Benjamin Sheppard

Benjamin was the son of John and Mary Ann Sheppard (née Ward). His father was born in Sibsey, Lincolnshire, in about 1861 and his mother Mary Ann also in Lincolnshire in about 1867. They were married in 1886 (reg. Peterborough) and had at least seven children: William b. 1887, Florence Lily b. 1888 and Herbert b. 1890, who were born in Glinton, Peterborough, and the four youngest who were born in Quadring, Lincolnshire, Agnes b. 1892, Elizabeth b. 1892, George b. 1894 and Benjamin birth registered 1899 (J/F/M) who was baptised in the parish church on 30 March 1899. In 1891, John, an agricultural labourer, his wife and their three children, William, Florence and Herbert, were living at the Farm House, Pellett Hall, Glinton near Peterborough. John's wife Mary Ann died in 1899 (reg. J/F/M Spalding) shortly after the birth of her youngest child Benjamin. By 1901 John, a farm waggoner, was living on Melton Road, Asfordby, Leicestershire, with six of his children: Florence, Herbert, Agnes, Elizabeth, George and Benjamin. Also in the home was Ellen (née Vickers), described as his wife, their son Joseph (b. Asfordby, 1901) who died later that year, and Ellen's two daughters, Maud Alice (b. 1896) and Ethel (b. 1900), by her marriage to Walter Arch (1895, reg. Caistor Lincs). Ellen and Walter had an older daughter, Florence Annie (aka Florence Mary b. 1895 bap. Market Rasen September 1895) who was living with her widowed maternal grandmother, Sarah Arch in Lincoln in 1901 and in Lincoln with an uncle and aunt, Benjamin and Sarah Hare, in 1911. There is no record of John and Ellen's marriage who had a further six children before 1911 (reg. Sheppard, mother's maiden name Vickers): Sidney b. 1902, Phyllis b. 1904, John Henry b. 1905, Walter birth registered 1907 (J/F/M) and Harold b. 1908 who were born in Stoke Bardolph Nottinghamshire, and Horace b. Colston Bassett 1910. They may have had four other children after 1911 (reg. Bingham, surname Sheppard mother's maiden name Vickers). In 1911, John, who was still employed as a farm waggoner, and Ellen were living in Colston Bassett. In the home on the night of the census, were Maud Arch, Benjamin and his six half-siblings Sidney, Phyllis, John, Walter, Harold and Horace. Two of Benjamin's sisters, Florence and Agnes, were in domestic service, Florence in Stamford and Agnes in West Bridgford, Nottingham. Benjamin's address on the 1918 Military Personnel Electoral Roll was Green’s Barn Cropwell Road. His father probably died in 1931. Ellen probably died in 1932; there were two potential registrations of death, Ellen Sheppard b. abt 1875 d. 1932 (OND Bingham) and Ellen Arch b. abt. 1875 d. 1932 OND Bingham). There is a Probate record for an Ellen Arch of Main Road, Cotgrave, administration awarded to Florence Annie Walster (née Arch m. 1920 Nottingham) wife of James Walster.