CFHS code : AS304
Parish : All Saints
Inscription : In Loving Memory of ARRON THOMAS the beloved husband of OLIVE NEEDHAM d July 17 1937 age 53 also his wife OLIVE d Mar 26 1980 age 88
Monument : Headstone
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
Located four rows east of the west path as it bends to become the north path. It is not known when the headstone fell.
Inscription
In Loving Memory of ARRON THOMAS the beloved husband of OLIVE NEEDHAM died July 17 1937 age 53 years.
“Loves last gift is Remembrance.”
Also his wife OLIVE died March 26 1980 age 88 years
Arron Thomas Needham ( 1884 – 17 July 1937)
Although the name is spelt Arron on the grave monument, Aaron was spelt the more traditional way on official documentation. His name was also inverted to Thomas Aaron. The name and spelling of Arron has been used to record his life.
Arron was the son of Thomas and Alice Needham and grew up at 87 Cambridge Place (1891), 16 Norfolk Street (1901) and 162 Sturton Street (1911). Thomas Needham worked as a railway fireman and from the age of at least 16 onwards Arron worked as a domestic gardener. He married Olive Stratton in 1917 and the couple went to live at 68 Kingston Street (1920-at least 1927) and then 88 Ainsworth Street (at least 1930 onwards). Arron died at Fulbourn Hospital aged 53 years old.
In July 1939 his widow placed an ‘in memoriam’ notice in the Cambridge Daily News which read ‘gone from our sight, but not from our minds from his loving Wife, Mother, Father-in-Law of Norfolk’.
Olive Needham (née Stratton) (18 June 1891 – 26 March 1980)
Olive was born in Whissonsett, Norfolk (a village five miles south of Fakenham) and baptised there on 12 July 1891. She was the daughter of Augustus and Emily and grew up on London Street in the village, where her father worked as an agricultural labourer. Aged 19 she was working as a housemaid for the Devereaux family in Great Shelford. She married Arron Needham aged c.26 years old.
After she was widowed she continued to live at 88 Ainsworth Street and worked as a charwoman (1939). She died at home aged 88 years old.
There are many other members of the Needham family buried at Mill Road Cemetery, mainly in the St. Paul’s area of the Cemetery – none of their graves have yet been discovered.
James Needham (1826 – 7 March 1872)
Little is known of James’ early life. He was documented as having been born in Brandon, Suffolk (1851 census), Oldham Lancashire (1861) and Lancashire (1871). Similarly there is no marriage documentation of him having married Harriet Leach. Nevertheless by 1851 he and Harriet were iving at Cambridge Place with their only son Thomas (1847-1907), and James was working as a labourer. In 1871 they lived briefly in Clown, Nottinghamshire and he was documented as being a railway engine driver. He died at Cambridge Place, and was buried in the St. Paul’s area of the Cemetery on 8 March.
Harriet Needham (née Leach) ( 31 December 1826 – April 1891)
Harriet was born in Brandon, Norfolk and baptised on 3 February 1827. She was the daughter of carpenter Robert Leach (1803-1861) and his wife Emily (née Youngs). After she was widowed she lived at 87 Cambridge Place with son Thomas and his wife Alice and worked as a charwoman. When the 1881 census was taken on 5 April she was a patient at Addenbrookes Hospital. She died a few weeks later and was buried in the same grave as her husband on 21 April.
Thomas Needham (1847 – March 1907)
Thomas was the son of Thomas and Harriet and was born in March, Cambridgeshire. He was baptised at St. Wendreda Church on 6 March 1847. He worked as a labourer and married Alice Goddard on 16 September 1867 at St. James the Great Church, Bethnal Green. The couple had nine children: Matilda (1868-1913), Laura (1872-1905), James Aaron (1876-1957), Arthur (1878-1919), Florence Dorothy (1881-1922), Aaron Thomas, Alfred (1886-1975), Harriet (known as Hetty) (1889-1972) and Thomas. Thomas later worked as an railway engine stoker (1871/1881) and then as a railway fireman (1891)
The family lived at 87 Cambridge Place and Thomas died at home aged 60 years old. His funeral was held on 22 March and he was buried in the St. Paul’s area of the Cemetery.
Alice Needham (née Goddard) (1848 – 8 September 1920)
Alice was born in Wandsworth, the daughter of gardener Thomas Goddard and his wife Susannah. After she was widowed she moved to live at 162 Sturton Street. In the summer of 1915 her granddaughter Mabel Howard (daughter of Laura) came to live with her, as she was working at Chivers jam factory. Mabel was hit by the arm of a trolley at work, and she developed an absess under her arm as a result. The absess was drained, but did not heal and as a result Dr Chisholm performed two operations on her at the family home. Mabel died during the second operation as a result of chloroform. Alice testified at the inquest and the jury returned a verdict of ‘heart failure due to shock previous to an operation’.
Alice died at home and was buried in the same grave as her husband on 13 September. Newspapers reported that ‘the deceased had been very depressed since the loss of her son, who was blind, some few months ago and passed award after a short illness. For a number of years she had resided at 162 Sturton Street and was well known and highly respected in that part of the town’.
Arthur Needham (1878 – 31 March 1919)
Arthur went blind aged 10 years and attended the Royal Norwood College for the Blind, in Croydon before returning to the family home at 16 Norfolk Street (1901) and then Sturton Street (1911). Arthur worked as a piano tuner ‘and carried out his work with some assistance although he was entirely blind’. He died aged 37 years old and his funeral took place on 4 April where ‘there was a large number of friends present’.
Thomas Needham (1892 – 29 August 1898)
Thomas was the youngest son of Thomas and Alice Needham. He died at 87 Cambridge Place aged 6 years old and was buried in the St. Paul’s area of Mill Road Cemetery on 1 September 1898.
Florence Dorothy Child (née Needham) (1881 – September 1922)
Florence was the daughter of Thomas and Alice and was baptised at St. Paul’s Church on 21 May 1881. She was known as ‘Dolly’ and also ‘Florrie’. She worked as a dressmaker before marrying John Thomas Child (known as Jack) (1881-1941) on 8 March 1906 at St. Giles’ Church. They had four children: Barbara Mary (1906-1998), Jack Arthur (1911-1975) and Peggy Laureen (1918-) and another who died as an infant. Jack worked as a farrier/general smith and the family lived at 44 Norfolk Street. Dolly died at home and newspapers noted she ‘had been a great sufferer for 12 months’. Her funeral was held at Mill Road Cemetery on 6 September.
Irma Laurene Stratton (née Howard) (August 1904 – 27 December 1929)
Irma was born in Hitchin, the youngest daughter of William and Laura (née Needham) Howard. Her mother died the year after her birth and she was raised by her grandmother Alice at 162 Sturton Street. In 1921 she was living at Sturton Street with her uncle Alfred and both were working for H.G Whibley Confectionery Manufacturers in Chesterton. Alfred was a storekeeper and Irma a factory hand. She married baker Hubert Stratton (1901-1959) on 22 August 1922 at St. Barnabas’ Church and they had two children: Phyllis Laurene Emily (1922-2015) and Dennis Arthur (1925-2000). Hubert was the younger brother of Olive Needham, wife of Arron Thomas. Irma died at 90 Ainsworth Street aged 25 years and was buried in the St. Paul’s area of Mill Road Cemetery on 1 January 1930. The children were raised by their aunt Olive at 88 Ainsworth Street.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish burial records
by Claire Martinsen
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