Catherine Oswin 1840

CATHERINE OSWIN born 1840 in Sileby, Leicestershire

Catherine was a hosiers daughter and was born on the 25th January 1840 in Sileby and baptised on the 1st of March 1840. Her father was called Goodwin Oswin who was a Frame Work Knitter and her mother was called Elizabeth. In 1851 she is living in Sileby with her parents, two sisters and two brothers. In 1857 she had a child called Emma Gill Oswin, the father is unknown.

Catherine married John Kirk on New Years Eve 1860 at the parish church, Sileby. He had worked as a boatwright like his father in Mountsorrel. In 1861 both John & Catherine's families are living together at 22 High Street, Sileby. Their son Alexander Kirk is noted as living with them, he is only one month old, he was later renamed as Alfred, my great great grandparent.

The Kirk family business at the Mountsorrel Wharf had recently been put up for sale and John and his brother Zaccheus had been declared bankrupt. Catherine like a lot of her family worked as a Frame Work Knitter, an occupation almost unique to the counties of the East Midlands (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire). By the early 1800's, of the 45,000 knitting frames in the country, 90% were in the East Midlands. By the 19th century Derbyshire was concentrating on the production of silk garments, Nottinghamshire on cotton such as Nottingham Lace and Leicestershire on worsted woollen garments. As the 19th century progressed trade slumped as fashions changed, the factory system began to replace the cottage industry and machines were developed to use first steam, then electric power.

Frame Work Knitters would usually hire a frame from a frame smith and would have to work long hours to pay the rent of the frame. Some who were better off bought their own frame and would add lots of windows to the top floor to provide as much light as possible as the work was a strain on the eye-sight. The Royal Commission in 1845 found that three quarters of all Framework Knitters were either unemployed or seriously under employed and dependent on parish relief. I currently live in an old Frame Work Knitters cottage - you can see a picture of this in the associated images link at the bottom of the page.

John, Catherine's husband died in 1865 aged just 35 of phthisis, also known as pulmonary tuberculosis, consumption, tuberculosis or TB. A horrible disease that particularly affected those people that lived in poor, damp and crowded conditions. Being all crammed in together at number 22 High Street and the fact that the family income would have been very low at this time would have all contributed to John's early death.

Catherine remarried in January of 1867 to Josiah Hull, who was a Sinker Maker at the parish church, Sileby. He had previously been married to a Elizabeth Underwood and they had at least four children although their last child Elizabeth, died as an Infant.

In 1871 Catherine and Josiah or William as he was sometimes known are living at 18 Church Lane, Sileby together with their children from previous marriages. Josiah passed away in 1887 but Catherine was nothing but resilient and re-married for the 3rd time in 1891 to her late husband's son, William Hull. Her daughter Emma Gill Oswin would actually marry William's brother Josiah Hull. Catherine lived on until 1914 and is buried in Sileby.

You can read more about Frame Work Knitters in link below for Catherine's father Goodman Oswin.

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Catherine Oswin. Born 25 January 1840

Registration District : Barrow Upon Soar

Sub-District : Sileby

Where : Sileby

Father : Goodman Oswin

Mother : Elizabeth Oswin formerly Martin

Informant : Goodman Oswin Father Sileby

Registered : 11 February 1840

Registrar : David Shuttlewood Deputy Registrar

Baptism - Catherine Oswin

1 March 1840, Sileby.

Father - Goodman Oswin (Frame Work Knitter)

Mother - Elizabeth

Census 1851. Catherine Oswin Age 12.

Living With Father - Goodman (35) and Mother Elizabeth (36)

Sisters Lucy (8) & Betsey (3)

Brothers Thomas (10) & Goodman (6)

Marriage: 31 December 1860. John Kirk Age 30. Boat Wright

Residence - Sileby

Father - John Kirk. Boat Wright

to Catherine Oswin Age 21

Residence - Sileby

Father - Goodman Oswin. Hosier

at Parish Church, Sileby. (By Banns)

Signed by John Kirk and Marked by Catherine Oswin

Presence of - George Pahnes and Lucy Oswin

Census 1861. Catherine Kirk Age 21.

Profession - Frame Work Knitter.

Born Sileby

Address - 22 High Street, Sileby

Living With Husband John Kirk (30) - Head.

Profession - Boat Wright.

Born - Mountsorrel

Daughter Emma Oswin (3) - Scholar. Born Sileby

Son Alexander Kirk (1 Month) - Born Sileby. (later named Alfred)

Also at 22 High Street :-

Catherine's Father Goodman Oswin (44)

Head. Profession - Hosier.

Born Sileby

His Wife Elizabeth Oswin (47) - Hosiers Wife. Born Sileby

His Son's Thomas (18) - FWK, Goodman (14) - FWK.

Both Born Sileby

His Daughter's Lucy (16) - FWK, Betsy (12) - Scholar,

Rosa (6) - Scholar.

All Born Sileby.

John Kirk Died 18th April 1865. Age 35

Registration District : Barrow Upon Soar

Sub-District : Quorndon

Where : Mountsorrel South

Occupation : Boatwright

Cause : Phthisis - 5 Months Certified

Informant : The mark of John Whittaker

Registered : 19th April 1865.

2nd Marriage: 1 January 1867. Josiah Hull Age 35.

Sinker Maker. Widower

Residence - Sileby

to Catherine Kirk Age 26. Widow.

Residence - Sileby

at Parish Church, Sileby. (By Banns) .

Josiah Hull 1st Marriage: 6 June 1854 at Sileby

Josiah Hull (Age 23). Sinker Maker.

Father - Valentine Hull - Carrier.

to Elizabeth Underwood. Father - William Underwood

Census 1871. Catherine Hull Age 30. Profession - Frame Work Knitter

Address - 18 Church Lane, Sileby

Living with Husband Josiah Hull (39)

Sinker Maker. Born - Wodehouse

Josiah's Children Josiah Hull (12) - Sinker Maker

& Marshall Hull (9) - Scholar

Catherine's Children Alfred Kirk (9) & Emma Gill Oswin (13).

Both Scholars

Census 1881. Catherine Hull Age 41. Profession - Frame Work Knitter

Address - Barrow Road, Sileby

Living with Husband Josiah Hull (50) - Sinker Maker.

Born - Woodhouse Eaves

Josiah's Son Marshall Hull (19) - Boot & Shoe Rivetter

Niece Mary Underwood (12) - Scholar

Grandson Edmund Oswin (7) - Scholar

Buried Husband: William Josiah Hull - 30 November 1887 Sileby.

Age 56. Church Road, Sileby

3rd Marriage: 8 January 1891. William Hull Age 40. Brickyard Labourer

Residence - Sileby

Father - William Josiah Hull. Sinker Maker

to Catherine Hull Age 48. Widow

Residence - Sileby

Father - Goodman Oswin. Hosier

at Register Office, Barrow upon Soar. (By Certificate)

Signed by Willaim Hull and Marked by Catherine Hull

Presence of - S Wilson and J Wilson

Census 1911. Catherine Hull Age 72. Profession - Frame Work Knitter

Address - Church Lane, Sileby

Living with Husband William Hull (60) - Rivitter. Born - Sileby

Married : 22 yrs Children: 0

Catherine Hull. Died 14 August 1914

Registration District : Barrow-upon-Soar

Sub-District : Rothley

Where : Union Workhouse, Rothley

Widow of William Hull a Shoehand

Cause : (1) Old Age (2) Myocarditis

Informant : E.W.Carter. Master Union Workhouse Rothley

Registered : 14 August 1914.

Buried: Catherine Hull - 17 August 1914 Sileby. Age 73.

Child of CATHERINE OSWIN :

i EMMA GILL OSWIN

b 13 April 1857, Sileby, Leicestershire

m Oct - Dec 1876 to Josiah Hull at Sileby, Leics. (Step Brother)

d Dec 1942 Emma G Hull. Sileby, Leicestershire. Age 85

Child of JOHN KIRK and CATHERINE OSWIN is:

i. ALFRED OSWIN KIRK

b 2 April 1861, Sileby, Leicestershire

bap 11th March 1865. Sileby, Leicestershire

m 12 Apr 1883 to Charlotte Ann Mason,

at Register Office, Portsea Island, Hampshire.

d 18 June 1929, Infirmary, Evington, Leicestershire

bur 22 June 1929 Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester

Children of JOSIAH HULL and ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD

(Josiah's 1st Marriage) :

i. WILLIAM HULL b 1851 bap 27 Aug 1854, Sileby, Leics

m 8 Jan 1891 Catherine Kirk (nee Oswin)

ii. JOSIAH HULL b Jul-Sep 1858. bap 31 May 1863, Sileby, Leics

iii. MARSHALL HULL b 5 Dec 1861. bap 31 May 1863, Sileby, Leics

iv. ELIZABETH HULL b b 1864. bap 18 Aug 1864, Sileby, Leics

Go to associated images - Catherine Oswin (1840)

Go to Catherine's parents - Goodman Oswin (1816) & Elizabeth Martin (1814)

Go back to Catherine's Husband - John Kirk (1830)

Go back to the Kirk Family Tree Page