William Sheldon

1870 - 1930

William was born in Cressbrook on 5th July 1870 ⁽¹⁾, the third son of John and Nancy. His eldest brother George was about 4 years his elder ⁽²⁾, and Edward about 2 years ⁽²⁾. In April 1871 the family were living on Bottom Row in Cresbrook ⁽²⁾. The family may have briefly moved to Ashford, where his father was from, during the 1870s ⁽³⁾, and his sister Elizabeth was probably born there in 1874 ⁽⁴⁾.

The family was certainly back in Cressbrook by the time of the 1881 census ⁽⁵⁾, at which time William's eldest brother George was living next door with his grandmother and aunt ⁽⁶⁾. William's brother Edward probably died sometime in the first half of 1886 ⁽⁷⁾, thus by the census of 1891, the household had decreased in size and William was living with just his parents and sister Elizabeth, and was working as a mason's labourer ⁽⁸⁾. In November of that year his father John died aged just 48 ⁽¹⁸⁾. That would have left William as the "man of the house" and chief wage earner. However he didn't stay much longer with his mother and sister...

On 27th June 1892, he married Mary Jane Bingham from Cressbrook, at Tideswell church ⁽⁹⁾. Their first child, Maggie, was born in July 1893 ⁽¹⁰⁾, and their next, John Robert, was born in March 1895 ⁽¹¹⁾. In November 1898, William registered the death of his Mother-in-law Hannah Bingham. Her death certificate ⁽¹²⁾ appears to show his residence as Ravensdale, but I believe this was just filled in wrong as that was where she lived, while William is clearly seen to have lived in Cressbrook itself prior to, and after this date. In February 1900 his third child Victor Arnold was born ⁽¹³⁾. For some reason Victor wasn't baptised for almost a year, but when he was in January 1901, William was still said to be a Labourer from Cressbrook ⁽¹⁴⁾, yet by 31st March that year, at the next census ⁽¹⁵⁾, William was lodging in Hasland in Chesterfirld, working as a coal miner, while his family were still in Cressbrook ⁽¹⁶⁾. It seems though that coal mining didn't last long, as by the time his last child Edward was baptised the following January, he was back in Cressbrook working as a warehouseman at Litton Mill ⁽¹⁷⁾.

His mother Nancy died in July 1908, and William was the informant on her death certificate, where he was shown to still be living in Cressbrook ⁽¹⁹⁾. He was still there in 1911, when he was an overlooker at the cotton mill ⁽²²⁾. In June 1925 he was still living in the same place and doing the same job ⁽²⁰⁾. He continued to work as an overlooker up until his death at age 59 on 16th April 1930. According to his death certificate ⁽²¹⁾ he had a number of health issues, so we can't be sure which one killed him; but with asthma, bronchitis, phlebitis (similar to what we would now call deep vein thrombosis) and fatty degeneration of the heart, he had probably been very ill for some time. His wife survived him by 21 years ⁽²²⁾.

1. Birth Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

   When and where born	Name	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden surname of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
   Fifth July 1870, Cressbrook, Litton	William	Boy	John Sheldon	Nancy Sheldon, formerly Bramwell	General Labourer	Nancy Sheldon, Mother, Cressbrook, Litton	Twentieth July 1870

2. Census of 2nd April 1871 reads:
   Place: Bottom Row, Cressbrook
   

   John Sheldon	Head	Mar	27	Game Keeper	[Derbyshire], Ashford
   Nancy do	Wife	Mar	27	Cotton Power Loom Weaver	do, Cressbrook
   George do	Son	.	5	Scholar	do, do
   Edward do	Son	.	3	.	do, do
   William do	Son	.	9 mo	.	do, do

3. Their daughter Elizabeth was baptised in Ashford in 1874 ⁽⁴⁾ at which time her parents abode wasn't mentioned (implying they lived there), and her place of birth on future censuses was usually given as Ashford.
4. Baptism entry in parish register of Holy Trinity, Ashford reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   August 12 [1874]	Elizabeth	John & Nancy	Sheldon	Ashford	Game keeper

5. Census of 3rd April 1881 reads:
   Place: Cressbrook
   

   John Sheldon	Head	Mar	37	General Labourer	Ashford, Derbyshire
   Nancy do	Wife	do	37	Cotton Weaver	Cressbrook, do
   Edward do	Son	-	13	Errand Boy	do, do
   William do	Son	-	10	Scholar	do, do
   Elizabeth do	Daughter	-	6	do	Ashford, do

6. Census of 3rd April 1881 reads:
   Place: Cressbrook
   

   Amelia Bramwell	Head	Widow	58	Char Woman	Tideswell, Derbyshire
   Hannah Mary Flint do	Daughter	Unm	23	Cotton Weaver	Cressbrook, do
   George Sheldon	Grandson	do	15	do	do, do

7. Edward does not appear in any other censuses after 1881, so he is probably the Edward Sheldon age 18 whose death was registered at Bakewell Registry Office in the 2nd quarter of 1886.
8. Census of 5th April 1891 reads:
   Place: Middle Cottages, Cressbrook, Litton
   

   John Sheldon	Head	M	47	General Labourer	Derbyshire, Ashford	Employed
   Nancy Do	Wife	M	47	Powerloom Calico Worker	Do, Litton	Employed
   William Do	Son	S	20	Masons Labourer	Do, Do	Employed
   Elizabeth Do	Daur	S	16	Powerloom Calico Worker	Do, Ashford Do	Employed

9. Marriage Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

   1892 Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Tideswell in the County of Derby

   When married	Name and Surname	Age	Condition	Rank or Profession	Residence at the time of marriage	Father's name and Surname	Rank or Profession of father
   1892 June 27th	William Sheldon	21	Bachelor	Labourer	Cressbrook	the late John Sheldon	Gamekeeper
   	Mary Jane Bingham	24	Spinster	-	Cressbrook	Robert Bingham	Weaver

   Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after banns

   in the presence of Fred Dawson, Charlotte Jackson

10. Parish Register of St John the Baptist, Tideswell includes the entry:
    

    When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
    		Christian	Surname
    1893 July 20th	Maggie	William & Mary Jane	Sheldon	Cressbrook	[Cop Carrier]
    Born 18th July 1893

11. Parish Register of St John the Baptist, Tideswell includes the entry:
    

    When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
    		Christian	Surname
    1895 July 4	John Robert	William & Mary Jane	Sheldon	Ravens Dale Cressbrook	Labourer
    Born March 6 1895

12. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Twentieth November 1898, Ravensdale Litton	Hannah Bingham	Female	56 years	Widow of Robert Bingham a Powerloom Cotton Weaver	Influenzal Bronchitis, Asthemia, Certified by J H Parke MRCS	William Sheldon, Son-in-Law, present at the death, Ravensdae, Litton	Twenty first November 1898

13. Birth Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where born	Name	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden surname of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Third February 1900, Cressbrook, Litton	Victor Arnold	Boy	William Sheldon	Mary Jane Sheldon formerly Bingham	General Labourer	Mary Jane Sheldon, Mother, Cressbrook, Litton	First March 1900

14. Parish Register of St John the Baptist, Tideswell includes the entry:
    

    When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
    		Christian	Surname
    1901 January 15	Victor Arnold	William & Mary Jane	Sheldon	Cressbrook	Labourer

15. Census of 31st March 1901 reads:
    Place: 48 New St, Grassmoor, Hasland, Chesterfield
    

    William Sheldon

    Boarder

    M

    30

    Coal Miner

    Worker

    [Derbys], Tideswell

16. Census of 31st March 1901 reads:
    Place: Middle Row, Cressbrook
    

    Mary Jane Sheldon	Head away Wife	M	32	Cotton Weaver	Worker	Derby, Litton
    Maggie Sheldon	Dau	s	7	School	.	"     Cressbrook
    John Robt Sheldon	Son	s	6	-	.	"             "
    Victor Arnold Sheldon	"	s	1	.	.	"             "
    Ethel Bingham	Visitor	s	16	Cotton Winder	Worker	Lanc, Hurst

17. Parish Register of St John the Baptist, Tideswell includes the entry:
    

    When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
    		Christian	Surname
    1902 January 28	Edward	William & Mary Jane	Sheldon	Cressbrook	Warehouseman at Litton Mill

18. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Thirteenth November 1891, Cressbrook, Litton	John Sheldon	Male	48 years	Gardener, Domestic	Abcess leading to Perforation of bowels Certified by Fentern	Nancy Sheldon, Widow of deceased, present at the death, Cressbrook, Litton	Fourteenth November 1891

19. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Thirteenth July 1908, Cressbrook, Litton	Nancy Sheldon	Female	65 years	Widow of John Sheldon a Gamekeeper	Valvular disease of Heart. General Anasanca. Certified by J H Parke MRCS	William Sheldon, Son, in attendance, Cressbrook, Litton	Thirteenth July 1908

20. Marriage Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    1925 Marriage solemnized at the Primitive Mthodist Chapel, Market Street, Tideswell in the District of Bakewell in the County of Derby

    When married	Name and Surname	Age	Condition	Rank or Profession	Residence at the time of marriage	Father's name and Surname	Rank or Profession of father
    27th June 1925	Victor Arnold Sheldon	25 years	Bachelor	Railway Assistant Controller	Cressbrook, Litton	William Sheldon	Overlooker at Cotton Doubling Mill
    	Dorothy Jackson	20 years	Spinster	Cop Winder at Cotton Doubling Mill	Litton Slack, Litton	Harry Jackson	Railway Platelayer

    Married in the Primitive methodist Chapel according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Primitive Methodists by Certificate

    in the presence of Harry Jackson, Maggie Robinson

21. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Sixteenth April 1930, Cressbrook, Litton	William Sheldon	Male	59 years	An Overlooker in Cotton Doubling Mills	1.(a) Acute Cardiac Ashtma (b) Fatty Degeneration of Heart (c) Chronic Bronchitis 2. Chronic Phlebitis Left Leg No PM. Certified by [Fred K B Quanbrough] MRCS	Edward Sheldon, Son, in attendance, Cressbrook, Litton	Seventeenth April 1930

22. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Thirty-first March 1951. Butts Cottage, Bakewell	Mary Jane Sheldon	Female	82 years	Widow of William Sheldon. Overlooker at Cotton Mill	1.(a) Myocardial degeneration. Certified by D S Cooke MB	M Robinson, Daughter. In attendance, Butts Cottage, Bakewell	Second April 1951

23. Census of 2rd April 1911 reads:
    

    William Sheldon

    Head

    40

    Married

    Cop Winding Overlooker

    Cotton Doubling

    Worker

    Cressbrook, Derbyshire

    Mary Jane Sheldon

    Wife

    42

    Married

    18

    4

    4

    0

    Litton, Derbyshire

    Maggie Sheldon

    Daughter

    17

    Single

    Cop Winder

    "       "

    Worker

    Cressbrook, Derbyshire

    John Robert Sheldon

    Son

    16

    Single

    Bobbin Doffer

    "       "

    Worker

    Cressbrook, Derbyshire

    Victor Arnold Sheldon

    Son

    11

    "     "

    School

    Cressbrook, Derbyshire

    Edward Sheldon

    Son

    9

    "     "

    School

    Cressbrook, Derbyshire

    Number of Rooms: 5
    Postal Address: 47 Cressbrook via Buxton

Find baptism (possibly Methodist? - not in Tideswell Primitive Methodist records. What about Bakewell where his parents married?)