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| BIRTH: | 7 January 1802 (christened) - Willoughby, Nr Rugby, Warwickshire |
| MARRIAGE: | 12 October 1824 (to Elizabeth Grant) - Willoughby, Nr Rugby, Warwickshire 25 April 1848 (to Mary Baydon - formerly Lord) - Willoughby, Nr Rugby, Warwickshire |
| DEATH: | 31 March 1891, probably in Willoughby, Warwickshire |
| KNOWN ADDRESSES: | An unknown address in Willoughby, Warwickshire - 1841 to 1881 |
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Joseph Masters was christened on 7 January 1802 in the small village of Willoughby in Warwickshire. Joseph was born, the son of John and Sarah Masters. He was the sixth of eight children and his parents were approximately forty at the time. His siblings were Mary (b.1788), Ann (b.1792), Sarah (b.1794), John (b.1796), Thomas (b.1799), Allis (b.1804) and possibly William (b.1817) - though this seems inplausible.
The village only had 60-100 inhabitants and there were five households of Masters. By the time of the first census in 1841 Joseph was married and had moved out of his parent's home. Joseph had his first four children (Charlotte, John, Sarah and William) with his first wife, Elizabeth Grant. Elizabeth died on 16 December 1846 of consumption but Joseph re-married eighteen months later on 25 April 1848. His second wife was Mary Baydon (formerly Lord) was also a widower and fourteen years his junior. Joseph records his residence as Willoughby while Mary records hers as the nearby parish of Dunchurch. Joseph was not able to sign the register, only making his mark, suggesting he could not read or write. Mary is the mother of his last three children; Elizabeth, Joseph and William. Also, the eldest of these last three is named Elizabeth, possibly in honour of his dead first wife. In all of the census records Joseph was listed as an Agricultural Labourer. In fact, nearly all of the village was employed in this capacity. The last time Joseph is listed in the census records is in 1881. He is recorded as being a 79-year-old agricultural labourer. He is still living with his wife, Mary, and his son, Joseph, who is listed as a widower. Joseph died on 31 March 1891, aged approximately 89. He died just a few days before the 1891 census was due to be taken. |
 Joseph Masters in the 1841 census. He is living with first wife, Elizabeth, and his first two children. |
 Joseph and Mary's marriage certificate. |
 Joseph Masters in the 1851 census. He is living with his second wife, Mary, the children from the first marriage, his new wife's existing child and Joseph's nephew (also called Joseph Masters). |
 Joseph Masters in 1861 census. He is living with his second wife, Mary, and his three children from the second marriage. |
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1804 - WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM (Tory), becomes Prime Minister for the second time. Also known as “Pitt the Younger”. 1806 – WILLIAM WYNDHAM GRENVILLE, BARON GRENVILLE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister in a coalition cabinet. 1807 - WILLIAM HENRY CAVENDISH-BENTINCK, DUKE OF PORTLAND (Tory), becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1809 – SPENCER PERCEVAL (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1810 – KING GEORGE III IS PROCLAIMED INSANE. His eldest son, the Prince of Wales (the later George IV) acts as Prince Regent. 1812 – SPENCER PERCEVAL, the Prime Minister, is assassinated. 1812 – ROBERT BANKS, EARL OF LIVERPOOL (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1820 – GEORGE IV ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of his father, George III. 1827 – GEORGE CANNING (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1827 – FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON, VISCOUNT GODERICH and the later Earl of Ripon (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1828 – ARTHUR WELLESLEY, DUKE OF WELLINGTON (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1830 – WILLIAM IV ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of his brother, George IV. William is the third son of George III. 1830 – EARL CHARLES GREY (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1830 – SIR ROBERT PEEL DEVELOPES THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY which succeeds the Tory Party. 1832 – REFORM BILL OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS BECOMES LAW, extending the vote to more people and redistributing the constituencies to secure more equitable distribution of representation. 1834 – WILLIAM LAMB, VISCOUNT MELBOURNE (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister. 1834 – SIR ROBERT PEEL (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister. 1835 - WILLIAM LAMB, VISCOUNT MELBOURNE (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1837 – QUEEN VICTORIA ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of her uncle, William IV. Victoria was the daughter of George III’s fourth son, Edward (Duke of Kent). 1837 – COMPULSORY RECORDING OF ALL BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES INITIATED. 1841 - SIR ROBERT PEEL (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1843 – THE POLICE FORCE FOUNDED. Policeman were often called ‘Bobbies’ and ‘Peelers’ in reference to the then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel. 1846 – REPEAL OF THE CORN LAWS, thus enabling a greater amount of trade. 1846 – EARL JOHN RUSSELL (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister. 1852 – EDWARD GEORGE GEOFFREY SMITH STANLEY, EARL OF DERBY (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister. 1852 – GEORGE HAMILTON GORDON, EARL OF ABERDEEN (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister in a coalition cabinet. 1854 – BRITAIN JOINS WITH FRANCE IN THE CRIMEAN WAR aimed at blocking Russia’s access to the Mediterranean. The war lasts until 1856. 1855 – HENRY JOHN TEMPLE, VISCOUNT PALMERSTON (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister. 1858 - EDWARD GEORGE GEOFFREY SMITH STANLEY, EARL OF DERBY (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1859 - HENRY JOHN TEMPLE, VISCOUNT PALMERSTON (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1859 – CHARLES DARWIN PUBLISHES HIS GREAT WORK, “ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION” to diverse public opinion. In it he puts forth the view that animals are not created individually, but rather, that they evolve through a process he calls natural selection. 1861 – OUTBREAK OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. Though having no direct affect on Britain since America had severed colonial ties, the lack of raw cotton shipped from North America to Northern England sent many into unemployment. 1865 - EARL JOHN RUSSELL (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1866 - EDWARD GEORGE GEOFFREY SMITH STANLEY, EARL OF DERBY (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister for the third time. 1867 – SECOND REFORM BILL OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS gave the vote to most urban male workers. 1868 – BENJAMIN DISRAELI, EARL OF BEACONSFIELD (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister. 1868 – WILLIAM GLADSTONE (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister. 1870 – EDUCATION ACT IS PASSED providing the establishment of government schools and for compulsory education. 1874 - BENJAMIN DISRAELI, EARL OF BEACONSFIELD (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1876 – ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL SENDS A VOICE MESSAGE AND THE TELEPHONE IS INVENTED. The first words that were clearly heard by the recipient were, “Watson, come here, I want you”, heard by his assistant, Mr Watson in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. 1880 - WILLIAM GLADSTONE (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1884 – FURTHER REFORMS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS gives the vote to almost all adult males. 1885 – ROBERT ARTHUR TALBOT GASCOYNE-CECIL, MARQUIS OF SALISBURY (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister. |