Abraham Pinchbeck (1810 – 1892)

My 3rd great grandfather Abraham Pinchbeck was born on 6th July 1810 in West Keal near Spilsby in Lincolnshire. He was the second youngest of William Pinchbeck and Ann Marsden’s 13 children.

He was baptised in the Chaplery of Thornton Le Fen on 10th April 1820, was then living at West Ashby Allotment and his father was listed as a “cottager” which was a small holder or small farmer living in a ‘tied’ cottage that came with the job.

From his picture he looks a lovely happy person, quite enigmatic! The photos are from the Pinchbeck family album that his son Joseph took with him to the United States when he immigrated in 1880s.

Abraham’s birth date is taken from the pages found in the back of the album, that we believe might have been from a Bible .

On 1st December 1831, Abraham aged 21 married Ann Taylor in Horncastle. Sadly Ann died just 3 years later, she was buried St Andrew’s church Ashby Puerorum, on the outskirts of Horncastle.

Six months after Ann’s death Abraham heads to church again and marries Mary Ann Househam on 6th December 1835 in the parish of Hemingby. Both Abraham and Mary are illiterate which was common at this time, they both singed the register with an X (their mark). Abraham and Mary were married for 43 years and had 11 children: 5 boys and 6 girls, including my 2nd great grandfather Joseph. https://notjustanyfamily.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/the-pinchbecks-of-lincolnshire/

As per the 1841 & 1851 census Abraham & family are living on Green Lane in Horncastle, they are listed as living on Albert Street & Foundry Street for the rest of their lives. Abraham is a bricklayer and master builder employing people. He must of worked in partnership with his eldest son Henry at some point but the this came to a rather public end in 1860 with the this notice in the local newspaper:

At some point around this dissolving of the partnership or because of, Abraham must of struggled financially because in 1862 there is a notice in The Lincolnshire Chronicle:

“In the COUNTY COURT of LINCOLNSHIRE. Holden at Horncastle on the 5th day of March. 1862. In the nutter of ABRAHAM PINCHBECK, of Horncastle, bricklayer and Builder, a Bankrupt, . Whereas at a Public Sitting of the Court held this day. the Court granted an Order of Discharge to the said Bankrupt. Notice hereby given, that such Order of Discharge will be delivered to him, after the expiration of thirty days from this date, unless, in the meantime, an appeal be duly entered against the judgment of the Court.”

Eldest son Henry worked as an architect and later got in to trouble with a messy divorce case, but that is a tale for another blog!

Abraham carried on his work as a brick layer & builder is listed in the 1871 Whites Directory as a brick layer and builder. His son Joseph followed him into the trade.

Mary dies 8th October 1878 and Abraham marries for the third time in December 1879 to Esther Ann Cross who was 12 years his junior. They had nine years together before Esther died.

By the 1891 census Abraham is 81 years old a widow 3 times and living with his son and namesake Abraham and daughter Emily.

Abraham died 4th February 1892 of bronchitis and is buried at St Mary’s Church in Horncastle.