Wood Barn Farm Little Marlow /Woodbarn Farm

Compiled and written by Charlotte Day.

Spelling of farm is haphazard.

Historic occupiers (who are not usually the landowners).

Note: this was part of the Westhorpe estate. A mixed farm historically. 1.5 miles from Great Marlow.

Gaps in dates represent gaps in our knowledge. We have a lot of old notes to wade through. No doubt more gaps will be filled in the future!

HISTORY TIME LINE

1825 - Mr Cozens left the farm selling off all stock and the contents of his house. Grain and sheep were raised there.

1835 - 47 John Stone Miller was the occupier, possibly earlier. In 1835 two men who had had words with him set fire to a clover rick on the farm in revenge. The rick was entirely destroyed.

In 1841 Mrs Clark, wife of one of the farm workers resident at the farm left her toddler child in the care of another worker's wife who lived nearby. The latter got distracted and the child wandered out of the cottage. Searches could not find the child anywhere that day or night. The next morning the little thing was found curled up under a hay rick where it had crawled for warmth. Despite this effort the child had died of exposure during the night. The discovery caused devastation in Little Marlow. Mrs Clark was probably the wife of John "Clarke" mentioned below.

Also in 1841 John was given notice to quit by landlord George Nugent in order to pressure him into voting for Nugent's preferred candidate in the upcoming parliamentary election. All Nugent's tenants were so treated. Marlow elections were very dirty- we were famous for the fact. If the tenant voted the right way the eviction would be rescinded. John simply didn't vote at all, a brave decision but not one that would necessarily have guaranteed he could stay on his land. On the day of the election he was shot at by his farm door by drunken supporters of Nugent's preferred candidate. John refused to alter his decision not to vote for anyone if he couldn't vote freely. He was unhurt in the shooting but perhaps only because the gunmen were too drunk to shoot straight. The frame of the doorway he was standing in was hit. John's eviction was not proceeded with, probably because the shooting incident had already been too embarrassing for the Nugent camp and they needed the matter swept under the carpet as quickly as possible. There is no suggestion anyone from on high ordered or encouraged the attack but they had set a tone of intimidation in the election campaign and the consequences of that were probably more than they had bargained for.

John was assaulted by two men in 1844 resulting in a dislocated arm and also that year suffered six break ins in the space of as many weeks. It cannot be ruled out that these were further acts of political intimidation. Such things happened in Marlow. This decade was a time of violence and tension in both the Marlows, for many reasons however, not only political ones. Little Marlow and the nearby Handy Cross area suffered from a lot of theft. No wonder John probably got sick of the place. He left the farm in 1847 and his remaining crops were sold off at once - oats, wheat, hay and "spring tares". He had also been sheep farming there. John still retained some land in Marlow as two years later the Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News reported that beech fagots from "Monk Wood" in Marlow property of John had been stolen. John caught the men red handed and they were traced thanks to their identification by John Clarke, Miller's long term farm assistant. Attempts to have the men arrested caused civil disturbance in the town but eventually succeeded. 

1847-52 Thomas Parrott occupied the farm. After suffering from repeated thefts of barley from one of his barns he hid his ink stand deep in the barley. When police searched for further stolen barley he told them they'd know the thief because embedded in their booty would be his inkstand. Thanks to this ingenuity the thief, a farm worker for Thomas, was caught.  Thomas died in 1852 but in 1854 a Mr Parrott was still the occupier, obviously a relative.

1859-63 William Banwell has the farm. It was mostly a poultry and arable farm under him. He paid £400 a year rent. In 1859 he was robbed of turnip greens. The theft of these from fields occurred multiple times over the years from the farm as well as others around Little Marlow. Most thieves were impoverished women trying to feed their families, or children sent out by them to gather greens. Farmers often tolerated this to a certain degree with prosecutions coming because of the observations from police officers on patrol rather than complaints from the farmers. Turnips and swedes were largely grown for animal feed not human food at this period but some of the growing tops would be picked off and cooked like spinach and were available at local greengrocers. William Banwell left in 1863.

1860 - Westhorpe estate sale includes Wood Barn Farm consisting of 335 acres of farmland plus 20 acres wood. John P Ellames became the owner until his death. He later swapped his  Westhorpe estate for Little Marlow manor but retained Wood Barn. 

1863-72 occupied by William Curtis. He also had Seymour Court Farm though lived at Wood Barn. In 1868 extreme heat caused Thomas Clark working at Wood Barn Farm reaping wheat for William Curtis to die of heat stroke in a scorching July. He was one of two farm workers to die in similar circumstances across the two Marlows, and two more became seriously ill. 

The next year a 12 year old boy Edmund Clark who worked at the farm, presumably a relative of Clark above, set fire to a hayrick at the farm "for mischief".

William Curtis himself died suddenly of a fit of apoplexy while out in his fields in 1872. His son James Curtis took over.

1872-78 James Curtis (the son). He decided to give up in 1878 when his lease expired and all the farm stock was sold off. The Ellames then kept the farm for their own use with the bailiff James Brock in day to day charge of things. The Ellames main function of the farm became the supply of dairy produce to the Manor House and grain for feeding the game birds used for "sport" by Manor guests. Sheep, turkeys and other poultry were also raised commercially at the farm.

1878 + James Brock as above in charge of the farm. He lives on it too.

1899 - John P Ellames had died so farm stock and implements sold off.

1900 Mr W Wooldridge had taken over the farm but had already decided to leave and was selling up stock= 19 dairy cows, cattle, poultry, a few pigs. Farm had been let to someone else.

1901- Benjamin Hornby was now the farmer.

1904 - Benjamin Hornby prosecuted for cruelty by shooting a stray dog in the eyes and leaving it to die in agony. The full details caused widespread revulsion and are too distressing to repeat here.

1907 Benjamin's widow sold up her stock and left including a herd of  29 dairy cows and 9 cart horses. An Ernest Hornsby was mentioned at the farm also in this year.

1912 - 25 George Field kept the farm as well as Cressex Farm where he actually lived. In 1915 George was fined for the stomach churning condition of the room he placed uncovered pails of milk in prior to them being put into churns. This room was a sheep slaughtering room too and the pails were placed on the bloody floor. Animal matter was found by an inspector on the pails and animal hairs in the milk. Hungry anyone? It must be said George was not personally on the premises supervising at the time of the observed hygiene offences.

George died aged 71 in 1925.

1917 Farm for sale again. Now said to be of 314 acres and with four worker cottages not mentioned in previous sales.

1939 - Field Bros ran the farm. Henry Field lived in the farm house. A Mr C Field was also a farmer here.  Only one worker's cottage now obviously connected to the farm but 3 are in the sake a year later so 2 were probably just being rented out to non employees for a while. 

1940 for sale again 214 acres and 3 cottages plus farm house. Arable and pasture.

1943 -53  (at least) Mr Robert Barnes and Mrs Barnes. Robert had bought the farm and at least one  farm cottage. In 1944 in the Bucks Free Press Mrs Barnes advertised for a lady companion for an elderly lady at the farm (perhaps a live in relative unless Mrs Barnes herself was not young) and home help. She assured the applicants that she had a modern farm house with an aga.

1956 R Barnes and Son.

FURTHER INFORMATION 

For other posts on Little Marlow & nearby see the index here

Information on other specific farms can be found in the index here

To look for an individual on the blog (there's now info on 7,200 individuals here) use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. 

Compiled by Charlotte Day.

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

Selected References=

Oxford Herald and University Press 17th November 1835. Reading Mercury 25th July 1868. British Library Archives via the British Newspaper Archive.

Maidenhead Advertiser 3rd Oct 1900, Baylis Media Archive.

Kelly's Post Office Directory of Buckinghamshire etc, Kelly's Directories Limited.

Census of England and Wales 1841-1901, transcribed by me National Archives. 

Solicitors Journal and Reporter, July 1860, Law Newspaper Co, 1860.

Private letters.

Post Office Blues

 This is a brief run down of the post offices in the 1800s and early 1900s in Great Marlow. 

The Regency Post Service 

At the start of 1800 Marlow was looking forward to its first official "cross post" between Marlow and Maidenhead and certain other places in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. A cross post means letters between the two places didn't have to go up to London and then back down to the intended recipient but instead went direct which obviously saved a lot of time. I say the first official cross post because unofficially letters had been taken by carriers and coachman and other commercial travellers. It makes sense for these people to take post but it undercut the post service so was not officially allowed. After the cross post for Marlow actually started in 1801, adverts were placed in the newspapers threatening dire consequences to these unofficial letter carriers if they continued. They faced a £5 fine per letter carried and £100 for every week the practice continued. A very high price to pay. The official letters were left at the post masters who then saw them distributed to the actual recipient. 

From at least the 1820s the Post Master at Marlow was James Field of the High Street. With only one post delivery and dispatch to deal with, posting did not occupy all of James time. The family ran a school, and James also worked as a tailor and insurance agent. Latter people would remember the post office was almost an afterthought, a cramped room with the school room up a somewhat rickety staircase. (You can read more about the Fields school here  and read their wills here). James died in 1849 and it seems his widow continued to be in charge for a little while. 

Early and mid Victoria post office

A common complaint was Marlow didn't get frequent enough deliveries of mail. But in 1848 after much effort, the town secured a second post as the mail coach running between High Wycombe and Maidenhead would now stop at Marlow in both directions. John Moss the High Street iron monger, inventor and agricultural machinery manufacturer was credited for a relentless campaign to secure this benefit. He considered improved postal communication essential for a successful businessman like himself to operate - and compete with those in other better supplier towns. At this point the post office was in West Street with the Tyler family in charge. The premises tended to change when the postmaster did. 

In 1852 the post from Maidenhead arrived at the very precise time of 5.10 am and 2.15pm and left at 10.45am and 8pm. If you wanted to send a letter after that you had to go to a town with a later dispatch and people really did trouble to do so which shows how important the post service was. When I say the post arrived I mean it came by mail cart. Later the train would bring in much post, but it had yet to reach Marlow. Even then letters were still brought by mail cart from Wycombe. The post arrival times were subject to change over the years and so therefore was the time you might get your post delivered at home. 

In 1860 the mail cart contractor between Marlow and Maidenhead, Mr Hall suffered an accident near Pinkneys Green. His horse was startled by shooting in a farmers field, bolted and crashed. The cart was smashed to pieces, mail scattered  and Hall was much injured. In fact a cart wheel was supposed to have passed over his head which if true makes the prognosis that he'd be able to resume work  seems quite miraculous. They did not mention how long the poor man's recovery was expected to take. In 1875 it was announced that the midday mail to Marlow would now arrive by train from Maidenhead rather than cart. No mention is made of a change in transport method for the other delivery yet so either it was already bought by train or there was going to be two ways it came to town.

The next milestone was probably the opening up of telegraphic services at the Great Marlow Post Office from 1870. This meant recruiting more people to deliver the messages. And in 1877 Marlow got it's long awaited third post arrival and dispatch, thanks to the 4.15pm train to Maidenhead. 

In 1880 it was possible to officially use a rival parcel delivery option in Marlow. Sutton & Co promised a cheap service through local agents, and the Marlow one was Banbury's the chemist. The Victorian equivalent of an Evri parcel stop! In the following decade there were still three post deliveries a day to the town, and one on a Sunday. The post boxes were cleared in time to get the post to the station at the right hour. If you realised you'd left it too late to post your letter in the usual way, you could go to the West Street post office and pay an extra fee to have it placed directly in the mail bag, up to around 20 minutes after the official time the bags were made up. After that you'd have to wait until the next dispatch.  In this decade the mail cart contractor was John Creswell who employed others to actually drive it (I think they were mainly bringing post from High Wycombe). Time keeping was taken very seriously and this lead John getting into trouble in 1881. His horse fell and cut its knee. He tried to secure another one in time to take the mail out at the right hour but could not. So unfortunately he decided to allow his driver Charles Shephard to take out the injured horse. This was reported to the police, and so John was bought before the magistrates and given the maximum fine of £5 for cruelty to the horse. 

 Snow drifts and other difficulties 

Everyday difficulties in the town for our Victorian postman included vandalism of the post boxes (the enamel tablets giving the collection times were constantly removed), the occasional theft of mail bags and complaints at the posties spending too much time waiting at the door for someone to answer when not all had letter boxes. Then there was the possibility of the Wycombe mail cart getting stuck in a snow drift as happened in 1893 at Borroughs Grove. The dedicated driver abandoned the cart and bought what mail he could on horseback, but it arrived a day late. 

The 1890s

 At this time our main post office was still in West Street, and John C Butler was postmaster. It opened from 7am-8pm and on Sundays from 7am - 10am for letter or telegraph business. But if you wanted to take advantage of one of the other services offered over the counter, such as buying insurance or a money order, or a licence you had to wait until after 9am and couldn't buy these at all on a Sunday.  By now the post was dispatched from the town 4 times a day, while post arrived three times. The boxes were emptied either 4 or 5 times a day and actual household deliveries were usually twice daily. You could however call at the post office to collect a letter possibly waiting for you if you were really in a hurry to receive it. And it was still possible to pay extra and slip your last minute letter across the counter if you'd just missed the last posting time. The main boxes were described as positioned at Thames Lawn (not the house currently known as Thames Lawn, this one was adjacent to the lock and you will still see a little wall box there in Mill Road), near the parish church, (may be referring to the wall box currently at the church hall but photographs show one at this period in a wall opposite Station Rd on the other side of the High Street), in York Rd (gone), Station Road (gone), and in Chapel Street (gone). 

The distant outpost known as Institute Rd...

In the mid 1890s the increased trade at the Post Office made some in the town question whether we didn't need a bigger and more modern building to host it. It had been slightly enlarged in 1883 to accommodate an increased parcel traffic but this wasn't enough. This issue would rumble on a very very long time. The post authorities agreed the existing building was not only too small for current demand, but "unsanitary". They had secretly planned to find an alternative for several years they claimed. This claim would infuriate post master John Butler. He said he'd constantly complained in private letters to his bosses about how dire the conditions were in West Street. The health of his staff had suffered he said. But he'd been rebuffed as the Post Office said the income at Marlow didn't justify the expense of either finding a bigger premises or making good the old. After two years of threatening to resign as his health was worth more than any lost income, he did so in September 1897. He saw out his 3 months notice and wrote to remind the Post Office that the lease there expired in a few weeks, and he wondered what exactly they planned to do about that. This was all happening behind the scenes. 

 One proposal was to build a purpose built premises in Institute Rd where there were plenty of undeveloped plots available. The Post Office went as far as to draw up a plan of how the building might look but if they hoped the locals would be impressed they were wrong. They said Institute Rd was not central enough, despite running directly off the High Street. If the post office had to move, it should be in the High Street itself they said. A vote at a public meeting in 1894 condemned the Institute Rd site as unsuitable. They said the 30 or so commercial travellers who came to the town each week usually put up at The Crown at the other end of the High Street to Institute Rd and would be inconvenienced by having to walk to the new site. It's slightly baffling that a walk of probably 3 minutes would be considered something that would put off these commercial men from visiting Marlow but the residents of West Street were also unhappy that their convenient branch would be lost to the very slightly further away High Street let alone Institute Rd. (Three times as many people signed a petition for the office to stay in West Street as signed one to move it to the High Street.) One advantage of the new Institute Rd site was considered to be that it would be (slightly) nearer Shaw's boat house and that as a large number of letters and telegrams came their way relating to the hire of boats, it would save some delivery time. But the needs of the locals should come before tourists it was declared. 

There were more public meetings and an unofficial group of local citizens were tasked with finding a possible High Street site that would suit the Post Office but without initial success. Some locals were sceptical that the local committee would make  any progress anyway because they said the gentleman could shortlist any site they liked but it would be no good if the owner didn't wish to sell.  And knowing the town was desperate the owner would probably charge a high price for the building. A deputation even met the Post Master General. He agreed to stay the Institute Rd plan to give time for a more locally supported alternative to be found. The Post Office would be willing to rent somewhere they said, if the rent was reasonable. (They eventually said they'd only be willing to rent an existing building and would not fund a purchase or a new build after all.) An alternative plan to improve the existing West Street premises were considered but this was found to be too difficult and expensive. A proposal to raise a private subscription to pay for a new build in West Street never got off the ground. 

So what would the never to be built Institute Rd alterative have looked like? It would have had a resident for the Marlow post master next to and connected with the main post office building. You'd have entered through a spacious lobby in which all the post office notices would be displayed. Then proceeding through some swing doors, you'd enter the main room 22ft square with polished mahogany counters. Leading off this would be an office for the Marlow post master and a 40ft long 22ft wide sorting office fitted with "swing seats" for the postman. Then there were rooms for the telegraph staff and various other offices and a separate entrance for parcels. Sounds very efficient and much different to the "cribbed, cabined and confined" West Street premises. (Or as a letter writer to a local paper called it, "a miserable excuse for a post office".)

A home at last

The list of potential properties on West Street or the High Street considered as a potential site is indeed long. It included the old malt house and Langston's original boot stores, both in the High Street as well as numerous residential properties. Many of these look no more spacious than the existing post office, and the residents were not usually very receptive to the idea of being turfed out. Someone had the idea that the new stables of New Court that fronted the High Street (next to what's now W H Smith) should be demolished as an eye sore and affront to the town and the post office put up there. 

Finally, after three years of public meetings, protests and indignant letter writing, Cromwell House in the High Street became available, almost opposite old Mr Fields premises.  At first the fact the drawing room was on a different level to the front room was considered to scupper the plan to use this part as a sorting office. But after a little more investigation it was felt the levelling of the two would not cost as much as initially feared. Still it seems the Post Office originally rejected Cromwell House when it first became available. The reminder sent by retiring  Marlow post master John Charlton Butler that the lease on the West Street premises was due to run out in a matter of weeks seems to have panicked them into action. A deputation came to John and asked him if he'd allow the premises to be used for longer under a new post master but he utterly refused. It was against his conscience to allow what he considered a dangerously unhealthy place to continue in use. 

So alterations were made to Cromwell House and a nice new lamp was affixed outside.  John Charlton Butler later revealed that the move there from West Street was done at such speed that it was chaotic and a lot of property had been left behind with him. After a few weeks and more reminders a frustrated John said he'd begun using the left behind papers as fire lighters and would continue! He was very bitter at both his former bosses and members of the town council - "parasites" as he referred to them - who he said were taking credit for getting a new premises. The new post master was John William Langdon. 

Still the Post Office was satisfied. The residents of West Street were not, and successfully petitioned to get a sub post office in their Street which opened in June 1898. This was described as nearly opposite the old one, and in the premises of clothier A E Sutton. (Sutton occupied three different premises in West Street, the last was the former Sycamore House boarding house which he took over in 1901.) I should mention that there was also a sub post office at this time in Station Rd at the corner of Mill Rd in a grocers. It was proposed that if the authorities thought Marlow a little over supplied this could be closed in exchange for allowing the West Street sub to open but it survived. I expect the poor post master general had had more than enough of Great Marlow by then and had no appetite for an avalanche of letters from disgruntled Station Rd residents! 

Edwardian Era  and beyond 

So did the post office live happily ever after? Hmm, some people are never satisfied. A 1904 visitor to the town said Marlow couldn't count as a modern sort of place as its post office closed at 8pm on weekdays and  5pm on Sundays. In Maidenhead you could visit the post office at 9pm he said, and at Wycombe you could still post letters to London at 11.30pm. What they would have thought of our current arrangements? 

The mail cart was still running between Maidenhead and High Wycombe via Marlow to supplement the use of the train at the time of the first world war. In 1911 the cart was struck by lightning at Pinkneys Green. Both horse and man were rendered senseless but amazingly after 30 mins they were recovered enough to continue onwards. The driver did admit to feeling "a bit queer" for sometime afterwards as well he might. 

As for additional sub post offices, the residents of Marefield petitioned for one in their area for many years but it did not open there until June 1939. (In the Dean Street grocery shop of Mr Porter). 

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

Related Posts: 

Victorian Postman Plumridge here (also covers workings of late Victorian post office here)

Will of postmaster James Field 1849 and his wife Sarah 1855 here

Life of the poetic postmaster, radical and friend of Shelley William Tyler -here

For biographies of other post office staff eg postmen/letter carriers see the General History index occupations section here

General posts about Marlow history here 

To find every mention of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There's over 6,000 people listed there. 

SOURCES INCLUDE: 

Kelly's Directory for Buckinghamshire 1852, 1854, 1883, 1889, 1905, 1911, 1920, 1939. (Kelly's Directories Ltd) 

Notice - Changes to Postal Delivery - 1874, 1875, 1877. Thanks to James Purdsey for a view of these. 

Marlow Guide 1903 & 1905

Census, 1841-91 - Transcript from the microfilm made by Jane Pullinger. 

 Berkshire Chronicle 29th April 1848, Gloucester Journal 30th March 1801, South Bucks Free Press 27th October 1860, Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 9th April 1870, Bucks Herald - 17th February 1877, 30th July 1881 & 3rd June 1911, and South Bucks Standard 24th April 1891, 18th & 25th May, 6th July & 31st August 1894, 15th Feb 1895, 6th August 1897, 12th Feb & 24th June 1898, 9th September 1904 - these copies via the BNA. 

Slough, Windsor and Eton Express Oct 31 1885 - Slough Libraries. 

Slater's Commercial Directory 1850

Maidenhead Advertiser 31st March 1880, 22nd November 1883 - Bayliss Media Archive. 

© MarlowAncestors

1833 Parochial Assessment Great Marlow Quoiting Square / Oxford Terrace

 The original assessment working notebooks with related correspondence from 1833 (to be used for the 1834 parish rates readjustment) have been preserved by my family. There are handwritten corrections to circa 1839. The notebooks are fragile however so I am gradually transcribing it on this blog so it is not lost. I am transcribing the parts in the order that chimes in with other research I am doing.

Layout I have used is:

Name

Property

Assessed Annual Worth

Any notes by me in square brackets

By Charlotte Day.

Quoiting Place [Quoiting Square] and Oxford Terrace [in Oxford Road. Note the assessors went out of property order in parts of this section. They did not say which properties were in Oxford Terrace and which in Quoiting Place, though in many cases I do nevertheless know where the properties mentioned were located].

Widow Dolby

House and yard

£8

*****

Robert Wakelin [a bricklayer. Wife Hannah]

House and yard

£8

*****

David Jones

House and yard

£8

*****

George Reading

House, yard and sheds

£9

*****

John Boulter

Crown and Anchor house [pub] and garden [This was Oxford Terrace, in Oxford Road]

£8

*****

David Evans [a chimney sweep who employed at least 2 men by 1842. May also have worked c.1848-53 as a "fire defender". Biography of his wife here] 

House and garden

£5

*****

Levi White [Later landlord of the Three Tuns]

House and garden

£5

*****

John Beaver

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

John Suthery

Cottage and garden

£4

*****

William Bryant

The Lodge house and garden [Oxford Road]

£6

*****

Thomas Piggott 

House and gardens near the Lodge [Oxford Road]

£8

*****

Sir William Robert Clayton M.P [At The Cottage, later Quoitings House, not to be confused with Oxford Cottage]

Dwelling house with conservatory, stables, coach houses, coach yard, shrubbery, walks, kitchen garden, green house, lawn and other convenient offices [off Oxford Road]

£70

"A small cottage at The Cottage" [usually gardeners lodge]

£2

*****

John Lloyd Locke Clayton

Dwelling house, yard, stable, coach house, offices and garden

£30 [Oxford House?]

*****

William East

Six almshouses in the occupation of poor widows "if rateable" [Oxford Road, William presumably a trustee or guardian of these charity properties] each:

£3

*****

John Flint

House, yard, stables, coach house and large walled garden [probably at end of Hayes Place, which opened onto the side of Quoiting Square]

£15

Wood house and garden adjoining

£2

****

Robert Looseley

Cottage and garden

£5

*****

John Cox

Shop and garden 

£5

House in front, woodhouse, gardens and yard

£6 10 shillings

****

John Tanner Hitchcock [in 1832 acquitted on a charge of stealing an umbrella from a fellow drinker at the Red Lion in nearby West Street. He had simply picked up the wrong umbrella. His wife was Ann nee Badger of Bisham who died in 1847. John was of Colnbrook at the time of their 1805 marriage. A corn dealer. In same property, which he rented, in 1840]

House yard and garden

£5 

*****

Joseph Martin

House and garden

£5

*****

William Gunnell [Quoiting Place]

House yard and garden

£5

*****

James White jnr

Cottage and garden

£4

*****

Joseph Cox [wheelright, likely working for Thomas Cox below]

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

William Bavin [Quoiting Place, a chairmaker there since at least 1830. Later a beer retailer who moved to St Peter's Street to run the Two Brewers by 1837 and was later at the first incarnation of the Carpenter's Arms. For more see here] .

House, shop and shed

£6 10 shillings

*****

Michael Field [Marlow doctor and horse racing enthusiast. He died 1834]

House etc

£4

*****

Gilman [a blacksmith, no first name]

House, shop, Shoeing house, yard etc

£10

*****

William Ward [Quoiting Place]

Six Bells Beer House, yard and garden

£9 ( Read his will here) List of proprietors of the Six Bells is available here

*****

Robert Ward [Quoiting Place]

House and garden

£6

*****

William Creswell [Quoiting Place, he was a shoemaker, who had previously ran the Six Bells]

House and garden

£5 10 shillings

*****

Thomas Cox [Quoiting Place, a wheelwright. Had workshop premises behind this that don't seem to be mentioned here!]

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Joseph Horne

House and yard

£8

*****

Robert Clark (probably a builder).

House and garden 

£6

*****

Richard Way [came to Marlow in the early 1800s from Ockley. Wife Rebecca. He died 1836, Rebecca in 1821. Richard was a farmer in the 1820s. I am unsure if he was still farming in the 1830s. Their son Richard was a carpenter in West Street (later High Street), while another son was a poulterer in the High Street - see here - and another a publican. For the latter see here].

House and yard

£5 10 shillings

*****

William Stallwood [died 1837].

The Three Logerheads [Quoiting Place. Three Loggerheads pub, later the Queen], house and yard

£7

List of occupiers of the Loggerheads/Queen - see here

This assessment continued in a second post here

1700s Quoiting Square residents here.

1700s Oxford Road residents here

1700s West Street residents here

To find all mentions of an individual or family here, use the A-Z Person Index on the top drop down menu. 

To find other streets/areas in the assessment, search for them in the Specific shops, streets etc index here. 

 For posts about everyday life in Marlow for the people mentioned here see the post index here

Every Family Has A Black Sheep - William Humphrey Shaw

 

As our post title says, every family has a black sheep, and I would suggest William Humphrey Shaw as the Victorian candidate for his family! William's older brother Robert was the well known Robert Shaw of Robert Shaw and Sons boat builders. A fondly remembered and respectable man, his brother William was on the other hand something of a trouble maker. 

The father to both was another William Humphrey Shaw, (wife Susannah). He was an Oxfordshire butcher who moved to Marlow after Robert's birth and so William Humphrey junior was born in Great Marlow in 1841. (Later William senior is working as a watchmen) The family lived in Dean Street before settling at St Peters Street where they would remain for a long time.  This street finishes at a dead end formed by the River Thames. If the young William was to walk to the end of this street, he would look across at the Compleat Angler hotel where his brother Robert would eventually go to live and work as a "fisherman" or anglers guide. William also became a fisherman. He continued to work in this role for decades, so presumably he was good at it, mixing this work with the less seasonal work of a waterman. Robert became a famous river guide, one that people from London would ask for by name. It was suggested that in order to successfully secure his services, you would need to write several months in advance. William seems to have done fairly well in the same role initially but perhaps it was hard to follow in the steps of his successful brother. For soon the two brothers paths diverged. Robert would go on to run his boat hire and boat building business, and did very well for himself building an impressive riverside house to boot. William on the other hand seems to have developed a talent for getting himself into trouble. 

Many of Williams tussles with the law involved the "demon drink". For example in 1864 William was involved in a scuffle at the Red Lion in West Street. He accused a Mr Andrews of assaulting him there after the pair exchanged "words". However after hearing the evidence of witnesses, the magistrates decided that Andrews was direly provoked and Shaw thoroughly deserved the punishment inflicted on him! 

10 years later, William was convicted of a much more serious assault, or rather a string of brutal attacks on his wife Emma (nee Jones).  The pair had married in 1869.  William admitted suffering from attacks of jealousy and dared to justify his beatings on the fact he suspected her of adultery. In 1873 Emma went to the police and got a warrant issued for Williams arrest based on his attacks on her person, but in the end she got cold feet and refused to appear against him when the matter came to court. But according to Emma, the violence continued, usually precipitated by William's late night arrival home drunk. The neighbours continually complained at his shouting and the couple were asked to leave several homes they rented as a result. In 1878 a particularly bad spell for Emma resulted in William finally getting his turn in front of the magistrates. Emma had been told to leave a 4th house due to Williams outbursts. The events of the 5 or so days before William's arrest make extremely sad reading. He broke her nose, punched her throat, shoved her head against a bed post, kicked her in the face, dragged her from the bed by her hair and repeatedly locked her outside, including in her night dress. Twice she was taken in by her neighbours during the night. Sadly Williams unproven fears of Emma's unfaithfulness were able under the laws of the time to make sure his conviction was for "aggravated assault". His punishment? A fine of 40s and 12s costs. However crucially for Emma, the court was satisfied that "future safety of the wife was in peril" and made an separation order that meant she was free to live apart from him. Without such an order, William could have, in theory sued for Emma to return to their marital home had she left him. He was also ordered to give her a set weekly sum for her maintenance with the promise of time in gaol should he fall behind with this. Yes, William was more likely to go to prison for falling behind with his maintenance payments than assaulting his wife seriously for 5 consecutive days! 

Sadly the reality of being a seperated wife was difficult in its own way. Although the court could order that William would maintain her financially, the sum granted was relatively small because allowance was also made for the fact William needed to maintain his own seperate household out of his not too high earnings. She could not of course marry anyone else  This is a factor, as well as any psychological or emotional ones, that means we often see Victorian victims of domestic violence return to their partner. This is sadly what Emma eventually did, and we can only hope he treated her better. Unfortunately he certainly did not learn to control either his temper or his drinking. 

A further conviction for drunkenness in 1881 saw William plead guilty and receive a 5 shilling fine. The following year, William was back in court for refusing to leave a licenced premises when asked to do so. The rolling drunk William arrived outside the Greyhound Inn in Spittal Street late in the evening. Landlord Thomas Willis heard the swearing William outside but the latter pushed his way into the bar before he could be refused entry. Thomas then asked him to leave at which William let forth the "most foul, disgusting and blasphemous language". He was then ejected. William was not someone Thomas said he would ever serve, drink or sober, based on past behaviour. Another fine was added to the Shaw tally, then one for poaching a rabbit. At this point they were living in Station Rd. 

In December 1887 both William and Emma found themselves in trouble. William was convicted of stealing some fowls from James Field, of Wood End Farm near Medmenham. Emma was convicted in turn for recieving the stolen goods, as was Eliza Bowles who had sold them to various people in Marlow on behalf of the Shaws. (Eliza said the fowls had been raised either by her son who had gone into the army, or by a nephew who said she could sell them to pay for her Christmas dinner.)  I can't find consistent information as to their sentence. William certainly went to prison, for either 2 or 3 months, and Emma for 1 or 3 months and Eliza for one month. William was described then as a fisherman still, and Emma was working as a charwoman. Later she was a needlewoman. Two low paid occupations. 

The following year William was summoned for illegal fishing at Bisham. He was using eel baskets, against the Thames Conservancy's regulations. Another fine followed, but the conviction must have an impact on his ability to work successfully as a fisherman. 

Emma died in 1898. Later the same year William married widow, charwoman (and former furrier) Sarah Rose previously of Cambridge Rd. The pair lived in Dean Street. I do not know whether Sarah suffered at Williams hands. Unfortunately his step daughter Harriet did. He was accused of unlawfully wounding her in 1901 when she was 30.  She lived nearby in Dean Street with her husband Thomas Pearce. Her two youngest sisters Elizabeth "Lizzie" age 14 and Mary age 10 had the misfortune of still living with their step father.  He tried the old trick of "punishing" the girls by locking them out of the home for an unspecified reason. 

At 9pm they went for help to Harriet having been stuck outside for 4 hours.  She keep them with her for an hour then took them home, and found the front door still locked. The back door was however open, and she told the girls to go in and go quickly up the stairs to bed. But William was waiting inside and smashed a pottery jug into Harriet's face, before hitting her on the head with a poker. The terrified girls ran to get their brother in law Thomas Pearce, who arrived to find William  on top of Harriet who had a blood soaked dress. He pulled him off, giving William a minor head injury of his own. The police were called and William was found, drunk, in the High Street with a bandaged head.  He claimed it was blood loss that made him appear drunk to Sergeant Crook. His excuse this time? That Harriet and the girls were "jealous" and sulky about not being able to do as they pleased at home. He said he had been knocked about by them. Astonishingly, while the jury took only 10 minutes to find William guilty of common assault they also expressed they felt there had been much "provocation" and asked for leniency. While the bench said they thought the jury had taken a very lenient view, they would be lenient in sentencing and gave William a 7 day prison sentence with hard labour. 

By 1908 William had moved to Wooburn and was working as a common (that is general)  labourer.  At least one more conviction for drunk and disorderly behaviour is attached to his name. A few years later William is unemployed and Sarah was a peddlar, another low paid job. Things must have been financially very difficult. I have not traced Williams death. It was never going to be reported in the same way as brother Roberts, whose passing in 1908 bought Marlow to a standstill as the community queued to pay their respects. 

The end of St Peters Street, Marlow. Photo courtesy of R Martin. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Related Posts:

Robert Shaw king of the river here

To find all mentions of a person or family here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

Sources include:

Ashby-Sterry Joseph, Tiny Travels (Tinsley Bros 1874)

Fennel, John Greville The Rail and The Road or Tourist Anglers  Guide to Waters and Quarters  (H Cox 1867)

Bucks Advertiser and Free Press 6 July 1901 - thanks to Michael Frew.

Bucks Herald 27 August 1881, 15 April 1882, 22 January 1887, 5 Jul 1901 - copies from British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA 2019

Northants Mercury 7 January 1888, as above

Reading Mercury 27 February 1864, Reading Library. 

Reading Observer 18 July 1888

South Bucks Standard 3 January 1908, 6 July 1901 BNA as above. 

"England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GPM-Z3Z : 22 February 2021), Emma Shaw in household of William H Shaw, Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom;  citing PRO RG 12, Buckinghamshire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GG5-33Z : 22 February 2021), Sarah Rose, Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," 

Judicial research of Jane Pullinger,  1970. With thanks. 

Census 1871, transcript from microfilm by Charlotte. 

"England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2D2Z-6V9 : 13 December 2014), Emma Jones, 1869; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1869, quarter 3, vol. 3A, p. 659, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. 

Ginger Frost, « «He Could Not Hold His Passions»: Domestic Violence and Cohabitation in England (1850-1905) », Crime, Histoire & Sociétés / Crime, History & Societies [En ligne], Vol. 12, n°1 | 2008, mis en ligne le 04 avril 2011, Accessed Feb 2022. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/chs/64 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/chs.64

The Danger Of Fire

 Long clothes and ribbons do not always mix well with open fires and candles. But our ancestors had no choice but to use what to us seems risky forms of heating and lighting around small children or the infirm. From researching the lives and deaths of many hundreds of Marlow citizens of old, we know how often accidents occured. This post is dedicated to telling the story of some of them, but be warned, it is sad reading. 

Deaths of babies and children whose bed linen or more often clothing had come in contact with an unguarded candle or a fire spark were sadly the most common. In December 1892, 5 year old Annie Katie Leach of Wood End accompanied her mother Mary Ann and her little brother stone picking in the fields. Her father Jesse worked as a cowman for Mr Field at Wood End. It rained and was freezing cold, so Mary Ann let the children go home ahead of her to their cottage. The boy still felt cold inside, so tragically Annie decided to try and light a fire to warm him. It was not something she was generally allowed to do and there was no fuel in the grate. So she used her initiative and tried to use a little wooden toy horse in the fireplace. She had found some matches which it is believed her father had accidentally left out earlier. Seconds later screams were heard and Annie come running out of the cottage, her clothes ablaze. Neighbour George Low heard her shouting for her "mammy" and managed to catch the running girl and beat out the flames. He ran to collect her Dad and Mum. Little Annie was severely burned but managed to say "Mammy don't hit me, I won't do it again, I was lighting the fire". The adults wrapped her in vaseline coated linen strips and Mr Field came with his cart to take the girl to the Marlow Cottage Hospital in Cambridge Road. But her injuries were so severe she died the same day.  

An adult who suffered a similar accident was "fancy goods" and toy dealer Hannah Bliz(z)ard. Hannah was a 70 year old spinster, but one who was shortly due to marry - possibly. More of which in a moment! She had lived in Marlow 23 years.  Her premises were in the building now occupied by Sainsburys in West Street, which at the time was divided into small shops of which Hannah eventually occupied the next but one to where the Giggling Squid restaurant is now, which then was the Sadlers Arms pub. In June 1896 Hannah was cooking potatoes for her dinner on a small portable or "bargemans" stove in the living room behind the shop. She later said she had been attempting to stir up the fire when her apron caught the flame. She attempted to beat it out with a "chip of wood" which did not succeed. She had then ran screaming into the Sadlers Arms adjacent, where John Adams who occupied the shop next door (see note below) and a youth passing in the street rushed to her aid. They did the best to put the flames out quickly and took her to the Cottage Hospital in Cambridge Rd. But sadly Hannah died. She had been suffering from poor health previously, and had had a paralytic stroke some time before the accident. She seems to have been regarded as tough, stubborn and independent and had resisted attempts by friends to get her to avoid using the stove amongst other things. At her inquest it was said she had been shortly due to marry. However Hannah's nephew Richard Truckell or Tricknell of Rotherhithe strongly denied this and while he admitted banns had been published to this effect, he believed this was against her will. Contemporary accounts are careful to avoid naming the prospective groom, especially given they were hinting at some kind of fraudulent intent on his behalf. Hannah left her business to her family, with niece Ruth North taking over, so any attempts to gain an inheritance by marriage were thwarted. On the other hand, Hannah was known to do her own thing so perhaps a late marriage was something she did not involve her nephew or others in, hence their surprise to hear of it later. You can see Hannah's grave here. Hannah's executors gave a gift of toys and coffee in her honour to the Marlow Cottage Hospital. Such gifts were the life blood of the perennially cash poor hospital and were very gratefully received. 

Last mention goes to Mary Edwards, who was killed by fire in 1838. While in a "state of intoxication" poor Mary fell asleep with a pipe in her mouth, which fell into her lap, and set her clothes aflame. Severely injured, Mary lingered for a few days before succumbing to her burns. The inquest was held at the Greyhound. (It was not as unusual as you may think for working class women in Marlow to smoke pipes.  I have spoken to someone who remembers walking up Chapel Street in the late 1920's as a young boy, past pipe smoking women sitting in their cottage doorways while working on things like sewing or the podding of peas! He associated it mainly with older women at the time)

Note 1

Hannah had taken over the fancy goods, toys and sweets half of neighbouring shopkeeper John Adams. John occupied the little shop immediately next to the Sadlers Arms as a stationer/newsagent. He had originally expanded into toy and novelty sales, taking on the second shop that Hannah would occupy later. He operated both as a bazaar for a while  before financial ups and downs meant he had to split the business and pass the toy shop on to Hannah. He was found dead in his back of shop living room about 6 months after Hannah's terrible accident. He was 70. 

Related Posts:

To find every mention of your ancestor here use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. 

Hannah's grave here

Ruth North toy dealer here

John Adams toyseller  here

Patients treated at the first Cottage Hospital here

Other medical related posts can be found in medical section of this index here including the history of the Cottage Hospital and what it was like for patients. 

William Crake - The Man Who Collected Money

 William Crake was a man who might well have come knocking on your ancestors door as part of his work. They may not have been too pleased to see him however, as he was a rent collector, and tax assessor/ collector for many years. But he also filled many other roles and so was a familiar figure bustling about the streets of Marlow on some business or another. 

William (b September 1819) was the only son of Mr Robert (died 1853) and Mrs Crake (nee Meakes, daughter of blacksmith Thomas Meakes also of Chapel Street, died 1858). Dad Robert was a furniture dealer and broker with a side line in building, carpentry, rent collection and insurance. There was a huge number of insurance agents in Marlow but the Phoenix Fire "assurance" company was the main one represented by the Crakes. In this role, William at least came bearing money if your claim was successful. In fact he was often praised for the speed at which he made pay outs. He comes across as a man regarded as scrupulously honest and meticulous. He also had a formidable memory and head for figures, so it is no surprise he served as treasurer or honourary secretary for several institutions. One of his longest associations was with the local branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society for whom he was treasurer or secretary for over 20 years. They distributed Bibles to the poor amongst other things. 

When Josiah Clark died in the 1840's, William succeeded him in the role of assessor and collector of the Queen's taxes eg income tax. This was obviously a responsible and sometimes difficult role. He had proved himself by helping his father to collect rents. He later succeeded to his father's overall business, chiefly the building aspect, with no furniture dealing mentioned. And it was through his uncle James Field, postmaster and schoolmaster, that he succeeded to the lucrative position of Phoenix insurance agent. He would also work as a house agent, organising the sales and lettings of homes and businesses in Marlow. 

It was in connection with his work in rent collecting that William nearly lost his life in 1881. He was returning from Lane End when a furious snow storm descended. The drifting snow in the countryside became deep and walking conditions were hazardous. William took hours to make a journey that should have lasted much less. It was said he was only able to make the slow and painful progress onwards in the freezing conditions because he had carried an umbrella. He used this to probe the depth of the snow drifts and steady his steps. He finally turned up at some cottages in an "exhausted and dilapidated state". It took him several months to recover his health. 

William is probably best known now for his work to bring a Baptist mission to the town. He was behind the setting up of the first small Baptist Chapel in Providence Place, Dean Street. It is likely he actually built it too. Later he was on the building committee of the new Baptist Chapel in Glade Rd. Other Crakes pop up as members of the Primitive Methodists chapel. (Read more on the Baptist Chapel here)

In 1897, William climbed onto a chair in order to wind a clock. It seems the effort of this triggered some kind of attack which caused him to fall. His brain was "much affected" afterwards and he could no longer manage his business. His head for figures was just gone and he developed a shuffling slow walk. He turned most of his work over to his trusted friend and assistant of 30 years, Christopher Sparks (including the building side). William lived for another two years. Six weeks before his death his condition worsened and he finally took to his bed. He was 80 at his death. (Saturday 6th May 1899.) The South Bucks Standard called him "a most respectable and in many ways useful inhabitant". (That is he had filled many roles!) 

Above grave of William Crake 1899 and Ellen Crake 1892, All Saints Church, Marlow. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

SOURCES

Slaters Royal National and Commercial Directory 1852 (Isaac Slater, 1852)

The New Monthly Vol 19 (H Colburn  1823)

Kelly's Directory 1869, 1883 (Kelly's Directories Ltd)

Harrods Royal County Directory (J G Harrods & Co 1876)

Blowers Architects, Surveyors, Engineers and Builders Directory 1860 (T Blaver 1860)

William's Manufacturer's Directory for London and the Principal Towns 1862

Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society 1867-1873

South Bucks Standard 17 May 1899

©Marlow Ancestors

How to have fun in Edwardian Marlow

This post is about some of the more unusual options for entertainment available to our Edwardian Marlow forebears. You can find links to posts about the more conventional options for fun at the bottom of the page. 

I think our first stop may be the Duke Of Cambridge in Queens Rd to see land lord William Plumridge. Nothing unusual about having a pint you might say. But in 1904 William has given us an unusual reason to stop by - his monster apple tree. He is very good at growing fruit but this year his tree of Peasgood Nonsuch is producing individual apples the largest of which weighs over 1lb 1oz. Marlow takes horticulture seriously and the biggest fruit is on display in the High Street at Mr Fields. Strictly not for sale, or not until everyone has come to marvel enough at it. This might strike you as a not very exciting exhibit but Marlow celebrates the victories of her sons and daughters, however minor. 

If that exhibit did not satisfy you, perhaps you would like to see something that was a genuine item on display at the 1889 L'exposition Universelle in Paris. The very same that gave us the Eiffel Tower. It won a gold medal no less, the only one in its category. You will never guess what it is. To find out we must go to April 1907 and the Wesleyan Chapel fundraising bazaar. They are trying to pay off the cost of their new Sunday school buildings. The star exhibit is...a piece of blotting paper. But a Paris Exposition prize winning piece of blotting paper!  It was made by Messrs Soper at the Kings Mill in Loudwater. Time for a selfie perhaps? Marlow knows about paper making thanks to the mills here so there are probably a few people around who have a professional interest in this sort of thing and who could explain the finer points of just what makes an exceptional piece of blotting paper. On second thoughts, perhaps it's time to leave. 

Above, crowds heading to see the Bucks blotting paper at the Paris Exposition. Marlow has to wait until Edwardian times for her turn.

Moving on to June 1908 we can enjoy an up to the minute entertainment. And it definitely doesn't involve either paper or apples. For this we need to go to the boys school room, which is what we call the church hall in The Causeway. This is the venue for the grand gramophone entertainment in aid of the Church Lads Brigade. For this we will take a seat, and enjoy a concert played on the gramophone. It's going down well and several pieces get an encore. It might seem strange to see no musicians but how much more of an occasion it is to go out nicely dressed and listen to music with our friends and neighbours, and with refreshments to hand. If you enjoy it, there's plenty of similar events, and even radio based ones later on. 

For a completely different kind of performance we can stroll to the river to enjoy one of the river based dramas that are performed from time to time. We don't mean the constables chasing the "young savages" who like to streak along the river banks after a naked swim. These are proper dramatic endeavours, usually put on or at least hosted by the Marlow Rowing Club. In 1910 their invitation swim-meet ends with a water "pantomime". The following year there is a full on extravaganza or "water drama"  called "The attack on the Settlers Camp". Maidenhead String Band are in attendance and provide the accompaniment. No wonder they sometimes need a calming exhibition of blotting paper. 

Other quirky sources of fun include the Bicycle Gymkhana, 3 hour long musical and gymnastic performances in the Music Room, and the more unusual obstacle course type races to creep in at the Regatta. 

For posts about other sources of fun see: 

Marlow Fair (ceased to be held in the streets after 1903) here

Bathing in the Thames - here

Cycling including bicycle gymkhana and bicycle polo - here

Cinemas of silent era: here

And general posts about Marlow life in the past - here

Selected sources: 

South Bucks Standard 16 September 1904, June 12 1908 - British Library Archive, Accessed via the BNA. 

Bucks Herald 6 April 1907. As above. 

© Marlow Ancestors except Paris Exposition photo which is used under a creative commons licence. 

 

Pay For My Funeral You Miser! Will Catherine Allnutt

 The will of Catharine Allnutt. Written 1819. Proved 1820.

Says she is in ill health but of sound memory. 

To dear brother Zachary now of Henley Upon Thames her one third share in three cottages and gardens in Bovingdon Green which was left to her by her friend Mary Stevens. They are in the occupations of James Wheeler, Mary May and Thomas Frith. If it is not in her power to leave this to Zachary as it is supposed to descend to her dear sisters Ann and Martha then he does not need to give the £20 mentioned below to her sister Ann after all.

If Zachary can inherit the cottage share then he must pay their sister Ann £20. 

Also to Zachary the £100 navigation bond left to her by her dear friend Mary Stevens which is in her father's possession. Tells Zachary to give £20 to "my poor Aunt Argles" and £10 to Miss Sarah Fields and £10 to Miss Ann Fields who were her dear and loving friends in her painful illness.

Dear sister Ann all wearing apparel, poultry and the few books and goods she had of Miss Stevens.

Brother Zachary appointed executor as doesn't want her dear and aged father to have the trouble. She hopes Zachary will not grudge her funeral expenses as they are the last thing she will ask of him and she has for years been a faithful servant to him for pay not sufficient for necessaries in her station in life. He has plenty of property himself and a long life ahead of him in which he will enjoy it so need not take any out of the little estate she leaves behind to pay for her funeral.

Topaz pin and best earrings to "my sister Zachary Allnutt of Henley or Charlotte the wife of my brother" [Possibly meant to say "my sister MRS Zachary Allnutt also known as Charlotte the wife of my brother Zachary"].

Witnessed by Sarah Puddifant, Ann Bond, Mary Gibbons.

Notes:

Ann Bond was the wife of William Bond senior the builder. More about her and her family here.

Biographical post on Sarah Puddifant here.

Catharine and Zachary etc were children of Henry Allnutt who died not long after Catharine herself.

Transcribed and summarized by Charlotte Day from a copy of the PCC will obtained from the National Archives, Kew. Additional research also by Charlotte Day.

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

Wills of James Field and Sarah Field of Great Marlow

James Field, will proved 1849. (Age 74) 

Postmaster.

After all debts and funeral expenses paid everything to his dear wife Sarah. She sole executor.

Witnessed by Robert Footitt, druggist of Great Marlow and Henry Salmon, ironworker [he also was of Marlow. Ironmongers shop in High Street].

Sarah Field, will proved 1855.

Says she of sound mind.

£100 each to nephew William James Caffall, niece Sarah Ann Caffall and niece Ellen Crake. [I believe Sarah Ann Caffall was née Crake].

£5 each for the purchase of mourning to Robert, Ellen, Henry and Anne Caffall. The relationship Sarah had to them is not given.

Rest of property to nephew William Crake who is the executor of the will.

Witnessed by Robert Colbourne, surgeon and James Low [two Marlow men].

For some reason Robert Colbourne was asked when it came to the probate court to give an affidavit that the signature on the will was Sarah's. He said he witnessed the signature. 

Notes:

James was 74 years old when he died. The Reading Mercury reported 12th May 1849 [accessed November 2020 from the British Newspaper Archive. Original copy held by the British Library] how the shops in Marlow closed for the day as a mark of respect on the day of his funeral. The postmaster general was an important person in town. James who had been postmaster since at least 1829 was replaced by William Tyler. James was also a tailor and ran a school on his premised so he was a busy man!

The post office premises were in the High Street in Field's day. James and Sarah lived on site. Robert Footitt's chemist shop was then on the other side of the road. 

Read more about Marlow post services in the Fields day - here and their school here

I transcribed these wills which I obtained from the National Archives and then summarized them here. 

All mentions of an individual on this blog can be found on the Person Index.

More wills can be found under the Will Transcriptions option on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use these summaries for family and local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Western House- Some Victorian Residents

This list is of residents not owners of the property (though some people will be both).

1862-66 Edmund Sexton Perry Calvert. In late 1865 the property is advertised as for sale leasehold with a 15 years term remaining. It then comprised of a 17ft 6" x 14ft entrance hall, 20ft 9" X 15ft 4" dining room, 21ft X 15ft 9"  drawing room, 14ft 10 X 14ft 10" library, 15ft 9" X 15ft boudoir,  10 bedrooms, 2 dressing rooms, kitchen and domestic offices. Outside the would be occupier could enjoy the garden, a private walk to the Thames,  an orchard, coach house, gardeners cottage and the farm buildings. In all 13 acres including some pasture. We are also told that the house is properly enclosed in a ring fence and that it is sheltered from northerly winds. If that's not enough, the house can also boast of a good supply of water, and twice daily postal deliveries. 

1866- 1867 Charles Fowler. Architect. Fellow of the Royal Institute Of British Architects 1834. Also farmed land by Western House. Wife Maria. He died 1867.

1867- 1876 Maria Fowler born circa 1798, widow of Charles Senior. Also resident her son Charles junior born circa 1823 who was also an architect (Fellow of the Royal Institute Of British Architects 1862). Charles junior was  additionally Deputy Chairman of the Llanelly Railway Company in Wales. He (and his mum though he took the lead) got into a row over rights of way with his neighbour Sarah Bliss Hammond. It was a big row- barricades were erected and lawyers called. For more on this see my biographical post on Sarah here.

Other children of Charles Senior and Maria= Sophia born 1829, Jane 1833 and Emma 1835. 

1879- The Misses Fowler. Must be two of the Fowler daughters above.

1881- Austin MacKenzie and Mrs MacKenzie. Their housemaid Annie Field was found guilty of stealing £5 worth of items from her employer that year and jailed for four months. The items included 10lb of candles, a pot of jam, dusters, soap, napkins and tablecloths. The butler at the house at that time was Robert Wright and the footman was Thomas Sutton. Both were witnesses against Annie in court.

1888- Major A Griffith.

1898- Mr and Mrs A Dunn who had lately been in residence left.

1898-1899 Mrs Henrietta Isabella  Ranken. Died on a visit to London. Widow of W B Ranken. She seems to have had farming interests. 

1900-1914 Francis Crawford Caffin AKA Frank. He leased it 1900 after Mrs Ranken's death. Civil engineer and Director of the Djebel Charra Mining Company. His son Haden served in WW1 and was twice mentioned in dispatches. More on Haden to come. Francis had first leased Palmer's in the High Street, while he was in the area supervising work on the Bourne End railway bridge. 

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

For other West Street related posts, see the specific shops, streets etc option on the top drop down menu. The A-Z person index there is where to go to find every mention of your ancestor here on the blog. Thousands of people get a mention. Happy hunting! 

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

Sources:

Dutton, Allen and Co's Directory 1863.

Royal and Commercial Directory of Beds, Bucks etc by J.G Harrod and Co 1876.

Post Office Directory 1869 by Kelly's Directories Limited.

Census my transcription from microfilm.

List of Members of the Institution of Civil Engineers 1914.

Bucks Herald 27th August 1881. British Library Archives.

Bucks Free Press 26th August 1881. Bucks Free Press Archives.

The Mining Yearbook 1905.

The Joint Stock Companies Directory 1867. Oxford University Library. Digitized by Google.

Catalogue of the London Library 1888. Digitized by Google.

GRO death registrations from GRO online. 

Windsor and Eton Express 14 October 1865, Slough Libraries. 

Will Richard Widmore / Widmer 1700

 Richard Widmore (indexed as Widmore but he signs Widmer) Will written 1700. Proved 1705. Tallow chandler of Great Marlow.

Says he is in good health. Burial at discretion of executor.

His messuage in Great Marlow and any rents and profits from it = to loving cousin Susanna Harris wife of George, tallow chandler. She is to pay out of her income from it £8 a year to her sister Rebecca wife of John Field of London. Payments to be given at half yearly intervals.

2 messages or cottages in Great Marlow in occupation of John Williams and George Buck = to John Harris son of George and Susanna above. He is to pay his brother George Harris £20 out of his income from those [see notes below]

6 acres of arable land in the common field called Marefield which was bought from Samuel Lynn gent and citizen of London = to George Harris son of George and Susanna above after Susanna dies.

16.5 acres land in Marlow Common Field bought from Joyce Darvall widow = to Richard Harris son of George and Susanna above after Susanna dies.

6.5 acres land bought from William Elliot in Marlow Common Field = to Thomas Harris son of George and Susanna Harris.

£20 each = to Susanna, Margaret and Elizabeth daughters of George and Susanna Harris above. If any dies before receiving it then her share to be divided between the survivors.  Also £20 to Richard Lane "son of my late cousin John Lane late deceased" at age 21.

All rest of good and personal estate to Susanna Harris his cousin who is sole executor.

Witnessed by John Burridge, John Burridge junior and Thomas Hobbs.

For more wills see Will Transcriptions on the menu. All mentions of someone on the blog can be found under Person Index - both are on top drop down menu. 

PCC will transcribed and summarised by Charlotte Day.

Notes:

The two cottages left to John Harris were in the High Street and had formerly been Harris family property.

The house left to Susanna Harris was, from other sources, also Richard's shop premises. 

Samuel Lynn was a wealthy carpenter of London with quite a lot of Marlow property. 

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

Verney Arms History And Landlords, Dean Street, Great Marlow *updated June 2025*

Name spellings are as given in the original source, even if this differs from usual as this can help provide an alternative search term to use in other records.

*Updated June 2025 to include closure information and to add more landlords* 

The Verney Arms has been demolished. It stood on the Dean Street car park/Wethered Rd side of the road, not far from Verney Close. 

1858 - Date given for granting of first licence in 1872 list of pubs and their owners and occupiers in Bucks Archives. But must have had a different name then as the Verney Arms is said to have received the name from a popular but failed election candidate Captain Verney who stood in 1868 not 1858. Could be a slip of the pen. Multiple records actually show the pub opening in October 1869. These premises were new built specifically for use as a pub and with the input of first landlord John Langley. 

1869- John Langley moved into the premises in October 1869. He had an opening dinner for 200 friends! They were entertained by a group of 6 singers bought down from London.  John gave up some but not all of his farming concerns when he started the Verney, selling off a large number of pigs, some cart horses, waggons etc. He maintained his business as a fruiterer however. The Verney Arms was then new built. John had been landlord at the Royal Exchange until a month before that, a smaller concern (but one that could still host a club dinner for 150) but left after a last unsuccessful attempt to upgrade its licence from just a beer one. Within a few weeks of John opening the Verney Arms police were called in to break up a brawl on the premises! This was probably why John's application for a wine license for his pub was refused. Read more about John and his son also John here

1871 - John Langley, also listed as a fruiterer, employing 8 men and 3 boys. Wife Ann. Their youngest child Kate, age 2, has the middle name "Verney". In 1872 he wanted to open the Verney Arms for longer hours during Marlow Fair but withdrew the application when he realised he'd have to pay for the privilege! 

1874 - John Langley - also farmer and fruiterer. The next year he applied for an alehouse license for the premises but was refused. Hosted a dinner at the pub for 40 of his workers plus some neighbouring farmers also in 1875. 

1879- Lodgers John Dennis and Benjamin Hatch have their work boots stolen from the stairs of the pub where they left them overnight. A not infrequent hazard of lodging in a Marlow pub! But as labourers, this was a hard loss for the men. Two men from Wycombe who were drinking at the pub on the evening concerned are suspects. 

1880 - Landlord John Langley still. A presentation is made at the pub this year to John Langley Jnr son of the landlord, who has just been released from prison for his part (or supposed part) in the 1880 election riots. Read more here

1881 - John Langley, wife Ann. She died shortly afterwards and John moved to the Crown, marrying it's widowed proprietor Susan West in 1883.  To read more about this see the post here He was killed in an accident at the Crown 1886. Also in 1881 John is described as a farmer of 230 acres employing 50 men and 8 boys. They sell potatoes at the Verney Arms along with the beer, although John is mainly a wholesale fruit and vegetable dealer. This was an off extremely common Dean Street occupation.

1886 - James Edwards. Came from Chairmaker's Arms Dean Street (more on that pub here). He was sent to numerous Marlow pubs to keep things going if a previous landlord quit, was having difficulties or could not have licence renewed.

1888 - John Langley junior (Proposed transfer to William Wallace Symes of Reading falls through). This John is the son of the above John Langley for whom you can read a full biography here. His wife was Ellen nee Bristow/Biggs. Also farmer and fruiterer. See Ellen's grave at Holy Trinity church, Marlow  here. And read about Ellen's parents here.

1889 - 1.John Langley 2. James Edwards again (temporary) 3. Thomas Bryce Robinson (probably Robins in fact, see below) 

1890 - 1. Thomas Bryce (or Bryan) Robins. Accusations that he allowed drinkers on the premises during prohibited hours lost him his license. He had earlier in the year escaped charges of allowing drunkenness on his premises 2. WJ Knight (hold over) 

1891 -Thomas B Rob(b)ins moved to the Clayton Arms Chalfont St Peter. Sued next tenant Edwin Funnell for value of items left behind for that tenant's use which he said he was supposed to be compensated for.  Brief holdover for Mr Deverall prior to the proper changeover. 

1892 -E R Funnell

1893 - Transfer from Edwin Richard Funnel to George William Beale

1894 - G W H Beale to William James Knight (hold over - see also 1890 above)

1895 - Transfer from James Deverall Junior and his wife who had become insolvent to James A Young. In some records James Herbert Young not James A Young.

1896 - William E Young transfers to Henry Charles Gillett

1898 - Henry Gillett

1899 - Mr Gillett to William Mills 

1901- Herbert Alfred Mills transferred to John Richard Field. (Wife Sophia) Premises known then as The Arms. Herbert lived at Dukes Place in 1902 when he was accused of abandoning his wife and family. He made several further appearances over the next couple of years on the same charge and his wife applied for a separation order in 1904.

1901-1921 John Richard Field. Still sometimes known just as the Arms until 1910 when it was firmly back to Verney Arms. Attempted then to get a spirit licence. We are not sure if it is attempt was successful. John had a popular billiards table there and hosted the occasional tournament. He died in 1920.

1921-40 Sophia Field, widow of the above. In 1928 the premises is referred for closure under plans to limit the number of licenced premises in a given area. Sophia is then selling 3 barrells of beer a week. It survives this attempt but ..

Closure decided at last in 1939 and completed in 1940 - Closed for good by the powers that be who were trying to reduce the number of licensed premises in town. Last landlady Sophia Ann Field. The authorities said that as 43 houses in Dean Street and 18 in neighbouring roads had been demolished in a recent slum clearances (one of several involving Dean Street over the next 20 years), there was no need for the pub. The fact that many of the houses had been replaced by building in Seymour Court Rd a short distance from the Verney was brushed over. Sophia said her trade had actually been increasing, despite all the disruption she'd had to put up with. But it did no good, and Sophia lost her home and business, and the 70 member slate club she hosted was also no more. Sophia died in Marlow on Christmas Eve 1941. 

To look for similar posts see the Pub Related  option on the menu and to find all mentions of any individual person use the Person Index option on the top menu. More Dean Street related content can be found indexed here

Additional research by Charlotte.

SOURCES INCLUDE

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

South Bucks Standard 6th January 1893, 22 May 1896, 25 Jan 1912 . Bucks Herald 28th August 1875 and 10th Jan 1880. Reading Mercury 23rd October 1869. All held at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA, September 2020 and May 2022.

Bucks Herald 22 August 1874, as above. 

Court Cases, trade directories, property transactions and adverts also consulted.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

EIGHTY SEVEN Marlow Schools And Their Staff *updated Feb 2026*

Some of those listed will be the subject of their own biographical blog posts in the future.

Most early schools were conducted in the home of the owner-teacher with a room set aside as a school room but the very smallest establishments might not have even that and educated children in the dining room or parlour. Boarding pupils do not on the whole seem to have come from very far away to go to Marlow Schools.

Schools and Educational Establishments to 1945:

Any dates given after school names are earliest and latest dates of known operation but are guidelines only as I don't necessarily have a source of information for every single year. THIS LIST IS NOT YET COMPLETE ONLINE.  I have not included Sunday Schools.

For a post on the adult scholars of Regency Marlow and the very first Institution (teaching adults to read) see the post here

Albion House School - see Mrs Tylecotes. 

Ann Washbourn's School. West Street overlooking Quoiting Square Assisted by sister Elizabeth who had previously been the one running the school in the same premises with the help of another sister Mary. It seems a switch to specializing in skilled embroidery lessons alongside other subjects that pushed Ann rather than Elizabeth to the fore in the school. A few boys accepted but largely day school for girls. Later the site of Mary Pinson's school. See post published here a few weeks ago for a photo of the premises of Ann's school and more about her and it. 

Ann Winter's School. Ladies "seminary" boarding and day school. West Street 1855 -1864.  Offered a "polite education". Then Sycamore House, West Street from 1865 when it restyled itself as a school for young ladies and prep school for boys under 9. Ann's husband William taught the boys. See Misses Winters school

Beech House School, Station Rd AKA Miss Sherrington's school.1888-94. For girls with large garden, tennis courts and croquet lawn. The relocated and renamed Downshire House School, see below. In 1894 Miss Sherrington bought a larger school on the Isle Of Wight and removed herself and several of her teachers. Miss or Mrs Burnham took over the Marlow premises, moving the school back to it's original Chapel Street location, then known as Gazeley and renamed it Darlinghurst School see below. She remained until 1895 only when Miss M Aisbett became principal.

Bluecoat School. This or The Free School was the name used for most of history for the school we know now as Sir William Borlase Grammar School. Founded 1624 as a charitable school for boys by Sir William in honour of his dead son. Later boys could also pay to enter. Only the charity boys wore the distinctive blue coat uniform. Faced closure due to severe financial difficulties in the early 1880s but managed to overcome them and is now a co educational state school using in part the original 1600s buildings. West Street Marlow. Thomas Heather headmaster 1780, taking over from his dead uncle William. Rev Gore takes over 1793, Thomas Heather dying two years later. Mr Francis sacked as master 1835.  George Gale master on the 1841 census. Mary Gale, presumably his wife, living with him is described as a governess. Also see under National Schools for him. To read about the life at the school for boys in the 1830s-1850s see the post here

Borlase - see Bluecoat School

Bovingdon Green School- a little school not thought by Victorians to perform particularly well, largely because of the difficulty of not having enough pupils to warrant age based separation. But a favourite of the Higginson family who treated the pupils to outings and fun so probably the place to attend! No longer operational. Sir William Clayton gave land for the building of the school in 1866. 

British School and British Girls School. 1853+. Marlow is long believed not to have had a so called British school (one set up under auspices of  British and Foreign Bible society to embrace non Church of England denominations) However news reports from 1853 describe a meeting organised by the Salem chapel to discuss setting up just such an establishment. More importantly fundraising had been ongoing for some time and so the school was due to open for boys the following month (March) in temporary premises, with girls to follow. Funds were being raised to erect a permanent building. The boys school did indeed open then, and the girls British school opened 1854. Both closed c1859 but this is subject to ongoing research. It is possible or indeed probable that the "National Boys' School" referred to in press articles in the late 1850s as having recently closed and having been superintended by Mr Nash and it's sister school for girls were in fact the closed British Schools as the closed schools appear to be non denominational which fits British Schools but not National schools which were C of E. An overall history of the British schools in Marlow is here.

Caroline Anthony's School. West Street. Caroline was also a bookseller and stationer. Next door to the Washbourne's school. 1852. See a photo of the premises and read more about Caroline here.

Chapel House School, Chapel Street. 1881-82. Boarding and day school for young ladies but also offered prep for young boys. Girls were taught English, reading, writing , arithmetic and needlework with the opportunity to purchase lessons in French, Italian, drawing, piano playing and singing as extras. Pupils under 12 were charged less than those over 12. Mrs Mather wife of the Congregational minister William Morton Mather. She relocated to Kenton Villas in July 1882 after her husband's death. Chapel House was Aka The Salem Chapel Manse. A biography of Revd William Morton Mather can be found here. Several years after the Mathers left the Manse it was again used as a school by a relative of the resident minister. See Miss Glanville's School.

Charlotte Corby's School. Over by 1853. Mentioned as something she had previously ran, in her father's will.

Clarke's School. Chapel Street. Boarding school for girls. Details sketchy. George Stevens 1896 memory of this school placed it in the 1840s in what was later called Prospect House, at the junction Wycombe Rd, Little Marlow Road, and Chapel Street with a brick wall that came to a point at that area. Note at the time the Prospect House name was used for another adjacent school, this one for young gentlemen, in what was later known as The Glade at Chapel End.  

Coles school - see George Cole

Convent School/ St Peter's Catholic School/ The Catholic Charity School. . Started c1850. The charity school was initially at Albion House West Street under the Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle. Located in premises  previously used as a private boarding school for girls (see Elizabeth Barnes below) but moved 1853 to St Peter's Street. There was a convent to the rear of St Peter's Church and it's nuns, the Sisters of Charity of St Paul, ran the this school plus the small Convent boarding school to 1886. The Catholic infants/charity School continued without them in St Peter Street after that, with the Covent school becoming known as the Convent Upper School. Today St Peters school is in Prospect Road. Note: there was also a Convent School at Danesfield near Marlow run eventually by the same nuns. Both under the patronage of Mr Scott Murray of Danesfield House. Full history of the Marlow schools here

Convent Higher School AKA St Peter's Higher School AKA Convent Upper School. St Peter's Street. Private day school for children of the wealthy on same site as the convent school for other children. Art teacher then Frank Percy Wild. More here

Coopers, Mrs School. Station Rd 1911. Later Mrs Violet Cooper and Florence Farmer run a girls school from Wellingrove, Station Rd 1926. 

Darlinghurst School. AKA Darlinghurst Academy. This was the relocated and renamed Beech House School. "High School" for girls, with a unisex kindergarten class added 1896. In 1904 the school advertised typewriter tuition and it was also stated that it had a resident French and German mistress. Shorthand lessons were advertised in 1908. The school was located in Chapel Street 1895 when Mrs or Miss Burnham was in charge briefly then Miss M Aisbett took over. Moved to Number 26 High Street by 1899. The street numbering has changed since so this 26 High Street then isn't 26 today. Darlinghurst School was in the building previously used for first High Street Post Office and for the Fields' school (Q.V , not same as Miss Field's school in West Street) .Moved to Glade Road 1904. Proprietor: Miss Aisbitt/Aisbett 1895 to 1909. Note: the school's early premises in Chapel Street continued to be known as Darlinghurst after it reverted back to domestic use so there was both Darlinghurst the house and Darlinghurst the school in the town for a few years. The last known date for the school's existence in Glade Road is early 1909. In it's final known year in Glade Road it was advertised as a boarding school, previously it had been mentioned solely as a day school. There was an 18 guineas a year fee for boarders 1909. In 1910 Darlinghurst School re -emerged in Chapel Street under a Miss Vivian Higham as a "middle class school" for boys and girls aged 3-5. Almost certainly she had either bought the house Darlinghurst in Chapel Street which was up for sale late in 1909 or was renting the premises from the person who did. Presumably she had bought the business from Miss Aisbett and relocated it. The school looks like it had gone out of business (or moved again!!) by 1912 as Darlinghurst was up for sale. It struggled to find a buyer and in 1914 Edward Riley the owner presented it to the Provident Nursing Association to use as a headquarters.

Dean Street infants school. Mixed. Mistress from at least 1850 to at least 1863 Grace Hayes. Maria Robinson was another mistress and lived on the premises with her children 1861. Somewhat hidden from sight off Dean Street, Trinity Road side. 

Deanery School - short lived school ran  by Rev Andrew Mearns, congregational church minister 1865-1866, boys boarding at the Deanery. A biography of Andrew Mearns can be read on the blog here. When he left Mr Woodman took over and it became known most often as Woodman's School. 

Dial Close School, sometimes called Dial House School -private, The Causeway. 1929-1972. Not related to the house Dial Close on Winter Hill

Downshire House School. Chapel Street. In operation by 1880 when Mrs Ellen Edmonds was head. Her daughter Miss Edmonds assisted her. Boarding school for girls. In 1882 the school also offered dance classes to non-pupils. These took place in a new schoolroom recently added to the property. Mrs Edmunds was formerly of Abbey Barn farm and later emigrated to Australia. School moved to Beech House when Miss Sherrington took over and was renamed Beech House School, see above.

Eleanor Lord's Ladies School AKA Miss Lord's School. West Street, close to the turning for Quoiting Square 1833-42. Exact premises known and will be shown in a future post. Residential. Pupils on 1841 census are from age 7 upwards. Her sister Louisa assisted her in teaching. Eleanor left Marlow in 1842. Premises taken over by young Maria Dench by 1851 but there must have been someone else in between as Maria was too young to have been running things in 1842. Eleanor wrote a book called Modern Education in 1841, in which she cautions against providing knowledge "indiscriminately placed in the hands of the multitude".  This knowledge might become a means to remove the labourer from "their proper sphere of life" or cause a "levelling of that barrier which must in a well organised state always exist" between those in authority and the masses. 

Elizabeth Barnes School. Probably a minor establishment. 1830s + Has 2 live in pupils, on the 1841 census. In subdivided Albion House West Street. Premises used 1848 plus for the Catholic School so Elizabeth was gone by then. 

Elizabeth Washbourne's Prep School. Old Vicarage, St Peter Street. 1844. Assisted by sister Mary. By 1852 moved to West Street. Shortly afterwards Elizabeth took second place behind another sister Ann at the school as it began to offer specialist embroidery training too- Ann's speciality. Became then known as Ann Washbourn's School. Q.V Ann Washbourn's School. 

Farmer and Coopers School. Station Road. 1911. Ran by Miss V Cooper and Miss Farmer. For girls.

Faulkner's School- see Great Marlow Academy.

Faux's Academy- circa 1757 to 1797. Boys. George Faux ran a popular and respected boy's school. His wife Ann was also involved. This school became the Great Marlow Academy, see below. To read more see this post here here

Freeman's School. AKA Miss Freeman's Boarding School. (Ann Freeman) High Street,West Side. 1780+ On the site of what was later part of Wethered's brewery. 

Gazeley School - see Beech House. 

George Cole's School- Chapel Street 1812+ Day school for boys. On site of what is now Liston Hall. George died 1834. Former instructor at the Royal Military College in West Street. 

Girls and Infant National School. St Peter's Street. Built 1869. Expanded in early 1900s with two new classrooms but still considered inadequate in size and facilities in 1910. In 1954 became a mixed middle school.

Gores School - Run by Rev H H Gore, who was also master at the Blue Coats school (now Borlase). He also took on private pupils or "young gentleman". 1793+ Offers to educate his charges with a view to them proceeding to a public school, university or trade. 

Gower's School. Run by Henry  Gower. Boys' boarding. Oxford Road 1787+. See also Mary Gower's School. Henry offers French, Latin, Greek etc. 

Great Marlow Academy. [Sometimes referred to as Great Marlow School which is the name of an unrelated modern school in Marlow]. Began as a school by 1757 as Faux's Academy, see above. Under the new name of Great Marlow Academy, proprietor Henry Terry was in place by 1818 and went bankrupt 1826 meaning all of his desks, and school books (300!) had to be sold. His premises, which were in Chapel Street at the junction of Wycombe Road / Little Marlow Road at what was later known as The Glade, were then refurbished and taken over by Mr Faulkner who used the same name for the school. His school was also referred to as Mr Faulkner's School. Boys' prep school. Had it's own playground 1833. Faulkner's son was assisting him by 1835. In 1838 William left and the school changed hands. It was reborn as the Prospect House Academy in Prospect House(q.v).  For more see here

Handy Cross Church School (C Of E). Began in 1862 thanks to the efforts of the Marlow vicar. During the week it was an infants school, and on Sunday a chapel. 

Heather's Boarding School, at The Heathers, West Street for young gentleman 1770s+. At first carried on by William Heather with sister Jane taking care of the domestic arrangements for looking after the boys. William was also the master of the Free School (Borlase) but was allowed to take on private pupils independently providing it did not affect his work. On Williams death in 1780 his nephew and assistant master Thomas Heather took over at both the Free School and the private establishment with Jane continuing her role. Fees then 1 guinea entrance and £14 a year. 

Industrial School, 1831- at least 1861. Off Dean Street, Queen's Road side. Ran by the parish. Poor children trained to work. AKA Parish School Of Industry.

James Field's School. Day and boarding for boys. High Street 1823-33. He was also tailor and post master! See Matilda and Elizabeth Field's school below.

Jane Sime's AKA Syme's School. For girls. Seemingly a day school. High Street, West side of in former Lower Crown building. 1831-32. Jane was evicted by her landlord after she reported electoral fraud he was a party to. More on this and Jane in future.

Kenton Villa School For Young Ladies. Day and boarding. Also prep glasses for young boys. Glade Road. (No 4 Kenton Villas, which had the name Kenton Villa giving the odd address Kenton Villa, Kenton Villas, Glade Road). Prep school ran by Mrs Mather after she relocated from Chapel House. July 1882 + 

Lace Making School. Charity school for local girls West Street founded 1624 by Sir William Borlase but did not operate as long, as funds from the Borlase charity were insufficient.

Leighton House School, Glade Road. Boys prep boarding school age 10-16 yrs, ran point by Miss Curtis who previously ran Misses Curtis' School Q.V. At Leighton House late 1883 till at least 1898. Classical education but cricket and football offered too. See here for more

Little Marlow School. A purpose built, ornamental building complete with a residence for the teacher was opened in 1862, replacing a cottage-based school used to teach the children of the village poor. Thomas Corby of Marlow was the builder. In 1920 the elementary school at Little Marlow was described as a former Sunday school which seems odd. Biography of Victorian master and mistress of the school the Shergolds here master 

Lyle House School, Glade Road from at least 1898 to 1905 when it moved to Quarry Wood House, Station Road and changed name to Quarry Wood House School (Q.V) Girls. Seems original plan to take Lyle House name with it did not take. Emphasis on musical accomplishment. Boys prep department and later a kindergarten too. Boarders accepted but mostly day school. Had "branch" at Coralyn, Bourne End by 1903. Principal Miss Curtis 1899. The Misses Reeves were in charge 1902+

Maria Dench's School. West Street. 1851. In same premises as previously used by Eleanor Lord (see). Boarding for girls. A number of her pupils came from abroad.

Marie Gough's Private School for Girls. Station Road 1911. Victoria Road 1915. Must have been a small establishment.

Marlow Place Academy. Boarding school for boys in Victorian era established after Thomas Mathews relocated from Prospect House (q.v) in 1857. The focus then became a little less prep and a little more towards preparing boys for a life commercial. The Mathews family left for Southall in 1865 but the house was later used by others as a boys' boarding school. Reverend Thomas Gwynn operated it in 1868 to at least 1870 while a Mr A.C Bartholomew had the school in 1875/6. It closed in 1877. Marlow Place was a large house in Station Road. It is now used as offices. The school had extensive grounds including a cricket pitch and was renowned for its young cricket teams. Will be the subject of its own more detailed post- now available here

Marlow Institute- offered adults technical, fitness and art classes. Held first lecture as Great Marlow Literary and Scientific institution in December 1853 at the Town hall. Classes as opposed to lectures featured more 1890+ in the new building, Institute Road. Post on the early days of the Institute here

Mary Gower's Preparatory School. Oxford Road. 1831-32. See also Gower's School which may have been run by a relative of Mary.

Mary Garland Lovegrove's Day and Boarding School for girls. West Street. She took over the premises from an unknown person in 1829. Ran till at least 1832. Will 1835 transcribed here. Seems to have ran the school with assistance of her mother Harriet. 

Mary Pinson's School. West Street. Took over the premises of the Washbournes but doesn't seem to have lasted long.

Matilda and Elizabeth Field's School, West Street. 1823- 41 as day school for girls. Schoolroom apparently a separate building out back. Probably the same as the Miss Fields School advertising as a boarding school for girls from c1814 - this earlier  establishment caters for only 6 pupils and had a twin establishment in Blackwater, Surrey also for 6 boarders. 1814 boarding fee 22 guineas per annum for board and instruction in  English and "fashionable needlework". This doesn't mean no other subjects were taught - they were most likely charged as an extra. The ladies will attend constantly to their charges "health, morals and instruction" they say.  The site is now the Penguin Fish bar. See here for more about some other historic occupiers of the spot. 

Medmenham Church of England School. Substantial improvement works circa 1894. New school formally opened May 11 1894. Had hot air circulated in the cloak rooms to dry the children's coats on rainy days, a purpose built mess room and a paved playground, all highly unusual features for the day. Bitter disputes between the family who gifted the school to the parish and the vicar led to the school quickly shutting down but as the old buildings had been replaced the children had to be squeezed into the other remaining school there. I am uncertain as to whether the improved school ever reopened. Will be further researched. Kelly's Directory 1911 lists one mixed elementary school, built 1898, for 150 pupils. Mistress then Miss Jane Forrester, with average attendance of 64 pupils. 

Medmenham School- the other school, probably a National School. See above. Medmenham had two free schools by 1847, and both still there 1866. 

Misses Bond School. West Street. 1823. Two Miss Bonds, Elizabeth and Mary Ann were apprentice school teachers at Sophia Tylecote's ladies school in Albion House in first few years of 1800's and this may well represent the school they started up on completion of this. 

Miss Curtis' School -  Martha and Alice sisters run at Burford Farm until 1881. At Cambridge House, Cambridge Road 1881-1883. Then moves to Glade Road, late 1883 and changed name to Leighton House Q.V ran by Martha Curtis, sister Alice assists with another teacher and live in servant 1891. Boarding for boys, age 6-12 years, boarding. See here.

Miss Glanville's School. At the Salem Chapel (Congregational) Manse in Chapel Street. 1886. Miss Glanville was the daughter of Revd Glanville. She taught English, French and music as her core subjects,which sounds like a girls' school but her ads don't specifically say so. Day and boarding.

Misses Heath's School. Day and boarding for girls. Existed 1843. Listed Prospect Place 1844 but this seems an error. Not same as Prospect House Academy. All other sources give a West Street address. Said to be the largest and most prestigious ladies academy at the time. "Midway between the Crown and Quoiting Place". Listed as Miss Ann Heath Ladies School West Street in 1847 and 1852.. 

Miss Hides School, West Street. Jessie Hide- 19 year old schoolmistress living with her family in West Street 1891. Took in pupils herself in 1898, possibly earlier. "Prospectus sent on application". 

Miss Hobbs' School For Young Ladies. Recently taken over by Mrs Parker in 1814.

Misses Robinson's school. High Street 1834-35 (at least). Young boys' boarding school. For boys 4-10 years. 6 pupils only. Fee 20 guineas an annum including washing and mending. Conducted in their father's house. 

Mrs Davis's Ladies Boarding School 1784+. Albion House. Mrs Tylecote below took over her business in 1793 because Mrs Elizabeth Davis was ill. Mrs Davis promises to pay the strictest attention to the morals and education of her charges.  In 1789 Mrs Davis is one of subscribers supporting publication of "Sermons for Children". Price in 1784 - 14 guineas per annum. 

Mrs Fleming's Dame School 1863.  Mrs Harriet Fleming. Perhaps Spittal Street. Ran from her home. Took in children as young as two for the morning or afternoon, finishing at 4. A tragic case involving an accident by her pupil is here.

Mrs Gale's and Miss Mary Gales prep school West Street 1847. This is the wife of teacher George Gale of both Borlase and the National school.

Mrs Grant's School, West Street, prep. Mrs Grant leaves in 1848 after many years, due to "death in family"

Mrs George Trash's School. Boarding for girls. 1799.

Mrs Tylecote's School. Ran by Sophia Tylecote. A boarding school for girls. Giving a French education. 1793-1810 when school moved to Burton. Took over from Mrs Davis, see above. At Albion House, West Street. Aka Albion House School. 

Misses Winters' school, West Street 1827, for young ladies. Probably became Ann Winter's school. Day and boarding. Misses Winter school for young ladies is listed 1865, at Sycamore House, West Street, in which year they decide to also open a prep school for young gentleman aged under 9 years. To be conducted separately from the girls school. Prices for boys will be 16 guineas per year for boarders including dance instruction and laundry costs, 12s6d a quarter for day pupils. Singing, drawing and music lessons extra. 

Monks Wood School. Occupied part of the Railway Hotel 1926-1938 minimum. A "select day school for girls" plus mixed kindergarten. Seems to have started as the Marlow Preparatory School at 16 Station Rd, c 1925. 

Nash(e)'s School (1)Okey / Oakey Nash, Revd and schoolteacher 1798. Moved from Marlow at some point after 1813. Later ran Manor House School in North End before becoming vicar of Throwley, Kent. He and his wife Elizabeth were the parents of artist Joseph Nash born in Marlow in 1808. Joseph was a pupil of Augustus Pugin no less.  

Nash's School (2) mixed non denominational private day school with Mr Nash teaching the boys and Mrs Nash the girls. Existed 1858 as a fairly new establishment. Mr Nash had earlier been the master of the first, failed British school, boys' section. Mr Nash was also a dance tutor for adults.

National School. One existed by 1815 when pupils from it went to a church service in All Saints followed by refreshments in Crown Meadow. Probable start date 1812. 

National School Spittal Street. May be the one already existing in 1815. That school was said to be "near Chapel Street" 1831. George Gale then master. He left to be master of his own school in Chapel Street briefly then to left to run the Bluecoats school by 1841 but after 1833. Address later given more specifically as Spittal Street National School. On the Boots / Crown Lane side of the road, apparently in the old farm house set back from the toad.

National School Quoiting Place / Oxford Lane, now Oxford Road. Infant school. Originally in Mr Washbourne's former baby linen warehouse, Quoiting Place later in a purpose built building. In 1844 ran by Henry and Jane Badger.  They replaced the previous sadistic teacher whose cruelty was objected to even by parents with Victorian ideas of discipline. Henry and Jane later ran Bisham School. Head 1852 Henry Heald. Seemingly rebuilt 1854 [this probably its first purpose built building]. Enlarged later. Annie Jane Badger mistress in 1863. The school building remains and is a language learning centre.

National School in Church Passage (infant school). Mistress 1853 Frances Costar. Mistress Mary Keir 1863. 

National Boys' School. Established 1851 according to proud contemporary reports but at least three schools dubbed the  "National School" had existed before then! One of which ran by a Mr Nash had closed in fairly recent times in 1858 and Mr Nash set up his own school with his wife as a result. See below. The boys' National School in 1869 seems to be the National School referenced as existing in a new building in the High Street or perhaps that should say the Causeway. The National Boys' School was said in 1912 to be then on the Causeway but was about to move. Moved to Wethered Road 1913. In the latter location it is now a mixed C of E middle school called Holy Trinity.

National Girls' School, unknown location. One had ceased to exist due to a drop off in pupils and subscriptions in the recent past in 1858. This was likely in fact the British School incorrectly referred to. Circa 1864 a Girls National School proper opened in the former music and lecture hall in St Peter's Street. 

National Girls' and Infants School St Peter's Street. A National Girls School opened circa 1864 in the former music and lecture hall in St Peter's Street. In early 1867 or very late 1866 this building was sold to Mr O Wethered and it is not certain what happened to the school immediately after that. A new purpose built girls' school was opened in 1871 on the same site as an National Infants School which was opened in 1869. The land for these was given by Mr Wethered who had bought the next door lecture hall.

Night School (mens)- intended for working class men and youths over the age of 12. 1859-90 but possibly with gaps in existence. Was originally set up by the Vicar of All Saints who taught there with his wife, 2 curates and some friends, 3 evenings a week during the winter months. In latter times at number 8 High Street, in the boys' Sunday schoolroom earlier. No 8 High Street then is not the same as no 8 today.

Night School (women's) - set up by the Vicar and his wife in the 1860s. Known for only one season, so far.

Parmer and Coopers (Misses) School for girls. Station Road. 1911.

Prospect House Academy. At Prospect House which stood at the junction of Chapel Street, Wycombe Road and Little Marlow Road. Established by 1757  -previously called the Great Marlow Academy and Faulkner's School. (Q.V). For young boys. Day and boarding.  Bought by Samuel Field Hooper 1838. His widow Elizabeth Hooper had it 1841. William Baker had the school in 1843. He had been working for Elizabeth Hooper previously. Thomas Mathews had the school by 1848. His wife was actively involved in the boy's care, taking the younger boys aged 6-9. They sold themselves on a home from home environment and the pretty rural location of the house (if it still stood now it would have a heavy main road right by it and the fields the Mathews looked out upon would be under bricks and mortar!). Mathews held an annual public exhibition of his pupils' technical drawings, maps etc. Outgrew the premises and moved to Marlow Place (q.v) in 1857.  For more see here and here, plus biography of their drill master here

Prospect House School- not to be confused with the Academy above, though in same premises. 1910. Day and boarding. School for girls and also  boys to prep level. Subjects included Domestic Economy, Cooking, Callisthenics and Home Nursing. Headmistress Miss Leddiard. Day pupils from 2 guineas a term (extras to pay for lessons in drawing, singing, languages, and music.) Boarders from £20 per annum. 

Quarry Court School - Quarry Woods, Bisham side of the Thames. Address always given as Marlow though. Started for girls (day and residential) by Miss K Armstrong in 1926. Also had a morning class for "little ones". Still going in 1936. 

Quarry Wood House School, Station Road. The former Lyle House School (Q.V) after a 1905 relocation. Girls originally, later also boys prep, to at least 1910.

Riverwoods Preparatory School. "For the children of gentlefolk", an oddly outdated expression at this time, 1924. Ran by Mrs Sampson who lived in the High Street, however the name of the school suggests a possible location on the Riverwoods estate.

Royal Military College Junior Department, at what is now Remnantz West Street 1802+ Not all of the original buildings survive. Boarding school for anyone who could pay for it with scholarships available for the sons of those who had been in military service. Intended to train them as future officers. Other sites were used to board the pupils in Marlow too. Not a happy place apparently for many of the young pupils, with several running away and others rebelling. There was persistent unease as to the suitability of the location and fitness of the education the pupils received. Will be the subject of a future post. Moved to Sandhurst.

School for Manual Training and Domestic Science - a Bucks County Council training establishment erected 1929 behind the then boys school in Wethered Road. (Holy Trinity now) For pupils age 11 or over attending one of the schools in the neighborhood. They attended weekly. Woodwork is on the menu for boys, and cookery, "housewifery" and laundry work for the girls. 

Sharp's School. Tiny day school for boys ran by John Sharp, West Street (South side of) 1839-1852. John was also a boot and shoe maker! Had 6-7 pupils. 

Sir William Borlase Grammar School, see Bluecoat School.

Sneath's School. Ran by Mrs Sneath. 1770. Boarding school for young ladies. 

South Place Day School. 1861 South Place. Mistress Harriet Coster 1861. She was a teacher earlier but where is uncertain.

St Peter's Roman Catholic School, see Convent School. For the St Peter Street National School see above under Girls National School.

Susan/Susannah Rolls' School. High Street 1823-45 in Brampton House. Day and Boarding for girls. Previously Susannah and Maria Roll's School. 1824- at least 1832. Unknown location then but may have been High Street as later.

Sycamore House School - See Ann Winters, above. 

Technical School. For adults. Without own premises. Under auspices of Kensington Museums. Used rooms in the Music Room, the Literary Institute and Borlase school. Taught French, carpentry, art and more. Included ladies classes. Also held classes at Lane End. 

Turketts School, Mrs - in the sub-divided Albion House, in premises used at other times by Elizabeth Barnes, Sophia Tylecotes, Elizabeth Davies and the Convent for their respective schools. Girls boarding, small. 

Verney's School - started c late 1856, probably by the same Mr George Verney who had taught at the British School in the years before. Aims to give a "thoroughly sound business education" to the sons "of respectable farmers and tradesman." A short-lived venture as in 1857 George removed to Slough pursued by the constables of Marlow as he had not paid his church rates. He declined to pay to support the established church of which he was not a member as a non-conformist Christian. There was no room for conscientious objection to that tax unfortunately for George. His ads for the Marlow school say he would provide good food for the pupils' minds and bodies. If he is feeding those bodies it implies that the school had ability for pupils to board as providing meals to day pupils was not normal.

Westbrooks' School - run by the Misses Westbrook with Mrs Westbrook supervising the domestic arrangements. Set up in July 1850. Chapel Street. Mixed prep for girls and boys aged 5-12 years, day or boarding. "Strict attention to health, morals and improvement of the pupils entrusted to their care." Cost: 18 guinea per annum for ages 5-8, 20 guineas for those 8-12. Day pupils 4 guineas a year. Washing 2 guineas etc. Lessons for some accomplishments extra. 

Winters School - see Misses Winter and Ann Winter. 

Woodman's School. Boarding school at the Deanery St Peter's Street 1867-1872. Ran by William Woodman. AKA The Deanery School. Took over these premises from Andrew Mearns 

Yate's School - private boys school in Glade Road early 1880's. Run by former headmaster of the Bisham Schools John Yates, after he had resigned from that role. He could not make much success of the new school especially after the rival Borlase school was reorganised and given a new lease of life after suffering financial difficulties. He gave up teaching, built Gloucester Villa in Bisham and remained there until his death age 73. 

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 St Peter's Girls' and Infants school, built 1869 for Infants and later extended for older girls too. These are the teacher residences at the front of the site. Photo ©Colin Groves and used with permission. 

Other School Staff Or Educational Professionals Not Already Mentioned (a selection only):

Thomas Andrews schoolteacher 1798. Unknown School.

Mary Ann East,  Chapel Street 1841 census.

Alice Endall - age 24 schoolmistress living in West Street 1891.

Nicholas George - schoolteacher 1798. Unknown school.

Nathanial Hart- private dance instructor 1782-98. Originally from London. Ran schools in Wycombe and other places as well as Marlow and hosted a yearly ball at Marlow Town Hall to give his pupils an occasion to work up to. See here

Miss Elizabeth Hunt - Head Mistress of St Peters Street National Infants school. Received award for 40 years service in July 1909. See more here.

Edward Lysett. 1841.

Jane Maskell. A "public teacher" living with her parents Crown Lane 1851.

Miss Mather - Teacher at unspecified boys school. See also Mrs Mather above. 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory. May be for Mrs Mather. 

Jane Newnham, National School 1876 Harrods Directory, 1881 census (Mistress of Oxford Lane infants). Lodger in the High Street.

John Southby- 2nd master at Borlase School, under Rev M Graves.

Emma Street. Assistant schoolteacher Dean street Infant school on 1851 census living with her aunt Grace Hayes who was the mistress in Dean Street. Age 15.

Miss Mary Tennant - Teacher at one of National schools 1854 Post Office Directory.

Miss H Thimblethorp - mistress of St Peters Street National Girls School. A Marlow hero who will be the subject of a separate post. 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory. This was Harriet. See post about her here.

MR J.S Walters  - "third master" at Borlase under Rev. M Graves, 1883.

Alice Way- young assistant school teacher 1881 census. Unknown school. Her family will be the subject of a post on this blog later this year.

Robert A Williams - Master of Boys' National school 1876 Harrods directory 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory.

Compiled by Charlotte Day with assistance from Kathryn.

I (Charlotte) have been researching this since my teens- my sources run into the many hundreds but some are:

Robson's Buckinghamshire trade directory 1839 provided by the University of Leicester on a no rights reserved licence. Also from them 1831 and 1844 trade directories. Later print copies of Kelly's guides.

My own census transcriptions from microfilm supplied by the LDS church at a Family History Centre.

Buckinghamshire Posse Commitas 1798 transcribed in the 1980s by Jane Pullinger. [Male schoolteachers in 1798]  Thanks Jane!

Private letters.

My own will transcriptions.

1833 Marlow property survey, the original notebook of this held by my family, transcribed by me.

Newspaper copies held at the British Library and accessed through the BNA September 2018-February 2021. Reading Mercury 5th Jan 1795, 10 June 1848, and 1st July 1848. Windsor and Eton Express 6th May 1826.  South Bucks Standard October 6th 1899, May 12th 1905 and 30th September 1910. Bucks Herald 17th December 1853. South Bucks Free Press 29th September 1865.

Reading Mercury July 6th 1850, January 10 1827, January 13 1835 as above. 

Harrods Commercial and National Directory 1876

1931/2 Official Marlow Guide by the Marlow Chamber of Commerce. 

Marlow Guide 1903 & 1907

Marlow Almanack and Directory qv 1907. 

Post researched and written by Charlotte and Kathryn Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this information for family or local history research. If quoting from this research please link here so my sources remain credited correctly for the information they provided for me. Thank you. 

Remember to check back to this post as more schools and educators are listed.

To find other education related posts, see the General Marlow History post listing here