Horace ARDRON II (1894 - 1973)

Father: Samuel Ardron VI (1856 - 1917)
Mother: Mary Jane Barlow

 

Tree extract starting with common ancestor to me:

 

My Great-Grandfather was born at Sandhill, Rawmarsh on 24 December 1894. His father was a coal miner. (GRO cert BXBY094384 + GRO ref Rotherham 9c 767 Mar 1895 A-J)

1895 Invention of wireless telegraphy by G Marconi

Horace was baptised on 17 March 1895 by the Rev. W. H. Maude at the Ryecroft Methodist Chapel, Rawmarsh. In fact he was the first baby to be baptised in the new chapel which was opened on 7 March. ("Reflections on the history of Ryecroft Methodist Church 1879 - 1973" by H. Bailey) 

1899-1902 Britain fights the Boer War in South Africa

1901 Death of Queen Victoria, succeeded by King Edward VII

On the 1901 Census (31 March) he was aged 6 living with his parents at 92 Claypit Lane, Rawmarsh. (PRO ref RG13 piece 4399 folio 35 pg 8)

1908 on 27 April Olympic Games open at White City in London

1908 on 27 October Parliament approves old age pensions (weekly means-tested pension of a maximum of five shillings to all those aged over 70)

1910 Death of King Edward VII, succeeded by King George V         

1911 National Insurance Act provides cover against sickness and unemployment

 

On the 1911 Census (2 April) Horace was aged 16, assisting in the family business of grocer and milk dealer, living with his parents at 143 Kilnhurst Road, Sandhill, Rawmarsh. (PRO ref RG14 ??)

 

1912 on 15 April sinking of the SS Titanic
1913 on 4 June Suffragette Emily Davison is killed by the king's horse

1914-18 The Great War (World War I)
1918 in May a massive flu epidemic reaches Britain and kills more than 200,000 people in Britain and up to 50 million worldwide

1918 All men over 21 and all women over 30 get the vote

1921 in July unemployment reaches a post-war high of 2.5 million

On 12 October 1921 at the age of 26, he married Hilda Dutchman at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Rotherham. At the time Horace was a farmer, and both he and Hilda were of Sandhill Farm, Rawmarsh. The marriage certificate shows that both fathers were deceased. The witnesses were C[yril]. Ardron [brother] and Hazel M. Lowcock. (GRO cert MXA310580 + GRO ref Rotherham 9c 1645 Dec 1921)

1922 The Irish Free State is established

Around 1926 Horace bought his first car, a Morris Cowley, which with the back seats removed he used to deliver milk. This replaced the pony and trap as used by his father.

Horace operated "Clay Pit Lane Dairy" from the rear of 188 Clay Pit Lane.

1927 on 1 January the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is created

1928 Equal Franchise Act - All women are given the same voting rights as men (all over the age of 21)
1928 on 30 September Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1929 on 24 October the Wall Street Crash sparks the Great Depression

1931 Financial crisis and run on the pound (Britain abandons the gold standard)

1935 in July the first Penguin paperbacks go on sale, costing just 6 pence, bringing literature to the masses

1936 Death of King George V, succeeded by King Edward VIII
1936 Abdication of King Edward VIII in order to marry Wallace Simpson, succeeded by King George VI

1939-45 World War II
1944 Butler Education Act - framework for new free comprehensive secondary education for all
1947 on 1 January Britain's coal industry is nationalised

1948 National Health Service established

1948 on 29 July the Olympic Games open at Wembley Stadium in London

1952 Death of King George VI, succeeded by Queen Elizabeth II
1954 Rationing resulting from ends

1955 on 22 September commercial television starts with the first ITV broadcast

1956 on 17 October Britain switches on its first nuclear power station at Calder Hall

1959 M1 Motorway punched through the Midlands from Watford to Birmingham

1963 The Profumo Affair
1965 on 8 November the death penalty is abolished

1966 on 30 July England win the football World Cup

1967 Abortion and homosexuality are legalised

1969 on 2 March Concorde, the world's first supersonic airliner, makes its maiden flight

1971 on 15 February decimalised currency replaces 'pounds, shillings and pence'

1973 on 1 January Britain joins the European Economic Community

Horace died on 3 November 1973 at 14 Charles Street, Rawmarsh aged 78 years. (GRO ref Rother V. 2c 1841 Dec 1973 - [born] 24 De 1894)

At the time of his death Horace was living at 188 Clay Pit Lane, Rawmarsh. He also owned the following properties:
154 Muglet Lane, Maltby (£1-35)
85 Ashwood Road, Parkgate (£1-30)
89 Ashwood Road, Parkgate (mortgage) (£1-50)
91 Ashwood Road, Parkgate (£1-32)
95 Ashwood Road, Parkgate (£1-38)
78 Bear Tree Road, Parkgate (£1-50)
80 Bear Tree Road, Parkgate (£2-00)
84 Bear Tree Road, Parkgate (£1-23)
186 Clay Pit Lane, Rawmarsh (£1-65)
196 Clay Pit Lane, Rawmarsh (£0-88)
1 Evelyn Street, Rawmarsh (£1-00)
2 Evelyn Street, Rawmarsh (£1-80)
The values after the properties show the weekly rent payable by the tenants as at 5 November 1973. (Improvised rent book) 

He is buried at Haugh Road Cemetery in Rawmarsh. His Monumental Inscription (from his wife's) reads "also Horace Ardron Husband of the above who died November 3 1973 aged 78 years". (MI)

Before his death, Horace made a will on 27 August 1971. His son Raymond of 42 Charles Street, Rawmarsh (a Works Superintendent) and his grandson Derrick Ardron of Anchorsholme, Blackpool, Lancashire (a civil engineer) were appointed executors and trustees. The will bequeathed the following:

  1. to Derrick Ardron, grandson, £500
  2. to Roger Hart, grandson, £500
  3. to Drina Hart, grand-daughter, £250
  4. to Reba Harvey, £100
  5. to Vera Harvey, £50
  6. to Norman Sargent, £100
  7. to Muriel Oxtaby, £100
  8. the rest of the estate to Raymond Ardron, son.

Horace's will was probated on 26 February 1974: "Ardron Horace of 188 Clay Pitt Lane, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, died 3 November 1973. Probate Sheffield 26 February £27,238." (Wills and Admons 1974, Family Division of the High Court) (Photo - 188 Clay Pit Lane)

Hilda DUTCHMAN (1895 - 1959)
My Great-Grandmother was born at Sandhill Farm, Rawmarsh on 31 October 1895. Her parents were Charles Henry Dutchman, a farmer and Maria (nee Somerfield). (GRO cert BXBY109335 + GRO ref Rotherham 9c 718 Dec 1895)

She was baptised on 26 February 1896 in the Parish of Rawmarsh according to the Primitive Methodist Register Book of Baptisms at Kilnhurst in the Rotherham Circuit. The baptism was performed by Albert E. Proctor. (Methodist Baptism Certificate)

On the 1901 Census (31 March) Hilda was aged 5, living with her parents at Sandhill Farm, Clay Pit Lane, Rawmarsh. (PRO ref RG13 piece 4399 folio 39 pg 16)

On the 1911 Census (2 April) Hilda was aged 15, living with her parents at Sandhill Farm, Rawmarsh. (PRO ref RG14 ??)

Sandhill Farm was described in the 1910 Finance Act survey as follows:
 - Farmhouse, buildings and land. The house contains entrance hall, 2 living rooms, kitchen... cellar. 5 bedrooms.... - brick built, fair repair. The buildings (brick stone) consist of barn, 2 stall stable, 2 loose boxes and shed, 4 stall stable with chamber over - cow house for 4 - cow house for 4 - cart shed, blacksmith shop, turnip place and pig sty - rather poor repair. There may be a very small building value in the frontage to Sandhill Lane and Clay Pit Lane, but not significant to warrant any extra value being placed on the farm above its agricultural value (May 1915). (1910 Finance Act)

Hilda died on 3 March 1959 at the age of 63. (GRO ref Rother V. 2c 941 Mar 1959 - [aged] 63 + MI)

Administration of Hilda's Estate was granted on 28 May 1959. "Ardron Hilda of 188 Claypit Lane, Rawmarsh near Rotherham, Yorkshire (wife of Horace Ardron) died 3 March 1959. Administration London 28 May to the said Horace Ardron, van driver. Effects £2480 18s 5d". (Wills and Admons 1959 from the Family Division of the High Court)

She is buried at Haugh Road Cemetery, Rawmarsh: "Treasured memories of a dear wife and mother Hilda Ardron who died March 3 1959 aged 63". (MI)

HORACE AND HILDA HAD THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN:


1) Raymond Ardron I (1922 - 2003)

2) Norman Ardron II (1928 - 1929)
My Great-Uncle was born in 1928. (GRO ref Rotherham 9c 1305 Dec 1928 - Dutchman)

He died on 23 April 1929 at less than one year of age. He is buried at Haugh Road Cemetery, Rawmarsh. Norman's Monumental Inscription (from his grandfather Charles H. Dutchman's) reads "Also of their grandson Norman Ardron who died April 23 1929 aged 6 months "dearly beloved"". (MI)