Creswell and Cresswell Graves, Parish Church, All Saints, Marlow (also Gudgin)

John Creswell, 1843, age 66 years, 

AND 

William Creswell Died 1869 age 92. (This is William formerly of The Compleat Angler. John on the grave above is his brother, a husbandman and race horse owner etc. Read more on William here)

CWC 1842, MAC 1843, AEC 1855, M C 18?? - these initials represent people marked on the larger grave below. 

 

The Creswell area, some graves unreadable now.

J C 18(43?) and W C  - date unreadable.  

JC 1873, above. Footer of James Creswell grave below. 

Above, grave of :

Charlotte Winifred Cresswell d. Sept 13 1842, age 17

ALSO  - Mary Ann Cresswell d. Jan 6 1843 age 7. 

ALSO - Ann Esther Cresswell d. Jul 16 1855 age 17 ( The monumental mason forgot the second Cresswell S and had to put a mini one in at the last by the looks of it! )

ALSO - Martha, Wife of James Cresswell Feb 11 18?7 age 42. 

Above and below, nestled next to John, is the grave of Charlotte Winifred Gudgin, nee Cresswell. She is his married sister. Her husband Robert worked in the paper mills and the couple lived in St Peter's Street.

Charlotte Winifred Gudgin. D.Jul 21 1872 age 82. 

James Creswell, above d. 1873 age 72/3. James was the nephew of the John, William and Charlotte above. There were several other names on this grave but they have now vanished. 

In a separate area to the above graves can be found this grave "In loving memory of my dear parents - Eliza Ann Creswell d Jan 25 1903 aged 73 and Henry Creswell d. June 9th 1913 age 79 years. [Henry was the son of George and Charlotte Creswell of The Swan and would later run The Cross Keys for a few years himself]

Rear of the grave: Also Ellen Creswell, date unreadable. Likely the daughter of the above Eliza and Henry who was known as Nellie. 

**Some Creswells converted to catholicism so are buried at St Peter's Church in Marlow**

Post on William Cresswell junior, the notorious miser, farmer, and barge owner - and son of William above can be found here

More graves for Marlow, Little Marlow and Hurley indexed here.

All mentions of any individual on this blog can be found on the A-Z Person Index on the top drop down menu.  Thousands of people are included.

©MarlowAncestors. 

Landlords of The Cross Keys, Spittal Square/Spittal Street

The pubs location is Spittal Square /  Spittal Street previously known as the Common Slough. Now known as The Oarsman. (Sometimes listed as located in Chapel Street, which is a continuation of Spittal Street) This is a replacement for the earlier building that jutted out more into the Street. 

These earliest two mentions refer to an earlier incarnation, not on the same site. It is uncertain where this first pub was located.

1757 - Sylvester Law (had moved from the Upper Crown)

1766 - Sylvester Law (Will of Sylvester Law 1766  here )

*****

Spittal Square site - note this pub was almost certainly originally one of two pubs in Marlow called the White Hart. See our post on that for landlord listings for that pub and the other White Hart which was nearby in Chapel Street. It is available here

1839 - Henry Thomas Meakes. A blacksmith also on the same premises. Previously worked for his father Thomas Meakes as a journeyman blacksmith. Thomas went bankrupt in 1830 despite a loan of over £200 from Henry. This loan was secured on all of Thomas's stock in trade, book debts and furniture, something which caused serious censure at the bankruptcy hearings as it illegally deprived other creditors of a chance to have Thomas's goods seized and sold to settle the debts owed to them. There is no suggestion Henry meant to do anything illegal. In fact the judge in the case called him an an excellent and hard working young man. [Bucks Gazette. 17th January 1830. British Newspaper Archive]. Henry was born 1805. His brother later ran an ironmongers further up Spittal Street. See here

1841- Henry Meakes. Also blacksmith as above.

1844 - Henry Meakes as above.

1846 - Henry Thomas Meakes. Fined 40 shillings for allowing card games on his premises. Also executor that year of the will of stationer William Collins of Flackwell Health.

1847 - H.T Meakes (Mr Ridgely also listed as landlord this year.)

1852 - J Meakes

1853 - Mary Ann Meakes (also  listed as a whitesmith)

1854 - Mary Ann Meakes  (listed also as blacksmith). Likely widow of Henry Thomas Meakes who was definitely a Mary Ann.

1859 - John Wellicome. Hannah his wife had died in 1844.

1861 - John Wellicome (also plumber and smith, employing 9 men). Though not given on census as such John was also a painter, decorator and glazier!

1863 - John Wellicome. Cautioned to conduct his premises better or his licence will not be renewed..

1864 - John Wellicome (also listed as blacksmith). Died February that year. 

1869 - Henry Creswell.

1877 - Henry Creswell.

1879   Henry Cresswell transferred premises to Robert Lunnon  "The Cross Keys Inn"

1881 - Robert Lunnon.

1883 - Robert Lunnon.

1888 - 1. R.Lunnon 2. Alfred Williams.

1891 - Alfred Williams (also a joiner).

1892 - Alfred Williams transfers premises to William Redsdale /Ridsdale.

1893 - Thomas Ridsdale  (qv)  transfers premises to Edwin Richards who passes it on to John Wilson. (NB in 1894 a Mrs Richards, described as formerly keeping the Cross Keys in Marlow, is a coffee shop proprietor in London.)

1894 - John Wilson transfers to H F T Hitchins/ H F Thomas Hitchens.

1895 - Thomas Hitchens qv 2. Joseph Dyer/Dwyer.

1898 -1 Joseph Dyer. 2 Thomas Pym (incorrectly given as Joseph Pym in the Bucks Free Press of that year) .

1899 - Thomas Pym - he is called up as a member of reserve forces to "go to the Cape" - that is war in South Africa. He is reported injured for the second time in March 1900. (2nd Devon's)  Mr Barksfield takes over. 

1903 - Joseph Barksfield.

1920- Joseph Barksfield.

1924 - Mrs Annie Barksfield.

1925 - Annie Barksfield gives up licence and Spencer Charles Fisher takes over.

1939 - Robert William Spencer.  Robert moved in this year to Seymour Court Road where he opened a grocery shop known simply as The Stores. This was at the very top of the road opposite the park and no longer exists. Robert died in 1943. He was a special constable during the war.

1948 - G Cawdon Wooster. Cross Keys Inn. Offers accommodation, luncheons and a snack bar.

        Spittal Square, above. 

This post is updated as new information emerges. 

More Spittal Street related posts indexed here

Use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu, rather than the tag search, to check all other posts for mentions of your ancestors. Many Marlow landlords changed premises and there can be other family members running other establishments. Some places changed how they described themselves - or how they were viewed- and so licensed premises listings here take in not just beer houses, pubs and inns but common lodging houses and hotels too. We mainly focus on pre WW1 listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with. For other posts about pubs, see the Pub Related index here 

Additional research by Charlotte Day.

SOURCES 

1833 Parish Assessment. Original handwritten notebooks held in my family. Transcribed by Charlotte Day.

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1859, 1864,1869,1877,1889,1903, 1907

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial directory. From the University of Leicester Archive.

Many licence hearings reports including :

Bucks Herald 27 December 1879, copy held at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA January 2021.

South Bucks Standard September 14 1894, as above.

Robson's Directory 1839,1844.

Census 1861,1871,1881,1891 transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger and Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Nellie Creswell

Ellen Creswell, known as Nellie, was one of the Marlow ladies who pioneered cycling in the town for female riders and competitive rowing for local women too.

Born in 1867 to Eliza and Henry Creswell, Nellie spent her early years in the Cross Keys pub in the town as her father was the landlord there. He retired in her late childhood and the family eventually moved to a house called The Ferns in Glade Road. This is still there (number 17) but does not bear the name. Not to be confused with The Ferns, Little Marlow.

She not only served as one of the committee members of the Cycling club, the only known Victorian woman to do so in Marlow, but became the club's Vice Captain. She helped organise and competed in club competitions which tested speed or agility on a bicycle, not infrequently beating all of the men in mixed events. She did it in long skirts too. While a few women in England cycled in pantaloons or rational dress at that time Nellie made it clear she did not support club membership for women that dressed that way (or for men with unconventional cycling dress).

The Marlow club went out on group rides but Nellie pedalled off on her own out of town too, something which many female cyclists did not yet feel comfortable doing in the Victorian age. Nellie was fined 10 shillings by the Henley Magistrates for riding on the footpath on one such trip in 1898 [Henley Advertiser 5th March 1898].

Nellie also, by 1892, was rowing for Marlow at the Regatta in the women's team events.

There was a strong sporting tradition in the Marlow Creswell family. Her uncle Augustus was one of the best local male rowers and her brother George played for Marlow F.C. in it's early days as well as the more famous Everton. George's premature death by way of blood poisoning in 1904 devastated the Creswell family. Nellie had acted as bridesmaid at his wedding to Catherine (Kate) Chamberlain of Bisham.

Nellie herself did not marry but remained living in her parental home in Glade Road with her parents and then after their deaths on her own. She is buried with her parents in All Saints churchyard in Marlow. Her date of death is indecipherable but from other sources we know it was no earlier than 1928.

The son of her brother George, also called George, died in the First World War. Nellie apparently was the beneficiary of his estate. He had lived with her at The Ferns, Glade Road for most of his life. I am uncertain what happened to his mother Catherine after she became a widow.

At All Saints can be found this grave of Nellie (Ellen) and her parents - "In loving memory of my dear parents - Eliza Ann Creswell d Jan 25 1903 aged 73 and Henry Creswell d. June 9th 1913 age 79 years. [Henry was the son of George and Charlotte Creswell of The Swan and would later run The Cross Keys for a few years himself]

Rear of the grave: Also Ellen Creswell (Nellie). Inscription currently obscured by greenery. 

All mentions of any person on this blog can be found under the Person Index. There are plenty of Creswell / Cresswells! More posts about people of Glade Road or any other street can be found indexed here. More grave photos and transcriptions indexed here. 

You can find out more about the early history of cycling in the town in Kathryn's post here

Other posts you might like: "Groundbreaking women in Marlow History" here.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day with additional research by Kathryn Day.

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

Grave And Info About Hilda Trim Nee Barksfield , Marlow

Grave of Hilda Trim, née Barksfield. Wife of Edward J. [Joseph]

Hilda died 25th Sept 1916, age 20. 

Inscription - "We cannot Lord thy purpose see but all is well that's done by thee"

*****

They married 1915, Wycombe district. 

Hilda born Medmenham, Bucks, the child of Annie and Joseph Barksfield. She moved to Marlow as a child and her parents ran the Cross Keys Public house, Spittal Square, Marlow. 

Hilda's young husband featured in a sad court case in 1918 - details here

For the will of a 1700s occupier of the Cross Keys see post on Sylvester Law, published in 2020.  Use the Pub Related option on the top drop down menu for other pub posts. To find all mentions of your ancestors, use the A-Z person index in the menu. 

Marriage from GRO website marriage index online.

Images ©Marlow Ancestors. You may reproduce these images with credit to this blog.

Skeleton Army V Salvation Army

The Salvation Army in 1892 dated their permanent arrival in Marlow to 1887*. Initially it is said they were welcomed and treated with a certain curiosity. Open air meetings, military style uniforms and army titles for members made General Booth's organisation stand out as a group that did things differently. Local papers tended to report their doings reasonably favourably, especially the focus on abstinence from alcohol. That however, was soon to change and it was at least partly the fault of the Skeleton Army. 

At first the Marlow Salvation Army only met outdoors. They soon however secured the lease of the old workshop of Samuel Washbourn(e) in Oxford Lane, just off Quoiting Square. This building had a interesting history - see note 1 below. At the time, it was owned by Oxford Road fruiterer William Bowles. The new organisation quickly got on their feet, offering several meetings a week. Their focus remained on bringing services to the people however, which meant parades, and outdoor meetings. They wanted to attract the attention of as many people of possible, so going quietly to work was not the order of the day. They marched to their open air meeting place accompanied by a band generally, and by at least a few drummers and "tambourine girls" if not. They then took up position in the streets with Quoiting and Spittal Squares two favourite spots, as was Dean Street. It was hard to ignore a Salvation Army meeting on your doorstep, which of course was the point but it raised the heckles of others less receptive to their message. Some thought the goings on undignified and that prayer was not being treated with the solemnity it deserved. Others began to resent vocal calls to abstain from alcohol and tobacco - made outside their premises selling just that. But it seems the blocking of thoroughfares and the noisy beating of drums were what upset the locals the most. 

ENTER THE SKELETON ARMY

The Skeleton Army was started in the South West with the aim of aping the SA as a form of mockery and otherwise disrupting their services. It was first applied to a group haranguing Salvation Army meetings in 1881. Over time "Skeleton Army" became a general term used by the public and press for other groups who tried to do the same. Not all of these groups actually used the term to describe themselves. Some groups were very organised, and seemingly reasonably well funded. They had their own Skeleton Army uniforms and bands, and carried out parades and outdoor meetings timed to coincide with those of the Salvation Army. Our local group does not seem to have had a uniform, but they did possess musical instruments and banners to draw attention to themselves. They focussed on drowning out the Salvation Army public speakers, but violence was also used on more than one occasion. I have spoken to an elderly man whose grandfather was paid by a group of local pub landlords in London to disrupt temperance meetings held outside their premises, something he was later rather ashamed of. There is no evidence of such publican funding in Marlow. (See below though)

It is not always possible to tell if early disruptors of the Salvation Army identified as Skeleton members but some who did were active in Marlow by at least 1886. Clashes between the two "armies" began to escalate in 1887. The Skeletons were going to the Salvation Army meets and groaning and bellowing as loudly as possible, as well as mocking the tone of impassioned speakers. They were also blowing trumpets and beating drums. The Salvation Army responded by singing their hymns even louder. The resulting cacophony annoyed even some of the initial supporters of the Salvation Army and some began to lump the two armies together as one big source of nuisance. 

The tone of newspaper reports of Salvation Army meetings began to change to a more critical one, sometimes mocking. The Bucks Examiner claimed with glee that during an "encampment" at Marlow, Salvation Army members who had recently been giving speeches railing against the demon drink, were seen to take "rather freely of the canteen" afterwards. They tended to be a hostile reporter of the Army's activities so this claim must be taken with a pinch of salt! 

RIOT IS FEARED

Letters arrived at local newspaper offices asking them to raise the issue of the "tumult and disorder" that was occuring nightly in the streets of Marlow. Ordinary citizens were, they claimed, afraid to step out of doors in the evenings, for fear of being caught between the rival marches. Party feeling ran high, and "respectable citizens" were in fear of an imminent riot. The police claimed they could do nothing because holding open air meetings, or making a noise was not a crime. They would however prosecute either side if they obstructed the highway. 

In November 1887, the Skeleton Army made a point of as usual organising a march and meeting at the same place (Spittal Square) as the Salvation Army. This time they were not content to just make a noise. Some of the Skeleton men - I have found no local women identified as members - bought rotten eggs with them and threw them at the speakers. One hit Salvation Army member Mrs Sarah Moody of Queens Road, who complained to the police. The thrower was Skeleton member and drummer William Lloyd, a journeyman butcher. He denied it, and presented a witness, Augustus Creswell, who said he had stood next to Lloyd watching proceedings and had seen no eggs thrown. Unfortunately for Lloyd, several other witnesses had seen him make the throw and he was fined 7s 6d plus 12s costs. 

Criticism of perceived police lack of action was mounting. In December 1887 they finally found a means to bring both Skeleton and Salvation Army members to court - they found they were obstructing the highway during one of their joint affairs in Dean Street. Salvation Army captain John Thomas Hillary was summoned, along with Skeleton Army drummer William Lacey, a carpenter. The case "excited much interest" with numerous supporters of both sides present at the Magistrates court in Trinity Road. After lengthy arguments which can be summarised with the idea the other side was the one obstructing the way - the decision was made to find both sides guilty. They received a nominal 1s fine each plus costs. 

1888 - A DANGEROUS YEAR FOR THE MARLOW SALVATION ARMY

Things escalated the following year. Two nasty acts of violence were committed against Salvation Army members, more of which below. Perhaps they were a reaction to what was perceived as an upsurge in Salvation Army activity in the town. In June, General Booth's son, Henry, led 130 "Salvation Army Life Guards" into Marlow, where their band played to thronged streets. They finished in Crown Meadow (Riley Recreation Ground) to hear an "animated" address from several members. And to sing hymns of course. There does not seem to be reports of more than heckling at this event but that was not to last.

Mindful of the risk of fines should they impede the highway, the Salvation Army had organised that some of their members should endeavour to keep the roads partially clear. Salvation Army member Daniel Lovegrove of Marefield was trying to do this during a August evening meeting in Dean Street, whilst also selling the Salvation Army journal, the War Cry. When he asked a group of bystanders to stand back, two of them took exception at being told what to do and told Lovegrove they had just as much right to be there as he had. One of them followed this up by punching Lovegrove twice in the eye, and the second came up behind and struck another blow. He threatened to split Lovegrove's head open should he ever parade past the attacker's home. With the victim's story confirmed by witnesses, the aggressors James James and John Folly were bought before the magistrates for a dressing down and a fine apiece. 

Then William Edwards was convicted of assault for deliberately riding his horse into an assembled Salvation Army crowd, knocking down 11 year old Eliza Fry and Salvation Army member Sarah Edwards qv. The child was left with concussion. Bystander Richard Wye was also injured. Edwards claimed he was just trying to make his way along the street and the horse had shied because of all the noise around it. Witnesses however said it had appeared a deliberate act of aggression as he had made no attempt to avoid anyone. This evidence and the fact he had a previous conviction for a similar offence**, meant a sentence of 3 months imprisonment. 

To make matters worse, the Salvation Army were evicted from their Oxford Road base in 1889 after landlord William Bowles received numerous complaints about their noisy evening band practices. The following year they did secure a piece of land adjacent to the gas works for a "barracks" or base. The foundation stone was laid in September 1890. This building was replaced in the 1930's with the one that's still there in Crown Road, now used as a nursery.

The acts of violence directed at the Salvation Army, seem to have started a gradual softening of attitude in at least some of those who had dismissed them as troublemakers previously. The Salvation Army may have been disruptive, but they were never instigators of violence and their turning of the other cheek against such provocation won them respect, albeit begrudgingly given at times. The Skeleton Army became less active here although noisy meetings still risked attracting a catcalling element. The landlord of the Cross Keys, Mr Williams, started a petition against the Army's use of loud drumming on a Sunday outside his premises. He presented it to the magistrates but they said they could take no action and give no legal advice. They could not deal with the issue of noise they said, only criminal matters presented by the police. Let's hope he bought some ear plugs. Similarly Frederick Plumridge came to the magistrates court to ask for summons to be taken out against both the Salvation and Skeleton Armies for their "disgraceful" behaviour in 1887, only to receive the same answer. 

It's interesting that the South Bucks Standard claimed in 1897 that the cause of the Salvation Army had never been very flourishing in Marlow and whatever influence they had previously had had now began to wane. This does not necessarily tally with reports of their activities at this time. In this year, 5 Marlow members* were fined for singing in the street, causing an obstruction, but they refused to pay, opting to receive a 14 day prison sentence instead. The 3 women and two men were released after 9 days and posters were put up around town to announce their planned arrival time back here. A large reception committee was waiting at Marlow station but the station master refused them access to the platform. Those waiting gathered outside the station instead and cheered the prisoners arrival. The infamous 5 were put into a wagon and were paraded behind a brass band consisting of 9 members, one to represent each day in jail. They went up Station Road, High Street, Market Square (where they prayed for the pub landlord who had complained about them singing outside his premises there) Dean Street and around Marefield back to the barracks at Crown Rd. After a celebration tea, the prisoners gave a fund raising talk on their experiences, admission 1d. 

WORK WITH POOR OF TOWN

The Salvation Army began to work in the poorest areas of town, focusing their efforts in the areas around Dean Street and Marefield. Many a Christmas and new year in particular must have been brightened up due to their presence. Their band made a habit of performing in these streets as well as the more prosperous ones on Boxing Day, and often on Christmas Eve too. In 1905 they entertained 200 of the poorest children to a Christmas tea, then provided games and gifts for 400. All went away with a bag containing cake and an orange. The fact they could afford to do this shows how their membership and support had expanded in Marlow. 

Disasters further afield were not forgotten and collections were made for various causes. One that stands out is a collection made for victims of the sinking of the Titanic a few weeks after the disaster in 1912. This followed a special Titanic memorial service, presided over by London Colonel Tait.  

GENERAL BOOTH STOPS BY

Salvation Army founder General Booth visited Marlow some 30 years after his son, in 1908, and in a much more pleasant atmosphere. The General was stopping by on the way to Reading and Henley. It seems the official welcome was fluffed a bit as while the General arrived in the Market Square on the dot of noon as advertised, only about 30 people were assembled. Everyone else was down by the bridge end of High Street where the Salvation Army band had gathered, expecting him there. It appears a message had got through that the people meant to give a formal welcome to him had not been able to come, so the crowd had moved off from the Market Square where this meeting was supposed to take place. When the General arrived, it was considered impolite to ask him to wait for the crowd to reform so he was welcomed quietly. In the end of course, word spread and the General was able to enjoy a satisfyingly large audience by the time he came to say a few words. The papers noted that there was no sign of any disorder of any kind on the occasion of this visit. How times had changed. 

*The infamous five were:

Sarah Griffiths of York Road, the leader of the Salvation Army in Marlow.

Jessie Last

James Bullock

Charles Wilkinson 

Christina Farmer. 

(Joseph Lunnon  - was also convicted but paid fine and so was not imprisoned.)

 The outdoor meeting was outside the Crown in Market Square and it's landlord had made the complaint. He asked the Army to be quiet twice, especially because there was a very sick child staying there in one of the rooms overlooking the square. Unfortunately the members said while they were aware Mr Cole had come out to speak to them, they couldn't hear what he had said! 

NOTES

1. This building had earlier been used to house Samuel's large satin stitch and baby linen manufactory, and subsequently used as the infants school before the existing Oxford Lane premises were built. It was later used as the place of worship for those from All Saints church during the period the old church had been demolished but before the new was ready. Later still it had been used for storage. It no longer exists. They later used a couple of different rented premises in Marefield before their last Marlow "Barracks" opened in Crown Road 1935. That is now closed and in commercial use as a day nursery. The work of the Army from this premises was instigated by 12 members from the "Clapton Training Room". 

*I have found the first report of a visit by the Salvation Army to the town in 1883. They attracted a large curious crowd, especially due to their habit on this march of dropping to their knees at intervals to offer a prayer. They seem to have experienced no outright hostility although the inevitable complaints about noise were not absent. The reports of the march tended to be rather dismissive or comic in tone ..the marchers were "waving their arms about in great excitement" according to one newspaper. 

**William Edwards had been fined 2s 6d and bound over in the sum of £5 to keep the peace for 6 months earlier on in 1888. This was related to his repeatedly kicking of Salvation Army Captain Joseph Vincent during an open air meeting in Quoiting Square. Sixteen year old William Harvey was convicted of the same offence and received the same punishment. 

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

Related Posts:

For more on the history of places of worship in Marlow and their staff, see the Church Related menu here

Crime and disorder in old Marlow here

For other posts about crime, riots etc and everyday life in old Great Marlow see the index here

To find every mention of an individual or family here, use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. 

SOURCES:

Punch, August 29 1885, Punch Publications, digitised by Google and accessed by me November 2020.

All about the Salvation Army, The Salvation Army 1885, from Oxford University and accessed via Google books August 2020.

Kelly's Directory 1939 (Kelly's Directories Ltd.)

Booth, William, Darkest England, and the way out ( Funk and Wagnells, New York 1890).

Pick Up Issue 166, (Heinneman and Balestier 1889) Digitised by Google.  

Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard, 22 June 1894, held at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA.

South Bucks Standard 13 September 1890, 20 March 1891,9 September 1892, 17 September 1897, 3 January 1902, 1 & 6 January 1904, 24 July 1908, 25 April 1912 as above. 

Bucks Herald 10 September &  3 December 1887, 28 April 1888, 23 November 1889 as above.

Maidenhead Advertiser May 1883 & 27 June 1888, as above.

Chesham Examiner 10 September 1890, as above.

Slough Eton and Windsor Observer : 2 December 1886, March 17 1888 - Slough Borough Libraries. 

©Marlow Ancestors.

.

Marlow Races- a History

Updated August 2023.

If your ancestors lived in Great Marlow or nearby they may well have had a fun, or fraught, day out at the horse races which were held in meadow by the river annually from the 1700s until 1847, probably with some breaks in service.

My first reference to them is in 1725 when William Lofting's animal was amongst the winners and the local MP Edmund Waller was one of those who put up prizes. The next references are from 1728 and 1731. There may not have been many competitors then as the same few animals seem to win most of the races. A minimum number of runners were usually required for the winners prize to be rewarded. In 1728 this saw two hacks entered into one race just so the single race horse competing could legitimately claim the prize for "winning". I believe the races took a break after 1731 before returning in 1752. 

 In 1755 Sylvester Law* proprietor of the Upper Crown in the Market Place offered transport from there out to the course. Sylvester was an early supporter and promoter of the races. Two years later, then of the Cross Keys, he hosted a meeting of the race subscribers at which the main order of the day was to decide how the event could be organised to do less damage to the meadow it was hosted in. Descriptions of the course in 1833 mention a standing crop almost ready to harvest within the field. The perimeter and space between the river and course had been kept clear for racing and spectators but the field as a whole was naturally not reserved exclusively just for 2 or 3 days racing a year. It was leased to a farmer and strict warnings were made about the trouble which would ensue if horses or spectators trampled the harvest! The course itself was marked by wooden posts put in before each year's racing. The Gentleman's Magazine description of the races in 1752 tells of male and female  spectators (the latter in their best colourful dresses) rushing this way and that way across the field both on foot and in their carriages so as to keep sight of favoured horses. The result was chaos with the writer fearing "one half of the company should be trampled down by the other". You can see why Sylvester was probably fighting a losing battle as to prevent damage to the field! 

 I struggle to find many later 1700s references to the races. By the mid 1820s they were certainly back by the river however and once again they gained some national notice. In between times they may have been run but on too small a scale to leave a trace in the historical record  There may also have been another minor lapse in early 1830s. 

Talking of small scale, these races were very much for ponies rather than horses. The minimum height of a horse for entry was given at just 11 or 12 hands at different times. The maximum height for most events where there was one was just 14 hands. They are frequently referred to as the "pony races" in contemporary sources. 

The early races were more geared towards the amateur performers. Only ponies that had won less than £50 prize money could attend the meeting. The animals ran in simple races, weight handicapped by the animal's age. There was a race just for "aged" animals, which seems to have been those of 6 years of age and upwards. In the 1800s however the sport was of a higher calibre thanks to patronage by Sir William Clayton who offered a silver cup trophy and was a honourary race steward. Some reports say that he was the one who started the races in the first place. Obviously not in the 1750s, but this may indicate that they did fall away for some time before an 1820s revival.

Races were certainly not over the flat only, jump races were just as much a part of the schedule on many a year's programme in the 1800s. Flat racing then tended to be restricted to just two or three races a day but with each spread into multiple heats so there was plenty of action. In between these races were 'matches*', races between the horses of (usually) two individuals as the result of a challenge issued in advance. Such matches were very common at smaller race meets at the time and were often the events held to have the keenest excitement for locals. Anyone who wished to propose such a match needed to register their interest in advance at the Crown and the organisers would accommodate them as the schedule allowed. It was also to the Crown you should go to register your horse for entry into any race, and to pay the entrance fee. (In the early years, the White Horse was also used for this role.) A very few races had no fee to enter, usually when the meeting was otherwise well supported. If you were lucky and won you would earn a prize purse, with some races quaintly requiring the winner to give a share of it to the owner of the horse that came second. In other years, the owner had to give some of the prize money to the Stewards to cover the costs of running the meeting. In 1756 this "gift" was one guinea and was to pay for "flags, drums, etc". In the same year the winner was also required to make a donation towards the cost of organising the following years races. Many later races were run for a mixture of the prize purse and / or plate plus a sweepstake taken from the stake paid by all entrants. The second place horse might get their stake back. 

Every year the mix of races and rules as to who could or could not enter each one varied so this information is based on lots of sources.  There was always at least one race solely for locally owned horses and another for those owned by subscribers to the event only. At other times entries for individual events were restricted to for instance horses beaten earlier in the day. On many occasions it was stipulated that the winner had to be offered to sale after the race - but the owner was not obliged to accept a low price for the animal. In 1840 the winner of the 20 sovereigns plate was to be to be offered for sale for £100, while the winner of a hurdle race would be presented for £70. 

All races and heats involved going either once or twice round the circular course. Contemporary descriptions describe how trees obscured part of the route from spectators. There were basic wooden stands erected between the river and the course to help. A spot in these could also be reserved at the Crown in advance. In 1833, the course got a temporary  more luxurious painted wooden grandstand, previously erected at Ascot, according to a sign displayed outside. This caused some mirth in fashionable visitors who thought it pretentious for a country race meet! 

There were also booths selling toys and gingerbread, and sideshows offering amongst other things "dancing booths" and a kind of coconut shy with meat replacing the coconuts atop of sticks. Let's hope the "prize" didn't hang round too long. A band always attended, but they halted playing during the race itself. 

Fashionable visitors came from a wide area to attend. A special "covered van" came from Reading to bring in visitors each day. The races were advertised long in advance by placards on the roads into town and also by notices in the press. Visitors spoke of the bustle apparent in the streets as the meeting drew near. Sweetly, the rising demand for ribbons to decorate caps and bonnets is mentioned. It was traditional to wave a handkerchief in the air as well as you cheered the riders along. Of course not everybody attending could necessarily afford to dress for the occasion. Visitors walking in with hob nail boots and shabbier clothes get somewhat sarcastically mentioned alongside the better dressed and their attractive prancing ponies and carriages. The image of passing bargemen on the river slowing up to try and get a glimpse of the action is a reminder not everyone who wanted to attend was free to do so. 

An image of the races, from an illustration dated 1833 that formerly hung in the Chequers Hotel, courtesy of Michael Eagleton 

So who was riding those dashing ponies? Local stable lads and younger grooms were the usual choices. However there were just-starting-out jockeys who went on tours of small events in the hope of getting noticed and being thus offered more lucrative rides elsewhere. Frank Butler* incorporated Marlow into just such a tour in 1839. He later won his place in racing history by bagging the famous St Leger, the Oaks, the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby plus many other races. Frank was the nephew of the then famous jockey brothers the Chifneys but struggled at first to establish his own career, hence the Marlow outing. 

The 1839 race meet he visited was a few years later sneeringly described in the New Sporting Magazine. The trainers it said were just local tenant farmers, the whole event more like "playing at racing" than real sport. Frank's horse it claimed had been recently injured and wasn't the best quality even before that but it still had a good chance given the state of the competition at Marlow! Some of the horse and rider pairings were allegedly so inexperienced that out of control horses shot off and dumped their jockeys into the river. It is important to qualify this chaotic description with a note that the publication was snobbish and it was fashionable to sneer at anything "provincial" or involving the participation of working class / farming people.

The article did concede that the setting was beautiful with the ample nearby woods a great place to sneak off to for some flirtation if you met someone at the races. To get to the woods you could take a little ferry rowing boat across the river. Watching the races from the convenient hill on that opposite bank was still favoured by many it reported. 

Fourth rate as the magazine declared the competition to be it was exciting enough to have quite a significant effect on one elderly lady in 1824. Fearing a horse would run her over, she collapsed insensible. After several days of hovering near death she recovered so well that the lameness which she had suffered from for a decade was cured! No cure from illness is recorded for a stout lady who provided a soft landing for a jockey who was catapulted from his horse and into her chaise in 1833. Neither seems to have been hurt but the lady's parasol was broken. The horse had apparently been startled by the shadow of some streamers hanging from one of the booths falling across it's path. 

Some attempt was made to prevent spectators from getting close to flying hooves as there were rope barriers. A bell rung to tell you to duck behind those barriers before a new race started. The course was additionally patrolled by a steward armed with a club he was not afraid to use if you did not remove yourself from the course when asked. Parish Constable Sadler (employed in a private capacity by the race organisers to keep the course clear) was found guilty of inflicting a head wound on race visitor Mr Rawlins in 1836. A dispute had arisen on where racegoers could safely stand, and what authority these race marshalls had. Henry Stallwood, one of the tithing men at this time was implicated in the assault but was not proceeded against. As the wound was not severe, and a certain amount of rough justice had been inflicted on Sadler by the indigent crowd, a small amount of compensation was awarded to Rawlins. (The crowd had attempted to duck both Sadler and Stallwood in the river.) Small wonder all things considered that many ladies and young boys chose to watch the races from the slopes on the other side of the river in the 1700s - boys up the trees for a good view, ladies more decorously seated on the ground. They were still having trouble keeping the course clear in 1841 when the Bucks Gazette decried the "disgraceful manner in which numbers of persons persisted in crowding on the course while the later races were run." Several people were injured then, one man fairly badly. 

On arrival, the jockeys had to register and declare their colours. In 1752 these were displayed as coloured silk waistcoats for the jockeys. In the early 1830s the Marlow jockeys were described as wearing elegant coloured caps and silk jackets on their top half and a more workaday lower outfit of "corduroy unmentionables", worsted stockings and chunky boots. At the first bell they were required to weigh in. This was done in public. At the second bell, they had to mount and the course was cleared. At the third ring, they were off! And of course the winning jockey needed to be weighed again at the conclusion of the race. They were allowed to use both the whip and spurs on their rides. 

 In the 1840s the event was sufficiently big to have a Race Ball to celebrate it's conclusion. The patrons of this tended to be the same as the subscribers to the race meeting overall. It was hosted at the Upper Crown. The races were celebrated in quite a different way at the Three Tuns run by Widow Aycott. She hosted a special cock fight on the morning of each days racing, between the "gentlemen" of Bucks and Berks in 1753. 

The races happened over two (occasionally three) days either Tuesday and Wednesday or Wednesday and Thursday in either July or August with a ball (if held) the day after or the Friday after their conclusion.

The earliest mentions of the racing by the way refer to an Autumn event rather than a Summer one. (October often). Not that a Summer date guaranteed good weather. Twice a day's racing was entirely lost to a weather washout. At other times the weather at least put off the gentlefolk from attending.

Not everyone in Marlow looked forward to the races. Religious objection to the sport were always high and the event was responsible for a certain amount of crime. To be fair I found only four recorded case of pickpocketing (the inevitable silver pocket watches) at the race course itself. Coming and going to and from Marlow or leaving your Marlow home or business unattended while you watched the horses posed a greater risk. For instance the Windsor and Eton Express reported a spate of thefts from properties including the Coach and Horses public house in West Street which occurred while the occupants were at the races in 1841.

Religious objection sprung both from the fact the event offered a bar for public drinking and of course gambling. This happened unofficially between friends and discreetly between strangers too. The rules concerning gambling at the course varied over time, but in the 1830's descriptions given of the event by a comfortably off visitor recorded that everyone expected to lay wagers openly at the course. Reports of the meeting in the 1750s also tell of open wagering between sportsman. No mention is made of gambling ladies but they may have just been more discreet. Later notices that advertised the event sometimes stated that no "gambling devices" would be allowed on the field - this is not the same as banning gambling altogether as the devices mentioned refer to cards and dice played for money. In the first few decades of the 1800s at least the selling of alcohol on the course was restricted to subscribers of the meeting. 

With money at stake came the temptation for race fixing. In 1831 attempts were made to poison the mare Adelaide at the course. Fortunately her groom would not take the £20 offered to him by a stranger for committing the deed. The guilty man was caught but escaped. 

Lord William Pitt Lennox reported in his memoirs that the stable boy he hired to ride his horse Fidelio at Marlow failed to ride it to win in the first few heats of his race. Seeing the boy in close conference with a dubious looking man who was taking bets inflamed William's suspicion. At the last minute he mounted the horse himself and managed to win. The boy fled. 

A happier pairing was Marlow farmer and horse owner / trainer John Cresswell, and his jockey George Ward who lived in Quoiting Square. Several decades later their speed was still talked of. Mr Cresswell also participated in races for wagers outside of the official race meeting. His big rival, in a friendly way, was a Mr Andrews. This man bought a very old, one eyed, lame in both legs horse from John's brother James Cresswell (also a horse owner whose animals successfully competed at the races) and to satisfy a wager proved that he could tend and train it up to be a capable trotting horse. Not I should say at Marlow races. 

While most racing was of that good humoured fun-based nature rather than fiercely competitive, that didn't preclude matters getting fractious. The Clerk of the Course was sued for damages in 1836 by a man he got into a fight with and results of races were disputed all the way to courts of law at least twice.

The races occurred for the last time, formally at least, in 1847. The 1848 and 1849 meetings were planned but cancelled. Attempts to revive the meeting in the early 1860s got nowhere. There had been rumblings in the last few years of unnamed individuals wishing to "sabotage" the event. Clearly there is more to the cancellation of the races than meets the eye but everyone involved was careful to make only the broadest of hints, probably fearful of an accusation of slander or libel! It was latter said that Sir William Clayton, having lost both the 1842 and 1847 elections to be Marlow M.P became tired of supporting the town who did not support him. And so he withdrew his financial support and patronage from events such the races and town ball. They may be right. 

Later Victorian Marlovians turned their racing interest towards rowing races. Sporting challenges between individuals eventually came to be focused around getting teams together and having a football or cricket match rather than pitting horses together in competition. The loss of wealthy patrons who wanted to focus on more prestigious racing elsewhere or other sports probably had a role too. 

Some wealthier individuals did maintain race horses later, such as Colonel Owen Williams in the 1890s, they just had to go a bit further to compete. By then racing was much more professional and serious. One of William's jockeys, James Watkins, was killed while exercising a race horse at Temple Park. The horse stumbled and fell on James. He was taken to the Cottage Hospital in Marlow but never regained consciousness and died shortly after, age 22. [October 1890]

Mention should also be made of the occasional steeple chase held at Marlow, mainly before 1850. One in 1836 received coverage in the national press. It finished "over a hedge onto the turnpike road". The course was marked out with flags, at least partially. Going the wrong side of these, and the resulting back tracking required cost Mr Westbrook and his grey Grimaldi the race. He was beaten by a neck by Mr Webb's Holbeiness. 

*"Marlow Victoria", a local racing pony of renown, was advertised in national racing press in the late 1830s and early 1840s as available for the sort of matches mentioned above. (Not necessarily held at Marlow.) She would run against a fellow 13.1 hands high pony over 2 miles for a prize of £35 (sometimes more), with the money to be put down at the Greyhound Inn in Spittal Str. Handicaps would allow for a race against a slightly smaller or bigger pony. Her owner was John Creswell. (Cresswell) The Gaming Act of 1845 declared all betting contracts illegal so no action could be taken to legally recover money won by a wager and not paid.  

Researched and written by Charlotte Day with additional research by Kathryn Day.

More Information:

To find every mention of an individual on the blog use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. Thousands of people get a mention! For more posts like this about sport in old Great Marlow and everyday life in general for our ancestors,  see the General History option here

*1 If you are otherwise interested in Sylvester as a man you will find a summary of his will as transcribed by me in an earlier post on this blog here. 

*2 To find out more about Frank's life and career see this Jockeypedia article https://sites.google.com/site/jockeypedia/butler-frank He was not of Marlow origin.

Some research sources:

General Evening Post, October 1756, September 27th 1757 - digitised by Google. 

The Newcastle Courant, 26th October 1725. Copy held at the British Library. Accessed by me via the BNA July 2020.

The Whitehall Evening Post or London Intelligencer January 1755 digitized by Google from a copy at the Bavaria State Library. Accessed May 2020.

The New Sporting Magazine 1854.

Celebrities I have Known, memoir by William Pitt Lennox 1876.

Colburns Kalender of Amusements for Town & Country  (H Colburn 1840), digitised by Google, accessed May 2011

Windsor and Eton Express 10th June 1843 and 21st August 1841 via the BNA, accessed June 2019.

Bells Weekly Messenger 30th August 1824,  as above

Bells Sporting Life clippings circa 1840.

Windsor and Eton Express 30th July 1831, as above. 

The London Magazine; Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer. United Kingdom: C. Ackers, 1752.

Wikipedia article about Frank Butler accessed July 2020.

Private letter.

Victoria County History of Buckingham, ed. by William Page, Constable, London. 1908 edition. 

Spirit Of The Times: A chronicle of the turf etc (Volume 12, Issue 32, 1842)

A History of Steeple-Chasing by William Charles Arlington Blew. (J C Nimmo, 1901)

Bucks Gazette 21st August 1841. 

*1 If you are otherwise interested in Sylvester as a man you will find a summary of his will as transcribed by me in an earlier post on this blog here. 

*2 To find out more about Frank's life and career see this Jockeypedia article https://sites.google.com/site/jockeypedia/butler-frank He was not of Marlow origin.

©Marlow Ancestors.