Thomas Acaster

[hilldweller]

I made a surprise discovery the other day.

Browsing through the Picture Sheffield website, I found myself looking at a picture of my Great-Great-Grandfather, a chap called Thomas Acaster.

He appears in a couple of photos of some of the inmates of the Shrewsbury Hospital, Norfolk Road.

The references are U05897 and U05879. (Any link fairies about).

In the 1st photo he's the bloke in the bowler hat, back row, third from the left with the amused look on his face..

What really struck me was the startling resemblance to my cousin Jack Acaster in his later years, minus the mutton chops of course. Some of you may remember Jack from his days as a working mans club singer and later on the liners. He sang as "Martin Brand" and unfortunately died some years ago.

My G-G-Grandfather, according to the information I have, was born in Rotherham in 1815 and moved to Pychley, Northants, to learn the bootmaking trade.

He sems to have been a bit of a lad, because aged about 15 years, he had a daughter with a local woman about 8 years his senior. They then moved back to Rotherham where she bore him a son, then Nottingham where my Great-Grandfather was born, before moving to Sheffield where another son was born.

He set up shop in School Croft as a Cordwainer (bootmaker) where they remained for many, many years.

His wife Georgina Mackmain, born Pychley, Northants, died at School Croft in 1883 and was buried in the General Cemetery (the bit that's been flattened).

At some point he moved into the almshouse where he died 18th June 1900 aged about 85 years.

I don't know where he was buried, at the present.

If anyone has any information about Shrewsbury Hospital inmates or anything to add to the above I would be very grateful.

HD

[RichardB]

Not much sign of him in Directories (so far), here is a possible mention.

Thomas Acaster, 10 School Croft, St Peters (1843-4 Burgess Rolls)

[Guest DoreenC]

He died at the Shrewsbury Hospital, shoemaker aged 87, and was buried at City Road Cemetery on 20 June 1900.

Consecrated ground, Grave 17971 section CC.

[hilldweller]

He died at the Shrewsbury Hospital, shoemaker aged 87, and was buried at City Road Cemetery on 20 June 1900.

Consecrated ground, Grave 17971 section CC.

Thank you for that information.

They didn't hang about in those days, he'd only been dead for two days.

HD