1891 Census Return, Cottage highlighted Red

On the 23rd January 1890, Samuel Wilkinson, a Commercial Traveller and Cloth Manufacture of Leeds, the owner of the cottage and who’s name is remembered in the street name ‘Wilkinson Terrace’, died. He was only 40 years old and we presume he died after a short illness, his Will was only made on the day of his death. His property at Stutton passed initially to his wife Mary Elizabeth Wilkinson until her death on the 18th April 1896 when it went in trust to their children, Ruth Mary Wilkinson, Annie May Wilkinson and Frank Dodgson Wilkinson.

The Chapel had always been rent free to the Methodists with the Coulson's then Wilkinson's taking rent from the downstairs tenant. Following the death of Samuel any local links between the family and Stutton was lost and from the 1st February 1895 they started to charge a rent of £3 per annum for the whole building. The Methodists then took on letting out the downstairs. Their first tenant was Thomas Trestran who left after a year in August 1896.

Notice to Terminate Cottage - 1st May 1896 - I hear By give 1 quarter notice to leave the Room under the Chapel I give up possion on the first day of August, Yours Truly, Thomas Trestran, Stutton

Mrs. Ward of Stutton then took the room straight over for her brother, George William Botterill, at a rate of 50s per annum. He was a widower who worked as a basket maker and was aged 63. Basket making was popular in the district due to the abundance of willow and hazel trees close to the Cock Beck which runs through the village. Their long straight supple branches are ideal for this purpose. He remained in the cottage until August 1901.

1901 Census Return, Cottage highlighted Red

A Methodist account book survives for the Chapel between 1894 and 1905 detailing all receipts and expenditure. Interesting items are :

3 May 1895 Paid for Stove Pipe 1s 6d
12 Nov 1896 Cost of Lock for Lower Room, repaid Mr Botterill 1s 9d
25 Apr 1897 Lighting and Cleaning Collection 3s 7d
4 Feb 1898 Paid Mr. Jas Brown (Caretaker) 13s
22 Oct 1900 Expenses of Lecture, Printing 7s 9d, Postage 10d

Title Page of Chapel Account Book

Picture dated about 1900, Chapel in centre and old numbers 1 -5 Wilkinson Terrace in Background

The Stutton Station Master at this time was Mr. Mortimer and whilst not directly related to the cottage history I found the following letter from his employers, the North Eastern Railway, dated 1892 chastising him from not reading correspondence from Head Office !!

NER Letter to Stutton Station Master 1892



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