Tuesday 16th July 2024  

Old Quorn residents - George and Mary Gartshore

George and Mary Gartshore were born in 1830, married in 1854 and moved to Quorn in about 1860. George was a farrier to the Quorn Hunt and the couple lived on Soar Road, opposite Soar House, in the same cottage for at least 48 years. They had nine children and many people in Quorn today are descendants of George and Mary. A photograph of George can be seen at Artefact 872 and Artefact 276.

George was 87 when he died and Mary was 95. The three articles below appeared in the Loughborough Echo newspaper between 1914 and 1917.

Loughborough Echo - Friday 17 April 1914

Diamond Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Gartshore, residing in the Soar Road, Quorn, celebrated their diamond wedding on Easter Monday. They were married in 1854 at Edgbaston Church, near Birmingham. For several years Mr. Gartshore served as private farrier to the Earl of Stamford. and later to the Earl of Leconfield, and during Lord Lonsdale's residence at Soar House, Quorn he worked for his lordship. Mr. and Mrs. Gartshore came to Quorn 54 years ago, and have resided in their present house 45 years. They have had a large family of sons and daughters, and despite their years, respectively 83 and 84, enjoy excellent health. They were the recipients of numerous letters of congratulations on their diamond wedding morning.


18th February 1916 Loughborough Echo

Reminiscences of Coaching Days
There resides in the village of Quorn a hale and hearty old couple who have long since passed the span of three score years and ten; in fact, given another eight years they will have spent that period in each others company, for they have enjoyed already sixty-two years of married life, and still look forward to a few more years of rest ere they will be called upon to part from each other. The subjects of these notes are Mr and Mrs George Gartshore, both of whom are now in their 87th year. Mr Gartshore, who up to twelve years ago was employed by Lord Lonsdale, both at Oakham and Quorn, is a farrier and shoeing smith, having spent the majority of his working life in the service of various country gentleman, as a private farrier. When our representative called upon them one afternoon, he found them just preparing to partake of an early afternoon cup of tea, but he was warmly welcomed inside and tea was waived for a short time in place of a friendly little chat, which was full of interesting reminiscences of earlier days. Mrs Gartshore said she believed they were the oldest married couple in Quorn, and of the sixty-eight years of their lives, fifty-five had been spent in the same house where they now reside. They have had nine children, six of whom were at present living, and one son, who joined the Army at the age of nineteen, served through the whole of the South African Campaign being transferred from one regiment to another, and going through many of the engagements. The old couple attributed their longevity to their regular and temperate habits, which doubtless has aided their excellent health.

In his earlier days, Mr Gartshore worked in Birmingham, and he well remembers the old coaching days, before the advent of the railways, as he was employed at one of the state stations. "There used to be four horses to a mail" he said "and they were very particular over the time-keeping of the coach at the post office. The proprietors of a four-horse mail coach were fined 2s 6d for every minute, they arrived behind the scheduled time."

"The Wonder”
The last mail coach that went through Birmingham, was "The Wonder” - they all had names, he explained - on its way to Holyhead with the Irish mails. After that the mails were carried by rail. Mr Gartshore's duties at the time were to see that the change team of horses were ready for their journey, which would be about eight miles, and on the arrival of the coach, they would be harnessed and led out, so that no time should be lost. Later he entered the service of the late Lord Stamford, at Enville Hall, near Wolverhampton, as private farrier and he came with his Lordship to Bradgate for the hunting season. It was also part of Mr Gartshore's duties to attend the race meetings and treat his master's racehorses, when required. For a brief period he took a position as a private farrier to Lord Leconfield, at Petworth Park, whom he left to go to Quorn, under Mr Coupland, who was then master of the Quorn Hunt. Since then he has been under Lord Lonsdale at Oakham and Quorn, until he found his duties too strenuous and he gave them up twelve years ago.

"You have never had any accident with the horses?" "Oh by jove, haven't I?" he replied quickly. "Arm broken, kicked across the eyes, two or three ribs smashed, I have had a good many kicks in my side. Once a horse kicked me and the blows came one, two, three (illustrating his remarks by his hands), so quickly that I could not get out of the way. A horse called Lord Douglas did that” he added, exhibiting the second finger on the right hand, which still bears the marks where the wound has healed. The injury on the speakers right eye is also another permanent witness of a bygone accident. "But it was of no use taking any notice of such things in my business” he added cheerfully.

Mr Gartshore followed the same ways as did his father, Mr John Murray* Gartshore, who died at the age of 83 years, having been twenty-four years farrier to the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, and 30 years farrier at Sommerfield Hall, Staffordshire, under Squire Monckton’s family. The old couple at Quorn were the recipients of many good wishes and congratulations on the occasion of their diamond wedding two years ago, and it is to be hoped that they may be spared for many years to come, and enjoy good health.
* Note: Should be Morrow NOT Murray.

26th October 1917 Loughborough Echo

QUORN
DEATH OF AN OLD INHABITANT.— An interesting link with the village, and more particularly with the Quorn Hunt has just been severed by the death of Mr. George Gartshore at the age of 87 years. Coming to reside In the village some 57 years ago from Wolverhampton as farrier to the then Earl of Stamford, he, with a brief exception, acted In the capacity as farrier to the Quorn hunt for 40 years, and had a very clear memory of many changes in the mastership of this famous hunt. He leaves behind a widow who is some two months older than deceased, and to whom he had been married for 63 years, and the couple had resided in the same house in the village for 50 years. He came of an old farrier family. His father was sergt. farrier to the 7th Queen's Own Hussars for 24 years, and for 39 years was farrier at Sommerford Hall, Staffs. He died at the age of 83. Deceased has a son serving as sergt. shoeing smith with the Royal Artillery, also a son who served for seven years as sergt. farrier In the Prince Albert's Own Yeomanry, C Squadron, under Capt. W. Martin. A grandson is serving with the forces at the present time, and another grandson, in the person of Sergt. W. Gartshore, was killed in action In 1916. Deceased was of a quiet and retiring disposition, and was well known and highly respected in the village. Until a few months ago he was in good health, and retained his sight and hearing to a remarkable degree. He could relate many interesting incidents in connection with the village that had taken place during his lengthy residence in it.

Missing information: Does anyone have a photograph of George and Mary Gartshore Please email us at: team2024@quornmuseum.com Submitted on: 2021-01-10 Submitted by: Pauline Smith and Sue Templeman Artefact ID: 2432 Artefact URL: www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=2432