 | Abt. 1846, at Etwall, Derbyshire. |
|---|---|
 | Eliza Ann Leason, Before 5 April 1891 |
 | 13 identified children, may have been the father of one other child. |
 | Derbyshire, England (Back Lane (now Union Street), Ashbourne, Union Street (now Belle Vue Road), Chapel Yard) |
 | Timber Loader | Labourer |
 | 1918. Aged 72 years. |
 | Low confidence: Birth, census and marriage records confirm parental relationship. Census returns, newspaper articles and death records confirm occupation and relationships. Changes in occupation and residential location are reasonable and well documented. |
 | Ancestry Profile |
|---|---|
 | FamilySearch Profile |
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| George William Bull (1873-1914)Amy Elizabeth Bull (1881-1962) |
Birth and Childhood
Joseph was born on 17th July 1843 in Etwall, Derbyshire [Figure 1]. He was the eldest child of Joseph Bull and Eliza Mansfield. No baptism record has been found for Joseph, despite a thorough search of Parish records for Etwall (where they were living at the time of Joseph’s birth) and Sutton-on-the-Hill (where they had moved by the time Joseph’s younger sister, Sarah, was born).
At the time of the 1851 Census, Joseph was living with his parents and younger sisters, Sarah and Emma, at the house of his grandmother, Helena Milward (known as Ellen after her marriage) [Figure 2]. Two further children, Elizabeth Bull and James Bull, are listed as visitors, but have not yet been identified as relatives.
In 1861, Joseph was living in Cropper Lane, Thurvaston, Derbyshire, with his parents and siblings Emma, George and Hannah. He was 17 years old and working as a Farmer’s Servant [Figure 3].
Family
Joseph married Eliza Ann Leason at St Werburgh’s Church in Derby, Derbyshire, on 18th October 1869 [Figure 4]. The marriage was witnessed by Eliza’s stepfather, Edwin Goodwin.
This is the first time Joseph is recorded using the middle name “Mansfield” (his mother’s maiden surname). Interestingly, the only time this name is used is in Joseph’s marriage registration, and on some of his children’s baptism registrations.
Just over a year before their wedding, on 27th June 1868, Eliza had given birth to a daughter, Sarah Ellen Leason. It is possible that Joseph was the father of this child, however there are no known records to confirm or deny this. Sarah Ellen Leason died in July 1869, a few months before the marriage.
Joseph and Eliza’s first daughter following their marriage, Sarah Ellen Bull, was born on 9th July 1870, but sadly died a few days later. At the time of the 1871 Census, Joseph and Eliza were living in King Street, Ashbourne, and Joseph was working as a Coal Merchant (also known as a Coal Agent) [Figure 5].
By June 1876 the family had moved to Marple’s Yard, and by April 1877 they had moved to Back Lane. At the time of the 1881 Census, Joseph was living in Back Lane with his wife Eliza, and children Sarah Ann Bull (b. 1871), George William Bull (b. 1873), Thomas Charles Bull (b. 1875) and Hannah Eliza Bull (b. 1879) [Figure 6]. Two other children had also been born since the last census, Walter Bull in 1876 and Henrietta Bull in 1877, however they had both died as infants.
Joseph was now working as a Timber Loader for the North Staffordshire Railway Company – an occupation he continued at least into his late sixties.
In 1891, Joseph was living in Adin’s Yard, Ashbourne with wife Eliza and children Sarah, George, Thomas and Hannah, as well as Amy Elizabeth Bull (b. 1881), James Bull (b. 1883), Frederick Arthur Bull (b. 1885), and Mary Ellen Bull (b. 1888) [Figure 7].
Over the next decade, Joseph’s abode changes frequently on his children’s baptism records, between Back Lane, Union Street and Adin’s Yard. It is possible that the family moved regularly, but it could also be the result of errors made by those creating the parish records. It is also possible that Adin’s Yard was located at the intersection of Back Lane and Union Street – no record of its actual location has yet been found. For reference, a map of identified locations can be seen below [Figure 8].
On 20th March 1899, Joseph was loading timber at the railway station in Oakamoor, Staffordshire, when “a tree fell and crushed his left foot”. He was assisted by the station master and treated by Dr. Boswell on his return to Ashbourne [Figure 9].
At the time of the 1901 Census, the family was once again recorded living in Adin’s Yard [Figure 10]. All the children were still living at home, as well as daughter Ada Bull (b. 1891). Another son, Herbert Bull, had been born on 14th October 1893, but died 14 days later. Eliza’s mother, Elizabeth Leason, and half-brother, Louis Edwin Goodwin, were also enumerated living in Adin’s Yard.
On 11th October 1905, Joseph was summoned to the Ashbourne Petty Sessions by his wife, for threatening her a week earlier [Figure 11]. The summons was withdrawn on the condition that Joseph “would behave in a very different way, and do his best to make his wife comfortable.”
In September 1907, Joseph’s wife Eliza died at their home in Union Street [Figure 12]. By the time of the 1911 Census, Joseph had moved to live with his daughter Hannah, her husband Charles Bell, and their children [Figure 13]. Joseph’s daughter Ada was also listed as a boarder in the house of her sister, Hannah.
Joseph’s son George died in Australia in December 1914, and we know from reports of the death in England that Joseph had moved to live in Chapel Yard on Compton Street, Ashbourne by early 1915 [Figure 14].
Death
Joseph died at the age of 75, on 15th November 1918, at the Union Workhouse Infirmary in Ashbourne [Figure 15]. The cause of death was cancer of the face and heart failure. Joseph’s death was reported by his daughter, Hannah. He was buried at St Oswald’s Church in Ashbourne [Figure 16]; however, no grave marker survives.
Additional Records
- Baptism Registration, Sarah Anne Bull & George William Bull, 12th February 1873 - George William Bull and his older sister, Sarah Anne Bull, were baptised together at St Oswald’s Church in Ashbourne, on 12th February 1873. Their father, Joseph Mansfield Bull, was a Coal Agent living in Ashbourne, with their mother Eliza Ann Bull.
- Birth Registration, George William Bull, 20th February 1873 - Superintendent Registrar’s District Ashbourne Registrar’s District Ashbourne 1873. BIRTHS in the District of Ashbourne in the County of Derby No. 407 When and Where Born. Seventeenth January 1873 King Street Ashbourne Name, if any. George William Sex. Boy Name and Surname of Father. Joseph Mansfield Bull Name and Maiden Surname of Mother. Eliza Ann Bull…
- Marriage, George William Bull, 27 July 1897 - 1897. Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Ashbourne in the County of Derby No. 303 When Married. July 27th 1897 Name and Surname. George William Bull Sarah Ellen Salt Age. 26 24 Condition. Bachelor Spinster Rank or Profession. Labourer Domestic Servant Residence at the time of Marriage. Back Lane Church Street…
- "Wedding", Ashbourne Telegraph, 3 March 1905 - On Monday, the marriage was solemnized at Ashbourne Parish Church of Mr. William Johnson, of the ASHROURNE TELEGRAPH staff, and Miss Amy Elizabeth Bull, third daughter of Mr. J. Bull, of Union-street. The bridesmaids were Miss M. E. Bull and Miss S. A. Tatlow. The bride, who was prettily attired in a costume of navy…
- "Domestic Infelicity", Ashbourne News Telegraph, 20 October 1905 - Joseph Bull, labourer, of Union Street, Ashbourne, was summoned by his wife, Eliza Ann Bull, for threatening her on the 4th October. Mrs. Bull said she wished to be allowed to withdraw the summons on condition that defendant promised to lead a different life. Defendant promised to conduct himself better in the future, and the…
- "Deaths", Ashbourne News Telegraph, 6 September 1907 - BULL.—September 1, at Union street, Ashbourne, Eliza Ann, wife of Joseph Bull, aged 56 years.
- Death Registration, Eliza Ann Bull, 2nd September 1907 - On 1st September 1907, Eliza Ann Bull died at her home in Union Street, Ashbourne. Her daughter, Mary Ellen Bull, was present at the death, which was caused by chronic nephritis and exhaustion.
Research Opportunities
- Employment Records for Joseph Mansfield Bull & George William Bull - The National Archives in London may hold employment records from the North Staffordshire Railway Company (Collection: RAIL 532)
Research Statement
The following table provides confidence levels for individual aspects of the research undertaken. Note that these confidence levels do not take into account contextual information and only apply to the evidence gathered for the individual fact. A wholistic confidence level for the ancestor can be found in the Key Facts table at the top of the page.
| Fact | Confidence | Supporting Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Date | 1 | 2 secondary sources |
| Birth Place | 1 | 2 secondary sources
|
| Marriage Date | 2 | 2 secondary sources |
| Marriage Place | 0 | 0 sources found. |
| Residence | 4 | 2 primary sources
5 secondary sources
|
| Occupation | 2 | 2 primary sources 3 secondary sources |
| Death Date | 0 | 0 sources found. |
| Death Place | 0 | 0 sources found. |
Sources
Sources for historical records included in this page are not listed for brevity. They can be found by clicking through to the individual records, or by visiting the Ancestry or FamilySearch profiles linked at the top of this page.