An advanced search reveals much more about Matilda Johnston and her family.

My 3xGreat Grandmother Matilda Johnston married a Dancing teacher on 15 Nov 1803 in Edinburgh. Charles Stewart born on 07 Feb 1784 was the son of Charles Stewart and Margaret Law. 
   
It seemed Matilda mixed in fashionable circles in 1800 Edinburgh.Matilda’s father, Robert Johnston, wigmaker who is more than a humble barber by today’s terms has actually been recorded in old Edinburgh publications. 

As Matilda’s brother Henry Erskine Johnston, was a famous Shakespearean theatrical performer, much has been written about him. Thus because of this his father Robert Johnston was also included in a biographical sketch written in 1838. 

Henry Erskine Johnston

Described as a venerable personage Robert’s original occupation was a barber and wigmaker. Generally he would have trimmed or shaved beards or was employed in dressing hair and making wigs. His shop was in the High Street of Edinburgh and “was frequented due to its proximity to the Parliament House by gentlemen of the long robe” Thus he rubbed shoulders with people in high places and was entrusted with caring for the adornment of these most public people. He was described as a vintner in Matilda’s marriage certificate when she married Charles in 1803 and was known for many years to be the keeper of an oyster tavern in Shakespeare Square (Nos 4 and 10) until his death in 1826.

Charles and Matilda Johnston had the following children:

1. Robert Barclay Stewart was born on 19 Oct 1804 in Edinburgh. He died on 16 May 1885 in Edinburgh. He married Ann Ema Lilly on 31 Oct 1830 in Edinburgh (St Stephens Parish).
2. Elizabeth Stewart was born on 12 Jun 1807 in Edinburgh. She married William Charles Andrew Lindley on 04 Jun 1832 in Edinburgh.
3. Matilda Stewart was born on 08 Apr 1806 in Edinburgh. She died (probably before 1838). She married Peter Robertson Nicholls on 19 Nov 1832 in St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh.
4. Charles John George Stewart was born on 08 Jun 1817 in Edinburgh. He died in 1863 in Edinburgh.

So Charles had married into an interesting family. So too Matilda’s life with her dancing teacher husband and with four children one of whom was a music teacher sounds like it might have been filled with the spoils of the high life. 

There was a lot happening in the Johnston family. Her father’s influential position and popularity with local parliamentarians and legal folk is only part of it. In addition to her famous brother’s Shakespearean performances together with Charles social verve, her sister Sophia had married David Allan who was the Deputy Commissariat for NSW and various nephews and nieces were was off settling parts of NSW and Western Australia. This makes me believe she had a less than squalid life than some of my other Scottish relatives with social highlights such as balls, dances and theatre. Surely she had made useful connections.  see Sophia and David Allan's story -Six Degrees of Separation

Scottish Directory has Charles Stewart listed as Dancing Master in the 1805, 1809, 1810 directories at 5 Elder St and 4 James St. The Historic Music of Scotland website states that Charles Stewart was possibly the musician in Leith Wynd (Edinburgh), 1794-96, and definitely in Todrick's Wynd, 1800-01.

I was intrigued by Charles being a teacher of dancing and endeavoured to know more about this dancing master. What was the role of a dancing teacher in Victorian society?

Besides being a Dancing teacher he was a fiddler and composer.  The minuet, cotillion, reel, strathspey, and country dance were in season in Scotland around the turn of the century but sadly 50 years later it was less popular in favour of the waltz and quadrille. Initially, Stewart was assistant to Edinburgh dancing teacher, David Strange in 1802, and by the end of 1803 was described himself as Strange's successor. 

Stewart taught classes, gave an annual ball, and by 1805 advertised his 'First Book of Minuets, High Dances, Cotillions, etc, etc', as used by his late master, Mr Strange. Stewart was leader and repetiteur of Edinburgh's Theatre Royal Orchestra. Most dancing masters would have played the violin, fiddle or kit, so that they could demonstrate the steps to the dances with the music. 

Charles’ work appears in A Collection of Strathspey Reels Gigg's &c. [1799-1801?] and A Collection of Minuets, Cotillions, Allemands, High Dances, Hornpipes &c. [1805]. He also wrote “Miss Parker's Reel, a composition in A Major” for his brother in law Henry Erskine Johnston’s wife Nannette Parker. Nannette (b. 1782 in London) was an actress, dancer and singer, who married actor Henry Erskine Johnston. She was educated in Edinburgh, where her father was proprietor of the Royal Circus (where she probably danced with her mother. When she married Henry at around age 15 they were called the handsomest bride and groom 'ever seen in England.' 

Despite the attitude of the Catholic Church and to a lesser extent the Church of Scotland dance became part and parcel of Edinburgh social life.

But things were not fine for the young parents. It seems for a few years before his death Matilda had to appeal to her friends and or the public in the way someone seeks “crowd funding” or charitable benefits today.

Charles suffered ill-health from1811 and an announcement in the paper talks of a benefit ball in 1812. In a book written by John Glen (1895) he remarks: "There are some grounds for suspecting that Stewart, in 1811 or 1812, had either been bereft of his reason, or had become an imbecile, as his name dropt (sic) out of the public announcements about that time. This suspicion is strengthened by the appearance of two appeals made by his wife on behalf of his family.

“One of these appeals read: Benefit ball. On 1st March, Mrs. Charles Stewart (wife of Mr. C. Stewart, late teacher of dancing in Edinburgh) begs leave most respectfully to inform her friends and the public that the pressing necessities of a young and helpless family have again induced her humbly to solicit their countenance and support on the present occasion. “

Charles succumbed to whatever ailed him and died in 1818 aged 34.

Along comes William Strelley MD.....

As a young man William had studied Medicine in Edinburgh. William, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Strelley Esq. broke with the family tradition of Derbyshire land management, militia or mining by moving to Edinburgh. After finding out about his father’s death in 1813 he was then informed that he didn’t inherit from his father’s large estate .It is thought that he might have been provided for quite generously from his grandmother’s estate. 

Life should have smelt of roses for Matilda and perhaps it did for a time.

Matilda and William’s daughter Jemima Strelley was born in 1822. William is aged 42 and Matilda is about 37. However about this time William is a resident in the National Jail of Scotland in Edinburgh. It is a debtors’ prison. 

A newspaper article printed in 1824 reports on the hearing of an assault charge in the prison in 1822. A not so nice picture is painted of William’s character by the prosecution. At that time Matilda is having her second son to William. 

Oh poor Matilda .... Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

There is evidence from census and other documents that these two Scottish children, Jemima born 1822 and William Strelley born 1824, were born in Edinburgh. There is no parish evidence available for these births as they didn’t need to be registered. 

Perhaps they regained an element of respectability when Georgina Grace Greasley Strelley is born and christened in the Strelley family fold (Ripley) Derbyshire in 1828.

 At some point William and Matilda separated and William is next found living in Basford England in 1951with a housekeeper who he later “married” .There is no record of the marriage to Elizabeth Strelley and as Matilda is still alive until 1865 (William out- lived Matilda by two years) he is probably living out his days with his much younger “wife” in a de facto rather than bigamist relationship. In 1867 he too dies of old age at Codnor.

You have to admire Matilda, when her first husband died she still had young children and her older ones were at home and unmarried.  Along came William Strelley who may have seemed like a good catch. Three children later she is a deserted wife. 

When life gave her lemons she made lemonade. By the 1841 census she is gainfully employed earning a living as a green grocer and later in 1851 as a toy dealer. She died a couple of years before William at age 40 while living with her youngest daughter and her husband at the teacher’s residence at Blackford.

The discovery and unfolding of Matilda’s story was documented in a previous blog.Matilda’s second family

 I told her I liked the sound of her family and asked for hints. Is it divine intervention or Dr Google that throws these hints my way?  Who would have thought her father, husband, brother and sister would be documented so well (when she doesn’t even have a baptism record). Something keeps me awake at night playing a name or an idea over and over in my head. Another blog has been written about her sister’s family and I’m pursuing the WA family of Henry Erskine Johnston’s son Harley. Surely this will warrant a story in the near future. After all his father was part of the handsomest couple ever seen in England. Of course these looks must run in the DNA shame about the music!!

Research tip: Ancestry can take you only so far. Explore Trees and resources and then start looking at other sources of information. Old Parish records from Scotland's People  OPR add much information where Ancestry leaves off. (A true Scot checks Family Search and Ancestry first then pays for records on Scotlands' People). Old books which have been digitised, directories, music websites etc have been invaluable here. Newspaper articles have added to the richness of the story.
Just for good measure I googled Matilda's musical son before I published this - up came the following from a book by D Baptlie "Musical Scotland-Past and Present" 1894.

 Woo hoo!

Waingroves Hall Derby

The planets must have been aligning.... at Waingroves Hall.

Greg Strelley a distant cousin sent me a message the day before our visit to Derbyshire. Could we delay our departure from Derby and stay an extra morning? He wanted to show us something.

Waingroves Hall was being auctioned and there was to be an open for inspection while we were there. Waingroves Hall is situated in Codnor Denby Lane in Ripley and was certainly on our “to do” list. I envisaged a trip up the farm roads and a few snaps over the fence. 

How special on this trip from Australia to actually see inside the ancestral home of my 4x great grandparents Robert and Elizabeth Strelley situated in the Derbyshire mining town of Waingroves. 

Waingroves has been known in many ways throughout history. The earliest name being Waingrif or Waingriff in 1147. Later it was Wayngriff, Wayngreve or Wayngrene in the 1400s as well as Wingreayes. Today this Derbyshire mining area is known as Waingroves with the land divided into a Waingroves Hall and Waingroves Farm. The land had had a long history. In 1147 Ralph Fitz Stephen bestowed lands in Waingroves in the parish of Pentrich to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem They were to use the house which would be built.

Our family connections with the land come through the Claytons and the Strelleys. 

Waingroves Hall and the surrounding farm was initially put up for Richard(2), son of Richard Clayton(1) of Codnor Breach, who died around 1697. It was severely damaged by fire in the early 1700s. The property seems to have been inherited by his granddaughter, Elizabeth who was eldest daughter of Richard(3) Clayton and Elizabeth Lee. Richard had died in 1782.

Robert Strelley had married Elizabeth Clayton in 1768. It was Robert Strelley who was responsible for the building of the present Waingroves Hall in the late 1700s. It is assumed this house was built from the ground up over the top of the old Elizabethan/Jacobean original Clayton House.

This rectangular three storied, six bedroomed Georgian country house is reached by way of a long shared driveway. Its symmetrical facade is typical of Georgian architecture with its panelled windows. There are two gables at either end of this roughly square house. The entrance front upper floor windows have rusticated key blocks carved with sun, moon, owls and the arms of Strelley. 

 

Front entrance to the Hall with newer Victorian entrance and carved key blocks

Waingroves Hall - side view

Back on that sunny August day in 2014, armed with  notebooks and cameras five Strelley descendants  entered the Grade II heritage listed house and took a once in a lifetime “good old look around” at this stylish old Georgian country house once inhabited by Robert Strelley and his family.

It is set in woodland gardens of approximately two acres with the gardens and lawn to the south and east. The gardens, although largely overgrown show signs of feature lawns and remnants of an orchard. The large areas of secluded woodland have many mature trees and shrubs and there is a small lake. The trees and lake are brimming with birds and wild life.  Behind the house are the Waingroves Farm and a small farm cottage  across the drive which probably housed  the servants All originally part of the Robert’s estate.

Woodland and lake

One of the property's mature trees

Side garden

 We approach through the circular driveway. A symmetrical red brick building with brick and stone dressings stands majestically. There are initials on the lintels referring to Robert and Elizabeth “SRE 1791” and a diamond shaped date stone above the door inscribed S with an R and E 1800.

There are remnants of some of the ornamentation in the garden. At first thought to be foundations of famous obelisk under which Robert is said to have buried his horse Monument. It’s deemed not to be the obelisk base but the semi hidden ornament however has Robert’s initial carved in it so that builds the excitement. Being the site of the old medieval manor house of the Knights Hospitallers we have hopes of finding an overlooked foundation or even some remains of the house built in 1690.

 

Remnants of the garden ornaments

At one point we enlist the help of the gardener’s granddaughter who was very familiar with the house and land to see if she knew of any other secrets in the garden.

So what was inside this three storied six bedroomed spacious and previously stylish Georgian house?

Sadly it was emptied of all signs of family love and care. It has clearly been vacant for some time. Although it has some recent renovations namely in late 18th century and around the 1970s it looks a little forlorn and just a tad water damaged. It is solid enough with its three reception rooms, kitchen, utility rooms and its three bedrooms on each of two floors, both with bathrooms.

One non Georgian addition is a windowed entrance porch which Greg says is a tastefully done Victorian addition C1880-90. Beyond that the reception hall with wood block floor, leads to stairs off to first floor and an archway leads to a rear hall, cellar access and a cloak area. Greg Strelley and his distant cousin Richard Kuchnowski are itching to explore the cellar for hints of the previous building foundations and land use.

Stairs down to the cellar

Although they couldn’t see much on that day Richard and Greg returned another day with torches. Said Greg of the findings “It was evident from our inspection with torches the main front was constructed c1790 on the original Elizabethan/Jacobean foundations and cellars. There are stones in the foundations that are truly ancient and look to date from the medieval period circa 1150-1200 judging by the method of carving. These stones have been re-used at some time in the period from 1600-1700, so are probably surviving stones from the original Hospitalliers building that were incorporated into the new house when the cellars were built or were enlarged from their original size. The cellars are built of barrel-vaulted bricks with large areas of stonework to the walls. There are no surviving areas of original medieval stonework that we were able to identify, so we assume the cellars and hence the footprint of the house was increased which led to removal of the old house foundations. There are some paving slabs and steps that are truly enormous and very worn. It is amazing to think of the amount of feet that have travelled over them over the last 800 years.......”

Also on the ground floor are a sitting room (18’2” x 16’3”) with shuttered windows and a feature fireplace. In addition there is a dining room (17’8” x 16’3”) with shuttered windows, a fireplace recess and full height cupboard and a drawing room (17’8” x 15’10”) with two shuttered windows and feature fireplace. A laundry room and pantry added to the main building around 1850 was probably added during the time that other Strelley residents lived there. 

Staircase leading to upper floors

The uneven dark stained wooden stairs lead to galleried landings on each floor which makes a dramatic centre-point to the house. I could visualise Robert and Elizabeth’s portraits hanging on the landing or then again they may have been pride of place in the other public areas of the house. 

Restored portrait of Elizabeth Strelley nee Clayton

Restored portrait of Robert Strelley

Because of its empty status we can freely explore the bedrooms with their cupboards and nooks. The 6 bedrooms are roughly the same size around 17’6” by 15’ with original fireplaces and shuttered windows. Each room had assorted recesses, display shelves and cupboards. One has a walk in dressing room. 

 

One of the large rooms

Original fireplace

Kym Strelley inspects the interior

 Kym Strelley and I try to envisage who slept where and we throw open the cupboards and drawers looking for signs of things past. Modern inclusions such as pipe work for central heating radiators sort of spoil the Georgian feel. Out of the windows I see the farm buildings. Robert would have looked out these windows and checked on his prized vegetables and stock. Robert and Elizabeth also built the  little cottage based on the date stone set in the gable end dated 1795 and initialled R and E. 

Views of the farm from upstairs window

I’ll never forget that day. A few of the prospective buyers and interested parties stop to discuss the property’s history and Greg is in his element extolling the great Strelley name in the district. Outside the gates we stop and talk to the farmer who currently rents the farm. More discussion and speculation! Greg says he’d really like to get a look at a monument supposedly inside a nearby condemned farm building which houses more tokens of Robert’s involvement in the construction.  It’s OK to look from the outside but inside is out of bounds. 

We sweet talk the farmer who volunteers to take a few snaps of the stone plaque ensconced inside the run down brick barn. YES! Richard and Greg discuss the finds.

 

The plaque from inside the old farm house

Robert and Eliz Strelley

She was one of the

The two Dau.s of X

Richard Clayton  of

The Breach Cent: ) X

Erected this building

AD

1791

What I will also treasure are the two framed prints of Robert and Elizabeth Strelley presented to me by Richard. My own little souvenir of my trip to Strelley, Nottingham and Derbyshire too see the Strelleys.... that and my snapshots of Waingroves.

After Richard Clayton Strelley sold the property others have been custodians of the land. The Codnor and District Local History and Heritage Website details other residents. Thomas Farnsworth lived there around 1912. Later in the 1920’s Col.H.J.A. Banks, then S Camplion Wright and Capt. Thomas Grieve took up residence. During Laurie MC’s ownership he indicated that buried remains of an earlier building existed beneath the front garden. 

Another owner who also took a keen interest in the history of the hall was Dr. Gerald and Margaret FitzMaurice Keatinge. Doctor Keating was doctor to the Butterley Company and he suggested that the current building was possibly the third or fourth incarnation of the hall. The hall was later owned by a Mr & Mrs Lloyd, and sold for £68000 in 1982 to Mr and Mrs Philips. The Hall has been vacant for some time.

The house has an unbelievably low guide price of  150,000 pounds. My husband says we can buy it even though we are only here on holidays.... but we have to win Powerball first. I’m sorely tempted and pray for a win.

On auction day we wait with baited breath to hear the fate of our ancestor’s home which I’ve come to think of as Robert and Elizabeth’s love nest. The property went for much more than the guide price. In a touching gesture Greg wrote a short note to congratulate the new owners and to explain how important this property is to the Strelleys.

The auction on September 11 2014 had a good feel about it. I have a good feeling that the delighted buyers know just how special this country home is and will faithfully restore it.

Richard Kuchnowski, Robyn Ford, Kym Strelley and Greg Strelley outside Waingroves Hall

Note:  There are many more photos taken on this day. Please contact me if you require more information.Contact me

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