Sixth Generation
127.
Frederick Anthony was born in May 1853 in Salt Lane Worcester.
He was baptized on 29 May 1853 in St Nicholas Worcester. address
at time of baptism was given as Salt Lane (Castle Street) He appeared in the
census in 1861 in Albert cottage Upper Butts Worcester as 'Soreboriett'!.
He appeared in the census in 1871 in 2 Brittania road Worcester as a colt breaker
with his father. He died of shock due to left leg amputation- blood
poisoning due to fracture from being trodden on by colt, on 4 Dec 1894 in Worcester
Royal Infirmary. He was buried on 6 Dec 1894 in St Mary Magdalene
Worcester. Berrows Journal Saturday December 8th 1894
At the infirmary, on Wednesday afternoon Mr W Hulme, City coroner held an enquiry
touching the death of Frederick Anthony, 41, a horse breaker, who died in the
infirmary. From the evidence it appeared that deceased was in the employ of Mr
Cottrill jun. at Crutch, and on Friday last week was engaged in breaking a colt.
He was leading the colt in the direction of Ombersley, and when turning towards
a gate the colt suddenly commenced bucking, knocking him down and treading on
his leg. No one saw the accident but an employee of Mr Cottrill sen. went to
deceased whom he found sitting on the bank, and who told him the horse backed
and knocked him down, and that he heard something snap. Mr Cottrill saw that
Anthony's leg was broken and that his boot was cut. He was sober. Mrs Anthony
said her husband, who had had life long experience as a horse breaker, was quite
sober when he left home in the morning. He lived at North Cottages, Tennis Walk.
Mr Pettitt, house surgeon of the infirmary, said deceased was admitted to the
infirmary suffering from a compound fracture of the left leg just above the ankle,
and extending to the ankle bone, a very serious injury. The wound appeared quite
clean. Witness reduced the fracture and dressed the wound, and deceased appeared
to go alright until Saturday, when the left leg and foot were swollen and cold.
He did what was necessary, but the left leg got worse, and on Sunday, consulting
with the whole surgical staff, he found symptoms of constitutional blood poisoning
from the foot. On Monday it was decided that the leg must be amputated at the
knee, gangrene having set in. After the amputation deceased seemed relieved;
but later became worse, and died about 2 o'clock Tuesday morning. Since, witness
has found that the main blood vessel of the wound was torn, probably by the heel
of the horses shoe, not at the place where the bone was broken. The rupture of
the blood vessel was the cause of the mortification of the foot. Death was caused
by blood poisoning, due to the injuries of the foot and shock consequent upon
the amputation. Deceased had a very bad constitution which he believed was the
secret of the seriousness of the mortification. A verdict of “Death from
blood poisoning due to accidental injuries” was returned.
Extract from Kelly directory of Worcester 1892
Crutch is a small parish 2m north from Droitwich, consisting of 1 farm
--- belonging to Nathaniel Cottrill, farmer
Frederick Anthony and Annie Wigley were married on 22 Jul 1873 in St John
Baptist, Claines Worcester. witnesses Anne Wigley & John Jauncey.Vicar W.Smallwood.
They lived next door to Anne Wigley & her son Herbert(Annie's mother & brother)
in 14 North Cottages (Tennis Walk) Worcester in 1881. They lived
in 2 Tennis Walk Worcester in 1884. Frederick is listed in Littlebury's
directory as a horsebreaker's assistant They lived in 14 North Cottages (Tennis
Walk) Worcester in 1891.
Annie Wigley
(daughter of Henry Wigley and Anne Petty) was born on 2 May 1853 in Clapgate,
Blockhouse, St Martins Worcester. birth was registered on 13 June
1853 She appeared in the census in 1861 in 32 Charles St. Worcester. father
is shown to be a ladies shoe maker. She appeared in the census in
1871 in Georges yard St Swithin St.Worcester. Her occupation is
a brush drawer, her mother is a charwoman
Brush Drawing (or Wire Drawing)
Before efficient glues were invented the only way of "sticking" bristles
to a brush-stock was by using hot pitch. This method was used up till this century
for brooms and household brushes. It was known as "pan-work" as it
entailed using a pan of warm pitch.
However, this was no good for making small personal brushes as the pitch would
get in your hair. Also pitch was very limited in its water resistant qualities
when used with hot soapy water etc.
The way around this was "drawing", and this was the first aspect of
the craft a brushmaker's apprentice would be taught.
In drawing, a wooden brush back is made and holes drilled though it to take the
knots of bristle. This part of the brush would usually be the part that included
the wooden handle. The holes were each drilled with two bits, one wider than
the other so that half of the hole was of a larger bore.
A length of wire or thin twine was then passed in loops through the holes from
the back of the brush. A small bundle of bristles, about two inches or so long
was then pushed through each loop, so that as the loop was pulled from behind
the brush back the bristles folded over into the wider part of the hole and were
held tight as the wire or twine was pulled.
If the brush was for hair the bristles would be left slightly uneven. If it was
for clothes, etc. they would be fixed so they would all be even.
(look at a modern clothes brush and a modern bristle hair brush and you will
see this is so. It is so the bristles will penetrate hair easier.)
Finishing
After a row of bristles had been inserted the wire was tied off so that they
were held tight, and this was continued until the whole brush was "filled"
with bristles
To hand-draw a good hairbrush would be a day's work!
After all the bristles were inserted and the wire or twine secured a brush-back
of thin veneer would be fixed over it to hide the work.
These were glued with fish glue, but as this was also unreliable four small brass
screws were also added to keep the back secure.
The brush was then "finished"- i.e.shaped, sanded, stained and polished.
This could be a specialist job and some brushmakers described themselves as "brush
finishers".
Brushes are still made this way today, but they are quite expensive and are usually
bought by the "upper classes" or those with an eye for quality! . The
sign of a top quality brush is still the four small brass screws to be found
in its back. She lived as a seamstress ( widowed) working from home in 11 Westbury
Street Worcester, 2 doors away from brother Herbert and his family in 1901.
She died after 1901 in Worcester. her death record hasn't been found
yet, so it's possible that it occurred after 1922, where the death records online
end. Both her and her brothers were 1st cousins to the famous opera singer Henry
Wigley who sang for the D'Oyly Carte, and 1st cousins once removed to Henry's
daughter Nellie Wigley who found fame on stage as a pantomime artist, both can
be found by googling their names on the internet! Frederick Anthony and Annie
Wigley had the following children:
+260 | i. | Frederick Richard Anthony. |