Nat Gould

Samuel Berisford 1797-1857

Samuel Berisford was born in 1797 at Alstonefield in Staffordshire, the son of Isaac Berisford and his wife nee Hannah Heathcote. He was baptised at Alstonefield on 16 July 1797.

He married Ann Swindel of Longnor in Staffordshire on 5 March 1822 at Alstonefield. She was the daughter of Richard Swindel of Longnor and his wife nee Jenny Berisford born in 1767.

In 1841 they were living at Ecton in Wetton parish in Staffordshire, but between 1845 and 1850 they moved to Lotter Hill House in nearby Butterton..

They had the following children:

Eliza Berisford. She was born in 1823 at Alstonefield. She was unmarried in 1871 when, after her mother's death, she was described in the Census Return as being a small farmer of two and a half acres. She was then living with her nephew Joseph Berisford born in 1862 at Sheen. In 1891 she was living on parish pay, still unmarried, in Church Street in Alstonefield with her fifteen-year-old nephew John Berisford.

Samuel Berisford. He was born in 1828 at Wetton parish, probably at Ecton. In 1851 and 1861 he was unmarried and working as a farm servant at Stanshope in Alstonefield parish for farmer Benjamin Leese. He was still there in 1861, unmarried, and then working as a carter.

John Berisford. He was born in 1832 at Alstonefield. In 1851 he was unmarried and working as an agricultural labourer for farmer Thomas Johnson at Nab End in Longnor, Staffordshire. In 1861 he was a carter, and lodging together with his wife Elizabeth in the household of George and Ann Buxton (1). In 1871 he was recorded as being a labourer at Wormhill in Derbyshire. Ten years later he was recorded as a labourer living at Lees House in Taddington in Derbyshire. John Berisford was a widower by 1911, and died in 1921 aged 91 years.

Mary Berisford. She was born in 1836, probably at Ecton (2) In 1851 she was unmarried and working as a dairy maid aged 16 for farmer Daniel Makinson at Priestcliffe in Taddington parish.

James Berisford. He was born in 1840 in Wetton parish, probably at Ecton. He was at home there in 1851, but in 1861 he was recorded as unmarried and working as a herdsman for farmer John Thompson at Rusden Farm in Middleton and Smerrill parish in Derbyshire. That may seem an out-of-the-way place for an Ecton lad, but the farmer’s father-in-law William Burnett 1787-1862 was born in Grindon near Ecton in Staffordshire. John Thompson had married his daughter Elizabeth Burnett 1823-1885.

Jane Berisford 1841-1919. She was born in 1841 and married William Askey 1844-1917.

Isaac Berisford. He was born in 1845 in Wetton parish, probably at Ecton. He died aged fifteen years in 1858 at Archford Moor in Alstonefield parish, and was buried at Alstonefield on 21 January 1858.

George Berisford. He was born in 1850 at Butterton. He died at Archford Moor in 1858 aged seven years, and was buried at Alstonefield on 16 January 1858 (3).

Samuel Berisford died on 23 August 1857 aged 59 years. He was buried in Alstonefield churchyard, where is a finely carved gravestone there to his memory, and of his wife (4) and sons Isaac Berisford 1845-1858 and George Berisford 1850-1858 (5).

(1) George Buxton was the toll bar keeper at the Wormhill gate on the Buxton and Tideswell Turnpike Road.
(2) Her name may have been Mary Ann Berisford. She was not recorded at Priestcliffe in 1861 and may have been married by then.
(3) So the parents lost their two youngest sons within six days in that sad winter of 1858.
(4) His wife Ann was apparently not buried with him at Alstonefield.
(5) The gravestone is carved in slate by the master craftsman T. Hardy of Tissington. The surname is there spelt Beresford, but the family used the variant form Berisford.