Lane End Schoolmaster Henry Harman

Henry Harman was the schoolmaster of the school in Lane End, then part of Great Marlow, for over 30 years.

He was born in West Wycombe according to the census (or Lane End or Great Marlow according to his obituary) in 1825. 

His obituary [South Bucks Standard 18th May 1906] states that Henry was a genial, generous man who would willingly give flowers from his beautiful garden to anyone who wanted them if they only asked. It also said that Henry played the cello during church services at Holy Trinity Church, Lane End when younger as well as being in their church choir. The obituary stated that in his church cello playing he was accompanied by his wife playing the harmonium but which wife was meant I am unsure as Henry married 3 times.

The first marriage was to Mary (nee Meakes) who was the Infants schoolmistress at the Lane End school. When the couple retired from there Henry switched to being a dealer in petroleum and benzoline. 

Sadly Mary died in 1874 as the result of a horrific accident in relation to some stored benzoline at their home. Mary found herself engulfed in flames when some of the stored benzoline exploded when she was right by it. What caused the ignition was not discovered. Though neighbours gave the screaming Mary immediate medical assistance she died of her injuries the next day. She left behind a son Henry (also known by his middle name John) aged 14 and daughter Ellen aged 8. 

The next year Henry married at Lane End Jane Rhoda. She was the widow of William Hiatt of Wycombe Marsh.

As some point between 1875 and the 1881 census Henry became an iron founder but continued to deal in flammable oils for many years afterwards. He owned his own property in Lane End by 1891.

Jane Rhoda died in 1896 and Henry married a Harriet. Perhaps their joint love of gardens drew them together as Harriet was herself a prize winning fruit and flower grower at local shows.

He died in 1906. His obituary stated that prior to his death he had been bed bound for 8 months and in poor health for 2 years. I see that he had an allotment however well into old age.

Henry's daughter Ellen (by marriage Butler) grew up to be a schoolteacher herself at Church Stretton.

Written and researched by Charlotte Day. 

See:

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1869.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

1700s Dean Street Residents - updated

UPDATED March 2024

I glean every possible will and property record to gather the names of those who lived in Dean Street, in the 1700s. The date next to each name is the date on which I find reference to them at Dean Street but they may have been there earlier and later. This post is for occupiers not owners of property. In most cases in the 1700s the two are not the same thing.

Most properties were on the Trinity Road side of the street in those days. None of these old buildings survive.

Those listed will be heads of households. Finding where anyone lived in the 1700s is very hard unless they were gentry. I hope this listing proves useful to you. For more Dean Street content or to see other 1700s street listings for Marlow use the "Specific Shops, Streets, Etc" option on the blog.

William Alce. Tenant 1717. See Ambrose Thompson below. William may be the William Alce Senior who died in 1727.

Edward Bailey junior. Tenant 1718. An Edward Bayley tenant 1727 too. May be same man.

William Bowles. Tenant of cottage 1795.

John Davids. Tenant 1718.

George Deane. Tenant 1717. People of this family name owned Dean Street property in the 1600s.

Robert Deane. Tenant 1735.

John and William Dormer. Renters of a cottage which they seem to have jointly occupied. 1742.

William Former. Tenant. 1755. Could this be incorrect rendering of William Dormer as above?

Edward Fryth / Frith. Tenant 1718. Previous tenant was Thomas Fryth / Frith. Historically common Dean Street family name.

Francis Frith. Tenant. 1780.

John Goldsmith. Tenant 1792.

Christopher Harding 1737. Tenant. Same cottage Thomas Stoppe was in in 1727. No longer there 1750. Christopher married Elizabeth Bye in Marlow in 1708.

James Harding. Tenant 1792.

Thomas Harding. Tenant of a cottage 1793.

William Harding. Tenant 1780. 

Robert Harmon. Tenant 1755.

Thomas Harris. Occupier 1750. Same house Christopher Harding lived in in 1737 and Thomas Stoppe in 1727.

Joseph Hick. Tenant of a cottage 1793.

Widow Hickman. Tenant 1717.

James Price. Tenant of a cottage 1742.

Widow Smith. Resident 1727.

David Standing. Tenant 1718.

Thomas Stoppe. Tenant of a cottage 1727. Same property Christopher Harding and Thomas Harris later occupied.

Mary Stroud, widow 1718. Previously this property was occupied by Edward Stroud. There were still Strouds in Dean Street in the 1800s.

Ambrose Thompson. Tenant 1717. Next door to William Alce. Ambrose and a William Alce (who may be an older William Alce than the 1717 tenant) both hired bays of a barn off Quoiting Square back in 1690. Ambrose still hired a tiny plot of land near that barn in 1735. Though involved in husbandry he was principally a blacksmith with a forge in the High Street. He died in 1744.

Ann Webb, widow. Tenant of home 1793.

Robert Wiggington. Tenant of a cottage 1795. This is another long term Dean Street name.

John Wilks. Tenant 1718.

My long length Recreated 1700s Trade Directory for Marlow and Little Marlow is here.

1700s residents lists for Oxford Road, Quoiting Square, High Street and Chapel Street are also available on this blog. Find them under the menu option "Specific Shops, Streets...Etc" here. You will also find on that menu other Dean Street related posts from all eras.

All mentions of someone on this blog can be found under the Person Index.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

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

1700s Quoiting Square People

The following occupied property in Quoiting Square, or Quoiting Place as it was then known, during the 1700s. Dates next to each persons entry are for when I know they were in Quoiting Square. Most of those listed did not own the properties they occupied. I have noted owners here only when they have a family link to the occupier. In some cases who owned the property is unknown to me. It is usually impossible to know exactly which property is being referred to- but I am working on it! Finding names of 1700s residents anywhere is very difficult. The fact I have any at all for any street in Marlow is down only to years of research. I'll never be able to find everyone but along with Kathryn I'll give it my best shot!

1700s residents of Chapel Street are available here and Dean Street here.

Mrs? Allen renting house and garden 1797.

James Biggs- 1717 occupier of a property.

John Butler. Part occupier of a cottage 1729. Robert Johnson occupied the other part. The cottage was owned by John's relative Robert Gray the Elder.

Richard Bye. Tenant of a property 1792.

Charles Carter. Occupier of a property but not it's owner 1729.

Sarah Davis. Tenant of a property 1792.

Thomas Gray. Occupier of a property 1729. Property owned by his father Robert.

Thomas Harmon, bargemaster. Owner and occupier of a house 1717 to death 1721.

Samuel Harmon. Resident of house adjoining the Salem Chapel 1796.

Roger Howard. Tenant 1717.

Robert Johnson part occupier of a cottage along with John Butler 1729. 

John Lattemore, brewer. Rented part of "the great cellar near Quoiting Place" 1739. This "Great Cellar" intrigues me but sources are thin. It had an ownership which was hazy and which caused legal dispute at least once. It seems anyone who could get down to it might use a corner! I think it was on the North side of West Street and was under multiple properties.

John Phillips occupied a cottage 1717.

George Rackstraw tenant of a two bedroom cottage and yard 1785.

Mary Stiles, widow. In 1717 occupied a home owned by her brother Thomas Harmon. He left this property to her in his will which was proved 1721. After her life it was to go to her son Richard Stiles. This may be the Quoiting Square property a John Stiles left in his will written 1751 to his relative Richard Smith.

James Toppall occupier of a property 1717.

John Topp. Tenant 1717.

The majority of this information comes either from wills I have ordered from the National Archives and transcribed, has been extracted from scouring property related documents from the Centre For Buckinghamshire Studies or has been extracted from auction reports, court cases or personal letters variously held. It is likely I have more people to add as my research notes are still largely unsorted.

1700s street listings for elsewhere in Marlow will be provided when time permits.

To search for people of interest on the blog use the Person Index option on the drop down menu. For more Quoiting Square content try the Specific Shops, Streets Etc menu option.  

For landlord listings for historic Quoiting Square premises see here 

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