The Sutton’s are from my mother’s maternal side, they were, for many generations farmers. primarily in southeast  Cheshire. The Suttons are a large family and my interest really stems from trying to match names to faces that appear in the photographs that I inherited from my mother. My Grandmother, Ellen Sutton married William Thomas  Witter in 1909 and they had 4 children at Crotia Mill,  Weston Nr Crewe:-  William John ‘Jack’ (b.1910 d.1971), Thomas Sutton (b.1911 d.abt 2004), Ernest Edwin (b.1913 d.1914) and my mother Margaret Helen (b.1916 d.2002). 

For the casual readers I mention below the SUTTONS, SIDDALLS, BASFORDS, EDWARDS, HOCKENHULLS, LATHAMS and WITTERS living in Betchton, Haslington, Hassall, Bridgemere, Weston, Market Drayton, Smallwood and some farm names include  Hall Farm,  The Drumbles,  Bridgehouse Farm, Oakhanger Hall, Kents Green, Crotia Mill,  Ley Grounds, Wood End and Pewit Hall. 

Samuel Sutton (bap.1819)

 Samuel married Ann Rossen in 1842 with fathers William Sutton and James Rossen  witnessing.  In the 1841 census Samuel was working at  Hall Farm, Arclid as a 20 year old farm labourer, where Ann was the eldest daughter.  In 1851 Samuel and Ann were farming 24 acres at The Drumbles in Betchton Heath with children John (b.1843), Samuel (b.1847), William (b.1849) and Thomas (b.1851). In Haslington the following children were born Ambose (b.1853), James (b.1855), Elizabeth (b.1857), Annie (b.1860), Mary (b.1862), George (b.1866) and Ellen (b.1870). It is John, Annie and George, highlighted above,  who are the subject matter for this section of my website.

John Sutton (b.1843 d.1891)

My Gt Grandfather, John Sutton was the 1st born in 1843 to Samuel (bap. 1819) and Ann Sutton (b. abt 1824 d.1855) who farmed at Bridge House Farm, Haslington.  John married Sarah Ann Siddall on 6^th May 1879.

Ellen  Sutton (my Grandmother) was the eldest of 6 children born to John  and Sarah Ellen Sutton nee Siddall (b.1856 d. 1923):-  Ellen (b.1881 d.1952) Annie (b.1882), Lizzie Mary (b.1883), George (b. 1885) Sarah Jane (Jenni) (b.1889 d.1973) and Florrie (b.1891 d.1991). Their father John, died when   only 47 leaving a widow and 6 children under 11.

They farmed at Pewit Hall in Hunsterton Cheshire and continued to do so even after 1901. Pewit Hall is now a rather grand private residence specialising in horses.  I have a sampler dated 1867, which was produced by my then 10 year old Gt Gt Grandmother Sarah Ellen Siddall who lived in Hassall and at Oakhanger Hall, Haslington both in Cheshire with her farmer parents John and Elizabeth Siddall and her 5 siblings – Hannah (b.1861), George (b.1862), Jane M (b. 1865), Ernest J ( b. 1868), & Joseph (b.1869) Ellen. Suttons still farm at Oakhanger Hall Farm today.

1n 1923 Sarah Ellen’s probate was granted to Ellen Witter (daughter), Sarah Jane ‘Jenni’ Basford (daughter) and George (Son). I can find no trace of her on the 1911 census.

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John and Sarah Ellen’s children:-

Ellen Sutton (b. 1881 d.1952)

Ellen Sutton was born at Oakhanger Hall (farming 100 acres) in Haslington, Cheshire and by 1891 the family were farming at Pewit Hall in Hunstanton, Cheshire. In 1891 her father, John died leaving 10 year old  Ellen the eldest of 6 children. The family were still farming at Pewit Hall in 1901 and in 1909 she married William Thomas Witter and  moved to Crotia Mill Farm, Weston, Cheshire.  William John ‘Jack’ ( b.1910 d.1973), Thomas (b.1911 d.abt 2004), Ernest (b.1913 d.1914) and finally my mother Margaret Helen (b.1916 d. 2002) were all born at Crotia Mill.  For the ease of telling the Sutton story some of the detail below could equally appear in the Witter section of my website.

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Annie Sutton (b.1882 d.1934)

In 1891 9 year old Annie appears with her maternal Grandparents at Oakhanger Hall (Sarah Ellen Siddall, her widowed grandmother). This is the same year that her father, John Sutton, died so perhaps she was being comforted by them?  She married William Basford in 1910 (younger brother of Joseph Basford below) and they farmed at Wood End Farm, Hunsterson, Nantwich, in Pewit Lane very close to Pewit Hall where Annie came from. He is shown as a widow in 1939 at Wood End Farm as ‘a tillage farm, heavy work’. Annie’s probate was granted to husband William and her date of death was 15th July 1934, aged 52. William appears in wedding photographs of his daughter Alice Basford in 1935 and in my parents wedding photograph in  1942.

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William and Annie had  Kathleen (b. Mar 1911), Alice (b.25th Nov 1913), Hilda (b.1915), Joan (b.1923).  Kathleen married Frank F Furber in 1933 with children Kathleen Jean (b. 1936), Colin (b. 1939) ,Margaret Helen (b.1941) and Richard (b. 1943).  Both Kathleen and Frank and finally Colin  farmed at Wood End Farm. 

Alice married George Stanley Huckenhull in 1935 and in 1939 they farmed at Upper Mickley Farm,  Bridgenorth, Shropshire where Peter B, Hilda M, Mary E  and Ruth were born.  Alice died in 2009 aged 95. 

 The 2 youngest daughters Hilda and Joan have quite sad tales to tell. I found 14 year old Hilda on the 2nd August 1930 ships passenger list for the ‘Desna’ leaving Liverpool to Buenos Aires via Hilda’s destination of Leixoes (Porto in Portugal). She was found returning to Liverpool on RMS Belem on the 2nd Oct 1930 with other school friends from Wincham Hall in Lostock Garlam.   This looks like it was a school trip which is surprising as the  Suttons rarely left Cheshire/Shropshire/Staffordshire area.  However, Hilda died a few years later aged 17 from an appendix complication.  Joan died in 1924 not yet a year old. Hilda and Joan are buried with their parents (William and Annie) in Wynbunbury churchyard.

Lizzie May Sutton (b.1883 d.1946)

I have very little information on Lizzie other than she  married  A J Bourne and died in 1946 in Vicarage House, Renton, Staffordshire. ‘Uncle & Aunt’ Bourne were identified by my Uncle in my mother’s wedding photograph in 1942 which appears in this section.

 

George (b.1885 )

George married Annie Charlesworth in the June quarter of 1911. They had Gladys in 1912, John T in 1913, George in 1914, Albert in 1916, Marjorie in 1917, Gordon in 1919 and Clifford Charlesworth in 1923. In 1923, his mother Sarah Ellen(nee Siddall) died with probate granted to Ellen Witter (daughter), Sarah Jane ‘Jenni’ Basford (daughter) and George b.1885 (Son). She was living at Rose Hill, Balterley, Nr. Crewe at the time. I can find no trace of George b 1885 or his mother (Sarah Ellen) on the 1911 census, which is a mystery, especially as in the 1939 census George b. 1885 and wife Annie are at Pewit Hall as Dairy Farmers and Cheesemakers with children Albert and Marjorie. It seems reasonable to assume that they remained at Pewit Hall, just an inability of me to find them on that census.

 

 

I have some detail on 2 of the children George and Gladys:-  

The wedding photograph attendees are  identified  L/R :- Alice Basford (cousin), John Sutton (brother), U/K bridesmaid, Henry Patrick ‘Pat’ Hone, Glayds Sutton, U/K best man, Marjorie Sutton (sister) and Margaret Witter (cousin and my mother).

George married  Mary Meakin on the 7th August 1940 who came from closeby Pipegate, just south of Woore in Northern Shropshire where her father, James, was a mineral merchant. It’s likely that James Meakin and Sons Ltd is a connection to the current family. Cousin Alice Basford in the photograph had married George Huckenhull in 1935 and died in 2009 agred 95. George also appears on my mothers 1942 wedding picture along with his father, George b.1855.

 

 

Sarah Jane Sutton ‘Jenni’ (b.1889 d.1973)

In 1901 Sarah Jane ‘Aunt Jenni’ is at Pewit Hall and in 1911 she is housekeeper to a Joseph Basford at Walgherton, Doddington & Bridgemere. They married in 1912 and had no children

Joseph’s family  farmed at Mere Moor Farm, Weston, Cheshire  on 144 acres in 1881 with  his parents William and Elizabeth together with his 5 siblings:- Mary E, Sarah A, Samuel, Joseph, Elizabeth and William. (Brothers married Sutton sisters)

In 1939 Joseph and Sarah Jane ‘Jenni’ were living at Ley Grounds, Bridgemere,  together with her youngest sister Florence (Mission Sister) and her friend Winifred Adley and infirm mother Mary E Adley.  We used to visit Aunt ‘Jenni’ in the 1950 and 1960’s at Bourden House, Colley’s Lane, Willaston, Nantwich and remember Joseph as being almost totally deaf using an ear trumpet. Joseph died at Bourden House on the 17th August 1958 and Jenni on the 5th November 1973 at The Elms, Nantwich.

I am told Jenni was qite a character and some who visited her in  Elm House care home would sometimes find her in the Railway Inn opposite.

 

 

 

Florence (b.1891 d.1991)

Florence ‘Florrie’ was my mother’s favourite Aunt, she was a popular and  frequent guest to us at Tookeys Farm and the White House in Astwood Bank. One sad story in her early life was that when she was at Crotia Mill helping her sister Ellen look after Earnest (b.1913 d.1914) when a spark from the fire went into his crib and he died. 

In the 1939 she is with her sister, Jenni with Winfred Adley and Winifred’s infirm mother as a Mission Sister. I have access to a  ‘epns’  tray inscribed to Florrie and Winifred in recognition of 10 years service to 1950 from the Gordon Mission in Gravesend. (This is General Gordon of Khartoum fame who lived in Gravesend between 1865 – 1871 where he undertook much work with the poor and under privileged of the area.)

Both Florrie and Winifred retired to Nantwich where I understand that Florrie was a local Methodist preacher.  My family and I had a great deal to do with both of them.  She was a kind, generous lady who was well appreciated by our family.

 

Annie Sutton (b.1860)

Annie Sutton was the 8th born of Samuel and Ann Rossen. She married Joseph Latham in the June quarter of 1879. In 1891 they are at Kents Green Farm in Haslington aged 30 and 31 respectively with William (b.1881), Annie (b.1882), George (b.1884), Joseph (b.1886), Mary (b.1887), Nelly (b.1888),Edith (b.1889), John (7 days). No further research has been undertaken on this section of Suttons.

George Sutton (b.1865)

George was the 9th born to Samuel and Ann and the 1st born John’s (b.1843) youngest brother and much of my Sutton family information  confirms the close links.  Perhaps it was to do with him helping in the support of John’s widow and young family but this is speculation.  At the time of John’s death George  was 25 and unmarried. George and Sarah appear on my mother’s wedding photograph (aged 76)

George married Sarah Edwards in the June quarter of 1896. In the 1911 census they were farming at Bridgehouse Farm, Haslington and had Pollie (b.1901), Ivor (b.1902), George (b.1904), Victor (b.1909) aged 1 and Ambrose aged 58 (b.1853 @Haslington)   was a widower and  George’s elder brother.

Below of what I know of some of George and Sarah’s Children:-

Pollie Sutton (b.1901)

I do not have any information for Pollie

Ivor Sutton (b.1902)

In 1939  I  have Ivor Sutton living  at Heath Farm, Weston as a dairy farmer, having married Mary Elizabeth Edwards (b.9^th Dec 1915) in the June quarter of 1936. Her sister, Rachael Edwards was also there and was due to marry Ivor’s brother, Victor, later in 1939. They had at least 2 children but I have not explored further.

I have a Geoffrey P Edwards (b. 6^th Oct 1904, Red Lion Farm, Weston) marrying a Jean Whittaker in 1946. Jean Whittaker (Mere Moor Farm, Weston) was my mother’s best friend from school days and Jean was her bridesmaid in 1942.  I have not confirmed yet but was Geoffrey Edwards, Mary Elizabeth’s and Rachel’s elder brother?

George Sutton (b.1904 d.1981)

In 1939, 35 year old George was ‘assisting father’ (aged 74) at Bridge House Farm together with his mother and Vera Joan his sister. I can find no marriage or children for George but he died in 1981.

Victor Sutton (b.1909)

I have in my possession a very smart 1939  wedding album  of Victor and Rachael (Ray) Sutton nee Edwards (b. 02/03/1917)   with  35 photographs showing many of the guests as well as the normal wedding group.  Below are 4 photographs from this album, Victor and Rachel, extended wedding group, one of William Thomas, Ellen (my grandparents), my mother and her brother Thomas Witter. and 4 of arriving guests. This was a ‘top hat ‘ wedding in the year the second world war was declared.  My hope is that with your help  I may be able to identify others from this album.

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Vera  Joan Sutton (b.1911)

Vera Joan was born on the 26th April 1911, post the census of that year. (my eldest sister remembers her and used to stay with her). She remained a spinster and appears in my parents 1942 wedding photograph.

 

 

If you have any corrections, additions or other comments on this Sutton section I would be pleased  to hear from you.

Sutton Descendant Tree

William-Sutton-Outline-Descendaant-Tree