robert frost + jane frost
Robert was born in Chester, Cheshire on 3 March 1826 and baptised at the Crooke Street Presbyterian Chapel on 21 April. He was the youngest son of Francis Aylmer Frost and his wife Ann Stubs.
Robert’s father operated a successful flour mill in Chester and the family lived in a comfortable house on Egerton Street not far from the mill. Fifteen year old Robert has not been found in the 1841 Census but he was likely away at boarding school before taking up a 7 year apprenticeship with his father. By 1851, he was back in Chester living with his family and working at the family mill as a Master Miller along with his father and older brother, Thomas.
Two years later, he married Jane Frost at the Crooke Street Presbyterian Chapel on 17 August. Jane was born in Manchester on 7 September 1822 and baptised four years later on 12 June. She was the daughter of James Garrett Frost and his wife Jane Whitley and was a first cousin to Robert. In 1851, she was living with her widowed mother in Curzon Park in Chester.
The first of their six children, Ann Jane, was born on 2 November 1854 and baptised at Crooke Street Chapel on the same day. Son Robert was born in the spring of 1856 but he died months later, on 19 August, and was buried at the Overleigh Cemetery in Chester four days later. Honora was born on 23 June 1858, James Garrett in the spring of 1859 and Constance Lucy in the fall of 1860.
When the 1861 Census was taken, the family was staying at their holiday home in Dwygyfylchi in north Wales. Robert’s occupation was listed as Coal Merchant so it appears he left the family milling business and entered the coal trade. Also appearing in the census were three house maids, a governess and a groom and all were born in Cheshire so it appears they travelled with the family to the Wales. In the summer of 1862, they welcomed their sixth child, daughter Frances Aylmer, who was named after Robert’s father.
Robert was very active in local government and he was elected as a Councillor in 1855 and re-elected in Trinity Ward several times before accepting the position of Mayor in 1864 and again in 1865. In 1867, he was appointed as a magistrate for Chester and continued in this role for many years, he was appointed an Alderman in 1868 and served on the School Attendance Committee. The family bought a summer home in the village of Kinnerton near Hawarden in Flintshire and Robert was later appointed a magistrate and High Sheriff for the county of Flintshire.
In 1871, the family was living on Queen’s Park Road in Chester and Robert’s occupation was listed as Magistrate Alderman & Land Owner while Jane was listed as a Farmer Miller employing 14 men so it appears they were still involved in the family milling business. Their three youngest children were at home as well as six servants including a butler, coachman, nurse and cook. Eldest daughter Ann was attending the Queen’s Gate Terrace Ladies School in Kensington, London while Honora was at the Abbots Court Ladies School in Chester.
Ten years later, Robert and Jane were still living on Queen’s Park Road and Robert had returned to working as a Corn Miller as well as his duties as Justice of the Peace. His son James Garrett was still at home and was working as a Corm Miller in partnership with his father. Daughters Constance and Frances were at home but their elder daughters, Ann and Honora, were in Dwygyfylchi visiting sisters Agnes and Isabel Newton at their home Llwyn Heulog.
On 17 August 1881, their daughter Honora married James John Mallandaine at St Bridget with St Martin and after a honeymoon on the Continent, they settled in Devon. James Garrett married Margaret Hills on 28 October 1885 at Chester Cathedral and details of the event were published in the Liverpool Mercury on 29 October 1885:
Fashionable marriage at Chester - Yesterday at Chester, the marriage took place of Mr James Garrett Frost, son of Alderman R. Frost JP of Chester and Broughton (Flintshire) and Miss Emilie Hills, daughter of the late Mr. W. A. Hills, barrister at law, Ramsgate and niece of Dr Stubbs, Lord Bishop of Chester. Great public interest was manifested in the event. The ceremony which took place at Chester Cathedral in the presence of a large congregation, was conducted by the Bishop of the diocese and Archdeacon Darby.
c. 1989
Six months after James’ marriage, Jane Frost died aged 64 years. Robert and Jane purchased a home, Crofton House, in Torquay, Cornwall in 1881 and spent the winters on the south coast. Robert was still in Torquay when the 1891 Census was taken on 5 April along with daughters Ann, Constance and Frances, grand-daughter Cecilia Mallandaine and his niece, Mary Frost. Robert was suffering from ill health and spent time on the south coast as well as the Mediterranean with the hope of improving his health.
In January 1896, his health took a turn for the worse and he died at Crofton House on 11 April. His body was returned to Chester and he was buried at Overleigh Cemetery on 16 April. Details of his funeral were reported in the Cheshire Observer on 18 April:
The funeral of the deceased gentleman, though simple, in accordance with his wishes, was of an impressive character. The large attendance of members of the Corporation and of the general public, testified to the respect in which the late Mr. Frost was held. The coffin arrived at St Mary’s Parish Church on Wednesday evening, when a short service was held. The first part of the funeral service was gone through in the church at noon on Thursday. The rector (the Rev. H. Grantham) conducted the service, and the curate (the Reve. G.V.M. Hickey) and the full choir, with the organist were present. The service was choral and a psalm was chanted, and the hymn "Rock of Ages" was sung. The mournful procession left the Church headed by about 80 employees of Messrs. F. and A. Frost and Sons. Behind these came the Mayor and Corporation, before whom was carried the civic mace and sword draped with crape; the choir headed by the curate; the churchwardens of St Mary’s, the rector and the chief mourners. At the grave-side, the rector conducted the service and the choir sang the deceased gentleman’s favourite hymn "Thy will be done". The chief mourners were Mr. J.G. Frost (son), and Mrs. J.G. Frost, the Misses A.J. and F.A. Frost (daughters), Captain and Mrs. Mallandaine (son-in-law and daughter), Sir Thomas Frost (brother), and Lady Frost, the Misses Lucy and Beatrice Frost (nieces), Mr. John M. Frost (nephew) and Mrs. J.M. Frost, Mr. T.G Frost (nephew) and Mrs. T.G. Frost, Mr. Meadows Frost (nephew) and Mrs. Meadows Frost, Mr. F.A. Frost (Altrincham), Lieutenant-Colonel Norton and Mrs. Norton and nearly all the other members of the family. The coffin bore the inscription "Robert Frost, born 3rd March 1826, died 11th April 1896."
Robert’s will was proved on 6 June to the executors to his son James Garrett and his nephew Francis Aylmer and he left an estate valued at £188 000. In current terms, the value of his estate in 2013 would have been over £18 million. He bequeathed the majority of his estate, £120 000, to be divided between his four daughters and the remainder of the estate was bequeathed to his son, James Garrett.
Robert and Jane’s daughters Ann, Constance and Frances never married. Constance died on 10 November 1892 and she was buried at Overleigh Cemetery on 14 December. Probate was granted on her £16 000 estate on 16 February 1893 to James Garret Frost of Estyn, Sandy Lane, Chester and James John Mallandaine of Waverley Court, Camberley, Surrey. Ann remained in the south coast and lived in Devon for many years. She died in Ashton, Devon on 12 February 1900 and was buried at Overleigh Cemetery one week later. James Garrett died on 22 June 1912, aged only 52 years, at his home in Boughton.
In 1901, Frances was living at the Manor House in Ashton along with her sister Honora and her family and she was still with Honora in 1911. They were both staying at the Hotel Metropole in Minehead, Somerset and the census was taken just one month after Honora’s husband died. Frances remained in Devon and when she died on 6 June 1944, she was living at 1 Edwinstowe, Higher Warberry Road in Torquay. She left an estate valued at just under £9000 with legacies to her companion Louisa Dannell and her niece Minnie (nephew John’s wife) with the residue of the state left to her three nephews: Robert Frost, James Garret Frost and John Meadowes Hawkes Mallandaine.