14/05/1846 –27/12/1911
A timber carter who died of pneumonia after falling from the shaft of his waggon whilst drunk
Relatives
Research:
Unmarked Grave Jabez Rance (1846-1911)
Jabez was born 14 May 1846 in Berkhamsted to Robert, a carter, and Rebecca Rance. By the time of the 1861 census his father had died and Jabez was living with his mother and three of his siblings in Ellesmere Road. Aged 14 he was already working as a timber carter.
Jabez went to London to find work and on 10 December 1879 he married Therza Louisa Hathaway or Hadaway (usually known as Louisa) in St Thomas’s, Bethnal Green. His occupation was given as carter. The couple do not appear to have had any children.
By 1881 they had returned to Berkhamsted and were living in Kitsbury Road. By 1891 they had moved to Middle Road and living with them were Louisa’s widowed father and a ten year old niece of Jabez’s, Fanny Wood. Jabez was a carman, that is, a driver of some form of horse-drawn delivery vehicle.
On 8 July 1891 Jabez was charged with a breach of Highway Regulations for driving a timber waggon with four horses while standing on the front of the waggon and not holding the reins. “The bench remarked on the dangerous practice of riding on the shaft without reins.” Jabez was fined £1 8s including costs. (Almost £110 in 2024). In the light of subsequent events it is a pity that Jabez chose to ignore the warning.
Louisa died in November 1896. She is buried in this cemetery.
Jabez appeared before Aylesbury magistrates and was found guilty of not being in control of his horses and waggon in Aston Clinton 14 October 1897. He was one of a convoy of four heavily-laden timber waggons. The drivers of the other waggons, behind Jabez, were walking at the head of their horses, leading them, but Jabez was sitting on the shafts with the reins wrapped around the shaft. He was fined 13s.
In the 1901 census Jabez had living with him his niece by marriage, Annie Caughtry, an unmarried dressmaker, and Jabez Coughtry, aged 3 (born 1898) described as “grandson” and Gladys Audrey Mabel Coughtry aged 10 months, with no relationship shown. Anne was the niece of Jabez’s first wife. The father of the two children cannot be proven, but young Jabez cannot be Jabez snr’s grandchild as he had no children by his first wife.
In April 1911 the census shows Jabez, his wife Anne, and two children Richard Victor Rance (born 1898) and Gladys Rance (born 1900). These are the children recorded in 1901 as Jabez and Gladys Coughtry. The records states that Jabez and Anne have been married for 14 years (ie since 1897) and that they have had three children, of whom one has died. Clearly the date of marriage, if there ever was one, is false, as the 1901 census return shows. It may be the date when a relationship developed between the two, which would fit with the date of Jabez jnr’s birth. Whether Jabez was their father cannot be proved, but they certainly took, and retained, his surname.
Marriage with a spouse’s niece/nephew had been within the Prohibited Degrees of marriage but, by this date, was legally valid. However, no marriage between Jabez and Anne can be traced.
That year Jabez’s habit of riding on the shafts of his waggon finally had disastrous results.
The Bucks Herald reported on the inquest which was held 29 December 1911. Jabez, a carman employed by East & Co, timber company, had an accident in Watford. He had slipped from the shaft of his timber waggon, which he said had been wet, and had been dragged for several yards. PC Ward saw him fall from the waggon. A doctor was sent for who said Jabez was drunk and not much hurt. He was arrested and placed in a cell. Jabez complained that the policeman was “very rough” with him and the cell was cold. His clothes were damp and muddy when he got home. He spent the night in the cells, was given breakfast and was then taken before the magistrates and fined 5s. Harry Eggleton, the horse keeper for East & Sons, had gone to Watford and saw Jabez on to the train home and then dealt with the horses and waggon himself.
Annie gave evidence as his wife and said that Jabez walked home from the station. Doctor Gomperts attended Jabez at home at 51, Charles Street on 22 December and found him badly bruised and grazed about the head and left side of the body. He had a dislocated collarbone and his breathing was affected. He died on 27th of pneumonia aged 62.
His brothers James and Joseph (plot x220) are buried in this cemetery as is his presumed son, Jabez Richard Victor (plot 1093).
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