Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (19th Century) a voluntary Yeoman Cavalry similar to the one Isaac belonged to. Source: The New York Public Library Digital Collection.
Isaac was originally a cabinet maker but by 1855 was the licensee of the King’s Arms on Fargate where he stayed until the early 1870s. This map from 1853 shows the location of the pub where Marks and Spencer is today.
1853 Map showing the King’s Arms. Source: Picture Sheffield.
Isaac hosted many events for friendly societies at the King’s Arms. In 1863, on the occasion of the Prince of Wales marriage, the Sheffield Provincial Grand Lodge of the Imperial Order of Oddfellows put an announcement in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph telling members to assemble in carriages for the procession and that ‘All brothers must appear in regalia’. The order was issued from the Grand Lodge Rooms at the King’s Arms, so this society had permanent rooms there.
For 40 years Isaac belonged to the West Yorkshire Yeoman Cavalry which was a volunteer force. These type of volunteer forces were commonly used for enforcing public order, but whether Isaac saw any real action isn’t known. Elsewhere the Manchester and Salford Yeoman Cavalry participated in the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. In 1855 Isaac was a Corporal in the Number 1 Troop Sheffield and became a Sergeant-Major in the 1870s. He won first prize for sword in 1849.
Isaac hosted many events for the Yeoman Cavalry benefiting commercially from his membership as reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph in 1858:
The annual dinner of the First West Yorkshire Yeomanry Cavalry was held yesterday at the cutler’s hall. About a hundred sat down to dinner, which was of a recherche character. The arrangements had been entrusted to Mr. Isaac Lowe, King’s Arms, Fargate, and reflected credit upon him.
Isaac married in 1840. The couple had no children of their own but had two children living with them in the 1850s and 1860s, Maria and Sarah Ann North. At this time there was no legal means of adoption, but Sarah Ann was described as Isaac’s adopted daughter in the memorial inscription on his grave. His niece Emily Anne was also described as an adopted daughter on this memorial.
Isaac died suddenly at 60 years of age and was interred at the Cemetery with ‘military honours’ with at least 100 men from the Cavalry in attendance. His wife Sarah died four years later. They were interred in in grave H 80 in the Anglican area.