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Children, Elderly, Widows, Poverty, health, Disability, illness, Education

Sir Leonard Isaac Aulton 1861-1939-=

Leonard Isaac Aulton was born in May 1860 at 27 Bradford Street Walsall

The eldest child of Arthur D Aulton an accountant and Mary Blower an upholster

In 1881 he was 20 and described as an accountant

Kellys directory of 1888 describes him as an insurance agent living in Brace street

Leonard I Aulton was married to Lizzie Dixon 1858-1906 in 1882

One daughter Lizzie

Second wife Clara m in 1908

In 1911 he was a manufacturers Clerk (Company secretary)

He was a Freemason -paying his first registration fee in 1918 at The George Beech Lodge in Birmingham

In 1917 he became Freeman of The City of London By redemption in The Company of feltmakers.

He died in March 1939 – with an estate of £1222 (equivalent of £75000 in 2021) probate was granted to Clara (Widow) and Henry Aulton His brother who was a leather goods manufacturer. More research is need to establish if Leonard was associated with his brother in leather goods and thus gained freedom of the City of London through being in the company of felt makers.

Not sure of the exact date when he joined The Order but that could easily be established.

What is certain is that by the 1890’s he was well known in Buff circles/. During this time of what Martin Payne calls the great split, Leonard played an active part in negotiations between what was essentially North and South . South being south of Watford or thereabouts

His main claim to Buffalo fame is that he was the first to propose the setting up of an orphanage. about 1897.

His first proposal was that The Order should pay the expenses of Orphaned children in various institutions.

He gained very little support and it was turned down many times at Gl . But he was a strong man who didn’t give up easily. His opportunity came when a fellow buff in Aldridge, E R Tongue Croxhall lord of the manor of Aldridge said he would give a piece of land in Aldridge to enable the building of an orphanage. Leonard changed tack and supported this idea 100% and it took off.

I suspect that The Lord and Leonard colluded on this point. Leonard was particularly concerned with fund raising. He proposed that registrations in ML should include a halfpenny for the project. It took a while, but it was successful and the foundation stone was laid in Oct 1903. The orphanage opened in 1904 even though it did not receive children until 1905. Leonard I Aulton was appointed secretary in the early days and was still so at the time of his death in 1939. He faced many problems concerned mainly with continual funding. The purchase of Grove house in 1926/7 and turning that into an orphanage required even more funding. Many of various motions at Gl were a hindrance, few were helpful. There were many well versed eloquent persuasive men who were not supportive Leonard proved to be the man persistent in character, to guide and persuade. And he kept doing that until his death in1939. (Martin Paynes History of The RAOB shows in detail the problems faced by The Secretary and directors of The Orphanage) Early 1940’s saw The facilities at Aldridge given up and in 1945 The Orphanage at Grove house was closed.. These facilities had been provided by The Order as a result of the early proposal and later guidance for over 40 years . by Leonard Isaac T Aulton.

In 1921 Leonard Isaac Aulton was appointed Grand Primo of GLE .

He was 61 years old. That he was able to continue the secretaryship of Aldridge Orphanage maintain his private work commitments, continue his FreeMasonry and perform the Duties of |GP RAOB GLE is proof that Leonard Isaac Aulton was a Man amongst Men.

O.D. Murphy

Owen Downey Murphy was born in Smethwick about 1875

He was a son of William Murphy who was born in Ireland (Newry) 1848 and Mary JANE PERRY who was born in Smethwick1849

IN 1871 Jane Perry was a living in barmaid at The Dartmouth Hotel, Paradise Street, West Bromwich. The Hotel was run by Thomas Wooley and his wife Elizabeth

William Murphy came to England sometime before 1874 ( a hundred or more William Murphy’s who made this journey at this time )

In 1874 William Murphy and Mary Jane Perry were married (Reg at (West Bromwich)

This is the family in 1881 1881 census

1901 Census-

In Sept 1895 Owen Downey Murphy married Ann Sophia Smart b1867 in Smethwick and they were resident in 53 Cheshire st. Old Church, Smethwick . Owen now 26 Was described as a commercial traveller. In fact a salesman for a mineral water company.

IN 1911 Census

There were now two Children Ronald George 3years and Graham one month

There had been another son Victor 1903- 1906

Owen D and Ann Sophia were now described as Mineral water manufacturers and Resided at ‘Brookside’ Watling Street Wellington Salop. Two sons Ronald 3 and Graham one month

UXACONA

Uxacona was a Romano-British settlement located at Redhill^[1] near present-day Telford, Shropshire.

The settlement lies at the highest point of the Roman Watling Street, approximately 11 Roman miles from Viroconium Cornoviorum (Wroxeter) to the west, and 11 miles from Pennocrucium (Penkridge) to the east.^[1] Its only documentary mention is in the 2nd century Antonine Itinerary.^[1]

The main settlement consisted of a small enclosure bisected by Watling Street, surrounded by a single ditch 3.20 m × 1.80 m (10.5 ft × 5.9 ft) and showing evidence of occupation from the early to the mid 4th century.^[2] To the north of the settlement lay a large single-ditched enclosure that may have been a military storage depot from the campaign of Quintus Veranius in AD 57 and a smaller double-ditched enclosure that may have been a signal station from the later 1st century.^[2]

Arthur Oliver

Arthur Oliver was born in Bridgnorth on Nov.21^st 1877 a son of Charles Oliver and Mary Jones

On September 30^th 1897 he married Annie Bristow Ellis (b1879) in Birmingham

He became the licensee of The Black Horse in Bridge Street, Bridgnorth.

He served as a Council member for some time.

Mr Athur Oliver was mayor of Bridgnorth in 1928 & 1929. He then continued to be an Alderman of the town for many years. He ran the Black Horse public house in Low Town Bridgnorth for nearly 30 years until his death in 1957

NOTE Probate was granted in the sum of £3834.00 The equivalent of £72500 today

The Lodge was named after him, which was still permitted until the early 1930s? and was first located at the Black Horse

It is thought that until sometime after he passed away, the Lodge continued to meet there before relocating to the Falcon Hotel in the 1950's. It was the town's only Low Town Lodge. It later migrated through several high town establishments until a spell at Bridgnorth Town Football Club through the 1980s to 1996, when it moved to the Woodbury Down. This would be it's final home until amalgamation with the Adastra lodge in 2004.

After the Bridgnorth town Remembrance Parade in November 2021, a few former members of the old Arthur Oliver Lodge, settled in a local hostelry and mulled over the idea of seeing if an olive branch could be made to encourage other former lapsed members - if they would consider starting a new Lodge with the old name. The new Arthur Oliver Lodge 10703 was inaugurated by the Grand Primo Bro Colin Stewart ROH on Monday 18th July 2022, at the Shakespeare Inn, where it had been based in the late 70's. Six new Brothers were initiated on the evening, all being sons of existing Lodge members, some Brothers coming back into a Lodge for the first time in over 20 years. The Lodge continues to go from strength to strength, very proud of it's association with the Bridgnorth Lodges that have gone before it.

Bridgnorth Lodges:

Arthur Oliver Lodge 6700 - 1929 to 2004

Shakespear Lodge 6878 - 1930 to 1937

Cygnet Lodge 7164 - 1935 to 1956

Adastra Lodge 9201 - 1960 to 2020

Arthur Oliver 10703 - 2022 onwards

Bro Alan Sykes ROH

Arthur Oliver 10703 Lodge Secretary

Wrekin (Shropshire) PGL Trustee,
PPGP

n 1904 O D purchased a soft drinks company Long & Co in Ironbridge. About three years later he moved the business to The Crystal works on Millbank at Wellington and later at Holyhead road Wellington where it thrived. He took over the Botanical Brewery and later purchased the Shropshire Brewery and ‘Ensors’ in Wellington probably eliminating all competition IN THE AREA

==================================== In 1921 They bought The Wrekin Brewery.

The Wrekin brewery was clearly a substantial enterprise. It was founded in 1870 by Thomas Taylor in Market Street and it soon moved to larger accommodation.

After several changes in ownership it was bought at auction in 1921, by Owen Downey Murphy, who presided over a number of linked businesses straddling soft drinks, bottling beers including Guinness, milk and eventually supplying wine and spirits, over a wide area. The company expanded successfully with around 140 public houses in the mid-1940s

When Murphy died aged 70 having refused a bid from bid from Marston, Thomas and Evershed to buy him out. Trade continued, presumably under the direction of his sons who were directors of the company. The 60s saw the growth of lager and a new takeaway market for bottled beers but the introduction of Wrekin Bitter did not really address the threat of lager. The development of what was to become Telford New Town in 1972 did not help either, as a number of their pubs were demolished, to be replaced by only nine new licensed premises, for which the brewery was in competition with the national brewers and lost out.

Eventually the owners sold out to Greenall Whitley & Co. Ltd in 1966, which transferred brewing to Wem in 1969, and soon the Wrekin name as well as the premises disappeared, the old brewery finally being demolished in 1975.

The 1939 register records them living at Haybridge Hall. O D Murphy Is a company director

Haybridge Hall was built in 1870. About the same time as the Haybridge steel Mills opened. Haybridge was a district which gradually merged with Hadley and became one.

So O D Murphy had come a long way from his humble beginnings in Smethwick, to Haybridge Hall . I am sure that he was supported 100% by his Wife Ann Sophia

Household Members 1939 register at Haybridge Hall

Owen D Murphy Company Director 65 Ann S Murphy Wife 73

Harriet J Gowing secretary to a brewing company? 49 Ethel Pritchard Serv 17 Alice Hughes Serv 40

Owen Downey Murphy’s death was recorded in Wellington 18th 1943 (68) and that of Ann Sophia in March 1955. (88) Both of Haybridge Hall Hadley. His estate of £93500 equivalent to over £4m today2020 Anne Sophia’s estate of £23000 was the equivalent of over £ 600000 in 2020

O D Murphy was not a member of The RAOB but the O D Murphy Lodge has bore his name since the dispensation was issued in 1932 citation needed

NOEL JONES

Noel Jones was born in Wombridge, Oakengates on November 27th, 1909

He was the son of Arthur born 1866 in Sheffield- a steel worker, and Mary Jane Jones born 1876 at Snedshill, Oakengates

Noel Had two brothers and three sisters

In the 1939 register he was described as a sheet metal worker living at 14 Holyhead road, Oakengates .

Noel died in 1989 and is buried in St Mary's cemetery, Ketley

He was a member of The R A O B for many years, much admired and respected, particularly in The Wrekin (Shropshire) Province. It is fitting therefore that this R A O B Lodge bears his name.

Left Brother Noel Jones -Right Brother Bernard lees

The Bernard Lees Lodge opened in 1990, change to Lees Weaver Lodge in 2013 and closed in 2016

1939 Register

Name:Arthur Oliver Gender:Male

Marital Status:Married

Birth Date:21 Nov 1877

Residence Date:1939Address:The Black Horse Hotel, Bridge Street :Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England

Occupation:Licenced Victualler Line District:OibbBorough:BridgnorthRegistration district:346 - 2Inferred Spouse:Annie Oliver

Household Members (Name)AgeArthur Oliver62Annie Oliver60

Mini May Southall Barmaid Age 38

Salena G Edward Domestic Age 33

Name:Arthur Oliver Death

Age:80 Birth Date:abt 1877

Registration Date:Oct 1957
[Nov 1957]
[Dec 1957] Registration Quarter:Oct-Nov-DecRegistration District:BridgnorthInferred County:Shropshire

Cyril Ladd in his army days

In later life

Cyril Ladd was born in Dover on December 22^nd 1896 . He was the son of Joseph William Ladd 1870 – 1921 and Emma ladd nee Williams. Emma Williams 1872-1920 was a Yorkshire girl. Born Pocklington Yorkshire Joseph 1870 was a serving soldier. A colour Sergeant on Discharge 1910. Re enlisted in 1915 untill WW1 ended

Consequently his children were born far and wide Gladys July 1895 in York, Cyril 1896 in Dover, Maurice 1898 in Aldershot and Dorothy 1904 in Quetta India

In 1911 Cyril was resident in York as were all the family ( Emma had gone back home)

In December 1912 Cyril1896 followed in his father’s footsteps and Joined The Army . he was 16 years old. He served 22 years and 318 days until 1935.(That would include serving throughout WW1) when he was demobilised with the rank of Sergeant (To date I have not been able to find his service record )

Whilst in the army he married Nora Carr b1896-1977 at The Garrison Church in Coln, Germany in July 1922

After The Army he and Norah lived in Bexley Kent and he was a Civil Servant

They had children- Audrey b1926, Anthony J Ladd b 1930, Michael Brian Ladd b1934, Teresa 1937, Margaret 1940 One other

The 1939 register clearly shows the family at Bexley in Kent and Cyril was described as a clerk in the Civil Service

So it is certain that he was moved to Donnington C O D in the early 1940’s

His home at 37 Wrekin Drive Donnington along with hundreds of others were built to receive Families, mainly from Woolwich Arsenal and The Civil service to work at The Ordnance Depot.