Life of a Dean Street Man - George Langley

 In our search to make this story of Marlow and it's people as representative as possible, we like to randomly pick a few people to research and feature and hence todays post about Victorian Dean Street resident George Langley. In fact George was the brother of John Langley who along with his son of the same name is one of our Marlow Heroes because of their practical help of the poor. You can read their rag to riches story here. George's story is in many ways the story of that area, although he did also spend periods living elsewhere in the town. 

Young skewer maker 

George was born at Well End, Great Marlow or Dean Street as we'd call it today - not to be confused with Well End, Little Marlow c 1830 to Thomas and Elizabeth Langley. His parents could not have more stereotypical Marlow occupations in his youth - they were working as a skewer maker and lacemaker. Skewer making had a somewhat shady reputation, not always fairly, because most of the "prick wood" needed to make the butchers meat skewers belonged to a wealthy land owner or another. The latter were not to keen to find men and women taking apart their hedges and plantations in search of materials. A few skewer makers were employed by the owners of the woods to make the skewers, but most had to negotiate the rights to search for materials in a particular spot. And the majority of skewerters could not not afford to pay much if anything for their wood.  Some didn't see why they should pay at all as they regarded the right to collect it as a customary if not technically legal right. You can read more about Marlow's skewer industry, in which our subject George also worked here. It's worth noting that skewer making was largely seasonal and many of those defining themselves as such in early census must therefore have had other occupations at least part of the time. Those who looked back to the skewer making hey day associated it especially with something labouring men did at the end of their already long work days, assisted by the women and children of the family. 

By his 30s George was working as a fruiterer's labourer  - almost certainly for his brother John who employed a vast number of Dean Street area residents in this way. By the 1860s Dean Street was associated with this industry, not least because of the Langley family. The fruiterers here were wholesalers, mostly buying the rights to harvest and sell the produce of fields and orchards in the district which generally went to London for sale. George would have travelled far and wide to help with these harvests - the fruiterers can be found sending out teams throughout Oxfordshire and Berkshire not just all parts of Buckinghamshire. 

Cricket Man 

In his 20s and 30s George was a regular addition to Marlow's cricket team, along with brother John. As such he was also called upon to take his part in the many fun cricket matches that Marlow liked to organise at the drop of a hat. Married v Single, residents of one street v those of another, those who lived one side of a road v those living on the other..any excuse to form two teams for a match would do. George was regarded as a talented individual and so in the 1870s when he was no longer part of the regular team, he was employed at the cricket club as it's groundsman and as a professional bowler.  The last means he had to attend the practices to put the players through their paces. And there was no better person to look after the grounds than someone who knew what a great playing surface should be. The grounds suffered some problems with vandalism in those years, with damaged fencing especially, so it wasn't always the idyllic job it would seen to be for a cricket fanatic. 

Sad times

In 1870 when the Thames was largely frozen over, George's beloved daughter Sarah age 14 was killed when she fell through the ice. On her way home from school, the girl was playing with other children sliding on ice adjacent to the river. They then began to dare each other to retrieve a stick throw ever further onto the ice on the river itself. Ellen was teasing the boys who did not want to go out so far, and decided to show them how it was done. She made her way into the ice several times, but sadly eventually the surface gave way and frantic efforts to retrieve Sarah were unsuccessful. Her body was not found for some time. The inquest was held at the Two Brewers Inn in St Peters Street. Later it was said George never recovered from this tragedy and went down hill physically and mentally after this time. 

Certainly by the time of his early death age 49 in 1879, it was regarded that Sarah's death "cast a shadow over his life and probably accelerated his departure".  He had apparently been suffering ill health for some time so had had to give up his role as bowler at the Cricket Club although he continued as groundsman for a while longer. On George's death his affability and genial nature was praised - he was called a general favourite of all the club members. They ended a tribute with the melancholy thought that George was better off dead given his health and the sadness he carried. Not the happiest reading for his poor wife and surviving children. 

A brief look at the Dean Street Depot 

I'm going to give a quick mention to George's son Henry George Langley, who as the foreman of the Marlow Urban District Council's depot was in charge of a long forgotten but distinctive feature of the street in days gone by. There were several small long vanished and emptied out gravel pits off Dean Street in the early Victorian period. One was just past the entrance to Cambridge Rd, if you are heading up the street out of town. It had deteriorated into a rubbish dump in the 1890s, and often became a pond in wet weather. It was decided this was an eyesore and health hazard and should be filled in. The council shortlisted it as a potential site for a depot for their supplies. After protracted negotiations over price - optimistic on behalf of the seller architect and surveyor Thomas Thurlow you'd think - the site was purchased. Stabling for the council's horse was erected plus tool stores, sheds to house the likes of the street watering and sewage collection carts and a cottage for the depot foreman. (Plans to improve the existing cottage seem to have been abandoned.) This foreman in the Edwardian era was Henry George Langley. All the rubbish formerly there was buried far underground and would no doubt make a fascinating archaeological dig had the site not been covered in housing. A channel was also dug to feel with the torrents of water that came down Seymour Court Hill  filling the old pit site during prolonged periods of rain. Henry kept an eye on the site and the council stores of things like sand and gravel used for road repairs - although this wasn't easy as several items were made off with, and the councils own surveyor of the highways was accused of appropriating some of the material. 

Related posts: 

To find all mentions of a person or family here, use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. 

History of George's beloved cricket club - here

Frozen Thames and ice skating in Victorian and Edwardian Marlow - here

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

© MarlowAncestors 

Life for the Marlow children at the Union school at Bledlow

This is part 2 of a post dealing with the life of Marlow's residents when they spent their time at either the Union workhouse at Saunderton or the residential school for school age children at Bledlow. 

Life for the children at Bledlow 

In 1891 the master of Saunderton said he took the children out for a walk once a week. When it was suggested a daily constitutional would be better for them, he stated that he did not have enough staff to do this. The little ones were allowed time to play outside when the weather allowed but they had no dedicated playroom as such for use during poor weather. The children were occupied at lessons and their "work" between 8 and noon and between 2-4pm, Sundays excepted. Dinner was 12.30 pm. The "work" was obviously dependent on age, but typically included helping tend the vegetable garden or pump water for the boys, and assist with the laundry or mending for the girls. They had a certain amount of donated books and toys and the master allowed them to make mud slides in the yard. The girls also had a swing as provided by a local benefactor in 1880. 

They wore a sort of uniform all the time they were at the school. It was either a plain grey or dark coloured cord trouser suit for the boys with a matching cap  or dresses for the girls of the same material. 

Entertainments 

As monotonous as daily life may have been for the young "inmates" I'm pleased to say they were not forgotten during the "high days and holidays" of the year. 

In the 1880s and 1890s in particular visits were made by groups of singers and minstrels who were given permission to entertain the youngsters. The Marlow "Loyal Duck Lane Minstrels" were once such troupe who travelled to the main work house at Saunderton several times in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The children of Bledlow were bought along in hired brakes and waggons to enjoy the show. They were given an orange and some sweets before they headed home. All residents young and old were provided with a special tea abundant in cake, as paid for by Marlow residents. 

At Christmas the youngsters could look forward to a number of treats provided by local men and women year after year. Oranges, nuts and sweets always featured in these, and often a magic lantern show or similar entertainment followed. Christmas dinner was a special one by the standards of the normal fare and the general daily routine was relaxed.   

The lady visitors come calling 

In 1895 a committee of lady visitors was established for Bledlow. Thereafter it's noticeable that many improvements were made in favour of the children's comfort. In the same year a Band of Hope was established at Bledlow for the boys. This was a Christian temperance focused sort of youth club. Also the children were allowed to join a Sunday Bible class at Bledlow itself, which was also open children not resident in the house. This was in addition to an agreement that the juvenile inmates could attend the Wesleyan Sunday schools in the village. The children were marched there and back and their "industrial teacher" took one of the classes at the chapel. Some of guardians complained the lady visitors were constantly making suggestions, and some were dangerously close to letting the little ones be treated better than the offspring of the labouring poor in the outside they feared. (For example the ladies idea of providing night clothes for the boys so they didn't have to sleep in the same clothes they wore all day. The matter was dropped on cost grounds officially.) But the ladies were successful at securing donations of  footballs (from Marlow Football Club) and cricket stumps, bats and balls (courtesy of Marlow Cricket Club) all collected by Marlow's Walter Lovegrove. The fairly new master and mistress Mr and Mrs Quint were also responsible for improving the atmosphere at Bledlow in the 1890s. It was noted that since their arrival the children had had better spirits and were more animated, especially when Mr Quint joined in their games.

Where were their parents? 

Some of children at Bledlow were orphans, some had parents in the Saunderton workhouse, some were children abandoned by their families (who would face charges of leaving their dependents "on the parish" if traced)  and a few were admitted on a special case basis while their parents could not care for them eg because they were widowed and needed to travel to seek work (but these parents were required to contribute to their children's maintenance.) A few were admitted because the widowed parent could not support all their offspring and so a difficult decision was made to put some in the workhouse while others stayed at home. 

The decision to house the school age children separate from the adults was not just for space reasons. Many thought it desirable the children should be kept free of "polluting" and "contaminating "influences even if they were their own family! Poverty and idleness and criminality were considered by some Victorians to be inevitable bed fellows so poor adults needed to be kept at a safe distance. This was one reason an 1881 plan to move the children from Bledlow into an extended Saunderton workhouse were not proceeded with. It's interesting that in 1891 when the idea was mooted again, those in its favour said that it was impossible to keep the children entirely away from potentially bad adults already as their parents could visit them every day if liked. Obviously those at Saunderton could not just walk out to pay their offspring a call - they required permission from the master to leave and he may not have been willing to grant it day after day in practice. Any other family wanting to visit the youngsters would also require permission from the Bledlow master to do so. The board considered Saunderton then had enough room to keep the children reasonably apart from others but they stayed at Bledlow. Some children were of course at Saunderton too, mainly because of their young age. 

Children under 10 years were  routinely boarded out within the community from 1891 unless they were considered unsuitable for some reason. Some of those caring for the children were Marlow and Little Marlow families, but their young guests were not necessarily from those places. They were provided with a suit of clothes and their foster parents could apply for more as needed. This boarding out meant the Bledlow premises were not as full as the early years before the boarding out began. In 1891 there were 36 little residents. A relative lack of crowding was considered to be one reason why the children had less outbreaks of infectious conditions such as conjunctivitis or head lice than was usual in such institutions. 

The Premises

By the 1890s the Bledlow buildings were considered to be in poor condition. A group of guardians visiting making their customary fortnightly visit in 1893 were alarmed by the state of the stairs which had holes at the corners large enough for one gentleman to poke his umbrella through. The water pump was stiff and heavy too. Repairs were made slowly but it doesn't sound like an especially warm and draught free place to grow up! 

Leaving Bledlow 

The youngsters were sent to be apprentices or into service for training or employment when considered old enough, unless of course a family member was able to claim and house them. It seems that some of the wages were subsidised. Those going out into the world were given an outfit to go away with.  Anyone interested in taking on one of the teenagers would apply to the board. It was not a given that the request would be granted or that the boys and girls were allowed to go with just anyone. The employers were interviewed and some applications were refused altogether. If accepted in principle, they would be invited to select in person from a choice of three boys or girls chosen by the masters as most likely to be suitable. For, example in 1892 Mrs William Creswell at High Rews farm in Marlow chose 12 year old Amelia Webb from Thame to come to her.  Sometimes the children refused to go and while some pressure might be exerted, they were not actually forced to. They could also be "returned" if the arrangement didn't work out. I saw one girl had come back three times while they were despairing of placing a 14 year old would be servant who had had no offers. (Girls had to leave Bledlow at 16.)

They made special efforts NOT to place the children in "advantageous positions" as opposed to putting them in a situation considered fit and at a  "proper level" for children of the labouring class. This was yet another way to prevent the idea of abandoning children to the parish to "better their prospects" appearing attractive. I wonder how many children might have been lifted out of poverty if those willing to give them a head start regardless would have been allowed to do so. 

In 1894 the Grimsby North Sea Trawling co asked if they had any lads desirous of going to sea.  There were three boys age 14 & 15 who the master approached but the only one who fancied life as a fisherman was considered too short!

Some children (before the boarding out began) spent their entire childhoods at Bledlow. How strange they must have found life "on the outside". 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

For sources, see part one.

Related posts: 

The Wretched - poverty in Victorian and Edwardian Marlow  here

Marlow workhouse keepers the Reeves here

The life of James Croxon - friend to the poor here

From the workhouse to convict ships - the Brothers Frith here

Marlow hero John Langley here

General posts about everyday life in old Great Marlow here

 

© MarlowAncestors. 

Will of Andrew Medwin of Little Marlow 1753

 Yeoman.  WILL WRITTEN IN 1749, PROVED 1753.

Weak in body but of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding.

Commends soul to God and asks for a decent internment by his executors.

Loving wife Mary and sons Aaron and Thomas all messuages[houses], cottages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments as tenants in common. Subject to the payment of all legacies in the will.

Daughters Mary and Ann £150 each.

Daughter Elizabeth £150 at the age of 21 with the interest that accrues on it until then.

Residual money, stock, goods, chattels and anything else to wife Mary and sons Thomas and Aaron equally. They to pay his debts and the legacies to his daughters. Mary his wife and his sons Aaron and Thomas all joint executors of the will.

If Mary remarried she is no longer to be an executor of the will or have interest in his estate [this would be because otherwise her new husband would become legally possessed of her property upon their marriage]. If Mary remarries she is to receive a £10 annuity for life paid for out of his estate.

A deduction from Thomas's inheritance is to be made for his board, maintenance and education.

Witnessed by John Clark, Joseph Meaks, and Zach. Allnutt [Zachary Allnutt, a Marlow attorney].

Note: Andrew does not mention his son Luke (who was living) in his will. 

Andrew was first married to a Judith and then as a widower married Mary Keene of Great Marlow at Hughenden in 1716. 

Will of Andrew's brother Moses summarized on the blog here.

Andrew was the executor of the will of his uncle another Moses Medwin in 1701.

More on Aaron, Luke and Thomas sons of Andrew here. 

Transcribed from an original will held at the National Archives and then summarized here by me Charlotte Day. 

Please see the Will Transcriptions index for more posts like this. More Little Marlow content can be found on the Nearby Places menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this will transcription summary for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.