Chapter 12: Benjamin Eggleton (b.1848 d.1908)
Benjamin learned boot and shoemaking from his father, following the trade on-and-off for most of his life. He married in about 1868. His wife Mary King (chapter 13) was from Rumsey in Hampshire. Three years later the growing family was living at 26 Sun Street, Cheltenham, just round the corner from Queen Street where Benjamin had spent a large part of his childhood. John G(i/u)nnings and Mary's brother, Edward, were lodgers. G(i/u)nnings might have been using Benjamin's workshop, for he too was a shoemaker, and Benjamin was by then a lamplighter. The local gas works were just behind Sun Street, so Benjamin was probably employed from there.

By the early 1880s Benjamin had returned to boot making, living at 1 Russell Terrace. Ten years later they had moved to 55 Townsend Street and Benjamin had returned to the gas works where he had progressed to foreman and gas inspector.

Proximity of the Cheltenham streets lived in by Benjamin Eggleton

Benjamin and Mary both died at 55 Townsend Street, in 1906 and 1930 respectively. All of the couple’s known addresses were within approximately 300meters of each other. At the time of his death, Benjamin’s estate was valued at £182. Unmarried daughters, Rosa Elizabeth and Lehannah, inherited the property, living there until their deaths in 1941 and 1965 respectively. Rosa Elizabeth had been a shirt maker but Lehannah had no known occupation.


55 Townsend Street

Rosa Elizabeth and Lehannah’s brother Henry James became a greengrocer, first in Edgbaston, Birmingham, then later back in Cheltenham. At least two of Henry James’ three children were born in Birmingham. In Cheltenham he lived at, and probably had his shop at, two addresses in Painswick Road, the last being at number 29. His wife Mary took over the business on his death in May 1940. When Mary died nine years later, her daughter Olive Irene Webb was given first refusal to purchase the business which was presumably effectively being run by Olive or her husband at that time.

Clothes making was obviously a family skill for, in addition to Rosa Elizabeth’s shirt making, the three youngest sisters, Elsie, Eliza May and Mabel, were all dressmakers in their teenage years.

Elsie married Sydney George Reeve and lived a few doors from her parents at 26 Townsend Street.

. . . . .Benjamin EGGLETON b.1845 d 1908 m.Mary Elizabeth KING (Chapter 13)
. . . . . . Rosa Elizabeth (aka Rose) EGGLETON b.1869
. . . . . . Henry James (aka Harry) EGGLETON b.1870 d.1940 m.Mary TRENFIELD
. . . . . . . Gladys EGGLETON b.1902 m.Frederick John CHICK
. . . . . . . . .Rosamund Olive CHICK
. . . . . . . . .Muriel Mary CHICK
. . . . . . . Nellie Maud EGGLETON m.Edward John WYNDIATE
. . . . . . . Olive Irene EGGLETON m.William John WEBB
. . . . . . . . .William Trenchfield WEBB
. . . . . . Sidney EGGLETON b.1872
. . . . . . Lehannah Jane EGGLETON b.1875 d.1965
. . . . . . Albert Edward EGGLETON b.1877 d.1928 (Chapter 14)
. . . . . . Elsie EGGLETON b.1880 d.1965m.Sydney George REEVE
. . . . . . Eliza May EGGLETON b.1883 d.1940 m.Albert John FOSTER
. . . . . . Mabel EGGLETON b.1885 d.<1965 m.Bert NEATE
. . . . . . . Mabel Audrey NEATE m.- MIDDLETON

This chapter updated 6 May 2007

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