Early 20th Century Station Road Businesses Part One

NOTE: numbers given here are the numbers as they were then.

Post by Charlotte...

Right Hand Side (St Peter Street side) 

The Marlow Directory And Almanack of 1907 gives the first occupier on this side of the Street as C.H Carter, baker. That is Charles Henry Carter but his was the large corner premises on the Station Road and Causeway corner and these would be more usually considered to be in the Causeway (as that's where the main door was) so we will pass by him for now.

The first proper shop entrance you would come across was instead that of Miss Lydia Heal dressmaker. She'd first asked permission to fit a shop window into the property front in 1899 but she had already been plying her craft as a dressmaker in Marlow for 11 years by then. Many such businesswomen did not have shops, though to do so would be their ultimate ambition if possible. Even though she may not have had a proper shop window in which to display her goods from the start of her career she certainly lived in the exact same Station Road premises and met her clients there by 1891. A 1903 advert in the South Bucks Standard thanked the "nobility and gentry" for their previous business and said that she would now be continuing "the business" on her own account. So it seems that earlier she was in a business partnership with someone else, even though only she is named in the application for the shop front alterations. The advert promises a good fit and moderate prices. Lydia tells us that she sells fancy drapery, millinery, underwear, corsetry, gloves, lace and ribbon as well as operating as a dressmaker. In 1910 lace was advertised as a speciality of her shop. In the same year winter suits are mentioned as being on display there.

We know Lydia still sold ready made underwear in 1906 as a woman pretending to live in nearby Station Villas took some away with her on approval to show an alleged sister but never brought the items back or paid for them, neither did the alleged sister materialize to do so. The same woman defrauded another Marlow clothes retailer around the same time using the same ruse. It might seem remarkably, even foolishly, trusting to allow a stranger to take valuable items from your shop on trust without paying for them but the practice of having clothing items on approval was not uncommon at the time. In order to qualify you would have to appear "respectably" dressed however. 

Passing the residential property of dairy farmer Augustus Creswell at no 9 (who kept some of his cows out back not to the best pleasure of the sanitary inspectors) we next come to James Faulkner the bootmaker at number 11.

A man whose premises seem to move about on this side of the road was photographer Ernest A. Hewett. He was certainly on this side of the street in all scenarios, and in most was given as being at no 17 so we'll slot him in our list here.

Cycle maker, coach builder and wheelwright H. H Mathews lived (at least for a time) at 21 Station Road but operated his business further along at number 35. He was apparently Henry Harold but was often known just by his middle name. There is also a reference to a Horace Mathews cycle agent in the same premises though that may be a mistake. H.H Mathews certainly operated alongside Harold Haine, motor engineer and cycle maker who eventually entirely took over the business at some point between 1915 and 1920. Harold Haine was a Raleigh cycle agent, amongst other things. He came from Egham Surrey originally. In 1907 an Albert Barnes worked for a H Mathews at no 35.

Between the home of H Mathews and his business premises was (by 1903) Mrs Ann Cockayne who let apartments at her home "St Clare", Woodham's Dairy, Walter Lovegrove the auctioneer (who met a tragic end see his biography post here ), a grocery shop at nos 27-29 run firstly by H W Britnell and then by Raymond G Ford and his wife Lily, and Smewings the tobacconist-come- newsagents.

Mrs Cockayne the landlady was in business at St Clare (sometimes given as St Claire) by 1899. She was then in her late 60s and by 1911 had retired and moved out. In the early 1890s there had been 4 apartment proprietors at the town end of Station Road as well a boarding house and two further apartment rental buildings at the station end of the road, all with a residential owner. The private lodgings trade in Station Road had clearly dropped off a lot by the second decade of the 1900s though some of that loss was due to similar properties springing up in Glade Road and elsewhere in the town rather than for a lack of desire for furnished apartments. Ann Cockayne herself became a lodger with a family in nearby South Place.

Annie Smewing ran the tobacconist come newsagents at number 31, with her husband Henry assisting her and being the name above the door but mainly being a gardener and groom employed elsewhere at The Lawn. Henry was one of the committee members at Marlow Football Club and one of Marlow's volunteer firefighters in the Edwardian age. In the 1930s this was Morris tobacconist and newsagent.

Also near to these shops was another dairy in 1907, Hornsby's. Presumably this was connected to the Hornsby's who kept a small dairy herd at Wood Barn Farm, Little Marlow. See here for more on them. Be warned - that post contains mention of serious animal cruelty.

Next along in terms of commercial premises in the mid 1910s was tobacconist C.O Mathews which probably became by 1920 the tobacco and confectionery shop of Mrs Annie Truss (who was definitely at no 37). She was still there in 1924 when she served hot drinks too. Probably she remained in business until her death in 1931. Annie, formerly Bailey, was the wife of Albert Truss, a man jailed at least four times prior to his 1916 marriage to Annie for failing to maintain his illegitimate children by Fanny Louisa Penfold. When jailed he frequently laughed in court. By trade Albert was a boatman though apparently reluctant to work. Prior to his marriage he was "kept" by his brother who was landlord of the Two Brewer's pub in St Peter Street. 

At 39 was the tiny premises of George Gardner AKA George Gardiner the greengrocer and fruiterer by 1920. George did not spend many years in the shop here. He was the grandson of Clara and William Gardner /Gardiner /Gardener of the Nags Head pub in Dean Street, see here.

Our next Station Road businesspeople on this side of the road were the Ways. Robert was a cabinet maker and shopkeeper early in the 1900s and adjoining his premises was the tiny Wheatsheaf pub. This was run by Thomas Way senior until his retirement in 1905 in favour of his son Thomas junior. Thomas junior remained landlord until at least 1921 but was gone by 1939. More on the Way family of the Wheatsheaf, including both Thomas Ways in my biographical post here. 

Finally on this side of the road in terms of commercial property we come to the Railway Hotel across from the station. For a history of this pub / hotel including the early 1900s landlords of these premises see this post.

The other side of the road will be featured in another post in the future along with businesses which we cannot firmly place to one side or the other.

Written and researched by Charlotte Day 

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

Selected Sources:

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907 and 1915 editions, Marlow Printing Company. Marlow Directory 1891, Marlow Publishing Company.

"England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26FV-PWY : 13 December 2014), Albert Truss and null, 1916; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1916, quarter 4, vol. 3A, p. 1914, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

South Bucks Standard May 6th 1899, April 3rd 1903 and 10th August 1906 British Library Archives via the BNA.

Kelly's Post Office Directory of Bucks etc 1911, 1915 and 1920 editions. Kelly's Directories Limited.

Edwardian / WW1 Trinity Road and Trinity Place Part Two

Part One dealt with the odd numbers in this street and is available here. This part contains the even numbered homes and their residents as well as those people whose exact address, odd or even, is not known.

Trinity Road was previously Gun Lane and at times during the Edwardian era was also referred to as "Trinity Lane". Trinity Place was a small cul de sac which lead off Trinity Road and was previously known as Gun Place. It was at times numbered as if it was part of Trinity Road, and sometimes as a separate entity*

This was poor area with most homes consisting of just three rooms (kitchen come family room downstairs and two bedrooms above). Piped water arrived here at the close of the 1800s but not before the only well for the residents had already run dry. Life here was tough and there is some distressing content below which may involve your own particular family.

All the homes listed below 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.

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

2.) Charlotte (bn circa 1845) and Joseph Budd (bn circa 1848). He worked at the gasworks in nearby Cambridge Road as did sons John and Walter who lived at home. Charlotte's 62 year old maternal cousin, Alfred White who also lived in Trinity Road at an unknown address but likely with Charlotte sadly took his own life by hanging in 1907. His body was found by a telegraph boy in the yard of Mr Lovell the builder (off the High Street). Charlotte gave evidence in the resulting inquest. She said that she thought Alfred intellectually impaired. He was deaf and had trouble speaking. As a result of this he had been known as "Dummy White". Earlier in his life Alfred had spent time in jail for stabbing George Grace in the arm following a quarrel. By coincidence George had also died by his own hand in Marlow Fire Station. Alfred had become depressed due to unemployment. Instead of help in his worries he had been prosecuted at Maidenhead for threatening to do away with himself on a previous occasion.

Joseph and Charlotte Tubb's daughter Jane features in the Edwardian Trinity Road post Part One.

4.) This brick and tile house formed a pair with no.6. Thomas and Eliza Barnes and their children then Clara and Amos Moody with their children, followed by a Mr Beaver. 

Thomas Barnes was a bricklayer born circa 1860/61. Eliza was born circa 1863, and was nee Cook.  Thomas was earlier in his life attacked in Trinity Road by two men from other Marlow streets. Amongst the projects that he worked on as a bricklayer was the building of the Salvation Army chapel in Crown Road. This was later rebuilt and is now a daycare nursery. The family moved to Chapel Street by 1911. 

Clara and Amos Moody were both born around 1866. Both spent at least some of their childhoods in nearby Dean Street. Amos was the son of John and Elizabeth Moody, Clara the daughter of Caleb and Elizabeth Boot. Clara and her living-at-home daughter Ada were both laundresses when they lived in Edwardian Trinity Road. Amos worked at the paper mills in the Edwardian era but had been a farm worker as a young man. Amos's sister Jane had a very troubled and sad life. She may have lived in Trinity Road for a while early in the Edwardian era with her husband. A full biographical post about her is already on the blog (distressing) here.

6.)Frederick and Charlotte Bailey and their children, then H Tubb, then labourer William Henry Tubb with his wife Mary and their children.

Frederick Bailey was born circa 1866 and Charlotte in circa 1865. Frederick was a drayman at the brewery. Charlotte died in 1909 following a strange incident where a varicose vein in her leg ruptured when she was out at night near the Plough in Wycombe Road. Instead of getting help from the pub or nearby houses Charlotte made her way home, bleeding. Her daughter Annie fetched the doctor. Police from the police station in Trinity Road as they had first aid training but nothing could save Charlotte and she quickly passed away. How her leg came to be injured was investigated. She had just parted company from her husband at that time (he perhaps intending to visit the Plough?). To one person she said someone had kicked her in the leg. To others she said she had just knocked it herself. A trail of blood lead to a horse trough by the Plough but no further conclusions could be arrived at. 

Charlotte was born Charlotte Bowles, the daughter of George and Ann Bowles of Dean Street.

After Charlotte's death Frederick moved with his children away from Trinity Road and became a gardener. They lodged at the Black Horse, Chapel Street. As a teenager Frederick had had to pay a one shilling fine for gambling at cards with his friends in the "recreation ground" (Gossmore). A less controversial teenage hobby of his was playing football for the Marlow Star football team who played in Star Meadow, off Wycombe Road, very close to Trinity Road. He was their captain in 1886.

Mary Tubb was born circa 1888 and William Henry around 1884. 

This house was a brick and tile building which formed a pair with number 4.

8.) In 1907 Samuel Macklow /Mucklow a bricklayer and probable former soldier who was born around 1854 in Worcester and his wife Ann aka "Annie". This Annie was one of the neighbors who rushed to help the dying Charlotte Bailey of no 6 above in 1909. Samuel and Annie lived in Dean Street in 1902 when they were fined with other of the street's residents for abusing and violently assaulting a Bristol man who had come into the town to do a job at the brewery and was lodging in Dean Street. Other outsiders were also employed on the same job and staying in the lodging houses along there. This caused huge resentment amongst the Marlow men who felt work which was rightfully theirs was being stolen from them by strangers. One of the accused Marlow women stabbed the Bristol man with a knife during the fracas but it wasn't clear to the court exactly which woman was responsible. This incident wasn't the first time that Samuel had been convicted of disorderly conduct.

Niece Gladys Sewell was also in household of the Mucklows. She was the daughter of Walter and Elizabeth Sewell of Dean Street and granddaughter of Edwin Sewell who lived at no 12 Trinity Road. See below.

10.) In 1907 Mr G Armstrong, then agricultural labourer John Lovegrove born circa 1861, his widowed sister in law Jane Rockell and Jane's widowed daughter Henrietta Bidmead, a laundress. In 1909 Jane died from heart disease and an ulcerated leg after refusing medical treatment. John found her dead in bed when he came home from work. At some time between 1911 and 1915 both John and Henrietta left this house. Henrietta moved to number 13 on the other side of the street. She was born a Rockell in around 1871 and married William Henry Bidmead.

12.) This property was condemned and demolished in 1932 Edwin Sewell born circa 1846-49 who had come to Marlow from Rickmansworth Hertfordshire as a child with his parents. He moved from Dean Street Marlow to Trinity Road between 1901 and 1905. Wife Ada. Daughter Alice when married lived at no 22, see below. Granddaughter was Gladys Sewell who lived at no 8 Trinity Road.

14.) This property was condemned and demolished in 1932 Hannah Burt an unmarried laundress born around 1871. Her agricultural labourer brother Joseph lived with her as did, early in the era, her elderly mother Harriett. The latter was the widow of Thomas Burt and had raised her children in the Hamlet of Monday Dean near Marlow, at Ragman's Castle on the outskirts of the town, at Boulter End, Flackwell Heath and in Dean Street Marlow. She and her husband were evicted from their Dean Street home in 1897 and may have moved to Trinity Road as a result. She was deaf by the late 1880s. Thomas died early in 1901, before the census. He had been a labourer. Harriett died in 1903. She was at marriage Harriett Boddy. Emma, daughter of Thomas and Harriett appears amongst the inhabitants of Trinity Road without an assigned house number. See at the end of the house listings below.

16.) Also known as 1 Trinity Place Thomas and Ann "Annie" Rockell  and their children. Thomas was born circa 1849 and Ann in around 1850-2. Probable maiden name Frith. Long term Trinity Road residents as a couple and it looks like Ann spent part of her childhood there too.

18.) Also known as 2 Trinity Place Mrs Ann Goodchild, widow born circa 1846. Came from West Wycombe. Her labouring son William James lived with her. Earlier in her widowhood Ann had worked as a chair caner in Marlow.

20.) Also Known as 3 Trinity Place George and Louisa "Lewey" Budd and their children. Early on in the era James Bowles who was described as George Budd's brother in law (born circa 1848) also resided here. George Budd was an agricultural labourer and born circa 1874. Louisa was born circa 1878, the daughter of William and Ann Bowles. James Bowles was marked on the 1901 census as deaf from birth.

22.) Also Known as 4 Trinity Place Thomas Turner and his wife Elizabeth and their children, then in 1907 the newly married couple Robert and Alice Armstrong who had several children in this house, then R Stroud. 

Thomas Turner was a labourer born circa 1866 and Elizabeth in circa 1873. They moved to Chapel Street before 1911.

Robert and Alice Armstrong were both born around 1882. He was a house painter. Alice was nee Sewell, the daughter of Edwin Sewell who lived at no 12. The family later moved to Oxford Road. 

24.) Also known as 5 Trinity Place James and Louisa Cook and their children. James was a bricklayer's labourer born circa 1866. Louisa was born 1870. One of the children was Edith who was found along with other young laundry hands to have been working longer hours than legally permitted at Quarry Laundry in 1908. They started at 8am and should have finished at 4pm but instead ended their working day at 5.30pm. Her employer was fined. It is unknown whether this extra work was actually welcomed as an opportunity by Edith or whether she was being exploited.

26.) Also Known as 6 Trinity Place. Thomas and Mary Langley then Arthur and Beatrice Bowles, then Beatrice Bowles as a widow.

Thomas Langley was born around 1867 and Mary in around 1868. He was a labourer. She was nee Mary Louisa Edwards. She spent her childhood in Trinity Road. Her parents were Caroline and James Edwards.

Arthur Frederick Bowles was a gardener born circa 1884. He was a casualty of the first world war, dying in hospital at Bedford of pneumonia in 1918. He had served in the Labour Corps according to the newspaper reports as to his death and the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry according to his grave. As a teenager Arthur was found to have stolen some partridge eggs from private property. One of his co-accused was Thomas Rockell son of Thomas and Ann Rockell of no 16 above.

Beatrice Bowles was at her 1907 marriage to Arthur Beatrice Usher.

Residents whose house numbers are unknown or questionable=

Florence Collier and her children resident 1912. She was fined for swearing at them.

Charles and Mary Edwards. Residents 1901. He born circa 1870 and she in 1871. They had with them "adopted child" Dorothy Bright born circa 1897.

Sophia Edwards resident 1901 Trinity Road. Born circa 1834. Widow of William Edwards. Had lived in Trinity Place in 1895 and Trinity Road earlier. Kept pigeons in her back yard.

Mrs Harriett Elizabeth Groves who slit her throat with a razor in what was ruled as a fit of "temporary insanity" in 1911. She was taken to the Cottage Hospital but could not be saved. Wife of Alfred Groves, a labourer. Harriett was Harriett Ford at marriage. She was in her 27th year when she died.

Henry and Emma "Emily" Harris who lived Trinity Road on the 1901 Census with Mary Ann Burt age 20, Henry's stepdaughter and their other children. Henry Harris is not to be confused with the close-in-age Henry Harris, saddler and harness maker of Spittal Street. Henry of Trinity Road (bn circa 1857-59) was a worker at the brewery while his wife Emma (bn circa 1857) was a furrier. The family including Mary Ann Burt left Marlow for Langley Marish in Bucks where Henry worked as a farm carter by 1911. Emma was nee Burt and though born in Flackwell Heath had spent some of her childhood in Marlow. Her sister and widowed mother both lived at no 14 Trinity Road, see above. Emma was a servant as a teenager.

Sarah Ann and Joseph Hiscock. Trinity Road residents in 1909 but in Dean Street by 1911. Some of their children were born in Winchester Hampshire. Joseph was that classic Dean Street occupation - a vegetable hawker. Sarah worked at Quarry Laundry. When the owner went bankrupt in 1910 he owed money to many of his employees including Sarah. The court ordered him to pay them.

Alfred and Elizabeth Hopgood both originally of Reading lived in this street in 1911 but had left the town by 1915. Alfred was born around 1863 and was a building labourer. 

Mary Loftin born circa 1835 resident of Trinity Road 1901. Mary was a widow who worked as a charwoman. On the census she says that she was born at Bledlow Ridge. She died in 1907. Widow of William Loftin a gas / engine fitter. The couple were also living in Trinity Road at the time of his death in 1896 and previously. They had married late in life in 1890 when both were already widowed and so had no children together. Mary Ann was at the time of her second marriage the widow of farm worker Joseph Martin. William Loftin had been the lodger in their Trinity Road home.

William Moody who was a resident in 1916 when he was fined 10 shillings for having no light on his cart.

Sarah Slade resident 1901 age 62 with her 24 year old son. Widow of Charles Slade. She had lived in Trinity Road for many years. Charles was fined for being drunk and disorderly in Trinity Road in 1895.

Ada and Eli Smith with their children who moved to Marlow circa 1911 from Wooburn. She worked in a paper mill at Wooburn even after she moved to Marlow  and he was by trade a builder's labourer. This family suffered severe hardship due to Eli's continued unemployment. He was imprisoned for child cruelty at the behest of the NSPCC because of the deprivation the children experienced. The court seemed sceptical about his attempts to provide for them while recognizing that Ada worked very hard. It isn't clear if she actually lived at home during the working week. She told the court that her working hours meant she could not see to things at home anyway. She had sold her clothes and bedding so that the children could eat. Nevertheless the children suffered from vermin, sores, uncleanliness and a lack of education because they had no clothes in which to attend school. The Inspector from Marlow Police Station in Trinity Road collected donations of clothes for the children from other Marlovians. There was virtually no furniture in their "filthy" home, and no fire in winter. The court ordered Ada against her wishes to place the children in the Union Workhouse until their home situation improved and so they could be intensely treated. If she did not take them to the workhouse she too would be jailed, despite the NSPCC saying they did not think any charges against her should be pressed.

Wages were low in this period giving families little chance to save money for emergencies. Children being unable to attend school because they didn't have a full set of clothes still, shockingly, occurred in Marlow in the 1940s. The court's apparently sceptical attitude towards Eli should be taken with some reservations. The privileged men who sat in judgement generally subscribed to the view that you could always find work if you wanted to and that all poverty must be the victim's fault. That those working could be paid so little they could neither fulfill their family's wants nor save for when they weren't in work wasn't within their understanding. Eli, while not in paid employment, made rag rugs which the children hawked in the town, so he was hardly idle. See above under house number 2 for a case of the suicide of an unemployed man. The Smiths moved to Dean Street by February 1912. Ada was at marriage Ada Priest. 

Private Thomas Stroud son of Henry and Sarah Stroud of Trinity Place was killed in action in December 1914 while serving with the Royal Berkshires. He died instantly after being shot in the heart. The news of his death broke locally early the next year. He was also said to be a resident of Trinity Place then.

*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 every different time they were asked, based presumably on guesswork. I often have to use multiple sources to repopulate an Edwardian street in this town reliably.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are 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.

Bucks Herald February 16th 1916. Reading Mercury Nov 26th 1884 both British Library Archives, via the BNA.

South Bucks Standard and 22nd Feb 1907 , 13th August 1909 and July 8th 1910.

Reading Mercury 16th Nov 1918. Copy at the British Library.

Bucks Free Press Feb 16th 1912, Bucks Free Press Archives.

All 1901 census from the microfilm transcriptions of Jane Pullinger, with thanks.

"England and Wales, Census, 1911", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VP-JRQ : Thu Feb 13 06:47:46 UTC 2025), Entry for Eli Smith and Ada Smith, 1911.

https://buckinghamshireremembers.org.uk/php_scripts/bksidget.php?id=5578

"England and Wales, Census, 1911", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VL-H36 : Thu Feb 13 16:47:53 UTC 2025), Entry for Henry James Harris and Emma Harris, 1911.

"England and Wales, Census, 1911", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VP-JRS : Thu Feb 13 06:35:45 UTC 2025), Entry for Alfred Hopgood and Elizabeth Hopgood, 1911.

"England and Wales, Census, 1871", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKZ2-ZW5S : Tue Oct 08 17:32:05 UTC 2024), Entry for Thomas Burt and Harriett Burt, 1871.

"England and Wales, Census, 1911," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VP-NLV : 22 July 2019), Frederick Henry Edward Bailey in household of Thomas Blewitt, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

1905 Williams estate sale papers, copy kindly provided by Adam Baxter of the Marlow Society.

GRO Birth, marriage and death registration indexes, GRO online. Except Marriage of Henry Harris and Emma Burt which was Find My Past https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=BMD%2FM%2F1883%2F3%2FAZ%2F000128%2F092

Personal interview, rent receipt.

Walter Lovegrove - Marlow hero no 8

 We have previously covered something of the life of Marlow grocer come auctioneer Walter Lovegrove in a post about the various occupants of his grocers shop. That post explained that Walter Lovegrove sadly committed suicide in 1907 when his financial competence was questioned. I now want to write a post that focuses on the life of Walter to celebrate the many good and kind things he did in his time. He may not have been perfect but I think Walter deserves to be called a hero for his work for the town, and especially for its least fortunate members. 

Early years

Walter was born 1848, the son of grocer George Lovegrove. They took over the long running Aveling family business in the High Street, offering "high class provisions". The story of that can be found in our earlier post here.  In 1872 he married Harriet Sarah Maddison but less than two years later, Harriet would die age just 27.

 On a happier note, Walter was already busy with assisting community groups and we can hope they provided a distraction for him at such a sad time. He was an enthusiastic and regular member of Marlow's Literary and Scientific Institute which at this point had a reading room in the High Street and hosted lectures, readings and debates in various places. At this time it was not doing very well financially and the turn over of members and unpaid organisers was high. When the previous hon secretary resigned in 1875, Walter was elected to replace him. It was one of a large number of similar positions he would hold. There was some debate as to whether the Institute was becoming too recreational rather than educational but Walter supported the controversial idea of allowing games such as dominoes to be played in the reading room. No doubt he spent many happy evening there. He was however a man with some less than modern ideas about how universal education should be. He wondered if the education of the working classes was going too far. To teach a serving girl to play the pianoforte would be useless he said and would prevent her concentrating on her work. Better to teach practical skills relevant to employment he considered. 

Walter was not as you might expect, the oldest son taking over the reigns from his parents in their business, but rather the second son. The eldest, Henry would train to be architect.  Young Walter was full of ideas at how he could transform the grocers and top of his list was an update to what he considered to be old fashioned and pokey premises. It was apparently his idea to knock the historic building down and replace it with a specially designed purpose built equivalent. You can see the date of this rebuild under the gables of his fancy new premises in the High Street still. The architect was said to be brother Henry, which would certainly make sense. 

 

Stop thief! 

In 1876 Walter married again - to Ellen Louise Rogers of Staines. She assisted in the grocers along with paid staff. Walter was not very fortunate in this business it seems. In 1878 he took action against the third employee in a row that had stolen from him. It seems that he'd not pressed charges against the first two. But one of his fellow High Street shop keepers Charles Miller Foottit told him he had reason to suspect the behaviour of not one but two of Walter's staff. When one, Hugh Hatch of Lane End, was found to have stolen 4 oranges from him, he took the case to the court but asked for mercy to be shown to the accused. Hugh was a first time offender, and said he was motivated by hunger as he hadn't had his dinner. He was very lucky to get away with just a day in jail, as he had been detained since the previous week's session. The Lovegrove family were also troubled by shoplifters, such as Charles Allen who in 1891 made off with a quantity of pork, resulting in 2 months hard labour. 

When not considering nailing down his stock, Walter did his best to extend the business. He increased the alcohol range offered - he was the sole agent for Whitbread beers and stouts in the town in the early 1890s. You'd be charged extra he said if you failed to return the Whitbread bottles in good condition. Presumably that meant loosing a deposit. Amongst the goodies presented by the Lovegrove family for their 1896 Christmas display were bottled and tinned fruits, fancy boxes of dates, figs and Normandy pippins (apples), candied peel and nuts, Crosse and Blackwell pickles, and the finest teas. Some of this bounty found it's way found it's way to the Cottage hospital which he regularly donated food to. In 1891 amongst his gifts to the sick there were 3 bottles of port wine, which was considered fortifying for the unwell. 

A guardian to the poor who really did his job

Throughout the 1880s Walter served various roles with local governing bodies. He was elected to represent Marlow on the Rural Sanitary Authority (and subsequently chaired it) and was a Guardian for the Poor eg sat on the Board of Guardians for the Wycombe Poor Law union. It's in these roles that in our eyes Walter shines. He constantly raises questions as to the treatment of Marlow's poor and it's obvious he is genuinely aware of the practical difficulties they faced. When someone died and had a paupers funeral, their goods could be seized to meet the funeral expenses. Walter pointed out that in many cases this was not done with any kind of compassion. In 1882 he cited a case of two young women who had suffered the loss of both parents suddenly and in quick succession. The younger unmarried girl was told by the Guardian's representative that the board would take "every stick they had".  Walter said kindness might have lead to leaving her with a few bits so she could furnish a bare room subsequently offered to her. 

Another concern of Walter was the fact the poor who received "parish bread" (poor relief in the form of bread) recieved it only once a week. The bread dished out to them was supposed to last the full 7 days. Walter asked his fellow guardians how many of them had their bread order sent once a week. None did, for the obvious reason that the fresh bread however good, would be hopelessly stale and hard by the end of the week. Walter said it was a "hard and cruel system" that made the poor try to eat such bread as they had no choice. He noted bread deliveries in some parts of the Union were always late and so the poor were forced to wait outside for an hour at a time no matter how cold and wet it was. Others had to walk a couple of miles to the distribution point. He suggested that money could be given out instead so provisions could be bought as needed, but this caused uproar. There was a fear people might spend it on something the Guardians didn't think they should, like beer. He tried to promote a compromise that would see money given out as a trial in some areas where the worst quality bread was reported or the population was more scattered but no one could agree to do this. Nevertheless Walter personally examined all the bread delivered to Marlow and was not going to let anyone get away with delivering poor quality stuff just because it was for the needy. As a Guardian Walter was selected to attend the Poor Law conference at Exeter Hall. He reported back that is was a depressing experience with much harsh and unfeeling attitudes on display by the speakers. He agreed however with one who said it was "absurd" to expect a labouring man to put money away for hard times it old age when he was paid just 13s a week. For such a man to be driven to the workhouse at the end of his life would be cruel indeed said Walter. 

Walter helps the workhouse residents

 Walter badgered his friends and neighbours for general donations for those unfortunate enough to find themselves a workhouse inmate at Saunderton or Bledlow (the children).  This included in 1893 a gift of footballs from Marlow Football Club to the children of the Bledlow workhouse. After someone donated dozens of pairs of reading glasses to the older citizens residing at Saunderton, Walter acted as a collection point for donated material so the little Workhouse library - or rather "capital reading cupboard" would no longer be bare. He appealed particularly for donations of papers that covers the war in the Transvaal as at least 10 workhouse men were ex soldiers and were especially interested in updates. 

He constantly asked after of the welfare of the children in the Union workhouse for example if they had much opportunity to play. He was also chosen to distribute Christmas gifts to the needy by wealthy citizens who knew he'd know best where they'd be appreciated. You can find out more about everyday life for Marlow people in the Wycombe Union workhouse at  Saunderton in a post here

Many of many parts 

Walter's organisational abilities also saw him taking a lead role in organising the Jubilee festivities in town - see below for links to more information on those. He was the executive chair of the 1897 committee for example, and also sat on both the Jubilee dinner and sports committees that year. 

Other campaigns of Walters were for better provision of clean drinking water in the town, improved paving (the old paths were "a series of duck ponds" according to Walter) and for a new post office when the old West Street one was considered hopelessly cramped. In support of the first he had the water in the 50ft deep well in his premises chemically tested and the results were as bad as he feared - it was declared unfit for human consumption. 

Walter sounds busy enough but he was also a churchwarden and hon sec of the Fire Brigade. In his leisure time, such as what he had, Walter had two passions. One was music, the other poultry! During his grocer years he had advertised eggs for sale from his own farms. He bred his own stock and exhibited his birds far and wide. He even took some to the Crystal Palace poultry show, scooping several rosettes. He continued to do this all his life. He also gave lectures on the finer points of poultry keeping at the Institute and headed up the Wycombe & District fanciers association. 

His other love saw him playing with the Marlow orchestral society on his flute. And yes, he managed to be the Hon. Sec of that body too. 

Above, advert from 1891 guide to Marlow. 

Walter moves on

In 1898 things looked like they were going well for Walter. He was supplying groceries to some of the biggest homes in the neighborhood such as Bisham Abbey. When the latter had a ball to which the tradesman they dealt with were invited, Walter was chosen to give a speech to thank the hosts on behalf of all attendees. A description of the festive sights in Marlow describes Walter's premises as a scene of animation as the staff rushed to fulfil orders. There is no obvious indication of financial difficulties. He had been elected to the Marlow Urban District Council and chaired it by 1896, and was a J.P. Walter seemed to be at the pinnacle of his success. 

The next year he decided to give up the grocers and start up as an auctioneer and estate agent, something he'd dabbled in previously. I get the impression that this was a relatively quick decision as he was advertising for a new grocers apprentice less than a year before he  sold the shop. (The applicant had to be a respectable person, with a quick head for figures and a good neat hand.) He obviously could not live-in anymore, so he moved at first to Ellerslie in Institute Rd before moving to the newly developed "Cromwell Gardens Estate" then Ennismore, Station Rd. 

With no children of his own, he took on as an "auctioneers pupil" his young nephew Oscar, son of brother William. 

Constantly innovating, it was at this point Walter became the agent for the South Bucks Standard. If you had an item of news or a report of an event that you wished published, you could take it to Walter's home or Station Rd office and he would arrange for it to be inserted in the paper. 

Dark clouds are gathering 

The news Walter would read in his copy of the South Bucks Standard was going to become increasingly uncomfortable in the next few years. Walter had been appointed collector of poor rates (a tax) for the Marlow district as well as some other rates. His election to this role makes sense given he had a reputation for being organised and efficient and he frequently handled funds on behalf of charity appeals and various organisations. But things did not go well. Walter's role was a paid one, and when he asked for a raise, it was refused despite several people speaking up about the relatively low level he received for the amount of work he did. By 1906 the overseers of the poor had begun to raise questions about how Walter was doing his job. There was a large amount of arrears owed by various rate payers and they did not think he was doing enough to collect them. Someone suggested that "misplaced kindness" was hindering Walter. The authorities said he had not co operated with them in their investigations. By December that year they wrote to the Marlow Urban District Council to suggest they terminate Walter's services immediately. The council decided to hold a special meeting as soon as possible and offer Walter the chance to resign if he would not follow the Overseers instructions, with the threat of dismissal if he didn't. Walter was furious. He strongly denied that he had refused their requests to bring his books to their meetings for some 9 months. He said they were at his office and open to inspection by anyone at any time, and had been seen on average once a month. He had refused their requests to take the books away as he said that before when they had done so they kept them for days and prevented him getting on with his work. 

Walter was required to pay in any collected amounts promptly, not keeping more than £5 in hand. He admitted sometimes being late doing so but not for long. The auditor's had passed his accounts and commented that they felt Walter was simply too busy to give the rate collecting task the attention it needed. They had raised the issue that he was not paying in his money as quickly as possible though, and he was late filling out his receipt book too. Part of the problem was caused by a falling out with assistant over seer Reuben Nereus Smith, who Walter had asked to put all communications with him in writing due to previous misunderstandings of who wanted who to do what when. Several people spoke up for Walter at this special meeting. Walter Porter said Water Lovegrove had worked hard and long and at some cost to himself. He should be given time to catch up with his paperwork he said. Things struggled on with Walter promising to pay in sums collected faster. He asked that the out of pocket expenses owed to him would also be paid promptly in future. 

Goodbye Walter. 

But by December 1907 the secret troubles that had worried Walter were beginning to overcome him. He had got into personal financial difficulties as his business had struggled and he was on the point of bankruptcy. He was late paying in rate money again, and there were still very many uncollected rates. Walter had to pay a bond when taking on the role of collector which he would loose if he left without the majority of rates bought in. He had repeatedly tried to sell his old grocers premises in the High Street but could find no buyer. He said he felt luck was always against him as he could sell "rotten old shells" of buildings but not his spacious and purpose built grocers. Questions about how he was managing the rates would have been fatal to his personal business. So one sad day, Walter left to attend an auction in Cookham, and never returned. His body was found several days later, by a hay rick. He had shot himself through the heart, leaving a number of letters. He wrote "I have been a good natured fool, and tried to do right, but without good results ....the world has been hard to me. ...Over work and worry have done their work". He begged his wife for forgiveness and said he thought she would soon have found herself a widow anyway as he'd felt unwell. He added he wished she would find "more friends in adversity than she found in life."  He also left a note asking that Marlow policeman Sergeant Pearce should be asked to identify his body to save his wife the horrible task. This Pearce did. 

A wife left behind 

Poor Ellen was left with absolutely nothing. She must have feared the worst when Walter disappeared. On the day he was found, the overseers came and collected the parish books from Walter's home. When asked at his inquest whether it was not true that Walter had been unfortunate in all of his business affairs, she replied simply, yes. She said she knew he had been worried about money matters but the extent of the problems was revealed only after his death. Less than a month after his suicide, the entire household contents of the Lovegrove home was put up for sale, down to the kitchen utensils. The Rev Light, who had gone to Ellen immediately on hearing of Walter's disappearance, repeatedly reminded everyone that she was left "in very straightened circumstances". The previously unsellable shop, then let to grocers Harridge & Dorrell,  was also auctioned off and found an immediate buyer this time. Ellen would eventually leave town, and live as a "companion" to a lady in Maidenhead. 

At their first meeting after his death, the Board of Guardians in passing a motion of sympathy for Mrs Lovegrove highly praised Walter for his work with them. Fellow board member Rev Light said Walter was "one of most obliging and pleasantest of men and one for whom he had the greatest regard". Walter's accounts with the overseers were eventually settled and the task of chasing the late payers became someone else's responsibility. As there is no evidence Walter had appropriated any funds for his own use, he earns his place as a Marlow hero. 

Written & researched by Kathryn Day. 

More information: 

Previous grocers occupying Walter's premises - here

To find out about other shops or specific premises see the index here

The Jubilee celebrations 1887 and 1897

Marlow Institute here

Index of posts about everyday life in Walter's Marlow - here

Other Marlow Heroes - 

Arthur Corby and Charles Bonny - here

- Andrew Means  - here

- Nurse Cassidy here

- Matron Mary Ann Cole here

- the Dunbar Dicksons - here

- John Langley here

Sources:

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907. 

Marlow Guide 1903 & 1907. 

Marlow Directory and Tourist Guide 1891, South Banks Standard. 

 Census returns from the transcripts taken from the originals by Jane Pullinger with thanks. 

Bucks Advertiser & Aylesbury News October 26th 1872, August 14th 1886, January 18th 1908

Bucks Herald June 8th 1878, January 3rd 1880, January 18th 1908.  

Maidenhead Advertiser November 23rd 1877, February 2nd 1887,  December 30th 1891, March 30th 1897, March 18th 1908. 

Reading Mercury June 8th 1878. 

South Bucks Stands February 27th & December 24th 1891, November 4th 1892, January 6th 1893, January 18th 1895, November 20th &  December 18th 1896, February 25th & September 1st 1898, December 8th 1899, July 28th 1905, October 6th & December 7th 1906, December 11th 1907

England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2JXP-4SX : 31 December 2014), Harriet Sarah Lovegrove, 1874; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

© MarlowAncestors. 

The Hackshaw Family Of West Street

 John and Thomas Hackshaw, trading as Hackshaw and Sons saddlers and harness maker dissolved their partnership in 1821, seemingly through financial difficulties though Thomas the father was 64 years old and may have wished to wind things down a bit work wise. John managed to carry on the business but he became insolvent in his own right in 1823. His financial matters were still unsettled in 1828. Once again however he recovered and continued trading. 

The premises he occupied are photographed below in the modern day. In 1832 they were assessed as being worth £11 a year and consisted of a house, garden, workshop and shed. Thomas Hackshaw operated as a collar maker (this meant of horse collars not human!) in Marlow by 1789 but I cannot say for certain that this was in the same premises. It is very likely that it was however. As well as making saddles and harnesses he had a sideline in making ropes and supplied some to the church in Marlow for the bellringers to use. Thomas is likely also be the same Thomas who was a volunteer (elected) parish constable from at least 1791-1799. John's mother was Mary (nee Burgin) who looks to have died in 1811. Thomas had previously been married to a Catherine Russell. 

Above: the black and white building is the Hackshaw family home and premises. The Lovegroves lived in the house on the right. The black and white woodwork of the Hackshaw building does not date from the time of their occupancy. It is a later addition.

John's first wife Harriet died aged only 40 in 1832 and in 1835 John Hackshaw married Harriet Lovegrove the widow from next door. Harriet had been running a boarding and day school for young ladies with her step daughter daughter Mary until Mary's death aged just 23 in 1832. 

Mary left most of what she had to Harriet. A summary of her will can be found on the blog here.

Thomas Hackshaw the father of the family died in 1838. A happier event that year for John and Harriet came with the baptism of their son John who would grow up to be a saddler and harness maker himself as well as a rope maker.

Four years later John senior was one of those called as a witness during an official investigation into widespread voter fraud in Marlow in 1842. Marlow was famous for it's dirty elections! John testified that another West Street resident had moved out of the town prior to the previous election, thus losing his right to vote in contests for a Marlow M.P. Despite this the man had cast a vote.

In 1856 John became bankrupt again. He and Harriet must have suffered greatly as a result of this because it meant the forced sale of not only his tools, equipment and stock but also the couples household furniture to pay their debts. Beds, tables, carpets and kitchen equipment all had to go. John's stock included brushes for horses and whips as well as the obvious horse bits and harnesses. From the full list of items that he had John was clearly catering for both agricultural, "sporting" (hunting) and general customers.

Some stock and tools were probably in the name of his son John junior who still lived at home and worked with his father. John junior continued in the trade but John senior became a tailor.

Harriet and John died within weeks of each other in 1869. At this point the administration of her stepdaughter Mary Lovegrove's will was apparently still not completed as it had to be passed on to someone else! John Hackshaw junior soon became bankrupt himself.

Note: there was a slightly older John Hackshaw who lived in nearby Oxford Lane and who was married to a Sophia. Don't confuse the two John seniors!

Our John and his first wife had children Charles, Christopher, Frederick, George, Harriet, Henry, and an earlier John.

Thomas Hackshaw was baptised 1757 Great Marlow to Geoffrey and Mary Hackshaw.

For every mention of a person on this blog see our A-Z index where you find over 6,000 people listed. More historic West Street residents and stories can be found indexed here. More biographies of historic Marlow families here

Written and researched by Charlotte Day. 

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Sources:

1841,51 censuses my transcription from microfilm. 1861 census Rootspoint.com. 1871 census -Jane Pullinger transcript from microfiche. All censuses remain Crown Copyright.

Great Marlow Parish records transcribed from the original register book by Alan Day.

1833 parochial assessment notebooks in my possession, transcribed by me.

Reading Mercury 16th Feb 1856 via the BNA and British Library Archives.

1839 Robson's Directory, University of Leicester Archives.

Dutton, Allen, & co.'s directory & gazetteer of the counties of Oxon, Berks & Bucks. United Kingdom, n.p, 1863.

Slater, Isaac. Slater's, late Pigot & co., Royal National and Commercial Directory and Topography of the Counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire. United Kingdom, n.p, 1852.

More Great Marlow Strays

Lost track of a Great Marlow born or resident ancestor? Look for them in these Great Marlow Strays listings.  If we come across mention of someone from Great Marlow living, dying, marrying or otherwise popping up elsewhere in the country, we collect the information and post it here. To find all mentions of an individual or family on the blog use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu.  

Etheredge - see Moore

Elliott, 

MARRIAGE - 1685, Elizabeth Elliott of Great Marlow, spinster aged about 22, daughter of William Elliott, butcher, to Richard Stocke of St Trinity in the Minories, citizen and Merchant Taylor of London, bachelor age 22.  

Fitzpatrick - Henry of Great Marlow to Esther Swift of Brentford, Middlesex. By licence. March 1745, At George's Chapel, Hyde Park Corner. 

Frewing - Rev J J, eldest son of James Frewing of Oxford Road, Marlow. MARRIAGE - 11 August 1892, to Blanche Maria Harris, daughter of Charles Harris of Tewkesbury. At the Congregational Church, Tewkesbury.  (South Bucks Standard 26 August 1892)

Hackshaw, Henry

MARRIAGE: Henry, eldest son of Mr J Hackshaw of Great Marlow to Emma Harrison of "Mead-Row, near Godalming". At Holy Trinity Church, Paddington. 3 October 1850. [Sussex Advertiser, 15 October 1850]

Hone, Susanna: 

1. DEATH Paris, November 1844. Eldest daughter of late John Hone, Esq of Great Marlow. Age 22. [Morning Herald, London 25 November 1844] 

2. DEATH At Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Age 70. February 1869. Widow of John Hone of Great Marlow. 

Hone, Annie - MARRIED at Tunbridge Wells, April 10 1850. To Rev George Goldney M.A. of Southfield.  [Gentleman's Magazine, 1850] Only surviving child of the late John Hone, Esq of Great Marlow. 

Harris, Mrs (no first name given)

DEATH - May 28 1894, St Mary Cray Kent. "Born Chapel Street 1826", 48 years resident in Marlow. (Newspaper cutting, untitled,  June 1894.)

Jorden, Elizabeth - See Morsender. 

Lovegrove, Miss Charlotte

Died age 83 in Brixton on March 29th 1865 [Bicester Herald April 7th 1865]

Lovelace, Lydia MARRIAGE - of Great Marlow to John Butler of Wooburn. St James Chapel, Mayfair, January 1746. 

Mealing, Robert

MARRIAGE - Robert, of Great Marlow to Sarah, daughter of William Evans of Cheddar Somerset. Marriage took place at St Michaels Church, Chester Square, London, by Rev J H Hamilton on 7th October 1862. (South Bucks Free Press, 11 October 1862)

Moore, Catherine

MARRIAGE - April 1683, Catherine Moore, spinster of Great Marlow, to Sir James Etheredge age 26 bachelor of The Inner Temple. She age 20, and married with consent of her mother her father being dead. At "St Bennet Finck, London", by licence. 

Morsender (qv), Robert 

MARRIAGE - widower and labourer of Great Marlow to Elizabeth Jorden widow also of Great Marlow. St James Chapel, Mayfair April 8th 1729. 

Plumeridge, Joseph

MARRIAGE  - Joseph of Great Marlow to Rebecca Woodley (of Harwell?) Berks. At Harwell, 12 Feb 1779. By licence. 

Salter, Agnes 

MARRIAGE - October 1607 to Richard Sanders, at Chesham. Both of their mothers are widows. (Transcript Chesham Parish Registers by John W B Pegge, 1904)

Smith, Mathias

MARRIAGE - April 1680, Mathias Smith of Great Marlow, widower age about 55 to Mary Glew, spinster of St. Pauls, Covent Garden, Middlesex, aged about 45. At All Hallows in the Wall, London. Mary married "at her own despose" that is needed no parental consent as she was an adult according to her testimony. 

Trew, William. Surgeon of Great Marlow. 

DEATH - at father's residence in St Peter's, Thanet, Kent. Age 36. February 24th 1851. Father given as Thomas Trew, Esq. (Medical Directory of Ireland.  John Churchill 1852. Does not just list Irish doctors)

Wilcocks, Joseph

DEATH - at "Slow nr Windsor" (Slough?) Of Great Marlow, July 1793 (Bath Chronicle, 18 July 1793)

Additional Sources:

The Register of Baptisms and Marriages at St George's Chapel, Mayfair, edited by Sir George J Armymage, (Mitchell & Hughes, 1889.)

Notes from the parish registers of Harwell, Berks taken by Rev F J Williams, 1909. 

Allegations for Marriage Licences Issued by the Vicar General of the Archbishop of Canterbury, edited by George Armytage (Mitchell & Hughes 1890) 

©GreatMarlowAncestors

Will Summary And Notes For Mary Garland Lovegrove

 Mary Garland Lovegrove spinster of Great Marlow. Will written 1832, proved 1835, see below. 

To mother Harriet Lovegrove: testator's best piano upstairs, a small work table downstairs, testator's table linen and  the two mattresses and everything else belonging to her bed, a handsome trunk with all the wearing apparel, books and articles in it. Says something like (I can't quite make it out) she considered these things to be equally her mothers anyway.

Also says if her school is let to someone then the fixtures are to be valued and then sold if she has funeral or other expenses to be met and there is insufficient funds in her estate to do so. She has kept papers to show what she paid for them. 

The children's mourning clothes to be paid for out of testator's estate (presumably the pupils of her school, see below). Any surplus to go to "my workers".

To brother John: testator's best glass salt cellar and to his wife a lace veil.

To (niece?) Ada Augusta Lovegrove: a brooch and 4 rings that belonged to testator's mother.

To brother James: a pair of silver salt cellars, and salt spoons.

To brother William a small amethyst ring and two tablespoons.

Will signed by Mary but not by any witnesses.

William Henry Lovegrove ...... warehouseman of numbers 4 and 5 Wood Street, Cheapside London and George Lovegrove of Great Marlow plumber, painter and glazier swore on oath that they knew Mary, her handwriting and her signature well and could therefore say that the unwitnessed will was nevertheless genuine.

Administration was granted a few days later to Mary Lovegrove's "mother" Harriet who had married John Hackshaw and had thus become Harriet Hackshaw. Family trees online suggest Harriet was the step mother rather than birth mother of Mary.

New administration granted 1871 (!) to James Thomas Lovegrove brother of Mary and "son"(could be step son) of Harriet.

Summary created from my transcription of a P.C.C will held at the National Archives, Kew from where you can obtain your own copy.

Notes:

Mary died on 23rd August 1832. Her short obituary in the Reading Mercury (27th August, British Library Archives) called her "much respected". She was only in her early 20s at death.

Mary Lovegrove's school was a day and boarding school for girls in West Street Marlow. She took it over in 1829.

For more on James Thomas Lovegrove see here

Mary was the sister of Marlow grocer George Lovegrove and aunt of the tragic Walter Lovegrove, both of whom feature in this post.

Harriet Lovegrove / Hackshaw was nee Saunders and died in 1869.

Mary's father was John Rance Lovegrove, plumber and glazier.

For other Lovegroves see our A-Z index on the drop down menu. This blog contains mention of thousands of historic Marlow people.

For more Marlow will posts see my index here.

Post by Charlotte Day.

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

1833 Parochial Assessment Great Marlow Quoiting Square / Oxford Terrace Continued

My family has the original working notebooks written up for this assessment. It was to be used to set the 1834 rates. 

It's age means the material is faded and falling apart so I am transcribing it in parts starting with the house and building information. The notebooks have some corrections and additions added up to circa 1839. If any are present for these entries I will indicate so. I have been adding the different parts to this blog as and when they chime with other bits of research I am doing.

Format I use:

Name

Property

Annual value of property

Any notes of mine added in square brackets

Quoiting Place [Quoiting Square] and Oxford Terrace [in Oxford Road] in book but the assessors made a hash of this section. Many of these properties were actually round the corner in West Street and I have noted this below as appropriate.

Continued [1st part of Oxford Terrace and Quoiting Square is here]

Thomas Davis

House, woodhouse, garden, stables and shed

£11

*****

William Harper [tinplate worker. Apparently actually West Street. Certainly was West Street earlier]

House, two gardens, workshop and yards

£10

*****

George Wyatt

House, woodhouse, stable and lofts

£10 10 shillings

Large garden

£2

*****

Thomas Wyatt 

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Edward Tyler [a tallow chandler and market gardener who was sent to a debtors prison in London in 1834. Property actually West Street though probably by Quoiting Square turning].

House, storehouse and large garden

£9

A large market garden 

*****

Henry Stallwood [The Marlow parish constable and hayward for Marlow manor. Very good at his constable job! His dad William lived next door see other 1833 assessment posts]

Cottage

£3

*****

Miss Lord [Eleanor Lord. This was a boarding School. See my Schools In Marlow History post published here. Premises actually West Street].

Dwelling house, yard and convenient offices

£23

*****

Widow Clark [Actually West Street]

House and garden

£8

**

Widow Puddifant [Sarah Puddifant. Died 1840. Actually West Street. Post about her here].

House, yard and garden

£12

[Added in pencil after the name of widow Puddifant without crossing her name out is the name James Thomas Lovegrove and added to the annual value column in pencil words "raised to £22". More on James here]

*****

John Musprat [Actually West Street]

Three Tuns [inn] house, yard, stables and garden

£11

[More on John and also the Three Tuns here ]

*****

Samuel Carter

House and garden

£5

*****

George Greenwood

House, garden and shop

£13

Large garden

£2

*****

George Gale [master of the National School in Oxford Road]

House, play ground, stable and gardens

£17

Large Garden

£2

*****

William Windsor [a baker. Also actually West Street. He still there 1844]

House and garden

£5

*****

Richard Musprat [actually West Street]

House, yard and garden

£6

******

William Smith [actually West Street]

Cottage and garden 

£4 10 shillings

*****

James Allum [actually West Street]

House and garden

£6

*****

William Humphrey [West Street]

House and garden

£7 10 shillings

*****

Francis Pearce

House and garden

£7

*****

William Pusey [Surely this too is actually West Street?] [A straw bonnet maker and chair turner. See here for more about him and his family]

House, washhouse, shop, yard and large garden

£11

*****

Robert Sawyer [West Street again]

House, part of yard, stable, sheds, piggery and large garden 

£15

Tolls of the market 

£3

*****

George Westbrook

The Crown [Inn. This was in Market Square though the grounds and back of it could be accessed from Oxford Road], house, pleasure gardens and garden adjoining, large garden at the top of the yard, stable yard, stables, coach houses, skittle ground and other convenient offices

£60

The Town Hall card room [next door to the Crown, again not in Quoiting Place or Oxford Road!], parlour etc belonging to it

£10

*****

Oxford Road

Late Charles Bowerie Esq [probably Bouverie]

House, yard, stable, coach house and garden

£30

*****

Sarah Pimm [nee Hale, widow of Richard Pimm, hurdle maker who had died that year aged 62]

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Richard Frith

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Alexander Higginson Esq

House with offices, lawn, garden and green house

£45

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There are thousands of people listed there.

For other posts about Quoiting Place, Oxford Road or West Street see the index here

For a full list of former schools like Miss Lord's school see Schools in the index here

Index to posts about the every day life for Marlow people at the time of the assessment and others see - here

© Marlow Ancestors

The Life of Emma and Dennis Wargent

Today we are featuring former Marlow and Hurley residents Emma and Dennis Wargent. 

"Emma Price That Was"

Emma Price, the future Mrs Wargent, was born in 1827 in Great Marlow to John and Sarah Price. John worked in the most typical of Marlow occupations of the time - he was the captain of a barge or "barge master," which ran between Marlow and London. He transported goods not just originating in Marlow itself, but from a wide area around bought to one of the several Marlow wharves to move onwards. The family lived in Dean Street, or as it was often known at that time Well End (not the same as Well End, Little Marlow). This area contained the largest concentration of working class homes and especially later a (not always deserved) reputation for roughness. However much of the worse of that, with the association with poaching and skewer making, was a little in the future when Emma was born. The number of beer houses were yet to explode with the relaxed licencing of the 1830s. The occupation and income of the residents was of a mixed type than later, and some later subdivided homes were still intact with largish and pleasant gardens. The home of John Price, a cottage with garden, cost £4 a year to rent when it was up for sale in 1829. Crucially it was of sufficient value to qualify the occupier the right to vote in the Marlow elections. This was an open selling point for the property, in a time when local elections here were rarely without some claim of bought votes, corruption or indeed rioting! See the linked posts below for more on this. 

When she was  approximately 17 Emma married young tailor Thomas Davis*, of Spittal Street, son of Richard. (1843) Thomas and Emma settled in Dean Street too. While Thomas seems to have been successful in his business - he was described as a master tailor (that is one fully and professionally trained) he later chose to change occupation and became a grocer. A little obituary of Emma says this business was located at the corner of Quoiting Square - we are in the process of confirming this location. Most grocers lived on their trading premises at this point, and Emma and Thomas still lived in Dean Street at the time of the 1861 census although his occupation had changed to grocer. Prior to that change though, the young Emma worked as a satin stitch worker doing fine embroidery. This was probably the single biggest employment category for young women in Marlow outside of domestic service and lace making at this period. There were baby linen warehouses employing the women directly on the premises. Much however was done at home. It was not always well paid considering the skill and patience required but it was considered reliable employment. Amongst the bigger employers were the Flints of West Street of whom more here. Take a look at our recreated trade directories linked below to get a flavour of some of Marlow's other past industries. Some of Emma's younger unmarried sisters still residing in the Dean Street Price family home were also engaged in this work and dressmaking. 

Emma was bereaved young (1877). But she was not long a widow. In 1878 she married widower Dennis Wargent...

Dennis, gardener par excellence

Dennis Hignell (Hignall) Wargent was born in the late 1820s in Remenham near Henley. As a 14 year boy he was working as a servant at Remenham Lodge. Very probably in the garden. This was a very typical age to have begun a career as a domestic gardener. 10 years later he is specifically described as a garden labourer at Remenham. Although he as an under gardener may have had to do a considerable amount of the gardens "donkey work", he was also clearly trained in the finer art of producing superlative flowers and produce which was the point of these sometimes long "apprenticeships". Gardeners tended to move on to other positions once they were proficient unless the head gardener was perhaps likely to retire soon. 

Dennis scored a job at the significant Marlow property known in the whimsical style of the time as "The Cottage". This was in fact the 9 bedroom home later known as Quoitings/ Quoitings House/ Quoiting Place and now demolished. This had a gardener's lodge off Oxford Road, which would become home to Dennis and his then wife Hannah nee Bailey**. He was there by the time of the 1861 census. Mrs Sarah Faussett (Fawcett/Faucett) was resident in the main house. Quoitings had gardens known for their fruit as well as a small dairy - a common accessory for Marlow homes at this period including the grandest. In all around 13 acres. 

Throughout the 1860's Dennis romped home with prize after prize at the local horticultural shows and events. Balsams, roses, ferns...all grown to perfection by the hardworking gardener. Among the events he attended were the early versions of the Great Marlow horticultural society shows at Harleyford Park and Court Garden, and the charming sounding "rural fete" at Danesfield. 

One of Marlow's forgotten industries was that of wholesale fruit dealing, especially based around the Dean Street area. This meant the less scrupulous hoping to pilfer something with an easy resale value were fond of targeting fruit and nut frees in private gardens and on farms. Others of course just like to enjoy some free fruit. Whatever the motive, labourer Daniel Lovegrove of Marefield stole into the garden at The Cottage on a quiet Sunday in 1874 and made off with some prize apricots. Dennis however caught him at it, and Daniel was bought before the petty session court in Trinity Road. He received a 3s 6d fine for his trouble. 

A few years later, Hannah  Wargent died. She was buried in Remenham. 

Marriage Again

Emma and Dennis, both now widowed married each other in 1878. They lived in Hurley village a little along the river from Marlow. Dennis would continue to work as a gardener (for the Vicar Rev F T Wethered) and later a cow man there until his late 70s. He also spent many many years as the Hurley Parish clerk and also at times served as churchwarden there. 

Farewell to Emma

Emma sadly fell ill in 1892. She was advised to go to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington for more specialised care, but I am not certain what condition she had been suffering from. She died after a few weeks stay, and is buried in Hurley.  Her grave marker states her age at 70, some local death notices gave it as 68. 

The following year, Dennis would marry a third time, to Louisa. (Born Hagbourne, Berkshire). Would his senior years prove quiet? Not perfectly! As a respected local man and former parish clerk, he was invited to be the treasurer of the East Arms Slate Club in around 1896. The first 9 years were uneventful. Local men paid in a fixed sum (a shilling in 1904/5) per month to the Club, in exchange for claiming a certain amount of the pooled funds in the event of a calamity such as illness or the death of a spouse befalling them. Any unused funds were divided out between members who had kept up their subscriptions, usually just before Christmas at a special share out supper or dinner. Most were hosted by a pub, although chapels also ran them. A very large number were run locally, and there is a high chance of an ancestor belonging to one at some point. In 1905 the club secretary was Thomas Reed, a carpenter of Temple Cottages, Bisham who had held the role for 7 years. Thomas had unfortunately suffered regular periods of unemployment that year. Ahead of the December 1905 share out he went to Dennis and collected the Club funds to distribute to the expectant members. Dennis gave him a receipt and waved him off towards the East Arms. Thomas arrived about 7pm and found 40 members there ready to have a good time. He however announced that he had forgotten a few important documents and would need to go back and get them. He excused himself and the others got on with their celebration supper. The share out usually happened last and so Thomas had time to go. But come midnight, Thomas has not returned. Some of the members, initially concerned for his welfare, went to his home. There they met his puzzled wife who had not seen her husband since he had left telling her he was going to the East Arms. Some then began to feel a little doubt and recalled Thomas had seemed on edge. They went to the home of Dennis Wargent who confirmed Thomas had left him whilst carrying the club funds. The following morning Thomas had still not appeared and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was apprehended close by and confessed to spending the funds. He admitted it had been an act of foolishness but he said the unemployment he had suffered had made him do it. He could not however account for what he had done with the money. He said his heart had failed him when he knew he would have to face the music so he had fled. He was sentenced to 2 months in Reading gaol with hard labour. The poor savers got none of their money back. Dennis testified in court during the trial. 

In 1910, Dennis passed away aged 83. He had worked as a gardener until at least the age of 79. He is buried with second wife Emma at Hurley. See grave image at bottom. 

NOTE

* There was more than one Thomas Davis in Marlow at this time. Our Thomas was the son of Richard and Mary Davis of Spittal Street. The "other" Thomas Davis was resident in Oxford Lane at this point. They were a similar age.

** Hannah and Dennis married 1856 in Kensington. She was born circa 1821 in Waltham St Lawrence.

Related Posts:

The Flint family embroiders here

Potted history and landlord listing for the East Arms, Hurley here

Other posts related to Hurley: here

Slate clubs and poverty in Victorian and Edwardian Marlow - COMING SOON 

Where your gardening ancestor worked: here

Bargemen of Marlow - here

Posts related to the election violence and everyday life in old Marlow, plus links to the recreated trade directories: here

Every mention of an individual can be found in the A-Z person index top drop down menu where you will also find listings of more detailed biographies of people and families. 

Sources include:

Kelly's Directory Berkshire 1883. 

South Bucks Standard 28 October 1892. 

Reading Mercury 12 September 1863, 08 August 1874. 

Maidenhead Advertiser 29 May 1872. 

Census 1841,1851,1861,1871,1881 and 1891 - transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger and Charlotte Day. 

Horticultural show records compiled by Kathryn - ongoing project. 

Emma Wargent died 1892. 

Dennis Wargent died March 8th 1910. Born Jan 1827.

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

© MarlowAncestors 

1833 Parochial Assessment Lane End Part One

 As Lane End was part of the parish of Great Marlow in Buckinghamshire it is covered by my original 1833 parochial assessment notebooks for that parish, which are held by my family. These were the working notebooks used by the assessors to compile the local tax assessment for 1834. My notebooks also contain additions and corrections for several years afterwards and scrap related correspondence related to the assessment.

©Marlow Ancestors. Freely use quotes from this transcription for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Any notes by me are in square brackets.

Corrections and amendments to the original notes seems to have been done in the notebook up to circa 1839 and will be noted in my transcription too if they occur in these parts of the assessment.

Charles Fletcher

Property occupied:

Crown Inn house, garden, "etc"

Annual value of property: £9 10 shillings

Also occupies:

Shoemaker's shop

£2

Small orchard

£1

Orchard by Marks 

£3

*****

William Jarvis

House and garden

£5

*****

William Collins

Cottage and garden

£4

Meeting House [note added in brackets afterwards "if rated"]

£7

*****

Jeremiah Almond

Cottage

£3

*****

William Catton

Yard, barn, shop, sheds and garden

£6

House and garden

£6

Orchard, stable and shed

£4

Small garden

10 shillings

*****

James Bird

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Thomas Hackstraw

Cottage and garden [pencil note added later: " part of garden"].

£3 10 Shillings

*****

Thomas Marks

Beer shop house, yard, stable [pencil brackets later put around the word stable] and garden

£7

*****

?Ramsey [no first name, last hard to read could be Ramey, even Rancey. Later the name "Denham" added in pencil without Ramsey name being crossed out]

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Joseph Lovegrove

House, yard, stable, carthouse, sheds and garden

£10

*****

Edward Tundall

House and garden

£5

*****

William Janes

House, yard and garden

£5

*****

William Lee

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Widow Biggs

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Thomas White

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

******

Joseph Dean

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Samuel Harris

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Henry Gray

Cottage, garden and stable

£5

*****

Martha Bateman

Cottage and part of yard

£3

****

To be continued..

Look at Nearby Places on the menu for more Lane End content.

The Person Index lists every mention of any individual on this blog. Find it in the top drop down menu.

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.

John Clark Will 1804

 John Clark, carpenter of Great Marlow. Proved 1804.

Sick and weak.

All his real estate in Great Marlow [not itemised] to wife Catherine for her life then to son John. 

All funeral expenses and debts to be paid then:

Children Catherine, ?Soly, Thomas, Henry and Elizabeth all his ready money, goods, chattels, stocks, bonds, bills, notes and all other of his personal estate.

Executors wife Catherine and ... Lovegrove.

Witnessed by Henry Allnutt [an attorney], ...Tregoe, John Allnutt.

Transcribed and then summarized here by Charlotte Day. Will is PCC and held at the National Archives, Kew.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse this content with credit to this blog and a link here. Thanks.

Historic Grocery Business -Aveling/Lovegrove *Updated Nov 2024*

 

Above is shown the  site of Richard Aveling junior's grocery shop from at least 1824. His father Richard senior had been a grocer in Marlow by the 1790s. He may well have had this shop too

In 1833 the property consisted of a house, yard, shed, barn, garden and stables as well as an orchard and was worth an estimated £20 a year rateable value.

Richard junior died in 1844 and his widow Martha took over the business for a short while before handing it over to George Lovegrove. She died in 1853. The grave of Richard & Martha at All Saints can be seen here.

I have a copy of her will and will transcribe it on the blog in the future.

As you can see from the words on the front of the building it was rebuilt in the 1870s. It also says on the front that it was established in 1661. You have to be careful with such things as these dates often refer to a business per se not necessarily a particular family's involvement with that business let alone in any particular premises. What I mean is if a business was established in 1600 by one family another one taking it over would still say "established 1600" even if they subsequently moved premises. There are examples of this in Marlow. The sign would suggest however at the minimum that Richard Aveling senior had ran a grocery business that had existed in some hands or another in Marlow for a very long time. If you are lucky enough to have the Book Of Marlow by Jock Cairns (not in print) the back inside cover has a drawing of Marlow High Street which shows the premises in the time of George Lovegrove.

Richard with his three siblings were equal owners of the premises having inherited them from their father Richard senior.

These newly built premises were in the occupation of grocer Walter Lovegrove  the son of the George Lovegrove above by 1879. It was apparently Walter whose idea it was to knock the old fashioned existing building down and erect a purpose built and spacious premises in its place. The design is believed to have been by his brother Henry who was a successful architect. It was later said that the Aveling's had sternly resisted any pretence of modern innovation when it came either to the shop or their way of doing business. 

Walter was assisted by his wife Ellen whom he married in her native Staines in 1876. She was née Rogers. Both Walter and Ellen helped to raise money for the town's 1887 Queen's Jubilee celebrations (more on that here). They were both amongst the organisers of events too. The same year Walter was elected churchwarden for I think the third time at the recommendation of the vicar who praised his past diligence in the role.

In 1899 he switched to being an estate agent and auctioneer not to mention an insurance agent. His grocery business was bought by Walter Baker from Ashford Kent but his enterprise didn't last long it seems as Albert Howard had the premises in 1901.

Upon Walter Lovegrove's retirement from the grocery business the South Bucks Standard praised the way he had whilst busy with that business nevertheless devoted a considerable amount of time to public service" doing much excellent work and doing it well". The paper expressed a desire that he would enjoy a long rest and retirement with Mrs Lovegrove. They obviously didn't realise Walter was switching trades not retiring.

Sadly a restful retirement was never to come for Walter. In 1907 he committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart. His body was found by the side of a hay rick near Cookham. He was then very depressed and under a cloud of accusations as to his poor management of finances for the parish in relation to his role as parish poor rate collector. He was accused of failing to collect the poor rates from some people in due time. I think it unlikely that he was guilty of criminal intent as opposed to being simply overwhelmed and treated with impatience by colleagues. Letters about the matter were found on his person. Previous collectors had all had trouble getting poor rates from everyone. Some 30 years previously Walter been one of those criticizing the then parish surveyor who had the responsibility for the rates collection for doing the job in an inefficient and unfair manner. That collector, James Allen, had himself committed suicide following the criticism he publicly received. James shot himself near High Rews Farm in Marlow. 

Walter was described in the South Bucks Standard after his death as "a man much respected." 

After his death, the premises was auctioned off. It was then described as a double fronted shop. Behind this was a sitting room, kitchen and scullery, and there was a cellar below. On the upper floor there were 4 bedrooms, with a bathroom, lavatory, and linen cupboard. At the rear could be found various outbuildings, a two storey store house with cellars, a two stall stable with forage room above, a carriage house and well stocked garden. At this point it was leased to grocers Harridge & Dorrell. 

A full biography of the life of Walter is Now_available_here

Researched and written by Charlotte Day. Photo by Kathryn Day.

Related posts:

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu - there is over 4,000 Marlow  individuals listed there. New posts added daily.  

To find information about other shops use the Specific Streets, Shops etc option on the same menu. 

Sources:

*South Bucks Standard 2st September 1899 and 6th December 1907. Copies held at the British Library archives. Accessed by me via the BNA.

Will Richard Aveling senior. PCC. obtained from National Archives and transcribed by me.

Will of Martha Aveling as above.

Maidenhead Advertiser 2nd  June 1886 [James Allen suicide], 18th March 1908 as above.

Property records held by my family and transcribed by me.

Censuses transcribed by me from microfilm.

Gravestones.

Great Marlow Parish registers, transcribed by me.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to reuse image and text for family or local history purposes if with credit to this blog and a link here.

Property occupation gathered by me analysing and cross referencing multiple sources.

Building photographed November 2020.