|
|
|
Information contained in these pages is intended for genealogical research only,
and I ask that you respect the privacy of those mentioned.
Please
acknowledge the source of any information used from these pages.
William Rickman Ainsworth and Pamela Jane Lambert © Little is known of the early life of William Rickman Ainsworth except it is believed he was the fourth child of William Answorth and Rebecca (nee Rickman), and he was born on the 18th December, 18471. His birth was registered by his mother at Milford, Lymington, Hampshire, England on the 18th January the following year, his father's occupation was given as labourer. Church records indicate William was baptized in the Milford Parish Church on March 5th, 18492. Milford is a small, but pretty village in the south of England. William, age 3, appears on the 1851 Census of Milford3 living at 79 Lymore, with his parents, brother Harry, sister Rosina and his maternal grandmother Sarah Rickman. William's father's occupation is recorded as Agricultural Labourer. Age 14, William appears on the 1861 Census of Milford4, still living with his father, brothers, sister and grandmother at Lymore. There is no occupation given for William on this record. Lymore is part of the village of Lymington17. The earliest settlement in the Lymington area was at the Iron Age fort at Buckland known as 'The Buckland Rings'. Dated from the 4th Century, the hill and ditches of this fort still remain. The Saxons then founded a settlement, called ‘Limen tun’ in the 6th Century. ‘Tun’ meaning farm or hamlet and ‘Limen’ is believed to be a Celtic name meaning Elm River or maybe marshy area, so Lymington became known as the village by the marshy river. From the Middle Ages until around 1860, Lyminton was mostly famous for making salt. However, during the late-17th century a boat building industry began to develop in Lymington and by the mid-18th Century, Lymington was also fast becoming known for its other flourishing industry, that of Smuggling. Family story has a 'seaman' in the family somewhere and a William Ainsworth has been found on the 1871 census14, recorded as a Gunner at Portsea Landport Royal Marine Artillery Barracks. Records found indicate William enlisted in the Royal Marines on the 18th April, 1867, at 12noon15. On William's enlistment Papers, he was described as being 19 years and four months old, 5ft 5¾ inches tall, of fresh complexion, with grey eyes, light brown hair and he had a distinctive mark on his left arm. Upon enlistment he was given £1 and a free kit. William enlisted for a term of twelve years, but only served for just under 6 years, spending time on the HMS Warrior and the HMS Vanguard, he was invalided out of the Royal Navy on the 14th February, 187315, at Hasler, apparently suffering from Epilepsy. When commissioned, on August 1st 1861, HMS Warrior was the largest warship in the world, at 9,210 on16. Following minor modifications after a sea trial, she started active service in June 1862, as part of the Channel Squadron, patrolling coastal waters and sailing to Lisbon and Gibraltar. Warrior was soon superseded by faster designs, with bigger guns and thicker armour and by 1871 she was no longer regarded as the crack ship she had once been, and her roles were downgraded to Coastguard and reserve services. In May of 1883 her fore and main masts were found to be rotten, and not considered worth the cost of repair. Warrior was eventually converted to a floating school for the Navy and re-named Vernon III in 1904. Put up for sale as scrap in 1924, no buyer could be found, and so, in March 1929 she left Portsmouth to become a floating oil pontoon. By 1978, she was the only surviving example of the 'Black Battlefleet' - the 45 iron hulls built for the Royal Navy between 1861 and 1877. However, as a pivotal Royal Naval ship, Warrior had not been forgotten and in 1967 people started to talk about restoring her. A campaign for restoration began and even the House of Commons heard of Warrior's fate. MPs were told that Warrior could serve as ‘a potent source of education and inspiration for our children....’ From this emerged the Maritime Trust, formed to raise money for the preservation of our naval heritage. Following the announcement that the oil depot would close in 1978, and that Warrior would no longer be needed, the Trust agreed that they would underwrite the cost of restoration, estimated between £4-8 million. Restoration took over eight years, during which many of her features and fittings were either restored or recreated. Returned to Portsmouth in 1987, Warrior is now part of the National Historic Fleet, and is berthed in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard complex, which is also the home of Nelson's flagship HMS Victory and the Tudor warship Mary Rose. Although the history of the Warrior tell she never fired a gun in anger, the ship would have needed to stay on alert. The Gunners ate, slept and worked on the deck with little relief from day to day activities. It is possible William learnt to read & write while on the Warrior, as the Captain was also the Schoolmaster whose task was to teach the younger and lower class sailors’ literacy and numeracy. This is supported by the fact William made his mark on his Attestation, but signed his name when he married. I visited the Warrior in 2009 and it was very exciting to walk on the same boards as William had and to see the Gunners Space, where he had lived and worked all those years ago. The next we hear of William is on the 27th January, 18785 when, after Banns and according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church, he marries Jane Lambert, in St Mary's the Merton Parish Church, South Wimbledon, Surrey. On the marriage certificate his occupation is given as Labourer, and both his and Jane’s residences are given as Merton. William and Jane both indicated they were of Full age and both signed their names on the record. William father was given as William Ainsworth, a Labourer and Jane’s father as William Lambert, a Gardener. The witnesses were George Tugwoods and Martha Lambert, it is believed Martha was probably Jane's sister. It is not known how William and Jane met, nor why William may have been in Surrey on his release from the Marines. However, it is thought that maybe one of Jane’s brothers may have been acquainted with William during his time in the Navy. Pamela Jane was born in Wimbledon on the 11th December, 18506, the seventh child of William Lambert and Mary (nee Foreman). Her birth was registered by her mother in Kingston on the 6th January, 1851, her name given as Jane and father's occupation given as Gardener. When baptized, at St Mary's Wimbledon, a few days later on the 12th January, 18517 she is recorded as Pamela Jane. Appearing on the 1851 Census8 as Jane age 3months, the family’s address is recorded as Wimbledon Common. On the 1861 Census8, she is Jane, an 11year old Scholar, and on the 1871 Census8 she is recorded as Jane, age 20, no occupation. In these last two Census the address is given as No. 4 Model Cottages, Wimbledon. It would appear that Jane had a son, William, born around 1872, it is believed that this William eventually took his stepfather's surname of Ainsworth8. The 1881 Census8 records William, age 33, his wife Pamela J, age 28, son William J, age 6, and stepson William Lambert, age 8. Their address is given as 15 South Place, and William's occupation General Labourer. Still living at 15 South Place, the 1891 Census shows the family has grown with the addition of: George 9; Henry 7, he married Annie Clarke 1908; Albert 2; and Frederick 10months. William's occupation is still listed as Agricultural Labourer, and there is no mention of Jane's son William. On the 1901 Census8 the family's address has change from 15 to 5 South Place. Living with William and Jane are: sons George 19; Harry 17; Albert 12; Frederick, 10; and daughter (Mary) Elizabeth, aged 8. William occupation now a Labourer Gardener and Worker. William, his wife Jane, sons John age 31 (it is thought this is probably William John), Albert and Fred and daughter Mary (Elizabeth), are recorded on the 1911 Census8 living at 80 Ruffell Road, Wimbledon. This record indicates William is a General Labourer involved in the industry of Common Conservation. The house consisted of 4 rooms and it appears the Census information sheet was completed by William's son George, who gave his address as 28 Goodenough Road, Wimbledon. The earliest history of Wimbledon Common dates back to the Palaeolithic age and barrows such as the one known as Caesar's Camp (although not associated with the Roman period) have been discovered. Whilst people can now freely enjoy the common, it is not generally appreciated that ‘common land’ was never public property but was normally owned by the Lord of the Manor. The only members of the public entitled to use the land were certain tenants, known as ‘commoners’, who were granted ‘common rights’ which included a certain amount of grazing and the collection of firewood. But, in the 19th century many commons were enclosed and turned over to agricultural use and the commoners' rights were extinguished. However, on the 11th November, 1864, Earl Spencer, Lord of the Manor of Wimbledon, called a meeting of local residents in the Village Hall where he outlined a Bill which he intended to present to Parliament for the enclosure of 700 acres of the common as a park, a further two acres as a garden to a new manor house he intended to build near the site of the windmill, and the sale of the remaining 300 or so acres as building land. The reasons he gave were that the land was ‘boggy’ and ‘noxious mists and fogs’ arose from it and ‘great nuisance was caused by gypsies’ who camped on it. Earl Spenser suggested the money raised from the sale of building land would pay for enclosure and improvements. After an enquiry into the condition of open spaces around London, and in a landmark decision for English common land, permission was refused and, in 1871, a Board of Conservators was established to take ownership of the common and preserve it in its natural condition. It is thought William was employed by this Board. It is not known just when the family moved to 119 Ruffell Road, but at age of 64, on the 30th November, 1914, this is where Jane Pamela died of a Cerebral Haemorrhage12. The Informant was her son J.W. Ainsworth, who was present at her death. Husband William's occupation at this time is given as General Labourer. Jane was buried on the 5th December, at the Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon10. Jane was the second interment in this grave, William had purchased this plot, Number c.c1.100, in 1893. However, when he purchased it, a Jane Pilley was buried there. To-date I have not found any connection between Jane Pilley and either Jane or William, although speculation leads to wondering if Jane Pilley was the Jane Clark who was living with Pamela's parents in 1841. William died at 50 Kingston Hill, on the 11th June, 1931, from Chronic Myocarditis. William was 83 years old, and his occupation and address are listed as General Labourer of 119 Ruffell Road. It is thought he was at his daughter’s home when he died. The Informant on the death certificate is given as W.J Levins, son-in-law, of 119 Ruffell Road, Walter James (W.J.) Leven was daughter Mary Elizabeth's husband. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall, and is usually caused by a viral infection11. It causes chest pain, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. In severe cases the pumping action of the heart weakens, and unable to able to supply the rest of the body with enough blood. Clots also could form, leading to a stroke or heart attack. William was also buried in plot c.c1.100 at the Gap Road Cemetery, on the 17th June10. It is not known if there is, or ever was, a marker or headstone on this grave.
References:
|
