NOTES:

Ernest along with his wife took a big part in village life. He was a  Special Constable in Wymeswold  and was also a keen cricketer. Ernest helped his brother Harry with the farming at Church Farm, Wymeswold. During the hay making season on one Saturday Ernest had  the job of tying the hay into bundles and stacking them up. Harry climbed up the stack on the Sunday and because one of the bundles had not been tied correctly he fell and broke his hip. Ernest felt very guilty about what he had done and he eventually left to seek other employment because of it.

Ernest had been a Special Constable in Wymeswold and decided to join up full time with the Police Force at Loughborough,  but after visiting the accommodation provided for him and his young family he decided against it, It must have seemed very cramped after living and farming in Wymeswold.

The Stanley family can remember Ernest telling them he lived at Church Street although the census information does not support this ?

In about 1911/12 he moved to 40 Acre Farm/Lodge Farm at Six Hills with his family. Ernest was not well off at the time, so he moved with the help of a loan from Jack Tuckwood, a local cattle dealer, who lent him some money and cattle to get started. There he made stilton cheese and even his own candles to make ends meet. The children would walk from the farm down to the School in Wymeswold. Ethel left school when she was just twelve and Kate left at thirteen.

Although circumstances must have improved because by the end of the year he had paid all the money he borrowed back to Mr Tuckwood. One particularly bad winter the River Mantle had swelled with all the rain and had ruined all the hay that had been collected, to get by Ernest had to feed the beast on mangles he had grown and the black hay that was left.

In March of 1917 they moved to Hill Farm, Hickling. His son Frank was helping him farm at this point.

Afterwards he moved to Brook Farm, East Leake and then to the Gables at Costock. Their daughter Ethel was married while they were here, Ethel and her new husband stayed at the farm and Ernest and Lucy moved to Bunny Road at Costock, living at the end council house.

During his working life he had grazed the skin on his hand many times, this led to cancer of the hand. He eventually had to have his arm amputated in an effort to stem the disease but it was too late and it eventually killed him. He spent his last days at Eastwell and then with his daughter Kate.

He married  :- 

DATES:

Born – Wymeswold 5 April 1871

Baptism: 14 September 1890, As adult

Census 1881. Age 9. Scholar.

           Address - East Street, Wymeswold. (Bakery next to Church Farm)

           Living with:-

           Joseph Wood -  Head of Family - Age 47  - Baker

           Lydia Wood   -   Wife.  Age 46

           Annie L Wood   -  Age  14 - Scholar

           Charlotte Wood -  Age 17

           John Wood - Age 12 - Scholar

           Mary Wood - Age 7 - Scholar

           Frank Wood  -  Age 2

           Sarah Asher - Mother-in-Law - widow - Formerly Farmer - b.Old Dalby.

Census 1891. Age 20. Single

           Address - East Road , Wymeswold. (Bakery –next to Church Farm)

           Civil Parish - Wymeswold. Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marys.

           Living with:-

           Joseph Wood -  Head of Family (57)  - Baker

           Lydia Wood   -   Wife.  (54)

           Annie Wood   -  (24) - Dressmaker

           Charlotte Wood -  (21)

           Lucy Wood  -  (20)

           Frank Wood  -  (12)

She married Ernest Follows Sheppard  on the 27th May 1896 in St Marys Church , Wymeswold.

Census 1901.  Age 29.  Profession - Undefined .  Status - Undefined.

           Address - Far Street , Wymeswold.

           Civil Parish - Wymeswold. Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marys.

           Living With Husband Ernest, daughters Ethel and Kate and son Frank.

Died date – 9 May 1941

NOTES:

Lucy took a active part in Wymeswold life. She grew up living at the Bakery, next door to Church Farm. Ernest Sheppard her future husband lived here so she would have known him from a young age.  She was involved with the local W.I. and took part in the local plays. Lucy was also a very good gardener.

 Her father Joseph ran the bakery until her Brother Frank Wood later took over from his father. Lucy's Sister Annie Was a accomplished dressmaker.

        Children of ERNEST SHEPPARD (1874) and LUCY WOOD (1871) are:

                   i.    KATE SHEPPARD (1896)    b. 25 November 1896, Wymeswold; d. 20 March 1971, Sysonby.

                  ii.    FRANK SHEPPARD (1899)  b. 7 February 1899, Wymeswold; d. East Leake , Notts.

                iii.    ETHEL SHEPPARD (1900)  b. 12 August 1900, Wymeswold; d. 1 May 1995, Woodhill Spa.

DATES:

Born Wymeswold Sept 8th 1875

Family Bible Fanny Sheppard Born Sept 8 1875

Census 1881.  Age 5.

           Address - Sheppard's Farm, Wymeswold.

           Living With Father William(46) and Mother Betsy(36), Brothers Ernest(7) & Harry(8).

           + Borders & Servants (see William Sheppard for details)

Census 1891.  Age 15.  Farmers Daughter.

           Address - East Road, Wymeswold. (Church Farm)

           Civil Parish - Wymeswold. Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marys.

           Living With Mother Betsy(45) , Brothers Ernest(16) & Harry(18).

Baptism: 21 May 1899, As adult

She married John Giles James on the 29th May 1899 in St Marys Church , Wymeswold.

Died Date – 4 January 1953

Burial: Wymeswold  Cemetery

NOTES:

Baptised with Brother Harry on the 21 May 1899 - just before being married to John Giles James. Maybe the vicar insisted on them being baptized before the marriage.

She Married  :-

DATES:

Born Abt. 1877

Census 1891.  Age 14. 

           Address - Brook Street, Wymeswold.

           Civil Parish - Wymeswold. Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marys.

           Living With:-

           John James - Head . Age 41.

           Eliza James - Wife. Age 37

           * John James -  Age 14

           Fanny James -  Age 12

           Annie James - Age 10

           Edith James -  Age 8

           Edward James - Age 6    

           Harry James - Age 3

           Florence James - Age 1

Kelly's Directory of  Leicestershire & Rutland 1900

James John, jun, Butcher, Brook Street

Kelly's Directory of  Leicestershire & Rutland 1908

James John, jun, Butcher, Brook Street

Kelly's Directory of  Leicestershire & Rutland 1912

James Jn, jun, cattle dlr, Brook Street

He married Fanny Sheppard on the 29th May 1899 in St Marys Church , Wymeswold.

Occupation: 29 May 1899, Dealer.

Died Date - 10 October 1961

Burial: Wymeswold  Cemetery

NOTES:

Notes from 'Memories of a Country Girlhood' by  Ellen Smith © :-

*There were three butchers (in Wymeswold), one of which was run by the James family for three generations. We called them old John James, young John James and young John James's Son John James (this John James). They also had a meat stall in Loughborough Market every Thursday and Saturday, but now that young John James's son has retired, his sons have taken up farming, so the James's butcher business is no more.*

Jean Eggleston remembers her Mother Kate telling her that when she was a young girl she went to help at the James's house around the time John was born (Son of the above John), there was always a stack of Ironing to do as you would imagine !

John was by all accounts a bit of a rum charachter. He did have some brushes with the law to do with the butchery business and he certainly liked a drink or two, althought Fanny saw no wrong in him. He ran a butchery and cattle dealing business, this was ran up until he retired and it was handed over to his son John. The butchers shop was at 90 Brook Street, Wymeswold. As well as running the shop he would be cattle dealing all over the county.  Cattle would be bought and sold at Melton, Loughborough and Leicester cattle markets and then he would walk them back to land kept at Keyworth and Ashfordby. Once a year Cattle would be bought and sold at the Cattle Fair held at Loughborough on land near the old Brush Works bridge.

Children of FANNY SHEPPARD and JOHN JAMES are:

I.                   FANNY MAY JAMES.  b. 1 December 1900

II.                   FLORENCE CAROLINE JAMES. (CARRIE)  b. 22 March 1902

III.                 DIANA ELIZABETH JAMES  b. 19 September 1904

IV.                PHYLLIS ANNIE JAMES.  b. 21 Febuary 1906

V.                  ALICE  ELIZA JAMES.  b.16 June 1907

VI.                LILIAN EDITH JAMES. (LILLY)  b. 5 December 1909

VII.              JOHN EDWARD JAMES.  b. 5 May 1911

VIII.            DORIS MARY JAMES  b. 22 March 1914

IX.                FREDERICK HENRY JAMES. b. 23 September 1915

X.                  DOUGLAS OLIVER JAMES    b. 8 March 1918.

XI.                RICHARD ARTHUR JAMES. b.2 January 1921