Tag: #sticklepath

Who was Auntie Kate? The Birth of Kezia Ching

On By HelenFinchIn #SticklepathOnePlace3 Comments

Auntie Kate, my alter ego, is telling Tales of Sticklepath School at the #AllAboutThatPlace event. So who was Auntie Kate? Born Kezia Ching, she lived from 1860 to 1933. My Grandmother’s Aunt and then Stepmother, but always known as Auntie Kate. Surprisingly her first husband was known by his surname – Uncle Middle. Perhaps a sign of respect. But let’s start at the beginning.

Hugh Pyke, registrar of births and deaths kindly registered Kate’s birth as described by her mother, with his clear handwriting and an accurate transcription is found at The General Register Office, now available almost instantaneously in digital format.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/ accessed 7 Sept 2023 under new digital format (£2.50) GRO Reference: 1860  S Quarter in OKEHAMPTON  Volume 05B  Page 369

It shows that Kezia Huxtable Ching was born to George Ching, driver of an omnibus, and his wife Eliza who was previously a Huxtable. This strongly suggests George and Eliza were married. Kezia was born on Sixth of September 1860 at Coombe Head (a farm) Sticklepath, Sampford Courtenay Parish. Mum went to register the birth on 15th September, which suggests she was in good health. Kezia already had an older sister Eliza.

The Ching Family lived at Coombe Head Farm Sticklepath, Devon with Eliza’s parents. 

In all George and Eliza Ching had three daughters and twin sons. They are well spaced. I wonder if George travelled a lot with his work?

NameBornDiedMarried name
George Ching18261897
Eliza Huxtable18271911Mrs George Ching
Eliza Ellis Ching18561918
Kezia Huxtable Ching18601933Mrs Albany Finch 3rd
Mrs William Middle
Georgina Ching18631917Mrs Albany Finch 2nd
George Edwin Ching18671926
Louis Richard Huxtable Ching18671927

In the 1861 census we find that Kezia’s grandparents were John Huxtable, agricultural labourer (75 years old) and his wife Kezia Huxtable a dress-maker (67 years old). Her father George is now a ‘Higgler’.

A higgler was  an itinerant trader, buying and selling items such as butter, cheese, poultry and eggs. Perhaps he would travel to the coast to sell his wares and return with fish. Higglers like peddlers and badgers (who sold corn and grain), needed a licence. Unfortunately I have not yet found any evidence of this.

Kezia is in the centre of the back row:

The Ching Family c.1880

In 1871 George, now a Carrier, is head of household with Eliza his wife. Daughter Kezia is aged 10 years. William White’s History, Gazetteer & Directory of Devon 1878-9 (accessed through the Leicester University special collections online) shows George Ching as Farmer and Bus Proprietor. This type of directory took several years to prepare, so information was often out of date. Unfortunately in 1878, when George would be 54 years old, the newspaper suggests the family hit hard times, selling the omnibus and market trap and ‘declining business’:

Western Times – Friday 05 July 1878 accessed via BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk Sept 7 2023.

HIGHER COOMBEHEAD, near STICKLEPATH. MR. W. FEWINS will SELL by Auction WEDNESDAY, the 10th of July, at 3 p.m., 17 Acres of Corn and Grass, 1 very useful Farm Horse, 1 Heifer Yearling, Omnibus, Market Trap, Farm Implements, and a portion of the Household Furniture, the property Mr. George Ching, declining business.

In 1881 George and Eliza have sister-in-law Kezia Huxtable staying with them at Higher Coombe Head. Kezia really was a family name, both grandmother and Aunt! In 1881 George is described as an Ag Lab, but by 1891 George is described as a ‘small farmer’ again, still living at Higher Coombehead farm.

Now did you see what I did – started talking about Kate and went off on a tangent to her father’s occupation. This sort of diversion is a constant risk for all family historians! Important to setting the scene here perhaps.

More about Kate …

References not included above:

England & Wales Census 1861 Okehampton District Class: RG 9; Piece: 1469; Folio: 98; Page: 13; GSU roll: 542818 Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk 

England & Wales Census 1871 Okehampton District Class: RG10; Piece: 2156; Folio: 24; Page: 6; GSU roll: 832040. Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk

England & Wales Census 1881 Okehampton District Class: RG11; Piece: 2226; Folio: 89; Page: 4; GSU roll: 1341536 Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk

England & Wales Census 1891 Okehampton District Class: RG12; Piece: 1757; Folio: 79; Page: 3; GSU roll: 6096867 Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk

Celebrate a Tenth Anniversary in Style!

On By HelenFinchIn Local HistoryLeave a comment

Celebration of 25 years of marriage with silver and 50 years of marriage with gold symbolises prosperity, and of course to an extent luck with both parties still living. Commercialisation means more and more anniversaries are celebrated (Father’s Day, even Black Friday) and each year has its own ‘traditions’. Ten years of marriage is apparently tin, or diamond if you ask a jeweller!

The Society for One-Place Studies is celebrating ten years since it started. With members all around the world and widespread studies too, a party is not ideal. Perhaps diamond cut tin badges? However, the committee (of which I confess I am a member) thought long and hard, and invites members to celebrate with any items to do with 10. Number 10 on a street or ten exciting stories and so forth. Blogs, journal articles, and of course the annual conference (free to members). Try using #OnePlaceStudies especially on #OnePlaceWednesdays to find some of them.

Even more exciting we have joined forces with several other organisations to celebrate for ten days with ten or more ten minute talks each day on relevant topics.

More information is coming very soon! #SticklepathOne Place Study has roped in Auntie Kate to tell some Tales of Sticklepath School. Plus a second talk about Creating Auntie Kate (she will not be attending that one in person).

Details all over the internet and will be in a blog tomorrow… watch this space

Ernest Pym

On By HelenFinchIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It is always pleasing to find a free site for genealogy and when you can search by place and there is an entry for your #OnePlaceStudy, even more so. The site in question is MasonicPeriodicals.org and this is the sad article I found, 24th December 1898, regarding a young headmaster of Sticklepath board school.

To understand the article’s title, it may help to know more about the symbolism of acacia in freemasonry. Essentially the Jews have long considered acacia to be a most holy tree as God chose it with which to build the ark of the covenant to house the stones of the ten Commandments. As a sweet smelling evergreen which grows in the most inhospitable environments it is a symbol of the immortality of the soul, and used during ceremonies of the Freemasons.

(V.B.D.R. is not a familiar abbreviation but may be Volunteer Battalion of the Devon Regiment.)

“A Sprig of Acacia”

On Monday the funeral took place of Bro. E Pym, who was only 27 years of age, and commenced his career as pupil teacher under St. Thomas School Board, Exeter. In 1892 he proceeded to Exeter Diocesan Training College, and after being assistant master at Cullompton National School returned to his former school in the same capacity.

He was a few years since appointed to the head mastership of the Sticklepath Board School, and endeared himself both to the parents and children, and took an active interest in local matters.

He was a member of the cyclist section of the 4th V.B.D.R., who were represented at the funeral by Sergeant-Instructor Perry.

Deceased was also a member of Lodge Obedience, 1753, Okehampton, and filled the office of assistant organist.

In 1897 his health gave way, and he took a 6 months rest. At the expiration of the term he resumed duties at Challacombe as head master, but was shortly obliged to relinquish the post, and returned to his native village, where, on 14th inst., he peacefully passed away.

From my family collection. Mr Pym, Schoolmaster. Dating clues- Taken by G Denney&Co Exeter and Teignmouth. Denney, G & Co – Exeter, Devon -1893-1902 George Denney was born in London around 1835 and in 1891 was living in Teignmouth, Devon, with his wife and two daughters. His occupation is given as artist & photographer. Dark green mount: Stronger shades such as bottle green, black, chocolate brown and maroon mounts were fashionable 1884-1905. Perhaps taken to celebrate his appointment as head c.1894?

According to “A Village School Chronicle 1879-1979” by Victor W. Hutchison, the headmaster of Sticklepath school from 1894-1897 was Ernest William Pym. A summary and timeline of the school can be found here .

Ernest William was baptised 5 Feb 1871 in Drewsteignton, Devon, and the baptism record helpfully names his father William Grimsher Pym and his mother Lucy Holman Pym. He appears in the 2 April 1871 census aged 3 months, living with his father, his mother and his grandmother Jane Bevens. All three were or are school teachers at that time. His mother’s imputed maiden name is compatible with the GRO.gov birth index:

FindMyPast have Drewsteignton school admission registers in which he appears as a pupil. By 1871 his parents have employed a 14 year old servant and Ernest is a ‘scholar’. By 1891, as we may expect from the obituary, he is lodging at 113 Regent Street, St Thomas, Exeter along with a fellow elementary school teacher Thomas P Langley with a family named Lacon.

The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette announce “Mr. Pym, of St. Thomas, has been elected Headmaster at Sticklepath Board School” on 15th and 16th February 1894 and by that August he is already on the committee helping to organise the village flower show.

The Gazette again mentions him in April 1895 as he plays the death march from Saul on the organ for the funeral of Rev Chichester in Drewsteignton. The latter gentleman was very involved with schools both in Drewsteignton and Whiddon Down.

Following Mr Pym’s own demise, probate was awarded 10 January 1899 in Exeter. This confirms the date of death, mentions he was a school master, and intriguingly names Miss Kate Bowden, Spinster as executor. He left £366 13s 6d. Another name to investigate….

I do not (yet) know where he was living when working as headmaster of Sticklepath School.