Arthur Ewin

Arthur was the son of Henry and Harriett Ewin (née Burgoyne).

Henry Ewin, a coachman, the son of Frederick Ewin, married Harriett, the daughter of Samuel Burgoyne, at Derby St Peter on 5 December 1865. Both were 'full age' and living on Hill Street, Derby. They had at least two sons: Henry Frederick who was born in Kilburn, Derbyshire, in 1866 and baptised at Horsley, Derby, on 4 March 1866, and Arthur, who was born in Marylebone, London. There is a birth registration for an Arthur Ewin in 1871 (JAS), reg. Marylebone, mother's maiden name Burgoyne, although Arthur's Army record gives his date of birth as 3 August 1872.

Henry and Harriett have not yet been traced on the 1871 Census, but there is a record of a Henry Frederick Ewin (38) b. Ashdown Essex, widowed, and working as a cabman, and his son Henry Frederick (16) b. Kilburn, Derbyshire, who were boarders at Gilmore Road, Lewisham. Henry Frederick Ewin (69), a coachman, appears on the 1911 Census at Lewisham Union Workhouse and as an inmate of the Ladywell Institution, Lewisham, in 1921.

By 1881, Harriett and her son Arthur (9) were living at 16 St Thomas Row, Tibshelf, Derbyshire, in the household of William Shakespeare (also Shakespear, age 34 b. Leicester), a coal miner. Both Harriet and Arthur were using the surname Shakespeare.

William Shakespear (sic) had married Eliza Marson or Marston (b. 1845 Coleorton Leics.) in 1867 (JAS Leicester). They had three children: Jane birth reg. 1868 (JFM), Fanny b. 1869 (JAS) and Samuel birth reg. 1872 (JFM); all the births were registered in Ashby de la Zouch, Leciestershire. In 1871 William, Eliza and their two daughters were living in Thringstone, Leciestershire; Samuel was born the following year. Eliza died in 1874 (JAS Mansfield), aged 28.

At the time of the 1881 Census when William (34) and Harriet (36) were living at 16 St Thomas Row, Tibshelf, only two of William's children by his first marriage, Fanny (11) and Sarah (9), were living with him together with his three children by Harriett whose births were registered as Shakespeare (mother's maiden name Burgoyne): Ethel b. 1876 JFM [first names reg. Edith Ewin], Adelaide Harriet b. 1877 OND and Joseph b. 1879 OND. Another son, William, was born later that year (1881 AMJ) and then two daughters, Eliza b. 1883 (AMJ) bap. Tibshelf 11 April 1883 and Mary Ann b. 1885 (JAS).

William Shakespeare (36) and Harriett Ewin (39) were married at Tibshelf parish church on 10 March 1884; the status of both was given as widowed.

William and Harriett were still living at 16 St Thomas Row in 1891. In the home on the night of the census were William's son Samuel (19) a coal miner, William's stepson, Arthur Ewin (18), whose occupation was given as 'Private, Army', and Adelaide (13), Joseph (11), William (9), Eliza (8) and Mary Ann (5).

According to a newspaper report of the death of Harriett's son, Arthur, in a local paper in 1915, his mother [not named] was living on King Street, Creswell. The same report referred to Arthur's relationship to two members of the Shakespeare family, 'J and W Shakespeare', also of Creswell, who were probably his half-brothers Joseph (b. 1879) and William (b. 1881).

William and Harriett were recorded on the 1921 Census living in the Model Village, Creswell. Harriett died in December 1925; the probate record gave her address as The Bungalow, Elmton Road, Creswell. She was buried in St Peter's churchyard, Elmton, Bolsover. Her husband William died aged 84 in 1932 (reg. JAS Worksop).

Arthur (Ewin) married Helen Tomlinson at Tibshelf St John the Baptist on 18 January 1898. Their first child, Grace Ida, was born in Valetta, Malta, on 26 November 1898 where Arthur was serving with the 45th Foot, and baptised at the Garrison Church on 16 December the same year. Their other children were born in Newark: Arthur Andrew Hilton b. 1903 (OND) bap. Tibshelf parish church October 1903; Bertram Henry Llewellyn b. 19o5 bap. Newark Christ Church 24 December 1905; Hugh Lionel Frederick birth reg. 1907 (JFM poss. b. Dec 1906) bap. Tibshelf March 1908; Spencer (alternative John) Joseph M [McGuire] birth reg. 1908 (JFM), George Albert Edward b. 1910 (OND), Gwendoline Helen M. b. 1912 (JAS) and Harold EB b. 1914 (JAS).

Arthur was serving in South Africa in 1901 and at the time of the census his wife and daughter Grace were living with her parents, Andrew and Sarah Tomlinson, and her seven siblings, on High Street, Tibshelf. However, when their sons Bertram and Hugh were baptised at Newark Christ Church in 1905 and March 1908 respectively, the family was living in Army Barracks on Hawton Road, Newark.

By 1911 Arthur, described on the census as 'Army lieutenant and Quartermaster', and Helen were living at 78 Albert Street, Newark, with their six children, Grace (12), Arthur (7) and Bertram (5) who were school age, and Hugh (4), John (3) and George (6m). Gwendoline was born the following year and Harold in 1914.

A newspaper report of Arthur's death in August 1915 gave his widow's address as 55 Watson Road, Worksop. However, when Harriett applied for her late husband's war medals the Army record gives her address as Montague House, Syerston, near Newark, and at the time of the 1921 Census she was living at this address with three of her children, Grace (22), Gwendoline (9) and Harold (6). Arthur (17) and George (10) were pupil/boarders at the Lincoln School, Wragby Road, Lincoln; Bertram (16) and Hugh (14) were pupil/boarders at Christ's Hospital School, West Horsham, Sussex, and John Joseph (13) was an 'inmate' at Magnus Grammar School, Newark.

Helen was still at Montague House in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, although all her children had now left home. She died in 1955 aged 77 and was buried in All Saints churchyard, Syerston.

Of Arthur and Helen's children:

Grace Ida married Thomas Porter (b, 1900) in Syerston parish church in June 1927. They may have had a son John (b. 1930). In 1939 Grace and Thomas, a chartered coil engineer, Borough surveyor and a member of the ARP & Auxiliary Fire Service (Sutton in Coldfield) were living on Tudor Hill, Sutton in Coldfield; the record of one member of the household remains closed. They later moved to Burton Lazars, Leicestershire; Thomas died in 1975 and Grace in 1984 (probate records, residence Burton Lazars).

Arthur Andrew Hilton served in the Royal Tank Corps: 2/Lt (30 Aug 1923), Lieut (30 Aug 1925) Role Inst. (Class C) R Tank Sch India. He married in 1939 Elizabeth Sefferin Thurgood (née Sinclair, m. Herbert CC Thurgood 1924 reg. Ireland). Elizabeth died in 1976 (reg. JFM York) and Arthur in 1979 (reg. York); the probate record gave a York address.

Bertram Henry Llewellyn married Doris Mary Harvey in 1930. In 1939 they were living in Beeston, Nottingham; Bertram was an assistant manager (tobacco factory) and was also an officer in the Territorial Reserve. He died in 1970; the probate record gave an address in Halam, Southwell, Notts. His widow Doris probably died in 2000 (reg. Newark).

Hugh Lionel Frederick was living in Horsham, Sussex, at the time of the 1921 Census. He then appeared on an outbound passenge list, (Hugh Ewin age 21, b. abt 1906, commercial assistant) London-Hong Kong (SS Morea) departing UK 10 August 1928. Hugh, an accountant of Hong Kong, was on passage from Hong Kong arriving London 30 December 1932 (SS Aeneas), UK address Montague House, Syerston. He departed London for Hong Kong on 27 April 1933 (SS Mantua). Hugh married Elsie Irene Ascroft in 1949 (reg. JFM Lancashire) and they probably had a son, Michael, in 1950. Hugh was living in Caterham, Surrey, at the time of his death in May 1959. His widow Elsie died in 2011 (reg. Guildford).

John/Spencer Joseph married Joan Saunders in 1936 (record 'Spencer JM Ewin'); they probably had a daughter, Beverley, in 1939 (reg. JAS Hendon Middx). They were living in Pinner, Middlesex, by 1939 (record of one member of the household remains closed); Spencer was a tobacco salesman. He died in 1978 (reg. Okehampton); his wife Joan had predeceased him (1977 reg. Okehampton).

George Albert Edward married Elsie Mary Coppock at Nottingham St Nicholas in 1934 and had two children, Paul (b. 1936) and Suzette (b. 1939). In 1939 they were living in Woodthorpe, Nottingham; George was a senior clerk (tobacco manufacturer). George appears on Royal Navy Lists for 1944 and 1945: 'George Albert Edward Ewin Temporary Acting Paymaster sny. 26 Jul 1944 and George Albert Edward Ewin temp. Sub. Lieut sny. 26 Jan 1945'. He and his wife later moved to Wales where Elsie died in 1988 (AMJ, Haverford West) and George also in 1988 (JAS, Haverford West); they were buried in the churchyard of St Colman, Llangoman, Pembrokeshire.

Gwendoline Helen M was recorded on the 1939 Register living at Watcombe Circus, Carrington, Nottingham; she was a pharmicist and sharing the house with another (female) pharmacist. Gwendoline married George Edward Ford Burr in 1940; George worked for a chemist manufacturer. They probably had two children, Christine (b. 1942) and William (b. 1945). Gwendoline died in 2004 (reg. Rushcliffe); her husband had predeceased her (1996).

Harold Eric B. was living at Franklyn Gardens, Nottingham, in 1939; he was a cigarette packing machine supervisor. He died in 1983 (reg. Newark).