The Long Family – William, George, John, and Henry

The map below better shows the location. It’s now part of Lower Wick Stables.

Reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland

Robert, a wheelwright, and his wife Hannah had ten children, of whom seven sons were living at home on the Census day. Of the ten, five were in my cohort – William, George, John, Henry. Their sister, the 5-year-old Mary, would have been included, but she was living away from home, in Berkeley, that day.

In 1851, the family were still at Wick Green. Robert was now recorded as being a carpenter, and his son George was a carpenter’s apprentice. Ten years later, George, now a carpenter, is the only one of the cohort living with his parents and other siblings at Upper Wick.

Robert died in January 1871.

In 1859, William married Sarah White in Cannock, Staffordshire. at the next Census, he was working as a stonemason, living with his wife Sarah, their son John, and Sarah’s daughter from a previous relationship, Sarah. William died on 6th August 1866, aged only 34. There was an accident at Copyhall Colliery, an explosion of firedamp. Two men died, of which William was one.

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In 1861, George was boarding at the Kings Head in Nibley. He married Anna Maria Evans on August 1st, at St Martins in North Nibley. In 1881 the couple were living at Northfield House with their six children. Sadly, George died in 1884, aged 49, three months before the birth of his last child, Lucy Blanche.

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Western Mail

12^th April 1920

An interesting personality, and one Cardiff’s oldest photographers. has passed away in the person of Mr. John Long, aged 82 years. He enjoyed excellent health until a few days ago. when be contracted an attack of pneumonia. Although be retired  some years ago, Long resumed his old occupation during the war, when his sons were serving in the Army, and each week he photographed the progress at the erectlon of the grain storage sheds at the Cardiff Docks. Coming to the city 62 years ago, he was responsible for the introduction of the paper print process in place of the collodion process. He had the honour of taking a photograph of the first ship to enter the Bute East Dock, and also the first ship to be repaired at Hill’s Dry Dock. He was a Staunch Churchman, and had two hobbies—painting and gardening.

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Henry was living in Upper Wick with his family at the time of the 1861 Census, employed as a shoemakers apprentice. Ten years later, he was lodging with a family in Winstone, employed as a Non-Conformist missionary. He married Louisa Sarah Merchant in 1872 and, in 1881, they were living on Wortley road in Wotton under Edge with their two daughters.

In 1891, he was staying with a family in Tetbury. It seems that Louisa left him, and his two children were living with members of the family. She lived in London, and then Bristol, where she was a wardress in Horfield prison. She died in 1905.

In 1901, he was prosecuted for obtaining money (for charitable causes) though false pretences, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. He was described as a member of the Exclusive Brethren. In his prison record, he was recorded as being 5’2″ tall.

Henry died in 1916, aged 76.

In 1911, he was living with his daughter’s family at Mill House, North Nibley. Bertha, his daughter, had married Alfred Purnell.

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