Revised 20 August 2022
I have previously written about the importance of turning oral family history and personal memories into written remembered stories. That is, documenting our own personal memories and stories as well as the ones told to us from earlier generations so that they are preserved for future generations. For obvious reasons, my personal memories are drawn from my adoptive family because it is the family in which I grew up. It was my mother who told me most of the family stories.
Mum was born Elsie Lydia Needham in Riddings in Derbyshire, England on 22 September 1921[1]. She died on 12 April 2011 in Taupo, New Zealand[2]. I regret not listening more intently to her stories, and asking more questions, when I was younger.
Daughter Disinherited
William Needham and Lydia Morris are my adoptive great grandparents. William was born in 1849[3] in Southorpe, Northamptonshire and baptised on 20 November 1849 in the Parish of Barnack in Northamptonshire)[4]. Lydia Morris was born in 1851[5] at Scalford in Leicestershire. It is likely that William and Lydia met in Melton Mowbray or thereabouts.
According to the story told to me, Lydia's parents, John and Mary Ann (Elson) Morris disapproved of Lydia's relationship with William. They considered William Needham an unsuitable suitor for their daughter. The Morris family were farmers and grazers in the Scalford area, near Melton Mowbray. They had owned land there for successive generations. William, on the other hand, was a stone mason, later bricklayer.
I was told that, John Morris was so disapproving of Lydia's relationship with William, he made it clear to Lydia that, if she chose to marry William, she would be disowned and her inheritance cut off. This is, indeed, what happened. William and Lydia married in Melton Mowbray in the second quarter of 1870. Lydia was 19 and William was 20[6].
I was also told that William was illiterate but, even so, could expertly read and follow house plans. Mum told me that Needham Close, a cul-de-sac in Melton Mowbray was named after William.
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Needham Close, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England.
©Jane Chapman 2000 |
Despite this oral family history story, William may not have been illiterate at all, not in his later years anyway. He appears to have signed the 1911 Census Return[6]:
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| William's signature onthe 1911 Census return via Ancestry.com |
William and Lydia had 8 children; one of whom was my Grandad, Henry Morris Needham. Both Lydia and William died in Melton Mowbray; Lydia in 1921 at the age of 70[7] and William in 1936 at the age of 87[8].
Pork Pie Connection
Another of Mum's stories was that, through her grandmother, Lydia Morris, she was related to the Morris family of Dickinson & Morris of Melton Mowbray. Dickinson & Morris owned Ye Olde Pork Pie Shop and The Sausage Shop in Nottingham Road in Melton Mowbray.
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Dickinson & Morris Ye Olde Pork Pie Shop, Nottingham Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. ©Jane Chapman 2000 |
According to
Our Story - Dickinson & Morris, Joseph Morris joined the Dickinsons in their business venture in 1866.
The Iconic Characters Behind Dickinson & Morris explains that Joseph would have been destined for the workhouse had John Dickinson not taken him under his wing as an apprentice during the 1880's and, after finding they worked well together, added Joseph's name to the business to form Dickinson & Morris. This doesn't seem to 'stack up' with the fact that Mum's grandmother, Lydia Morris was from quite a well-to-do family. It is hard to imagine that, under normal circumstances, a child from this family would be destined for the workhouse. Was there some sort of scandal? The family was not above disowning family members who do not conform to their expectations as occurred with Lydia Morris when she chose to marry Henry Needham. Just what the connection is, and whether there is a connection at all, is a mystery. Mum was adamant that there was a family connection.
Mum worked for the Morris family for a while. One of her first jobs after finishing her Secretarial course was with Dickinson & Morris organising the accounts and wages etc. I know that she was working there in
November 1940. That is when a lone bomber dropped a bomb in Scalford Brook in Melton Mowbray killing one man and causing damage to surrounding houses. Mum told me that she was at work at Dickinson & Morris' at the time and, on hearing to noise, they all rushed outside. She said that the bomber was returning from a blitz on Coventry and had a bomb to get rid of before returning home.
I remember as a child going to visit a Miss Morris, at her home, with Mum and Dad. My memory is a bit vague but I recall that Miss Morris had been Mum's employer in previous years. Mum always called her Miss Morris, both when talking to her and about her but, I have a vague memory that, her name was Jane Morris. She lived in a village somewhere near Melton Mowbray. Presumably, Miss Morris was a descendent of Joseph Morris, the co-founder of Dickinson & Morris?
Whose That Sitting In My Chair
I was only about 7 years old when Grandad (Henry Morris Needham) died in 1960[10] at the age of 72[11] but I remember him quite well. A key memory of him was the game we played when I sat in his chair. Grandad had a particular seat near the fireplace where he always sat. Whenever he wasn't in his seat, I would jump in the seat and on seeing me there he would say "who's that sitting in my chair" in a very gruff (but playful) voice which prompted me to jump off screaming with delight before he took back his chair. I also remember sitting on his knee in the chair and being fascinated by the missing thumb on his right hand. He lost this in an industrial accident (see below).
Henry Morris Needham (1888-1960)
[Photo from Author's personal collection]
A Job for Life
Grandad and Nana, Alice (Platts) Needham, lived at 40 Rosebery Avenue in Melton Mowbray. This picture of them standing in front of their house was probably taken not long before Grandad died:
Henry and Alice (Platts) Needham (Grandad and Nana)
probably about 1959/60 in front of their home:
40 Rosebery Avenue, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England
[Photo from Author's personal collection]
If you look carefully you will see that Grandad is holding a pipe in his left hand. He usually smoked his pipe with his right hand. You will see that his right hand is in his pocket. I suspect he preferred to hide his right hand away in photos. This is because Grandad had lost part of his right hand, including his thumb in a work accident.
Grandad worked at Holwell Iron Works at Asfordby Hill. Mum told me that, when he had the accident, he could no longer do the work he had been doing in the foundry. The company gave him a choice: A one-off sum of money as compensation; or a job for life in the office. He chose to take the job for life. He continued to work at Holwell Works until he retired.
Accidental Death
Mum had three brothers, Eddie, Billy and Morris. Billy died in an accident. According to Mum, he fell off a wall while playing. When Mum talked about it, I always had the impression that Billy was a younger brother and that she remembered the event first hand. However, research has shown that Billy (William Henry Needham) was older than Mum. He was born in 1920[12] and died in 1923[13] at the age of 3. Mum was about 19 months old in July 1923 when Billy's death was registered. It is likely, therefore, that she was recalling what she had been told rather than what she personally remembered.
One-Name Study
[A
one-name (or surname) study is a project researching all occurrences of a surname, as opposed to a particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or descendancy (descendants of one person or couple). Its aim is to research the genealogy and family history of all persons with a given surname and its linked variants].
Notes
[1] Personal knowledge of the Author. Also, date of birth is stated on her death certificate (copy held by Author). Birth registration - Needham, Elsie Lydia GRO Reference: 1921 December Quarter in Belper Volume 07B Page 1224. Mother's maiden name Platts. General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 16 April 2022:
| NEEDHAM, ELSIE LYDIA | PLATTS |
| GRO Reference: 1921 D Quarter in BELPER Volume 07B Page 1224 |
[2] Personal knowledge. Also, a copy of death certificate is held by the Author.
[3] Birth registration - Needham, William GRO Reference: 1849 December Quarter Stamford Union Volume 14 Page 576 Mother's maiden name Halliday via General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 3 May 2022:
| NEEDHAM, WILLIAM | HALLIDAY |
| GRO Reference: 1849 D Quarter in OF THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 576 |
[4] Northamptonshire Record Office; Northampton, England; Register Type:
Parish Registers; Reference Numbers: 26P/4 Image via Ancestry.com.
Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Accessed 1 June 2020.
[5] Birth registration - Morris, Lydia GRO Reference: 1851 March Quarter Melton Mowbray Volume 15 Page 223 Mother's maiden name Elson
via General Register Office.
England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 3 May 2022:
| MORRIS, LYDIA | ELSON |
GRO Reference: 1851 M Quarter in MELTON MOWBRAY Volume 15 Page 223
|
[6] Registration: 1870 Volume 7A page 448 – Images –
Lydia and
William via FindMyPast [Website]
[7] The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
Image via Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
[8] Death registration - Needham, Lydia GRO Reference: 1921 December Quarter Melton Mowbray Volume 07A Page 331 Age 70 via General Register Office.
England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 3 May 2022:
| NEEDHAM, LYDIA | 70 |
GRO Reference: 1921 D Quarter in MELTON MOWBRAY Volume 07A Page 331
|
[9] Death registration - Needham, William GRO Reference: 1936 December Quarter Melton Mowbray Volume 07 Page 351 Age 87
via General Register Office.
England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 3 May 2022:
| NEEDHAM, WILLIAM | 87 |
| GRO Reference: 1936 D Quarter in MELTON MOWBRAY Volume 07A Page 351 |
[10] Registered 2nd quarter 1960 at Leicester Volume: 3a Page: 536 - General Register Office.
England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office Image via Ancestry.com.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007. Accessed 1 June 2020.
[11] Grandad was born on 29 December 1887 in Melton Mowbray – The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: Rg 101/6049h Image via Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
[12] Billy's Birth registration - Needham, William Henry GRO Reference: 1920 June Quarter Belper Volume 07B Page 1497 Mother's maiden name Platts via General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 3 May 2022:
| NEEDHAM, WILLIAM HENRY | PLATTS |
| GRO Reference: 1920 J Quarter in BELPER Volume 07B Page 1497 |
[13] Billy's Death registration - Needham, William Henry GRO Reference: 1923 September Quarter Belper Volume 7B Page 562 Age 3 via General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes [Digital Index] London, England via General Register Office [Website]. Accessed 3 May 2022:
| NEEDHAM, WILLIAM HENRY | 3 |
| GRO Reference: 1923 S Quarter in BELPER Volume 07B Page 562 |
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