Stamper and Dawson

JOHN STAMPER & DOROTHY DAWSON

After their marriage at BROUGHTON in June 1861, JOHN & DOROTHY continued to live at Broughton for a few years before moving to the MILLOM area around 1870.

As was usual at this time, they had a large family, full details of whom are not yet known.  From Church Records, the Census, and Obituary Notices the following appears to be a reconstruction of most, if not all, of the names:-
                                                    Born                 At
Ann Dawson Stamper                   1862              Broughton
MARY ESTHER Stamper           1865                   ditto
Emily Stamper                                  ?                        ?
Dorothy Stamper                               ?                        ?
Mary Stamper                                1872                 Millom
William Stewart Stamper               1876                    ditto
Betsy Stamper                                1878                    ditto
John Stamper                                 1880                     ditto
Thomas Stamper                            1881                     ditto

Nine children in all and by the birth of Thomas in 1881, father JOHN STAMPER would be 54 and wife DOROTHY 39.

From having been a Gardener, JOHN was now working as an "Iron Ore Miner" at Hodbarrow Mine.

A number of the children carried family names.
Ann Dawson Stamper had her grandmothers name "Ann Dawson"
MARY ESTHER STAMPER was "Esther" after the other grandmother, and Mary Braithwaite was her great grandmother..
Thomas was the name of grandfather Dawson, great grandfather Thomas Winder, and Uncle Thomas Dawson.
Mary was the name of an Aunt Mary Dawson.
Dorothy had her mothers name, whilst John had his fathers name.
William had an Uncles name, William Dawson.
Betsy had an Aunts name, Betsy Dawson.

The 1881 Census shows the family living at the "Hamlet of Millom Above, at School Ellis" (G.R. 172 834).  Only the children aged 9 and under were at home, the rest were working/living elsewhere, including MARY ESTHER STAMPER, our link, now aged 15.

 

Part of the Hamlet of School Ellis 100 years later

 

MARY ESTHER STAMPER 1865-1919
Daughter of John Stamper & Dorothy Stamper (Nee Dawson)

Born at BROUGHTON -IN-FURNESS on 16th September 1865, and baptised there on 15th October 1865, MARY ESTHER STAMPER was "Esther" after her grandmother, and "Mary" after great grandmother Mary Braithwaite, and Aunt Mary Dawson.

At the age of 5 she would move with her family to MILLOM when her father sought employment in the Mines there.

Generally speaking, as soon as children in this area were aged 13/14 they left home to "live in", the girls usually as Domestics, and the boys to work on a farm.

ESTHER, as she was known as, was no exception and in 1881, at the age of 15, we find her as a "Servant" with Robert Newton aged 75, Shoemaker.  They lived at LOW BECK STONES at "ABOVE MILLOM"

ESTHER was still a Domestic Servant in 1888 when, aged 22,  she returned home to "SCHOOL ELLIS at MILLOM ABOVE" for the birth of her illegitimate child on 2nd July.  She named her new daughter BEATRICE ANN PEARSON STAMPER.  Perhaps "Pearson" was the father's name.

Ten years later, at MILLOM PARISH CHURCH, at the age of 32, ESTHER married John Holmes an Iron Miner whose father had been a Blacksmith.
Esther actually gave her age as 28, so had deducted 4 years either deliberately or from uncertainty.  Ages given on marriage and death very often do not tally with the date of birth. 
At the time of her marriage she gives her address as 63 MAIN ST MILLOM. (John lived on Robinson Row).

ESTHER STAMPER
(Later Esther Holmes)

 

Esther died on 21st September 1919 at which time she was living with her husband , a Hodbarrow Miner, at 109 HOLBORN HILL, MILLOM.  She was aged 54.  Apart from daughter Beatrice she left three sons by husband John.(Albert, Harry, & John James)

 

 

Esther Holmes (Nee Stamper)

Report on her death 21st September 1919

Having got up around 8am Esther had put the kettle on, but, feeling unwell, had gone for a lie down again.  Husband John had gone for the post, and it was daughter Beatrice who lived two doors away who popped in to see her mother and found her unconscious.  A doctor was sent for who confirmed their fears.   The newspapers reporting her death refers to tributes from the PRIMITIVE METHODISTS CHOIR, so it appears that Esther, apart from being a Methodist, was possibly a reasonable vocalist.

It says something for her popularity that the paper list no fewer than 78 FLORAL TRIBUTES at the funeral.

BEATRICE ANN PEARSON STAMPER

(Daughter of Esther Stamper)
1888-1946

As we have seen, BEATRICE was born on 2nd July 1888 at SCHOOL ELLIS near MILLOM.

 

When she was aged 9, her mother married JOHN HOLMES and over the next few years three stepbrothers appeared on the scene.  Beatrice of course continued to live with her mother and her stepfather.  When she left home in her teens, probably to work as a Domestic, she didn't move far.  In 1911, at the time of her marriage she was residing at 170 HOLBORN HILL, MILLOM, later moving to No 75 and then to No 113 which was next door but one from her mothers at No 109.

On 28th June 1911, at the age of 22 BEATRICE married WILLIAM HENRY MILTON at MILLOM Parish Church.