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William BISHOP (1794–1866)
His wife Mrs Mary Ann BISHOP, née Deck (1804–1858)
Their daughter Miss Elizabeth BISHOP (1833–1858)
Their sons Alfred BISHOP (1847–1866) and
John BISHOP (1851–1913)
St Mary Magdalen section: Row 7, Grave 62½

William Bishop was born in Holywell, Oxford in 1794 and baptised at St Cross Church on 4 June. He was the son of William Bishop senior of All Saints parish and Rebecca North, who were married at St Peter-le-Bailey Church in Oxford on 9 February 1791 and had two other children baptised at St Cross Church: Elizabeth in 1792, and Richard in 1796.

Mary Ann Deck was born in Nuneham Courtenay on 23 February 1804 and baptised at All Saints' Church there on 18 March. She was always known by the surname of Deck, but the register leaves a blank, and states that she was the daughter of Mary Anne Clarke and Arthur Deck, so she was probably born out of wedlock.

On 18 June 1821 at All Saints' Church, Nuneham Courtenay, William Bishop married Mary Ann Deck. They had the following children:

• Benjamin Bishop (born at Fisher Row, Oxford on 21 May 1822 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 9 June)
• William Bishop (born at Fisher Row, Oxford in January 1825 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 6 February); died aged five weeks and buried in St Thomas's churchyard on 24 February 1825
• John Bishop (born at Worcester Street, Oxford in 1831 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 15 July);
  died aged six weeks and buried in that churchyard on 16 August 1831
• Elizabeth Bishop (born at Smith's Buildings, Gloucester Green, Oxford in 1833 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 10 March)
• Mary Bishop (born at Gloucester Green, Oxford in 1835 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 11 October)
• Sarah Bishop (born at Worcester Street, Oxford in 1838 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 15 April); died aged 2 and buried in that churchyard on 17 September 1840
• Thomas Bishop (born at Gloucester Green, Oxford in 1840 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 25 November); died aged fourteen months and buried in that churchyard on 19 December 1841
• Walter William Bishop (born at Gloucester Green, Oxford in 1844 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 5 April)
• Alfred Bishop (born at Worcester Street, Oxford in 1847 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 30 May)
• John Bishop (born at Worcester Street, Oxford in 1851 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 27 July).

Willilam was variously described as a boatman or coal merchant in the baptismal registers, and he would have been involved in both those kinds of work, as coal travelled down to Oxford via the canal barges. He and Mary Ann began their married life at Fisher Row in St Thomas's parish: this was then very near the canal, which used to come as far south as the Worcester Street canal basin (now a car park).

By mid-1831 they had moved to St Mary Magdalen parish, where sometimes their address was given as Gloucester Green and sometimes as Worcester Street, suggesting that it bordered both.

At the time of the 1841 census William (46), described as a boatman, was living at Worcester Street with Mary Ann (38) and their children Elizabeth (8), Mary (5), and Thomas (seven months). Baby Thomas was to die later that year, and two more sons, Walter and a second John, were born before the next census.

Their other surviving child Benjamin, who had already left home in 1841, was married in 1849:

• On 20 June 1849 at St Thomas's Church Oxford, Benjamin Bishop, described as a boatman of Hythe Bridge, married Elizabeth Bowell, the daughter of the boatman William Bowell, also of Hythe Bridge.

In 1851 William (55), still described as a boatman, was living at Worcester Street with his wife Mary Ann (47) and three of their children: Mary (15), who was a house servant, and Walter (7) and Alfred (4); and also a boy of 15 lived with them who was the boatman servant of William. Their other surviving unmarried child, Elizabeth (18), was working as a housemaid in Neithrop near Banbury.

Their youngest child John was born a few months after the 1851 census.

Mrs Bishop died in 1858:

† Mrs Mary Ann Bishop née Deck died at Worcester Street, Oxford at the age of 54 on 7 March 1858 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 12 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

Her daughter Elizabeth died just four months later:

† Miss Elizabeth Bishop died at Worcester Street, Oxford at the age of 25 on 25 July 1858 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 28 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

At the time of the 1861 census William Bishop, a widower of 67 who was still working as a boatman, was at home in Worcester Street with his four unmarried children: Mary (26) was a dressmaker, Walter (17) was a servant, and Alfred (14) and John (9) were still at school.

His son Alfred died in 1866:

† Alfred Bishop died at Worcester Street, Oxford at the age of 19 on 23 July 1866 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 26 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

William Bishop himself died just four months later:

† William Bishop died at Worcester Street, Oxford at the age of 72 on 15 November 1866 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 21 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

John Bishop (born 1851), son of William and Mary Ann

At the time of the 1871 census John (19), who was a printer compositor, was living in Worcester Street, probably in the old family home, with his older brother Walter (27), a coal merchant who was now the head of the household, and his sister Mary (29).

On 3 November 1879 at Ss Philip & James's Church, John Bishop (28), described as a compositor of St Bernard's Road (then called St John's Road) married Mary Ann Griffin (30) of Nelson Street, the daughter of the college servant Joseph Griffin. They had two children:

• Francis Bishop (born in Oxford in c.1879)
• Gertrude Bishop (born in Oxford in c.1880).

At the time of the 1881 census John (29), who was still working as a compositor, was the head of the household at 25 St Bernard's Road in Ss Philip & James's parish, and his two unmarried siblings were living with him: Mary (39), who was a dressmaker, and Walter (37), who was now described as a waterman. His wife and children are hard to find, and he is oddly described as a widower. (His wife could not have been dead, as at the time of the 1911 census John stated that he had been married to Mary Ann for 31 years, and that they had had two children.)

By the time of the 1891 census John (39) was back with his wife Mary Anne (41) and their children Francis (10) and Gertrude (9), and they were living in part of 3 Beaumont Buildings in St Mary Magdalen parish.  

By 1901 they had moved to 4 Worcester Place, and their son Frank (20) was a bookseller's assistant and their daughter Gertrude (19) a dressmaker.

By 1911 they had moved to 68 Norreys Avenue, New Hinksey, and John (59) was still working as a compositor. Their children Francis (30) and Gertrude (29) had the same occupations as before.

John died in 1913:

† John Bishop died at 68 Norreys Avenue, New Hinksey at the age of 62 on 27 July 1913 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 30 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

His effects came to £373 15s. and his executor was his wife Mary Ann Bishop: she may have moved to London after his death, as his will was proved there.

Other surviving children of John and Mary Ann Bishop

• Benjamin Bishop (born 1822) was employed by the coal merchant William Ward for over 30 years. In 1861 he was a boatman aged 39, living at 5 Hythe Bridge Street with his wife Elizabeth (34), who was a laundress, and their children Elizabeth (12), William (11), Mary (9), and Anne (eight months). Their address was given as 9 Hythe Bridge Street in 1871: Benjamin was now described as a coal porter, and there were two children at home: Mary (19), who was a laundress like her mother, and Emma (6). Benjamin went missing at the beginning of 1877, and the following notice appeared in the Police Gazette of 12 January: “Missing from his home, No. 23, Mill Street, Osney, since 2nd instant: BENJAMIN BISHOP, 55 years of age, 5 feet 5 inches high, rather red face, long pointed nose; dressed in a brown smock, corduroy trousers, and black soft billycock hat. It is feared some ill has befallen him.” His body was found tangled in a tree in the Thames below Sandford a month later on 8 February.
• Mary Bishop (born 1835) is hard to trace after 1881, when she was aged 39 and still unmarried, and living with her brother John's family at 25 St Bernard's Road.
• Walter William Bishop (born 1844) never married. He was a boatman aged 37 in 1881, living with his brother John's family at 25 St Bernard's Road, but in 1891 he spent census night with his two crew members on board the barge Victor, which was moored near the Three Pigeons in Kirtlington. In 1901 Walter (57) spent census night on board a barge moored in Thrupp. He is hard to find after that date.