Rob Forsyth
Under Construction
The Spiers family occupied Loke Cottage (l) on Castle Street - opposite the entrance to the Castle Grounds - from the 1841 census to at least 1911. The first recorded occupant was William Foster and his family. He was born in Aynho in 1799 or 1800*. The image is from a postcard dated 11 August 1911 signed by Nellie sending hers and her mother's love to a friend in Oxford. It looks much the same to day except that the third floor single window has been replaced by two windows above the ones below.
* Census years should always be considered as being within + or - 1 year because of differences between birth and census dates and sometime errors by enumerators and faulty memories of people!
Key to William Foster Spiers
William F1 1799-1889 William F3 1872 - 1949
William F2 1833-???? William F4 (Bill)1922 -2001
click on Date to see the relevant census sheet or information
| Date | Census Location | Extract of Details |
| 1841 | Castle Street | William Foster (b.1800) + wife Susanna (b.1806)- children Mary (b.1828), Richard (b.1830), George (b.1831), William F2 (b.1833), Elizabeth (b.1835) Susanna (b.1839), John (b.1840) |
| 1851 | Castle End (or Street?) | William F1(b. Aynho c.1799) + children - Mary, William F2, Susanna, John, Edward (1844). Mary Bennett (b.1799) is a visitor |
| 1861 | No Spiers recorded | |
| 1861 | Stepney, London | William F2 is living with a family on his own as a Servant. Occupation is Journeyman Baker. |
| 1863-5 | Private J Spiers (1827-89) 6th Oxfordshire Rifle Volunteers wins Trophies | |
| 1871 | Castle Street | William F1, son John and visitor Mary Bennet who is William’s Sister in Law & Housekeeper |
| 1881 | Castle Street | John, Wife Elizabeth (b.1843), son William F3 (b.1872), daughter Nellie (b.1874), an elderly William F1 [NB: a daughter Susanna was born to John & Elizabeth in 1871 and died in 1878 [grave] |
| 1889 | Deddington | In November William F1's death is recorded in the Parish magazine as 'In Memoriam' at a Missionary meeting |
| 1891 | Castle Street | John, wife Elizabeth, son William F3, daughter Nellie |
| 1901 | Castle Street | John & wife Elizabeth |
| 1911 | Castle Street | Elizabeth & daughter Nellie visiting. Census was in April. The post card of Loke Cottage was sent in August |
| 1921 | No Spiers recorded | |
| 1939 | High Street, Cherry Trees | The war time register has William F3 & wife Emily & son William (Bill) F4 (b.1922-d.2001) Bill served in the RAF see 'A parish at War' page 67 |
Post 1939
William (Bill) F4 married Edna Ellen nee? (b.1929) in ???? and had a son Michael (Micky b.??). He (and his wife?) live in ????.
Dorothy May Spiers (b.?? daughter of ??) married Thomas (Tom) Pratt. He and his wife died in 1968 in a car crash [grave]. Their son Barry, who lived in Hudson Street, is a world famous Mandolin player.