Nat Gould

James Bestwick 1797-1866

James Bestwick was born in 1797 at Wetton in Staffordshire, the son of William Bestwick and his wife née Ann Goodwin.

The Green Farm

On 3 January 1837 he married Hannah Gibbs 1811-1879 at Alstonefield in Staffordshire. She was the daughter of James Gibbs 1760-1844 and his wife Elizabeth Baker of Wetton 1771-1856.

When the Census was taken in 1841 they were living with his wife's parents in Alstonefield, together with their sons Richard Bestwick and William Bestwick and a male servant. By 1851 James Bestwick was farming 50 acres in Alstonefield village. With them was his widowed mother-in-law Elizabeth Gibbs, and a male servant. By 1861 he was farming 100 acres by 1861. They lived at The Green Farm in the centre of Alstonefield village.

They had the following children:

Richard Bestwick 1838-1879. He was baptised on 9 September 1838 at Alstonefield.

William Bestwick 1840-1887. He was baptised on 13 September 1840 at Alstonefield.

James Gibbs Bestwick 1842-1925. He was born at Wetton in 1842. He was baptised on 6 November 1842 at Alstonefield. In 1879 he married Ellen Elizabeth Adams. She was born in Alstonefield in 1855, the daughter of William Adams 1813-1898 and his wife née Hannah Wood. James Gibbs Bestwick died on 27 May 1925 aged 82 years, and was buried at Alstonefield.

In 1881 the farm was being jointly run by James Gibbs Bestwick and his elder unmarried brother William Bestwick. With them at the farm was five-year-old Martha Adams, the niece of Ellen Elizabeth Bestwick. Working there as a general domestic servant was Elizabeth Austin aged fourteen (born in 1867). William Bestwick died in 1887 aged only 46 years.

James Bestwick died on 23 February 1866, and was buried at Alstonefield.

His widow Hannah Bestwick née Gibbs and her sons continued to run the farm until at least 1871. She died on 2 November 1879 and was buried at Alstonefield, where there is gravestone inscribed to her memory and that of her husband James Bestwick.