Walter Harrison

The Life of Walter Harrison (1830 - 1888)

By his great-great-great-great-grandson, Oliver Moules

Walter Harrison was born in the early months of 1830, in the village of East Coker, in the south of Somerset. He was the illegitimate son of 25 year old Teresa Harrison. The identity of his biological father is not certain, but it is possible his father was Samuel Douch (1795 - 1843), a gardener. Walter had one older half-sister, Susan Thorn Harrison, who was also illegitimate. In January 1831, when Walter was less than a year old, his mother died at the age of 26. As he was now an orphan, the infant Walter spent the first few years of his life in the care of his widowed grandmother, Margaret Harrison. However, Margaret eventually became infirm and was admitted to the Helyar Almshouse. With no-one to care for him, the young Walter was sent to the nearby town of Yeovil and admitted into the Yeovil Union Workhouse. It was here that Walter would spend the rest of his childhood.

Yeovil Workhouse

Walter's childhood in the workhouse would have been very unpleasant. Workhouse conditions were designed to be worse than the conditions poor people experienced outside the workhouse. This was to discourage people entering them - saving the parish money. As soon as he was able to, Walter would have joined the other men in the workhouse doing manual work - this could have included stone-breaking, wood-cutting or other agricultural labour. Walter's daily meals would have been bread and cheese for breakfast, meat and potatoes for lunch followed by bread and cheese again for supper. During the years Walter lived in the Yeovil Workhouse, it was run by the aptly named Masters family. Francis Masters was the Master of the Workhouse whilst his wife, Susanna Masters, was the Matron.

In his teenage years, Walter had a rebellious streak. In 1845 he was arrested, alongside Samuel Randell and George Eastment, for stealing a loaf of bread from the Workhouse staff. In July 1845 Walter was sent to Wilton Gaol, in Taunton, before his trial. He was described as 4ft 11, with grey eyes, brown hair and a "fresh complexion." After spending a month in the Gaol, Walter was found guilty of larceny (theft of personal property). He was sentenced to three weeks imprisonment and also had the unfortunate experience of being whipped with a Cat o' Nine Tails. Walter was never arrested again in his life after this brush with the law.

Walter's punishment, printed in the newspaper.

In the later 1840s, teenage Walter left the workhouse after being apprenticed to the local blacksmith. Walter would have worked as the blacksmith's striker - whose job it was to use a large sledgehammer in heavy forging operations. Walter completed his apprenticeship and became a full blacksmith around the age of 19. Walter decided to remain in Yeovil after leaving the Workhouse. In 1851 he was living on Kingston Road, Yeovil, and boarding in the household of Francis Hyde, a stone mason.

It was around this time that Walter met Tryphena March. Tryphena had lived in Yeovil all her life, and had been widowed for two years following the death of her husband, Gideon March, in 1849 at age 32. Gideon's death had left Tryphena struggling to support herself and her two young daughters, Rebecca and Mary March. She made some money from sewing gloves, and in 1851 was lodging with her daughters in the household of James Tarrant, on Paradise Street - about one mile away from Walter. Walter and Tryphena married at St John's Church later that year. Walter was 21 and Tryphena was 26.

Walter and Tryphena moved to Belmont Street, in Yeovil. Shortly afterwards Walter gave up his career as a blacksmith and, instead, became a plasterer. Walter and Tryphena had five children, four of which lived to adulthood:

• Theresa Harrison (1852 - 1911)
• Tabitha Harrison (1855 - 26 November 1918)
• Elizabeth Harrison (1856 - 1857)
• Susan Thorne Harrison (1858 - 1898)
• George Harrison (1860 - 1890)

Walter was the head of a large household including his wife, their five children and his two step-daughters. In 1859, Tryphena became ill with tuberculosis. 1861 was a particularly hard year for the family. In January, Walter's 16 year old step-daughter, Rebecca March, gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth March. The baby died in April 1861, age three months. Shortly afterwards, on the 28th of May, Tryphena died at age 36, having suffered from tuberculosis for two years. Walter was at her side when she died. In 1865 Rebecca gave birth to another illegitimate daughter, who she also named Elizabeth. It was around this time that Walter and Rebecca got married. It is possible that Walter was the biological father of one or both of Rebecca's illegitimate daughters - this is not known for certain and likely never will.

After they married, Walter and Rebecca left Belmont and settled on Bond Street, just three minutes away. Walter and Rebecca had a further eight children, but four died as infants and another died at age 11:

• Louisa Harrison (3 May 1869 - 1 September 1915)
• John Harrison (1871 - 1872)
• John Harrison (1871 - 1872)
• Annie Harrison (1873 - 1884)
• John Harrison (1875 - 1948)
• Harry Walter Harrison (1877 - 1877)
• Tryphena Rose Harrison (1879 - 1880)
• Tryphena Rose Harrison (14 November 1882 - 20 January 1965)

The Seven Stars Inn, now
the hair salon Mazzers.

In 1871, the Harrison family were living at the Seven Stars Inn, on Bond Street. Despite continuing to work as a plasterer, Walter also took on the license of the pub for several years. As well as his wife and five of his children, Walter was also living with his nephew, his son-in-law, his apprentice William Giles and two lodgers. William Giles, like Walter, had been in the Yeovil Workhouse, and only left when he became apprenticed to Walter. Later that year, Walter was hired to do some plastering and whitewashing at Yeovil Workhouse - returning there for the first time in over 20 years.

The rest of the 1870s was filled with legal problems for Walter, and he was summoned to court on several occasions. In January 1872 Walter was summoned for not vaccinating his children. He explained that they had been vaccinated, but he "had no idea he had to return the certificate." He was told to do so in future, and made to pay for the costs of the summoning.

In April 1873 Walter came under fire for sending his apprentice, William Giles, to Newfoundland. He had sent William there with a "band of men" to become apprenticed at the fisheries. The court ordered Walter to bring William back by the following week or be punished. It is not known if Walter succeeded in doing so.

On the 22nd of October 1875 Walter was summoned again for not paying the water rates at the Seven Stars. By the time of the summoning this was £3, but Walter had already paid part of it. He was told to pay the rest by a certain date or be punished.

After 1875, Walter decided not to renew his licence at the Seven Stars and the family moved to 22 Vicarage Street, just two minutes away. Walter lived here for the rest of his life. Walter's first grandchild, Alice Harrison, was born in 1880 when he was 50 years old. He would have 31 grandchildren in total, but only 9 of them were born in his lifetime. In his 50s Walter began suffering from chronic respiratory disease - namely asthma and asthenia. This was likely caused by decades of working as a plasterer. Despite his worsening health, Walter continued to work as a plasterer until his final days. He died on the 13th of December 1888, at his home 22 Vicarage Street. He was 58 years old. He was buried at St John's Church - the same church where he had married Tryphena 37 years previously.

Walter Harrison's death certificate

Walter's wife, Rebecca, outlived him by 26 years - she died on the 13th of March 1917, age 73.

Michael Knewstubb

The Life of Michael Knewstubb (1818 - 1879)

By his great-great-great-great-grandson, Oliver Moules

St. Oswald's Church, Ravenstonedale.

Michael Knewstubb was born in the Winter of 1818 in Ravenstonedale, a small village at the foot of the Howgill Fells in Cumbria (then Westmorland). He was the eldest known child of Edward Knewstubb (1785 - 1857) and Margaret Murray, who had married at St Oswald's Church on 30 December 1817. Michael was baptised in the same church on 13 December 1818 and probably named after his late grandfather, Michael Knewstubb (1752 - ?). Michael had four younger brothers: Thomas, Edward, John and James.

Michael's father, Edward, was a prosperous farmer and Michael grew up on the family farm on the outskirts of the village. Michael was taught to read and write but it is not known whether he attended school officially, or was instead taught by his mother. Michael would have assisted his father with "odd-jobs" on the farm from a young age, and started working as a farm labourer for his father full-time at the age of about 12. His father was a successful farmer, and as a result the family were able to employ servants. When Michael was no older than 13 when his mother died - this had a profound effect on him, and he would later name his eldest daughter after her. His father remarried to Mary Harrison (1796 - 1872) shortly after. Through his father's second marriage Michael had three half-siblings: Henry, Elizabeth and Richard.

Newspaper account of the inquest which
appeared in the Kendal Mercury on 5 June 1847.

In 1847, Michael was involved in the untimely death of his friend, Robert Tunstall. On 20 May 1847, after attending Brough Fair together in the nearby village of Brough, Michael and Robert started walking home to Ravenstonedale at roughly 4:30 a.m. Michael had left his horse at the local inn, and when they got there they decided to go in for a quick drink. By the time they left, they were both "intoxicated." As Robert didn't have his own horse, Michael told him to get on his. The horse refused to carry two people and began kicking. About 50 yards from the inn Michael and Robert both fell off the horse. Michael was unhurt but Robert hit the back of his head "with considerable force" and was knocked unconscious. Robert was taken back to the inn and attended by the local doctor. He was returned to his home the next day but never regained consciousness and died 12 days later, age 60. An inquest ruled Robert's death as an "accidental death." It is possible the event deeply effected Michael, as family remembered him for being strictly against drinking alcohol.

Stud Fold Farm in 2010.

At the time of the 1851 census, Michael was living at Sprint Gill cottage, in Ravenstonedale, with his father, step-mother and siblings. He was listed as working as a farm labourer on his father's farm. It was around this time, in the early 1850s, that Michael started training to be a cattle doctor. He began treating the cows of Ravenstonedale and the surrounding area around the year 1854. His main responsibilities would have been tending to sick cows and delivering calves. After the death of his father in 1857, age 72, Michael inherited his land - roughly 45 acres. In 1861 Michael was living at Stud Fold Farm, near Sprint Gill. At age 42 he was still unmarried and living alone except for a 21 year old domestic servant, Mary Kirkhide.

Michael married Jane Hodgson on 12 November 1863, at Ravenstonedale Church. He was 44 years old, and she was 22. Jane was also born and bred in Ravenstonedale, coming from the nearby farm of Dovengill. After their marriage, Michael and Jane continued to live at Stud Fold Farm. They had five daughters together:

• Margaret Knewstubb (5 December 1864 - 5 April 1945)
• Catherine "Kitty" Knewstubb (25 November 1866 - 24 July 1948)
• Mary Ann Knewstubb (1868 - 1941)
• Jane "Jennie" Knewstubb (February 1871 - 31 January 1941)
• Elizabeth Knewstubb (1874 - ?)

In 1871 Michael was still living at Stud Fold Cottage, and was still listed as a "farmer of 45 acres" - this meant had had not bought or sold any land in the previous ten years. As well as his wife and four young daughters, Michael also employed one servant - Elizabeth Fawcett. As well as farming his land, Michael was by now an experienced and skilled cattle surgeon who was respected and well-known in the community and surrounding area for his expertise.

On 11 July 1874 a "public meeting" was held at the Cross Bank Inn to reward Michael. Michael was presented with "a beautifully illuminated address and a purse of 55 guineas" as a token of thanks for his services as a cattle doctor in the community. Michael was described as a "kind neighbour and friend, ever ready to do good." The guineas and address had been collectively paid for by the community to thank Michael for his "great skill and attention as a cattle doctor during a period of upwards of 20 years." Around 1875, the Knewstubb family left Ravenstonedale and settled in the town of Sedbergh, about 10 miles away. At the time, Sedbergh was part of Yorkshire - but it is now also part of Cumbria.

In Sedbergh, Michael's career focused more on being a cattle doctor than a farmer. In the later 1870s his elderly father-in-law, Martin Hodgson, moved in with the Knewstubb family. Martin died on 11 July 1879, age 76. Michael continued working in Sedbergh until he died "very suddenly" exactly five months later on 11 December 1879. He was about 60 years old and may have even died on his 61st birthday.

Michael's sudden death threw his family's future into uncertainty as the family's sole provider was gone. Michael's widow, Jane - just 38 years old and with five daughters age between 15 and 5 - managed to find success as the owner and keeper of a hotel, The Temperance Inn.