Richard Stillman (1779 – 1863)

                              Esther Stillman (1788 – 1870)

Richard Stillman was born circa 1779 in Newbury. He married Jane Rowley on 17 October 1805 at St Nicolas in Newbury. Jane was born circa 1781. Their first child Richard was born circa 1806 in Newbury but then it appears the couple lived for a while in London as their son James was baptized in Westminster in 1812 and William in Piccadilly in 1818.

Jane died May 1838 and was buried 11 May 1838 at St Nicolas in Newbury.

Richard remarried on 15 January 1839 at St Nicolas in Newbury to Mrs Esther Preston of Shaw. Esther was born circa 1788 in Lockinge. Unfortunately, at present details of her marriage to Mr Preston not known.

In the 1841 census Richard and Esther with son James were living in Stillman’s Yard, Bartholomew Street in Newbury with both Richard and James recorded as shoe makers. Ten years later in 1851 Richard and Esther were living by themselves at the same address with Richard recorded as a house proprietor. They were still living at the same abode in the 1861 census with Richard still a house proprietor.

Richard died 6 February 1863 and was buried 13 February 1863 at Newtown Road Cemetery. He left a will and probate was granted 23 March 1863 at Oxford to his sons Richard Stillman of Newbury, a shoe maker, and James Stillman of Newbury, a grocer. The value of the estate was under £200.

Esther died 17 March 1870 and her death was announced in the Newbury Weekly News dated 24 March 1870, it records her as the widow of the late Richard Stillman of Bartholomew Street aged 82. She was buried 23 March 1870 at Newtown Road Cemetery.

Two of the sons of Richard and Jane were buried at Newtown Road, James on 20 August 1901 and William on 10 January 1905.

Author: Gerald Soper
© Gerald Soper