Sproston News

The Sproston News is an occasional newsletter sent out by email.

Sproston News 5 (12/12/03)
Sproston News 4 (25/09/03)
Sproston News 3 (17/07/03)
Sproston News 2 (16/06/03)
Sproston News 1 (22/05/03)

Sproston News 5

Dear All

This will be the last edition of Sproston News this year, so I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

New on the website at <www.sproston.org.uk> this time:

Wills

I have received 4 more wills from Chester: Ann Sproston, spinster of Nantwich died 1862; John Oakes Sproston, vetinary surgeon of Tarporley, died 1845; Samuel Sproston, farmer of Alphraham, died 1856 (who appears to be the father of John Oakes); and finally Samuel Sproson, labourer of Hatherton, died 1850.

A transcription of Ann's will is available on the Wills page (from the site Home Page, click on Resources then follow the Wills link). The others will be transcribed shortly.

Parish Records/Memorial Inscriptions

I have updated the Parish Records page (again, follow the Resources link from the Home Page, then click on Parish Records). This now includes monumental inscriptions for various churches/towns across Cheshire, including Davenham, Congleton, Wilmslow and Over. Many thanks to Michelle for her hard work on these.
One particular inscription of note is that in memory of Frederick son of Joshua and Harriet Sproston of Castle Northwich (groom?), who drowned in attempting to save the life of his fellow apprentice 7.8.1871 aged 16.

Census Transcriptions

I have now made some progress with both the Cheshire 1841 and Staffordshire 1841 census, although neither have a surname index and many pages are practically illegible. The results from both are available on the Census Extracts page (follow the Resources link). Ages were rounded in 1841, and only the county of birth was given. I have the 1871 Staffordshire census on order, so hope to be able to add details from this to the web site soon.

Not all of the 1841 census information is contained in the database, as I have not yet been able to match all the families from 1841 with those from 1851 (you'd think it would be simple!).

Sproston Branches

Also included now are the Shavington Branch, and the Wybunbury Tailors. There now appears to have been a link between Sprostons in Nantwich and those in Wybunbury, as at least two Nantwich Sprostons are buried in the churchyard of Wybunbury St Chad (Ann of Nantwich, and Ann wife of Richard of Nantwich). It will be interesting to see if we can shed any further light on this connection.

Sproston People

I have added details of my own grandfather, Frank, and his immediate family.

Cemetery Page

This now also includes a photo from Hove Cemetery, of the tombstone of Samuel Sproston of Sproston Wood, Wrenbury, Cheshire (former curate of Stoke Newington).

1911 Census

For many people, there is currently no link between the 1901 census information and their own family tree. The publication of the 1911 census of England and Wales would provide a valuable resource and help to link more modern family history to older branches of the Sproston/Sproson/Sprowson family tree. However, government officials have indicated this census will not be published before 2011, and perhaps not even then. There is a campaign to 'free' the 1911 census as soon as possible, hopefully next year, and further details can be found at <http://home.clara.net/denis.mccready/index.htm>. This website gives you all the information you need to write to/email your local MP, including a standard letter.

Sproston Names

And finally….I thought it would be interesting to see what the most popular boy's name of all time (to date) was in the Sproston/Sproson/Sprowson/Sprawson/Sprosen family, and the results are as follows:
Robert 37
Joseph 62
Samuel 77
James 80
Thomas 129
William 171

But the runaway winner with 209 so far is…John.

So for the sake of future family historians, if you're thinking of a name for your son, and want something traditional, please consider some of the more unusual Sproston names: Absolom, Aloysius, Ambrose, Cornelius, Ebenezer, Jabez, Lancelot, Lovatt, Moses, Neno, Solomon, Stanier, or even Zacheria.

That's all for now. If you have any information you'd like me to add to the website, please do get in touch, and feel free to pass my details on to anyone else who may be interested in Sproston family history. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please let me know and I'll remove you from the mailing list.

Once again, have a very happy Christmas, and hope to speak with you all in the New Year.

Kind regards,

Sue Bradley (nee Sproston)

Oxfordshire, England

Sproston News 4

Hello Everyone

I hope you are all well and enjoyed the summer holidays - now that we are all back at work and school I thought I'd let you know what's new on the website at <www.sproston.org.uk>.

Wills

There are several new wills now transcribed on the site - thanks to Barbara for at least one of these. The will of James Sproston of Wheelock, made shortly before the murder of his wife, is also available. To access the page, click on the Resouces link on the Home Page, then right at the bottom of the table you'll find a link to the Wills page. I also have several Staffordshire/Warwickshire wills now, having been sent a complete list of all Sproston etc wills held by Lichfield for the period 1770-1858. This is available to anyone who would like to see it.

Cemetery

The Cemetery page (which is linked from the Resouces page) has also been updated with some great photos from Middlewich Cemetery. Many members of the Middlewich Tanners branch are buried here, so it's well worth a look. Many thanks to Michelle for her hard work here. The page takes a while to download so please be patient.

Sprawsons

I have now added to the database all Sprawsons from the 1881/1901 census, as well as many from the 1891 and 1851. The Sprawson/Sprosen branch originates in Harbury, Warwickshire; a link with the Sprostons/Sprosons has not yet been established, but as some Sprosens are sometimes listed as Sprosons and Sprostons, I felt it was helpful to include them.

Miners

Some of you with mining connections may be aware that a compensation scheme has been set up by the DTI for coal miners, living or deceased, with respiratory and other diseases. We are claiming compensation in respect of my grandfather, Frank Sproston, who was a miner all his life and who died of lung cancer shortly after retiring. Further information can be found at <http://www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth/index.htm>. All claims must be in by Spring 2004.

Census

I now have the complete 1841 census for Staffordshire and Cheshire, and have made some progress with extracting Sproston/Sproson details from these (there is no surname index). If anyone would like a look-up, Sproston or otherwise, please let me know.

Sproston Branches

I have added further details of the Newchapel Branch, along with several lovely pictures - thanks to Derek for these. Another branch which has been added is the Shavington Branch.

Timeline

In the interests of trying to put the information in the database into some kind of historical context, I've now included a timeline which shows how some of the Sproston family history fits into the events of the time. This is a work in progress, and I will add to it over the coming months. Those of you interested in the history of the Potteries may also find this site useful <www.staffspasttrack.org.uk/> .

War Stories

Thanks to those of you who have sent me your war stories. I'll be adding these to the site shortly, so anyone else who'd like to contribute is very welcome. I'm hoping this will be an important resource for younger generations, so please feel free to send me anything at all - photos, documents, memories etc.

That's all for now. Previous copies of Sproston News are now available on the website from the link on the Home Page. If anyone would prefer not to receive future editions, please let me know.

Kind regards

Susan Bradley (nee Sproston)

Sproston News 3

Hello Everyone,

This is the third edition of Sproston News; please feel free to send it on to anyone else who may have an interest in Sproston/Sproson/Sprowson/Sprosen genealogy.

New on the website at www.sproston.org.uk this month….

Cemetery Page
As well as photos from Hamlet Cemetery, Mercer County, Illinios, this page also has some pictures of Sproston tombstones at Tunstall Cemetery, Stoke-on-Trent (many thanks to Roger and Derek for their time and effort here). Follow the link from the Resources page. It takes a while to download, so please be patient.
If anyone has any other photos suitable for inclusion here, please do let me know.

Wills Page
Transcriptions of various wills are now available here (follow the link from the Resources Page), with more to follow, in particular the family of Sprostons from the Bradwall, Sandbach area. We are still struggling to transcribe the will of Ralph Sproston who died in Middlewich in 1616. Chester Archives Office have advised me it is OK to publish transcriptions as long as I give them a plug at the same time. These are a really fascinating glimpse into the lives and possessions of ordinary people, and are often very helpful in establishing family relationships.

Sproston People
New on this page is a short history and photos of Frank Sproston (of the Newchapel Branch), born in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent in 1887. Many thanks to Derek for these.
If anyone would like to contribute to this section, drop me a line.

Murder at Wheelock
Further to my last bulletin, we now know that it was James Sproston, joiner of Wheelock Wharf and a respected member of the local church, who killed his wife Ann with a sword one Friday morning after breakfast, shooting himself with a pistol shortly afterwards. James made a will at the end of March 1855 which made no mention of his wife whatsoever. The murder took place less than 30 days later. Visit the link at Sproston People to read the detailed account which appeared in the Times newspaper on 30th April 1855 (this is very detailed indeed, and isn't for the fainthearted).

Sproston War Stories
I would like to set up a new section on the website relating to the First and Second World Wars, and to this end would welcome photos, scanned documents and stories of any kind relating to these, whether first hand or not. Memories of rationing, bombing, coupons, evacuees and so on would be most welcome.

1841 Census
I now have a copy of the entire 1841 census for Staffordshire, and have the one for Cheshire on order. If anyone would like a look-up, let me know - however, there is no surname index, so please try to be specific as to location.

That's all for now. If you no longer wish to receive this bulletin, please let me know.

Sproston News 2

Hello everyone,

This is the second edition of Sproston News, I have waited a while because we have been expecting information from the Cheshire Records Office which only arrived last week.

Two Branches Linked At Last
Thanks to several Middlewich wills, we have finally been able to link the Old Middlewich Branch with the Middlewich Tanners. Charles Sproston, born 1810, currier of Middlewich, was the son of Samuel Sproston, tailor of Middlewich, and Samuel in turn was descended from the two Roberts who were both gardeners in Kinderton. The website has been updated to show the latest version of the tree. Many many thanks to Gordon for his hard work in transcribing the four wills in question and making the right connections.

The US Wolstanton Branch
I had hoped that a research request placed with Cheshire Records Office would help to confirm that John Sproston, born 1779, emigrated to Canada/USA in 1832, was born at Sandbach St Mary. However, the researchers failed to find a record of his birth there, so we will have to look elsewhere. They have sent details of other Sprostons at Bradwall, Sandbach, and I have ordered 3 further wills relating to this family group to try to figure out who they are. I believe the children from this family moved into the Wolstanton area in the early 1800s.

New Website Pages at www.sproston.org.uk
The website has been updated with several new pages:
Cemetery Page - this holds some of the wonderful pictures taken by Roger at Mercer County Cemetery, Illinois, including the tombstone of John Sproston (see above). This page is linked from Sproston Branches. Many thanks to Roger for these.
Census Page & Parish Records - these two new pages are linked from the Resources page. They bring together the various census details we have to date, including the 1851 Nantwich area census and the Middlewich 1841 census, plus extracts from parish records.

The Stanier Branch
Details obtained from the 1851 Stoke-on-Trent census have helped to piece together details of this branch, which begins with William Sprowson marrying Maria Stanier. The name Stanier is passed on down the family as a boy's name for several generations. Details can be found on the Sproston Branches page.

The Harbury Branch & Sprostons/Sprosens in Australia/New Zealand
This new branch dates back to the 1600s in Warwickshire, moves down into Buckinghamshire and then ends up in New Zealand. Further details can be found at the Sproston Branches page - many thanks to Jack and his fellow Sprosen/Sprawson researchers for this information.
The Sproston Emigrants page now also contains more information about members of the Stafford Branch who emigrated to Australia in the 1920s - thanks to Bob and Phil for this.

Murder In Sandbach
In April 1855, the Times newspaper reported that a Mrs Sproston of Wheelock, Cheshire was murdered by her husband James, who afterwards committed suicide. The will of James Sproston of Wheelock Wharf, Sandbach who died in 1855 has been ordered from Chester to see if it sheds any light on this unhappy event.

Updates to Come..
I am working to put together details of Sprostons and variants listed in Trade and Commercial Directories over the years. While these don't often help to determine family relationships, they do add extra detail to the lives of Sprostons past.

That's all for now. If you'd prefer not to receive future mailings, please contact me and I will take you off the list. If you have any news or information you'd like to share, I'm happy to include it, so let me know.

Sproston News 1

Hello Everyone

This is my first attempt at a Sproston mailing list, aimed at making it easier to send out information & news about the Sproston/Sproson/Sprowson/Sprosen families and the website.

New website address
Mark has very kindly let me use the domain name www.sproston.org.uk for my website, it's rather easier to remember than the Rootsweb address. Many many thanks to Mark for this.

Website updates to come
I have a lot of new information to add to the website, including the 1851 Nantwich area extract, details of the Sprosen family dating back to the 1600s (courtesy of Jack from New Zealand), Sprostons buried at Chester, and more Australian Sprostons. Thanks to everyone who has sent new information, please keep it coming.
Some of the files on the Resources page are still unavailable, this is because Rootsweb does not allow downloadable files so I am hunting for webspace elsewhere. If you would like any that are not uploaded yet, let me know and I will send via email.

Middlewich St Michael's Cemetery
Helen visited Middlewich last week and tells me that the headstones here are mostly laid flat on the ground and pretty illegible, so if anyone (like me) had any ideas about visiting Middlewich to photograph them, this looks like a dead loss.