The Empson family.

There are three Empsons buried in the Newtown Road Cemetery, Richard Empson who was buried on April 4^th 1927 aged 74, Charlotte, his wife buried November 11^th 1938 aged 75 and a daughter Lilian who was buried September 29^th 1980.

Richard and Charlotte ran a business in 10 Bartholomew Street at the turn of the century. They had two daughters, Rose born in 1898 and Lilian born 1901. The business was identified as an “Eating House” and Richard was working on his own account as an “Eating House Keeper”.

Some time before 1911, they transferred their business to 79 Bartholomew Street which is the small shop opposite Pound Street. (Now a cycle shop). Rose who would have been 13 by now, did not move with them and it is not yet clear what happened to her however Lilian did reside with them. The little shop was in later times a small provisions shop which sold mainly tinned or packaged food and was run by Lilian and her cousin Miss Clark up until they both retired and sold up. They moved to Boundary Road until Lilian became infirm and was transferred to the old folks hospital at the top of the Newtown Hill, known as Sandleford Hospital. Miss Empson never married but was a remarkable lady who was more than just a shopkeeper, she was a friend to all her regular customers. She ran a weekly book and her regulars would pay their bills on a Saturday.

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