Places

St Albans

 

The Brickmakers of St Albans

George Farr Arnold

 

Occupations

Brickmakers

Because of the amount of information available on George Farr Arnold this biographical note has been divided into three sections:

Family History
Building and Brickmaking Activities
Community and other Activities


Family History

George ARNOLD married Temperance FARR on 1 Oct 1804 at Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire and the children listed below were baptised in the church over the following years:

Mary Ann ARNOLD
Geo. Farr ARNOLD
Sarah ARNOLD
 Sarah ARNOLD
William ARNOLD
Maria ARNOLD
11 Aug 1805
20 Jan 1809
4 May 1811
28 Mar 1813
30 Jul 1815
7 Dec 1817

George Farr ARNOLD married Susannah FOSTER at Aspley Guise on 15th May 1837. At the time of the 1841 census the couple were living in Apsley Guise, Bedfordshire:

George ARNOLD 30 M Builder Beds
Susannah ARNOLD 30 F Beds
Frederick JACKSON 18 M Carpenter Beds

George is not listed in the 1847 poll book for the Borough of St Albans, or the 1850/1 Post Office Directory for Hertfordshire, but the couple are listed in St Peters Street, St Albans, in the 1851 census:

George Farr ARNOLD Head 41 M Joiner & Builder Aspley. Beds
Susannah ARNOLD Wife 39 F Aspley, Beds

George has an extended entry in the 1855 Post Office Directory which reads : Arnold, George Farr, carpenter, contractor, undertaker & agent to the Kent Mutual fire & life assurance company, St Peter's Street.

The 1861 census shows him in St Peters Street with a different wife. and in the fourth quarter of 1855 George Farr Arnold married Emma Bachelor in the St Albans area [details not checked].

George F. ARNOLD Head 57 M Builder & Brickmaker occupying 60 acres of land employing 34 men & 3 boys. Aspley Guise. Beds
Emily ARNOLD Wife 48 F Hertford, Herts
Rose MATTHEWS Servant 21 F General Servant Harpenden, Herts

 In the 1862 and 1866 directories he is simply listed as builder.

An Emily Arnold is registered as dying in the St Albans area in the first quarter of 1865 and on 3rd August 1865 George married Eliza Coote at the Old Church, St Pancras, London.

In 1870 he has become a brick & lime manufacturer, 42 St Peter's Street, and the 1871 census shows the household as

George Farr ARNOLD Head 62 M Brickmaker Aspley. Beds
Eliza ARNOLD Wife 57 F Hertford, Herts
Elizabeth FOOKES Servant 17 F   Woburn, Beds

In the 1878, 1882 and 1886 directories he is listed simply as a brickmaker. He was at 42 St Peters Street, St Albans, at the time of the 1881 census:

George F ARNOLD Head 72 M Brick Maker (30 persons) Aspley Guise, Beds
Eliza ARNOLD Wife 68 F   Woodford, Essex
Sarah A. BOON Serv. 23 F Dom Servant Hatfield, Herts
Elizabeth ALLEN Serv. 20 F Dom Servant St Peters, Herts

He is listed as a private resident in St Peter's Street in the 1890 directory and in the 1891 census was living in London Road, St Albans, possibly with another wife.

George F ARNOLD Head 82 M Retired Builder Beds
Ann ARNOLD Wife 78 F   Essex
Ellen GUNTER Serv. 21 F Domestic Servant Herts

George Farr Arnold's death is registered in the St Albans area in the first quarter of 1897. There is no evidence that he had any children by any of his wives.

Baptism, marriage and death information comes from familysearch, the Vital Records Index, and FreeBMD


George Farr Arnold

Building and Brickmaking Activities

Arnold's Brick Works about 1880.
For more about the brickfields see A Short  History of Bernards Heath
and The Brickmakers of St Albans

Under Construction

Advert for Brickworks in Victoria Road in 1858

George Farr Arnold gives workmen a holiday 1859

Advert for New Brickworks on Bernards Heath in 1864

G F Arnold v. Charnock - Dispute over Bricks in St Albans in 1866

Purchased land near Midland Station from the British Land Company Ltd. in 1869  (see Oswald Road Conveyance)

Annual Brickfield Treat in 1869

Building Ground for Sale in 1873

Sold Plot to Robert Bail in 1878

 


George Farr Arnold

Community and other Activities

Under Construction

Fire Brigade, St Albans, late 19th century 1856 - General Superintendent of the Fire brigade

    Temperance at the Trinity Chapel, St Albans George Farr Arnold celebrated 32 years as a total abstainer.

Entertainment by the Band of Hope 1871 - George President

He was elected as Mayor of St Albans in November 1871 and also in 1880 and 1881

St Albans Cricket Club Pavilion 1882 - Name included on list of subscribers

St Albans Cricket Club AGM 1882 - elected Life Member to the club

St Albans Union Elections 1886 - re-elected unopposed

The Death of George Farr Arnold in 1897 - with biography

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

Page updated April 2011