Person:Amelia Spire (1)

Amelia Ann Spire was baptised on 16th November 1834 at Buckland in Gloucestershire, daughter of Elizabeth Spire, formerly Clark, and her husband William Spire, an agricultural labourer. Amelia was the eldest of seven children, although two of her younger sisters died as babies. The family lived in the hamlet of Laverton in the parish of Buckland.

Amelia’s father joined the Gloucestershire Constabulary in 1840, just a few months after the force was created, initially serving as a constable. For the next few years the family moved around Gloucestershire, following his postings. The 1841 census finds the family living at Long Marston. By 1843 they had moved to Fairford, and by 1845 they were living at Dursley.

In 1845, when Amelia was about eleven years old, her mother died at Dursley, aged 35, shortly after giving birth.

Amelia and her siblings returned to Laverton, living with their paternal grandparents there for a time. Their father continued serving in the police for a couple of years after his wife’s death, until he was discharged from the police on grounds of ill health in 1848, when he also returned to Laverton.

The 1851 census finds Amelia living with her father, siblings and grandparents in the parish of Buckland. The census does not specify where in Buckland they were, but it seems highly likely that they were at Laverton.

On 17th November 1859, aged 25, Amelia was married at Buckland to John Thomas Haines. He was about seven years her junior, being eighteen when they married. Amelia was working as a domestic servant when she married. John was described as a farrier at the time of their marriage, but would later become a veterinary surgeon.

Amelia’s father eventually became a Baptist minister, leading a congregation from his home in Laverton. He remarried in 1862, and so Amelia gained a stepmother as an adult.

Amelia and John had seven children between 1860 and 1879, although one died as a baby in 1871. The first six children were all born at Laverton, where the family also appear in the censuses in both 1861 and 1871.

Amelia’s father died in 1872 at Laverton.

Sometime between 1876 and 1879, Amelia and John left Laverton and moved a couple of miles north-east to the village of Broadway, just over the border into Worcestershire. Their youngest son was born there in 1879.

The 1881 and 1891 censuses each find Amelia, John and their children living on the High Street (called Main Street in 1881) in Broadway. Amelia’s eldest son married in 1885 and her first grandchild was born the following year.

John became involved in local politics, serving as a Conservative councillor on the parish council. In 1901 Amelia and John were living at Pye Corner, a little way south of Broadway. In 1911 they were living on Church Street in the village.

In late 1911 John was defrauded of over two thousand pounds by a man who claimed to be a millionaire. The man was brought to trial in January 1912 and sentenced to three years’ penal servitude.

Amelia died aged 77 of heart disease a couple of months later, on 7th March 1912 at Church Street in Broadway. John survived her by just over ten years.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Buckland Parish Registers, 1539-2000. (Gloucester: Gloucestershire Archives).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Buckland in the County of Gloucester in the Year 1834
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   258	Nov[ember] 16	Amelia Ann	William & Elizabeth	Spire	Laverton	Labourer	W. Phillipps, Curate

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 360; Book 33; Folio 4; Page 2, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Marston Sicca, Gloucestershire
   William Spire, male, 30 [1806-11], Police Constable, born in county
   Elizabeth Spire, female, 30 [1806-11], not born in county
   Elizabeth Spire, female, 25 [1811-16], born in county
   Amelia Spire, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   Jephunneh Spire, male, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   Julia Spire, female, 11 months [1840], born in county

   Marston Sicca was an alternative name for the parish of Long Marston. It was transferred from Gloucestershire to Warwickshire in 1931.

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1971; Folio 225; Page 16, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Buckland, Gloucestershire
   William Spire, head, married, male, 73 [1777/8], Fund Houlder, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Elizabeth Spire, wife, married, female, 73 [1777/8], Fund Houlder, b. Hampton, Worcestershire
   ~ second household in same house ~
   William Spire, head, widower, male, 40 [1810/11], Tea Dealer, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Amelia Ann Spire, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1834/5], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Jephunneh Spire, son, unmarried, male, 14 [1836/7], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Julia Clarke Spire, daughter, female, 10 [1840/1], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Jabez William Spire, son, male, 9 [1841/2], b. Marston Sicca, Gloucestershire
   James Sperry Albert Spire, son, male, 5 [1845/6], b. Dursley, Gloucestershire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1793; Folio 104; Page 11, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Laverton, Buckland, Gloucestershire
   John Thomas Haines, head, married, male, 20 [1840/1], Cowleech, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Amelia Ann Haines, wife, married, female, 26 [1834/5], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Hubert John Spire, son, male, 7m [1860], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   ~ next household ~
   William Spire, head, widower, male, 50 [1810/11], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Julia Clark Spire, daughter, unmarried, female, 20 [1840/1], Housekeeper, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Jabez William Spire, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1841/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Marston Sica, Gloucestershire
   James Albert Spire, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1845/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Dursley, Gloucestershire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 2658; Folio 43; Page 7, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Laverton, Buckland, Gloucestershire
   John Haines, head, married, male, 30 [1840/1], Veterinary Surgeon, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Amelia Haines, wife, married, female, 36 [1834/5], Veterinary Surgeon Wife, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Hubert Haines, son, male, 10 [1860/1], Veterinary Surgeon Son, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Eunicl Haines, daughter, female, 8 [1862/3], Veterinary Surgeon Daughter, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Alexander Haines, son, male, 1 [1869/70], b. Buckland, Gloucestershire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 2927; Folio 5; Page 1, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Main Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   John T. Haines, head, married, male, 39 [1841/2], Veterinary Surgeon, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Amelia Ann Haines, wife, married, female, 43 [1837/8], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Hubert J. Haines, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1860/1], Assistant Veterinary Surgeon, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Eunice J. Haines, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1862/3], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Dennis W. Haines, son, male, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Lewis J. Haines, son, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Conway R. Haines, son, male, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Frank Haines, son, male, 1 [1879/80], b. Broadway, Worcestershire

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 2337; Folio 86; Page 9, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   John T. Haines, head, married, male, 49 [1841/2], Veterinary Surgeon Registered, neither employer nor employed, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Amelia A. Haines, wife, married, female, 52 [1838/9], b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Lewis J. Haines, son, single, male, 17 [1873/4], Veterinary Surgeon Assistant, employed, b. Laverton, Gloucestershire
   Harold F. Haines, son, single, male, 11 [1879/80], b. Broadway, Worcestershire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 2790; Folio 122; Page 26, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Pye Corner, Broadway, Worcestershire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   John T. Haines, head, married, male, 60 [1840/1], Veterinary Surgeon, b. Buckland, Gloucestershire
   Amelia A. Haines, wife, married, female, 63 [1837/8], b. Buckland, Gloucestershire

9. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 17705; Schedule 20, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Church Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   5 rooms occupied
   John Thomas Haines, head, male, 69 [1841/2], married 51 years, 7 children born, 6 still living, Vety surgeon, b. Laverton in the County of Gloucester
   Amelia Ann Haines, wife, female, 74 [1836/7], married, b. Same Place
   Lewis John Haines, son, male, 38 [1872/3], single, Farm Labourer, b. Buckland County of Gloucester

10. ↑ Deaths register, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

    Registration District EVESHAM
    1912 DEATHS in the Sub-District of BROADWAY in the Counties of WORCESTER, &c.
    No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
    437	Seventh March 1912 Church Street, Broadway Evesham R.D.	Amelia Ann Haines	Female	76 years [1835/6]	Wife of John Thomas Haines (Veterinary Surgeon)	Valvular disease of Heart Acute Gastritis 4 days Heart Failure Certified by W.G. Alexander M.B.	John Tho[ma]s Haines Widower of deceased Broadway	Twenty seventh March 1912	Philip J. Bayliss Registrar