The Staples family had been in business as grocers, drapers and tallow chandlers since the 1820's, with a reputation for home produced candles made from slaughterhouse tallow.

By the 1870s, as trade increased, they moved from Wexham Street to larger premises at 31 Castle Street, and began to issue trade cards to adverise their exclusiveness as 'Italian warehousemen', and listing a wide range of imported provisions. These included macaroni, tapioca, vermicelli, sago, gelatines, dried fruit, spices, pickles and sauces of all kinds, together with a fine selection of teas and wines.

Had it not been for the illustrated trade card, the appearance of the shop in late Victorian times would have been lost without trace. In fact, it has changed little in over 130 years. The Staples shop was one of 21 grocers in Beaumaris listed in Slater's Directoy of 1895, an astonishing number for a population of just over 2,000.

Taken from 'Beaumaris A Pictorial History' by John Cowell.

The 1841 census shows Thomas Staples 56, a tide waiter lived in Church Street with his wife Ann 56 and female servant Elizabeth Hughes 15. "Tide waiters" were Custom officers that met ships arriving on the tide and made sure of the safe discharge of the goods to the satisfaction of the Authorities.

Their two sons Thomas and William also live in Beaumaris.

Thomas Staples aged 30, a Chandler lived at  Wexham Street, with his wife Mary 30, sons John 3 and Evan 18 months old. All were born on Anglesey.

A William Staples, 30 lived at Steeple Lane with his wife Elinor 26, children Thomas 2 and Ann 6 months old. He was also a tide waiter.

In 1851, Thomas Staples 66 born in London and his family have moved from Church Street to live next door to his son Thomas in Wexham Street. He is now 66, and is recorded as what appears to be a 'Queens Penshnor' His wife Ann is 65 was from Aber Caernarfonshire. Living with them are niece Ann Staples 10, born in Beaumaris and house servant Rebeca Jones 17 of Penmon.

Thomas Staples is, aged 41, wife Mary 40. He is described as a tallow chandler and grocer. Their family consists of John 13, Mary A. 9, Thomas 4, Evan 1. A Hannah Williams 17 is their house servant. All were born in Beaumaris.

A scene form Wexham St, Beaumaris

William Staples 41, wife Elinor 36 and family are now living at Old Palace, with children Thomas 12, Richard 8, Emma 6, John 5, William 3 and Evan 10 months. Evan Williams 68, a widower, is Thomas' father in law and is also in residence. Thomas is still employed as a tide waiter. All were born in Beaumaris  

By 1861, Thomas Staples 75 was a retired Customs Officer, still at Wexham Street with his wife Mary 74 and niece Emma 17.

Grocer and draper Thomas Staples 'Junior' 52, wife Ann 51 are still living next door. With them are John 23, Mary Ann 19, Thomas 16, and Evan 12. John and Evan are both grocers.

William Staples 51, tide waiter, and wife Elinor 46 reside at Church Lane with Richard 18 an apprentice joiner, John 15 a draper, William 13, Evan 11, Susanna 8, Jane 6, Carey 4 and father in law Evan Williams 78, widower of Bangor.

1871 shows Thomas Staples 62 grocer, Mary 60, Thomas 24 now a farmer, Evan 21 grocer and general servant Margaret Hughes 18 living at 28 Wexham Street.

Thomas and Mary's son John 33 is a grocer, living at 10 Castle Street with his domestic servant, Jane Thomas 30.  

William Staples 61 now described as an Outdoor Officer (Customs) living at 20 Church Street with wife Ellinor 56, Thomas 32, a Ship's Captain but out of employment, Emma 26 a dressmaker. Susannah 18 servant, Jane Ellen 16 a dress maker, Carey 14 unemployed, and Catherine E Williams 5, niece.
Carey's further census details after the 1901 details for Beaumaris. 

Richard 28, their son lives at 4 Lloyd Court. He works as a carpenter and is married to Ellin  30. Their children William Thomas 7, Richard 5, Penelope 4 and Ellinor 2 were also born in Beaumaris  

William and Ellinor's sons John 25 and William 23 are living at Prince of Wales, Beaumaris. John is head of household and both work as drapers.

In 1881 the census shows that 46 and 48 Wexham Street were recorded as house and grocer's shop, where Thomas Staples 72, grocer and draper lived with wife Mary 70, daughter Mary Ann Owen 39 and widowed, and her children, Charles Staples Owen 12, John Owen 10, Thomas Owen 8, all born in Beaumaris and domestic servant Anne Jones 17 of Penmon.

Richard Staples 38, a house carpenter was still living at 4 Little Lane, with wife Ellen 40 now working as a domestic laundress, William Thomas Staples 17 an assistant grocer, Penelope 14, Ellenor 12, and Margaret 9. 

John Staples 35, who had lived with his brother in Beaumaris, has moved to Wrexham where he lives with his nephew Richard 15 at 5 Heap Terrace. John is an unemployed draper and Richard is a bottlers' labourer, with the word 'gin' annotated by it.

Thomas Staples 33, son of Thomas and Mary, is now a farmer at Cefn Farm, Llaniestyn, with wife Jane 33 of Llanwnda and servant Mary Jones 18.

Evan Staples 31 a grocer, and son of Thomas and Mary, lived at 31 Castle Street, with his wife M. Esther 32 and daughter  M. Edith Staples aged 5.

By 1891, Richard Staples 48 was a widower, wife Ellen having passed away. He worked as a joiner and son Richard 25 was a white smith, Penelope was 24 and Margaret 19, a dressmaker. His brother John 45, a draper's assistant, was also living there.

Richard and Ellen Staples' daughter Eleanor 22, is working as a domestic housekeeper for Mary E. Byrne 61, a Postmistress and Psot Office Assistant I. O Jones 22.

Mary Ann Owen 49, widowed daughter of Thomas and Mary Staples, now worked as a grocer, living at 42 Church Street with family consisting of Charles Staples Owen 22, grocer, John  20, a medical student, Thomas 18 a wholesale grocer, her brothers John Staples 53, a tea merchant, Evan Staples 41 recorded a widower although his wife and daughter are in the same house, living on his own means, Mary Esther Staples 40, sister in law, Mary Edith Staples 15 her niece, I.G. Staples 13 her nephew born in Liverpool and Ellen Roberts 30, general servant.

Thomas Staples 52 lives at 84 New Street with his nephew William T. Staples 27. Thomas is a Pier Harbour Master and William a grocer.

In 1901, William T. Staples 36, an assistant grocer, lives at 4 Little Lane, Beaumaris with his brother Richard 34 a blacksmith, and sisters Penelope 32, a housekeeper, Eleanor 30 a domestic housemaid and Margaret 28 dressmaker. They are all the children of Richard and Ellen Staples.

Thomas Staples 62 is now a Shipwright living at 18 Wexham Street with wife Elizabeth 47.

Evan Staples 55 and widowed now lives at Llanddeusant with his daughter Mary Edith Williams 25 and her husband Edward P. Williams 40. They are a school mistress and school master respectively. Evan is a retired groacer.

William Staples 50 a drapers bookkeeper is living with his his sister Emma Moody 54, her husband William Moody 52 a blacksmith and their family Eleanor 24 a dressmaker, Christina 22, Susannah 17, and Emma 14, at 60 Erddig Street, Wrexham.

1881 saw Carey Staples head of household at 53 Micawber St, Toxteth Park, Liverpool with wife Rosalina 20 and daughter Alma E. 1. He was a warehouseman.

In 1891, Carey Staples 34 of Beaumaris, wife Rosalina 30 and daughter Rosalina B. 9, both born in Liverpool, lived at 29 Lydiate Street, Toxteth Park. He was employed as a dock porter.

Carey Staples 44 in 1901 lived at 26 Maynard Street, Toxteth Park, working as a general labourer, His wife Rosalina was 40 and daughter Rosaline 19 was a laundress. Both were recorded as Rose in the census.

Elsa-Mary Owen from Spain is seeking information on John Jones, a stonemason from either Beaumaris or Penmon

John had a daughter, Ellen, born 1823, who married Edward Roberts at St David's Welsh Church, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool in 1859. Neither Ellen nor her father could sign their names on the marriage certificate. Edward was the son of Cadwaladr Roberts, a farmer living in Llangwm.

Edward was a butcher, and in 1861, the couple lived at 9, Horatio Street, Liverpool. Edward and Ellen at the time, had a two month old son, Edward Humphrey, born in Liverpool.

Edward was still butchering ten years later. He is recorded as being 54 years old, born in Llangwm and Ellen 46, born in Penmon but also recorded as Beaumaris on other censuses. Son Edward is now 10 and he has a young brother, William 8, born in Liverpool. They had moved to live at 31, Lavan Street, Everton.

1881 saw them still at Lavan Street, Edward 64, a butcher, Ellen 55 and Edward H. 20. William was no longer living at home. 

Ellen was a widow by 1891, aged 69 and living with her son Edward H, 30 and his family at 3 Lug Street, West Derby. Edward's wife Mary H. was 30 and born in Holywell. Their eldest son William A, was 2, and was born in Bolton. Their daughter Margaret E. 9 months old, was born in Liverpool. Edward had followed his father's occupation and was also a butcher.

By  1901, Edward H, had become a District Manager in the butchery business and together with his family, lived at 82, Wavertree Road, West Derby. He was now 40, Mary H, 41, William A, 12, Margaret E 10, and daughter Gwladys, born in Sheffield, was 6. Ellen was no longer living with them.

Edward Humphrey Roberts became a wealthy meat importer, and lived at Elm Vale, in Fairfield, Liverpool. He had a daughter, Margaret Eleanor Roberts, who, in 1909, married into Lunt Paint and Soap Manufacturing family in Liverpool. She in turn is Elsa-Mary's grandmother. 

Census details kindly supplied by Tecwyn Savage.

Elsa-Mary would love to hear from anyone who may have information on John Jones or his family.
She can be contacted via mail@penmon.org

In 1841, Erasmus was recorded as aged 75, widowed and of Independant means, living in Church Street, Beaumaris. He too had a son called Erasmus, aged 35, a water bailiff living with him and a daughter Ann, 45, of Independant means. They had two female servants, Catherine Hughes 25 and Maria Williams, 20.

Above; Castle Street,
Beaumaris.
Left; H.M.A. Photo Chemist Shop

My   grandfather
Henry Maitland Ashton, my mother Marjorie and her sister Dorothy, and stepmother Ada, lived above the chemist shop at 17 Castle Street between 1923 and 1941.

Photo courtesy of Stuart McKegg
St Mary the Virgin Church, Newport Essex.

In 1861, Annie lived in High Street Row, Totterdown, Tooting. Her surname is recorded as McKegg and she was 7 years old. Her parents were Edmund McKegg, 44 a gardener journeyman, born in Essex, and Jane 41, born in Surrey, as were Annie's siblings, Emily, 5, and James, 8 months.
Lodging with the family were Stephen Gillam, 25, also a gardener journeyman, born in Kent, William E. Pont 21, a coach trimmer and George Lymon, 21, a coach wheeler (?), both born in Nottinghamshire

1881 sees the family living at Gardarmina (?), Llanfairynghornwy. Richard 37 was a copper miner, Elizabeth Ann was 30. Children living with them were Jane 13, William 11, Mary 10, Martha 7, Elizabeth A. 6, David 5, Thomas 3 and Minnie, just 10 months old. 

The family resided at 2 Plas Coch Terrace, Beaumaris in 1901.
Richard was 57, employed as a  railway plate layer, Elizabeth Ann was 50. Daughter Elizabeth A. 25, was a dressmaker, 25, Richard 18 and Hilda was 14. Niece Mabel Spargo, aged 10 born in Llanfairynghornwy, was also living with the family