Gothic cottage, White Lion Street

Vid

A few posts under my belt
In the 1871 census the enumerator listed peoples relationship to the head of the family..ie if they were a visitor they were listed as such. In case any names mean anything to the forum membership this is who was listed in Gothic cottage.
William Thompson age 60 Book Keeper born Upwell Norfolk
his wife Martha age 44 born Wisbech Cambridgeshire
their son Fredrick William age 21 Solicitors Clerk
their daughter Ann age 18
Pheobe Shargool a boarder age 17 born Stafford
Arthur Robins a boarder age 6 scholar born Richmond Surrey
Ernest Robins a boarder age 4 scholar born Birmingham Warwickshire
Dora Shelley servant age 21 born Bednall Staffordshire
John Deacon lodger age 38 Salesman born Manchester
his wife Emma Deacon age 33 born Derby.
 

Sir BoD

Well-Known Forumite
In the 1871 census the enumerator listed peoples relationship to the head of the family..ie if they were a visitor they were listed as such. In case any names mean anything to the forum membership this is who was listed in Gothic cottage.
William Thompson age 60 Book Keeper born Upwell Norfolk
his wife Martha age 44 born Wisbech Cambridgeshire
their son Fredrick William age 21 Solicitors Clerk
their daughter Ann age 18
Pheobe Shargool a boarder age 17 born Stafford
Arthur Robins a boarder age 6 scholar born Richmond Surrey
Ernest Robins a boarder age 4 scholar born Birmingham Warwickshire
Dora Shelley servant age 21 born Bednall Staffordshire
John Deacon lodger age 38 Salesman born Manchester
his wife Emma Deacon age 33 born Derby.
Yes, you're completely right. It's been while since I've done any ancestry research, although I have re-signed up to the Records Office only last week. I do remember in the past that not all returns I cam across had this much information - that solely depended on the person 's ability to fill the forms out and also the enumerator on the day of collection as to whether they asked any further questions on any missing information.

There was certainly a good mix of people from all over the country in the cottage back in 1871. I think it should be renamed Bohemian cottage in honour..
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
William Thompson born Upwell Norfolk
Martha born Wisbech Cambridgeshire
...
Arthur Robins born Richmond Surrey
Ernest Robins born Birmingham Warwickshire
Dora Shelley Bednall Staffordshire
John Deacon born Manchester
Emma Deacon born Derby.
Very few people who live in Stafford come from Stafford - it would appear it has ever been thus.
 

Vid

A few posts under my belt
It's just the opposite. 90% of people living in the Castle Church district in 1871 where born in Staffordshire. Gothic Cottage and the people in it are a puzzle. It was built on the site of the old Castle Church workhouse around 1840. A new Stafford workhouse was built in 1837 on Marston Road (Ernest Robins was an inmate in 1881) which was demolished around 1974. Maybe the Stafford Poor Law Union owned the cottage. I've found no link between the five surnames Thompson,Shargool,Robins,Shelley or Deacon.
 
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Sir BoD

Well-Known Forumite
It's just the opposite. 90% of people living in the Castle Church district in 1871 where born in Staffordshire. Gothic Cottage and the people in it are a puzzle. It was built on the site of the old Castle Church workhouse around 1840. A new Stafford workhouse was built in 1837 on Marston Road (Ernest Robins was an inmate in 1881) which was demolished around 1974. Maybe the Stafford Poor Law Union owned the cottage. I've found no link between the five surnames Thompson,Shargool,Robins,Shelley or Deacon.
I have been extremely intrigued by your Gothic conundrum, so have been doing a little bit of digging. However, information regarding the Gothic Cottage is very thin on the ground. I have noted on my travels that you have researching this on and off for some time now and you have had some, if only very limited, response back. There is a person who appears to be living (lived) in Australia that was researching the Shargool surname, and seems to have got some pretty decent detail together - I mention 'lived' as they posted some 15 years ago.

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GLOUCESTER/2002-05/1021091659
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ENG-SOMERSET/2002-03/1017039116
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/STAFFORDSHIRE/2001-11/1004739940

As you know with any genealogy research, a great deal can be assumption, but I did note that Edwin Shargool (presuming this is 'your' Ph(o)ebe Shargool's dad) married in Birmingham - It does say Hansworth [sic] but Handsworth was originally in Staffordshire pre 1911 but Ernest Robins was also born in Birmingham. A tenuous link I know, but sometimes you just have to grasp at anything to get you started.

The most interesting part (well for me) was this bit:' Edwin's address for many years was 23 Foregate Street, Stafford. By 1881 he
was a widower living at 14 Friars Terrace, Castle Church' as
Friars Terrace is just a stones' throw away from the Gothic Cottage.

I apologise that this doesn't give you an inkling as to why they were at the Gothic Cottage, but I hope it has stirred up your creative juices to get back on the ancestor hunting!!
 

Vid

A few posts under my belt
Thank you Sir BoD.
That's some extensive digging . My quest has been long and exhaustive, over twelve years now. You may uncover numerous posts on various sites and forums around the internet. E and snail mail scattered around the planet,including to the Aussie you mention above. I will go over the past research and see if something was missed. Staffordshire archives have been searched without success with regard to Gothic Cottage but they were very helpful in locating details for Ernest Robins later life in Stafford workhouse.A few years ago the then owner of Gothic Cottage allowed me to wander around and take photographs inside. It's great to see it's now being restored. As for my creative juices I've now turned to the black art of DNA to try and find the missing links. Thanks again for taking an interest,the hunt continues.
 

dr watson

Well-Known Forumite
Can I just clarify, @proactive is just a normal member like any other, so any claims he is making about sockpuppet accounts are just that - claims, based on his opinion, supposition and (presumably) hearsay. I felt I had to make this clear, as some people seem to just believe the accusations he is making without any kind of evidence.



Which I identified as soon as bandwagon registered, removed their posts, and contacted both parties to tell them to cease & desist. I also posted about it in the relevant thread, so that all readers were aware and would not be misled.

That is my job, not yours.



And therein lies the problem. By making public accusations and instigating witch hunts, you create an air of paranoia and a hostile environment for new members.

Stop it.



Thank you for trying to be the voice of reason, @bigbluewolf.

This isn't Twitter, people. Leave your millennial witch hunts at the door. If you suspect foul play, please let me know either by private conversation or by reporting posts.



Indeed. I am amazed that MAL put up with as much as he did; he didn't have to register here to provide information. He certainly didn't have to reply so verbosely to the many acerbic remarks posted in his direction.
Please note that no public accusation or instigation of a witch hunt has been made by me........ and paranoia is an inappropriate word.
 

PPPPPP

Well-Known Forumite
Admin: I am amazed that MAL put up with as much as he did; he didn't have to register here to provide information. He certainly didn't have to reply so verbosely to the many acerbic remarks posted in his direction.

Again, it was all self-inflicted. Why defend someone who was economical with the truth from the beginning?
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
It is interesting to note this...

co- incidentally and bearing in mind that according to admin they are not the same person (even though we all think they are)

that both @Coeus and @MAL both now have disabled accounts.
 

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
Actually @Admin didn't make a comment about whether MAL and Coeus were one and the same as they were waiting for replies to private messages.
 
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