Edwardian /WW1 Trinity Road Part One

 This was previously Gun Lane and at times during the Edwardian era was also referred to as "Trinity Lane".

A poor area with many homes consisting of just three rooms (two bedrooms and a kitchen come family room) and at least one having only two rooms. Piped water arrived here at the close of the 1800s but not before the only well for the residents had run dry. The road surface was not properly made up until near the end of the era. Most houses here were demolished long ago.

It is likely some residents have been missed due to the rapid tenant turnover in poorer streets. We will endeavour to add in anyone found to be missing as research opportunities permit. 

Odd numbered* properties were on the left as you came in from Dean Street. Numbers given as they were then=

1.) Richard Cook, born circa 1861, unmarried farm labourer. Richard seems to have lived in Trinity Road or in Trinity Place just off it all of his life. He was the son of Richard and Keziah Cook.

3.) In 1907 Mrs Price. Then carter Robert Bowles and his lodgers the Hall family headed by laundress Mrs Hall. After that Bertie (agricultural labourer bn circa 1885) and Jane (bn circa 1883) Bryant and their children. 

Mrs Price was PERHAPS Clara Price who lived at an unknown number in Trinity Road in 1901 with her husband Francis, a vegetable hawker, and their children. However she wasn't a widow at this point so the 1907 Town Guide wouldn't usually list her as the head of household, and the guide says Francis is in Dean Street. You would expect Clara to be with him there but this couple did go on to separate in later years so PERHAPS this is evidence of an earlier separation that didn't last. They were together in Dean Street in 1911. The couple's son Nathan died at Trinity Road aged 7 months in 1895. They had a daughter called Freedom!

A Wesley Hall, presumably of the above Hall family was in 1912 fined for swearing in his home in Trinity Road for two whole hours! It was a risky business raising your voice in Trinity Road, or swearing with the window open given the fact that the Police Station was in the same street. Prosecutions for swearing so that it could be heard outside were very common in Edwardian and Victorian Marlow. Trinity Road was a major hotspot for such offences. You definitely needed to stop up your ears if you went by.

The Bryant's two month old baby daughter Rosamond suffocated while sharing her parents bed in 1913. The potential dangers of co-sleeping were understood at this time but the benefits in most people's eyes outweighed them and it was a very common practice. A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded.

Jane Bryant was the daughter of Joseph and Charlotte Budd who will feature in the second part of my Edwardian residents of Trinity Road post as they lived on the other side of the street. Her baby daughter Rosamond was named after her sister.

5.) W Aldridge. Then uncertain others. Then Rose and George Jones and their children. This couple came to Marlow from Wooburn between 1912 and 1914. At Wooburn George (bn circa 1879) had been working at the board mills as well as assisting at times in a coal business. He admitted stealing a small piece of coal from that business and was bound over as a result. It is possible that this precipitated the family's move to Marlow. He was a private in the Royal Berkshires when he was injured in 1914 and was evacuated to an English hospital. Still resident 1915 however in the next few years the couple separated and only Rose (nee Harmsworth) and the children remained at no 5.

 7.) A Winkworth then labourer James Bowles. The latter was born circa 1855 and continued to live here for many years.

9.)William Beaver a domestic gardener /labourer, born circa 1852-54 but has a variable birthdate. Moved in to number 9 late 1901 or very early 1902. Continued to live in this tiny cottage for many years. He lived alone as he had separated from his wife Rachel (nee Stacey). In 1902 he took out an ad in the paper warning traders in the town he would no longer be responsible for any bills she ran up. They were already living apart at the time of the census the previous year. Rachel had taken the children and gone to live in High Wycombe. William was the uncle of Richard Cook, above. That is, he was the brother of Richard's mother Keziah who was born a Cook. 

11.)Rapid turnover of tenants. Charles Higgins and his wife Esther, Miss Hunt, then laundress Selina Austin (who gives her address on the 1911 census as no 6 but she can't live there as it was certainly the home of someone else at that time and her censused neighbors show her to be in fact in no 11. See the note far below about Marlow's atrocious street numbering record).

Charles Higgins was born in the early 1840s Bucks and grew up in Skirmett. He was a labourer. Esther's birthdate wanders on censuses. They moved to Trinity Road from Hayes Place Marlow between 1901 and 1907. They also lived up at Marlow Common and out at Burroughs Grove for a time. While at the latter Esther was called to give evidence at the inquest into the death of a newborn baby. The mother of the child could not afford even the cheapest midwife. These typically attended not only the birth but visited washed and dressed the newborn child for the next day or few days. When Esther heard about the mother's situation she offered to help in any way she could and said to send word to her when she was needed to attend. Unfortunately Esther fell ill at the crucial time and the mother decided she could not fairly call on her. Instead she gave birth without assistance and passed out towards the end. The child died within minutes of being born for want of attention. Another woman fetched by one of the mother's children, saw that the mother was unwell immediately after the birth but did not check on the child or stay with them because she had supper to prepare. She did return 45 minutes later but found the child dead. The coroner's jury were not impressed by her actions.

As a young man Charles Higgins spent a short time in jail for failing to pay the fine levied on in for assaulting a man helping to clear a Skirmett pub of some disorderly customers.

Selina Austin moved to Marlow some time between 1908 and 1909. She lived in Trinity Road with her children / step children. Selina was born circa 1868, the daughter of Richard and Ruth Jewell of Turville. As a young woman she worked as a servant in Henley and got into trouble for obtaining a silk blouse under false pretences. As a first time offender she was bound over rather than jailed. She married her recently widowed husband Thomas Austin in 1901. Within a matter of weeks he had deserted her and his children so Selina had to ask for poor relief. Though he returned to her he deserted again in 1908. At this point he was a rag and bone man. She wished for a separation order but he promised to return. Shortly afterwards she moved to Marlow, seemingly without him but taking her children and step children.

In 1909 her stepson Henry Austin age 15, of "weak intellect" was convicted of stealing 6d from her. She had sent him to pay for certain goods she had requested but he instead spent it on toffee and having fun in Cookham. This offence saw him ordered to a reformatory school. Soon after his return he was arrested for begging for food and jailed for 14 days. The local police inspector had found him a job but said the young man was "idle" and ended up in the workhouse, from which he stole clothes. In 1914 he was jailed again for stealing sacks from a barn.

Selina moved to Dean Street, probably by 1915, and then later went to Berwick Road.

13.) William Collins or Colyer, a council employed road scavenger and his wife Florence for most of the era followed by Henry and Emily Nash and their children. The Nash family moved here from Chapel Street. Henry was a carpenter born circa 1864. Emily was born circa 1860. Towards the end of the era Henry as a widower became the lodger here rather than the tenant and the household head was Henrietta Bidmead (nee Rockell, widow of William Henry Bidmead). Henrietta was the niece of John Lovegrove and she had previously lived with him on the opposite side of the street and therefore both these residents feature mostly in Part Two of this Edwardian Trinity Road post. Later Henry Nash moved to number 22 Trinity Road to live with his then adult and married son Reginald. 

15.) A brick and timber semi detached house with some stucco. Two bedrooms. Initially the home of John Boot (bn circa 1855), beater at the paper mills and his wife Harriett (born circa 1859), their son also called John plus Harriett's widowed sister Mary Ann Francis. The Boots were very long standing residents of Trinity Road. They paid 3 shillings 6d a week rent in 1905. Their son John became a postman.

After the Boots left Mr and Mrs Harry Bowles made it their home. Harry was already a soldier in the Royal Berkshires before the First World War and then saw active war service before his capture and retention in a German POW camp in 1917. He was held in Westphalia.

Police Station and Court (17-19) - the Sergeant and his family typically lived in. Police officers will form separate posts on the blog so are not included here. Buildings stand but in different use.

Holy Trinity Church

21.) Trinity Cottages Brick, Flint and tile two up, two down home attached to number 23. Alice Player, then Mr Smith (not the Eli Smith who appears in Part Two of this post) who was followed sometime between 1905 and 1907 by Samuel Todd, a carter born circa 1880, his wife Mary born circa 1878 and their children.

This cottage still stands.

23.) Trinity Cottages . A two up two down brick, flint, and tile cottage. James (bn circa 1859) and Annie Mitchell (bn circa 1868) with their children occupied the cottage at the start of the era along with the teenage Florence Cheetham who was cousin to James. The Mitchells, who paid 3 shillings a week rent in 1905, Were followed by  A Hickman, then Eliza Atkins and her husband James Atkins a brewer's labourer. Both the Atkins were originally of Stokenchurch. They moved into this particular house between 1905 and 1907. In 1901 they lived in Chapel Street, Marlow. Eliza was born circa 1853 and James circa 1846. 

This cottage still stands.

Even numbered properties will be in Part Two along with some Edwardian Trinity Road Residents that can't be certainly placed in any particular house number.

*Note= Marlow was beyond terrible at organizing street numbering, displaying house numbers, or making sure everyone knew what number they lived at. Some people refused to acknowledge the fact that their home had been officially renumbered and carried on using the old number. Others don't ever seem to have understood what their house's number was even after it was officially given one. Some people without moving house would give a different number for their home each different time they were asked, based presumably on guesswork. We often have to use multiple sources to repopulate an Edwardian street in this town reliably.

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

Similar Posts 

Victorian residents of Trinity Cottages Jeremiah and Emma Harding here

General earlier history of Trinity Road here

Edwardian St Peter Street here.

Edwardian Cambridge Place here

Edwardian Spittal Street and Spittal Square Part One here and Part Two here

Edwardian wedding gifts in Marlow here

Some Sources=

Marlow Town Guide and Almanack 1907 and 1915 editions. Marlow Printing Company.

South Bucks Standard 24th July 1913, South Bucks Standard 18th April 1912, . Reading Mercury 24th November 1914. South Bucks Standard 12th November 1909. All British Library Archives via the BNA.

South Bucks Standard February 7th 1902. Directly from the British Library.

Maidenhead Advertiser 17th October 1888. Baylis Media Archives.

Williams estate sale papers, copy kindly given by Adam Baxter of the Marlow Society.

Rent receipt from Jane Pullinger.

Excerpt Henley advertiser 26th June 1897.

GRO marriage Index, GRO online.

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1881-UK-Census/Slian-Jewell-1869-Turville-Buckinghamshire-Turville/45eac361-6400-40dd-968a-5910b9edb3fd/l

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1901-UK-Census/James-Atkins-1846-Stokenchurch-Buckinghamshire-Marlow-Urban/50235109-fac7-40e6-ae41-0874082aee1d/

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1901-UK-Census/John-W-Boot-1859-High-Wycombe-Buckinghamshire-Marlow-Urban/d4b375a0-a0ad-44f9-842a-51474bcabaea/

Other 1901 census information from the transcription from microfilm by Jane Pullinger.

"England and Wales, Census, 1891", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GGX-Z3Z : Thu Jan 16 07:18:41 UTC 2025), Entry for William Beaver and Rachel Beaver, 1891.

"England and Wales, Census, 1901", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9YY-186 : Thu Feb 13 03:33:37 UTC 2025), Entry for Henry Lunnon, Robert Lunnon, Rachel Beaver 31 Mar 1901.

Recreated 1920s High Street Trade Directory Part Two.

Part two= Even number businesses. Part One dealt with the odd numbers.

Compiled from adverts, street directories, property records, letters, news stories etc.

Some properties in the High Street were still residential at this period and so not included here.

Property numbers in the 1920s were not the same as those for the same properties in the 1800s due to significant renumbering. They also do not always match those of modern properties in the same spot. Additionally bear in mind that in the 20th century it became increasingly common for the name of a shop to remain unchanged even after the business was sold out of the family so that a person's name remained connected to a business long after their actual involvement or even lifetime. In this post unless stated all people mentioned were actually running the premises bearing their name.

Looking for more historic occupiers of the High Street or any other Marlow street? See our Street Index for a list of posts about the historic people and businesses of each. For the High Street this includes 1700s and the year 1833 occupier listings. There is also on the blog Marlow wide trader compilations for the 1700s, and 1800-19. Many people mentioned in this post have mentions in multiple other posts on this blog too. To find every mention of anyone please consult the A-Z Person Index on the drop down menu.

*Updated September 2025*

4. National Deposit Friendly Society. 

6-10  James Morgan and Son / J Morgan and Son Ltd drapers, mens' and womens' outfitters, milliner's, mourning clothes supplier and house furnishers. An old Marlow business. My detailed post about this business and the Morgans here. They did not live on the premises however various of their staff were given accommodation there in this period.

14 International Stores. Opened 1901 in a building that had been converted from a house and at the time had also recently been used to accommodate boarders attending Borlase school. Modern Superdrug.

16 L.H Snow (Leonard Hardy Snow) chemists. He lived on the premises with his family. This was a chemist premises for decades. Leonard was there by 1907. Also like most chemists of the day a seller of photography supplies. The shop fittings and stock were damaged in a fire in 1933. Leonard died in 1946 aged 72 in Hastings Sussex. 

The infamous Snow's Bronchial Balsam advertised in 1927. 

18 Thomas Nichols outfitter, also given as Nicholls In 1920 but he moved to 46a High Street by 1921. Thomas was born 1876. In business in the High Street by 1907. Still going in the 30s at the second address. He lived in Claremont Road.

20 George Bailey tobacconist, newsagent, stationer. In business by 1911. Born c. 1867. George also had a bicycle shop and motor garage at no 5 West Street in the 20's managed by his son Robert. The High Street business was still going in 1942 and still described as a tobacconist, stationer and newsagent.

1929 ad

22 Sayer brothers 1920-21 / Barksfield Brothers both grocers and wine merchants. In 1920 and 1921 Sayer brothers are listed at no 22 but in 1923 the Barksfield Brothers shop was there. I am not certain who was personally managing this shop, probably Joseph Barksfield. In 1942 the Barksfield Brothers also operated from number 17 High Street. They were still at number 22 in the early 1950s. Prior to the 1920s this was Bidmead's stores.

24 Clark's butchers. William Robert Clark 1920, Lizzie Clark widow 1921+ . Her son Frank was the shop manager. Long standing family business.

26 Freeman Hardy and Willis. Boots / shoes. First opened in Marlow 1901 on the opposite side of the High Street. Moved to no 26 after 1907.

28 Newman and Chalk ironmongers. My post about the history of this business (unusually for an ironmongers managed by females for many years) is here. 

30 & 32 Frederick William Rowe jeweller, silversmith & watchmaker. Made many of the trophies awarded in local events including for the regatta. He also produced a range of exclusive Marlow souvenirs. The ironmongers next door were sub contracted to repair metal items for Rowe's customers. Frederick and his family did not live on the premises in this era. They bought the shop premises in 1905 having previously rented it. Rowe retired 1946 and the premises became F Hinds, jeweller

36 R Toomer and co coal, coke and peat merchants 1920. Here by 1910. They had moved offices to Station Approach by 1927, where their yard was. They also had a coal business at Bourne End Station and were "by appointment to H.M the King" no less. Toomer had bought the coal business of Thomas Bilson Butler in 1893. This property was later used as part of number 38.

38 Henry Bolton 1920 / Albert Charles Page 1921+ both hairdressers. Albert was also a perfumer and photo dealer. He was already a hairdresser in the High Street in 1910 when he came to Marlow from his previous premises in Cambridge. Initially he was at a different premises. Albert was born c.1890. Son of West Street greengrocer and florist Hiram Page. Albert emigrated to Canada. Neither of the 1920s proprietors of no.38 lived on the premises. 

40 William Henry Goodchild grocer and tobacconist 1920. He later in the decade worked for a grocer in Maidenhead so must have given up his own shop. He lived in Little Marlow Road Marlow.

42 Wallin's dairy (and their home). By 1932 called "Harleyford Dairy".  Sold dairy, eggs, ice cream. Listed as operated by a Thomas Wallin 1915, a William Wallin 1920 and 1921 (who lived in Station Road), a Thomas Wallin 1939 and "T Wallin" in 1942. 

44 later Leo Ryan electrician, but he was still on the other side of the street in the 1920s.

46 Martin's Chemists. Edward George Martin. -In business by 1907, when it was located on the opposite side of the High Street where Harrington's hairdressers is now. By 1938 Martin's had been taken over by Mr H.C Haley but still traded as Martin's. It was still there as such in 1942. Later the name was changed to Haley's Chemists. Looks to have incorporated the property that was technically number 48 too.

46a Thomas Nichols men's outfitter, who moved from number 18 (q.v).

50 Edmund Coster grocer (born 1856, son of Edward Joseph Coster AKA Joseph the Marlow Lockeeper). Raised a congregationalist. As a young man was a grocer's assistant. He had two family members whom he may have assisted in this respect, both in West Street. Grocer Noah Bartlett married Edmund's older sister Ellen, and Edmund also had a grocer relative called Richard Coster. More on Noah here, that post also contains a link to an image of Ellen's grave. By the 1920s Edmund also had hardware shop West Street. In business here by late 1880s. In 1911 both premises were grocers ran by Edmund. Wife Mary (nee Carter). In the 1930s the Coster's expanded into number 52 next door as well. Edmund died in 1930. By 1942 and until at least the 1950s his former High Street premises were occupied by R Brown and Son grocers. 

52 Percy James Rowe office of this architect and surveyor. Surveyor for the brewery but also worked independently. In the 1930s and for a long time thereafter these premises were Coster's tobacconist. Percy lived at the house Daintree, Claremont Gardens.

54 Misses Guttridge and Udy millinery in 1920. Miss Udy was probably Florence Udy who had earlier worked as a draper's assistant. If so she lived with her parents at Woodview, Station Road. This business not listed 1915. Later it operated solely as the business of Miss Guttridge who was styled as a costumier. Florence Udy later traded independently from 17 West Street Marlow before moving to Sussex. Some residential rooms above the premises seem to have been let separately.

58 bank 

60 W.H Smith and co bookseller, stationer.

62 Reginald Higgins 1920 / Theodore Harold Greville from late 1920 or early 1921 / Norman Greville who took over in 1929 all photographers.  Before this period was Scott and Smith photographers. Norman Greville was the younger brother of Theodore and had been running a photography shop in Maidenhead. This business was also continued and sold art supplies too. Theodore also at one point looks to have operated from no 7 High Street Maidenhead. Though raised in Britain, and with an English mother, the men had a German father Adolphus / Adulfus Julius Schwanke. You can imagine that having a German last name in England during the 1st world must have been very difficult for the family. Though Adolphus had been naturalized back in 1899 he was still an object of suspicion for many. In 1918 when the family lived in a farm near Warwick 16 year old Norman (already a photographer's assistant) was fined £5 for falsifying his endorsement signature in a French "alien's" identity book. Norman altered his last name to Swunke in an attempt to seem more English. He had been told that only natural born British householders could endorse with a signature the Frenchman's identity documentation. Norman lived at home with his family so wasn't a "householder" though he may not have understood that. His friend knew him to be a British citizen and foresaw no problems with him doing a signature. Young Norman however was obviously nervous of signing with a Germanic name, so he altered his. A suspicious police officer detected a "particularly foreign" note to the name "Swunke" nevertheless and Norman was first questioned and then arrested. During the proceedings against Norman it was realized by the court that his father was a householder as he had the vote. This they found "undesirable" in a German and it was decided that they should try to disenfranchise him. Norman and all of his siblings legally changed their name from Schwanke to Greville in 1920. Norman was already living at 62 High Street then, as was his brother Theodore, two more brothers Herbert Reginald and Cecil plus a sister Dorothy as well as their parents (who did not change their names). In 1937 Norman exhibited a selection of his own educational talking films to the Rover Scouts in Beaconsfield. He helped the Allies in WW2 by performing aerial reconnaissance photography. This meant that his wife Alice (nee Hickman, m 1929) was often managing the shop. During this period they also offered picture framing. Theodore and Herbert Reginald went on to manage, one after the other, a photography shop in Watford. Cecil became a photographer in Slough. Theodore was also a miniature painter while Norman was friends with the local artist Stanley Spencer so an artistic streak ran through the family in more ways than just photography.

64 Arthur Edward Davis dairy. He was born c.1871. "Marlow Creameries". He and family lived there too at this time. Still there in 1942. A fondly remembered business. 

1929 ad

66 William B Langston boot and shoes.  Full biography of William and historic pic of premises here. Currently The Ivy restaurant. 

84 George Kendall estate agent (established 1897), auctioneer, insurance agent, newspaper correspondent, deputy registrar, secretary to the Marlow Freemasons, collector of rates. He did not live on the premises in the 1920s. By 1942 the estate agent was being ran by Mr H Clanchy though still under the name of George Kendall. The estate agency business in name at least was later located in West Street. 

90 William Henry Badger confectioner. William was also the Parish Clerk and a music tutor. A long standing confectionery business. Biography of his father who was in the same premises before him here

92-94 Catherine Sanson / Samson (Mrs) draper. Lived on premises. Born c.1878. Husband Henry was a travelling salesman for a wholesale clothing company. Moved from Essex though Catherine was a Lincolnshire girl by birth.

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

Selected sources (too many to list!):

Stock Exchange Year-book. Jamaica, n.p, 1933.

Marlow Parish Magazine 1942.

Kelly's Post Office Directory of Buckingamshire etc by Kelly's and Co Limited 1911, 1915, 1920, and 1939 editions.

Programme with adverts for King George's Cinema Marlow 1927 published by S Presbury and co.

Pharmaceutical Journal: A Weekly Record of Pharmacy and Allied Sciences. United Kingdom, J. Churchill, 1930.

 Chemist and Druggist: The News Weekly for Pharmacy. United Kingdom, Benn Brothers., 1933.

The Electrical Journal. United Kingdom, D. B. Adams., 1929.

The Book of Bungalows. United Kingdom, published by Country Life, 1926.

Auto Motor Journal. United Kingdom, Pictorial Press, 1920.

Salter, John Henry, and Salter, J. A.. Salter's Guide to the Thames. United Kingdom, Alden & Company, Limited, 1921.

Holiday Haunts in England Wales and Channel Islands, 1927, Great Western Railway.

The Bankers', Insurance Managers', and Agents' Magazine. United Kingdom, Waterlow & Sons Limited., 1922.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3100345/leo-redver-ryan/

1929 Marlow Parish Magazine.

South Bucks standard clippings from Aug 10th 1900,  Jan 20th 1910 and Jan 11th 1912.

Bucks Advertiser 13th Jan 1922. This edition from the British Library Archives via the BNA. As was The Hastings and St Leonard's Observer 1st Feb 1947 and the Leamington Star Courier 23rd August 1918.

Watford Advertiser, online edition, 7th January 2010.

"England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVH8-TCVC : 2 November 2021), Edmund Coster, 1930.

1901 and 1911 England and Wales Census. Crown Copyright.

Kelly's Directory of Chemists and Druggists ...: In England & Scotland & Wales, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. United Kingdom, n.p, 1921.

London Gazette 26th October 1920.

Bovingdon Green and Marlow Common Parochial Assessment 1833

 Updated August 2023, with additional research notes.

The next part of my gradual transcription of the original handwritten working notebooks used to compile this assessment along with related correspondence. These faded notebooks are in the possession of my family, and also contain some pencilled in corrections from the later 1830s, though not in this section. The assessment was compiled Autumn 1833 and was to be used to calculate tax rates for Marlow for the following year.

Transcribed by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this transcription with credit to this blog.

Bovingdon Green

Each occupying a cottage and garden with annual value of £4 10 shillings:

Thomas Frith [still in Bovingdon Green 1838]

Richard Fletcher

Thomas Jones

*****

Ephraim House

House and yard 

£5

*****

William Davies

House, yard, garden and woodhouse 

£10

*****

Marlow Common

Each in cottage and garden with annual worth of £4 10 shillings:

John Swadling

Thomas Mead [Described as in Bovingdon Green 1838]

William Howard [see below for another man of this name]

James Winkworth

*****

Henry Higgins [a Mr Higgins, poor man, was threatened and burgled by two men who forced themselves into his cottage home at Marlow Common in 1840. This may well be the same Higgins as here. If so his cottage was on the edge of Wolmer Heath "some three or four hundred yards from the other cottages on the Common"].

Cottage and garden

£4

*****

Each in a cottage and garden with an annual value of £5:

John Rose

Jesse Collins [ Will coming up on the blog in the next few months]

*****

Joseph Keep

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

John Blackwell [he was a blacksmith]

House, shop [this would mean workshop], garden and orchard

£9

Piece of ground on the Common

10 shillings

*****

William Howard

House and garden

£6

*****

Edward Collins [more on him including will notes here]

The Royal Oak House [pub, actually in Bovingdon Green]

£9

*****

James Martin

Cottage and garden

£5

Note: a "Mrs Butler", probably Ann,  died at Marlow Common a few weeks before the assessment. She was perhaps the widow of the "Mr Butler" who died there in 1825. Mrs Butler may have lived in one of the households above, or it may have been that one of those households was one that has just moved in to Mrs Butler's property after her death.

For more posts on either place see here

To see more of the 1833 assessment for individual streets in Great Marlow see this index

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

The Flackwell Heath Treasure

 In 1829 William Higgins a 24 year old thatcher from Well End by Little Marlow was amongst other workers repairing or pulling down depending on which report you read a tiny cottage in Flackwell Heath.

To his great surprise William found a hoard of golden guineas hidden in the thatch. Some early reports other workers found them too but later reports clarify that it was just William. The coins date from as far back as the reigns of James 2nd (deposed 1688). The exact number of them couldn't be got out of the workmen but was reckoned to be at least 700, probably in fact 2000.

William started to spend them freely. His premature death a few months later was put down to his new "dissipated" ways as he enjoyed his treasure trove. 

Further examination of the cottage revealed an old  will from a member of the Sawyer family which gave instructions as to how to find not only that treasure but others hidden in the building too. A thousand more guineas were then discovered by following those further instructions.

An "inquest" into the coins after William's death declared that William had found at least 700 coins himself. That may be the number he had left at his death. There is no detail I can find as to who was able to claim the rest or why the coins were not demanded of William immediately by the cottage's owner. Even if he did not wish to tell anyone what he had done with them couldn't he be forced to produce them sooner? And why had that will gone undiscovered in the cottage apparently for years?  Was it also concealed?

Sadly we'll probably never know. No will at the National Archives of a Sawyer is the will in question. I read them all! It may be the will was never taken to probate being so out of date.

The name Higgins or Higgens goes back a while in little Marlow but I did not see William's baptism there upon a cursory sweep of records. If I do find out more about him or the will I will upload.

Remember to check your thatch, everyone!

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

To find other posts about Flackwell, Well End and other places around Great Marlow see the post index here

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

Sources:

Newspaper copies at British Library Archives accessed via the BNA March 2021=

Sussex Advertiser 25th May 1829. 

Hampshire Telegraph 25th May 1829.

Berkshire Chronicle 30th May and 7th November 1829.

Bucks Gazette 2nd January 1830.

Gravestones in Holy Trinity Church Great Marlow

William Shorter d 1900 and Rebecca Shorter

William Higgins d May 1896 aged 77. Above. Formerly ran barges up to London but had become incompacitated 7 years before his death. He lived at death in Chapel Street with his wife and daughter. 

Mary Jane Langdon, d Sept 6 1906 aged 55,  wife of John Richard Langdon. Also their son Albert, died 23 Feb 1919 age 32, after serving with the Royal Engineers in Gallipoli and France. 

 

Sarah Everest d Aug 12th 1907, age 70. Above. 

James Gibson, d July 3, 1892 at Chapel Str aged ? years,  also Thomas Gibson his brother d Feb 14th 192? Above

Hannah Blizard d June 2nd 1896, age 70. And Mary Ann Blizard, wife of William, d Sept 14th 1910, age 82.  

Both ladies were from Hampshire originally. Hannah was not married, though as a businessman was sometimes referred to with the respectful title "Mrs". She ran a "fancy goods repository" selling largely toys and sweets in West Street. She suffered a horrific death after her clothes caught fire at her West Street home*. After this tragedy her niece Ruth (nee Blizzard but by marriage North) and Ruth's husband James North took over the business. They brought Mary Ann Blizzard, Ruth's widowed mother with them to Marlow. The William referred to on the grave had been dead a long time by then and is buried Hampshire. 

A post focusing on Ruth North née Blizzard is here and see also this post

 

Anthony Hood, d November 26th 1899 age 63 Above

William Mathews Oct 6, 1916 age 84. Also his wife Maria, d. Jan 7th 1911 age 85. Also his only daughter Annie died age 11, Sept 16th 1875. Above

William Maslin July 19 1896 age 38, Above

? Barksfield. D ? May 1909 age 37 Above

Eliza House d 20 April 1900 age 70, Above

Rebecca Salmon July 1st 1897, Above

Eliza Ann Birdseye, d November 20 1904 aged 79?

And husband John Birdseye d Dec 26 1917 age 87, Above

 As above

Above two photos, Aubrey Montague, not dated.  

Edward, dearly beloved husband of Mary Jane Swadling died 15 Oct 19?? Age 38. Above. 

A selection of gravestones, many from this graveyard have been lost in recent years, with some other graves in poor condition as happens with the passage of time. Photographs from September 2020.

* South Bucks Standard 5th June 1896. Copy held at the British Library and accessed online by me October 2020 via the BNA.

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction of images permitted with credit and link here.

Higgins Grave St Peters Roman Catholic Church, Great Marlow

 Mary Alicia Higgins of Hambledon d. Dec 20 1901

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction welcome with credit.

We aim to photograph as many currently readable graves, or partially readable ones, as possible in all burial places in Marlow. 

The Carrier's Arms and Star Of The Town, Wycombe Road, Great Marlow *updated June 2025*

Updated by Kathryn June 2025.

Historic landlord listing and history timeline: 

Licensed from 1848 with unknown name then. Was known as the Star Of The Town in the 1860s, a name which *may* have been inspired by the launch of Marlow's Star of The Thames boat in 1864 - see here

1861 - ? Possibly Charles Belcher, carrier. Nephew of the Johnsons of the nearby Plough. Or is it one of the Judge family? 

[1865 - Star Of The Town - Mrs Judge]

[1867 - Star Of The Town - Henry Judge, who is fined for opening his beerhouse on a Sunday despite Mrs Judge's efforts to throw the incriminating pints down into the cellar and out of sight. ]

As the Carriers Arms: 

1870 - John & Mary Ann Palmer.  John's parents also called John & Mary Palmer lived with them. John the son had previously been coachman to Major Henry Court at Wargrave. John junior was described as a carrier to Wycombe in 1873. In 1870 a poor "tramp" Ann Russell stole a pair of scissors belonging to Mary Ann from the premises and was sent to prison for six weeks as a result. Ann Russell had used the scissors to pay for lodgings at the Bear in Chapel Street. In 1872 a travelling man was charged with obtaining food and beer from Mary Ann under false pretences. The same occured in 1873 when a supper of bacon, potatoes and bread cost 6d plus 2d for a pint of beer at the Carriers.

1881 - John Palme

1883 - John Palmer 

1887 - John Palmer's chickens stolen from the premises.

1888 - John Palmer, also a carrier assisted by his wife Mary Ann. This year Mary Ann refused to buy a box of cigars offered to her by a customer, rightly suspecting them to be stolen.

1889 -  H Palmer then Benjamin Hughes

1891 - George B Hughes.

1892 - GB Hughes transferred premises to Thomas Munday. G B Hughes heads to The Plough. See here. He is later at the Black Lion,Well End, Little Marlow See here. 

1893/4 - Thomas J Mundy

1895 - Alfred Sarney (see also the Black Horse)

1896 - Alfred Sarney to Mr Sawyer, then to W A Shepherd then to Thomas Richards and finally Edward John Briggs. Difficulties arose from finding proprietor that was acceptable long term licensee to authorities. Such a parade of temporary landlords is quite frequent in Marlow! 

1898 - Samuel Ware 2. John Foster

1899 -  Mr Foster transferred to John Debenham

1907 -  John Debenham *Read about John's thwarted plans for his pub's closure and for a replacement in a new location in this post here

1911 -Mrs Lily Debenham, then holdover to Richard George Brant (who is used by brewery often to take over premises for a short time), followed by  James Belcher, who had moved from Chairmaker's Arms Dean Street. See here

1912  - Firstly Richard George Brant then later that year Walter Goddard.

1912-21 Walter Goddard.

1915 Sgt Smith of the Carrier's Arms is serving in the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry in Flanders. 

1928- ex farmer James Holmes originally from Pewsey, Wiltshire  took over. 

1932 -James Holmes died of pneumonia following an operation. His widow Ann(e) Holmes takes over. 

1934 - Ann Holmes to Alfred Ball

1935 - Alfred George Ball to Phillip Henry Hanks. 

1937 - Sidney Juggins 

1939 - April of that year. Margaret Juggins. Her husband was serving in the RAF at the time. As he was the one compensated for the forced closure of the pub later that year she looks to have been minding the pub for him while he was thus occupied. *Update - we have confirmed that the landlord from 1937 was Sidney Juggins*

Closed - 1939 / 1940 by authorities to reduce the number of drinking establishments in town. Last landlord Sidney Charles Juggins husband of the above Margaret. The Wethered's brewery did not oppose the forced closure as they said they had enough other premises near by. The old pub was leased for emergency housing in the 40s-50s by the Minister of Housing and Marlow Urban District Council. This ceased c1957 and the owner put it up for sale as a "lucrative" development opportunity. It was demolished late 1961 and Maple Court flats were erected on the site in 1962. 

Researched by Kathryn Day and Charlotte Day.

NOTES - Many Marlow landlords switched premises over time and their family members can often be found running other pubs locally too.  

Related Posts:

There are posts on this blog about individual families associated with certain pubs, as well as on individual pubs themselves so have a look at the Pub Related index here  & don't forget the Person Index for all mentions of someone on this blog. Find it on the top drop down menu. Thousands are listed. 

Posts about life in the neighbouring streets here

More beer sellers than bakers -Temperance in Marlow here

Lists of posts about everyday life in old Great Marlow here

SOURCES Include:

South Bucks Standard, 6 January 1893, 8 November 1895, 3  1896, Bucks Herald November 3rd 1888, each copy held at British Library archives, accessed via the BNA

1872 list of Beer Sellers, Old Bucks County Archives

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1883, 1907, 1911

Census 1881, transcription from microfilm by Charlotte Day. 

©MarlowAncestors 

Last Orders! Spittal and Chapel Street Landlord listings

UPDATED APRIL 2026 BY CHARLOTTE

Premises with an address in one of these two street are frequently referred to being in one or the other street alternately. They run into each other and the boundary was obviously more fluid than today. Occasional mentions are to Spittal Street by the name of St Thomas Street, referring to the medieval hospital that gave it's name to the area. Buildings in Chapel Street furthest from the town may be referred to as being in Chapel End, or less often Town End. Those at the junction of the two roads were technically in Spittal Square, previously known as the Common Slough. Confused yet? If the premises you are interested in isn't here, it will most likely have its own post eg The Greyhound, and two White Hart pubs . For a full list of old licensed premises, take a look at this long list on the blog here

Other pub content can be found under the Pub Related menu option in the top drop down menu. 

BLACK HORSE, Chapel Street

Given as Spittal Street nearly half the time. Also a common lodging house in both incarnations. Note: there was also a Black Horse in the parish of Little Marlow. 

1833 - William Higgins

In second incarnation:

1881 --1. Henry Rowe  (See also Bricklayer's Arms and The Bear, below) 2.George White. Age 31, wife Annie.

1882- George White 2. ( James?) David Cox

1883 - James Plumridge?

1884 - 93 James David Cox and his wife. In 1892 James refused to take some chickens in payment of beer after rightly suspecting that they were stolen.

1893 - James David Cox to William George Yates

1897 - W G Yates to A H Wright (holdover, Albert H Wright) 

1898 -A H Wright to Mr Gurney (holdover again). 2.  Alfred Sarney (see also the Carrier's Arms)

1899 - 1. Alfred Sarney 2. James Burton Shaw. In this year the Marlow Urban District Council, based upon the recommendation of the medical officer, decided that part of the premises should be registered as a common lodging house for men only. Certain alterations would be necessary to bring it to the required standards, and the owner of the premises signalled a willingness to follow through with this plan. It was indeed so registered. 

1900 -1. James Burton Shaw. 2. George Lewis. In this year the Horse got mains water for the first time. It had previously relied on a well which was considered to leave something to be desired. 

Above, the Black Horse occupied the premises that house Chic Hair in this image. 

1902 - The councils sanitary inspector reported that the condition of the premises was "much improved"

1903 2. George Lewis. 2. Thomas Lewis? proposed transfer to Joseph Ball. 

1905 -28 Thomas Blewitt took on the licence in 1905. He would be the last landlord. In 1915 Mrs Thomas Blewitt  (Emma) was mentioned as the landlady, perhaps because her husband was involved in the war though he would have been in his 50s. Thomas still kept a lodging house going in these premises after they ceased to be a pub. It was a small place at this time with no bar in its last days as a pub. Nevertheless at that time it sold 3 barrels of beer a week, which was comparable to many of the larger premises. Closed as a pub (but not lodging house) December 31st 1928 as it's  licence renewal was refused under powers to limit the number of licensed premises in an area. 

RISING SUN (Be aware of the Sun / Old Sun in Lane End too, some of the same surnames for publicans appear at both because they are common local names). Had stabling. 

1833 - Thomas Stroud "Rising Sun Public house" Common Slough (Spittal Square). Later references to the Rising Sun invariably refer to it's location as Chapel Street. The pub maybe didn't  therefore remained continuously in the same spot. 

1842 - Henry Stroud. Fined this year for selling beer before 1pm on Sunday - pubs were supposed to be closed to encourage people to go to divine service instead. Fined 40s plus 10s costs, a large amount. Henry's brother Thomas thought that the Rising Sun was a "disorderly house" causing a local nuisance and came to the trial to make a complaint about his brother's conduct. But the magistrates refused to hear a complaint made in this spontaneous way. Thomas would have to make a complaint using the proper process they said. We have found no record that he did so. Henry was "dobbed in" about the sale of alcohol during prohibited Sunday hours by William Crouch Snr. William lived in Spittal Street and had been a publican himself in the past. The buyer of the offending quarter pint - a little girl! It was not her age that made the act illegal, she was one of many children sent out to fetch alcohol for their parents every day.

1843 - Henry Stroud "The Sun beer shop" Henry Stroud, beer seller is listed Dean Street 1844 so he looks to have soon moved.

1852 - Charles Haines? [Charles Haines is at the nearby The Bear in 1851]

1859- George Haines "The Sun" ? See Lane End listings.  

1871 - Elizabeth Haines ?

1872 - "the Old Sun" Elizabeth Haines

1881 - John Soley. Wife Mary. See also Travellers Rest below. 

1889 - John Soley. 2. William Lunnon

1890 - 1. William Lunnon. 2. Thomas Plumridge (one source says George Plumridge) 

1891 - Thomas Plumridge (also bricklayer)

1892 - Thomas Plumridge left.

Alfred Higgins got a holdover for the premises then Thomas (?, possibly William) Willis in 1893.

1895 - Willis left. David (Davis?) Collins applied for a hold -over licence, which he was granted but he was refused a permanent licence. Then Edward Gould / Gold was granted a temporary holdover but it was an Arthur Bright who eventually landed the proper licence. Edward Gould said that the premises didn't meet his requirements anyway and he wanted to leave to "better himself". 

1896 - Arthur Bright transferred premises to Joseph Mallett.

1897 - Joseph Mallett gave way temporarily to William Lyons Furlong but a proposal that this hold over would be made permanent was refused. In the end John Baxter was granted the licence instead.

1898 - John Baxter. John was told in December that he needed to register the premises as a common lodging house as it was being used as such.

1899 - John Baxter transferred premises to William A Grant. Premises up for sale, after 2 years of wrangling in chancery to settle who should inherit the property, as its former owner Miss Rebecca Pim of Amersham had died. It was purchased for £625 by Mr George Weller.  Alterations were to be done to meet the minimum standards necessary for any premises to be used as a common lodging house. The new owners gave up the alcohol licence for the premises in 1900.

It looks like the former Rising operated as a lodging house in Edwardian times though not under that name.

THE CARPENTERS ARMS

Usual address was given as Spittal Street, and recently renamed The Butcher's Tap after a spell as O'Donoghues. 

Pub existed on this site 1830. Formerly bore a sign suggesting it had been established 1758 - which may well be correct. 

1841- 1843 - James Cooper, also a carpenter. Age 50 on 1841 census. 

1843- William Bavin - came from The Two Brewers (see), taking over from James Cooper. Previously a chair maker. Temporary name change that year to The Traveler's Rest when outgoing landlord James Cooper took the Carpenters sign with him and William Bavin thought that Cooper meant to use it as the name for the pub he was moving to (next door!). As it happened James stuck with the existing name, the Prince Albert, for his new premises leaving James free to use the Carpenter's Arms name after all.  

1869 - John Larkin. Also a carpenter. Wife Eliza. Carpenters tended to take on this beer house as it was equipped with a large workshop and saw pit to the rear thanks to its long association with this occupation. It also had the usual stabling there- for six horses.

1870- six sevenths of the pub sold! At the time John Larkin was paying £40 a year rent. The Wethered brewing family of Marlow who already owned one seventh of the pub bought the rest to become full owners.

1871 - 1. John Larkin (went to Fox and Pheasant, Dean Street). 2. Thomas Billingshurst.

1872 - Thomas Billing(s)hurst fined for keeping premises open on a Sunday. Had his licence endorsed. Tried to claim that the served beer found by a constable was him and his wife's lunchtime tipples and not beer to be drunk by their lodger Joe Martin or the other man found in the bar. Later that year license transferred to Joseph Rose.

1877 - 83 Joseph Rose. Born circa 1827. Wife Charlotte born circa 1827.

1883 - License transfer Joseph Rose deceased, to his widow Charlotte.

1886 - started their Slate Club. 

1891 - 1903 Mrs Charlotte Rose, as above. Son William is a barman there in 1891. Note it looks like this pub perhaps very briefly changed its name to the Prince Albert in the 1880s, the name of a (by then closed) former next door licensed premises. See below.

1906 - 1. Mrs Rose 2. Thomas Probert (grandson of Charlotte Rose He was also a carpenter and son of the former landlord of the White Lion in West Street, Mary Probert). Thomas was already assisting in the pub and living with his grandma before this.

1908 - Authorities trying to thin the total number of pubs in Marlow try to close the pub but the brewery and tenant manage to save it. There wass then, it was reported, no sleeping accommodation for travellers at the pub but they could be served bread and cheese if they wanted it.

1915 - 18 Thomas Arthur Probert. Often referred to as T.A Probert. Thomas was killed in action as a sapper in the Royal Engineers in 1918. 

1918 -1939 at least Mrs Kate Ethel Probert widow of Thomas above. In 1928 the pub was considered again for closure under plans to limit the number of licensed premises in a given area. It then sold 3 barrels of beer a week. The pub escaped the cull as credit was given to Kate for her very clean and orderly pub. She said the Arms had been in her family for around 70 years. 

1956 - A T Probert.

THE BEAR

The earliest pub to carry the name of The Bear was in the High Street on the West side but that pub was not recorded after the 1700s. By 1830 Chapel Street was the location for a new Bear. The second Bear was also a common lodging house. Landlords for this second Bear are given below.

1833 - Thomas Livings (also lodging house).

1839 - Thomas Livings (also boot and shoe maker).

1845- Joseph Pepper. He had lived in Chapel Street since at least 1833. His wife Sarah AKA Sally fined for assaulting another woman this year. See the grave of Joseph and Sally here.

1846 - Mr Pepper - described as a "Tom and Jerry Shop" e.g small beer shop. Paid some money and a pot of beer for a stolen bundle of wooden laths that year. There was suspicion he knew them to be stolen.

1847 - Joseph Pepper. Fined £2 including costs for allowing cards to be played on the premises. Though Joseph and Sally Pepper left the Bear they still lived in Chapple Street later.  

1849 - Charles Haines

1851 - Charles Haines. Fined 10s plus costs for allowing card playing in The Bear in June that year. However it was noted that Charles and the two others convicted of the same offence were all supporters of the opposite political party to the arresting constables and the stings may have been unfairly focused on them. 

1853 - George Finch. Fined £1 for having his beer house open after proper hours. 

1855- Mr Neighbour

1861 - Henry Neighbour (also a cordwainer) Was a publican in "St Peter's Street" 1851. This was the Waterman's Arms on the river front. See a detailed post on Henry and wife Catherine nee Sparkes here 

1864 - had a "dancing room"

1867 - up for sale.  

1871 - Charles Hoare (also lodging house, probably it's principle role by then).  See also The Three Horseshoes and Travellers Friend. 

1872 - Charlotte Hoar. (Hoare) Charlotte's grave can be viewed here

1874 - Charlotte Hoare. 2 Henry Rowe. That year (during Charlotte's tenancy) saw the death in a fight in the bar of one of her lodgers George Frewing. A post about this is here.

1881 - Henry Rowe. Wife Sarah died there in February age 68. Continues as The Black Horse thereafter. 

THE BRICKLAYERS ARMS, Chapel Street

1844 - James Smith [also a bricklayer]. In the same premises 1841 but not obviously a beer seller then. The name of this pub may come from his trade. In 1843 fined for selling short measures at a premises not named but this also indicates that he was already operating a pub on this site then.

1851 - Diana Smith was a beer seller in Chapel Street, premises not stated. Property records however show that she was in the same premises as James above. She was his widow. Sometimes rendered Dina / Dinah. 

1861 - Diana Smith.

1864 - Dina Smith.

1869 - Henry Rowe (see also The Black Horse). Wife Sarah.

1871 - Henry Rowe.

1872 - Henry Rowe.

1874 - Henry Rowe moved to The Bear.

1874 - To be Let, a Fuller and co brewery pub. Henry C Bartlett took over from Henry Rowe.

1875 - Mr Bartlett transferred to John Fenner. Bartlett went to The Green Man, Flackwell Heath. 

1876 - John Fenner transferred to William Lloyd.

1877 - Henry Rowe again (Moved to The Black Horse Marlow by 1881).

1881 - William Lloyd 2. Francis Enever (holdover).

1882 - Frederick James Walker.

1883 - 1. Frederick J Walker transferred licence to  John Windsor. Frederick then went to the Three Tuns, West Street.

1886 - In this year, the Bricklayers nearly lost it's right to be a licensed premises because it fell below the minimum rateable value for a property used as a public house. It was decided to make a neighbouring cottage part of the premises to raise the value of the premises, a common strategy for pubs in this situation. But this cottage was in use as a shop by Mr Savage the baker who wasn't leaving and the authorities naturally felt sceptical that it could truly be considered a proper part of the pub, partial alterations notwithstanding.

However, the owner of the property said that the cottage had been illegally sub let to Savage and they would make Savage leave. So the licence was renewed at last. 

1891 - John Windsor transferred pub to John White.

1896 - John White. Benjamin Barnes was fined 5s for "pulling about" and swearing at John White's daughter Emma who was serving at the bar that year. John came from the back and threw beer in the face of Mr Barnes, then went for the police. 

1897 - John White. Fined this year for selling beer during prohibited hours, but his licence was not endorsed. He nearly didn't get licence renewed due to this but after "much discussion" White did get it. Building was at that time recently purchased by Messrs Weller of Amersham from Brakspears. They promised to stop up back access into Marlow Field to prevent illicit visits after hours.

1906 E F Harvey transferred to James Plumridge.

1907 - James Plumridge. Serial con woman Maisy Light who lived in a caravan here and there about Marlow stole £1 from him.

1909 Albert Ernest Holder. Albert was probably later at the Black Lion 2. Edward James Carter. 

1911-21  - Charles Lloyd  (and greengrocer and grocer in the property next door, possibly accessed through pub. He was still running the shop in 1927).

1928 -Charles Lloyd then RJT Mast seems  to have it for last few months , possibly a holdover. When the Arms are first shortlisted for potential closure (see below) it's revealed Charles sells only one barrel of beer a week, and so the shop he ran provided the majority of his income. He says he'd be willing to close the shop to concentrate on the pub if it would save the licence.  Closure proposed under powers to limit number of licensed premises in an area. Closed December 31st 1928.  Premises still stand. Charles Lloyd and his family returned to live on their former pub. 

PRINCE ALBERT (Spittal Street but also given as Chapel Street given the perpetual historic confusion between the two) There was also a Prince Albert at Moors End, Lane End. 

1838 Prince Albert Beerhouse, "Chapel Street" existed. The future Queen Victoria had not yet become engaged to Prince Albert so this is a curiosity if correct. 

1841 - Robert Rockall. Had a stable which was offered as very budget sleeping accomodation to travellers passing through the town.

1843 - James Cooper. He had come from the Carpenters Arms in its first incarnation. This was next door, part of the same larger building! Wife Sarah. Fined for using short measures this year. 

1846 James Cooper. Fined once again for having unjust measures on the premises.

1851 - James Cooper.

1852 - James Cooper

1858- William Reeves. Fined for keeping illegal hours. He was also a carpenter. Wife Sarah. He was the son of Richard and Jane Reeves masters of the workhouse and later landlords of the Ship, West Street.

1861 - William and Sarah Reeves. Seems then to have been a lodging house. Sarah moved as a widow to the Ship, West Street, taking over from William's widowed mother. See here.

The Prince Albert is not included in the 1872 pub list created by local authorities. So presumably below is a new incarnation. Research ongoing!

1887 - Mrs Rose (See Carpenters Arms above). Records scarce for this "beershop"... could it be a name change for the Carpenters Arms inspired by the Jubilee which didn't stick? The Carpenters Arms and The former Prince Albert were next door premises, part of the same larger building. Once the original Albert closed the name epukd have been up for grabs again. A Mrs Rose was after all the landlady of the the Carpenters Arms in the years running up to this so this scenario seems likely. Mrs Rose had a son William and a servant servant Ellen Line at this new "Albert".

TRAVELLER'S REST 

See also Traveller's Friend, Dean Street. The similarity of name and relatively close location between the two premises has sometimes caused an accidental switching of names. They however existed at the same time, with different land lords and different associated breweries. They were different businesses. This was more of a small beershop which also took in some lodgers. The Traveller's Friend on the other hand was more of common lodging house which also had alcohol licence.

To confuse matters further the Carpenters Arms in Spittal Street was briefly known as the Traveler's Rest too, see above. 

1845 - Charles Finch. Wife Ann. In this year Ann is assaulted by a drinker there, Thomas Windsor. He is fined 20s including costs. 

1846 - Joseph East - fined for allowing extensive card playing on premises, and keeping his beer house open after 11pm. Plead guilty, 40s fine. 

1851- William Chilton

1853 - William Chilton (and marine store dealer).

1861 - William Chilton. Census enumerator calls his pub the Travellers Friend, confusing it with the Dean Street one.

1869 - William Chilton (and marine store dealer)

1872 - William Chilton  

1874 - William transfers premises to John Soley. NB Newspaper report of this calls the premises Travellers Friend, which is incorrect. The Travellers Friend was the Dean Street premised ran by the Price family at this time [Bucks Herald 10 January 1874. The South Bucks Free Press reporting the same transfer did get the premises name correct. ].

A John Soley is at The Rising Sun in 1881. 

RESEARCHED BY CHARLOTTE DAY AND KATHRYN DAY.

 We mainly focus on pre WW1 listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with.

For similar posts see Pub Related on the menu. For every mention of someone on this blog see the Person Index.

SOURCES INCLUDED:

1833 Parochial Assessment. Original working notebooks held by my family. Transcribed by Charlotte.

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory.

Pigots Directory 1844.

Kelly's Post Office Directory  of Bucks etc-1869,1877,1883, 1903, 1915 by Kelly's Directories Limited.

Census - 1861,1871,1881,1891 . Transcription by Charlotte Day.

Robson's Directory 1839

* Windsor and Eton Express, Apr 10 1875, held at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA. 

Bucks Herald 23 September 1869, 10 Jan, 15 August 1874, 26 December 1874, 18 June 1887, 23 May 1896, 13 June 1928 as above.  

South Bucks Standard July 2 1897

Also

Reading Mercury 25 July, 19 Sept 1874.

Berkshire Chronicle, 21 February 1846, 09 Jan 1847 as above.

Bicester Herald - 18 February 1881. 

1872 list of pubs and the breweries that owned them, held at Buckinghamshire County Council Archives. 

South Bucks Free Press 11th February 1858, July 2nd 1897. Both Bucks Free Press Archives.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are  very welcome to quote from or use this research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Avert Your Eyes..Bathers About!

People have always bathed in the Thames, sometimes for necessity, sometimes for pleasure. The trouble for Victorian Marlow residents was quite a lot of them liked to do so in the nude. 

If you read reports of those swimming and bathing in the river early on, often in terms unfortunately of their escape or otherwise from the prospect of drowning, it's clear they are swimming naked. Or at least the men were. It was expected and not commented on in a shocked way - it's more that the fact was revealed by statements about where their clothes were found and how the fact that they were wearing none was taken as an indication they had deliberately entered the water to bathe. This wasn't something restricted to youths and it cut across class boundaries. But as the Victorian era progressed, this changed. Mutterings begin about "bathing nuisances" and "public indecency" and it became an issue that got some people very hot under the collar indeed. 

A hygienic and life preserving exercise

Back in the late 1850s, swimming was said to be "quite the rage" among the (male) youths of Marlow. A Mr Goggs had taken it upon himself to teach a number of the boys to swim. Some of the private boys schools taught their pupils to swim, for example William Faulkner's Prospect House Academy and later Marlow Place School where swimming lessons cost a "moderate fee" in 1863.

Given that many of the boys would have grown up to work on or near the river, this sounds like a good idea. The boys' minds then turned to competitive swimming. Some unnamed gentleman thought that this craze for swimming was a hygienic and life preserving exercise and to encourage the lads, set up a swimming competition in August. There were also races for men but none for females of any age. This was the start of an annual but long forgotten sporting event that attracted big crowds. About the same time an Amateur Swimming Society was formed and they took on the organisation of the swimming races, as well as matches between two close rivals. There was a cup for the most successful competitor under 16 and other races were swam for prizes like fishing rods. In 1863 the juvenile cup was won by the ever sporty Augustus Creswell. In 1865 the annual swimming race was swam between Bisham Abbey and the suspension bridge with "many hundreds" of people watching from the bridge and along the tow path. Everyone expected Augustus Creswell to win as always but he was pipped at the last by Master Povey. Povey had a very successful day overall, as he also won the diving prize. And where were the boys diving from? Marlow Bridge! The winner succeeded by diving the greatest distance and remaining the longest underwater. Thankfully all the young men resurfaced without any broken limbs. Other names mentioned as competitors include Shaw, White, Rose and Blacksmith. The younger boys had shorter races - winners include Shaw, Gibbs and Honey.  These races continued for a number of years, and were revived in the late Victorian period. 

In 1873, the Reverend Cree wanted to create a designated safe bathing place. He knew that many used the back waters behind the mill to bathe but this was not always considered very safe. Funds were raised and a committee formed but then they hit a problem. None of the landowners owning the river bank land would give up even a small part to allow the project to be realised. So the plans came to nothing. Later that summer Dr Shone's young assistant surgeon William Henry Anderson, drowned whilst swimming in those fore mentioned mill back waters. He was 23. It was said that his death meant the poorer classes in particular lost a kind, patient and skillful friend. The jury at his inquest publicly made a plea that a proper bathing place should be provided for without delay.

Wash the London dirt away

Visitors to the town were advised to get one of the fisherman (fishing guides) to take them by punt to a suitable spot for a swim. They advised only good swimmers to attempt it, but the rewards would be worth it. Joseph Ashby-Sterry, writing a travel guide for 1874, said bathing at Marlow was a pleasure for which he would "gladly give a good part of my limited earthly possessions." It was just the thing for washing off the dust of London. He recommended bathing at the weir itself, holding on to the paddles, for an exhilarating experience. He may have enjoyed this, but he was obviously unaware of the number of people who have drowned in that vicinity. 

A perpetual infestation of nudists

In the late 1870's, the problem of nude bathing was starting to be treated more seriously. In 1877 High Street chemist Charles Miller Footitt went along to the Petty Sessions to plead with the magistrates to do something about the issue. Robert Hayes Smith seconded this and said the river banks were "perpetually infested" with those who not only bathed nude but wouldn't confine themselves to the water but were to be frequently seen running along the bank, sans clothing. The magistrates were sympathetic but could only act on the transgressors if they were bought before them. 

Six years later, a meeting was held to consider the issue of a bathing place again. If everyone had somewhere particular to bathe it could be sheltered from sight and limit the spread of our streaking friends. One of the speakers William Shone, made the good point that very many of the poorest in town had no real facilities to wash themselves properly in the summer unless they used the River, with the result the river banks were constantly covered by boys and men bathing. Everyone agreed that providing a spot for comfortable and decent bathing was a good idea, but what they could not decide was where it should be. Around 1900 Colonel Clayton offered the use of Slough Pond "near Gossmore" for conversion into a bathing pool. It would be equipped with an inlet and outlet so a constant supply of Thames Water would keep it fresh. But the work and expense involved made the Council shy away from this proposal. 

Beware the young savages of Marlow

Thames Conservancy bye laws to ban bathing without wearing a suitable costume were in force here by 1891. These rules also restricted bathing to before 8am or after 8pm. But the rules were routinely flouted. The police received many complaints, and so decided in 1891 to send a plain clothes constable duo strolling by the river to catch the offenders in action. And this they did. The police said they found a pack of boys dashing about the river banks entirely unclothed like a parcel of "young savages". They managed to round up 5 boys and they duly appeared before the magistrates. They were described as "poorly dressed lads". It is not hard to understand how unrealistic it would probably have been for their families to provide them with bathing costumes, or even a spare set of dry clothes to change into if they bathed in their others. Henry and William Rockell, Joseph Boot, George Thorpe, and William Tubb were fined 2s6d each but they were warned that a second appearance would result in a  sharp fine. General Sir George Higginson, as magistrate said it was "monstrous that ladies were deterred from walking by the river in the summer evenings" because of the risk of coming across such a group. The police should have stuck with the plain clothes approach. In 1905 some groups of boys, missing their garments, were reported to be having a riotous time in the water and on the river bank, splashing and running about. A constable in uniform attempted to creep up upon them but his helmet showed him up and the boys scattered. The constable did not catch any young savages this time! 

Progress was lacking on any public facility, but a privately owned island near Marlow Lock, the property of A G Lovell and later the High Street builder Young Lovell, was by the 1890's in use as a permitted bathing spot. It was said Mr Lovell seldom refused permission to anyone asking to use it as a base for swimming. It was secluded and regarded as a safe spot. He had generously erected a shelter there for the bathers use but after this was trashed in 1892, he restricted the use of the island for a while and introduced a small charge to use the hut. It was not manned, instead you could get a ticket to use it from the lock keeper at Marlow. It was still possible to use it at the time just before the First World War. The Boys Life Brigade had also secured a piece of land adjoining the backwater of the lock for their swimming base in 1903. Non members could get a ticket to use the facilities by applying to Mr Lunnon. This was also used unofficially by other young bathers who did not want - or could not - pay. 

Not for improper purposes

By 1900 the reports of illicit nude swimmers are a little less frequent but there were those worried about the potential for indecency during the dressing and undressing process. The Thames Conservators considered the solution was for local councils to provide wood and canvas screens not less than 4ft 6 high for people to change behind. They advised the council to take steps to make sure these screens were not used for any "improper purposes". The council noted the suggestion but took no action to construct the screening. 

I go by violence!

It was this issue of changing on the river bank that seems to have caught out Munday Dean resident William Macdonald in the summer of 1908.  He was bought before the magistrates for bathing without proper dress 300 yards from Marlow Bridge. He said in court that he had a bathing suit with him and must have been observed when only briefly nude as he was changing in or out of it. The constable who witnessed William's bathing session said he had been observed standing with nothing on, in the water and splashing himself.  He then began lounging on the river bank, still undressed, while reading a newspaper and keeping an eye on his 3 unconcerned young daughters and their three friends. At the time of his arrest William said he had bathed all over the world but had never been told it was indecent and Marlow should put up some warning signs if they thought it was. The magistrates disagreed and fined him £1 plus costs. William protested strongly and shouted "I go by violence" when forcibly removed from the court - something that took several policeman. 

But what of the ladies?

The idea that women might also want to bathe was now being considered by some. Mr John Foster wrote to the local paper in 1904 wondering why such a town as Marlow, which prided itself in facilities for visitors wanting to enjoy the river, should have no bathing place for ladies. The swimming race meeting of 1911 had events for women and girls. This was open to those living in or visiting the area between Henley and Maidenhead, and made use of the Marlow Rowing Club lawn. It ended with an "aquatic drama" enacted by members of the rowing club, entitled "Attack on the Settlers Camp". Sounds an interesting entertainment! 

A bathing place at last

 The arguments about providing any kind of bathing place were still rumbling on and 20 years of council meetings on the subject produced almost identical conclusions. They loved the idea, but not the cost of putting it together. Finally in 1912, Mr Vansittart Neale offered to provide a spot to construct a bathing space in exchange for a yearly fee. This would be accessible from the Bisham side of the river and while access from Marlow was considered best, no one on this side of the river would allow it. Mrs Taylor of Stoneyware,  threatened to ban public access to the tow path if bathing was not more tightly controlled. This was in her power to do as technically she only had to allow access to those involved in towing boats. If somewhere for swimming could be properly provided, she would however donate £50 towards the initial cost. This and a promise from the Thames Conservancy that they would ban bathing from the towpath altogether if Marlow provided a free bathing place, prompted the council to action. Tenders were sought to build a 21ft long and 8ft wide dressing hut. The bathing pool itself would be 75ft long, 20ft wide, and 3-6ft deep. The bathing hut would be on the eyot with plank bridge to gain access to it from "the new road leading to Cookham" (Quarry Wood Road). In the end a 7ft diving pool was also provided, with a 16ft long springboard (6ft projection) set 3ft above the summer water line.  

Progress on getting things going was slow thanks to bad weather but the bathing place finally opened in 1913. It had a timber and iron changing hut complete with earth closet behind. It would be open all year from 7 or 8am to 7-10pm depending on the season. An attendant was present although only in the evenings and on Sunday mornings. Boys under 12 had to leave by 7 and there was signs up reminding bathers that swimming without proper costumes or drawers was forbidden and you could only get changed within the hut. Anyone hoping to laze around on the island before or after their swim was out of luck. Loitering after coming out of the water was not allowed, nor was entry if you didn't intend to bathe personally. The Thames authorities were good to their word and banned bathing from the tow path between Marlow Bridge and Bisham Grange.

Female only bathing times were introduced in 1914, although none were on Sundays. Later the changing facilities were extended and you could pay to use boxes to store your things securely while you swam. This helped to make the bathing place self supporting as it needed regular dredging and cleaning. 

Death at the bathing place

Learning to swim here probably saved many lives. A large number of people especially children have drowned in the Thames at Marlow. Sadly even the bathing place saw a drowning in 1917. The then attendant George Higgins of Dean Street, (see note 1 below) died on entering the water to save two young ladies within the bathing place who had got into difficulties. He jumped in but never resurfaced. He is believed to have suffered a heart attack. Rose Maddox Morse, a young lady of Bourne End, who was bathing there at the time managed to retrieve the unconscious George and performed artificial respiration on him although sadly he could not be saved. Rose also rescued one of the two girls who had initially got into difficulties, with the other saved by a man who nearly drowned himself in the effort. Rose rightly recieved a medal for her bravery. Thank goodness women were allowed in the bathing place! 

This spot continued to be used until the 1950's. A proposed bathing lido for Higginson Park in 1933 never took off. 

NOTES 

1. At George's inquest questions were raised about whether he had rightly been appointed. Although he had been a strong swimmer at one point, he had suffered a paralytic stroke 18/19 years before which had left him with a limp. He had told those responsible for appointing him that he was confident he could swim across the bathing place 4-5 times if necessary.  They did not ask him to prove this. It seems his death of a heart attack could not be foreseen though. He was only 59. Some of the witnesses criticised the fact that the life preserver was only half filled with cork and had no rope attached. They said Mr Higgins had complained about it. The council denied he had raised the issue. 

Related Posts

Little lives lost in The Thames here

Bellows, bricks and brandy - reviving the drowned here

The Sorry Youth of Today - 1896 style here

Biography Robert Shaw, king of the river here

All mentions of an individual here can be found under the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. For more posts related The Thames, see the River sub category under the General Marlow History section of the same menu. 

SOURCES

Ashby- Sterry, Joseph. Tiny Travels. (Tinesley Bothers, 1874)

Taunt, Henry - A New Map of the River Thames from Oxford to London (Taunt, 1872)

Grace, William G, Outdoor Games and Recreations: An Encyclopaedia for Boys. (Religious Tract Society, 1892)

South Bucks Free Press August 26 1859. Copy from the British Library, and accessed via the BNA. 

A Guide To Marlow 1905, anon. 

Royal Humane Society - For the Reviving of Persons apparently dead by drowning -( R.H.S - London 1783) 

South Bucks Standard August 15 1863, August 21 1891, September 16 1892 April 6 1900, May 29 1903, January 15 1904, August 4 1905, 26 July 1907, June 26 1908, June 17 1910 , July 18 1912 as above

Reading Mercury August 15 1863, June 23 1917, as above

Berks County Paper July 22 1865, as above

Bucks Herald - August 2nd 1873, June 23 1877, August 22 1891, February 10 1933, as above

Maidenhead Advertiser September 6 1911, as above

Researched and written by Kathryn Day

©Marlow Ancestors.