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.

Author: Liz Evans
© as above

From our visit to NRC I established that my great grandparents were Albert and Edith Lipscombe who died in 1929 and 1961 respectively. I have since found out from my father that Albert Lipscombe was a carpenter working from home, which was in Trafalgar Place, Newbury; theirs being a larger house to accommodate his trade. They had four daughters; Lillian, Nell, May and Eva (my grandmother). All of the daughters married and remained in Newbury with the exception of Lillian who moved to Ickenham. My grandmother married Ernest Durnford and started by living in Trafalgar Place too, moving to run the shop in Kingsbridge Road and then to Station Road, Newbury until the death of my grandfather in 1983. Ernest was a coach driver in the Newbury area. 
Carol Hawkins

Author: Carol Hawkins
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