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The founding fathers of Upton Park
Pitt Shone & Wood
- Founding Father William Pitt
aged 30yrs in 1857 - born in Prees Salop -
a farmer's son moved to Chester becoming a Railway clerk then Railway
agent and cashier. In 1870 he was a trustee with two others of the
Chester Benefit Building Society. He was married
to Margaret Evans (daughter of a Margaret Evans) who died between the
1861 census and the 1871 census. Indications are that he built and
moved into one of the first Park properties (no:84)
while owning other plots and building Hawthorne Villas (nos:19/21)
and possibly Chatham Villas (nos: 23/25).
He relocated to Hawthorne Villa (no:19),
and rented out Chatham Villas (nos:23/25),
selling no:84 and then his other vacant plots. Widowed with a young
family he then moved out of the Park before 1881. Records suggest that
although he initially had a servant, after being widowed his sister
became his housekeeper and no servants were employed. In 1881
his youngest daughter Caroline at 17yrs was
a general domestic servant at Belmont (no:33). All this suggests that
he may have been an active entrepreneur but not becoming a very
wealthy man.
He would seem to be the instigator of the
Release of Covenant.
- Founding Father William Shone
- the first of three generations of
William Shone all associated with the Park.
William (the 1st) was one of the founding fathers of an unknown
age in 1857 but known as a collector & agent. William (the 2nd)Shone FCS
was born on 24 July 1847 and became an estate agent & accountant in partnership
with Pritchard. In 1900 he
was Hon secretary of the Proprietors and his notice of the 1900 meeting
gave his (business) address as 68 Watergate street Chester.
No records show William (the 1st) living in
the Park
but his son William (the 2nd) moved into the Park before the 1881 census
- establishing
the Shone estate of plots 18 - 21 with the double property (Oaklea
& Firdene nos:66/68) unnamed during the Shone occupancy.
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The John Baichlin (or Bauchlin) Shone named in the 1870 Release of Covenant is a
brother of William (the 1st or the 2nd).
In the era of the 1870's / 1880's Chester had an estate
agency Shone & Adams in St Werberg Street - the Adams being Berrisford Adams grandfather of
Philip Adams.
William Shone (the 2nd) died a widower on 17 April 1911
(his wife Grace - bn 5 Nov 1850 - having died 22 Feb 1908).
The Chester Archiological
Society journal of 1911 (vol 18) records an obituary to member William
Shone noting his local archiological history books - whether this
is the same William Shone of Upton Park is not proven but likely.
William (the 3rd) born c1880 was on WW1 war service and during this time colleague
Horace Pritchard acted on his behalf through Power of Attorney.
During the pre-WW1 and WW1 periods, the William Shones (2nd and 3rd)
acquired and then sold several other Park properties (incl HollyBank
and Limes/Beeches besides the family home of the Oaklea/Firdene estate.
Documents from 1936 record a William Shone and Horace Pritchard accountancy firm
in Chester assumed to be the second generation of the Shone & Pritchard
accountancy partnership mentioned earlier. This William (3rd) died
14 Dec 1959 aged 80 with no known decendents. His sister Grace Elizabeth
Shone died 27 April 1941 again with no known decendents.
- Founding Father Thomas Wood
(aged 32yrs in 1857 - born in Chester
- and known as a law stationer but also (later?) Registrar of
Births & Deaths). He moved into the Park with wife Sarah (b. in Ruabon)
and son Thomas before the 1861 census. He died at the age of
53yrs on 3 Mar 1876 still living in the Park. His widow Sarah continued
to live in their home until her death on 21 June 1891 aged 79yrs.
The census records for 1881 and 1891 name her dwelling as
Ivy Cottage and her living on rents
and dividends with son Thomas having left the Park.
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