For many years now a photograph of Frank Henry Denton has graced the wall above my piano, both in the USA and in England. When I received news recently that the church where he held the position of organist and choir master for 34 years, and contains a stained glass window dedicated to him, was to close permanently I decided it was time the pull together my information about music in my family. With the birth of my own children, and recently grandchildren I have discovered that our musical line continues.
The first connection with music that I find in the Denton branch of my family tree is with Samuel Denton, 1843-1921. Born to Daniel and Elizabeth, nee Mabbett in Stroud, Gloucestershire, it seemed an unlikely beginning for a musical child. Daniel, my great, great, great grandfather, was listed as a mechanic, a millwright and a miller on the censuses, and met with a tragic death at the age of 64 when it was reported on his death certificate, a copy of which I hold: ‘Mortification caused by accidental injury to his thumb in his employment. Inquest held on Aug 6th, death registered Aug 9th.’ Daniel and Elizabeth had eight children, Samuel being the fifth child. He was christened at Rodborough Tabernacle and in 2011 my daughter Rachel and I made a trip to Gloucester to find the places that would have been familiar to Samuel.
The tabernacle, a Calvanistic methodist church, was built in 1750 and extended in 1836-7. The village is a mile from Stroud and in 1821 had a population of 2038. Rachel and I had planned to attend a service in the chapel, Sunday 26th June, 2011. I quote from my journal “ The tabernacle took a bit of finding on the steep one lane roads but after a good tip off from a local man being walked by his dog we got there about five minutes before the service was to begin. We were immediately welcomed by a lady who, hearing of our ancestral connection with the church, shepherded us to a seat close to the front. Unfortunately the service today was to be conducted in The Little Chapel, an old stable block that had been converted into a Sunday school where so many families attended church that there wasn’t room for all the children.
It was a lovely conversion, full of the evidence of the arts and crafts movement of William Morris and his ilk. After the service we all went over to the tabernacle proper where coffee and biscuits were served. And I was invited to play the organ. The only piece of music I could find on the music stand was appropriately by Edward Elgar whose home we had visited a couple of days before.”
On the 1861 census the 18 year old Samuel appears to have been a turner – perhaps meaning a wood turner/joiner Two years later he married Johanna Morgan Nash, a dressmaker from Leazes, an area just to the East of Stroud. Johanna’s father had a very grand sounding name, Charles William Broomsberry Nash and his occupation, appropriately was gardener. Johanna was one of 12 children. Their marriage took place at St Lawrence, the parish church in Stroud on April 21, 1863. Rev T.H. Tarlton presided.
Rachel and I visited the church in 2011. 5 months after their marriage their first child, Frank Henry was born.
By 1870 Samuel was listed in the Post Office directory as a professor of music, living at 49 Middle Street, Stroud. Where did that come from? Rachel and I visited the street but the houses appeared to have been renumbered so we couldn’t find the exact house.
Two years later he was appointed choirmaster at Stroudend church and school. The article in the Stroud News and Gloucestershire Advertiser reads: ‘In connection with this place of worship, a choir is formed, and hitherto has been under the gratuitous tuition of Miss Davies, whose untiring energy in the cause of both the church and school has been equalled only by that of the worthy minister himself. She has, indeed, brought out the members of the choir to a state of efficiency alike creditable to her own exertions as to themselves, and though we cannot but regret that she has relinquished her onerous pest, yet at the same time we cannot but feel initialled that the arduous duties of each an office has been taken out of her hands. We indeed, trust that her self-denying efforts may be directed in an equal degree, in some other channel perhaps more congenial to her taste and feelings, to the furtherance of God’s work. Mr. Samuel Denton has been appointed choir master, to succeed Miss Davies, and if he devotee the same painstaking energy to the choristers which his predecessor has done, success will undoubtedly crown his efforts.’
1876 finds Samuel listed as a professor of music and music seller in the Morris directory of Gloucestershire, working at the Exchange Building, Stroud. Then between 1877 when Oliver was born in Stroud and 1880 when Cyril was born in Broughton, Salford in Lancashire the family moved north. I’ve not been able to ascertain what prompted this move. Perhaps the growth of the industrial north would have provided more students for Samuel since in the 1881 census Samuel gives his occupation as teacher of music. Another possibility is that next door to him in Stroud lived a congregational minister, William Chapman, aged 48 who was born in Manchester. I wonder if that’s what got the Dentons to move to Lancashire. I’ve also read somewhere in my notes that one of Samuel’s brothers had already moved to the Manchester/Bolton? area.
So Samuel’s family are listed in the 1881 census as follows: “Teacher of music Samuel Denton 40, Joana M. Denton 43, Frank Hy. Denton 17, Amy A.E. Denton 16, Harry W. Denton 14, George V. Denton 13, Janet M. Denton 11, Alice M. Denton 10, Louis H. Denton 9, Herbert V. Denton 8, Annie A. Denton 6, Oliver A. Denton 5. They are living at 22 Marlboro Road, Broughton in Salford. This area of Salford is a newly built so their house no longer exists. As a full time music teacher myself for the past 40 something years, teaching piano, clarinet and composition privately for the majority of that time I just wonder how Samuel managed to support his large family on his income. My own daughter, Sarah, has also been a teacher of flute and piano for 20 years, and so we both know how demanding and time consuming this can be, always teaching at times when most people have finished work and school for the day. I’m fortunate to have a photo of Samuel, with his son, Frank Henry, his son Harry Norman and his son (either Frank, or Harry).
10 years later, 1911, they have moved to 8 Grove St., Ardwick, Manchester, another location which doesn’t exist today. Samuel died in Barton upon Irwell on Nov 29, 1921, aged 78 I have the death certificate – bronchial asthma, pulmonary congestion 7 days. Executor was Frank Henry,’musician’ – total effect sixty pounds and two shillings.
FRANK HENRY – my great grandfather Sept 20, 1863 – March 15, 1930
So, having moved north from Gloucestershire to Manchester around 1877 by the 1881 Frank Henry, at age just 17, is listed as a ‘teacher of music.’ On16th January, 1889 he married Esther Priscilla Dean at the parish church in Eccles. Esther had been born in Scotland. (1891 census) She was the daughter of Robert Dean who had been born and raised in Barton upon Irwell. An oil portrait of Robert was in the possession of my cousin Joyce and my own father’s middle name was Dean – a reference to his Dean ancestors..
Between 1856 and 1858 Robert had moved his family to Scotland, Portobello, where his daughter Esther Priscilla was born a couple of years later in 1861. They were living on Tower Street and Robert was a railway goods superintendent. Perhaps he had moved the family up to Scotland following a promotion. I went to visit it in 2018. His address on the 1861 Scottish census is 30/2 Tower Street which implies the second floor, therefore probably a tenement block. Before my trip to Portobello I had been in contact with the Leith historical society and someone had told me that in the 1960’s Portobello underwent some street name changes and Tower Street is now Figgate Street.
The ‘Welcome to Portobello’ sign, ‘Edinburgh’s Seaside’ was adjacent to the railway bridge after which the main street retains its original cobbles.
It’s this railway that brought Robert to Portobello where he held the position of Railway Goods Superintendent, presumably a significant promotion from his previous job as station master at Patricroft. I knew that Portobello is on the coast but I didn’t realise that Tower Street actually connects Portobello High Street to the sea front.
The tower which gives the street its name is still there, newly refurbished but all the older buildings on the street have long gone. It’s now the site of an amusement arcade. But parallel to it are little alleyways, walls and doorways, all that remains of older dwellings. A couple of older tenement blocks are also close by, but most buildings which had date stones post date 1861. On 2nd July 1867 Robert died of consumption just 36 years old in Patricroft. Perhaps he was just visiting because in the 1871 census his wife, Esther is still in Duddingston on Scottish census with 2 lodgers and her five children.
16th Jan 1889 Esther Priscilla Dean, Robert’s 4th child married Frank Henry Denton at Eccles parish church and lived at Monton Road, Barton upon Irwell. In the 1891 he is a professor of music. Their first son Frank Vernon was born in 1891. The following year it would appear that he’s the organist at Eccles church church since he was the organist at the funeral of the vicar, Canon James Pelham Pitcairn. Three other children followed, Harry Norman (my grandad) Elsie and Ethel Margaret followed. In 1895 he is listed as a piano teacher in Kelly’s directory with an address of the Park, Eccles. Then in 1896 the family
moved to Bolton and that year he was appointed organist and choirmaster at s t Paul’s. In 1901 they were living at 74 Seymour Road, Astley Bridge, and Frank is a professor and music, and is listed as a teacher of music in Kelly’s directory, 1905. My father, Frank’s grandson, was strongly associated with St Paul’s. It had a dayschool which my father attended and his sister, Elsie married Ted Gage at the church. I remember being taken to the parochial hall next to the church to practice the piano and recollect my dad telling me about the amateur theatre productions there which I think he participated in.
1917 Esther Priscilla , Frank’s wife, died at their home,291 Blackburn Road. She was 56 years old.
Frank Henry died on March 14, 1930 aged 66 and buried at St Paul’s on March
18, 1930. He was living at 204 Blackburn Road. In 2017 Sarah and I tried to find his grave at St Paul’s but the upright gravestone had fallen over and lies face down. Shortly after his death a stained glass window dedicated to him was installed on 22 Nov, 1931, St. Cecelia’s day. It was unveiled by Mabel Denton – his daughter. In 2011 I received an email from someone called Trevor who lives in Exeter. He had recently seen an ‘opening’ booklet of his church, Blessed Sacrament in Exeter in 1932 and one of the advertisements was for Francis H. Spear, with a picture of a piece of stained glass depicting St Cecilia, the patron saint of music – showing the dedication panel to none other than Frank Henry Denton.
The panel reads ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD in memory of Frank Henry Denton for over 34 years organist of this church; erected by past and present choristers & friends. 1934.’ Trevor had googled that name and up popped my website: hmcreativelady.com with a photo of the glass in St Paul’s. With this information I was eager to go and see this window for myself and so, in 2015 on a visit to England with Rachel we arranged to go to St Paul’s church. Imagine our disappointment when the dedication panel was no longer in position. It was designed by Francis H Spear who also designed the East Window at St Paul’s. Spear taught lithography and stained glass at the royal college of art. According to the Devenish collection site ‘he became one of the leading stained glass Artist-Craftsman of the 20th century. His studio/workshop was at 64 Belsize Park Gardens in London.
In 2015 Rachel and I visited St Paul’s and, after telling of my family’s connection with the church at the coffee morning, I was invited to play the organ that my great grandad had played. I climbed the stairs as he would have done every
Sunday and I found a book of organ music with the title Ceclia, the patron saint of music, and who is featured in the stained glass window.
In 2018 Bernard Denton contacted me through Ancestry.com and in February of that year he and his wife came to see me in Hebden Bridge. His grandfather, was Frank Henry’s brother, Herbert Vernon. He shared his extensive research into the Denton family with me, along with many photos.
Contacted me through ancestry In Feb 2018 Bernard Denton, Frank Henry’s nephew, contacted through Ancestry.com and came to see me, sharing with me many family photos.
A new generation of musicians in the making
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