Francis Sudbury and family
Adeline now takes us back, “ into South Street. Past Weaver Row in South Street, on a plot of land, Mr. Francis Sudbury, senior, built three houses and a shop (marked A on this map c1880). Mr. Sudbury, with the remainder of his family moved into the house and shop”.
Born on September 29th, 1798 Francis Sudbury senior was a son of stockingweaver William and Sarah (nee Thompson) and married Ann Mather, daughter of George and Hannah (nee Hirst) on July 10th, 1826. He thus acquired tailor Thomas Mather as a brother-in-law.
The 1841 census finds framework knitter Francis and Ann and their six children in Bath Street – a seventh child, daughter Sarah Ann had died in May 1840, aged four. By 1846 the family had moved into South Street (Bagshaw’s Directory) and by 1850 Francis was a hosier and glove manufacturer (Slater’s Directory).
Adeline continues her description of the Sudbury family premises at A, stating thatthe Sudbury family lived in the old white house just past Weaver Row on the way to the Market Place, and “their warehouse or room for taking in the hose made by outside frame workers was a detached room against the house. This room was afterwards Mr. Willliam Sudbury’s butchers shop. Later on it became Jacob Hawkins’ Cycle Store”. This property was later numbered as 45 South Street.
By 1861 Francis and family were still living at the ‘house and (grocer’s) shop’ on the east side of South Street, while his eldest son William was occupying the ‘old white house’ next door.
Francis senior died at this home in South Street in November 1865 and his widow Ann continued to trade as the South Street grocer – at what was then 47 South Street (East side) — until her death on July 17th, 1874.
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The children of Francis and Ann
Their unmarried daughter Caroline (born in April 1827) and her sister Sarah Ann (born on June 6th, 1840), the widow of George Evans — continued to live in this house after their mother’s death inj 1874. (This was now 47 South Street).
Caroline died on August 6th, 1877 and in February 1879 the premises — an eight-roomed house and large grocer’s shop — were put up to let. Howver Sarah Ann continued to live in South Street (at number 47) with her two sons, Frank and Ernest Evans. She had married Kirk Hallam-born joiner George Evans on July 10th, 1866 but after only three years George had died, aged 27.
Living as a widow, for over 25 years Sarah Ann traded as a grocer at her South Street shop. Then in 1893 she married auctioneer and ex-bank manager Samuel Betts who had recently been widowed. He lived in Hackney where the newly-wed couple now made their home, and even after Samuel’s death on April 30th, 1899, Sarah Ann continued to live in Hackney — into the new century. However the lure of her home town was proving something Sarah Ann was having difficulty in resisting and she had acquired land in Stanton Road where she planned to build a new house to live out her retirement. But not alone. On July 1st, 1905, at the newly-opened Ilkeston Congregational Church in Wharncliffe Road, Sarah Ann married her third husband, the Rev. John Garibaldi Thomas — and both retired to Hill Crest at 27a Stanton Road.
J. Garibaldi Thomas died on October 3rd, 1910, when the couple were on on holiday at Alvaston House, Llandudno. Thereafter Sarah Ann continued to live at Hill Crest and died there on July 29th, 1924, aged 84.
(Francis’s) son William the butcher who had married Miss Gamble, of Nottingham, took the white house, and opened the detached building as a butcher’s shop.
Born in 1829, the eldest son William was the butcher who married Mary Gamble, daughter of Robert, needlemaker later lacemaker, and Sally (nee Spencer) in 1851.
In the (later) 1860’s he moved to Oakwell Farm in Derby Road with Mary and their six children.
“This building was afterwards utilised by Mr. Jake Hawkins, as a cycle store”.
Jake or Jacob Hawkins, son of William the iron founder, was born in 1858 and traded as a gunsmith in Belper Street; only in 1894/95 did he move to 45 South Street, adding cycle maker to his trade.
“The next house of the three was taken by Mr. William Merry, junior, who had married one of Mr. F. Sudbury’s daughters.
The third house was tenanted by Mr. Charles Sudbury, who had married Miss Marina Burgin”.
We met the Sudbury family on the other side of South Street, just after the Queen Street entrance.
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And we are now walking to Warner’s Yard.
