I was discussing family history with a friend a little while ago; she had decided to complete the research of her eight great grandparents. I realised that in the case of one of my own great grandmothers, Sarah Ann Haw’s (1874-1944), I knew very little about her mother Ann Bean (1843-1911). This blog post is about Ann, her parents Joshua Bean (1809-1876) and Ann Smith (1808-1875) from Claxton and her seven siblings: four brothers and three sisters.The pedigree chart shown above for Ann includes her parents Joshua and Ann, and then traces the family back three further generations who were all living in this part of the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The Bean family came from Claxton in the North riding of Yorkshire. In 1870 it was described as a township within the parish of Bossall 9 miles North East North from York. Bossall is no longer a substantial village. This map from the Vision of Britain website has been annotated to show the approximate area of the parish of Bossall.

 

 

Joshua and Ann had eight children and continued to live in Claxton until their deaths. Joshua was recorded in different censuses as a gardener in 1841, farmer in 1851 and carrier in 1871. When he died his will was proved by his eldest son, John Bean (1836-1925), my third great uncle. By the time of his father’s death in 1876 John, a gamekeeper, was living in Hack Green, near Baddington, Cheshire. One of his sons, George Wetherhill Bean (1877-1915), also became a gamekeeper and died on 14 March 1915 in Hack Green. His death at the age of 37 was reported in the Nantwich Guardian. It included details of his employment; before his “protracted illness” he had been head gamekeeper to Mr Frank Barlow of Gestryn Colyn Hall, North Wales. When his father John died in 1925 there was also a report in a local paper, although this time it was in the Cheshire Observer. John was described as a “popular South Cheshire gamekeeper” and that he had been gamekeeper to Mr Bailey of Manchester who had had shooting rights on the estate of Mr Shaw of Hack Green. Hack Green is now more commonly known for its secret nuclear bunker.

Joshua and Ann’s next three children were sons. William was born in 1837. He left Yorkshire and in 1911 was living in Blackpool, Lancashire when he was described as a Gentleman butler. He was followed by George (1839-1920) who in 1891 was described as a land steward. He had spent time outside the UK as two of his children were born in Montreal, Canada. At the time of his death he was living with one of his sons in Parsons Green, Fulham and was buried in Brompton Cemetery.

 

Their fourth son was James (1841-1898) who remained in Claxton. In 1891 he was described as a farmer and carrier. It is possible that he had carried on his father’s business after his death.

Joshua and Ann had four daughters. Their eldest daughter was my great grandmother Ann (1843-1911) who was baptised on 9 April 1843 in Bossall, Joshua’s occupation was recorded as a gardener. Ann married my two times great grandfather William Haw (1846-1907) in St Mary’s Church in the nearby village of Sand Hutton on 26 May 1870. William was a tailor from York and the marriage was witnessed by two of Ann’s brothers: John and James. After their marriage they lived in York where William continued to work as a tailor. In 1901 they were living at 45 Marygate in Bootham; it runs from Clifton to the River Ouse alongside the historic St Mary’s Abbey and the museum gardens.

Joshua and Ann had three more daughters. Sarah Elizabeth (1844-1921) married George Thornton (1845-1929) on 9 September 1875 in St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton. At the time of their marriage George was a machinist. By 1911 he had become a school caretaker and they were living in Alexandra Street, Goole.

Their next daughter was Jane Bean (1850-1922), who also married in St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton. Her husband was William Bristow (1838-1908) a local farmer from Claxton. They married on 7 June 1875. By 1881 William was farming Glebe Farm, Kirk Smeaton which consisted of 126 acres and employing 3 boys. The family had moved to New Grange, Airmyn by 1891. William was still a farmer and the family had moved to within six miles of Wressle which is where William had been born. When William died in 1908, he was living at Airmyn Grange near Goole; probate was granted to his wife Jane. She continued to farm at Airmyn Grange with two of her daughters, Ann (1876-1946) and Edith (1880-1943), until at least 1911. She was still living there when she died in 1922.

Joshua and Ann’s youngest daughter was Margaret (1852-1905). She also married in St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton. Her husband was John Robinson Bowling (1846-1929), a cordwainer. They married on 18 May 1869 and their witnesses were William Haw and Margaret’s sister Ann Bean. In 1901 Margaret and John were living in Stockton on the Forest and John was described as a shoemaker.

I am interested in Joshua’s ancestors as I have limited information about them. Do contact me if you know more about the family.

Bibliography:

Bossall. https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Bossall : accessed 18 June 2020.

FindmyPast. Collection: British Newspapers, 1710-1965. https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed 18 June 2020.

Hack Green. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack_Green_Secret_Nuclear_Bunker : accessed 18 June 2020.

Victoria county history https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/north/vol2/pp91-98 : accessed 17 June 2020.

University of Portsmouth, History of Claxton, in Ryedale and North Riding | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/12069 : accessed 17 June 2020.