JAMES SIMPSON (1856-1914) HILLSBOROUGH SHEFFIELD

The first entry I can find for James is as a four year old boy living with his family at Edward Street in Sheffield in 1861

Ten years later in 1871 the family have moved to Weston Street which is not that far from their previous address in Edward Street

The 1881 UK Census shows James's occupation as a barman. Craven Street was, and still is, in the Netherthorpe, district of Sheffield. By that time he had married AMELIA FIDLER.

No 4 Craven Street Sheffield - FHL Film 1342123 PRO Ref RG11 Piece Folio 4647/62 Page Number 27

I cannot find any entry for James and Amelia and their family in the 1891 UK Census which is puzzling to say the least

However there is a newspaper report from 1890 which gives an indication of their whereabouts. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 28th August 1890 notes that James had applied for a billiard licence for a "private house" at 353 Walkley Lane in Sheffield and that he had already held a similar licence for a private house for five years. He was of good character and there were no complaints. To fill the reader in for the time being the works referred to in the report were the Burgon and Ball works that were situated at Malin Bridge in Sheffield. And it appears that James was also engaged there as an employee.

The address given in the report is the location of a club called the La Plata and so it must be assumed that James and Amelia were the stewards, managers (or even owners) of the club. It is not made clear who owns 353 Walkley Lane and what was the status of James and Amelia.

But the situation was made clearer in 1894 when this disturbing report appeared in a local newspaper. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 30th May 1894 had the following report where it stated that James was the manager of the sheep shear grinding department at Burgon and Ball's La Plata works at Malin Bridge. It appears that there was a strike at the works and instead of negotiating, the company merely employed new labour. And it was alleged the James as manager had taught these new employers the business of Sheep shear grinding much to the annoyance of those on strike. James as a manager remained at work but the paper notes that he did not train the new recruits as local rumour had it. Nevertheless local opinion was hostile to James and his family and his house came under attack on several occasions.

The police and the authorities certainly applied a light touch to the intimidation and threats to James and his family. And the report in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph certainly plays down any connection between the striking employees of Burgon & Ball and the intimidation that was shown on a number of occasions to James and his family.

But there was an unexpected outcome to the dispute. The Dundee Advertiser dated 13th December 1894 carried this report of a "new development in trade unionism"

But sadly JAMES and AMELIA received another tragedy. In July 1895 they lost their eldest son JAMES who was just nine years old. He died at 355 Walkley Lane Sheffield. They had already lost their first child SARAH in 1886 and she was only two and a half years old> James was laid to rest alongside his sister in Walkley Cemetery Sheffield.

The 1901 Census shows James Simpson still living with his family at 355 Walkley Lane Sheffield (Nether Hallam), PRO Ref RG13/4343 Page No 4 entry 29

No entry was made for James' occupation which is unusual for the time but a report in The Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 14th June 1901 may shed light on the matter.

James legal action against his employers stem from the industrial dispute of 1894 in which a limited liability company was formed. It was the "new development in trade unionism" that was highlighted earlier in the article. It is apparent from the report that James had his terms and conditions of employment altered in 1894 when his notice period was reduced from 4 weeks to 1 week. The fact that a partner in the firm had given him a verbal assurance that nothing had changed and that his notice period was still 4 weeks is more or less heresay . He should have got this verbal assurance in writing. Similarly we have only got verbal testimony from the company about was was said between James and his employers prior to his dismissal - there appears to be nothing in writing apart from the letter from the company in which it was stated that he had dismissed himself. James believed he did not dismiss himself but looking at the actions of the company I am more inclined to side with James. James contracted bronchitis in October but when he was fit enough to return to work three months later he was told that his job had been filled and that he was in effect unemployed. Why did they not convey this information earlier when the job was filled?

James had also invested nearly £43000GBP in today's money in the new limited company and so he had an financial interest in the present and future prosperity of the company. But the court found in favour of the company and against James.

But James and his family did remain at 344 Walkley Lane. Three years later the Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 3rd June 1904 reported that JAMES by now a greengrocer had been fined for having in his possession an unjust scale. The fine was about £75.00 in today's money

Name Amelia Simpson
Relationship to Head of Household Wife
Condition / Years Married Married / 31 Years
Total Children Born Alive 10 Children Still Living 5
Children Who Have Died 5
Gender Female Age 52 Estimated Year of Birth 1859
Occupation Wife Employed No Working at Home Yes
Place of Birth Sheffield Yorkshire
Enumerator Information Address 164 Langsett Road Sheffield Parish Ecclesall Town Sheffield
Type of Building Public House Number of Rooms 12 Rooms Inhabited Yes
Reference RG14PN27714 RG78PN1587 RD509 SD1 ED14 SN261 Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding) Registration District Ecclesall Bierlow Registration Sub District Ecclesall North Enumeration District 14

SURNAME	Age	Relation	Occupation	Place of Birth
James SIMPSON	54	Head	Beerhouse Keeper	Sheffield Yorkshire
Amelia SIMPSON	53	Wife		Sheffield Yorkshire
Fred SIMPSON	23	Son - Widower	Billiard Marker	Sheffield Yorkshire
Alice SIMPSON	18	Daughter Single		Sheffield Yorkshire
Charlie SIMPSON	16	Son Single	Billiard Marker	Sheffield Yorkshire
Samuel SIMPSON	13	Son	Going to School	Sheffield Yorkshire
Kate Amelia SIMPSON	4	Grandaughter		Sheffield Yorkshire
James SIMPSON	18month	Grandson		Sheffield Yorkshire

164 Langsett Road Sheffield is or rather was known as the CUTHBERT BANK public house. It finally closed a couple of years ago, but the building still remains. It looks as though JAMES had taken on the licence of this beerhouse but when he died in November 1914, he died at 355 Walkley Lane at what is now the La Plata Club and so he must have retained some connection with the premises. In fact when his wife died in March 1933 she also died at that address which seems to indicate that they either owned it or had a lifelong interest in the building.

As for James and Amelia, they were both buried in St Mary's C of E Cemetery in Walkley, Sheffield. The burial registers give the following information

[Name/date of burial/address or place where death occurred/age/ceremony by]

Grave reference B320

SIMPSON James 30 Jul 1895 355 Walkley Lane 9
SIMPSON James 7 Dec 1914 355 Walkley Lane 56 T.M. Archer
SIMPSON Sarah 18 Apr 1886 "Hillsbro',Taplin Rd" 2½ Thomas Smith

[Name/date of burial/address or place where death occurred/age/ceremony by]

SIMPSON Amelia 27 Mar 1933 355 Walkley Lane 72 Guy TS Cook

There is an error in the burial records - Amelia is buried with her family in Grave B320 and not B350

SIMPSON, James (~, age 9). Died at 355 Walkley Lane; Buried on July 30, 1895 in ~ ground; Grave Number 320, Section B of Walkley Cemetery Cemetery, Nichols Rd. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: ~.Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 12

SIMPSON, James (~, age 56).Died at 355 Walkley Lane; Buried on December 7, 1914 in ~ ground; Grave Number 320, Section B of Walkley Cemetery Cemetery, Nichols Rd.Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: ~.Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 188

SIMPSON, Sarah (~, age 2). Died at Taplin Rd Hillsborough; Buried on April 18, 1886 in ~ ground; Grave Number 320, Section B of Walkley Cemetery Cemetery, Nichols Rd. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: ~.Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 27

SIMPSON, Amelia (~, age 72).Died at 355 Walkley Lane; Buried on March 27, 1933 in ~ ground; Grave Number 320, Section B of Walkley Cemetery Cemetery, Nichols Rd Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: ~.Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 44

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

SARAH

The Beloved daughter of James & Amelia Simpson of Hillsboro

who died April 14th 1883 aged 2 years & 6 months

Also of James their son who died July 27th 1895 aged 9

Also of the above named

JAMES SIMPSON

who died Nov 3rd 1914 age 56 years

Peace Peace Peace

Also of the above named

AMELIA SIMPSON

The Beloved wife of the above

who died March 24th 1933 age 72

The information revealed two children that I was unaware of - JAMES and SARAH SIMPSON. Sarah would have been the eldest child, born in late 1883.(GRO REF Ecclesall Bierlow Volume 9C Page310). Her death is registered in the June quarter of 1886 (GRO REF Wortley Volume 9C Page 148). She was just two years of age when she died. Her brother JAMES was born in the same year as SARAH died (GRO REF Wortley Volume 9C Page 265). His death was registered nine years later in the September quarter of 1895 (GRO REF Ecclesall Bierlow Volume 9C Page310).

Incidentally the other point to arise from the registers is that it looks as though the family moved from Taplin Road to Walkley Lane sometime between 1890 and 1892

In September 2008, I obtained the following information from the Baptismal Registers for St John the Baptist Church, Owlerton, Sheffield

SURNAME	Age	Rel	Occupation	Place of Birth
James SIMPSON	24	Head	Barman (Inn Servant)	Sheffield Yorkshire
Amelia SIMPSON	23	Wife		Sheffield Yorkshire
Amelia FIDLER	57	Mother in Law	Nurse (Sub Med)	Holmesfield Derbyshire