1807 Info 2c for James Crompton
The life of Albert and Maria Crompton
1901 Census Sun/Mon 31st March/1st April 1901
Source: FHL Film TNA Ref RG13
Piece: 4519; Folio: 43; Page: 6; Sched:
Dwelling: 62 Middle Street South, with butcher's shop at number 62
Place: Great Driffield, York ER, England
Name Rel Mar Age Occupation Status Birthplace
Francis Lovel Head M 58 Butcher Own acct Yorks, Driffield
Elizabeth Lovel Wife M 59 Yorks, Hempholme
Philip Lovel Son S 29 Butcher Worker Yorks, Driffield
William Lovel Son S 24 Butcher Worker Yorks, Driffield24
Albert Crompton Serv S 22 Slaughterman Worker Yorks, Preston
Minnie Reed Serv S 20 General servant (Domestic) Worker Yorks, Langtoft
Source: GRO Marriages
Kemp Maria 4th Quarter 1908 Beverley 9d 216
Crompton Albert 4th Quarter 1908 Beverley 9d 216
1911 Census: Sun/Mon 2nd April/3rd April 1911
Source: TNA Ref: RG14 PN28567
Reg. Gen. Ref: RG78 PN1641 En.Dist: 3 Sched: 62
RegDist: Beverley SubDist: Lockington
Dwelling:
Place: Lund, Yorkshire East Riding
Rooms in dwelling, other than scullery, landing, lobby, closet, bathroom: 2
Years married: 2
Children: Alive none, dead none
Name Rel Age Mar Occupation Status Birthplace
Albert Crompton Head 34 M Butcher Worker Yorks, Preston in Holderness
Maria Crompton Wife 32 M Yorks, Driffield
In the census return Albert is no more specific about his address than Lund and gives his
occupation as 'butcher'. Their move to Middleton-on-the-Wolds, and to his own business,
had not happened at this time.
1921 Census: Sun 19th June 1921
Source: RG15; Piece: ;
RegDist number: 525; SubDist: 3; ED 2; Sched: 105;
Reg District: Driffield; Parish: Middleton on the Wold
Dwelling: Rose Villa,
Place: Middleton on the Wold, Yorkshire East Riding
Rooms: 8
Children under sixteen: none
Name Rel Age Mar Occupation Employer Work place Birthplace
Yrs Mn
Albert Crompton Head 44 8 M Butcher Own account At home Yorks, Preston in Holderness
Maria Crompton Wife 42 7 M Butchers assistance At home Yorks, Driffield
Thomas Kemp FinL 79 5 M Retired Pensioner Yorks, Bainton
Jane Kemp MinL 69 6 M Retired Home duties Yorks, Fridaythorpe
Albert had moved to Middleton on the Wold, where he had his own butchers shop in the modern out
buildings. There is no mention of the tea room, which is allegedly dated from 1919. It is
interesting to note that Maria's parents are living in Rose Villa. In 1911 Thomas Kemp and his
wife, having been married 35 years, were retired dairy famers having had three children, one of
whom was dead. They had retired to Primrose House somewhere along Beverley's Grove Hill Road.
It is said that Albert was, at one time coachman to the fifth Lord John Hotham (Huthum) (1838-1907)
of South Dalton, East Yorkshire, and had driven Queen Victoria, who he described as 'plain old
stick'. Sir Charles Hotham (1806-1855), who was born in Dennington Suffolk, was the Governor of
Victoria at the time of the Eureka Stockade. Whilst there is no direct link between the two Hotham
families there may be an indirect link. When the fifth Baron died childless, he was succeeded by his
first cousin once removed, Frederick William Hotham (1863-1923).
1807info2c, sheet 2
Rosevilla, Middleton-on-the-Wolds
Rosevilla, North End, Middleton-on-
the-Wolds, now 12 Station Lane, was the home of Albert and Maria Crompton, known as Auntie
Maria and Mrs Crumpton. It was used as part of Albert’s butchery business and Maria’s bed
and breakfast and tearoom from 1919 to 1948.
The front of the large white house, perhaps originally two cottages, is now much altered,
with new windows and cement rendering added in the 1950s. However much of the inside of
the house and outbuildings are as they were in Auntie Maria’s day, though the present
owner, Dave Pratt, has sold the adjacent land. The walled garden, once with whitewashed
walls and lean-to greenhouse became an orange-bricked detached house in early 2003 and
the paddock and orchard are destined for housing development. A sweep of railings, by the
road, were removed
for wartime scrap.
Above: The front of Rosevilla in May 2003. The new detached house built
where the walled garden stood. Between the two building the five-barred gate gives access
to the outbuildings and gardens. Until the war iron railings ringed the front. The '
tea-room' was the bottom left window.
The two-storey slaughterhouse, behind the house, retains its hanging hooks in beams and the
blood gutter to the outside is still visible, but the upper floor has been removed making it a
one-storey building.
The lower roofed ‘stable’ may have had internal changes made as concrete blocks seemed to have
been used to make pig sties.
The grounds, outside of the garden, are now derelict, overgrown and awaiting the
diggers and bulldozers, were large enough to have penned animals prior to their
slaughter. Across the paddock, the fruit trees of the gated orchard are still
recognisable, though overgrown and too dark for photography.
Right: Looking through the white gate towards the 'stockyard'(?),
beyond the caravan to the paddock and the orchard.
The Deeds, provided by Dave Pratt, show that Albert, 'the aforesaid butcher’, first
purchased the house from William Boyes, a retired bank manager formerly of Derby, on 11 October
1919 for the sum of £750. The conveyance document describes the property as:
ALL THAT dwelling house with the outbuildings garth and garden thereto adjoining
and belonging containing 3 roods and 37 perches or thereabouts situated at Middleton-on-the–Wolds
foresaid bounded by herediments then or late of John Dove [who owned the adjacent farm, the
building of which have been converted to housing] in part and of Mr Lotherington in remaining
art on or toward the east by herediments of Lord Londesborough on or towards the west by the
Town Street on or towards the south as the same were then in the occupation of the Vendor
TOGETHER with all out-buildings greenhouses and erections being on the ground plot of the
premises and the fixtures in and about the said dwelling house and all other appurtenances to
the said hereditments belonging or in anyway appertaining.
1807info2c, sheet 3
Above: The green boundary shows Albert's land, the light
blue his 'garden area' and the dark blue his buildings.
It is still possible to imagine the inside of the house, though altered in the last 50 years,
when it was a bed and breakfast. The two staircases remain, one perhaps for Auntie Maria’s bedroom
and the other for the guests. Each of the four bedrooms retains its own sink. Similarly, there
appear to have been two sitting rooms.
Mrs Brown, nee Dove, who lives next door to Rosevilla, remembers Auntie Maria from her wartime
childhood, with clarity and fondness.
She was described as a lovely, social, ‘broad’, white haired woman, of medium build, who seemed
to be loved by everyone in the village as she was at the forefront of the social life of the
wartime village.
‘Dos’ were held in the beautiful garden, known for its metal arches of roses and variety of
well-tended flowers, for the troops stationed in the local camps. Auntie Maria was also a great
whist player who was often seen walking across the road to the Village Hall in her black velvet
coatee and evening bag, organising a whist evening to raise money for charity.
The large house was used for wartime evacuees. Bobby Ditchfield came from Roker, in Sunderland.
Mr Edgar, a chemist for Rentokill from Appleton, Hull and his wife, had the ‘end room’. From here
Mrs Edgar gave Saturday morning elocution lesson at 1/6 a session. The young Miss Dove attended on
lesson before her father objected to the expense and purpose. Later Miss Appleton, Mrs Edgar’s
sister, joined them.
1807info2c, sheet 4
Bed and breakfast
Auntie Maria had a reputation for her bed and breakfast and afternoon teas, served from the
room adjacent to the gate. Often 20 to 30 cyclists visited Rosevilla on a wartime Sunday. A
Cyclists’ Touring Club plaque was once located on the front door. One pre-war District handbook
‘lists sixty-five appointments used by [their] members. Perhaps the most popular were …
Middleton-on-the-Wolds (Mrs Crompton). … Mrs Crompton’s establishment at Middleton-on-the-Wolds
still retains its connection with cycling and the club as this is the home of my nephew, David
Pratt.’ (Pratt 1994) Their Handbook and Guide for 1939 records:
Middleton-on-the Wold (Beverley 8 SE) CROMPTON (BH) R 2/-, R&B 3/6, T 1/3, L 2/-, S 1/6,
Day 7/-, Week 40/- Key:
Key:
Prices in shillings/pence 1/- = 5pence
BH – boarding house
L – Lunch / dinner
R – room
R&B – bed and breakfast
T – Tea of bread, butter, green stuff in season, preserves and cake
S – Supper of cold meat, salad, bread, butter, cheese, tea or coffee or
cocoa
Day – inclusive
Week – inclusive
The 1939 Register
1939 England and Wales Register 29 September 1939
ED Letter code: JCFA
Sched no: 34
Dwelling: Rosevilla, Middleton-on-the-Wold
Borough: Driffield RD, East Yorkshire
Names Sex D of B Status Personal Occupation Others
Crompton Maria F 10dec79 W Boarding house Proprietor
Witty Gwen F 27now18 S Domestic help ARP training
Appleton Constant F 26mar85 M Teacher of speech training
Appleton Edgar M M 07jan85 M Manufacture of insecticides
Redacted
Appleton Bowser M 01jan55 W Retired
Appleton Ethel A F 14feb86 S Unpaid domestic duties
Even at 70, Maria is still running a boarding house with at least three guests and possibly five.
Their death
By his will of 15 December 1928 Albert left all the estate of which he did seised possessed or
entitled to his wife Maria Crompton absolutely but if on the death of his wife any of his estate
still remained the Testator gave devised and bequeathed it to his brother Arthur Crompton [Grandpa].
Following Albert’s death on, his will was proved on 14 March 1931 and the property transferred
to Maria. In her will, of 23 April 1931, Maria appointed The Reverend Earnest James Wilson [the
vicar of Middleton] as Executor. The will was registered at Beverley on 4 April 1931 in Vol. 425,
Page 346 and No 279. Maria amended her will on 5 December 1947 making Messers William Henry
Blakeston and Henry Taylor Blakeston, Solicitors of Driffield, her Trustees and Executors.
Maria died on 21 March 1948 and her will was proved on 12 June 1948 and registered at Beverley
on 17 June 1948 in Vol 788, page 467 and number 393. The sum of £250 passed to her nephew,
Geoffrey Crompton, who used it to help purchase his Barnoldswick house.
1807info2c, sheet 5
Rosevilla in later years
Rosevilla was sold on 1 July 1948, by Maria’s solicitors, to Mrs Elsie Collins Straker the wife
of Eric Straker, the lemonade producer of Beverley, for the sum of £1575. A Mr Martin, school
teacher of St Mary’s Beverley, bought the house around 1958 and sold it to a Mr Smith, a
university lecturer.
Around 1978 Dave Pratt bought Rosevilla from Mr and Mrs Smith for the sum of £31 500.
Whitegates, Estate Agents, described the property as a 'Unique opportunity to acquire a 19
th Century cottage which has been well modernised and offers good family
accommodation. This spacious property is situated in 1½ acres of land and offers an ideal
opportunity for the self-sufficient enthusiast.
But the remainder of the description fits a property, divided in to two parts; one for Maria’s
home and the other for the bed and breakfast. The ground floor comprised of an entrance hall, with
staircase, leading to a lounge, a 15’ x 12’ dining room, a 15½’ x 14’ living room a 20½’ x 9’
farmhouse kitchen and a 9½’ x 6½’ conservatory.
The ground floor also contained laundry room and a rear lobby, leading to the back staircase.
Upstairs were three 16’ x 12’ bedrooms, one with an en-suit bathroom, a fourth bedroom measuring
11½’ x 9’, a second bathroom and a shower room. All rooms had washbasins. A partially completed
fifth bedroom is in the loft.
The outbuildings were described as: 'A large barn (the slaughter house), with
power and drainage and outside light, behind which is a lean-to roof. Stables have been
converted into a pig-sty, also drained, with power points and interior lighting. A
further barn has been converted into a double garage, with lean-to greenhouse adjoining.
To the rear there is approximately 1¼ acres of tree screen land broken into orchard,
paddock and two vegetable gardens, two soft fruit gardens, walled garden and kitchen
garden.'
Right: The remaining outbuildings at Rosevilla: the tall slaughterhouse and the
lower stable/pig sty.
Over time the floral house garden has become a family garden for children.
The rose arches have long vanished as has the Middleton iris (right). However, Edith
Boote, grand daughter of John Harper Crompton, b.1852, preserved an original tuba which is
gradually repopulating family gardens.
1807info2c, sheet 6
Albert and Maria's memorial
When Albert died on 29 December 1929 Martha provided him with an expensive
grave and headstone, located to the right of the footpath, in Middleton's new
graveyard. Martha joined him there on 21 March 1948.
In May 2003 the lilac tree, perhaps planted by Maria for Albert, had forced one of the
corner stones away from the surrounds and moss and weeds had grown over the gravel
chippings. The stone, double 'holed' flower holder had probably been empty since
1948 and,
having died childless, one wonders who last visited the grave.
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF MY DEAR HUSBAND
ALBERT CROMPTON
WHO DIED 26th DECEMBER 1929
AGED 53 YEARS
------
RESTING
------
ALSO MARIA
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
DIED 21st MARCH 1948
AGED 69 YEARS
------
RE-UNITED
Right: Aerial photograph locating Rosevilla, 12 Station Lane, Middleton-on
-the-Wold in 2009. The cars are parked in front of the slaughterhouse. The new development
to the left of the circle was Albert's orchard. The trees at the top of the
photograph were also part of his property.
Footnote
I have been told that I visited Auntie Maria at sometime in the spring of 1947. Certainly
before June because I was still an unborn foetus. My mother recalls that my father's
motorcycle had to be bump-started. Once in motion my mother had to mount pillion seat of the
circling motorcycle.
Sources:
My thanks to Dave Pratt and Mrs Brown, both of Middleton-in-the-Wolds, for their oral
memories which created a picture of Auntie Maria.
Dave Pratt's deed folder for Rosevilla.
Pratt C, ‘Sixty-six years of a cycle tourist’, Pentland Press, Durham, 1994, ISBN
1-85821-229-4
This page was created by Richard Crompton
and maintained by Chris Glass
