So who was Arthur Edward Shepherd?

Posted 22 November 2020

 So who was Arthur Edward Shepherd?    

       

The birth of Arthur Edward Shepherd on 16 March 1872 was registered in Loughborough. His parents were John Shepherd, variously described as being born in Hoton and Wymeswold in 1834, and Amy Marshall. Amy was born in 1831 in Wymeswold, and was the daughter of John, a farmer in Wymeswold, and his wife Mary, who lived at Brook Street.

Brook Street, Wymeswold

 

John and Amy Shepherd married in the first quarter of 1857, the event being registered in Loughborough. The first of their children who survived into adulthood, was Caroline, who was born in 1858, married John Elliott in 1877, and lived to the age of 92. William was born in 1861; followed by Sarah Ann in 1863. John Henry was born in 1868, followed by Arthur Edward Shepherd in 1872, Frederick Marshall Shepherd in 1875, and Albert Marshall Shepherd in 1877. William and Frederick emigrated to Philadelphia.

Arthur Edward Shepherd spent his early school years firstly at the Church Gate School, before moving to the Board School, on a site that is now occupied by Pinfold Jetty. In 1881, when he was 9, he and his parents and four of his siblings lived at 67 Freehold Street. John Shepherd, Arthur Edward Shepherd’s father was listed as a joiner, and his sister Sarah Ann as a factory hand in a cotton hosiery factory.

Properties now on Freehold Street

Arthur Edward Shepherd finished school in October 1883, and began working for the Co-operative Society at their Wood Gate premises, where he helped the baker, and delivered bread and groceries across the town. In September 1884 there was a big fire in the building and the manager Alfred Reeve was jailed for 5 years for starting the fire. Arthur Edward Shepherd went around the town at night collecting signatures on a petition for Reeve’s release. Whilst Arthur was working at the Co-op, his two brothers, William and Frederick emigrated to Philadelphia. Arthur Edward Shepherd left the employment of the Co-op in 1886, and then spent a year working for Clemersons, which was a furnishers based at 1 Mill Street (now Market Street).

Co-Operative store on Wood Gate

Following this, in 1887, Arthur Edward Shepherd became apprenticed to James Hall, to learn the trade of house decorating. This was an apprenticeship lasting for five years. In 1891 Arthur Edward Shepherd was living at 41 Freehold Street, with his parents and two younger brothers, Frederick Marshall Shepherd aged 16, an apprentice fitter, and Albert Marshall Shepherd, aged 14, an office boy, all of whom were born in Loughborough. In 1890, Arthur Edward Shepherd’s older sister, Sarah had married Richard Farmer Lane, and in early 1891, his older brother, John Henry married Hannah Sharman.

In July 1894, having completed his apprenticeship, and worked as a journeyman painter/decorator for a short time, Arthur Edward Shepherd began his own business, as a master painter and decorator. Initially, he ran this business from his father’s house at 41 Freehold Street, but soon moved to a property on Nottingham Road, no.37, where he also rented a workshop and goods yard. This is now part of Langabeer Court, the bit closest to Hellier Technical Services.

Previously 37 Nottingham Road

Now settled in his own business in his own property, Arthur Edward Shepherd married on 20 October 1894. His bride was Eliza Ann Street, and the couple were married at the Baxter Gate Chapel in Loughborough. The minister officiating was Rev. Reuben Finn Handford, who had been in Loughborough for only just over a year, having arrived from Gorton, Manchester, in June 1893.

Baxter Gate Baptist Chapel

Eliza Ann Street was the daughter of William Street and his wife, Charlotte Cramp Sutton.  Although born in Derby in 1872, by the time of the 1881 census, Eliza is living at 79 Cobden Street Loughborough with her mother and siblings: Eliza is the only one listed as being born in Derby, the other children were Loughborough. William is not at home on the night of this census. When the 1891 census was taken, father, William, a 42-year-old joiner, was at 91 Russell Street, the family home, with wife Charlotte,  41, Eliza Ann’s older brother Joseph, 20, who was either a plumber or a painter, younger brother William Whyman, a 17-year-old joiner’s apprentice, 14-year-old George Albert, an errand boy. Siblings Nellie (12), Walter (10) and Herbert (5) also listed, were all scholars.

Street sign made by the local John Jones ironfoundry

So, Arthur Edward Shepherd and Eliza Ann having married and settled down, they were pleased to welcome the arrival of their first child, Nellie, her birth, on 27 October 1895 being registered in Loughborough.

In 1899 Arthur Edward Shepherd is listed in a trade directory as living at 37 Nottingham Road as a painter, and on 1 February that same year, the family welcomed the birth of son Arthur Shepherd. The following year, Arthur Edward Shepherd’s older brother, Frederick Marshall Shepherd, who has emigrated to the US marries a lady called Ada in the US, and on 26 October 1900, Arthur Edward Shepherd and Eliza Ann celebrated the birth of their daughter Lilian Shepherd.

Around 1901, Arthur Edward Shepherd, aged 29, moved and on the 1901 census is listed as living at 85 Nottingham Road, what is now the newsagents and adjacent building, on the corner of Nottingham Road and Queens Road, which it’s very likely Arthur Edward Shepherd built himself. On the side of the building is a ghost sign, a reminder of Arthur Edward Shepherd’s business. He is living with wife, Eliza Ann, aged 28, and children Nellie (5), Arthur (2), Lilian (5 months) (4). It wasn’t long before the next child came along: Albert Shepherd was born in April 1904. Meanwhile, over in the US, Arthur Edward Shepherd’s brother, Frederick Marshall Shepherd, and his wife Ada, had a daughter, Elsie.

85 Nottingham Road

Arthur Edward Shepherd’s sister, Sarah Ann Lane died in 1907, at the age of 41, followed by his mother in 1908. Also in 1908, Arthur Edward Shepherd and his wife had twin boys, John and William. On the 1911 census return, Arthur Edward Shepherd, his wife, and six of their children were still living at 85 Nottingham Road. On the same census, Eliza’s parent, William and Charlotte Street, were living at 7 Selbourne Street, close to the bellfoundry, where William was a foreman. In 1911, Arthur Edward Shepherd was elected to serve the council at the Hastings Ward.

7 Selbourne Street to the right

In 1913 Arthur Edward Shepherd was asked to take over the running of the 'Robin’s Breakfast'. This was an annual event on each Christmas morning, children of the poor would be given a breakfast of things like bread with butter, pork pie, plum cake and copious amounts of tea, and on leaving would be given a mince pie, an orange and some chocolate to take home with them. He continued doing this for about 25 years, and in December 1915 and December 1916, he wrote letters to the local newspaper, the ‘Loughborough Echo’ about the events.

Lilian, youngest daughter of Arthur Edward Shepherd and Eliza Ann, was working in the Herbert Morris Empress Road works when Zeppelin bombs fell in that area on the night of 31 January 1916. Luckily she was unhurt, despite being flung down by the blast, and spending some time in the work’s basement until the danger was over. 

Herbert Morris factory from the canalside

Later that year, Arthur Shepherd, son of Arthur Edward Shepherd and Eliza Ann, reached the age of 18, and as this was during the First World War, he signed up to the AFC. Meanwhile Arthur Edward Shepherd joined the Civil Defence Force, which drilled in the Market Place during the daytime, and guarded The Brush during the night-time. In December 1916, Arthur Edward Shepherd’s father, John, died at the age of 82.

The Brush at nighttime

Arthur Edward Shepherd was called up to service in the First World War, in 1918, but in August of that year, whilst finishing off some of his contracted businesses, prior to joining the army, he fell from a ladder, and before he could recover, peace had been declared and the war was over. Also in this year, Arthur and Eliza Ann moved to a house called ‘Charnwood’, no.12 Forest Road, which had previously been the home of Gilbert Tucker (jnr.), and where the latter had kept a few cows, and sold their milk. [Update 2023: According to the Bulletin of the Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society, of 1963, the house occupied by A.E. Shepherd was the one which was demolished for the Trinity Methodist church]

12 Forest Road [Update 2023: not the home of A.E. Shepherd]

Arthur Edward Shepherd’s decorating business was very successful, so he decided to diversify from decorating, and expand into land development and house building. He joined an informal partnership with Walter Mounteney, the brother of Hilda Pick Mounteney, who was the second wife of Bernard Nixon Wale, the subject of several earlier blogposts. 

There were a number of deaths in the 1920s. Firstly, in January 1923, Charlotte, Eliza Ann’s mother, died at the age of 75. In 1926, Edgar Corah, who owned the building firm of William Corah, died. The company had been established since 1851, and following Edgar’s death, Arthur Edward Shepherd bought shares in the company and with his three sons established his building and decorating firm.

Edgar Corah almshouses on Middleton Place

We already know that Arthur Edward Shepherd’s two brothers, William and Frederick emigrated to Philadelphia, so it’s lovely to learn that William, retired, and his wife Lydia, visited Arthur in 1929. They arrived in Southampton on 14 June, from New York, on a ship called the Olympic, part of the White Star Dominion line. They were aged 68 and 65 respectively, and would be staying at 12 Forest Avenue, Loughborough. When they visited again in 1932, they arrived into Southampton on 8 July, again on the Olympic. Again, they were staying with Arthur at no.12 on what was now called Forest Road.

Meanwhile, Frederick Marshall Shepherd (aged 55), Arthur’s brother, is listed on the US census of 1930 when he was living in Philadelphia, with his wife, Ada (also aged 55), who seems to have been born in Germany, and their daughter, Elsie M., aged 25, who was working as a saleslady in a department store. Frederick is a landlord of a hosiery mill.      

And back in Loughborough, Albert Marshall Shepherd, a member of the Baxter Gate Baptist Chapel, was living at a house called ‘Fairmount’, no.43 Westfield Drive. In 1933, Albert and Eliza Ann moved from Forest Road, to a property called High Croft, on Holywell Drive, and it was to this property that William Shepherd, aged 75, and his wife Lydia A., aged 71, came when they arrived in Southampton from New York, on 11 July 1934, on a ship called Berengaria, of the Cunard White Star line. William is retired.

Fairmount on Westfield Drive

High Croft, Holywell Drive

After the death of William Street, Eliza Ann’s father in April 1937, at the age of 88, Arthur and Eliza Ann made a trip to America and Canada to visit his two brothers, William and Frederick. Arthur and his wife returned from New York on 27 July 1937, on the Bernegaria, which was part of the Cunard White Star steamship line, and which sailed into Southampton.

In 1938, with his business partner, Walter Mounteney, Arthur Edward Shepherd bought Atherstone House in Wards End, which they demolished and erected a new building in its place, the one that still stands today and is now a Wetherspoons pub.

On the 1939 register, Arthur and Eliza Ann were still living on Holywell Drive, their house being listed between a property on one side called Blue Tiles, and on the other Bryn Awl (possibly!). Meanwhile, brother Albert, a widower, was still living at 43 Westfield Drive, and was listed as a director and secretary of a limited company of house furnishers, probably Clemersons.

Blue Tiles, Holywell Drive

Sadly, in April 1939, Arthur and Eliza Ann’s son, Albert, died following complications after surgery for appendicitis. Then, in February 1943, Walter Mounteney, Arthur’s business partner died. Later that same year, Arthur himself had a successful operation.

It was a happy day on 20 October 1944, as Arthur and Eliza Ann celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. In 1948, they were visited by brother Frederick when he arrived in Southampton on a ship called the Queen Elizabeth, part of the Cunard White Star line, from New York, on 6 July 1948.

1950 saw the death, on 20 April, of Arthur’s brother John Henry, and in October of his sister Caroline Elliott, aged 92. 1951 was an eventful year, when Arthur built a bungalow in the garden of his house called Highcroft (or High Croft), and called it Greenwoods. He also spent 5 months in Harlow Woods OrthopaedicHospital in Mansfield, after tripping and breaking his thigh. 

Another happy occasion came in 1954, when on October 20, Arthur and Eliza Ann celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary.

On 20 February 1962 Arthur Edward Shepherd, listed as being of Greenwoods, 1 Holywell Drive, died. Probate was granted on 27 June 1962 to his sons, Arthur Shepherd and William Shepherd, both builders and contractors, and John Shepherd, civil engineer. His effects amounted to £48,429 15s. 10d.

The following year, on 29 March 1963 death of Eliza Ann Shepherd of Greenwoods, 1 Holywell Drive, died at Harlow Wood Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts. [Note – I have not been able to establish if this was the same hospital as Arthur stayed in in 1951]. Probate was granted at Leicester on 10 June 1963 to her sons, Arthur and William Shepherd, building contractors. Effects amounted to £8,253.

The death of Albert Marshall Shepherd, of 43 Westfield Drive Loughborough, brother to Arthur Edward Shepherd, happened in Moseley, Birmingham, on 9 December 1964. Probate was granted on 2 March 1965 to Arthur Shepherd, builder and son of Arthur Edward Shepherd, and the Rev. John Henry Collins. Albert’s effects were £8704.

My investigations and research into the life of Arthur Edward Shepherd has been done as a result of my interest in - amongst many other things - the residential development of Loughborough, and a specific request from someone for more information about a specific street in Loughborough.

During his time as a painter, Arthur Edward Shepherd was involved in many pieces of work like limewashing the pantry and dairy of the Hathern Rectory; decorating the Free Wesleyan Church in Wood Gate, and limewashing the walls of the Herbert Morris Empress Road Works. When Arthur Edward Shepherd went into the house building business, he partnered with Walter Mounteney who was a coal and lime merchant at the time. Some of their first development together involved the area around Forest Road, including building Outwoods Drive.

Once Arthur Edward Shepherd’s sons joined the venture, the building firm developed Park Road and Parklands Drive, and demolished what they described as slum housing on Mill Street, now Market Street. I’m assuming they replaced these buildings with the brick Art Deco buildings that still stand in Market Street today, which are said to resemble a steamship, or the adjacent ones faced with Hathernware – or maybe the whole of that side of the street.  

Parcels of land on the Burleigh Estate had been offered for sale around 1920, and Arthur Edward Shepherd had bought and sold some of these, buying some back in the late-1920s-early-1930s, where they built a new development of houses, centred around Benscliffe Drive, Fairmount Drive, Highfields Drive, Holywell Drive, and the eponymous Shepherd’s Close.

Looking down Fairmount Drive to Forest Road

The story of Fairmount Drive … to be cont’d.

Information researched in the usual sources, plus: Cross, Joy & Staple, Margaret (eds.) (1994). Memoirs of a Loughborough man: A.E. Shepherd, 1872-1962. Nottingham: University of Nottingham, Department of Adult Education.  

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Dyer, Lynne (2020). So who was Arthur Edward Shepherd? Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/11/so-who-was-athur-edward-shepherd.html [Accessed 22 November 2020]

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