By Jenny Bettger, Archives Assistant (Research)
Researching family history is often searching through increasingly hard-to-read documents, trying to find more than just the basic facts about our ancestors. Beyond the first few generations, you are unlikely to have any photographs or idea of what the people looked like. Photographs can help us to connect to the person and see them as more than just a name and set of dates and facts. In our archives we have a collection by the Petworth photographer Walter Kevis with photographs dating from c1877 to 1908. Most of the collection are portraits and family photographs, as well as staff of Petworth House, which makes them a great resource for those who lived and worked in the area at the time.
One person who caught my attention was ‘Old Mrs Ricketts’ in a photograph dated October 1887. It shows a woman looking directly at the camera with a stern gaze in clothes that are plain and well-worn (Kevis 1/R193). The title states that the image was ‘not liked’ by the subject and another photograph of her has a softer expression and pose (Kevis 1/R194). The catalogue names her as Ann Ricketts (née Hunt), the wife of William Ricketts. A photograph of ‘Old Mr Ricketts’ from the same year, shows William dressed in similarly plain clothes. He is described as a carrier and coal merchant of Petworth. At the time of the photographs, Ann was aged about 62 and William was about 72.
October 1887
October 1887
Searching census and parish records online finds that Ann and William had a large family. William had previously been married to Ann’s sister Charlotte, with whom he had three children before her death in 1848. He married Ann the following year and they had a further eight children. In 1851, they were living in Pound Street, Petworth, but by 1861 had moved to Back Street. The couple remain in Back Street and last appear in the census in 1881. Living with them are their four youngest children, Maurice, Annie, Charles and Orlando, aged between 21 and 13. William and the two elder sons are working as carriers, presumably in the family business. And Annie is a domestic servant.
Photographs of other members of the Ricketts family can also be found in the collection. Portraits in this period were often taken around engagements or marriage or to reflect the prosperity of the family. Unlike the elder generation, the younger members of the family appear in more formal and fashionable attire. Even young children are shown in suits and frilly dresses. As a family working in physically demanding jobs, it is unlikely this was their usual day-to-day clothing. These may have been their best clothes or hired for the photographs.
The Ricketts carrier business appeared to have been established in Petworth for some time. Accounts in the Petworth House Archives collection list William as receiving payments for carriage of goods from 1849 (PHA 2384). Local directories show that the family continued in the business into the 20th century. An undated photograph of the High Street shows a cart bearing the family name outside their business. The building was later renamed Ricketts Cottage to honour the longstanding connection with the family.
The Kevis collection has been digitised and can be viewed on our online catalogue. An account with our website is needed to view these. For more information on the history of this collection please see our previous blog: Petworth House Laundry and the Kevis Photographic Collection.
Stay up-to-date with us on social media:
