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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Berkshire => Topic started by: seasider on Tuesday 26 January 21 16:00 GMT (UK)
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I have just received a death certificate for 1848. The address is Tusons Yard, Saint Mary's Hill Street, Newbury.
Does anyone have information as to what went on at Tusons Yard, why would it be named after the Tusons? The Tusons lived there, they were my 3rd Gr.Grandparents.John Tuson died in 1831 but I don't have his occupation. Elizabeth was a midwife and that's who's death cert I have.
There was also Joseph who looks like the son born around 1824,but Elizabeth would have been 50 when she gave birth. I can't find a Birth for Joseph.
Any help on the Tusons please.
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Tuson's Yard would have been a cluster of cottages that had been built in the yard behind a building on the street frontage. There were many such yards in Newbury and they varied from slum accommodation to a few quite nice properties - but the former was more common. In the early 20th century they were seen to be a problem, council house building began and the cottages were largely demolished over the years - especially since WWII as the sites were redeveloped.
A big problem is that the names of the yards changed as the owners or occupiers of the street frontage changed - they had no official names until the 1870s. It would be unusual for a yard to be named after the occupants, but I can't say it is impossible. In 1878 the Borough Council were asked for names to be put on to the first official detailed map which was being surveyed by the Ordnance Survey.
In 1878 there were six yards off St Mary's Hill: Bradley's Yard, Garland's Yard, Pigeon's Yard, Brixton Yard, Miller's Yard & Turk's Yard. Any of these could have been Tuson's Yard in 1848, but I suspect none of them were.
To complicate things further, the point at which St Mary's Hill starts and Cheap Street begins is not static.
The Tuson I most associate with the area is Charles, landlord of the Coach & Horses - usually referred to as Cheap St, but sometimes as St Mary's Hill. Sadly this pub was demolished before 1878, but there was a Coach & Horses Yard, which was absorbed into a new Market Street in 1872. This would seem to be the most obvious 'Tuson's Yard', though Tuson was not yet at the pub when the 1848 County Directory was compiled and I can't prove he was there until 1851. Nevertheless a Tuson family, which includes Charles and his brother Henry, were in the approximate area in 1841.
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Thank you for this really interesting information. Yes, Henry and Charles Tuson are in my tree as cousins.
I also have Elizabeth Tuson formerly Beasley, a midwife living with what looks like her son on the 1841 census. Her husband John Tuson died in 1831, I have been trying to find his occupation. They seemed to have travelled around ports, marrying in Bristol 4 Jun 1798, a child Charlotte baptised in Great Yarmouth 1810, Ellen in Lancaster 1812. Others Martha, John, Daniel and Joseph all baptised in Newbury. If course there must have been children born after the marriage before Charlotte in 1810. According to Family Search trees the first was Betsy born Newbury 1799, which just states it's from Newbury Parish records but I can't find anything to support this.
Would you know of any commerce at the ports for John and Elizabeth to have travelled away from Newbury?
One thing I have done is sent for the Marriage certificate of their son Joseph in the hope that it will state his father's occupation. Elizabeth would have had Joseph at around 50 years of age, so I'm hoping that he is a son and not another relative.
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Hello Seasider,
This caught my eye because some of my folk lived in the St Marys Hill area at various times.
I think you will find that Joseph (son of John and Elizabeth) was born in 1824 and baptised in 1827; his father was a weaver. I’ll send you a private message about this.
I’ve never come across Tuson’s Yard before, although I see Joseph was living (as a general dealer) in Factory Yard, Cheap Street at the 1851 census.
A quick search of old newspapers at Findmypast shows plenty of Tuscons (especially Henry and Charles), but only one report for Joseph. The Berkshire Chronicle of 3 Feb 1849 refers to him as “a keeper of one of the lowest houses in the town”. This could be a misreport and it really refers to Charles (as mentioned by Newburychap), or perhaps Charles took over from Joseph? Could this support Newburychap’s locating of Tuson Yard?
The 1841 census gives Elizabeth Tuson’s age as 60, which suggests she was 43-47 when John was born. This seems more likely than becoming a mother at 50 based on her age at death. But these given ages depend on who was giving the information.
Out of interest, who was the informant of Elizabeth’s 1848 death? What was the informant’s address.
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Thanks for this information. I did see on a tree that Joseph's baptism was in 1827 but nothing to support it.
Joseph was the informant at Elizabeth's death but didn't state the relationship. I noticed on the 1841 census that Elizabeth wasn't born in the county. The only birth I could find gor Elizabeth Beasley was in Lancashire.
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I saw the newspaper article on Joseph keeping one of the 'lowest houses' in town. The trouble is that there were plenty of candidates for the title. The Coach & Horses was close to its end by 1849 and would probably classify in the lower regions. There is another problem when searching newspapers - there were two Coach & Horses at that time, one in Newbury Borough and one in Speenhamland, but both in Newbury.
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Thanks newburychap
I had seen this and wasn't sure that it was Joseph either.
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I wonder, could this be your Elizabeth, age is out a bit but she does have a daughter Eleanor (Ellen) born c1812, husband John and is living in Mary Hill?
The 1815 census of Newbury
Elizabeth Tuson aged 35 living in Chubb's Yard on the east side of Mary Hill Newbury with children Maria 12, Mary Ann 8 and Eleanor 3. Husband John Tuson in Berks M
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?
1841 Census, Berkshire, Newbury - (Ancestry has transcribed as SUSON)
Samuel - 50 - Baker ? - all born in County
Ann - 40
Thomas - 13
William - 11
Edward - 9
George - 7
Betty - 3
Samuel - 5
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1851 Census, Berkshire, Newbury, Back Lane
the same family
TUSCON
Samuel - 66 - labourer (words crossed out - Ge A Mutton Pies) born Berkshire, Newbury
Ann - 60 - born Sussex, Seaford
Edward - 17
George - 15
Elizabeth 13
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National Archives
TUSCON, Samuel, Place of birth: Newbury, Berkshire
Continuous Service Number : 22409A - Date of Volunteering
Admiralty: Royal Navy Continuous Service Engagement Books... etc et. Date of Volunteering 30 May 1862, Date of Birth: 31 July 1837
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Looking at the 1861 Census
Enumerator's notes
The whole of the Houses situated on the East side of the Market Place, Saint Mary's Hill and Cheap Street and in every Yard or Court leading therefrom all Houses in Back Lane, Wharf Lane, Black Bear Yard and in the Coal Wharf.
Back Lane
Samuel TUSCON, Head, Mar - Baker Master, born Newbury Berkshire
Ann - 70 - Baker's wife - born Seaford, Sussex
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???
There is a Public Members Tree on Ancestry (plus a photo of)
Samuel TUSON - giving his parents as John TUSON 1752-1843 and Ann STROUD - 1756 -1828
It also links to the 1841 Census, in Berkshire, Newbury - at
Bartholmew Alme House No. 1 of
John TUSON - who is aged 85 - and a Wool comber (born in this County)
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Thanks for these replies, I think it is the families I'm looking for.