Nat Gould

Frank Austin 1870-1960

In Alstonefield Band

Frank Austin was born in 1870, the eldest son of Frank Austin and Mahala Berisford of Alstonefield in Staffordshire (1).

In 1891 Frank Austin was a shoemaker's apprentice aged 20. His grandfather George Berisford was the village shoemaker of Hartington in Derbyshire.

By 1901, still unmarried, he was a shoemaker working on his own account.

On 5 March 1902 he married Esther Millward at Earl Sterndale in Derbyshire. By 1911 they were living at Hope Dale in Alstonefield, when he was working as a boot repairer on his own account.

"Frank Austin, known as 'Cobbler Frank', started his business from the cobblers shop in Narrowdale. Although in ruins the building and garden can still be seen. Cobbler Austin then moved to 'Top of Hope' where he mended everyone's shoes with 1/4" leather soles and heels and then added heavy studs and rinks on heels and toe tips. He even did this to children's shoes. As children we used to gather round his workshop door to watch him working, and loved to see him cut out the shapes of the soles and heels from the thick pieces of leather. He always seemed to have a mouthful of tacks. His wife Esther was a lovely person who always wore a bonnet and spotless white apron, apart from when she was doing housework when she wore a hessian apron. Frank Austin lived to be in his 90s despite buying the fattiest bacon possible from Arme's shop, and then cooking it in lard. We have a bill from him dated Jan. 28th 1936 - 'Mens boots soled and heeled 4/3d'." (2)

Signature on 1911 Census Return

Frank Austin was a founder member of Alstonefield Parish Council when it was formed in 1896.
He loved music and played the big drum in Alstonefield Village Band.

He died in 1960 in his ninetieth year.
His wife had predeceased him in 1955 aged 86 years.

(1) He was born before his parents married, and his birth name was registered as Frank Austin Berisford. The Berisford name was dropped after his parents married. In the 1881 Census Return he was recorded as Frank Austin, by which name he was known for the rest of his life.
(2) Alstonefield Memories Tim Eades, Dorothy Critchlow and Doris Goodwin (2002) pages 14 and 15.