Nat Gould

Arthur Burnett 1851-1904

Arthur Burnett was born in 1851 at Grindon in Staffordshire, the son of John Burnett 1814-1884 of Grindon and his wife nee Anne Mellor 1823-1897. John Burnett was a farmer of 170 acres of Mount Pleasant in Grindon in 1861, employing two farm workers and a female domestic servant. His wife was born in Longnor, Staffordshire.

In about 1863 the family moved to Crakemarsh Farm near Uttoxeter, a larger farm of over 200 acres. By then there were two more children, Ellen Burnett having been born in 1862 back at Grindon and Florence Burnett born in 1864 at Uttoxeter. They were still there in 1871. By 1881 the family were farming at Woodhouse in Alkmonton in Derbyshire, a still larger farm of 360 acres and John Burnett was then employing three farm workers.

On 21 March 1878 Arthur Burnett married Emily Smith at Tissington in Derbyshire. She was born in about 1859 at Tissington, the daughter of William Smith 1818-1907 and his wife nee Mary Adams 1824-1903. They had the following children:

Clifford Gerald Burnett. He was born in 1879 at Catcott in Somerset. By 1901 he was an apprentice electrical engineer, unmarried and living with his parents.

John William Burnett. He was born in 1884 at Trusley in Derbyshire. He married Nellie Richardson 1894-1977, and they had six children.

Elizabeth Burnett. She was born in 1886 at Trusley.

Kathleen Burnett. She was born in 1893 at Woodborough in Nottinghamshire.

Thomas Arthur Burnett. He was born in 1898 at Woodborough.

Arthur Burnett with his wife and family were farming at Ardsley Farm at Hollington in Derbyshire when the Census was taken in 1891. However by 1900 Arthur Burnett had taken on the tenancy of Woodborough Manor in Nottinghamshire. There he trained young gentlemen in farm management (1). He was visited there by his relative Nat Gould, who had known Woodborough Manor in the days of his youth working as a journalist in Newark when it was owned by Robert Howett 1843-1889. Nat Gould met and liked the lively young men being trained by Arthur Burnett (2) and fictionalised them in his novel Blue Cap published in 1903.

When the Census was taken in 1901 Arthur Burnett was recorded as farming at "Hertford Manor" in Woodborough, which was another name for Woodborough Manor (3). He was then employing a cowman and two horseman on his farm, as well as two teenage farm lads and a gardener. A housemaid and a female general servant were also employed in the house.

Arthur Burnett died on 19 February 1904 at Woodborough Manor. Administration of his estate (with Will) was granted on 18 April 1904 (4). His widow Emily Burnett was still living at Woodborough Manor in 1911 when the Census was taken. She died on 27 November 1935 at the home of her sisters, Southfields, Waverley Street in Nottingham, but she had been living at 4 Colville Street in Nottingham. Probate of her estate was granted on 23 December 1935 (5).

(1) He was there in that year when the voters' list was being amended by the Revision Court for the Rushcliffe Division of Nottinghamshire. Arthur William Smith, lodging with Arthur Burnett, was added to the list. Presumably he was one of the farming pupils. Nottingham Evening Post 18 September 1900.
(2) The Magic of Sport by Nat Gould (1909) pages 252-253.
(3) http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/woodboroughheritage/thehistoryofthemiddlemanor.html
(4) "BURNETT Arthur of Woodborough-manor Nottinghamshire farmer died 19 February 1904 Administration (with Will) [granted] Nottingham 18 April to Emily Burnett widow Effects £1627 12s. 3s." National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1904) page 378.
(5) ""BURNETT Emily of 4 Colville-street Nottingham widow died 27 November 1935 at Southfields Waverley Street Nottingham Probate Nottingham 23 December to John William Burnett and Cecil Marless Knight farmers. Effects £6719 11s 4d." National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1935) page 564.