The Hackshaw Family Of West Street

 John and Thomas Hackshaw, trading as Hackshaw and Sons saddlers and harness maker dissolved their partnership in 1821, seemingly through financial difficulties though Thomas the father was 64 years old and may have wished to wind things down a bit work wise. John managed to carry on the business but he became insolvent in his own right in 1823. His financial matters were still unsettled in 1828. Once again however he recovered and continued trading. 

The premises he occupied are photographed below in the modern day. In 1832 they were assessed as being worth £11 a year and consisted of a house, garden, workshop and shed. Thomas Hackshaw operated as a collar maker (this meant of horse collars not human!) in Marlow by 1789 but I cannot say for certain that this was in the same premises. It is very likely that it was however. As well as making saddles and harnesses he had a sideline in making ropes and supplied some to the church in Marlow for the bellringers to use. Thomas is likely also be the same Thomas who was a volunteer (elected) parish constable from at least 1791-1799. John's mother was Mary (nee Burgin) who looks to have died in 1811. Thomas had previously been married to a Catherine Russell. 

Above: the black and white building is the Hackshaw family home and premises. The Lovegroves lived in the house on the right. The black and white woodwork of the Hackshaw building does not date from the time of their occupancy. It is a later addition.

John's first wife Harriet died aged only 40 in 1832 and in 1835 John Hackshaw married Harriet Lovegrove the widow from next door. Harriet had been running a boarding and day school for young ladies with her step daughter daughter Mary until Mary's death aged just 23 in 1832. 

Mary left most of what she had to Harriet. A summary of her will can be found on the blog here.

Thomas Hackshaw the father of the family died in 1838. A happier event that year for John and Harriet came with the baptism of their son John who would grow up to be a saddler and harness maker himself as well as a rope maker.

Four years later John senior was one of those called as a witness during an official investigation into widespread voter fraud in Marlow in 1842. Marlow was famous for it's dirty elections! John testified that another West Street resident had moved out of the town prior to the previous election, thus losing his right to vote in contests for a Marlow M.P. Despite this the man had cast a vote.

In 1856 John became bankrupt again. He and Harriet must have suffered greatly as a result of this because it meant the forced sale of not only his tools, equipment and stock but also the couples household furniture to pay their debts. Beds, tables, carpets and kitchen equipment all had to go. John's stock included brushes for horses and whips as well as the obvious horse bits and harnesses. From the full list of items that he had John was clearly catering for both agricultural, "sporting" (hunting) and general customers.

Some stock and tools were probably in the name of his son John junior who still lived at home and worked with his father. John junior continued in the trade but John senior became a tailor.

Harriet and John died within weeks of each other in 1869. At this point the administration of her stepdaughter Mary Lovegrove's will was apparently still not completed as it had to be passed on to someone else! John Hackshaw junior soon became bankrupt himself.

Note: there was a slightly older John Hackshaw who lived in nearby Oxford Lane and who was married to a Sophia. Don't confuse the two John seniors!

Our John and his first wife had children Charles, Christopher, Frederick, George, Harriet, Henry, and an earlier John.

Thomas Hackshaw was baptised 1757 Great Marlow to Geoffrey and Mary Hackshaw.

For every mention of a person on this blog see our A-Z index where you find over 6,000 people listed. More historic West Street residents and stories can be found indexed here. More biographies of historic Marlow families here

Written and researched by Charlotte Day. 

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Sources:

1841,51 censuses my transcription from microfilm. 1861 census Rootspoint.com. 1871 census -Jane Pullinger transcript from microfiche. All censuses remain Crown Copyright.

Great Marlow Parish records transcribed from the original register book by Alan Day.

1833 parochial assessment notebooks in my possession, transcribed by me.

Reading Mercury 16th Feb 1856 via the BNA and British Library Archives.

1839 Robson's Directory, University of Leicester Archives.

Dutton, Allen, & co.'s directory & gazetteer of the counties of Oxon, Berks & Bucks. United Kingdom, n.p, 1863.

Slater, Isaac. Slater's, late Pigot & co., Royal National and Commercial Directory and Topography of the Counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire. United Kingdom, n.p, 1852.