James Wood - 1843-1874 - My Paternal Great Great Grandfather

Some potential stories just niggle, and James Wood has 'niggled' my Mum since she started researching Dad's family tree in greater depth.

THE FACTS:

• James Wood was born in Bolton in 1843.
• In 1861 James' occupation was 'engine smith apprentice' (Census 1861).
• James married Margaret Horrocks of Bolton on 18 January 1864 at the Wesley Chapel, Bradshawgate, Bolton.
• On the 1871 Census, James (an 'engineer fitter at works') & Margaret live at Apple Street, Bolton, with their four children:-  Thomas Holroyd (b.1864), Sarah Harriet (b.1867), Samuel Henry (b.1869) (my great grandfather), James Henry (b.1870). 

All quite straight forward, and yet?....

• Margaret gives birth to another James Wood (no middle name) on 1 March 1872, in Varnes Street, Aylesford, Kent.
• On the 1881 census Margaret and the four children appear back in Bolton at 167 Derby Street, Bolton

THE QUESTIONS:

What happened to James and his son James Henry?  What took James & Margaret 260 miles from Bolton to Kent?  What event made Margaret move back to Bolton?

The answers steadily unraveled this year when Mum made a telephone call to Heaton Cemetery in Bolton, whilst researching the young James Wood (1872, born near Aylesford, died in the Isle of Man and was interred in Liverpool).

Evidence came back in spades, when a helpful chap from Heaton Cemetary not only gave Mum the location of a headstone, but also nipped round in his car later to take a photo.  There upon the splendid headstone it says:-

In Loving Memory of

Dad at Heaton Cemetary - Sept 2017

JAMES WOOD

Died on July 4th. 1874 age 31 yrs.

Interred at Stone Church, Kent.

And MARGARET – his wife.

Died Oct. 1st. 1906 age 65 yrs.

Also JAMES WOOD on April 22nd. 1952

DSO. MRCS. LRCP

Son of the above and

Beloved husband of Betty Wood

After Mum's long years of searching we now have a date of death for James Wood and the knowledge that he is interred at St Mary the Virgin, Stone in Kent, one of the most famous churches in Kent.

The headstone was planned & executed by James ( IOM) & his wife Betty after James (IOM) death in 1952. It is a little sad, as James & Betty died with no children or family to follow their wishes, that Betty's name hasn't been added to the space most likely left for her, but at least she gets her mention.

With more information to hand we were able to request a death certificate for James, which reveals that he died of 'fracture to the skull from accidentally falling from a ladder' at Stone Cement Works in Kent.  There was an inquest on 22 July 1874 with information received from Charles Joseph Carttar, Coroner for Kent.  (Stone Cement Works is now the location of The Bluewater Shopping Centre).  

James Wood death certificate 1874

So the story builds itself, it would seem as though James & Margaret moved to Kent to build a new life with their four children.  Cement was the innovative industry following the Cotton Slump which destroyed Lancashire Mills.  Sadly, young James Henry (b.1870) died, we assume soon after James & Margaret arrived in Kent, and James (IOM) was born there.  

On the 1881 Census, widowed, with four children, Margaret (a stocking knitter) has returned home to Derby Street, Bolton for her Horrock's family support.

James Bower - 1815-1887 - my maternal 4th great uncle

James was brother / brother-in-law of my great, great, great grandparents, Bridget Bower and (Alderman) Thomas Gray. 

James's appearance on different family members Census caught Mum's attention.  Living with his parents and working on Hartley West Farm he stays there until at least the Census in 1851, by which time, his brother, William and sister in law, Barnella (great name!) have taken on the tenancy.

According to the 1861 Census Reports, in the end column, James is deaf.  We can't confirm if James was born deaf or became deaf through illness, ie Scarlet Fever, of which there had been an epidemic in James' early years.

Definition of terms used on Census returns England & Wales 1841 - 1891 : 

Lunatic : a mentally ill person with periods of lucidity

Imbecile : persons who have fallen in later life into a state of chronic dementia 

Idiot : persons who suffer from a congenital mental deficiency 

James had moved to live with his widowed sister, Elizabeth Wharrier, on a 300acre farm with 6 labourers at Avenue Head, Seaton Delaval.  At the time of that Census in 1871, James and Elizabeth's older sister, Jane Froud, is a 'Visitor'.

James may have been moved on through the family or welcomed by his brother in law, Thomas Gray and children following the death of Bridget in 1875.  A 'retired farmer', age 66, James was living at Red House Farm on the 1881 Census, the end column now stating he is "deaf and dumb".  I wonder if Thomas' children John (Matthew) Gray, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary & Bridget communicated with him in their own version of sign language or whether by this time of his life he had retreated into himself?

I've located a copy of James' death certificate from the Records Office and it is comforting to find that Thomas Gray was in attendance when James passed away at the age of 74 on 10th March 1887, cause of death being cancer of the stomach.

A lifelong interest explained:

Growing up, my Mum had often wondered why her Grandfather, Jack Gray, gave talks and helped raise hundreds of pounds, in particular for deaf and dumb charities.  Clearly James' presence at Red House Farm must have struck a chord with the family which passed on to Thomas Gray's grandson, Jack, in his active and generous support of deaf and dumb societies.