46 Ainsworth Street

46 Ainsworth Street

Number 46 is one of a terrace of four houses standing on the east side of Ainsworth Street.

1881 census

Walter J Thompson, head, 31, carpenter, b. Kingston, Cambridgeshire
Mary Thompson, wife, 33, b. Burwell, Cambridgeshire
Lily G Thompson, daughter, 3, scholar, b. Cambridge

1891 census

William John Tiplady, head, 31, bootmaker, b. Cambridge
Alice Tiplady, wife, 30, b. Cambridge

William John Tiplady and his wife Alice (née Greenwood) married in 1886.  Between 1901 and 1911 they lived at 86 Ainsworth Street.

In 1897, Ebenezer Impson, baker, of 46 Ainsworth Street, was in court as a witness to a crime committed on Newmarket Road (Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 24 September 1897).

1901 census

William Shepherd, head, 27, coal porter GER, b. Yelling, Huntingdonshire
Julia Shepherd, wife, 26, b. Cambridge
Lizzie Shepherd, daughter, 3, b. Cambridge
Elsie Shepherd, daughter, 16 [months], b. Cambridge

1911 census

William Shepherd, head, 37, coal porter loco, b. Yelling, Huntingdonshire
Julia Shepherd, wife, 36, b. Cambridge
Elizabeth Shepherd, daughter, 13, b. Cambridge
Elsie Maud Shepherd, daughter, 11, b. Cambridge
William Albert Shepherd, son, 8, b. Cambridge
May Victoria Shepherd, daughter, 5, b. Cambridge
Fredrick Samuel Shepherd, son, 1, b. Cambridge

William and Julia had been married for 14 years and had eight children, of which three had died.

1921 census

William Shepherd, head, 47, fire lighter, GER, b. Yelling
Julia Shepherd, wife, 46, home duties, b. Cambridge
William A Shepherd, son, 18, painter’s labourer, unemployed, b. Cambridge
May V Shepherd, daughter, 16, tailoring, Cooperative Society Ltd, b. Cambridge
Fred S Shepherd, son, 11, school, b. Cambridge
Arthur S Shepherd, son, 9, school, b. Cambridge
Ida I Shepherd, daughter, 5, school, b. Cambridge
Harry G Shepherd, son, 2, b. Cambridge
Stella M Shepherd, granddaughter, 3, b. London

The younger William was working as a painter’s labourer for Mr Beasley, painter and decorator, of 153 Gwydir Street, but was out of work at the time. Mary was tailoring for the Cooperative Society on Burleigh Street.

Elsie Shepherd had married Redg Withinshaw (that’s the correct spelling!) and was living in Hackney.  May married Edward Alexander Redvers Pilsworth from 17 Ainsworth Street in 1926.

Fred died in 1939 (Cambridge Daily News, 1 May 1939):

SHEPHERD – On Friday, April 28th 1939, Frederick Samuel Shepherd, aged 29 years, of 46 Ainsworth Street, Cambridge.  Internment at Borough Cemetery, 2:30 Wednesday May 3rd.

Harry served as a Private with the 5th Suffolks (5th Battalion) in World War II.  He was captured in Singapore on 15 February 1942.  His POW index cards records his occupation as cook.  Harry was held in Thailand, and was released on 2 September 1945.

1939 register

William Shepherd,  b. 18 Oct 1873, widowed, pensioner
William Albert Shepherd, b. 8 Jan 1903, single, painter’s labourer
Donald Withinshaw, b. 17 Jul 1921, single, milk roundsman

Sources: 1881–1921 Census, 1939 Register, Cambridgeshire Baptisms, Cambridgeshire Marriages, Prisoners Of War 1715–1945, World War 2 Allies Collection,