Charlotte Ashling
Her Book
Harmston
1856
Another religious book, this time The Wesleyan Methodists Hymn Book, published in 1853. Measuring just 5cm x 8cm and 3cm deep, it’s not the largest tome in the shop, but three years after it was published it came into the possession of someone who wrote her name on the inside page and became part of its history.
Charlotte was born Charlotte Turner in Harmston, Lincolnshire, in 1826 and was baptised there on the 17th of June that year. She was the daughter of Samuel Turner (1779-1865), an agricultural labourer, and Mary Ann Grimley (1794-1877).
In 1841, we can find her living at home with her parents and three sisters in Harmston and on the 12th of February 1846, Charlotte married James Ashling, a carpenter.
In 1851 Charlotte and James are living in 23 Manor House Street, Harmston, where James is a carpenter and joiner while Charlotte works as a dressmaker.
Around the time when Charlotte wrote her inscription, the couple were running the Thorold Arms in Harmston. James continued with his carpentry as well as the inn but it’s unknown as to whether Charlotte continued her dressmaking or had to give it up, either way, life was about to change dramatically for her.
The old pub sign of the Thorold Arms, once run by James and Charlotte Ashling
The Thorold Arms, Harmston. Image: Richard Croft / Geograph.org.uk, CC BY-SA 2.0
In 1860, her husband James died aged just 39. He named Charlotte as ‘executrix’ meaning that she would be responsible for administering his estate upon his death, but this also made her liable for his debts.
When James died, he was in debt to the tune of £165 11s, but Charlotte and James only had assets worth £53 5s, barely a third of what was owed. At this time, people could, and were, still imprisoned for debts. In order to avoid this, people had to petition the court for protection. This would mean that the creditors couldn’t pursue those in debt, but it wasn’t easy and the courts and laws were not designed to be sympathetic to people in Charlottes position. Despite this, in order to avoid prison, Charlotte was left with little option.
The first hearing occurred a few months after the death of her husband. One of the creditors immediately filed his objections and, by January 1861 a second objection was raised by another. This was not going to be a simple process for Charlotte.
In the two months that had passed since the first hearing, her assets had dropped dramatically from £53 5s to just £5 5s. This was, of course, brought up at the hearing. We also learn why her assets had diminished so much.
Charlotte was examined by the court and claims were made that she had been “disposing of the furniture etc.” This she freely admitted, telling the court that it was “for her own support and to pay her road”. She had essentially sold all the furniture in order to survive. The creditors argued that Charlotte had no right to be asking for a petition for protection, arguing that she had mismanaged the estate and selling the furniture was an example of this.
The judge agreed and dismissed the petition which left Charlotte exposed to the prospect of prison. However, she was made of sterner stuff, and it wasn’t long before she applied again for protection, this time under her own name rather than the executrix of her husband’s estate.
This move seems to have been the right one for her. Her name appears a further two times with regard to this debt but only in the mention of the date of the hearings. After the second hearing, all goes silent. The fact that we don’t hear of further action likely means that her assets were now so little that it wasn’t worth her creditors pursuing any further.
In 1861, while the hearings were going on, Charlotte was living with her sister Henrietta and her husband William Wilson, a carpenter and farmer, in North Lane, Harmston. Charlotte, herself, had returned to dressmaking in order to earn a living.
By 1871 she was living in 6 Graham Street, Lincoln. She was now a milliner and dressmaker and had three lodgers staying with her, including William R. Day, a butcher, who was still present lodging with Charlotte in 1881 and 1891, despite the address changing during this time. In 1891 Charlotte is listed as a milliner, dressmaker and tailoress and, in 1894, she was successful enough to be listed in the Lincoln Trade Directory.
Considering how precarious things were for Charlotte, she managed to overcome not only the complex legal system regarding debt but also the harsh social stigma of debt in Victorian society. She managed to rebuild, setting up and running a successful business, she maintained her independence for forty years but, sadly, it didn’t last.
On the 30th of November 1900, Charlotte Ashling died at the Lincoln Union Workhouse. We don’t know what happened between 1894 and 1900 that ended with Charlotte in the workhouse, though age and disability were likely contributing factors. It was clear she could no longer support herself, had no family left to help or lodgers to aid her. She was buried in Canwick Road New Cemetery, Lincoln, on the 4th of December 1900.
Charlotte should be remembered for her resilience and determination, not the sad circumstances of her death. She may not have left her mark on history, but she left her name in a book, and that was enough for me to find her.
Charlotte Ashling's hymn book
