From Work-House to Convict Ships - The Brothers Frith

Today's subjects are three young boys who caught my eye amongst the many young residents in the Great Marlow Workhouse in 1841. Charles, Alfred and Abraham Frith aged approximately 15, 13 and 9.  The two eldest are our focus here. There were a number of other Friths resident there then.  Young Charles and Abraham were the sons of John and Maria Frith, and most likely Alfred is their brother baptised 1827. It appears the boy's mother Maria was dead. Their father was not, but he was not with them in the parish house. It was not unusual for children left without a mother to end up in such a place, but sometimes this was only a short lived experience until perhaps the father remarried or another relative could help care for the children. At other times a child or two from a large poor family might be taken in temporarily to relieve the pressure on the household budgets if the breadwinner was out of work. In the end the same reason is behind every admission to the workhouse: poverty. At this time the work house managers were the Reeves, who you can read about in a dedicated post from Charlotte here. The buildings of the former still remain in Munday Dean Lane, just beyond Berwick Road.

Some of the workhouse residents would go on to better things and never return there but unfortunately they were the minority. And none of our three young men were amongst those fortunate few. Abraham reached adulthood but seems to have died young after numerous minor brushes with the law mainly for vagrancy, and just after finishing a 6 month sentence for robbing a cottage in Rotherfield Greys. And both Charles and Alfred would end up as convicts sentenced to transportation. 

Charles goes sheep stealing

Charles received his first conviction for sheep stealing when he was around 16. I'm unsure of his sentence then but it was likely several months in gaol. A youthful age was little defence in the eyes of the authorities. 

To be caught a second time was extremely serious. Charles would have known this as several Marlow men had already been sent to Tasmania as result of the two strike rule. 

Unfortunately in December 1846 Charles and his friend 17 year old Charles Lomax decided to pay a visit to Little Marlow of an evening. While they were there they caught and killed a sheep belonging to farmer William Simmonds of Monkton Farm, butchering it near the scene (more on Monkton Farm and the occupants of it in Charlotte's post here). This was a common practice as it was easier and more discreet to cart away cut up meat than to drive sheep away through the lanes. They did not remove all of their bounty straight away but took some back to Marlow and hid the rest in a bag amongst some bushes. They probably thought it safer not to be carrying too obvious a load all at once. I have read accounts of hundreds of local poaching incidents and this gradual extraction of stolen meat seems quite common, despite the obvious risks of constantly returning to the scene! Frith took some of his share back to John Badger's beer-house in Chapel Street, Marlow where he was probably lodging. He asked the daughter of the house, Jane, to cook him some of the mutton for his dinner. Most recovered stolen meat ends up sold to the likes of butchers and beer houses prepared not to ask too many questions. Eating some yourself, except some of the offal, was less common it seems. It doesn't mean those stealing it weren't hungry but may be because the sold meat could generate more food if  the profit was then invested in cheaper ingredients. 

The two men were seen near the farm but not immediately with any sheep so although their presence was noted as somewhat unexplained, they were not instantly challenged. Later the sheep were missed. A search for them found a skin marked with "S" for owner Simmonds in a copse adjacent to the farm. Aaron Simmonds, the nephew of farmer William, was the one to make this discovery. He said the animal had been badly - that is unprofessionally - butchered,  and the mark was partially obscured so he could not positively identify it but unfortunately for the Friths, the other witnesses could. The skins, always marked, were usually left behind as they were the most incriminating evidence to be found on your person. A more thorough search uncovered the Frith's bag of stolen meat. After some consideration about the best thing to do it was decided to return the bag to its hiding place and watch, with the aid of one of the parish constables, to see who would come back to claim it and in doing so proclaim their guilt. The brothers were therefore observed as they pulled the bag out of the hedge and were known by name to those watching so escape was unlikely. They were not however arrested immediately, perhaps it was the intention to follow them a little in case they lead the way to any other accomplice. If so this was ruined when Richard Clark, engaged in hedging near the copse, was seen by the Friths during their exit. They were clearly surprised, and now carrying a suspicious bag, they panicked and immediately began to run. Richard called out for them to stop, declaring that he knew them well so fleeing  was pointless although he said the latter to their fast disappearing backs. Of course they did not stop, but ran towards Great Marlow. It was now rapidly getting dark and perhaps they hoped any identification would be vague. Then about three quarters of a mile from Little Marlow and in Marlow Fields their flight ended in the arms so to speak of Marlow Parish Constable Richard Davis. He had been alerted about the thefts earlier. He saw Lomax first, who was searched with nothing untoward found upon him. Frith, slowed down by carrying the bag, had now caught up, but on hearing Davis had tried to drop the incriminating bag. As it was now dark he might have hoped this action would not be seen, but in the quiet, it was heard. A knife and cords (for tying animal legs) was found on Frith, and Davis soon found the dropped bag as Frith had had no real opportunity to hide it. With the help of Parish Constable Thomas Walker,* the two were taken into custody. 

They appeared before the magistrates which at that time met in a hired room in the Crown hotel. They were then sent to Aylesbury Gaol to await trial at the Quarter Sessions. The verdict was inevitably one of guilty for both men. The Berkshire Chronicle described Frith as a "notorious thief and sheep stealer" on his arrest although it appears he was suspected of being involved in more offences than he was ever convicted of. Lomax did not have a previous conviction for sheep stealing and so he received a 12 month prison sentence. But things were quite different for Charles Frith. A previous conviction meant an inevitable sentence of transportation, in this case for 10 years. Of course this was the same as a life sentence in many ways. I can find no evidence that Charles Frith ever came back to Marlow. He was transported on the convict ship Eden under Captain Murdoch, which left on the 30th September 1848 and arrived in Hobart, Van Diemens Land on the 21st January 1849.

Alfred Frith Follows 

Charles may have beaten Alfred to the convict ships, but it was Alfred who had actually troubled the courts for longer. 

In 1843 the Union Workhouse at Saunderton was opened to replace the local workhouses. Before long Alfred would be only too familiar with its interior. He was there in 1844 when he was accused of damaging the stove inside, alongside another youth. The boys defence was not recorded in the sources that I found. But their efforts were rewarded with 2 weeks in prison. It appears he flitted in and out of the workhouse, presumably between periods of employment. 

In 1846, Alfred was back in the Wycombe Union house. But not I suspect very willingly! For before long he was wanted on the charge of absconding from the place. Alfred was far from alone in making his escape without obtaining official permission. He was supposed to get clearance if he wished to leave for a range of specific purposes eg to look for work or attend a funeral. Or he could give notice of his intention to leave but the authorities would want assurance that he could support himself if doing so (and legally.) The other problem was that Alfred had left wearing a set of clothes belonging to the union. This was regarded as theft. He did not remain at large for long as he was picked up on suspicion of begging (he argued that he was in fact selling combs) and so arrived before the magistrates to receive a 2 month prison sentence. On his arrest he was described by one source as "notorious" but it seems that like his brother, he was suspected of involvement in more petty crime than he was actually convicted of. Those like Alfred who spent at least some time as an itinerant seller were often treated with much suspicion. 

Alfred saw the magistrates again early in 1847 for vaguely described "misbehaviour" in the Wycombe Union Workhouse. He had a co accused, and both were sentenced to 6 weeks imprisonment. It's fair to say Alfred was not going to settle quietly into life in such a place. 

Alfred's official job was as a tailor. But it does not seem he had much luck with maintaining this employment! 

In 1848, 20 year old Alfred would get into much more serious trouble. He had previously served a months sentence for a theft of turnips from a field in 1845. Now he was found guilty along with a 22 year old accomplice James West, of stealing three heifers from Benjamin Reeves of High Wycombe. Theft of livestock was not treated lightly, and although both plead not guilty, the case was regarded as an open and shut one. They were sentenced to 7 years transportation each. James West was quickly transferred to the Defence Hulk at Gosport to await a space in convict transport ship. Rebellious Alfred stayed initially in Aylesbury Gaol but his conduct there was regarded as "troublesome". It was considered that he was "unfit" to be put in solitary confinement so he was transferred to the larger and harsher Millbank prison in London in late 1849. The prison suffered a severe cholera outbreak shortly afterwards and a number of inmates were transferred to a "convict station" or temporary prison at Thorncliffe Barracks in Kent. He was still there at the time of the 1851 census. It could take some time for convicts to leave. I have not been able to trace which ship he left on (records are not complete) but I will update this post if I recover this info or any further information. 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Other posts related to Great Marlow convicts, and law and (dis)order can be found in the index here

Life at Great Marlow Workhouse 1775-1843 - here and life at the Wycombe Union workhouse at  Saunderton for Marlow residents here

To find all posts mentioning a family or individual here, see the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There's over 6,000 people listed there. 

*More about parish constable Walker here

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Sources include:

1841 census and parish register transcripts from the microfilm and originals by Jane Pullinger 1970. 

Bucks Advertiser &Aylesbury News, November 1846,  January & March 1847, February 1849 - British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA Partnership. 

Bucks Gazette February 1845 & 1847, as above

Bucks Herald September 1849 & January 1850 as above. 

Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette January & February 1850

Berkshire Chronicle December 1846, as above. 

The National Archives (TNA) : HO 11/15, pp.333-347

Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/15, Page Number 333 (168)

© MarlowAncestors

Harman's Chemist

Bernal Harman was a chemist with a shop in Market Square / Spittal Street Marlow in later Victorian and early Edwardian times.

He was born in High Wycombe in 1846. His full name was Bernal Osbourne Ralph Harman. His unusual first name comes from his godfather Wycombe M.P Ralph Bernal Osbourne, who in turn had it in the family as he was paternally of Jewish ancestry. Bernal Harman's father Charles, a solicitor and Mayor of High Wycombe was a political ally of the Liberal M.P.

Our Bernal had a privileged but tragic childhood, losing his mother Ellen (née Tatem) in his third year and his father in his ninth. He appears on the 1851 census living in Easton Street High Wycombe with his widowed father Charles and siblings plus two servants. Bernal still lived in Easton Street in 1861 this time with his older brother John but by 1868 he was married and operated his own "family chemist" in Magdalen Street Glastonbury, Somerset. From there he mixed up his own tooth powder guaranteed to give you a winning smile for life.

Then, by 1870, he moved his shop to Park Street, East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. His advertisements in local papers bear the legend that he was the chemist for the royal household at Osborne at this time. But he must have struggled as he appears in court reports as a debtor and he went into liquidation there in 1871. Finally, in 1881 Bernal and his wife Ellen (née Duckett, married Somerset 1867) and their children moved to Marlow so that Bernal could take over Banbury's Chemist and Druggist in Spittal Street.

As well as being a chemist his shop acted as a parcel agents and Bernal was one of the principle movers and shakers behind the establishment of a Literary and Scientific Institute in the town.

In 1891 Bernal faced serious trouble when the landlady of the nearby Wheelwrights Arms in Spittal Street, Mrs Lucy Jeffs, died after taking an opiate based sleeping draft which he supplied to her. The doctor and surgeon who attended her before her death suspected that the draught contained more opium than Bernal claimed and had poisoned her. A post mortem revealed that taking opium had brought on her death but that she was about to die anyway. She was a consumptive of long standing and very close to death from that. She asked for the draught because she was in too much pain to sleep. The expert opinion was that as her condition had deteriorated significantly the normally safe dose Bernal insisted that he gave her was not a dose she could withstand in her condition and made her exhibit symptoms of overdose. It is likely that he did not realise how much nearer to death she had become in the hours before he handed the sleeping draught to her young son in his shop. The inquest jury recorded a verdict of homicide through misadventure. Bernal seems to have escaped further scrutiny as far as our research can so far find. The verdict meant that Bernal had while acting lawfully and without intent to do harm nevertheless caused death. 

Above 1905 ad. Sole proprietor of the  "Carrington Bouquet" refers to a locally created perfume with a contentious history - see here for more. 

Bernal died in 1906 following a long illness. His wife Ellen survived him and lived later at 15 Claremont Road. She died there in 1921 age 72. Their son Henry "Harry" Harman fully qualified as a chemist and druggist in 1896-7 and had already taken over the day to day running of Bernal's business before Bernal's death though even afterwards for a while afterwards the name above the door still said "Bernal Harman".

Harry supplied bandages and disinfectant to the local council. He continued to act as a parcel agent like his father had done, as well as being a chemist. He was a successful rower for Marlow Rowing Club in his spare time. He married May Flint from West Street. Sadly, he died aged just 45 in 1920.

Written and researched  by Charlotte Day. 

Related posts:

For other posts about specific shops/businesses and other content related to Spittal Street see the index here

Information on other chemists and pharmacists in Great Marlow plus apothecaries, surgeons and other medical related posts see the index here

Index of biographies of other individuals connected to Marlow here

For every mention of an individual or family here see the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There's more than 4,000 people listed there. 

Some sources:

Kelly's Directory of Buckinghamshire etc 1883 and 1907. Kelly's Directory of Hampshire 1880. Kelly's Directories Limited.

The Post Office Directory of Chemists and Druggists: Containing Lists of the Chemists and Druggists Throughout England, Manufacturing Chemists, Wholesale Druggists, Patent Medicine Vendors and Manufacturers, and Every Trade in Connection Therewith. (1870). United Kingdom: Kelly. 1885 edition also.

1851 census High Wycombe and 1881 East Cowes via Rootspoint.

The Pharmaceutical Journal Volume 51 printed by J Churchill. 1921.

The Chemist And Druggist. February 10th 1906. 

South Bucks Standard 12th Feb 1897 and 6th March 1891. Bucks Gazette 4th April 1846. British Library Archives via the BNA.

The Weekly Notes. United Kingdom, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales, 1877. Via Google Books.

"England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DK3-W4K : 13 December 2014), Bernal Osborne R Harman, 1867; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1867, quarter 1, vol. 5C, p. 814, Wells, Somerset, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. 

Bucks Free Press 27 June 1921. 

Colonial Meat Stores, Spittal Street

 Colonial Meat Stores opened in Spittal Street premises by 1891. They may well have been the first tenants of the premises which were built in 1883. Proprietors Frank and Caroline Baker lived at 4 Queen Square High Wycombe where they had another branch of their business. Colonial meat was usually cheaper than British meat though the public generally had to be convinced it was of equal quality. There was also a colonial meat store ran by Albert Fleet in West Street. See those premises and read more about Albert here.

Frank and Caroline took out a flurry of ads in the early days of their business advertising their bargain beef, mutton and lamb.

A few days before Christmas 1892 a poor woman of nearby Dean Street bought two pennyworth of meat from them but had nothing to serve with it to her husband and eleven children because of the family's great poverty. Her husband's trade of shoemaking was in the doldrums. He went into the fields near Holy Trinity church to see if the owner Emmanuel Plumridge* would give him some turnips. He did not see Plumridge but took the turnips anyway believing he would not have been refused them if he had been able to ask for them. A constable caught him however and sent the matter to court. Emmanuel said too many turnips were being taken from his field but he did not want the man dealt with with any harshness. The magistrate fined the accused a token shilling, which was paid by a compassionate person in the court. 

Centre, the former Colonial Meat Stores, occupying the left and central portion. 

Frank Baker died young in 1896 but his wife continued to run both branches of the stores until at least 1899. Subsequently it was run under the same name by the Wise family then Grace & Co. 

Above, advert 1907. 

*Emmanuel was a grocer and farmer who lived in Spittal Square.

Find more shop histories or Spittal Street specific posts on this index

Thousands of Marlow people are listed on this blog. Look for anyone you are interested in on the Person Index on the top drop down menu. 

Sources included:

1891 census England and Wales, my transcription. 

The London Gazette. (1896). United Kingdom: T. Neuman.

Bucks Herald 24th December 1892.

Marlow Almanack and Directory 1907. 

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction welcome with credit to this blog for family or local history purposes.

Moor End Murder

 28th March 1891. 

Charlotte Cooper, an unmarried woman in her early 40s, left her little cottage at Moor End near Marlow to go on a trip to High Wycombe. She shared her home with her parents Henry and Jane. 

Henry was aged 67 and still working as an agricultural labourer. Though he had been born in nearby High Wycombe he had for some years lived in Bourton On The Water in Gloucestershire and as such was known as "Gloucester Cooper" in the hamlet. He worked at Moor End Farm, probably specifically as a cowman. Seven or eight years previously he, while suffering from sunstroke, had fallen off a hayrick. Since then he had suffered from bouts of dizziness and a "bad head". His wife Jane, in her seventies, suffered from an illness that rendered her paralysed and confined to her bed. She could speak but could only eat with a spoon. On the day in question she was in her bed, while Henry sat smoking his pipe downstairs. He had been able to lead the cows out that morning but his "bad head" was troubling him he told his daughter.

Charlotte was not overly concerned however and left for High Wycombe. Charlotte would say later that Henry was a patient and uncomplaining carer for her mother despite Jane accusing him of not doing anything for her and not really liking her. It seems these feelings were caused by her illness rather than reality.

When she returned, not receiving a reply from her father and puzzled as to why she found his boots set aside and hat on a chair if he was not in, she went upstairs to find him in the bed slightly conscious and covered in blood and her mother lying dead beside him. Henry had cut her throat with his razor, and then stabbed himself in the abdomen and throat in an attempt to commit suicide. She ran to a near neighbour Mrs Grimsdale, landlady of the Black Boy pub, who went to fetch the police while Mrs Grimsdale's daughter remained with Charlotte, comforting her. Dr Francis Culhane came up from Marlow to attend the scene.

Barely alive, Henry was taken to the Marlow Cottage Hospital. Dr Culhane said that Henry became very violent there and it was considered necessary to use the straight jacket in order to attempt care of his injuries. 

The inquest into her death was held at the Moor End farmhouse. The jury reached a verdict of willful murder against her husband. A few days later he died and another inquest was held for him this time at the Cottage Hospital.

Charlotte Cooper was the main witness in both enquiries.

That madness tended to run in families was a strong belief in later Victorian Britain so inevitability the mental health of the wider Cooper family was inquired into. Charlotte could not tell the court much about her father's side of the family but she admitted that she had a brother who had died in an insane asylum (perhaps her brother Thomas, she had half brothers too from either an earlier marriage or earlier relationship of Jane Coopers).

Her near neighbour Sarah Humphries testified to hearing Charlotte scream and run out of the house after she came home. She also saw her leave in the morning, helping to prove Charlotte could not have killed her parents herself as did the testimony of William Plumridge junior who delivered bread to the house while Charlotte was out. He spoke to Henry, making him likely the last person to see him alive. Henry looked "strange" he said and in answer to enquiries about his wife said that he feared that she would never be well again. Dr Deane of Hambledon who had visited the Cooper's earlier in the year said Henry had become "weak in the head". 

Some of the inquest jury members donated their fees for serving to the Cottage Hospital.

Related information: 

Biography of Dr Francis Culhane: 

here

Other posts relating to the Moor End/ Lane End area of Great Marlow Parish here

Index of crime related posts: here

All mentions of a person or family here can be found in the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

Sources:

South Bucks Standard 3rd April and 10th April 1891. Buckinghamshire Examiner 8th April 1891. Bucks Herald 11th April 1891. All British Library Archives via the BNA.

"England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG27-CXN : 9 November 2019), Charlotte Cooper in household of Henry Cooper, Bourton On The Water, Gloucestershire, England; citing Bourton On The Water, Gloucestershire, England, p. 49, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7GZ-TCT : 3 March 2021), Henry Cooper, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer, April 11 1891,/Slough reference library. 

Crilly Grave Marlow Cemetery

In Loving memory - Hugh Gladstone Crilly who died March 1st 1919 age 39 years.

Hugh was an Inland Revenue Officer for High Wycombe in the 1915 Kelly's Directory.

His wife was Mary Domell, granddaughter of the New Zealand Prime Minister Alfred Domell.

This grave is in Marlow Cemetery.

For other grave photos for Great Marlow, Little Marlow and Hurley see this index.

All mentions of an individual on this blog can be found by consulting the A-Z index in the top drop down menu. 

Photo and transcription by Kathryn Day, research by Charlotte Day.

 ©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction welcome for family or local history purposes, if you credit this blog and link here. 

Webb's Gang Of Marauders

 In the 1820's Great Marlow and the country about was in a state of terror to quote one newspaper of the day. The neighborhood was the victim of a prolonged crime wave encompassing house breaking, robbery, and sheep stealing to name a few. Householders were aghast at the seeming impunity with which the criminals were able to conduct their business. It seemed no one was safe from their attentions, whether a shop keeper or a wealthy landowner. 

Rumours and counter rumours circulated but the conclusion generally reached was that a good number of the crimes were very professionally done and quite possibly the work of one determined and prolific gang. Some thought they were from London, others from Reading, but the truth was unfortunately a little closer to hand. 

Webb's Gang

Webb's gang of marauders, or Webb's banditos as they were generally known, consisted of a large number of men. It is doubtful we can ever be sure of the identity of all the members. Some also worked independently at least some of the time but it was as a "frightful confederacy" that they aroused the most fear. The Webb of the title refers to the supposed ringleader Richard Webb of Cookham Dean, whose brother Thomas was also heavily involved as well as other relatives who participated in a more minor way. The other principle member was blacksmith James Ayres (Earis, Ayris,Eyres) of Handy Cross but there were many others.

Stolen To Order

Richard Webb said he was born in Mapledurham. He certainly worked Oxfordshire as well as Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. James Ayres in his respectable day job as blacksmith was the one responsible for scouting a number of properties for nefarious purposes. He was called upon to do jobs at many of the large estates in the area, including that belonging to significant Marlow landowner Sir William Clayton at Harleyford. James had an excellent reputation as a craftsmen and was often called back to do more work by his satisfied wealthy clients. Unfortunately while on the estates, James took the opportunity to assess the best way in and out, and what livestock would be available to liberate. The gang had a particular interest in meat for reasons that will soon become clear! It is likely that James used his smith skills to provide the tools of the housebreaking trade that were later found in the gangs possession. 

Richard had a barn at Cookham Dean, which was used to store much of the gangs tools and ill gotten gains, in pits under the floor to protect them from casual notice. These hiding places were partially uncovered during a thorough search after his eventual capture but it's telling that some of them were only discovered when a gang member revealed their location. Money was also found under the floorboards of his home. Richard worked, amongst other things, as a carrier of goods between Maidenhead / Cookham, and London. This provided him with the perfect cover for frequent trips to the capital to dispose of the stolen goods. It also enables him to take orders for the gangs next jobs. Orders? Yes, such was the gangs success at stealing livestock that they supplied a number of cookshops and butchers with their regular meat orders! Chief amongst these, was that belonging to brother Thomas Webb. Richard appears also to have had a cookshop, at Ipstone (Ibstone) for a time - a premises there was certainly supplied by them but there is some confusion as to ownership. For example, Lord Carrington's estate at Wycombe Abbey was a favourite stop  - 13 turkeys, 5 geese and a number of fowls were taken on one average occasion. It was often wondered afterwards how the gang managed to steal such quantities of animals at once, without making too much noise. It was suspected by understandably embarrassed estate staff that the gang were drugging the beasts, but at first this was dismissed as pure speculation  The gang were regarded as ambitious and reckless but yet remained at large. Poor farmer James Crook at Clay Lane was another repeated victim. Horses, pigs, sheep...all found their way into the gangs hands. (Another man was  10 years later transported in connection with a theft from James, which also involved some Handy Cross residents!) Mr King of Chisbridge Farm near Bovingdon Green also suffered more than one raid on his larder. 

Where it all began

Thomas Webb would later say that he had first came to know Ayres and his friend Reeves while he was living at the tiny hamlet of Spital Cross not far from Handy Cross. Thomas had worked as a farm labourer, shepherd and ploughman and was approximately 35 years old. At some point he had suffered an injury to one eye, leaving him partially sighted. 

The men had gone poaching together mostly on Clayton and Carrington land around Marlow, Harleyford and Wycombe. Their success lead them to consider operations on a somewhat wider scale. In 1825 Thomas had moved from Spittal Cross to Willsden, Middlesex where he rented a house and set up a cookshop there, before moving to Sleaford Place Battersea to run the same. Those tucking into the hot mutton dinners and pies may have been surprised to find the shop was entirely supplied by criminal endeavour.  The brothers Webb had became the centre of the gang that would bear their name. Ayres was already allegedly an experienced house breaker and the men were connected to many other thieves, poachers, and fences. 

Christmas Keeps Them Busy

In December 1826 the gang were particularly prolific, going on a thieving spree on a considerable scale to fulfil Christmas orders. Perhaps they were too busy to be as careful at covering their tracks but suddenly Thomas Webb came under suspicion. On Boxing Day, he was apprehended at his Battersea Fields cook shop where a suspicious amount of valuable meat remained which could not be properly accounted for. He was subsequently sentenced to death and held at Reading gaol in the mean time. Previously only relatively minor if prolific members of the gang had been arrested.   

James Ayres was unaware that the net about him was beginning to tighten. Also in December 1826, he partnered with his frequent collaborator,  labourer Edward Reeves lately of Wycombe, to commit yet another burglary. The victim this time was the "most respectable" widow Rachel Wise of Cockpole near Wargrave. Rachel had a chandler's shop. She locked up as normal on the 23rd December and retired to bed on the premises, sleeping soundly through the entire experience. This is perhaps fortunate as uncorroborated claims in contemporary newspapers suggested that Reeves had expressed a wish to "do for" the lady should she disturb them at which Ayres had suggested she would scream too much so they had better hold off any plans to finish her off. These "two desperate characters" were waiting and watching outside. Under the cover of darkness they removed the outer door and helped themselves to poor Rachel's seasonal takings plus items from the larder of course. Bacon, butter, pies and tobacco amongst other goods. They around this time also robbed the home of Mrs Skinner in Wargrave. 

A Noose Awaits Richard

The end came for Richard early in 1827. He stole a horse from Thomas Pearman of Mapledurham, and also set light to a barn at the property. The exact reason for the latter action is uncertain, with statements at the time suggesting he either had a particular grudge against Pearman or it was an accidental action. Either way, Richard's luck had run out and the horse was traced before he could pass it on. Arrested at last, with something less than the struggle predicted, Richard found himself in Oxford gaol. He was convicted, and sentenced to death. Horse stealing was regarded as a particular serious theft and the sentence was virtually inevitable, even if he had been suspected of involvement in no other crime. He was hung outside the county gaol on the 27th March 1827. 

Net Closing On All

 Interest was now focused on Ayres and Reeves. It was not the first time the pair had targeted the Cockpole area and it seems their appearance had begun to arouse suspicion when it coincided with a crime. Local landowner Edmund Gardiner of Remenham Lodge was determined to stop the crime wave locally. He set about tracing James and Edward and pursued them relentlessly. Mostly thanks to his efforts in posting rewards for information, the "ruffians" were caught although not for several months.  They were recognised as the last remaining significant members of Webb's gang and with their arrest in 1827, the country breathed a cautious sigh of relief.  One man in particular must have been grateful.. Wycombe mill clerk John Fowler. When the gang had raided the premises of his employer Mr Prestage in 1824, they had made away with a quantity of money. So skillfully had the gang broke in that at first it was considered an inside job and as counting house clerk poor John Fowler had come under suspicion. He had protested his innocence and no action was taken against him but he felt that suspicion had only really  been lifted from his shoulders when items from the mill were found in the gangs possession. Some members subsequently confessed to the group's involvement there. (Ayres and Reeves were the principle two involved)

By the time of Ayres trial, Thomas Webb was already sentenced to death. This was however commuted to transportation for life. His crime was recieving stolen goods, which was often treated as seriously as doing the crime itself, in order to act as a deterrent to those enabling the wrongdoers to lead a profitable life.  As such I have noticed that this sequence of events, a capital sentence followed by immediate or virtually immediate commutation to something such as transportation was common. After his conviction at the Berkshire Assizes, Thomas made quite a lengthy confession to his gaoler. In this he detailed the gangs involvement in a number of crimes they had not been suspected of. He was transported for life on the ship Marmion on the 2 Nov 1827, arriving at Van Diemens Land in March 1828. There he was placed in a chain gang with hard labour a condition of his commuted sentence. The time he was to spend in this way was extended by 3 months after he was caught stealing vegetables growing in the garden of a Mr Kennedy. 

The Trial Of Ayres

Ayres trial was therefore held after other gang members had at length derailed his involvement in their confederacy. The principle witness against him was described as the wife of an already convicted gang member whose husband had been sentenced to transportation. I believe this was the wife of Thomas Webb. This lady aroused the pity of many of those watching, as she held a baby in her arms during her evidence. This little child was cheerfully gurgling and playing with its mother's bonnet ribbons, unaware of the fact it had lost its father and he or she was hearing words that would seal the fate of another. The judge however said the wives evidence came from a "contaminated" source as she had profited from her own husband's involvement with the crimes committed. The jury should therefore disregard her testimony if it could not be corroborated by other evidence. Unfortunately for 25 year old Ayres, it could. It was proven amongst other things that he had access to a barn in which the tools of the criminal trade were found. (Muzzled pistols, picklocks, crowbars, adapted lanterns). James had used his smithy to process some of the group's bounty. For example he erased the private marks on the silverware stolen from a wealthy lady in Sonning, which would have easily identified the pieces as hers. 

He was found guilty and sentenced to transportation for life. He was according to the Berkshire Chronicle, one of the most accomplished burglars ever let loose on his majesties subjects.  He was transferred to the York Hulk in September 1827 to await transportation. He left on the same ship as Thomas Webb, the Marmion, which departed Portsmouth on 2 November 1827, and arrived at Van Diemens Land 6 March 1828. In 1843 it was reported that James was going to be given a general pass or ticket of leave, while the governor awaited a decision on his recommendation that James be given a pardon, or end to his sentence.  It looks like James was indeed granted a conditional pardon. A pardon is not a quashing of the conviction. Those transported for life were usually entitled to be considered for a ticket of leave after 8 years or so served, subject to good behaviour. This ticket allowed them more freedom, and the ability to do paid work. Then a pardon may be issued, which might be conditional or absolute, the latter allowing legal return to the UK. James appears to have been giving leave to settle anywhere that wasn't in Europe so he could go to another colony. I believe he stayed in Australia as he made an application for his family to join him there. 

Bold and Unblushing

It seems that even the most suspicious were stunned by how many crimes the men had got away with for years. "Short of murder they were stained with every species of crime"..their "atrocities" "without parallel".  What everyone wanted to know was how they had managed to take sometimes dozens of animals, night after night. The answer according to Thomas Webb, was that they had drugged the beasts by sprinkling peas and barley meal mixed with laudenham on the ground. In 10 minutes they could collect the senseless animals with ease they said and carry them off. 

I am uncertain yet as to what happened to Edward Reeve (s) immediately after  his arrest. He was caught at the same time as Ayres but does not seem to go on trial at that time. He may be the Edward Reeves who was transported for 7 years on the Sarah in August 1829, although this conviction was for perjury. A delay between conviction and transportation is not uncommon, with the time spent in a mixture of gaol and prison hulks but further research is needed. Edward had lived in Marlow but immediately before his rest he had been living at the Bull inn in High Wycombe. 

Other Members:

I have mentioned the leading gang members so now is a mention of some others. 

Firstly I will mention two boys who were not gang members but who were taken on at least one burglary expedition. Perhaps to learn the trade. This is according to the confession of Thomas Webb. These were the two nephews of Thomas, William who was age 14 at the time, and James age 11. The two youngsters took no active part in proceedings and no action was taken against them. At the time it was stated as shocking that such young men were due to be indoctrinated in the trade, which was perhaps out of touch with the reality of child crime. 

James Rockall/ Rockell of Remenham. Transported for life, Bucks Assizes. Left on ship Mangles July 1824 age 21. Mostly involved in burglary. Worked with Ayres, Biggs, and Dean on a number of jobs.  See Dean below. In 1825 was convict servant in Newcastle to Dr Carlyle. In 1828 was working as assigned shephard to F & A Little. Granted ticket of leave 1830 as he apprehended a bush ranger targeting his employer Archibald Little. (A horse had been stolen) Place given then as Gammon Plains.  Sometimes given as Rockhol. 

Richard Biggs/Briggs of Wycombe. Alias Johnson. Mostly involved in the burglaries. 

Transported for life 1824, on the transport ship Mangles. See Dean below. 

Josiah "Dutchman" Deane. Age 19 on conviction in March 1824 at Aylesbury. One of those involved in the Chisbridge thefts. Sentenced to transportation for life. A carter from High Wycombe. Left with Rockall and Biggs on board the ship Mangles which departed under master John Cogshill in July 1824 and arrived New South Wales 27 October 1824. Conduct on the journey "pretty good". Assigned as convict servant to "Mr Crawford". In 1828 is still a servant, at Ellalong. 

"Donkey Dean" identity not properly established. Not apprehended. 

Thomas East of Marlow. Said to have been caught by March 1827 and likely to be transported but I have not researched him further yet. From a long family of butchers. Suspected of handling stolen goods. 

William Clark. Possibly of Marlow. 

 Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

© MarlowAncestors. 

 Related Posts:

To find all posts about an individual here use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

Other crime related posts including tales of more convicts, poachers etc here

Clay Lane farm mentioned above ; history timeline here

Sources include:

Handy Cross research by Charlotte and Kathryn. 

Pearce Egans Life In London, 12 aug 1827, digitised by Google.  

Sun London August 1827. (Collected edition, circa 1899)

Oxford University and City Herald 

31 March 1827

Hampshire Chronicle 2 April 1827

Oxford Journal 10 March and 28 July 1827, Via the BNA. 

The Globe 25 August 1827, via the BNA. 

Berkshire Chronicle 29 September 1827 British Library. 

Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 89, Class and Piece Number HO11/6, Page Number 291 (147)

Convict Indents. State Archives NSW; Series: NRS 12188; Item: [4/4009A]; Microfiche: 654

Https://www.freesettlerorfelon.com

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Highwayman Peter Rivers

Marlow's history is scattered with a few home - grown highwaymen. One of the earliest I have come across is Peter Rivers.

Peter was born circa 1673 and raised in Marlow by parents able to afford to send him to school and to pay for his apprenticeship to a cordwainer. I have not found his baptism but there is a good chance he was a close relative of the Peter Rivers of Marlow who issued his own trade token in 1667. This elder Peter found himself twice facing suits in Chancery over property in Marlow, at least one of which he lost. 

After completing his apprenticeship Peter junior was free to marry. As a bride he chose Sarah Spicer and the couple tied the knot in High Wycombe in 1698. 

In 1702 Peter, either the elder or the younger, was thrown in jail because he could not pay his debts.

One of the Peters tried his hand at running an alehouse or beershop but had his licence revoked after it was found to have been incorrectly issued and he of too poor character to hold such. Both men had frequent connection to those involved in the brewing trade in Marlow- in terms of both who their friends were and who their enemies were (!)

Peter junior certainly had severe financial difficulties. That he admitted to while he was in jail. So bad were those difficulties that he could not see any way out of them. Peter took another man's advice to "raise contributions on the Highway" - that is become a highwayman. Armed with firearms he and his fellow Marlovian John Carter (a common name but could be the John Carter who lived about then in Chapel Street, Marlow) robbed Henry Howard of 3 shillings 4 pence, a pair of silver buckles presumably lifted from the victim's shoes, and a silver corkscrew (!)

A lack of criminal experience led to Peter's quick apprehension, trial at the Old Bailey and sentence to death for what he insisted was the only crime he had ever committed. The Old Bailey tried him as the robbery occurred on the roads of Middlesex near Uxbridge.

Peter was hung on Friday 17th April 1730. He claimed to be around 57 years of age at the time. Whilst in jail awaiting death he was described as "sullen and morose". He told the staff that he was very conscious of the shame he had brought upon his family by his conviction.

John Carter got a last minute stay of execution following a petition sent to the Secretary Of State from 25 Great Marlow residents. Amongst those supporting John were Marlow's 2 M.PS and wealthy local gentlemen George Bruere Esquire and Sir James Etheredge. Why a petition for John and not for Peter?

For more crime based posts see under Crime on the General Marlow History Index here.

All mentions of someone on this blog can be found on the A-Z person index which covers several thousand people.

To read our recreated 1600s trade directory for Great Marlow and Little Marlow, see here and here

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

Some sources used:

Http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=186828 (image of Peter Rivers senior's trade token)

Old Bailey Online, Ordinary Of Newgate's Accounts, April 1730. Ref OA17300417.

State papers, Secretary of State. National Archives, Kew. Ref: SP 36/150/1/98

"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJ14-SZZ : 6 January 2021), Peter Rivers, 1698.

http://www.bucksrecsoc.org.uk/QS-VOLUMES/QS5.html

Becking Farm / Beacon Farm Marlow Occupiers

Becking Farm later known as Beacon Farm, Great Marlow was near to Booker. The farm was 120 acres in extent in 1709 and 109 acred in 1861. Note this farm is often owned and sold in tandem with Seymour Court, Seymour Court Farm and Tippocks/Triphooks. 

Historic occupiers (who are not usually also the owners):

1709- farm existed. Unknown occupier but Etheridge family look to have owned it. (Etheredge)

1789 - freehold owner or possibly leaseholder (conflicting primary sources) John Johnson Esq of Seymour Court. John died 1821.  

1791-1811 Benjamin Stallwood. Left the farm and moved to Old House Farm, Handy Cross as all the protected game in Sir William Clayton's private game preserve next to Becking Farm kept escaping onto Benjamin's farm and destroying his crops. The damage done was to the tune of £80. Benjamin faced ruin but was mocked by Clayton when he appealed for compensation. His sympathetic landlord John Johnson of Seymour Court Marlow tried to help by advertising for people who knew what they were doing to shoot the straying game and then, when that was insufficient, offering him the rental of Old House Farm instead. Benjamin remained at Old House until 1831. In the years after the game fiasco Benjamin wrote several times to the press to describe the pain he felt at what had happened. His case was also widely used to illustrate the injustice of the Game Laws that allowed rich peoples "sporting" interests to override the basic needs and wellbeing of other country people.  

1814- James (?) Johnson owner as above seems to have been farming it himself.

1822-1830 George Lunn. Wife Mary who died 1822. He died 1830. He also by then farmed at nearby Seymour Court Farm where he actually lived. In his will he left all his farm stock to his nephews Edward and William Poulton. Grew oats, barley and wheat and kept cattle at Becking.

1833- 1838. Richard Lovegrove was the farmer though he lived in Bray, Berkshire. In his 1838 will he left his farm stock on Becking and his leases of both there and Widmere Farm Marlow to his nephew John Lovegrove who was already farming Widmere. Richard was only able to make a mark, not sign his will.

1840 - farm freehold up for sale, by executors of George Rogers Esq. 103 acres and a farmhouse. Note there were two men called George Rogers in Marlow at the same time.

1838-1843 John Lovegrove as above. (Yearly tenant) Also farmed Widmere Farm, where he lived. By 1847 had given up farming and was running the King's Head, High Wycombe. He faced bankruptcy then. 

1848- 1858 James Taylor. Wife Harriet. Raising turkeys was a big part of their trade. Seventeen birds were stolen from the farm in 1857. Also farmed at Prestwood Common. Previously of Little Missenden - he initially remained living there when he took over Beckings. He had been ejected from his last farm after a dispute with his landlord. At that time he'd suffered insolvency but managed to dissolve his debts of £664 in 1851. 

1861- 1865 Stephen Stevenson. Moved from Iver Bucks after January 1859. In 1865 worker on the farm was jailed for 6 weeks with hard labour for stealing a fowl from his employer.

1881-1901. Whoever is farming there does not live in. Carter James North however does live on site on the farm throughout this period. His wife Sarah died there in 1892. In 1889 Beacon and Moor Farms are offered  at auction as a sporting estate in one lot of altogether just over 660 acres. They are described as currently let to a tenant bar 220 odd acres of woodland in hand.  

1928- H Daniel.

Our blog focuses on people in Marlow up to the 1920s so I will leave it there.

Dates next to a person are when I have firm historic evidence of that person farming there. They may have been there earlier or later too. This is ongoing research and I hope that I will be able to fill in any gaps eventually.

Farm occupancies are determined by me from the study of wills I have transcribed, property records, adverts, agricultural journals, censuses, court cases etc.

For other farm related posts see the Specific Shops, Streets Etc option here for Marlow farms or for farms at Little Marlow or other places see the Nearby Places option. Use the Person Index option on the menu to see all mentions of any individual on the blog.  Thousands of people are mentioned.

©Marlow Ancestors. If using this research credit this blog. You are very welcome to do so.

Light Fingered Marlow - A List

 Updated Jan 2024

Just for fun here's a list of all the more unusual items (to us) that residents of the Marlows (Great and Little) were accused of helping themselves to during the reign of Victoria. Those names marked with an asterisk were found guilty. The other cases I do not know the outcome of - yet. 

Acorns (2 bushels)- Frederick Brooks and Charles Smith 1848. These would have had good resale value as pig feed.

Aprons- Ann Stockbridge* 1857. Six weeks in jail. A juvenile offender.

A clothes line (part of) from the garden of Henry Aldridge - John Thatcher* 1849. 6 weeks hard labour. 

Bell- Henry Smith* 1850. Three months hard labour.

Herrings (200!)- William Bowles and William Thatcher. 1855.

Lead Trough- Henry Knight* 1840.

Several sacks full of moss, (used for flower arranging etc) - James Perry of Dean Street* 1901. Fined 27s 6d including costs and damages. 

Pair of trousers - removed from their owner's person in a highway robbery 1845. Josiah Brookes* knocked down victim William Blackwell and made off with his trousers as well as a purse of money. A second telling of this event says the "trowsers" of William were in fact carried by him in a parcel as they were newly purchased. Whichever is true, you will be pleased to know that William's trousers were eventually recovered. Josiah was a familiar face to the justices. 

Part of a fence- John Finch* 1856. One month in jail.

Dahlia roots from Spinfield gardens - (and some chickens) James Lomax* and Henry James*, 1837. Henry was transported for life. James was sentenced to a month in jail then transportation for 7 years. He had stolen the birds from his own nephew James Pusey!

Shoe leather- John Wickes 1850. Offence occurred at High Wycombe but John was of Marlow. I am pretty sure he was convicted. In 1852 he was transported for 7 years for stealing a saw in Marlow, the property of Joseph East. He was then 23 years old.

Smelling bottle - John Martin* 1845. Stolen from house of William Curtis. 

Umbrellas, X 2 stolen from the vestibule of All Saints Church. Ellen Gibbons* and Maria Edwards* 1860. They each got 1 days imprisonment. Both plead guilty. The girls however said that they had taken the umbrellas only because it was raining and they had always intended to return them the following week, and indeed had attempted to do so but on seeing the parish Beadle just outside the church, had been too afraid to continue. Their lack of previous convictions helped their case. 

Watering pot (watering can)- Andrew Stuart* and Richard Kibble* 1848 from Alfred Batting. 14 day sentence each.

Whip- William Tilby 1844.

Wooden spokes-  Abraham James* and Thomas Rose*, 1838. Stolen from High Rews Wood. The spokes were the property of John and Thomas Rolls. It seems the spokes may have been being made in the wood. They convinced an 11 year old boy to help them in the theft, telling him the spokes belonged to them. The boy was allowed to escape prosecution if he gave evidence against the two men. Three months in jail and a whipping for both of the accused. In 1839 and 1842 Abraham was fined for poaching.

And for stealing the same horse twice, honorary mention must go to John Edmunds whose full and somewhat odd story you can read here

Related posts: 

 Crime and disorder in old Marlow here

The old police station and police court here

To find other crime/policing related posts see the General Marlow history index here and to find every mention of your ancestor here, use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. New content added daily. 

Sources:

Criminal research of Jane Pullinger supplemented by Bucks Herald 21st February 1857, 22nd November 1856 and 20th October 1855. Bucks Gazette 6th January 1838. South Bucks Free Press July 14 1860. Copies held at the British Library.

Bucks Advertiser 19 July 1845. 

All Saints Parish records  - my old transcription from the originals.

Censuses, my transcriptions from microfilm.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Where There's A Will There's A Spicer

 If your ancestor left a Victorian will in Marlow between 1828 and 1871 there is a fair chance that Ralph Spicer drew it up or witnessed it. He was a solicitor and attorney who lived and worked on the site of the above property in West Street. The current building is a 1900s replacement. Ralph's home looked much less impressive, reasonably sized but plain.

He was in practice in Marlow by 1826 and in this building by 1833.

In 1828 he was acting for some of those involved in the great hoo ha that was the building of a new bridge in the town. To read about that difficult time see a post on the history of Marlow Bridge here

The year 1828 was also the year that Ralph and his wife Emily had their apparently only child Ralph North Spicer baptised at Marlow. This child when filling in censuses as an adult usually gave his place of birth as Henley which may well be true as place of birth and place of baptism needn't match. Ralph Junior grew up to be a solicitor too.

The year 1828 was also the year that Ralph became a Master Extraordinary in Chancery for Buckinghamshire. What this means is that if anyone involved in a Chancery case who lived in Bucks needed to swear an affidavit then they saw Ralph to get it done. He was only 26 at the time.

He had served his apprenticeship as an articled clerk in the offices of Sweet Stoke and Carr of Basinghall Street, London. He officially became a solicitor in 1824. According to an obituary in the Law Times he had married the daughter of the Stoke in the above law firm. Emily is censused as having been born in Wales so I am not sure about this, I could not find their marriage at my first attempt. In 1831 Emily advertised for a good plain cook for the family.

In 1833 the West Street property consisted of a house, stable, offices, chaise house, yard and garden and was valued at £30 a year.

Six years later Ralph bought a cottage in Cadmore End which was rented out. I do not think he owned his West Street home though I cannot be certain. He later moved premises to the High Street.

Ralph pops up as the defence or prosecution in cases across Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. He was often in London dealing with local bankruptcy or similar troubles. He had a second Buckinghamshire office at Amersham though it seems this was largely staffed by others under his name and supervision.

In 1848 Ralph took a Mr Hayward of Maidenhead to court to retrieve 6 shillings in unpaid legal fees. In 1866 he was chasing £10 from Henry Stroud formerly of the nearby Coach and Horses pub in West Street, who had gone bankrupt [for a bit more about Henry and to see a photo of his premises as they look today see here]. His son Ralph North Spicer was acting for the debtor!

Ralph and Emily seem to have maintained a second home in London with their adult son later in life. This must be why Ralph appears on the 1871 census twice - once in Marlow and once in London. Someone in one of the households made an error! Ralph Junior acted as Ralph Senior's agent in London. Before that Junior lived in Oxford Road Marlow. Like his father he was also an insurance agent.

Ralph Senior died in 1874. A tribute was paid to him during the sitting of the Windsor County Court a few days later. He had endeared himself to all by his gentlemanly and honest conduct it was said. Furthermore he was "well informed upon almost every subject you could converse with him". The Buckinghamshire Advertiser's obituary said Marlow has lost a "genial and kind hearted friend".

The year following Ralph North Spicer took his clerk to court over the alleged theft money from himself and his deceased father.

Ralph Spicer was by descent of the Spicer family of High Wycombe and Glory Mills, Wooburn. Different obituaries give different father names for him- either Ralph or Freeman!

Emily died in 1876.

NB: The property above, home to Ralph has been considerably altered since his day, and now presents a grander appearance than it did then! 

Related Posts:

Ralph was a strong liberal supporter and this post details just what the professional and social risk this could be in Marlow at the time: 1847 election riots here

More on occupiers of other West Street properties can be found by looking at the West Street sub section on the menu under the " Specific Shops, Streets...Etc" option.

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found on the Person Index on the top drop down menu. 

Sources:

The Law Times Volume 58 published by the Office Of The Law Times 1875. Digitized by Google. Accessed March 2021.

1841 and 1851 censuses my transcription from microfilm, other censuses transcribed by Jane Pullinger.

Slaters Royal National and Commercial Directory 1852. Published by Isaac Slater.

National Archives Discovery Catalogue.

1833 Parochial Assessment. Original paper record held by my family and transcribed by me.

Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 19th Dec 1874. Copy held at the British Library Archive and accessed by me March 2021 via the BNA.

Maidenhead Advertiser 29 December 1874. As above.

Windsor and Eton Express 5th Aug 1845. As above.

Reading Mercury 11th July 1831, as above.

Bucks Herald 1st December 1860, 8th November 1866 and 4th December 1875. As above.

Post researched and written by Charlotte Day.

I have worked out historic occupancy of many buildings in Marlow, sometimes back into the 1700s by cross referencing property transactions, wills, censuses, photographs, historic newspapers and many more sources.

Photographed November 2020.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to reuse this image or research for the purpose of family or local history research with credit to this blog. Thanks.

Harman Grave Great Marlow

Begins with "also here" so presumably was one of a pair of monuments. 

"Jeremiah Harman son of Richard and Jane Harman died Sept 23rd 1789 age 75 years"

His death notice in the Reading Mercury* calls him a yeoman. 

Research added by Charlotte August 2023= Jeremiah married Mary Quick of High Wycombe at High Wycombe in 1736. He was described as a yeoman farmer of Marlow when he took out a 21 year lease of a messuage which was probably "Swaines Tenement" in Marlow in 1754. Rent was to be £7 a year. Jeremiah farmed Limmers Farm.

For other graves in Marlow, Hurley and Little Marlow see the Graves Index. All mentions of any individual on this blog can be found under the Person Index - thousands get a mention!

*Reading Mercury 26 October 1789 - held at British Library and accessed via the BNA Feb 2021.

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

Red Lion, West Street

A short intro into the pub's history.
The will of Thomas Bowen senior one of the publicans of these premises, who died in the 1840s can be read here. He was running the pub by 1824.

Thomas junior his son ran the pub after Thomas Senior retired. Thomas Junior married Priscilla Dorrel of Kingston Oxfordshire in 1832.

The next year the pub building with the yard, garden and stables that went with it were valued at £12 a year for rental purposes.

Either Thomas senior or junior was one of the executors of the will of Thomas Plumridge of nearby Quoiting Square in 1816.

The pub was a stopping off point for some early coaching services and also offered accommodation to travellers. Until the 1840s it hired out horses and wheeled vehicles.

In 1868 a man staying in the pub for a night made off with 3 of the property's sheets and sold them in High Wycombe. He was finally caught and apprehended in Cambridge! A sentence of 3 months hard labour was handed down to him.

The grave of Priscilla Bowen nee Dorrel, wife of Thomas Bowen junior. 

Full historic landlords listing for this pub here.

Other pub, ale house, inn etc posts for Great Marlow and environs see here.

More posts about the historic people and businesses of West Street indexed here.

Post by Charlotte. 

Use the A-Z  person index in the top drop down menu to find every mention of an individual on the blog, however minor. 

Sources:

Will Thomas Bowen at the National Archives, transcribed by me.

Windsor and Eton Express Jan 25 1868. Copy held at the British Library. Accessed via the BNA March 2021.

Property records held by my family and transcribed by me.

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

Revd Frederick Tavender - tax rebel and education campaigner

 

Revd Frederick Tavender became minister of the Congregational Church in Quoiting Square in 1892. He was from Devon, his wife Annie from Wiveliscombe in Somerset.

Frederick was raised C of E but decided to follow Congregationalism and went to study at Western College, Plymouth with that in mind. He was ordained at Wiveliscombe on the 2nd September 1886 and became minister there.

At Wiveliscombe Frederick increased the number of Sunday school pupils from 186 to 420. He also lead the charge in establishing Congregational places of worship and Sunday schools for the first time in numerous surrounding villages. He was considered one of the best ministers around for gaining new worshippers. Marlow was lucky to be able to obtain his services.

Frederick wasted no time when he arrived in town joining the Marlow branch of The British And Foreign Bible Society, becoming a prominent member of the Marlow Institute and founding the Marlow Total Abstinence Society of which he was President before the year 1892 was out. He also played cricket for Marlow in various competitions such as the traditional Married v Single Gentleman match that started the cricketing season. 

The Marlow Institute was a place for lecture, entertainments, classes and debates. Frederick was a success there and in other nearby towns with his talk and "oxy hydrogen" lantern projecting images from his Continental holiday in 1891 encompassing "a trip to Lucerne and the Italian lakes, the Apennines, Florence etc". During this trip he took part in some mountaineering.  Six years later Frederick was off again, this time to the USA to attend the Congregational Council in Boston. Marlow was treated to a lecture on what he had seen there upon his return. Unsurprisingly given the rarity of travel abroad in those days the lecture room was packed with those eager to hear about his trip. It was a lengthy trip for him and Mrs Tavender. The sea voyage took 9 days each way. Then after attending the Council he explored both the USA and Canada seeing Niagara Falls, New York, Chicago, Washington, Omaha, Toronto and Montreal.

On a more serious note Frederick took part in debates at the Institute such as one on whether parks and museums should be allowed to open on Sundays (he thought not). He also helped set up technical education classes there and in other locations in the area. 

Education was a passion of his. He tried long and hard and ultimately unsuccessfully to get a school board established in Marlow. These were non denominational boards which organised schools in an area and had power to impose a local rate tax to fund them. He argued that the existing school buildings were sub standard and the education given to the children unacceptably poor due to a lack of money. Existing schools survived largely by fund raising. The prospect of paying more tax wasn't popular and Revd Tavender found himself much in the minority in desiring a school board in the town. He pulled no punches when it came to describing how bad the schools were in his eyes, which offended some. Inspectors' reports generally considered them adequate educationally but did agree that building conditions and overcrowding were major problems.  Revd Tavender would argue that the inspector's standards weren't very high so if they said education was adequate that wasn't necessarily a great compliment. Supporters of the existing system admitted poor educational achievement in some pupils but said that this was down to: a bout of teacher illness causing long absences, whole school closures due to efforts to stem disease outbreaks in the children, and the natural incurable stupidity of some of the pupils!!

His trip to the USA and Canada in 1899 had been used also as a fact finding trip into how they organised their schools. He sought out many senior education officials on his travels and visited as many schools as possible. He thought their teaching methods far superior to what was being used in England.

In 1904 Frederick was one of a host of Marlow nonconformists who refused to pay their rates as a form of passive resistance to the Education Act of 1902. This saw nonconformists have to pay taxes to support Church of England schools even though they disagreed with what was being taught religiously to the children in those schools. That these publicly funded schools were to have no public scrutiny into how they were run or how they allowed C of E aligned teachers to present nonconformist viewpoints was especially upsetting. A nationwide passive resistance campaign grew up.

As a result of his refusal to pay the portion of the rates for education, goods to the value of the amount owed were seized from him and other protesters and auctioned off from a table outside the police court in Trinity Road by auctioneer Walter Lovegrove (of whom more in future).

The ever kind Doctor Dickson of Marlow made the only bid for all the seized items of Marlow men and women. He bid the exact amount needed plus the exact costs to the court. He returned all items to the homes of their owners.

The Conservative government lost the next election but still dominated the Lords and thus attempts to overturn their Act failed. Resistance faded in the face of the seeming impossibility of overcoming the Lords hurdle.

Frederick's had other social concerns too- he chaired the Marlow Institute's committee set up to think of ways to help the local unemployed during the hard years of the early 1900s and promoted and fund-raised for the Cottage Hospital.

He also set up "Pleasant Sunday Afternoons" in Marlow to attract those men who shied away from traditional church services. This was part of a nationwide movement. Lighter hymns were sung, music perfumed and Bible study offered as well as prayers. Frederick allowed secular music and songs to be performed at his Marlow events, which was quite unusual, but he said all music came from God and the afternoons had an overall strong Christian flavour. He drew the line however at allowing clapping. That he said was too much like behaviour at a leisure concert. He offered prizes for those Sunday afternooners who did well at their Bible study. There was in addition Pleasant Tuesday Afternoons. 

Like many of the Marlow Congregational worshippers Frederick was a supporter of Liberal political candidates in local elections.

As if he did not have enough to do, Frederick offered tuition to those young men seeking to do well in university entrance exams, as well as lessons in French, mathematics, Latin and English to pupils of all ages. Adult learners who lived some distance away could receive lessons from Frederick via correspondence. 

Mrs Tavender helped man the stalls at church fundraising bazaars. She was also an active member of the Wycombe Branch of the Women's Total Abstinence Society, eventual President of the Marlow branch of the same and a member of the South Bucks and East Berks Band Of Hope Union.

The Tavender family left Marlow so Frederick could take up a position as minister in Exmouth, Devon in 1908. At his farewell celebrations tribute was paid to his work for the benefit of Marlow's people especially the aged, sick and unemployed. It was noted that he had broken down many sectarian barriers, and encouraged co - operation with other Marlow churches and chapels. The couple went away laden with parting gifts, including a study chair (from the Marlow Free Church council), purse of gold (that is £20 from the congregation), an eiderdown quilt (Pleasant Tuesday Afternoon group), several illuminated addresses, a book, fountain pen and an inscribed gold brooch for Mrs Tavender from the Woman's Total Abstinence Society Marlow branch. 

Related posts:

For more church related content see the Church Related option on the menu. To find every mention of an individual on the blog use the Person Index Option on the top drop down menu. Fellow campaigning Minister Andrew Mearns (poverty campaigner) features in a post here while tax rebel Revd James Mountain can be found here

A post about the entertaining attempts to bring temperance to Marlow is available here

Poverty in Victorian Marlow here

 

Christchurch URC have scans of  interesting booklets about their history available on their website (under the Magazines and Resources tab) link

**DO YOU HAVE AN ANCESTRAL CONNECTION TO THIS CHURCH? IF SO, YOU MAY LIKE TO COMMEMORATE YOUR ANCESTOR BY SUPPORTING CHRIST CHURCH PATH OF LIGHT FUNDRAISING EFFORTS - SEE   Here FOR MORE INFORMATION**

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this content for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here. 

For more see:

1901 census Great Marlow.

South Bucks Standard 29th April 1904 and 24th January 1908.

Endall Family Great Marlow *updated May 2023*

Updated January 2024

In 1862 David Endall a jeweller and watchmaker of Banbury married at Great Marlow Mary Ann Butler of that town.

He had been working in Marlow since at least 1861, with a shop in the High Street. He was born in Bloxham Oxfordshire according to census entries. His parents were tailor James and housewife Ann. It looks as if James and Ann moved to Marlow with their son a some point between 1851 and 1855 when James ran a shop in West Street (tenant of Robert Hammond) but ill health meant he had to give it up, and the family returned to Banbury where they had previously lived.

As a result of James giving up his business due to ill health, his stock in trade was sold at auction in some 200 lots. It included as well as fabric a stock of hats, caps and hosiery. The family's household furniture down to their kitchen utensils were disposed of in the same sale. This may be a sign of financial distress however it was quite common for people to sell almost everything in their house before they moved to save what was then the great trouble and expense of transporting anything even relatively short distances. Households took sentimental items only and started again from virtual scratch in a new home.

David and his future wife Mary Ann  had perhaps already caught each other's eye before he left. Or he visited from Banbury his old home in Marlow and renewed his acquaintance. They must have known each other in David's first period of Marlow living as his family lived but doors away from hers.

A few months after his marriage David had a silver watch stolen from his shop where it had been left for repair. The perpetrator Joseph Martin, a blacksmith, was sentenced to three months in jail as a result.

David became insolvent in 1867. This was a common fate for Victorian shopkeepers both in Marlow and elsewhere. We don't always appreciate today how hard it was to succeed back then.

If he needed some stress relieving activity David probably turned to his garden. He was secretary of the Marlow Horticultural Society and a multi times prize winner in their annual shows with his flowers, grapes and more. He was also a member of the Choral Society, church choir and the Marlow Rifle Volunteers. (You can read more about the Volunteers  here)

He died in 1869 aged just 30 years old leaving Mary Ann with three young children - Mary Beatrice, Alice Elizabeth and baby Amelia. The sudden nature of David's death saw an inquest held at the Clayton Arms. It transpired that David had mounted the stairs to bed and on reaching the top, had said "oh dear!" and dropped down dead. The verdict was "natural death". 

Following his death the Revd Cree of Marlow wrote to the Bucks Herald asking for donations for his widow and young family as they had been left destitute.

Mary moved back to live with her parents Thomas and Mary Butler. Thomas ran a Post Office come grocery store in West Street. Her brother Thomas junior also living at home was assisting in the grocery business. Her sister Elizabeth described as a telegraphist was probably in the Post Office side of things. Mary Ann did not then have a listed occupation herself.

Tragedy again hit the family when little Amelia Endall died in 1874 in her 5th year.

On the 1881 census Mary was listed as a dressmaker. Her 16 year old daughter Mary Beatrice was working as a seamstress. Alice her 14 year old daughter was a pupil teacher. They were then in their own house.

The new County Councils formed 1888-89 were elected by voters male and female providing they occupied sufficient property. The women of Marlow took up this new opportunity with more than average relish not only by voting on the day but coming together before it to choose, without any male involvement, and formally nominate a candidate to stand for Marlow.  (This candidate was a man but who I can't tell yet as it was confidential). This was a rare act indeed. I have seen no other case of it. Mary Ann Endall was one of those women.

By 1891 Mary's West Street household consisted of her daughter Alice, still a schoolteacher plus a boarder in 65 year old Mary Flynn.

Alice married in 1894 George Henry Jones an insurance agent and moved to High Wycombe.

On the 1901 census Mary Ann is "living on own means" in the household of her brother John, also of independent means in Wycombe Road, Marlow.

Mary Ann died in 1924.

Further information

Every mention of a family or individual here can be found in the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. There's over 6,000 people listed there as of Jan 2023. 

Posts about other West Street residents can be found here

General information about life in Marlow when the Endalls were living here can be found here

Sources:

GRO Death Registration Index, online from the GRO.

Reading Mercury 27th January 1855. Northampton Mercury 3rd May 1862. Bucks Herald 13th December 1862. Bucks Herald 6th November 1869. Newspaper copies at British Library, accessed via the BNA.

The London Gazette. March 1867.

Great Marlow census, my transcription from microfilm.

1851 census Banbury, database on Familysearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7Q8-LDK

Great Marlow parish registers, my old transcriptions.

Will of Robert Hammond, proved 1855. My transcription.

Royal Chair Makers and Cunning Burglars!

William and Edmund Mealing- furniture makers occupied Great Marlow High Street premises for many years in the 1800s.

William was born circa 1775  in Penn near High Wycombe. Like so many Wycombe Mealings he went into the furniture trade though he was 10 years in the army first. Wycombe was especially famed at the time for chair making. William was also an upholsterer and cabinet maker while his son William Junior focused on chair making. 

The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers cited below conflates the two William Mealings, "my" William and his son. This they acknowledge is a possibility. After a lot of a research I can confidently sketch out the family and their royal links. 

William Senior was the one listed as located within the High Street High Wycombe in 1823 (near the Market House). The other William would be only a child then. 

William Senior was still by the Market House in 1829 when he went bankrupt. Not only his stock in trade but all his own furniture had to be sold to satisfy his creditors.

After he left the premises, his "large and handsome shop" and home which occupied a single build were put up for offer as well. William must have been doing well as the house had no less than 6 bedrooms, 4 sitting rooms and 2 kitchens not to mention a chaise house, stables and granaries.

His wife was Ann but I have not been able to trace their marriage. She died after 1815 but seemingly well before her husband.

Their son Edmund (in the dictionary mentioned above mistakenly rendered as Edward) married Sarah Stevens in Hedsor in 1828. This marriage like other life events for these Mealings took place in Non-Comformist places of worship. They were of Wycombe in the record. Their two daughters Ann and Jane were baptized at the Easton Street Ebenezer Chapel in High Wycombe.

Circa 1830 the couple moved to the premises in Marlow High Street. 

In 1833 the Mealing's Marlow house, shop and yard next to what is now Liston Court  had an appraised annual value of £9. A little later the family would use now demolished premises a couple of doors down where Sainsburys Local is now.

It is Edmund then who is the listed occupier or head of household in 1833. Where his dad was living then is uncertain. William was still in business however as "William Mealing and Sons" with a premises near the Red Lion Hotel in the High Street High Wycombe before a fire damaged the premises. Either because of that or because he needed extra room William had set up chair making premises in the Newlands area of High Wycombe which was awash with other chair and furniture makers.

In 1838 his company provided two gilt and carved music chairs for Royal Pavilion Brighton, and six chairs for Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. In 1839 they supplied 48 carved beech stools for the music room of Buckingham Palace plus more chairs and stools for the Royal Household 1840-41.

At the time of the 1841 census William was living in Marlow with his son Edmund. Presumably due to seniority of age and experience William was then listed as the head of household rather than Edmund as previously. William was also listed as the head of the business in Marlow in other records. William Junior as I say remained as a chair maker in Wycombe while William Senior focused on cabinet making and upholstery.

In 1853 Musson and Craven's Directory William was also listed as a paper hanger. (Early wallpaper that is). His workers also painted interiors and in common with other businesses such as builders and chairmakers that employed skilled carpenters, Mealing manufactured coffins and as a natural extension of that organized funerals.

In 1861 at the time of the census another son of William's - a Robert - was also living and working in the family business. Previously Robert had worked for the Excise office. William died in 1863 aged nearly 90, and Robert and Edmund were jointly listed in Kelly's Directory 1864 as running the business. William is buried in All Saints Churchyard Marlow. His estate was valued as less than £800 which was of course still a lot in those days. Son Edmund was the executor of his will.

Sarah Mealing, wife of Edmund died in 1864 and is on the same headstone in Marlow as her father in law. Please see the Graves Index for a photo of the grave.

By 1871 Edmund had moved to a large and attractive house on the other side of the High Street. Robert and his wife Sarah lived in the old family premises for a few years before the building was given over entirely to use as a showroom. 

On the 1881 census Edmund said he employed 3 men. That would be permanent employees and others may have been taken on as and when required for particular commissions. One of the permanent employees was Charles Stark who had married Edmond's daughter Jane. Another was James Stark, brother to Charles. The Stark boys were sons of the Mr Stark who was the coachman at Bisham Abbey. 

Edmond died a little later age 80. The business continued for a few more years as Mealing and Stark under the care of Charles. 

In 1884 the premises were burgled by thieves who managed to squeeze in through a tiny side window they had completely removed. The reports of the robbery tell us that the premises were a house incorporating a two storey showroom for their stock with workshops out back. In the show rooms were glass display cabinets showing samples Utrecht velvet and silk plush upholstery plus accessories you could buy at the same time such as curtains and tablecloths. It was these items plus a large carpet that the thieves had taken. The carpet had been left outside as perhaps it was too bulky for a quick getaway. The goods that were carried off were valued at  £60- £70.

Charles had retired by 1891 (I think in 1889). Hopefully this was not because of his losses sustained in the burglary. He sold out to Messrs Hill and Tugwood who had worked for him from the time of their apprenticeships onwards. In 1898 many of their business goods were sold off by auction, implying perhaps temporary financial difficulty. The Hill & Tugwood partnership would be dissolved not long afterwards. The Hill family however carried on alone as cabinet makers etc.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day. 

Mealing grave here

For a biography of the Mealing's assistant John Adams see Kathryn's post here here

More posts on historic Marlow traders are indexed street by street here.

For every mention of an individual on this blog see the A-Z Person Index on the top drop down menu which contains thousands of people.

Sources: 

'M' in dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840 ed Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert (Leeds 1986) pp. 563-8. British History Online http://www.britishhistory.ac.uk/no-series/dict-english-furniture-makers/m Accessed March 24 2021.

1833 Great Marlow parochial assessment. Original handwritten notebooks held by my family and transcribed by me.

Bucks Gazette 23rd May 1829. Copy held by the British Library Archives and accessed by via via the BNA March 2021.

Windsor and Eton Express 17th January 1829. As above.

Bucks Herald 26th July and Reading Mercury 19th July 1884. As above.

South Bucks Standard 11 November 1898

1841,51,61,71,81,91 transcribed by Jane Pullinger.

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1864.

Musson and Craven's Commercial Directory 1853 from University of Leicester archives.

GRO Death Index.

Hedsor Independent Chapel marriages transcribed from microfilm images by me from film #007561679 provided by the LDS church, Intellectual Reserve Inc.

National Archives Royal Hospital Chelsea Soldiers Service Documents Ref: WO97. 

Graves Marlow All Saints Churchyard 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse this research or image for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here so that the sources listed above do not lose credit for their contributions.