Meet the Maddocks - Friends Of The Shelleys

A friend to famous writers, an electoral cheat, and owner of the only newspaper in town Robert Maddocks of Great Marlow was many things but boring was not one of them. It is thanks to him and even more so his wife Jane that we know so much about the life of Percy Bysshe Shelley the poet and Mary Shelley the author in Marlow. I thought then that they would make perfect material for a blog post.

Let's start at the beginning...

Robert was born circa 1783-87. Jane née Jones was baptised at Bisham in 1788 daughter of Robert and Maria Jones. In 1810 Jane and Robert Maddocks married by licence at Bisham. Robert was at that point described as of Marylebone Middlesex (London today of course). I have seen it speculated on family history websites that Robert might have been of Scottish heritage. His last name makes it possible at least paternally though I see no direct evidence of it and his census entries give him as English.

Robert was a carpenter, house agent and builder. He and Jane definitely lived on the Pound Lane side of Marlow High Street by 1831 though the couple were resident in Marlow by 1814 and were almost certainly in fact already in their High Street home and premises by 1828. 

In 1817 acting as house agent for Jeffrey and Sophia Tilecote who had moved away from town he rented their former home and school Albion House to the Shelleys. He became friends with them as he already was with writer Thomas Love Peacock who was living in West Street, Marlow. Percy discussed politics with Percy for hours, in particular how best to relieve the suffering of the poor; poetry and the nature of poetic inspiration and religion.

Later biographers of the Shelley's were assisted by the Maddocks in writing about Percy and Mary's time in Marlow. Jane Maddocks especially remembered the kindness of Percy to the poor. She said that every Saturday evening he gave out money to those who came by appointment to his door, especially widows and children. If he was away from Marlow he gave his bag of coins to Jane to hand out for him from her house in the High Street. The poor came with slips of paper signed by Percy over the preceding week explaining how much he wished to give each individual- anything up to half a crown. As he often ran out of paper in his generosity these slips were sometimes fashioned from pages torn out of whatever reading book he had been carrying about with him.

Robert Maddocks also had fragments of Percy's writings which he was able to lend Percy's biographers later (for a fee).

Because of the sexism of the day they were usually asked to recollect their interactions with Percy rather than Mary Shelley so what they made of her is uncertain. 

The Shelley's stayed for a little over a year until they left for the Continent, Albion House being too miserably cold in the winter for them to remain there.

Robert organised new tenants and helped with the packing up process of the Shelley household. Some articles not immediately carried off by the Shelley's were retained by Robert and note returned when Mary asked for them because of some outstanding debts owed to him by the couple.

He didn't just manage the property of others, he owned property himself. When the Lower Crown in the High Street went out of business circa 1830 Robert bought it. Some of the premises he used for a public billiards and reading and newspaper room, the rest he let. This reading room didn't have much going for it- one single copy of one single newspaper- but for the people of Marlow it was heaven even so. There was no other public place offering newspapers to read yet in town and very few people could afford to buy their own copy, let alone a copy followed by another the next day followed by another the next etc. We forget just how expensive newspapers then were because of tax on both the newspaper itself and on each individual advert each edition contained. This you had to pay when you bought your copy, cheaper ad free editions not existing. Paying to read ads seems bizarre to us looking back but those newspaper were the only way most people heard about a house or shop up for auction or rent, a job opportunity, a new business opening or a book being published. Our Marlovian ancestors thirsted for such information. Those writing about Marlow a little later remembered vividly how even well off people would club together to buy a newspaper copy. If nobody had thought to buy one while up in London or Reading for the day and brought it back with them, or made a special request to a stationer or bookseller to order one in for them no edition entered the town except the one ordered in for Robert, making him the sole source of printed news for everyone.

The main part of the former pub he rented to Jane Sime an unmarried gentlewoman who ran a girls' school from there. It is in relation to her that Robert had his lowest hour. Poor Jane became confused as to why she was not asked to pay any rates for her property. Being an honest woman she went to the parish officials to pay. Imagine her astonishment to be told she didn't live in her house, a man did and he was paying the taxes for it. Jane Sime persisted in the matter and a plot for electoral fraud was uncovered. In those days you had to be both male and an occupier of a minimum amount of property by rateable value in order to vote. If she had been a man Jane would have occupied sufficient property to vote. Robert Maddocks entered into a conspiracy with a man of similar (conservative) political sympathies to him who did not occupy sufficient property to vote. They pretended that the man and not Jane was his tenant so the man could have the vote for that property. An enquiry backed Jane's version of events, Robert's friend lost his entitlement to vote and in a fit of pique Robert told Jane that she would be evicted from her home and business premises. 

He doesn't seem to have thought about what Jane Simes would do about the tax issue. To be fair to Robert he might have felt that he was in some way doing the right thing at first by not letting as rare a thing as a vote go to waste. Jane had no hope of using it herself after all.

Robert's own home and building business headquarters consisted of a dwelling house, stable, 3 chaise houses, a shed, work and store shops, yard and garden. These were worth together an estimated £12 a year.

Despite being exposed for the voting dishonesty Robert was chosen more than once as a churchwarden by the Vicar of Marlow. These appointments do not seem to have been very popular with some others in town. Nevertheless Robert also managed to get elected as one of the Overseers of the poor for Marlow.

He and Jane had at least four daughters- Annabella, Mary, Catherine and Jane- and one son, John. Annabella did not marry and lived on an independent income. Catherine married a brewer and John was a brewer/ brewer's engineer/ lime burner which might just possibly suggest some previous link with the brewing trade in the family.

Robert died on 9th July 1859. Jane moved with Annabella to Chertsey Surrey, probably to be near her married daughter Catherine. On the 1861 census Jane lived at Staines Lane Chertsey and was an annuitant with a young servant and Annabella at home. Her son John also lived in Chertsey for a while before moving to the South West. Jane died in 1864.

The site of the former Lower Crown, part of which became the Maddocks' News Room.  

The Maddocks grave at All Saints Church Marlow. 

Sacred to the memory of Mr Robert Maddocks builder who died July 9th 1859 age 75. Also of his wife Jane who died January 16th 1864 age 77. 

*a biography of Robert Hayes Smith the shopkeeper who brought newspapers to the town en masse for the first time has been written by Kathryn and is available here

Biography of another turns of Shelley's in Marlow, radical poet and postmaster William Tyler here

To find biographies of other Marlow couples and families see the Biographies Of Families option on the top drop down menu. There is also a Biographies Of Individuals and a Person Index for all mentions of someone on this blog.

For more about the Lower Crown see the Pub Related menu option.

A list of over 70 schools like that of Jane Simes existed in Marlow is published on the blog here

See:

The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley by Edward Dowden.

Middleton, C. S. (1858). Shelley and His Writings. United Kingdom: T.C. Newby.

Romantic Revisions. (1992). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Bucks Gazette 9th July 1831, British Library Archives. Bucks Herald 28th March 1857 ,British Library Archives in this case via the British Newspaper Archive.

Bisham and Great Marlow Parish registers.

Census of England and Wales 1841, transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger and 1851 from Familysearch.org.

Shelley, P. B. (1870). The Poetical Works Including Various Additional Pieces From Ms. And Other Sources. The Text Revised, With Notes And A Memoir By William Michael Rossetti. United Kingdom: Maxon.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Read All About It - Thanks To Mr Smith

 

Grave of Robert Hayes Smith B. Mar 1st 1827, d. September 13th 1903. Also beloved wife Margaret Ann. 

If your ancestor attended almost any public event in the second half of the 19thc, a certain familiar figure could invariably be seen scribbling away at the sidelines. If you attended a cricket match at Marlow, you might see the same man scoring the game. Attending the Institute? There he is again, giving a lecture, taking notes or leading a debate. If you wander down the High Street, our busy friend will greet you from the door of his stationer and booksellers premises. Mr Robert Hayes Smith is a man hard to miss. He is someone Marlow has had reason to be very grateful to, because he completely transformed our towns access to news and information. 

Robert was born in London in 1827, moving to Marlow when he was 7. He attended both Faulkners School (a private one for young gentlemen) and the Blue Coat School as a foundation scholar (that is for free) - the latter is now known as Borlase. He was a bright young man and is said to have excelled at his studies. While young he took part on a long and arduous over land expedition to India, looking at the best trade routes to follow before the Suez Canal was operational. In Egypt, the intense heat meant the group chose to travel only when it was dark, after several members became seriously ill. This bought dangers of its own, and Robert became separated from his companions on one occasion. He was found and they continued on to Alexandria. He reached Bombay via a steamship so the journey was not overland all the way. The return journey was made by ship, via Alexandria, and the Bay of Biscay to Southampton. At this point, Robert was said to be ill himself. This was put down at the time to the physical demands of travel and the rapid changes of climate he had experienced. He was said to take years to fully recover from his trip. 

On his return he concentrated on his stationary and printing business. At first he was located in Spittal Street where he combined his work with hairdressing - a common Marlow pairing. Later he was in the premises previously used by stationer and hairdresser George Smith Pearce who you can read about elsewhere on the blog - link below. It's probably this role of Robert's that had the most significant effect on Marlow life. He was the first person to organise the regular delivery of daily papers to Marlow, a parcel of them arriving here by train and horse. This may not seem extraordinary but it was. In 1836 Mr J Juggins of Quoiting Place placed many adverts promoting his plans to supply Marlow with newspapers and periodicals from the London press, in anticipation of a reduction of stamp duty then applied to them. But the price reduction was not large and despite Mr Juggins promising the "upmost punctuality" in their arrival and onwards dispatch, this paper delivery service was remembered as sadly slow.  A decade later Marlow had a billiard room and "newsroom" in the High Street, at the property of Mr Maddocks. (In the former Lower Crown Inn, which was then let to more than one tenant. Mr Maddocks was a friend of the poet Shelley in Marlow and lead a colourful life - you can read more about him here ) This was patronised by the male gentry who were members. Together, they subscribed to The Times newspaper, receiving a single copy between them, and only the day after it was printed. It had to be sent from London you see and papers were before 1855  still subject to a stamp tax. They were expensive hence why people went to newsrooms and coffee shops to read them. This copy of the Times was described as the only copy of a London newspaper in town to be present on a regular and reliable basis soon after publication. Some of the inns, such as the Three Tuns, had newspapers but they tended to be older copies and the easier to come by regional titles. So when the "Tax on Knowledge" was abolished as far as newspapers was concerned, the cost of the papers went down and many more publications started up. With the better train services also improving the chance of a paper arriving soon after printing*, Robert saw the opportunity to organise a fresh supply of news into town. His shop became the place to go for up to date information. Robert was not just a fancy and commercial stationer, bookseller and newsagent, but in common with others in a similar line, he was also a printer and ran a circulating library. (His premises were often referred to as the Library in fact.) He took in advertisements for the papers and sold tickets to events and Salter Steamer boat trips and more. He was also the man to go to if you wanted to take out insurance as a rail passenger to cover you in the event of a train crash. And he also acted as a tea dealer and spirit agent later on! 

Robert would later spend 50 years as the Marlow correspondent for the South Bucks Standard. It's in this role he could be found attending almost every meeting and event in town. It's hardly surprising he was said to know everything about Marlow and it's people. The reports Robert must have looked most forward to making were those related to his beloved Marlow Cricket Club, which he devoted himself to for 60 years. Aside from scoring their matches, and filing match reports, he served various roles on their committee including that of Secretary for 10 years. When receiving a presentation (and gold half hunter watch) from the club in honour of such long devotion, he made a speech. He said he had spent thousands of the best days and the best hours of his life in it's service and had done so cheerfully and willingly "because of my profound admiration for the noble game, a game which I hold to be worthy of all the sacrifices I made for it." This received a resounding cheer. He also recommended the playing of cricket to all young men seeking to succeed in any field of life as it was a sure remedy against "ennui and melancholy, an infallible prescription for providing a healthy mind in a healthy body."

Music was another of Robert's passions. A member of the Choral Society, he appears often as a singer at local charity events. His fellow worshippers at the Roman Catholic church could also hear Robert singing in their choir for decades. 

The Marlow Institute also saw Robert sitting on its board, and he gave lectures on mostly literary subjects such as "The life and times of Charles Dickens." He frequently donated books to the Institute library. In 1891 he proposed a debate on the subject of a potential tax on bachelors to encourage marriage. This was only a semi serious suggestion from the long time happily married Robert whose wife Margaret was probably in the audience. He naturally supported the tax! For many years Robert had the contract to supply the newspapers for the library of the Institute in the 1860's before it arrived in permanent premises in Institute Rd. 

When he died in 1903, the world of his youth where up to date newspapers were scarce must have seemed incredible to the young people around him. Robert had retired from his business in 1892 but it was hardly a quiet retirement as he continued to serve on committees and support the Marlow Cricket, Football and Rowing Clubs. He was also treasurer for the Marlow Victoria football club in its early days.  He is buried at St Peter's Catholic Church in St Peter's Street. His grave, and that of his wife, is still visible and is shown above. One slightly unusual aspect of his funeral is the second funeral service, read by F O Wethered in his role as "Brother Wethered" of the Loyal Orphans Hope Lodge of the Oddfellows. This organisation had a long history in the town and Brother Smith was a longstanding member. They were a kind of friendly society with a sort of Masonic love of ritual. Each local lodge had it's own name, with Orphans Hope belonging to Marlow. The Oddfellows were a national organisation and had their own funeral service to be read at a Lodge of the grave side when a member died. They also sprinkled sprigs of thyme on Robert's coffin. Not everyone may have sprinkled herbs on his grave, but the turn out for the funeral was very large. It was observed that Marlow had lost an adopted son that had loved the town dearly. (He had been due to leave the neighbourhood for a villa "near the Crystal Palace at Norwood" shortly before his death.)

NB There was later a branch of W H Smith in town but that is not Robert's family business. Other Smith's were drapers or china dealers. The Spittal Street W H Smith was a draper/milliner although they did stock Christmas and New Year cards, as did many other shops besides stationers and the like.

*The blocking of train lines in times of snow or flood caused occasional delays in the papers sent from London arriving. For example the papers due to arrive by train at Marlow at 8.30 am just after Christmas in 1886 did not arrive until 3.30pm due to snow related blockage on the line. 

Those of lower incomes could read newspapers at pubs and refreshment rooms. It was noted in the 1880s that those sending their children to the pubs to bring home a jug of beer in Marlow often requested that the child return with one of the papers, to be bought back a little later. 

You can read about Robert's  predecessor George Smith Pearce here

More on other members of Robert Hayes Smith family see here

 For more on the Institute, see this post

To find all of the mentions of your ancestor on this blog, use the Person Index and Biographies of Individuals options to be found on the top drop down menu. 

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

1833 Parochial Assessment High Street Great Marlow Part One

I have transcribed this from the original handwritten assessment working notebooks which have been in my family for some years and are in a fragile and faded condition. The books were annotated with corrections and changes until about 1840. I will add any such information and flag it as such. Other notations are from my other research.

Transcription by Charlotte Day.

© Marlow Ancestors. You can use this transcription for local or family history purposes if you credit this blog.

Town- Houses and Buildings (land is a different record I also have and will transcribe in the future). 

No Street Address Given

Edmund Flemming (late)=

Property occupied= Marlow Place with suitable offices, large garden, lawn, green houses etc [Their "etc" not mine]

Annual value of property= £110 

High Street West Side [West Street side]

John Snelling Wright=

Dwelling house, yard and garden

£22

*****

Misses Rolls [this is Brampton House. The sisters ran a school for girls]:

House with yard and garden

£25

*****

Jane Fowler=

Cottage with small yard 

£4

*****

Thomas William Allum [brickmaker and bricklayer. Multiple properties] =

Dwelling house, shed with loft and building, late malt house and garden

£16

Loft over Mr **** store house 

£1

Also a Kiln at Bovingdon Green

£9

*****

John Frith [multiple pieces of  property]=

Dwelling house and garden

£11

Woodhouse and loft on the opposite side of the yard

£1

*****

Theophilus Clifford [Stonemason. See my previously published post on Marlow Bridge for more on him here. Also, a fuller biographical post on him is available here ]

Dwelling house, yard, shops, loft and garden

£12

Shed etc at the Wharf 

£2

*****

John Collins (carpenter, builder. Later at pub next door)=

Dwelling house, workshops, garden and yard

£10

*****

James Creswell [publican and carpenter. Occupier till at least 1838]=

The Fountain Head [This was a beerhouse whose occupier had a carpentry business out back] which is a house, 2 shops, paint house and garden]

£9 [when property sold 1838 the rent was up to £12 12 shillings per annum]

*****

Mrs Sarah Aveling. [Note: title Mrs is mistaken or given as mark of respect to a popular and respected but unmarried woman. Will 1844]=

House, garden and yard

£9

*****

Owen Wethered esq=

House with requisite offices, shrubbery, kitchen garden and orchard 

£75

*****

Wethered and Son [Brewers]

Garden adjoining above

£1

Large timber yard, sawpits, sheds, piggery and store room for timber

£10

Store rooms, 7 in number. Large extensive building with counting house etc 

£35

Cooperage, scalding shed, dray house and stables

£8

Two stables, coach house etc

£8

Carpenter's shop, malt loft, and store houses

£18

Table beer run room (?) with the loft over it

£12

Brewhouse and buildings in the centre of yard with malt lofts etc 

£70

Flow room in Miss Roll's yard

£2 10 shillings

Malt house and shed in Mr Hatch's yard

£15

Ditto in Mr Maddock's yard with store house [Robert Maddocks, further along the same side of the High Street. Sometimes given as Maddox]

£20

Store cellar under Juggins and  Stallwoods' houses

£3

Malthouse and lofts in yard behind Steadman Camden's [this was other side of High Street, near where Sainsbury's Local is now]

£15

Store house and loft adjoining Mr Wade's

£3

Small store house in Mr Wade's garden with loft over it and small garden

£3

In yard leading from High Street 2 large stables and lofts over them 

£4

Two stables, cart house, dung yard, piggery, large cart shed and store house

£12

Small store house in yard

£1

Malt house, late Mr C Wethered's [Charles Wethered, liquor merchant. Active by 1823. Will 1827], barley lofts and coal houses

£25

Screening rooms and lofts and a malthouse

£20

Two stables with store rooms and barley lofts adjoining

£6

*****

Thomas Wethered

Orchard at Bovingdon Green

£3 10 shillings

*****

Late Mrs Gordon [Jane, widow of George who was originally of Croughly Banffshire Scotland. Couple had lived in Marlow since at least 1808].

Dwelling house with convenient offices, stables, greenhouse, yards and garden

£45

*****

William Hatch [baker, a VERY troublesome character who is featured in a post of his own here]=

House, bakehouse, flour loft, yard, 2 gardens, cart house, stable and piggery

£10

Large garden called Hanging Acre

£5

*****

Ann Washbourn [an embroideress and maker of children's clothing and later a teacher. She later moved to both St Peter Street and West Street. See her West Street school premises and read more about it here]

House and garden

£8

*****

Robert Maddocks [a carpenter and, tut tut, party to electoral fraud in the early 1830s. Electoral fraud was to be fair a Marlow speciality. Biographical post on him and his wife Jane here]=

Part of a house for billiards etc 

£6 (This was the "News Room")

Dwelling house, stable, 3 chaise houses, shed, work and store shops, yard and garden

£12

*****

William Allum [a tailor]=

Dwelling house and garden

£6

*****

George Rogers [plumber painter and glazier]

House, shop, yard, garden

£8

*****

Thomas Hewett [butcher, in this property by 1826]=

Dwelling house, butcher's and baker's shop and garden

£7 10 shillings

Slaughter house up the yard

£1

Stable and loft

10 shillings

*****

Matilda Newell [bonnet maker. Not in this property 1826]=

Dwelling house and garden 

£8

*****

To find every mention of a person on this blog use the Person Index option on the drop down menu.

To find more High Street content see the"Specific Shops, Streets, Etc" menu here

To be continued....