Thomas Paul Hobbs and Hannah Oliver

The Cresswell Arms Appleton-le-Street
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Rogers - geograph.org.uk/p/1201302
A classic stone-built inn dating back to the 1800s when it was flanked by a blacksmith and a butcher.

Thomas Paul Hobbs (b. 8 Apr 1792, bap. 10 Apr 1792 at St Mary's Church, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire), son of William Hobbs and Margaret Spavin married Hannah Oliver (bap. 16 Dec 1798 at St. Helen's Church, Amotherby), daughter of George Oliver and Mary Hodgson, at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street, on 29 Dec 1817. Witnesses were Sarah Cooper and John Moody.

Almost a year before they'd married Thomas and Hannah had a son who was baptised under the name of Thomas Hobbs Oliver. Once they married, he was only ever listed under the surname of Hobbs and when this son married in 1843, was acknowledged on the record as Thomas Hobbs Jnr. They had four sons:

1. Thomas Hobbs Oliver bap. 15 Jan 1817, in Appleton-le-Street
2. William Hobbs bap. 19 Jun 1819 at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street
3. John Hobbs bap. 7 Dec 1828 at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street, buried 17 Nov 1831, also at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street
4. John Hobbs bap. 14 Apr 1834 at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street, buried 22 Oct 1848, also at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street

In 1841, we find Thomas Hobbs (45) Shoemaker in Appleton-Le-Street, Malton, with Hannah Hobbs (40), Thomas Hobbs (20) Farmer, William Hobbs (20) and John Hobbs (7), as well as Harriot Mooring (15) Female Servant, along with George Reveley (15) and Robert Wilkinson (13), Shoemaker's Apprentices.

In 1851, Thomas Hobbs (57) from Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, is listed as Inn Keeper, Shoemaker & Farmer and it is clear they had taken over the pub from Hannah's father, who had died in 1850. The household consisted: Hannah Hobbs (51) wife, William Hobbs (30) son, Elizabeth Hobbs (6) granddaughter (daughter of son Thomas, who was probably staying with her grandparents then as her mother had just given birth to her sister) and Jane Medcalf (16) House Servant.

In 1861, we find Thomas Hobbs (69) Farmer 29 Acres Public House with Hannah Hobbs (63), William Hobbs (41), Hannah Hobbs (9) granddaughter (again daughter of son Thomas) and Mary Stainsby (13) Kitchen Maid.

In 1871, Thomas Hobbs (78) Farmer, from Henley, Oxfordshire, is confirmed to be at the Cresswell Arms Inn, Appleton-Le-Street, Malton, Yorkshire with Hannah Hobbs (71) and Sarah Suffill (18) Servant from Hovingham, Yorkshire.

The Cresswell Arms, which dates from at least the early 1800's, is said to have been a 17th century building. The pub was destroyed - devastated after a fire ripped through the building - in 2020 and later ransacked by intruders.

Thomas Hobbs died on 31 Aug 1877, aged 85 (1877 S Quarter in MALTON UNION Volume 09D Page 237). The Yorkshire Gazette of 8 Sep 1877 carried the announcement under deaths, "HOBBS: On the 31st Ult., at Appleton-le-Street, aged 85, Mr Thomas Hobbs, of The Cresswell Arms Inn." Thomas Paul Hobbs, is buried in All Saints Churchyard, Appleton-le-Street. 

In 1881, the widowed Hannah Hobbs (82) was still running the Public house in Appleton-le-Street with Harry Magson (18) Grandson, Servant (ag lab) - son William's son/stepson - and John Ward (52) Lodger, Farm labourer.

Probate was granted on the Will of Thomas Hobbs, in 1886 (there are no clues to account for the delay), which states that "The Will of Thomas Hobbs late of Appleton-le-Street in the County of York Inkeeper who died 31 August 1877 at Appleton-le-Street was proved at York by Hannah Hobbs of Farfield Howsham in the said County Widow the Relict the sole Executrix." He left a personal estate valued at £235 (around £29K in 2022).

Hannah Hobbs died on 24 Jul 1887, aged 88 (1887 S Quarter in MALTON Volume 09D Page 266) and is also buried in All Saints Churchyard, Appleton-le-Street.

William Hobbs and Sarah Magson (née Brydon or Bridon)

St Mary's Parish Church, Scarborough, Yorkshire

William Hobbs (bap. 19 Jun 1819), son of Thomas Hobbs and Hannah Oliver, married Sarah Magson (née Brydon or Bridon) (bap. 18 Apr 1819 in Nunnington, North Yorkshire), daughter of Andrew and Ann Bridon. At the time of her marriage to William Hobbs, in the parish of St Mary, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, on 20 May 1866, Sarah was a widow with five children from her first marriage, as well as two more children that she'd had subsequently, who William Hobbs took on. 

Sarah had previously married William Magson (b. 1810), purportedly on 20 Jul 1842 in Nunnington, Yorkshire (I've not yet seen the record of the marriage). I did find William Magson in the household of Hannah Foxton in Nunnington, in 1841, where he appears to be still single, so the dates and places do fit. William Magson died, aged 42, in 1852 and was buried in Barton Le Street, Yorkshire.

Sarah's blended offspring comprised:

1. Mary Ann Magson b. 1842 S Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 24 Page 367, bap. 7 Aug 1842 at All Saints and St James' Church, Nunnington
2. John Magson b. 1844 S Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 24 Page 417, bap. 23 Jul 1844 at All Saints and St James' Church, Nunnington
3. Susanna Magson b. 1846 M Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 24 Page 412, bap. 12 Feb 1846 at All Saints and St James' Church, Nunnington
4. Elizabeth Jane Magson b. 1848 S Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 24 Page 442, bap. 23 July 1848 at All Saints and St James' Church, Nunnington
5. Eliza Hannah Magson b. 1850 S Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 24 Page 465, bap. 15 Sep 1850 at All Saints and St James' Church, Nunnington
6. George Magson bap. 28 Nov 1858 at All Saints Church, Appleton-le-Street
7. Harry Magson b. 1863 M Quarter in MALTON UNION Volume 09D Page 322.

On all of the births of the children with William Magson, the mother's maiden name is listed as Bridon. There does not appear to be a civil registration for the sixth child, George, but he's baptised as the son of Sarah Magson, with no father mentioned. On the civil registration for the youngest, Harry, he's registered under Sarah's married name with no mother's maiden name, as an illegitimate birth. 

In 1851, William Magson (40), Sarah Magson (32), Mary Ann Magson (8), John Magson (6), Susanna Magson (5), Elizabeth J Magson (2) and Eliza H Magson (0) were all living in the household of Sarah's widowed father, Andrew Bridon (60). William Hobbs (30) in 1851, still lived in his father's household.

By 1861, the widowed Sarah Magson (42) Agricultural Labourer, was living in Appleton-le-Street with her daughter Eliza (10) and son George (3). That year Mary Ann Magson (19) was a Dairymaid in the very extensive household of Sir William Worsley, 1st Baronet (1792–1879) at Hovingham Hall, Hovingham, North Yorkshire. (Katharine Worsley, Duchess of Kent, was from this line and was born at Hovingham Hall.) Haven't been able to find John; Susanna Magson (15) was a House Servant at Firby, Westow (Firby Hall?) and Elizabeth J Magson (12) was a Nurse Maid in the household of Joseph Wray (34) in Howsham Scrayingham. 

In 1871, William Hobbs (51) Agricultural Labourer, Sarah Hobbs (52) and the two youngest children listed as George Hobbs (13) and Harry Hobbs (8). Both were born, registered and use the surname of Magson in later life, so I don't think this necessarily infers William Hobbs is their father, although he could have been.

In 1881, William Hobbs (61) Farm labourer and his wife Sarah Hobbs (62) are still living in Appleton-le-Street and staying with them was Sarah's granddaughter, Ada Magson (8), her son John's child. (Ada Magson, born in Scarborough in 1872, mother's maiden name is Patrick. John Magson had married Dinah Patrick in Scarborough on 5 Nov 1867.) Harry Magson (18) was staying with William Hobbs' widowed mother, Hannah Hobbs at the Public House in Appleton-le-Street.

Then in 1891, William Hobbs (71) Farmer and Publican at the New Inn, Spaunton, Yorkshire with wife Sarah (72), Harry Hobbs (28) listed as son; Alfred Lonsborough (16) grandson (son of Eliza who had married George Lownsbrough in 1867) and Georgiana B Magson (4) granddaughter (daughter of George Magson and his wife Julia Hayward.) It is quite a change in fortunes to move up to being a farmer and publican (as had been his father), from previously being just an agricultural labourer. His father, Thomas, died in 1877, and probate was granted - to his mother, Hannah - in 1886. Then Hannah died in 1887. The timing of this advance leads me to think that William has inherited his mother's estate. But that, in itself, raises questions: as second son, if William inherited, is this simply because he's the eldest legitimate, or does this call his older brother's parentage into question?

Sarah Hobbs died, aged 79 in 1899 M Quarter in PICKERING Volume 09D Page 291 and William Hobbs died, aged 80, in 1900 J Quarter in PICKERING Volume 09D Page 303.