THE FROGGATTS OF BREWHOUSE YARD:William Froggatt (1837 - 1881)
William FROGGATTWilliam was born 5 April 1837, at Brewhouse Yard to William FROGGATT and Elizabeth BOWLER. By 1841 the family had moved into accommodation on Castle Wharf and William (senior) was working as a travelling salesman for Youle, the timber merchants. By the time of the 1851 census he was a scholar at Castle Wharf and on the 1861 census he was a timber merchant's clerk aged 24 and still living with his parents at Standard Hill.
Marriage to Sarah GOODLIFFEBy 1864 the FROGGATT family, including William, was residing at 8 Lenton Road, The Park Estate. A near neighbour in Lenton Rd was Arnold Goodliffe and family. William married their daughter Sarah Goodliffe at Derby Road Chapel on 11th April 1867 in a double ceremony together with Frederick Arnold Goodliffe and Elizabeth (Eliza) Swain. In Arnold Goodliffe's memoirs he records: "two large rooms were thrown open; William Taylor Confectioner provided the breakfast. The company consisted of, besides the immediate wedding party, Alderman and Mrs Swain, Mr and Mrs Bennett, Mr Latchmore, Mr and Mrs William Clark, Mrs Froggatt and the members of our family." Note that the Mr and Mrs William Clark were William's older sister and brother-in-law who resided at Fairlawn, Duke William Mount in The Park.
Life at Sandiacre, DerbyshireAfter marriage, William and Sarah purchased a property on Derby Road at Sandiacre. It was named "The Chestnuts" as it had a row of chestnut trees running beside the driveway into the house. The land was just over 3 acres and had a large house, smaller dwelling or messuage in the same style as the house, orchard and other outbuildings. William esablished a successful timber yard at Sandiacre, beside the Erewash Canal on Station Rd. Although William and Sarah had been married at a Baptist Chapel, they attended the local Church of England - St Giles Church. This church is at the northen end of Sandiacre to which they travelled by horse and buggy. The nearby All Saints Church at Risley to the west would have been closer.
At The Chestnuts, William and Sarah had six children:
Some of the children were baptised at St Giles Church, Sandiacre, although James does not appear in any baptism register. William their first child and Arnold George, their last, were baptised by a travelling Wesleyan Methodist Minister from the Ilkeston Circuit. (The Ilkeston Circuit, including Sandiacre was serviced by a travelling minister, based at the Bath St Chapel in Ilkeston). William, however, was again baptised at St Giles along with his sister Elizabeth Helen in 1874.
Census recordsIn the 1871 and 1881 censuses, William and Sarah and family were living at Derby Rd, Sandiacre:
Death of 3 childrenUnfortunately, 3 of Williams 6 children died young. Joseph died 15 October1871 aged 7 months. He was followed by Gertrude Eleanor on 13 June 1873 aged 14 months and Arnold George on 10 November 1879 aged 5 months. However only Joseph and Gertrude have a headstone, lying close to the old path from the gate to the church.
Death of William FROGGATTWilliam died at The Chestnuts, Sandiacre on 9 July 1881 aged 44 years and was buried at St Giles Church, Sandiacre. We do not know the date of burial as all burials in July and August 1881 were omitted from the church register.
Will of William FroggattWilliam FROGGATT signed a Will on 16 April 1881, shortly before he died (a copy in PDF format can be downloaded here. The will left his household goods and an immediate legacy of £50 to his wife Sarah. It appointed Sarah, Joseph Froggatt (William's brother) and Frederick Arnold Goodliffe (William's brother-in-law) as trustees. Probate was granted on 26 August 1881 and the estate was valued at £1786 (about £152,000 today). The Will left the remainder of his estate in trust to be managed by the trustees, with income to be paid to Sarah as needed for her maintenance and for any children until they attained the age of 21 years (William turned 21 in 1890, James in 1891 and Sarah in 1895). Money could be advanced to any of the children (or any grandchildren) if the trustees thought fit. Once Sarah died the estate was to be divided equally between any of his children who had reached 21 years, or their children if they had died. Sarah FROGGATT died in 1909 and only William and Elizabeth survived her and had reached 21. Their brother James had died in Christchurch New Zealand in 1905 without children, so the remaining estate was to be divided between William and Elizabeth. After William died in 1881 Sarah and the other trustees then set about settling the estate. A month after William's death, Sarah advertised The Chestnuts for let but soon changed that to sale. It did not sell, being passed in for £1,600. Sarah then offered the property for lease in 1882.
It appears Mr Milner, a publican in Nottingham, became the tenant (either of the main house or the messuage) to provide his depressed wife with a new outlook, but his wife died (of self-administered poisoning) on 28 September 1883. Mr Milner then advertised his household effects for sale as he was leaving. Following the departure of Mr Milner, Sarah tried several times to let out The Chestnuts, presumably without success as she and her daughter Elizabeth continued to live there. Although we should note that the property had two other houses on it in addition to the main house.
Later life for Sarah FROGGATT the widowDespite attempts to sell or lease The Chestnuts, Sarah and her daughter Elizabeth Helen (known as Lilly) were still living at The Chestnuts at the time of the 1891 census. In 1921 the property was occupied by Frank Gaskill and family. In 1927 it was reported he crashed his car into a local taxi. He was still there in 1935 when he died suddenly on 4 April. His wife Amy and son Frank remained at the Chestnuts. Frank (jnr) was appointed to the local council as a building surveyor in 1944..
Marriage of Elizabeth Helen FroggattSarah's daughter Elizabeth Helen married Frederick William HOPE at Sandiacre in 1894. By 1900 Frederick, Elizabeth and Sarah had moved to 7 Seventh Ave, South Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne (Pigots Directory). Frederick was a travelling saleman for a biscuit manufacturer. By the time of the 1901 census they had moved the short distance to 7 Cavendish Place, Jesmond.
Move to Darlington and death of Sarah FROGGATTAfter 1901 the family moved to Darlington, living at 18 Langholm Cresent. By late 1906 Sarah's health was failing and she had only two children still alive - Sarah with whom she was living and son William now living in a remote part of New Zealand. Family legend tells that William was summoned back to England as his mother was unwell and the trustees wished to cash-up and divide the remainder of William Froggatt's estate still in operation since 1881. William (the younger) was invited to bring his oldest daughter Alice (aged 9 at the time) with him as the family (presumably her grandmother Sarah) offered her an English education and to introduce her to the family. William did travel back to England, leaving Sydney Australia on 25 December 1906 but he did not take Alice with him. William was in England for 2 months, presumably to agree to settling his father William's estate. We know he returned to Australia with money in his pocket. In 1881 William's estate was valued at £1786, and Sarah's estate (separate from husband William's) was valued at £102 in 1909, so William and Elizabeth could each have received £500 or more (£42,000 today). On 2 July 1907, soon after son William had returned to Australia, Sarah was moved to an aged care facility at nearby Dinsdale Park, where she died 19 June 1909, aged 70. She had outlived six of her eight children - only her daughter Elizabeth (in Darlington) and her son William (in Australia) outlived her. Sarah did not leave a Will, all her income was from husband William's estate but Elizabeth and Frederick Hope applied for administration of her estate.
The Children of Sarah and William FROGGATTWilliam FROGGATT (1869-1946)William was born 10 January 1869 at Sandiacre, the first child of William and Sarah. He grew up in Sandiacre, was well educated, including having a private tutor - William Whitehead - and a time at the nearby Risley Latin School. But William struggled after his father died in 1881. He was caught throwing sticks into the chestnut trees of a local landowner, and was reputed to have cut the head off a topiary rooster. When he was just 16 years old he was on a ship bound for Australia where he could start a new life. It is unknown whether he chose to go or was coerced or whether his fare was paid out of his future inheritance, but he was followed a year later by his brother James, suggesting both chose to go. William had an interesting life in the colonies (Australia and New Zealand) married twice and had 14 children. There is more about the life of William Froggatt (my grandfather) here.James FROGGATT (1870-1905)James was born early 1870 at Sandiacre. He does not appear to have been baptised, either in the Baptist, Methodist or CofE churches. When he was 16 years old he too boarded a ship for Australia, arriving in Melbourne in May 1887. He appears to have found a job with the railways but soon left and moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, where he again joined the railways. Here he met Louisa Adele SHARPE. When James was posted to the small town of Waipukurau in Hawkes Bay, He was joined there by Louisa and they married on 6 February 1894 at the local St Mary's Church. James and Louisa returned to Christchurch, but James had contracted tuberculosis (he may well have been infected in England before he left) and he died in Christchurch on 28 July 1905. He is buried at Linwood Cemetery, along with his wife Louisa and mother-in-law Elizabeth SHARPE (née MARSDEN). James and Louisa did not have any children.
In 1897 James had made a Will, leaving his entire estate to his wife Louisa. This included the proceeds of two life insurance policies.
After James died, his widow Louisa remained at 125 North Belt Christchurch. The address was later renamed to 210 Bealey Ave. Louisa's mother Elizabeth SHARPE died there on 8 June 1913. Louisa died at St George's Hospital on 5 May 1932 of heart failure.
Louisa left a Will. In it she left all her jewellery to her niece Louie Elizabeth SHARPE (the daughter of her brother William Henry SHARPE) and her property at 210 Bealey Ave to her nephew William Alfred Hollingshead SHARPE.
Louisa also gave £50 to the local St Luke's Church in Christchurch. It appears this was a personal donation as it is not mentioned in her Will. The church erected memorial doors with the donation. Unfortunately the church was badly damaged in the earthquake and soon demolished, along with the doors.
Joseph FROGGATT (1871-1871)Joseph FROGGATT was born 28 February 1871 at The Chestnuts, Sandiacre, Derbyshire. He was baptised at the local church of St Giles on 11 October 1871. Sadly, Joseph died a few days after his baptiism, on 15 October 1871 and was buried in the St Giles churchyard on 18 October 1871.
Gertrude Eleanor FROGGATT (1872-1873)Gertrude Eleanor FROGGATT was born at The Chestnuts Sandiacre on 14 April 1872. She was baptised at St Giles on 31 May 1873. Gertrude died on 9 June 1873 and is buried with Joseph in the St Giles churchyard.
Elizabeth Helen FROGGATT (1874-1921)Elizabeth Helen FROGGATT was born at The Chestnuts, Sandiacre on 2 May 1874. She was baptised at St Giles on 12 May 1874 together with her brother William.
Elizabeth Helen remained at The Chestnuts with her mother after her father William died in 1881. On 29 August 1894 she married Frederick William HOPE at Sandiacre. Frederick was a commercial traveller for a biscuit manufacturer, originally from Hexham, Northumberland.
After marriage Elizabeth, Frederick and Sarah (FROGGATT) moved first to Newcastle on Tyne (1901 census) and then to 18 Langholm Cresent, Darlington (1911 census). They did not have any children. Sarah FROGGATT (née GOODLIFFE) died at 18 Langholm Cres in 1909.
Elizabeth HOPE (née GOODLIFFE) died on 21 June 1921 at Darlington. She died of "chronic ulcer of the stomach", once though to be caused by stress but now known to be caused by an infection by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
After Elizabeth died, Frederick married Katherine Marguerite CANTELO on 3 March 1924 at Darlington. Kate was 41 and Frederick was 55. Kate and the CANTELO family were known to the Froggatt family in Nottingham. Kate's father - Henry CANTELO - had first married Anne FROGGATT in Nottingham in 1856. They had three children before Anne died in 1866. Henry later married Ellen MILNER and they had two daughters - Edith and Kate. Frederick Willian HOPE died on 18 July 1926 at 18 Langholm Cres, Darlington. In his Will he left all his estate to Kate.
After Frederick's death Kate later moved to Richmond, Yorkshire (1939 Register) and later again to Cross Gates in Leeds. She died at St James Hospital Leeds on 7 February 1953 and was cremated at Cottingley Hall Crematorium. Kate left a detailed Will. In this she appointed her friend Catherine PATTISON (née AMBLER) as an executor if still alive (in fact Catherine was appointed an executor as she died in 1968). Kate requested that her ashes be scattered with her husband's at Darlington West Cemetery.
Kate's Will leaves her possessions to a number of people. Apart from Catherine A PATTISON, the others include:
Arnold George FROGGATT (1879-1879).Arnold George was born at Sandiacre on 28 May 1879 and named at the Wesleyan Methodist chapel on 31 August 1879. He does not appear to have been baptised at St Giles. Arnold George died at 5 months and was buried at St Giles on 10 November 1879. He is in a plot adjacent to his siblings Joseph and Gertrude but without a headstone.
Back to Froggatt Family History Last updated: 05 October 2023 |
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