Person:Albert Spire (1)

Albert Edward Spire was born in 1883 at Bidford-on-Avon in Warwickshire, son of Ellen Spire, formerly Belcher, and her husband Jabez William Spire, who at the time of Albert's birth was working as a platelayer, but later became a gardener and labourer. Albert was the second of the couple's eight children and their eldest son. Some time between 1886 and 1888 the family left Bidford, moving initially to nearby Broom, then by 1890 settling five miles north of Bidford in the small town of Alcester. Albert appears in the 1891 census living with his parents and siblings at The Moors in Alcester. Shortly after that census they moved to the other side of the town centre, living in the Gas House Lane / Malt Mill Lane area.

The 1901 census finds Albert living at Gas House Lane with his parents and siblings and working as a platelayer on the railway, as his father had briefly done around the time of Albert's birth.

In 1908, when Albert was 25 years old, his father died aged 66. Less than two years later Albert's mother died aged 53. At the time of their mother's death Albert's youngest sibling was only fifteen years old. Albert appears to have taken charge of the family. In the 1911 census he had most of his siblings living with him and he was described as head of the household. They were living on Malt Mill Lane, possibly in the same house that they had lived in whilst their parents were still alive. By this time Albert was working as a milk delivery man. As well as his younger siblings the household also included a twelve year old girl visiting.

Albert has yet to be researched after 1911.

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

   b. Albert Edward SPIERS, March Quarter 1883, Alcester Registration District, Vol. 6d, page 676

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish registers of Bidford-on-Avon, 1664-1949. (Warwick: Warwickshire County Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Bidford in the County of Warwick in the Year 1883
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1521	1883 Feb[rua]ry 25th	Albert Edward	Jabez William & Ellen	Spires	Bidford	Platelayer	Alfred Evans

3. ↑ 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 2481; Folio 5; Page 4, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: The Moors, Alcester, Warwickshire
   Three rooms occupied
   Jabez W. Spires, head, married, male, 50 [1840/1], General Laborer, employed, b. Long Marston, Gloucestershire
   Ellen U. Belcher, wife, married, female, 34 [1856/7], b. Evesham, Worcestershire
   Eunice J. Spires, daughter, female, 10 [1880/1], b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   Albert E. Spires, son, male, 8 [1882/3], b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   Hubert J. Spires, son, male, 5 [1885/6], b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   William Spires, son, male, 3 [1887/8], b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   James E. Spires, son, male, 11mo [1890], b. Alcester, Warwickshire

4. ↑ 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 2944; Folio 19; Page 29, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Gas House Lane, Alcester, Warwickshire
   Three rooms occupied
   William Spires, head, married, male, 60 [1840/1], Gardener not domestic, worker, b. Long Marston, Gloucestershire
   Ellen Spires, wife, married, female, 42 [1858/9], b. Evesham, Worcestershire
   Albert Spires, son, single, male, 18 [1882/3], Platelayer on Railway, worker, b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   Hubert Spires, son, single, male, 15 [1885/6], Spring Maker, worker, b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   William Spires, son, single, male, 13 [1887/8], b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   Ernest Spires, son, single, male, 10 [1890/1], b. Alcester, Warwickshire
   Ruth Spires, daughter, single, female, 8 [1892/3], b. Alcester, Warwickshire
   Edgar Spires, son, single, male, 5 [1895/6], b. Alcester, Warwickshire

5. ↑ 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 18831; Schedule 128, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Malt Mill Lane, Alcester, Warwickshire
   Four rooms occupied
   Albert Spires, head, male, 27 [1883/4], single, Milk Delivery Man - Farmer, worker, b. Bidford, Warwickshire
   William Spires, brother, male, 23 [1887/8], single, Gas Stoker - Gas works, worker, b. Broom, Warwickshire
   Ernest Spires, brother, male, 20 [1890/1], single, Farm Labourer - Farm, worker, b. Alcester, Warwickshire
   Ruth Spires, sister, female, 18 [1892/3], single, Needle Paperer - Needle Manuf[acturing], b. Alcester, Warwickshire
   Edgar Spires, brother, male, 15 [1895/6], single, Farm Labourer Servant - Farm, b. Alcester, Warwickshire
   Sarah Tarver, visitor, female, 12 [1898/9], b. Alcester, Warwickshire