WEEK 42

Conisbrough Cemetery

The Jacobs family features in my pedigree and is becoming an increasingly large tree. Research conducted indicates that they were living in the Cambridgeshire region since at least the early 1600s. They mostly worked as agricultural labourers but a couple of branches in the late 1800s and early 1900s decided to try their luck in the north, presumably because of the plentiful and relatively well-paid jobs.

Castle Inn

My second great grandmother (Eliza Ann Jacobs) along with her family moved to Rotherham in 1902 and settled there. Eliza’s uncle had settled in Wombwell in South Yorkshire, previously, in the 1870s but by 1901 was back in Cambridgeshire. Two of his children stayed in South Yorkshire however. The newspaper article below pertains to one of Samuel’s sons who was called Samuel Charles Jacobs. I’d been unable to find him on the 1911 Census but a cousin recently informed me that he had died in Conisbrough in South Yorkshire in unusual circumstances:-

MEXBOROUGH AND SWINTON TIMES, SATURDAY, JANUARY, 27, 1912

Unmarked Jacobs grave

UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE. – Mr. G. Jacobs, the landlord of the Castle Inn, had a rather unpleasant experience towards the end of last week. On the Thursday evening, about 7-20, his brother in a practically destitute condition, put in an unexpected experience. It was soon found out that he had been scouring the country for the past 12 months, and a warrant was out for his arrest on account of his neglecting his wife and family at Chesterton, in Cambridge. He was apparently, in a broken-down state, and said he had come to die. New clothes were given to him, and he retired about nine o’clock. After a restless night he rose shortly after ten o’clock next morning, and medical aid was summoned. He expired, however, shortly after three o’clock on Thursday afternoon while sitting in a chair, about an hour after he had received medical attention. The funeral took place at the cemetery on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Jacobs paying all the expenses incurred. The Rev. W.A. Strawbridge officiated at the graveside. (There appears to be an error in the reporting of the incident as Samuel is reported as arriving on Thursday and then dying during the following day on Thursday)