Herewith, web-access to my family history, primarily concerning the direct line to myself, Peter Aspey, to whom family designations such as "Great Grandfather" relate unless explicitly stated otherwise. My purpose in posting it publically here is of course to make access to interested parties easier, and hopefully by serendipity to get some useful feedback.
As is evident from the relative sizes of the texts, the accent is on my great grandfather Thomas. The reasons for this are practical and fairly obvious. He is the first direct ancestor about whom I knew nothing until quite recently. Although I hardly knew my grandparents, they are near enough in time to be a 'known quantity'. I didn't even know the name of my great grandfather until I found myself clearing up paperwork after the death of my parents. Amongst these papers was the marriage certificate of my grandparents, in which the father of my grandfather was named as Thomas, occupation "Professor of Music". This latter detail has been fascinating for me as I have some musical talent myself. Apart from all this, it is of course difficult to go further back in time (before official civil registration started in 1837) and in any case I do not regard it as a priority to go ever further back in time. For the time being at least, the more I can find out about Thomas and his immediate family and environment, the better.
Fairly confident great great great great grandparents. If Thomas who married Elizabeth Jenkins in 1810 is a grandfather of Thomas (2), then these are his parents. See Thomas (1)
Grandfather of Thomas (2). The name is certain because the parents, Joseph and Hannah, of Thomas (2) are definitely identified and Joseph's father is known from the marriage of Joseph and Hannah and also because father Thomas was living with son Joseph as per the census of 1861, as well as in the 1871 census. Place of birth in 1861 is stated as Bransford in Worcestershire; in 1871, Leigh Sinton is stated - but this is the next village down the road, so a plausible difference.
There is a reference in the IGI to Thomas Aspey c. Ashperton (Herefordshire) 23.01.1782. Currently, I consider the probablity low that this is indeed the father of Joseph, because the location, whilst in Herefordshire, does not match the above census information and the date shows a descrepancy with the age of Thomas in 1861 (which was 76).
However, a very likely looking marriage for Thomas is recorded in Mathon, Herefordshire which is in the same area as the birth place of Thomas and of his son Joseph (just over the border from Worcestershire). The date is 16.04.1810 and the bride is Elizabeth Jenkins. Parents of Thomas are William Aspey, born abt. 1745, and Jane Ashall, born abt. 1750. Elizabeth Jenkins was born 08.05.1785 of parents Edward Jenkins and Betty Jauncy.
The parents of Thomas (2). Years of birth estimated as 1815 (probably the christening recorded 20.03.1814 in St Marys, Hanley Castle, Worcs.) for Joseph and 1820 for Hannah. Occupation of Joseph: carpenter.
Hannah died, not long after bearing her children, in 1856 at the tender age of 36 - Joseph was thus already a widower in 1861. Hannah was the daughter of William Booton, 'Carrier'.
Joseph re-married in 1863 (5 May) with Eliza, herself widow of Joseph Harris Twiss, whom she married in 1842 and who died in Q4 1858 in King's Norton.
Great grandfather Thomas: butler, organist, 'professor of music' and, evidently, traveller! Thomas was born 20.12.1840 in the village of Norton (about 6 Km [3.73 miles] north of Bromyard, Herefordshire); married Eliza Metcalf 29.12.1874 in Burton Coggles, Lincolnshire; died 27.06.1887 Starkholmes, Matlock, Derbyshire at the (too) young age of 46 (cause "Phthisis" - consumption or TB).
The birth certificate of son Theo (14.09.1877) (my grandfather) shows an address of 2 Woodland Terrace, Matlock Bath (by Matlock Bath school, now number 21 in Derby Road). The 1881 census has Thomas living in Matlock Bridge. A second son of Thomas and Eliza, christened Thomas Alfred, was born 25.12.1884 but died 11 months later; place of birth is shown as Matlock Bath.
Occupation of Thomas Aspey is noted, both in the 1881 census and on the marriage certificate of Theo and Frances, as “Professor of Music”. On his death certificate and on the birth certificate of Thomas Alfred, “Teacher of Music” is shown. No further record found, however (have enquired at the Faculty of Music, Oxford University and at the Royal Academy of Music).
The marriage certificate of Thomas & Eliza shows Thomas’s occupation as Organist. They married in Burton Coggles (about 8 miles SSE of Grantham), the then current residence of Eliza. The residence of Thomas at this time is shown as King’s Heath, Worcestershire (now a suburb of Birmingham). Incidentally, they were married by the Rector of Llanfechell, which is in NW Anglesey!
Eliza was indeed resident in Burton Coggles per the 1871 census and was working as Lady’s Maid at the Rectory there, the Rector being William T Sandys. Thomas was at that time in the service of John Sandys as Butler at Graythwaite Hall by Lake Windermere. This family connection of the respective employers was presumably instrumental in how Thomas and Eliza met. Thomas was certainly moving around. But it’s remarkable that his occupation at this point has nothing to do with music. How did he change course? Was he already trained as a musician but without work? In 1861, Thomas was at the Rectory in Tedstone de la Mere, near Bromyard. Possibly, it was there that he learnt to play the organ. (Also at the Rectory was Maria Aspey – now confirmed to be a sister of Thomas.)
per May 2009: The Royal College of Organists confirms registration of Thomas 11.06.1874 as organist at All Saints Church, Kings Heath and living in Edgbaston Road. Per 05.10.1876 he is still in that appointment, though probably no longer at the Edgbason Rd address. Furthermore, the Derby Mercury of 08.01.1879 [kindly provided by Ann Andrews] cites Thomas as organist of Matlock Bath church. So we have confirmation of Thomas's church organist appointments. Also, we can deduce that his move to Matlock Bath must have been between Oct. 1876 and Sept. 1877. The Derby Mercury of March 1881 mentions Thomas's involvement with a choir, recently established by him, in Bonsall.
Thomas Aspey was buried at St Giles Church, 30.6.1887 (see Burial Records for St Giles at Derbyshire Record Office in Matlock). Residence at time of death was Starkholmes (cause of death ‘Phthisis’ – i.e. Pulmonary TB, consumption or something like). So residence seems to have been Matlock Bath, Matlock Bridge, Matlock Bath, Starkholmes.
Eliza
Eliza Metcalf was born in Southam, 04.08.1848 of parents Edward Metcalf and Ann Clarke. In the census of 31.03.1851 the family is resident at Appendix St., Southam, Warwickshire, with family members Edward, 34, father, occupation Market Gardener; Ann, 43, wife; sons Edward G. 8 and Alfred 5; and daughters Eliza 2 and Frances E. 1 month. The two daughters were born in Southam, both sons in Leamington.
Eliza married Thomas Aspey, as already stated, in 1874 when resident as Lady's Maid in Burton Coggles, Lincolnshire. Following Thomas's death in 1887, Eliza evidently took up residence in Holme Road, Matlock Bath. In 1891, she and son Theodore are living at Clarence House. Her name is given there as "Elizabeth" and occupation "Bath Woman" - sounds vaguely oriental-erotic, but in Victorian England, unlikely! In fact, Clarence House had been an "Hydropathic Establishment" (Hydro), though possibly not of the allure of Smedley's in Matlock and possibly by now in decline. In Kelly's directory 1895, she appears as "Aspey Eliza (Mrs.), apartments, Holme Road", so evidently had an independent business by then. Moreover, in Bulmer's "History, Topography and Directory of Derbyshire" for 1895, we see "Aspey, Mrs. Eliza, hydropathist and apartments, 2 Clarence Terrace". Whether "hydropathist" signifies a recognised profession or whether it's an up-market name for "bath woman", I don't know.
In the 1901 census, she is (still) at 2 Clarence Terrace (aged 52, and Theo still with her, aged 23) with occupation "Boarding House Propietor". The foregoing sources reveal an unchanged situation in 1908. She died 18.02.1916 in Derby, 121 Palmerston Street, aged 67.
It's strange that there seems to be no photo of Eliza or other direct reference to my knowledge. She died some 12 years after the marriage of Theo with Frances Sprinthall and so will have known the Sprinthalls at least since then. There are photos of Theo (with the Sprinthalls) from around that time but Eliza seems to be excluded.
Born Matlock Bath 29.12.1884 in Matlock Bath, buried 03.12.1885, second son of Thomas.
Sister of Thomas, born 05.09.1843 at Upper Sapey, Herefordshire, another 5 Km [3 miles] further up the road from Norton (where Thomas was born) on the B4203 NNE out of Bromyard. In the 1861 census, when resident, aged 17, at the Rectory of Tedstone de la Mere, she was evidently calling herself Maria, presumably to distinguish herself from her mother (also Hannah Maria) - they weren't very imaginative with names in those days!
Hannah Maria married William Pritchard, "Agricultural Labourer", 20.04.1865. He was then 27, she 22. The marriage is recorded in Kempsey, Worcestershire (this lies on the same road as Upton-upon-Severn and Hanley Castle, but a little further north and nearer to Worcester). Father of William is Edward Pritchard. William was born in Upper Sapey - the same as Hannah Maria. In 1871, they had two sons, Thomas (3) and William (1). They were living in St Peter, Worcs. - this is presumably what is now the south-eastern suburb of the city of Worcester, by the River Severn and the confluence of the Teme.
Sister of Thomas, born 22.07.1846 at Thornbury, Herefordshire, about 6 Km [3 miles] NW of Bromyard. In the 1861 census, she is resident, aged 15, with her father Joseph (aged 35, according to the census) and grandfather Thomas (76) in Eastnor, near Ledbury, Herefordshire.
In 1871, she is resident, aged 26, as housemaid in Edgbaston, Birmingham (Park Road) with the Hawkins family, Timber Merchant. Another servant there came from London - possibly this was an influence in Eliza herself going to London. She was living there at the time of her marriage on 20 July 1874. This is the same year as brother Thomas married and he was a witness at the wedding. The groom was James Caffrey, wood carver, (son of a Doctor of Medicine) and the address given for both of them is 225 Euston Road.
In 1881, they are still living in London at 16 Harper Street, with two sons aged 5 and 2. In 1891 they are in Fulham, 32 Rosebury Road with the two sons, and in 1901 they are in Lambeth at 10 Ashmole Place (sons now gone). Nice to know she outlived her brother into the twentieth century; unfortunately though, she died in the next year, first quarter 1902 (Lambeth).
Speculate a sister of Joseph. In any case, a Mary Aspey was witness at the marriage of Joseph and Hannah, so is certainly related.