Life in 1950s Marlow Part Three Transport and Childhood

Part One covered sport and leisure, Part two dealt with homes and employment.

Post by Charlotte

Transport 

Car ownership while not uncommon was far from universal in the 1950s so bus services and trains as well as cycling were important to local people trying to get from A to B. Currall's Garage in the High Street offered repairs and sales for those lucky enough to have their own car and of course there was Platts garage too. Platts was a Morris and M.G dealer. The Maple Garage in Little Marlow Road was an Esso and Ford dealership. Unusually for the times it opened for the sale of petrol on a Sunday.  Petrol rationing continued into the 1950s meaning careful thought needed to be made about whether any journey was necessary. A couple of  petrol pumps stood ready outside Comptons cycle shop in West Street for any motorists who pulled up kerbside. Marlow Bottom wasn't to be left out, Witches Barn Garage still operated in the village.

A Mr or Mrs Cook of Marlow had a red upholstered 1953 second hand Austin A30 for sale as advertised in the Reading Mercury 1958 for a bargain £415.

See a pic of the A30 on Wikipedia here.

Daniel Gibbons of 19 York Road had previously operated as a secondhand car and other vehicle dealer but I haven't found any reference to him still doing that in the 1950s. He was definitely still operating as a rag and bone man however, which was previously his sideline.

George Bason of 18 Wycombe Road sold secondhand motorbikes and offered repairs.

Mr Sylvester of 41 West Street was a driving instructor, possibly the only one in town at first. 

Driving could have its hazards then as now. Heavy snows of February and early March 1958 saw buses unable to reach High Wycombe and the roads out of town to Henley and Stokenchurch were blocked for all traffic.

More bizarrely the road at the foot of Bisham Hill was covered in jam for hours following a collision involving a truck carrying several tons of the sweet stuff in 1958. What a sticky situation.

Concerns about the weight of the traffic crossing Marlow Bridge have dogged the structure since the 1800s. Increased weight restrictions on vehicles using the bridge and emergency structural repairs to it were both needed in the 1950s. Thames Valley services from Maidenhead stopped crossing the bridge in 1958 because of new weight restrictions. Instead passengers got on and off in Quarry Wood Road.

Other bus services connected Marlovians to Reading and High Wycombe. The Marlow-Little Marlow-Bourne End service however came to an end in the 1950s because too few people were using it at a time when petrol rationing meant bus companies had to ensure every bus they sent out on a journey had earned it's share of the limited petrol supplies available.

Bicycles were available to buy from C. A Boddy in the High Street. Like quite a few other cycle suppliers in this time period he also supplied prams. Well, they both have wheels, I suppose. The Boddys also sold toys. Another cycle agent was Comptons in West Street, also a motorcycle seller and as mentioned above a petrol supplier 

Marlow still had a full sized railway station in the 1950s.

Childhood 

Schools

The 1958 Marlow Town Guide lists the Girls' school as being in Oxford Road and the Boys' one in Wethered Road as well as Sir William Borlase School (then just for boys and both a boarding and day school) in West Street. They obviously hadn't updated themselves from their previous edition as the schools had in fact been totally reorganised in 1954. A good lesson in treating all historical sources even very official seeming ones with caution. Back to school for the guide authors we say! The boys' school had been transformed into a unisex secondary school known as All Saints Secondary School. The future site of Great Marlow School was purchased by the council in 1957 though it would not be developed into a secondary school for several more years. Bigger premises were sorely needed as All Saints Secondary School was bursting at the seams. Until further schools opened in Stokenchurch and High Wycombe children from Lane End and Cadmore End had to attend the Marlow school. Overcrowding meant that the school was not able to offer the G.C.E exam, as extra classes for the pupils who wished to study for it could not be physically accommodated. Any children who wanted to pursue post 15 education elsewhere would be helped to find avenues to it where possible however. 

Reach for the stars, kids

As well as not having to take exams the pupils of All Saints weren't required to do homework - until the teachers got the unwelcome idea to try it in 1955. At first only some classes fell victim but from September 1956 the whole school was told to expect compulsory homework unless they had a parental letter of exemption. Such exemptions might be because the child helped in the family business, looked after younger siblings or simply because the family did not believe that school work should be allowed to encroach in family together time (this latter was a common sentiment). 

At their speech day in 1956 the speaker was an Air Vice marshall who told the children that they were lucky to be growing up in the Atomic Age as there would be lots of exiting opportunities for them. He predicted interplanetary travel might be an established fact by the late 1980s or early 90s.

In 1958 at the Borlase School speech day the guest speaker was t.v personality and criminologist John Watson who told the boys that in order to be happy men they would need two things- the right job and right wife. He warned them that a "safety first" attitude in life would be dangerous to them (not necessarily in reference to choosing a wife). 

Borlase converted part of the original school building into a flat for the caretaker and a recreation room for the school masters during the 1950s. Mr Hazelton, the Head in 1957 said that in the next year there would be around 350 pupils at his school including 80-90 boys in the Sixth Form. This he felt represented a school that had grown too fast to keep up with itself.

The 1958 Town Guide  also makes no mention of Foxes Piece School which was built between 1954-56, initially just as an infant's school with only three classrooms. The rest of the grounds were used as sports fields for other Marlow schools. Foxes Piece was only meant to be a temporary school at first. However it was extended and became a full junior school for 5-12 year olds in the 1960s. More on the early days of this school and the history of the Foxes Piece area is available in my post here.  

Another point upon which the Town Guide was well out of date on was the fact that the Oxford Road school was then functioning as another infant school. A premises in St Peters Street (which had also previously functioned as the Girls' School) was in 1954 turned into a mixed junior school (middle school). There was a mixed Catholic school in St Peter Street too. At Medmenham children attended the village school. Danesfield was of course yet to exist.

Dial Close, a private school for girls operated from the Causeway.  Another private girls school Wycombe Court was located at Lane End but put on buses to bring in Marlow pupils. It had a unisex kindergarten.

When they weren't being drilled in the three Rs or receiving questionable life advice from a criminologist, there were numerous leisure opportunities for our younger Marlovians.

Hobbies, toys and clubs 

Owning a television was becoming increasingly common in the town. British children with a set might already be watching 2 hours of television every day according to research quoted in the book A Century of Childhood. A t.v show detailing the adventures of American Davy Crockett led to a mass childhood craze of wearing a Davy Crocket style mock fur hat. I haven't been able to find evidence of these on sale in Marlow but Bonners Superstore in High Wycombe certainly offered them and was only a bus ride away.

Model airplanes and games could be bought from Moretons (primarily a bee keeping supplies shop!) in West Street. The children of the secondary school and if the former boys' school kept bees on the premises and produced their own honey so they may actually have enjoyed browsing the bee keeping supplies while they were there. Toys were also available from the Woolworths in Market Square, from the Boddy's BTC toy shop in the High Street and from Jane Ann's in West Street which offered Meccano, Dinky, Triang and Hornby ranges amongst others. The small department store W.J Daniels in Market Square had an upstairs toy department.

The Marlow Sea Cadets , just for boys, formed in 1956 though they did not yet have their own premises and met initially at All Saints Secondary School. A Boys Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides already existed. The latter met in a hut in Quarry Wood Road. 

Higginson Park, Riley Park (usually then called Riley Recreation Ground), Gossmore and Seymour Park were all open spaces available to play in while a children's paddling place was set up in an enclosed section of the River Thames in 1958. This was in addition to the official Bathing Place Marlow then had in the Thames at Quarry Woods for both adults and children.

Not all the outdoor activities of 1950s Marlow children would meet our approval today. Butterfly and bird egg collecting were still quite widely practiced by some children, mostly little boys. I used to have a 1950s children's butterfly book previously owned by a local boy in which the young reader is given detailed instructions as to how to use poison to suffocate a trapped butterfly and warned that sniffing or accidentally consuming the recommended poisons might kill him too. A repurposed soft drinks bottle was recommended as a carrying vessel for such poisons. Fail! Though Mr Watson the safety-last criminologist probably approved.

For sources for this series of posts see Part One. Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

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

Will Of Peter Gaffney Of Great Marlow 1543

Says that he is sick.

Bequeaths his soul to God, the Lady Saint Mary and the Holy Company Of Heaven.

Wants to be buried in the chapel dedicated to Mary at Marlow church.

Money to the church of .....y and to the high (altar?) of the church at Great Marlow.

? pence to each of his godchildren.

Money for the repair of the high road and of the bridge at Marlow. 

Twenty shillings a year to be distributed amongst the poor of Great Marlow for a term of twenty years.

To Joane ... (illegible)

To Elizabeth Woodward the wife of John Woodward 10 shillings.

To Sybil Dignam 10 shillings.

To Alice Mathewe the wife of John Mathewe. 10 shillings.

To John Rowlande the elder my best gown and ...years rent free.

Money for soupe? to be distributed to the poor.

Money for poor of "Cokhym" [presumably Cookham], Bisham, Little Marlow and Medmenham.

To Joan Carter ....

To Elizabeth Woodward 20...[another Elizabeth Woodward?]

To Thomas Dignam the house I now dwell in, and it's backsides. After the life of Thomas it is to go to Thomas's heirs of the blood.

To Thomas Powndie 20...

To Toucher Spencer, Henry Spencer, and Thomas Spencer sons of Richard Spencer deceased 5 houses each, seemingly linked to the giving of the gift of money to the poor of Marlow for 20 years. Toucher Spencer can have the five best houses for his park(!?) Thomas Spencer has the next choice, then Henry Spencer. [I'm sure it says houses not horses, and other records speak of a house specifically inherited by Thomas Spencer though the will of Peter Gaffney]

The house where John Redyng [Redding] dwells to remain to the heirs of Richard Spencer.

Residue of estate I think to John Powndie  who is made executor. Estate is to be spent in ways that benefit the soul of the testator at the discretion of John. Other executor is to be Richard Pemerton who is left 20 marks.

Signed and sealed by Peter Gaffney. No other witnesses.

Probate: Power to execute granted to Richard Pemerton.

Original will is at the National Archives, Kew.

Note:

Peter Gaffney appears on the tax list for Marlow in 1524 as one of the top 5 wealthiest residents. One of this name was a bargeman in 1508 but this could be an older relative with the same name as Peter of this will was a woodmonger. The two occupations are not mutually exclusive however as wood would have been transported by barge. Peter could have transported other goods as a paid service amongst his wood cargoes. 

A Richard "Spence" and a John Rowlande are also on the taxpayer list but were much less wealthy. Citation = The Urban Experience: A Sourcebook : English, Scottish, and Welsh Towns, 1450-1700. Kiribati, Manchester University Press, 1983.

Toucher Spencer and his brothers were cousins to Peter Gaffney. In the 1540s Toucher was a yeoman and lived in Watford. Thomas Spencer lived in Marlow High Street on the West side in the same period.

In 1584 Tucher Spencer alias Richard Spencer a "clerk" (clergyman) of Bristol and son of Richard Spencer of Marlow left a house in Marlow that had once been the house of Peter Gaffney and which had been left to Tucher in Peter's will to his daughter Anne. This was not the house left in Peter's will to Thomas Dignam but a different Marlow house which Peter had once lived in. Another Marlow house Tutcher owned was left to his other daughter Elizabeth. This house was formerly that of his father Richard and was the house in which Tucher was born. Other houses inherited from Peter in Marlow were split between the daughters. These included a disputed house which Tutcher insisted he had bought from Thomas Dignam (the one in Peter's will) but which Thomas's son Mathew refused to give up.

A John Mathewe was an innkeeper in Marlow later in the 1570s.

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

James Haynes - Boatbuilder & Thief Catcher

 

James Hayne(s) was born in Marlow in the first few years of the 1800s. Perhaps not as famous as the late Victorian boat builders of Marlow and Bisham, he deserves a post of his own because of the many roles he played here - from preserving law and order, to preserving Marlow Bridge. 

As a young man James followed in his father's footsteps and worked as a carpenter. His dwelling house and work premises were in the High Street and Causeway at this point. In 1828 the workshop is described as located 200 yards from his home and were also separate in 1833. In any event, in 1828 a thief broke through the shutters of the workshop and stole a saw and an axe from James. This kind of theft was taken very seriously at the time as depriving a workman of his tools of the trade could too easily lead to him loosing the means to provide for himself. James was lucky in that the tools were recovered and the thief caught. The young man responsible, John Green, was an apprentice to another carpenter. It was James himself that recovered the tools, after he received something of a tip off. They had been hidden under some wood shavings in a loft. The judge expressed a regret that John had begun "a career of crime at a very early period in life" which seems perhaps a little strong given it was a first offence and he had previously borne a good character. Luckily for John, his master was willing to keep him on and spoke of his general steadiness. The judge therefore decided to be merciful and sentenced him to 2 months in prison. 

James did well in his carpentry business and seems to have been well regarded by his fellow traders. By 1833 he was working from a workshop and yard "at the wharf" with a residence in the High Street, still officially a carpenter. There were many buildings at the wharf, some quite ramshackle, that this could have been, used for all kinds of purposes over the years. 

James worked on Marlow's new suspension bridge and like so many others involved had to put in a few requests to actually get paid. This would be the start of a long involvement with the bridge. He was regarded as someone who could get things done, so it is no surprise he also later fulfilled the then elected role of parish surveyor. But the biggest role for James was as one of the parish constable in the days before a regular paid police force. If a warrant was issued for someone's arrest, James and his colleagues were supposed to stop their day jobs and execute it without delay. If they failed to do so without sufficient energy, they could themselves end up in court for neglect of duty. They also had to fit in routine patrols. James fulfilled the role for at least 10 years in the 1830s and early 1840s. He was required to follow up leads as regards to suspects or locating stolen goods, such as the parasol he found hidden in a water storage tank in the yard of Bond the builders in 1843 (not stolen by a Bond!) His finest hour was probably policing Marlow Fair in the same year. His patrols with fellow constables Henry Stallwood and Steadman Camden (biographical post about Steadman here) were completed with such a sharp eye and energy that not a single robbery was reported, despite the massive influx of visitors. 

It was not all hard work for James at this time. He was a regular participants in the charming Sunny Side v Shady Side of the High Street cricket matches which ran for several annual contests in the 1840s and 50s. It was usually played at the Aldermary - that is the meadow more or less where Marlow Cricket Club is now to be found off Pound Lane. So which side was the sunny one? The West Street / Higginson Park side. The Shady, Liston Court / Station Road side had the best level of success and was the one that James played for. It attracted a good crowd, no doubt including wife Elizabeth (nee Osborn) and their several children. One of these, Caroline, would go on to marry Robert Shaw, son of "King of the River" Robert Shaw, of boatbuilding fame. 

A little after this time, James begins to be more consistently described as located at the Causeway or "Bridge House" (of which there have been more than one in Marlow) and eventually his former home was taken over by Sellmans plumbers and painters. James also begins to be described as a boat builder at this time. He chose this occupation when filling his census return in 1851. He may well have always had a side line in repairing or maintaining boats but the hiring of them for leisure purposes was exploding in popularity at this time. Marlow was becoming more and more of a fashionable destination for visiting anglers from London and elsewhere - it's easy to underestimate just what a role tourism played in Marlow's past even at this period. See below for some linked posts about this. At some point James began to use what was known as the old tithe barn by the suspension bridge* as part of his business, or at least he used part of the area. It seems he may have shared usage of the actual barn building itself, apparently with a wheelwright at some point. (In 1872 the barn was let by the new Buckinghamshire Chair Co as a temporary workshop, although they were still there several years later)  James sold second hand boats and fishing punts as well as making his own river craft to a customer's specifications. It seems he specialised in punts in fact. He would also hire you a boat, house yours out of season, or do routine maintenance such as varnishing the timbers. The Marlow Amateur Rowing Club which started in 1871, used Haynes as their boathouse too, before they had their own premises. 

Next to James at the riverside was of course the suspension bridge. The story of its construction was frankly a tale of misery, and you can read about it in the posts linked to below.  James must have been only too aware that before the bridge was very old, it needed quite a bit of maintenance. He was Clerk of the Works for the repairs done in 1860 - facing some difficulty due to the reluctance of some to stop attempting to use the bridge while it was worked on. The surveyor assessing this work asked James to provide a boat so he could take a good examination of its state from the water. Finding one suitable proved difficult it seems. When the surveyor was taken ill, James was asked to make a report on the bridges condition himself. But the work was nevertheless completed on schedule. (The deal platform was replaced at "considerable expense" but by 1869 dry rot had set in and more work was needed.) By 1863 James was Surveyor of Bridges for the district, and under his care the bridge was repainted and repaired further. He was responsible for gathering tenders for this work. 

In 1866 James was one of a number of local men that testified before a parliamentary committee on improving the condition of the Thames. He made it very clear that he regarded the existing Thames Navigation Commissioners should all be sacked for incompetence. He claimed they had neglected to do routine maintenance on the river for many years and so had made it less appealing for those who wanted to use the river for commercial transportation of goods. While the rival attractions of the railway he acknowledged, he considered that the Commissioners had done nothing to make the river stand up against the competition. Instead James said the Commissioners had bought shares in the Railway and effectively given up!  I find his information concerning the river at the time Marlow had a flash lock the most interesting. He said the flash (surge of water) was made twice a week in those days, and this required the "draining" of the river for 4 miles (not literally drained dry of course!) so in "short water time" there was "no water" for days together - that is the water level was comparatively very shallow. 

By 1865, the business was known as James Haynes and Son(s) and its location was "Marlow Bridge". The eldest son Joseph James, who initially worked as a carpenter, sadly died aged just 32. It was less than a year after his marriage to Mary Poulton of Ferry House, Cookham. James himself would not live much longer. In May 1879, he passed away at Marlow. Wife Elizabeth survived until 1883, living in her later years in the High Street with son George and unmarried daughter Ann. George defined himself as a boat builder on the 1881 census, but it seems the business under the name of Haynes was largely over. Robert Shaw, mentioned above, would take over the site.  Eventually he would build a fancier boathouse by the bridge, the "tithe barn" having been demolished "recently" in November 1877, to make way for a never built hotel that faced strong local opposition. James was to quote one contemporary guide to the Thames, "a grand character" and I'm sure he was sorely missed by the boat men of Marlow. 

*This building was where Tierney Court is now. It was known at that time as the tithe or conventual barn but this was not probably its actual purpose. It's the "curious old building" that James Joseph Sheahan described in his History and Topography of Buckinghamshire. He was correct to describe how it was generally referred to by the locals (as there are a number of sources using this title before he did) but I have a suspicion that he got his information about the Marlow building confused with the tithe barn at Bisham. He described the roof of the Marlow barn as Spanish chestnut, which it was not, but the Bisham one was according to several earlier sources.  Both were also used to house Napoleonic war prisoners. I wonder if Sheahan might not have poached his description of the Marlow barn from the 1860 John Murray Handbook for Travellers in Berks, Bucks, and Oxfordshire. (John Murray, 1860) in which the description "curious old building"  is also used. That book goes on to describe the "monastic barn of Bisham abbey in which French prisoners were kept during the war" and also mentions that the "conventual barn" at Bisham has a roof of Spanish chestnut. So possibly Sheahan confused the two if he helped himself to a little reused information!? 

 Owner of the "barn" at its demolition (autumn 1877) was Owen Williams who seemed confident his hotel plan would go forward. He had apparently got as far as inviting tenders for its erection. However, this was premature and in the end Mr Williams sold the site to "Mr Burt" for the creation of a 50 bed hotel with stabling for 20 horses, a  coffee room and 100ft long covered balcony. The authorities scuppered this plan by making it clear that they would refuse the alcohol licence on the grounds that there were too many others suppliers of liquor in the area. The real reason was probably the objection of existing traders to such competition, in particular that voiced by Charles Miller Foottit of the Compleat Angler who had recently invested in improving his own premises! At this point the barn had descended into a place that tramps and the destitute sort shelter. It was described as dilapidated but also a picturesque feature of the river side and there were clearly many who did not want it to disappear but to no avail. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

More related Posts:

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

James' daughter Eliza features in a post here

The amateur who built a barge in his back garden, 1860s here

Life for the parish constables of Great Marlow here

Robert Shaw - here

Marlow Fair here

The troubled building of the Suspension Bridge here

1820s recreated trade directory Great Marlow here

Bellows, bricks and brandy - reviving the drowned here

Picnics and Punts- Summer leisure in late Victorian and Edwardian Marlow here

Biography of Charles Miller Foottit of the Compleat Angler here

The Bucks Chair Co here

SOURCES INCLUDE:

1833 Parish Assessment, original copies held by us. 

Census 1841,51,61,71, 81 - transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte and Jane Pullinger. 

Harrods Directory 1847, J G Harrod & Co. 

Slater's Royal and Commercial Directory 1852

Thames Navigation Improvement Commission, (1866) Parliamentary Papers Vol 33, Great Britain Houses of Parliament. 

The Architect, April 17 1869, digitised by Google. 

Reading Mercury, 6 April 1839, 24 April 1858

Oxford Journal 26 April 1828. 

Bucks Herald 2 July 1836

Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 8 Feb 1873

Berkshire Chronicle 4 November 1843

Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette  4 July 1863

Bicester Herald, 6 June 1879.

GRO BMD index

Q/AB/43/515,Letter, Bucks Archives. 

Dickens, Charles - Dictionary of the Thames, 1880 edition. 

Pask, Arthur Thomas - From Lock to Lock, "Judy" 1882. 

Salter, John Henry. River Thames: a guide, 1881. 

© MarlowAncestors. 

Will Summary For Thomas Gibbons of Great Marlow 1824

 I obtained a copy of this will from the National archives, transcribed it then produced this summary for the blog: You can see the grave of Thomas on the blog here

THOMAS GIBBONS GENTLEMAN OF GREAT MARLOW WILL PROVED 1824

Says he in good health with a sound mind and memory.

Son Thomas:

Newly erected messuage or tenement with its yards, gardens, and appurtenances in St Peter Street which he already occupies.

£500 out of the £6,500 stock testator has in Consolidated Bank annuities .

Son Richard:

Messuage or tenement with yards, gardens, warehouses and appurtenances to it in St Peter Street which he already occupies.

Also 5 messuages, cottages or tenements in St Peter Street with their yards, gardens and outbuildings. In occupations of Joan Sparkes, James Downer, William Cresswell, ?Thomas ?Grovenor and Richard.....

Also messuage or tenement near Marlow Bridge called Limbrook with its counting house, outbuildings, gardens, yards, warehouses, rights and ... members and appurtenances. (Note this is refering to the old Marlow Bridge, not the suspension bridge)

Daughter Elizabeth:

£6000 out of the £6500 stock in annuities mentioned above to her and her heirs. These are held in trust for her by her brother Richard with her receiving the interest of the sum during her life. Also she has all testator's other personal property after debts, funeral and probate costs are paid.

Witnesses George Ellison, John Ralphe and John Ralphe Junior all of Great Marlow. 

Three children all executors. Richard and Elizabeth went to prove the will. Right to execute was reserved to son Thomas too. 

Note: Thomas' wife had predeceased him. Her grave marker can be seen here. To find all mentions of a family, or individual on the blog (3,000 people and counting!) use the A-Z Person index in the top drop down menu. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to quote from or use this summary with credit and a link here.

I have transcribed this will and summarized it here to the best of my ability! A copy of the will can be obtained from the National Archives, Kew.

You can read the 1833 parochial assessment description of Thomas junior and Richard's properties when that section of it has been uploaded to the blog as soon as time allows.  I have such a wealth of material and research I have posts written and scheduled far into the future.

Researched, transcribed and written by Charlotte Day.

How To Have Fun In Victorian Marlow

This is a post about some of the more off beat entertainments available to Victorian Marlow residents. For other forms of fun, see the links at the end...

First up, we will head to the Town Hall, (later better known as part of the Crown Hotel) in March 1858. We will be clutching event tickets provided by bookseller George Cannon at whose premises we consulted a seating plan. Heading up the stairs to the assembly room, we will surrender our tickets and find our way to our seats. This entertainment is here for one night only and so singular that we will not want to miss a moment thanks to an obscured view. So I think we will have splashed out 3 shillings a piece on stalls tickets. Those at the back will have paid only a shilling each. What we have come to see is William Woodman's Olio of Oddities. It's described as an original "musical and polyphonic entertainment". Mr Woodman will before our eyes perform a whirlwind of mimicry, making nearly "100 instantaneous metamorphoses of voice, character and costume." He will transform into all kinds of popular and topical personages, some of which will probably leave us scratching our heads but the alternating gasps and laughter of the audience will carry us along. I hope you remembered what Mr Cannon told us and ordered the carriage for 10pm to carry us home. 

While we are in the 1850's we might notice posters advertising the regular visit of Wombwells Menagerie to Crown Meadow. (Riley Park)  This comes to town during the October Fair of course but it often drops by at other times, as did other similar attractions. I don't think we will enjoy seeing the caged lions and shackled elephants but there was a time such a visit was regarded as educational and wholesome. In 1859, a subscription was raised in the town so that 100 boys and 60 girls of the National Schools could attend the Menagerie. On the subject of exotic beasts, in November 1838, we may see a few souls hanging around on Marlow Bridge. What are they waiting for? Isaac Van Amburgh of course. Not heard of him? You obviously need to head to a stationer and read the newspaper. American Van Amburgh is an extremely famous lion tamer and the man regarded as responsible for making trained wild animals part of a circus. His British tour this year is a sensation. He actually rides lions like a horse. Even Queen Victoria has been to a performance of his. Someone has circulated hand bills in Maidenhead which suggest Van Amburgh is going to ride a lion through the streets of Marlow, onto the bridge. Then on the signal of a trumpet the lion will dive into the Thames and swim to Maidenhead. Possibly with Mr Van Amburgh on board. Unfortunately for those waiting, it is a hoax, and no lions are in town. A couple of hundred people are said to have waited at Maidenhead Bridge for the arrival of the lion tamer alas. 

 A different kind of menagerie is on view if we set ourselves down at Thames Bank House (later known as Lymbrook, and Thames Lawn) in 1876. The house is hosting one of its occasional bazaars in aid of church funds. We will have to dodge the enthusiastic ladies hosting the bric a brac and craft stalls - unless of course you are short of a tea cosy or a tray cloth or two? We are heading to Alfred Heneage Cocks Museum of Curiosities adjacent to his menagerie. The later is a private collection of British wild animals now captive, from otters to hedgehogs and polecats. What we would like to see is the museum though. It's a collection normally only available to his friends to view but many of his artefacts are loaned to museums in London and later to temporary displays at the Institute (the Library building). Inside we will be able to see items from archaeological digs around Cock Marsh and further afield, as well as all sorts of ethnographic displays. Mr Cocks spent much time in Finland and "the Northern countries" and purchased lots of woodcraft, tapestries and other interesting items from those living in rural communities there. Entry here costs 6d, the same as the Menagerie. Don't worry, we will release the local wildlife on the way out. While you enjoy a cup of tea, I will take the chance to visit head gardener Mr Bridgman's plant stall. All plants a shilling. Mr Bridgman is a talented man, and later takes care of "the enclosure" (or the grassy area in the Causeway as we know it) as well as an area fronting Marlow Station. I think we can get some tips from him relating to his prize winning fruit trees at least.  

Incidentally Alfred Heneage Cocks features at many Marlow entertainments of some kind or another - some serious, some less so. He could perform comic songs as well as deliver lectures. My money would be spent on witnessing his clog dance at an 1878 evening entertainment. We are told that "the elasticity of Mr A H Cocks with his huge clogs was really quite wonderful". 

Coming out on St Peters Street and winding back a few years to 1872, we will head to the Music Room. That is the Masonic Centre today. We are stopping by to enjoy a performance by celebrated illusionist Signor Bosco. It's guaranteed as a most tasteful performance that includes mind reading, and ventriloquism. 

Time for more refreshments. There's a string of people carrying delicious looking cakes away from the Institute - their bake stall is legendary. It's 1890 and there's a fete on in aid of the building fund. I chose this year for a visit because the Institute building is new and the town is so proud of it I am sure we will find someone to give us a tour of the recreation room and all the rest. But I did promise unusual entertainments so for now we will head out the back - there's more land than in our day - and through to the grounds of Cromwell House. Don't worry, we aren't tresspassing. The dividing wall has been knocked through on purpose to allow visitors to enjoy Edwin Clark's Observatory in the grounds of Cromwell House. Temporarily dismissing an inconvenient wall is a Marlow speciality.  Edwin is a scientist, inventor, engineer, and mathematician as well as an amateur astronomer, as far as he can be an amateur at anything. 

I like the late Victorian period so let's pop to the 1890's. The Institute is still raising money for it's Building Fund. In October 1890, the event aiming to separate us from our shillings is a series of Tableaux Vivants at the Music Room again. Not an unusual event of its time, you can see families putting these on at Christmas or school children attempting to dazzle their parents with their ingenuity on open days. I don't expect many of us have taken part in one recently. A group of amateur performers will come out from behind a make shift curtain and arrange themselves into a still life scene. They will then hold the pose as you marvel at their recreation of a famous scene from a book, or a Bible story or a painting. Just imagine you pressed pause on a video and voila. Then they will rearrange themselves into a new image. This may go on a while. I think we will slip out and find something more active. Perhaps a football match at the Crown Meadow? That may not be unusual entertainment granted, but I want you to help me with some research while we are there. We will head in through the Oxford Road entrance. It's December 1898 and this date has been chosen because it's when Marlow Football Club gets to use it's new iron and wood grandstand for the first time. We will have to pay 3d extra for a seat here but that's so the bunch of supporters that bought the stand second hand from  Southampton St Mary's FC can be paid back for their investment. When they have recouped the cost, in 1908, they hand ownership  to the Football Club for free. The reason I bought you here is to count the spectators while the stand is at full capacity. You see when it's first proposed to buy the stand, the local papers say it will host 250 but later on it is said on more than one occasion to hold 400. (The former is almost certainly correct, as it corresponds with the assessment made of the stands condition before purchase by architect J H Deacon.) It's 110ft long and seating is on three tiers. That's a pretty swish stand so I think we should find out how fancy it really is.  I'm sure the gentlemen attending won't mind. Or the ladies. Yes there are a few, or as the Maidenhead Advertiser put it in 1891, "a fair sprinkling of the fairer sex". What do you mean you have prior engagement to attend a tableaux vivant?!

Let's make the last stop something high brow. This is yet another event in aid of Institute funds. The celebrated war artist and war correspondent Frederic Villiers will be at the Music Room in February 1897 to give a lecture on his work. Frederic's art can usually be seen in The Graphic and The Illustrated London News. He has taken his sketchbook quite literally to the front lines, one of the few correspondents said to be willing to do so. He travels throughout the world reporting on events such as the 2nd Afghan and Boer Wars, the Anglo Egyptian War in 1882, and others. At this lecture Frederick will tell us of an idea he has, to take a machine capable of taking moving picture images to the front line of a real battle. The year after visiting Marlow he will attempt this very thing, during a campaign in Sudan. He is aboard a gun ship on the Nile during the Battle of Omdurman, with his "machine." Unfortunately a nearby explosion will rock the boat and upset Frederic's equipment ruining his footage. He goes back to drawings until 1912 when he does manage to capture some footage. There were plenty in Marlow thrilled at his stories, but also a few expressing doubt moving pictures could be captured at the front. At the time, it seems they were right.

Here is some links to other posts dealing with Victorian entertainment:

Marlow Fair here

Bathing in the Thames and swimming races here

Marlow horse racing here

Cycling and the bicycle gymkhana here

The sorry youth of today - 1896 style here

General posts about life in old Marlow here

Selected Sources

The Ethics of Performing Animals, Aflalo, Frederick George, 1900 

History of Magic and Magicians digitised by Archive.org. Accessed October 2020. 

Villiers, Frederick. Peaceful Personalities and Warriors Bold (Harper and Brothers, 1907) Accessed via Archive.Org Jan 2019

Villiers, Frederick. His Five Decades of Adventure. (Harper and Brothers, 1920) Accessed via Archive.Org Jan 2021. 

Reading Mercury 6 March 1858, 21 December 1872, British Library Archive, accessed via the BNA. 

South Bucks Free Press October 1 1859 & 9 December 1898 as above

Bucks Herald September 23 1876, as above

Maidenhead Advertiser 22 April 1891, as above

Sussex Advertiser 5 November 1838. As above. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day.

© MarlowAncestors.

 

 

Theophilus Clifford - stonemason

Updated December 2023

If you have ever crossed Marlow Bridge you have seen the stonework of he wonderfully named Theophilus Clifford. His first name is from the Bible and though a bit old fashioned for a man born as he was circa 1796 it would have been a familiar first name to most people in his day.

Theophilus married in his native Oxford in 1817 to fellow local Sarah Goodall. At some point in the early 1820s the couple moved to Marlow after Theophilus bought a stonemason's business there from Mrs Smith. In 1823 Theophilus sued his neighbour Mr Allum for £300 for slander after Allum publicly accused him of stealing a leaden pump from the yard they shared. 

A great opportunity for the young stonemason presented itself with the 1829 decision of the town to replace it's wooden bridge with a new iron suspension bridge.

Theophilus, in partnership with Marlow builder Thomas Corby, won the contract to do the stonemasonry and brickwork for the bridge's pillars. The bridge building process was a painful and fraught one. I have a post on the blog which goes into detail about this if you want to learn more - see link below. Suffice to say money was in short supply. Theophilus and Thomas found themselves being asked to take a pay cut from their contract price, with the threat of being replaced if they refused. They had already started work, and Theophilus had had to procure the stone from suppliers pressing continually to be paid themselves so such a request seems unfair.

There was growing unease about the bridge project per se and Theophilus and other contractors came to realise that they had to agree to lower and later payments or risk the whole project.

So it was perhaps with mingled feelings Theophilus gazed upon the finished project in the Autumn of 1832. His early pride in the suspension bridge is evidenced however by the naming of his and Sarah's daughter with the middle name Suspensiana in 1829. You can read about the extraordinary struggles to complete the Suspension Bridge here.

Other places that Theophilus is known to have worked include Cromwell House in Marlow High Street and in Little Marlow Church.

Theophilus and his family lived in the High Street. In the 1833 parochial assessment notebooks the property he occupied was described as a dwelling house, workshop, garden and yard with an annual value of £10.

The year of the assessment Theophilus was burgled and a copper boiler and some pots and pans were stolen from his home.

Later in the 1830s he had to pay £70 compensation to a Mr Strange for allegedly maliciously and falsely prosecuting him for allegedly stealing marble offcuts from him. Strange said that Theophilus was trying to crush him as he wanted to set up his own business in rivalry to Theophilus who had previously had no rival in the town of Marlow. 

In the early 1840s Theophilus and Sarah returned to Oxford. They lived in St Aldgates in the city centre. Tragically Theophilus died aged only 55 in 1845. His will left all he had to his "dear wife" Sarah in her lifetime then to all his children equally. He wanted three of his children in particular- Jane, Charlotte and James- to have his furniture. Sarah was the sole executor of the will and guardian of their children. The 1841 census also shows children William and Mary to the couple. Mary became a straw hat manufacturer. She married Henry Quarterman and had several children before dying at the age of 40. More on her and other straw hat makers in Marlow here

William became a stone mason like his father but died of consumption aged 27 a year after Theophilus.

Daughter Jane also died of consumption in 1846. Other daughters died prematurely too- Sarah aged 23 in 1841 and Elizabeth aged 19 in 1842.

Sarah died after a long illness at Rose Place, St Aldates Oxford in 1863 aged 65. She was buried at Marlow with several of her children. See the grave here.

For other grave pictures see under Graves on the menu. All mentions of someone on the blog can be found by searching for them on the Person Index.

See:

Original will from Oxfordshire Record Office.

Oxfordshire marriage bonds and allegations, Find My Past, accessed October 2020.

1841 census, transcribed from microfilm image by me.

Quarter Session Records, Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.

1833 original parochial assessment notebooks and corrections in possession of my family and transcribed by me.

Grave transcription by Kathryn.

Windsor and Eaton Express 27th July 1833. British Library Archives.

Jane's death notice= Oxford Chronicle 28th March 1846. Copy held at the British Library and accessed by me online via the BNA September 2020.

© Marlow Ancestors. If quoting from this material credit this blog and link here so that my sources remain linked to the information they provided.

Old Marlow Bridge is falling down..or is it?

 

This is the story of the bridge that existed at Marlow just before our current suspension bridge. It was short lived, relatively speaking, and had replaced an old wooden structure of forgotten age. The building process of it's replacement in turn, which is still standing, was full of drama. You can read about that in the post here. See note 2 below for a little about the older wooden bridge(s).

The bridge that we are talking about took a slightly different route across the Thames than the suspension bridge. It ran from the end of St Peter's Street to a point on the other side of the Compleat Angler, a route also taken by it's predecessors that we know of. That is why you may find St Peter's Street called Old Bridge Street in some old documents, as well as the better known alternative Duck Lane. Incidentally, St Peter's Street is a name that long predates the Catholic Church of St Peter. And Duck Lane and St Peter's Street were in use at the same time for a period, with the St Peter's Street usually referring to the portion nearest where Marlow Place is now, and the bit of Station Road where the mansion stands.  The location here of the old rectory known as the Deanery/The Parsonage gives food for thought. For example you may find individuals refer to adjacent property they own, some of which is located at Duck Lane and some of it in St Peter's Street. Back to the bridge for now! 

In 1747, the predecessor of the wooden bridge that is the star of this post, was still described as "a good bridge" with a handsome church aside it. Forty years later, the state of the wood was starting to worry some. "Ruinous" was one description. In 1786, plans were made to construct a replacement after a portion of the old bridge had fallen down obstructing navigation. It was closed at first for emergency repairs. Full of optimism, architect Mr Robert Brettingham was asked to design a new bridge and he came up with a suitable plan. Advertisements were placed in the newspapers asking for traders to submit tenders for both the construction of the bridge itself and for the provision of the heart of oak timbers to be used for the piles and planks and fir timbers for the joists. Everything seemed to be going so well but then there was the inevitable hitch. The question of who was going to pay for it all had to be settled. Many people agreed a new bridge was a good idea but none of them really thought that it was their responsibility to stump up the cost. No one could remember when the oldest bridge was built or by whom, which is not surprising given they believed it to be at least 400 years old. What they did know is for the previous 140 years, certain men within the town had carried the title of Bridge Warden. (They were elected to the role.) They were trustees looking after property, the income of which was intended to pay for the maintenance of the bridge. But there was confusion about which properties were actually theirs, and who had left or gifted them to the trustees in the first place. More importantly they did know that the properties they collected rent from only generated £20 a year, which definitely would not cover the building of even the most basic bridge. So two years after the tenders had been sought, not a piece of the new bridge was in place. Some thought the sudden collapse of the decayed old bridge was to be expected any day. This would be "inconvenient and most peculiarly distressing for the neighbourhood". It was feared the bridge was now too decayed for any repair to hold for long. Only replacement would do. The bridge connected Bucks and Berks so the Quarter Sessions in each county were applied to for assistance, but neither wanted to be pinned down and made to admit that the maintenance of the bridge was the responsibility of their counties citizens. They admitted the bridge was essential but said they did not feel justified in committing anyone to pay for it, there being no evidence they had previously done so. If someone else had been found in the past to pay for a bridge, why not now? It was eventually decided that the structure would have to be paid for by voluntary subscription, supposing enough donors could be found. This suggestion is supposed to have been initiated by the Marquis of Buckingham. The alternative would be to use a ferry, which would take longer to make the crossing and would be more dangerous, according to the Oxford Journal. 

The new bridge would not be absolutely on the site of the old, but rather next to it because otherwise it would have been necessary to take the old structure down before the new could be built leaving the town without a means of passage across the river. Although the bottom of St Peter's was wider then than it is now, it still makes you wonder at the logistics of this. Nevertheless the secretary to both the Subscribers Committee and Bridge Wardens, Henry Allnutt, put up a notice to the effect that the old bridge would remain passable until the new was finished. A design plan had been decided on, although I am not sure that it was still exactly the same as the one settled on in 1786. (It was still by Brettingham, but he had made some adaptions, including the reuse of some of the old bridge timbers. It seems some adjustments were also made as building progressed.) This was put on display at the Upper Crown on Saturdays between 11-3 in order that would be subscribers could see what they were paying for, and also so that locals could put in a tender for constructing it, the previous bids having long lapsed. Anyone who wanted the challenge had until the 17th January 1789 to submit their tender, a process that involved heading to the Upper Crown again to hand the particulars to the ever busy Henry Allnutt. The bridge would be made of oak with brick abutments, in all 220ft long and 20ft wide. The plan this time was to make the passage arch "40ft further towards the middle than presently" and 18" higher. However when the subscriptions were slower than anticipated to come forward, the tendering process was delayed by a month and those who had already submitted tenders were told theirs would be kept unopened until then. Nevertheless the bridge was completed in December 1789. The following year, the "Old Bridge House" which belonged to the Bridgewardens, was demolished, in order to open up the approach to the new bridge. It had been used for at least 20 years as the Bowl and Pin inn at that point. 

Subscribers to the bridge replacement fund include Stephen Remnant (the man for whom Remnantz of West Street is named) Miss Batting, the Duke of Marlborough, Thomas Wethered, William Drake Junior and Senior, the trustees of the turnpike trust, and other members of "the clergy, nobility and gentry." Enough donations had been made to allow the building to go on but they did not cover the projected finished cost of the bridge by a long chalk. So more appeals were made. Altogether £1,800 was raised, so presumably this was enough to pay for the work once Brettingham's revised money saving plan to reuse the timbers was accepted. The Thames Navigation Commissioners had offered £50 towards the cost for a higher headroom (18") under the navigation arches, as the low arches of the previous bridge was a common cause of complaint by bargeman.

The new bridge was described as handsome and commodious, picturesque, a pleasing object and something that much improved the approach into town from Bisham. (It's construction was supervised by Henley builder and surveyor William Bradshaw to the design of Robert Brettingham) Painted white, it was said to imitate stone from a distance at least. The turned oak balustrade was overall "extremely handsome". But in 1826 the bridge was no longer regarded as new, and what is more was described as in decay. It is sad it lasted so much less time than it's predecessors despite being made of the same material. No doubt the reuse of at least some of the old timbers was partially to blame. The story of the fraught process that was the building of a another new bridge, is mentioned elsewhere on the blog. So we will just mention the fate of "the bridge before". It was considered in too bad a state to make repair worthwhile. In 1832, the old bridge was put up for sale although it was not described as nearly demolished until February 1833. (I'm not sure of the source for stories that bridge collapsed completely into the river in 1828, it definitely did not. It did however need extensive repair that year and more of it fell down in 1830.) Also on offer was the wooden "flood bridge" recently constructed behind the Compleat Angler. This was crossing a channel that took excess water away from the lock and weir - some sources say there was a natural stream here. A brook on the other side of the Angler was filled in so as not to interfere with the Berkshire approach to the suspension bridge. This attracted criticism, because of the extra work and therefore cost involved. The auction of the old bridge was to be conducted in lots. All of the ex building material was on offer. The main bridge consisted of 104 strong oak piles, 322 oak joists, balusters, floor boards, and iron work. The more modest flood bridge has 33 oak piles 18ft in length, oak planks, 8 glass lamps and more iron work. Some people had suspected that there was more life in the pre suspension bridge than it's detractors suggested. They would have found plenty of fuel for their suspicions when the timbers of the main and flood bridge were suggested as suitable for the repair of a weir or anywhere that "strong timber is needed." The Windsor and Eton Express also noted the strong and solid state of the removed oak piles that looked far from decayed.  They thought it convincing  proof that "the bridge might have been repaired so as to last as long again as it had already done, had not the erection of a new one held out the promising prospect of a profitable harvest to certain professional gents." And when the Bucks magistrates met and discussed the debt remaining from the construction of the bridge, one speaker said he had had the stones and timber of the old bridge carefully examined. He said they were "perfectly sound" and he had it on good authority that no more than £200 would have been needed to make it good.  But auctioneer Rolls warned that the wood was mostly rotten and cautioned the Bridge Wardens not to expect much for it. (To read about the auction antics see here ) Rightly or wrongly the wooden bridge was gone. Some of the old "massive" piles were described as still in existence in 1891 although it isn't clear if they meant some of those removed and sold for other use, or any that were left in the river. The suspension bridge was of course built in a different spot, a money saving measure as the river was a little narrower there. But more importantly the old bridge could be kept in place while the new one was built so removing the expense of providing a ferry for several months as an alternative crossing. 

Note 1:

To answer a query about the 1860 date on the suspension bridge ironwork: 

This date appears on the girders. The bridge was just 30 years old when an engineer surveying all bridges in Bucks  for the magistrates of the quarter sessions found Marlow Bridge was the only one not in good condition. This engineer, Mr Amos, of Amos & Sons Southwark, reported that the best and cheapest option would be to replace the deal platform entirely but the reports of the finished repairs mention that the iron girders were replaced too ( "trellis iron" girders had replaced the original oak road girders in 1848. They were manufactured by Easton & Amos to a patent design by Marlow's own engineer superstar Edwin Clark) and naturally the roadway was re-laid as a result. The tenders sort two contractors, one to supply wrought iron work, and another to supply new woodwork and remove and renew the roadway itself. Mr Amos provided the plans for work. Scarred perhaps by the experience of those first building the suspension bridge, it was announced that any would be contractors would have to provide two sureties for the due performance of the work. It was estimated the repairs would cost £2,300. In the end it seemed one business had their tender accepted for the whole job, Mr W Griffith of Grange Rd, Bermondsey. Amazingly the bridge was kept open for the passage of foot traffic and those on horseback (but not horse drawn vehicles) for all but a few days. The project was finished early (October 1860) so well done Mr Griffiths! It was supervised by a joint committee of the Berks and Bucks Quarter sessions, and Berks paid one fifth of the costs. Unfortunately the deal planking replaced now "at great expense" were discovered to be suffering from dry rot in 1869 and so were taken up yet again.  Also in 1869 it was recommended that the "platform" of the bridge would need extensive repair. It was described then as consisting of an upper layer of deal, and a lower platform of oak with a layer of "felt and asphalt" between the two. This middle layer was to be discontinued. 

2. It seems the earlier versions of the wooden bridge were also sometimes hazardous to cross. In the 12th century Brother Anselm of Reading Abbey had a hair raising experience while crossing Marlow Bridge while on the Abbot's business. He was leading his horse across, it a little behind him, when the animals hind legs fell through a large hole. Bystanders came to his aid and attempted to lever the animal free using poles but both the fragile state and "shape" (width) of the bridge prevented enough people mustering to succeed in their aims. The locals advised Brother Anselm that the only thing to do would be to make the hole bigger and let the animal fall through to the water below, as there was no chance of rescue any other way. Brother Anselm did not think the horse would survive and mindful of the long journey still ahead of him on foot, decided to pray for a miracle, to St Thomas of Canterbury. The miracle duly arrived and the horse suddenly freed itself and made it clear of the hole. The incident is recorded as Anselm wrote to another monk to tell him of the benevolence of St Thomas. Whether the saint also managed a repair on the obviously very rickety bridge is not recorded! (The date often given for this event would place it before the death of St Thomas - a miracle indeed.) Later on during the civil war,  General Brown of the Parliamentary Army also damaged the bridge by inserting drawbridges into the structure which subsequently needed to be removed. 

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

Sources:

Reports of cases argued and determined in the English court of common law Vol XV (TJW Johnson 1872 edition)

Hinton, John. Universal Calendar Vol 1 November 1747. 

Langley. The History and Antiquities of the Hundred of Desborough. 1797. 

Belgravia Magazine Vol 14 Alfred Rimmer 1881

Morris, John. The Life & Times of Thomas a Beckett. (Burns & Oates 1885)

Phillips, Geoffrey. Thames Crossings. (David & Charles, 1981)

The Architect, April 17 1869, digitised by Google. 

South Bucks Standard Directory of Marlow - 1891. 

Reading Mercury 4 September 1786, 22 December 1788, 2nd Feb 1789, 29 September 1789 British Library Archive, accessed via the BNA

Oxford Journal 1st March  1788, 26 December 1789, 3 November 1832 as above. 

Oxford Gazette 13 December 1788, as above

Oxford University and City Journal 7 January 1826

Berkshire Chronicle 3 November 1832, 7 January 1860 as above

Windsor and Eton Express 2 February 1833, as above

© Marlow Ancestors

To find all mentions of your ancestor here, use the A-Z person index and "biographies of individuals" options on the drop down menu. See the general history option for other subjects. Happy hunting! 

Jubilee Celebrations Marlow 1887

Jubilee Cottages, New Town Road. 

Most towns and villages in England celebrated Queen Victoria's Jubilee in June 1887. Marlow was no different. Here as everywhere numerous committees were set up to decide on a suitable programme. Here as everywhere no one could at first decide what to do!

The most enthusiastically supported early idea was to build a proper Literary and Scientific Institute in the Queen's honour. Enthusiasm in principle failed to translate into enthusiasm for emptying one's purse for the purpose. Too little money had been raised for the town to think of starting proper building work before the Jubilee. Disappointment was expressed that Marlow hadn't been more forthcoming. The town did get a new institute but not until 1890 (see here for more)  Of the money that was raised before the Jubilee £100 was reserved to pay for the festivities. And £79 was spent on a gift of coal for the poor the proceeding winter when it was most needed. 

Less ambitious plans to mark the Jubilee were eventually put in place instead.

The Jubilee day itself, a Tuesday, was a national holiday a certain degree of celebration was to take place in some towns all that week however.

Marlow had a special trading connection to Victoria as it was from Marlow that all the beech logs she used for fires in Windsor Castle came.

Local residents could take advantage of special trains laid on from Marlow and Bourne End during Jubilee Week to take them to Windsor for a look at the decorations and to participate in the celebratory atmosphere there.

Marlow itself packed most of it's celebrations into one single day, the Tuesday. But on Monday a public dinner was held in Queens Road, opposite the Duke of Cambridge. We are told that a "loyal and jovial" bunch of tradesmen and others sat down to enjoy the meal. The pub was decorated with flags and Japanese lanterns and bunting stretched across the road. The Marlow band also attended. 

On the morning of Tuesday the bells of All Saints church rang out before a thanksgiving service was held.

At lunch time a hot meal was provided for residents aged over 60 in tents erected for the purpose in the High Street. The men came away with pipes and tobacco as a gift, generously donated by Mrs Lovell*. (The ladies received a parcel of tea) These tents were then used in the afternoon to give all 6 to 14 year olds a tea. As a souvenir these children received a Jubilee "medal" each. These were donated by Miss Somers Cocks and Miss Wethered. (The Wethereds were also among several local breweries that donated ale for the dinners)

Miss Caird of Sunny Bank house [see my first "Where in Marlow was...?" post if you are not sure where that was] gave all widows of the Almshouses 1 shilling each. Those in the Almshouses also received a bottle of wine, some cake, a Jubilee handkerchief and a necktie thanks to Mr Charles Walker of Hampstead. He extended the gift to a number of the poor outside the Almshouses too.  

Sports were organised in a meadow adjoining the site of the proposed institute, for the evening. (Donkey races, greasy pole, skipping, tug of war..) There had also been a few races and games within the High Street itself. The races were for both adults and children and were free to enter. They competed for "useful" prizes and those commemorating the Jubilee. 

The day ended with a fireworks display and a torchlight procession of more than 100 people. The "monster" bonfire was created at the junction of the "new roads on Mr Williams land". (Institute Road & Beaumont Rise - the latter sometimes going by the name of Junction Rd in its early years, although this name was given to other "new" roads in Marlow too including Claremont Gardens and Station Rise before their current names stuck.)

During the day bunting and flags flew from houses, while in the evening Chinese lanterns were used. Marlow Bridge, the bridge across to Marlow Lock, the parish church and Thames Bank house were amongst the structures lit up with special coloured lamps as an additional decoration.

Bunting could be homemade but it could also be bought, along with flags and royal standards, from London suppliers by mail order as well as local fancy good shops.

The Black Lion pub in Well End, Little Marlow promptly applied to stay open an hour later than normal on account of the celebrations. In the end all licenced premises were granted an hours extension. 

Every Jubilee year in England there was a rash of little girls given the first or middle name Jubilee, as well as newly built houses dubbed Jubilee Cottages or Jubilee Villas or the like.  Marlow parents Caroline and Joseph Harris were a little unusual in using Jubilee for their male child Sydney Harold Jubilee Harris who appears on the 1891 census. Jubilee Cottages in Newtown Road dated 1887 still stand although Jubilee Terrace Dean Street, finished in 1887 does not. 

The 1897 Jubilee of Queen Victoria was also much celebrated - see more here. A post on the coronation of her successor King Edward appeared on the blog a short while ago here

*Others donating in kind or loaning items to the celebrations include Mr William Fisher (meat, he was a butcher of Market Square), Charles Miller Foottit (various foods) Mr George Maskell (of the George and Dragon - cutlery and plates). The over 60s dinner menu was cold roast and boiled meat, hot vegetables, plum pudding (part of any celebration back then, not confined to Christmas!), bread, cheese, tea and ale. 

Other posts connected to Royalty in Marlow can be found listed under Royalty on the General Marlow History post index here

All mentions of an individual on this blog can be found on the A-Z  Person Index in the top drop down menu. There's 4,000 + names there! 

See:

Bucks Herald 18th and 25th June 1887. Reading Mercury 18th June 1887. Copies British Library. Also available from the BNA.

1891 census Familysearch International by the LDS. Accessed July 2020.

Nash's Pall Mall Magazine Volume 18 published 1899.

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer June 25th 1887 - Slough Library

©Marlow Ancestors.