THE FROGGATT FAMILY OF BREWHOUSE YARDREUBEN WOLFE (1835-1902)Son of Elizabeth GODKIN (1795 –1856) and Francis WOLFE (1805-1881)Reuben WOLFE was the first son of Elizabeth GODKIN and Francis WOLFE. He was baptised at Nottingham St Ann on 29 June 1835. This is his family story.
Reuben WOLFE (1835-1902)Reuben WOLFE was baptised at Nottingham St Mary on 29 Jun 1835. He was recorded in the 1841 and 1851 censuses with his family. In 1841 they were living at Milton St, Nottingham. By 1851 they were at 16 Melbourne St where his father Francis was still a cowkeeper. Reuben however became a hosiery warehouseman and men's clothes outfitter.
MarriageReuben married Harriette Emily BALL in Nottingham in 1857. Harriette (also Harriet) was born in Congleton in 1841 to James Slater BALL and Nancy (BRADDOCK). James was a railways clerk. Reuben was aged 22 but Harriette was only 16.
Reuben and Harriette had 9 children.
Reuben appears to have tried his hand at retailing in men's outfitting, going into partnership with his brother-in-law John ALLEN (later married to Reuben's sister Elizabeth), but he departed the business in 1857.
In 1861 Reuben and his family were living in Wollaton St, Nottingham but they soon moved to the St Ann's Well Rd area of Nottingham now largely redeveloped.
Death of Reuben WOLFEReuben WOLFE died at 48 Edgar Rise on 28 February 1902. He left an estate of £1151.
After Reuben died his wife Harriette lived with their son Harold Alfred at 510 Woodborough Rd, Nottingham. She died there on 21 March 1913. Both Reuben and Harriette are buried at Church Rock Cemetery, Nottingham, plot Laburnum 1739, along with 3 of their children. The Children of Reuben and Harriette WOLFEFrancis James WOLFE (1857-1877)Francis James was born in Nottingham in late 1857 and was recorded in the 1861 and 1871 censuses with the family. Francis died at 55 Welbeck St, Nottingham on 23 August 1877, aged 19. 
Harold Alfred WOLFE (1860-1921)Harold was born in Nottingham on 4 June 1860 and baptised on 13 January 1867 at Nottingham St Ann. He was recorded in the 1871 and 1881 censuses with the family. He became a carpenter and joiner. Harold married Helen Jane STRINGER on 27 May 1882 at Christ Church, Radford, in Nottingham. They had 5 children:
In 1891 the family was living at 8A Edwin St, Nottingham.
Harold died in early April 1921 (just before the 1921 census taken on 24 April) Helen Jane (Stringer) died on 2 July 1934 at the Nottingham General Hospital, late of 16 Corby Rd, Nottingham. Probate was granted to her son-in-law Harold ANDERSON (husband of Elsie WOLFE).
Of the Children of Harold and Helen WOLFE: Francis Harold WOLFE (1882-1958): was born 12 October 1882 in Nottingham. He married Mary Jane SLANEY in Nottingham St Mary on 28 Feb 1907. He was included in the 1911 census by his father and then crossed out - in fact Francis and Mary had emigrated to Hew York on 10 Mar 1907. In New York they had four children:
Francis WOLFE died on 9 Oct 1958 and Hampstead, Rockingham NH and was buried in the Cemetery on the Plains, Windham, NH. Mary Jane WOLFE (SLANEY) died on 14 Sep 1976 at Salem, NH. Elsie Louisa WOLFE (1884-1955): was born 1 Nov 1884 in Nottingham. She maried Harold ANDERSON (born 17 Apr 1885 in York) in Nottingham in 1912. They had 1 child - Charles Alfred Gordon ANDERSON (1916-1981). In 1939 they were living at 4 Henley Rise, Nottingham. Harold was a railways clerk. Elsie Louisa died at 4 Henley Rise on 4 May 1955. Harold died at the same address on 17 Oct 1977.
Their son Charles ANDERSON married Marjorie Kathlenn PEET in Nottingham in 1934. They had 4 children. Charles died on 21 April 1981 in Basford. Marjorie died in Nottingham in 1997. Albert Israel WOLFE (1862-1900)Albert was born in Nottingham on 2 February 1862 and baptised on 13 January 1867 at Nottingham St Ann. He was recorded in the 1871 and 1881 censuses with the family. Albert does not appear to be in the 1891 census. There is a shipping record for an assisted immigrant to New South Wales, departing Plymouth and arriving in Sydney on 8 October 1885 on the ship "SS Aberdeen". The records show an "Albert I WOLFE" aged 23 (i.e. born 1862), a joiner from Nottingham. There was only one birth for an Albert WOLFE in this time period, so it appears Albert Israel went out to Sydney. But he may not have stayed for long. There are no further shipping records but it appears Albert returned to Nottingham wher he died in March 1900. He was buried at Nottingham General Cemetery on 27 March 1900 in plot 0/688. This appears to be a common plot as there are 10 other people (unrelated) interred there.
Louisa Elizabeth Slater WOLFE (1864-1933)Louisa was born in Nottingham on 26 November 1864 and baptised on 13 January 1867 at Nottingham St Ann. She was recorded in the 1871 through 1901 censuses with the family. Louisa married Penniston GRICE on 22 December 1906 at Nottingham St Andrew. Louisa was aged 42 and her husband was 60. Penniston was a widower and had three children from his first wife Sarah Anne OSBORN. He was a clerk for a sewing machine company in Nottingham. In 1911 they lived at 36 Shelton St, Nottingham. Although the 1911 census suggests the three children were Louisa's, the birth index shows the mother's maiden name was OSBORN in all cases. Louisa did not have any children.
The family were still at 36 Shelton St in 1921. Louisa died at this address on 5 May 1933 and was interred at the Nottingham General Cemetery, plot 2268, on 9 May. Penniston GRICE died at 36 Shelton St on 26 May 1939 and was cremated at Wilford Hill.
Archibald WOLFE (1868-1918)Archibald was born in Nottingham on 24 March 1868 and baptised on 10 May 1868 at Nottingham St Ann. He was recorded in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses with the family. He married Clara (Clarrie or Clarise) LAGER in 1900 in Nottingham. They did not have any children. Archibald worked as a tax clerk for Inland Revenue. In 1901 they were at 12 Bernard St Nottingham and in 1911 they were at 10 Nelson St Hereford.
Clarrie died in April 1912 in Hereford and was buried at the Scarthro Cemetery, Lincolnshire on 25 April 1912, aged 36. Archibald also died young. He died 3 September 1918 at his brother's residence at 510 Woodborough Rd, Nottingham. He is buried with his parents at Church Rock Cemetery, Nottingham, plot Laburnum 1739. Ernest WOLFE (1870-1941)Ernest was born in Nottingham on 18 May 1870 and baptised on 14 August at Nottingham St Ann. He was recorded in the 1871 and 1881 censuses with the family. By 1891 Ernest had become a lace maker's clerk and was lodging at 1 Foljambe Tce, Nottingham, just off St Ann's Well Rd. He was lodging with Hannah DYSON a widow and her 16 year-old daughter Sarah.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Ernest married Sarah DYSON on 4 June in Nottingham St Ann. Ernest was aged 25 and it would appear that Sarah had just turned 21. Around this time Ernest gave up the lace trade and became a professional musician, initially as a pianist and clarionet player. In 1900 he advertised for work, giving his address as 23 Edgar Rise, Nottinghan (address for his father Reuben at this time). In 1901 the couple were lodging with Carl SCHREIBER, also a musician, at 76 Goldsmith St, Nottingham. It appears that the couple did not have any children.
In 1902 Ernest was performing in London; In 1904-1905 in Cleethorpes. By mid-1905 Ernest was now an orchestra conductor and musical director. He had regular engagements through to 1910. In March 1911 he was the conductor for performances at the Franco-British Exhibition in Wales and in April 1911 in Jersey, Channel Islands. By December 1911 he was playing in Kidderminster. This pattern of work throughout Britain continued through to 1917 when he held a 4 year contract at the Hippodrome, Devonport. We can be sure of his identity as his contact address was advertised as 510 Woodborough Rd, Nottingham, the address of his brother. The 1911 census is problematic as Ernest and Sarah are missing. The E. WOLFE at 48 Wimbourne St Nottingham is actually Ernest Wolfe aged 34, and the Ernest at Liverpool is a ship painter born in Australia. The newspaper reports suggest Ernest was playing in Guernsey, Channel Islands when the 1911 census was taken on 2-3 April but he does not appear to be in that census either. Ernest continued as a musical director through the 1920s and 1930s. We do not have any records for his wife Sarah Ellen, but the St Pancras Electoral Registers for 1931 and 1932 have an Ernest and Sarah Ellen WOLFE living at 158 High St but I doubt this is the same couple. There are newspaper reports of his appearance with his orchestra in Portsmouth in 1938. In 1939 Ernest the musician was recorded at 82 Redcliff Square, Kensington, London. Sarah Ellen is not in the 1939 register so it would appear that Ernest and Sarah had parted ways by this time. In the register Ernest is recorded as married, suggesting Sarah had not died or been divorced.
After 1939 Ernest continued as a musical director. There is a newpaper report in "The Stage" of 9 January 1941 with Ernest Wolfe as musical director of a variety performance in the Royal Country Theatre in Bedford. This is the last newspaper record for Ernest as he appears to have retired after this performance. He was now aged 70. A few weeks later Ernest had a fall and broke his right femur. He was taken to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, NW London, where he died of kidney failure on 15 February 1941. His address at the time was 24a Finborough Rd, Kensington, adjacent to Brompton Cemetery. The informant was Joan DAVIS of 37 Redcliffe Sq. with whom he had been living in 1939. Joan arranged for his burial at Brompton Cemetery in a common grave (R202:0x74:3 (these being measurements from the NE corner of plot R.)
BUT: the 1939 register has a conundrum - who was the Harold E. "WOLFE" living with Ernest, and who was Joan DAVIS?
Joan F. GODWIN (also Joan F SAVILLE) later married Cecil Llewellyn DAVIS at Pancras in 1934. In the 1935 through 1937 electoral rolls Cecil and Joan Saville DAVIS were living at 17 Clyde St (Redcliffe Ward) but by 1939 had moved to No. 82. It was at this address that we find Ernest WOLFE in the 1939 electoral roll and register (presumably staying with his son). By 1946 through to 1959 Joan, Cecil and son Harold WOLFE were at 14 Redcliffe Sq. As Harold was born in 1920, the 1941 roll was the first after his 21st birthday. The 1939 register notes Harold was crippled so presumably lived with Joan all his life. Thus Harold Ernest WOLFE was born in Devon in 1920 to Joan GODWIN and Ernest WOLFE. Joan married Cecil DAVIS in 1934 and they lived from then on in Redcliffe Sq, London. Ernest WOLFE resided with them in 1939. There are newspaper reports of a "Joan SAVILLE" as a stage performer in the late 1910s so this may have been the stage name of Joan GODWIN.
After 1959 Cecil and Joan are hard to trace. There are no obvious death records with the correct age or date of birth. Harold Ernest WOLFE appears to have died in London in 1976. Jessie Helen WOLFE (1873-1896)Jessie was born in Nottingham in 1873. and was recorded in the 1881 and 1891 censuses with the family. Jessie Helen died in Nottingham on 14 June 1896 and was buried at Church Rock Cemetery, Nottingham, plot Laburnum 1739 with her parents and siblings. Annie Jane WOLFE (1877-1919)Annie was born in Nottingham on 10 November 1877 and baptised on 14 November 1880 at Nottingham St Ann. She was recorded with the family in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses by which time she had become a lace worker. Annie married Arthur ROBERTSHAW at Nottingham in 1909. They had one child - Arthur Leslie ROBERTSHAW born 21 March 1910. Arthur was from a family of Roller Blind manufacturers and after marriage the couple returned to the family business in Blackley, Manchester. In 1911 Archibald and Annie were living at Blackley, but their young son Arthur Leslie was with his grandparents.
Annie Jane ROBERTSHAW died on 12 September 1919 at Highfield Hill Lane, Blackley. She was buried at Church Rock Cemetery Nottingham, plot 2268. Arthur the widower remained in Blackley but married Frances Mary NEWHAM in 1928. The couple retired to Colwyn Bay Wales before 1939, along with Frances' brother Walter. Arthur died in Wales on 13 January 1951. Arthur Leslie ROBERTSHAW graduated from Edinburgh medical school in 1937 and worked in the County Mental Hospital in Whittingham. He married Jane NEILL on 7 March 1945 in London. Jane had been born in Newcastle-on-Tyne on 29 August 1911. In 1939 she was working as a shorthand typist in Battersea, London. They did not have any children. Arthur and Jane emigrated to North Carolina in 1952 for Arthur to take up a medical position there, but later moved to Florida where Arthur died on 29 April 1980. Jane died there in 1997. They are both buried at Lee Memorial Park, Fort Myers, Florida.
Back to Elizabeth GODKIN Family Back to James FROGGATT Family History Last updated: 15 October 2023 |
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