Person:Elizabeth Priestley (3)

Elizabeth Ann Priestley was born around the spring of 1853 and baptised on 13th November that year at Heckington in Lincolnshire, the daughter of Ann Priestley, who was in her early 20s. Elizabeth's father appears to have been a farmer named Edward Turner, who was a 41 year old widower, having lost his wife in 1850. He was charged in July 1854 with assaulting Elizabeth's mother when she tried to claim an allowance from him towards maintaining the baby. The case was settled out of court. Curiously, Elizabeth was Edward Turner's third daughter named Elizabeth - he had fathered another illegitimate daughter called Elizabeth Turner in 1833, before his marriage, and one of his daughters from his marriage was called Elizabeth too.

Elizabeth's mother went on to have another illegitimate child in 1857, a boy called Edward (a strange choice of name given that Ann had taken Edward Turner to court after Elizabeth's birth). However, young Edward was not born locally to the Heckington area but at Nottingham, some forty miles away, where Elizabeth's mother settled and lived the rest of her life.

Elizabeth does not appear to have moved to Heckington with her mother. Instead, she appears in the 1861 census living at Heckington with her grandparents.

By 1871 Elizabeth was working as a domestic servant at a farm in Temple Bruer, about twelve miles north-west of Heckington. One of the other servants at the farm at the time was a young man called Joseph Shearman. The following year, Elizabeth and Joseph were married.

Shortly after their marriage, Elizabeth and Joseph left Lincolnshire and moved over 60 miles north-west to Yorkshire, where they had two children in 1873 and 1875 at the hamlet of Haigh in the parish of Kexbrough, just north of Barnsley. By 1877 they had moved about four miles further north to Durkar in the parish of Crigglestone, just south of Wakefield. At Durkar, Elizabeth and Joseph went on to have a further nine children between 1877 and 1895. Back in Heckington, Elizabeth's father, Edward Turner, died in 1879, although whether she had any ongoing contact with him is not known.

Each census from 1881 to 1911 finds the family living at Durkar. Joseph worked as a farm labourer there, being described on one occasion as a teamster, indicating that he drove a team of animals (probably horses) pulling carts. Elizabeth's mother died in Nottingham in 1907.

In 1911 it was reported that ten of Elizabeth and Joseph's eleven children were still living.

Joseph died in 1915, aged 70. The following year, Elizabeth's son John was killed in action in the First World War in France, aged 30.

Elizabeth died in 1924, aged 70.

1.   Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Elizabeth Ann PRIESTLEY, June Quarter 1853, Sleaford Registration District, Volume 7a, page 392, mother's maiden name blank

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Heckington (Lincolnshire). Parish registers, 1559-1968. (Lincoln, England: Lincoln Archives Office, 1993).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Heckington in the County of Lincoln in the Year 1853
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   458	Nov[embe]r 13th	Elizabeth Ann Daughter of	Ann	Priestley	Heckington	Single woman	W. Grice, Off[iciatin]g Min[iste]r

3. ↑ 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 2345; Folio 62; Page 29, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: South Street, Heckington, Lincolnshire
   William Priestley, head, married, male, 71 [1789/90], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Asgarby, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth Priestley, wife, married, female, 65 [1795/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer] Wife, b. Ancaster, Lincolnshire
   Ann Priestley, granddaughter, female, 7 [1853/4], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Mary Priestley, granddaughter, female, 1 [1859/60], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire

4. ↑ 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 3349; Folio 8; Page 10, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Farm House, Temple Bruer, Lincolnshire
   John S. Godson, head, unmarried, male, 24 [1846/7], Farmer of 1100 A[cres] employing 10 Men & 10 boys, b. Sandal Grove, Yorkshire
   Ann Godson, sister, unmarried, female, 26 [1844/5], Housekeeper, b. Sandal Grove, Yorkshire
   William Burton, servant, unmarried, male, 28 [1842/3], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Retford, Yorkshire
   Joseph Shearman, servant, unmarried, male, 25 [1845/6], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Anwick, Lincolnshire
   George Oxby, servant, unmarried, male, 24 [1846/7], b. Wellingore, Lincolnshire
   John West, servant, unmarried, male, 18 [1852/3], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Osgodby, Lincolnshire
   John Hurst, servant, unmarried, male, 18 [1852/3], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Glentham, Lincolnshire
   Tom Holmes, servant, unmarried, male, 30 [1840/1], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Wellingore, Lincolnshire
   Henry Doughty, servant, unmarried, male, 14 [1856/7], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Leadenham, Lincolnshire
   Josiah Edwards, servant, male, 14 [1856/7], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Leadenham, Lincolnshire
   Thomas Hill, servant, married, male, 28 [1842/3], Farm Serv[ant] indoor, b. Witham, Lincolnshire
   George Hare, servant, married, male, 22 [1848/9], Groom, b. Wrawby, Lincolnshire
   George Lingard, servant, unmarried, male, 14 [1856/7], Page & domestic Serv[ant], b. Temple Bruer, Lincolnshire
   Ann Priestly, servant, unmarried, female, 17 [1853/4], Domestic Serv[ant], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth Coupland, servant, unarried, female, 24 [1846/7], Domestic Serv[ant], b. Ruskington, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth Snowden, servant, widow, female, 56 [1814/15], Housekeeper, b. Welbourn, Lincolnshire

5. ↑ 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 4571; Folio 61; Page 25, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Dirtcar, Crigglestone, Yorkshire
   Joseph Sherman, head, married, male, 37 [1843/4], Farm Labourer Ag[ricultural], b. Anwick, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth A. Sherman, wife, married, female, 27 [1853/4], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Alice Sherman, daughter, female, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Haigh, Yorkshire
   Elizabeth Sherman, daughter, female, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Haigh, Yorkshire
   Fred Sherman, son, male, 3 [1877/8], Scholar, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Clara Sherman, daughter, female, 3 [1877/8], Scholar, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Emiley Sherman, daughter, female, 1 [1879/80], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire

6. ↑ 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 3743; Folio 49; Page 20, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Dirtcar, Crigglestone, Yorkshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Joseph Shearman, head, married, male, 46 [1844/5], Farm Laborer, employed, b. Alnwick [sic], Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth A. Shearman, wife, married, female, 38 [1852/3], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Ada A. Shearman, daughter, single, female, 17 [1873/4], Worsted Spinner, employed, b. Haigh, Yorkshire
   Elizabeth Shearman, daughter, single, female, 15 [1875/6], Worsted Rover, employed, b. Haigh, Yorkshire
   Fred Shearman, son, single, male, 13 [1877/8], Driller, Wagon Works, employed, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Emily Shearman, daughter, single, female, 11 [1879/80], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Joseph Shearman, son, male, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   John Shearman, son, male, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Ada Shearman, daughter, female, 3 [1887/8], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   William Shearman, son, male, 11mo [1890], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire

7. ↑ 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 4277; Folio 50; Page 9, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Dirtcar, Crigglestone, Yorkshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Joseph Shearman, head, married, male, 56 [1844/5], Teamster on Farm, worker, b. Anwick, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth A. Shearman, wife, married, female, 48 [1852/3], b. Heckington Fenn [sic], Lincolnshire
   Clara Shearman, daughter, single, female, 23 [1877/8], Tumbler in Worsted Mill, worker, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Joseph Shearman, son, single, male, 19 [1881/2], Teamster on Farm, worker, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   John Shearman, son, single, male, 15 [1885/6], Colliery Trammer below ground, worker, b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Ada Shearman, daughter, single, female, 13 [1887/8], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   William Shearman, son, single, male, 10 [1890/1], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Sam Shearman, son, single, male, 8 [1892/3], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire
   Arthur Shearman, son, male, 5 [1895/6], b. Dirtcar, Yorkshire

8. ↑ 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 27365; Schedule 315, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Durkar, Crigglestone, Yorkshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Joseph Shearman, head, male, 66 [1844/5], married, farm labourer, worker, b. Ashby, Lincolnshire
   Elizibth [sic] Ann Shearman, wife, female, 57 [1853/4], married 38 years, 11 children born to marriage, 10 children still living, b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   John Shearman, son, male, 25 [1885/6], single, farm labourer, worker, b. Crigglestone, Yorkshire
   William Shearman, son, male, 20 [1890/1], single, bye worker in coal mine (underground), worker, b. Crigglestone, Yorkshire
   Sam Shearman, son, male, 18 [1892/3], single, farm labourer, worker, b. Crigglestone, Yorkshire

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

   d. Elizabeth Ann SHEARMAN, March Quarter 1924, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9b, page 1012, aged 70 [1853/4]

10.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 2, 7 Jul 1854.

    SLEAFORD TOWN-HALL, June 26, before the Revs. C.B. Otley and A.E. Welby.
    Ann Priestley, of Heckington, charged Edw. Turner, farmer, with assaulting her. It appeared that complainant had had a child by defendant, and went to his house for payment of the allowance towards its maintenance, when the assault complained of took place. Settled out of court.