Bishop Wilton - Family History

One of Dan Inman’s genealogy interests is the Beedham family who farmed at Gowthorpe; there were 17 children whose offspring are now widely scattered. Dan’s great-grandmother, Lucy, was one of the 17 and she married his great-grandfather, William Inman, a farmer at East Acklam.

Dan has notes on the Beedham family written by George Beedham. These were written in 1930 when George was living in Pocklington. George, one of the 17 children, was born at Gowthorpe in 1844.

The following extracts from George Beedham’s notes relate to Gowthorpe and Bishop Wilton:

Richard and Mary Hithershew were married at Fenton Church about 1809. Their children were:
1. Nathaniel Page Beedham who died at Newark about 1887 in poor circumstances.
2. John Beedham (my father) born Aug 4th 1811.
3. Ann born 1813, married George Marshall of Doddington, tailor.
4. Jane born 1814, married George Shippam of Mansfield and became the ancestress of the prosperous Shippams of Mansfield.

Eliza born 1821, married Steel of Poppleton, farmer, and they emigrated to the State of New York in 1851.

Jonathan who emigrated to America in 1851 first came to Gowthorpe with my father in 1844. About 1848 he built a steam mill at Bishop Wilton but was unsuccessful. He died in America about 1893 aged 76.

The above John Beedham (my father) was helped by the Rev. William Brocklebank to take a small farm called Cold Harbour at Norton Disney. Through a dispute with Colonel Hare he migrated to Gowthorpe, Yorks, Lady Day 1844 where he was successful and died in 1889 aged 79 years. His wife, my mother, was the only daughter of Henry Astling previously mentioned and called Mary. She died at Gowthorpe in 1891 aged 70 years.

My father's family by his wife Mary (nee) Astling were:
1. Mary born at Norton Disney about 1839. She became the wife of Thomas West of Bishop Wilton, she died at Gowthorpe in 1909 and was buried at Bishop Wilton.
2. Henry born at Norton Disney Oct 10th 1841 became a farmer at Full Sutton, Yorks. Married Ann Green and died in the year 1911.
3. James born at Norton Disney May 7th 1843. He was drowned in the sawpit at Gowthorpe in 1846.
4. George (myself) born at Gowthorpe Dec 30th 1844, married Matilda daughter of Daniel Powell, Art Decorator of Marylebone, May 20th 1871.
5. Sarah born 1846, married Matthew Sonley, stonemason of Shipley near Bradford. She died c.1924 aged 76 years.
6. Hannah born 1848 married Francis Nolton of Fangfoss Grange, farmer. She died c.1924 aged 77 years.
7. Alice born 1849 married Joseph Hodsman of York.
8. Lucy born 1856 married William Inman of East Acklam, farmer.
9. Jane born 1858 married Tom Turner, Whitwood, Castleford.
10. Flora born 1860 married (1) James Fairbourne of East Acklam, farmer and (2) William Henry Jebson, veterinary surgeon, Pocklington.
11. Charlotte born 1862 marries Rev. Robert Penty of Bondi, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
12. Ellen born 1864 married Richard Brigham of Gowthorpe.
13. Elizabeth born 1866 married Alfred Hamm, Master Carman, of White Cross Street, London
14. Untraced
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The family of George Beedham (myself) are as follows:
Mary Julea born 1875, married Herbert Howden, Thornton, Melbourne, Yorks., farmer who have issue Geoffrey.George born 1878, Chief Engineer of Submarine A8, drowned off Plymouth June 1905.
Ralph John born 1879, married Dora Spong, issue Ruth and David John Beedham.
Bertha born 1885. Now (1930) residing at Welton House, Burnby Lane, Pocklington. [Bertha died 25/6/1970]

Mrs Lily Jebson’s late husband, William Jebson, was the grandson of William and Flora Jebson mentioned above. Lily recalls a story about the arrival of the Beedham family in 1844. They came by train to Fangfoss Station and went to the Gowthorpe farm only to find that they weren’t allowed in due to a mix up over payment. It all had to be sorted out while the mother and children waited outside.

Ellen Brigham’s Farming Diary for 1911 to 1930 is available for reference in the Beverley Local Studies Library. The original handwritten diary was loaned to the library by Ellen’s relatives so that it could be copied and bound. Written during Ellen’s time at Swynford House Farm, Gowthorpe, the diary contains references to the farming calendar and to people, villages and events in the surrounding area.

The Steam Mill

The reference to the steam mill in Bishop Wilton is particularly noteworthy. Located at what is now No. 15, its former existence was known to Owen Robinson who lived there until he died in 1998. He often speculated on its use. Now we know how brief its existence was, it is fortuitous that it was identified on an Ordnance Survey map published in the 1850s. In his book “The East Riding of Yorkshire Landscape”, K. J. Allison says that there were only “a handful of new steam-mills at work in 1850”.

Miraculously, a check for Jonathan Beedham on the Internet returns a newspaper abstract from the Union & Advertiser for Rochester, Monroe, N. Y., dated January 2, 1894:

Jonathan BEEDHAM died yesterday morning at 10 Erie Street, aged 70 years. He leaves a wife and five children. The interment will be at Spencerport.

George Beedham, the writer of the notes, died in 1932. He is buried at Bishop Wilton with the inscription “… 40 years a servant of the G.N.R.; 18 years manager of Bread St. Depot, London.” George’s wife, Ellen Matilda, who died in 1924, is also buried in Bishop Wilton. Her inscription also includes “George, elder son of the above who lost his life in submarine A.8., June 8th, 1905. (Interred at Plymouth).”

Above the title “Heroes all of Them” is a montage of photographs of the crew, both those who drowned and those who were saved. One of these is George Beedham, ERA. His grave at Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse Cemetery, Ford Park, Plymouth bears the inscription:

George Beedham, Engine Room Artificer, 27 yrs, of Winchmore Cottage, Stamford Bridge, York. Next kin, sister Bertha.

Beedham Family History