GEORGE FRITH (b. 1832 - d. 1924)
George FRITH was born in Hainton in Louth on 11 November 1832. He was the eldest son of Robert FRITH (an agricultural labourer born in 1802) and his wife Ann ROWSON (born 1804), the daughter of John ROWSON and his wife Elizabeth. Robert and Ann had married in Hainton on 29 May 1832.
Their second son, John, was baptised in Ludford Magna on 30 August 1835. Another son, William, was baptised there on 23 May 1837 but was buried just five days later. Their first daughter, Ann Maria, was born on 23 August 1838.
In June 1841 the family were living on Pinfold Lane in Ludford Magna. The household consisted of Robert and Ann with three children; George (7), John (5) and Ann Maria (3). On 9 October 1841 another daughter, Mary Ann, was born.
The following year the family were hit by tragedy. On 21st August 1842 Robert FRITH died caused by a "visitation of God". He was only 40 years old. Within three months his widow Ann died of typhus fever on 9th November 1842. Her death was reported by their neighbour Elizabeth DREWRY.
George began working at the age of 13 having attended Ludford School for just 13 weeks (although he attended the Sunday School for a longer period). His first job was at Tows near Ludford where he worked for just £3 a year. By his second year he was earning £4 10s
On 30th March 1851 George (18) was in Fulstow working as a farm labourer for John COCKING - a farmer of 243 acres from Ludford. His brother John (15) was in Hainton working as a `boy' for Edward Taylor - a miller and farmer of 183 acres.
On 17th May 1854 George FRITH married Elizabeth HAITH in the Wesleyan Chapel in Louth. Elizabeth, christened in Tetney on 16 January 1832, was the eldest daughter of Thomas HAITH (a blacksmith) and Jane FARROW.
Their first child Alfred was baptised in Fulstow on 16 March 1855 but was buried there two months later on 9th May. Their next son, George Robert, was baptised there on 19th March the following year.
On 26th May 1857, their son Mark Andrew was born and daughter Maria (Mary) Ann was born 28th February the following year. Their son John William was baptised on 23 December 1860 but was buried 21 May the following year and when their next son was born in 1863 he was also called John William.
On the 1861 census for Fulstow we find George (28) and Elizabeth (28) with children George (5), Mark (3) and Mary Ann (2).
More children followed; a son Thomas (1865) and two daughters Maria (1867) and Betsy Jane (1868) who died as babies and were buried together on 29th January 1868. Isaac was born on 19th May 1870.
The 1871 census shows the household as George (38) (a cottager and farm labourer) and Elizabeth (39) with Mark (14), Mary Ann (12), John (7) and Isaac (10 months).
On the same census we find Elizabeth's brother Charles HAITH (29) a farm labourer living with his unmarried sister Sarah (a housekeeper) and her two children Eliza (5) and George (3). Ten years earlier Charles and Sarah had been living with their parents, younger brother William (17) and Sarah's baby daughter Sarah (1) who was to die in 1865. Both Charles and Sarah were deaf and dumb.
George and Elizabeth's daughter Betsy Marie was born 1st October 1871 and youngest son, Arthur 28th June 1876.
On the 1881 census George and Elizabeth are at home with Isaac (10), Betsy (9) and Arthur (5). Son John is nearby apprenticed to a wheelwright, Locking JANNEY.
George and Elizabeth's eldest son, George, is working as a railway porter and living in Gt Grimsby with his wife Eliza (nee EYRE) and a daughter Amy (1). This family were to move to Bracebridge, Ontario in Canada where George was a member of the Municipal Council in 1893/1894 and, as such, had his name listed on the town bell. They lived on Victoria Street, I believe, and George was an active fireman on the local brigade.
Their son Mark is working as a railway guard and living in New Wortley, Bramley in Yorkshire. Daughter, Mary Ann is working as a kitchen maid at the Abbey Farm in Stixwould. She is employed by Charles FIELDSEND, a farmer of 556 acres who employed 15 men.
On 28th June 1882 Mark Andrew FRITH married Elizabeth WRIGHT in the Parish Church, New Wortley. Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of William WRIGHT & Jane BEESTON from Moulton nearr Spalding in Lincolnshire. The marriage was witnessed by William HODGSON and Elizabeth's sister, Martha WRIGHT.
On 30 April 1887 George and Elizabeth's son John died.
On the 1891 census the family are still in Fulstow. George (58) is a farmer and lives with Elizabeth (59) and sons Isaac (20) and Arthur (15) who work with him. Also living with them is Eva JACKSON - a two year old grandchild. I am not sure who Eva's parents are or where they were but I believe her to be the daughter of Mary Ann. George's farm produced plenty of straw for animal feed which was chopped up in the yard using horse-drawn machinery and taken to market by wagon. George and Elizabeth were to live the rest of their lives on the farm.
Nearby daughter Betsy (FIRTH) was working as a general domestic servant for the farmer George SYKES and his wife. Son Mark was a railway shunter and was living with his family in Calverley with Farsley in Yorkshire.
Elizabeth died of an apoplectic stroke on December 30th 1909. Following her death daughter Mary Ann returned home to the farm to look after her father until she died of a heart attack in a shop in Louth in 1920.
George died of heart failure on 19 February 1924 in the presence of his youngest son Arthur and his death was reported in the Louth Advertiser. Arthur took over the farm until his death in 1942 when it passed into the family of his second wife.
George never smoked at all and didn't taste beer for the last 50 years of his life. He never had a serious illness in his life and lived to the age of 91. Just four months before he died he was interviewed by the Louth Advertiser newspaper whilst still working in a barley field on account of his being the second-oldest inhabitant of the village of Fulstow. He had carried on in business as a small farmer with 50 acres of land and had been a member of the Wesleyan Chapel for over 50 years.
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