Thomas Ensworth (1780–1857)
Mayor of Oxford 1825–6
Thomas Ensworth (sometimes Endsworth) was born on 26 February 1780 and baptised the same day at St Michael's Church. His father, Thomas Ensworth senior, was then the landlord of the Plough Inn at 38 Cornmarket Street and was described as being “of St Michael’s parish” when he married Mary Hyde at St Thomas’s Church in Oxford on 16 June 1767.
In 1772 a survey of every house in the city was taken in consequence of the Mileways Act of 1771, and the Plough Inn at 38 Cornmarket Street (which had a frontage of 6 yards, 0 ft. and 3 in.) was then in the occupation of his father, who remained as landlord there until 1791.
Thomas's four older siblings were also baptised at St Michael-at-the-Northgate Church: an earlier Thomas (born 1772, died 1773); Mary Ann (1773); Sarah (1776, died the same year); and Martha (1777).
Thomas’s father was granted his freedom on 28 January 1788 and just five months later on 30 June he took on Thomas, aged 14, as his apprentice wine merchant.
The Plough Inn was taken over by Hall's Brewery in 1795, and the Ensworths may have moved out then, as when his mother Mary Ensworth died in August 1799 at the age of 62 she was buried in St Martin's parish. He appears to have moved his business to the south end of Cornmarket
In 1802 Thomas’s sister Martha Ensworth married Thomas Wyatt at St Martin’s Church.
On 13 November 1805 at St Saviour’s Church, Southwark, Thomas Ensworth married Mary Elizabeth Bowles of West Hanney in Berkshire: they were both then living it that parish. The marriage was announced in Jackson’s Oxford Journal three days later and the bridegroom was described as “Mr Thomas Ensworth junior, wine merchant of Oxford”. They appear to have had just one child:
- Thomas Ensworth junior (son of Thomas & Mary, baptised on 16 June 1807 at St Martin’s Church in Oxford).
Their child appears to have died young. A baby called Thomas Ensworth was buried at St Martin's Church on 10 March 1806, and it is possible that one of these dates is wrong.
The future Mayor's father Thomas Ensworth senior died on 4 March 1806 at the age of 70. His brief obituary in Jackson's Oxford Journal four days later read, “On Tuesday last died, in the seventy-first year of his age, Mr. Thomas Ensworth, Wine and Brandy Merchant, of this city. His benevolent disposition and true friendship will very long endear his memory to all who knew him.” He was buried with his wife in St Martin’s Church at Carfax. (When that church was demolished in 1896, the tablet in their memory was moved to the north wall of All Saints’ Church, now Lincoln College Library.)
His sister Mary Ann Ensworth, did not marry and died at the age of 32 on 16 August 1806: and she too had a brief obituary a week later: “On Saturday last died, much esteemed by her family and friends, after a long and painful illness, which she bore with exemplary patience and fortitude, Mary Ann Ensworth, aged 33 years, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Ensworth, Wine and Brandy Merchant, in the Corn Market. She was buried in St Martin's Church on 21 August 1806.
Ensworth's continued to run the wine business in Cornmarket after the death of his father at the age of 70 in 1806.
Ensworth came on to the council in 1809 and was elected Senior Chamberlain for 1816/17 and Junior Bailiff for 1818/19. He continued to serve as a Bailiff until 1825, when he was elected an Assistant.
Thomas Ensworth was elected Mayor of Oxford at the end of November 1825 (for 1825/6), after the earlier election of William Slatter for a second consecutive term of office was held to have been invalid, and also elected an Alderman for three years.. In January 1826 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. In July 1826 Ensworth laid on lavish entertainments when the Lord Mayor of London (William Venables) paid a visit to Oxford. Then on 24 July 1826 he perambulated the boundaries of Oxford, including Botley and Godstow (but not St Clement's, which was still outside the city).
He continued to serve as an Assistant after his mayoralty, and on 9 January 1827 he was elected on to the council's Market Committee.
Around this time Ensworth built Walton House (List Entry 1046619) between the Woodstock Road and Walton Street. (His fine house was later to become the original hall of residence of Somerville College.)
Ensworth occupied (but did not live at) Haslington Farm near Botley in 1827, and on 4 August that year the Windsor & Eton Express reported:
On Thursday a fire broke out at Haslington Farm, near Botley, in the occupation of T. Ensworth, Esq., of Oxford, caused by a boy shooting at some birds in the barn. By this calamity, two cottages, one barn, a stable, cart hovel, part of a hay rick, with several farming implements in the barn, were entirely consumed. When the Earl of Abingdon heard of the fire, his lordship immediately sent all his workmen, and his fire-engine, to assist in extinguishing the flames.
On 29 November 1827 the Council elected Ensworth as one of the Commissioners of Sewers.
Ensworth's wine business does not appear in directories after 1830, and he presumably retired around that time. He frequently won prizes at flower shows in the 1830s and 1840s.
On 27 September 1831 Thomas Ensworth was elected an Alderman.
Following the passing of the Municipal Corporation Act of 1835, Ensworth was elected councillor for the North Ward on 26 December 1835 and six days later was elected an Alderman for three years.
At the time of the 1841 census Ensworth and his wife Mary were listed at Walton House (which is simply described as being in “St Giles Road”, as the Woodstock Road was then known).
On 23 April 1842 Jackson's Oxford Journal advertised a forthcoming auction of “two extremely valuable farms” in Botley, both in the occupation of Thomas Ensworth:
- A leasehold farm of 72 acres including Mere Leys, Wet Leys, Furzey Leas, and Broad Close
Held under Lincoln College, Oxford for 21 years from 10 October 1832 - A lifehold farm of 54 acres including Home Close, Polt's Corner, Ash Croft, Dean Field, Broad Close, and Little and Great Howlington Closes.
Subject to the lives of three persons aged 45, 53, & 55 years
Electoral registers for Berkshire in 1850 and 1855 show that Thomas Ensworth then occupied land at Seacourt owned by Richard Ferdinand Cox and his brother.
In the 1851 census Ensworth (71) and his wife Mary (70) were again listed at Walton House, looked after by four servants. He was described as a retired wine merchant
† Thomas Ensworth died at Walton House at the age of 76 on 7 February 1857.
In his Will he left Walton House and its contents to his Executors in trust for his wife during her lifetime
On 4 July 1857 his farm premises in Botley were described as “occupied by the late Mr Thomas Ensworth”, and on 18 July 1857 his farm equipment and numerous animals were advertised for sale.
His widow Mary Ensworth died in St Giles' parish (presumably Walton House) at the age of 77 on 25 December 1857.
On 13 February 1858 Jackson's Oxford Journal advertised the sale of his Oxford home:
WALTON HOUSE, SAINT GILES'S, OXFORD
The Residence of the late Thomas Ensworth, Esq.
TO BE SOLD BY PRIVATE CONTRACT, with immediate possession, — The above eligible MANSION, having an entrance, with carriage drive, from Saint Giles's-road and Walton-road, with large pleasure garden, lawn, kitchen garden, forcing houses, green house, stables, cow-house, coach-houses, and other conveniences; together with a DWELLING HOUSE, adjoining the entrance from St. Giles's-road.
See also:
- Chaplain to the Mayoralty [Robert Crawford Dillon], The Lord Mayor’s Visit to Oxford, in the Month of July, 1826 (Longman, Rees, Orme, Browne & Green, 1826)
- Malcolm Graham, Oxford City Apprentices 1697–1800, entry numbered 2833
- PCC Will PROB 11/2253/99 (Will of Thomas Ensworth of Oxford, proved 8 June 1857)
- 1841 Census: Oxford (St Giles), 891/06/5
- 1851 Census: Oxford (Summertown), 1727/487
