Marlow Floods A Plenty

  

Marlow is a town with a history of getting it's feet wet. The floods didn't just inconvenience those with riverside homes either. They stopped the mills, church services, river traffic and transport and bought some traders into severe financial difficulties.

When the floods were at their worst, navigation on the Thames was stopped altogether, for example in the early part of 1840. In this year, towing boats was impossible with the tow paths several feet underwater. This meant barges had to stay where they could, and await the water levels dropping sufficiently. High water made the already dangerous flash locks even more perilous to travel through. The flood channels such as the one finishing near the back of the Compleat Angler, were sometimes overwhelmed.  Floating debris was another hazard. Many Marlow people ran barges or worked on them, and a stopping of river traffic meant some were stranded away from home. Other businesses were stopped because they were dependent on river bourne deliveries of raw materials. 

The 1894 flood

Even after the age of horse drawn barges was over, flooding still caused havoc in the life of the town. In November 1894, a particularly bad inundation caused church services at the riverside All Saints Church to be abandoned, while the railway was "engulfed in a sea of water". This water was said to have put out the engines and it was subsequently decided to raise the rails to stop this happening again. Mill Lane, Mill Alley (Seven Corner Alley), St. Peter's Street and South Place all suffered substantial flooding. 

Captain Edward Wilfred Marshall of The Eyrie (off Gossmore) was seriously ill at home when the flood water rose. He had suffered from flu, and it was now believed he had pneumonia. His anxious wife and doctors had to weigh up the risk of remaining put and what they considered as the risk of removing a severely ill man from his home. Captain Marshall's infant son and nurse were sent to the safety of Remnantz. Before long The Eyrie was surrounded by a "tremendous flood" and with the water level rising, they had no choice but to take Marshall away. The water was 4ft deep outside when help was summoned. The horses bearing his carriage away were chest deep in the flood  as they made their departure. Marshall and his wife Penrose were taken to the Crown Hotel, but sadly he died there shortly afterwards age 28. Many blamed his final illness on the unhealthy situation caused by the flood water. (Captain Marshall and his menagerie is subject of a separate post here)

Flood mark at Marlow Lock, above. 

Summer floods stop play

While autumn and winter floods made living and working conditions miserable for many, Marlow did not always escape flooding in the summer either. Floods then extended the prospect of financial loss to a different range of people. It's sometimes easy to underestimate how dependent many Victorian and Edwardian Marlow businesses were on tourism or how many summer visitors the town received. 

The summer flood of 1903 was said to have been the worst for 50 years. People visited the town to "mess about on the river" but boating and fishing came to a halt. The hotels and private lodging houses were empty. The pubs and hotels that catered for boating and fishing parties by serving lunches, and hiring out punts and fisherman (fishing guides) did no trade. Salters Steamers could not run their river trips. The boathouses found no demand for hired steam launches or canoes. The mills had to stop. It was in short "disastrous" for the trade in Marlow. The Reading Mercury reported that all roads south of the town were cut off and that many hundreds of acres of Thames side meadows were flooded. This included all those in the vicinity of Pound Lane, with the cricket field included. Residents reported flooded cellars (barrels are said to have floated out of one unnamed pub cellar) and overwhelmed cess pits. Worse for some was the stench of decaying vegetation left behind as the waters receded, along with thick foul smelling mud that had to shovelled off the streets. At least the train managed to continue, thanks to the work done after 1894. The water got to within 1-2" of the rails, and lay all around the line, as far as the Bourne End road at it's worst. The storm that accompanied the initial deluge was marked by large hailstones and a horse was struck by lightning and killed at Seymour Court. At Danesfield house, the lightning hit the roof, causing significant damage. The rain coming through the ceiling caused substantial damage to some tapestries hanging on the walls, worth together several thousand pounds. 

In December of 1903 there were yet more floods, with water levels rising to just under a foot below the summer flood mark of that year. 

Station Road is submerged..again

The residents of Station Rd had more cause to complain than most. The summer flood just mentioned affected them badly in June-August. Then in September of the same year a heavy rain storm saw the road and houses flooded again. Questions were raised about the affect on visitor numbers if those arriving at Marlow train station had to step through several inches of water (at best) on their way into town. But what of the poor people actually living there? They resorted to blocking up their doorways "with 6-7" of wood backed up with a heap of mud and stone" but to no avail.  The water entered  the houses and was "spoiling the furniture". At a Council meeting, councilor Mr J H Deacon tried to get something done. Drainage work was planned to be completed at the same time new paving was due to be laid but that was 6 months away. Mr Deacon said autumn floods were likely and following on from the two already that year, could the Station Rd residents afford to wait? The other councillors (who did not live in Station Rd) thought they could. They said the homeowners should just raise their steps 6-7" to protect their homes. Mr Deacon pointed out that this had already been tried at the Wheatsheaf and the two cottages adjoining but they still flooded. It's also worth noting that most of these cottages were rented and some landlords were not willing to spend on these potential improvements. Mr Deacon failed to get any further money voted to help Station Rd as the others did not want the rates pushed up as a result. So when a "memorable" flood occured in February the following year, the cottages were again flooded. Things improved for the road gradually but it was still suffering in home floods long after the time our blog deals with. 

There have been many more bad flood years eg 1908, but the worst in recent times was 1947. Again this is out of our blog time frame but if you Google the date, you'll find plenty of images online. 

Always look on the bright side?

More minor seasonal floods were regarded as useful for irrigation purposes by farmers with land near the river, and some thought it added to the value of their holdings.  

A more ambitious plan to make use of excess Thames water was proposed by civil engineer Mr McClean in 1869. His idea was based on a plan previously advanced by him in 1849 and 1850, in conjunction with Mr Blackwell. This was to "embank and canalize" the Thames between Marlow and Henley, with the object of creating in the present channel of the river, a series of "impounding reservoirs". The lowest of these would be connected to London via a 36 mile canal, and so would provide the capital with more drinking water. Gravity would allow the provision of water for low lying parts of London, and a pump would be needed to serve the rest. Mr McClean thought this would solve both the inadequate provision of water in populous London, and flooding around the Thames. But the scheme was not to be! 

The other people who gained when the floods came were illegal fishermen. Those who did not have the right to take fish from certain areas of the Thames "netted" the ditches and flooded areas around the river, confident perhaps no one much would be on the water to notice. In the early 1870's the "netting  on the meadows adjacent to the river during flood time was carried on wholesale" with large quantities of fish captured and sold. The Thames Conservancy and the Angling Clubs put a stop to this by gathering the fish left stranded in the ditches or pools of water and returning them to the river themselves.

One last person to benefit from the flood was a Mr Couch of Quarry Wood House who in the 1870's is said to won a bet that he could drive his boat over the weir while a flood was on, as a feet of daring. It seemed to get stuck a little on the edge but finally slipped over and down again safely "to the cheers from the crown on the bridge". Don't try that at home!

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. Above picture shows Marlow floods in the modern day.

Related content:

Related posts about the river can be found in the General History post listing here including this about Victorian and Edwardian children drowned in the river

More about Way family of Wheatsheaf here

The angry, roaring hissing mist of 1897 here

To find all mentions of your ancestor here, click on the A-Z person index in the same menu. This currently contains over 3,000 individuals. 

SOURCES INCLUDE:

Royal Commission on River Pollution: Third report of the commission appointed to inquire into the best means of preventing the pollution of rivers - 1866, (C E Eyre & Spottiswoode) 

Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons - Reports from committees vol 17, 1877

Great Britain House of Commons - Reports from Commissions - Vol 33 1869

Wheedon, J P, Angling Clubs and Preservation societies of London and the provinces 1883. (Clowes 1884)

Leslie, John Dunlop - Our River (Bradbury, Agnew, and Co 1881)

Bucks Gazette 3 November, 11 January 1840. Copy held at the British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA.

Derby and Newcastle  Mercury, 1 November 1747, as above

Wolverton Express, June 1903 - thanks to Roger Woodman. 

©Marlow Ancestors.

The Marlow Elephants...And Lions

 It is a strange thought that many of our Victorian Marlow forebears may have seen more live elephants in person than we have. Or lions and bears for that matter. The streets of Marlow once echoed with the thud of elephants feet, while the roar of lions could be heard in Riley Recreation ground (Crown Meadow as it was known then). These animals were part of a number of travelling menageries that visited throughout the Victorian period. At least one made their entrance, proceeded by a band, down Henley Road, elephants at the rear.* That must have been a sight to make drinkers at the likes of the Hare and Hounds and Hand and Flowers question whether they had had a little too much to drink! Their finishing spot in the early days was usually Quoiting Square, with Crown Meadow taking some of the carts and caravans. Even so, conditions must have been very cramped in such a space. The menageries most famously came to town at the time of the October Fair but it seems that hardly any year passed without an additional visit by at a showman and his animals (usually they went to Crown Meadow outside of fair time). These menageries have been dealt with in a separate post about Marlow Fair which I will link to below. The subject of today's post is Marlow's resident menagerie, belonging to Captain Marshall. 

Captain Edward Wilfrid Marshall was the son of Shakespearean critic and playwright Frank Marshall. He is said to have been fascinated by wild animals since a boy. As a young man in his 20's he had wealth sufficient to indulge this interest by travelling internationally to see exotic species in person. Unfortunately for the animals, he would also be willing to buy them and bring them home to England to begin or continue a life of captivity. There is no doubt that Captain Marshall considered himself an animal lover, and that he was considered to treat them well within the bounds of their confinement, but it is still sad for us to read details of young animals torn from their natural habitats. 

The first spot Marshall chose for his new menagerie was a meadow near Marlow Mill. At this point Marshall himself was living at the original Thames Lawn, adjacent to Marlow Lock (not the house which currently bears this name which had previously been known as Thames Bank). One of his first acquisitions came courtesy of an unnamed menagerie visiting Marlow in 1890. From them he purchased a young lioness for £50. It was said to have been raised by a Russian collie! Marshall set out to tame her further, and was said to walk about the streets of Marlow with her at his side like a dog, with a collar and lead attached. (Some reports says he also did this with a young male lion.) This bought delight to some of the braver children, and quite the opposite feeling in some of the more nervous adults! A boating man was said to be astonished to see a young man lounging near Marlow Lock with a lioness at his side. As the lioness grew she became what was optimistically called "too affectionate" and was confined to the menagerie. Captain Marshall himself stated he had taken his adult female puma for walk on a leash on numerous occasions, this not ending until her death as she was "as tame as a cat". His younger puma was however too wild to consider attempting the same with it. The animals he found hardest to domesticate were the gnus, not because they were fierce, but because they were too frightened. 

Before long his first meadow became too small to contain his collection, and he took a long lease on a 50 acre area of meadow a little further along the riverbank off Gossmore. This included a large portion of what had formerly been the Marlow Race Course and what was then known as Lower Fields Farm. On this he began to build a range of special animal houses, enclosures and aviaries. These included an elephant lodge heated via hot water pipes. The animals homes, in 3 rows, were only a few hundred yards from his house. The pheasant building alone was 500ft long. 

The animals Marshall held varied over time but included at various points -  a juvenile male and female Bengal tiger, 30 species of pheasant, some antelopes, deer, a small group of gnu, a black American bear, cranes of every known kind including a pair of Mexican cranes he had bought for £200, two pumas, a lion, leopard, wombat, a number of kangaroos, several alpacas, elk, buffalo, small exotic birds, storks, herons, a pair of emus and an ostrich. Within his home could be found a parrot and other caged birds, a Siberian Wolf hound, several domestic cats and a little pug. 

After the farmhouse or homestead of Lower Fields farm -  burned down in 1892 in a suspected case of arson, he also built a substantial bungalow home known as The Eyrie to replace it. The design of this, and the fact it was located on a flood plain, would have a dramatic part to play at the end of the Captain's life. (Architect Howard Dinzey Blowers.) The fire caused great panic in the town as there were unfounded rumours the lions had escaped. A £10 was offered in the hope of catching the culprits behind the fire but I don't believe they ever were. Local rumour has persisted that a jealous former lover of Marshall Mrs Coopinger was behind the blaze and that she then left town never to return  - but the latter at last isn't true. She did not leave Marlow then and was a regular visitor over the succeeding few years. An overheated flue was initially considered the most likely if less dramatic cause. This first homestead does not to our eyes sound especially luxurious - it was described as a recently re- fitted corrugated iron structure. But it was his butler that first discovered the fire so Marshall was not roughing it too much! Marshall lost most of his furniture though, which had just been moved in prior to his arrival a week later. 

He continued to add animals, until he had developed "the most extensive and the most valuable private collection in the world". This now included his most famous acquisitions, the Marlow Elephants - 4 baby Indian elephants, 3 female and one male.

In 1892, Captain Marshall decided to go on a 6 month "Grand Tour" of the world. He left in January on the P&O steamship Himalaya. During his absence the menagerie remained in the care of their keeper Mr Frederick Collier, formerly manager of the Bristol Zoological Gardens. The rest of the estate would be supervised by Mr R F Jackson of Westhorpe.

When he returned, it is said the Captain decided to give up the extremely expensive hobby of collecting wildlife, and what's more to sell off his at least some of his existing animals. He however continued to add a few after this date such as a young tiger cub.  He still owned a number of creatures on his death 2 years later. He had sought to purchase a giraffe too during this time, but they were very rarely captured alive and hence were extremely expensive. London Zoo was said to be actively seeking one at the same period so the Captain had some competition. 

In 1893, Captain Marshall married Penrose Hayter in London. The two were to make their home at The Eyrie. At this point the collection still numbered an incredible 700 animals, although this included a number of small birds in aviaries. The menagerie was opened to the public in this year, as a one off fundraising event for the Cottage Hospital. A large number of curious souls went along the towpath to access the Eyrie, paying 3d entry. The "highly trained" elephants performed tricks and dances for the crowd with their trainer Madame Paul Telezerow of Austria. A month later, the 4 baby elephants were conveyed on a specially constructed van of "huge dimensions" by train to London. There they had been engaged to give a series of performances at the London Royal Aquarium. 

A few months after this, it seems the couple decided to move and the remaining animals and the then 50 acre Eyrie estate itself were put on the market. Their home was described as a "charming bungalow" and "pretty red brick dwelling" overlooking the beautiful Quarry woods, with 1000 yards of river frontage. The 4 elephants were priced at £1,100, a gnu £100, and a young tigress £70. It was noted that in recent years some £10,000 had been spent on the property. It appears they then changed their mind about the move, as they ordered work on the bungalow that would see it substantially enlarged. While this work was ongoing they planned a long trip away. 

Shortly after this, Marshall was in declining health. He suffered a severe attack of influenza, and although a recovery was initially hoped for, complications set in and he was believed to be suffering from acute pneumonia. By the autumn of 1894, he was dangerously ill. Unfortunately, the Thames was in flood and water surrounded The Eyrie. His wife remained at his side, no doubt hoping the flood would subside and so avoid the issue of moving a man on his sick bed.  The couple's baby son Albert Wilfrid Cordwallis Marshall, and his nurse, were sent to the safety of Remnantz. When the water was 4 ft high outside and still rising, it was realised that time was of the essence and an evacuation plan was made. The horse and carriage that took Mr and Mrs Marshall away did so in water that came up to the horses chest. They went to the Crown Hotel but nothing more could be done for the patient.  Captain Marshall died there on the 27th November 1894 age 28. A Catholic, he was buried at St. Peters Church**. 

The remaining animals were quickly dispersed and most of the outbuildings taken down or sold. Mrs Marshall organised that the Eyrie itself should be let before putting it up for sale in 1898. The majority of surrounding meadowland had already been sold, leaving the Eyrie with just 1 acre of grounds. At this point the property had 5 bedrooms, a bathroom and two reception rooms. 

But what of the animals? Some were sold to London Zoo. Others went to Ireland and the Continent. Two of the little elephants were sold to Olympia. One of the females, Rosie, ended up at Sangers Circus. The last mention of her I could find is sadly a heartbreaking one, from 1897. She was on the long march with the Circus from Hounslow to perform in Maidenhead. It appears the journey was too much for her, and when she reached Slough, she tried to break away from the march. A male elephant who tried to follow was "beaten off". Her keepers could tell she was ill and so took her to the stables of the Crown Hotel in Slough. She then collapsed with exhaustion in the yard. They fed her and gave her whisky for an hour after which she was able to stand and walk slowly into a stall. Rosie smashed the woodwork of her stabling while the keepers went to dinner. But there was no escape for her, and she eventually went on to join the other parts of the Circus in Maidenhead. 

The loss to Marlow of the Menagerie was credited as the reason behind an explosion in the rat population afterwards. It was said the number of rodents had declined once the big cats moved in as they did not wish to get too close. With the animals gone, the rats came back. 

A quick mention of the other Victorian menagerie situated in the town. Alfred H Cocks maintained one of British wild animals such as otters, foxes, wildcats, pine martens and polecats. This was located at his home Thames Bank and later at Poynetts, Skirmett. It was also open to the public occasionally for fundraising purposes. 

The Eyrie was rechristened Gosemore by resident Percy Wild the artist in the summer of 1899, reflecting an old spelling of the areas name. It was usually rendered as Gos(s)more however. 

*In 1880, residents could see two elephants from the visiting Myers Circus bathing in the Thames nearly Marlow Bridge. The animals seemed to enjoy their bath "immensely". 

**Mrs Marshall remarried in 1895, to Capt. Edward Bryce-Wilson of the 5th Lancers. 

For more on Marlow Fair see this post: here

And the 1890's flu pandemic in Marlow here

Index of posts related to everyday life in old Marlow: here

To find all mentions of your ancestors here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. New posts added daily! As of April 2022 there are 4,000 people listed there.

Sources: 

Cornish, Charles John - Life at the Zoo: Notes and Traditions of the Regents Park Gardens Edition 3, (Seeley 1895)

British Architect: A Journal of architecture and its accessory arts. Vol 37. (J.F Wells, 1892)

Supplement to the Fishing Gazette  - July 20 1889 (Charles William Bradley & Co, 1890)

South Bucks Standard 1st Jan, 16 September & 9 December 1892, 28 April & May 19 1893, 30 November 1894. Copies held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA.  

Pall Mall Gazette 20 October 1893.

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer October 11 1890 & Feb 24th 1894,  Slough reference library. 

The Million, 10th Feb 1894 - thanks to Jo Anderson for a view of this. 

Maidenhead Advertiser, April 28th 1880 courtesy of Malcom Jones. 

©Marlow Ancestors