The Belton Family

Belton Leicestershire

Belton was granted a Royal Charter from Henry III, who reigned (1216-1272) and has been a popular venue for many years on account of its annual horse fair.

John Cufflin 1811-1890
John was born at Ratby in 1811 but we are not sure who his parents were. The 1851 census gives John's age as 39 indicating that he was born between March 30th 1811 and December 30th 1811, this is confirmed by the inscription on his tombstone in Belton Churchyard, where the church dates from 1222, showing that he died on 30th December 1890 at the age of 79 Years.
In the 1881 census conducted on 11th April John was the Enumerator for part of Belton where he describes himself as a Draper and Grocer. He married Susannah Skermer and they had two children, who died in their infancy: Mary born on the 3rd Oct 1839 and baptised at the parish church in Belton on the 3rd November 1839; and Sarah who was baptised at Belton parish church on the 24th April 1841. Susannah also died at the young age of 27 years in 1844.

Following the death of Susannah, John married Charlotte Branson of the nearby village of Osgarthorpe and they had five children: Caroline born in 1847; John 1849; William 1850; Richard 1854 and Charlotte 1856. During their lives at Belton they kept a Grocers and Drapers Store where John was also the Postmaster. Living with them (1851) was a servant Amey Pare and Charlotte's sister Louisa Branson who later married Richard Cufflin of Ratby. Charlotte died in 1858 at the age of 38 and John died in 1890 at the age of 79 years.
John made a will after each of his marriages: The first on 7th November 1835; and the second on 18th March 1847.

Mary Cufflin 1839-
Mary who was born in 1939 died in infancy.

Sarah Cufflin 1841-
Sarah who was born in 1941 died in infancy.

Caroline Cufflin 1847-
Caroline was baptised at Belton Parish Church on 3 October 1847, she married William Shaw of Coalville who at the time of the 1881 census was the licensee of the Bull's Head public house and was also a farmer. Ten years later they had moved to Whitwick where William was employed as a Colliery Foreman. They had two children: William born in 1878 at Coalville and employed as an Errand Boy; and Charlotte born in 1880 at White Hill, Ellistown.

John Cufflin 1849-
John was baptised at Belton Parish Church on 20 February 1849. He married Margaret of Sneinton Nottinghamshire. On the death of his father in 1890 he took over the Shop and Post Office in Long Street Belton and in the 1891 Census is described as a Grocer, Draper, Rate Collector and Postmaster. Also living with them (1891) is their daughter Charlotte aged 7 years.
For many years it was John who read out the proclamation announcing the start of the Annual Horse Fair.

In the Newarke Houses Museum there is a replica of a Grocers Shop which was demolished at Belton in 1982 with photographs of the shop as it was around 1894 when it was owned by a Mr J Gilbert. We have checked various sources, such as electoral rolls and trade directories in order to establish if this could be the same grocers shop that was owned by John Cufflin, but alas it seems not as according to Kelly's Directory for the years 1916 through to 1935 James Gilbert is listed as a Baker and Shopkeeper whilst John was still listed as Grocer, Draper, Rate Collector and Assistant Overseer. He no longer had the position of Postmaster as by 1908 this had been taken by a Mrs Elizabeth Gibson who was also a shopkeeper. John does not figure in the 1936 directory, which is probably no surprise as by this time he would have been 85 or so.

There is a possibility that with the demise of John from the list of Grocers his place could have been taken by a Mrs Jane Waldrum who is listed as a shopkeeper for the first time but is not included on the electoral roll for 1935 or 1936. There is however a Joseph and Elizabeth Waldrum living at Long Street in 1933 - 1936 who may well have been related.

William Cufflin 1850-
William was employed as a Blacksmith in 1881 and was living with his sister Caroline and Brother in Law William Shaw, at the Bull's Head Public House in Belton.
There were once five Public Houses in Belton but the only two remaining today are the 'George', a coaching Inn built around the 1750's and the 'Queens Head'.
At the time of the 1891 Census William was still living with his sister and brother in law but they had moved to Hugglescote where William was employed as a Banksman, probably in the same colliery where William Shaw was the Foreman.

Richard Cufflin 1854-
Richard was a Grocers assistant (probably to his father) and in 1881 was living with his sister Caroline and Brother in Law William Shaw at the Bull's Head Belton. At the time of the 1891 census he was living on his own at Saddlers Wells Belton where he was employed as an Agricultural Labourer.

Charlotte Cufflin 1856-
The only thing we have found out about Charlotte was that she was born in 1856 at Belton. She was baptised Charlotte Louisa on 28th December 1856 at Belton parish church.