Nat Gould

Ralph Beardmore 1806-1880

Wetton Church

Ralph Beardmore was born at Wetton in Staffordshire in 1806, the son of George Beardmore 1778-1859 and his wife née Elizabeth Elliot 1782-1870. He was baptised at Wetton parish church on 21 December 1806.

Ralph Beardmore married four times.

He married Elizabeth (maiden surname unknown). They had the following children:

Hannah Beardmore. She was baptised at Wetton on 2 June 1822.

George Beardmore. He was baptised at Wetton on 2 October 1825.

On 14 June 1831 Ralph Beardmore married Anne Elliott at Alstonefield. She was the second daughter of William Elliott of Alstonefield (1). In 1832 he bought Stanshope Hall in Alstonefield parish, Staffordshire (2). They had a son:

Ralph Beardmore 1833-1910. He was baptised at Alstonefield on 22 December 1833.

His mother Ann Beardmore née Elliott died on 17 April 1838 aged only 28 years (3).

On 19 December 1842 his father married Elizabeth Gibbs at Alstonefield. She was born in 1821 the daughter of James Gibbs. They had the following children:

Elizabeth Gibbs Beardmore. She was baptised at Alstonefield on 18 October 1843. She was married on 11 January 1870 at Peak Forest to John Leedham Hayward Of Peaks Hill in Peak Forest (4). He was the son of Mrs Esther Hayward, licensee of the Red Lion Inn at Bakewell in Derbyshire (5).

In 1841 Ralph Beardmore was living with his son at Alstonefield, presumably at Stanshope Hall. He was recorded as being a widower by 1851 when he and his son were living at Stanshope Hall. They were then farming 89 acres and employing two farm hands. By 1879 however (when his daughter Elizabeth was married) he had moved to Perry Foot at Peak Forest in Derbyshire.

Perry Foot

Peaks Hill

Ralph Beardmore married Mrs Jane Owen of Peaks Hill in Peak Forest on 21 February 1870 at the village church:

"On Monday last, at Peak Forest Church, a fine old English farmer, Mr. Ralph Beardmore, of Perry-foot, was married to Mrs. Owens, of Peaks Hill. This being his fourth wife, he gave a liberal sum of money to be spent at each of the three public-houses in Peak Forest village, of which the married women partook freely. The happy pair afterwards stepped lightly into their carriage, and drove to Peaks Hill to enjoy the wedding repast" (6).

Ralph Beardmore died on 17 July 1880 at Peaks Hill. His Will was proved on 9 August 1880 (7).

By 1880 his son Ralph Beardmore 1833-1910 had taken over at at Perry Foot, and when the Census was taken in 1881 he was farming 762 acres there and employing six men. By 1891 however he had returned to Stanshope.

In 1881 his widow Jane Beardmore nee Owen was living at Cemetery Road in Bakewell, Derbyshire. When the Census was taken in 1901 she was a boarder in the household of John Taylor, a painter and plumber at Matlock Green in Derbyshire. She died on 15 October 1901 at Matlock Green. Her Will was proved on 16 November 1880 (8).

(1) Derby Mercury 22 June 1831.
(2) Stanshope Hall and its estate had probably been bought by Ralph Beardmore in 1832. It had been advertised for sale in that year, then "in the several occupations of Mr. Thomas Buxton, Anthony Austin, and others." Derby Mercury 31 October 1832.
(3) "At Alstonefield, Staffordshire, on the 17th instant, Ann, the beloved wife of Mr. Ralph Beardmore, aged 28; much respected by all who knew her." Derby Mercury 25 April 1838.
(4) "Marriages ... HAYWARD-BEARDMORE - Jan. 11, at Peak Forest, Mr. John Leedham Hayward, of Peaks Hill, near Catleton, to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Ralph Beardmore, of Perry Foot, Peak Forest." Sheffield Independent 14 January 1870.
(5) "The license [sic] of the Red Lion Inn, Bakewell, was transferred from Mrs. Esther Heyward [sic], deceased, to her son, John Leedham Hayward." Sheffield Independent 4 January 1868.
(6) Sheffield Independent Friday 25 February 1870. The bride was actually named Jane Owen. She was born in 1821 at Bakewell in Derbyshire.
(7) "BEARDMORE Ralph. 9 August. The Will of Ralph Beardmore late of Peaks Hill in the Liberty of Peak Forest in the County of Derby Farmer who died 17 July at Peaks Hill was proved at Derby by Ralph Beardmore of Perry Foot in Peak Forest Farmer the Son the sole Executor. Personal Estate under £1,000." England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1880) page 358.
(8) "BEARDMORE Jane of Bakewell Derbyshire widow died 15 October at Matlock Green Derbyshire Probate Derby 16 November to Tom Heyward Higgott Hotel-keeper Effects £1519 4s 6d." England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1901) page 160.

The picture of Wetton is a pen and ink drawing made in 1836 by Thomas Peploe Wood.
The photograph of Perry Foot is by Graham Hogg and that of Peaks Hill by Neil Theasby, both photographs being here licensed under the Creative Commons protocol.