Some insight into the history of Bernard Sealey & family
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:15 pm
This may be of interest to no-one but me ... but I have been doing some research online into Bernard Sealey, his family, and their involvement in tackle making via the ancestry.com website ... and have come up with the following ...
The first reference I can find to Bernard (who went on to have a son Robert) is in the 1871 census ... and gives a hint to the fame of Redditch as a needle making centre ...
From the 1871 Census :- Bernard as a schoolboy :-
Occupying 26, Britten Road, Redditch.
Head – George Sealey – aged 35 – Printer – born Webheath, Worcs.
Temperance – Wife – aged 33 – Needle Maker – born Bromsgrove.
George A. Sealey – son – aged 13 – Needle Maker – born Redditch.
Arthur E. Sealey – son – aged 10 – Scholar – born Redditch.
Emily M. Sealey – daughter – aged 8 – Scholar – born Redditch.
Bernard Sealey – son – aged 6 – Scholar – born Redditch.
George Sealey – son – aged 4 – Scholar – born Redditch.
Albert Sealey – son – aged 1 – no occupation – born Redditch.
His father, George, was apparently upwardly mobile not only in professional occupation, but also in 'home production' ... as the 1881 census shows ... The eldest sons, George and Arthur, have now set out on their own course ... and Bernard's parents now have 4 more children !!! ... and the eldest 3 children at home are now employed ... two of them, including Bernard, in making fish hooks.
From the 1881 Census :- Bernard as a teenager before he left his parent’s home :-
Occupying 29 Britten Street, Redditch.
Head – George Sealey – aged 44 – Paper Box and Card Maker – born Webheath, Worcs.
Temperance Sealey – Wife – aged 42 - “ - born Bromsgrove.
Emily Sealey – daughter – aged 18 – Needles – born Redditch.
Bernard Sealey – son – aged 16 – Fish Hooks – born Redditch.
George Sealey – son – aged 15 – Fish Hooks – born Redditch.
Albert Sealey – son – aged 12 – School – born Redditch.
Frank Sealey – son – aged 10 – School – born Redditch.
Arthur Sealey – son – aged 8 - School – born Redditch.
Edgar Sealey – son – aged 4 – School – born Redditch.
Florance Sealey – daughter – aged 7 months – no occupation – born Redditch.
By the next census Bernard has moved out on his own ... but not without sorrow. He is listed as having (aged 21) married Florence Chatterley (aged 23) on 2nd. June 1884 at St. Martin’s, Birmingham ... but is listed as a Widower, aged 25.
Happily, he remarried ... and wed Jane Louisa Ann Compston in Kendal, Cumbria, on 27th. August 1888.
The 1891 census shows the couple as occupying 81 Prospect Road, Redditch.
Head – Bernard Sealey – aged 26 – Fish Hook Manufacturer – working from home – worker.
Jane Sealey – Wife – aged 27 – no occupation stated.
Ethel Compston Sealey – daughter – aged 1 – no occupation stated. Born Kendal, Westmorland.
Marian Ceta Sealey – daughter – aged 6 months – no occupation given. Born Redditch.
Fish hook making obviously provided a decent wage ... as by the 1901 census they had two more children ... but tragically Bernard, named after his father, didn't survive.
Occupying No. 123 Ipsley Street, Redditch.
Head – Bernard Sealey – aged 36 – Fish Hook Maker – working from home – worker.
Jane Sealey – Wife – aged 37 – no occupation given.
Ethel Sealey – daughter – aged 11 – no occupation given.
Marie Sealey – daughter – aged 10 – no occupation given.
Ida Sealey – daughter – aged 6 – no occupation given.
Bernard Sealey – son – aged 4 – no occupation given. (Born late 1896 --- Died mid 1903).
Bernard made progress as a fish hook manufacturer ... because by the 1901 census he had moved onwards and upwards ... and we see the first mention of Robert Sealey ...
From the 1911 Census :-
Occupying No. 1 Grove Street, Redditch. 6 rooms.
Head of the Household was Bernard Sealey, aged 46 – a Fishing Tackle Manufacturer - Employer – working from Home - born in Redditch.
Jane Louisa Ann Sealey (nee Compston), his wife – aged 48 – no stated occupation – born in Kendal, Westmorland.
Marie Sealey, daughter – aged 20 – Fish Hook Maker – working from home – worker - born in Redditch.
Ida Sealey, daughter – aged 16 – Fish Hook Maker – working from home – worker - born in Redditch.
Robert Sealey, son – aged 8 – no occupation – born in Redditch.
Jesse Sealey, daughter – aged 4 – no occupation – born in Redditch.
Eldest daughter Ethel has moved out ... and presumably Marie and Ida were employed in the family business.
This was as far as I could get on the 'free' pages of Ancestry.com ... but there are no records of another Bernard Sealey in Redditch with a Robert as a son ... so I think I may be on the right track.
Oh ... and just as a sideline ... as Bernard's wife Jane was born in Kendal, Cumbria ...
Records show that her father, Robert Compston married Elizabeth Thompson in Kendal on 5th. May, 1847. (Aged 24 and 23).
The 1881 census shows that they lived at ...
Occupying 1 Yard, 146, Kirkland, Kendal, Westmoreland.
Head – Robert Compston – aged 58 – Joiner.
Elizabeth Compston – Wife – aged 57 – no occupation given.
Jane Louisa Ann Compston – daughter – aged 17 – no occupation given.
Florence Emily Compston – daughter – aged 14 – no occupation given.
Why is that interesting to me ???
I spent a year in 2000/2001 working in Kendal, only 600 yards from where she lived, and walked past the yard every day from where I parked the car to get to work !!! Talk about a small world !!!
The first reference I can find to Bernard (who went on to have a son Robert) is in the 1871 census ... and gives a hint to the fame of Redditch as a needle making centre ...
From the 1871 Census :- Bernard as a schoolboy :-
Occupying 26, Britten Road, Redditch.
Head – George Sealey – aged 35 – Printer – born Webheath, Worcs.
Temperance – Wife – aged 33 – Needle Maker – born Bromsgrove.
George A. Sealey – son – aged 13 – Needle Maker – born Redditch.
Arthur E. Sealey – son – aged 10 – Scholar – born Redditch.
Emily M. Sealey – daughter – aged 8 – Scholar – born Redditch.
Bernard Sealey – son – aged 6 – Scholar – born Redditch.
George Sealey – son – aged 4 – Scholar – born Redditch.
Albert Sealey – son – aged 1 – no occupation – born Redditch.
His father, George, was apparently upwardly mobile not only in professional occupation, but also in 'home production' ... as the 1881 census shows ... The eldest sons, George and Arthur, have now set out on their own course ... and Bernard's parents now have 4 more children !!! ... and the eldest 3 children at home are now employed ... two of them, including Bernard, in making fish hooks.
From the 1881 Census :- Bernard as a teenager before he left his parent’s home :-
Occupying 29 Britten Street, Redditch.
Head – George Sealey – aged 44 – Paper Box and Card Maker – born Webheath, Worcs.
Temperance Sealey – Wife – aged 42 - “ - born Bromsgrove.
Emily Sealey – daughter – aged 18 – Needles – born Redditch.
Bernard Sealey – son – aged 16 – Fish Hooks – born Redditch.
George Sealey – son – aged 15 – Fish Hooks – born Redditch.
Albert Sealey – son – aged 12 – School – born Redditch.
Frank Sealey – son – aged 10 – School – born Redditch.
Arthur Sealey – son – aged 8 - School – born Redditch.
Edgar Sealey – son – aged 4 – School – born Redditch.
Florance Sealey – daughter – aged 7 months – no occupation – born Redditch.
By the next census Bernard has moved out on his own ... but not without sorrow. He is listed as having (aged 21) married Florence Chatterley (aged 23) on 2nd. June 1884 at St. Martin’s, Birmingham ... but is listed as a Widower, aged 25.
Happily, he remarried ... and wed Jane Louisa Ann Compston in Kendal, Cumbria, on 27th. August 1888.
The 1891 census shows the couple as occupying 81 Prospect Road, Redditch.
Head – Bernard Sealey – aged 26 – Fish Hook Manufacturer – working from home – worker.
Jane Sealey – Wife – aged 27 – no occupation stated.
Ethel Compston Sealey – daughter – aged 1 – no occupation stated. Born Kendal, Westmorland.
Marian Ceta Sealey – daughter – aged 6 months – no occupation given. Born Redditch.
Fish hook making obviously provided a decent wage ... as by the 1901 census they had two more children ... but tragically Bernard, named after his father, didn't survive.
Occupying No. 123 Ipsley Street, Redditch.
Head – Bernard Sealey – aged 36 – Fish Hook Maker – working from home – worker.
Jane Sealey – Wife – aged 37 – no occupation given.
Ethel Sealey – daughter – aged 11 – no occupation given.
Marie Sealey – daughter – aged 10 – no occupation given.
Ida Sealey – daughter – aged 6 – no occupation given.
Bernard Sealey – son – aged 4 – no occupation given. (Born late 1896 --- Died mid 1903).
Bernard made progress as a fish hook manufacturer ... because by the 1901 census he had moved onwards and upwards ... and we see the first mention of Robert Sealey ...
From the 1911 Census :-
Occupying No. 1 Grove Street, Redditch. 6 rooms.
Head of the Household was Bernard Sealey, aged 46 – a Fishing Tackle Manufacturer - Employer – working from Home - born in Redditch.
Jane Louisa Ann Sealey (nee Compston), his wife – aged 48 – no stated occupation – born in Kendal, Westmorland.
Marie Sealey, daughter – aged 20 – Fish Hook Maker – working from home – worker - born in Redditch.
Ida Sealey, daughter – aged 16 – Fish Hook Maker – working from home – worker - born in Redditch.
Robert Sealey, son – aged 8 – no occupation – born in Redditch.
Jesse Sealey, daughter – aged 4 – no occupation – born in Redditch.
Eldest daughter Ethel has moved out ... and presumably Marie and Ida were employed in the family business.
This was as far as I could get on the 'free' pages of Ancestry.com ... but there are no records of another Bernard Sealey in Redditch with a Robert as a son ... so I think I may be on the right track.
Oh ... and just as a sideline ... as Bernard's wife Jane was born in Kendal, Cumbria ...
Records show that her father, Robert Compston married Elizabeth Thompson in Kendal on 5th. May, 1847. (Aged 24 and 23).
The 1881 census shows that they lived at ...
Occupying 1 Yard, 146, Kirkland, Kendal, Westmoreland.
Head – Robert Compston – aged 58 – Joiner.
Elizabeth Compston – Wife – aged 57 – no occupation given.
Jane Louisa Ann Compston – daughter – aged 17 – no occupation given.
Florence Emily Compston – daughter – aged 14 – no occupation given.
Why is that interesting to me ???
I spent a year in 2000/2001 working in Kendal, only 600 yards from where she lived, and walked past the yard every day from where I parked the car to get to work !!! Talk about a small world !!!