Nat Gould

Arthur Hiscox 1852-1930

Arthur Hiscox was born in 1852, the son of Samuel Hiscox 1827-1881 and his wife née Louisa Ball 1822-1882. Both his parents were silk weavers and lived at Bowlish Meadows, Shepton Mallet in Somerset.

In 1871 he was working as a coal miner aged 18 years, boarding in the household of John Moss, another coal miner, in Aberystruth in Monmouthshire.

On 1 December 1877 at Swindon in Wiltshire he married Ellen Eliza White.

At the time the Census was taken in 1881 they were living in Lower Lane in Shepton Mallet, and he was recorded as being a "Tinman".

By 1891 although Arthur Hiscox was still employed as a "Tin man", his wife had evidently died (1) and he was recorded in the Census Return as living in a house of three rooms at 43 Catshash in Shepton Mallet with Clara Ann Perkins 1856-1905, stated to be his wife. However no evidence has been found of any formal marriage, and their children used Perkins as their surname (2).

In 1901 they were living at Rocks in Croscombe, Somerset, and Arthur was then a "Tin plate worker" on his own account.

Clara Ann Perkins died in 1905, and the 1911 Census presented Arthur Hiscox with a problem of how to complete the necessary form. By then the Census Return had to be made by the head of the household. The days when a local enumerator called on each household asking the questions he needed to fill in the Return for them had long gone. Arthur Hiscox solved the problem by describing the two daughters still remaining at home with him as a "Boarder" in the case of Selina Perkins aged 22 years and "Servant" in that of Louisa Perkins then aged only 14 years.

Arthur Hiscox had the following children, all born at Shepton Mallet:

Arthur Perkins (Hiscox). Born in June 1884, he emigrated on 28 August 1904 to Philadelphia in the United States aged 20 years, with his sister Minnie Louisa Perkins. They were met by Emmanuel Ball, who was probably the brother of their mother. When the 1910 US Census was taken he was living in Ohio, the head of a household. He joined the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards, and died at Ypres on 29 October 1914.

Mabel Mary Perkins 1886-1943. In 1901 she was working as a house servant at Heywood in Wiltshire. In 1907 she was married to Edward Parsons by Licence at Shepton Mallet. When the Census was taken in 1911 they were living at Ashwick. She died on 9 January 1943 in Shepton Mallet Dustrict Hospital. They had three children: Arthur Parsons (born in 1906), Frederick Parsons (born in 1908), and Clara Parsons (born in 1910).

Selina Perkins 1888-1950. When the 1901 Census was taken she was living aged 12 years in Durnford, Wiltshire. She was recorded as niece of the head of the household, and was probably on holiday. When the 1911 Census was taken she was living in Croscombe as a "boarder". She died unmarried in 1950.

Minnie Louisa Perkins She was born in 1890. She emigrated to Philadelphia in the United States with her brother Arthur Perkins, leaving Liverpool on 13 April 1904 on the ship "Merion", and arriving in America on 25 April 1904.

Beatrice Perkins. She was born in 1891, and was still single in 1911. She emigrated, but nothing else is known about her.

Elsie Perkins.

She was born in 1894. In 1915 she was married to Charles Henry Parker 1891-1964 in Bristol. They had three children: Fred Parker 1916-2002, Gwendolene Ethel Parker 1920-2015, and Queenie Phyllis Parker 1923-2008. Fr om about 1950 until 1980 she lived at 54 Frampton Crescent, Fishponds in Bristol, and died on 29 November 1987 in Blenheim House Nursing Home in Bristol.

Gilbert Albert Perkins. He was born in 1895. He married Ethel M Hurley in 1933 at Shepton Mallet. He died in 1949 aged 53 years.

Louisa Elizabeth Perkins. She was born in 1897 and was married to Oliver Matthew Hiscox. They had two sons and five daughters.

(1) An Eliza Hiscox of Bowlish was buried at Shepton Mallet on 28 May 1892 aged 38 years. So perhaps they had separated and she had gone to live with her parents-in-law at Bowlish.

(2) Bendon Family Tree on the Ancestry website.