Fred Shires

[Danceangel]

I'm interested in any information about the family of Fred Shires (my great grandfather) born 1848 near Wakefield. He was a coal merchant who navigated the Aire Calder Canal, living on Edinburgh Street, Hook for a while where my great grandmother was a grocer. His son Ernest was a ships carpenters apprentice in 1891. Fred had a second and third marriage to Mary Hattersley and Emma Storey, possibly from Goole.

[keyboard86]

Hi in case you do not have this, these are his parents and siblings in 1851:-

John Shires 35 occ Coal Agent b Normanton
Mary 34 b lofthouse
Joseph 8 b Stanley
Newman 6 b Stanley
Fred 3 b Methley
Annis (Daughter) 1 b Methley
Martha Joy 52 Visitor/Widow/Pauper b Lofthouse
Residng at Bottom Boat Lane, Methley
Census Ref HO107/2329/12/16
Keyboard86

[Danceangel]

Hi

Thank you for the reply - I do have the census information, thank you - but it it is good to know that someone is reading and responding to the posts!

thanks again, Tricia

[keyboard86]

Hi Tricia, I always read new posts!!

As you know so much re Fred, are you therefore mostly interested in the lives of his siblings, from 1851?

Keyboard86

[Danceangel]

Hi
 I am interested in finding out any information about the social history of the family - is this an area that you are interested in?

[crisane]

Fred was an insurance agent in 1891 and a coal carrier by water barge in 1901 so it is in this period that he returned to the same occupation of his father in 1851 but Fred stipulates coal carrier by water barge. Interestingly in 1911 he says he was born Bottom Boat nr Wakefield. A town or a barge/boat?
Emma says she was born Leeds and she and Fred were married in Leeds in 1904.

[Danceangel]

Hi
Bottomboat was an area of Wakefield - I found a fantastic website recently that gives a lot of the history of that area: http://www.stanleyhistoryonline.com

[crisane]

Hi
Bottomboat was an area of Wakefield - I found a fantastic website recently that gives a lot of the history of that area: http://www.stanleyhistoryonline.com

I see that Fred also gives Bottom Boat as his place of birth in 1881 although his parents put it as Merthyr in an earlier census.
Fred tried a few things didn't he? Engineman on steam cranes for boats in 1871, boatman on river in 1881 then insuarance agent in 1891 and back to the river and coal carrier in 1901.  Always trying to better himself? to provide a decent living for his family. Although his occupations changed he didn't move very far from his birthplace.
Have just taken a look at the web site. As you say, brilliant.

[snowball]

Hi,
This looks like Fred's father ending business relationships in 1856 and 1875:
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21886/pages/1888 (last entry)
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/24227/pages/3586 (last entry)

And this might be him living on land acquired by the gas board in 1876!: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/24384/pages/6121 (first column)

Regards
Rob