Wakefield, R

Gender: Male

Percy Grainger visited Mr R. Wakefield in Winchcombe Workhouse on 5 April 1908 when he sang The Constant Farmer’s Son.

Robert Wakefield was born in 1839 in Calmesden near North Cerney. He was the son of James Wakefield, a shepherd who had been born in 1791 in North Cerney, the son of William and Esther Wakefield. In 1841 James and his wife, Mary, who was born in Chedworth, were living in Coates with two other sons, Henry born about 1833 and Charles born about 1836 and four daughters, Harriett born about 1826, Mary Ann born about 1829, Elizabeth born about 1831 and Emma born about 1838. James’ parents were also living with them but William died in 1847. In 1851 Robert was living at home in North Cerney and his parents had another daughter, Ellen, born about 1846.
By 1861 he had left home and was working as a shepherd and lodging with a shepherd, Henry Gleed, in Coalpits, Rumstone (near Chepstow). His parents were still living in North Cerney where his father was working as a shepherd. All their children had left home but they had taken in two lodgers who were agricultural labourers.

James Wakefield, Robert’s father, died in 1869. Robert Wakefield married Harriet Brunsdon in Chedworth on 29 July 1866 and by 1871 they were living in Newport Cottage, Chedworth, where Robert was working as an agricultural labourer, with Harriet’s son William Brunsdon, born about 1864 before she was married, and their three children, Charles born about 1867, James, born about 1868 and Henry, born about 1871. Robert and Harriet had four more daughters before 1881, Mary Elizabeth (also known as Emily Elizabeth) born 1873, Sarah Ann born about 1876, Eunice born about 1878 and Alice born 1880.About 1880 Robert and Harriet moved to North Cerney where Robert continued working as a shepherd. At the time of the 1881 Census Harriet’s son, William, was not in the house and his sons Charles and James were working as agricultural labourers. Before 1891 they had again moved to Colcutt Peak Farm, Coln St Dennis where Robert and his son, Henry, were working as agricultural labourers as was Harriet’s son, William, who was again in the household and was given the surname Wakefield. The only other child still at home in 1891 was Alice. Robert’s wife, Harriet, died in 1899 and by 1901 Robert had moved in with his daughter, Alice, and her family in Guiting Power. He was stated to be a farm labourer at that time although at the time of his daughter, Sarah Ann’s, wedding in 1903 his occupation was given as a shepherd. He was admitted to Winchcombe Workhouse on 13 April 1905 where he remained until 25 July 1905 but was discharged from there on 25 July 1906. He was back in the workhouse by July 1907 where he remained until 3 February 1911 when he left the workhouse to move in with his daughter, Sarah Ann, and her family in Withington. Robert Wakefield died in 1918 in the Northleach registration district.

Robert’s children

Robert Wakefield’s son, Charles Wakefield, married Esther Comley in late 1888 in the Witney registration district in Oxfordshire which included the village of Clanfield where Esther was born. They then settled in Alvescot, Clanfield, where in 1891 Charles was working as a shepherd and in 1891 they had one daughter, Eunice, born in 1889. In 1901 Charles was working as a shepherd in Clanfield and at that time they had five children under the age of ten all born in Clanfield, Alice S. born about 1891, Ernest George born 1893, Oliver Charles born about 1894, Frederick born about 1899 and Esther Irene born about 1900. In 1911 the family were living in Black Bourton, Clanfield where Charles was working as a shepherd. They had three more children, William born in Clanfield about 1903 and Mary born in Bourton, Oxfordshire about 1905 and Charles born on Bourton, Oxfordshire about 1910. Charles and Esther had had nine children of whom seven were still alive. Their son, George, was unmarried and working as an agricultural labourer and their son, Oliver, was unmarried and working as a poulterer. By 1911 Charles’ daughter Alice was working as a servant in Coxwell Street, Faringdon, Berkshire for the family of Frank Lane, an ironmonger. Charles’ daughter, Esther Irene, married Sydney H. Keen in the Witney registration district in 1927 and died there in 1981. Charles’ son, Oliver Charles Wakefield joined the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as a Private in World War I and was killed on 25 September 1915. He was buried in the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, Pas-de-Calais and is commemorated on the memorial in St Stephen Churchyard in Clanfield.

Robert’s son, James Wakefield, acted as a witness at his brother, Henry’s, wedding in 1891.He married Elizabeth Matilda Webb in 1892 in the Cirencester registration district. By 1901 they were living next door to the school in Chedworth with four children, Maud A. M. born about 1894, Ivy H. F. born about 1896, Harold E. H. born about 1899 and Gladys Edith born about 1901. All the children were born in Chedworth. James was working as a navvy at that time. By 1911 James was a butcher, living in Cheap Street, Chedworth, and he and his wife had two more children living with them, Maud born about 1903 and Edgar born about 1906 both born in Chedworth. James and Elizabeth had had 7 children of whom 6 were still alive and 1 had died. James Wakefield died in 1950 in the Cirencester registration district. The KeithIles Family Tree on Ancestry.com has the following information on James’ children: Maud Annie M. Wakefield married Frederick Chandler in Cheltenham in 1936 and died in 1950.Ivy H. F. Wakefield died in 1931. Harold Edward H Wakefield married Ada Blanch Cooper and died in 1979. Edgar Robert Wakefield married Florence M Butcher in Cheltenham in 1928 and died in 1988 in Cheltenham.

Robert’s son, Henry (Harry) Wakefield, married Fanny Elizabeth Hyde from Northleach, daughter of John Hyde, a labourer, at Northleach on 30 May 1891. At the time he was working as a farm servant. By 1901 they were living at Hill Cottages, Eastington, where Henry was working as a shepherd and had three children, George W. born 1894 about, Sarah Ellen born 1891 and Daniel Job Reginald born 1900.By 1911 they had moved to Upper Harford, Aston Blank where Henry was working as a shepherd and had three more children, Harry born about 1903 in Down Ampney, Charles born about 1908 in Sudeley, Winchcombe and James born about 1910 in Upper Harford. Henry’s son, George, was working as an under carter on a farm and Henry’s sons Reggy, Charles and James were all at school. Also living with them was John William Ballinger a single shepherd aged 30 and G. A. Cyril May a schoolboy aged 13 born in Finsbury, London.

Robert’s daughter, Sarah Ann Wakefield, married Arthur Samuel Slade, a woodman from Withington, on 24 October 1903 in Withington. At the time she was living in Leckhampton, Cheltenham. Sarah Ann’s stepbrother, William Brunsdon, was one of the witnesses at the wedding. In 1911 they were living in Harnham, Withington where Arthur Samuel was working as a woodman and general labourer. They had no children but Sarah Ann’s father, Robert Wakefield, was living with them as was a niece, Lydia Slade, daughter of Sarah Ann’s sister, Eunice, born in Cleeve near Cheltenham. Sarah Ann Slade died on 19 December 1953 when probate was granted to her sister, Lydia Eunice Holman.

Robert Wakefield’s daughter, Eunice Wakefield, was visiting her brother, Charles in Clanfield, Oxfordshire at the time of the 1891 census. In 1911she was still .single and housekeeper to two older labourer brothers, George and Richard Cowley, in Clanfield, Oxfordshire. The KeithIles Family Tree on Ancestry.com has the following information on Eunice: Eunice married Charles William Slade on 21 September 1895. She then married Frederick Iles in the Winchcombe registration district about 1908 and in 1911 was living in White Hall Cottages, Andoversford. She remarried in 1924 to James Nicholls in the Northleach registration district. Witnesses at this wedding were Alice Wakefield’s daughter, Flo Haines, and her daughter, Lydia E Slade. Her children were Gladys Irene Slade born 1896 and died 1919,William Robert Slade born 1905, Albert Edward Slade born 1902, Charles James Slade born 1897, Lydia Eunice Slade born 1899 and died 1955, Florence Annie Iles born 1909 and died 1942, Ada May Iles born 1911, Winifred Audrey Elizabeth Iles born 1914 and died 1984, Frederick Arthur Iles born 1908 and died in Cheltenham in 1972 and Leslie Frank Iles born 1916 and died 1965.Eunice’s daughter Gladys Irene Slade was a general servant maid at Theale House, Marsh Drive, Streatham Park, Surrey, in 1911.She married James William Walker in 1916 in the Tewkesbury registration district and died in 1919 in Worcester. Lydia Eunice Slade married Ernest Victor Holman in 1929 and died in 1955 in St Paul’s Hospital, Cheltenham when living at 22 Tennyson Road, Cheltenham. Florence Annie Iles married Frederick William Slade in 1927 and died in 18 November 1942 in the General Hospital, Cheltenham and was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery. Florence had six children including Michael William Slade, a farmworker of Yanworth, who was born in 1929 and died in 1985. Winifred Audrey Elizabeth Iles married William Gardiner in 1936 in Withington and died in 1984 in York. Frederick Arthur Iles married Ida M. Dicks in 1936 in Cheltenham. Leslie Frank Iles married Gertrud Wilhelmine and died in Gloucester in 1965 when living at Stowe Cottage, Ebley.

Robert’s daughter, Alice Wakefield, married George Haines, who was born in Denchworth, Berkshire, in 1894 and by 1901 they were living in Cartlett Wood, Guiting Power where George was working as a shepherd. They then had three children, Sarah E. born about 1897, Florence born about 1899 and Alice M. born about 1901. All the children were born in Lower Guiting. Alice’s father, Robert and sister, Sarah, were also living with them. By 1911 they had moved to Kineton Hill neat Temple Guiting where George was working as a shepherd. They then had four more children all born in Temple Guiting, Frank born about 1902, Harold born about 1904, Annie born about 1908 and Edith born about 1910. They had had nine children of whom seven were still living. Alice Haines died in 1925 in the Northleach registration district.

Notes by Carol Davies May 2015