Charlie Wonder

Before Marlow opened it's own railway station passengers for the town travelled as far as Bourne End or "Marlow Road Station" as it was known and then waited for a connecting horse-drawn omnibus. The driver of this unwieldy contraption was the much loved Charles Burns or "Charlie Wonder" as he was affectionately known as the Omnibus was called the Wonder. It dropped it's passengers three times a day outside the Crown Hotel in Market Square. The roads weren't brilliant and the omnibus rather old so the journey progressed at a pace best described as stately. A few grumpy travellers complained about that but most relished every minute as Charlie regaled them with his stories from a long career as a stagecoach and omnibus driver. Charlie you see was a precious relic of the days of stage coaches and he had seen it all. He clearly had the gift of the gab and as his omnibus passed you on the Marlow road you often heard his passengers roaring with laughter. He treated everyone the same, rich or poor.

At a time when formality in social interaction was the norm everyone nevertheless called him "Charles" or "Charlie". Not only did he get you home but while waiting at the station for the morning train he would help baffled travellers make sense of the railway timetables, which were continually changing and (I've seen them) not exactly user friendly. Grateful for such help, Lavinia Lovelace wrote to the Bucks Free Press in 1864 to praise him while another, Mary Carnegie, said he was not only "sagacious" but had a voice "so mellow and sweet". Mary was less impressed by the management at the Crown saying they failed to notify passengers of changes to their omnibus departure times. She believed this was probably a deliberate ploy to stop passengers from catching the train they didn't want to become a success. This wouldn't make a lot of sense as the train was the main way guests came up from London to the Crown and then from again.

The sweetly voiced, helpful and friendly Charlie was not a Marlow man by birth, but was baptised at Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire in 1811. On one census he indicates a birth in Birmingham (or whoever filled in the census form for that household that night believed him to have been born there) but generally he indicated Wraysbury. 

Charlie's first wife and the mother of his sons George and Owen was Anne (nee Tyler, possibly widow Powell when she married Charlie) as per their birth registrations. The family lived in Cookham. The occupation of Charlie in the 1841 census looks like "house keeper" which seems improbable unless he meant it in the sense of watchman or guardian but perhaps that might be "horse keeper"? Again that's not usual vocabulary. In 1847 Ann passed away.

Charlie first appears on the census in Marlow as a 39 year old widowed stagecoach man with two young sons in Strong Beer Acre, which was off the future Station Road. With the family was a widowed housekeeper Elizabeth Bearfoot or Barefoot. Within a few months Charlie and Elizabeth would marry. The stagecoach Charlie drove was most likely the Lovegrove and Co coach from Marlow to Maidenhead .

By the time of the next census in 1861  Bourne End Station as "Marlow Road" and Charlie had switched to become an omnibus driver as stagecoaches had been rendered obsolete. He lived then with Elizabeth at South Place. In 1871 they were entered on the census at Wycombe Road. 

In 1872 the omnibus overturned after a wheel detached. Charlie was thrown off as was the box passenger but nobody was seriously hurt. 

As well as people Charlie would carry parcels and packages and in one memorable instance a cargo of live swans (strapped on to the top of the omnibus). The swans were being relocated from Marlow where they were thought to be too numerous and a nuisance to anglers there to Bourne End.

The opening of the Marlow station meant that the end of the Bourne End to Marlow omnibus and Charlie's job driving it. The people of Marlow contributed to a fund to help him set himself up with a new living. The idea to buy him a new omnibus and horse which he could use to pick people up from Marlow Station and bring them and their luggage into the town centre (short distance though that was) was reckoned to be the best one. Contributions could be given to, amongst others, Mr Porter the Bourne End station master and Charles Carter the West Street architect and surveyor. Some £90 was collected which would have paid rent on an average house for several years to give you some idea of that sum's value at the time. It was decided to simply hand the cash to Charlie to do with what he will. He took out an ad in the Bucks Free Press to express his thanks to his friends for their kindness.

The owners of the Crown were already planning to run a coach from their hotel to the station so suggested Charlie should drive this, rather than set up another service. This meant that the money raised by Charlie's well-wishers could go directly to him. He welcomed the job but a journey time of less than 5 minutes didn't allow him much opportunity to spin his tales of yesteryear, and it was widely observed that the spark had gone out of him. Within a year he became seriously ill and had to be admitted to Reading Hospital. His faithful passengers again collected money for his aid but sadly on the 11th of June 1874 Charlie died aged of 62.  His estate was wound up by his son Owen who gave a correspondence address of 5 Park Villas, Wycombe Road, Marlow. This may in fact be his father's address as Owen was a live-in servant at Bisham Abbey across the river. He is later specifically described as a "valet de chambre". Now that's posh! His brother George became a steward and then a clerk in London. Elizabeth, the second Mrs Burns, seems to have died in 1880.

Written and research by Charlotte Day.

Much more about the history of stagecoaches in Marlow here and here

©Marlow Ancestors.

England and Wales census 1851, 1861 and 1871 transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte Day. Census information remains Crown copyright.

"England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2D3R-57B : 13 December 2014), Charles Burn, 1851; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1851, quarter 3, vol. 6, p. 407, Windsor, Berkshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1841-UK-Census/Chas-Burn-1811-Out-Of-County/f1697020-e502-4f2f-8e40-55b11793859a/

Bucks Free Press 21st May 1864, 25th April 1873 and 19th June 1874. Bucks Free Press Archives.

Will James Harman 1759

James Harman of Great Marlow. Written 1758. Proven 1759.

Bequeathed soul to God.

Requests private burial.

To dear and well beloved wife Elizabeth £50 a year for her life. To divided into four payments and be paid quarterly on Lady Day, Midsummers Day, Michaelmas Day and Christmas Day by Jane's heir and executor. Also to her all household goods.

To only daughter Mary wife of Richard Ray of Cookham Berkshire £1000 over the marriage portion she has already had.

Only son James and his heirs gets all rest of testator's personal estate. He is also appointed the will's executor.

Witnessed by James Crockett, John Snelling and William Allen.

I transcribed and then summarized this P.C.C will from a copy held at the National Archives, Kew.

James MAY be the man of this name who was the secretary of the failing Borlase charity school trust in 1721. That James who at first refused to give up any documents and papers to examiners sent to sort the trust out. When pressed further he gave up keys to a chest in the church where he said relevant papers could be found but when opened it was found to be empty.

Ref Borlase 1624-57, 3rd ed, J c Davies.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use my will summary with credit to this blog.

Mary Church Will - Medmenham 1770

 Mary Church widow of Medmenham proved 4th October 1770.

[She was the widow of Thomas above].

Says sick and weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory.

She wishes to confirm and ratify a deed her husband and she lately made to ?declare? or ?..? the uses of a fine [not a fine in the modern sense but a property transaction].

To her youngest daughter Grace the featherbed, tables, chairs and all other furniture in the chamber testator now has.

Eldest son Thomas gets another bed in the hall chamber with the bedstead bolster and other furniture belonging to it [furniture in this context meant fittings and accessories]. 

All her children get equally share and share alike her stock, crops of corn, grain and hay, utensils and implements of husbandry, cattle, household goods, furniture, chattels and all other personal property after debts and funeral expenses paid. If any of the children express displeasure at this they lose their share.

Sons Thomas, Richard and Mark made the will's executors.

Mary made a mark rather than sign.

Witnesses =Leah Wood, Richard Jenkins,  Thomas Atkinson clerk to Mr Newell of Henley.

CODICIL written the same day.

She is seized of the fee simple of a messuage or tenement with a garden and appurtenances in the parish of Cookham which is let at £2 15 shillings a year. Two rooms and a pantry have lately been added to this property. Mary wills that her daughter Grace receives Mary's rental income and profit from this for her natural life. She is to pay a proportional part of the land tax that will be due on the property.

Witnesses as above.

Sons Thomas and Richard granted probate with third son Mark allowed to claim the same right if he came to the probate court and applied. It was not uncommon where multiple executors are named for only one or two of them to travel to the probate court to get the grant of probate, it presumably having been agreed between them that winding up the deceased estate didn't in fact need all of them and they trust each other enough for only some to act. It can also be because one of the executors was far away, unwell or infirm or just plain too busy by the time the testator died so no longer felt themselves to be a suitable executor. The court nevertheless always reserved them future power to execute if they were living unless they came to the probate hearing and formally renounced their role.

The will of her daughter Grace is already in the blog here. Mark, Grace's brother, features in this will.

Mary was the widow of farmer Thomas Church who died earlier the same year.

This will summary was created from Charlotte Day's transcription of the original p.c.c will held at the National Archives Kew.

We focus on Marlow but try to include some surrounding area content. Over 100 will summaries are available on this blog. See the Will Transcriptions Index. More Medmenham related posts are indexed here.

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

The Flemings Of Marlow Place

Edmond and Isabella Fleming kept Marlow Place as their country home from at least 1829 to the spring or summer of 1833. It is possible that they leased the property as early as 1823. They certainly had connection to Marlow that far back as we shall see below.

Edmond was a silversmith, jeweller, money lender and pawnbroker who operated from multiple London premises with the help of his family and numerous hired staff. He was an extremely wealthy man clearly in love with his job as he continued to work right up until his death aged 88 in 1836. As well as the usual pawnbroker fare of silver spoons, secondhand clothes, and rolls of fabric, Edmond's shops glittered with a grand display of jewellery items set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls, garnets, and jacinths, with heavy gold chains, silver and gold spectacles, top quality watches and clocks not to mention paintings, snuff boxes and music boxes. Though it stretched his ready cash supplies a little he once lent a combined total of £2,500 to a single customer over the course of a few days. If he found himself in possession of too much unredeemed stock he would sell some at auction, often at auctions organised with other pawnbrokers. 

So where did our multi-hatted business man come from? Not from Marlow sadly, but from Cumberland, according to contemporary report, though the names in his family suggest a probable ultimate origin in Scotland. His wife Isabella, lived into her 90s and thus to the age of the census. In 1841 she is stated as having been born in Scotland. The couple married in London in 1782.  She was nee Purse. It isn't known how she came to make the journey to London, but we do know that she was not alone there as her brothers Alexander and William Purse both lived in the city. They too were silversmiths and in Alexander's case also a pawnbroker.

Edmund came to London with two of his own brothers, William who settled in Holborn and Joseph who based himself in Drury Lane. Joseph was certainly a pawnbroker too. William was probably the William Fleming goldsmith, silversmith and pawnbroker of Whitechapel High Street who had died or left his premises around 1829. Joseph was perhaps first to arrive in the big smoke as he appears as a London pawnbroker from 1774.  William married in London  the next year. Edmund was not definitely there before his 1782 marriage and does not definitely have his own London premises until 1802. It is possible that he and William initially worked for their brother Joseph. That said sources for the late 1700s business of London are scant.

Joseph lived in Gloucester Place, Camden Town though his shop in Drury Lane was also a dwelling house.

He did marry but mentions no children in his will. 

William is interesting as his bride is Mary Margaret Hammond at their London marriage. For reasons that you will see below it is possible that she was a relative of the Hammonds of Western House Marlow.

William and Mary had a son Henry who became a pawnbroker and silversmith too with his own premises but this doesn't seem to have lasted long. In 1827 Henry walked into another silversmith's shop, picked up a watch and just walked out with it. He was arrested. At an initial hearing it was suggested to the court that he must have been insane as no rational person openly steals a watch in broad daylight with no attempt to conceal the act. They guessed he was a teacher as he had pockets full of pens. There is no reason to think that was the explanation for the pens. It does make you wonder if he was not unwell in some way and suffering from mental confusion. Nevertheless he plead guilty and was transported to Australia.

Edmund's business concerns eventually significantly eclipsed that of his brothers. The scale of his pawnbroking/ silversmithing empire (one of his premises, in Farringdon Street, was so big it was actually a warehouse) meant he had to put a lot of trust into his staff to do without him for at least part of the time on a day to day basis. In 1828 Edmund realized that the trust placed in one of them was a mistake. Thomas Kerby, a seven year employee of Edmund's had committed multiple frauds against him. Stretching himself too thin may also be the reason that Edmund was twice fined for not displaying a both visible and legible list of his fees in one of his shops. I doubt a 40 shilling fine hurt his pocket that much!

We can't make any excuses over Edmund's conviction and fine for charging a customer who had pawned a cloak half a pence too much interest. Tsk,tsk Edmund.

Like most pawnbrokers all the Flemings suffered from thieves attempting to sell them stolen goods and as a result Fleming employees made frequent trips to the courts to give evidence for the prosecution. The risk of getting a bad reputation if stolen or fake goods were not identified quickly hung over all such enterprises. In 1787 an apparently unrelated London pawnbroker Francis  Fleming was exposed as a long term fence for goods taken in burglaries. Word that a pawnbroker called Fleming was to appear at the Old Bailey reached the people of Cumberland and some jumped to the conclusion that one of our Flemings was responsible, or as the Cumberland paper thought had deliberately spread this false information in a spirit of maliciousness. The paper was quick to stress that Edmund, William and Joseph were all honest traders with good characters (this was before the half pence overcharge on the cloak, mind you).

Edmund and Isabella's son David was also a wealthy pawnbroker and silversmith, with premises in Whitechapel. These David had perhaps taken over from from his uncle William, Edmund's brother. As David had no wife or children his principal heirs were his siblings but also two of his employees, John Vaughan and a man whose full name I could not quite read who received legacies of £200 and £50 respectively.

David's will was witnessed by a Henry Hammond of Great Marlow. It was written in 1823, six years before David's death and the first known date of the Flemings living at Marlow Place. The will was likely witnessed in London as the other men putting their names to it were London traders. Henry Hammond was the brother of Robert Hammond of Western House, Marlow. Were these Hammonds relatives of David's aunt Mary Fleming, nee Hammond? If the Flemings were not already maintaining a country home in Marlow why does one of them already know the Flemings well enough to be asked to witness so important a document as David's will in 1823, probably making a journey in order to do so?

There are other intriguing Fleming connections to Marlow. The family of late Victorian High Street grocer Edmund Coster believed that his mother was of the Marlow Place Flemings. My research suggests it is not likely she was a direct descendant of Edmund and Isabella but she might have been a slightly more distant relative. She was born in London. Another Flemming connection is the presence of a Mrs Flemming as the occupier in a cottage next to the Hammond's in Western House in 1833. We will endeavour to see if any of these links can be explained. 

Another son of Edmund and Isabella Fleming, William Thomas served an apprenticeship to a stationer but ended up becoming - yes, you guessed it -a silversmith and pawnbroker. At first he was with his father then traded as an independent in Fleet Market. There he was accused of not displaying his fees, at the same hearing his dad appeared for the same offence but William got off on a legal technicality as this address on the summons was slightly wrong. At some point between 1832 and 1834 around the time his parents decided to give up their country home of Marlow Place, William bought his own pile out in the sticks- Cookham Grove not too far from Marlow. His parents, siblings and other relatives all used it too, this was a close family and this likely reflects their approach at Marlow Place too. It was there that Edmond died aged 88 after a short illness in 1836, and Isabella in 1847. 

Like his father and brother David William Thomas was one of the governors of the Pawnbrokers Society.

A further son Joseph of Edmund and Isabella was initially a solicitor at Old Jewry but looks to have succumbed and become a pawnbroker as well as a solicitor before the end of his life. Joseph like his brothers had neither a wife nor children. This meant that two of their sisters Isabella, the eldest, and Louisa inherited much of the combined family estate as well as the lease of Cookham Grove. The women were the main legatees and executors of their mother. 

After the deaths in middle age of both her brothers, Isabella formally took over the family business for her mother. Given the scale of the operation involved it is hard to see her managing to do this if she hadn't already had some involvement prior to that. Like her dad Isabella would continue to operate as a silversmith and pawnbroker until she was in her 80s, splitting her time between London and Cookham. For inexplicable reasons her brothers had been granted probate but had failed to administer their father's will during their respective life times or appoint anyone else to do so despite years passing by so after her mother also died, Isabella sought permission to administer the whole lot, which was granted. 

In his will Edmund had suggested that his elderly wife could consider running the business after his death. If she didn't wish to do that the premises and stock were supposed to be sold off for her benefit. He obviously didn't guess that his daughter Isabella would consider taking over. As it happened the business was neither sold nor taken over by the mother. It appears Isabella's  brother Joseph took to pawnbroking alongside practicing law until his death and Isabella's subsequent takeover.

Isabella and Louisa had numerous servants to make them comfortable at Cookham and in London. The women obviously enjoyed the riverside location of Cookham Grove as they were both subscribers to a monograph on kingfishers in 1868 and one of them also donated to another bird book. While Isabella may have approved of kingfishers dipping into the Thames she was far less keen on the human equivalent. In fact Isabella and her legal representatives waged unceasing war not only on anglers but boatmen, Thames Conservancy workers, bathers, lock keepers and anyone else she considered to be annoying her or infringing on her rights to the river bank. Isabella was accused of "locking up" and blocking off everything she could to impede access to fishing ponds, backwaters and the bridges over them. She seems to have been the terror of Cookham waterfront!

Isabella subscribed to the very Victorian sounding Asylum For Idiots. The Queen herself was a patron of this Redhill institution. If you are imagining straight jackets and cruelty you will be pleased to know that the mission of the asylum was to provide kindness, protection, and education for those usually considered impossible to educate in any way. Isabella and Louisa's donations entitled them to vote for which candidate "idiots" should be admitted into the asylum when a place became vacant!

Education was perhaps a cause they particularly felt close to as they also donated to Diocesan church building funds over many years.

Louisa and Isabella both lived to a ripe old age. 

Written and researched by Charlotte Day.

For more posts similar to this see the Biographies Of Families Index

A history of all the different occupiers of Marlow Place can be read here.

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

Selected Sources=

Wills of David Alexander Fleming 1829, Joseph Fleming 1803, William Purse 1805, Alexander Purse 1825, Edmond Fleming 1836 and Isabella Fleming 1847 all transcribed by me from copies of the originals held at the National Archives, Kew.

First Annual Report of the Committee to the Governors & Subscribers of the Pawnbroker's Society, 1824. Google Books.

1833 Parochial Assessment Great Marlow 

Johnstone's London Commercial Guide and Street Directory, published by Barnard and Farley, London, 1817.

The Gentleman's Magazine volume 183. By E Cave 1848. And volume 176 in 1844.

The Westminster Poll Book 1774. Google books.

Prospectus For The Asylum For Idiots. United Kingdom, n.p, 1859.

Kelly's Post Office Directory of Berkshire etc, By Kelly's Directorie Limited 1869.

M Billing's Directory and Gazetteer Of The Counties of Berks and Oxon by Martin Billings 1854.

Robson's London Commercial Directory 1822 and 1839.

Post Office Annual Directory 1808, University of Leicester Archives.

Newspapers from the British Library's archives and accessed by me via the BNA=

Cumberland Paquet 9th April 1788, Cheltenham Chronicle 3rd April 1828, Morning Advertiser 10th December 1831.

Thames River Preservation Reports, Parliamentary Papers of Great Britain Published by the Stationary Office.

Cookham Census 1841, Rootspoint https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1841-UK-Census/Joseph-Fleming-1791-Out-Of-County/4ac30f05-13cb-4ce5-bd4e-94f43b47f0de/

Other Cookham census transcribed from microfilm, National Archives by Jane Pullinger, With thanks. 

More Historic Shopkeepers of Quoiting Square Marlow.

A grocer's shop formerly operated from where the children's shoe shop is today in Quoiting Square.

Aaron Maskell originally from the Cookham area (born 1814) ran the business in these specific premises by 1861 (seemingly from 1854). In 1862 he was summoned to court after inspectors found his weighing scales were not properly maintained and thus not weighing true. He said this was just an oversight and the court believed him -it was a common problem. He was allowed to pay only the court costs rather than a fine plus costs.

Aaron hired a shed further up Oxford Road in which he kept ducks and geese. In the 1800 grocers did not usually sell any fresh birds so this looks to have been a different side line business for Aaron. Some of these birds were stolen and slaughtered before they could be recovered in 1865. He is also listed as a bacon curer in 1854. Many grocery shops produced and sold their own bacon in this era with curing taking place on the premises.

Aaron died suddenly in 1873. He had been suffering from chest problems for four years and had been previously diagnosed with heart disease but had not had any recent medical attendance. On the day of his death he woke up with pains in the chest and arm. Today we would understand these as symptoms of a potential heart attack and an emergency situation but Aaron had to be persuaded to even go back to bed to rest let alone seek medical attendance. Eliza Mann* who lived with the Maskells gave him some ginger water (which would have been seen as invigorating) and then called for a doctor. Sadly his condition deteriorated and his life could not be saved.

Aaron's wife Anna (née Hemmens, stated as of Alton in Middlesex when they married in Heigham Norfolk 1837) then took over the helm of the shop. In 1878 her niece in law Emily Hemmens (widow of Charles) who had been assisting the couple for some years became the manager. These proprietor's all had spirit licences too and sold beer, including that of Marlow's Wethered Brewery. 

Emily died in 1884 and her assistant George Henry Britnell ran the business himself. George was from Little Marlow originally and married his wife Jane Larkin in Kensington Middlesex in 1885.

In 1890 George's shop assistant Ellen Harris was a witness when a boy stole from the till of a shop in nearby West Street. She gave evidence in court for the prosecution. Theft from shops was very common in Victorian Marlow but it was most often of goods hanging outside or displayed in the window rather than of money.

In the early 1900s George retired in favour of Edward Albert Piercey who moved from Lane End where he had been a licensed victualler. By this time the shop was mostly operating as what we would now call an off licence with groceries of secondary importance. Edward only stayed a few years, transferring the business and its alcohol license over to Edward Neighbour in 1906. Edward kept the store equally as a grocery shop, provisions merchant and off licence. Below is an ad from 1915.

When I was a very little girl I had an elderly friend Elsie Coster who lived as a child in Oxford Road near this shop. Her brother Albert worked running errands for the business as a teenager in the early 1920s and I believe Elsie herself worked there as a shop assistant for a brief period.

Edward's father has a biography post on the blog here. Edward's maternal grandparents feature in this post, while this one features both his aunt and maternal grandma.

The business continued as "E Neighbours" until at least 1933. The business is not in the 1939 Kelly's Directory. Bertram Scammell general shopkeeper was probably in the premises then.

Elsewhere in the Square William Bowles ran a fruiterer's shop from at least 1873 to at least 1897. He survived bankruptcy in 1886. He had a fruit store up Oxford Road and also occupied Oakengrove / Oaken Grove Farm. An old building in Oxford Road he no longer needed was the first home of Marlow's Salvation Army members. This made him somewhat unpopular and he eventually evicted them on the grounds their band practices and meetings were too noisy. You have to remember that the Army apart from promoting teetotalism which was seen as threatening in a brewery town was perceived as radical even dangerously subversive religiously and socially for many other reasons in it's early days. William was not as far as can be seen a member himself.

The shop where William lived and worked no longer exists, neither do his fruit store or the first Salvation Army building. More about the controversial (and violent!) early days of the Salvation Army in Marlow here.

*Eliza Mann married James Meakes of Marlow and the couple kept the Plough pub. More here.

See also previous post on "What did Platts used to be?" for shops that used to be on that Quoiting Square spot here.

See also here for my previous post on Elizabeth Tyler/ Lee whose husband just might have been in the Maskell/ Britnell/ Neighbour etc grocery store in earlier times.

For some history and the historic landlords of the pub next door to the grocery shop mentioned above (the Clayton Arms) see here

Sources:

Historic advertising material.

Bucks Examiner 17th December 1890. Copy held at the British Library Archives. Viewed by me via the British Newspaper Archive March 2021.

Reading Mercury 28th June 1862, accessed as above.

UK Census images my transcription from microfilm, National Archives. Census information remains Crown Copyright.

Heigham Parish Registers

Kelly's Directory of Berkshire, Bucks and Oxon 1854, 1883, 1911, 1915, 1920, 1939 by Kelly's Directories Limited. 

Marlow Town Guide 1891.

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907, 1915. Marlow Printing Company.

Duttons Directory of Buckinghamshire by Dutton, Allen and Co 1863.

GRO Death Index online

Kensington marriage from Jane Pullinger.

Property records.

Will of Edmund Stone 1709

 Will of Edmund Stone, mercer of Great Marlow. Written 1705 with a codicil 1706. Proved 1709.

A very long and complex will with plentiful crossings out.

Commits soul to God.

Asks to be buried at Cookham with his family.

Appoints for the period of 12 years two of his friends as trustees for property that is to go afterwards to his grandson. Edmund Stone Austin. Friends are Jonathan Hammond of Great Marlow and John Lee of Cookham. If Edmund Stone Austin has no sons then property to his brother Valentine Stone Austin. If Valentine has no sons then property to his brother John Austin. If John has no sons then property to testator's daughter Elizabeth Austin and her heirs male.

Property involved is:

9 acres of meadow in Bray Meade and Wickets Meade in Bray Berkshire.

Close nearest ....Pond called Long Leys.

Messuage or tenement with appurtenances and 2 acres arable Braywick, side nearest Long Lane.

6 messages or tenements and appurtenances in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Messuage or tenement with appurtenances at North Towne with 2 and a half acres lying dispersed in Cookham Field.

My message or farm with all its closes, land, meadow, pasture and woods in Wooburn Buckinghamshire.

All other messuages he may have.

Son Nathaniel Austin owes testator £200 in bonds for which little interest has been paid. In turn testator owes Nathaniel a £500 mortgage on the above property with 2.5 acres in North Towne. This property was bought in the name of the testators daughter because at the time it was a "troublesome" period for Protestant Dissenters. Though in her name the family understood that it was really the testator's property. Nathaniel has various goods at his house which belong to testator. These are to be sold and the money put towards paying off the £500 mortgage. Nathaniel is the preferred chapman to handle the sale. If he wants to buy the goods himself at full value he can. The rent for that property is to be paid to the trustees. They can ask for it to be given over for sale by them at any time.

Out of all the property wife Dorothy gets an annuity of £20 paid in quarterly installments for the 12 years the properties are under the trustees. Rest of income is to be put out in such way as to get interest. Once Dorothy has her annuity, and enough is raised to pay off the £500 mortgage, £100 is to raised from the property so it can be given as a lump sum to Edmund Stone Austin at 21. If he dies before that money descends to Valentine Austin, or if not to John Austin or to the daughters of testator's daughter or to other heirs of daughter Elizabeth herself in that order of precedence. 

Trustees 1 guinea each. They to reimburse themselves the expense of keeping the properties in good repair.

Household goods in my dwelling house to wife Dorothy for life.

All residual property to wife Dorothy who is made executor.

Witnesses John Welles, Mary Welles and Robert Peck.

Codicil 1706:

Jonathon Hammond and John Lee removed as trustees and testator's friend Nathaniel Micklem the elder and his brother in law Richard Gray also of Hurley made trustees instead.

The profits of his property now to go to his wife Dorothy for the first 6 years of the trusteeship.

Grandson Valentine now gets £100 at 21 too. If he dies before that it to go to his brother Edmund or if not to his brother John .

Transcribed and then summarized  from a PCC will held at the National Archives Kew.

All mentions of any individual on this blog can be found on the Person Index. This included over 4,000 people.

Index to other Great and Little Marlow wills here: here

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

The Fountains of Dukes Place / Burroughs Grove

 The Fountain family lived in Dukes Place Great Marlow from (at least) 1908 to (at least) 1913. Peter Fountain was born 1868 in Wendover Bucks to Emmanuel, a gamekeeper for Alfred De Rothschild Esq, and Charlotte. Mary Ann his wife was née Clarke and married him in 1895. 

Peter appears on the 1881 census as a 12 year old plough boy. The following year his family suffered the loss of his baby brother Henry. The 16 month old died from convulsions brought on by severe whooping cough.

By 1891 Peter lived at "Dirty Bottom" Marlow Bottom and was an agricultural labourer lodging with a 62 year old widower James Clarke who was presumably a relative of his future wife. In the years prior to his marriage however he was working as a gamekeeper for Lord Carrington. As such he appeared in several court cases as a witness for the prosecution when poachers were bought to justice. That didn't seem to stop Peter taking an interest in poaching himself - he was fined in 1901 for stealing a nest of pheasant eggs from another man's land. At the time this was classed as poaching because pheasants were game birds. This didn't seem to stop Peter being employed in later years as a gamekeeper.

Mary Ann was born around 1869 just outside Marlow at Burroughs Grove. I saw an online tree that gave her parents as William and Mary however on the 1881 and 1891 censuses she was living at Burroughs Grove as the daughter of David and Mary Clarke. David was a farm labourer. 

In 1908 Peter was fined for being drunk in Little Marlow. This was (at least) his second conviction for public drunkenness. (Fine 10s including costs.) By then the family had moved from Burroughs Grove to Dukes Place. Greater trouble came to the family through Mary Ann a few years later. In July 1912 she was fined £1 for stealing a pair of scissors and a hairbrush from Mrs Debbin at Prospect House. Mary Ann was not a very careful thief as after the act she went for a drink at the Horns public house just down the street from Prospect House. Multiple people in the tap room saw the stolen scissors on the floor at Mary Ann's feet and the hairbrush sticking out of her pocket. In December that year she and James Clarke (perhaps her brother) were found guilty of stealing a ferret from the garden of her Dukes Place neighbour Archibald Grainger. Again careful planning was not foremost in Mary Ann's mind. The theft occurred while another neighbour Mrs Ann Tilbury from no 2* Dukes Place was visiting Mary Ann and was thus a witness to her and James disappearing into the garden and coming back with the ferret. When suspicion began to be thrown at Mary Ann and James, Mary Ann told Mrs Tilbury not to admit to having seen them with the ferret, while James tried to get rid of the incriminating animal by offering it for free to a fellow drinker in the bar of the Railway Hotel. The original intent was to sell it. James tried to say he had found the ferret in the garden of the Carpenter's Arms around the corner from Dukes Place but the court dismissed this explanation.

In May 1913 Mary Ann was jailed for two months hard labour for stealing the hand bag of another woman on the train between Cookham and Maidenhead. Her accomplice was another Marlow woman Gladys Edwards. Inside the bag was 2 sovereigns which the women split between themselves and a gold watch and chain. Gladys kept the gold items. She sold the chain to High Street jeweller Frederick Rowe. The bag was thrown down a drain to hide the evidence. When arrested Mary Ann claimed that the bag was found by Gladys on the Maidenhead platform and having asked anyone around if it was their bag, decided to keep it when it was otherwise unclaimed.

Context for this is provided by a newspaper report that later the same year Peter was brought to court for abandoning his wife and family and thus rendering them as paupers dependent on the Parish. Poor Mary Ann may have been desperate when she stole the ferret. Her youngest child Annie was then only two years old. How much of her previous stealing had been acts of desperation caused by an uncommitted breadwinner? Peter said he left his home because it was used for "improper purposes". The Bench said there was no doubt his house was "badly conducted" but that was no excuse to leave. He was sent to prison for a month. 

Four years later Peter, during WW1, was arrested in Marlow as a deserter from the army. More humiliation for Mary Ann. 

Mary Ann knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of theft. When she was six her sixteen year old neighbour Sarah Green and Green's father John were jailed for breaking into the Clarke's home via a window and stealing from a box some shoes, 2 pairs stockings, a bonnet and 2 petticoats. The loot was discovered by a constable under the Green family's kitchen floorboards. Mary Ann was out with her mother at the time. Her brother William discovered the theft.

Above, Dukes Place in 2022 including the row known as Sunlight Villas/Cottages. 

*numbering in Duke's Place seems to have altered since.

Related Posts:

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found on the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu - 4,000 plus individuals are mentioned here. 

A short biography of another, earlier Dukes Place resident Elizabeth Keen is here.

Everyday life in old Marlow post index here

Index of posts relating to specific streets, properties etc here 

Other Borroughs Grove related posts here

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

Sourced included:

Census transcriptions from microfilm. my own.

South Bucks Standard editions 18th July 1912, 11th December 1913. British Library Archives.

Bucks Herald 16th October 1875. As above.

James Haynes - Boatbuilder & Thief Catcher

 

James Hayne(s) was born in Marlow in the first few years of the 1800s. Perhaps not as famous as the late Victorian boat builders of Marlow and Bisham, he deserves a post of his own because of the many roles he played here - from preserving law and order, to preserving Marlow Bridge. 

As a young man James followed in his father's footsteps and worked as a carpenter. His dwelling house and work premises were in the High Street and Causeway at this point. In 1828 the workshop is described as located 200 yards from his home and were also separate in 1833. In any event, in 1828 a thief broke through the shutters of the workshop and stole a saw and an axe from James. This kind of theft was taken very seriously at the time as depriving a workman of his tools of the trade could too easily lead to him loosing the means to provide for himself. James was lucky in that the tools were recovered and the thief caught. The young man responsible, John Green, was an apprentice to another carpenter. It was James himself that recovered the tools, after he received something of a tip off. They had been hidden under some wood shavings in a loft. The judge expressed a regret that John had begun "a career of crime at a very early period in life" which seems perhaps a little strong given it was a first offence and he had previously borne a good character. Luckily for John, his master was willing to keep him on and spoke of his general steadiness. The judge therefore decided to be merciful and sentenced him to 2 months in prison. 

James did well in his carpentry business and seems to have been well regarded by his fellow traders. By 1833 he was working from a workshop and yard "at the wharf" with a residence in the High Street, still officially a carpenter. There were many buildings at the wharf, some quite ramshackle, that this could have been, used for all kinds of purposes over the years. 

James worked on Marlow's new suspension bridge and like so many others involved had to put in a few requests to actually get paid. This would be the start of a long involvement with the bridge. He was regarded as someone who could get things done, so it is no surprise he also later fulfilled the then elected role of parish surveyor. But the biggest role for James was as one of the parish constable in the days before a regular paid police force. If a warrant was issued for someone's arrest, James and his colleagues were supposed to stop their day jobs and execute it without delay. If they failed to do so without sufficient energy, they could themselves end up in court for neglect of duty. They also had to fit in routine patrols. James fulfilled the role for at least 10 years in the 1830s and early 1840s. He was required to follow up leads as regards to suspects or locating stolen goods, such as the parasol he found hidden in a water storage tank in the yard of Bond the builders in 1843 (not stolen by a Bond!) His finest hour was probably policing Marlow Fair in the same year. His patrols with fellow constables Henry Stallwood and Steadman Camden (biographical post about Steadman here) were completed with such a sharp eye and energy that not a single robbery was reported, despite the massive influx of visitors. 

It was not all hard work for James at this time. He was a regular participants in the charming Sunny Side v Shady Side of the High Street cricket matches which ran for several annual contests in the 1840s and 50s. It was usually played at the Aldermary - that is the meadow more or less where Marlow Cricket Club is now to be found off Pound Lane. So which side was the sunny one? The West Street / Higginson Park side. The Shady, Liston Court / Station Road side had the best level of success and was the one that James played for. It attracted a good crowd, no doubt including wife Elizabeth (nee Osborn) and their several children. One of these, Caroline, would go on to marry Robert Shaw, son of "King of the River" Robert Shaw, of boatbuilding fame. 

A little after this time, James begins to be more consistently described as located at the Causeway or "Bridge House" (of which there have been more than one in Marlow) and eventually his former home was taken over by Sellmans plumbers and painters. James also begins to be described as a boat builder at this time. He chose this occupation when filling his census return in 1851. He may well have always had a side line in repairing or maintaining boats but the hiring of them for leisure purposes was exploding in popularity at this time. Marlow was becoming more and more of a fashionable destination for visiting anglers from London and elsewhere - it's easy to underestimate just what a role tourism played in Marlow's past even at this period. See below for some linked posts about this. At some point James began to use what was known as the old tithe barn by the suspension bridge* as part of his business, or at least he used part of the area. It seems he may have shared usage of the actual barn building itself, apparently with a wheelwright at some point. (In 1872 the barn was let by the new Buckinghamshire Chair Co as a temporary workshop, although they were still there several years later)  James sold second hand boats and fishing punts as well as making his own river craft to a customer's specifications. It seems he specialised in punts in fact. He would also hire you a boat, house yours out of season, or do routine maintenance such as varnishing the timbers. The Marlow Amateur Rowing Club which started in 1871, used Haynes as their boathouse too, before they had their own premises. 

Next to James at the riverside was of course the suspension bridge. The story of its construction was frankly a tale of misery, and you can read about it in the posts linked to below.  James must have been only too aware that before the bridge was very old, it needed quite a bit of maintenance. He was Clerk of the Works for the repairs done in 1860 - facing some difficulty due to the reluctance of some to stop attempting to use the bridge while it was worked on. The surveyor assessing this work asked James to provide a boat so he could take a good examination of its state from the water. Finding one suitable proved difficult it seems. When the surveyor was taken ill, James was asked to make a report on the bridges condition himself. But the work was nevertheless completed on schedule. (The deal platform was replaced at "considerable expense" but by 1869 dry rot had set in and more work was needed.) By 1863 James was Surveyor of Bridges for the district, and under his care the bridge was repainted and repaired further. He was responsible for gathering tenders for this work. 

In 1866 James was one of a number of local men that testified before a parliamentary committee on improving the condition of the Thames. He made it very clear that he regarded the existing Thames Navigation Commissioners should all be sacked for incompetence. He claimed they had neglected to do routine maintenance on the river for many years and so had made it less appealing for those who wanted to use the river for commercial transportation of goods. While the rival attractions of the railway he acknowledged, he considered that the Commissioners had done nothing to make the river stand up against the competition. Instead James said the Commissioners had bought shares in the Railway and effectively given up!  I find his information concerning the river at the time Marlow had a flash lock the most interesting. He said the flash (surge of water) was made twice a week in those days, and this required the "draining" of the river for 4 miles (not literally drained dry of course!) so in "short water time" there was "no water" for days together - that is the water level was comparatively very shallow. 

By 1865, the business was known as James Haynes and Son(s) and its location was "Marlow Bridge". The eldest son Joseph James, who initially worked as a carpenter, sadly died aged just 32. It was less than a year after his marriage to Mary Poulton of Ferry House, Cookham. James himself would not live much longer. In May 1879, he passed away at Marlow. Wife Elizabeth survived until 1883, living in her later years in the High Street with son George and unmarried daughter Ann. George defined himself as a boat builder on the 1881 census, but it seems the business under the name of Haynes was largely over. Robert Shaw, mentioned above, would take over the site.  Eventually he would build a fancier boathouse by the bridge, the "tithe barn" having been demolished "recently" in November 1877, to make way for a never built hotel that faced strong local opposition. James was to quote one contemporary guide to the Thames, "a grand character" and I'm sure he was sorely missed by the boat men of Marlow. 

*This building was where Tierney Court is now. It was known at that time as the tithe or conventual barn but this was not probably its actual purpose. It's the "curious old building" that James Joseph Sheahan described in his History and Topography of Buckinghamshire. He was correct to describe how it was generally referred to by the locals (as there are a number of sources using this title before he did) but I have a suspicion that he got his information about the Marlow building confused with the tithe barn at Bisham. He described the roof of the Marlow barn as Spanish chestnut, which it was not, but the Bisham one was according to several earlier sources.  Both were also used to house Napoleonic war prisoners. I wonder if Sheahan might not have poached his description of the Marlow barn from the 1860 John Murray Handbook for Travellers in Berks, Bucks, and Oxfordshire. (John Murray, 1860) in which the description "curious old building"  is also used. That book goes on to describe the "monastic barn of Bisham abbey in which French prisoners were kept during the war" and also mentions that the "conventual barn" at Bisham has a roof of Spanish chestnut. So possibly Sheahan confused the two if he helped himself to a little reused information!? 

 Owner of the "barn" at its demolition (autumn 1877) was Owen Williams who seemed confident his hotel plan would go forward. He had apparently got as far as inviting tenders for its erection. However, this was premature and in the end Mr Williams sold the site to "Mr Burt" for the creation of a 50 bed hotel with stabling for 20 horses, a  coffee room and 100ft long covered balcony. The authorities scuppered this plan by making it clear that they would refuse the alcohol licence on the grounds that there were too many others suppliers of liquor in the area. The real reason was probably the objection of existing traders to such competition, in particular that voiced by Charles Miller Foottit of the Compleat Angler who had recently invested in improving his own premises! At this point the barn had descended into a place that tramps and the destitute sort shelter. It was described as dilapidated but also a picturesque feature of the river side and there were clearly many who did not want it to disappear but to no avail. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

More related Posts:

To find all mention of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

James' daughter Eliza features in a post here

The amateur who built a barge in his back garden, 1860s here

Life for the parish constables of Great Marlow here

Robert Shaw - here

Marlow Fair here

The troubled building of the Suspension Bridge here

1820s recreated trade directory Great Marlow here

Bellows, bricks and brandy - reviving the drowned here

Picnics and Punts- Summer leisure in late Victorian and Edwardian Marlow here

Biography of Charles Miller Foottit of the Compleat Angler here

The Bucks Chair Co here

SOURCES INCLUDE:

1833 Parish Assessment, original copies held by us. 

Census 1841,51,61,71, 81 - transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte and Jane Pullinger. 

Harrods Directory 1847, J G Harrod & Co. 

Slater's Royal and Commercial Directory 1852

Thames Navigation Improvement Commission, (1866) Parliamentary Papers Vol 33, Great Britain Houses of Parliament. 

The Architect, April 17 1869, digitised by Google. 

Reading Mercury, 6 April 1839, 24 April 1858

Oxford Journal 26 April 1828. 

Bucks Herald 2 July 1836

Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 8 Feb 1873

Berkshire Chronicle 4 November 1843

Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette  4 July 1863

Bicester Herald, 6 June 1879.

GRO BMD index

Q/AB/43/515,Letter, Bucks Archives. 

Dickens, Charles - Dictionary of the Thames, 1880 edition. 

Pask, Arthur Thomas - From Lock to Lock, "Judy" 1882. 

Salter, John Henry. River Thames: a guide, 1881. 

© MarlowAncestors. 

Great Marlow Strays

Marriages of Great Marlow people I have discovered by sheer coincidence while trawling through the parish registers of other places. Spellings are as they appear to me. I have done my best with old writing.

Anthony, John married 27th November 1802 at Medmenham Bucks Elizabeth Hoare of Medmenham. This could be John Anthony the carpenter.

Breach, Ann married 2nd June 1730 All Saints church Maidstone, Kent John Chambers of Sonning Berkshire.

Carter, Mary and William Phelps both of Great Marlow married March 1st 1741 Stoke Poges Bucks by licence.

Fletcher, Henry married May 11th 1676 at St Helen's Bishopsgate London Anne Seale of Bledlow Ridge, Bucks..

Hall, Robert a widower married 20th October 1814 Medmenham Bucks Rachel Thatcher of Medmenham. More on Rachel here

Harman, James married 1st January 1717 by Licence at St Paul's Cathedral London Elizabeth Rowley of St Dunstan's In The West parish, London.

Heather, Mary a widow married August 24th 1791 at St Stephen's Walbrook church in London John Benson of St Stephen's Walbrook parish.

Ingram, Margaret married 26th April 1703 Bisham Berkshire Ralph Spicer of Chipping Wycombe. The latter place is now called High Wycombe. One of their descendants also called Ralph Spicer was a lawyer in Great Marlow - read about him here

Law, Mary married Bisham Berkshire 9th November 1699 Christopher Welder "a Dutchman".

Norton, Benjamin married February 3rd 1754 at St George's Hanover Square, London Sarah Jones of Cookham, Berkshire.

Tafield? Tofield? Athaliah married at Hughenden Bucks 30th March 1814 William Cock of Bisham Berkshire. By licence. Athaliah was not uncommon as a name at this period especially in this area.

Use the Person Index to find all mentions of a person on this blog. New people are added there daily and there are currently over 3,250 individuals listed there. 

I have more of these strays, mostly from London, Kent and Sussex where my own family history research has focused. I will add to this list as I sift my notes. 

Marlow Place History

 Marlow Place is often said to have been built 1720 or 1721 for the future George 2nd when he was still the Prince of Wales. It was said to used by his son Frederick as a residence as well.  However Country Life Magazine in 1921 reported a date of 1727 visible on the roof and it is said that a brick contains a scratched on 1731 date. These may be dates of modifications to the property though they seem to be occuring rather soon after the initial build.  These later dates though do tie in better with architectural analysis by various historic visitors to the house who said 1720 is too early stylistically to be a probable date for the house and something in the later 1720s -1730 is instead indicated. 

A different edition of Country Life from 1913 mentions only a date of 1731 scratched in an apparently contemporary hand into the brickwork of the outer wall. 

A description of a brick built mansion "on the right before you turn into the High Street" [as Marlow Place would have been when you entered Marlow by crossing the river at the old St Peter Street bridge point] by someone recalling their time at the juvenile branch of the Royal Military Academy tells us it was once owned by the mistress of Charles II, Louise De Kerouaille Duchess of Portsmouth. However it calls the house Alfred House, a smaller property which is within the High Street rather than located before you reach it. Alfred House in the High Street was also used by the Academy. So which property did the writer really mean? The source he had for his information is not stated. 

I can find no evidence beyond local tradition that the house was definitely built for, rather than simply used by, the then Prince of Wales. All evidence seems to point to the house being built either for John Wallop Esq or most likely his mother Alicia. Certainly it was Alicia Wallop who lived in Marlow Place by 1739 to at least 1742. Her garden adjoined the back of High Street businesses including a soap boiler which from its use of animal carcasses would be a smelly (and fire hazardous) neighbour to have, plus at least two blacksmith premises which would have been noisy. A good reminder that even the most privileged in society in the 1700s struggled to escape the noise and mess inherent to everyday life.

Alicia is likely the Mrs Wallop who donated to the church bells in Marlow church in 1720.

Edwardian occupier of the house the keen amateur historian William Niven noted that some of the oak panelling of the house was certainly older than the house. It is possible that this came from an earlier house on the land which was owned by Alicia's ancestors.

Admiral John Forbes had recently left the property in 1772. He was "removing to Essex" (apparently  to Old Mill Green House Ingatestone) The Marlow Place household goods were therefore auctioned off and the "large and exceedingly good house" is to let. It was available with or without accompanying pasture and meadow land. The garden itself was well stocked with the choicest fruit trees, so they said. There were apparently no immediate takers and the house seems to have been empty of tenants for at least a year. In 1773 adverts offering the property decide to include more elaborate descriptions of the house to drum up interest. Amongst other benefits, we are told the town has 3 stagecoaches to London a week in the summer and two in the winter. And water carriage could be had "almost to the door". Marlow Place is not of course an immediately riverside property but is within a couple of minutes walk of the Thames. 

The resident in 1780 looks to have been Edward Valentine Stead Esq. He left the house circa 1789 and died aged just 35 in 1790. Owen Williams M P succeeded him in residence. 

The Royal Military College used the premises to provide extra accommodation in the early 1800s. Out the back the cadets had a rifle practice range. The construction of this apparently ruined the original landscaping of the gardens.

In 1833 the occupier had recently been "Edmund Flemming" (correctly Edmond Fleming). The property was then valued as being worth £110 per year. It was the most valuable house in town by some way. Edmond had  lived in the house since at very least early 1829 as a David Alexander Fleming, a silversmith, aged 44 and late of Whitechapel died at "his father's house" Marlow Place that year. His will shows that he was the son of Edmund and had no children so that his brothers, sisters, parents and employees benefitted from his will.  You couldn't get a more Scottish name than David Alexander Fleming so there's a possible clue to Edmond's furthest ancestral origins there! Edmond was already in his early 80s when his son died, and his definitely Scottish born wife Isabella was a similar age. It is likely that they wanted to downsize a bit! Or not spread themselves so thinly as Marlow Place was only their country home. Edmond was still working in Newgate Street in when he wrote his will.  His son David's will written in 1823 was witnessed by a Henry Hammond of Great Marlow which tells us that the Flemings were already connected to Marlow back then.

Nevertheless by 1836 Edmund and Isabella had moved to live with their son at Cookham Grove, Cookham as Edmond died there then and Isabella continued to live there until her own death a decade later. 

Edmond Fleming was a jeweller, silversmith and pawnbroker who operated from Newgate Street London. Cookham Grove was the country seat of his London pawnbroker son William. The son had owned that property by 1834 but seems to have let it out to others until 1836. Not only his parents but various other unmarried adult siblings made it their home or country retreat as they saw fit.

In Newgate Street Edmund occupied two premises next door to each other, a jewellers and silversmiths at 89 and a pawnbrokers at 90. Recent (September 2025) research into Edmund, Isabella, William and the rest of the Flemings has brought up so much material that we think they will be best served with their own separate post which is available now on the blog here.

In 1834 Marlow Place was advertised to let once again in the local press. [Berkshire Chronicle 26th July 1834, accessed by me online March 2021 via the BNA]. The house was then described as consisting of ten bedrooms, a library, entrance hall, dining room, breakfast room, drawing room with detached offices [they meant rooms for domestic management like laundry rooms and stores not somewhere to do your paperwork], a double coach house and stabling for ten horses. There were also lawns, greenhouses and gardens listed as part of the property in the 1833 assessment. Later reports mention meadows and those fruit trees again.

 

These premises made an impressive boy's boarding school between 1857 and 1877. Thomas Mathews was the first master to run the school there, alongside his wife. He found the building in a most dilapidated state at the start of his tenancy and spent considerable time and effort in restoring the house. He was very keen on cricket and the school had a cricket ground in a meadow by what later became the railway station. Boys needed to bring with them to school 3 suits of clothes, 6 shirts, 3 nightshirts, 6 pairs of stockings, 3 pairs shoes, a pair of slippers, 6 towels and a bible.

Music and book keeping lessons were included within the standard school curriculum as was, unusually, Hebrew if desired. For an extra fee French or swimming lessons could be obtained or the boys prepped for the Civil Service entrance exam.

When Reverend Thomas Gwynne used the premises as a school in the 1870s he could take 26 pupils. Their minimum age was 8. Gwynne had previously ran a private school from Candover Park in Hampshire. He was known as "Old Tom" to his young charges, although not to his face of course! He was a much liked man by the adults in Marlow - but not by the pupils whom he taught. More on him in a separate post in the future.

The Mathews had taken children from age 6, with the younger boys under Mrs Mathew's care. 

These various school proprietors all rented the property rather than owned it.

Marlow Place was owned by the Williams family from at least 1795 - Colonel Thomas Peers Williams was born at the house then. Owen Williams is listed in parliamentary papers as resident there 1809 to 1817. The Williams family eventually sold it to long term tenant and architect William Niven, who wrote a couple of articles about the house for magazines such as Country Life. His grave is on the blog here.

In 1877 the last incarnation of the school closed and the house was due to be refurbished and converted back into a family home. During this work, labourer Timothy Young was killed in the grounds when engaged in demolishing a 10 ft high garden wall made partly of brick and partly of flint. Timothy was buried alive when the wall suddenly collapsed before the workers were ready for it. Some of the others engaged in the task were also injured by falling bricks but Timothy was worst affected as he was hemmed in by nearby shrubs and could not make any escape. He was dug out by his colleagues but died from multiple severe injuries a little over an hour later.

Lady Marie Alice Rushout - tenant there -died in 1882. She was the widow of baronet Sir Charles Rushout and had moved to Marlow from Gloucestershire. The following year the house contents were up for sale by a Lady Northwick perhaps a relative as the contents included little miniatures of "the Misses Rushout" by Andrew Plimer. Known as "The Three Graces" they were the daughters of Sir Thomas Rushout. These miniatures were regarded as particularly fine and beautiful works of art. 

In 1885 the new occupant of Marlow Place was widow Jane Haig who moved there from Bray Court, Maidenhead. A few days after she moved in, Jane's upper housemaid Alice Anthony AKA Kate or Katie Anthony was caught with a large amount of stolen goods hidden in her bedroom. Sacked, Alice was supposed to be escorted to the 4.10 train out of town by the butler but for unspecified reasons she ended up sleeping the night at Marlow Place instead. At six the next morning she did a flit with her mistress's portmanteau and another stolen bag stuffed with an astonishing amount of loot.

Unfortunately her knowledge of Marlow train times was sketchy and she ended up waiting longer than she had expected for her getaway train. Jane's coachman John Gale* was on her trail. Confronted by him, she ran off without the portmanteau but John and a summoned constable cornered her near Little Marlow. She still had other stolen articles on her person. In court they struggled to find room to display everything she had carried off.

I won't list it all but to give you a flavour of the items here's some of them:

A gold ring

A pair of lady's drawers

2 corsets

Some sheets of papers

3 pairs of scissors

A music book

3 table cloths

12 handkerchiefs

Curling tongs for the hair

Buttons

2 tooth brushes

2 gold pins

5 pairs of shoes

Measuring tape

An umbrella

Envelopes

12 photographs (no mention of their frames)

Opera glasses

2 pairs spectacles

Elastic

Button hook.

Left behind in her room were articles stolen from Jane's housekeeping stores such as soap, furniture polish, candles and matches. I suppose Alice ran out of room in her two bags to take it all with her!

Unsurprisingly she was jailed. The maximum sentence possible -six months - with solitary confinement an added punishment. Alice screamed and collapsed in the dock upon hearing the sentence.

A crowd of around 100, all from the poorest parts of town, gathered at Marlow station to see Alice and accompanying officers of the law leave by train for the jail in Aylesbury after her conviction. It is hard to judge whether this was in support or disapproval of Alice or just from curiosity. Alice was said to have previously lived in Marlow and may have had family here.

Jane Haig continued to live at the house until at least 1888 when her married daughter Helen Frances Warner drowned while swimming with family at Temple.

William Powley once Vice Principal of Durham University lived at Marlow Place until his premature death aged 56 in 1895.

Next came Colonel Clarence Granville Sinclair a young widower who himself died aged just 37 in 1897.

He was followed in residence at Marlow Place by William Niven. Mr Niven was able to buy the house from the Williams family rather than just rent it in 1921. See a photo of his grave here. We will have more on him in the future.

* John Gale retired to Victoria Road Marlow.

Main post researched and written by Charlotte Day. Photos and information about Thomas Young and Admiral Forbes provided by Kathryn. 

Related Posts:

Biography of Alicia Wallop here

Biography of three Victorian Trinidadian pupils at Marlow Place School: here

Additional sources I found useful:

Reading Mercury 29th March 1773 & 12th October 1792, Windsor and Eton Express 31st January 1829, South Bucks Standard 27th November 1896 , Maidenhead Advertiser 14 April 1877, Oxford Journal 11 July 1772, held at the British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA.

Parochial assessment notebooks 1830s, owned by my family. These are being transcribed gradually onto this blog.

1871 census. Transcribed by me. Census information always remains Crown Copyright. 

GRO death index.

Armorial Families. A Directory of Coat Armour, by Arthur Charles Fox Davies published 1910 by T.C and E.C Jack.

Saturday Review of Politics, Literature Science and Art volumes 28-29 published by John W Parker 1870. Accessed via Google Books March 2021.

History of Newbury and Its Environs by Edward William Gray, published by Hall and Marsh 1839.

Country Life volume 49 page 353. And Volume 33 issue 836. 

Dutton and Allen Commercial Directory 1867.

Bentley's Miscellany, Volume 20 : "Shots from an Old Six Pounder". [Richard Bentley 1846]

English Country Houses: Baroque - James Lee-Milnes (Country Life Books, 1960)

 Andrew and Nathaniel Plimer - George Charles Williamson, (G Bells & Son 1903.)

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/029d5a54-d882-43b0-ae1d-9399f135df68

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse this research for family and local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Will Summary Joan Robinson of Great Marlow 1753

 I obtained a copy of this PCC will from the National Archives, Kew and transcribed it. This is a summary.

JOAN ROBINSON WIDOW LATE OF BRAY BERKSHIRE BUT NOW OF GREAT MARLOW. WILL PROVED 1753.

Commends soul to God. Burial at executor's discretion.

Puts £50 in to custody of Charles Jones of Cookham yeoman and Charles Robinson her "son in law"* of .... Bucks bargeowner. This £50 is in trust for the benefit of testator's kinsman Thomas and William Hunt sons of William of Upton. These boys will receive the interest of the money until they 21 then they will receive half of the £50 each. If either dies before the other then the survivor gets their share.

Son in law Charles Robinson £100 for himself

Sister in law Mary Hunt of Maidenhead £20 and half share of all testator's wearing apparel and household linens and woolens. Other half to the wife of testator's son in law John Robinson of Great Marlow, waggoner. 

Grandson Edward White £5. If he dies the money to testator's sister Mary Hunt. Similarly if she dies before receiving her financial legacy as above then Edward is to receive it.

That John Robinson gets all residual money, household goods, plate etc and is made executor.

Witnesses William Willis and William Allen.

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction freely  permitted for family or local history purposes with credit.

To find all mentions of an individual or family here, look at the A-Z person index in the top drop down index. 

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.

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A full biography of the life of Walter is Now_available_here

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

Related posts:

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

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

Sources:

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

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

Will of Martha Aveling as above.

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

Property records held by my family and transcribed by me.

Censuses transcribed by me from microfilm.

Gravestones.

Great Marlow Parish registers, transcribed by me.

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

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

Building photographed November 2020.

Harris Research and Graves, All Saints and Marlow Cemetery, Great Marlow

 

Above, Grave of Amelia, wife of Ralph Harris d. Aug 2nd 1852 aged 56

ALSO OF:

Ralph Harris husband of the above - d. Feb 24th 1872. Age 82 years. 

Research: Ralph was a cabinet maker with premises High Street Maidenhead from 1822 to 1835 when he sold off all his stock in trade. Probably because his lease was going to be up the next year. He and Amelia lived West Street Marlow by 1851. Ralph was retired by then. He lived on in West Street / West End Gardens after Amelia's death. The couple married at Cookham in 1818. She was née Humphreys.

Above, John Harris Oct 9th 1890 aged 70

Also of :

Margaret Harris d. May 14th 1920 age 85 wife of the above.

Notes:

John may be the son of Ralph and Amelia above, though there is another John Harris the same age as him in Marlow at the same time.

All of the above are located in All Saints. 

Above, grave in Marlow Cemetery. Edith Caroline Harris - June 27 1920 age 33. "Beloved wife and find mother"

NOTE - We try to group graves belonging to individuals of the same surname onto the same page where possible but it does not mean everyone here is related. If graves are adjacent, we will say so. More will be added on a regular basis. We will do our best to upload all readable graves in Marlow that date prior to 1929. 

Use the Graves option on the menu to find more. Some come with research notes on the person buried.

We also are uploading graves from Little Marlow and Hurley gradually plus a few from Bisham.

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found by looking at the Person Index. We are uploading several posts a week so more individuals are listed all the time.

©Marlow Ancestors. Use of these grave images or research is freely allowed for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here.