Return to The Children of Mr.
& Mrs. Elsom
The Elsoms of Spalding Continued
It may be gathered from the foregoing pages that of the eight
Elsoms of Spalding who attained their majority, seven removed
from the town; and though Isaac and Harriet returned, it was
not until the former was upwards of sixty years of age, and Harriet
never married. On George, therefore, devolved the responsibility
of continuing the Elsoms of Spalding.
We have seen that George, born, March 18, 1860, was brought
up to the ropemaking business of his father, and eventually succeeded
him on January 1, 1886. But before he succeeded to his father's
business, he was in business on his own account. Agricultural
depression being very acute in the late "seventies"
and early "eighties", George was encouraged by his
father to strike out for himself; and about 1880 or 1881, he
commenced to deal in bags and sacks. Soon after, he bought the
stock in trade of a Mr. Capps, (son of Mr. William Capps, timber
merchant) who had been doing a small business as a seedsman,
and, wearying of it, embarked for America. Thus, when he took
over his father's business, he was already well-known as a "sack
and seed merchant". To these occupations he soon added that
of stack and waggon covers. Later, he bought some 13 acres of
orchard and garden land, on both sides of the railway, near the
Pinchbeck Road crossing, where he did business as a fruit farmer.
Then he took for a short time, a small farm at Weston Hills;
but eventually he gave that up and bought and farmed, a farm
of some 90 acres at Cuckoo Bridge in Pinchbeck Common. In the
meantime, he had built new buildings at the ropewalk; sold the
house and shop at 31, New Road, and bought the larger and more
important premises of 9, Market Place. He was successful in all
his undertakings.
In 1886, he married Miss Christina Emerson of Little Steeping;
and there were six children of the marriage - George, William,
Harold, Albert, Dorothy, and Ivy. He had been married
about 15 years, and had been most enterprising, struggling with
ill-health more or less nearly all the time, when on April 9,
1901 - the 55th anniversary of his parents' wedding day - he
died aged 41 years.
Thus Mrs. George Elsom was left a widow with five children,
the eldest of whom was only fourteen years of age. (Ivy, the
youngest of six, had died two weeks before her father, aged 2
years.) Very bravely did the widow take up her heavy burden;
and right skilfully and untiringly and successfully did she win
through! All four boys, both before and after they left school,
co-operated with their mother in every department of the business
- shop, ropewalk, gardens and farm etc. So that by the time the
youngest boy had attained his majority, or soon after, the mother
had retired in their favour. To George the elder, and Albert
the younger, were given the rope, cover, sack and seed business,
to William the second son, the garden and orchard, and to Harold,
the third, the farm.
But the mother has not had a very happy retirement. During
the Great War, Harold the farmer felt it his duty to leave his
farm in the care of a neighbour and join the army in France.
One day, during an engagement with the enemy, he was "missing";
and has never since been found. The farm was transferred to William,
who was doing a good business as a fruit farmer and produce merchant.
But in the course of a few years he succumbed to consumption
of the bowels. The farm and garden were then entrusted to George
and Albert. Lastly, the greatly beloved Dorothy fell a victim
to pulmonary consumption. Mrs George Elsom has now to mourn the
loss of her husband and four of her six children!
George Elsom, eldest child of the late George Elsom
of Spalding was born, February 6, 1887. On February 3rd, 1915,
he married Olive, daughter of, Mr. George Burges, farmer, of
Hurdletree House, Holbeach Fen. There have been three children
of the marriage, but the first, a boy, died in infancy. Mair,
born Jan. 28, 1919 and Dorothy Jean, born ..........,
are still living.
Albert Elsom, Fourth son of the late George Elsom of
Spalding, was born ........ On Jan 10, 1921, he married Miss
Janet Furness, of Peterboro'. They have one little boy, Thomas,
born November, 1921.
(End of Book 8. The work concluded)
