So who was Benjamin Ironmonger?

          

Benjamin Ironmonger

Warning: Today's blogpost contains information about Loughborough and connections to a variety of other places.

The recent sighting of a gravestone prompted this blogpost on ironmongers. 

Firstly, Ironmonger as a surname, is an occupational surname from the Middle English word, irinmongere, meaning a dealer in iron. In the 1881 census returns, the surname appeared 541 times, but today this has reduced to around 509 times.

So, let's look at ironmongers with a little 'i' to begin with. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. [You can find some photographs of some of the ironwork produced by local foundries over on my post about Foundries in Loughborough, and information on Beeby and Henton apears in 'Secret Loughborough'.]

In the Pigot's 1822 directory, the entry for Loughborough lists a few ironmongers:

Gamble	Mary	Market Place	Iron Founder
Dewberry	Daniel	Pinfold  Gate	Iron Founder
Frisby	Joseph	Market Place	Iron Monger
Gamble	Mary	Market Place	Iron Monger
Chapman	John	Mill Street	Iron Monger

  

White's directory for 1846 lists fewer, but some are clearly related to those listed in Pigot's 1822 directory:

Frisby	Samuel	Market Place	Home address noted as  Ashby Road	Iron Monger
Dewbery	Wm. Squire	Market Place	None specified	Iron Monger
Frisby	Joseph Known as Joseph Frisby & Son (i.e. Samuel)	Market Place	None specified	Iron Monger

White's directory of 1863 lists only one ironmonger:

Frisby

Joseph

Market Place

Ironmonger

Also listed as a Seedsman

On the 1881 census returns, people listed as ironmongers or iron founders include:

Albert Marshall, who was living at Rectory Cottage

Thomas Beeby (of Beeby and Henton) who was living on Victoria Street, was listed as an ironmonger and also a coal merchant

William G. Henton (of Beeby and Henton) whose address was given as 40 Market Place (which in 1887 was the business address given by Thomas Beeby). Henton is listed as an ironmonger employing 7 men and three boys.

Thomas Marshall is listed as an ironmonger and is living at the White House on Leicester Road, which was later the home of some of the Clemerson family.

George Moore, son of plumber and glazier David Moore, was an ironmonger on Swan Street

Joseph Johnson was the ironmonger son of Samuel Johnson who was also an ironmonger. They were based on Fishpool Head (later known as Ward’s End) 

Wright's 1887 directory lists quite a lot of ironmongers:

Surname	Forename	Corporate Name	Address	Business
Wootton	William H	None specified	13 Devonshire Square	Iron and Brass Founder
Cook	E[dwin]	E Cook & Co	7 Nottingham Road	Iron and Brass Founder
Coltman	H[uram]	H Coltman & Son	Meadow Lane	Iron and Brass Founder
Jones	J[ohn]	None specified	Meadow Lane	Iron and Brass Founder
Messenger	None specified	Messenger & Co	Midland Foundry, Ashby Road	Iron and Brass Founder
Clemerson	B	B Clemerson & Son	1 Mill Street, Market Place	Ironmonger
Fisher	Charles	None specified	21 Market Place	Ironmonger
Moore	George	None specified	24 Swan Street	Ironmonger
Marshall	Albert	None specified	32 Market Place	Ironmonger
Beeby	Thomas	None specified	40 Market Place	Ironmonger
Partridge	John	None specified	63 Baxter Gate	Ironmonger
Marriott	Chs S	None specified	Dead Lane, Biggin Street	Ironmonger
Hudson	William	None specified	Market Place	Ironmonger

Then on the 1911 census, we find: 

• Henry Evan Morgan (living on Frederick Street) [incidentally, this is one of the worst transcribed records I've ever come across!!!]

The 1939 register includes:

• Henry Evan Morgan who is now living on Westfield Drive
• Frederick W Bray was an ironmonger and seedsman living on Turner Avenue (not to be confused with Frederick W Bray who was a night porter in a hostel living on Granville Street)

Ironmongers included in the 1941 street directory are:

• Edwin Cook, Star Foundry
• H. Adey at 9 & 11 Nottingham Road
• Moore, Herbert and Moore on Swan Street

Those ironmongers who appear in the 1951-2 street directory:

• Edwin Cook, Star Foundry, Barrack Row
• H E Morgan & Son, Baxter Gate
• Clarke & Partridge Derby Rd
• Keightley T & F Market Place
• J Jones Meadow Lane
• Adey 9/11 Nottingham Road
• Moore, Herbert and Moore Shakespeare Street
• A L Hallam, Wards End

Now this is really interesting stuff, and as a piece of research was relatively easy to hunt down. But what prompted it?

The gravestone of Benjamin Ironmonger in Sawley

Well,  the above research was prompted by a gravestone I saw in Sawley Cemetery, when I recently spent two weeks walking around watery areas near to Loughborough. I've seen gravestones in our own parish churchyard that indicate the profession with which the deceased was associated, but in the case of the above gravestone, I wasn't sure if 'ironmonger' was part of the surname, or Benjamin's occupation, so I set about finding out. The inscription reads:

“In loving memory of Thomas Charles Ironmonger, died 13 June 1962 aged 76 years. Also, Lilian, beloved wife of the above, died 8 July 1975, aged 91 years. Reunited. Also, daughter Dorothy Lilian, loving, caring daughter, reunited with her parents, 13 May 1996. Also beloved Frances Catherine Taylor, died in 2002.”

This is what I’ve found so far:

1798 – Thomas Ironmonger occupied a property owned by Thomas Dalby, in Castle Donnington, and paid 6s 2d in land tax.

9 February 1808 – William Ironmonger is born at Castle Donnington to parents Thomas Ironmonger and Hannah [this I think, might tie in with the 1715 marriage of Thomas Ironmonger and Hannah Lester above, although clearly this was a couple of generations before the Thomas and Hannah in question here, and might be a link to the Lesters mentioned in a previous blogpost]

1851 - the Ironmonger family are living at the Navigation Inn on Trent Lock (now the Trent Lock Inn) where William (Thomas’ great grandfather) is publican and butcher. They have 3 children – Thomas, Richard and William.

1861 - the Ironmonger family is living in the Nag’s Head, Castle Street, Sawley, because Thomas’s father, William, (born 1808 in Castle Donnington, and married to Martha who was born 1813 in Sawley, and therefore Great grandfather to Thomas) is the innkeeper

23 March and & 7 August 1866 – William Ironmonger, described as a butcher and publican, died in Sawley.

1871 - Thomas Charles’s father, Charles, and Grandfather, Thomas, and Grandmother Eliza, and uncle Nathan, in 1871 are living in Sawley. Thomas’ Grandfather was a butcher, born c. 1835

1884 – Lillian Clifford was born

15 June 1885 – Charles Ironmonger marries Lizzie Cross Charles is listed as a butcher, and both are living in Sawley

1885 – Thomas Charles Cross Ironmonger was born in Kegworth and baptised in Breatson, Derby

1891 - Thomas is visiting his maternal uncle, Richard Cross (aged 33, born in Diseworth), on Ashby Road, Kegworth, with his mother, Elizabeth (nee Cross, aged 31, born Castle Donnington), and his father Charles Ironmonger, Charles being listed as a butcher.

1900 –William Ironmonger, son of Charles Ironmonger (Thomas Charles’ father too) was born

1901 - Thomas Charles Ironmonger is living with his father, Charles, his uncle, Nathan, and his grandfather, Thomas, a farmer (employing people) in Sawley. Samuel Kilbourne was a visitor

8 July 1909 – Thomas Charles Ironmonger married Lillian Clifford. Both lived in Sawley, and Thomas is a butcher.

1911 – Thomas, Lillian and William are living with Thomas’ father, Charles, and Thomas’ uncle Nathan (Charles’ brother) in Ivy House Farm, on or near Town Street, Sawley. Nathan is a farmer, and Charles and Thomas are farmers and butchers, and the one-year old Thomas Ironmonger, who is listed as the son of the head of the household: on the census entry this appears to be Nathan, as his name is listed first, but the person signing the entry was Charles, and Charles is listed as a widower, whilst Nathan is single.  

10 December 1913 & 1 February 1914 – Dorothy Lillian, daughter to Thomas and Lillian, was born and baptised. Thomas was listed as a butcher living at Cross Street, Sawley  

13 June 1962 – death of Thomas Charles Ironmonger, who lived at Firs Farm Sawley. Probate awarded on 6 September 1962 to wife Lillian, and daughter Dorothy Lillian.

This all then led me to wondering if there were any Loughborough connections, so any person with the surname Ironmonger living here at any time. I did a bit of research, but I was quite surprised at how many people there were using that surname, and I haven't managed to tie much of my research together. But, here is that research, which was based on an entry I found for on Benjamin Ironmonger who was in Loughborough in 1832.

1727 – a Ben Ironmonger, of Derby, marries an Elizabeth Sollers of Market Harborough in Market Harborough, in 1727. Also listed in the same document are George Ironmonger, of Long Whatton who married Hannah Lester, also of Long Whatton, in 1715; Thomas Ironmonger, of Wilson, who married Anne Peate of Breedon in 1675 and William Ironmonger of Hemington who married Hellen King of Long Whatton in 1716.

1790 – Ben Ironmonger (6) of Hoar Cross, Staffordshire, occupied property in the ownership of Hugo Meynell, and paid £10 4s. 2 3/4d in land tax, on 30 April 1790.

27 August 1797 – a Benjamin Ironmonger (3) was born in Church Gresley, to parents John and Mary

1798 – a Benjamin Shorthouse Ironmonger (4) was baptised in Tutbury on 15 October 1798. His father was William, his mother, Mary.

1798 – there is another Benjamin Ironmonger (5), a plumber in Rugeley, Staffordshire, who has taken on an apprentice, William Hawkins.

4 January 1821 – Benjamin Ironmonger (3) married a Sarah Paul in Ansley, Warwickshire 

1822 – BI (1)  listed in Pigot’s Directory as a straw bonnet maker on High Street, Loughborough

1824 - There is another Benjamin Ironmonger (2) who is/was a farmer in Derbyshire – Burton-on-Trent, as reported in the Derby Mercury of 14 April 1824, pg 1, who has signed over his farm to William Hawkins and William Yates

9 June 1826 – William, son of Benjamin Ironmonger (3) and his wife Sarah, is baptised in Ansley

1828 - Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Ironmonger (3) and his wife Sarah, is born in Nuneaton

6 February 1831 – Mary, daughter of Benjamin Ironmonger (3) and his wife Sarah, is baptised in Swadlincote

1832 -  In the Poll Book record for 1832, Benjamin (1) is listed as having a freehold factory on Leicester Road

1833 – Benjamin Ironmonger (1) is listed as a lacemaker in Loughborough, but looks as though all his real and personal estate was passed to William Lowe, John Clarkson Burton, James North and Robert Peck. I am unclear whether he has gone out of business, is selling up the business, or has passed away 

21 September 1834 – Benjamin, son of Benjamin Ironmonger (3) and his wife Sarah, is baptised in Church Gresley

1839 - There was a Benjamin Ironmonger (aged 40), (3) living in Swadlincote, tried at Derby County Assizes in 1839 for larceny, who, having pleaded guilty, received a 1-month prison sentence. His crime was to steal 168lbs of coal belonging to Court Granville, Esq.. This was reported before the trial in the Leicestershire Mercury of 30 November 1839, pg 3, and reported after the trial in the Derbyshire Courier 04 January 1840, pg 2

1841 - I think this is the above chap (BI (3) as in 1839) on the 1841 census for Church Gresley/Swadlincote, listed as a sawyer, wife Sarah

1850 – A Benjamin Ironmonger (7) - maybe BI number 5, or possibly a descendant of his - of Hoar Cross owns 6 freehold houses on Garden Street

1851 Benjamin (3) and wife Sarah are living with son William and a lodger in Eardley Row, Church Gresley. Benjamin is a sawyer, but William’s occupation is unclear

Does this say Blacksmith Journeyman?

1853 – Benjamin (3) and Sarah’s grandson, Thomas, is born in Burton-upon-Trent

1861 – Benjamin Ironmonger (3) and family, which includes grandson Thomas, are living in Eardley Row, Church Gresley

20 October 1863 – Benjamin (3) and Sarah’s son, John, a widower (birth date unknown) marries Elizabeth. He is a sawyer living at Grove Street, Derby

1871 - Benjamin Ironmonger (3), wife Sarah and grandson Thomas, are living in Eardley Row, Church Gresley. Benjamin and Thomas are both sawyers.

10 February 1875 – Benjamin Ironmonger (3) is buried in Church Gresley

1881 – the 1881 census throws up another Benjamin Ironmonger, this one aged 82 at the time of the census, who is an agricultural labourer, who was born in Parwich, Derbyshire

Well, I'm really not sure if I'm any closer to identifying Benjamin Ironmonger!! If you have any ideas, do let me know!

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). SO who was Benjamin Ironmonger? Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/08/so-who-was-benjamin-ironmonger.html     [Accessed 9 August 2020]

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