Brenda McNamara nee Horwood (d.b.mcnamara @t ntlworld.com) of Hornchurch, Essex, writes All our ancestors lived in and worked the Greyhound pub in Wigginton. We are trying to find out more about our Horwood family. They married into the Gascoine, Busby, etc. families. We know that in 1881 John Busby lived at the Old Brewhouse, Wigginton with his grandchildren:

Name	Relation	Marital Status	Gender	Age	Birthplace	Occupation
John BUSBY	Head	Widower	Male	71	Wigginton	Farm Labourer
Thomas BUSBY	Son	Unmarried	Male	38	Wigginton	Farm Labourer
Henry HORWOOD	Grandson	Unmarried	Male	22	Wigginton	Farm Labourer
Joseph HORWOOD	Grandson	Unmarried	Male	20	Wigginton	Farm Labourer
William HORWOOD	Grandson	Unmarried	Male	18	Wigginton	Farm Labourer
Herbert HORWOOD	Grandson	Unmarried	Male	16	Wigginton	Farm Labourer
Charles HORWOOD	Grandson		Male	13	Wigginton	Farm Labourer

Anne Busby (daughter of  John Busby & Elizabeth Osborn) married William Horwood in 1854 and had a son Joseph born 8/1/1861, but are not listed in the 1881 census. Do you know what happened to them? (Further information on the later family provided.)

As you probably already know the 1851 census shows three teenage  Ann or Mary Ann Busb(e)y living in Wigginton. Yours would be Ann (16, straw plaiter) living at Wigginton Common with her parents John (44, agricultural labourer) and Elizabeth (42) and siblings Thomas (18), Benjamin (14), Mary (12), Miriam (6) and John (1), all born at Wigginton. There are two teenage William Horwards in Tring/Wilstone - but which, if either, is yours, is uncertain from the information you provide. (See Right name, Wrong Body)

As you say the 1881 census does not have any obvious entries for either William or Ann Horwood - which could mean that they were dead, or away from home and not included in the census, or there could be an indexing error. As the children were with their grandfather death seems a strong possibility . They were obviously both alive and kicking at the time of the 1861 census - and Joseph's birth certificate would give the address in Wigginton. The 1871 census would be worth checking to see if Ann and William were still there then. (because Wigginton is a small village checking the microfilm should not take you long.) If searches for death certificates prove negative it could be worth looking in the 1891 census for Wigginton.

I am wondering if the association with the Greyhound Public House is correct. In the 1881 census John Busby and his Horwood grandchildren were one of a number of poor families living in the Old Brewhouse, associated with the Brewhouse Pubic House. A check of the Hertfordshire trade directories for 1882, 1890, 1902, 1912, 1914, 1922 and 1926 shows that Joseph Howes was landlord of the Greyhound between at least 1882 and 1902, while Samuel Riddle was landlord in 1912 and 1914 while Mrs Edith Riddle (his widow?) was in the Greyhound in 1922 and 1926.

However a Jonathan Horwood was a beer retailer somewhere in Wigginton in 1902 and a Mrs Jane Horwood (his widow?) was a beer retailer in 1912 and 1914. This could be the Brewhouse - which is not identified by name - presumably because it was only a beer house. It is not clear how Jonathan fitted into the picture (I can't find him in the 1901 census) but it would appear not to have been at the Greyhound PH.

November 2013

Steve Mitchell (stevefmitchell @t btinternet.com) of Berkhamsted writes: I have been researching my family tree for the Batchelor Family and came upon the request for information on the above family.

My great Grandfather, George Batchelor moved to Wigginton in about 1872 and live 'behind the Old Brewhouse'. In 1875 he married Lydia Busby, who was the daughter of Ann Busby, Ann went on to marry William Horwood. At the time that Lydia married George, she also had a daughter Kate Busby.

Lydia kept in touch with her half brothers because the 1891 census shows she was staying with Herbert Horwood and his three brothers. The brothers were working/living in Paddington unloading boats.

By 1901, George & Lydia's son Frederick (my Grandfather) was working in Paddington with the Horwoods.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.