The Goodliffe Family of Lambley Lodge, RutlandJohn Thomas EDGSON - Oldest Son of Sarah Goodliffe CULPIN and Edward EDGSON
John Thomas EDGSON 1854-1943John Thomas was born 1 September 1854 at Kings Cliffe. He was recorded in the 1861 and 1871 censuses with the family. John married Elizabeth DIXON on 17th September 1877 at the Congregational Chapel, Kings Cliffe. Elizabeth was the daughter of Elijah DIXON and Mary (SPIRES), shopkeepers in King's Cliffe. Elizabeth was born in 1854 and baptised at Kings Cliffe All Saints Church on 1 August 1854. At the time of marriage she was Headmistress of the British School at King's Cliffe, a school for the poorer boys and girls of the district. Sixty years later John and Elizabeth celebrated their Diamond wedding at Morcott.
John and Elizabeth had 4 children.
By 1881 John and Elizabeth had become the tailor and general dealer in Morcott. He was living next door to his great uncle James Eyre ANDREWS who had married Sarah GOODLIFFE in 1844.
By 1921 John and Elizabeth had moved to "Fair View" High St Morcott, where they remained. Elizabeth died there on 25 Dec 1935. She is buried in the churchyard of Morcott St Mary. John Thomas EDGSON died at 40 Maxstoke Rd, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire on 2 February 1943. This was the address of his daughter Annie Elizabeth (confirmed by the probate record for her husband Percival SINFIELD in 1941 - see below). His home address was still Fair View, Morcott. He is buried with Elizabeth at Morcott St Mary.
The Children of John Thomas EDGSON and Elizabeth (DIXON)Annie Elizabeth EDGSONAnnie was born on 15 October 1878 in Morcott. She is recorded in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses in Morcott. By 1901 Annie had become a music teacher. Annie married Percival Lewis SINFIELD on Tuesday 9 August 1904 at the Morcott Baptist Chapel, which had only recently been licenced to conduct marriages. Percy had been born 14 January 1872 at Lambeth, London to John SINFIELD and Rachel (LEWIS).
In 1901 Percival was a railways goods agent boarding at 1 Leopold St, Loughborough. By 1909 he was living in Leicester as a "goods canvasser" at 61 St Peter's Rd. Annie and Percival had 2 children - Eric Percival (13 Mar 1906 - 18 Oct 1987) and Ena Marjorie (30 April 1910 - Dec 2001). In the 1921 census Percival and Annie were living at 8 Long Croft Ave, Wednesbury. In the 1939 register Percival and daughter Ena were at 40 Maxstoke Rd. Annie was visiting her sister Margaret (now Mrs WESTON) at Link Tower Lodge, Albert Park Rd Great Malvern (See below).
Percival Lewis SINFIELD died 28 Dec 1940 at 40 Maxstoke Rd, Sutton Coldfield. Annie Elizabeth (EDGSON) died 29 August 1961 at 29 Sycamore Rd, Bournville, Birmingham.
Their son Eric Percival SINFIELD went on to marry Kathleen BRAY in Coventry in 1934. They had 3 children. Eric died at 103 High St, Broadway, Cheltenham on 18 October 1987. Their daughter Ena Marjorie SINFIELD married James BARTLETT in 1945 at Sutton Coldfield. They appear not ot have had any children. Ena died in Westminster in 2001. Edward EDGSONEdward was born 6 March 1880 in Morcott. He is recorded in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses with the family in Morcott. In 1901 he was a "student for excise" perhaps after his success in local exams, but this did not last as by 1911 he had taken over the drapery business and was living at "Fair View", the family home in High St, Morcott. Edward married Ida DUCKERING on 10 March 1910 in Leicester.
They had 3 children: Edward Cecil (20 Sep 1910 - April 1991), Kathleen Margaret (19 October 1912-23 Sep 2014) and Charles Leslie (22 August 1915-28 June 1983). Edward died 17 Sep 1943 at Morcott. Ida died in 1955 at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. James William EDGSONJames William was born 11 June 1881 in Morcott. He is recorded in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses living with the family in Morcott and assisting in the drapery business. After 1901 James disappears from the English records. He emigrated to New York, leaving Liverpool on 22 July 1909. James became a naturalised US citizen on 31 July 1924. James William EDGSON married Margaret MELODY on 24 November 1914 at Manhattan, New York. Based on the information given on the marriage record (transcribed on Family Search), Margaret had been born in Capparoe, Scariff, Ireland on 1 June 1893 (according to birth record but 2 June according to Margaret's immigration record). Her parents were Thomas MELODY a farmer at Capparoe, and Kate (Catherine née BAINE). Margaret had departed Queenstown, Ireland on 5 October 1912 on the SS Caronia and arrived in New York on 13 October 1912. She stated she was joining her sister Annie MELODY, residing at 322 West 28th St, New York.
Not surprisingly, with his family background in drapery, James became a salesman for the Bellas Hess Company, one of the big-five general merchandise catalog stores that thrived during the early 20th century — the others were Sears, Roebuck, Alden’s, Spiegel and Montgomery Ward. But none deserves its place in history more than Bellas Hess. See this article. It appears that James and Margaret had only one child - James. He was captured on the 1915 census with his age given as "190". If this was days counted back from the census date of 1 June 1915, he would have been born around 23 November 1914 - the day before James and Margaret were married. Young James died on 24 August 1915, his age given as 8 months. This would also place his birth as late November to late December 1914.
In 1925 James applied for a passport in order to return to England to visit relatives. This contains a rare photograph. We do not know exactly when James departed for England, but he was there for the Golden Wedding celebration of his parents on 17 September 1917. He returned home soon after the event, departing from Southhampton on 21 September 1927 onboard the "Homeric". His address in the UK was given as "Fair View" Morcott, Uppingham, the family home. It appears he travelled alone, leaving Margaret in New York.
James was issued with an Army Draft card for both world wars. The WW1 card gives his occupation as Assistant Manager with Bellas, Hess & Co. His WW2 card was issued in 1942 but by then he was 60 years old and gave his occupation as unemployed.
There is little more available about James and Margaret. James William EDGSON died 27 September 1953 in Manhattan, aged 72. Margaret, who was 12 years his junior, died in August 1978 in Manhattan, aged 85. Margaret Ellen EDGSONMargaret Ellen was born 10 December 1886 in Morcott. She is recorded in the 1891 census in Morcott. By 1901 Margaret was at a boarding school in Spalding, Lincolnshire, run by Ernest and Lilian WARING. By 1911 Margaret was back in Morcott assisting in the drapery business.
Margaret Ellen married Rev Percy Moss WESTON on 11 December 1912 at the Lower Clapton Congregational Church, Amhurst Rd, Hackney, London. Percy had recently lost his first wife Beatrice Anne (LLOYD). Percy was the son of a Wesleyan Minister, GS WESTON. Margaret and Percy had five children:
The family lived in several places, including Swansea, Halifax and Malvern. By 1939 they were in Malvern but later retired to the coast at Weston-Super-Mare.
Percy Moss WESTON died 11 August 1957 at Weston-Super-Mare. In 1939 their son Denis joined the RAF and became a bomber pilot.
On the night of 29 May 1941 Denis, attached to 11 OTU, lost control of Wellington bomber H1299 while making a night approach towards the runway at Cranfield, crashing 2 miles SW of the airfield. Denis was the sole fatality, the crew of 5 escaping with minor injuries.
Last updated: 27 July 2023 |
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