Rushden Research Group: Sharwood Family

Sharwood Family

Thomas McGreggor Sharwood married Hepzibah Hearn of Farningham, Kent. They had 5 sons and 5 daughters. In 1889 Thomas went to South Africa, and four years later his wife and two of the younger sons and two daughters went with her. Hepzibah returned to England in 1897 through ill health, and Thomas returned in 1899. The children stayed.

Frank Sharwood, son of Thomas and Hepzibah, was born on 26^th February 1869, at Farningham in Kent.

In 1893 he joined the firm of George Selwood at Rushden, and he married Deborah Corby, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth, in 1893, and three children, Alice in 1894, Elsie in 1896 and Maud in 1898, were all born at Bedford.

Frank then brought his family to live at Rushden, where he was a boot manufacturer’s manager.

Frank with his family
l-r: Maud, Alice, Deborah and Elsie,
Harold and Flo in 1904

At first they lived at 54 Harborough Road.
Here, a son Frank Harold was born in 1900, and a daughter Florence was born 1902.

54 Harborough Road
taken in 2021

In 1905 the family moved to Farningham House in Park Road, named after the place of Frank's birth. Here a second son, Frederick Hearn was born in 1905. Twins Sydney and Percy were born in 1907 but both died in infancy.

Frank was a partner in the firm of Selwood and Co., when the firm built a new factory at the top of Harborough Road in 1908, the firm having been established for 30 years.

Frank with his family c1925
The tall boy centre back is Harold, and his father to his right
Deborah centre front with Fred in front of her.
The couple front left may be Deborah's brother Frederick Corby and his wife.

Deborah died in 1926.

Two years later on a trip home from a visit to see his siblings in South Africa, he met Agnes Emily Brookless, of Inverness. They married on 3^rd August 1929.

In 1949 Frank was 80 years old, and the newspaper paid tribute to him.

Farningham House - Painted by Michael Knight, 1998


	53 Park Road - Farningham House Built in 1905 Farningham House was named after Frank's birthplace.

In 1950 Frank celebrated his 81^st birthday on board the Athlow Castle during another visit to South Africa with Agnes. He died the following year.

Agnes died at Rushden Hospital in 1970 aged 81.

Notes : Harold died in Kimberley in 1929, having gone for recuperation following TB, Alice and Maud didn’t marry, Elsie married Arthur Stanley Knight, Florence married Percy Lloyd in 1931 and Fred married Kathleen Delia Murray of County Cavan, Eire.

Elsie Gladys Sharwood married Arthur Stanley Knight in 1923 at the Park Road Baptist Church. Stanley Knight was the son of James Frederick Knight, jeweller, of the White House, Grove Road.

Percy Lloyd

Florence Sharwood trained as a Norland nurse. She married Percy Lloyd in 1931. He served with the Welsh Fusiliers and may have billeted here in 1915.

Percy had been at Northampton first, and wrote a postcard to his mother from 1 Newtown Road, Northampton. His service number was 722, of 'C' Coy, 7th Royal Welsh Funsiliers. His mother was at 'London House' in Welshpool, MON.

After Percy returned from the war, he and Florence moved Kettering, where Percy worked for Timpsons Shoes, as a traveller. They had twins but they sadly died, and they had no other children.

Percy died in 1967, aged 70. Florence died in 1996 aged 93. They were buried in Rushden Cemetery, where several of the family are commemorated on the gravestone erected on Grave C126/127:

Grave C126/127 : In loving remembrance of Deborah the beloved wife of F J SHARWOOD born November 29 1865 at rest February 15 1926. They looked unto Him and were radiant. Psalm 34.5.
Frank Joseph SHARWOOD born February 26 1869 died October 12 1951. Frank Harold SHARWOOD their elder son interred Kimberley, South Africa. In cherished memory of Percy Edward LLOYD died 16th Feb 1967 aged 70 years. In grateful remembrance of Maud SHARWOOD born April 3rd 1898 died Dec 10th 1980. In grateful remembrance of Alice Marianne SHARWOOD died 15th October 1986 aged 92 years. In loving remembrance of my dear husband Frederick Hearn SHARWOOD died 13th Aug 1975 aged 70 years.

Unidentified newsclips from the family archive

Miss Alice Marianne Sharwood, eldest daughter of Frank and Deborah, was born 25the February 1884 and died 15^th October 1986, aged 102.

Sharwood – Maud of 89 Park Avenue, Rushden, died peacefully on December 10^th 1980 at St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, dear sister of Alice Sharwood and Florence Lloyd. “At Rest”, Funeral service at Park Road Baptist Church on Tuesday 16^th December at 1.15pm. Flowwed by cremation at Kettering Crematorium. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired for Rushden TB After Care Committee, Care of Mr T R Thacker, 62 Park Avenue, Rushden.

Tributes to former teacher — Former headmistress Miss Maud Sharwood of Park Avenue, Rushden, has died aged 83.

Relatives, friends and representatives of many organisations in the town paid tribute to her at a service at the Park Road Baptist Church.

The service was conducted by the Rev Ralph Martin who praised her many years of community work.

Miss Sharwood was headmistress of a special school for the deaf in Bristol for many years before her retirement. She was heavily committed to several charities in the Rushden area.

She also put in a considerable amount of work with the town's After Care Committee, hard of hearing club, amenities society and, infant welfare clinic.

She leaves two sisters, Cremation took place at Kettering.

Miss Maude Sharwood

Miss Maude Sharwood, the first headmistress of Bristol's Elmfield School for the Deaf, has died. She was 81.

Miss Sharwood was appointed head of the Bristol Deaf School in 1942, when it was evacuated to Ledbury. The school returned to Bristol in 1944 and was based at Elmfield in Westbury on Trym from 1947.

Miss Sharwood was a pioneer in the education of the deaf, and was recognised as one of the country's foremost language teachers. She was also an examiner for the National College of Teachers of the Deaf.

In 1951, she opened the first assessment clinic for the deaf and partially deaf at Bristol General Hospital, and two years later opened one of the country's first special classes for the partially deaf at a junior school in Eastville.

Miss Sharwood died at Rushden in Northamptonshire, where she had lived since her retirement in 1959.

Mary Ann Hearn was born at Farningham, Kent, in 1834, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca, and the family were members of the Baptist Church.

Her mother died when she was just 12 years old, and Mary became housekeep to the family. Further education was only possible when the British and Foreign Bible Society opened a British School nearby. The headmistress took an interest in her after noticing her at the church, and encouraged her studies. Mary eventually taught at a British School in Bristol, another at Gravesend, and finally at Northampton.

Book Plate from her bible "With love and best wishes from her Class 17/12/84."

In 1866, her Baptist pastor, Jonathan Whittemore (formerly at Rushden), founder of the Christian World, she joined the staff. For the rest of her life she wrote articles, hymns and poems, all published under the nom de plume “Marianne Farningham,” the name derived from her forenames and her birthplace, as Jonathan had suggested.

Under another nom de plume, “Eva Hope,” Marianne wrote biographies of Grace Darling, General Gordon, Queen Victoria, and David Livingstone.

Presumably she had visited Rushden with Jonathan Whittemore, who had been pastor of the Old Top Meeting Baptist Church 1832-1851, and here she would have been pleased to meet Frank Sharwood, who was also born at Farningham.

Miss Marianne Farningham, a nom de plume, laid the foundation stone for
the Baptist Church Assembly Hall and Schoolroom

A large volume was published in 1907, by William T Hearne of Independence, Missouri, detailing Hearne Family History. “A brief account of some of the Barons, Knights, and Gentlemen, who bore the name............”

Daily Telegraph, Jan 28^th 1975

Mrs Martha Sharwood celebrated her 102^nd birthday with a glass of sherry and a piece of birthday cake at a Northampton old people’s home yesterday. (Funeral at Boughton Church)

Selwood & Co Ltd.		F J Sharwood at 80
Baptist Church	D Sharwood - obituary	F J Sharwood - obituary