 3 New Street,
Hanover Street
John Plant Cotton Spinner (Plant & Co) Ho = Beswick
Joseph Plant Packer Hewitts Place,
George Leigh St.,
“ “ & Sons Cotton Spinners Upton Street, London Road
“ “ Jnr “ “ (J Plant & Sons) Ho = 7 Ardwick Grove,
Ardwick Green
Margaret Plant Watchmaker 39 Portland Street
Peter Plant Bookpr. 20 Maskell Street
Chorlton on MedlockRichard Plant Butcher 39 Chapel Street, Salford
` William Plant Greengrocer 29 Port Street
53
The 1852 Directory includes a list of Merchants, Manufacturers and other subscribers to and attending
the Manchester Royal Exchamge
Plants Listed
George Plant Surgeon PiccadillyJames Plant 6 Back Square
John Plant 13 Faulkner Street
Joseph Plant Piccadilly Mill
1873 Edward Plant Provision Dealer 28 Hancock Street, Hulme
Post Office John Plant Looking glass manufacturer 44 Miller Street
Commercial Richard Plant Grocer 92 Greenbank, Salford
Directory Mrs Susanna Plant Beer Retailer 37 Garden Lane, Salford
William Plant Beer Retailer 3 Cannon Street, Salford
William Plant Greengrocer 20 Port Street
Court Dir. John Plant FRS Peel Park, SalfordJohn Plant 39 Renshaw Street, Hulme
Miss Plant 417 Oxford Street,
Chorlton-on-Medlock
- Liverpool –
1818 Margaret Plant `Household Broker 23 Stanley Street
Gore Thomas Plant Grocer 66S, Side Old dock
15 Darwen Street
1828 William Plant Cow Keeper & Dairyman Wolfe StreetGore
1834Pigot & Co “ “ “ “ “ 27 Wolfe Street
1871Gore Mrs Elizabeth Plant 33 Sutton Street, Green Lane
Stonycroft
George Plant Engineer 40 Travers Street
Sarah Plant Deysbrook Lane, West Derby
William Plant Coal dealer & green grocer 3 Canal Street, Bootle.
54
INFORMATION FROM RECORD OFFICE –
MARITIME MUSEUM – ALBERT DOCK, LIVERPOOL
1. Passengers for Virginia July 1635
These under written names are to be transported to Virginia imbarqued in the Assurance de Lo: Isaak
Bromwell & Geo: Pewsie Mr examined by the Minister of the Towne of Gravesend of their conformitie
in or Religion, the men have taken the Oath of Allegeance & Supremasie
Mathew Plant age 23
‘Note – Listed as a woman’
2 The Famine Immigrants
List of Irish immigrants arriving at the Port of New York 1846-1851.
2.1 Indiana 2 Jan 1847 From Liverpool
Plant Cath age 18 Femaile occupation unknown
2.2 Northumberland 21 April 1848 From London
Plant Emma age 30 Female Farmer
Plan t Emma age 8 Female Child
Plant Leuksidy age 6 Female Child
Plant Henry age 5 Male Child
Plant Frank age 4 Male Child
2.3 Huguenot 16 Nov 1847 From Liverpool
Plant George age 21 Male Labourer
2.4 Patrick Henry 3 Apr 1848 From Liverpool
Plant William age 24 Male Farmer
Plant Humphrey age 26 Male Farmer
Plant Mary age 22 Female Occupation unknown
Plant Mary age 20 Female Occupation unknown
Plant Wm age 00 Male Infant
2.5 Victoria 23 Apr 1849 From Liverpool
Plant Ellen age 20 Female Occupation unknown
2.6 Oxford 21 Aug 1849 From Liverpool
Plant Mary age 50 Female Laborer
Plant Nancy age 22 Female Wife of Laborer
Plant Hannah age 18 Female Wife of Laborer
Plant Peter age 00 Male Infant
2.7 Industry 7 Sept 1849 From Dublin
Plant William age 16 Male Occupation unknown
2.8 John-R-Skiddy 1 Feb 1849 From Liverpool
Plant George age 30 Male Laborer
55
Plant Elizabeth age 28 Female Laborer
Plant Jno age 02 Male Child
Plant Jno age 00 Male Infant
2.9 Java 2 Oct 1848 From Liverpool
Plant U-Ms age 25 Female Occupation unknown
2.10 Shirley 28 Mar 1851 From Liverpool
Plant Peter age 27 Male Laborer
Plant Ann age 24 Female Occupation unknown
2.11 Wave 9 Nov 1850 From Liverpool
Plant U-Mrs age 40 Female Occupation unknown
Plant Jane age 19 Female Occupation unknown Plant Margt age 13 Female Occupation unknown
Plant Elizabeth age 13 Female Occupation unknown
2.12 St George 22 Mar 1851 From Liverpool
Plant John age 30 Male Farmer
2.13 Universe 22 Mar 1851 From Liverpool
Plant Rich age 33 Male Carpenter
2.14 Tryingham 24 July 1851 From Liverpool
Plant Geo age 21 Male Labourer
2.15 New York 22 Aug 1851 From Liverpool
Plant Wm age 17 Male Laborer
2.16 Victoria 23 Aug 1851 From Limerick
Plant Wm age 17 Male Laborer
56
THE POOR LAW RECORDS OF
CHESHIRE QUARTER SESSIONS 1700-1730
Removal Order dated 10 May 1716. Richard Plant, his wife and one child from the township of Hunsterson to
the township of Hatherton where he was a servant. Order confirmed
[QJF 144/2/32].
Bastardy Recognizance dated 14 May 1717. Mother: Sarah Warrington of Sutton, singlewoman. Putative father:
Jeffry Plant of Sutton – Husbandman. Child not born. [QJF 145/2/120].
Settlement Over Knutsford agt. Lower Withington touching the settlement of Mary widow of James PLANT &
her three children taken 2 October 1722 upon an appeal made by Lower Withington. James Plant abt
January 1720 farmed or made an intire agreemt with Mr LEIGH or his steward for the houlding of a
house a close of land in Over Knutsford for one yeare and a cow grase or pasture of a cow in other lands
there from the 1st of May till Martlemas at the rent of £6.12s thus reckoned or computed, for the house
30s for the close £3.12s & for the cow grase £1.10s And he also the same yeare farmed a piece of land
sowed with clover in the same towne at the rent of £3.5s & another piece of land there at the rent of £1
& a barne & stable at 2s 4d a year & a ? of grase at 3s a yeare The rent of all which parcels amounts to
£11.01.10d all which parcels save the cowgrase and clover the sd James Plant held & enjoy’d for one
yeare And the clover he mowed twice and after pastured the aftergrase thereof to the end of the yeareAnd he enjoy’d the cow’s pasture for 16 or 18 weeds & pd for the same for that time 19s & 6d which
with the money he truly & actually pd for the rent of the other parcels amounted to £10.10s.10d So the
Question arrises whether this takeing & holding the premises as above & paying the rent for the same
gained him a Settlemt in Over Knutsford or not. See also REMOVAL ORDER dated 26 Sep 1722.
Mary PLANT widow James, John and Martha her sons and daughter from the township of Over
Knutsford to the township of Lower Withington. Appeal continued. [QJF 150/3/20 and 39].
Bastardy Recognizance dated 29 Nov 1722. Mother:: Sarah Wooer? Of Hunsterson, singlewoman. Putative
father: John Plant of Hunsterson, yeoman. [QJF 150/4/73].
Bastardy Order dated 31 Jan 1722/3. Mother: Sarah Wooer of Hunsterson, singlewoman. Putative father: John
Plant of Hunsterson, yeoman. Male child lately born. Order confirmed[QJF 151/1/47]
Bastardy Certificate dated 30 May 1723. Mother: Sarah Wooer, singlewoman. Putative father: John Plant of
Hunsterson, yeoman who has given sufficient security to the township of Hunsterson for a male bastard
child. [QJF 151/2/56]
Bastardy Recognizance dated 23 March 1729/30. Mother: Mary Plant of Over Knutsford, widow. Putative
father: John Hewit of Knutsford Superior, Bricklayer. [QJF 158/1/58]
Bastardy Certificate dated 13 July 1730, Mother: Mary Plant, wid. Putative father: John Hewitt of Over
Knutsford, Innkeeper who has given sufficient security to the township of Over Knutsford for a malebastard child. [QJF 158/2/63]
Notes 1. The letters and numbers in brackets [ ] indicate the reference No. in the Cheshire Record Office
records.
2. Removal Order – The removal of a pauper to the parish in which he had a Settlement.
3. Putative father – supposed father.
4. Bastardy – An Act of 1575/6 allowed Justices to imprison the parents of an illegitimate child and
in 1609/10 to send the mother to prison unless she could give securities for good behaviour.
A later Act obliged the mother to declare she was pregnant with an illegitimate child and to state
the name of the father.
57
The parish offices were responsible for obtaining a Bond from the father to pay for the child’s
upkeep.
5. Settlement – Strangers were allowed to enter a parish provided they were in possession of a
Settlement Certificate showing that they would be taken back by their old parish if they became in
need of poor relief.
A stranger staying in a parish could be removed if he had no prospect of work within 40 days or
did not rent property worth £10.00 per year. After 40 days a stranger could claim that he was then
settled.
58
STAFFORDSHIRE QUARTER SESSIONS ROLLS
1. Michaelmas 28 Elizabeth (1586)
Let it be enquired of for the queen if Sampson Plant of Bromley Abbott’s in the aforesaid county,
tanner, and Robert Plant late of Bromley aforesaid, bellowmaker, 6 September 28 Elizabeth with force
and arms at Bromley aforesaid assaulted Richard Harvie and Elizabeth his wife then and there in the
highway, being in the peace of God and the Queen, and made an offray and wounded and ill-treated
them, so that there lives are despaired of, against the peace of the queen, etc.
2. Epiphany Sessions 29 Eliz (1586)
Writ at Stafford 4 October 29 Eliz (1586) for appearance there Tuesday after the feast of Epiphany.Sampson Plant late of Abbotes Bromley – tanner
Robert Plant late of Abbotes Bromley – bellowsmaker
To answer touching divers trespasses, contempts and offences.
Note – At the Stafford sessions 10 January 29 Eliz (1587) the above Sampson and Robert Plant were
again summoned but on the list of writs both names have been struck through.
3. Easter Sessions 29 Eliz (1587)
Writ at Stafford 10 January 29 Eliz (1587) for appearance there Tuesday after the close of Easter.
William Plantt late of Stone – butcher
William Blythe late of Walton under Cannoke – husbandman.
To answer touching divers trespasses, felonies and contempts
Note on record – William Plant has not been found in my bailwick.
4. Trinity Sessions 29 Eliz (1587)
Writ at Stafford 26 April 29 Eliz (1587) for appearance there Tuesday after the feast of Holy Trinity.
William Plant late of Stone – butcher
William Blythe late of Walton under Cannoke – husbandman.
To answer touching divers trespasses, felonies and contempts
Note on record – The within named have not been found in my bailwick.
5. Michaelmas Sessions 29 Eliz (1587)
Writ at Stafford 13 June 29 Eliz (1587) for appearance there Tuesday after the feast of St Michael.
William Plantt late of Stone – butcher
William Blythe late of Walton under Cannoke – husbandman.
To answer touching divers trespasses, felonies and contempts.
Note on record – The within named have not been found in my bailwick.
6. Easter Sessions 29 Eliz (1587)
Writ at Stafford 3 October 29 Eliz (1587) for appearance at the General Sessions next after the close of
Easter.
William Plant late of Stone – butcher
59
William Blythe late of Walton under Cannoke – husbandman.
To answer touching divers trespasses, felonies and contempts
Ret :1) by Walter Leveson esq., sheriff:- at my county (court) held at Stafford 16 November and 14
December (1587) the within names Wm Plante and Wm Blythe were exacted the first andsecond times respectively and did not appear.
Ret :2) by Wm Bassett esq., sheriff:- this writ thus endorsed was delivered to me by the aforesaid
Walter Leveson, late sheriff, at the end of his office.
At my county (court) held at Stafford 16 January, 8 February and 7 March 30 Eliz (1588) the within
named Wm Plante and Wm Blythe were executed the third, fourth and fifth times respectively and did
not appear, therefore by judgment of Wm Greene and John Jarvis, coroners, both were outlawed.
7. Easter Sessions 29 Eliz (1587)
Indictment
Sampson Plant late of Bromley Abbottes, tanner, and Robert Plate late of Bromley, bellowsmaker, for
assault, affray and battery upon Richard Harvie and Elizabeth his wife in the highway at Bromley 6 Sept
28 Eliz (1587)
Endorsed: witness Chad. Harvie
8. Easter and Trinity 31 Elizabeth (1589)
Writ at Stafford for - Sampson Plant late of Abbots Bromley, Tippler
‘To answer touching divers trespasses, contempts and offences’.
9. Trinity 33 Elizabeth (1591)
Petition to the justice
s
Whereas upon the XXVth daie of Januarii last your worshipes orator Richard Wall of Bromley Abbottes
………underbailiffe of the same towne by reason of his office and place did serve a levarie by order of
the Court there upon the goodes of one Richard Raignoldes of the same towne, the said Raignoldes
understanding thereof before and threateninge to kill your said orator if he came to serve the said
levaries and that in the hearing of Michaell Donne one of the Constables of the same towne, whereupon
the said Constable thinckinge it to be his dutie ……….to be neare the place where the said levaries wasserved and certaine others to aide him who sawe the said Raignoldes resist your said orator in his office
and offer him violenc and strokes, whereupon the Constable comaundinge the said Raignoldes and his
companie to keepe the peace which commaundement (though it were given in her majesties name) the
said Raignolds would not obey until the said Constable was forced to call for aide to staye the
outrageous force of the said Raignoldes within which type …….. the said Raignoldes both framed
certaine billes of most untrue complaints to vex and molest your said orator which complaints to be
falsely pretended dyvers honets persons whose names are here expressed can and safely depose.
Humbly beseechinge your good wurchips that the matters pretended against your said orator maie be
indifferently hard considering the said Raignoldes is known to be an unquiet person disobedient to lawe
and officers and of dyvers misdemeonors.
John Godwin saw the said Thos. Plant
John Bondell Raignoldes resist Christopher Hargreve
Hugh Lecester ye Constable John Bordell
John Storer
Hugh Lecester
Hugh Aston
10. Easter Sessions 36 Eliz (1594)
60
Presentment of licensed and unlicensed victuallars, chapman and badgers by the petty constables at
Stone 28 March 1594
At Humphrey Burdges – Thos Plant : victuallers.
11. Trinity Sessions 36 Eliz (1593 or 1594)
Presentment of Robt. Plant late of Bromley Abbots ‘Bellowmaker’ for assault, offray and battery upon
Robt. Chambers at Bromley Abbots.
12. Michaelmas Sessions 36 Eliz (1594)
Presentment of licensed and unlicensed victuallers, chapman and badgers by the petty constables at
Stone 26 September 1594 by Hugh Fodon high constable of Pinehill hundred.
At Collwycle – Thos Plant : victualler
13. Michaelmas Sessions 36 Eliz (1594)
Writs, tested by Robt. Earl of Essex at Stafford 28 May 36 Eliz (1594) for appearance there Tuesday
after the feast of St Michael following and returned by Edward Lyttleton knt. Sheriff.
Robert Plant late of Abbottes Bromley ‘belowmaker’ to answer touching certain riots,
trespasses, assaults, contempts and other misdeeds.
14. Easter Sessions 38 Eliz (1596)
Deposition of Agnes Plant against John Morgeryson, Easter 38 Eliz (1596)
Agnes Plant wife of Robert Plant of Stafford in the Countie of Staff. Sworne and examined before the
queens mates Justices of peace in open Sessions holden att Stafford on Tuesday next after the clouse of
Easter saveth that one John Morgeryson late of Tixall in the County aforesaid nowe Indicated as a
Recusant did utter these wordes followinge about a moneth last past to her this examinant viz. That he
had read in a booke that the childe should be famished aft the mothers breast and the groundes should
be destroyed with wormes before Michaelmas next.
15. Easter Sessions 38 Eliz (1596)
The names of those that made default at the last muster in Totmanslowe hundred, having sufficient
warning of the constable for their appearance.
Alstonfield – Thos Plant
16. Michaelmas Sessions 38 Eliz (1596)
To answer touching certain contempts and other misdeeds whereof they are presented.
Alstonfield – Thos Plant
17. Easter Sessions 39 Eliz (1597)
Writ of Capias, sieut pluries, tested by Robert, Earl of Essex 11 January 39 Eliz (1596/7) for appearance
at Stafford Tuesday after the close of Easter following
Thos Plant of Alstonfylde
To answer touching certain several trespasses and other misdeeds whereof they are present.
18. Trinity Sessions 39 Eliz (1597)
61
Writs tested by Robert, Earl of Essex at Stafford 5 April 39 Eliz (1597) for appearance there Tuesday
after the feast of Holy Trinity following and returned by Thos. Whorwood esq. sheriff.
Thos Plant of Alstonfielde
To answer touching certain contempts and other misdeeds.
19. Michaelmas Sessions 39 Eliz (1597)
Writ of Copias sieut pluries tested by Robert Earl of Essex at Stafford 24 May 39 Eliz (1597) for
appearance there Tuesday after the feast of St Michael following, and returned by Thos Wharwood esq.
sheriff.
Thos Plant of Alstonfielde
To answer touching certain trespasses and contempts.
20. Hilary Sessions 40 Eliz (1597/8)
Writ of Copias sieut pluries tested by Robert Earl of Essex at Stafford 4 October 39 Eliz (1597) for
appearance there Tuesday after the feast of Epiphany following.
Thos Plant of Alston Fielde
To answer touching certain trespasses, riots and other misdeeds and offences.
21. Easter Sessions 40 Eliz 1598
Writs of Copias sieut pluries tested by Robt. Earl of Essex at Stafford 11 January 40 Eliz (1597/8) forappearance there Tuesday after the close of Easter following and returned by Wm Crompton esq.
sheriff.
Thos Plant of Aulstonfielde
To answer touching certain trespasses, riots and other misdeeds.
22. Easter Sessions 42 Eliz 1600
Presentment of licenses and unlicensed victuallers, chapman and badgers, by the petty constables at
Stone 26 March 1600 before Hugh Fodon, high constable.
Pinehill hundred
Collwyche – Thos Plant – inn holder.
23. Epiphany Sessions Jas 1 1605/6
Writ of Venire facias tested by Thos. Lord Gerard 1 October Jas 1 (1605) for appearance Tuesday after
the feast of Epiphany.
John Plant late of Swynnerton husbandman
To answer touching certain trespasses and other misdeeds.
24. Easter Sessions 2 Jas 1 1604
Memoranda of recognisance before Wm Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and Walter Chetwynd esq.
justices 7 March Jas 1 (1603/4) licensed by the justices to keep an alehouse.
Stone – Wm Plant
62
25 Easter Sessions 3 Jas 1 29 April 1606
Presentment Easter 3 Jas 1 (1605) of persons who have used Badginge and bayinge and sellinge Coltell
without license for the last half year.
Alstonfeild – Robt. Plant, drover sheep
26 Trinity Sessions 3 Jas 1 1605
Memoranda of recognisance before Walter Chetwind knt. Ralph Sneade and Walter Bagot esquires 2
April 3 Jas 1 1605 licensed to sell ale.
Fulford – Thos Plant of Darlaston
27 Trinity Sessions 4 Jas 1 1605
Writ of Venire facias tested by Thos. Lord Gerrard 29 April 4 Jas 1 (1606) for execution Tuesday after
the feast of Holy Trinity.
Robt. Plant late of Alstonfield lab
To answer touching certain trespasses and other misdeeds.
WKP note: Abbots Bromley referred to in the above article is the home of one of Britains most celebrated
customs – The Horn Dance, performed annually in early September.
It has been described as ‘not only a custom unique in Europe but also possibly the oldest surviving
ceremony in Britain’. Inevitably there are those who like to think it is a surviving Druidic rite, and
while no one can say how far it dates back it is known that it was performed at the Barthelmy Fair inAugust 1226. The reindeer antlers that give the dance its name go further back than that. In 1976
one of the horns was accidentally broken and this presented the opportunity for a fragment to be
carbon-dated at the Department of Geological Sciences at Birmingham University. The test gave the
date of 1065 – give or take eighty years. A thousand years ago Danish rule extended into
Staffordshire and as the horns came from reindeer it is likely that they were brought to England by
Vikings.
The Revd AR Ladell has suggested in his book The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance that Skakespeare
alluded to the event in Act IV of As You Like It. The first direct reference to the dance extant is to be
found in Robert Plot’s Natural History of Staffordshire. Published in 1686, in which he wrote:
A sort of sport, which they celebrated at Christmas (on New Year and Twelf-day) call’dthe Hobby-horse dance, from a person that carried the image of a horse between his
leggs… and in his hand a bow and arrow which made a snapping noise as he drew it to
and fro, keeping time with the Musick; with this man danced 6 others, carrying on their
shoulders as many Raindeers heads 3 of them painted white and 3 red with which they
danced the Hays and other country dances. To this Hobby-horse dance there also
belong’d a pot which was kept by turnes, by 4 or 5 of the chief of the Town who
provided Cakes and Ale to put in this pot; all people who had any kindness for the good
intent of the Institution of the sport giving pence, a piece of themselves and families;
and so forraigners too, that came to see it; with Mony they not only repaired their
Church but kept their poor too.
The description of the dance still applies today. Early on the first Monday in September, formerly
known as Wakes Monday, the dancers go to the parish church where the six horns are blessed and
given to the Deer-men. Their weight ranges from 16lb to 25lb, three being painted white and three
brown, and each it attached to a carved deer’s head mounted on a short staff. Because of the
physical strain of the long day, the weight of the horns is borne on the shoulders but along the way
there is no shortage of liquid refreshment to help the dancers keep their strength up. The team is
comprised of six Deer-men, a Fool, a Hobby Horse, a Bowman and Maid Marian. Their cheerful
music is provided by a melodeon player.
63
The Horn dance performers wore ordinary clothing decorated with ribbons until Queen Victoria’s
Jubilee in 1887 when the daughters of the then vicar of Abbots Bromley made their first
Elizabethan-style costumes, possibly inspired by illustrations in a book of Shakespeare’s plays.
These costumes consisted of green tunics and blue trousers with brown spots. Since then there have
been some alterations to the dress, the design of the present costumes going back to 1948.
When the dancers approach at a performance site their line weaves in and out on itself in a figure-of-
eight knot, though always continuing to advance until the men carrying the horns form a circle. This
revolves clockwise and anti-clockwise, then flattens so the white-horn men and the brown-horn men
face one another in a double line. At one end Maid Marian is opposite the Fool, and at the other the
Hobby Horse faces the Bowman, who pretends to shoot it with a toy bow and arrow. Each of the
two files then advances three steps, retires and advances again, the Deer-men lowering their horns to
suggest stags about to fight. These steps are repeated a number of times in rhythm with the music
until a single line is once more formed and the musical walk to the next site begins.
At 8 a.m. the first dance begins outside Abbots Bromley church. During the morning the dancers
walk in single file from site to site in the village and thence into the surrounding countryside to
continue dancing at farms and pubs. By the time they return to the village green in the evening theywill have walked and danced over 10 miles.
64
PLANT DISTRIBUTION 1881
Bedford & Cambridge & Huntingdon & Norfolk & Rutland
Not an area for Plants
Bedford = 10Cambridge = 14
Huntingdon = 3
Norfolk = 7
Rutland = 15
Bedfordshire
Described in the middle of the 19th century as ‘It is a pleasant inland county and diversified with fruitful planes
and rising hills, abounding in cattle, corn and rich pastures: it is noted for barley, bonelace and a manufacture of
straw goods.
Applolonia Plant was the daughter of Francis & Elizabeth Plant, the 1871 Census recording the followinginformation:
Residence in Erdington Parish of Aston - Short Heath Road
Francis Plant Head M 36 Farmer of 611 acres employing
3 or 4 workers born Cheadle, Staffs
Elizabeth Plant W M 40 born Aston, Warwick
Appolonia Plant D 11 Farmer’s daughter born Aston, Warwick
James Plant S 7 Scholar born Aston, Warwick
Hannah Plant D 6 Scholar born Aston, Warwick
Francis J Plant S 3 born Sutton, WarwickGeorge Plant S 1 born Aston, Warwick
Obviously Appolonia moved to Bedford to take up a teaching post.
Margaret Plant was the widow of Thomas Plant, a signalman born 1839. They married c1870 and lived at St
Neots before moving to Biggleswade c1874.
Cambridgeshire
In the middle of the 19th century the South and East of the county was described as pleasant and healthy but, the
North is low and watery. It is mainly agricultural. Cambridge is the county town and seat of the celebrateduniversity.
Jane Plant (see first Census entry) was a Nurse and Domestic Servant to Fenton Hart and family, a Professor of
Theology. She was the daughter of David & Maria, a butcher living in Macclesfield, Cheshire, but born in
Staffordshire.
Louisa E Plant, age 19, was being educated at Newnham Hall South Ladies College. So she should be in the
1871 Census, age 9, but she isn’t – at least not born in Liverpool.
The record relating to Plan is listed in the records as Plant – however, I think that the actual name is Plan as
stated in the 1881 records.
The last two entries on the list are the same family, both connected to the Port of Wisbech in the North of the
county.
Huntingdon
65
The borders of the Ouse, which flows across South eastern part of the county, consists of fertile meadows. The
middle and western part of the county are fertile in corn and sprinkled with woods. The upland area was in
ancient times, a forest adapted for hunting, hence the name of the county. The North east part consists of fens,
drained to give rich pasture for cattle and large crops of corn.
There are only three references to Plant in the 1881 Census : Fanny Plant, a 19 year old servant born, Ailsworth,Northampton and the daughter of John W and Hannah Plant. The other two Plant’s are Thomas Plant and his
wife Mary AH Plant, a Brewery Engine Driver and Dressmaker respectively. Thomas was 46 years of age and
born Castor, Northampton.
Norfolk
Mainly flat with gentle swells and depressions. The eastern area of the county contains marshes extending some
distance into the county. The South eastern area is sandy with light land not suitable for husbandry. The rest of
the county is in good mixed soil, very productive in corn, turnips, etc. Excellent butter and cheese is made and
cattle, sheep and foul are abundant. Yarmouth is the main seaport and in the 19th century was well noted for the
curing of red herrings.
All Plants recorded in the 1881 Census were born in the county apart from Margaret Plant, a 42 year old nurse
living in the Nurses Home, Fakenham, who was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs. She was the daughter of either
Samuel & Hannah Plant of Newcastle-Under-Lyme or Thomas & Margaret Plant of Stoke. I would consider the
latter option to be the more likely of the two in view of the fact that her mother was also named Margaret.
Assuming this assumption correct, she lived in 1851 at Ash Wood, Stoke-on-Trent. Her father was a Master
Coal Miner, employing 20 men. Margaret herself was working as a China Paints AP. Both Thomas and
Margaret, her parents had been born in Cheadle, Staffs.
Rutland
The smallest county in England. It was said, in the middle of the 19th Century, that the county had very good airand the soil rich, producing excellent corn and feeding a great number of cattle and sheep.
All Plants recorded in the 1881 Census lived in Ryhall, a village close to the border with Northamptonshire and
Lincolnshire. They formed one family – Charles being the son of John & Rebecca and John & George Plant
were Brothers.