John Preece of Aymestrey (born 6 Feb 1857) married Alice Edwards of Presteigne (born June 1861) in Leintwardine Church December 1879.   They had ten children born in various villages near Leintwardine and the only permanent address I have for them was The Barracks near Leintwardine formerly a “Poor House.” Charles, born 19 Nov 1880 John, born 10 May 1883 Eva, born 12 Jul 1885 Chrissy, born 25 Dec 1887 Olive, born 5 Jan 1890 Elijah, born 14 Jan 1892 (my grandfather) Harley (aka Jimmy), born 18 Nov 1894 Oswald, born 25 Mar 1897 Grafton, born 1 Feb 1899 Arthur (aka Harry), born 6 Aug 1900 They all attended Leintwardine Free Endowed School.

Five of the boys, with Harry seated

After I published my website I was contacted by Maureen Durkin who we discovered was my second cousin. Her grandfather Arthur told her stories of the Preece boys and she sent me a lot of details of their lives and photos. It is mostly Maureen’s text that I have copied in most cases. The Data Protection Act does not allow me to record details of (recent) descendants without their permission. My records, which were provided by their relatives (presumably with their permission) are therefore only up to date to about ten years ago, and there must be many more to add. Another relation, Janine Preece, in February 2010 provided the details of descendants of Grafton Preece. His great great grandchildren now live in Mytholmroyd. According to the Census it would appear that other residents of The Barracks were labourers employed building the reservoirs in the Elan Valley. Their conversations must have influenced some of the boys to migrate on with them and build reservoirs in other parts of England.

John and Alice’s children:- Charles: ran away to sea before he was sixteen because his mother was expecting again and he said there was enough kids in the house. He did not like the Navy and Alice bought him out and he became a Thatcher. John: In the 1901 Census he is still at home, and working as a Navvy like his father (could they be working together?). Sadly, he died 26 Feb 1910 at Leintwardine - he was just 26. Eva: Married George Douthwaite b 1878 of Cray, Breconshire in December 1903. They had several children: Robert b 1906 in Leintwardine, John b 1908 and Arthur Henry b 1912 in Rock Hall, Hayfield, Derbyshire according to the Census. Also, Stanley, Thomas, Jack, Mabel, Evelyn and Nancy, but I do not know of places or dates of birth. I suspect Jack and John are one and the same person. I have details of their descendants, but I have not included them here. They moved to Bamford, Derbyshire to build the Derwent/Ladybower Reservoirs. I believe the majority of the Douthwaite family moved to Astley in Lancashire. While one individual (male) lived in Bradford in February 2010 and provided me with the names to build their Family Tree as of that date. Chrissy: apparently married William Jones a Baker from Leintwardine in December 1905, sadly died in childbirth having her second child. Her husband was said to have “gone strange” and was locked up. I have no details of the children. Elijah: was in the Army during the First World War and joined the Forestry Commission on his return. He moved to Buxton, Derbyshire in the early 1900s to build the Stanley Moor Reservoir. He married my Grandma Annie Amelia Chiles (b Jan 1889) in September 1914. They had four children: Marjorie b April 1915, Ronald b August 1916, Dennis (my father) b June 1918 and Dorothy b March 1921. Harley: Left school and became a thatcher. He was wounded in the hip by shrapnel in France during the First World War, he was in a trench and was there for four hours before someone dragged him out. He ended up in a Military Hospital in Liverpool. He left Leintwardine after the war and moved to Worsthorne near Burnley to build reservoirs. He lodged with Tom and Eliza Maddran, Maureen’s grandparents. He married Nellie Maddran in Worsthorne, Burnley in 1921, but they had no children, Nellie died August 1924 after an accident at work when she suffered a brain haemorrhage. Oswald: left the Army in disgrace and went up and down the country building houses. Died September 1958 of Broncho pneumonia. He married Dorothy Stanton (b 1895) in October 1917, they lived in Wigmore and had three children: William Henry b Feb 1919, Macdonald Charles b May 1922 and Henry b September 1931. Chrissy and Eva Grafton Grafton: Joined the Army and served during First World War. Later became a gardener and died of “consumption” in his 40s. He married Elizabeth Taylor in Burnley, June 1922. They had two sons Reginald b 1925 and Trevor b 1932. I also have their family tree updated February 2010. Arthur: He followed his brother Harley (Jimmy) to build reservoirs in Worsthorne, Burnley. He fell in love with Nellie Maddran but she married Harley so instead he married her sister Elizabeth Maddran. He was a bricklayer but suffered from chest problems all his life and died of Emphysema in 1966.They had one daughter, Florence Preece, born 6th August 1927, died 1995. Great Grandmother, Alice Preece, nee Edwards. Her first husband was John Preece by whom she had all her children and kept his surname throughout all other marriages. John was a hard working thatcher and labourer but suffered from ill health, chest problems. He died in 1915 of Emphysema. She married her second husband Matthew Powell 1st Qtr 1923, who was a shepherd employed by Mr Samuel Charles Manford on the local Buckton Park estate. During the floods on 31st May 1924 he set off to Brockley Field to check the flock of sheep and attempted to ride his horse across the swollen River Teme near Walford Road. He was drowned and his body was not found until 10 days later. Maureen believed that the owners of Buckton Park Estate gave Alice compensation for her loss which allowed her to buy the Radnor Arms in New Radnor.   It was there that she met her third husband, George Dimmer who we believe was a Cider Salesman. He was a lazy good for nothing and drank the pub dry. She had to take in washing and lodgers to survive. Alice moved to Pear Tree Cottage, Watling Street, where she died 28th March 1939. Extract from Coroner’s Report: William Little said he had been lodging with Alice for about six months. For some time prior to the accident she had kept to her bed because of a “bad leg”. On Friday 10th March William arrived at Pear Tree Cottage about 1.00 pm and lit the fire in the kitchen so he could boil the kettle and make Alice a cup of tea. He went to wash his hands and to his surprise saw Alice coming down the stairs. He asked her what brought her downstairs and told her that he was making her a cup of tea. She then said: “If I had known it was you I would not have come down”. William said Alice seemed all right and was on the second step of the stairs from the bottom. When she saw it was him she turned around to go back up the stairs. He went in to the kitchen and as he turned his back he heard a bump and as he looked around she was lying at the foot of the stairs. He lifted her up and put her on a chair before going to fetch Mrs Stokes who lived nearby, and then to fetch Dr Beach. She died on Tuesday 28th March 1939 from Chronic Heart Failure accelerated by a fracture of the neck and right Femur.

1911 Census Records :- Rock Hall, Hayfield, Derbyshire. George and Eva Douthwaite were living there with sons Robert and John. Elijah and Harley Preece were recorded as Boarders, suggesting that George owned or was renting Mock Hall. Grafton and his mother Alice were recorded as visitors.   Watling Street, Leintwardine. No number or house name. John Preece (Grocer’s Porter) with sons Oswald (Errand Boy) and Arthur (Scholar).

Harley & Nellie

 

The Preeces of Buxton Elijah Preece born Leintwardine 5th January 1892 moved to Buxton and was involved in building the Stanley Moor Reservoir. His brothers, Harley and Arthur, had moved to the Burnley area to build reservoirs. His sister Eva married George Douthwaite and they were involved in building the Derwent/Ladybower Reservoirs near Bamford, Derbyshire. When they lived in the Barracks, a “poor house” in Leintwardine other boarders were recorded as labourers working on the nearby Elan Valley Reservoir, so they were presumably influenced by these men in to believing building reservoirs was a lucrative employment. Elijah married Annie Amelia Chiles in the Unitarian Church, Hartington Road, Buxton on 20th September 1914. She was known as Millie, born 7th January 1889 at 73 London Road, Buxton, the illegitimate daughter of Annie Chiles, born 1871 in Kemberton, Shropshire. The name of the father of Annie Amelia Chiles is not recorded on her Birth or Marriage Certificates. The 1891 Census records Harry and Annie Cameron living at this address, and Annie as being born in Kemberton in 1847. Strange coincidence !!. Elijah and Millie had four children: Marjorie  - born 17th April 1915, died 1991. She married Cliff Richards born 1912, died 1986. They had one son, Keith born 8th August 1941, died 25th October 2021. Arthur Preece & George Douthwaite Ronald - born 29th August 1916, died 18th September 1998 in Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport. He married Gladys Lindley born 6th November 1917 in Maltby, died 27th October 1988. They married 13th August 1938 and had three sons. Dennis born 8th June 1918 in Ash Cottages, Lightwood Road. Died 1st November 2009 in Portland Nursing Home, Buxton. He married Winifred (Winnie) Redfern born 25th March 1921in Wormhill, died 24th February 2002 in the Rushes Nursing Home, Buxton. They married in Wormhill Church in 1940, their eldest son, Derrick born 23rd October 1940 in Wyeland Nursing Home, Buxton, died 9th September 2019 in Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport. They had two other sons and one daughter. Dorothy born11th March 1921. Died 2nd May 2000. She married Arthur Daffy born 7th November 1914, died 1991. They married on 8th May 1940 and had one daughter, Patricia Ann born 6th April 1941, died 18th May 2022. The Data Protection Act does not permit me to show their living children Elijah and Mille had four children, nine grandchildren, fourteen great grand children, and least thirteen great great grand children.

Nellie Hitch  Millie had a half sister who my father referred to as Nellie Hitch. Cousin Pat, if I remember correctly, said they lived somewhere in London. For a long time I could not find any records of her until I was told that women christened Ellen were often called Nellie….almost the reverse.  Kensington Marriage records 1st Qtr 1902 shows Charlie Hitch married to Annie Chiles  Kensington Birth records of Florence Ellen Hitch b 1904 states Mother’s maiden names as Chiles The 1911 Census for 49 Walmer Road, Kensington records: Charles Hitch, Head, age 37, therefore date of birth is 1874 Hannah Hitch, Wife, age 47, therefore date of birth is 1864 in Kemberton Florence Ellen Hitch, age 7, therefore date of birth 1904 Please note names were often transcribed incorrectly and ages were incorrect.   The 1921 Census for 49 Walmer Road, Kensington records: Charles Hitch, Head, age 47, therefore date of birth is 1874 Annie Hitch. Wife, age 53, therefore date of birth 1867 in Kelsterton (Presumably meant Kemberton) Florence Ellen Hitch, age 17, therefore date of birth 1904. Hendon Marriage records 4th Qtr 1925 shows Florence E Hitch married to Arthur E Marks. Dennis Preece often referred to Arthur and stated they moved to Gloucester.