Henry and Ann Timpson · Luddington · 1879-1883

Luddington, Northamptonshire

A map of Luddington (in the Brook). — *This map shows Luddington (in the Brook) in relation to Kings Cliffe, Apethorpe and Glapthorn.*

Henry and Ann and their children travelled eight miles from Glapthorn to Luddington for Henry to take up his new position.

Luddington Parish or Luddington-in-the Brook lies on the border of Huntingdonshire and unusually a small part of it lies within the County of Huntingdonshire.

The Lord of the Manor (building totally in ruins) and only landowner at the time was the Duke of Buccleuch.

He was an absentee landlord and required a Farm Bailiff to run his local estate.

This was the position to which Henry had been appointed.

So what did Henry do as a Farm Bailiff?

Farm Bailiffs ran landed estates. The Farm Bailiff was employed by the Landowner and his managerial duties would include collecting rent, taxes and supervising both farm operations and labourers. Historically, the estate would typically include a home farm managed by the bailiff, several smaller farms occupied by tenants and a small village in which the farm labourers lived.

He made sure the tenant farmers ran the farms properly and were paying the rent on time. If not the bailiff had the authority to evict. The Bailiff would also have the responsibility of the employee’s wages and have his own office, usually within his own (free) accommodation.

Henry would have kept full records and reported regularly to the Duke of Buccleuch. This was the top position a non-landowner could aspire to in agricultural England. Henry would now be earning a minimum of £120 per year.

September 1879 – An Unexpected Visitor

After settling in the family were looking forward to Henry’s nephew William Groome and his wife Eliza and Eliza’s eleven year old daughter Ann Ellen Horner coming to stay when William had leave in September. Eliza was expecting their first child together in October and Ann thought she was expecting again so no doubt plenty for them to talk about.

There was some initial concern about travelling close to when the baby was due to be born but as Eliza was well and had had a child before they decided to travel. William had booked second class rail travel to Oundle and Henry would pick them up in the estate carriage for the trip to Luddington. Henry was looking forward to showing William around the estate.

All was well but not long after their arrival Eliza started getting pains and went into labour. Henry went and picked up the local midwife and before long Edith Frances Groome was born on 22 September 1879 at Luddington Lodge.

Henry and Ann’s Children born at Luddington

Edward Francis Timpson (TW11)

Their eleventh child was born on 8 April 1880 at Luddington Lodge, Luddington and registered in the civil registration records by his mother on 8 June 1880. Henry’s occupation is given as Farm Bailiff.

No baptismal records are available for Luddington after 1875 or burial records after 1783.

Sadly Edward Francis passed away on 3 August 1880 at Luddington Lodge, Luddington aged 4 months. His name was spelled correctly in the civil records and interestingly his eldest sister must have been visiting as Lizzie Timpson registered the death on 3 August 1880. Henry’s occupation is given as Farm Bailiff.

Lillie Groome Timpson (TW12)

Their twelfth child was born on 30 July 1881 at Luddington Lodge, Luddington and registered in the civil registration records by her mother on 6 September 1881. Henry’s occupation is given as Farm Bailiff.

Henry was so proud of the artistic talent of his nephew William Groome that they gave Lillie the middle name of Groome in recognition of his talent.

St Margaret Church, Luddingon, England — *St Margaret Church, Luddington, where Edward Francis and Lillie Groome Timpson would have been baptised and where Edward Francis buried.*

Family Life

Luddington Lodge where the family lived no longer exists and a new building is in its place.

Luddington Lodge Farm Entrance, England — *This picture is the entrance to Luddington Lodge Farm where the family lived and which Henry Timpson would have directly managed.*

The family appears here in the 1881 census held on 3 April 1881.

*Actual 1881 Census Excerpt, England, showing the Henry and Ann Timpson and family*

Of note is that Mary Lizzie the eldest child has left home to work in Oundle which will be covered in her personal chapter. Interestingly John Thomas is referred to as “John Tom”. They have a boarder Emmanuel Wheatley who is a Horsekeeper/Ag Lab. Henry would have ridden throughout the estate to perform his duties. Henry’s age is given as 47 and Ann’s as 40.

Letters were arriving from and being sent to family as was common in those days. Ann’s brothers Edward Wheelband and Alfred Wheelband had both married and settled in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. They were both Gardeners, which was the family’s line of work, and they wrote of the big money that could be made gardening for the large proportion of wealthy people that lived there. Harry William was convinced and moved there late 1881 to take up gardening.

After hearing from their son Harry William how much money he was making Henry resigned early in 1882. They decided to spend some time with eldest daughter Mary Lizzie who was working at Oundle Independent School and visit other family and many friends in the area before making the move to far away Cheltenham. They took rooms near Oundle and briefly enrolled the school age children at Cotterstock School on 27 February 1882 so their education could continue.

After all the farewells were done they caught the train at Oundle for the long journey to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.