Person:Daniel Lewis (44)

Daniel Lewis was born on 19th March 1803 and baptised twelve days later at Willen in Buckinghamshire, eldest child of Mary Lewis, formerly Goodman, and her husband George Lewis, an agricultural labourer. By 1806 the family had left Willen and moved to Husborne Crawley in Bedfordshire, where all Daniel's siblings were born.

In 1821, Daniel had a son, Jesse, with a girl called Susannah Emerton. The authorities issued a filiation order requiring Daniel to pay three pounds and five shillings costs immediately, then two shillings a week towards Jesse's maintenance. On 10th October 1822, Daniel and Susannah were married at Husborne Crawley. They went on to have another three children baptised at Husborne Crawley between 1826 and 1833.

The 1841 census finds Daniel, Susannah and three of their children living at Crow Lane in Husborne Crawley, with Daniel working as an agricultural labourer. Their youngest daughter, Ann, died in 1849, aged fifteen.

In 1846 the London and North Western Railway opened a branch line from Bletchley to Bedford. The line passes through the parish of Husborne Crawley, with Ridgmont station actually being in Husborne Crawley parish. Daniel and Susannah appear in the 1851 census living at Ridgmont station, with Daniel working as a coal merchant, presumably taking advantage of the new opportunities the railway had brought.

Daniel's father died in 1857 and his mother in 1860.

By 1861 Daniel and Susannah had left Husborne Crawley and moved about eight miles north to Cranfield, where they lived at Ivy Hall Farm at Bourne End, with Daniel describing himself as a farmer. In 1861 the farm was said to cover 94 acres of land; by 1871 it had grown to 120 acres. Their daughter Mary and son William appear with them in Cranfield in both the 1861 and 1871 censuses; neither appears to have married.

Daniel retired in 1874, auctioning off the farm and equipment. He died the following year, on 20th February 1875, aged 71. Susannah survived him by eight years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Willen Parish Registers, 1665-1981. (Aylesbury: Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies).

   1803 Daniel Lewis Son of George & Mary Lewis, was baptized March 31st

2. ↑ Affidavit sworn before a Justice of the Peace, in Church of England. Parish register of Husborne Crawley, 1557-1812. (Bedford: Bedfordshire County Record Office, 1989)
   P49/13/4/25, 21 Sep 1822.

   Daniel Lewis and Susan Emerton, both of Husborne Crawley - Daniel Lewis is 19 years of age, and he has resided in the parish of Husborne Crawley for 14 years, his birthday being 19th March. Susan Emerton was 21 years of age on 2nd August last, and has resided at Husborne Crawley about 18 years. Prior to marriage.

3. ↑ 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 5; Book 20; Folio 13; Page 21, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Crow Lane, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Daniel Lewis, male, 35 [1801-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, born in county
   Susan[na]h Lewis, female, 35 [1801-6], born in county
   William Lewis, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Mary Lewis, female, 9 [1831/2], born in county
   Ann Lewis, female, 7 [1833/4], born in county

4. ↑ 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 1755; Folio 62; Page 1, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Station, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Daniel Lewis, head, married, male, 48 [1802/3], Coal Merchant, b. Willing, Buckinghamshire
   Susanah Lewis, wife, married, female, 50 [1800/1], b. Bedford, Bedfordshire
   Mary Lewis, daughter, unmarried, female, 20 [1830/1], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   James Brown, visitor, unmarried, male, 17 [1833/4], Agricultural Labourer, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Grace, servant, unmarried, male, 18 [1832/3], General Serv[ant], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire

   Ridgmont railway station was in Husborne Crawley parish.

5. ↑ 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 1002; Folio 19; Page 31, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Bourne End, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
   Daniel Lewis, head, married, male, 58 [1802/3], Farmer of 94 acres, 3 men, 2 boys, b. Willen, Buckinghamshire
   Susanna Lewis, wife, married, female, 59 [1801/2], b. Bedford, Bedfordshire
   William Lewis, son, unmarried, male, 35 [1825/6], Farmers Son, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mary Lewis, daughter, unmarried, female, 30 [1830/1], b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Johnson, servant, unmarried, male, 20 [1840/1], Carter, b. Cranfield, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ 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 1556; Folio 18; Page 28, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Cranfield, Bedfordshire
   Daniel Lewis, head, married, male, 68 [1802/3], Farmer of 120 acres employing 3 men 1 Boy, b. Wilden, Bedfordshire [sic]
   Susan Lewis, wife, married, female, 70 [1800/1], b. Bedford
   William Lewis, son, unmarried, male, 45 [1825/6], Farmer Son, b. Husband Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mary Lewis, daughter, unmarried, female, 40 [1830/1], Farmers dau[ghte]r, b. Husband Crawley, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Daniel LEWIS, March Quarter 1875, Ampthill Registration District, Volume 3b, page 316, aged 71 [1803/4]

8. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

   LEWIS Daniel.
   Effects under £200.
   14 June. The Will of Daniel Lewis late of Cranfield in the County of Bedford Farmer who died 20 February 1875 at Cranfield was proved at Northampton by James Henry Readman of Lidlington in the said County and Thomas Richardson of Cranfield Farmers the Executors.

9.   Bedfordshire Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 4, 10 Jan 1874.

   Cranfield, Beds.
   To be Sold by Auction at the Swan Inn, in Cranfield, in the county of Bedford, by
   JOSEPH REDDEN,
   On Monday, January 26, 1874,
   At 4 for 5 o'clock in the afternoon punctually, in 2 lots, all that Copyhold Mesuage [sic] or
   FARM HOUSE,
   With Farm Homestead and Farm, containing together 94 acres or thereabouts, more or less, situate at Bourne End, Cranfield, and now in the occupation of Mr. Daniel Lewis.
   LOT 1 comprises about 37 acres of good arable land, of which 3 acres or thereabouts are freehold, and the remainder copyhold.
   Lot 2 comprises the farm house, and farm homestead, and 75 acres or thereabout of pasture and arable land, all of which is copyhold.
   Particulars and conditions of sale may be had of Messrs. Powell, Newman and Powell, Solicitors, and of Mr. Joseph Redden, Auctioneer, Newport Pagnel.

10.   Bedfordshire Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 4, 25 Apr 1874.

    Cranfield, Beds.-Ivy Hall Farm, Bourne End.
    SALE OF LIVE AND DEAD FARMING STOCK.
    JOHN ROGERS
    Has been favoured with instructions from Mr. Daniel Lewis (who is retiring from business), to Sell by Auction,
    On Thursday, April 30th, 1874,
    THE WHOLE OF HIS
    LIVE AND DEAD FARMING STOCK
    AND 30 ACRES OF GRASS KEEPING.
    THE Live Stock comprises 25 long-woolled ewes and 39 lambs, 5 barren ewes, 27 long-woolled and 15 half-bred store tegs, 2 fat sheep; 3 home-bred milch cows in full profit, in-calf heifer, barren ditto; a team of 4 very useful cart horses (including mare in foal), capital harness mare; 3 fat pigs.
    The Dead Stock consists of a well-built waggon and 4 dung carts with iron arms, in good condition, capital dog cart, eclipse reaper by Samuelson, 5-tined cultivator by Coleman, iron scuffler, horse drag with seat for driver by Page and Co., horse hoe, 6-row brush drill with turnip seed barrel, 2 iron ploughs, set of heavy and light iron arrows, light field roller, 3-horse-power thrashing machine, and carriage (in good condition), chaff machine (by Page & Co.) for horse or hand power, root pulper by Benthal (nearly new), turnip cutter by Gardner, bean mill by Biddel, dressing machine, weighing machine (by Avery) and weights, sack barrow and sack ladder, bushel, riddles, and sieves, 3 dozen corn sacks, 4 sets of thiller harness, 4 sets of trace ditto, set of dog cart harness, 3 covered horse cribs, sheep cribs and troughs, 6 dozen hurdles, iron and wooden pig troughs, wheelbarrow, sundry tools, mash vat, working and other tubs, 2 ale barrels, 8 milk leads, 3-dozen churn (nearly new) and dairy utensils, grindstone and frame, moveable granary (recently built), &c.
    Also 30 acres of valuable grass keeping until the 29th of September next, in convenient lots, and well watered.
    Sale to commence at 12 o'clock.
    Catalogues may be obtained a few days prior to sale on the premises, at the usual places in the neighbourhood, and of the auctioneer, Chellington, Bedford.