Richard Nichols and Richard Kurbys Families, Ancestors and
        Relations Living in Northamptonshire in the Nineteenth
        Century.      Home Page   Family History    Nichols Family Start   28 March 2007

i.    Family Tree
ii.   Richard & Elizabeth Nichols & descendants at Grafton Underwood. Circa 1800
iii.  Richard & Hannah Kirby’s family   (Family of Stephen Nichols’ Mother) Circa 1800

i.    Family Tree

A diagrammatic family tree of the Nichols’ family is given below.

All families that are not shaded lived, for at least part of their lives, at Grafton Underwood.  The names of Stephen Nichols’ ancestors are printed in red.

Richard Nichols moved to Grafton Underwood from Geddington, for work in his early/mid ‘teens. Marrying his fiance Elizabeth Fevers (aged 24) on the 23rd of December 1801 aged 22 using a marriage license:

"Richard Nichols of Grafton Underwood, in the County of Northampton, Labourer, & John Percival of Weekley, in the same County, a Labourer" agreed a bond of £100 to obtain a license, so that "Richard Nichols aforesaid, a Batchelor & Elizabeth Fevers of Kettering, in the said County, a Spinster" could be married. At the bottom of the marriage license Richard signed his name using a cross.

The couple lived at Grafton Underwood for the remainder of their lives. The picturesque village is small, with a number of thatched roofs and an immaculate and very pretty church, that is well worth a visit. A plan of the gravestones hangs inside the church. The oldest Nichols’ graves, including those of Richard and Elizabeth are shaded by a yew tree, facing the wall at the far end of the church grounds.

Richard and Elizabeth had seven children, see figure 2, all of whom lived to maturity; Thomas the eldest was born in August 1802, David the youngest in 1821. The fact that David was 20 months and Mary four years old when they were Christened suggests that their parents rarely went to Church.

Sadly, Richard died in 1835 when he was only 55 years old. Six years later, the 1841 census provides the first glimpse of how and where his family lived.

Our direct ancestor, William, is married and living at Thrapston, see later section. As regards the remainder of Richard and Elizabeth’s children: Charlotte married Langley Maddison of Irthlingborough and bore 3 children, giving the youngest the unusual Christian name of ‘Nichols’ (Charlottes’s maiden name).

Census Year: 1841 Township of Irthlingborough

Two of Richard and Elizabeth’s sons are still living with her, at Grafton; her youngest son David (aged 19) and his elder brother Amos (aged 27), his wife Mary and daughter Charlotte. Note: the 1841 census rounds ages down to nearest 5 years. Both sons are described as farm labourers. Their second son John (aged 35) has married, but has no children; Mary, their eldest daughter, is a farm servant.

Thomas Richard and Elizabeth’s eldest son (aged 39) married Ann Tilley in 1826 and by 1841 they had a family of seven children.

Ten years later, in 1851 David, Elizabeth’s youngest son, although married continues to live with her. Mary, Thomas, John and Amos, Elizabeth’s other children, continue to live at Grafton. However, with jobs like labourer, domestic and lace maker they would all have had a low income, which explains why Elizabeth (aged 74) has to rely on charity. Interestingly the census tells us that Elizabeth had previously been the village midwife. David’s wife’s employment as a lacemaker is a common female occupation in Northamptonshire, the work being done at home.

Matilda, Thomas’s eldest daughter, married James Flavel in 1849. Amos, Thomas’s third son, is a farm servant @ Finedon

David Nichols’ wife, Elizabeth, must have died because he remarried in 1855. He, his new wife, Harriett, and the first two of their seven children continue to live with his mother Elizabeth, who remains dependent on Parish relief. The fact that Elizabeth had acted as a midwife may explain why Harriett subsequently took on this role (Alice Gray’s information)

Census Year: 1861 Township of Grafton Underwood  Population 151 males, 148 females plus 2 visitors.

Three of Amos’s four eldest daughters have left home. Hardly surprisingly, the two found were employed as servants. Charlotte is a cook to John Leete at Market Place, Thrapston (the fact that William, Amos’s younger brother and Stephen Nichol’s father is living at Thrapston probably explains how she obtained the post).

Census Year: 1861 Township of Thrapston

Ann Nichols (age 15) is a House Servant - but I am uncertain of the reference, possibly at Grafton Underwood.

Sadly, Amos and Mary’s daughter Hannah died in 1853 aged 14. Their youngest daughter, Mary (aged 11), continues to live with them.

Census Year: 1861 Township of Grafton Underwood

Three of Thomas and Anne’s children remained at Grafton (1861 census): Charles lives with his wife Mary, whilst Amos (aged 27) and George (aged 13) live at home. As regards their other children, David married Theodosia Chattell in 1860 and are living next door to the public house at Geddington:

Census Year: 1861 Civil Parish : Geddington

John married Betsy and is presumably living at Twywell - see 1881 census below. Phebe married Samuel Dainty in 1860 @ Pytchley. Lucy is living away from home (interestingly, she married a Thomas Dainty at Pytchley in 1862 - Phebe’s Husband’s brother?). And, Richard married Rose from Stanwick and after living at Lowick, moved to Woodford c.1866. In 1871, he is the innkeeper of the Coach and Horses:

Census Year: 1871 Woodford Sue Tall’s record: Film 3942

Richard and Elizabeth’s other son, John Nichols, Stephen’s uncle, remains childless:

Census Year: 1861 Township of Grafton Underwood

Sadly, before the 1871 census, both Stephen’s grandmother Elizabeth and his Aunt Mary died.  It is probable that the graves were dug by Elizabeth’s son David who, in Kelly’s 1877 Directory is the Church Sexton. The tombstones stand side by side and are inscribed:

(Note varied spelling of husband, wife and daughter surnames)

In the 1871 census at Grafton Underwood Thomas and Anne Nichols, in their late 60’s, receive parish relief. John and Mary Anne are missing, they must have moved to a neighbouring village - possibly Glendon (see 1881 census). Amos has changed his job and is now a groom, the remaining Nichols’s at Grafton are agricultural labourers.

Census Year: 1871 Township of Grafton Underwood

Members of the Nichols family continued to live in Grafton into the twentieth century, though inevitably their level of relationship to Stephen Nichols became more and more distant. The remainder of this section of the family history is therefore included only for completeness, though there are some useful titbits of information:

The story of the deaths of Thomas William Nichols and subsequently of his only son Charles William Nichols in the first world war is tragic.

The evidence of close family links (Stephen Nichols’ aunt staying with his father to assist in the birth of Stephen’s child) is heart warming and,

The stories in. "Grandad’s Reminisces" in the Church add amusement.

According to her gravestone, Amos’s wife died in 1874 aged 68:

But, the date on the gravestone is almost certainly incorrect because, from Alice Gray’s research into Grafton’s parish records, Amos married Rose Hawkes, a widow 20 years his junior, in 1873; certainly Amos and Rose christened their daughter Alice in June 1874. The marriage was almost certainly one of mutual convenience. The advantage for Rose, a lace maker, is self-evident, her first husband died in 1869 and she was left bringing up young children alone (she christened a son in 1870). Eventually, the couple were buried with their first partners.

Figure 32 Memorial to Rose Ann Nichols

In the 1881 census, Amos and Rose are reported as having a young daughter aged 5:

Census Year: 1881 Township of Grafton Underwood

Close family ties in the Nichols family are evident in that Harriett Nichols, David’s wife, is away from home, staying with her brother in law William at Braybrooke. The reason for the visit has to be conjectured, but as a mid-wife it is probable that she went because of the closeness of Stephen’s wife Bessie’s confinement. Richard and Elizabeths’ son John and his second wife Mary Anne have returned to Grafton Underwood.  Sadly,John, died in 1882 and since his wife'S burial is not recorded, Mary Ann probable returned to her parent’s village.

Census Year: 1881 Township of Grafton Underwood

Thomas Nichols’ (Richard and Elizabeth’s eldest son) wife Ann died in 1876 aged 73, George continues to live with him and Charles lives nearby. Thomas’s son John (husband of Betsy) has returned to Grafton with three children:

Census Year: 1881 Township of Grafton Underwood

Thomas & Anne’s son David, a widower, now works as a rail road labourer at Geddington.

Geddington 1881 Civil Parish : Geddington information included

Hannah Mary, daughter of David and Harriett, died in 1888, aged 28:

In the 1891 census just two of Richard and Elizabeth Nichols’ sons, Amos and David, are still living at Grafton Underwood, though the remaining Nichols’s are all related. Thomas William Nichols, known as Billy, is John and Betsy’s son.

Census Year: 1891 Archive Fiche Description MF123 Grafton Underwood

From the "Scrapbook" in Grafton Underwood Church compiled in 1988, two references are made to the Nichols family:

Figure 34 References @ in the 1988 Grafton Underwood Scrapbook" to the Nichols Family

Rosie Nichols The little lady who as a midwife made pillow lace and has a niece still living. They belong to the family of Mathias Nichols, who went with the Duke of York and was first secretary of the American Constitution and wrote the first Laws of the States. (Rosie was Amos Nichols’ wife - the aunty of Stephen Nichols – it is interesting that the role of mid-wife stayed in the family).

Betsie Nichols Another lady lived near the school and sold "Paper screws" of toffee every Friday; her granddaughter was allowed to stir when the toffee was made but never allowed the recipe. (Betsy is John Nichols’ wife - the second cousin of Stephen)

A sad story relating to Thomas William Nichols death was described by Alice Gray, a contemporary:

"Thomas William was definitely known as Billy. Billy Nichols, Margaret’s husband and Ivy Nichols father, was found drowned on Jan. 18th (Tombstone records March 17^th 1909), having taken a short cut across the ice. The pond is still called Billy Nichols pond and is in the corner of three fields. The body was found a day later, the mud covered body was taken to the nearest house, but the wife wouldn’t have it inside because it was covered with mud. Since the men didn’t want to put the body in the barn it was carried back to Grafton."

Sadder still, Thomas William’s only son died in the first world war. Lance Corporal Charles William Nichols name is recorded on the war memorial in the church. Outside in the Churchyard the tombstone provides slightly more information:

According to the Commonwealth Graves Commission Charles was aged 24 and is buried at Mezieres Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France (Grave Reference: C17).

Figure 36 Official Memorial to L.Cpl C.W.Nichols WWI: died 26th March 1918

Mezieres was the scene of rearguard actions, in which French and British troops took part, in March 1918, and it was recaptured the following August....There are now over 100 1914-1918 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these nearly half are unidentified. (http://yard.ccta.gov.uk/cwgc/register.nsf/)                                                     Return to Military 

Mildred, the last Nichols living at Grafton, was buried in 1956.

Although nobody with the surname Nichols now lives in the village, there is at least one descendant via a female line: The local village shop, in 1992, was run by a nephew of the above named Charles William Nichols.

Richard Kirby (Frank’s greatgrandfather) an agricultural labourer lived at Brigstock. He and his wife Hannah had eight children, all daughters. Ann, the eldest, married William Nichols in 1838 aged 19.

In the 1841 census Richard and Hannah Kirby lived at Lyke Row with their 7 younger daughters (one daughter is known to have died). Ann and William Nichols, Stephen’s parents, christened two of their children at Brigstock, the last being baptised on the same day as Richard and Hannah’s youngest daughter.

Census Year: 1841 Civil Parish : Brigstock

Although the 1851 census states that Richard was born at Slipton c. 1796 there is no christening evidence to confirm this. The major problem in identifying Hannah is that no wedding has been found (an additional check was made with the Northamponshire marriage index created by Bolling-Blore) further,  her age changes substantially between the 1851 and 1861 censuses. Yet because both ‘Hannah Kirby’s’ state that they were born at Grafton, it is logical to assumed that they are the same woman. If the older age is correct, Hannah’s maiden surname would have been Satchwell. Investigation of the Grafton Hannah’s might, through a process of elimination, support the above - but see comment below after 1851 census. It is not known whether the two other Kirby families found in Brigstock’s 1851 census are related.

Census Year: 1851 Civil Parish : Brigstock     

Comment: Sadly, Caroline Kirby’s birth was not registered;  if it had been, the certificate would have given Hannah’s maiden name.  Name searched under Kirby, Kirkby or Kerby in St Catherine’s Index - Try Kurby.   Mary Chown (m. 16 Jan 1851) is Anne Kirby’s sister

Richard Kirby appears to have died before 1861, surprisingly his death is not recorded in St. Catherine’s index..

Census Year: 1861 Brigstock film 2591

Two of Richard and Hannah Kirby’s daughters Jane Bailey and Mary Chown continued to live in Brigstock (Chown records below are from Doreen Sykes, Mary’s Greatgrandaughter.):

Census Year: 1861 film 2591

Hannah Kirby is missing from the 1871 Census and must be presumed dead. The only Kirby remaining in Brigstock is George; an unmarried journeyman wheelwright aged 15, but there is no evidence that he is related. Mary Chown’s husband John is a shepherd and publican, two of their daughters are servants @ Sudborough.