He was born 23 April 1886 (registered Rotherham 9c 642, June quarter 1886) and he was baptised with Elsie and Frank 29 May 1895 at St Thomas Kimberworth. His father was a grocer and the family was living at 36 Kimberworth Road4. ,He was a son of John Asbery and Hannah Elizabeth formerly Vollans.
In the 1891 census of 38 Kimberworth Road, Masbrough, Rotherham, John S. was living with his family, aged 4, and born at Kimberworth.
In the 1901 census of 36, Kimberworth Road, John S. was living with his family, aged 14, and born at Rotherham.
Between 1 June 1904 and 30 May 1906 in the signal telegraph departments of the Midland Railway Company, J.S. Asbery was at Masbrough Passenger Station (16/-).
Between 30 June 1906 and 1 September 1906 and then to 30 January 1907 he was in the signal telegraph departments at Eckington and Renishaw Station on £30 + 5 pa.
Between 15 August 1907 and 7 September 07 (?) he was a timekeeping and telegraph clerk at Sheffield Yard station (Midland Railway Company).
He was known as Jack and worked as a clerk at Kimberworth station. He was a wireless telegraphist in the First World War. Later he was deputy stationmaster at Loughborough (?).
He met Enis Blackwell (born 1913 in Ashbourne), when her mother, Florrie, saw her onto the Nottingham train and asked the guard to look after her. He did this very well and later married her. The wedding was thought to have been on Boxing day and was registered in the December quarter of 1937 (Ashbourne, 7b 1771, John S. Asbery – Blackwell). Strangely no member of the Asbery family was present and he was older (actually aged 51) than Enis by quite a few years, which Enis did not fully realise until his accidental death.
Jack and Enis moved to Buxton with his family where they met up with Florence and her family.
In 1939 (register), at 6 Milnbank Avenue, Buxton, John S. Asbery was a railway passenger guard with a date of birth of 23 April 1897 (sic). With him was Enis Asbery later Roe, with a date of birth of 25 July 1913.
In 1946 John S. Asbery was a guard on a train from Derby to Bakewell when he caught two men smoking in a non-smoking compartment. They were fined at Belper Police Court.
Jack died in a walking accident at Hoffmann quarry, Harpur Hill, Buxton. His body was found (Monday) 4 August 1947. He died from multiple internal injuries incompatible with life, suffered in an accidental fall down a disused limestone quarry face. The inquest was held 7 August 1947 and the death was registered on the 11th August. He was a railway passenger guard, aged 61, of 6 Milnbank Avenue, Fairfield, Buxton.
The death notice (Buxton Advertiser, 9 August 1947?) reads " Asbery - On August 2nd. John Skelton, dearly beloved husband of Enis Asbery. 6 Milnbank Avenue. Interred St Peter's Church Fairfield, August 8th."
The inquest was reported in the Buxton Advertiser and List of Visitors, Saturday 9 August 1947.
Administration of his estate was granted at London to Enis Asbery, widow. His effects were £426.3s.5d and he was of 6 Milnbank Avenue, Fairfield, Buxton, and died on 2 August 1947.
Enis moved back to Ashbourne and married Albert V. Roe, in the registration district of Ashbourne in the March quarter 1949 (Enis Asbery cross-checked with Albert V. Roe 3a, 7 or 17 [there is an error in the index]).
She worked at St Oswald’s Hospital as an assistant matron, then as a night sister at Kingsway Hospital, Derby and finally as a midwife at Ashbourne Maternity home, where she delivered more than 2,000 babies. Albert died after more than 20 years of marriage, when he was in his early 60s. Enis died in the evening of 11 March 2009. Her funeral was held at St Oswald’s Church, Ashbourne, 25 March 2009. She was aged 95 and lived at Ashbourne. She is commemorated on the memorial stone of John Skelton Asbery at Fairfield churchyard, Buxton.
Posted October 2016