b'A load of cobblers from Bugthorpe(with Bishop Wilton links): Peter Gospeltime of the contract.James waited until he was 30 years old, until 7th February, 1826, before marrying and when he did so, he married Elizabeth Arnott, a Bugthorpe girl, and they set up home in that village. Elizabeth was 23 at the time of the marriage.Between the marriage and 1843 they produced 9 children.The youngest, William, who was born in 1843, was the only one to follow his fathers footsteps and became apprenticed to his father as a cordwainer at Bugthorpe. William was 33 years old when he married Isabella Jacobs in 1876.Isabella was a girl from the village of Upper Dean in Bedfordshire who was in service in Bugthorpe at the vicarage. How she got there I dont know, perhaps she was in service to the same man elsewhere, in another parish and followed him to Bugthorpe. Unfortunately Isabella fell pregnant and in 1875 was delivered of a daughter, Emily.She had returned home to have the child and was accompanied by William.He was not named on any birth certificate as the father nor indeed was the birth of the child registered.The couple returned to Bugthorpe with the child and were married on 22nd February, 1876.They then conspired to have a further 6 children over the William Gospel 1843-1931 ensuing years. The two boys were Harry who moved to Bishop Wilton and was in the construction trade as William Gospel 1843-1931 a builder and was involved in the construction of the Rectory together with other buildings in the village. W illiam Gospel married Elizabeth Robinson (aGeorge too was a builder (Master) and the two boys widow with three children) on 13th March,married sisters Sarah Mary and Annie Eliza Tindale 1786 at St Ediths Church, Bishop Wilton. Theyfrom Meltonby,produced a further eight children of whom 6 survivedTheir father however continued his life as a cobbler to adulthood.George and Thomas succumbed toin Bugthorpe and the entry for the 1892 Bulmers an outbreak of measles in the village in 1801.TheDirectory reveals there were no less than three youngest son was James who was born on Augustshoemakers in the village.Later conversations with 4th 1796.He and brother William were the only twohis granddaughter Eva May revealed that William boys to follow a trade or profession. William became,had a contract for the making of boots for the after apprenticeship, a miller at Millington and JamesNottingham workhouse and all three men shared the a cordwainer.Although apprenticeship papers cannotwork amongst themselves.I always wondered why be found for him it is reasonable to suspect that hea village with a population of less than 300 required 3 did the apprenticeship at Bugthorpe where thereshoemakers!!seemed to be a plethora of cordwainers. A cordwainerThe story now takes a turn of pathos and humour.is described as a worker in soft leather; the word originating from the area of Cordoba in Spain whereIsabella Jacobs with her the skins of goats were used to fashion clothing such as gloves and shoes.granddaughter, Amy Gospel, 1917In these times it was normal for an apprenticeshipAs they entered old age when Isabella was 67 to last until the man was 24 years of age andyears old, their eldest son, Harry, who had ten children therefore marriages often took place immediately afterby this time and with his wife pregnant with the the apprenticeship finished.There was often a clauseeleventh, was killed at Ypres by a shell that exploded in the Indentures of Apprenticeship prohibiting theas he served his country.This event destabilised entering into any contract of matrimony during theIsabella.Her mental and physical health declined BULLETIN 13 215'