The Froggatt Family of Brewhouse Yard, NottinghamMARY FROGGATT 1833-1868Mary FROGGATT was born in 1833, the oldest child of William FROGGATT and Elizabeth BOWLER. She was baptised at Nottingham St Nicholas on 11 August 1833.
Although William and Elizabeth probably moved from Brewhouse Yard to Edward St soon after marriage Mary was actually born at Fenny Bentley, Derbyshire (see notes from our 2007 visit to Fenny Bentley.). The connection to Fenny Bentley is not obvious, but Mary's maternal grandmother (Rebecca MILWARD) was married there to Joseph BOWLER on 27 October 1795. In the 1841 census Rebecca Bowler was residing at Fenny Bentley, aged 75 Shopkeeper. This suggests that Elizabeth Froggatt returned to her mother for the birth of her first child. The distance between Nottingham and Fenny Bentley is 31 miles by road, passing through Stapleford, Derby and Ashbourne.
In 1841 the family had left Brewhouse Yard and were living close by in Edward St. By 1851 the family had moved to Castle Wharf and Mary was a Dressmaker, aged 17.
Mary was an accomplished dressmaker. Her descendants have a sampler that she sewed. It is dated April 5th 1842 and states Mary was 8 years old, but her birthday was sometime before August in 1833 so she was nearer 9. The sampler has faded with time but the detail and neat stitching are clear.
Marriage of Mary Froggatt to William ClarkIn the 1851 census Mary's father was a commercial traveller. In the 1854 Wright's Directory he is listed as a traveller for J&H Youle's Timber Merchants, Castle Wharf. In the same directory a William Clark is listed as a clerk for Youle's at Castle Wharf. William Clark would have been 24. It is not surprising perhaps that Mary married William Clark in Nottingham in 1854 (Jun quarter, 7b/369). William Clark was the son of John and Mary Clark. John was a gardener. The 1851 census records five CLARK children: Lucy 1823, William 1831, Ann 1834, Mary 1838 and Betsey 1849. William and Mary FROGGATT had six children:
By 1861 the family had moved a few metres from Castle Wharf to Isabella St, which is adjacent to Brewhouse Yard and Edward St:
In White's 1864 Directory, William Clark is a Slate Merchant, Isabella St., and William Froggatt is a timber merchant with the firm of Froggatt, Woodward and Marriott, Castle Road Wharf, having bought J&H Youles Timber business. William Froggatt died in 1866 (see below) and in 1869 William Clark is listed with the firm of Woodward, Clark & Co, timber merchants. It would appear that William Clark joined the firm with John George Woodward after his brother-in-law's death. Woodward Clark & Co are listed in directories for 1869, 1894, and 1900 Death of Mary CLARK (née Froggatt)Mary died in 1868 in Nottingham, aged 35 (Dec qtr Basford 7b/89) and was buried on 19 November 1868 at Nottingham General Cemetery. In 1869 William Clark was listed as a Timber Merchant residing at Lenton Tce, The Park, so this may have been where Mary died. William the widowerIn the 1871 census, William the widower was living at The Park with son William Froggatt Clark. Also at the address is William's sister Betsy Clark (aged 22) and two servants. The other children of William and Mary are scattered. Sons Francis and Albert are at school in Brixton, London. Catherine and Mary are also at school in Brixton at a Ladies Boarding School (Upper Tulse Hill), the Principal being Elizabeth WOODWARD from Nottingham. The Froggatt, Clark and Woodward families were business partners in Nottingham, indeed the Woodward family lived adjacent to the Clark family so this connection may explain why the children were sent to London after their mother died.
Marriage of William CLARK to Charlotte WRIGHTIn the 1881 census William was living at Fairlawn, in The Park Nottingham. He had four of his children with him, confirming this is the correct William CLARK. He now has a new wife, Charlotte and three more children. The GRO index gives the maiden name of the mother of the three children as WRIGHT. For some reason, the marriage of William CLARK to Charlotte WRIGHT took place at Christ Church at Bridlington Quay, Yorkshire. At the time of marriage Charlotte was residing at Bridlington Quay and William in Nottingham. The marriage was witnessed by John Woodward (William's business partner) and Betsy Clark, William's sister. The record confirms Charlotte was the daughter of William WRIGHT and Charlotte, lace thread merchant of Nottingham and who also resided in or near The Park Nottingham.
William and Charlotte had three children:
1881 CensusIn 1881, William Clarke (the 'e' having now been added for some records) was living at "Fairlawn", Duke William Mount, the central road in The Park, Nottingham. His four children with Mary Froggatt are back living with him, together with 3 servants:
1891 CensusBy 1891, William and family had left The Park, and were residing at "One Ash", next to the Manor House, Edwalton, south of Nottingham, near Ruddington. Annie WRIGHT was a visitor, being Charlotte's niece.
Death of William CLARKWilliam CLARK died on 11 November 1899 as 12 Bridgford Rd, Nottingham, just across the road from the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. According to the probate entry, he left an estate of over £9,000 (about £810,000 today) to be administered by his second wife Charlotte.
1901 and 1911 CensusIn 1901 Charlotte Clark and her daughter Helen were living at 10 Balmoral Rd. Helen was a lady cook instructor school.
In 1911 Charlotte and Helen had moved to 8 Grosvenor Ave, Mapperley Park, Nottingham. Helen was now an Art and Cookery Teacher for the County Council.
Charlotte died on 8 February 1922 at the Coppice Hospital, Nottingham. Probate was granted to her step-son William Froggatt CLARK and a solicitor. The estate had dropped in value over the 23 years and was now worth only £2,295 (£91,000 today).
The Children of William CLARK & Mary FROGGATTCatherine Elizabeth ClarkCatherine Elizabeth was born 26 March 1855 in Nottingham. By the time of the 1891 census Catherine was working as a housekeeper for the Armstrong family at Toxteth Park, Lancashire. Also at that address was a George Gilbert ARMSTRONG, a journalist, son of Richard Acland ARMSTRONG a "Protestant Dissenting Minister of Religion".
Catherine married George Gilbert ARMSTRONG in June quarter 1894 at Nottingham. George was a journalist and 16 years her junior.
George and Catherine's familyGeorge and Catherine had a son, Richard Acland ARMSTRONG, born in Bradford (North Bierley 9b/194) in 1st quarter 1897, when Catherine was 42 years old. In the 1901 census they were living at 3 Bertrand Place, Gilnow, Bolton, Lancashire. By 1911 they had moved to Denison Rd, Victoria Park, Manchester. In 1921 they were in London at 4 Buck Court, The Temple. In 1939 they were at 133 North End, Golders Green, London
In 1930 George inherited £1,000 from Emily ARMSTRONG (an aunt or great-aunt), once a school headmistress. In 2020 that would be over £60,000.
Catherine (also Katharine) Armstrong nee CLARK died 6 January 1941 at 133 North-End Rd Golders Green, London.
George Gilbert ARMSTRONG died 24 February 1945 at 133 North End, Golders Green.
The only son of George and Catherine, Richard Acland ARMSTRONG, married a French woman, Lucille Mathe Marcelle HARDY, whose parents were Belgian. Richard and Lucille had one child, George Alan ARMSTRONG, born 30 June 1936. Richard Acland died of heart failure in Portugal on 1 October 1942. Probate was granted to Richard Armstrong, attorney for Lucile Armstrong, widow.
William Froggatt CLARKWilliam Froggatt Clark was born in Nottingham in 1857. He married Elisa HAMEL in Nottingham in mid-1880 (Jun 1880 7b/451). Elisa HAMEL was born in 1858 in Nottingham to Sigismund and Cecile HAMEL. The Hamel family lived at Welbeck Tce in the 1861 census, but by 1871 had moved to Newcastle Terrace, The Park, Nottingham (along with William Clark, William Froggatt, Arnold Goodliffe....etc). Elisa was the second of six daughters. Sigismund had been born in Hamburg, Germany in about 1825 and was a shipping merchant. William CLARK and Elise had 2 daughters:
In the 1881 census, WIlliam and Elisa were living at 5 Tennyson St, Nottingham. In 1891 they were at 15 Wellington Square, off Derby Rd and adjacent to The Park. They had daughters Mary Malvina (aged 8) and Grace Cecilie (aged 3). In 1901 William Froggatt Clark was a timber and slate merchant (employer) living at 11 Park Terrace with Elise and daughters Mary (aged 18) and Gracie (aged 13).
William Froggatt CLARK died 11 December 1927 at 20 Regent St, Nottingham although his residence at the time was Newcastle House, The Park, Nottingham. His wife Elise died a few years later on 28 November 1932 at Newcastle House.
Mary ClarkMary was born about 1859 in Nottingham. She has been omitted from the birth index, or there has been a mistake with the mother's maiden name. The obvious entries are for two Mary Elizabeth CLARKs, registered in Nottingham December 1859 or December 1861. However, these have mother's name of MANTLE and WARRENER respectively, rather than FROGGATT. After her mother died in 1868, Mary and sister Catherine were sent to school in Brixton, London where they were in the 1891 census. She is back living with her father in the 1881 census. In 1891 aged 31, she was in Manchester, working as a "Lady Companion" with the widow Johanna MEYER. In 1901, aged 42 and still single, she was living as a "companion" to two elderly sisters at Parkfield, Middleton Rd, Crumpsall, Manchester. By 1911, aged 52 she was living with her sister Catherine (Armstrong) at Denison Rd, Manchester.
Mary did not marry. She appears to have died in Nottingham in 1930 (Mar quarter 1930 7b/434). Francis Joseph CLARKFrancis was born in Nottingham in late 1860. He migrated to Canada in 1882. There is more information about Francis Joseph and his family here. Albert Henry CLARKAlbert Henry was born in late 1862 in Nottingham. In the 1871 census Albert was at school in London with his older brother Francis. In 1881 he was back living with his father in Nottingham and working as a lace manufacturer's assistant.
After the 1881 census, reliable information about Albert is difficult to find. The issue is confounded by there being two persons named Albert Henry CLARK, bothe born in Nottingham, one in 1859 and the other in 1862. Both had parents in the lace trade and both went into the lace trade by age 18. The older Albert Henry CLARK married Annie Mary STEERE in 1879 and they are rexcorded in the 1881 and 1891 censuses in Nottingham. There is an 1888 newspaper report from Austria for an Albert Henry CLARK, his date of arrival in 1882 and his occupation in the lace trade would fit either person. After the Austrian incident it is likely that Albert went back to Nottingham before the 1891 census.
After the 1881 census information that can be reliably connected to Albert Henry disappears from the British records. There are several possible leads, but most are false:
Emigration to CanadaOn 20 May 1882 an Albert Henry CLARK settled on dominion land in Manitoba. He occupied the land for 3 years than applied for a Homestead Grant which was awarded on 30 Dec 1885. At the same time the adjacent block of land was occupied by a Francis Joseph CLARK, whom we know later settled in Brandon Manitoba. It is unlikely to be coincidental that an unrelated person with the same name as Albert's older brother occupied the adjacent land.
A Francis Joseph CLARK married Edith May McKINNON in Brandon, Manitoba on 15 August 1899 and an Albert Henry CLARK married May Maud DEANS in Brandon on 26 March 1902. Thus it is highly likely that these two grooms were brothers and they were the brothers born in Nottingham in 1860 and 1862 respectively. What Alfred did after marriage is unclear. There are no births in Manitoba to Albert and Maud, and neither of them died there up to 1922. Neither of them appear in the various Canada censuses from 1891 to 1921, so where did they go? There is another homestead grant application for an Albert Henry CLARK in 1913 in Glendon Alberta. His application states he was born in Nottingham England in 1863. If this is the same Albert CLARK it is over 1,000km from Brandon Manitoba to Glendon. Lastly we have a death and burial records for an Albert Henry CLARK who died in Swift Current, Saskatchewan on 20 September 1920 and was buried at Mt Pleasant Cemetery. Again it a long distance from Glendon to Swift Current. But this Albert CLARK has a headstone so someone paid for it. Perhaps his wife?
The Children of William CLARK and Charlotte WRIGHTMargaret Eleanor CLARKMargaret Eleanor was born 19 October 1874 in Nottingham. She was living with her parents, William and Charlotte, in the 1881 and 1891 censuses. She attended Nottingham High School from 1886 to 1891, specialising in music and the violin. After leaving high school she attended the Berlin Conservatoire from September 1892 and became an accomplished violinist. In 1901 she was a Teacher of Violin in Middlesbrough.
Margaret married Henry Stanley PROUDLOCK in Nottingham in mid-1906. Henry was born 11 January 1877 in Newcastle to Marmaduke Watson PROUDLOCK (an accountant) and Jane Ann WHEATLEY. and was a consulting engineer. Margaret and Henry had at least one child - Margaret Ursula was born 13 October 1910 in Guisborough, southeast of Middlesbrough. There is a birth for a John RC PROUDLOCK, born in Newcastle on Tyne on 20 October 1916, mother's maiden name being CLARK, but I cannot connect John to Margaret and Henry. I have concluded that John belongs to a different Proudlock/Clark family. In 1911 the family were living in Castleton, Yorkshire, a small village on the banks of the Esk River, and inland from Whitby. Henry's occupation was consulting mechanical engineer. He probably found work at the numerous quarries and mines in the district. In 1911, Margaret is recorded as a violinist.
By 1935 Henry, Margaret and daughter Margaret were living at 425 Gillott Rd, Middlesborough and by 1939 they had moved a short distance away to 100 Rotton Park Rd.
Margaret PROUDLOCK (née CLARK) died in Birmingham in May 1946. Her husband Henry died there in March 1953. Both are recorded at the Lodge Hill Crematorium, Birmingham. Margaret Ursula PROUDLOCK married Maurice SEARLE in 1962 at Newton Abbot. She would have been 52 years old. Maurice appears to have been a widower and probably a policeman. Maurice died in 1983 and Margaret late 1990, both at Torbay. Lottie Isabel CLARKLottie was born in Nottingham on 15 December 1875, and is in the 1881 and 1891 census records with her parents. In 1901 and 1911 she is listed as a school teacher in Wakefield, Yorkshire. There is more information about Lottie here.Helen CLARKHelen was born in Nottingham in 1878 and is in the 1881, 1891,1901 and 1911 censuses with her mother. She married Joseph Ashby BIRD in mid 1920 (Wokingham 2c/1310). I cannot find any children. Joseph died on 16 August 1952.
Helen Stanley died on 13 May 1966. She was still living at 65 High St, Hampton, Surrey.
Last updated: 29 July 2022 |
