Doxey to Lose Football Field ?

Stafford’s VC – the Doxey Connection

Charles Pye VC born 24 September 1820 at Forebridge Stafford died 12 July 1876 (aged 55) in Australia – how is he connected to Doxey? Read on and see!

A 16 foot clock dedicated to Stafford servicemen and women is to be erected in Mill Street, close to Peter Rogers shop and is expected to be unveiled in the week beginning November 15th 2010 by the Mayor of Stafford, Councillor Malcolm Millichap. A plaque on the clock will be dedicated to the only Stafford man to have been awarded the Victoria Cross – Charles Pye 1820-1876. (see Sentinel article)

The Pye family came from the Berkswich area, but Thomas Pye, the father of Charles died in Australia – having been transported there in 1836. Before that he had married Alice Wall and they were the parents of Charles and his brothers and sisters. Alice died in 1836 and Thomas, who may already have been in trouble with the law, was transported to Australia where, in due course, he married again and had a second family.  One of the descendants of that second family is Elizabeth Pye, family historian, who is anxious to hear from anyone connected to the family.

Charles Pye was about 37 years old, and a Sergeant-Major in the 53rd Regiment of Foot (later The King's Shropshire Light Infantry), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place on 17 November 1857 at Lucknow, India for which he was awarded the VC:

“For steadiness and fearless conduct under fire at Lucknow, on the 17th of November, 1857, when bringing up ammunition to the Mess House, and on every occasion when the Regiment has been engaged.”

There are monuments celebrating Charles Pye VC in Australia and more information is available on the internet including details of where he fought in India (Indian Mutiny) and other countries and a rather nice picture of a Victoria Cross.

Charles' father Thomas was the son of Joseph Pye (about 1776-1830) and it is from Joseph's younger brother George (1781-1864) that the Pyes who lived in Doxey are descended. George had at least five sons and two of these, James (1812-1892) and John (1820-1899) were the parents of the two Pyes who settled in Doxey and are on the 1911 census (along with some of their adult children who had families of their own) and it is more than likely that there are some of their descendants living in Doxey today. These two Pyes were first cousins to each other and second cousins to Charles Pye VC. It’s confusing that there are two Charles Pyes but I will always use VC if referring to the soldier who was honoured.

First Pye Family in Doxey

Charles Pye 1853-1929, born at Baswich, was the fifth son of James Pye (1812-1892) and Abigail Talbot. He married a Doxey girl, Mary Snape, at Seighford St Chad’s in 1878 and they are on the Doxey censuses for 1881 onwards, living at Sherwood in 1911. They had a family of eight daughters – their only son Charles Edgar Pye died aged three. Three of the daughters, Daisy Ethel Pye born 1886, Violet Esther born 1889 and Nora May Pye born 1892 did not marry but the other five did and there may well be some Doxey residents who are their descendants so I will go through them in birth order.

Kate Annie Pye, born 1878, married George William Packman in 1900 and was at Mansfield Nottinghamshire in 1911 with five children: George Fl Packman born about 1902, Winifred K Packman 1903, Doris E Packman 1905, Regina L Packman 1906 and Elsie May Packman 1910.

Lillian Mary Pye, born 1881, married Charles John Bradbury and was at Ferndale Doxey in 1911 with children Charles J Bradbury born about 1907, Olive May Bradbury about 1908 and I think that they had another son, Frederick J Bradbury, in 1912. Other children might have followed.

Florence Edith Pye, born 1883, married Henry Herbert Taylor in 1906. In 1911 they were at 7 Ventnor Terrace Doxey with one child, Henry J Taylor born 1909 but there were probably some later children.

Elsie Rose Pye, born 1884, married Fred Hanson Fox in 1907. By 1911 they were at 30 Owen Road Wolverhampton with one child, Dorothy M R Fox. I think that they had another child, George W Fox, in 1913 and there could have been others later.

The three next sisters were school teachers in 1911, living at Sherwood. If anyone has any information about them, we would be delighted to hear about it. They were Daisy Ethel Pye born 1886, Violet Esther Pye born 1889 and Nora May Pye born 1892.

The youngest daughter was Evelyn Esther Pye born 1897 who married Frederick J Parsons and many people knew this family but we don’t have many details. They had three children Norman J Parsons, Colin S Parsons (who married Sheila J Giles) and Stella who married David Jandrell. We would love to hear from anyone who has contact with these Pye descendants!

Second Pye Family in Doxey

Edward Pye, born Baswich in 1849 died 1917, was the father of the other Pye family who lived in Doxey in 1911, along with some of his married sons. Edward, who became a railway engine driver, was married at St Andrew’s Mission Church (St Thomas') in 1870 to Mary J (may have been Jenkinson) Ward born 1850. I think that she died in 1935 aged 85. They had ten children, four boys followed by six girls. One of these girls, Daisy, even had the same name as Charles’s daughter and like her was a school teacher, did not marry, and had two unmarried sisters who were also school teachers, so very similar to Charles’s family. Being much the same age, it won’t be easy to know which was which if we do have any information about them, but will be interesting to try to work it out. I will go through the family in birth order.

The eldest son of Edward Pye 1849-1917 was also called Edward and was born in 1871. He married Ellen Wall at St Andrews Castle Town (like his father before him) in 1895. In 1901 they were living at 14 Co-operative Street Stafford with daughter Nellie Pye born about 1897, Edith E Pye 1898, and Ellen’s father, Thomas Wall who was a shoemaker like many Stafford people.

By 1911 Edward and Ellen had had moved to Leicestershire (where Edward is described as a Boot and Shoe Mechanic ) and had four more daughters. These were Doris May Pye born about 1902, Lilian Ada Pye 1903, Elsie Pye 1905 and Amy Pye 1908. Edward’s father-in-law, Thomas Wall, was still living with them, aged 80.

John Pye was born in 1873 and married Emma Haywood at Stafford Christ Church in 1896. On the 1901 census they were at Victoria Square, Stafford and John is a Licenced Victualler.  Emma died in 1910 and John moved to Rugeley where he is on the 1911 census at 18 Forge Road Rugeley with four children. These were John William Edward Pye born about 1898, Leonard Haywood Pye about 1903, Cyril Charles Pye 1905 and Arthur Pye 1907.  John was a grocer’s assistant in 1911.

George Pye, born 1874, was a railway foreman in 1901 and a railway stoker in 1911. He had married Emily Patience Lawton at Stafford Christ Church in 1897 and they were living at 18 Gaol Road, Snow Hill, Stafford in 1901. By 1911 George he and Emily had moved to Cranleigh in Doxey with three children, Arthur Edward Pye born about 1899, George Pye about 1901 and Ethel Gwendoline Pye about 1906.

Harry Pye born 1877 was also in Doxey in 1911, at Knowle House (next to Glendale, Doxey) with four children. He had married Mary Jane Lees at Haughton St Giles in 1899 and they may have been at Birmingham in 1901 as two of his children were born there. He was a Sewing Machine Agent in 1911 and seems to have moved around a lot as he had two children born in Birmingham, (Beatrice Amy Pye born about 1901 and Charles Edward Pye about 1904) then one born in Stafford (Alice May Pye about 1906) and the youngest, Hilda May Pye was born in Bristol, Somerset in about 1910. The family were in Doxey by 2nd April 1911, census day. I think that they might have had at least one more child, after 1911, Henry Pye born 1912, who died 1944 at Dunkirk, but am not sure about that.

Emily Mary Pye was born 1879 and married in 1901 at St Andrews Castle Town to Arthur Edward Wright. The marriage would be after 31st March, 1901 census day, as Emily is on the 1901 census with her parents at Doxey. By 1911 they are living at Reynard Cottage, Penkridge with one child, Ethel Mary Wright, born about 1904. Questions asked on the 1911 census for the first time included length of present marriage and number of children born, and of those, number still living and those who have died, so we know that Emily and Arthur had been married for 9 years and had had only one child, and none had died. Families were getting smaller at this stage though large numbers of children were still quite common. I don’t know if there were any children born later.

Ada Jane Pye was born in 1881 and married George Arthur Foster in 1908 at Stafford St Mary’s. By 1911 they are living at 65 Sutton Crescent Walsall. There are no children at this time though they had not been married long. George Arthur Foster was an assistant school master in 1911.

Clara Eveline Pye was born in 1883 and married at St Andrews, Castle Town to Arthur Brown who was a Butcher.  By 1991 they were at 1 Crabbery Street Stafford with one daughter, Eveline Margaret Brown, born about 1910. I think that they might also have had three more children; Joyce L Brown born 1913, Bernard B Brown born 1916 and Arthur E Brown born 1917 but am not sure about this.

If any of this stirs up memories and you think you know someone who is descended from these families we would love to know. Please get in touch by sending an email, or contact us at 170 Doxey .

(Barbara Simpson)