Updated January 2024
In 1862 David Endall a jeweller and watchmaker of Banbury married at Great Marlow Mary Ann Butler of that town.
He had been working in Marlow since at least 1861, with a shop in the High Street. He was born in Bloxham Oxfordshire according to census entries. His parents were a tailor James and housewife Ann. It looks as if James and Ann moved to Marlow with their son a some point between 1851 and 1855 when James ran a shop in West Street (tenant of Robert Hammond) but ill health meant he had to give it up, and the family returned to Banbury where they had previously lived.
As a result of James giving up his business due to ill health, his stock in trade was sold at auction in some 200 lots. It included as well as fabric a stock of hats, caps and hosiery. The family's household furniture down to their kitchen utensils were disposed of in the same sale. This may be a sign of financial distress however it was quite common for people to sell almost everything in their house before they moved to save what was then the great trouble and expense of transporting anything even relatively short distances. Households took sentimental items only and started again from virtual scratch in a new home.
David and his future wife Mary Ann had perhaps already caught each other's eye before he left. Or he visited from Banbury his old home in Marlow and renewed his acquaintance. They must have known each other in David's first period of Marlow living as his family lived but doors away from hers.
A few months after his marriage David had a silver watch stolen from his shop where it had been left for repair. The perpetrator Joseph Martin, a blacksmith, was sentenced to three months in jail as a result.
David became insolvent in 1867. This was a common fate for Victorian shopkeepers both in Marlow and elsewhere. We don't always appreciate today how hard it was to succeed back then.
If he needed some stress relieving activity David probably turned to his garden. He was secretary of the Marlow Horticultural Society and a multi times prize winner in their annual shows with his flowers, grapes and more. He was also a member of the Choral Society, church choir and the Marlow Rifle Volunteers. (You can read more about the Volunteers here)
He died in 1869 aged just 30 years old leaving Mary Ann with three young children - Mary Beatrice, Alice Elizabeth and baby Amelia. The sudden nature of David's death saw an inquest held at the Clayton Arms. It transpired that David had mounted the stairs to bed and on reaching the top, had said "oh dear!" and dropped down dead. The verdict was "natural death".
Following his death the Revd Cree of Marlow wrote to the Bucks Herald asking for donations for his widow and young family as they had been left destitute.
Mary moved back to live with her parents Thomas and Mary Butler. Thomas ran a Post Office come grocery store in West Street. Her brother Thomas junior also living at home was assisting in the grocery business. Her sister Elizabeth described as a telegraphist was probably in the Post Office side of things. Mary Ann did not then have a listed occupation herself.
Tragedy again hit the family when little Amelia Endall died in 1874 in her 5th year.
On the 1881 census Mary was listed as a dressmaker. Her 16 year old daughter Mary Beatrice was working as a seamstress. Alice her 14 year old daughter was a pupil teacher. They were then in their own house.
The new County Councils formed 1888-89 were elected by voters male and female providing they occupied sufficient property. The women of Marlow took up this new opportunity with more than average relish not only by voting on the day but coming together before it to choose, without any male involvement, and formally nominate a candidate to stand for Marlow. (This candidate was a man but who I can't tell yet as it was confidential). This was a rare act indeed. I have seen no other case of it. Mary Ann Endall was one of those women.
By 1891 Mary's West Street household consisted of her daughter Alice, still a schoolteacher plus a boarder in 65 year old Mary Flynn.
Alice married in 1894 George Henry Jones an insurance agent and moved to High Wycombe.
On the 1901 census Mary Ann is "living on own means" in the household of her brother John, also of independent means in Wycombe Road, Marlow.
Mary Ann died in 1924.
Further information
Every mention of a family or individual here can be found in the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. There's over 6,000 people listed there as of Jan 2023.
Posts about other West Street residents can be found here
General information about life in Marlow when the Endalls were living here can be found here
Sources:
GRO Death Registration Index, online from the GRO.
Reading Mercury 27th January 1855. Northampton Mercury 3rd May 1862. Bucks Herald 13th December 1862. Bucks Herald 6th November 1869. Newspaper copies at British Library, accessed via the BNA.
The London Gazette. March 1867.
Great Marlow census, my transcription from microfilm.
1851 census Banbury, database on Familysearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7Q8-LDK
Great Marlow parish registers, my old transcriptions.
Will of Robert Hammond, proved 1855. My transcription.
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