Click here for information gleaned from an article on Job Poxon that was published in the Black Country Bugle.

There are two men with the name 'Job Poxon' living in Wednesbury. One was born in 1837 and one in 1844. Initially I had to collect information on both of them, until I could be sure of the one I wanted. From the address of Walsall Road on the marriage certificate of Elizabeth Poxon I now know that the Job I am looking for is the one born in 1844. The one born in 1837 is probably a relative, perhaps a cousin... but I would need to do a lot more research to find out if that was the case. His background is in farming and mining... two occupations that 'my' Job took an interest in!

Job's father, William, is a carter. That explains Job's love of horses - it goes back to his childhood. His age is 36 years.

His father comes from Bilston, Staffordshire but his mother, Rebecca, age 27, is from 'Dunington, Shropshire'. This is another spelling of Donington.

Four children are listed on this census:

• Betsy - age 11
• Jobo - age 6 (a 'pet name' for Job?)
• Rebecca - age 5
• Thomas - age 5

Richard (age 10) should be on this list - he must have been staying with a relative on the night of the census.

They are living in Meeting Street Wednesbury - near the centre of the town. This whole area has been redeveloped, therefore we cannot see the kind of housing that existed in those days.

Job's father, William is age 46 and working as a carter.

His mother Rececca is 39.

They are living in Darlaston Road - the number 164 may refer to the number, but was just used as a dwelling reference in those days, so exactly where they lived along that long stretch of road I cannot be sure.

Eight children are living with the family:

• Richard - age 20 - working as a miner
• Job - age 16 - working as a miner (in later documentation we find his full name was Francis Job)
• Rebecca - age 15
• Thomas - age 14 - working as a miner
• Sarah J - age 8
• William - age 6
• Elizabeth - age 5
• Samuel I - age 1

Betsy is not listed, but she would now be 21 and therefore may well be married.

Job is now living back in Meeting Street, Wednesbury, but is now the householder.

He is listed as age 26 and a boiler maker. He would therefore have some engineering background to do this job.

Mary Ann is 27 and they have four children listed:

• Sarah Ann - age 6
• Rebecca - age 5
• Richard - age 3
• William - age 1

Job is recorded as an ostler (a groom or stableman, who is employed in a stable to take care of horses, usually at an inn) and Marianne is listed as the mother.

Job - age 48 was married to Mary Ann - age 48. The children listed were:

• Richard - age 23 was a farm labourer for his father.
• William - age 20 was a farm labourer for his father.
• Job - age 19 was a farm labourer for his father. (Later revealed as Francis Job)
• Joseph - age 16 was a farm labourer for his father.
• Jane - age 15
• Samuel - age 8
• Mary Ann - age 6

They also had a farm labourer, Frank Webster, age 17, living with them.

Job, age 57, is now living in Blackpool with his new wife, Eliza, age 58. He is living at 114 Railles Road with his daughter and son-in-law. This address is no longer on the map - therefore the are must have been redeveloped..

Ellis Walstenholmer, his son-in-law was aged 40. He was a photographer's assistant and born in Middleton. He was married to H.E. aged 34 - Job's daughter and their two children Eliis (age 10) and Hellie (age 8) were both born in Blackpool, so she had been living there for at least ten years.

Job, age 67, is now living in different house in Blackpool with his second wife Eliza, age 68. They have been married for fourteen years and, having married late in life, they have had no children.

The house is 140 Albert Road, Blackpool. It is a large house for two people, having five rooms - it would be a three bedroom terrace with two reception rooms - the type sometimes used for bed and breakfast accomodation in the town.

I would imagine that Job had many visits from members of his large family - Blackpool was a very fashionable place to visit at the turn of the last century.

Eliza puts her place of birth as 'Lea Brook' - this is a region of Tipton.

Job's place of birth is listed as Wednesbury.