(Revised October 2012: Life Story updated and Data added)

Birth

John was born on the 20th June 1827 in Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, the eldest son of John and Esther Whitehouse and the grandson of William and Martha Uglow.

Early Life

He appears to have spent his early life living with his parents and training for a career as a clerk. However, clerical work did not appeal to him and in 1842 when he was barely 15, he enlisted in the Royal Marines at Portsmouth, almost certainly overstating his age in the process. This first experience of military life did not completely suit him as after just over one year he bought himself out for £20. Undeterred, he then signed up with the Grenadier Guards and served for an 18 month period.
On the 27th May 1846, by which time he was almost 19, he enlisted with 1st Dragoon Guards at Burton on Trent, where his parents were then living, misstating his age as 21 in the process. In January 1847, while he was serving on despatch duty in Ireland where the potato famine was then raging, he was thrown from a horse. Two years later, the complications brought about by this accident were to bring his military career to an end when he was discharged unfit for service on the 29th May 1849. He had reached the rank of Lance Corporal and his discharge document stated he "was an extremely well conducted soldier". It must have been a great disappointment for John to have to abandon the career he had wanted to follow and in which he had shown such promise. Although no photographs of John have come to light so far, his military papers give us a little information on his appearance - he was 5ft 9.5ins tall, fair skinned, with light brown hair and hazel eyes.
The 1851 census return shows John then aged 23, back home again with his parents in Burton on Trent and without employment. Later that year, he embarked on a second career as master of the workhouse at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, which is about 8 miles south east of Burton-on-Trent.
Prior to his marriage in 1856, John embarked on his third and final career as a commercial traveller for a Burton Brewery. The breweries there were flourishing and would have offered John prospects of earning more than he would in the Workhouse. We know that later in life he worked for Messrs Allsop and Co. of Burton on Trent but we do not know whether he started his new career with them.

Married Life

On the 12th February 1856, John got married at Ashby de la Zouch to Eliza Spencer, who appears to have been born in Ashby de la Zouch about 20 years earlier, the youngest child of John and Catherine Spencer. After getting married, John and Eliza set up home in Station Street, Burton-on-Trent. They had five children all born in Burton on Trent. The first two children did not survive but were soon followed by two daughters and a son who grew up with their parents.
Sometime after 1871 and before 1876 the family moved from Burton-on-Trent to Ashby de la Zouch possibly so that Eliza could be closer to her family. On March 6th 1876, Eliza died in Ashby de la Zouch, aged only 41.

Later Years

After Eliza's death, the two daughters stayed at home with their father helping with the housework until he died suddenly on Sunday 26th November 1882, aged only 55. The circumstances of his death were related in a local newspaper on Saturday 2nd December 1882 :-
"A sad and painful case of sudden death occurred here on Sunday evening last. It appears that Mr John Trease, formerly a commercial traveller in the service of Messrs Allsop and Co. Burton, was in his usual health up to tea on Sunday, but whilst some of his family were preparing to attend a divine service he was found in an unconscious state. Medical Aid was soon procured, but all means used to restore consciousness were of no avail, and death took place shortly after. The deepest sympathy is felt for the bereaved family, who are highly respected in the town."

Children

Details of John and Eliza's five children appear below. All of them died young :-

• their first child, a son, was born in 1856 in Burton-on-Trent and died before christening
  
  
• their second child, another son, was born in 1857 in Burton-on-Trent and died before christening
  
  
• daughter Alice Eliza was born in 1860 in Burton-on-Trent. After her father's death she became governess to the family of Edward Freeland, a brewer living at Fazeley. In 1890, when she was 30, she married Edward Freeland's son, Edward Fricker Freeland in Tamworth. They had two sons. Like her mother before her, Alice died young, aged 48, in 1909. Her husband, Edward married three further times and died in 1959 in Solihull aged 89.
  
  
• daughter Mary was born in 1862 in Burton-on-Trent. In 1892 she married John Daniel Whitehouse in Hackney London. Her husband was the son of John Bullivant Whitehouse and Jane Reeve and was a farmer of Erdington, near Birmingham. John and Mary had two surviving children - a son and a daughter. Mary died in 1909 aged only 47 and her husband died the following year leaving their two children to be brought up by their aunts.
  
  
• son John Spencer was born in 1866 in Burton-on-Trent. When he became orphaned at 15, he left school and went to life with his uncle Joseph Spencer, a farmer at Ashby. On November 8th 1882 he joined the Midland Railway Company to work in their Mineral Office where he spent the whole of his short working life progressing through the ranks of clerical staff from a starting salary of £20 a year to a final salary of £120 when he died. On the 31st March 1901, he was recorded on the census as visiting his sister, Mary, and her husband on their farm at Moor End, Erdington.
  On the 23rd August 1901 he died at Ashby aged 35. It seems that he literally drunk himself to death per this Newspaper Report of the Coroner's Inquest into his death. Unfortunately the report gives none of the background as to why John behaved in the way he did. All we have about the background to John's death is the opinion of the coroner that it was the most painful case in the whole of his 30 years experience. John did not marry nor have children so sadly, with his death, the Trease name came to an end in this branch of the family.

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Data Index

John Trease

Wife - Eliza Spencer

Son - Unnamed1

Son - Unnamed2

Daughter - Alice Eliza

Daughter - Mary

Son - John

John TREASE
1827	b. 20Jun1827 (per family bible)
1841	Census. Horninglow Road, Burton on Trent (HO107/975 bk8)
	John Trease 40 Supervisor of Excise Esther Trease 35 Y John Trease 13 Esther Trease 10 William Trease 8 Jane Trease 6 Mary Trease 3 George Trease 6mo Y Born outside county unless marked "Y"
1842	Joined Royal Marines (Attestation papers)
1844	Bought himself out of Royal Marines for £20 (Attestation papers)
1846	27May1846 Enlisted 1st Dragoon Guards (Chelsea Hospital papers - Attestation document)
1849	29May1849 Discharged from 1st Dragoon Guards (Chelsea Hospital papers - Discharge document)
1851	Census. 71 Horninglow Street, Burton on Trent (HO107/2012 f217 p26)
	John Trease Head 53 Supervisor Inland Revenue b. Poundstock, Cornwall Esther Trease Wife 46 b. Tipton, Staffs John Trease 23 b. Devonport, Devon Esther Whitehouse Trease 20 b. Devonport, Devon Jane Trease 16 Scholar b. Devonport, Devon Mary Trease 12 Scholar b. Plymouth, Devon George Trease 10 Scholar b. Plymouth, Devon Henry Trease 7 Scholar b. Burton on Trent, Staffs Ann Trease 5 Scholar b. Burton on Trent, Staffs
1851	01Nov1851. See Newspaper Report
1853	Master of Ashby-de-la-Zouch workhouse (Shaw's Union Officers)
1854	Master of Ashby-de-la-Zouch workhouse (Shaw's Union Officers)
1854	29Apr1854. See Newspaper Report
1856	(23Feb1856 Leicestershire Mercury)
	on the 12th inst at Ashby de la Zouch by Rev M. Vavasour, vicar, Mr J. Trease, Burton on Trent to Eliza, youngest daughter of Mr J. Spencer of the former place.
1856	Mar 1856 John Trease & Eliza Spencer (Ashby Z RD Jan-Feb-Mar 1856 7a 144)
1857	John Treace Station Street Commercial Traveller (1857 Trade Directory)
1861	07Apr1861 Census. Sch 64. 177 Station St., Burton-on-Trent (RG9/1965 f9 p11)
	John Trease 33 Head Brewers Traveller b. Devonport, Devon Eliza Trease 26 Wife b. Ashby de la Zouch, Leicester Alice Eliza Trease 10 mos Daughter b. Burton-on-Trent, Staffs Jane Trease 26 sister Unm Schoolmistress b. Plymouth, Devon Maria Roake 14 House servant
1871	2nd April 1871 Census. 55 Derby Street, Burton on Trent (RG10/2907 District 24 Page 41)
	John Trease Head Mar 43 Brewer's Traveller b. Devonport, Devon Eliza do Wife 36 b. Ashby de la Zouch, Leics Alice do Daur 10 Scholar b. Burton on Trent, Staffs Mary do Daur 8 Scholar b. Burton on Trent, Staffs John S do Son 4 Scholar b. Burton on Trent, Staffs Sarah Bates Servant 17 Domestic Servant b. ?..seal, Leics
1872	Burton-on-Trent. John Trees, commercial traveller, 55 Derby St (PO Directory)
1876	Ashby de la Zouch. John Trease, commercial travlr, Calais (PO Directory)
1881	3rd April 1881 Census. Entry 168. 4 Callis, Ashby de la Zouch (RG11/3141 District 10 Page 31)
	John Trease Head Wid 53 Brewer's agent b. Devon, Devonport Alice E Trease Daur Unm 20 Assists in housekeeping at home b. Stafford, Burton Mary Trease Daur Unm 18 do b. do John S Trease Son Unm 14 Scholar b. do
1882	02Dec1882. See Newspaper Report
1882	d. John Trease age 55 (Ashby Z RD Oct-Nov-Dec 1882 7a 67)

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1842 John Trease Royal Marines Attestation Form

NAI Forms ADM157/365/291

Folios 291-294. John Trease, born Devon. Attestation papers to serve in the Royal Marines at Portsmouth 1842 (when aged 18).
Discharged 1844 as Paid £20.
NOTE: Summary only - documents not yet fully transcribed

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1849 John Trease Royal Hospital Chelsea Soldiers Service Documents

NAI Documents WO97/134/59

Attestation Document

Name: John Trease
Parish of: Stoke
Town Devonport
Age: 21 yrs 6 months
Trade: Clerk
Apprentice: No
Married: No
Injuries: No
Willing to be attested: Yes
Enlisted: At Burton on Trent on the 27th day of May 1846 at 9 o'clock am
By: Samuel Speake Serjeant 1st Dragoon Guards
Bounty: £5 15s 6d
In Militia now: No
Have you ever served: One year and thirteen days in the Marines and
One year six months Grenadier Guards

Discharge document

report that John Trease by trade a clerk was born in the parish of of Stoke in or near the town of Devonport in the county of Devon and was attested for the 1st Regiment of Dragoon Guards at Burton on Trent in the county of Stafford on the 28th May 1846 at the age of 21 years after making every declaration amounts to three years three days discharge is proposed in consequence of his being unfit for further military service With regard to the character and conduct of Private John Trease it appears that he has been an extremely well conducted soldier and has held the rank of Lance Corporal upwards of six months he has never been a defaulter paid for service up to 29th May 1849

			Regiment	Promoted etc	Rank		From		To
			14 Guards	Attested	Private		28May1846	29May1849

Medical report

Lance Corporal John Trease Dragoon Guards declared unfit for military duty in case of ... hernia of left side originated in January 1847 from an accident ... and when on military duty The accident occurred from the horse starting ... and throwing the man on ... of ... at the time on despatch duty.

Opinion of Medical Officer at Dublin 19 June 1849 L. Corporal John Trease was this day examined by a medical board of which I was President and found unfit for further service for … hernia ? of left side.

Final Description of John Traies of the 1st Regt of Dragoon Guards when discharged the Service at Cahir the 29th day of May 1849

Age:24 years
Ht.: 5ft 91/2 ins
Hair: Lt Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Complexion: Fair
Trade: Clerk

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1853-54 John Trease - Workhouse Master

Shaw's Union Officers and Local Boards of Health Manual

	1853 - page 105


	Chairmen and		Districts	Officers				Masters			Inmates
	Vice Chairmen
	W.W.Abney		First	 	J.Davenport, Ashby-de-la-Zouch    	John Trease		300
	T.Davys	   		Second   	Ths. Jewsbury,  Measham.		Ashby-de-la-Zouch
							Ashby-de-la-Zouch	
	1854 - page 105


	Chairmen and		Districts	Officers				Masters			Inmates
	Vice Chairmen
	W.W.Abney		First	 	J.Davenport, Ashby-de-la-Zouch    	John Trease		300
	T.Davys	   		Second   	Ths. Jewsbury,  Measham.		Ashby-de-la-Zouch
							Ashby-de-la-Zouch	

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Leicestershire Mercury Sat01Nov1851

Ashby de la Zouch - Petty Session

James Howe, a well known inmate of the Ashby workhouse was charged by John Trease the master with wilfully damaging property belonging to the Union. Defendant had taken a walking expedition to London for the purpose of visiting the Exhibition and upon returning was impressed with such notions that he felt unable to do the work required of him and upon being desired by the master to do it, he committed the damage complained of. Fined 5s and costs, in default, two month's imprisonment.

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Leicestershire Chronicle Sat29Apr1854

Ashby de la Zouch

James Howe an inmate of the Union Workhouse at Ashby, was charged by Mr Trease, the master, with absconding with clothing the property of the Poor-law Guardians, value 8s, on the 4th February last. He returned on the 15th April in a ragged and filthy condition. Having several times before been guilty of misconduct, he was ordered to be committed to prison three months, with hard labour.

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Leicester Chronicle Sat02Dec1882

Ashby de la Zouch - AWFULLY SUDDEN DEATH

A sad and painful case of sudden death occurred here on Sunday evening last. It appears that Mr john Trease, formerly a commercial traveller in the service of Messrs Allsop and Co. Burton, was in his usual health up to tea on Sunday, but whilst some of his family were preparing to attend a divine service he was found in an unconscious state. Medical Aid was soon procured, but all means used to restore consciousness were of no avail, and death took place shortly after. The deepest sympathy is felt for the bereaved family, who are highly respected in the town.

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Eliza SPENCER
1876	(Deaths - Derby Mercury Wed15Mar1876)
	TREASE - March 6. Eliza wife of John Trease of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in the 41st year of her age
1876	d. Eliza Trease age 41 (Ashby Z RD Jan-Feb-Mar 1876 7a 73)
1876	Burial records for Ashby de la Zouch. Book 1. Page 206
	Trease, Eliza Age 41 09Mar1876 no: 1567 £3. 2s. 0d Buried with John & John Spencer Trease. Trease, John Age 55 29Nov1876 (sic) no: 1567 £1. 6s. 0d Commercial Traveller, Wesleyan, buried with Eliza and John Spencer. Trease, John Spencer Age: 35 27Aug1901 no:1567 £1. 6s. 0d Clerk. MY NOTE: John's age of 55 is correct. Year has been entered incorrectly - should read 1882 instead of 1876.

Unnamed son
1856	b. (male) Trease (Burton on Trent RD Jul-Aug-Sep 1856 6b 268)
1856	b. (male) Trease (Burton on Trent RD Jul-Aug-Sep 1857 6b 160)

2nd Unnamed son
1857	b. (male) Trease (Burton on Trent RD Jul-Aug-Sep 1857 6b 278)
1857	b. (male) Trease (Burton on Trent RD Jul-Aug-Sep 1856 6b 152)

Daur. - Alice Eliza
1860	b. Alice Eliza Trease (Burton RD Apr-May-Jun 1860 6b 331)
1890	m. Alice Eliza Trease & Edward Fricker Freeland (Tamworth RD Oct-Nov-Dec 1890 6b 740)
1891	1891 Census. Aston Manor, Warwicks (RG12/2428 f72 p8)
	Edward S Freeland 29 Solicitor's Articled Clerk b. Kingston upon Thames, Surrey Alice E Freeland 29 b. Burton on Trent, Staffs Edward C Freeland 3mos b. Handsworth, Staffs
1901	1901 Census. Sch127 139 Hall Road Handsworth Staffs (RG13 2710 f15 p21)
	Edward Fricker Freeland Head 30 Solicitor Employer b. Kingston on Thames, Surrey Alice Eliza Freeland Wife 39 b. Burton on Trent, Staffs Edward Claude Freeland Son 10 b Handsworth, Staffs Clement Trease Freeland Son 6 b. Aston, Warwicks Eliza Freeland Sister 23 b. Fazely, Staffs Laura Ellen Jones Servant 23 b. Caernavon

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Daur - Mary TREASE
1862	b. Mary Trease (Burton RD Oct-Nov-Dec 1862 6b 288)
1891	1891 Census. Sch189. 72/74 Cambridge Street, Ladywood, Birmingham (RG12/2367 f12 p19)
	Benjamin Gilbert 67 Tent Maker & family & servants including: - Mary Trease 28 Nurse b. Derbyshire
1892	m. Mary Trease & John Daniel Whitehouse(Hackney RD Oct-Nov-Dec 1892 1b 801)
1892	m. 02Nov1892 Hackney St John. By Banns. (per Ancestry on-line image)
	John Daniel Whitehouse Bachelor aged 42 Farmer of Moor End Green House Erdington son of John Bullivant Whitehouse, Dead and Mary Trease aged 29 Spinster of 79 Paragon Rd., daughter of John Trease, Dead Witnesses: Alice Eliza Freeland, Edward Fricker Freeland, Charles Peat, Jane Diana Ann Whitehouse
1901	1901 Census. Sch188. Moor End Lane, Erdington, Warwicks (RG13/2875 f103 p30)
	John Whitehouse Head 50 Farmer, own account b. Aston, Warwicks Mary Whitehouse Wife 38 b. Aston, Warwicks John Whitehouse Son 5 b. Wilton, Warwicks Louisa Whitehouse Daur 7 b. Erdington, Warwicks John Trease Visitor 34 Clerk b. Burton, Staffs Ada Reeve Servant 16 General Domestic b. Aston, Warwicks

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Son - John Spencer TREASE
1866	b. John S. Trease (Burton RD Apr-May-Jun 1866 6b 370)
1882	Employment Record - Midland Railway
	John Trease. Entered: Mineral Office. November 8th/82 Age 16 Nov 22/82 Salary: £20 Duties: Office Remarks: From school Appointed: December 1883 Statistics December 1882 November 83 30 November 84 40 Jan 86 43 Nov 88 50 89 60 90 70 91 75 92 80 94 85 95 90 96 95 99 100 00 120
	Deceased August 23 1901
1891	Census 5th April 1891. Entry 128. 14 Packington Rd, Ashby de la Zouch (RG12/2510 District 9 Page 20)
	Joseph Spencer Head M 63 Farmer b. Ashby Z Emily Do Wife M 62 b. Ashby Z John Do Son S 19 Farmer b. Ashby Z John Trease Nephew S 24 Railway Clerk b. Stafford, Burton
1901	Census. Visiting his sister Mary and her husband at Erdington.
1901	30Aug1901 Newspaper Report of Coroner's Inquest
1901	Letters of Administration for estate of John Spencer Trease

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Northampton Mercury Fri30Aug1901

A SHOCKING STORY OF ALCOHOLISM

An inquest was held at Ashby de la Zouch on Tuesday on John Trease, single a clerk at the Midland Railway Office, Derby. It was stated in evidence that Trease drank five quarts of bitter beer and then a pint of whisky after which he was found lying at the foot of the staircase. He was able to explain the following day that he had fallen on the back of his head. the next day he resumed drinking and continued to imbibe for several days, when he got into such a bad condition that he had to be conveyed to the local hospital. He died on Friday and was coffined and screwed down the same day. His friends travelled from Birmingham for the funeral which was fixed for Monday, but in the absence of the doctor's certificate, an inquest was ordered. The coroner remarked that it was the most painful case in the whole of his 30 years experience. The jury found that the fall and alcoholism caused cerebral hemorrhage (sic) and death.

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1901 Letters of Administration for estate of John Spencer Trease

BE IT KNOWN that John Spencer Trease of Ashby de la Zouch in the County of Leicester died on the 23rd day of August 1901 at Ashby de la Zouch aforesaid a Bachelor without Parent and intestate

AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written Letters of Administration of all the Estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the said intestate were granted by His Majesty's High Court of Justice at the Principal Probate Registry hereof to Alice Eliza Freeland of 139 Hall Road Handsworth in the County of Stafford (wife of Edward Fricker Freeland) the natural and lawful Sister and one of the next of Kin of the said intestate.

Dated the 3rd day of October 1901

Gross value of Estate ... £69. 0. 8

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Date	Section	Change
Oct2012	ALL	Text expanded, photos and source data added
Apr2013	John Spencer Trease	Employment record added
May2014	Eliza Trease	Derby Mercury - Death notice
	John Trease	Newspaper reports of his death and prosecution of James Howe, a workhouse inmate
	John Spencer Trease	Newspaper report of coroner's inquest

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