Rushden Research Group: Corby Family

John - Andrew & Frederick Corby

Curriers & members of the Baptist Church

Photo from 100 years of the Baptist Sunday School.

John Corby was born in Rushden in 1801. He was a member of the Old Baptist Church, but following a disagreement, led by George Day of Dial Farm, twelve members were excluded. They began with meetings at Dial Farm, before taking a small building in the High Street. This became the Elim Strict Baptist Church, where John was a deacon.

He was a boot blocker by trade, and married Sarah Ann born in 1803/4. They had 5 children; Abner born 1830, Sarah Ann born 1832, Caleb born 1834, Andrew born 1837, and Kerenhappuch born 1843. In 1851 the family was living in High Street.

In 1871 a grandson William aged 15 was living with John and Sarah. John died in 1874.

Andrew Corby son of John and Sarah was born in 1837. He was married 28th October 1858 to Ann (nee Green, daughter of James, a horse slaughterer), and in 1861 they had a son Frederick aged 1 week and Ann was aged 27, when the census was taken.

In 1871 Andrew and Ann had a son Frederick born 10th December 1863 (the first born having died), and they also have two daughters, Deborah aged 5 and Clara aged 3. The family was living at 2 Chapel Lane, close to where Andrew was working for Benjamin Denton as a currier. Ann died in 1872.

At Bozeat Parish Church on the 30^th March 1874 Andrew married widow Elizabeth Mabbutt (nee Smart, daughter of Luke and Hannah, born at Bozeat 1826).

Andrew died as result of an accident at work, on 1^st February 1888 aged 51 and he was buried at the Old Baptist burial ground.

Frederick Corby had been apprenticed in the currying trade at B Denton's where his father was foreman of the department. Following his father's death, in 1890 Fred established his own company.

In 1892 he married Sarah Ann Judson born 9th of Nov 1863 at Long Eaton, DBY. In 1898 the family lived at "Cliftonville" at the corner of Essex Road and Park Road.

Councillor F Corby

When the 1901 census was taken they had four children, John Andrew aged 6, Florence Mary aged 5, and Edith Marion aged 3, and Margaret Helen (born 28th Sept 1900) aged 6 months. A domestic servant, Alice Durrant of Leighton Buzzard was employed.

In 1905 Fred signed a presentation to Sir Francis Allston Channing Bart, MP, of support for the Liberal cause, and in 1922 Fred became a member of the Urban District Council.

The family moved to live in Higham Road at The Beeches in 1910, later a home for wartime evaccuees.

The 1911 census shows Alice Evelyn aged 8 and Harold Frederick aged 3 had been added to the family.

In 1913 his daughter Florence Mary married William Edward Sargent in London.

John Andrew enlisted in 1914, and at the end of the war, in February 1918 Gunner John Andrew Corby, of the R.H.A., married Miss Beatrice Mabel Horn, second daughter of Mr. Horn, of Asylum-road, Peckham.

At Park Road Baptist Church, Margaret Helen married Reginald William Tompkins, a school teacher, in July 1924, and Edith Marion married Archibald William Smith, a Baptist minister of Thrapston, in December 1924.

Reginald and Margaret had a daughter E Megan born 4^th March 1929, and with her mother, they were living with John and Sarah Ann at The Beeches in 1939.

Fred wrote a History of Education in Rushden and it was printed in the Rushden Echo & Argus in 1933.

Alice Evelyn married Hubert Harry Tebbey, a police constable, in March 1934 .

In 1939 their daughter Margaret (Tompkins), with her daughter Megan aged 10, is living with them as their housekeeper. In April 1940 they died within 6 days, Sarah on the 3rd, and Fred on the 9th. Sarah was buried 6^th and Fred was buried 12^th, in a double grave at Rushden Cemetery. Grave F984/5:

In loving remembrance of Sarah Ann the beloved wife of Frederick CORBY who passed away 3rd April 1940 aged 76 years. Also of Frederick CORBY who passed away 9th April 1940 aged 76 years. "At rest".

From the note books of J.E.Smith,1927
Old Barn, turned into a Chapel, School, Carpenters Shop, Primitive Chapel and Leather Warehouse, once called the Old Glory Shop which stood on the corner of the “Green” so Mr Fred Corby says. Also that he went to school in the building when Mrs Wagstaffe kept it. He also told me that Mr Michael Mason’s house was built with stone and thatched, it stood opposite the “Waggon & Horses Inn” & near (now) 1927 to corner of Griffith St at the bottom of Dr Davis’s Lawn. I well remember it when I went through Rushden to Souldrop. J. E. Smith