Blanchard Family
The first evidence I have of my family being in Malton is Paul Blanchard - a coal merchant and later ostler at the Rose and Crown in Wheelgate - he died in the Malton Union Workhouse in 1879.  However my three-times great-grandfather, William Lowson Blanchard, also came to Malton with his young family soon after April 1851.  His brother, Henry was to follow and they both had successful businesses as butchers.  William had shops in Wheelgate (where the Post Office/sorting office building is today) and Saville Street and Henry in Old Maltongate.  Henry had a son Thomas who had a butchers in the Market Place and whose wife Mary (daughter of Thomas Parke, once bailiff on the Birdsall estate) ran The Dragon Cafe (now Murrays) also in the Market Place.  William was evidently a colourful character.  After the death of his first wife he started an affair with the daughter of the stationmaster at North Grimston station, he was an active anti-vaccinationist and managed to get into court over an incident in a railway carriage!  In between times he fathered eighteen children.  William's descendants include Arthur Blanchard who managed the grocery department in Malton Co-op, Dick Blanchard who ran the stationery business in Yorkersgate, Lowson Blanchard who ran the grocery store in Beverley Road, Norton, and Geoffrey Blanchard who was landlord at the Castle Howard Ox.  Contact me for more info.

Malton Christmas Fat Stock Shows
On Tuesday, Mr Robert Boulton held a special sale of fat stock........... Several of the Malton butchers bought largely at the sale on Tuesday .... We append the list of some of the chief butchers, as supplied to us:
Mr William Blanchard - One short horned bullock, 2 years and 3 months old, bred and fed by Mr Smith, High Mowthorpe; one short horned bullock 3 years old, fed by Mr Duggleby Beswick; Leicester sheep, bred and fed by Mr Smith, High Mowthorpe.
Mr Henry Blanchard - Three year old short horned ox, bred and fed by Mr Lett Scampston; three year old cross-bred heifer, bred and fed by Mr Geo Hardy, Barthorpe; four Masham shearlings and four four-shear Scotch wethers fed by Mr C Mitchel, Appleton-le-Street; two cross bred wethers and two Leicester ditto fed by Mr Henry Robson, Howe Farm; and pork pigs.
Malton Gazette, 20th December, 1873

North Eastern Railway
Scarborough Gazette
Thursday Nov 9 1865
Gross outrage on ladies travelling
At the same court the railway company prosecuted Mr Wm, Blanshard, butcher, Malton, for “annoying passengers” between Malton and Scarborough, on the day following that of the previous case. This case was of an extraordinary nature, three witnesses on one side, and three on the other - all very respectable-swearing diametrically in opposition. The company charged Mr Blanshard with annoying passengers by vomiting in the carriage, and threatening, when accused of being drunk, to throw them out the window. The Bench were of opinion the case for annoying passengers was proved, and inflicted a fine of 40 shillings and costs 13 shillings.

 

Sudden Death at Malton
On Thursday a sad case of sudden death occurred at Malton to Mr WL Blanchard, butcher, Wheelgate. It appears that for some time past Mr Blanchard had suffered from heart disease but on Thursday he was in his usual health and attended to his business. On retiring to bed shortly after ten he was taken unwell, and the services of Dr Hartley were called into requisition, but were of no avail as Mr Blanchard died before 11 o’clock. Deceased was well known in the district and especially in the Wolds, where for some years he has transacted a large business. An inquest will not be necessary.
The Malton Gazette, 17th July 1886