John Horton was the eighth child of James Horton & Elizabeth Hale born at Sedgley, Staffs & christened January, 1846 at Gornall, Staffs.
In 1851 John & his parents were living at Gornall Wood, Lower Gornall, Sedgley. There were 2 brothers & 2 sisters at home.
By 1861 the family had moved to Himley Rd, Lower Gornall, Sedgley. John & brother Joseph were both working as labourers & also at home were Elizabeth (11), Samuel (8), Emily (6) & Sarah (5).
John married Emma Hartill at All Saints, Sedgley in 1870. Emma was born February 26th, 1847 christened May 9th, 1847 at Sedgley, the daughter of Ann Passmore & John Hartill, a brass founder.
In 1871 John, a brick layer, & Emma were living with Emma’s mother & her second husband Joseph Hickman, a labourer, who had married in Jan-March 1858. John & Emma had a new born son, James, just 4 days old at the time of the census. They were living at 6 Gordon’s Place, Cotwallend, Sedgley.
At the time of the 1881 census John & Emma were still living with Emma’s mother & step father at the same address. John was still a brick layer & they now had 3 children – James, Job (4) & Elizabeth (2). On the census John is listed as John Orton.
John & family & in-laws were still at 6 Gordon’s Place in 1891 & John was now described as a house bricklayer. Son James was now a house painter, Job was an apprentice carpenter. Also at home were Elizabeth, Ann (9) & Virginia (6).
By 1901 John & Emma had moved to 2 Gordon’s Row, Cotwallend, Sedgley & John was still a bricklayer. Daughter Ann was working from home as a dressmaker & Virginia was a school teacher. Emma’s mother Ann Hickman was now a widow & at the age of 75 was living on her own at 6 Gordon’s Row.
In 1911 John & Emma had moved back to 6 Gordons Place, The Straits, Lower Gornall, Dudley, presumably after the death of Emma's mother. They had only 1 child living with them – Ann who continued to be a dressmaker. It was noted on the census that they had had 7 children, only 6 of whom were still alive.
Daughter Elizabeth had married Thomas Humphries, a bricklayers labourer, in Jan-March 1907 & in 1911 they were living at 7 Spring St, Spring Fields, Wolverhampton with their 2 children Emma (4) & John Thomas (2).
Daughter Virginia was employed as a domestic servant for Minnie & Frederick Sabin, an iron manufacturer, in 1911. She was living at Priory Dene, Priory Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Emma died, aged 73, on September 24th, 1920 at 6 Gordon Place, Lower Gornall & administration of her will was granted at Lichfield on November 10th, 1920 to her husband John. Her effects were £132.10s.1d.
John was living in Dudley with daughters Virginia & Ann in 1921.
Daughter Virginia appears not to have married & the 1939 register shows her as housekeeper for George Fluck, a retired mechanical engineer, at Lucern, Dunley Rd, Aerley Kings, Stourport, Worcs.
The children of John Horton & Emma Hartill were:
h.1.4.8.1 James Horton born 29th March, 1871 at The Straits, Sedgley, Staffs; died November 26th, 1950 at 18 Dudley St, Sedgley
h.1.4.8.2 Joseph Horton born July-September 1872 at Straits, Sedgley & christened August 25th, 1872 at Sedgley; died April-June 1876 at Sedgley
h.1.4.8.3 John Horton born Oct-December 1874 at Sedgley & christened January 8th, 1875; died April-June 1876 at Sedgley
h.1.4.8.4 Job Horton born November 23rd, 1876 at Sedgley, Staffs; died May 27th, 1950 at Sedgley, Staffs
h.1.4.8.5 Elizabeth Horton born 1878 at Sedgley, Staffs
h.1.4.8.6 Ann Horton born Jan-March 1882 at Sedgley, Staffs
h.1.4.8.7 Virginia Horton born November 7th, 1884 at The Straits, Sedgley, Staffs; died Jan-March 1975 at Kidderminster, Worcs