John Edmund Sharp, born about 1856 in Weston, Somerset

Summary

Parents and family

From his Marriage Certificate his father was John SHARP. From census details and John's marriage date his mother is assumed to be Mary SHARP (nee CROSS).

Birth

Probable birth registration John Edmund Sharp, Bath 1856 (Mar Q), Vol 5c, Pg 742. Bath Registry Office index gives the sub-district as Batheaston (BEA/8/151|), there are registrations in that sub-district equivalent to most of the children of this family.

Childhood and education

By the age of 5 he was already at work (see 1861 Census below).

Employment

On the 1861 Census John is listed at 1 Crew Cottages, Langridge, Somerset (see note for his father on location). At which time the familly comprised -

John SHARP, Head, Mar[ried], 37, Agricultural Labourer, Somerset, Langridge
Mary SHARP, Wife, Mar, 34, [Agricultural Labourer implied] Wife, Somerset, Weston
John SHARP, Son, , 5, Farmer's Boy, Somerset, Weston
Martha SHARP, Daur, , 2, Scholar, Somerset, Weston
Eliza SHARP, Daur, , 3mth, , Somerset, Langridge

In 1871 John and the 15 year old John Edmund Sharp were recorded as living in Langridge, Somerset. They are listed immediately after 'School with Schoolhouse' (which seemed to comprise a school and a seperate schoolhouse), so were probably still at Crew Cottages. At that time the family comprised:

John SHARP, Head, Mar[ried], 45, Ag Lab, Somerset, Langridge
Mary SHARP, Wife, Mar, 44, Dressmaker, Somerset, Lansdown
John SHARP, Son, , 15, Farmer's Boy, Somerset, Weston
Martha SHARP, Daur, , 12, Scholar, Somerset, Weston
Matilda SHARP, Daur, , 7, Do ", Somerset, Weston
Richard SHARP, Son, , 5, Do, Somerset, Langridge
Henry SHARP, Son, , 3, Do, Somerset, Langridge
Charles SHARP, Son, , 1mo, , Somerset, Langridge

Marriage to Hannah Gregory

On 4 July 1875, at the Parish Church (St Mary Magdelene) in Langridge, Somerset, John married Hannah GREGORY (GRO ref 1875 Sep Q, Bath, Vol 5c, Pg 971).

Groom: John SHARP, full yr, bachelor, labourer, residing in Langridge, son of John SHARP, labourer.
Bride: Hannah GREGORY, full yr, spinster, residing in Langridge, daughter of George GREGORY, labourer.
Signed: John SHARP, Hannah GREGORY X her mark
In the presence of John GREGORY & William TOGHILL X his mark

The Bath registry office's online index confirms these names and date and adds the detail that the marriage was at St Mary Magdelene Church, Langridge and the full date. The reference for this is C48/1/019.

In 1876 I believe that his wife Hannah died. There is a death registered for Hannah SHARP, age 20 (i.e born abt 1856), GRO ref June Q 1876, Bath, Vol 5c pg 471.

I have been unable to find John with any certainty in the 1881 census. The nearest I can get is a 'J.S.' born 1856, no place of birth and in a lunatic asylum in wiltshire. Both 'John SHARP,' 'Edmund SHARP' and 'Edward SHARP' have been searched for. At this time his daughter Ellen Sharp GREGORY was with his parents.

Marriage to Ellen Pottle

In 1888 John re-married. His new spouse was one Ellen POTTLE, a lass from Wiltshire who had worked as a cook for the same household in which John’s sister Martha was a housemaid.

The probable marriage registration is that for Edmund John SHARP [sic names reversed] and Ellen POTTLE, Jun Q 1888 Bath Vol 5c, pg 1111. The Somerset Record's office's online index confirms the names and adds the further detail that the marriage was at Langridge, St Mary Magdalene. Their reference is C48/1/025.

On the 1891 Census he is listed at Holly Cottage, Weston, Somerset.

John E SHARP, Head, M[arried], 35, Coachman, Employed, Weston, Somerset
Ellen SHARP, Wife, M, 34, , Charlton, Wilts
Earnest J SHARP, Son, ,1 , ,Weston, Somerset
Herbert JAPSON [or JAKSON], Lodger, S[ingle], 24, Groom, Nottingham, York's

Last Will and Testament

Unknown

Death

By the time of the 1901 Census Ellen SHARP was a widow. John's date of death has not been identified with certainty but the probable death registration is that of John Edmund SHARP, age 38 (i.e. born about 1856), registered in Hampstead, London/Middlesex 1894, Dec Q, Vol 1a, Pg 393. This is the only clear candidate prior to 1902. However, a review of SHARP/SHARPE births in 1855-1857 inclusive revealed that there was also a John Edmund SHARP from Wellingboro in Northamptonshire of the same age. It is therefore necessary to ensure that this was not his death. The 1901 census has a John Ed SHARP who was born in Northamptonshire abt 1857 which looks as if the Northamptonshire John was still alive. However, as the middle name is not given in full, it is neccessary to check that this could not be another individual. The only other John Ed SHARP's births registerd in 1855-57 inclusive were

John Edward SHARP, Jun Q 1888, Wakefield, 9c, 21
John Edwin SHARP Jun Q 1888, Leeds, 9b, 350
John Edward Thomas SHARP Dec Q 1888, Westminster, 1a, 238

None of these registrations suggest a Northamptonshire birth. Therefore, the 1901 Census entry is likely to refer to a very much alive Northamptonshire John Edmund SHARP.

On the 1901 Census his widow Ellen SHARP (nee POTTLE) is listed at 1 Mount B Cottages, Walcot, Lansdown, Bath, Somerset. She is listed next door to a BRYANT family (the SHARP family had earlier married into a BRYANT family, though it is unclear whether this one was related)

/Frank BRYANT, Head, M[arried], 45, Farm Labourer, Bath
Clara BRYANT, Wife, M, 45, , Bath
Clara A. BRYANT, Daur, S[ingle], 23, , Bath
Rose BRYANT, Daur, S, 14, , Bath
Minnie BRYANT, Daur, S, 12, , Bath
/Ellen SHARP, Head, WID[OW], 41, Cook (Domestic), Wilts, Shaftsbury
Ernest SHARP, son, 11, Bath
Willie SHARP, son, 8, Bath

Burial

Unknown

Descendants and notable relations

To be continued...