Pile Family History Folkingham

Folkingham 1881 - 1899
In the first half of the nineteenth century commercial directories started to appear, first in the large cities and later for towns and rural areas, usually published by county. These were in effect the forerunners of today's telephone directories. The Post Office Directory published since 1845 by Kelly & Co. is still produced today.

Throughout the 1880's Whites Directories record the Piles' market gardening business being continued by Mary and Edmond. The edition of 1882 lists 'Mrs Mary Pile, Market Gardener', meanwhile Kelly's Directories of 1885, 1889 and 1896 list

'Mrs Mary Pile and Son, Gardeners and Seedsmen'.

Whites of 1892 gives more information;

Pile Edward Fishmonger and market gardener, Church Street
Pile Mrs Mary Market gardener, Church Street

'Edward' is, as we have already seen, incorrect and should be Edmond. He has now branched out into fishmongering and this part of the business seems to be quite separate from that of his mother although they are both operating their business in Church Street.

Like his father earlier, Edmond also was recommended to the position of Parish Constable. Initially in March 1886 and each year until 1894 with the exception of 1891 the Parish Vestry Minute Book records:

Resolved and Ordered to recommend the following persons to the Magistrates at Bourn to appoint parochial constables henceforth
… E. Pile …

There is also just one entry on 17 March 1886 showing Edmond's attendance at a Vestry Meeting held in the school hall. The reason for him attending was not recorded.

On 1 February 1882 Henry Pile married Elizabeth Patman at the Wesleyan Chapel in Bourne, Henry's brother Edmond and Anne Grocock witnessed the marriage. Elizabeth Patman was the twenty year old daughter of Leonard and Hannah (nee Sutton) Patman of Folkingham. (The Patman family has be traced back to Caleb Patman born 1668 at Revesby near Horncastle).

Between 1883 and 1890 Henry and Elizabeth Pile had their first five children, David Percy in 1883, Henry in 1884, Mary in 1886, Gertrude in 1888 and Edith Emma in 1890.

The last decade of the nineteenth century also got off to a happy note with two weddings. On 7 April 1890 David and Mary's third son, Edmond married Louisa Leonora Mayor the 22 year old second daughter of Joseph and Amelia Mayor of Worksop, Joseph Mayor was a butcher and he and Amelia (who was born in Aberystwyth, Wales) had eight children by 1881. Edmond's sister, Emma was the sole witness. Two months later, on 18 June 1890 Edmond's youngest brother John married Jane Harrison. Jane was twenty, a seamstress who was born in nearby Dowsby Fen but was living in Folkingham. The marriage was witnessed by John's brother Henry and Emma Patman, presumably a relation of Edmond's wife Elizabeth.

In November 1890 Henry's sons David Percy and Henry started attendance at the elementary school in the village. [more >>]

The census of 1891 records Mary Pile living again at Barnack, (this time the property appears immediately after the old prison and the gas works both of which were in Billingborough Road). Despite being seventy she is still described as a market gardener and employer of her son, John who with his wife Jane is living with her. John is described as a gardener, Jane a dressmaker.

At the other end of the village, in Church Street are Edmond and Louisa Leonora. Edmond occupation is described as gardener seedsman (and another illegible occupation). Henry and Elizabeth Pile are shown living in Back Lane, Henry's occupation being that of rural postman. Also recorded are their five children David Percy, Henry, Mary, Gertrude and Edith Emma all described as scholars.

Some years ago my late father told me that my great grandfather, John Pile had been a policeman in Grantham, he said he had heard that he [John] had patrolled in Spittlegate where it was so rough that even the police would not go there alone. Some time later Donald Pile, my father's cousin also suggested that John Pile had been in the police and had been discharged for being asleep on duty! This obviously warranted further research, the most likely period seems to be the 1890's but unfortunately the police records in Lincolnshire Archives have no record of a John Pile in the local constabulary although several records which may have been useful are subject to a one hundred year closure.

On 24 November 1893 John and Jane's first child, a daughter Lilian, was born, a second child followed just less than a year later, this time a son, Edmund born 8 November 1894. There is no evidence of baptisms for either child at Folkingham church. The following year a third son, George Wilfred was born and in January 1897 John Arthur was born at the families home in the former House of Correction in Billingborough Road, on the birth certificate John Pile was described as a gardener.

In late 1899 John Pile changed his career, he was appointed in November as an agent for the Prudential Assurance Company Ltd at Billingborough, no doubt the reason why the family eventually moved from Folkingham to Billingborough. He went on to become a senior agent first at Boston in October 1919 and later at Grantham in January 1922. He retired in November 1927 at the age of 59 years, his salary on retirement was Ł227 10s and his pension was Ł67 3s.

The nineteenth century ended on a sad note. On 21 December 1899 Mary Pile died at the age of seventy nine at Folkingham, her death was caused by cellutitis sapraemia and was registered by Edmond on the same day. She was buried in Folkingham churchyard on Boxing Day although, like her late husband, the grave is unmarked. Mary's death was announced in the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury on 29 December.

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		Copyright © 2005 Andrew Pile