Updated 20 Jun 2008

WIRKSWORTH Parish Records 1600-1900

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Cover received 12 Nov 1869 at Wirksworth.

Postmark on reverse.

Victorian penny stamp.

Links and references: Census: 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881. Ince's Pedigrees: page 067d see numbers 18, 34-37. Tradesmen: 1821,1827,1835,1846, 1857 and 1831 Wills: HALL, Catherine MIs: QC237

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Catherine WAGER 1802-1882.

The envelope posted 1869 addressed to "Mrs Hall & Sons, Draper, Wirksworth" tells a story. Catherine WAGER was born in Crich in 1802 and married Samuel HALL aged 24, when Samuel was 39. Samuel was an established draper in the center of Wirksworth, needing an apprentice and manager in 1841. The HALLs lost 3 children out of 5, the surviving sons being Jasper and William. By 1861 all had changed. Jasper married in 1853 and moved into his own home, though still helping with the family shop. Samuel died in 1854 aged 67, Catherine took over running the draper's shop, and William became draper's assistant living at home. William married in 1864 and by 1871 called himself "master draper", although Catherine was still working at 69 as "draper". Jasper became Postmaster for Wirksworth in 1870, taking over on the death of Miss Brace. By 1881 Catherine had retired, but was living nearby with a young drapers' assistant.
Catherine HALL was buried "in the churchyard" in Wirksworth on 13 May 1882, aged 80, but there is no sign of her tombstone today, as most of the graves have been cleared (see photos of churchyard).

See also an Arbitration Bond 1832 involving Samuel Hall. Read Stuart Flints description of the Hall family. AND HALL pedigree by Stuart Flint.

Shall we start at the West End, the top of the Market Place. This was the Pig Market and was an area which was cobbled with stone sets and, on market days and fair days, it was here that farmers brought their pigs to be sold. Bundles of hay and straw and wooden palings helped to keep the pigs confined to that area. The noise and the smell gave a proper farmyard atmosphere. Below that was a long building which stretched across the top, from The Road (West End) to within 10ft of the doctor's house and level with his front door. This was, in early days, a milliners' establishment and here were made the dresses and hats for the "better off" ladies of Wirksworth. I have been told quite a lot about that because my mother was apprenticed there and was on staff for some years. Upon the death of the proprietor, a Mrs. Hall, the premises were turned into a Conservative Club. Bertram Haworth 1904-1998

HALL family |-------|--------|-------|-----|----------| | | | | | | 1783 1784 1787 1789 1791 1793 Thomas Stephen Samuel Mary Nathaniel Margaret | | 1787 1802 Samuel 1826 Catherine HALL=====v=====WAGER 1854 | 1882 | |--------|-------|----------|---|----| | | | | | 1827 1829 1830 1835 1837 Charles Jasper Elizabeth Bagshaw William Wager Wager 1852 1836 Lees 1864 Mary 1829 m1853 HALL=====v=====BRADLEY Martha 1896 | Ann | SWEETLAND | | |--------|--------|----------|----|----| | | | | | 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 James Samuel Elizabeth Jasper Mary Bradley William Longsdon Bradley