The Marlow British Schools *Updated*

 If you try and find what schools your ancestors went to in any town, you will quickly come across references to both "British" and National schools, and later "Board" schools as well. The National schools, run under principles of the Church of England, are well known in Marlow, as they survived a long time. Marlow's British Schools didn't last long enough to leave much record behind, and so it was once thought that Marlow never had any. These were schools established by the "British and Foreign School Society for the Education of the Labouring Classes of Every Religious Persuasion"  - in reality they appealed to non conformist families. Given that Marlow had a number of non conformist places of worship and they had a tradition of promoting education, it did not seem likely that no British school was established in our town. So I began a search and can now confirm we had both a Boys and Girls British school in Marlow in the 1850s. They may not have lasted decades but there would have been a small group of children who had most of their education in one of the schools. 

A meeting was held at the Salem Chapel (aka the Independent Chapel/Congregational Church, now the Christchurch URC, Oxford Rd) in 1852 to discuss the desirability of setting up a British School. The response was positive, and fund raising began immediately. The supporters were naturally from mostly non conformist families, and those who were identified as supporters of the liberal political  fraction (the two tend to go hand to hand in Marlow). The latter is probably why the use of the town hall, which was under the control of the conservative MP, was refused for the meeting. The fact a prominent guest was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate in the recent election, Jacob Bell, probably didn't help either. Later the school idea was identified as proceeding from the supporters of Bell. Although he was not a Marlow man, to his credit he maintained an interest in the school for this place he was not in the end elected to represent. No doubt he had half an eye on future election opportunities here. But he had campaigned on the extension of the vote (including to women) and he said such voting rights would be meaningless if not backed by good quality non sectarian education for the voters. 

In February 1853, a second meeting was held, to proudly announce that support had been sufficient to allow for the establishment of the boys school which would open on the 1st March. The meeting was said to have far outstripped any similar public one "as regards numbers or respectability". After the meeting proper, there was a fundraising tea and exhibition of penmanship and drawings from the pupils of the British School High Wycombe. The ladies organising the tea provided the food to the school for free, so every penny of the sale of tickets could be regarded as profit. 

It was always intended to begin one for the education of girls too, but they decided to start with boys because it was there they could, at the time, be most confident of generating enough demand to support the school. They also intended to build a permanent dedicated school building but until then they would use a temporary home. I am not certain which building(s) they adopted at first. I can see references to places they held various events and meetings such as public examinations and special teas but I can't pin point the location of the hired school rooms beyond the fact that they were located somewhere in the High Street in 1856.  I don't believe the British school were able to realise their dream of a permanent school building but this is still being researched. I can say for certain that they had not erected or purchased one by August 1856 as it was noted that £10 raised towards this was sitting untouched in a bank account. A plea was put out to raise the remaining amounts needed in order to save the schools the ongoing cost of room hire. 

A few months after opening, the Boys British School had 71 pupils, a number that had exceeded initial expectations. This encouraged the supporters to move quickly ahead with the girls branch. They were confident it would meet with equal success. In April the list of potential female pupils was fast filling up. Then in August 1853, a fundraising "aquatic excursion" to Medmenham Abbey was organised in aid of the girls, with 500 supporters gathered in the grounds. I believe the girls branch opened shortly after. Jacob Bell addressed this meeting too. 

Sir William R Clayton gave some medals to the first scholars for good attendance in the first few months of the school's life as well as medals for making good progress in their studies. I wonder if any have survived? 

The mentions of the activities of the schools while they lasted, create an impression of a happy bunch of scholars kindly treated and taught with an enthusiasm that extended beyond teaching them the bare basics of the 3Rs and scripture. For example, the school started a choral society which provided free vocal and instrumental training to the children. This was quite extraordinary for a school catering for working class children and suggests that initial financial support was good. The children's Choral Society met every Thursday to pour forth "beautiful strains that are calculated to gladden and enliven the heart." The children gave a number of performances to the public. Other subjects the children were examined in include history and geography. Rev Thomas Styles of the Independent Chapel took care to test the youngsters religious knowledge. (The first examination took place in the Wesleyan Chapel and endearingly the musical pupils began with a song, and performed another between the tests for each subject. No doubt this provided a happier atmosphere for their equivalent of exam day! The readiness and accuracy with which the youngsters have their answers was regarded as "truly astonishing". The day ended with the choir singing the National Anthem followed by a public tea. The conductor was Mr Teale, organist at the Roman Catholic School who provided his services each week entirely free of charge.)

In September 1857, the boys enjoyed two treat days. On the first they gathered at the "large rooms" in Albion House (known as the Albion Rooms, used by the breakaway congregation of the Salem Chapel, a Catholic School and Borlase at different times, among others). Here they gathered for a "bountifully provided" tea accompanied by much laughter and singing. The boys are said to have enjoyed a large helping of cake in particular. They then gave cheers of appreciation for those providing the goodies. Later the boys gathered in Mr Middleton's meadow to play a cricket match. They marched there carrying a flag and a school banner. This seems to be the favoured method for the children arriving anywhere, ideally accompanied by song. It is nice to see how happy many of the occasions enjoyed by the little pupils were. They seem to have played a number of cricket matches, and also went, as a school, to watch others -  yes, marching all the way. 

The last mention I can find of the schools, as yet, dates from 1858. The children were giving their traditional summer recitation to an approving audience, with a prize giving afterwards. Then things go quiet. Thorough listings of existing schools in the 1860's do not mention either of the British Schools. I think a possible explanation is the recent opening of the Oxford Lane infants school, which expanded general schooling provision in the town, although this was a National school. There was also a possible indication of falling numbers amid a disagreement among families supporting the British Schools. In 1855, at a celebration tea at the Salem Chapel following the public examination of the pupils of both schools, one of the speakers told the audience to pay no heed to those who would find fault as they seldom contributed anything in their own right and so would not be missed if they left. The school had prided itself in considering applications from teachers of any denomination, including the Church of England. In January 1857, this lead to the appointment of Mr Fincham of London University as master of the boys school. There had been 15 applicants, and Fincham was regarded as the best. But he was a member of the Church of England. This may have upset some parents. Perhaps they thought their children may as well attend the National schools, although Fincham was bound to respect the broad base required for the religious teaching at the school. Nine months later, a different master is recorded, a Mr Baxter*. Another indication of turmoil? Perhaps there were not enough families to support the schools long term in any case. In 1857, when Mr Milne of the Borough Road Institution came to examine the boys, he spoke of the credit that should reflect on the master "for the care taken in providing under great disadvantages a liberal and unsectarian (qv) education" to the youth of the town. The disadvantages spoke of might be lack of sufficient support or perhaps no permanent classroom. The schools clearly had their struggles. 

As a footnote, newspaper reports from 1865 reported a rumour that a British School would again be brought to Marlow.  It was said that land suitable for the erection of a school house and masters residence had already been purchased. Unfortunately there does not seem to have been any truth in this. However a night school was established by the Congregational church in the same year, with 40 pupils enrolling on the first day. 

Notes - 

A meeting to set up a Bucks Association of Teachers in British Schools in 1839 listed a teacher from Marlow amongst the attendees, a Mr Greenwood. He was presumably working outside of Marlow, unless there was another short lived British School at this earlier decade? Food for thought. 

The Commitee appointed to organise the foundation and erection of the school were as follows: 

W P Gaskell, J Wright, F Wright, J Meakes, W H Mane, Richard Gibbons, Thomas Fullicks, W Wigginton, Thomas Butler, W Almond,Thomas Wellicome, H C Curtis, Ralph Spicer, George Brangwin, Henry Stallwood, T Ware, W Humphreys jun, G Kidd, J Morgan

* I have traced two further teachers, Mr Verney and Mr Ringsell. Mr Verney may well be the same man who opens a boys day school in 1856. For more see here

To find other education related posts, see our listing here

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

 Sources include:

The Education Magazine - Vol 2, 1839, digitised by Google. 

Report of The British Schools Society 1856. 

Berkshire Chronicle 26 February 1853. From the British Library Archive, accessed via the BNA. 

Reading Mercury, 26 February 1853, 6 August 1853, 18 August 1855, 10 January, 25 July & 12 September 1857, 26 June 1858, as above. 

South Bucks Free Press November  1865, as above. 

©Marlow Ancestors

William Hatch Will Summary

 William Hatch. Baker. Will proved 1814.

Says he is ill but of sound and disposing mind.

To each of his twelve children who reach the age of 21 £150 in capital or joint stock in the Navy he has in the books of the Bank of England.

After his debts, funeral and probate expenses paid, all other of his bills, bonds, annuities, stock in trade, household goods, furniture, chattels and personal estate to dear wife Sarah as long as she stays unmarried. If she marries it is to be equally divided between any living children he has at the time of her marriage.

His wife, brother James and brother in law Richard Maby the executors.

Witnessed by John Allnutt and James Suthery.

Note:

It was later alleged that William had been a failed highwayman!

William was not being mean spirited in leaving Sarah goods only while she remained unmarried. Under the law if she married everything she owned became her new husbands and could not be inherited by her children unless her husband gave her special permission to leave a will of her own or gave items to her children of his own free will. William was ensuring his and Sarah's children would get final use of his property and not some other man.

Sarah took over the bakery business. In her time it was on the West side of the High Street (which was probably the same premises her husband had, though people did move premises so it is not absolutely certain). 

William and Sarah's son William has his own biographical post on the blog here

Transcribed and summarised by me Charlotte Day from a PCC will at the National Archives Kew.

Other wills can be found on the menu under Will Transcriptions. See the Person Index for all mentions of any individual on this blog. You will find more on Sarah and William Junior for instance by looking there. Over 2,300 people are mentioned as of December 2021.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse my summary if you credit this  blog.

Lane End Historic Pub Landlords #4

 

New Inns *New information added August 2022 thanks to information kindly supplied by Andrew Mullis (see comments below). Andrew tells us there were two New Inns in Lane End. The earliest later became the Old Arm Chair leaving the name New Inn free for a second, different premises in the village*

1852-61 Richard Oxlade. Came from the Earl Grey (see a previous post here). Also operated as carrier from High Wycombe 1852. Accused 1858 of opening illegal hours. Wife Elizabeth later at the Earl Grey again.

1865 - James Ellis. 

1869-70 William Bird.

1870- 71 Frederick House. Seems to have continued to live on the premises for a period after Henry Hawes took over.

1871-72 . Henry Hawes. Also a carrier. Probably of Bull and Butcher, Turville 1865. Wife Fanny.

1872- Elizabeth Cutler. Later at the Old Arm Chair, but this appears to be a new name for the same premises) Historic landlord listings for the Old Arm Chair here. Nee Carr. 

1890- Frederick House again [new information August 2022 from Andrew Mullis suggests that this is a different premises using the name New Inn] He and wife Ann define themselves as chair makers on the census 1891 but it is common for known beer sellers to miss this information off the census. Many had to have other occupations to survive financially and it seems a good few saw the beer trade as a top up to their income only. It is possible therefore that the Houses were actually selling beer 1891.

1901- Frederick House senior. Now defining himself on census as publican.

1911- Thomas Trinder. Previously at Old Arm Chair pub, Lane End. See list of landlords for that pub here. Later in 1911 at Chairmaker's Arms, Lane End. More about that pub soon.

1915- Thomas Reid

1939- Emma Dean. 1939 Kelly's Directory puts Mrs Emma Dean at the Chairmaker's Arms, Lane End instead. 

Crown Inn.

1833- Charles Fletcher. He also occupied a shoemaker's workshop which indicates he had this other trade too, like many beer sellers. His inn consisted of the house and garden worth £9 10 shillings annually in 1833.

Beer shop without a name:

1833- Thomas Marks. Had yard, stable and garden out back.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here.

Compiled from adverts, censuses, property records, court cases etc

Little Marlow and Well End Victorian Shopkeepers

Shops in Victorian Little Marlow and Well End.

I have found these whilst researching other things rather than dedicatedly researching them so there is likely more info to be unearthed on some of them. There was a grocers next to the Queen's Head pub in 1899. Whose premises that was I am uncertain.

Note that the Well End I am concerned with here is the hamlet of Well End near Little Marlow not the street now called Dean Street Marlow formerly known as Well End, Great Marlow.

Dates given next to the names are when I have personally found evidence of the below traders keeping a shop in Little Marlow. They may have been in business earlier or later too.

*UPDATED JULY 2024*

Richard Barber

Greengrocer Little Marlow 1898. Also sold lemonade and ginger beer and was a nurseryman.

William Clifford

William Clifford, born circa 1846. Baker who went bankrupt in 1881. But he was still in business in 1891 and to at least 1911 on The Moor, Little Marlow. Trained in Great Marlow under his maternal uncle William Brooks of the High Street. Whilst working there he was a witness to an accident involving the delivery cart of Little Marlow baker William Goldhawk who appears on the list below. 

Wife Mary was from Chertsey, Surrey. Their 17 year old son Harry also baker at home 1891. 

Charles Frederick Creswell

Baker 1866 to his death in 1888. Summoned 1866 for using unjust scales. Born 1833-35. Though there are many local Creswells / Cresswells his census entries suggest a birth for him in Middlesex or Norfolk. Wife Eliza, née Smith (married 1854).

Samuel Doney

Baker and grocer from at least 1851 to his death in 1863. Wife Ann. Will trustee was William Goldhawk below who was engaged to marry his daughter Ann - see below.

John Franklin

Grocer at Well End 1876.

William Goldhawk

William Goldhawk baker and Post Master at the Little Marlow sub post office from at least 1861 to at least 1869. In 1863 also dealt meal. In 1869 sued Great Marlow baker John Millward for damages when his horse was killed and cart damaged by a delivery cart belonging to Millward running into it at speed in what we now call Station Road, Marlow. Goldhawks' cart was in the care of his young apprentice George Kirby at the time. Millward's cart, driven by his empoyee Mr Fasey, had rounded the corner at speed and without looking. By coincidence the accident happened outside the premises that of Brooks, another baker. And who was one of the witnesses in the case? William Clifford who worked for Brooks, and would later move to Little Marlow and run his own bakery there. See above. The case is interesting as it shows that Little Marlow bakers delivered to not only their own village but Great Marlow town too. 

William was described as a bankrupt baker 1871. Born 1814-21 Staines Middlesex. In Little Marlow as a resident by 1857 but no earlier than 1851. He and his wife Elizabeth moved from Egham where William had had a shop. She died and William remarried 1864 Ann Doney of Little Marlow in London. When Samuel Doney above died in 1863 the beneficiary of his will listed in probate records was William Goldhawk, his future son in law. He was in fact acting as trustee for Samuel's young son (and William's brother in law) Samuel Doney junior.  This was an unfortunate choice as Goldhawk seemingly took advantage of Samuel juniors youth and lack of business experience (he'd just turned of age) and persuaded him to sell him the family property at much below it's actual value. He then took a mortgage out on it, but didn't stop there. Instead he persuaded Samuel Junior to sign multiple deeds and conveyances for the property, using each one to get a different mortgage without revealing there was any existing one on the property. He told Samuel Junior he'd had to destroy the previous paperwork for various reasons. He then went and bought a number of cottages and building plots and flashed the cash so to speak, of which poor Samuel had none and so continued to go to work. This caused some gossip locally. Eventually events caught up with Goldhawk who became insolvent and at a meeting of creditors, some of those with mortgages came forward as well as a man who'd recently been "sold" the Doney property. With his lies revealed, Goldhawk absconded and Samuel Junior found himself in court facing serious charges of fraud. However he could produce many character witnesses, and as it could be proved he'd never personally benefitted in any way from Goldhawk's schemes, he was set free. It doesn't look as though he even recieved the money for selling the house to Goldhawk in the first place. 

 William was a relative of chemist Joseph Goldhawk of Staines. He played cricket for Little Marlow.

Arthur Hester

Shopkeeper 1911. Though on censuses as domestic gardener also. 

John Holmes

Baker 1866. Fined for unjust scales. Just "shopkeeper" 1869.

Henry James Hussey

Son of James Hussey below. Grocer at Little Marlow 1847 until he died in 1880 aged 69. Probably moved from premises West Street Great Marlow. At Little Marlow also sold petroleum and gunpowder. His wife Sarah took over his business assisted by their son Henry Valentine Hussey. Note he apparently had 2 sons called Henry, one of whom was Henry James known usually by his middle name James. The other was Henry Valentine Hussey, occasionally known just as Valentine.

Henry Valentine Hussey

Grocer. Born 1852. Assisting his grocer mother Sarah 1881 and 1891. He was then a baker and a grocer. Also the village Post Master. The sub post office premises were on The Moor, Little Marlow. Note that he apparently had an older half brother also called Henry Hussey, though more often known by his middle name James. Henry Valentine was the village sextant, parish clerk and constable. He gave up the shop and Post Office and sold up all his furniture and household goods in 1910 and emigrated to Canada.

James Hussey

Retired grocer 1851. Born circa 1785. Father of Henry Hussey above who was running his shop for him by 1847. Grandfather of Henry Valentine Hussey.

Sarah Hussey

Grocer 1881 and 1891 with her son Henry Valentine Hussey. Widow of Henry James Hussey above. She also worked in the sub post office her son ran on the premises. They were located on The Moor, Little Marlow. She died in 1897. Born circa 1823, Holyport Berkshire.

John Jarvis

Baker 1837-52. Born circa 1802, Penn. Wife Martha.

Hugh Jones

Grocer, baker and general shopkeeper who became insolvent in 1864. Had also operated a shop in Newbury at one point.

Henry Lane

Baker and butcher of Well End. Insolvent 1828.

James Lawrence 

Shopkeeper 1863.

Joseph Parslow

Grocer. Insolvent 1856.

Thomas Rackshaw

Born circa 1820. General shopkeeper 1873. His shop was adjacent to the Ferns. Had notepaper and biscuits stolen from his shop that year. His main income was as a boot maker while his wife Mary was a dressmaker. They married 1870, she being née Mary Clark.

Emma Rose

Grocer 1847. Mrs.

Joseph Sworder

Grocer and hirer of horses and carts. 1870.

More information:

For more Little Marlow content see the option Nearby Places on the menu  here  or the Graves option in the top drop down menu  for those specifically.

For all mentions of an individual here use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

Some Sources:

Census, transcriptions from microfilm by me. Census information remains Crown Copyright. 

Parish Registers, St Martin's In The Fields.

Bucks Herald 17th April 1864 and 10th February 1866. British Library Archives. Via the BNA. South Bucks Standard May 21st 1897. As above.

"England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2D3J-N3H : 13 December 2014), Charles Creswell, 1854; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1854, quarter 4, vol. 3A, p. 609, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. 

The Goldhawk Fraud - pamphlet, anon, 1871. With thanks to Jane Pullinger. 

Kelly's Directory 1884 & 1889

Robson's Directory 1839

Musson & Craven's Commercial Directory 1853. 

©Marlow Ancestors. Freely use this research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

More Beer Sellers Than Bakers - Temperance In Marlow

  

If you have read our list of Marlow beer sellers and pubs, you will see that Marlow was quite well served when it came to places to buy an alcoholic drink! For some people this was a pleasant thing, but for others it was the root of a lot of Marlow's problems. This post is about Marlow's temperance campaigners and teetotalers and the somewhat up hill battle they faced. 

It was never going to be easy to sell total abstinence from alcohol in a town where many people were employed by a brewery. Temperance, moderating alcohol consumption short of giving it up altogether, seems to be the cause that progressed most consistently through time in Marlow, although some of the groups campaigning under this banner were actually asking people to take a pledge of teetotalism after all. This point irritated Thomas Owen Wethered of the brewery, and he exchanged many words, printed and in person, with the likes of the Church Of England Temperance Society about this. 

Although Dean Street is well remembered as a place well served by beer shops, ale houses and the like, it was West Street and Church Passage that had the highest concentration of alcohol sellers per square foot prior to about 1830. Marlow had a reputation for having a lot of licensed premises per population size even then. In 1830 the Reading Mercury noted that 10 new beer houses had recently opened in Marlow, taking advantage of a relaxation of certain conditions required for a licence. Three were refused a licence in 1839, but most carried on..

 

Is that a victualler at the back?

Back in the 1840's, the temperance cause in Marlow was said to be progressing "very rapidly". This may have been a little optimistic as the number of beer sellers actually increases after this time! In 1841 the existing mission room in Dean Street was set up for use as a coffee house and reading room. The idea was that working men would stride past the lure of the streets many beer sellers and instead take advantage of a subsidised cup of coffee. The reading room would be a pleasant place to browse a newspaper or religious book, and so gave the men somewhere to relax out of home that wasn't a pub.  

In this year, a temperance meeting was held in the mission room on both Christmas Day and a few days later. It was chaired by George Brangwin. The organisers said that a licensed victualer attended and was so awed by their arguments that he signed up as a financial subscriber to their society. Whether he also signed a pledge to give up alcohol himself they did not say, but perhaps it was taken as a given. Research has not yet turned up anyone giving up their licence at this time, who seems a candidate for this character. You would imagine the teetotallers would trumpet the news about such a significant convert later on, but perhaps the story got muddled in the re telling by the London United Temperance Association. 

Chin up, it's Chinnum! 

One person who definitely was not likely to sign a pledge then was Dean Street character "Chinnum". Local George Stevens, remembering his own life in 1840's Marlow, recalled  Chinnum's antics, although not his real name. I have subsequently found him to be Thomas Anderson of Dean Street.  Chinnum was frequently before the bench on charges related to being drunk and disorderly as well as poaching and brawling. The exasperated authorities decided to try a different sort of punishment on him. They told the Parish Constable to dust off the town stocks and give Chinnum a six hour stint in them. George thought our drunken friend was the last miscreant to be clapped up in this way (March 1845), although other reports suggest there was one more, Thomas Ellis in 1858.*** Regardless, the stocks had not been in regular use for some time and the novelty value of seeing a man put in them drew a crowd. Chinnum was sat on a stool in the Market Square with his ankles and wrists in the holes made for them. The constable secured Chinnum and then went off, perhaps aware the crowd was largely supportive of his captive. When he returned to release the man, a crowd was still present and Mr Chinnum was blind drunk. How could this have occured? Well Chinnum had many friends present and when he said he was a little dry, a group of Dean Street ladies popped to the Coach & Horses and bought out a quart of beer and a pipe for him to enjoy. They had to help him drink it as his arms were out of use, but there was no shortage of volunteers and more drinks followed with predictable results. Chinnum might sound a jolly character, but he had a distinctly violent side when in drink and even savagely attacked his own mother. You can read more about that here. He was incidentally charged with being drunk and disorderly again less than a year later. 

Rags to riches ?

A different kind of example was before those attending a public lecture in the Lecture Hall, St. Peter's Street in 1862. The smartly dressed and respectable looking John Plato of Chesham held before the audience a set of ragged clothes. These were the the very outfit he had worn when signing his abstinence pledge 22 years before. He said the turn around of his fortune began at this moment, his alcohol dependency being the reason for his earlier poverty. 

A few years later, a speaker from London came to Marlow to address a meeting advertised as addressing the issue of Suppression of Liquor Traffic. The meeting was chaired by the Congregational church minister James Mountain. The "exhaustive" speech was accompanied by a dizzying number of facts and figures supporting the benefits sobriety could bring. This lead to the group passing a resolution calling on the government to do more to restrict alcohol sales. 

Supply and demand

 The reports of the teetotalism campaigners success, or lack of it in Marlow ebbs and flows as the 19thc goes on. The Marlow Correspondent for the Maidenhead advertiser, commenting in 1884, thought temperance was a subject that dared not be mentioned in the City - a slang term for Dean Street inspired by the pub names The Bank Of England, The Mint and the Royal Exchange. He argued that Marlow was a thirsty community and the number of pubs could probably be successfully doubled in some parts of town! He does make a good point that all seemed to be doing a good enough trade to keep going despite plenty of competition but of course the aim of the "other side" was to reduce this demand to nil. 

To this end, more open air temperance meetings were held in places such as Spittal Square (Common Slough) and Quoiting Place (Quoiting Square). 

Questionable advice for domestic bliss

In the 1890's the Temperance cause seems to gather pace again in Marlow. In 1891 it was noted that the town contained around 50 places to buy alcohol which was more than twice as many as the total number of butchers, grocers and grocers premises combined. This was one alcohol seller per 30 adults. But there was also said to more abstainers than ever before. 

A meeting was organised by the non conformist places of worship as teetotalism was a cause long dear to their hearts. It was decided that none of their chapels would be big enough for the hoped for audience so the Lecture Room was hired. Many speakers came and some offered helpful hints as to how to convert others to the cause. Rev Messer, a visiting temperance advocate, suggested that woman should determine to die an old maid rather than marry a drinker. Others told the woman how important it was to "bridle their tongues", act meekly and make the home comfortable so as not to drive their husbands to drink. Advice for woman who had to try and waylay their husband on his way home on payday before he spent some of his earnings in a beershop was not forthcoming. At the end of the meeting it was decided to have a series of lectures in the town to promote signing the pledge with the overall aim of closing down every beer seller in town* 

A society is formed...again

Marlow had had a temperance society in 1862, if not before but presumably it faded away as a Marlow Temperance Society was formed again in 1892 with long standing campaigner Rev Tavender** of the Congregational church elected president. This was active mainly with the "non-conformist" places of worship, but there was also Marlow branches of the Church Of England's Abstinence Society and a Total Abstinence Society which usually met in the Wesleyan Sunday School room. In late Victorian times Marlow also had a Lodge of The Independent Order of Good Templars. This was a friendly society with temperance as a requisite for membership and failure in this regard forfeited all benefits. Weekly meetings were held in the  Congregational school room with entertainments on offer not just speeches. We should also mention the popular Band Of Hope, where young people signed a pledge to be life long abstainers, and also engaged in many other activities. 

In 1893 Tavender invited a temperance "van" that had been travelled around the company to make a stop in Marlow. It arrived in Quoiting Square and those travelling with it made speeches and gave out leaflets. Unfortunately it's arrival had been well advertised and a group of men were ready to make a disturbance that made it difficult to hear the speakers. 

Still, the advocates must have been happy when a Temperance Hotel opened up in the very centre of Marlow in 1895. It was on the corner of Institute Road and the High Street, in the premises just vacated by W B Langston's boot and shoe stores who would now just use their newer premises directly opposite. The hotel was fitted up with every modern apparatus for the preparation of tea, coffee and cocoa, and also had a grill room for those wanting something substantial whether guest or sober visitor. It closed a little over 2 years later, it's promoters and supporters "finding the venture a very unprofitable one". The same fate had befell the previous High Street Temperance hotel which closed in 1885. It was then under its second business owner in former West Wycombe chair maker Alex Hughes -  he went bankrupt after 14 months of slow trade. However the corner  premises seems to have had a later  resurrection in the Temperance line, also offering accomodation. I've not researched this further as it is out of our time focus. But I can say it's use in this incarnation does not seem to be continuous as it is absent from fairly exhaustive hotel and temperance related listings for a number of years around the First World War. 

The site of the Temperance Hotel, formerly original site of Langston's Boot and Shoe Warehouse. Later uses included a tea room and jewellers. Currently no 55, building bears date of 1878 on side. Image ©Colin Groves and used with permission. 

Last hurrah for the beer drinkers?

In 1907 John Debenham landlord of the Carrier's Arms in Wycombe Road, asked for his licence to be removed in favour of the magistrates granting him a new one for a yet to be built premises in New Town Road to serve the newly developed New Town area. He said he sold only 2 barrels of beer a week at the tiny Carrier's Arms. The proposed new pub was to have a frontage of 33ft onto the road and a depth of over 90ft. There were 53 inhabited buildings in New Town plus 2 laundries and 2 brick kilns. George's request was ultimately refused after petitions for and against were read. George Swadling, working at Mr Wellicome's brick kiln, said he was strongly in favour of a public house there as "brick making is thirsty work." Full marks for trying Mr Swadling!  

Changes in licencing laws did eventually reduce the number of pubs in Marlow. Some landlords found that even when they were happy with their income, the authorities could decide they were surplus to requirements and close them for good. Compensation was offered to both the brewery owner and the licencee in that case, but some of the amounts paid seem paltry when making up for a families loss of both home and livelihood.

 A plan in 1908 to place more restrictions on pubs (no women would be allowed to work in them, Sunday opening times reduced) and to reduce this closure compensation further drew a furious response in town. Petitions had been placed in the pubs and hotels against almost all previous licencing changes and the formation of a Marlow Licenced Victuallers Defence Association was muted in 1881. This time a well attended protest meeting was held. The upshot was a group of 300 Marlow people travelled on a special train to Paddington. There they unfurled a banner bearing the word Marlow and marched to Hyde Park to take place in a large scale procession and protest. In the end the proposed legislation failed but Marlow still lost many of her pubs to forced closures over the next few decades. 

*Between September 1873 and September 1874 36 people in the Great Marlow licencing district were convicted of drunkenness or crimes relating to that. 2 were women. All but two of the men were first time offenders. In addition 1 person was convicted of selling alcohol without a licence and 2 licensees were convicted of breaching their licence conditions in some way. This compares to 78 convictions related to drunkenness in Slough over the same period, 45 in High Wycombe, 35 in Chesham and 23 in Buckingham. Most people escaped an arrest if they did not insult the constable and followed his advice to go directly and quietly home. 

**Mrs Tavender was also a temperance campaigner. She belonged to, and often chaired meetings of, the Women's Temperance Society which usually met in non conformist places of worship. 

*** Thomas Ellis spent 6 hours in the stocks. Originally convicted of drunkenness and fined, he could not pay. A order was made to seize goods to the value of the fine plus costs, but he had nothing worth taking, hence the stocks. This was controversial in the town. 

The blog list of Marlow pubs of the past can be found here (over 100 of them!)

Biographical posts on Revd Tavender and Revd Mountain can be found here and  here.

More about the Langston's boot stores here

See the "Pub" tab on the drop down menu above for more information on specific premises or landlords. 

For other posts about everyday life in old Marlow see the index here

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

SOURCES

The Teetotaller, 1841. London United Temperance Association. (George Henderson, London)

Couling, Samuel, 1860. History of the Temperance Movement in Great Britain. (William Tweedie Publications)

Turner, Peter W. 1893. The Temperance Movement and it's Work - Vol 1-2. (Blackie and Sons Ltd, London)

Band of Hope Society, 3rd Edition 1895. What are Band of Hope Societies and how to form them (Band of Hope Library)

Band of Hope Records Vol 2-4, 1858, digitised by Google. 

Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 49, 1876. 

South Bucks Standard, 3 June 1885, 19 September & 19 December 1890, 29 March & 2 Nov 1895, copies from the British Library Archive accessed through the BNA. 

Reading Mercury -  22 Nov 1830 & Sept 21 1839, 11 September 1858 as above

Bucks Herald  11 September 1858, as above. 

South Bucks Free Press, 22 March & 3 August 1862 as above. 

Wethered, T O, 1885, Teetotalism and the Beer Trade. 

Bucks Herald 11 April 1885, as above. 

©MarlowAncestors. 

Unpleasant Odours And Unseemly Sights - Ebenezer and Baptist Chapels, Marlow

The Baptist Church in Glade Road is not the first baptist place of worship to have existed in Marlow. The move to Glade Road was not without controversy as you will see below! 

It is hard to pinpoint the exact first places of Baptist worship within the town. We know they were active here for at least 20 years before they erected their first little chapel in Dean Street. They held their "anniversary" meetings outside, in the "Crown Close" in the 1830's - this is referring to the field later usually called Crown Meadow, now Riley Recreation Ground. Open air preaching wasn't unusual at the time but no doubt they would try and hire some indoor accomodation if funds and numbers allowed. We do know that the chapel erected in Dean Street in 1855, was consistently called their first "proper" place of worship in Marlow. 

Dean Street was a populous and working class area of town. The Baptist chapel, or Ebenezer Chapel as it was often known, was small with 150 sittings. Work began on it in 1855 and it was opened in the late summer of the following year. It was later said the congregation quickly realised the limitations of the site they had chosen, as the chapel was set back from the road in a location known as Providence Place, where an infant school could also be found. It was, so the complaints went, quite out of sight. But no doubt at the time the small congregation chose the best site they could afford. Above the door was the stern words to "Stand by the right with all thy might". 

The man who was regarded as largely responsible for bringing the Baptist mission to Marlow was builder, insurance agent and tax assessor/collector William Crake* of Chapel Street. It was he who actually built the Dean Street chapel. 

They then began their work amongst the poorer citizens of Marlow. In 1859 they began offering lectures for "the working classes" on various subjects. Naturally most of these had a religious or moral theme but this was not exclusively so. Another focus of their work was to encourage abstinence from alcohol. Dean Street was an area full of public houses and beer shops so this was not the easiest of tasks. Many of the Baptists such as William Crake mentioned above were life long abstainers. The first anniversary of the Sunday School or Sabbath School as it was usually known, saw special services in the chapel. It was so crowded that a platform was erected "on top of the pews" to accommodate more worshippers. At this event, a brick and stone model of the Ebenezer Chapel was exhibited. It had been created by one of the talented teachers there. The success of the school had "exceeded the most sanguine expectations". 

In 1865 the chapel was closed for several months so that a new Sunday school room could be built and other repairs and improvements could be completed. It was repainted too. Clearly the congregation invested in the site because they expected to stay there for the foreseeable future. 

 In the 1880's the church began to consider a new home. They felt they needed more space and there was no further room to expand where they were. Glade Road was an area undergoing a lot of development at the time and there was a number of empty plots to choose from. They secured the current site for £195 in 1884 and Marlow builder Arthur Corby won the tender to erect the new chapel at a cost of £950. The building committee consisted of Rev John Bray who came to Marlow from Fyfield in 1883, D Clarke of High Wycombe, and Marlow men John Birdseye, William Crake, W Piercy, and J Chilton. The architect was Maidenhead's C A Wardy. 

Work progressed quickly. The foundation stone was laid in March 1884, and the building was officially opened in July of the same year. But the eager worshippers began to use the site when the building was not even complete. The first services were held there in April 1884. This keenness to leave Dean Street was interpreted in various ways. Some saw it as eagerness and pride in what their fundraising had achieved in a short time. Others thought the haste indecent, and that the chapel was abandoning it's poor neighbourhood for a more salubrious one. The reporter in the Maidenhead Advertiser said he was himself not at all surprised in their hurry to "be quit of the unpleasant odours and unseemly sights of Dean Street" in favour of a well to do location that would allow worshippers to approach "their tabernacle through a more genial and healthy atmosphere." Unfortunately for the residents of Dean Street, moving to less crowded and healthier parts of town was a distant dream. Was this criticism fair? The Baptists did not give up working with the poor in Marlow. The move allowed them to have more room for the Sunday school amongst other things. But to some, the move was still an admission of failure. The same local reporter mentioned above said that the Baptists had failed to attract many worshippers from the Dean Street area despite being based in its midst so they might as well make room for another group like the Salvation Army more "fitted" for the work. The Salvation Army did indeed become active in Marlow shortly afterwards, and they did host many open air meetings in Dean Street and nearby. 

Despite the controversy, most believed the new building was at least an attractive addition to the town. A special service to open it was conducted by the Rev W Lewis of St Albans. It looks different now to then as the fascia was rebuilt in 1932. The new Sunday school did well, with the youngsters enjoying of course an annual outing. Burnham Beeches was a perennially favourite destination. In 1889 the children had a merry time playing sports and games at Bencombe Farm in Marlow Bottom. The winners of several races came away with "useful" prizes. This was followed by a grand tea at the farm. 

The old chapel in Providence Place, Dean Street is long demolished but it was used by the Parish Church as a Mission Room after the Baptists left. They previously had used a converted cottage. You can read more about the mission rooms here

The Glade Road chapel is still in use by the Baptist congregation.  

Related Posts:

*Biography of William Crake here

For more on Dean Street or Glade Road see the menu here.

Similar posts to this can also be found under Church Related menu here

All mentions of a person on this blog are listed on the Person Index on the top drop down menu. There are 6,000 people listed there as of March 2023. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Sources:

The Church: Volume 1-8, 1883. 

Reading Mercury 6 July 1839, 23 August 1856, 9 February 1859, 3 November 1883,12 July 1884, all at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA. 

1883 and 1939 Kelly's Directory (Kelly's Directories Ltd)

©Marlow Ancestors 

 

Pay For My Funeral You Miser! Will Catherine Allnutt

 The will of Catharine Allnutt. Written 1819. Proved 1820.

Says she is in ill health but of sound memory. 

To dear brother Zachary now of Henley Upon Thames her one third share in three cottages and gardens in Bovingdon Green which was left to her by her friend Mary Stevens. They are in the occupations of James Wheeler, Mary May and Thomas Frith. If it is not in her power to leave this to Zachary as it is supposed to descend to her dear sisters Ann and Martha then he does not need to give the £20 mentioned below to her sister Ann after all.

If Zachary can inherit the cottage share then he must pay their sister Ann £20. 

Also to Zachary the £100 navigation bond left to her by her dear friend Mary Stevens which is in her father's possession. Tells Zachary to give £20 to "my poor Aunt Argles" and £10 to Miss Sarah Fields and £10 to Miss Ann Fields who were her dear and loving friends in her painful illness.

Dear sister Ann all wearing apparel, poultry and the few books and goods she had of Miss Stevens.

Brother Zachary appointed executor as doesn't want her dear and aged father to have the trouble. She hopes Zachary will not grudge her funeral expenses as they are the last thing she will ask of him and she has for years been a faithful servant to him for pay not sufficient for necessaries in her station in life. He has plenty of property himself and a long life ahead of him in which he will enjoy it so need not take any out of the little estate she leaves behind to pay for her funeral.

Topaz pin and best earrings to "my sister Zachary Allnutt of Henley or Charlotte the wife of my brother" [Possibly meant to say "my sister MRS Zachary Allnutt also known as Charlotte the wife of my brother Zachary"].

Witnessed by Sarah Puddifant, Ann Bond, Mary Gibbons.

Notes:

Ann Bond was the wife of William Bond senior the builder. More about her and her family here.

Biographical post on Sarah Puddifant here.

Catharine and Zachary etc were children of Henry Allnutt who died not long after Catharine herself.

Transcribed and summarized by Charlotte Day from a copy of the PCC will obtained from the National Archives, Kew. Additional research also by Charlotte Day.

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

Dorrell Grave, Marlow

Grave of Thomas Dorrell d.  ?? May 1915

And 

Mary Ann Dorrell - date unreadable. 

In Marlow Cemetery. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this image for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Historic Grocery Business -Aveling/Lovegrove *Updated Nov 2024*

 

Above is shown the  site of Richard Aveling junior's grocery shop from at least 1824. His father Richard senior had been a grocer in Marlow by the 1790s. He may well have had this shop too

In 1833 the property consisted of a house, yard, shed, barn, garden and stables as well as an orchard and was worth an estimated £20 a year rateable value.

Richard junior died in 1844 and his widow Martha took over the business for a short while before handing it over to George Lovegrove. She died in 1853. The grave of Richard & Martha at All Saints can be seen here.

I have a copy of her will and will transcribe it on the blog in the future.

As you can see from the words on the front of the building it was rebuilt in the 1870s. It also says on the front that it was established in 1661. You have to be careful with such things as these dates often refer to a business per se not necessarily a particular family's involvement with that business let alone in any particular premises. What I mean is if a business was established in 1600 by one family another one taking it over would still say "established 1600" even if they subsequently moved premises. There are examples of this in Marlow. The sign would suggest however at the minimum that Richard Aveling senior had ran a grocery business that had existed in some hands or another in Marlow for a very long time. If you are lucky enough to have the Book Of Marlow by Jock Cairns (not in print) the back inside cover has a drawing of Marlow High Street which shows the premises in the time of George Lovegrove.

Richard with his three siblings were equal owners of the premises having inherited them from their father Richard senior.

These newly built premises were in the occupation of grocer Walter Lovegrove  the son of the George Lovegrove above by 1879. It was apparently Walter whose idea it was to knock the old fashioned existing building down and erect a purpose built and spacious premises in its place. The design is believed to have been by his brother Henry who was a successful architect. It was later said that the Aveling's had sternly resisted any pretence of modern innovation when it came either to the shop or their way of doing business. 

Walter was assisted by his wife Ellen whom he married in her native Staines in 1876. She was née Rogers. Both Walter and Ellen helped to raise money for the town's 1887 Queen's Jubilee celebrations (more on that here). They were both amongst the organisers of events too. The same year Walter was elected churchwarden for I think the third time at the recommendation of the vicar who praised his past diligence in the role.

In 1899 he switched to being an estate agent and auctioneer not to mention an insurance agent. His grocery business was bought by Walter Baker from Ashford Kent but his enterprise didn't last long it seems as Albert Howard had the premises in 1901.

Upon Walter Lovegrove's retirement from the grocery business the South Bucks Standard praised the way he had whilst busy with that business nevertheless devoted a considerable amount of time to public service" doing much excellent work and doing it well". The paper expressed a desire that he would enjoy a long rest and retirement with Mrs Lovegrove. They obviously didn't realise Walter was switching trades not retiring.

Sadly a restful retirement was never to come for Walter. In 1907 he committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart. His body was found by the side of a hay rick near Cookham. He was then very depressed and under a cloud of accusations as to his poor management of finances for the parish in relation to his role as parish poor rate collector. He was accused of failing to collect the poor rates from some people in due time. I think it unlikely that he was guilty of criminal intent as opposed to being simply overwhelmed and treated with impatience by colleagues. Letters about the matter were found on his person. Previous collectors had all had trouble getting poor rates from everyone. Some 30 years previously Walter been one of those criticizing the then parish surveyor who had the responsibility for the rates collection for doing the job in an inefficient and unfair manner. That collector, James Allen, had himself committed suicide following the criticism he publicly received. James shot himself near High Rews Farm in Marlow. 

Walter was described in the South Bucks Standard after his death as "a man much respected." 

After his death, the premises was auctioned off. It was then described as a double fronted shop. Behind this was a sitting room, kitchen and scullery, and there was a cellar below. On the upper floor there were 4 bedrooms, with a bathroom, lavatory, and linen cupboard. At the rear could be found various outbuildings, a two storey store house with cellars, a two stall stable with forage room above, a carriage house and well stocked garden. At this point it was leased to grocers Harridge & Dorrell. 

Researched and written by Charlotte Day. Photo by Kathryn Day.

Related posts:

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu - there is over 4,000 Marlow  individuals listed there. New posts added daily.  

To find information about other shops use the Specific Streets, Shops etc option on the same menu. 

Sources:

*South Bucks Standard 2st September 1899 and 6th December 1907. Copies held at the British Library archives. Accessed by me via the BNA.

Will Richard Aveling senior. PCC. obtained from National Archives and transcribed by me.

Will of Martha Aveling as above.

Maidenhead Advertiser 2nd  June 1886 [James Allen suicide], 18th March 1908 as above.

Property records held by my family and transcribed by me.

Censuses transcribed by me from microfilm.

Gravestones.

Great Marlow Parish registers, transcribed by me.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to reuse image and text for family or local history purposes if with credit to this blog and a link here.

Property occupation gathered by me analysing and cross referencing multiple sources.

Building photographed November 2020.

Bellows, Bricks and Brandy - Reviving the drowned

 People have always bathed in the Thames at Marlow. But many have also lost their lives doing so. The Black Hole, with a reputed depth of 25ft, in the river past Quarry Wood, was an extreme example of a sudden drop in the river bed. But there were other spots where the gently shelving floor fell away, as well as currents, weeds and underwater obstructions.

The task of fetching a body from the river, or looking for a lost swimmer usually fell in practice to someone from one of the boat houses (or the lock keeper) - Shaw's by Marlow Bridge is the one mentioned most frequently. They had a dredger which enabled them to search where human eyes and probes could not. The bodies were usually taken to a nearby inn which would also hold the resulting inquest. The Compleat Angler, and Two Brewers saw a large number of such events. As time passed, the bodies were usually held elsewhere but the inquests were still often in the nearest pub to the place of recovery. (From 1907 the coroner's were requested not to use a public house for an inquest unless absolutely nowhere else suitable could be found.)

Mr Shaw had to use his dredger in 1901 to find the body of one of his own employees, 21 year old William Button of Reading.  William was employed as a waterman. He was bathing after work with two colleagues, from a raft under Marlow Bridge. He suddenly disappeared, presumably after suffering from cramp. A "very good" swimmer, he could not be found by his companions and the dredger was called for. 

Some of the dead were among Marlow's very many visitors who came to enjoy riverside camping or some gentle punting or fishing. Perhaps the saddest case was that in 1906 of Chiswick/Kew Schoolmaster John S Gilbert, and his two adult sons (Frederick 20, an electrical engineer, and Frank 22, a clerk in the Stock Exchange). They had come to the  Marlow area for a short holiday and spent the night camping on the riverbank near Medmenham Abbey. (One source says they were on a small island there.) Frank, a strong swimmer, decided to have a bathe while the others prepared breakfast. But he became tired fighting the current and sank. His dad leapt into the water to save him, but did not resurface. The second son then followed his father into the water - and also failed to come back up. Two  friends of the family who had joined them on the trip witnessed the scene, and one (G A Ackerman) entered the water to assist and briefly managed to get the fathers head above water but ultimately needed rescuing himself. The other, Harry Kentfield, on the riverbank could not swim and  shouted for help. It came too late however. A quantity of weeds in the water tangling limbs was regarded as a possible explanation for such a tragedy. The farm bailiff from Medmenham who recovered the bodies (Robert Keene) however said he could see no significant weeds and thought the men had panicked "and lost their heads". 

Stories of those entering the water and not regaining the surface alive are common. In many cases the reason why could only be guessed at. Some sort of heart attack was a possible cause of death for East Dulwich accountant George Frewin Pinnock who came to Marlow to do some business for grocer A E Howard. George was staying at the Compleat Angler and decided to enjoy a quick swim in the back waters there. He took a dip and almost immediately came up face down in the water. Sadly his wife had died of heart disease just a few weeks before. (1902)

The area to the front of "The Anglers" next to the old Marlow bridge also caught many victims. Another Compleat Angler guest that died there was minor poet and Pigots Directory representative William Rowlinson in 1829. William was from Manchester and was in the area gathering information in order to compile the next Pigots Directory, a listing of businesses etc. He was staying at the Compleat Angler and went swimming with one of the proprietor William Creswell's young sons. It seems Rowlinson got cramp because despite being a strong swimmer, he sank and Creswell could not find him in time. The dead man may not have lived in Marlow but the expression of grief at his accident suggests he had made a strong impression and many friends during his visit (s) here. The Quakers of Wycombe began to raise a subscription for his young widow (he was 24) and his small son and daughter. They also intended to pay for a stone to be erected over his grave at Bisham church. Forty years later it was said the grave was not marked. Perhaps not enough was raised or the money may have been used for a memorial closer to his home. (See note 1 below for more on Rowlinson)

Given the toll of victims, it's not surprising the Royal Life Saving Society visited Marlow Lock in 1910 to give demonstrations about how to save a person from drowning.

Once ashore the methods used to revive someone recovered from the water usually involved rubbing the person over to stimulate circulation and if they came round, issuing them with some alcohol such as brandy. In 1783 the Royal Humane Society issued instructions on how to deal with a person feared drowned. In the accompanying directory of surgeons listed residing within riverside areas, George Trash of Marlow is included. The recommended actions for George to follow include removing the victims clothes should they be wearing any (male river swimmers usually were nude) and then taking the victim to the nearest inn or failing that somewhere else that could offer a warm bed and a large fireplace. A sort of CPR was suggested with artificial respiration and a slight press to the chest when it could be seen the lungs had inflated. The use of small bellows up the nostril in preference to mouth to mouth respiration does date the advice a little! Attempts to stimulate the patient included giving them a vigorous shake of the limbs, applying hot bricks or tiles to the palms and soles of the feet and rubbing the skin with salt or flannels sprinkled with rum or other spirits. You could also try tickling the nose with a feather, rubbing a heated warming pan up the spine, and in the case of a child laying the little soul between two healthy adults in the hope of gently warming them back to life. Another reason to chose a pub to take the victim to was the strong chance they had a brew house (as it was still the era alcohol was made on the premises). This was needed as the last step if all the other methods to revive the swimmer had failed. The body should be surrounded by warm grains or placed in a deep warm bath in the sort of container a brew house might have. They would then wait several hours in the hope of what must really have been a miracle recovery. It's interesting that the Society in local branches raised funds to reward those who made the effort to search for the drowned or drowning and those who took the unfortunates in. The surgeons who were members of the society would attend those retrieved from the water free of charge. This encouraged those in charge of the victim not to delay in summoning medical assistance. 

Moving forward a century to 1880 - the Rev Charles Voysey  did a demo in Marlow of the New Patent Life Preserver. "For complete convenience in wearing and perfect efficiency in buoyancy power" it was said.  This was perhaps not the most quick to use life saver. It relied upon having the opportunity to "carefully" mix an acid and alkali powder which was then put into pockets held within 3 waterproof sacks. These were stitched inside someone's clothes or strapped on to a webbing belt, 2 on the front, the other to the rear of the wearer. When the mixed powders touched water, the reaction released a gas. This inflated the sacks and kept them up for some 50-60 hours or so it was claimed. The set of 3 pouches and powder cost 10s 6d. 

A Selected few other victims

NB This post does not include information on suicides in the river, or probable suicides. 

1836 - Frank Faulkner, eldest son of school master William Faulkner, age 21. Faulkner senior often took the boys of his school to bathe in the Thames. On this occasion, Frank was visiting Marlow having recently started a physicians practice in London. He went swimming with his brother and a friend. It seems his strength failed, and his two companions very nearly died too trying to save him. 

1861 - Ellen Leary, age 59, hawker of cotton, stay laces, needles etc, lodging at Marlow. Her basket was found floating between near Bisham. She is believed to have slipped off the tow path when "not quite sober."

1868 -  John Frederick Nolan of Ireland, house painter working for a London builder employed at Thames Villa. He could not swim and intended to bathe only but he did not realise that the gently sloping river bed gave way to a sharp drop and he tumbled out of his depth. 

1888 - Helen Frances Warner, married daughter of Mrs Haig of Marlow Place. Drowned near Temple while bathing with her two sisters. She got out of her depth. 

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

Related posts:

Little lives lost in the Thames - Child drowning victims here 

Bargemen of Marlow here

Biography of Robert Shaw who recovered a huge number of the drowned here

Floods in Marlow History, and plans to "embank and canalize" the river between Marlow & Henley here

History of Compleat Angler here

Avert your eyes, bathers about! Victorian nude bathing at Marlow and swimming races here here

To find all mentions of an individual here use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu where you will find over 2,700 people currently listed. Other posts about everyday life in old Marlow can be found here

SOURCES

Harland, John (ed) - Lancashire Lyrics, (Whitaker, 1866)

Smith, James - The Mechanic Or Compendium of Practical Inventions vol 2 (Caxton press 1809.)

Royal Humane Society - The reviving of Persons apparently dead by drowning (- RHS London, 1783)

Medical Times Gazette, Vol 2, 1873. Digitised by Google. 

GRO Death registration index. 

Maidenhead Advertiser August  1 1906, British Library Archive. 

Windsor & Eton Express, 26 September 1829 as above

Reading Mercury - 9 November 1861. As above

Berks Chronicle - 27 Jun 1829 As above

Bucks Gazette 20 July 1901. As above

Bucks Herald 14 August 1880, As above

Slough, Windsor and Eton Express August 4 1906

Notes 

1. Rowlinson (Rawlinson) had contributed poems to the Literary Gazette and regional publications, including some written in what was described as East Lancashire dialect. One was called "Remember me". He had started work as the clerk in Messrs Cardwell & Co cotton warehouse in Manchester ("Newmarket buildings")

©Marlow Ancestors

The People Of The Saddlers Arms /Sadlers Arms

 

The Sad(d)lers Arms, former premises as it appears at the time of first writing.

Post updated October 2023

The Saddler's Arms / Sadler's Arms seems to have began when saddler James Allum took on an alcohol licence for the premises at some point circa 1852-53

It was only a little beer house in West Street at first. It had to hold its own between the large tavern the Three Tuns slightly further along West Street and the substantial Crown Inn just around the corner in Market Square. It was nearly opposite two more pubs in the Coach and Horses and the Ship too.

James Allum and his wife Ann were in the premises by 1854. James continued to work as a saddler so it is likely that it was Ann who did much of the bar work during the daytime. She was née Smith.

They also had at least one room to let to visitors.

James was the son of tailor also called James Allum whose premises had been a short distance from the pub his son would go on to run. Ann was also a West Street girl from childhood.

Frank Hudson took over the Saddler's Arms in 1876, following James's death. He was married to an Elizabeth. Frank continued to work as a butcher whilst running the pub. He had a meat stall at Marlow's covered market.

George Coleshill was there in 1883 but in 1884 it was a Frederick Coleshill who as landlord was summoned on a charge of allowing gambling on his premises. He was found not guilty as the court reluctantly accepted he had been unaware of what his patrons were up to. (The gambling consisted of a game of tiddlywinks! Two men were playing it using pennies, with a nail fixed into the table surface as a target. They said they played merely for amusement and the coins were acting as their counters.) It continued under the Coleshill family for 20 years. 

William Root was the new publican 1904. Two years later he prosecuted a customer for using bad language at him. He said the customer was not drunk at the time as he had only drank mineral water. Interesting to see that William served this as well as alcohol.

William could get into trouble himself, being charged in 1908 with driving a horse and trap while very drunk and then hitting a constable who tried to stop him in the face with a whip. He was fined £2 with the threat of jail if he didn't pay up.

The pub was forced to close in 1909 during a cutting down of the number of licensed premises allowed in the town. The landlord had been doing little trade anyway and was in financial difficulty. He was paid £30 compensation by the court as licensee for the loss of his business. The police had observed that most of the customers were boys and youths. A sweet shop next door was thought to attract them to the spot. This counted against the pubs chances of license renewal.

Related posts: 

For more posts like this see Pub Related index here. For more West Street related see the "Specific Shops, Streets... Etc" index here.

All mentions of someone on this blog can be found under the A-Z  Person Index in the top drop down menu - at the time of writing it includes thousands of historic  Marlow born or based individuals. 

Sadlers Arms complete landlords listing here

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this content for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here.

Sources include:

My own census transcription from microfilm except 1901 which was from 1901CensusOnline [defunct].

1833 Parochial assessment, transcribed by me from original handwritten records held by my family.

SWOP photo sharing website for Wycombe District. There are several pictures of the pub on this site.

Great Marlow Parish registers. My old transcription.

Bucks Herald 8th March 1854 [Coleshill gambling case]. South Bucks Standard 13th March 1908 [closure proposed] and 24th July 1908 [Root charged with dangerous driving], Buckingham Advertiser 9th January 1909 [Compensation for closure]. Copies from the British Library collection, accessed November 2020 by me via online the BNA.

Research of Jane Pullinger [Root's swearing customer].

Research And Grave of Indian Mutiny veteran - Stanmore, Marlow

 In loving memory Thomas Stanmore  - an Indian Mutiny Veteran - Died March 22 1911 age 74 .

"Until the day break and the shadows flee away"

ALSO OF

Thirza wife of above. Died Christmas Day 1916 age 84.

"Peace perfect peace"

Location: Marlow cemetery

Research:

Thirza Carter married Thomas Stanmore at Marlow in 1870.

Thomas joined the army in 1856. He belonged to the 95th Derbyshire's also known as the Sherwood Foresters.  After he left in 1866 he worked as a coachman for Thomas Owen Wethered at Seymour Court. The two men both supported the Marlow branch of the Bucks Volunteers. Thomas won their shooting challenge cup for 2 years in a row. 

Thomas died of bronchitis. He had been an invalid for some time before that.

Thirza worked as a dressmaker after her marriage but was a servant prior to that. She grew up in Oxford Road Marlow, while her husband was from Wiltshire.

The couple's single known child was Thomas junior who went on to be a clerk at the Wethered family brewery in the High Street.

Photo and transcription by Kathryn Day, Research by Charlotte Day.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more graves see the Graves menu here  

All mentions of someone on this blog can be found on the Person Index in the top drop down menu. And for military related posts, see the General Marlow History menu  here

Over 6000 Marlow people are mentioned on this blog so far!

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Romantic Troubles For Doctor Culhane

Francis John Fitzgerald Culhane arrived in Marlow to work as an assistant surgeon to Doctor Shone circa 1883. As his name suggests he was paternally of Irish descent but was born in Dartford, Kent in 1857. His parents were Daniel, an apothecary and surgeon and Rosalind née Crowdy.

Francis's childhood may not have been too easy with his father having gone bankrupt two years before Francis's birth and then dying aged only 48 in 1861. But the young man was educated enough to train as a surgeon and had an outlet playing rugby for Dartford.

Francis was engaged to Miss Mary Baskin by 1885. Mary was a "dramatic reader", someone who gave lively readings of books, poems or monologues putting on different voices if needed. Both men and women might pursue this unusual career. The readings took place in town halls and the like. Mary also worked as a published author of sentimental "sketches", novels and poetry. Her first work was published when she was not yet 20 years old and working as a drapery shop assistant in Southampton. Sweetly, she dedicated her book to the shopkeeper's wife, perhaps someone who had encouraged her literary dreams. The themes of her works according to reviews were faith, kindness and a wonder at nature. A creative, confident but humble young woman you'd think. 

Mary wrote her first novel only 2 years later. The heroine of that fictional autobiography was of a "genteel" but poor family. Like many young women in a similar situation the heroine becomes first a governess but hates it and leaves. Reviewers were moved by Mary's description of her character's difficulty in going to London and finding a publisher for the writing she hopes will then support her. You have to wonder how much of this "fiction" wasn't Mary's real life experience. 

In around 1880 Mary moved permanently to London. Once there she started to give readings from popular authors British and American as well as poetry recitals of her own and other's works. Her performances took place right across England as well as in Scotland. These mostly replaced her writing as her source of income.

Initially she lived with some cousins but after that for several years Mary lodged with the Reverend George Morlock and his wife Charlotte at 32 North Villas, Camden Town. George was the vicar of St Leonard's Shoreditch. Many of Mary's dramatic engagements were for the Young Mens' Christian Association or other similar religious groups. This may have put her into the sphere of the Morlocks who had an interest in such groups. In at least one performance of Mary's supplementary musical vocals were provided by Mrs Morlock herself.

The Sunderland Echo said Mary was possessed of a naturally "good, clear melodious and powerful voice". Other reports also praised the beauty of her voice and talent of her performance.

In 1883 Mary signed for a letter addressed to Mrs Morlock from a well wisher who wanted to donate to parish charities the Morlocks were involved in. Mrs Matlock claimed she was never given this letter or the 6 shillings it contained. Mary, she maintained must have stolen both. Mary denied not giving over either. If she was formally charged with theft as far as I can see from my initial research no criminal case materialised in a court of law. What did materialise was a bitter feud between the Morlocks and their lodger. The Reverend wrote letters to mutual acquaintances including, most painfully for Mary, her fiancé Francis Culhane at Marlow calling Mary a dangerous woman, a swindler, a liar, and a drunkard not to mention a woman of low morals. 

There is a suggestion that there was no genuine suspicion of theft against Mary at first as the Morlocks were going out to the theatre with their lodger in a friendly way after the incident and  Charlotte Morlock was happy to join forces with her in order to raise funds for a piano for the Shoreditch Girls Friendly Society. Mary gave a dramatic reading as part of the fundraising efforts. When that did not raise enough cash she wrote to the local papers urging the public to send money for the project to Mrs Morlock. The address given to send donations to was Shoreditch Church. If she was someone looking for opportunities to steal money sent in the post wouldn't she have suggested that it went to the house she shared with them and where she would have the best opportunity to steal it?

A falling out over a debt Mary was said to owe them seems to have caused the Morlocks to revisit in their minds some time afterwards that puzzling incident of their vanished letter and to cast the confusion as to what happened to it in a new and sinister light. 

George Morlock sued Mary for slander for accusing him of persecuting her. Mary was humiliated and launched a counter suit for libel against the Reverend. Or in some versions of events she filed a suit first and he was the one with the counter suit. Francis Culhane was a witness for the prosecution in the case against George Morlock and gave surety for Mary's appearance at the Central Criminal Court for the trial. In his preliminary evidence Francis said that his fiancée had no need to steal money as he would always give her some. His support for her was publicly unwavering.

There is no record that I can find of a full trial going ahead so perhaps the parties concerned decided to limit their future public embarrassment by coming to an understanding. Mary's dramatic readings stop abruptly after the first hearings of the case. No further work was published by her either as far as I can trace, at least under her own name.

Despite the support Francis showed Mary they never saw through their engagement. Francis found a bride in namesake Frances [aka Fanny] Ford in 1890 [married Kensington, her family was from Cambridgeshire]. These two had two known sons together in Marlow -  Hubert and Frederick. They lived in what was then known as Quarry House in the High Street. Below is a picture of the premises in Culhane's day. It is the building in the middle with a tall carriage entrance doorway. Sadly these premises no longer exist. Thanks to Michael Eagleton for the photo. In 1900 the rent for this property was £80 a year.

Doctor Culhane worked hard in Marlow. He became one of the surgeons attached to the Cottage Hospital and gave first aid classes for working men. The importance of the latter endeavour at a time where workplace injuries were common and not infrequently life limiting or fatal can't be underestimated. He was also the appointed doctor attending various Marlow slate clubs and benefit societies whose members could qualify for a sick benefit if they could not work. For example members of the Clayton Arms slate clubs could pay an extra subscription to qualify themselves for subsidised medical attention from Dr Culhane. 

For those who could afford not even the small price of slate club membership Francis made no charge for visits and gave any necessary medicines for free. He was universally known as a kind man and friend to the poor, and unlike other doctors of his day would never turn anyone away even an obviously unable to pay patient calling on him in the middle of the night. For countless impoverished Marlow families he was the last and only hope they had when someone in the family fell ill.

Given his tender heart many aspects of his job must have been hard to bear. Francis had to attend distressing cases as a matter of routine including dying children who could not be saved and multiple attempted suicides. He was also called to give medical evidence at criminal trials. A particularly sad case was the death of a baby of the Boddy family believed to have been the victim of infanticide by its mother. This case is discussed in detail in this post. He was also the attending surgeon in the Moor End murder case of 1891. You can read more about that event here

He was also the Marlow Vaccination Officer and the Medical Officer for the Wycombe Board Of Guardians [of the poor]. For more than 20 years he served on the Marlow council and was once chair of the Parish Council. For leisure he played in friendly football matches for Marlow teams, as well as in cricket ties including for the Marlow Institute cricket team.

Francis died in 1940, greatly mourned.

****

Mary Baskin possibly became a domestic cook.

George Morlock came into a large amount of money in 1886. The next year he moved to Haggerston. He was given a reasonably large fine for non compliance with an unspecified court order in 1887 and was also sued for the non repayment of a loan so he was not necessarily as reliable a man as his job may suggest. The work he and his wife did for orphans and inner city disadvantaged children, giving them access to the countryside and sea is however not open to doubt.

Francis's brother Frederick also became a surgeon. His mother Rosalind survived until 1903. Both she and Frederick moved to Hastings, Sussex.

Further information:

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found by looking at the A-Z  Person Index - thousands of people 

For more medicine related posts see the General Marlow History option on the top drop down menu and the medical history sub category within it.. here's a selection:

Patients treated at the Cottage Hospital  here

Call the Apothecary here

Marlow Hero Nurse Cassidy here

Matron Mary Cole here

Marlow Heroes Emily and Dr Dunbar Dickson here

Written and researched by Charlotte Day

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here.

Some Sources:

Mary Baskin's works are mostly available to read on Google Books.

Newspapers in the British Library Collection via the BNA: Newcastle Courant 22nd Feb 1886, Hackney and Kingsland Gazette 5th Feb 1886, Bucks Examiner 6th March 1886, Sunderland Echo 25th October 1884.

"England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVH1-F9PZ : 2 November 2021), Francis J F Culhane, 1940.

GRO marriage registration index, GRO.

Census for Great Marlow, my transcriptions from microfilm. Dartford census transcribed by Jane Pullinger.