This photograph came to us with a note "from Harry Chown, Rushden" - with the photo captioned "Mr Skinner, grandfather of Harry's wife Margaret."

Jabez Skinner

Arthur Harry Chown was living at 38 Portland Road in 1939 and he married Margaret G. Skinner in 1942.

Margaret was the daughter of Herbert Eli Skinner and Annie Maud (nee Sells).

Herbert Eli Skinner was born in 1890, the son of Jabez and Margaret (nee Foulds), and he was known as Bertie when the 1901 census was taken. The family was living in Commercial Street, Higham Ferrers.

By 1911 Herbert was working as a clicker and his two older sisters, Mary and Ellen, were both closers in the shoetrade.

Jabez Skinner worked as a currier's "tableman" in the leather trade, and is seen in the photograph seated on a pile of the prepared skins of leather, with a scrubbing brush strapped under his right hand. In 1921 he was working at the Thomas Sanders tannery, Higham Ferrers.

Herbert was a costing clerk at the C.W.S. Boot Works in Portland Road when the 1921 census was taken, and he was now living at 63 Portland Road. His father Jabez and mother Margaret were also living with the family.

Jabez died aged 69 in May 1923, and Margaret died in May 1938, and are both buried in grave C393.

Herbert died in 1958 and was buried on 12th December in grave F1732, in Rushden Cemetery, and Annie died in 1974 and was buried in the same grave on 24th August. There is no inscription.

Jabez Skinner - the grandfather of Margaret G. Skinner who married Arthur Harry Chown - was born in Rushden in 1854, son of Eli and Mary Ann (nee Fairey of Raunds). Eli was a shoemaker.