Hi folks,

In the downtime & heat I have been tightening up some of my large tree.

I found that I have a Margaret Ward who was baptised 1July 1788 at St John Parish Church at Dronfield. Her father was Robert Ward. The abode given was "The Oxclose"

Dore,Holmesfield & Totley were in Derbyshire at that time and Dronfield was their Parish Church.

My question is:.....Would Oxclose be a house or a place name.

She later marries Elias Nichols of Bradfield at Ecclesfield. Elias is also my brick wall going back.
I just can't seem to link him in with any of the large number of Nichols in Bradfield.
He has a son called Elias Eyre Nichols in 1822. Not to confuse us.

It doesn't hurt to have another pair of eyes look things over. I know there is another Nichols researcher out there. I believe she lived at Crookes.

Any help or suggestion I will look into.

Thanks

Elaine.

Added note. Elias was born 1785 or close.Baptised at Bradfield no mother or fathers name in the registers. He and Margaret married in Ecclesfield. Bradfield was a Chapelry of Ecclesfield.
He was a spring knife cutler. On the 1841 & 51 census they were living in Syke Hamlet of Dungworth.

Elaine,
Historically an Oxclose was a specific type of enclosed pasture to retain cattle (oxen). It was a fundamental feature of mediaeval and post-mediaeval farming around Britain. Today there is an Oxclose Lane in Nottingham and on it a now closed pub called The Oxclose.
Dave

Thanks Dave, I will add it to what little info I have about the Wards.

Elaine.

Unless very long-lived this is not your 1788 Robert Ward, but if you trace a later namesake, you could get a sense of the location.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph Thursday Apr 10 1856
ANDREW GREGORY, 21, cutler, was charged with having, on the 29th Mach, stolen 23 fowls, the property of Robert Wards, of Oxclose, Dronfield … The prisoner resides in St. John’s road, in the Park, …

Sheffield Independent Tuesday Aug 10 1869
… On Saturday night, Mr. Robert Ward, farmer, of Oxclose, near Dronfield, having gained a concertina prize at Mountibank lottery … [story is about injuries following a “practical joke”)

There are other items in the 1860s & 70s. The last one is Sheffield Independent June 16 1885
OXCLOSE FARM, NEAR DRONFIELD … furniture to be sold … on the Premises of Mr. Robert Ward …

Some items refer to “Ox-close”

Good to see the forum back in business.

Morning folks,

Good to be able to contact you knowledgeable folks again.

Thanks Terry, I think you are on the right track there. We just need one of those old maps to pin point it.

Regarding the Nichols family of Bradfield & Stannington.

Last night I found a very old message sent to me from Malcolm at Bradfield Archives back when we were transcribing St Nicholas parish registers.

It was a thesis by Julia Hatfield.(2002)
Called.... Community & Change in a Pennine Community.
Township of Stannington c.1660-1900.

She has a fairly detailed outline of the folks around at that time. Its very interesting but as far as the "Nichols" are concerned difficult to follow but it does show Elias Nichols. She suggests his father was a John which was my research as well. Elias & Margarets first born son was a John that is what I was basing it on. Linking John to Nichols going back is still very difficult. Margaret's father was the Robert I mentioned before so that ruled him out as being John her sons namesake. Lots of Edwards going back.

Julia also quoted them as being in Directories (Table Knife Cutlers) in 1787.??? She quotes a Juliana Nichols as being baptised at Ecclesfield in 1379. Phew..... LOL. But Bradfield starts 1559.

Apparently there is a Will for Elias but I have no idea how to obtain it. He died 1857. Probate 1858.

Well thats it. Hope you dont mind reading about my research just thought it might help others to see what was available.

Elaine in a hot & muggy Ottawa.

Wills from 1858 to 1996 are available online from the probate office. Wills before 1858 were dealt with by the church. You need to know which jurisdiction area was used eg anterbury.
This one is definitely not showing up on the Probate Office website.
Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your input.

*Probate* 14 March 1858.

Name: Age at Death (in years):
NICHOLS, ELIAS 72
GRO Reference: 1857 D Quarter in WORTLEY AND PENISTONE Volume 09C Page 118

Soooooo if I understand you Dave it must have been deposited with the church if he died Dec 20th 1857.He was buried at Christ Church Stannington.

Why woud Litchfield ring a bell as far as Wills are concerned.????? One would maybe expect York??

More searching to do on that.

Elaine.

Try the Borthwick Institute, or whatever has replaced it

Will do Dave. Thanks Elaine.

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/ has a reference to the will among those for 1858. Mentions places, occupations ans 2 sons.

Well found Terry. The reason I did not find it is because I said he died in 1857. To find the record you have to say he died in 1858.
Elaine, you can buy the Will from the probate registry. It is a slightly complicated process, and remember that as of a few months ago the price for a Will was increased from £3 to £16 !!
Dave

Thanks to DaveT & Terry for your help it is much appreciated.

I have gone back to "the Community & Change in a Pennine Community Township of Stannington.
C 1660-1900
By Julia Hatfield.

If any of you are interested in reading this very useful work. Very helpful if you have Bradfield & Stannington rellies way back.

This is the URL.

https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/14721/1/251256.pdf

The Nichols start on page 242.

I still have not linked Elias to my line of Nichols and its slowly evolving into a one name study. LOL. NOT a major line so I will not be spending 16 pounds for the will. Thanks Dave for reminding me.Three pounds I would have.

I did write to the Borthwick. Automated reply that they will get back to me in 10 days.

Thanks again.

Elaine.

Two more questions or observations.

1.A cutlers freedom mentioned often. I am presuming that means when he had completed his apprenticeship?
Amazed to read that for men it could be until he was 24 and for women 21. Starting as early as eight years.

2. What is a spotted knife?? Yes I Googled. LOL

Elaine.

No. Completing his apprenticeship did not gain a cutler’s freedom. It gave him the right to buy his freedom if he chose so to do at the Cutlers Hall. This purchased him his own trade mark and enabled him to produce knives with that mark upon them. Many completed their apprenticeship and continued to work for their master, therefore not gaining their “freedom”.
Some did that then purchased their freedom a few years later. Some never purchased it but carried on being a cutler without his own trade mark.
My own g g g grandfather completed his apprenticeship at age 21 ( that was the age at which most finished their apprenticeship.). He carried on working for his master (his grandfather) to hid death, and then he ran the business in his grandmothers name till she died. He then inherited the business and he “purchased his freedom” at the age of 42 by re registering his grandfather’s trade mark to himself.

A spotted knife was an early spring knife, ie late 18th century. I forget who invented it but it it had spots on the haft. I could look it up. It was superseded by the much cheaper Barlow knife which was mass produced in huge numbers for most of the 19 th century by Samuel Barlow followed by his Brother- in -Law Henry Mills, and also by my ggg grandfather.
Dave

Thanks for the helpful information.The Nichols of Stannington made some of those spotted knives I had never heard of them.

Elaine.

Elaine. I thought this might interest you, found on Google.
“ in the 18th century ‘spotted knives’ were made using cattle horn on the haft. The horn was pressed into scales then the scales were ‘spotted’ using hot irons to burn on a pattern to simulate the much more expensive tortoiseshell”
Dave

H Dave,

That fits right into the way I was thinking about it. I have a number of scale pressers all in the cutlery trade. Didn't think they meant fish scales. LOL

Just a note to say that apparently the Elias Nichols will was proved at Wakefield and there it will stay. I am Yorkshire through & through. LOL.

Elaine.