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Nicholas John Uglow was born about 1836 (see research notes). and baptised on the 11th September 1836 in the Parish of Stoke-Damerel in Devon, England. His parents were John Uglow (a servant) and his wife Elizabeth, they were living in Devonport[1].
By the census of 1841, Nicholas age 4 (known as John by the family), his father (working as a coachman) and the family were living with Nicholas’s maternal grandparents Nicholas and Elizabeth Hicks who were farming at Carnworthy in the Parish of Warbstow in Cornwall [2].
The family moved soon after as by the 1851 census Nicholas age 14 (still known as John), his parents and three siblings (all, other than Nicholas born in Launceston ) were living at West Gate, Launceston where his father was a coach proprietor[3].
On the 7th April 1861 on Census night Nicholas was working as a watch finisher but still living with his family at East Troswell in the Parish of North Petherwin, Launceston, Cornwall, by now his father was a farmer of 23 acres. [4]. Nicholas’s uncle Abel Uglow was a watchmaker and perhaps Nicholas learned his craft from him.
Soon after, Nicholas moved to Sidmouth (his future wife’s place of birth and family home up until at least 1861) Nicholas married Matilda Sarah Hooke on 18 August 1864 in the Parish Church of St Pancras, Middlesex, England. Nicholas gave his abode as Sidmouth and his profession was Jeweler. Matilda was living at St Pancras at that time. The marriage was witnessed by Matilda’s brother George William Hooke (who lived in nearby Southwark) and Mary Jane Hooke[5] [6]Matilda died soon after the birth of their only child Fred Hooke Uglow and was buried on the 4th January 1866 in Sidmouth.
Nicholas’s second marriage was to Betsey Matthews Sellek. The marriage was by license which was issued on 28 April 1869[7] . The marriage ceremony took place at the parish church of Colaton Raleigh, Devon, England on the 9th May 1869. [8] [9]
Nicholes and Betsey’s first child Percy was born about May 1870, and at the time of the 1871 census Nicholas (a jeweler), Betsy, Fred ( Nicholas’s son from his first marriage), now aged three and Percy (aged ten months) were living at Fore Street in Sidmouth. [10]. The couple had a further five children: Blanche, Lena, Alan Nicholas, May Uglow and finally in 1880 a child who died in 1880 still unnamed soon after birth. At the time of the 1881 census, Nicholas, Betsey and their five surviving children were still living in Fore Street Nicholas was described as a watchmaker and jeweler [11] [12].
In 1861 or 1862, Nicholas moved to Sidmouth in Devon we know this as an advertisement placed 9 years later (in 1870) in Lathaby’s Sidmouth Journal and Directory he thanked the inhabitants of Sidmouth for their support for the last nine years''[13]
The earliest mention of the shop in Fore Street appears as an advertisement in the Sidmouth Journal and Directory for 1st October 1864 (soon after his marriage to Matilda) listing as a Jeweler, watch and clockmaker and advertising: a stock of jewelry including: Sidmouth pebbles, malachites and other brooches, gold a silver guards and alberts, electroplated goods, opera glasses, telescopes, barometers, musical boxes, concertinas etc. Also carried out repairs on the premises and bought gold and silver. [14]
Nicholas also acted as the Sidmouth agent for for the Provident Life Insurance Company. He was for example, listed as an agent for the company in an advertisement in the Western Times on the 22 March 1867 [15]
The shop in Fore Street continued to be run by the Uglow family after Nicholas’s death. In the 1901 census Betsey is listed as a Jeweler and watchmaker working with their son Alan listed as a journeyman watchmaker. By the 1911 census Alan was running the shop.
Nicholas was active within his local Church of England church, in in for example in the section “Parochial Directory” of the 1st October 1868 edition of Lethaby’s Sidmouth Journal and Directory, Nicholas is listed as holding the role of overseer[16]
Nicholas was a supporter of various causes that he presumably felt strongly about. For example in February 1863 a person by the name Uglow (presumably Nicholas) was listed as an attendee at a meeting to discuss anonymous slanders published on posters distributed around Sidmouth [17]. This is probably the first mention of Nicholas’s involvement in the local Sidmouth Community. The first definite evidence (giving the name Nicholas John Uglow) which relates to the above incident appears in the Tiverton Gazette and East Devon Herald on August 29th 1865. One of many signing a Address for the Reverend F. L. Moysey, vicar of Sidmouth who announced his retirement following anonymous attacks on his character. [18].
Nicholas was not only involved in local church matters. On the 25th March 1879, he attended a Board of Trade Enquiry into a time extension (for a further 10 years) for work on the Pier and Harbour Scheme. [19].
In 1891, Nicholas, Betsey, Blanch, Alan and May were still living in Fore Street, Nicholas still a watchmaker and Jeweler, with no employees. [20]
Nicholas’s eldest son Fred (from his first marriage), left England for Natal, Africa on the 18 November 1890 on the ship Grantully Castle. Just over a year later on the 10th February 1892 he had died, working as a farmer in the Griqualand East Cape colony in Africa. Nicholas was named as one of the executors on his son’s will, whose estate amounted to £672 6s 8d.
Nicholas was still living at Fore-Street when he died at the age of 63 on the 9th of August 1899 and was buried on the 12th August 1899 in Sidmouth in Devon. [21] [22] ,Nicholas’s funeral was described in an obituary on 15 August 1899 in Exeter, Devon, England[23]
On Saturday the funeral of Mr N. J. Uglow took place in Sidmouth Parish Churchyard. A large number of the trader people attended. The distance from deceased’s residence to the graveyard being very short carriages were dispensed with. The chief mourners were Mrs Uglow, Mr Percy Uglow and Mr Allen Uglow (sons), Miss Blanch Uglow, Miss Lena Uglow and Miss May Uglow (daughters) . The inscription on the coffin was “Nicholas John Uglow, died August 9th 1899, aged 63 years.” Mr T Saunders Old Fore-Street, carried out the arrangements.[24]
Probate was granted at Exeter on the 12th October 1899 his executor was his widow Betsy Matthews Uglow and his estate was valued at £2440 19s. 11d. [25] [26]
Nicholas’s baptism constrains his birth to be no later than 11 September 1836. Nicholas’s age is consistently reported in all the census’s from 1851-1891. These lead to an estimated birth date of late March 1836 to early April 1837. At the 1841 census Nicholas is reported to be 4 years old, which if true would further constrain his earliest birth date to be early June 1836. Nicholas’s death age 63 on the 9 August 1899 further constrains his birth to be no later than early August 1836. Nicholas's place of birth was consistently reported in all censuses as Devonport, Devon, England. Given the nearly unique name and the consistent birth year, If reported accurately throughout, the information is completely consistent with Nicholas being born between June and early August 1836 in Devonport, to John and Elizabeth Uglow and being baptised on the 11 September 1836 in Stoke Damerel, Devon.
Several of Matilda’s siblings were living in London in 1861 and presumably Matilda joined them and was probably living with her brother James Hooke and sister Mary Ann Searle sometime before the wedding in 1864. See the research note in Matilda Sarah Hooke
There are copies of images available that show what appears to be a shop sign with the words “Uglow Silversmith” and a second photo of a clock, but with no identifiable markings. These can be seen for example at http://www.uglow.co.uk/sidmouth.htm
It would be interesting to locate the owner of these images and understand their provenance.
There is apparently a monument inscription to Nicholas in the parish church at Sidmouth. See
http://www.uglow.co.uk/sidmouth.htm
No record of this having been indexed on FINDAGRAVE.
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Categories: Devonport, Devon