In 2009 I volunteered to photograph some buildings in the city of York, Yorkshire, England connected with the SARGE family that lived there. Following a request from a lady called Lisa from California on Rootschat I travelled to York and took some photographs. Gradually I became more & more interested with this family, so created a tree on Ancestry. Over the years I have gained information from the library in York, the Borthwick Institute of Archives at York University and from the Friends of York Cemetery. I also used this Sarge research as an excuse to cycle to York & its surrounds.
Recently I have discovered another Sarge researcher in Yorkshire, so we have been sharing information. I have an account with British Newspaper Archive and use that resource and that of 19th century British Newspapers available through my library ticket at Leeds City Libraries. The Sarge family in the 19th century appear quite a lot at Magistrates courts for various reasons, so appear in newspapers too. Their relatives often inserted Family Notices about wedding & funerals & burials, so that information in newspapers is particularly useful. In the latter half of the 19th century, some members of the Sarge Family emigrated to Canada & USA.
Their surname in the 17th & 18th century appears in records spelled as SEARGE, but then later on is changed to SARGE.
According to Lisa in California there was a tradition within her Sarge Family History that the family originally migrated from France during the French Revolution-perhaps that story came about due to the surname name change from SEARGE to SARGE. Perhaps someone thought SEARGE was a French name. However, the SARGE researcher in Yorkshire called Paul has connected my SARGE family of York with a SEARGE family living in Kingston upon Hull in the 17th century, so before the French Revolution.
Finding written evidence as to where the surname originated will be very difficult, but a challenge to discover.
I went to York in 2009 to explore the family of John SARGE & his wife a Mary Thomas. John SARGE was born in 1782 in Kingston upon Hull, son of Andrew SEARGE & Mary Wilson. He was christened at Sculcoates near Hull on 15 September 1782.
The record from Family Search reads:
Name: John Searge
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 15 Sep 1782
Christening Date (Original): 15 SEP 1782
Christening Place: SCULCOATES,YORK,ENGLAND
Father's Name: Andrew Searge
Mother's Name: Mary
I think that Sculcoates Church in 1782 was called St Mary’s-an article about the church is explained on this website: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2476241/st-mary-churchyard
So John was christened in the Parish Church of Sculcoates called St Mary’s. So his parents & family grew up in that parish. His parents, Andrew Searge & Mary Searge nee Wilson married on 4 September 1773 at St Mary the Virgin Church, Lowgate, Kingston upon Hull, though the record states:
Marriage on Family Search: Andrew SARGE & Mary WILSON married 04 September 1773 at Saint Mary, Kingston-upon Hull, source:
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2JC-2TG : 10 February 2018), Andrew Sarge and Mary Wilson, 04 Sep 1773; citing Saint Mary, Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire ,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,838.
Note the surname is written as Sarge, not Searge, so maybe that’s how it was transcribed from the original. A view of the original at either Beverley of Hull History Centre might well clear that problem up.
1. Their first child was christened John-the record states: on Family Search & Ancestry and on the records of the East Yorkshire Family History Society at East Yorkshire Archives at Beverley, Yorkshire.
Name: John Searge, son of Andrew Searge, christened 29 July, 1775 at Sculcoates, Yorkshire, England.
I visited the East Yorkshire Archives at Beverley, East Riding known as the “Treasure House”.
http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/leisure/the-treasure-house/visiting-the-treasure-house/
The Treasure House is a one-stop centre for heritage and information services, providing access to museum, library and archive services under one roof. The tower also offers superb views of Beverley. State-of-the-art environmentally-controlled stores hold the collections of the East Riding Archives, Beverley Art Gallery, Beverley Guildhall and archaeology of the Museums Service.
The Treasure House opened in 2007 and was made possible through a grant of £3.9m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, for which East Riding of Yorkshire Council is very grateful.
Searching Parish Registers is done using Find My Past, and also by fiche records. Along the back wall of the centre are some parish records recorded in folders and printed out as records. I went looking for Sculcoates Parish Registers and found some booklets published by the East Yorkshire Family History Society. So some members of the society had transcribed the original parish records & put them in a booklet as typed records. I have done this sort of thing myself for Lincolnshire family History Society so know what the work is like. I found this booklet on the shelf:
Remember what I had found on Family Search for the baptism of John Searge on July 16 1775: Name: John Searge, son of Andrew Searge, christened 29 July, 1775 at Sculcoates, Yorkshire, England.
Now the transcription above gives a little more information, mainly that John’s father, Andrew was a roper. In all the christening records, Andrew Searge, who was married to Mary Wilson, was employed as a Roper. Whether it was his business or his was an employee I don’t know yet, but this information about Andrew being in the Poll Book of 1774 suggests he was an employer. Andrew SEARGE, John’s father is listed in the Poll Book of 1774, so was able to vote in the parliamentary election of that year when the candidates were Lord Thomas Manners, the Honourable Thomas Shirley & David Hartley Esq. He was listed as having the employment as a Rope Maker
Searge, Andrew, Rope-maker, Man 121, Shir, 57, Hart, -
This is that entry in that Poll Book, note the spelling of the surname:
So it looks like the Poll Book put in the correct spelling as SEARGE, not SARGE.
Now the booklet about baptisms above also gives this record:
Burials 1775: August 19, 1775, John, son of Andrew SEARGE, Roper. So young baby John, who was christened in July 1775, died the following month on 19 August, 1775. The record doesn’t give the cause of his death.
The second child was Robert SEARGE, christened in June 1776 at Sculcoates, Yorkshire. The record reads: June 20, 1776, Robert, son of Andrew Searge, Roper.
3. Their third child was Andrew SEARGE, christened 15 August 1780, at Sculcoates, Yorkshire.
Then I looked up the christening record for John Searge, their second child named John,
Baptisms 1782, 15 September, 1782, John, son of Andrew & Mary SEARGE, Roper.
5. Another child was Mark SEARGE, christened 24 January 1785 at Sculcoates, Yorkshire.
Christenings 1785: 24 January 1785, Mark, son of Andrew SEARGE, (Roper).
It looks like his brother, Robert was also a Rope Maker and able to vote as well:
Stephenson, Edward, Rope-maker
Smith, John, Rope maker
Searge, Robert, Rope-maker
Another brother, Godfrey Searge was a taylor or tailor, and another was a mariner
Searge, Godfrey, Taylor
Searge, John, Mariner
In fact Godfrey Searge wasn’t Robert’s brother, he was his great uncle. Godfrey Searge was born 1704, the son of Thomas Searge & Grace Searge nee Cass.
So that christening of Mark, son of Andrew & Mary Searge on 24 January 1785 was the last child to be christened. The reason, well, Mrs. Searge, the children’s mother & Andrew’s wife died. Yes here’s the burial record for her at Sculcoates church.
Burials 1785
January 24, Mary, wife of Andrew Searge, (Roper)-so mother died when her child Mark was christened, probably he was christened soon after his birth. So at least the Searge family had some joy even though they must have had sadness too.
So after 24 January, 1785, Andrew SEARGE, the boy’s father had both work & care for his young family of 4 young boys aged between 9 years & 1 year.
I have searched the records available to see if Andrew married again but so far can’t find one.
Andrew in all the records I have found so far was employed as a roper, many of the family were employed in this trade, so I wonder if there are any records in Hull of this particular industry which must have been connected to shipping world of which Hull was a port.
On the 17th November 1799, his son Robert got married to Mary THOMPSON. Records of this marriage in Sculcoates Marriages from 1754 to 1804 reads:
17 November 1799, Robert SERGE (He signs SARGE), bachelor, & Mary THOMPSON, spinster, both of this parish by RP witnesses Mark SARGE, Ann BLACK.
RP from a list of Officiating Ministers is Richard PATRICK.
Okay so let's concentrate on John SEARGE or SARGE
Baptisms 1782, 15 September, 1782, John, son of Andrew &
Mary SEARGE, Roper.
The first piece of evidence I found after his birth & christening was a possible marriage in the village of Howden, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The marriage was on Family Search, and read 02 Feb 1820 • Howden, Howdenshire, York, England,
John Sarge
John Sarge, Birth Date, 1789, Age 31, Spouse's Name, Mary Thomas
Spouse's Birth Date, 1797, Spouse's Age 23
Event Date, 2 Feb 1820, Event Place, Howden, Howdenshire, York, England
Citing this Record
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NF13-XZ6 : 10 February 2018), John Sarge and Mary Thomas, 02 Feb 1820; citing Howden, Howdenshire, York, England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,655,803.
Because it was on Family Search, no occupation was given for John, so a better entry might be found at Beverley Archives. I have contacted Beverley Archives and they have confirmed that there is no record of this marriage in the Parish Records of Howden. So that means that John Sarge did not marry Mary Thomas before the birth of their first child. So Mary Thomas was born in Yorkshire.
Anyway the next piece of evidence lies with the christening of their first child, who was called John after his father. Having found his father in York, I went to look on the Census for 1841 and found this entry. The census of 1841, gave little evidence as to relationships and birth places, and often ages.
1841 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire Holy Trinity Micklegate District 3
PUMP YARD:
John SARGE, aged 50, Rope-maker, born in Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, aged 40, not born in Yorkshire.
John SARGE, aged 15, not born in Yorkshire.
Fanny SARGE, aged 10, born in Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, aged 8, born in Yorkshire.
Henry SARGE, aged 4, born in Yorkshire.
So this census says whilst John SARGE was born in Yorkshire, his wife Mary wasn’t & neither was their first child called John. The other children were all born in Yorkshire according to this census. The occupation of John aged 50 is described as Rope-maker so keeping up the family tradition. So I had to ask myself where was their first child born if not Yorkshire?
So let’s look at other Census records and see what they say:
1851 England Census for John SARGE
Sussex Brighton St Peter 1ff
22, Sussex Street
Henry Ockenden, Head, Married, 46, House Surgeon, born Hastings, Sussex.
Sarah Ockenden, Wife, Married, 41, Born Radnorshire
Keziah Ockenden, Niece, 1, Born Brighton, Sussex
William Whitlock, Visitor, Unmarried, 26, Painter & Born Uckfield, Sussex
Eliza Weeks, Visitor, Unmarried, 31, Cook, born Uckfield, Sussex.
John SARGE, Visitor, Unmarried, 25, Coach-Maker, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Henry SARGE, Visitor, Unmarried, 14, Coach Maker, born Yorkshire.
Joseph Cabry, Visitor, Unmarried, 17, Engineer, born Ness, Cheshire, England
Charles Cabry, Visitor, Unmarried, 16, Coach Maker, born Ness, Cheshire
So on this census, both John & his brother Henry are visitors at a house in Brighton, Sussex, working as Coach Makers, with John shown as being born in Manchester & his brother in Yorkshire. So now we know that young John was born in Manchester, so I then found this entry:
Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of Church of Manchester in the County of Lancaster in the Year 1822 No. 1045:
When baptized, Child’s name, Parents, Surname, Abode, Trade, By whom
Monday April 22, John son of John & Mary SARGE, of Manchester, Rope maker, R. Rimington
So this record shows that John & his common law wife Mary having being in Howden in February, 1820, were living in Manchester on Monday April, 22, 1822 and John the father working as a Rope Maker. This occupation confirms that this is the same family of Sarge living in Manchester in 1822. Whereas we know from the census of 1841 they did move at some time later to York.
Their second child that we have a record for is a daughter called Fanny Thomas who was christened at St Saviour’s Church in York on 6 December 1830. I did some research in York Library & found this record: born 30 November 1830, baptised 6th December 1830, Fanny daughter of John & Mary Sarge, Bow Buildings, John employed as a labourer.
Then I found this newspaper article which I wondered what it was meant by a “disorderly house”
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 26 October 1833
THURSDAY, Oct. 24. Present—Lord Mayor, Aldermen Peacock, Dunslay and Cooper.
Disorderly House. —An information was laid this morning, by the churchwardens and overseers of the parish of St. Saviour's, against John Sarge and Mary Thomas, for keeping a disorderly house in Stone Bow Lane, in the said parish. Mr. Turner, the present owner of the premises, who had but lately come into possession, had given Sarge notice to quit; but he not being willing to evacuate till he was obliged, the authorities were forced to resort to compulsion. A warrant was granted for the apprehension of John Sarge, and Mary Thomas, who lives with him as his wife.
The fact that the persons making the complaint to the York Council were members of the Parish of St. Saviour’s, the church wardens & overseers of the parish makes me think it was because of the state of the relationship between John SARGE & Mary THOMAS-they weren’t married after all.
In fact in the year 1833, their next child Robert SARGE was born, so if it was before October, then the family would have been living in Stone Bow Lane whereas after that month they must have moved to Pump Yard where they were living at the time of the 1841 census. I can’t seem to find Robert’s christening, so can’t be sure of where the family were living-his birth is just based on his death date in 1899 aged 66.
I have found this newspaper article about John SARGE-another disorderly house report.
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 03 January 1835
THURSDAY, Jan. 1. Present —The Lord Mayor; Aldermen Peacock, Dales, and Simpson. Complaint a Beer Shop Mr. Smith, captain of the patrole, laid a complaint against John Sarge, who keeps a beer-shop in Fishergate, the sign the "The Quiet Woman," for keeping his house open for the sale of beer, beyond the time specified in the act. George Norton, another of the patrole, proved that the house was a disorderly one, and that on the night of the 27th ult., about ten minutes to eleven, there were several persons drinking in the house. The defendant was fined 40s., and costs.
So John in 1835 was living in Fishergate, York where he kept a beer-house.
Their next child was another boy called Henry Thomas SARGE who according to Free BMD was born in the December quarter of 1837, so again no christening has been found, so his birth certificate would confirm his birth date. A later obituary stated it was 13 October 1840.
So that census of 1841 finds the family in Pump Yard, which was off Micklegate, York. The census states that John was a labourer.
You can see Pump Yard just inside the city walls close to Micklgate Bar and a public house called "The Barefoot Pub" This plan of York I think is dated 1853, because NLS Maps of York has some of the same features. You can see the Railway Station inside the city walls whereas nowadays the station is outside the city walls.
The first railway station was a temporary wooden hut opened outside the city walls in 1839 and was succeeded by a new station opened inside the city walls in 1841 for the Derby to York line. In due course with the opening of the line to Newcastle, trains using the station had to reverse out of it then go forwards towards Newcastle, so eventually a new station was built outside the city walls so that trains could run through the station to Newcastle & Scarborough.
Pump Yard is not there now, and the pub's name has changed too. Micklegate most certainly is there-goes through the old town gate into York, down a hill and across the River Ouse on a bridge and then into the main town of York. In that census of 1841 John Sarge is working as a labourer. Unfortunately without those christening records for those two sons Robert & Henry Thomas we don’t know much more about the occupation of John SARGE.
I found this obituary about Henry Thomas SARGE which is useful because it does gives some information about the Sarge family between 1841 & 1851.
Henry Thomas Sarge was born in York, England, October 11, 1840. He left York for Brighton, February 7, 1851. He worked as a carriage builder on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railroad. (!) H.T. left Brighton March 5, 1853 to work at York Shops as a carriage builder. He began pattern making, February 1856 at one pound a week. H.T. took the pattern maker's place at York Shops August 29, 1859; wages 23 s (shillings?) per week.
Certainly that Census record of 1851 saw both John & Henry Thomas SARGE living in Brighton as working as coach builders for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.
1851 England Census for John SARGE, Sussex Brighton St Peter 1ff
22, Sussex Street
Henry Ockenden, Head, Married, 46, House Surgeon, born Hastings, Sussex.
Sarah Ockenden, Wife, Married, 41, Born Radnorshire
Keziah Ockenden, Niece, 1, Born Brighton, Sussex
William Whitlock, Visitor, Unmarried, 26, Painter & Born Uckfield, Sussex
Eliza Weeks, Visitor, Unmarried, 31, Cook, born Uckfield, Sussex.
John SARGE, Visitor, Unmarried, 25, Coach-Maker, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Henry SARGE, Visitor, Unmarried, 14, Coach Maker, born Yorkshire.
Joseph Cabry, Visitor, Unmarried, 17, Engineer, born Ness, Cheshire, England
Charles Cabry, Visitor, Unmarried, 16, Coach Maker, born Ness, Cheshire
Meanwhile their father John SARGE also went to work for a railway company because the census of 1851 found John & Mary Thomas SARGE in Copmanthorpe
1851 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire Copmanthorpe 8
68 Railway Gate:
John SARGE, Head, Widower, 58, Railway Gate Keeper, born Hull, Yorkshire
Mary THOMAS, Visitor, Unmarried, 52, Born Howden, Yorkshire.
Pump Yard is not there now, and the pub's name has changed too. Micklegate most certainly is there-goes through the old town gate into York, down a hill and across the River Ouse on a bridge and then into the main town of York. In that census of 1841 John Sarge is working as a labourer. Unfortunately without those christening records for those two sons Robert & Henry Thomas we don’t know much more about the occupation of John SARGE.
I found this obituary about Henry Thomas SARGE which is useful because it does gives some information about the Sarge family between 1841 & 1851.
Henry Thomas Sarge was born in York, England, October 11, 1840. He left York for Brighton, February 7, 1851. He worked as a carriage builder on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railroad. (!) H.T. left Brighton March 5, 1853 to work at York Shops as a carriage builder. He began pattern making, February 1856 at one pound a week. H.T. took the pattern maker's place at York Shops August 29, 1859; wages 23 s (shillings?) per week.
Certainly that Census record of 1851 saw both John & Henry Thomas SARGE living in Brighton as working as coach builders for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.
1851 England Census for John SARGE, Sussex Brighton St Peter 1ff
22, Sussex Street
Henry Ockenden, Head, Married, 46, House Surgeon, born Hastings, Sussex.
Sarah Ockenden, Wife, Married, 41, Born Radnorshire
Keziah Ockenden, Niece, 1, Born Brighton, Sussex
William Whitlock, Visitor, Unmarried, 26, Painter & Born Uckfield, Sussex
Eliza Weeks, Visitor, Unmarried, 31, Cook, born Uckfield, Sussex.
John SARGE, Visitor, Unmarried, 25, Coach-Maker, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Henry SARGE, Visitor, Unmarried, 14, Coach Maker, born Yorkshire.
Joseph Cabry, Visitor, Unmarried, 17, Engineer, born Ness, Cheshire, England
Charles Cabry, Visitor, Unmarried, 16, Coach Maker, born Ness, Cheshire
Meanwhile their father John SARGE also went to work for a railway company because the census of 1851 found John & Mary Thomas SARGE in Copmanthorpe
Yorkshire Copmanthorpe 8
68 Railway Gate:
John SARGE, Head, Widower, 58, Railway Gate Keeper, born Hull, Yorkshire
Mary THOMAS, Visitor, Unmarried, 52, Born Howden, Yorkshire.
Now that's a strange entry isn't? John Sarge described himself as a widower, when he hadn't been married & his common law wife Mary THOMAS described herself as an unmarried Visitor. John is working as a railway gate keeper. I went to see this railway gate as it is now and photographed the gate & the present dwelling I gained the occupant's permission to do so.
A map of 1853 shows the station at Copmanthorpe and the Railway Gates. John was employed by the York & North Midland Railway Company as this is the name of the railway on the map.
The station itself now doesn't exist, but is a private house-this is a photo of that old station from the bridge that overlooks it.
This article in the York Herald gives a clue as to how long John had worked for this railway company and the problems he often had to face.
AINSTY PETTY SESSIONS .
The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, September 27, 1851; Issue 4120. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.
Alleged assault at Copmanthorpe-John SARGE, gatekeeper on the York and North Midland Railway at Copmanthorpe, was charged with having assaulted Jas. Kilvington, farm servant to Mr. Dunwell, of that village on the 13th Inst. Complainant said he was driving some pigs to the field, and on crossing the line the defendant, without receiving any provocation, gave him a kick. SARGE said, in defence, as there was a train approaching, he wanted to get the gate closed, in doing which he gave the lad a bump with it in order to make him move faster. He also said that he was very saucy to him, and used some very insulting language. Mr. Goslett, assistant superintendent, said that the gate in question was a very important one, and it was requisite the keeper should be very strict in carrying out his orders. The defendant had been in the company’s service a number of years, and had always conducted himself properly. The magistrates dismissed the case, thinking the lad had been insolent, and ordered him to pay the costs.
Meanwhile the other children Fanny Thomas SARGE & Robert SARGE were both working in 1851.
1851 England Census for Robert Sarge
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior 6
4 Holgate Lane:
Mary JACKSON, head, Widow, 50, Huckster, born Craike, Durham.
Mary JACKSON, daughter, Unmarried, 17, Dressmaker, born Craike, Durham.
Robert SARGE, Lodger, Unmarried, 18, Rail Clerk, Born York, Yorkshire
So Robert is a Railway Clerk and his sister Fanny is a nurse maid.
1851 England Census for Fanny Sarge
Yorkshire York St John Micklegate 3
6 Micklegate:
William Chapman, Head, Married, 32, Proprietor & Bank Shareholder, born Sunderland, Durham.
Harriet CHAPMAN, wife, Married, 22, Born York
Wm. Able, CHAPMAN, son, 2, Born York
Richard Edward Chapman, son, 1, born York
Fanny SARGE, Unmarried, 21, Nurse maid, born York.
So all the sons work for the Railway's and the Fanny works as a nurse maid in a house. Henry Thomas I can't find him in the 1861 census .
Between 1851 & 1861, another ten years, a lot happens to this family. For example, the eldest son John, moves from Brighton in Sussex to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. There is a record of his marriage both on Ancestry & on Family Search-
Marriage: 29 February 1860 • Gateshead, Durham, England
Newcastle All Saints Church: Newcastle T 10b 26: Wife previously married: father of bride: Luke Brown.
Name John Sarge, & Eleanor Dixon
Event Date 29 Feb 1860
Event Place All Saints, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England
Citing this Record
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NK7P-X5B : 10 February 2018), John Sarge and Eleanor Dixon, 29 Feb 1860; citing All Saints, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,068,970.
Elllen or Eleanor had previously been married to an iron agent called Edward Dixon-their marriage & his death was recorded in the Newcastle Courant.
Newcastle Courant - Friday 10 November 1854
MARRIAGES. At NEWCASTLE, at St. John's Church, on the 2nd inst., Mr Edward Dixon, agent, to Ellen, daughter of the late Mr Luke Brown, of Sunnyside near Whickham.
Newcastle Courant - Friday 09 April 1858
At GATESHEAD on the Windmill-hllls, on the 30th ult., aged 76, Mr Joseph Lambert, formerly of Kirk- haris,-In Grosvenor-street, on the 31st ult., aged 74, inst.,Mrs Eizabeth McCreet.-In Ann-street, on the 5th inst., aged 67, much respected, Mr James Rankin, an agent; and on the same day, aged 17, Thomas, youngest son of the above,-On the same day, aged 39, much respected, Mr Edward Dixon, iron agent.- On the same day, aged 92, Elizabeth, widow of the late Mr John Aitman, shoemaker, High Bridge in this town.
So John Sarge marries Ellen or Eleanor DIXON nee BROWN at All Saints Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. Soon they have a child, a daughter called Mary-her birth was recorded in a local newspaper.
In the Census of 1861, John & Ellen are living in King William Place, Gateshead
1861 England Census for John Sarge
Durham Gateshead District 11
Entry Number 63: King William Rd/St?
John SARGE, Head, Married, 34, Agent, born Newcastle Northumberland
Ellen SARGE, Wife, Married, 33, Born Dipton, Durham.
James Asquith, Lodger, Unmarried, 20, Draughtsman, born Leeds
Luke BROWN, Visitor, Unmarried, 30, Miller, born Gateshead, Co. Durham
Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury - Saturday 02 November 1861
At Gateshead, in West Street, on the 24th ult., the wife of Mr John Sarge, of a daughter.
Their next child that was born to them was named Ellen or Eleanor Elizabeth SARGE-the christening record states this:
Baptism
16 Jul 1863 • St John's Parish, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England,
Child's name, Eleanor Elizabeth Sarge, daughter of Eleanor & John Sarge.
The Birth record states this:September 1863 • Gateshead, Durham, England
1 Source, but a death record states this: Death September 1863 • Gateshead, Durham, England
So John & Eleanor, having had a daughter, and named it at her christening at St John's Parish Church, Newcastle Upon Tyne on 16 July, 1863, then had to record her death in the same July/September quarter.
However, soon after the death of their second child, John & Eleanor or Ellen as she was sometimes called moved from Gateshead to Birmingham as this child birth record records:
December 1864 • Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, Aston 6d 283,Eleanor Elizabeth Sarge.
Marriage records & birth records of the children would help further to discover more information about where the family were living at that time. There are very few newspaper images. There are also very few Railway Employment records on Ancestry, but there maybe more information at the National Archive Railway Records as we know that John, Henry Thomas and Robert worked for the railway companies, as well as their father John, whom we know was a Railway gate-man for the York & North Midland.
They then move back to York where John obtains a job at the North Eastern Railway Wagon shops as a carriage builder.
Getting back to his parents, John SARGE & Mary Thomas, the census of 1861, shows for a change that John & his partner Mary Thomas were finally listed in the census as man and wife:
1861 England Census for John & Mary SARGE and their son Robert.
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior District 5
Entry Number 369: 29 Mount Ephraim:
John SARGE, Head, Married, 79, Watchman, (7.6), born Hull, Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, Wife, Married, 68, Born Eastringdon, Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, son, Unmarried, 28, Accountant, born York, Yorkshire.
However in the year of 1866, John's parents, die, his mother Mary Thomas SARGE who finally married her long time partner John SARGE at the registry office in York in 1861, died first of all in January 1866 as this newspaper article explains.
Yorkshire Gazette 20th January 1866:
DEATHS
SARGE, on the 13th inst., at Bishopthorpe, near the city, aged 71, Mary, wife of John SARGE.
According to the census of 1871, John & his wife were living in Bishopthorpe Road, York:
1871 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire St Mary Bishopshill Senior District 10
St Mary Bishophill Senior, York, Micklegate
6, Bishopthorpe Road:
John SARGE, Head, Married, 46, Foreman Carriage Builder, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Eleanor SARGE, wife, Married, 44, Born Durham.
Mary SARGE, daughter, Unmarried, 10, Scholar, born Gateshead, Durham.
Elizabeth SARGE, daughter, 7, scholar, born Birmingham, Warwickshire.
ASKHAM RICHARD. NEAR YORK. By Order of the Trustee of the Will the late John Lewis, Count Eyre, Deceased. MR. THOMAS WALKER will SELL by AUCTION, at his ESTATE ROOMS, on THURSDAY the 21st day of JULY, 1881, at THREE for FOUR 'o clock, all that Freehold, well-accustomed, and fully Licensed INN, or PUBLIC-HOUSE, known the " Rose and Crown," situate in the Town Street of Askham Richard, together with the and Outbuildings attached, and well-stocked Garden and Orchard, now in the occupation of Mr. John. Leadley as yearly tenant. Also all those TWO MESSUAGES or COTTAGE TENE MENTS adjoining thereto, in the occupations of Mr. John SARGE and Mr. Thomas Dalton respectively, with the Fold Yard, Outbuildings, Garden, Orchard, and Croft of excellent Grass below the fame, 3a. 2r. 14p., or thereabouts.
And also SIX PARCELS or CLOSES of LAND, situate on the Moor or Common between Askham and Rufforth, containing altogether recent ad measurement 22a. 2r. 6p., more or less, now in the occupation of Mr. John Sarge and Mr. John Leadley, bounded by the North by Land the property of Messrs. Allen and Myers, on the South by Glebe Land, on the West by property of Major York, and on the East by the High Road known as Low Moor-lane, leading from Askham to Rufforth. The whole property containing 27a, 1r 20p, more or less. Particulars and conditions of Sale may be obtained of Mr. CHARLES HORNSEY, Surveyor, Railway-street; Mr. THOMAS WALKER, Auctioneer, New-street (at either of which places a Plan of the Property may seen); or of Mr. G. M. THOMPSON, 65, Gillygate; or Messrs BLOUNT, LYNCH, & PETRE, solicitors, 4, King-street, Cheapside, London, E.C.
The census of 1881 confirms this fact:
1881 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire Askham Richard District 20
Entry 31: “Rose & Crown”
John SARGE, Head, Married, 58, Farmer of 23 acres, & Railway Engineer, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Eleanor SARGE, Wife, Married, 54, born Lanchester, Durham.
Mary SARGE, daughter, unmarried, 19, born Gateshead, Durham.
Elizabeth E. SARGE, daughter, unmarried, 16, Born Birmingham, Warwickshire.
However following the death of John Lewis, and the sale of the land as reported above, John & his family moved back to 6 Bishopthorpe Road, near to the centre of York
This newspaper article explains the death of John SARGE junior:
DEATHS: SARGE-At his residence 6, Bishopthorpe Road, York on March 28th, John Sarge, 67 years, late superintending foreman of the North Eastern Railway New wagon shops, York in whose service he was upwards of 53 years.
John was buried in York Cemetery-I went to the cemetery and was shown this inscription on his gravestone-he was buried with others in a sort of mass grave.
His gravestone lies relatively close to the chapel in the cemetery as this photograph shows:-
The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, September 27, 1851; Issue 4120. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.
Alleged assault at Copmanthorpe-John SARGE, gatekeeper on the York and North Midland Railway at Copmanthorpe, was charged with having assaulted Jas. Kilvington, farm servant to Mr. Dunwell, of that village on the 13th Inst. Complainant said he was driving some pigs to the field, and on crossing the line the defendant, without receiving any provocation, gave him a kick. SARGE said, in defence, as there was a train approaching, he wanted to get the gate closed, in doing which he gave the lad a bump with it in order to make him move faster. He also said that he was very saucy to him, and used some very insulting language. Mr. Goslett, assistant superintendent, said that the gate in question was a very important one, and it was requisite the keeper should be very strict in carrying out his orders. The defendant had been in the company’s service a number of years, and had always conducted himself properly. The magistrates dismissed the case, thinking the lad had been insolent, and ordered him to pay the costs.
Meanwhile the other children Fanny Thomas SARGE & Robert SARGE were both working in 1851.
1851 England Census for Robert Sarge
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior 6
4 Holgate Lane:
Mary JACKSON, head, Widow, 50, Huckster, born Craike, Durham.
Mary JACKSON, daughter, Unmarried, 17, Dressmaker, born Craike, Durham.
Robert SARGE, Lodger, Unmarried, 18, Rail Clerk, Born York, Yorkshire
So Robert is a Railway Clerk and his sister Fanny is a nurse maid.
1851 England Census for Fanny Sarge
Yorkshire York St John Micklegate 3
6 Micklegate:
William Chapman, Head, Married, 32, Proprietor & Bank Shareholder, born Sunderland, Durham.
Harriet CHAPMAN, wife, Married, 22, Born York
Wm. Able, CHAPMAN, son, 2, Born York
Richard Edward Chapman, son, 1, born York
Fanny SARGE, Unmarried, 21, Nurse maid, born York.
So all the sons work for the Railway's and the Fanny works as a nurse maid in a house. Henry Thomas I can't find him in the 1861 census .
Between 1851 & 1861, another ten years, a lot happens to this family. For example, the eldest son John, moves from Brighton in Sussex to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. There is a record of his marriage both on Ancestry & on Family Search-
Marriage: 29 February 1860 • Gateshead, Durham, England
Newcastle All Saints Church: Newcastle T 10b 26: Wife previously married: father of bride: Luke Brown.
Name John Sarge, & Eleanor Dixon
Event Date 29 Feb 1860
Event Place All Saints, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England
Citing this Record
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NK7P-X5B : 10 February 2018), John Sarge and Eleanor Dixon, 29 Feb 1860; citing All Saints, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,068,970.
Elllen or Eleanor had previously been married to an iron agent called Edward Dixon-their marriage & his death was recorded in the Newcastle Courant.
Newcastle Courant - Friday 10 November 1854
MARRIAGES. At NEWCASTLE, at St. John's Church, on the 2nd inst., Mr Edward Dixon, agent, to Ellen, daughter of the late Mr Luke Brown, of Sunnyside near Whickham.
Newcastle Courant - Friday 09 April 1858
At GATESHEAD on the Windmill-hllls, on the 30th ult., aged 76, Mr Joseph Lambert, formerly of Kirk- haris,-In Grosvenor-street, on the 31st ult., aged 74, inst.,Mrs Eizabeth McCreet.-In Ann-street, on the 5th inst., aged 67, much respected, Mr James Rankin, an agent; and on the same day, aged 17, Thomas, youngest son of the above,-On the same day, aged 39, much respected, Mr Edward Dixon, iron agent.- On the same day, aged 92, Elizabeth, widow of the late Mr John Aitman, shoemaker, High Bridge in this town.
So John Sarge marries Ellen or Eleanor DIXON nee BROWN at All Saints Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. Soon they have a child, a daughter called Mary-her birth was recorded in a local newspaper.
In the Census of 1861, John & Ellen are living in King William Place, Gateshead
1861 England Census for John Sarge
Durham Gateshead District 11
Entry Number 63: King William Rd/St?
John SARGE, Head, Married, 34, Agent, born Newcastle Northumberland
Ellen SARGE, Wife, Married, 33, Born Dipton, Durham.
James Asquith, Lodger, Unmarried, 20, Draughtsman, born Leeds
Luke BROWN, Visitor, Unmarried, 30, Miller, born Gateshead, Co. Durham
So Luke Brown, who was Ellen's brother was visiting the house where his sister was pregnant with their first child a daughter. John's birthplace is clearly wrong,
Then in October of that year, Ellen gives birth to a daughter called Mary which they announced in a local newspaper.
Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury - Saturday 02 November 1861
At Gateshead, in West Street, on the 24th ult., the wife of Mr John Sarge, of a daughter.
Their next child that was born to them was named Ellen or Eleanor Elizabeth SARGE-the christening record states this:
Baptism
16 Jul 1863 • St John's Parish, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England,
Child's name, Eleanor Elizabeth Sarge, daughter of Eleanor & John Sarge.
The Birth record states this:September 1863 • Gateshead, Durham, England
1 Source, but a death record states this: Death September 1863 • Gateshead, Durham, England
So John & Eleanor, having had a daughter, and named it at her christening at St John's Parish Church, Newcastle Upon Tyne on 16 July, 1863, then had to record her death in the same July/September quarter.
However, soon after the death of their second child, John & Eleanor or Ellen as she was sometimes called moved from Gateshead to Birmingham as this child birth record records:
December 1864 • Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, Aston 6d 283,Eleanor Elizabeth Sarge.
Marriage records & birth records of the children would help further to discover more information about where the family were living at that time. There are very few newspaper images. There are also very few Railway Employment records on Ancestry, but there maybe more information at the National Archive Railway Records as we know that John, Henry Thomas and Robert worked for the railway companies, as well as their father John, whom we know was a Railway gate-man for the York & North Midland.
They then move back to York where John obtains a job at the North Eastern Railway Wagon shops as a carriage builder.
Getting back to his parents, John SARGE & Mary Thomas, the census of 1861, shows for a change that John & his partner Mary Thomas were finally listed in the census as man and wife:
1861 England Census for John & Mary SARGE and their son Robert.
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior District 5
Entry Number 369: 29 Mount Ephraim:
John SARGE, Head, Married, 79, Watchman, (7.6), born Hull, Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, Wife, Married, 68, Born Eastringdon, Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, son, Unmarried, 28, Accountant, born York, Yorkshire.
John is still working, no longer for the railway company as a railway gateman but as a watchman. But as you can see below, it wasn't long before John & Mary SARGE moved away from York to Bishopthorpe. Then after her death John her husband moved to near his son Robert at Copmanthorpe.
However in the year of 1866, John's parents, die, his mother Mary Thomas SARGE who finally married her long time partner John SARGE at the registry office in York in 1861, died first of all in January 1866 as this newspaper article explains.
Yorkshire Gazette 20th January 1866:
DEATHS
SARGE, on the 13th inst., at Bishopthorpe, near the city, aged 71, Mary, wife of John SARGE.
She was buried in the churchyard of Bishopthorpe Church-as the records at the Borthwick Institute, York explain
16 January 1866 • Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire, England
St Andrew's Church, Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire, Number 356: Mary SARGE, of Bishopthorpe, buried 16 January 1866, aged 71 years by Basil Jones, Vicar.
I visited the church of St Andrew, Bishopthorpe, which is now semi-derelict-very few of the gravestones are visible. Of course we don't know if Mr. & Mrs. Sarge were wealthy enough to afford a gravestone, anyway I couldn't see it in the remains of the graveyard. Then later that year, John's father John SARGE, husband of Mary Thomas also died as this newspaper article explains:-
Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries .
The York Herald (York, England), Saturday, October 20, 1866; pg. 7; Issue 4899. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.
SARGE: On Friday the 12th Inst., at Copmanthorpe, near York, Mr. John SARGE, aged 86.
SUDDEN DEATH AT COPMANTHORPE-Yesterday evening week, John SARGE of Copmanthorpe, formerly a roper, of the venerable age of 86, died suddenly. On the arrival of his son Robert from this city, he was found upstairs expiring. Neighbours were called in, but help was of no avail, and life was soon extinct. He had in several ways given premonitory indications of an early departure. At an inquest which was held on Saturday last, a verdict was returned in accordance with the opinion of Mr. Crummack as to cause of death, namely, that of disease of the brain.
Also this newspaper as well:
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 20 October 1866
COPMANTHORPE. SUDDEN Death.—An inquest was held at this village on Monday last by J. P. -Wood, Esq., coroner, relative to the death of Mr. John Sarge ' 86 years of age. The deceased was formerly a roper, and up to the time of his death he resided at the house of his son, Mr. Robt. Sarge, of Copmanthorpe. The deceased was found by his son, and he was partially undressed and just at the point of death. Mr. R. Sarge spoke to his father who opened his eyes but gave no answer and died immediately. Mr. Crummack, surgeon, was 'called in and he was of opinion that the deceased had died of disease of the brain.
Burial
15 October 1866 • Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire, England
St Andrew's Parish Church, Number 364: John SARGE of Copmanthorpe, buried on 15 October 1866, aged 86 years by B. Shuttleworth, Curate
There isn't a newspaper article about the funeral of their parents but I am sure that his children who were living in York would have attended them.
According to the census of 1871, John & his wife were living in Bishopthorpe Road, York:
1871 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire St Mary Bishopshill Senior District 10
St Mary Bishophill Senior, York, Micklegate
6, Bishopthorpe Road:
John SARGE, Head, Married, 46, Foreman Carriage Builder, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Eleanor SARGE, wife, Married, 44, Born Durham.
Mary SARGE, daughter, Unmarried, 10, Scholar, born Gateshead, Durham.
Elizabeth SARGE, daughter, 7, scholar, born Birmingham, Warwickshire.
This property now is a florists:
York Herald - Saturday 09 July 1881
His house was quite close to Skeldergate Bridge over the River Ouse, and not that far from the railway Station either.The census shows that in 1871 John was now the foreman of the Carriage Works, and although they lived in Bishopthorpe Road, in those days, this was a continuation of Bishopgate Street. .
This article explains where John & his family were living in 1880_
YORK POLICE.—GUILDHALL .
The York Herald (York, England), Tuesday, July 27, 1880; pg. 7; Issue 7315. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.
YORK POLICE-Guildhall, yesterday
Theft of a gold watch-Ellen Ayre was charged with the stealing of a gold watch from the house of Mr. SARGE, of Bishopthorpe-road. Prisoner, who is 12 years of age, had been for five weeks in the service of Mr. SARGE. The gold watch produced was identified by Miss SARGE, who said she left it on her dressing table on Monday last. Prisoner was in the room and observed the watch was stopped. She was sent out afterwards and that watch subsequently missed. Mr. Charles Charlton, Victoria-street, deposed to finding the watch lying on the footpath in Nunnery-lane on Monday morning between half past eleven and a quarter to twelve o’clock. When charged by Mr. SARGE with stealing the watch, prisoner said she had taken and thrown it away in the street. Prisoner, who it was stated was beyond the control of her parents, was remanded until Thursday, with a view to inquiries being made as to sending her to reformatory school.
However a year later in 1881, John & his family are living in Askham Richard, close to the "Rose & Crown" public house. As well as being the foreman of the carriage works in York, John rents some farmland and works that as well as this newspaper article explains.
ASKHAM RICHARD. NEAR YORK. By Order of the Trustee of the Will the late John Lewis, Count Eyre, Deceased. MR. THOMAS WALKER will SELL by AUCTION, at his ESTATE ROOMS, on THURSDAY the 21st day of JULY, 1881, at THREE for FOUR 'o clock, all that Freehold, well-accustomed, and fully Licensed INN, or PUBLIC-HOUSE, known the " Rose and Crown," situate in the Town Street of Askham Richard, together with the and Outbuildings attached, and well-stocked Garden and Orchard, now in the occupation of Mr. John. Leadley as yearly tenant. Also all those TWO MESSUAGES or COTTAGE TENE MENTS adjoining thereto, in the occupations of Mr. John SARGE and Mr. Thomas Dalton respectively, with the Fold Yard, Outbuildings, Garden, Orchard, and Croft of excellent Grass below the fame, 3a. 2r. 14p., or thereabouts.
And also SIX PARCELS or CLOSES of LAND, situate on the Moor or Common between Askham and Rufforth, containing altogether recent ad measurement 22a. 2r. 6p., more or less, now in the occupation of Mr. John Sarge and Mr. John Leadley, bounded by the North by Land the property of Messrs. Allen and Myers, on the South by Glebe Land, on the West by property of Major York, and on the East by the High Road known as Low Moor-lane, leading from Askham to Rufforth. The whole property containing 27a, 1r 20p, more or less. Particulars and conditions of Sale may be obtained of Mr. CHARLES HORNSEY, Surveyor, Railway-street; Mr. THOMAS WALKER, Auctioneer, New-street (at either of which places a Plan of the Property may seen); or of Mr. G. M. THOMPSON, 65, Gillygate; or Messrs BLOUNT, LYNCH, & PETRE, solicitors, 4, King-street, Cheapside, London, E.C.
The census of 1881 confirms this fact:
1881 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire Askham Richard District 20
Entry 31: “Rose & Crown”
John SARGE, Head, Married, 58, Farmer of 23 acres, & Railway Engineer, born Manchester, Lancashire.
Eleanor SARGE, Wife, Married, 54, born Lanchester, Durham.
Mary SARGE, daughter, unmarried, 19, born Gateshead, Durham.
Elizabeth E. SARGE, daughter, unmarried, 16, Born Birmingham, Warwickshire.
However following the death of John Lewis, and the sale of the land as reported above, John & his family moved back to 6 Bishopthorpe Road, near to the centre of York
This newspaper article explains the death of John SARGE junior:
DEATHS: SARGE-At his residence 6, Bishopthorpe Road, York on March 28th, John Sarge, 67 years, late superintending foreman of the North Eastern Railway New wagon shops, York in whose service he was upwards of 53 years.
John was buried in York Cemetery-I went to the cemetery and was shown this inscription on his gravestone-he was buried with others in a sort of mass grave.
His gravestone lies relatively close to the chapel in the cemetery as this photograph shows:-
John SARGE (Grave 4199) Co-ordinates K14 Family History Society Reference C/01/06
This is a ‘Second Class Grave’ with a large memorial slab which has recently been lifted to earth level and can now be seen in it’s entirety.
This grave is situated on the left as you walk from the chapel along the wide centre path.
So his wife & family were then left to live in the home at 6 Bishopthorpe Road where they were living in the census of 1891.
1891 England Census for Eleanor Sarge
Yorkshire St Mary Bishopshill Senior District 17
5, Bishopthorpe Road:
Eleanor SARGE: Head, Widow, 64, born Dipton Co. Durham.
Minnie SARGE, daughter, Single, 28, Dressmaker, born Gateshead, Co. Durham.
Eleanor Elizabeth SARGE, daughter, Single, Dressmaker, born Birmingham.
Read Augustus Drummond, Lodger, Single, Traveller, born Norwich.
So both daughters are working as dressmakers & they have a lodger in the house as well to help pay for the family to survive. Minnie SARGE is another name for Mary SARGE.
Then in 1895, Mrs Eleanor SARGE brings an action against a woman who failed to pay her for the sale of the property.
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 29 June 1895
YORK COUNTY COURT. WEDNESDAY.—Before E. R. Turner, Judge. BALANCE DUE. An action was brought by Eleanor Sarge, widow, against Ernest Chapman, 10. Scott-street. York, to recover 1pound 15s., balance alleged to be due on the sale of a sewing machine. Mr J. W. Teale appeared for the defendant. Plaintiff said she sold the defendant the machine in September last, for £5, that Mrs Chapman paid her 3 pounds , giving promise that the balance should be paid by instalments, and that subsequently 5s. was paid. In defence it was submitted that the machine was sold for 3 pounds and that the 5s. was a loan.—Judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed.
The next time she appears in the papers was her death announcement:
York Herald - Saturday 24 February 1900
DEATHS
SARGE — On the 18th inst. at 37, Oxford-street, Holgate-road, York, Eleanor, widow of the late John SARGE, aged 73.
This is the record of her burial in the records at York Cemetery:- 3. Public Grave:
Serial No. 60979: Grave No.: 19132
Date of Death: 18/02/1900: Burial Date: 22/02/1900: Ellen SARGE, 74 years, widow of John SARGE, residence: Oxford Street, York: Cause of death: Old age: Informant: Thomas DENNETT: 60, Micklegate: Minister: John Stephens: Public Grave with 11 burials, No Mi for this person: Monument on this grave: J/21/10
The 2 daughters, Minnie or Mary SARGE & Elizabeth Eleanor are not too easy to find about them. Neither are in the 1901 census, but then of course by the date of that census both their parents had died. I haven't been able to find anything more about Elizabeth Eleanor-she isn't in the 1901 census or in the marriage or death records so maybe she went abroad.
Her younger sister Mary or Minnie ended up in the workhouse-she is recorded in the 1901 census.
Name
The Borthwick Institute for Archives
Address
University Rd, Heslington, York YO10 5DD
Email
borthwick-institute@york.ac.uk
Phone Number
01904 321166
REFN
https://www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/
In the September quarter of 1857 their daughter Fanny Thomas POTTER was born-note the second forename was Thomas, named after the maiden name of her mother.
The first census that she is recorded in is the 1861 Census:
1861 England Census for Fanny Potter
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior District 5
2, Blossom Street Crescent:-
Janet DUFF, Head, widow, 60, Fund Holder, born London.
Agnes Garforth, daughter, Married, 25, ? late of 7 Hussars, born Hampshire.
William Garforth, Son in law, Married, 31, born York, Yorkshire.
William Hy. Garforth, Grandson, unmarried, 5, born Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire.
Frank A. Garforth, grandson, unmarried, 1, born Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire.
Dorothea Garforth, grand-daughter, 2 months, born Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, servant, married, 28, House Keeper, born York, Yorkshire
Edwin POTTER, servant, married, 28, Painter, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, servant, unmarried, 3, born York, Yorkshire.
Hannah Palmer, servant, unmarried, 30, Lady’s maid, born Hampshire
Sarah Stockdale, servant, married, 29, House maid, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Susannah Saunderson, servant, unmarried, 15, House maid, born York, Yorkshire.
Margaret Auton, servant, unmarried, 24, Lady’s maid, born Gilling, Yorkshire
So you can see that Blossom Street Crescent was to the left off Blossom Street, with the railway lines not far away. So young Fanny was growing up with her parents where they are acting as servants in the home of a widow who clearly had some money as her house was full of her family & servants. Her father Edwin in this census record is shown as being a painter, not an artist, so it looks like he was working for someone else. Edwin was born in Leeds, son of Richard Potter a farmer.
This is 2 Blossom Street Crescent in 2009. So you can see it is 3 storied house, with an attic and no doubt a cellar.
Ten years later, Fanny is 13 years of age and lives with her parents at 8 Blossom Street, which is close to Micklegate Bar:
Here is that census image:
1871 England Census for Fanny Potter
Yorkshire Holy Trinity Micklegate District 2
8 Blossom Street, Micklegate in the Parish of Holy Trinity:
Entry No. 122:
Edward POTTER, Head, Married, 37, Master Painter, employer of 7 men & 2 boys, born York, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, Wife, Married, 30, born York, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, daughter, unmarried, 13, Scholar, born York, Yorkshire.
R. John Charlton, Lodger, Bachelor, 35, born Bellingham, Northamptonshire.
So now her father who was recorded in that census as Edward, was an employer of 7 men & 2 boys so had a painting company.
Back in 2009, I took a photograph of the house in Blossom Street.
This is a close up picture of that stone, with the original inscription well worn away.
Then in the year 1876, a man called Edwin Potter who lived in the ward of Holy Trinity, Micklegate was appointed as an overseer for the parish. A newspaper article states this:
York Herald - Saturday 08 April 1876
York Poor Law Union. — The usual weekly meeting of the Board of Guardians was held on Thursday, Mr. J. L. Foster in the chair. The following is the reported expenditure : — last week. last year No.. No. City District 529...£39l 13s. 6 City .District. .. 651..48 14s 6 Rural do 243... 35 13 0 Rural do 233. . 34 12 1 Inmates 433 — Inmates 454 — Vagrants 107 — 1 Vagrants 93— Appointments of Overseers. — The magistrates sitting at the York Guildhall, on Thursday, appointed the following overseers for the various parishes: Holy Trinity, Micklegate, Edwin Potter and Frederick John Day.
Certainly Edwin Thomas Potter lived in Holy Trinity Parish in that year so it may well have been him. By 1881, he and his wife were still living in York & in Blossom Street-his business was doing much better as he was employing more men as the Census of that year states
1881 England Census for Edwin T. Potter
Yorkshire York Holy Trinity Micklegate District 3
Holy Trinity, Micklegate, York, Entry number 12: 13, Blossom Street:
Edwin T. POTTER, Head, Married, 47, Painter employing 20 men, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, wife, married, 42, born York, Yorkshire.
Elizabeth Johnson, servant, Unmarried, 21, Domestic Servant, born Pocklington, Yorkshire.
I have searched for the Edwin Thomas Potter in newspapers in vain, apart from that article about being an overseer of the York Holy Trinity parish. Certainly in the 1891 census, Edwin & his wife are staying in a lodging house, with Edwin's occupation down as being an artist, so whether they were on holiday there, it's difficult to know.
Edit
Residence
1891 • North Meols, Lancashire, England
25, Bath Street, North Meols, Lancashire as an artist. North Meols is in Southport, Lancashire, so I think both were there on a break. Certainly by 1901, both were living in Scarborough, Yorkshire.
57 Westboro', Scarborough:
Edwin Thomas POTTER, Head, married, 60, House Decorator, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fanny T. POTTER, wife, married, 58 yrs, born York, Yorkshire.
Maggie Miley a servant.
So in that census entry is similar to the all the other ones as opposed to that entry in 1891, so I think that in 1891, they were living elsewhere than North Meols, probably in York still.
Going back to York Cemetery I found that Edwin Thomas POTTER died 27 January 1904-the record there reads: Number: 66109, 27/01/1904 POTTER, Edwin Thomas, aged 70.His inscription on that gravestone reads:
A newspaper article explains what happened to her and the estate:
POTTER, Fanny Thomas, of Victoria-Villa, Scarborough, widow, died 17 March 1906 at the Nursing Home, Lilford House, Esplanade-road, Scarborough, Probate York, 14 May to John Pattison Guy, solicitor & John Henry Shucksmith, Plumber, Effects £80 16s 8d.
So he had spent quite a lot of the money her husband left her. A notice in the London Gazette informs us about both of them:THE LONDON GAZETTE; JUNE 26, 1906.
EDWIN THOMAS POTTER, Deceased.
Pursuant to the Statute, 22nd and 23rd Viet., cap. 35.
NOTICE is hereby given, that all the creditors and persons having any claims or demands upon or against the estate of Edwin Thomas Potter, late of Victoria Villa, Scarborough, in the county of York,
Painter, deceased (who died on the 27th day of January, 1904, and whose will was proved by John Pattinson Guy, of the city of York, Solicitor, Arthur Pollard, of the same city, Architect, John Thomas Chambers, of the same city, Hotel Manager (now deceased), and Fanny Thomas Potter, of Victoria Villa, Scarborough, Widow (now deceased), the executors and executrix therein named, on the 29th day of April, 1904, in the York District Registry of His Majesty's High Court of Justice), are hereby required to send in particulars of their claims and demands to the undersigned, the Solicitor for the
surviving executor?, on or before the 1st day of August, 1906; and notice is hereby also given, that after that day the said executors will proceed to distribute the assets of the deceased among the parties entitled thereto, having regard only to the claims of which the said executors. shall then have had notice, and that they will not be liable for the assets, or any part thereof, so distributed, to any person of whose debt or claim they shall not then have had notice.—Dated 21st day of June, 1906.
Robert lived at number 4, Holgate Lane-I did take a photograph of this house in 2009.
This is Holgate Road, formerly Holgate Lane, number 4 is the white-painted house.
Living in Hogate lane meant he was close to his place of work, which would have been York Station.
On the map above dated 1852, from NLS Maps, you can see Holgate Lane & Blossom Street, and at the top right hand side is York Railway Station.
Between 1851 & 1861, Robert became involved with the Temperance Movement. This article in 1858, shows also what he did within a local church somewhere.
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 06 February 1858
" Youths' Temperance Demonstration:-The first of a series of juvenile temperance meetings for this year was held in the Lecture Hall, Goodramgate, on Monday evening last. The chair was occupied by Mr. Robert Sarge, and the assembly addressed by five young men, named B. Jefferson, S. Champley, L. B. Foster, J. C. Sigsworth, and J. W. Garlick. The speakers were all Sabbath school teachers, and they strongly urged the claims of the temperance movement upon the attention of their fellow labourers. It was stated that intoxicating drinks destroy annually 60,000 souls, and that £60,000,000 are annually wasted in their use. The attendance was very numerous, and at the close of the meeting several parties signed the pledge.
In the census of 1861, Robert is living with his parents, John Sarge & Mary Thomas in a street called Mount Ephraim, which is off Holgate Lane or in 1907 off Holgate Road.
Here are 2 maps of the site of Mount Ephraim from NLS Maps.
Here is the same street in 1907:
So you can see that Mount Ephraim is a street of terraced houses, the centre one of three rows of terraces. So again where Robert was living was close to his place of work; sharing the home with his parents as the census states:
This is the record of her burial in the records at York Cemetery:- 3. Public Grave:
Serial No. 60979: Grave No.: 19132
Date of Death: 18/02/1900: Burial Date: 22/02/1900: Ellen SARGE, 74 years, widow of John SARGE, residence: Oxford Street, York: Cause of death: Old age: Informant: Thomas DENNETT: 60, Micklegate: Minister: John Stephens: Public Grave with 11 burials, No Mi for this person: Monument on this grave: J/21/10
The 2 daughters, Minnie or Mary SARGE & Elizabeth Eleanor are not too easy to find about them. Neither are in the 1901 census, but then of course by the date of that census both their parents had died. I haven't been able to find anything more about Elizabeth Eleanor-she isn't in the 1901 census or in the marriage or death records so maybe she went abroad.
Her younger sister Mary or Minnie ended up in the workhouse-she is recorded in the 1901 census.
1901 England Census for Mary Sarge
Yorkshire York Walmgate District 12
Entry Number 151: 2, Wesley Place:
Charles HIGGINS, Head, Widower, 42, Mill Engine Driver, worker, born York, Yorkshire.
Charles HIGGINS, son, single, 14, Confectionary Packer, born Rufforth Yorkshire,
Sarah J. HIGGINS, daughter, 10, York, Yorkshire.
Robert H. HIGGINS, son, 8, York, Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, servant, 39, House Keeper, born Newcastle, County Durham
So Mary in 1901 is working as a house keeper in a house in Walmgate, York., 10 years later I think she was in the workhouse, tough I cant find her record in the 1911 Census.
4. Public Grave: Serial No. 78581 Grave No. 19578
Date of Death: 15/08/1914: Burial Date: 19/08/1914 Mary SARGE age 52 years: Spinster: Residence: Workhouse: Cause of death? Informant: John T Rymer: Heslington Road: Minister: E C Smith: Public Grave with 6 burials, No MI for this grave, no monument.
An email from the people at York cemetery said this: 4. We have also discovered a burial for Mary SARGE 19/08/1914 (Grave 19578) Co-ordinates J38. Our records indicate that she was the daughter of John SARGE (Grave 4199) and the niece of Robert SARGE (12457). Mary was a spinster, born in 1862 and died 15/08/1914 as a resident in the York Workhouse. Her death was recorded as ‘Heo???’ which we believe could indicate some kind of blood disorder. Mary is buried in a public grave and there is no memorial inscription recorded.
So that was the family of the eldest son of John & Mary SARGE.
So now some things about their daughter Fanny Thomas SARGE who was born 30 December 1830 & christened at York St Saviour's on 6 December 1830. Eleven years later she was living with the family in Pump Yard, off Micklegate, York with the family, John Sarge, her father recorded as a labourer. 10 years later she is working as a nursemaid withe Chapman family, so not far from home.
1851 England Census for Fanny Sarge
Yorkshire York St John Micklegate 3
6 Micklegate:
William Chapman, Head, Married, 32, Proprietor & Bank Shareholder, born Sunderland, Durham.
Harriet CHAPMAN, wife, Married, 22, Born York
Wm. Able, CHAPMAN, son, 2, Born York
Richard Edward Chapman, son, 1, born York
Fanny SARGE, Unmarried, 21, Nurse maid, born York.
The next event in her life was her marriage to a painter & decorator called Edwin Thomas Potter, her marriage is recorded as thus: No. 486: October 18th, 1855, Edwin POTTER, 23, Bachelor, Painter, living at Mount Ephraim, son of Richard POTTER, Farmer & Fanny SARGE, 23, Spinster, living at Mount Ephraim, daughter of John SARGE, Rope Makings were married in the Parish Church according to rites & Ceremonies of the Church of England by me Arthur H. Ashcroft, Vicar, witnessed by Christopher FIRTH & Elizabeth Kendall. Edwin Potter & Fanny Sarge signed the record.
The source for this information Source Information
Title
Marriage Record of Edward Thomas Potter & Fanny Thomas Sarge
Author, Marriages at St Mary Bishophill Junior Church, REFN
https://www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/
I went to the Borthwick Institute on a Saturday morning and looked in the marriage records for St Mary Bishophill Junior & found this entry & took a photograph of the entry. The marriage record is useful because it confirms the names of the bride and bridge groom's father-so Fanny shows it to be John SARGE, a Rope maker, and Richard POTTER a farmer.
Repository InformationName
The Borthwick Institute for Archives
Address
University Rd, Heslington, York YO10 5DD
borthwick-institute@york.ac.uk
Phone Number
01904 321166
REFN
https://www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/
In the September quarter of 1857 their daughter Fanny Thomas POTTER was born-note the second forename was Thomas, named after the maiden name of her mother.
The first census that she is recorded in is the 1861 Census:
1861 England Census for Fanny Potter
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior District 5
2, Blossom Street Crescent:-
Janet DUFF, Head, widow, 60, Fund Holder, born London.
Agnes Garforth, daughter, Married, 25, ? late of 7 Hussars, born Hampshire.
William Garforth, Son in law, Married, 31, born York, Yorkshire.
William Hy. Garforth, Grandson, unmarried, 5, born Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire.
Frank A. Garforth, grandson, unmarried, 1, born Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire.
Dorothea Garforth, grand-daughter, 2 months, born Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, servant, married, 28, House Keeper, born York, Yorkshire
Edwin POTTER, servant, married, 28, Painter, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, servant, unmarried, 3, born York, Yorkshire.
Hannah Palmer, servant, unmarried, 30, Lady’s maid, born Hampshire
Sarah Stockdale, servant, married, 29, House maid, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Susannah Saunderson, servant, unmarried, 15, House maid, born York, Yorkshire.
Margaret Auton, servant, unmarried, 24, Lady’s maid, born Gilling, Yorkshire
Ten years later, Fanny is 13 years of age and lives with her parents at 8 Blossom Street, which is close to Micklegate Bar:
Here is that census image:
1871 England Census for Fanny Potter
Yorkshire Holy Trinity Micklegate District 2
8 Blossom Street, Micklegate in the Parish of Holy Trinity:
Entry No. 122:
Edward POTTER, Head, Married, 37, Master Painter, employer of 7 men & 2 boys, born York, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, Wife, Married, 30, born York, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, daughter, unmarried, 13, Scholar, born York, Yorkshire.
R. John Charlton, Lodger, Bachelor, 35, born Bellingham, Northamptonshire.
So now her father who was recorded in that census as Edward, was an employer of 7 men & 2 boys so had a painting company.
Back in 2009, I took a photograph of the house in Blossom Street.
Number 8 has a grey door with a white surround-photograph taken in 2009.
Micklegate Bar in 2009.
The next sad piece of news for the Potter family was the death of their only daughter Fanny Thomas POTTER. In the burial records of York Cemetery I found that on the 2nd March 1874, Edwin Thomas POTTER purchased a grave number 18227 for 5 pounds sterling, with a digging fee of 15 shillings & a stone fee of 30 shillings making a grand total of 5 guineas for the grave of his daughter Fanny who had died on 1st March 1874. The gravestone was was given this inscription:
White Headstone: In Loving Memory of Fanny Thomas Potter/only daughter of/ Edwin and Fanny Potter/ who died March 1st 1874/ aged 16 years/ She sleeps in Jesus.
I went to the Cemetery on 20 April 2018 and along with a volunteer from the Cemetery was shown the gravestone which is no longer very white.
I was quite lucky to find this stone-it came about when I started to look for the burial place of Edwin Thomas Potter who like his wife Fanny died in Scarborough. I asked Scarborough bereavement services if they had a record of his burial in Scarborough but they replied they didn't. When I told them that their daughter Fanny Thomas died in 1874 the man in charge of the service at Scarborough told me that he lived in York and knew the person who was a volunteer with the York Cemetery and put me touch with them. This was his reply to me: Good Afternoon Mr Readman,
I live in York and have spoken to a friend who works at York Cemetery on Cemetery Road, York.
Wendy has carried out a search of records and has confirmed that the Fanny Thomas Potter is interred in a grave along with Fanny and Edwin in Grave number 18227 Section NG/H.
If you would like to contact the cemetery direct, their telephone number is 01904 610578 or you can email yorkcemeteryvolunteers@gmail.com
Kind Regards,
So I was able to find the grave of Fanny & her parents.Then in the year 1876, a man called Edwin Potter who lived in the ward of Holy Trinity, Micklegate was appointed as an overseer for the parish. A newspaper article states this:
York Herald - Saturday 08 April 1876
York Poor Law Union. — The usual weekly meeting of the Board of Guardians was held on Thursday, Mr. J. L. Foster in the chair. The following is the reported expenditure : — last week. last year No.. No. City District 529...£39l 13s. 6 City .District. .. 651..48 14s 6 Rural do 243... 35 13 0 Rural do 233. . 34 12 1 Inmates 433 — Inmates 454 — Vagrants 107 — 1 Vagrants 93— Appointments of Overseers. — The magistrates sitting at the York Guildhall, on Thursday, appointed the following overseers for the various parishes: Holy Trinity, Micklegate, Edwin Potter and Frederick John Day.
Certainly Edwin Thomas Potter lived in Holy Trinity Parish in that year so it may well have been him. By 1881, he and his wife were still living in York & in Blossom Street-his business was doing much better as he was employing more men as the Census of that year states
1881 England Census for Edwin T. Potter
Yorkshire York Holy Trinity Micklegate District 3
Holy Trinity, Micklegate, York, Entry number 12: 13, Blossom Street:
Edwin T. POTTER, Head, Married, 47, Painter employing 20 men, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fanny POTTER, wife, married, 42, born York, Yorkshire.
Elizabeth Johnson, servant, Unmarried, 21, Domestic Servant, born Pocklington, Yorkshire.
I have searched for the Edwin Thomas Potter in newspapers in vain, apart from that article about being an overseer of the York Holy Trinity parish. Certainly in the 1891 census, Edwin & his wife are staying in a lodging house, with Edwin's occupation down as being an artist, so whether they were on holiday there, it's difficult to know.
Edit
Residence
1891 • North Meols, Lancashire, England
25, Bath Street, North Meols, Lancashire as an artist. North Meols is in Southport, Lancashire, so I think both were there on a break. Certainly by 1901, both were living in Scarborough, Yorkshire.
57 Westboro', Scarborough:
Edwin Thomas POTTER, Head, married, 60, House Decorator, born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fanny T. POTTER, wife, married, 58 yrs, born York, Yorkshire.
Maggie Miley a servant.
So in that census entry is similar to the all the other ones as opposed to that entry in 1891, so I think that in 1891, they were living elsewhere than North Meols, probably in York still.
Going back to York Cemetery I found that Edwin Thomas POTTER died 27 January 1904-the record there reads: Number: 66109, 27/01/1904 POTTER, Edwin Thomas, aged 70.His inscription on that gravestone reads:
Edwin Thomas Potter/ (father of the above)/ who died January 27th 1904/ aged 70 years.
Then Fanny Thomas POTTER died in 1906, the inscription reading: also Fanny, (widow of the above)/ who died at Scarbro’ March 17th 1906/ aged 77 years.
POTTER, Edwin Thomas of Victoria-Villa, Scarborough, painter, died 27 January 1904, Probate, York 29 April to John Pattison GUY, solicitor, Arthur Pollard, architect & John Thomas CHAMBERS, hotel manager and Fanny Thomas POTTER, widow, Effects £2847 2s. 10d.
So Edwin Thomas left a will of over 2000 pounds to his wife Fanny Thomas Potter.
A newspaper article explains what happened to her and the estate:
POTTER, Fanny Thomas, of Victoria-Villa, Scarborough, widow, died 17 March 1906 at the Nursing Home, Lilford House, Esplanade-road, Scarborough, Probate York, 14 May to John Pattison Guy, solicitor & John Henry Shucksmith, Plumber, Effects £80 16s 8d.
So he had spent quite a lot of the money her husband left her. A notice in the London Gazette informs us about both of them:THE LONDON GAZETTE; JUNE 26, 1906.
EDWIN THOMAS POTTER, Deceased.
Pursuant to the Statute, 22nd and 23rd Viet., cap. 35.
NOTICE is hereby given, that all the creditors and persons having any claims or demands upon or against the estate of Edwin Thomas Potter, late of Victoria Villa, Scarborough, in the county of York,
Painter, deceased (who died on the 27th day of January, 1904, and whose will was proved by John Pattinson Guy, of the city of York, Solicitor, Arthur Pollard, of the same city, Architect, John Thomas Chambers, of the same city, Hotel Manager (now deceased), and Fanny Thomas Potter, of Victoria Villa, Scarborough, Widow (now deceased), the executors and executrix therein named, on the 29th day of April, 1904, in the York District Registry of His Majesty's High Court of Justice), are hereby required to send in particulars of their claims and demands to the undersigned, the Solicitor for the
surviving executor?, on or before the 1st day of August, 1906; and notice is hereby also given, that after that day the said executors will proceed to distribute the assets of the deceased among the parties entitled thereto, having regard only to the claims of which the said executors. shall then have had notice, and that they will not be liable for the assets, or any part thereof, so distributed, to any person of whose debt or claim they shall not then have had notice.—Dated 21st day of June, 1906.
So ended the life of Fanny Thomas SARGE, and her husband, Edwin Thomas POTTER.
John & Mary Thomas's next child was a son called Robert SARGE-the forename Robert was probably named after John Sarge's brother. We know Robert was born in the year 1833, but I couldn't find his christening. the date 1833 comes from the year of his death, 1899 aged 66, so born 1833.
By 1841, Robert is living with his family in Pump Yard
1841 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire Holy Trinity Micklegate District 3
PUMP YARD:
John SARGE, aged 50, Rope-maker, born in Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, aged 40, not born in Yorkshire.
John SARGE, aged 15, not born in Yorkshire.
Fanny SARGE, aged 10, born in Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, aged 8, born in Yorkshire.
Henry SARGE, aged 4, born in Yorkshire.
Then 10 years later in 1851, Robert would have been 18 years of age, so would have had some schooling; in the census of that year
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior
Entry 189: 4, Holgate Lane:
Mary JACKSON, Head, Widow, 50, Huckster, born Craike, County Durham.
Mary JACKSON, daughter, Unmarried, 28, dressmaker, born Craike, County Durham.
Robert SARGE, Lodger, unmarried, 18, Rail Clerk, born York, Yorkshire.
John & Mary Thomas's next child was a son called Robert SARGE-the forename Robert was probably named after John Sarge's brother. We know Robert was born in the year 1833, but I couldn't find his christening. the date 1833 comes from the year of his death, 1899 aged 66, so born 1833.
By 1841, Robert is living with his family in Pump Yard
1841 England Census for John Sarge
Yorkshire Holy Trinity Micklegate District 3
PUMP YARD:
John SARGE, aged 50, Rope-maker, born in Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, aged 40, not born in Yorkshire.
John SARGE, aged 15, not born in Yorkshire.
Fanny SARGE, aged 10, born in Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, aged 8, born in Yorkshire.
Henry SARGE, aged 4, born in Yorkshire.
Then 10 years later in 1851, Robert would have been 18 years of age, so would have had some schooling; in the census of that year
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior
Entry 189: 4, Holgate Lane:
Mary JACKSON, Head, Widow, 50, Huckster, born Craike, County Durham.
Mary JACKSON, daughter, Unmarried, 28, dressmaker, born Craike, County Durham.
Robert SARGE, Lodger, unmarried, 18, Rail Clerk, born York, Yorkshire.
Holgate lane goes off Blossom Street, now it's called Holgate Road, the A59.
On the map above dated 1852, from NLS Maps, you can see Holgate Lane & Blossom Street, and at the top right hand side is York Railway Station.
Between 1851 & 1861, Robert became involved with the Temperance Movement. This article in 1858, shows also what he did within a local church somewhere.
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 06 February 1858
" Youths' Temperance Demonstration:-The first of a series of juvenile temperance meetings for this year was held in the Lecture Hall, Goodramgate, on Monday evening last. The chair was occupied by Mr. Robert Sarge, and the assembly addressed by five young men, named B. Jefferson, S. Champley, L. B. Foster, J. C. Sigsworth, and J. W. Garlick. The speakers were all Sabbath school teachers, and they strongly urged the claims of the temperance movement upon the attention of their fellow labourers. It was stated that intoxicating drinks destroy annually 60,000 souls, and that £60,000,000 are annually wasted in their use. The attendance was very numerous, and at the close of the meeting several parties signed the pledge.
In the census of 1861, Robert is living with his parents, John Sarge & Mary Thomas in a street called Mount Ephraim, which is off Holgate Lane or in 1907 off Holgate Road.
Here are 2 maps of the site of Mount Ephraim from NLS Maps.
So you can see that Mount Ephraim is a street of terraced houses, the centre one of three rows of terraces. So again where Robert was living was close to his place of work; sharing the home with his parents as the census states:
1861 England Census for Robert Sarge
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior District 5
Entry Number 369: 29 Mount Ephraim:
John SARGE, Head, Married, 79, Watchman, (7.6), born Hull, Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, Wife, Married, 68, Born Eastringdon, Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, son, Unmarried, 28, Accountant, born York, Yorkshire.
On the 31st January 1863, Robert Sarge married Eliza NOBLE at St Thomas Church, Lowther Street, York. The marriage was announced in the local newspapers.
York Herald - Saturday 07 February 1863
Marriages: SARGE-NOBLE. On Saturday, Jan. 31st, at St. Thomas' church, York, by the Rev. J. E. Sampson, Mr. Robert Sarge, North -Eastern Railway, to Miss Eliza Noble, Union-terrace, all of this city.
This is a photograph of St Thomas's Church, Lowther Street, which I found on this website: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ARY/YorkStOlave/PhotoFrames/LayerthorpeStThomas
In the 1861 Census, the Noble Family are living in Union Terrace, York.
So I went in search of this street, and found that nowadays Union Terrrace forms a car park.
So you can see that Union Terrace car park is on the left of the picture, the blue twisty line on the right is the River Foss. The thin red line, forming a part rectangle represents the outside wall of York City. The street on the right of the car park is named Clarence Street-if you follow this street towards the top of the map you will see it passes the entrance to Lowther Street.
So those pictures gave me a clue as to where Union Terrace was in the 1860's.
Yorkshire York St Mary Bishophill Junior District 5
Entry Number 369: 29 Mount Ephraim:
John SARGE, Head, Married, 79, Watchman, (7.6), born Hull, Yorkshire.
Mary SARGE, Wife, Married, 68, Born Eastringdon, Yorkshire.
Robert SARGE, son, Unmarried, 28, Accountant, born York, Yorkshire.
On the 31st January 1863, Robert Sarge married Eliza NOBLE at St Thomas Church, Lowther Street, York. The marriage was announced in the local newspapers.
York Herald - Saturday 07 February 1863
Marriages: SARGE-NOBLE. On Saturday, Jan. 31st, at St. Thomas' church, York, by the Rev. J. E. Sampson, Mr. Robert Sarge, North -Eastern Railway, to Miss Eliza Noble, Union-terrace, all of this city.
Two other newspapers copied this report:
Marriage of Robert SARGE to Eliza NOBLE in Yorkshire Newspapers.
York Herald - Saturday 07 February 1863
Marriages: SARGE-NOBLE. On Saturday, Jan. 31st, at St. Thomas' church, York, by the Rev. J. E. Sampson, Mr. Robert Sarge, North -Eastern Railway, to Miss Eliza Noble, Union-terrace, all of this city.
Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 07 February 1863
Marriages:-
Sarge—Noble.—On the 31st ult., at St. Thomas's church, by the Rev. J. E. Sampson, Mr. Robert Sarge, of the North Eastern Railway, to Miss Eliza Noble, Union-terrace, both of this city.
Leeds Mercury: Marriages:-
SARGE-NOBLE: January 31st, at the church of St. Thomas York, by The Rev.J.H. Sampson, Mr. Robert SARGE, North-Eastern railway, to Miss Eliza Noble, of Union terrace, York.
This is a photograph of St Thomas's Church, Lowther Street, which I found on this website: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ARY/YorkStOlave/PhotoFrames/LayerthorpeStThomas
The map below shows Lowther Street
Here it is again in more detail:
The newspaper reports certainly state that Robert SARGE worked for the North Eastern Railway a company that had bought the York & North Midland Railway. The reports don't add much about his bride Eliza NOBLE. I don't have the marriage record either, but can say from Ancestry, that she was the daughter of George NOBLE and his wife Elizabeth NOBLE nee MERCER.
In the 1861 Census, the Noble Family are living in Union Terrace, York.
So I went in search of this street, and found that nowadays Union Terrrace forms a car park.
So you can see that Union Terrace car park is on the left of the picture, the blue twisty line on the right is the River Foss. The thin red line, forming a part rectangle represents the outside wall of York City. The street on the right of the car park is named Clarence Street-if you follow this street towards the top of the map you will see it passes the entrance to Lowther Street.
So those pictures gave me a clue as to where Union Terrace was in the 1860's.
So you can see Union Terrace next to Clarence Street, with Lowther Street nearby and the site of a church too named as the letters Ch.
Examples of photos of Union Terrace can be found here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Union+Terrace+york+in+photos&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=AWzRS5JoMS5yYM%253A%252CYy_LCXc2DMnS2M%252C_&usg=__jYaQ-dTyb7Qz3sla7dk6DwaWAtA%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijq7fygfLbAhXLIsAKHeWSDzAQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=RuvJNBQvQcjbOM:
1861 England Census for Eliza Noble
Yorkshire St Giles District 6
Entry Number 34: 97, Union Terrace:
George NOBLE, Head, Married, Widower, 55, Joiner & Builder, born York, Yorkshire.
Mary Ann NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 32, Housekeeper, born York, Yorkshire.
Elizabeth NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 24, Teacher, born York, Yorkshire.
Emma NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 22, Governess, born York, Yorkshire.
Eliza NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 20, Music Teacher, born York, Yorkshire.
John NOBLE, son, Unmarried, 16, Joiner’s Apprentice, born York, Yorkshire.
Judith Martha LIGHT, Boarder, Widow, 48, Shareholder, born York, Yorkshire.
So it looks like all the family members must have had some education paid for by their father's business. All the daughters were in the teaching profession weren't they and their brother John was working with his father who was a widower in 1861.
Elizabeth Noble, George's wife & the children's mother died in 1857-I found this newspaper article about her death after looking on Free BMD searching for deaths of Elizabeth NOBLE between 1855 & 1861-this search brought this result
Deaths Mar 1855 (>99%)
Noble Elizabeth York 9d 30
Deaths Jun 1857 (>99%)
Noble Elizabeth York 9d 3
Noble Elizabeth York 9d 12
York Herald - Saturday 04 July 1857
Deaths:-NOBLE— On Sunday after a short illness, aged 49, Elizabeth, the wife of Mr. George Noble, of Union Terrace, in the suburbs of this city. Again the home address confirms the identity of Elizabeth NOBLE. So Elizabeth died on Sunday 28 June, 1857.
In fact not after after the census of 1861 when George NOBLE was a widower, he met & married an Ann RICHARDSON. Here's that record of the marriage:
George Noble
mentioned in the record of George Noble and Ann Richardson
Name George Noble
Spouse's Name Ann Richardson
Event Date 03 Sep 1861
Event Place York, York, England
Citing this Record
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NX8H-G2Z : 10 February 2018), George Noble and Ann Richardson, 03 Sep 1861; citing York, York, England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,470,536.
George Noble,Gender Male, Age 55, Birth Date 1806, Marriage Date 1861,Marriage Place Saint Olave, York, York, England, Father George Noble, Spouse Ann Richardson.
Examples of photos of Union Terrace can be found here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Union+Terrace+york+in+photos&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=AWzRS5JoMS5yYM%253A%252CYy_LCXc2DMnS2M%252C_&usg=__jYaQ-dTyb7Qz3sla7dk6DwaWAtA%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijq7fygfLbAhXLIsAKHeWSDzAQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=RuvJNBQvQcjbOM:
1861 England Census for Eliza Noble
Yorkshire St Giles District 6
Entry Number 34: 97, Union Terrace:
George NOBLE, Head, Married, Widower, 55, Joiner & Builder, born York, Yorkshire.
Mary Ann NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 32, Housekeeper, born York, Yorkshire.
Elizabeth NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 24, Teacher, born York, Yorkshire.
Emma NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 22, Governess, born York, Yorkshire.
Eliza NOBLE, daughter, Unmarried, 20, Music Teacher, born York, Yorkshire.
John NOBLE, son, Unmarried, 16, Joiner’s Apprentice, born York, Yorkshire.
Judith Martha LIGHT, Boarder, Widow, 48, Shareholder, born York, Yorkshire.
So it looks like all the family members must have had some education paid for by their father's business. All the daughters were in the teaching profession weren't they and their brother John was working with his father who was a widower in 1861.
Elizabeth Noble, George's wife & the children's mother died in 1857-I found this newspaper article about her death after looking on Free BMD searching for deaths of Elizabeth NOBLE between 1855 & 1861-this search brought this result
Deaths Mar 1855 (>99%)
Noble Elizabeth York 9d 30
Deaths Jun 1857 (>99%)
Noble Elizabeth York 9d 3
Noble Elizabeth York 9d 12
York Herald - Saturday 04 July 1857
Deaths:-NOBLE— On Sunday after a short illness, aged 49, Elizabeth, the wife of Mr. George Noble, of Union Terrace, in the suburbs of this city. Again the home address confirms the identity of Elizabeth NOBLE. So Elizabeth died on Sunday 28 June, 1857.
In fact not after after the census of 1861 when George NOBLE was a widower, he met & married an Ann RICHARDSON. Here's that record of the marriage:
George Noble
mentioned in the record of George Noble and Ann Richardson
Name George Noble
Spouse's Name Ann Richardson
Event Date 03 Sep 1861
Event Place York, York, England
Citing this Record
"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NX8H-G2Z : 10 February 2018), George Noble and Ann Richardson, 03 Sep 1861; citing York, York, England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,470,536.
George Noble,Gender Male, Age 55, Birth Date 1806, Marriage Date 1861,Marriage Place Saint Olave, York, York, England, Father George Noble, Spouse Ann Richardson.
