Arthur had a hard upbringing. He was born 20 September 1874, the fourth child of Thomas Edmund and Mary Louisa Moore, at Stakes Road, Preston, Hull - now Staithes Road. In 1881 this was the first house on the enumerator's list from the cross roads.

Certified Copy of an Entry in a Register of Births

GRO Birth: December Quarter 1874 Hedon 9d 137

His mother died 1880, when Arthur was aged six, and his father sixteen years years later.

1881 census   Sun/Mon 2/3rd April 1881
Source:       1881 FHL Film 1342147  PRO Ref RG11
              Piece: 4752  Folio: 44  Page: 1
Dwelling:     Stakes Road
Place:        Preston, York, England

Name                    Rel   Mar  Age  Occupation       Birthplace
Thomas Edmond Crompton  Head  Wid  41   Market gardener  Yorks, Metham
Edmond Thomas Crompton  Son        11   Scholar          Norfolk, Hoxne
Agnes Louisa Crompton   Dau         9   Scholar          Yorks, Preston 
Arthur Crompton         Son         6   Scholar          Yorks, Preston
Albert Crompton         Son         4                    Yorks, Preston

At about the age of 15 Arthur was bound apprentice, for seven years, to George Gabbetis who, judging by the 1891 census and the birth of Bertha, had recently moved to Etton. There Arthur learnt his trade of master butcher and met Jane Watts, on his butcher's round. Jane was then 14 and Arthur 15. She knew then she would married him.

1891 Census   Sun/Mon 5/6th April 1891
Source:       FHL Film  PRO Ref RG12
              Piece:: 3910; Folio: 10; Page: 10;
Dwelling:     (Two enumerator houses from the Post Office)
Place:        Etton, York, England

Name                Rel Mar Age  Occupation            Birthplace
George Gabbetis    Head  M   30  Butcher Employer      Yorks, Cherry Burton
Alice M Gabbetis   Wife  M   29                        Yorks, Kirk Ella
William V Gabbetis Son        7                        Yorks, Beverley
George F Gabbetis  Son        5                        Yorks, Beverley
James S Gabbetis   Son        3                        Yorks, Beverley
Bertha M Gabbetis  Dau        1                        Yorks, Beverley
Sarah Powell       Serv   S  18  General Dom. Servant  Yorks, Etton
Christina Al       Serv   S  15  General Dom. Servant  Yorks, Etton
Arthur Crompton    Appr   S  16  Apprentice            Yorks, Preston

1807info3a, sheet 2

1901 Census   Sun/Mon 31st March/1st April 1901
Source:       FHL Film  TNA Ref RG13
              Piece: 3108; Folio: 79; Page: 39; Sched: 290
Dwelling:     Priestgate
Place:        Barton on Humber, Yorks ER, England

Name               Rel  Mar Age  Occupation            Status  Birthplace
Frederick Towle   Head   M  46   Postman & Bill Poster Own a/c Yorks, Barton
Ann E Towle       Wife   M  42                                 Yorks, South Ferriby
George Towle       Son   S  20   Coal Merchants Clerk  Worker  Yorks, Barton
William Towle      Son   S  17   House Painter         Worker  Yorks, Barton
John Towle         Son   S  15   Errand Boy            Worker  Yorks, Barton
Harold Towle       Son   S   7                                 Yorks, Barton
Norah Towle        Dau   S   11m                               Yorks, Barton
Arthur Crumpton   Boar   S  25   Butcher               Worker  Yorks, Preston
Frank Nixon       Boar   S  28   Boot Shop Manager     Worker  Glos, Westbury on Seven
Frank A Stoton    Boar   S  23   Boot Shop Manager     Worker  Hants, St. Neots
Sarah Taylor      Serv   S  21   Gen Serv Domestic     Worker  Durham, Sunderland

The 1901 census records Arthur surname in the dialect. Right: Typical houses in Priestgate, Barton on Humber, large enough for the Towle family and borders

Their marriage By the time of their marriage Arthur was already established in his own premise at Fleetgate, Barton-on-Humber, Lincolnshire. They were married in St Mary's Beverley on 15 April 1907. The doctor told Jane, at the time of her marriage, that Arthur needed 'kitchen physic' which involved good meals and good puddings. A hall-marked watch chain was Jane's wedding present to Arthur. As the only natural grandson to bear the family name, this is now in my drawer
Above: St Mary's Church, Beverley	Above: Arthur and Jane's engagement photograph taken around 1907

1807info3a, sheet 3

GRO Marriage: June Quarter 1907 Beverley 9d 204

1911 Census:      Sun/Mon 2nd April/3rd April 1911
Source:   TNA Ref:        RG14 PN20114
          Reg. Gen. Ref:  RG78 PN1202  En.Dist: 20  Sched: 45
          RegDist: Glanford Brig   SubDist: Barton 
Dwelling: 12 Fleet Gate
Place:    Barton on Humber, Lincolnshire 
Rooms in dwelling, other than scullery, landing, lobby, closet, bathroom: 4
Years married:        3
Children:             Alive 2, dead none 

Name                   Rel  Age Mar Occupation            Status    Birthplace 
Arthur Crompton        Head  35  M  Beef & pork butcher   Employer  Yorks, Preston  
Jane Crompton          Wife  30  M                                  Yorks, Beverley
Edmond Thomas Crompton  Son   3                                     Lincs, Barton
Bessie Crompton         Dau   7mn                                   Lincs, Barton
Mabel Watkinson        Serv  14     General servant (Domestic)      Lincs,

Above: 12 Fleetgate, Barton front garden showing the possible position of a lean-to shop front	Above: 12 Fleetgate, Barton-on-Humber in 2009

At some time between April 1911 and June 1912, Arthur and Jane took the butchers shop at 78 High Street, Barton upon Humber, where their two remaining children were born. However life remained hard. By moving 'round the corner' Arthur lost customers and therefore income. It is believed that Jane asked her father for financial support, the amount coming from her inheritance.

The photograph shows the blue fronted shop with the out buildings, which was once used to keep and slaughter the pigs.

1807info3a, sheet 4

Arthur SANDERSON became their apprentice, later assistant butcher, and Ted's best friend. Under Lloyd George's social reforms Arthur had, as an employer, to contribute towards Arthur SANDERSON's state pension "stamp". However Arthur could not afford his own National Insurance "stamp" and therefore received, in later life, a four shillings tobacco allowance rather than a state pension.

According to Geoff's birth certificate he was born at 78 High Street, Barton. The photograph on the right shows Jane with Ted and Bessie standing outside their butcher's shop, which shows meat displayed in the window. The arrangement of windows and doors match the modern number 90 High Street. Left: 78 High Street, Barton c.1912 with Ted and Bessie standing outside the shop with mother Jane. Source: Family photo

1921 Census:      Sun 19th June 1921
Source:   RG15;  Piece: 15583; 
          RegDist number: 424; SubDist: 3; ED 14; Sched: 77;
          Reg District: Glanford Brigg;  Parish: Horkstow;
Dwelling: 78 High Street             
Place:    Barton on Humber, Lincolnshire                     

Name                   Rel    Age  Mar  Occupation/           Employer  Work place  Birthplace 
                            Yrs Mn      School
Arthur Crompton        Head  46  9  M   Butcher               Employer  At home     Yorks, Preston
Jame Crompton          Wife  41  6  M                                   At home     Yorks, Beverley
Edmund Thomas           Son  13  4  S   Whole time                                  Lincs, Barton on Humber
Bessie Crompton         Dau  10 10  S   Whole time                                  Lincs, Barton on Humber
Donald Arthur Crompton  Son   9  -  S   Whole time                                  Lincs, Barton on Humber
Geoffrey Crompton       Son   7  7  S   Whole time                                  Lincs, Barton on Humber

Horkstow parish is 4.6 miles south-west of Barton.

1807info3a, sheet 5

Above: Map locating 12 Fleetgate (1911 census) and 78 High Street, Barton-upon-Humber

1807info3a, sheet 6

Their children

Above: Edmond Crompton's baptism certificate 19 April 1908. Despite living in Fleetgate, Barton on Humber, Ted was baptised in St Mary's, Beverley. Though this was the church where his his parent's were married and his mother's home town, it was a tremendous journey from Barton to Beverley requiring a crossing of the Humber circa 60 miles.

Right: Arthur CROMPTON and family May 1914. Left to right: Jane, Geoffrey (Geoff), Bessie, Arthur, Donald (Don), Thomas Edmond (Ted)

	Above: Arthur and Jane in the Eastbourne Villa garden with Geoffrey and Don at the time of Don's enlistment in to the RAF, circa 1929 Left: The first three children - Ted, Bessie and Don circa 1913, at about the time of Don's first birthday and before Geoffrey's arrival

It is said that Arthur got in with the wrong people and started drinking. The shop relied on Arthur SANDERSON and Ted, who returned home from school, went to bed and then got up to link sausages for the next morning. Arthur imposed on his son and Jane was worried that there were too many knives in the butchers shop. In 1925 Jane took Ted by train to Liverpool to board the White Star Dominion 'Doric' to Quebec. Ted was aged 18 and Jane full of tears. Ted arrived in Quebec on arriving 06 September 1925 and stayed with Jane's brother Fred WATTS who ' imposed' on Ted. However, at this moment there is no obvious Edmond Crompton, born Barton-on-Humber on the Canadian passenger list or Ancestry Outward Passenger Lists 1890-1960.

1807info3a, sheet 7

Arthur SANDERSON's emigration to Australia, in 1925, was the beginning of the end of the Barton butcher's shop. Jane took her sixth of the Watts "family fortune" to rescue the business but later the family had to rent Eastbourne Villa, a guest house in Eastbourne Road, Hornsea. Right: Eastbourne Villa, Hornsea in 2000

Before the 1939 Register they moved to the corner shop at 2 Clifton Street, Hornsea, which was again rented. When the owner wanted to sell the property Jane's brother, Arthur Watts, bought the shop. In 2000 the shop had been modernised: the two large display windows and the central recessed brown door of the shop front had been replaced by a bay window and modern front door with canopy over. Roof lights suggests a bedroom in the loft. The concrete standing in front of the shop is now a walled garden. The passage, to the right of the shop, led to the back garden gate and on to the next street and access to the rear of Clifford Street and Cliff Road. Left: 2 Clifton Street Hornsea in 2000

Above: Map locating Clifton Street and the passages between the block

1807info3a, sheet 8

At the side of the house was the narrow, grey and dusty fire clinkered passage leading to the mysterious back gardens of Cliff Road and Clifford Street. Pathways darkened by shadows from tall fences over hung by flowers and weeds and lightened by lower garden fences, some standing other tumbling over.

Grandma's fence was stick rattling, black bitumen covered corrugated iron: stick rattling and a telling off. However, overhanging the black was the wildest honeysuckle, which always demand close inspection of the multi-coloured delicate structures. The narrow passage trapped the perfume in the heat of the summer holidays. I have never succeeded in growing this rampant memory. In 1940 Geoff sat on the ledge of the side window, feet dangling, watching Hull bound German bombers using the gleaming water of Hornsea Mere as their waypoint. 2 Clifton Street, Hornsea, was a large part of my father's pre-war family life and my 'Cider with Rosie' childhood seaside holidays to visit Grandma Jane. The holiday began by ringing the sprung bell on the brown shop door, pretending to be a surprise customer. Scrubbed, white pine floorboards contrasted with the parallel brown counters. Grandma entered through the ever-open house door to serve behind the shorter left hand counter adorned by the white fan shaped Avery scales with their twin stainless pans. This was the treat side of the shop: sweets boxed and loose in glass jars, loose and destined for the Avery pans and 2oz (57 grams) conical twist bags, and my hands. The paper bags for 4oz (114 grams) of sweets were hand sewn. Unwrapped bread added its particular perfume. Potatoes and veg, some home grown, rested in boxes on the opposite counter.

Above: 2 Clifton Street, Hornsea, side passage in 2000 where shutter boarding has replaced the corrugated iron

Through the shop door, stairs to the left led upstairs. I have no memories of upstairs or of the 'posh' 'front' room to the right. This, I am told, was for Christmas and other special occasions, but a fire was necessary to combat the damp.

Life revolved around the kitchen. Here was the kitchen range and sooted kettle resting on a stand, which rotated above the constant flames. Cookie Moody's traditions were maintained by regular coats of black lead and much polishing. From the side oven came spectacular bread and steak pies adorned by decorated pastry through which poked the head of a blackbird. Grandma's special cooking was served on a table, always covered by a once golden chenille and tasselled cloth, which stood in the kitchen bay window.

Business was conducted from the highly polished mahogany roller top desk protected by its key. The front rolled up, supports pulled out, desk tops unfolded and drawers and cubby holes revealed paper mysteries. By the side was a brown Bakelite radio whose glowing dial was an intriguing geography lesson: Luxembourg, Prague, Berlin.

The kitchen lead to a carmine red bricked floor of the scullery with a white Belfast sink and its washed-out wooden draining board. Off this was the cold larder; the fridge of its day. Milk, delivered to the door in kits resting in a two-wheeled cart drawn by a horse that knew every stop as it meandered across the road, was ladled into jugs covered in a lace and beaded fly screen. Here too was Grandpa's croc; his pickling tub for the Christmas beef.

It was a short walk from the cinder passage to the orange-brown back door, which led into the scullery. Adjacent was an empty coal house storing the mangle and a collection of used newspapers. the coal shed was around the back, in the garden. The second door was the outside toilet, superseded by one in the upstairs bathroom.

1939 England and Wales Register 29 September 1939
ED Area code:     JBI 
ED District code: A
Sched no: 42   
Dwelling: 2 Clifton Street  
Borough:  Hornsea UD or RD: Hornsea, East Yorkshire

Names             Sex  D of B  Status  Personal Occupation           Others
Crompton, Jane     M   11dec79    M    Gen Grocery Dealer
Crompton, Arthur   M   26sep74    M    Gen Grocery Dealer
Crompton, Geoffrey M   06nov13    S    Shop Assistant 1st Provision  Aux Fire Service
Crompton, Dorothy  F   30apr09    M    Unpaid domestic duties
Beckwith Bessie    F   08aug10    M    Unpaid domestic duties
Beckwith Peter J   M   31dec35    S    Under school age
Beckwith Jennifer  Redacted

The Beckwiths and Dorothy Crompton were ruled through because the Register was kept up to date until 1953.

The National Identity Number devised from this Registration would have been: Enumeration Area code+Emuneration District code+Schedule number+position in house

1807info3a, sheet 9

Right: Donald CROMPTON's wedding 11 December 1938, the first time the family had been together since 1925 Left to right: Geoff, Bessie, Arthur, Jane, Ted, Don

Above: A studio photograph of Arthur and Jane CROMPTON unknown date - Watson's Studio, 70 Anlaby Road, Hull

1807info3a, sheet 10

Arthur's death

Arthur died at Clifton Street, on 26 September 1951, from cancer of the carotid lymph nodes; a butcher's death caused by holding the pig slaughtering knife in his mouth. Malignant cells often originate in lymph nodes, presenting as an enlargement of the node (a tumor). Today Lymphoma is treatable with chemotherapy. My only memory of Grandpa was sitting on his knee looking at a large white bandage around his neck.
Above: The family grave in Hornsea in 2000	Above: Arthur CROMPTON snapped by a street photographer in Newbiggin, Hornsea. Date unknown.

Jane continued with the shop until January 1956.

Certified Copy of an Entry Pursuant to the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953

GRO Death: Third Quarter 1951 Holderness 2a 73

This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass		Version C23 Updated 05 March 2024