Old Ashburton

The 1860s

'What crowds of people there must be in this country who have their money in the three per cent Consols!'

Max Schlesinger, Saunterings in and about London, 1853

Quoted in http://www.victorianlondon.org/finance/bankofengland.htm

From my own collection

Right and below: Cartes de visite, just under 6½ cm x 10½cm (2½ x 4") These became so popular in the 1860s that the craze for acquiring them, particularly those images of the rich and famous, or for having your own portrait produced, became known as cartomania. These small cards became increasingly affordable and were capable of being reproduced, so several copies could be purchased and distributed to friends and family.

Both cards here, from my own collection, have the name W S Giles, photographer, Ashburton, written on the reverse. The ladies full crinoline dresses suggest a date in the 1860s - which was when cartomania was at its height.

For further reading see Jayne Shrimpton's article on Cartomania in Family Tree magazine December 2011, p32

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His own entry in the 1861 census shows him as a 72 year old widower

http://www.freecen.org.uk/

January 16th 1862, Mr Joseph Fitze, saddler and registrar for over 25 years, died aged 72

Western Times 25 January 1862, p5 col5

http://www.freebmd,org.uk/

Consolidated annuity bonds were created by the government in 1751 - as the name suggests, it consolidated previous bond issues. The idea was to create something safe, paying a known amount - throughout most of the 19th century this seems to have been 3 per cent.

http://www.economist.com

This bond was taken out by Thomas Atkinson (of Ashburton) in 1864, and paid 3 per cent on £1000. Then, as now, bonds could fluctuate in price - on this occasion Mr Atkinson has paid a total of £908 15s for a bond nominally costing £1000

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Left: Joseph Fitze. This picture is possibly earlier than the 1860s - however, it cannot be later than that decade, as Joseph died in January 1862.

Many thanks to Lerida Arnold for this photograph.

In 1828 Joseph was the agent for the Phoenix Fire Office.

Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 28 June 1828, p1 col3

According to the Western Times the library in Ashburton began in his house in East Street (claimed in an article written 80 years after the event)

Western Times 20 April 1916, p13 col1

Joseph was at one time the registrar for Ashburton. Peter Foot was deputy registrar.

Western Times 10 June 1837, p1 col3

As registrar he received 'large bundles of .....forms' in connection with taking the census in 1851.

Western Times 22 February 1851, p7 col4