LARNER/LEARNER
These photos of a tea caddy were sent to me by a gentleman in America, whose friend had bought it in a sale, and he wondered if I could tell him anything about it. Luckily I could!
The J A LEARNER was James Arthur, born in Trunch in 1872, so the caddy was a present for his 20th. birthday. His father, also James, (1836-1923) was born in Trunch and worked in the Brewery before becoming an inn keeper and ending up at the New Inn in Roughton, a village near Trunch and where the family were living in 1892. James Arthur's grandfather was Thomas (1802-1892) and his brother was William (1800/4 - 1893) so that makes William his great uncle.
William was born in Trunch and married Mary who died in 1881. I haven't found any evidence that they had children and a niece was living with William after Mary died - that may explain why he was such a good great uncle. When William's death was recorded in the parish records the vicar wrote that he "died on a visit to Roughton". His given age doesn't quite match the parish records - maybe he wasn't quite as old as he thought but still a good age.
William was born in Trunch and married Mary who died in 1881. I haven't found any evidence that they had children and a niece was living with William after Mary died - that may explain why he was such a good great uncle. When William's death was recorded in the parish records the vicar wrote that he "died on a visit to Roughton". His given age doesn't quite match the parish records - maybe he wasn't quite as old as he thought but still a good age.
I do not know if William made or just bought the caddy. He worked on William Primrose's farm for over 50 years but his father Isaac was a carpenter and so were two of his great nephews, so William may have had that skill. There is a bit of mystery surrounding Isaac (1781-1850) The Trunch records clearly say that he married Mary BARBER in 1802 but at their children's baptisms their mother is stated as Sarah. The problem is that sisters Sarah and Mary Barber were both of a similar age and living in Trunch. In 1804 the records give Mary Barber again marrying John Crasp. The most likely explanation is that Isaac married Sarah but it was wrongly recorded as Mary!
A nephew of the "tea caddy" William made several appearances in the local newspaper - for all the wrong reasons! William (1830 - 1895) married Louisa Parker in 1851 and in 1861 he was working as a labourer in Yorkshire but by 1865 he was back in Trunch and was fined for allowing his cattle to feed in the highway. Then in 1868 he was sentenced to 9 months in Norwich Castle for stealing lead from Sidestrand Church - he protested his innocence. In 1869 he was charged with poaching and in 1873 his son Thomas died aged only 20. During these years in Trunch William worked as a dealer and in the brewery. By 1881 however he was working as a poultry dealer in Winlaton in Durham, where he stayed until his death and Louisa, her daughter and grandchildren were there in 1901 and 1911.