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.

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".

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".

"Fanshaw" a visitor from London whose letter was published in the Bucks Free Press 16th June 1866 declared the town's populace to be lethargic and that = "Marlow is polluted with a press-gang of rate makers and collectors the latter continually at the poor man's door regardless of the cries of his hungry children".

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.

The Field, August 5th 1916= "A large and somewhat untidy village which luckily is almost hidden [when viewed from] the river".

The Church

The present All Saints church was erected in the 1830s at the cost of the far older 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. The decades-lasting local tax levied on all households regardless of whether the church was their own place of worship or not in order to pay for the construction of the new church was bitterly resented by many and caused some of the biggest fallings out in Marlow history. So our Marlow ancestors or at least some of them would maybe not have been quite so hurt by the following comments made by 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. A little later in 1875 the paper called the church design "bald, meagre and ugly in every respect". 

"Fanshaw" a holidaymaker from London who wrote to the Bucks Free Press about his impressions of the town in June 1866 called the church = "an unsightly brick building the chancel end of which forms an ugly Dutch gable".

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 ugly newer one from a safe distance only. Note this was after substantial beautification work which has been done to the church!

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.."

Compiled by Charlotte Day.

*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

More Marlow quotes and complaints here

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 and September 17th 1875 via the Bucks Free Press Archives.

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!

Stephen Remnant of Remnantz

  

The Clocktower and stables of Remnantz. 

Stephen made a mark on Marlow history as the home he owned in West Street was later dubbed Remnantz in his honour. I can find no evidence it was known as that during his actual occupancy.

Stephen's family does not appear to be ultimately of local origin but he married a Marlow girl in Sarah Manning. The marriage was celebrated at Charlton Kent in 1747. The Manning family were connected with the Remnant family by 1738 as Sarah's father Samuel Manning, a Marlow brewer, made Stephen's father one of the supervisors of the will he drew up that year. Sarah and her mother were the main beneficiaries of the will which was proved following the death of Mr Manning in 1745. Unfortunately the will does not itemize his real estate. Sarah had also received as a young woman £10 to buy mourning and two silver candlesticks from her paternal grandmother Mary Manning in 1736.

Stephen and Sarah first lived in Westminster then occupied a rented house in nearby Bisham before coming to Marlow. Stephen also owned farmland in Bisham. His armaments business, which he inherited from his dad Samuel, was based in Woolwich however so it was there he was most often to be found. He was described as "of Woolwich" in his apprenticeship indenture as a young man when he was bound to a mariner. Though he followed his father into the arms trade rather than pursue a career as a mariner in the end, he did grow up to be a ship owner too, something which required significant capital.

Samuel Remnant had died in 1752 under a cloud after it was realised he was party to a £10,000 fraud. His heirs were expected to pay the money back.

Despite this Samuel had had enough left (he believed) to leave a legacy in his will of £100 to a London lunatic asylum.

Stephen's success in the armaments trade meant he probably did not have any money worries despite the burden of the repayment his father's estates had.

He could count a bit less cash in his pockets however after he and another man were robbed on the Highway at Blackheath!

The removal to Remnantz by Stephen  occurred in circa the mid 1750s. He was still "of Bisham" in 1755 but resident "of Marlow" in 1757. He had also bought Albion House virtually opposite Remnantz in West Street with some nearby land by 1779. It is possible that Remnantz was part of the estate of Samuel Manning (not itemized in will) and inherited by the future Sarah Remnant in 1745.

He was nominated as a potential Sheriff for the County of Berkshire while at Bisham and for Bucks when at Marlow but I do not believe he won either role.

His commitment to both counties can be shown by his being one of the subscribers to the a new Marlow Bridge which connected the two of them in the 1780s. This was the oak bridge which was the predecessor of the current suspension bridge.

Stephen continued his father's interest in hospitals too, being a subscriber to the London Lying In Hospital for Married Women in 1750. His brother John also gave to this hospital. When John died in middle age Stephen erected a memorial in Chiselhurst Church in Kent to him.

He was already living away from Remnantz and renting it out to others in 1784 when J Dalmes Esquire was the tenant.

Stephen died in 1801 leaving a long will. All his Marlow and Bisham property was to be sold by a Frederick Booth [whose relationship to him I could not decipher] with the money used to benefit Stephen's grandchildren*

Remnantz became the Royal Military College Junior department [nearly ready to receive first cadets in April 1802]. It later reverted to being a house. Some reports suggest that Stephen had agreed to lease the house to the planned college as early as 1799.

*One of his grandchildren Stephen Remnant Chapman became the governor of Bermuda.

Stephen's wife died long before him. Some of their children are buried at Bisham including Sarah and Ann who died within a fortnight of each other in 1754, and young Stephen who died early the following year. 

Related Posts

Will of Sarah's relative Bridget Manning (cousin to her father) and more about the Mannings in general here.

Life for the mutinous cadets of the College here

For other West Street related posts see the menu under "Specific shops, streets etc" on the menu. Biographies of other Marlow people can be found under Biographies of Individuals or see the Person Index for all mentions of people on this blog.

To see a small selection of items dug up at Remnantz in days past see this post here.

See:

Wills of Stephen Remnant 1801, Samuel Manning 1745 and Mary Manning 1736. I obtained my copies from the National Archives, Kew and transcribed them

Apprentice Indenture. National Archives. REF IR1 14 F 200.

Bisham lease: Berkshire Archives.

Charlton marriage. London Metropolitan Archives, Charlton Parish registers.

Navy Board Letters, National Archives catalogue online. ADM106/12409/21

An Account Of The City Of London Lying In Hospital For Married Women At Shaftesbury House In Aldersgate Street Instituted 1750. Digitized by Google Books from a copy owned by Oxford University.

A Poll For The Knights Of The Shire For Buckinghamshire 1784. 

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

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

Will Summary For David Sherewood Great Marlow 1524

Transcribed by me from a will at the National Archives, Kew and then summarised here. 

DAVID SHEREWOOD  WILL PROVED 1524

Says he is whole of mind but sick in body.

Commends soul to God, the "lady Saint Mary" and all the company of heaven.

Asks burial at the churchyard at Allhallows church Marlow [otherwise called All Saints]. Left money to that church's high altar for tithes and oblations forgotten, for the church's repair and to all the church's lights. Asks for a trentel and masses to be said at Marlow church for the good of his soul and other souls. [Possibly his mother's soul too I couldn't quite read it]

Money for repair of Marlow Bridge and of the highway to Lane End.

Brother William ... shillings and a ...

Daughter Isabel money for her marriage. If she dies before then his nephews William, Reynold and Edward Sherwood get equal shares of that money.

Godson David Sherewood got sheep. Other godchildren, not named, each given money.

Rest of goods to brother Reynold so that with his other brother and the testator's father in law Leonard ?Standwayte? ?Standworthe? can dispose of them in ways that would benefit testator's soul.

Note= David was also known as Davey. The will of Margaret Sherwood of Marlow in 1528 asks for obits to be performed for the benefit of the soul of David and his wife. Margaret was the widow of Reynold Sherwood presumably the brother of David. Margaret and Reynold's wills were proved on the same day suggesting a close death, perhaps from contagious illness. Reynold also says he has a father in law Leonard Standw...suggesting that two brothers Sherwood may have married two sisters Standw...However the term father in law could also mean step father in this era.

A Reynold Sherwood also died in 1528. Both Reynold and Davy were accused of Protestant inspired blasphemy between 1518-21. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to quote from my research but please give credit to this blog when you do.

Will Summary for John Seymour Of Great Marlow 1567

 I obtained a will copy from the National Archives, Kew. This I transcribed to the best of my ability and then summarised here.

JOHN SEYMOUR GENTLEMAN PROVED 1567

Asked for burial in Marlow Church if he died in the Marlow area. Poor householders of the town to be paid a total of 8 shillings to carry his body to the church and put him in the grave [Such a request is common in contemporary wills]. After his burial £3 in money and 40 shillings of wheat bread to be distributed to poor householders of Marlow. Also to the poor householders for 3 score years after his death 10 loads of wood and 5 bushells of wheat.

Wife Alice executor along with Henry Samsone. She was left all goods and chattels in their St Albans house. Samsone recievers money for his pains in being an executor.

Also Alice and testator's sister Julian [a common female name at time. Not usually given to boys] to have all goods not otherwise bequeathed to use for the good of his poor kindred or other poor people. John Godwin to advise them in this charity. He to receive 5 marks himself.

Alice got the occupation and profits from the testator's farm for 49 years if she did not marry again. She was to pay the rent for it to his landlord. If she did remarry then his sister Julian, a widow, and her son got the farm instead. The wood on the farm was to be used carefully.

Julian also received £10 plus for 40 years a yearly rental income worth 20 shillings from a little close "beyond the chapel" and the paled [fenced] ground "next ?Cuthber**? ?Close? in Marlow. This was rented out to John Elgerydge.

To William Hayes son of John Hayes, skinner of London, a mead with 1 acre of arable land lying in Marlow Field which the testator bought in a parcel of land formerly chantry lands. This property was then occupied by John Mathewes a tailor at a rent of 5 shillings a year. Also to William Hayes a garden ?plot? in Dean Lane [Dean Street] with two half acres of land in the Marlow Field, also formerly chantry lands, and also in occupation of John Mathewes for the rent of 5 shillings a year.

To Joan Hawkins now wife of Hawkins a baker of London a house with one acre of land at Marlow barkside [riverside where boats AKA barks pull up] which was also formerly chantry lands. The house was rented and lived in by Leonard ?Coakes? a bricklayer. After her death to her son John Hawkins who the will says was the testator's godson.

Thomas Sandes could have the lease of Marlow's parsonage house provided he refrained from charging testator's widow Alice tithes for that farm she was to have [the right to tithes would have come with the ownership of the property].

Timber to be given to the Bridgewardens for Marlow Bridge repairs but they must pay for it to be felled and carried away*. To be kept up for 60 years, as was an annuity for the maintenance of the bridge ditto. 

Ellen wife of testator's late brother Thomas £5 and to Agnes her maid 40 shillings 

To John Bee 5 marks, and to Thomas Sandes £5. Alice Birche 20 shillings. John Redinge.... To Clemens Swetifer 20...

Gown pared with fox to William Daye. Gown pared with furs to Richard Bowyer.

John Cartel of London, salter £5. 

Joan Pyng daughter of John Pyng of St Albans a brass pot, two .... and 2 ewes 

To Austen Oxe a ?mattress?, bolster , coverlet and a pair of ?sheets?, plus 20 shillings and 4 ewes.

The vicar of Marlow 20 shillings

To "my boy" [Youth employee] Edward £5 cash and "my second gelding". Servant Richard Lommys £3, 6 shillings and 8 pence. Ellen his wife's servant 20 shillings.

*Another member of the Seymour family had previously left a house and wharf in Marlow in trust, for the repairs of the bridge. This was however subject to Chancery proceedings. 

This transcription by Charlotte Day.

© Marlow Ancestors. If reusing this work please credit this blog and link here. You are welcome to do so however.

To date this blog contains mention of approx:

3000

people from or associated with Marlow. (Dec 2021)