Edward Caldicott, Miller at New Hall Mill (1890-c.1896)

Edward Caldicott was born in 1846, at Norton Mill, in Presteigne, Powys, Wales. He was the fourth child of George Caldicott, a corn miller, and Sarah, nee Williams. The Caldicotts were an established milling family. George Caldicott was at Norton Mill from at least 1841. Unfortunately, mills were highly susceptible to catching fire, and that's exactly what happened to Norton Mill on Wednesday 11th June 1851, when Edward was just five years old. The Hereford Journal reported:

Destructive Fire. At an early hour on the morning of Wednesday last, a messenger arrived with intelligence that a fire had broken out at Norton, a village distant about two miles from this town, on the Knighton road, and requesting that the engines might be immediately forwarded. On proceeding to the spot, it was discovered that Norton Mills were in flames, and a great number of the villagers and other persons were assembled, and doing their utmost to save from destruction as much of the property as possible. The house and mills are attached, having a thatched roof, and the whole being of very combustible materials, were soon heap of ruins; the engines, as usual, not being of the slightest use. The property belongs to Richard Price, Esquire, and are in the occupation of Mr George Caldicott, miller, an industrious and honest man, who has sustained a serious loss in furniture, wheat, flour, etc., and having a wife and family it is hoped that the benevolent will contribute towards replacing what he has thus unfortunately been deprived of, as little was saved.

The owner, Richard Price, rebuilt both Norton Mill and the miller's house, and the Caldicott family were living there when the 1861 census was compiled. Edward, now 14 years old, was a scholar. Norton Mill still exists today. It is a listed building, but it is no longer a working mill. It had ceased milling by 1951, and was later converted into a house.

In 1868, Edward married Mary Ann Watkins in Presteigne. By 1871, Edward, now 24, had struck out on his own, He was the miller at New Mills in Presteigne, with three servants - two lads named George, who were probably helping in the mill, and a girl named Jane. In 1837 the miller here had been William Caldicott, so this mill had previously been in the family.

In 1871 or 1872, the family moved from New Mills to Walk Mills in Discoed, Powys, just two and a half miles away.

Edward and Mary had five children: Annie Louisa in 1868, John in 1870, Ellen Rebecca in 1872, Sarah Elizabeth in 1874, and Mary Ann in 1879, named after her mother. Tragically Mary did not survive the birth of her youngest daughter, and her little baby Mary Ann only survived a year, dying some time between March and June 1880.

That same year, on 20th May 1880, Edward married Agnes Harrison at Holy Trinity Church, Birchfield, Staffordshire. Agnes, a dressmaker working with her father John, was ten years younger than Edward, and they both gave the same address on their marriage documents, 2 Archibald Road, Birchfield (now Lozells), in Handsworth, Birmingham. How they met, and how this happened so quickly, is a mystery, but doubtless Edward was in great need of a wife and helpmeet.

Edward and Agnes settled in Handsworth, and lost no time starting a family of their own. Their first child together, Harold Edward, was born on 25th March 1881, ten months after the wedding. They went on to have seven more children, Cecil George Garnet was born in Handsworth in 1883, Baron Tom Wilfred was born in Aston in 1886, Oswald William Cornwall was born in Aston in 1887, and Birdie Norah Constance was born in Aston in 1890, The family then moved to New Hall Mill.

The birth locations of Edward's children show that Edward was only at New Hall Mill between 1890 and 1896 at the outside. A case at the Petty Sessions of 1890 in which Edward was a witness provides the evidence we need for his exact starting date at the Mill, 12th July 1890:

A GROSS CASE OF CRUELTY. —Peter Evans, horse dealer, 15, Princes Street, Birmingham, was charged at the instance of Inspector John Ruane of the RSPCA, with cruelty to a horse at Sutton Coldfield on July 18th. Police Constable Winterburn said on the morning of July 17th he was on duty near New Hall Mill when he saw a horse lying in a field there. The animal was struggling to get up, and after several ineffectual attempts it got on to its legs but immediately fell down again.

After much evidence as to the condition of the horse, and the treatment it had received at the hands of the defendant, Edward gave his evidence (the use of the name John is probably a reporter's error):

John Edward Caldicott, the occupier of New Hall Mill, said the horse was in the field before he took possession of the mill on the 12th July, and then it was in a good condition and able to get its own living. One of its feet was swollen and the hoof appeared to be coming off, the animal walking on its fetlock. On the 17th July he went to Birmingham on business, and he then told defendant that the horse was worse. He considered the horse was able to get about up to within a few days of its being destroyed, but for 2½ days witness admitted he and his man fed it while lying on the ground with crushed oats and grass.

There was some discussion of the fact that there was no evidence for the horse having been fed; but the case was against the owner, not Edward and his man, so it seems there was no blame attached to Edward.

Lily Florence Winifred was born at New Hall Mill in 1893. We have evidence to show that Ben Styles succeeded Edward Caldicott at the Mill in 1898, but Edward may have moved away from New Hall Mill some two years before that. Dora Beatrice was born in Birmingham in 1896, and Margery Cora Gladys was born in the village of Swindon, near Wombourne in Staffordshire, in 1898. She brought the total of Edward's offspring to thirteen.

By 1901 Edward and Agnes had moved to 80 Countess Street, Caldmore, Walsall. Edward was employed as the foreman of a corn mill. Harold, Cyril, Baron, Oswald, Lily, Dora and Margery were still with them, but Birdie was staying with her aunt and uncle, Frederick and Mary Belwood, who were running a hotel in Wolverhampton. Harold was working as a corn mill clerk, presumably at the same mill as his father.

We may never know why the family moved so many times. Perhaps this rootless existence and lack of family support took its toll on Edward and Agnes's marriage. Edward and Agnes separated - probably in 1907.

By 1911, Agnes was living at 119 Hope Street, Birmingham, where she was the manageress of a public house. Her youngest daughters, Dora and Margery, were now living with their aunt and uncle, the Belwoods, as their sister Birdie had before them.

Edward was living in Mill Green, Aldridge, and was working as a miller at Little Aston Mill. He described himself as married, and the census enumerator wrote that he had been married for four years, before crossing this out. Presumably he had just learned that the lady living with Edward was not his wife, but his partner, a widow named Sarah Ann Gale. Edward's daughter Lily and Sarah's daughter Rosa Lavinia Gale were living with them.

If Edward was happy with this new arrangement, sadly it was not to last. Within a few short months of the census, on 14th September 1911, his life was tragically cut short. On 23rd September 1911 the Walsall Advertiser reported:

Miller’s Fatal Accident — A miller, named Edward Caldicott, of Little Aston Mill near Aldridge, met with a fatal accident at Blake Street (Sutton Coldfield), on Thursday week. Whilst getting into his cart the reins became entangled round his foot, causing the horse to take fright. Caldicott was thrown out, and the cartwheel passed over his chest. A local farmer, named Alfred Higgins, conveyed the injured man to Sutton Coldfield Hospital, but he succumbed to severe internal injuries before the doctor saw him.

Research by Sheridan Parsons.

[Please note that a photo of New Hall Mill, supposedly taken in 1890, is being circulated on Ancestry, stating that Edward Caldicott is in the photo. To the best of our knowledge this photo shows New Hall Mill in 1904, and the miller in the photo is Ben Styles, who succeeded Edward Caldicott at the Mill in 1898].

We are in touch with several family members and we are looking forward to adding a photograph of Edward Caldicott soon.