James William Eyre Ransom

JWE Ransom was known through at least his adult life as William.  

In 1871, age 19 and a travelling confectioner, he was living at 48 High Street, Brentford with his aunt Frances Dear (nee Eyre). Frances’s husband Charles Dear was a local Waterman and was killed in a boating accident a few years before on the Thames at Cuckold’s Point. His barge laden with goods was hit by a steamer and he was trapped underneath and drowned. 

Just before JWE married Mary Eliza Meads he was living with her in Albion Road, Hounslow and during the same year on 29^th October 1876 JWE married Mary Eliza Meads at St. Peter’s in Hammersmith, Mary was the daughter of James Stocker Meads, a hairdresser who was also a well known constable and beadle of the parish of Heston. When her father died in 1905 he made the papers including in France for being the oldest serving constable in the country at age 95. It was reported hundreds attended his funeral.

In 1881 JWE, still a travelling confectioner and his wife Mary Eliza were living at 270 High Street, Brentford with their first child, daughter Florence.  

By 1885 the family had moved to 27 Orchard Road, Brentford and By August 1887 they moved to where JWE would spend the rest of his life – Linden House, 23 The Butts, Brentford.  

Around 1885 JWE started a business called Pescud & Ransom together with William Pescud who was also a well known Brentford businessman. In the late 1890’s JWE was listed in relation to Pescud & Ransom as having residence at 23 The Butts, 203 High Street, a factory, freehold houses at The Butts and and Credlands cottages, The Butts, Brentford. My grandfather Sidney Ransom once or twice mentioned to my father Clive Ransom of his grandfather having a ‘sweet factory’ down London way.

Pescud & Ransom was in business from around 1885 until 1904, eventually going bankrupt. The family continued living at 23 The Butts  until the death of JWE in 1928 

JWE and Mary had 8 children and their dates of birth are all written in order by JWE in the Ransom family bible.

Mary Eliza died on 27^th December 1895. Her daughter Florence was present and registered it. The death certificate says Mary died of Apoplexy after 30hrs. This would be described as a Stroke now. 

JWE married his second wife Mercy Jenner (nee Martin) on 24^th January 1899. Here is a photograph of them both. Mercy had no children with JWE: 

Also here is a photograph of 6 of James and Mary’s children outside 23 The Butts, Brentford – this must be 1903 or before going by the ages of their children – this is JWE and Mary’s children Ernest, Maud, Herbert (my great grandfather), then front: George, Beatrice and Arthur. Florence is not present in the photo: 

Here is myself and my Dad Clive Ransom recreating the same scene over 100 years later in 2019: 

Pescud & Ransom tin (1904 or before): 

Pescud & Ransom – The Shop At 203 High Street, Brentford:

The following was taken from The Brentford High Street Project (BHSP) :

The History of 203 High Street, Brentford:

Confectioners for over 50 years. In 1851 Mrs Elizabeth Meades, baker lived here, recently widowed with a one year old daughter. She employed two men as bakers: Frederick Moore and George White, both married and both living in (their wives were living elsewhere). The house was also occupied by George Chandler, a messenger and porter and his wife, and finally a Miss Alice Taylor, 50, born Kew whose occupation is recorded as ‘Own Property Money’.

By 1861 Elizabeth Meades had moved away, possibly having remarried, and no. 203 was occupied by locally born Henry Samuel Barnes, confectioner. His household included a Richard Meades, aged 19, a relative of Elizabeth Meades? Henry Samuel Barnes remained here until at least 1874 (he is recorded as a wholesale confectioner in a trade directory).

In 1881 Charles Box, wholesale confection born North Devon lived here with his wife Emma, two boys surname Burgess and a female servant.

The 1890 Kelly’s trade directory records ‘Pescud & Ransom, manufacturing confectioners and biscuit bakers’. William Pescud lived here in 1891 and 1901 with his wife Alice and family (8 children by 1901). There is a marriage at Westminster Registration District in 1879 of a William Pescud and Alice Pescud which fits the age of their eldest child. William was from Richmond a few miles to the south of Brentford, Alice was Brentford-born.

In 1913 Charles Robinson, solicitor, was recorded at this address. The 1909/10 Valuation (which is dated 9 April 1915 for this property) records Eliza Robinson, Lampton Road, Hounslow, as the owner but the property was vacant.

It is described as a 3 storey, brick and flat roofed property with cement washed upper part, shop premises but used as offices. It had a projecting wood framed window to the first floor and a wood and glazed office front to the ground floor.

• The ground floor had matchboard partitioned offices (3), a book room, and rear office plus a kitchen with sink, dresser and range
• There were 2 rooms on the first floor and a half landing with a lavatory and small room.
• On the top floor were 3 attics.

Fair condition throughout. There was a right of way to the occupier of no. 202 over the back yard to the Butts. High Street frontage was 14′ and the property had been sold in 1910 for £500. At the rear was a stock brick built and tiled building of 2 storeys.

In the 1911 census no. 203 was an office occupied by Mr Robinson, no one lived at this address.

JWE in the news

First mention – 1885 – the passing of one business to another: 

The County Of Middlesex Independent: Christmas Present’s – 19th December 1885: 

Feb 1886: 

July 1886 – Pescud & Ransom advertisement underneath one for George Dare (Bootmaker at 201 and 202 High Street) who had the shop next door to Pescud & Ransom (203 High Street):

July 1886 – Closer up. Note that they mention they use their own vans – this was also later seen when they went bankrupt and their horses (13) and vans (10) were sold off – this is shown further down this page:

May 1887: 

20th April 1889 – The Middlesex Chronicle – A Wooden Erection:

29th June 1889 – Acton, Chiswick And Turnham Green Gazette – William Pescud’s nephew killed whilst working for Pescud & Ransom:

May 1890 – Traveller’s Strike: 

28th February 1900 – County Of Middlesex Independent – Burglary of Pescud & Ransom premises: 

24th February 1900 – Middlesex County Times – Further reporting on the burglary:

1890 – A Defaulting Apprentice:

and this further article from The County Of Middlesex Independent on Wednesday 30th April 1890:

The County Of Middlesex Independent – 16th January 1895:

Middlesex And Buckinghamshire Advertiser – 16th November 1895: Collision!

Cruelty To A Horse: 

30th July 1898 – The Surrey Times – Ill Treating A Horse – Looks like another incident of ill treating horses:

The Middlesex County Times – 29th June 1889 – The Death of Walter Pescud (William Pescud’s nephew):

29th June 1889 – Middlesex Chronicle – Inquest Into Death of Walter Pescud:

The County Of Middlesex Independent – Wednesday 22nd November 1899 – charity collection:

The County Of Middlesex Independent – 21st August 1901 – Pescud Attacked By A Horse – Maybe this was a horses revenge for the above cruelty to a horse!: 

1901:

1901:

The County Of Middlesex Independent – 16th January 1901 – Death of a Competitor:

County Of Middlesex Independent – Wednesday 18th December 1901 there is a meeting in St. Lawrence church to elect 3 members of the Brentford Vestry:

12th March 1902 – Middlesex Independent – A Message From William Pescud:

July 1903 – Serious Accident to William Ransom (JWE): 

The Middlesex County Times And Ealing And Hanwell Post – Saturday 5th December 1903 – Death of an Employee:

1904 – Bankruptcy, Eventually things caught up with them and the business went bankrupt: 

1904 – The Middlesex Chronicle – Saturday 30th January 1904 – Bankruptcy Sale:

Friday 22nd January 1904 – The Daily Telegraph – Bankruptcy Sale – Horses and Vans:

May 1905 – Employee not keeping his wife: 

Chiswick Times – 27th August 1909 – Brentford Tradesman Charged:

1912 – 25th Feb – Lloyds Weekly News – William Ransom still taking confectionery orders 8 years after the demise of Pescud & Ransom:

Here is what (very briefly) happened to their children: 

Florence married into the Harris family who were a well known Brentford family of coach builders, she later ran the business as Mrs. Harris when her husband died. We have no photo’s of Florence. 

William sadly died aged 9 days. 

Ernest emigrated to Canada with his wife – also of the Harris family. Their descendants still live there to this day. 

Maud married an Arthur Savage and emigrated to Canberra, Australia with Arthur working in the early Parliament House. A chapter in a Canberra history book was written about Maud and Arthur. Their descendants still live there to this day 

Herbert, my great grandfather moved to Birmingham shortly after he got married to Maud Lunt who we are told JWE did not approve of. We know that Herbert’s children did on occaision visit JWE as children at 23 The Butts, Brentford. Herbert died in 1938. My family still reside in Birmingham to this day. 

Arthur married Mary Ann Samuel and they moved to Teddington. We have met one of Arthur’s descendants and keep in regular contact. 

Beatrice emigrated to Australia also but instead of living close to her sister Maud in Canberra she moved to a small town called Moora, then onto Dumbleyung and Wagin. We know through the descendants of Maud though that the two of them did meet up and we have some photographs of the two of them in Perth on a shopping trip in the 1940’s. She married tow men through her life but neither of them worked out, eventually she lived alone but she did have children earlier on. 

We have various evidence that the move to Australia for Maud and Beatrice was related to the church, not sure if it was St. Lawrence but that did seem to be their local church. During their time in Australia they were both deeply involved in church activities. 

George married Eliza Kate Middleton and lived in Southampton and Portsmouth ending up in Birmingham although my family did not know of him. He was close to Arthur’s family though and appears in many family photographs through the years. 

Memories of JWE (William) Ransom. As recalled by family members.

Janet Coley, grandaughter of JWE says that her mother Beatrice ‘Beat’ Ransom recalled being taken on visits to Brentford with her father Herbert to see the family in Brentford. As she was the eldest of her generation this may be why she had memories of visiting. She recalls her grandfather JWE was some kind of preacher and was very strict. Whilst visiting she was not allowed to play out with the other kids who lived in the street and could only sit on the wall of the garden and watch the other kids play in the street. She was never allowed to play with them. The wall she spoke of is very likely this one as it runs alongside the garden of 23 The Butts and below the other side is the street. it looks a low wall but there is a considerable drop the other side, around 6 to 7ft.

Chris Cole, daughter in law of Doris ‘Dos’ Ransom provided this: “Doris didn’t know any of her dads family.  Her siblings visited London with their dad to see his family but Doris never did, or didn’t remember that she did.  She had quite a complex about it because her siblings, especially Beatty, would tease her, even as an adult, saying she had been disowned and her grandparents didn’t want anything to do with her, and her dad had been told never to take her with him.  In truth, she was still very young when her grandparents died so her age may have been the reason she didn’t go or doesn’t remember ever going.”