Towards the end of the 19th Century John Thomas Lipscomb, together with his brothers, was working in the family in the family chair making business at their workshop, a lean-to shed adjourning the Lockkeeper’s Cottage in the West Mills, Newbury {link to photo}.

The business was, I believe, started by his father John Lipscomb, a journeyman chair maker who came from Marlborough.

John Thomas Lipscomb and his wife Ann had six children, Jack, Fred, Rebecca, Albert (my grandfather) Esther and Eliza. All the Lipscomb children would help out in the business before and after school and during the holidays. The business was a thriving one and specialised in making chairs with rush seats. The rushes were delivered by barge along the canal, where they were then soaked before use. Many of the chairs were sent to a firm in High Wycombe.

The winter of 1886 was exceptionally severe and John, who had continued working whilst suffering from a cold, unfortunately developed pneumonia and died on the 4th February 1886 aged 49 years. Tragedy stuck the family again when only three months later John’s wife, Ann, fell ill and died.

Edith and Albert Lipscombe are shown at Mabel Lipscombe’s marriage seated on the front row at the right

Both my great grandparents John and Ann Lipscomb and my grand parents Albert and Edith Lipscomb are buried in Newtown Cemetery.

Also in the cemetery are the graves of John Lipscomb (died 10June 1869) and his wife Eliza Elizabeth (died 7th March 1902) whom I believe to be my great- great grand parents.

Sources: