My researches have taken me to eight counties to uncover nine generations back to the early 18th century. The first identified members of the Edmunds family lived in Northamptonshire but over the next couple of generations moved to Oxfordshire, then West Yorkshire. Richard Edmunds (1793-1872) moved to Banbury from Plumpton, Northamptonshire to marry Alice Page in 1818. Richard was from a comfortable farming background. His father, William Edmunds (1747-1837), described as ‘gentleman’ in his will, was joint lord of the manor and they lived at the Manor House in Plumpton. However, he was the youngest of nine children and he must have felt the need to move away to make his own fortune.

Richard established a business as an ironmonger, corn factor and seed merchant in Bridge Street, Banbury. The building is still standing and the present occupants, a firm of Estate Agents has restored the building’s exterior to match old photographs of the original business. He had been brought up as an active member of the Church of England. His father and grandfather had been churchwardens, his mother was the daughter of William Fletcher, a rector from a long and distinguished line of Northamptonshire clerics, and there were many church associations in his own background. Wesleyan Methodism was taking hold across the country although it was late in coming to Banbury . Richard Edmunds had been attending St.Mary’s Parish Church in Banbury but he was advised that the Methodist chapel might be a more suitable place for him to worship after he was heard exclaiming ‘Hallelujah!’ during the liturgy.

Richard and his family of nine living children went on to become stalwarts of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, with Richard himself rising to Capital Burgess of the old Town Council as well as being active in the anti-slavery movement, the Bible Society and British Schools. It was his third son, Henry Edmunds, born in 1823, who was to leave Banbury for a new life in Halifax as an ironmonger.
On the 26th July 1849 Henry Edmunds married Caroline Hatton at St.Paul’s Parish Church, Islington. We do not know how they met as Caroline’s family were originally from Lightcliffe and Halifax and Caroline had been living with her stepmother, Mary Hatton, in Newington Green, London. She was the daughter of Joseph Hatton, a china dealer, and had been born in Hamburg in 1823. Joseph’s first wife died in Hamburg and he remarried and had two further children. He returned to Halifax and all four children, William, Caroline, Mary and Phoebe Ann were baptised on the same day 13th July 1835, at St.James’ Church, Halifax. William, Caroline and Mary had been baptised first at St Petri- kirke, Hamburg.

Henry and Caroline Edmunds started their married life in Banbury. They appear on the 1851 census in Banbury but in 1852 they moved north and settled in Halifax, establishing an ironmongers shop at 2,Silver Street in the centre of the town. This is thought to be where a Building Society is now. Henry Edmunds jnr. was born on the 19th March 1853. Less than ten weeks later Caroline died and was buried in Lister Lane Cemetery.
Henry snr. upheld the strong family tradition of regular church attendance and by 1879 was listed as a preacher and class leader at the South Parade Methodist Church . It may have been through his work in the church that he met his second wife, Sarah Hannah Walker, whom he married on June 1st 1854 at the Stainland Wesleyan Chapel. She was one of ten children of Samuel and Mary Walker. The family lived at Stannary House, Stainland. Samuel was a woollen manufacturer and worsted spinner employing 65 men at Bankhouse Mill . Henry and Sarah moved several times as the business prospered, from Silver Street in the heart of the town to Skircoat and finally, by 1881, they were living in some style at 3, Park Villas, looking out on the People’s Park and Henry was now describing himself as a manufacturing iron merchant .

Lister Lane Cemetery in Halifax where Caroline Edmunds (nee Hatton) is buried

 

 

Edmunds

Pagden Wayman Hatton Pritchard Cooper Plumpton Gallery

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Catherine Pritchard East Barn, White Farm,Leckwith, Cardiff. UK. CF11 8AS.

Updated: 23/04/2007

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