Popular Female Names In Late Victorian Marlow

I have considered all possible variant spellings of each name together to be the most accurate. Before counting anyone I have made certain that I am recording their proper name e.g I have checked that an Eliza was not born an Elizabeth. The name likely insufficiently placed on this list is Mary-Ann as a double first name- it can be very hard to tell whether a woman just has the Ann as a middle name or if she is known as "Mary Ann" in her daily life because hyphens were just about never used to make matters clear.

Anyway these are the top 50 first names for females living in Marlow in the last couple of decades of the Victorian era.

1.) Elizabeth - the most popular name by a wide margin.

2.) Sarah 

3.) Annie 

4.) Mary 

5.) Ellen 

6.) Eliza 

7.) Emma 

8.) Alice 

9.) Jane 

10.) Emily 

11.) Ann 

12.) Harriet 

13.) Kate 

15.) Caroline 

16.) Charlotte

17.) Louisa 

18.) Rose 

19.) Martha 

20.) Edith 

21.) Fanny 

22.) Hannah 

23.) Ada 

24.) Maria 

25.) Florence 

26.) Agnes 

27.) Katherine 

28.) Minnie

29) Frances 

30.) Sophia 

31.) Rebecca 

32.) Margaret 

33.) Susan 

34.) Ethel 

35.) Daisy 

36.) Jessie 

37.) Eva 

38.) Gertrude 

39.) Susanna 

40. Amelia 

41.) Isabella 

42.) Mary Ann 

43.) Bertha 

44.) Rosa 

45.) Julia 

46.) Mabel 

47.) Rachel 

48.) Norah 

49.) Elsie 

50.) Selina 

© Marlow Ancestors

Will Samuel Smith of Great Marlow 1721.

 Will written and proved 1721. Bricklayer. 

Says sick and weak in body but of sound mind and perfect memory, thanks be to God.

Dear and living wife Susannah is the executor. Burial at her discretion.

She also gets all pieces of land he owns in Cookham and Bray. These are in the occupations of William ....ers and William Hatch. Also the house William Hatch dwells in with all outbuildings, yards, orchards and appurtenances. Also any other freehold or leasehold property he has in Cookham and a messuage or cottage with all closes, hereditaments etc that go with it in Wooburn, Bucks. Also the mortgage on the Wooburn property made to the testator by Mr [might possibly read Mrs not Mr] Butterfield.

My sister Parsons £10.

Jointly between my sister Margaret Johnson and her children Dorothy and Jeffrey £10.

Niece Elizabeth ?Boyd £50.

All remaining money after debts paid to wife who also gets all household goods, implements and furniture.

Witnessed by Thomas Bidle, William Parsons, Robert Bidle and ....Tripp.

For more will transcriptions see the Wills option on the menu. All mentions of someone on this blog can be found on the Person Index. Over 2,300 people are mentioned.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reproduce this transcription for family or local history purposes, with credit to this blog.

Thomas Batt Grave

 

Little Marlow grave of Thomas Batt. Two lines follow which I could not read. At parish church.

Then it says Thomas Batt died 23rd May 1874 aged 54.

Thomas was the steward for the Wethered agricultural estates round about Marlow, under Owen Wethered. He came from a similar role in Hampshire. He resided at Old House Farm followed by Hill Farm and then moved to become steward to the Little Marlow Manor estate for J P Ellames. Ellames subsequently paid for his funeral. Widow Ann would spend the last 8 years of her life in the Oxford Road almshouses in Marlow, dying 1898 age 86. 

For more graves from Little Marlow, Great Marlow or Hurley see the Graves option on the top drop down menu.

More Little Marlow content can be found on the menu under Nearby Places.

All mentions of someone on the blog can be found under the Person Index in the same menu. 

Sources include the South Bucks Standard 8 July 1898, British Library Archives. 

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Two Devoted Victorian School Mistresses

This post is dedicated to two Victorian ladies who devoted themselves to the children of Marlow, working in sometimes difficult conditions, only stopping when their health failed. Both were the head mistresses of the National schools in St Peter Street in the late Victorian period. 

First we have Harriet Thimblethorp(e). Harriet was in charge of the girls school. She arrived in 1881 to a school building less than 20 years old. It was not however in good condition, and regular reports were made of a  leaking roof and smelling toilets. The school was also crowded by modern standards, with about 50-60 girls per class. Average attendance for the school was about 143 pupils a day, which was actually as few less than the buildings were designed to deal with however. 

Image courtesy of ©Colin Groves

 Harriet also suffered the closure of her school on a number of occasions because of outbreaks of disease. Scarlet fever and measles reared their ugly heads sometimes, and a nasty outbreak of small pox in 1893 caused a break in lessons of several weeks. As a result when the school inspector came round that year, he was willing to make some allowances for a lack of progress in the young girls education. The inspector concluded however that the main reason for unimpressive attainment in the children was that the particular intake of children it had lacked natural intelligence! He did mention their nice sewing and singing at least. 

Singing was an favourite activity of Harriet's. It is nice to think of those walking down St Peters Street in the Victorian period catching the happy sound of the girls' singing through the open windows of the school. She may have been described as naturally reserved but she was able to show affection and kindness to her girls and it seems to have been reciprocated. She was also described as absolutely devoted to her charges and always just in dealing with them.

By 1898, Harriet was not well. She refused to give up her work, though that was the advice she received. Sadly her condition deteriorated and it was clear she was suffering badly. She received news that her condition was now deemed incurable but it seems she wished to carry on at work as long as possible. In June 1898 however she was so ill that she had to give in and resign. She left Marlow for the sort of places people went in the hope of improving their health, or delaying it's decline. But a little over 2 months later, she died at Brighton. During the time of her funeral, the children sang her favourite hymn at the school. It's hard to imagine she would have preferred any other farewell. 

Our second devoted teacher is Elizabeth Harriet Hunt (AKA Lizzie) who was born in London in 1847. She was the head teacher at St Peter's Street School infant's department by 1876. She had accommodation provided for her in St Peter's Street, along with Harriet and the mistresses of both schools. 

The South Bucks Standard in 1893 said she deserved "the highest praise" for her work at the school. Her assistants then were Miss Evans and Miss [Florence] Nicholls. Between them they educated an average of 131 children each day. There would have been pupil monitors too.

Ill health forced Elizabeth to teach her last lesson on Tuesday 27th July 1909. That evening in the schoolroom local dignitaries and school teachers gathered to thank her for her years of service. She was praised for the "love she displayed for her work and for her children". A purse of £35 was presented to her by way of thanks.

Elizabeth went to live with her brother in London where she died in 1917. Thankfully she got to enjoy the retirement that Harriet never did. 

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. For other posts about St Peters Street use the Specific shops, streets etc option there. For a list of 75+ historic schools in Marlow see the post here. A fuller list of Victorian/Edwardian teachers for the national schools will follow. 

Sources

GRO Birth and Death Registration Indexes by the General Registry Office.

National Union of Teachers report 1888, 1893. 

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1883 (Kelly's Post Office Directories Ltd)

South Bucks Standard 3rd March & 12 December 1893,1 September 1899, and 30th July 1909. Copies held in the British Library archives. Accessed via the BNA March 2021.

Harris Royal Country Directory 1876.

"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9YB-P1F : 20 May 2019), Elizabeth H Hunt, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Researched jointly by Charlotte (Elizabeth) and Kathryn Day (Harriet)

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Little Marlow WW1 Memorial

 

© Marlow Ancestors. Photographed August 2020. Image may be copied without permission.

Clifton Villa, Glade Road and the Wells Family

The Wells family were one of the first to settle in Glade Road Marlow, being in Clifton Villa by 1881.

Mark the father was a corn merchant and baker, retiring shortly after the family went into residence there. He seems to have maintained ownership of his old premises and the house that went with them though he did not run the business there. He would not have had a lot of rest in retirement. Mark was one of the Overseers of the poor and a director of both the Marlow Gas Company and the Buckinghamshire Chair Company. He was also a shareholder in the Great Marlow Railway Company and an active fundraiser for Marlow Hospital. Mark died in 1909 in his 79th year.

The mother in the family Sarah Elizabeth also raised money for the hospital and gifted the patients books in 1911 (Bucks Herald 29th April 1911, British Library Archive accessed November 2020). As a widow she attended meetings of the National Service League in Marlow an organization campaigning for the introduction for men of compulsory National Service in the army so Britain would not be left vulnerable to attack. This organisation was more than usually popular in Marlow (See for instance South Bucks Standard 15th April 1911, British Library Archives). The Wikipedia article on it says that it was largely supported by right wingers. This is interesting as Mark Wells was a Liberal. Perhaps there were a few heated conversations over the breakfast table while Mark was still alive! Sarah died in 1918.

The couples three daughters Marion and Emily, who did not marry, and Harriet (who married James Luck of Leighton Buzzard) all lived at Clifton Villa as adults with their parents for at least a while.

Marion died in 1924.

More families of Glade Road can be found under the "Specific Shops, Streets ...etc" option on the menu. All mentions of someone on the blog can be found on the Person Index.

In my research I also used census data transcribed by me from microfilm. Also of use to me was the GRO death registration index on the GRO website, accessed November 2020.

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

Lane End Historic Landlords #5 Chairmaker's Arms

Chairmaker's Arms, The Row, Lane End. - updated October 2023

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

Not to be confused with the Chairmaker's Arms which was in Dean Street Marlow. Both pubs came under Great Marlow for licensing and at times for census and other tax purposes.

©Marlow Ancestors. If quoting this research please give credit to this blog and link here but you are welcome to do so.

1871- Henry Goldswain. Also a chairmaker.

1883-86  Daniel Sharp

1886- James Leonard

1889-90 E Davis

1890-91 John Jarratt

1902 - (C Brown to H Brazier?)

1911- Thomas J Trinder. Earlier that year at the New Inn. Previously at the Old Arm Chair pub. Probably a trouble shooter or safe pair of hands sent in by the brewery if there was no available tenant or trouble with one. Every brewery tried to have someone like that to satisfy the local courts that a premises should not have it's licence withdrawn. It could be hard to get it back once withdrawn.

1939 - Mrs Emma Dean

More Lane End pubs can be found under the Pubs Related option on the menu. Other Lane End content is under Nearby Places on the top drop down menu.

All mentions of someone on the blog can be found under the Person Index on the top drop down menu. 

Ringing In The New Year, Old Marlow Style

   

I've covered Christmas celebrations in Victorian Marlow. But I realised the town had many New Year traditions too, so this post is dedicated to them. 

In the late Victorian period a New Years Eve ball was a regular feature. The Crown Hotel/Upper Crown had hosted a Christmas ball for many years. The New Year one was usually arranged for others but still hosted by the Crown. For example in 1897, it was a ball for those attending the town hall dance classes. While it was a chance for the adult pupils to dazzle their friends and family with their new skills, anyone could apply for a ticket to attend. Did they stop to mark the transition from one year to the next? Original sources don't tell us! But the balls tended to start at 9 or 10pm and continued until dawn so those attending certainly were awake at the stroke of midnight. Marlow Football Club was another of many organisations that saw their annual ball hosted at the Crown in January. 100 people attended this in 1899. 

Thames Bank house hosted a servants ball for their staff,  friends and neighbours on New Year's Eve 1875. More than 100 guests were present. The evening was organised by housekeeper Mrs Taylor and butler Mr Wilson but everyone in the household was said to have contributed to the "very pretty" decoration efforts. After 2 hours of energetic dancing to the accompaniment of a quadrille band, the dining room was opened up for supper.  The company were said to be "deeply gratified at the richness, variety and profusion with which the tables were temptingly set out". After this rest, it was back to dancing until the early hours! 

Then there was many concerts advertised for the new year although not all took place on December 31st or January 1st. The Primitive Methodist Chapel (now known as Liston Hall) traditionally enjoyed a concert, usually performed by their enthusiastic choir (40 strong) and almost always followed by a public tea in the Sunday school room. The purpose of this was to fundraise for the never quite satisfied building debt fund. If anyone was an enthusiastic giver of teas, it was the Marlow Primitive Methodists. The Prince Of Wales offered frequent concerts for New Years Eve, such as a special smoking concert and supper in 1902. Unfortunately their licence required them to close at 11pm, so they sang Auld Langs Syne just before,  followed by God Save The King of course. 

One of the most touching traditions was the large dinner provided by John Langley at the Verney Arms in Dean Street. Those invited were all men aged over 50 from the Dean Street area, which was one of the poorest neighbourhoods in town. Langley really did invite everyone, with 70-100 men in attendance. This dinner ran for many years in the late Victorian and Edwardian era. "The dinner is looked upon as a sort of reunion and looked forward to by those that take part." The men sat down at 8pm to roast beef, mutton, steak and kidney and veal and ham pies, "xmas" pudding, mince pies, cheese and celery. (1908 menu) It may have occured after Christmas but the festive fare must have been welcomed. 

"Watch Nights" were popular on New Year's Eve in the chapels in town. These were late night religious services and prayer meetings. Although many had a very long heritage in one form or another, they were increasingly suggested as a more responsible and moral alternative to the alcohol based or secular celebrations.  The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists held a joint watch night in 1902, to pray "the old year out and the new one in." The Salvation Army's watch night was sold as a musical evening, with prayers. 

One thing that probably strikes us the most when looking at advertising material from Marlow retailers is how often New Year gifts and New Year greeting cards are specifically advertised in addition to Christmas offerings. Obviously those who could scarcely afford to celebrate Christmas were not going to celebrate in any way again a week later. But so many shops took the trouble to promote their New Year offerings in the late Victorian and Edwardian period that it must have been more common to exchange cards at the time. The gifts tend to be small, with one advert suggesting they were sort of little token gift you might bring when visiting friends or family you didn't have chance to see at Christmas time itself. "This is the month for new year's gifts - you are just in time for the small present you meant to give at Christmas." (Rowe the jewellers, High Street 1908).  The stationers Smith & Co advertised that they had a "large selection of New Year presents to choose from" in 1897, not to mention calenders and diaries of course. Other shops you could browse New Year cards include Charles Page Drye's Marlow Printing Works and W H Smith (stationer not the draper of same name). Smith's also sold every novelty in calenders according to their 1899 boast. Sadly it doesn't seem any have survived so we can't see just what counted as a novel calendar design! The Printing Works was also the place to go in January for your copy of the Marlow Almanac and Directory. This carried useful information such as details of church services and court sittings, and the name, address and occupations of all those involved in trade. A handy way to get the low down on all your neighbours. 

January sales are also nothing new. W H Smith advertised their "traditional annual sale" in January 1905 with bargains in every department. It would continue for most of January. If there was something more common than a January sale, it was one that was extended due to popular demand. 

The last tradition to mention is the bellringers new year eve supper, usually hosted by the Two Brewers. Members of the Bellfry (bellringers) met for the meal which sounds at times to be rather well lubricated. They sang songs and sometimes rang hand bells as well. The ringers would then make their way to All Saints to ring out the old year and ring in the new one. Usually they rang a peal just before midnight and then rang another just after. On other occasions they rang 12 strokes at midnight itself. How many must have waited to hear the sounds of the bells

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

© MarlowAncestors

Related Posts 

Victorian Christmas in Marlow part 1 here and 2 here, Edwardian Christmas here

Skating on the Thames etc here

Bonfire night in Victorian Marlow here

A listing of other posts about every day life in old Marlow  here

Easter and May day here

Sources include:

South Bucks Standard 3 & 31 December 1897, 6 January & 22 December 1899, 3 January 1902, 6 January 1905, British Library Archive. 

Bucks Herald 9 January 1875, 3 January 1908. As above. 

Notes from Elsie Coster. 

©Marlow Ancestors 

 

King's Arms / King's Head Little Marlow Occupiers.

AKA Old King's Head / King's Head Inn / Kings Head Arms / Kings Arms.

Updated October 2023.

Existed 1689 but landlord at that time not known. There was also a Kings Head in Great Marlow High Street at that time but the latter is very long gone.

The pub was occasionally used to host auctions in the late 1700s and earlier 1800s. It was also frequently used for Coroner's Inquests for the Little Marlow dead.

1823- Joshua Phillips, who was also a plumber, glazier, one of the constables of Little Marlow and the Inspector of weights and measures for Buckinghamshire. "Old Kings Head" He was at the nearby Queens Head 1830.

1839 - 1864 Joshua Phillips again after seemingly having been in between times at the nearby Queens Head. Note that one 1839 trade directory incorrectly gives his name as Jessie. It is annoyingly common for these directories to make such mistakes (and to be 1 to 2 years out of date by the time they were published) This is one reason I don't use them routinely for research as often as I wish I could. His first wife died 1843 as per a death notice (which doesn't give her first name!) in the Berkshire Chronicle 14th October 1843. He married secondly Elizabeth Sawyer in 1851. In 1849 William Polley who worked for Joshua stole a glazier's diamond from him and was thus transported for seven years. Joshua died 14th February 1864.

1871 - 1874 Charles Phillips. Also a plumber and glazier. Born circa 1814. Died at the pub in February 1874 aged 60 and his widow Ann took over. 

1874 - 1891 Ann Phillips, widow of above. Charged with opening her pub for illegal hours in 1881 but the court believed her claim that the beer found inside had been drawn the day before and just had not been cleared up yet. In 1886 she lent a field she had to the Little Marlow Sunday School for a fête day for the pupils. [Bucks Herald 9th Jan 1886. This newspaper via the BNA / British Library partnership].

1891 - 1904 Charles Phillips, son of Charles and Ann above. Also a house painter. Pub then had a slate club. Wife Ada (née Beesley married High Wycombe, she of there, 1889).

1904 - George Henry Dancy very briefly.

1904 -1910 Henry Jordan.

1911 - 1912 Roland Ernest Kennedy. He was born in Bradenham, Bucks. Wife Florence (nee Peppal, married 1899). When he took over the pub he had no experience in the trade and found himself in trouble for not filling out his stock book for the Customs and Excise properly. Fined £5.

1914 Joseph Lambert [Joseph Lambert had a troubled marriage see Gravesend and Northfleet Standard 5th June 1914 available on the British Newspaper Archive]  - William H Woodridge.

1915 - William Woodridge

1920- Used for the inquest in the Kate Bailey murder case. For more on that see my post here Alfred Smith

1939- David James.

This is going beyond our usual pre 1920s remit so I will stop there.

Dates next to a person are when I have personally seen firm evidence of their occupation at a pub. They may also have been present earlier or later. Pub occupations are compiled by me from wills, property transactions, adverts, court cases, censuses etc

Researched and written by Charlotte Day. 

For other Little Marlow content please see the Nearby Places Index here. The Person Index option lists every mention of a person on this blog, over 7,500 of them! See also the Pub post listing here

©Marlow Ancestors. If using our research please credit this blog and link here. You are however very welcome to do so.

Best On The Thames - Praise For Marlow

 

A little while ago we published a post containing some of the less flattering reviews and descriptions that visitors and residents of old Marlow have left. This post will make happier reading for proud Marlovians! 

The River

"Between Marlow and Henley the constant succession of scenes of Sylvan beauty strikes the gazer dumb with enthralled imagination" - Belgravia Magazine vol 14 (Alfred Rimmer, 1881)

"The view from the bridge, both up and down the river is one of the most beautiful on the Thames" - John Merrylees, Patterson's Guide to the United Kingdom (William Patterson, 1885)

The Weir (Ware)

"In breadth, comeliness and situation...amongst the best to be found on the Thames" The Art Journal - vol 45 (Virtue and Co, 1883)

The Town In General

"From it's situation, it is capable of becoming a very neat country town" -

The History And Antiquities Of The Hundred Of Desborough -  Thomas Langley, (Faulkner & B&J Clark. 1797)

"It looks like a place purposefully made to whisper a tale of love into a fair ladies ear - a spot to loose your heart in and be grateful for the loss" 

 - Turner and Griffin's Picturesque Views of English, Scottish, And Welsh Scenery - Thomas Miller (Frank Bentley 1873) 

"A right bonny place" - Bells Life In London, 1879

General Situation

"The vicinity of Marlow presents scenery beautiful, picturesque and rich" - Isaac Slater, Slater's Royal, National and Commercial Directory, 1852

"The situation of the town is pleasant and picturesque and the scenery along the Thames here is very agreeable" - The Imperial Cyclopaedia Vol 2 (Society For The Dissemination Of Useful Knowledge, 1850).

"The surrounding scenery is replete with variety and beauty" - Samuel Lewis, The Topographical Dictionary (S Lewis & Co, 1833)

"For sweet rustic beauty, few places surpass Marlow. Hence it is the resort of the poet, the artist and the literary man who come to imbibe aspiration from the scenery" - Robert Hayes Smith in 1885 speech to the Volunteer Fire Brigade annual dinner. 

Little Marlow

"A charming rustic village with a pretty church". George Dunlop Leslie. (Bradbury, Agnew and co, 1881)

Part 2 is here

©Marlow Ancestors.

Hayes Place, Great Marlow

Earliest name "The Hayes". 

This is a very short street off West Street. None of the cottages wherein your Marlow Ancestors may have lived survive. Picture above shows the street in 2020, looking out towards West Street. Residents there would have had foot access round to Quoiting Square the other way and can also be given the address Quoiting Place as Quoiting Square was then known. Though in the heart of town in terms of being near to the river, High Street and main shopping areas Hayes Place was less than 10 minutes walk from open countryside going up Oxford Road or West Street. Though the homes there were crowded together there was just enough space for most to have small  gardens.

The first mention I have of homes on the site is 1832. In 1833 there were 15 households in "The Hayes". This was generally a poor address, though not grindingly poor or rough in the way areas like Dean Street were considered to be at the time.

Most of those who lived in the street had always been amongst the less well off but Hayes Place also provided refuge for some who had known better things- Robert Smith who had had a successful hairdressing business in Spittal Street became insolvent and went to live at number 13 for a few months in 1845 for instance.

On the 1833 assessment the properties in the street range from probably a one room very tiny cottage - that  occupied by "late Jane Moore" with an assessed annual value of only £1 10 shillings up to three houses valued at £6 10 shillings a year each, in the occupations of " late George Ward" [a butler whose wife Patience was a dressmaker. They left the town for Taplow in late 1832*], "Robert Reid" and "late Hunt". Note that these three houses appear to have been set off back from Hayes Place proper, and could be accessed just as easily from Quoiting Square. Jane Moore may have moved away from her tiny cottage recently at the time of the assessment but she was back later. She was a middle aged unmarried woman who worked as an laundress and a lace maker at different times.

Involvement in the lace making, satin stitch, laundry and paper making trades (as rag sorters in the latter case) plus domestic service were the most common traceable occupations for Victorian and Edwardian female residents of the street while involvement in agriculture, paper making, wood related crafts and brewing (most of the brewery workers will have worked at Wethered's brewery only about 5 minutes or so walk away) was common amongst male residents.

Someone not keen to gain employment or look after his responsibilities was 1833 resident Richard Lodge. Repeatedly in the 1840s he was fined or jailed for having abandoned his two sons John and William in Marlow.  There is no mention of their mother. John and William were together in the Marlow parish workhouse at the time of the 1841 census. They were both said to be 8. Could be twins but ages on censuses can be hazy and were rounded up and down. After the boys were beyond the age of being his legal responsibility Richard still found himself regularly before the courts for absconding from the Wycombe Union Workhouse. 

Talking of not taking responsibilities seriously - as the years went by properties in Hayes Place were not kept up to standard by their owner. In 1901 their sanitary condition was considered by Marlow Urban Council's medical officer as being likely to injure the health of the tenants with poor quality drains and cess pits too close to the homes.

Not enough had been done to remedy the situation by 1910 when drain water had seeped through the floor of the scullery of one cottage. Five other cottages [from other sources numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6] shared two improperly built cess pits. The yard soil at the back of the cottages there was badly contaminated by waste water. It was decided that some of the outhouses had to be rebuilt and all the drains replaced plus the yard properly surfaced. It seems that this work took several years to actually happen.

In 1913 the council again inspected the area and found that five of the eight cottages were not in a fit state for human inhabitation.  At last action was properly taken. All 8 had their sculleries rebuilt on the order of the council because they were damp and unsanitary. The same year the residents had three wash houses built for them to share. This was for the common use of all 8 households. The yard was paved, cesspits removed, and new drains put in. 

It needs to be pointed out that the owner of these cottages was the very wealthy Sir William Clayton who had more than enough means to remedy the situation for his tenants but it took years of asking him and his agents for him to do so.

The road itself, originally a private road, was taken over by the council in 1906 / 07 and paved for the first time.

Given the conditions it is not surprising that some residents of the Place dreamed of moving far away. Robert and Edward White Shaw [Aka just Shaw or just White] who lived in Hayes Place with their widowed 45 year old mother Marion [AKA Mary Ann] in 1901 did just that, emigrating to Canada. Marion worked as a chair caner in 1901. She died at Hayes Place the next year. 

*In 1830 the their two year old daughter Patience junior died. The Reading Mercury of 26th July that year described how the child's father was away on an excursion in the country when little Patience became ill. She died swiftly leaving her mother "inconsolable with grief" and unable to tell her husband about their loss because she had no address for him. Married butler's usually lived in with their employers while their family lived in a nearby cottage. There is a reasonable probability given that George Ward worked for the Claytons in nearby Oxford Lane.

 

*****

*To read about Victorian Hayes Place residents Charles and Charlotte Flint (he an embroider) and Charles' family see this post here. I don't want to repeat myself by dealing with them here when I have already done a post featuring them.

To find posts about other historic Marlow addresses see the "Specific Shops, Streets...Etc" index here.

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found on the Person Index on the top drop down menu. 

Researched by both Charlotte Day and Kathryn Day. Pic by Kathryn, words by Charlotte.

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

Sources: 

1833 parochial assessment working notebooks, in custody of our family, transcribed by Charlotte.

Census transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte. Census information always remains Crown copyright.

London Gazette, Volume 3, 1845. Published by T Neuman and digitized by Google.

Buckinghamshire Council Report for 1913. 

South Bucks Standard 7th June 1901, April 8th 1910 and 8th May 1913 British Library Archives via the BNA.

Death certifications, GRO.

Halford Graves, Marlow Cemetery and All Saints, Bisham

Above:
In Loving Memory Margaret Halford who fell asleep OCTOBER 4th 1917. "With Christ which is far better"

ALSO William Halford. Date unreadable. 

The above grave (images 1 & 2) is in Marlow Cemetery. 

Above, Henry James Halford. Born 9 February 1878, died 21st March 1894. 

This grave is at All Saints, Bisham. 

©Marlow Ancestors You are welcome to use this image and information for family or local history purposes providing you credit this blog, and link back here. 

A Victorian Christmas In Marlow Part 2

  

This is part two of a Victorian Christmas in Marlow. Part one deals with the Christmas ball, slate clubs, carol singing, shop displays and festive shopping...

Christmas Day at last

We think of snow bound Victorian Christmas Card scenes, but alas snow could not be guaranteed. A warm and muggy Christmas Day in 1885 saw one local journalist comment on how unlike the "old fashioned Christmas with snow covered ground and ice bound streams" it was, so the nostalgia for a white Christmas is an old one. From various reports we can gather an idea of how some of our ancestors spent their day. Church services obviously featured heavily for many, and work crept in for others. There are many reports of the town being busy with walkers on December 25th. A sweet account by the Marlow correspondent of the Maidenhead Advertiser in 1885, who was seemingly short of actual news, describes how the folk around him had spent Christmas Eve enjoying the traditional children's games beneath the branches of a Christmas tree groaning with gifts and "gaily dressed dolls, money boxes, flags, artificial fowls and bonbons". That certainly would make an interesting tree. Gifts were often hung directly on the branches if small, and some families invited guests to take a present off as they left. The games enjoyed by the youngsters in their "jolly juvenile Christmas Party" include Snap Dragon, and bran bag dips. (Small gifts hidden in sack of bran to be found by feel by a blindfolded child, a variation of a bran tub party game). Others played these kind of games on the 25th. The adults were said to have amused themselves with card games such as whist and nap as well as toasting the season. 

Of course not all children received much in the way of gifts, let alone a tree drooping under the weight of them. It's heartening to hear how many of Marlow's little ones did receive something courtesy of a benefactor, often via a Sunday school. The little patients of the Cottage Hospital always received a small gift and the hospital in general saw lots of donations of food around this time of year for example some turkey and vegetables from Lady Clayton in 1897. 

What's for dinner?

Beef was such a popular gift for the poorer folk from the various charities and well off givers that we know several hundred families in Marlow would have ate that for their Christmas meal. As for the others, it can be hard to pin down what they ate but we can at least know what was available to buy from Marlow shops. Smoked gammon was obviously popular as many sellers made a point of stressing how superior their offering was to all the others. In 1893, Clifton's provisioners in the High Street had 150 prime smoked gammon available. Geese do of course get mentioned, but turkeys are too. Mr Cripps of Highfields bred turkeys and poulterer Mr Wood was proud to advertise that he stocked them, along with turkeys from other local suppliers such as Finnemore and Wood End Farms. Mr Wood is often singled out as a man that made a particularly spectacular Christmas Show at his premises. In 1893, he also displayed ducks, pheasants and hares. In the same year, W H Clark advertised that they had a "lordly ox" on show, which had come from Winslow. Adverts do not often mention geese specifically because it was a given that they would be easily available. But turkeys were worth promoting. So we know that Mr Woods had competition from Mr Maddison in the High Street and Mrs Maskell in  Market Square on the turkey selling front. 

As a vegetarian, I think the display at bakers Messrs Death and Son, of West Street and later of the High Street is more appealing although lard probably featured in a good few recipes! Deaths were renowned for the fancy cakes they could make in almost any design.  So it's not surprising that their extensive Christmas exhibition was said to be a remarkable collection of the finest mince pies "and dainties in pastry of all descriptions."

Alternative Christmas traditions

 Prior to around the 1880's and stretching back decades, was a tradition Christmas Day gathering on Marlow Common with the main aim of catching rabbits and pheasants. Several hundred people are said to have turned up at times. Some were clearly there just to socialise but others came with dogs and guns. The authorities stamped this out as the land surrounding the common was in private ownership and the landowners said dogs and hunters strayed on their land and so were effectively poaching. A sweep in 1878 saw several arrests. 

Goodwill to all men? 

The Christmas period was a busy one for our police constables. Drunkenness and family squabbles feature strongly in petty session records of the time. In 1870, husband and wife Jacob and Julia Martin were charged with abusing each over loudly in Gun Lane (now Trinity Road) on the evening of Christmas day while under the influence of alcohol. They received a 16s fine. That is one example of many. Other seasonal misdemeanours include the frequent apprehension of those pilfering holly and mistletoe from private land in the hope of selling it on. Henry Beaver is one such Marlow man caught making away with part of a farmers holly tree in Hambledon in 1872. There also tends to be an increase in arrests for begging in the run up to Christmas, especially on Christmas Eve itself. But there are two ways of looking at this. There may have been more beggars congregating in town in the hope that the season would encourage generosity and the police might then act to deal with a nuisance. But many of those arrested were homeless tramps and it was a tradition in some places for them to be "round up" and arrested in order that they could be hosted in the relative warmth of the police station cells over Christmas. 

Boxing Day

On Boxing Day some may have been nursing sore heads and fraught domestic relations, but at least an increasing number of workers could enjoy Boxing Day off from their labours. In 1872, the Reading Mercury journalists praised the Marlow traders closed on the 26th, as "by this thoughtful act of employers many of their assistants were able to visit their friends at a distance." However 3 years later, they noted that the grocers and some other traders in Marlow had not closed on Boxing Day.  By 1900 it was announced that the drapers of Marlow, who traditionally took the lead in such things, would be closing for 3- 4 days over Christmas and other traders would likely follow their lead. However, it was possible that a knock at the door of a "closed" establishment would still be answered in an "emergency". George Hide the West Street draper advertised that his side door would be answered should there be any "special enquiries" requiring immediate attention over the Christmas closure. 

It was a tradition to drink the health of friends on Boxing day so pubs did a roaring trade. Those unfortunate to have many friends whose health they cared for might find themselves before a not too understanding magistrate if they ignored the soft warning to go home quietly usually issued by our local police. 

And of course Boxing Day was a traditional time for football matches, played at that time on Crown Meadow or Riley Recreation Ground as we call it now with the minor teams playing at Star Meadow or Gossmore or the station ground.  

The Salvation Army often hosted many of the towns poorest citizens on the 26th instead of or in addition to pre Christmas feasts. On Boxing Day 1892 100 of the needy sat down to a "meat tea."  

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Related posts:

Victorian Christmas in Marlow part 1 here 

Edwardian Christmas in Marlow here

New Year traditions here

Skating on the Thames etc here

Bonfire night in Victorian Marlow here

A listing of other posts about every day life in old Marlow  here

Easter and May day here

©Marlow Ancestors

Trinity Road (Gun Lane, Trinity Lane)

The earliest reference I have found to homes in Gun Lane as was, Trinity Road as is, is 1619. Then and frequently in other early records it is rendered Goune Lane. I have also seen Gunne. The form "Gun" was hardly ever used until the late 1700s.

In 1771 5 tenements with garden plots were up for auction in Gun Lane. 

In 1786 there was a gentleman's house called The Garrison there. Previously this had been used as a military Garrison but went out of that use circa 1777. Whether it was actually built for military use is uncertain.

 There was a family by the name of Gunne in Marlow at that time, interestingly so the name Gun Lane may not derived from any military linkage.

The Garrison building went through various uses of which this post gives details. 

Beyond the cottages shown above with the white painted chimney on the side (which had been built by 1824) there are no historic homes still standing though there are the buildings once used as the Police Court and Police Station as well as Holy Trinity Church which opened in 1852.

One of the cottages above was the Three Horseshoes pub from at least 1824 to at least 1851, not to be confused with the pub of the same name outside of town. In 1833 the pub had sheds and two gardens, one of them a large one. The combined estimated value of the property was £14 a year. 

The landlord between 1824 and his death in 1838 was William Hoare. After him Charles Hoare and his wife Charlotte took over. These two left at some point in the 1850s, going on to run other pubs in Dean Street and Chapel Street. I found no further trace of the pub after the Hoare's departure, indeed their daughter said it closed when the church opened. (See here for more on this pub and the Hoares). One of the cottages was later the home of the sexton of Trinity Church Jeremiah Harding who was also the gardener for the house The Glade in Glade Road, later known as the Cedars.

The Police station dates from the 1850s with the Police Court extension added 1869.  It has a dedicated post of it's own here

Gun Lane, Gun Place and Dean Street were amongst the poorest parts of town throughout the 1800s and early 1900s. Dean Street was also the most densely populated area and thus a regular address to which Marlow criminals belonged. Erecting the police buildings in Gun Lane just off from there was the authorities sending a message of intent!

I am sure that was welcomed by many Gun Lane residents. In 1829 "a poor woman" was robbed of her watch in the lane for instance. 

The wall on the left in the photo marks the boundary of the garden grounds of the former house The Rookery. They are now a park. For a full history of this house and the people associated with it see the post

here.

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

Sources:

Reading Mercury 30th December 1771 and 27th March 1786. Bucks Gazette 25th April 1829. Copies held at the British Library Archives and accessed by me via the BNA March 2021.

1841-61 census my transcription from microfilm.

Original property records held by my family and transcribed by me.

Historic pubs research by Kathryn Day.

1833 Parish Assessment original copy owned by our family. Content uploaded here gradually. 

© Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this image or research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here so that the sources listed above do not lose credit for the information they provided. Thanks.

Bank Of England, Dean Street History and Landlord Listing *Updated*

 THE BANK OF ENGLAND /THE BANK/ YE OLDE BANK

1840 - Described as "recently built" (of brick with slate roof) and "now licenced for the sale of beer"  It is let to a "most respectable tenant". Leasehold with 3 years left on it is offered for sale. "Near the turnpike on the Oxford Road". Has bowling alley, coach house, 2 stables, detached wash house, and other outbuildings plus the large yard. Inside there is 4 bedrooms, a cellar, parlour, tap room and pantry. 

1841 - George Clarke, son of Richard Clark(e) who had had the Jolly Maltsters Dean Street. See here for more. That post contains details of some trouble George got into as a young man. George's sister Emma was in turn landlady of the Jolly Maltsters, Mint and Cherry Tree all in Dean Street.

1844 - George Clark

1853 - George Clark

1861 - George Clark ("Ye Old Bank"), also carpenter. Twice fined in the 1860s for opening his beerhouse at illegal hours. In 1867 a suspicious constable secretes himself into a pile of faggots opposite in order to watch the comings and goings, and sees several men enter. These thirsty souls flee on the constable revealing his presence. Pots of beer with some taken out can be seen around  the tap room and parlour.  Fine that time? £5. 

1865 - George Clark. Also sells asses' milk (!)

1871 - George Clark - also carpenter, and has lodgers

1873 - George Clarke "The Bank Beerhouse". Transfer to John Finch who came from The Alma. Wellers brewery only got the licence for the premises renewed on the condition a new tenant was found, as they believed George harboured the criminally inclined. Wellers say that George had already been given notice to quit. Some of the Hussars recently billeted in Marlow when they spent a few days here, had stayed at the Bank..in the stable with their horses.  

1875 - John Finch 

1881 - John Finch (b.1843) "The Bank" Wife Sophia. (Also lodging house) 

1882- John Finch summoned for refusing to let a Constable see inside his premises. Something to hide did you John!? The next year John recieved a heavy fine and an endorsement on his licence for opening his beerhouse before the legally permitted time on a Sunday. In the space of 15 minutes 10 people were observed going through the open gates into the yard, and through the back door, emerging shortly afterwards with a suspicious looking jug. The constables followed a trail of beer spillages down the passage that lead to the cellar steps, down which they found John with a selection of beer containers with the dregs still in them. John claimed the wet spots in the yard were where he'd urinated! He also said no one had visited him there, and in the cellar he was merely changing the taps on a barrel. The police must have seen people passing up a public footpath nearby he thought. Unfortunately for John, a policeman Constable Birch lived only 500 yards away and had an uninterrupted view of the Bank Of England. The excuses offered by the drinkers are amusing to read. They happened to call on John (at 6.30am in the morning) for all kinds of reason other than buying alcohol apparently. Dropping off some potatoes, showing him a piece of flannel, and talking to him about a pig were amongst the reasons to drop by. One man was not so good at thinking on his feet and said he only stepped into the yard, but couldn't quite remember why. (Four of the drinkers were summoned and fined.)

1883 - H Finch. 2. Charles Grace

1886 - Charles Grace. Wife Mahala leaves Charles this year taking some money and belongings which Charles says belonged to him. So he has her summoned for theft but subsequently asks for the charge to be dropped. He says Mahala had returned the items and had apologised for removing them. It does not seem she had returned to live with her husband though. 

1886 - William Cox? 2. Frederick Cox. 

1891  - George E Lyons (from London)

1896 - George E Lyons transfers the  premises to William Howard.

1899 - James Cottrell. 2. William Chaplin. 

1908 - William Dawes. 2. Edwin Dewey 

1911 - Edward (qv) J Dewey

1915 - James Turney

1916 - Mr Turney

1920 - James Turney

1939 Ye Olde Bank of England - Harry Price. 

Above, the former site of the Bank. 

Find more posts like this about pubs in Marlow, Little Marlow, Well End, Medmenham and Lane End listed on the Pub Related option on the menu.

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found on the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. 

Post researched and written by Kathryn Day.  Additional research by Charlotte Day.

Building now demolished.

This post is updated as new information emerges. All listings are as noted in original sources, including alternative spellings. Note that some listings may in fact refer to father's and sons sharing the same given name so be sure to double check this. Many Marlow landlords changed premises and there can be other family members running other establishments. We mainly focus on pre WW1 or 1920's listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with. 

See the Pub Related post listing here on the drop down menu to find out about other pubs, beer houses etc. A land lord listing for most will be published here gradually. 

©Marlow Ancestors

A Victorian Christmas In Marlow Part One

  

The celebration of Christmas in Victorian Marlow was obviously very different for individual families, depending on their income and how much leisure they could enjoy. Every lavish feast on a well provided for family table existed because a servant or more had spent time on Christmas day working to prepare it. But it was also a time when the better off made particular effort to cheer the homes of their less well off neighbours.

Hot beef and plum pudding

One of the earliest Victorian traditions was for the children of the National Schools to be given a hot beef dinner, complete with plum pudding, on Christmas Day itself. This was paid for by Colonel William Clayton of Harleyford, and James Simpson of Spinfield. The earliest reference I can find for this is in 1833, when it's described as something that happened "as usual." Clayton also made an annual gift of clothing to the poor at Christmas - in 1839 400 individuals received something. Christmas was also the traditional time for distributing annual gifts provided for by various old bequests and charities, not all of them specifically associated with Christmas, but it provided a convenient and easily remembered time for an annual share out. And how well appreciated the gifts must have been in winter in particular with heating costs high and fewer opportunities for casual outdoor employment to supplement the income. Beef and clothing were both popular choices, given for example by the Wethereds of Remnantz for many years, in addition to the bequests by their ancestors. In 1887, 627 poor people received a gift of shoes or clothing from the church wardens acting for the charities they were then in charge of. Marlow had many many families in need of this aid. 

The town centre shops loaded their premises with extra supplies of tempting goods for those with spare cash to hand. Thomas Fullicks, said his currants and raisins were so superior in 1843 that there "were never such Christmas puddings in Marlow as there will be this year." Just under 50 years later Mr Clifton of the High Street (later Grays, on corner with what would become Institute Rd) had decorated his windows with all the "necessaries that go towards making the most toothsome plum pudding."  In 1899 the grocers were "loading their stores with the finest and best of everything for the production of plum puddings, mince pies and almost every dainty for the Christmas dinner table." Hungry yet?  Deaths the West Street bakers were offering a new trend in 1897 - Christmas cakes in all sizes "sugared and ornamented with Christmas mottoes". 

One tradition which has long gone is for grocers, butchers, fruiterers and the like to hold "Christmas Shows." By convention, many were held on the same day by shops of the same type, but not exclusively so, especially later on. This was a day in the week before Christmas when the shopkeeper would put on display their finest produce, hoping to secure the festive trade of as many households as possible. In general the customers were placing their orders to be delivered later. They went to great lengths to decorate their premises and windows for the occasion, and their "Christmas Show day" were advertised in advance. Many of the carcass covered butchers and poulterers that appear in prints were decorated for this occasion, with the images used in advertising thereafter. Some shows lasted a day, others a couple, Death the bakers often went to 3. A while before the butchers had their show, a Christmas fat stock show would take place. This was ostensibly a livestock show, with all the animals entered being offered for sale at the end. The butchers would then compete to secure the prize winning animals, and they would advertise they had bought the best in class exclusively for their customers. The extent that these shop shows were regarded as a big occasion is easy to underestimate. The newspapers sent reporters there and Marlow shops could report hundreds of visitors in one day aside from the everyday shoppers. For example the two day shows of Mr Westbrook and Mr Creswell in Chapel Street, chiefly of beef and mutton, received several hundred visitors each in 1843. Rachel Hall of West Street also exhibited her butchers stock on the Wednesday.  The animal carcasses were described as decorated with holly, ivy and mistletoe in 1897, with other shops making use of streamers and rosettes. In 1874 the journalist reported that "The grocers and confectioners show windows have been more than usually radiant with the good things of Christmas Tide." 

Christmas Balls and Suppers

For the well off, a Christmas ball could be enjoyed, at either the Upper or Lower Crown inns before the Victorian period, moving to the assembly room at the town hall when that opened. The Crown Hotel (Upper Crown) used the latter in connection with their hotel so they were the hosts there. In 1879 hotel proprietor Susan West decorated the ball room to look like a fairy palace. The guests (around 100 of them) arrived at 10pm and only finished dancing to the Burnham Quadrille band just before dawn. With supper also served during the evening, Susan and her staff must have been more than ready for some sleep the next day. 

A tradesman's festive ball is also recorded early on, resurrected briefly in the 1840's and attended by non Marlow tradesman too. In 1844, the tradesman ball was held at the (Upper) Crown and it was noted that "such a ball has not been known for some years." It was actually held in January, given that the tradesman had little rest during the Christmas period itself. Seasonal entertainments of a different kind were the regular festive concerts in the "large room" of the Verney Arms, Dean Street. In 1870, the Verney had attracted a group of vocalists from the Cambridge Music Hall in London no less, who performed to a full house. 

The week or so before Christmas was also the time for the pubs to host their grand share out of the Slate Club funds. These were sort of friendly society where members paid in a fixed weekly amount in exchange for accessing payments from the shared funds in the event of sickness or unemployment. In 1900, 6d was the usual weekly sum. Any funds left over at the end of the year were divided between members who had paid in regularly, and the event was usually marked with a special dinner. A simple but effective savings bank. Most of the pubs hosted one at one time or another, with those at the Clayton Arms, Prince Of Wales (with 70 members in 1900) and the Verney Arms among the most established. Because they were strongly linked to pubs, some of the chapels also started Slate Clubs more suitable for alcohol abstainers. Without the slate clubs it was acknowledged that many a Marlow workman's home would "perhaps otherwise be more or less cold or desperate" at Christmas. 

And of course many larger employers also organised special dinners or suppers such as the Brewery "Christmas Box Feast" at the George and Dragon, and at the Greyhound prior to that. 

The sounds of Christmas

If we think of a Victorian Christmas we quickly think of carol singers. The church choir of All Saints did indeed make a trip around the streets, sometimes accompanied by members of the congregation, and usually on Christmas Eve. Given that they hoped to gather donations, it's no surprise they were usually described as calling at the principle houses and streets in the town. In 1872, Rev George Cree set out with 20 singers from the Church at 9.30pm and arrived back at 1am on Christmas Day, having stopped at Remnantz, the Rookery in Chapel Street, Thames Bank, The Glade (now Cedar House, Glade Road) and Highfields (demolished, off Henley Road.) The singers were traditionally offered refreshments hence the length of the tour. And yes they carried lanterns - they would have needed them especially when heading out of town to Highfield. If you did not live in one of the "principal streets" then the Salvation Army band was likely to provide your doorstep entertainment, in the 1880's onwards. They also performed in the town centre, cheering up the shop workers still working hard on Christmas Eve. And you may well have found them about on Boxing Day too, hoping to catch people in the glow of festive feeling who might drop a coin or two in the collection boxes worn around the neck. Special collections for the poor were made at the Christmas Day services at Holy Trinity and All Saints church too. Marlow's various other bands could also be found performing in the Market Square, or as the Bucks Herald put in in 1882, they made themselves "harmoniously audible."  Given that the Lane End band also made a traditional Boxing Day visit, Marlow must have sounded very lively. Hopefully they all did not perform exactly at the same time as one another! 

The other sounds closely linked to Christmas in Marlow was the traditional "ringing in" of Christmas morning, in the form of a peel of bells performed by the bell ringers of All Saints at midnight Christmas Eve going into Christmas Day. 

More Christmas Shopping

Victorian shop keepers were good at commercialising Christmas in their own way. Shops that did not normally offer toys or novelties  stocked up on them at Christmas. Marlow had it's toy shops but surprisingly perhaps the other main place to buy toys were the drapers, with every one advertising some kind or another at Christmas, such as dolls at Morgans, and clockwork novelties at Hides. The other places to expand their gift  offerings and introduce toys for the season were the printers and stationers. They were also the place to go for your Christmas cards. And yes, they began advertising them long before December! Smith & Co (High Street) offered to show customers a sample book of 345 varied and artistic designs for Christmas and New Year cards, starting at 3s 6d for 25. (1899 price) In 1900 the same shop claimed to have 10,000 Christmas cards in stock, with envelopes provided free of charge. Elsewhere in the High Street Mr Toovey offered cards "at once elegant and cheap." Look where we will "our shops are ablaze with all sorts of novelties to tempt the giver of good things" as the South Bucks Standard put it. 

And if you wanted to buy a festive outfit, Sutton's Emporium in West Street offered the "cheapest,  best and most fashionable clothing for Christmas." 

School treats

In addition to any meals provided for the youngsters attending the schools, little gifts were also often given out. The children of the Parish Church  Sunday Schools were fortunate enough to enjoy a second treat from supporters of the church.  For example, the Oxford Lane infants Sunday school nearly always had a Christmas tree, bedecked with presents provided by sponsors. "Prettily dressed dolls" , mouth organs, spinning tops, and horns were some of the delights presented to the excited children in the late Victorian and early Edwardian period. They almost always got to take home an orange and iced bun too. The children attending the Catholic convent schools had their own treats and celebrations. A magic lantern show in the adjacent Music room (public hall) was a perennial favourite. 

Part two  here deals with Christmas Day itself, more food, the Marlow Common gatherings and Boxing Day. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Related posts:

Victorian Christmas in Marlow part 2

 here

Edwardian Christmas in Marlow here

New Year traditions here

Skating on the Thames etc here

Bonfire night in Victorian Marlow here

A listing of other posts about every day life in old Marlow  here

Easter and May day here

 Go to the Specific Shops, Streets etc section  to find out more about historic Marlow shops and what you could buy in them. 

©Marlow Ancestors 

The Thin Line Between Life And Death

 Before our ancestors had easy access to the likes of antibiotics, and tetanus shots, any kind of accident could spell disaster. This post tells the story of the death of three Marlow men and boys, related by birth or marriage, to illustrate how fine the line between life and death could be. 

First we have Abraham Creswell (or Cresswell, the family used both spellings as you can see from their graves at All Saints). Abraham was the son of William and Mary Creswell of Wycombe Road Farm. William was a strong minded man who had many battles with those in authority, over land and highway encroachment issues. (Read about this entertaining character here ) This independent spirit was also stubborn in his dealings with his sons. It is said that while he expected them to help on the farm, he would not allow them any say in it's management, or their own affairs or indeed any share in it's profit while he lived. When Abraham was bought home in 1860 in a tipsy state by a policeman, William refused to let him in and told the constable to lock his son up instead. So they did.  William may have been a tough master, but he was also a shrewd investor in land and combined with a talent for thriftiness, this allowed him to leave a substantial legacy of approx £16,000. His land holdings were divided out, with High Rews (Ruse) Farm going to son William, and the Wycombe Road Farm to Abraham. Abraham also inherited £4000 and the house in Wycombe Road. He had fulfilled many other roles before he finally made his inheritance. He was for example a carrier working for his wife's relations the Johnsons of the neighbouring Plough Inn. He later won the contract to provide cartage services for the Great Marlow Railway Company although he was relieved of this duty 2 years later for failing to perform services, and a failure to render accounts. He probably had heard so many lectures from his parsimonious father about accounting for every farthing to make making up his own accounts an unpleasant task! 

Abraham would enjoy being in charge of his farm for just a year. In the February of 1894, he took a trip to Beaconsfield Fair for business purposes. On his return, he pulled up his horse and cart in the farmyard. Then a freak accident occured. He dropped his whip, and as he stooped down to retrieve it from the floor, his horse stepped back and trod on his hand, cutting it badly. It was obviously a painful injury, but worse was to follow. Abraham's arm swelled a huge amount, and he became unconscious. Blood poisoning had set in, and a few days later, Abraham was dead. He left a wife Jane (nee Belcher) and 7 children. There are many unfortunate similar cases relating to accidents on farms, and in fields. 

Both Abraham and Jane had lost siblings in tragic circumstances. Abraham's brother Edward died aged 16, also at the Wycombe Road Farm. He went out to the fields armed with a gun in order to scare birds from an area of freshly sown seed. The trigger caught on his sleeve, and the gun fired accidentally. He was hit in the foot but managed to hobble home assisted by his 11 year old brother. At first he did not seem in too much pain, but when his foot was examined, it was realised the shot had gone through his big toe. A surgeon was called - and he came armed with the tools for amputation of the toe. This may sound extreme but it was thought the toe was shattered. After examining the boy, he initially wanted to proceed with the operation. But then he changed his mind. He was well aware of the risk of infection after amputation, and so decided on balance not to remove the toe or at least not yet. But sadly young Edward developed lock jaw or tetanus as we would call it, weakened rapidly and died just 3 days after the accident. The inquest was held at the Plough. 

The second case was that of Charles Belcher, the brother of Abraham's wife Jane. Jane was the "girl next door" living at the Plough with her parents and her maternal grandparents who ran it, the Johnsons. When her brother Charles was 16, he was working for a coal merchant. They praised the fact that he was always busy and could be trusted to get on with his work. They were therefore happy to leave him at the coal yard when making deliveries. One day they returned in  cold and wet conditions to see Charles working outside carrying coals. He seemed to be unsteady. They made a good natured comment to him along the lines of "You haven't been working out here in these conditions have you? You'll do yourself an injury!" They told Charles to learn from experience and do a different task as it was far too slippery to make progress moving loads. They had already expressly forbade the young man to carry heavy weights alone as they knew he did not have the experience to do so. These comments, well meant, unfortunately seem to have had the affect of preventing Charles from admitting that he had in fact tried to lift loads beyond those he was allowed to, and what's more had injured his hip doing so. He told one worker who noticed him wince that he had had a slight slip and was a little tired but did not mention the heavy weights he had been carrying. His mother thought him in low spirits but did not know he was in pain. Sadly the pain got worse, and Charles could no longer disguise it. His mother would not take his denial that he was not injured, and so he confessed that he had suffered an accident at work. But he did not want to tell her he had done it while not following orders or that several days had passed since it occured. Instead he told her he had suffered a fall from a small height the previous day. She immediately called a surgeon. This mans assessment of  Charles was based on the fact he had only just hurt himself, rather than the fact the pain had been growing steadily worse over several days. He said that had he known the injury was not a fresh one, and was the result of a strain lifting a weight rather than a fall, he would have treated the boy differently. As the boys condition suddenly and unexpectedly worsened, he confided to his mother how the accident had truly happened, and how he had been frightened he would not be allowed back to work if he told the truth. He said his employer was not to blame, as he had not been asked to tax his strength, and in fact had been expressly forbidden to do so. It was only after speaking to the employers who remembered the wet slippery conditions in the yard the week before, and what Charles had said about a minor slip of foot, that the length of time the poor boy had hidden his injury was revealed. Sadly the delay in seeking help was a fatal one and Charles died. It is believed he succumbed to an internal rupture or hernia.

Related Posts

Danger of fire here

 More medical history related posts can be found under the General Marlow History option on the menu. 

All mentions of any individual on the blog can be found on the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. Over 3,100 people are mentioned so far!

Some sources

1871, 1881, 1891 Census transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte Day. 

GRO Death Index. 

Creswell, Belcher and Johnson family research by Charlotte Day

South Bucks Standard 16 March 1894, 1 November 1895, copy from British Library archive.  

Maidenhead Advertiser 1 April 1893 as above. 

© Marlow Ancestors

Will Summary For Thomas Gibbons of Great Marlow 1824

 I obtained a copy of this will from the National archives, transcribed it then produced this summary for the blog: You can see the grave of Thomas on the blog here

THOMAS GIBBONS GENTLEMAN OF GREAT MARLOW WILL PROVED 1824

Says he in good health with a sound mind and memory.

Son Thomas:

Newly erected messuage or tenement with its yards, gardens, and appurtenances in St Peter Street which he already occupies.

£500 out of the £6,500 stock testator has in Consolidated Bank annuities .

Son Richard:

Messuage or tenement with yards, gardens, warehouses and appurtenances to it in St Peter Street which he already occupies.

Also 5 messuages, cottages or tenements in St Peter Street with their yards, gardens and outbuildings. In occupations of Joan Sparkes, James Downer, William Cresswell, ?Thomas ?Grovenor and Richard.....

Also messuage or tenement near Marlow Bridge called Limbrook with its counting house, outbuildings, gardens, yards, warehouses, rights and ... members and appurtenances. (Note this is refering to the old Marlow Bridge, not the suspension bridge)

Daughter Elizabeth:

£6000 out of the £6500 stock in annuities mentioned above to her and her heirs. These are held in trust for her by her brother Richard with her receiving the interest of the sum during her life. Also she has all testator's other personal property after debts, funeral and probate costs are paid.

Witnesses George Ellison, John Ralphe and John Ralphe Junior all of Great Marlow. 

Three children all executors. Richard and Elizabeth went to prove the will. Right to execute was reserved to son Thomas too. 

Note: Thomas' wife had predeceased him. Her grave marker can be seen here. To find all mentions of a family, or individual on the blog (3,000 people and counting!) use the A-Z Person index in the top drop down menu. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to quote from or use this summary with credit and a link here.

I have transcribed this will and summarized it here to the best of my ability! A copy of the will can be obtained from the National Archives, Kew.

You can read the 1833 parochial assessment description of Thomas junior and Richard's properties when that section of it has been uploaded to the blog as soon as time allows.  I have such a wealth of material and research I have posts written and scheduled far into the future.

Researched, transcribed and written by Charlotte Day.

Creswell Graves St Peters Roman Catholic Church, Great Marlow

 Ann Creswell - d. Apr 30 187? age 62. 

ALSO OF 

Ann Creswell d. Apr 29 1883 age 34. 

More graves can be found on the Graves menu. All mentions of any individual on the blog can be found under the A-Z Person Index on the top drop down menu. You will find plenty of Creswell / Cresswells! 

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction of this image is welcome with credit.

Platts Row / Cannon's Row Marlow

Buildings dated 1846.

Known as Cannon's Row as it was built for and owned by chemist and bookseller George Cannon. (To go virtual shopping in his Victorian premises see this post here)  His initials appear along with the 1846 date on the decorative plaque under the eaves. The properties were sold after his death and then became known as Platts Row, sometimes Platts Road. (Referencing the now gone Platts Farm)  This is within Mill Road Marlow.

Open ground opposite the cottages and next to the Prince Of Wales pub in South Place was used by a travelling theatre in 1883, Belmores. One of the actresses performing there, Ada Hall, died of fits considered to have been brought on by a mammoth drinking session in the Prince of Wales. Ada had been in acute distress after hearing that her son was lost at sea. She was also suffering from money troubles and in mourning for the recent death of her aunt. At the inquest Platts Row resident Harriet Warren gave evidence. She had shown kindness to Ada, putting a blanket under her head when she found her sleeping in the taproom and visiting the theatre tent the next day to check on her wellbeing. Harriet was née Smith and married her husband Joseph at the Wesleyan Chapel in 1877.

Resident William Augustus Gill died in Platts Row in 1894 aged 61, having lived there with his wife Elizabeth for some years. His obituary in the South Bucks Standard [3rd August 1894, Via the BNA / British Library Archives] tells us that though a tailor by trade William was mainly interested in being out playing sports. He was a fast long distance runner who challenged others in matches, a cricket player for Marlow and an umpire until his sight failed.

I found evidence of him running a race for money 130 yards down Oxford Road Marlow against Maidenhead man Edward Shalor. William won by 4 yards. As a runner he went by the name of The Shrimp. Not sure why!

The obituary says William had a sharp but witty tongue. It glossed over evidence that he may have been a little short tempered having multiple court summonses for assault. Those who summoned him included hairdresser George Hitchcock and two local constables. William was twice fined for being in a pub drinking during prohibited hours. One of these offences was in the Prince of Wales.

Elizabeth survived William and died in Platts Row in 1900. She was née White and married her husband in 1852.

Another one time resident of Platts Row was Uriah Piggot who for 30 years worked as a gardener at New Court off the High Street.

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

For other posts about specific roads in Marlow see under "Specific Shops, Streets...etc" on the menu. All mentions of an individual on the blog can be found on the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu - now containing 2,900 names. 

Related posts: 

Travelling theatres such as Ada's were a big part of Marlow Fair - read about this event in the Victorian era here and Edwardian times here. 

The death of a showman in Riley recreation ground in its previous life as Crown Meadow is covered here

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

George Cannon's initials and 1846 date. 

A Pile Of Deformity!!

The proud Marlovian probably doesn't want to continue reading...

Below is a rundown of comments made by those who found Great Marlow a bit less than to their liking.

The Town As A Whole

London Daily News opinion piece 1848 = "One of the most depraved towns in Bucks". It was apparently badly paved, badly drained, on the road to nowhere, those involved in the trade of skewer making* pretty much all criminals, one of the most politically corrupt places around etc. [That last bit was alas 100 per cent truth]. The list of insults goes on a while longer. I've summarized.

South Bucks Standard 1860 = says more lectures and adult education classes needed in Marlow to "uplift the minds of the people above the grovelling habits of yore for which they were famous".

Edward James Mortimer Collins 1869 = "rather commonplace and not particularly lively".

Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine 1889 = "A Disappointment".

Photography (a journal) 1895= liked the bridge but "There is little of interest in the town itself".

Fishing And Fish Culture Journal 1886 = "In the town there is nothing particularly worthy of note". The fishing was however good and the air healthy it said.

Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette 1859 - "It is seldom any change occurs in the dull monotony of Marlow life, it being one unvaried round of work, live, eat, drink, sleep and die".

The Church

The present All Saints church was erected in the 1830s at the cost of the 1600s church there before it. The claim that that old church was too far decayed and so must be replaced was doubted by many Marlovians at the time and the fact that the builders actually found the old structure hard to knock down suggests that it was not quite that decrepit. The flooding problems that the new church was supposed to avoid persisted after it was built for at least some time. The faux Gothic style of the church was seen as embarrassingly vulgar by more than a few residents.

So our Marlow ancestors or at least some of them would maybe not have been quite so hurt by the following comments from visitors about the church, and might instead have been nodding in agreement:

Bucks Gazette 1835 = "An extravagant pile of deformity". So bad it could not even be classed as any form of architecture, apparently.

South Bucks Free Press 1862 said despite large amounts of money spent on the church= "We have not the satisfaction of looking upon it as one of the grand architectural achievements of the age". In a different edition they said that the church was "very widely condemned as being one of the most barren, naked and worst conceptions of church architecture that could have been offered". It went on to describe the pulling down of the old church as a lamentable and costly blunder.

Book The Royal River: The Thames From Source To Sea, 1885 = said that the old church "could hardly have been as ugly as the present building". It suggested viewing the new one from a safe distance only.

Handbook for Travelers In Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire 1882=  "An ugly modern structure".

Charles George Harper in Thames Valley Villages, 1910. "A very clumsy take on a Gothic structure..A fine old Norman structure was destroyed to make way for this.."

*To find out more about skewer making in Marlow see our post here.

More posts related to the churches of Marlow and their people see the Church Related option on the menu. For other general posts about everyday life in old Marlow, see the index here

Other Marlow quotes and complaints here and 

Sources:

Article "A Stream of Pleasure" by Joseph and Elizabeth Robins Fennell. 1889. Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. Volume 38. Via Google Books. Accessed March 2021.

The Daily News 30th November 1848, copy held British Library Archive. Accessed by me March 2021 via the BNA.

Photography [journal], Volume 7 page 399. Digitized by Google. Accessed March 2021.

The Royal River: The Thames From Source To Sea, 1885 by Cassell.

Handbook For Travelers In Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire published by John Murray 1882.

South Bucks Free Press March 22nd 1862. Newspaper copy at British Library archives accessed via the BNA March 2021.

South Bucks Standard January 21st 1860. As above.

The Ivory Gate Volume One by Edward James Mortimer Collins. Published by Hurst and Blackett. Held at Oxford University Library. Digitized by Google.

Article - The Anglers Map of the Thames by F C Parker, in Fishing, Fish Culture and The Aquarium Journal May 1886, digitized by Google and accessed April 2021. 

Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette, 01 January 1859, as above

Written by Charlotte Day. Researched by Charlotte Day and Kathryn Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. If using this research credit this blog and link here to make sure our sources remain credited for information provided. Thanks!