Updated 05 Apr 2013

WIRKSWORTH Parish Records 1600-1900

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Love from France

These two lovely cards were sent by a soldier in France to his girl in Wirksworth during World War 1. They are made with embroidered silk, and one has some dried flowers enclosed. The soldier just signs himself Ben, but he must have been Benjamin GISBORN who the girl married in 1923, when she was 21 and he 31. The girl was Annie Elizabeth WOODFORD, of 3, St John Street, Wirksworth, known to Ben as "Nancy". Nancy was born in Darley Dale, her father Charles was a valet. Charles moved to Wirksworth after 1905 as a hairdresser, and by 1911 had 4 children. Nancy's mother Mary GREENHOUGH worked as a cook at Wirksworth Grammar School aged 17, where she met Annie WOODFORD aged 19 who was a Housemaid. Through Annie she got to know Annie's brother Charles (an agemate), and Mary and Charles were married in September 1898. By 1911 Charles and Mary had four children. Ben had 6 sisters, was born in Leicester, and in 1911 was a barber like Nancy's father. Could Ben have met Nancy while training with Nancy's father? Ben and Nancy had their first child Jean in 1926.
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C WW1 Clear envelope with flap, embroidered in silk. "Tendres Baisers" - Tenderest kisses.
ccc Inside the clear envelope.....

cc From Ben to Miss Nancy Woodford 3 St John St, Wirksworth

D WW1 Clear envelope with flap, embroidered in silk. - stain to the `E` caused by a dried flower inside.
ddd Inside the clear envelope.....

dd From Ben to Miss Nancy Woodford 3 St John St, Wirksworth

Family tree


   1848               1848         1847                 1847         1820              1821
   William   1872     Ellen        Joshua       1868    Agnes        Benjamin    ?     Catherine
   WOODFORD=====v=====IVINS        GREENHOUGH=====v=====BROOKS       GISBORN=====v=====X
   1904         |     1891         1930           |     1917                     |
                |                                 |                              |
                |                                 |                              |
 |------|-------|-----|-------|       |------|----|------|-----|-----|----|      |----|----|-------|
 |      |       |     |       |       |      |    |      |     |     |    |      |    |    |       |
1874   1876    1878  1883    1887    1870   1872 1875   1877  1879  1881 1885   1846 1851 1855    1861
Annie  Charles Ellen William Edith   Louisa Mary Joshua Agnes James John Milly  Ann  John William George 
L      E       E             M              E                 E                 Maria             Henry
  2     |                                   |                                                      |
        |                                   |                                                      |
        |                                   |    1                               1871             1861
        |      3                            Mary                                 Agnes  Leicester George
       Charles            1898              Elizabeth                            Matilda  1890    Henry
       WOODFORD=============v===============GREENHOUGH                           STEANE=====v=====GISBORN
       1913                 |                                                               |
                            |                                                               |
   |--------|--------|------|                  |--------|------|----|------|-----|----|-----|
   |        |        |      |                  |        |      |    |      |     |    |     |
  1900     1902     1905   1908               1891     1892   1897 1899   1901  1903 1904  1909
  Charles  Annie    Agnes  Mary               Benjamin George Eva  Nellie Agnes Kate Lilly Rose
  Stanley  E        S      M                 "Ben"     1892
          "Nancy"                              |
           WOODFORD                            |
            |                                  |
            |                                  |
           Annie                              1891
           E                  1923            Benjamin
           WOODFORD============v==============GISBORN
                               |              1949
                               |
                              1926
                              Jean
                              E         1946    Ronald
                              GISBORN=====v=====GARDNER

Mary GREENHOUGH [1] (Cook) was working at Wirksworth Grammar School with
Annie WOODFORD [2] (Housemaid) and through her met her brother
Charles WOODFORD [3] (Valet) and married him in 1898.

Census

-------------------------

1911 Census for 3 St John Street Wirksworth Derbyshire 
WOODFORD, Charles Head Married M 37 1874 Hairdresser Derbyshire Derby   
WOODFORD, Mary E Wife Married F 38 1873  Derbyshire Wirksworth   
WOODFORD, Charles Stanley Son  M 11 1900 At School Derbyshire Darley Dale 
WOODFORD, Annie E Daughter  F 9 1902  Derbyshire Darley Dale
WOODFORD, Agnes S Daughter  F 6 1905  Derbyshire Darley Dale   
WOODFORD, Mary M Daughter  F 3 1908  Derbyshire Wirksworth   
FELTHOUSE, Percy G W Assistant Single M 24 1887 Assistant Hairdresser Staffordshire Burton   
--------------------------
1901 Census for Upper Hackney Greenway Terrace, Darley 
WOODFORD, Charles Head Married M 29 1872 Valet (Domestic) Derby,   
WOODFORD, Mary E Wife Married F 29 1872  Bole Hill Wirksworth   
WOODFORD, Charles Stanley Son Single M 1 1900 Darley Dale   
--------------------------
WOODFORD, Charles married GREENHOUGH, Mary Elizabeth Sep 1898
--------------------------
1891 Census for 36, Belgrave Street, St Werburgh, Derby 
WOODFORD, William Head Widower M 43 1848 Iron Moulder Wolverhampton  
WOODFORD, Annie L Daughter Single F 17 1874 Housekeeper Derby   
WOODFORD, Charles E Son  M 15 1876 Printers Compositors Derby   
WOODFORD, Ellen E Daughter  F 13 1878 Under Nurse Derby   
WOODFORD, William H Son  M 8 1883 Scholar Derby   
WOODFORD, Edith M Daughter  F 4 1887 Derby
--------------------------
1891 Census for Grammar School House, St Jno Street, Wirksworth
BERRIDGE, Alfred Head Married M 40 1851 Head Master Of Grammar School Aberystwith   
BERRIDGE, Ada M M Wife Married F 38 1853 Nottingham   
BERRIDGE, Hy M K Son  M 11 1880 Scholar Lower Norwood   
BERRIDGE, Grace L Daughter  F 9 1882 Scholar Lower Norwood   
BERRIDGE, Mauriel Daughter  F 8 1883 Scholar Lower Norwood   
GREENHOUGH, Mary Elizth Servant Single F 19 1872 Cook Domestic Servant Wirksworth   
WOODHOUSE, Annie Elizth Servant Single F 17 1874 Housemaid Domestic Servant Wirksworth
[surname should be WOODFORD, registrar's error]
----------------------
1891 Census for North End, Wirksworth
#76---North End---[Wirksworth]---
W077a      Joshua        GREENHOUGH   Head    M 44  M  Miner                 Wirksworth
W077b      Agnes         GREENHOUGH   Wife    M 44  F                        Wirksworth
W077c      Louisa        GREENHOUGH   Dau     S 21  F                        Wirksworth
W077d      Joshua        GREENHOUGH   Son     S 16  M  Stone quarry lad      Wirksworth
W077e      Ernest        GREENHOUGH   Son     S 12  M  Scholar               Wirksworth
W077f      Milly         GREENHOUGH   Dau     S 6   F  Scholar               Wirksworth
----------------------
1881 Census for Bolehill
#85---Bolehill---[Wirksworth]---(RG11-3419-5-p14)
W679a      Joshua        GREENHOUGH   Head    M 34  M  Lead miner            Bolehill
W679b      Agnes         GREENHOUGH   Wife    M 34  F                        Bolehill
W679c      Louisa        GREENHOUGH   Dau       11  F  Scholar               Bolehill
W679d      Mary E.       GREENHOUGH   Dau       9   F  Scholar               Bolehill
W679e      Joshua        GREENHOUGH   Son       6   M  Scholar               Bolehill
W679f      Agnes         GREENHOUGH   Dau       4   F  Scholar               Morewood Moor
W679g      James E.      GREENHOUGH   Son       2   M  Scholar               Bolehill
W679h      John          GREENHOUGH   Son       5m  M  
----------------------------------
1881 Census for 36, Belgrave St, St Werburgh, Derby
WOODFORD, William Head Married M 33 1848 Iron Moulder Wolverhampton   
WOODFORD, Ellen Wife Married F 33 1848 Campden, Gloucestershire   
WOODFORD, Annie Daughter Single F 7 1874 Scholar Derby   
WOODFORD, Charles Son Single M 5 1876 Scholar Derby   
WOODFORD, Nellie Daughter Single F 3 1878 Derby   
NORTH, Rodney Lodger Single M 21 1860 Printer Compositor London Marylebone   
----------------------
WOODFORD, William married IVINS, Ellen Dec 1872 at Shipston
----------------------
WOODFORD, Annie E married GISBORN, Benjamin Sep 1923
----------------------
GISBORN, Jean E married GARDNER, Ronald Sep 1946 in Birmingham District.
----------------------
GISBORN, Benjamin died March 1949 aged 57, Belper district.
----------------------
1911 Census for 78 Morton Road Leicester
GISBORN, George Head Married M 50 1861 Shoe Finisher Leicester   
GISBORN, Agnes Wife Married 20 years F 40 1871 Cotton Winder Leicester
GISBORN, Benjimman Son Single M 19 1892 Barber Leicester
GISBORN, Eva Daughter  F 14 1897 Hosery Winder Leicester   
GISBORN, Nellie Daughter  F 12 1899  Leicester   
GISBORN, Agnes Daughter  F 10 1901  Leicester   
GISBORN, Kate Daughter  F 8 1903  Leicester   
GISBORN, Lilly Daughter  F 7 1904  Leicester   
GISBORN, Rose Daughter  F 2 1909  Leicester   
-----------------------
1901 Census for 84, Morton Road, Leicester 
GISBORN, George H Head Married M 40 1861 Shoe Finisher Leicester   
GISBORN, Agnes Wife Married F 30 1871 Cotton Winder Leicester
GISBORN, Benjamin Single M 10 1891  Leicester
GISBORN, Eva Daughter Single F 4 1897 Leicester   
GISBORN, Nellie Daughter Single F 2 1899 Leicester   
GISBORN, Agnes Daughter Single F 0 (7 MOS) 1901 Leicester   
----------------------
GISBORN, George Henry married STEANE, Agnes Matilda June 1890 Leicester
----------------------
1861 Census for 6, Milton Street, St Margarets, Leicester 
GISBORN, Benjamin Head Married M 41 1820 Framework Knitter Hinckley, Leicestershire   
GISBORN, Catherine Wife Married F 40 1821 Framework Knitters Wife Great Basling, Leicestershire   
GISBORN, John Son  M 11 1850 Scholar St Margaret, Leicestershire   
GISBORN, William Son  M 6 1855 Scholar St Margaret, Leicestershire   
GISBORN, George Henry Son  M 0 (3M) 1861  St Margaret, Leicestershire   
GISBORN, Ann Maria Daughter Unmarried F 15 1846 Scholar St Margaret, Leicestershire   
LAMPORT, John B Lodger Unmarried M 48 1813 Errand Man Deaf And Dumb Hinckley, Leicestershire   
-----------------------

Research

  1. The webmaster searched Ebay using "Wirksworth" and found two silk embroidered cards for auction, from "Ben" to "Miss Nancy Woodford, 3 St John St, Wirksworth, Derbyshire", unposted, WW1 period, see 1 and 2.
  2. Using "The Classic 1,000 Baby Names", found statement: "Nancy, see Anne".
  3. Using 1911 Census in "Findmypast.co.uk", found Annie living at above address, giving parents and year of birth.
  4. Using "FreeBMD", found maiden name of Annie's mother and mother's date of marriage, same for grandmother.
  5. Guessed that boyfriend may have survived WW1 and married Annie when she reached 21 in 1923.
  6. Using "FreeBMD", found date of Annie's marriage and full name of Ben.
  7. Using "Findmypast.co.uk", traced Ben's family back and saw that as firstborn he was named after his Father's father.
  8. Surnames WOODFORD and GISBORN are both unusual enough to avoid much ambiguity.
  9. Clues among data showed I was probably dealing with the right people, such as "hairdresser and barber, both girls on staff at Grammar, and Grandfather Benjamin"
  10. Built this webpage containing images of cards from Ebay, a Family Tree and Census and Marriage results.
  11. By this time I was quite attached to the cards, so bid for them both, and won with only two counterbids on 03 Apr 2013.
  12. Searched FreeBMD for death of Benjamin GISBORN 1923-1980, single find March 1949 aged 57 in Belper district. Age and District correct.
  13. Searched FreeBMD for marriage of Jean E GISBORN 1930-1980, single find Sep 1946 to GARDNER, Ronald in Birmingham District.
  14. When I received the cards I'd won, found both were made in France but unposted, intricately made in 3 stages, and both have a flap to insert a little card.

emails

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