The Vanished Houses of Marlow No 2 - The Original Thames Lawn

 If you had stopped to ask one of our Victorian Marlow citizens for directions to Thames Lawn, they would not have sent you to the current house bearing that name at the bottom of St Peter's Street. Instead they would suggest you stroll along the river a little further, into Mill Road as we call it. As you pass the house known as The Sycamores and look to your right, the sweep of grass stretching along the river front  would still be easily recognisable. This was also known as the Thames Lawn but it is not our destination. Look ahead, just before the lock, and you will see the handsome Elizabethan style riverside residence currently known as Three Gables and Unicorn Bridge House. But to our Victorian friends, a quite different property would have sat on that spot -  the original Thames Lawn House. It's this sadly forgotten but once very important home that is the subject of our post today. If you wish to know more about the house more recently known as Thames Lawn, see the linked posts below. 

A Word Of Caution 

As mentioned above, Thames Lawn and Thames Bank were both often used as the equivalent of street addresses for any of the homes fronting the river in Mill Lane as it was then. So for example The Sycamores could be referred to as "The Sycamores, Thames Lawn" or "The Sycamores, Mill Lane"  or "The Sycamores, Thames Bank".  Understanding this is the key to untangling who lived where and when. It means that any person whose address is given as Thames Bank, may be living in Thames Bank House, but they might equally be present at any of the nearby houses too. The story is complicated because most of the early homes that stretched along this riverside part of Mill Lane were either built or occupied (often both) by members of the Wright family of Marlow paper mills or by one of the other mill operators. Therefore the project of finding historic residents for the specific properties in that area has been a very long task. I have revised some of the below information first collected many years ago but it's still a work in progress. Be aware too of the riverside house, also Wright owned, known as The Lawn or Lawn Cottage, set back from Mill Road. Members of the Wright family seem to have signed themselves as of Thames Lawn or Marlow Mills regardless of whether they were occupying The Lawn, The Sycamores etc.

Early History 

Late Victorian accounts of Thames Lawn House said it was in existence in the 18th century. Unfortunately I can not be any more precise about a build date for this original property but it may well have been older still. The house was said then to have been purchased by the Wright family of Marlow Mills - with William Wright born there in 1798.  In that year, the Wright's were in occupation of one if not both paper mills but they did not yet own them. They were leased from mealman Thomas Ricketts who operated the third Marlow Mill - at that point a corn mill. Twenty five years before Ricketts was seeking a business partner to share grinding there, and he offered to supply a residence conveniently close to the Mill if required. This could refer to Thames Lawn House but equally to another house nearby such as Mill Cottage which was often occupied later by the various proprietors of the corn mill, or to Weir Cottage. When Ricketts died the three mills were put up for auction at Garraways coffee house, along with two residences associated with them one of which was almost certainly our subject. One of the paper mills - the Lower Mill, closest to the site of Thames Lawn - was eventually taken on by Salem Chapel stalwart Francis Pepper who operated it himself. He had formerly been in partnership with the Wrights but this relationship was dissolved in 1814. We know Francis lived adjacent to the mill complex, and I believe it was he who was resident at Thames Lawn House before the Rose family. Certainly the mill property came with a detached residence when it was sold on his death in 1831. An 1827 map of the Mill site shows "Mr Peppers Garden" and an unnamed house immediately adjacent. This is approximately where Thames Lawn was and where Three Gables is now. Presumably this house was the one occupied by Francis Pepper but many better off people possessed "gardens" separate from their homes in old Marlow! This residence was set back a little closer to where Mill Bank is in the present day so it had a slightly larger front garden then. (Certainly William Rose believed Pepper had been a former residence of his home.) 

Regardless of who was in residence, the house had a lucky escape in 1826 when a destructive fire broke out at Wright's paper mill. It started in the drying room which was very close to the property, under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Very quickly the large quantity of paper within was destroyed. A depression in the paper trade meant there had been more paper on the premises than usual. The blaze was considered to be the work of an incendiary and so a substantial reward was offered in return for giving up the culprit. I do not believe they were identified. The residential property closest to the mills (eg Mill Cottage too) were considered to be in grave danger during this blaze. The orange glow in the sky could apparently be seen from as far away as Reading! 

The Rose Family 

The most detailed early description of the house comes from the time it was occupied by wealthy solicitor William Rose and his "beloved wife" of 40 years Caroline in the late 1860s and early 1870s. William maintained a London office at Change Alley, aka Exchange Alley. This bustling and narrow lane and the area around was an historic centre for financial services in the capital including London's first Stock Exchange. It must have been some relief to retire from that part of the city to his elegant Thames side home. William inherited the property from his uncle Ralph Rose who had lived in it many years, followed by his widow. 

William's pride and joy at Marlow was obviously his carefully curated library. This contained some 900 volumes including a large number of legal works and a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The rest of the home was filled with some "very choice" furniture and all the home  accessories a gentleman of means could enjoy the possession of - from bronze figurines to old Wedgewood china. It then had 8 bedrooms and 3 reception room and a conservatory plus a coach house. The clear selling feature were the "tastefully arranged" gardens sloping down to the river with the enchanting views towards the bridge and Weir. The Roses spent time and money on improving the house, and possibly extending it. 

Did the garden include the grass running along the margin of the river in front of The Sycamores which was also referred to as the Thames lawn? That would prove to be a somewhat contentious issue! William Rose was said to have regarded it as common ground and paid little attention to who used it. He did apparently enjoy playing a game or two of quoits there. In fact when the Wrights tried to claim it as private property, enclose it, and prevent fishing from there, William Rose objected, and said in fact the area was listed as an appurtenance to his home. He did not wish to close access to it himself, and certainly wasn't going to allow anyone else to do so. He threatened the Wrights with legal action and seems to have succeeded in diminishing any threat to public access to the area then. William Rose pointed out that the property he inherited came with related exclusive fishing rights to this area. So nobody had any right to gather fish from the lawn or nearby - but they Wights had been doing so on a large scale and selling them out of town. Rose considered this not only illegal removal of his property but morally wrong as it was depriving locals of access to cheaper fish. It's fair to say the relationship between the Roses and the Wrights would not be a cordial one. 

A path ran across this disputed lawn which was used by those using the lock by either custom or right, although it's exact route I can't determine precisely.  When it was later (1886) decided to divert this path for aesthetic reasons the question of who actually had ownership would lead to a lot of legal wrangling on at least two occasions. No one has been paying rates for it it seemed, and no rent had been paid either. It seems likely that whoever did own it had forgotten. At least whatever documents William Rose had had that he said proved absolutely his ownership to the stretch seem to have been lost. The then occupier of Weir Cottage produced various deeds to suggest the lawn was his, but on the other hand it was said many of the older residents were certain it was originally  common land and that documents could be produced to support that. The Mill Road residents did not pretend that the path wasn't in general use (e.g public by custom) but they thought only those using it as a towpath had a legal right to do so. The outcome of this second  attempt to restrict public access to the grass was unsuccessful as the magistrates agreed that there was no public benefit to such a change, and it would create a bad precedent. A suggestion had been made that the occupiers of the Mill Road properties (not including Thames Lawn House) should pay a quit rent to the parish in return for continuing to use and maintain it but I do not think this compromise was adopted. Sanction was definitely given in 1893 to divert the then path to more or less its current route from Mill Road to the foot bridge over the mill cut however. It was to be lined with a red brick wall mounted by "rustic" iron railings as constructed by Marlow builder Lovells. And the Coxes would be obliged to pay for its maintenance for 5 years. 

Tragedy overcome the Rose family in quick succession in the early 1870s.  Caroline died in September 1871 and William himself followed a little over 4 months later age 64. Then in 1874, their son Alfred Valentine Rose died aged just 29 at Wooburn. The executors put the house up for let after William's death but in 1876 the house was auctioned off by the last surviving trustee William Rippington Rose. This auction took place in the historic riverside Complete Angler inn. Following this there was a few short term residents including some who hired it for the summer or "river season". Then in approximately 1880, a man would arrive at Thames Lawn who would bring the house to the attention of people far and wide. 

Edmund Yates in residence 

Thames Lawn House by name starts to get specifically mentioned in contemporary guides to the Thames at this time. They noted it was a "picturesque" building with a famous resident - the writer, magazine editor and critic Edmund Yates. Edmund was a friend of Charles Dickens or as some said, an acolyte or disciple who regarded the author as "some kind of God."

Mostly a summer resident, Edmund entertained many names of literary and theatrical Victorian London at Thames Lawn - not all of them household names now. The superstar actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry and the then editor of Punch magazine were among his regular weekend guests. Not everyone well known appreciated Edmund's company however. During his time at Marlow he spent several weeks in a London gaol (out of a longer sentence) for publishing a libel in his gossipy magazine against a member of the aristocracy. He was not the author of the article and on reading it in draft had crossed out the most offending sentences with the intention these parts were not to be published. Unfortunately they were, and he was found guilty of the libel. Edmund was let out early on account of bad health. A banquet in London to celebrate his release was attended by over 200 people. 

Although Edmund did not live full time at Marlow, he certainly enjoyed the river while he could. He kept a small steam launch and was president of the Thames Steam Launch Association. Many regarded these launches as an unpleasant addition to the Thames, and they were associated with bad steering, noisy whistles and with speeding past other river traffic to the latters peril. So there were a lot of campaigns to potentially oversee their use more closely. The Association wanted to represent the launch owners and prevent what they considered petty restrictions, frivolous law suits and damage both intentional and deliberate to their craft. 

Edmund lived at Marlow for about 5 years. He had moved away at the time he died at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1894 after falling ill at the Garrick Theatre. He had been regarded as in delicate health for some time but it seemed his sudden collapse was still a surprise.  He had seemed to rally a little after spending part of the winter abroad on doctors orders. For many years after his death Thames Lawn would still be referred to as Yates former residence by the literature catering for Thames tourists.

The situation of Yates' Thames Lawn House is undoubtedly picturesque and romantic to our modern eyes but it would not have been quite a place of undisturbed peace disturbed only by the "hum" of the weir. It immediately abutted the Marlow mills and these were not known to be exactly quiet in operation. The adjacent Marlow Lock could see an eye-watering number of craft pass through it on busy summer weekends such as those around the time of Ascot or Henley regatta. The river was still a working one even if there were fewer barges passing by than before the railway came to Marlow. Sometimes too a dead body would be recovered from the river adjacent to Thames Lawn. 

But there were many compensations.  It was in a prime position to enjoy what must have been the most beautiful sight of the "Venetian river parade" of illuminated launches and punts which took place at the time of the annual regattas. Most of the riverside residents decorated their homes with bucket lamps and lanterns at the same time and those at Thames Lawn were no exception. People came far and wide to enjoy this glittering wonderland. 

Is that a lion I hear? 

In the 1890s there were two residents at Thames Lawn who had some interests in some rather unusual pets. Mrs Coppinger (who also rented another house along the river side at times) had a pet monkey which she enjoyed taking for rides in her launch. But this was tame compared to the ambitions of young Captain Marshall. Always interested in wildlife, Marshall bought a lion cub from a passing circus and this would form the nucleus of what would become the Marlow Menagerie complete with pumas, elephants, wolves and more. I have compiled a full biography of Marshall which you can read here. With a somewhat small garden to make into a zoo, he hired some land along the river bank towards Gossmore to house his collection. He soon out grew this and moved to a specially constructed residence with animal enclosures at the site of what is now known as Gossmore House. Marshall is remembered for a successful attempt to drive two ponies in tandem across the relatively narrow footbridge to the lock from the Thames Lawn. Don't try that at home! Mrs Coppinger and Captain Marshall were said to be lovers and sometime co residents at Thames Lawn. The vastly unsubstantiated Marlow legend is that she was suspected of an arson attack on Marshall's next residence motivated by jealousy at his forthcoming marriage to another and that she then left town never to return. Arson it certainly was believed to be by Marshall, but no culprit was identified despite a substantial reward offered. Initial investigations had identified an overheated flue as the most likely cause. Furthermore it's certainly not true that Coppinger left immediately and finally after the fire. She's still recorded here 6 months later and as a summer visitor for a couple years afterwards. Not did the fire occur on the eve of his wedding as some say - the events didn't in fact occur in the same year! 

Captain Lamotte and his family were the next residents. The Captain came to Marlow to take charge of the local Volunteers. (Forerunners to the Territorial Army - read about our Marlow company here). Described as a "most able and energetic officer" he was supposed to have won the "golden opinions" of all ranks. The couple certainly threw themselves into the local society, joining groups and fundraising drives of all kinds.  They remained there until 1897, with the Captain rejoining his regiment the following year. In the time between leaving Thames Lawn and leaving the country, the Lamottes moved to Quarry Wood House. (A post dedicated to that vanished property will follow shortly.)

Fire! 

In the summer of 1897 the "well known and attractive little property" with its "pretty garden" and landing stage was yet again offered for sale at the Complete Angler. ("Little" was obviously relative - it was described then as comprising 9 bed and dressing rooms, an entrance hall, a bathroom - yes just one - and three reception rooms.)  The purchaser was the wealthy author and magazine proprietor Mrs Ada Bennett Edwards. She was the co owner of The Field with her brothers, among other titles. Her father and other relatives were some time residents of other properties in Mill Road so it was an area she knew well. 

She had planned a significant overhaul and modernisation of the house. Unfortunately less than 6 months later, a fire would break out just as the works were nearing completion. This was serious enough, but the proximity of the Mills with their wooden buildings and abundance of combustible material within made it even more of a serious situation. The Mills own fire engine was bought out as it was the workers there that had first raised the alarm, and Marlow fire brigade were also quickly in attendance. The proximity of the river as well as a fire hydrant meant there was no shortage of water to hand. Nevertheless there was a time when the Mills were regarded as in severe danger of going up too. The flames burned with such ferocity that despite the frantic efforts of all, Thames Lawn was totally gutted. A heaven sent outbreak of rain prevented the numerous sparks taking hold at the mill. A smouldering  beam running through a fire place was blamed  - a surprisingly common cause of Marlow house fires! It's unfortunate for Mrs Edwards that much of the furniture had been moved back in and was if course destroyed too. Even more unfortunate, the insurance policy taken out against fire by Mrs Bennett Edwards was said to have lapsed. Fortunately she was a lady of considerable means, as well as a wealth of determination, and she decided to build a new house on the spot. A Who's Who entry for 1898 mentions that her hobbies include "artistic house decorating" which was something she was about to have ample scope to indulge. (Her other interests were "practical and experimental zoology", cycling and tennis.)

A description of the destroyed house mentions that at that time there has been on top of the house a sort of glass panelled tower. I believe this may have been part of Mrs Edwards additions to the house as there is no record of this distinctive feature earlier. If so it lived too short a while to appear in any photographs which is a pity. 

New life and new styling 

The local newspapers said that Mrs Bennett Edwards very quickly launched into a new contract with a London architect to get her house built. With a now blank canvas she was free to decide on a completely different style of architecture. She chose a "very pleasant half timbered style" with lattice windows. No expense was to be spared. Comfort and modern conveniences were her watchwords. There would now be not only a bathroom but 4 w.cs as well. Drainage was on "the latest scientific principles" and electric call bells were fitted throughout to summon staff as required. A noted striking feature was the "very handsome oak panelled hall of imposing dimensions" and the "fine oak staircase." There were 11 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, and a boat house which it was stated could easily be converted into a garage for a motor car. 

Mrs Bennett Edwards did not live at the house for long despite her efforts to create such a pleasant home. By April 1900 it was advertised as available to let for the summer season. In 1902 the house was sold for £5,120, the contents following shortly after. 

Edwardian Residents

Sir James Boyton arrived next, president of the auctioneers Elliott, Son & Boyton and an M.P. He like many of his predecessors also kept a London residence. James was a keen rower and something of an authority on all things River Thames. If he had any intention just to relax and enjoy river events as a spectator alone, he was an optimistic man. It was inevitable he would find himself invited to involve himself in organising the Marlow Regatta. In particular I can see he assisted on the committee behind the above mentioned Venetian fete. Sadly James suffered a serious motoring accident near Henley in 1905 which resulted in the partial amputation of one of his arms. While this may have curtailed his planned involvement in any veterans events, he did see his children including daughter Kitty row at the regatta. He acted as a judge of the illuminated craft competition, umpired various races, and his wife was co opted into giving out the regatta prizes on different occasions. James also caused a great deal of excitement when he acted several times as a host for the Cambridge rowing crew who would compete in the University boat race. The bridge was lined with spectators whenever they practiced at Marlow. 

The Boyton's retained possession of Thames Lawn during the beginning of the First World War. Their son was sadly killed in France in 1916. James himself also suffered yet another serious accident when the omnibus he was travelling in within London hit another vehicle and overturned with a loss of life. All of the passengers were injured to some degree - James by lacerations made by broken glass on his "full" arm. The news was met by an outpouring of sympathy back in Marlow. 

Above, Three Gables with the modern mill style apartments to the rear. 

James died in May 1926 but I think he had left Marlow a few years previously. (Certainly the freehold of the house was for sale in 1919) In his will he left a request that his wife and children should pay a sum of £15 to any grandson of his that competed within Henley Regatta. Rowing devotee to the last! 

Next resident was race course manager Frederick Henry Cathcart who was there by 1926. We've reached the limit of the period our research deals with but Henry deserves a mention as the honorary treasurer of the Higginson birthday fund that raised the money to purchase the Court Garden estate so it could become what we know as Higginson Park*. The first mention I've seen of the use of "Three Gables" as a new name for this Thames Lawn comes in 1926 - so he may well have been the person to make that change. UPDATE  - biography of Frederick Cathcart is available here

Written and researched by Kathryn Day

Related posts

*More on Frederick's role in securing the park can be found in a post about its early history here here

Index of posts about other specific property including the "other Thames Lawn" - here

To look for more about any particular person or family - see the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. There's many thousands of people listed there with more names added weekly. 

Sources: 

Boyd, Frank M - A Pelican's Tale. (H Jenkins 1919) 

Krausse, A D - Pictorial History of the Thames. (Krausse 1883)

Who's Who, 1898. 

Parish Assessment assessor's notebooks, 1833. Transcribed by Charlotte Day.

Census data 1871-1891 - from the transcripts from the originals at the National Archives by Jane Pullinger and Charlotte Day.

1827 Great Marlow Mill Plan. 

Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News February 1874, 14th August 1926. 

Bucks Herald - 19th June 1886, 8th December 1888

Berkshire Chronicle 15th April 1826, 19th March & 14th May 1831, 23rd September 1871, 3rd February 1872

Country Life 19th April 1919 

Dundee Evening Echo 8th December 1897

Galignani's Messenger -  the spirit of the English" qv Paris, May 5 1826 - digitised by Google and accessed May 2021. 

Gloucestershire Echo February 13th 1934. 

Henley Advertiser 13th May 1871

John Bull 28th April 1826 

London Gazette 25th October 1814 

Maidenhead Advertiser May 28th & 27th October 1884, June 16 1886, 5th December 1888, 8th October 1890, 23rd May 1894

Morning Post 8th July 1897

Morning Leader 3rd November 1902

Newcastle Journal 23rd December 1916

Reading Mercury 5th February 1798, 13th June 1831,  19th February 1876, 6th January 1917

Sporting Life 29th April 1882

South Bucks Standard 6th February 1891, 20th May & 2nd December 1892, 11th August 1893, 18th June,  6th August & 10th December  1897, 28th December 1898, 20th April 1900, 10th October & 14th November 1902, 2nd June 1905, 12th March 1914, 2 November 1918

The Gentlewoman 12th July 1890 

The Globe 3rd November 1902

Walthamstow and Leyton Guardian 7th December 1894. 

Westminster Gazette - 8th December 1897

Windsor & Eton Express 15th April 1826,  6th June 1874

Kelly's Directory of Bucks, Berks &  Oxon - 1911, 1913, 1915, 1920. 

Ordnance Survey map 1876. 

Wilson, David Gordon - The Middle Thames, Spurs Books 1977. 

South Bucks Free Press 1st & 15th May 1867. 

© MarlowAncestors

Marshall Grave, Great Marlow

Grave of Edward Wilfrid Marshall. B. 28 August 1867

D. 23 November 1894

 

This grave is located in St Peters Roman Catholic Church Great Marlow. To read about Edwards life, as menagerie owner, collector of wild animals and traveller, see the post here

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction of this image is freely permitted for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Marlow Floods A Plenty

  

Marlow is a town with a history of getting it's feet wet. The floods didn't just inconvenience those with riverside homes either. They stopped the mills, church services, river traffic and transport and bought some traders into severe financial difficulties.

When the floods were at their worst, navigation on the Thames was stopped altogether, for example in the early part of 1840. In this year, towing boats was impossible with the tow paths several feet underwater. This meant barges had to stay where they could, and await the water levels dropping sufficiently. High water made the already dangerous flash locks even more perilous to travel through. The flood channels such as the one finishing near the back of the Compleat Angler, were sometimes overwhelmed.  Floating debris was another hazard. Many Marlow people ran barges or worked on them, and a stopping of river traffic meant some were stranded away from home. Other businesses were stopped because they were dependent on river bourne deliveries of raw materials. 

The 1894 flood

Even after the age of horse drawn barges was over, flooding still caused havoc in the life of the town. In November 1894, a particularly bad inundation caused church services at the riverside All Saints Church to be abandoned, while the railway was "engulfed in a sea of water". This water was said to have put out the engines and it was subsequently decided to raise the rails to stop this happening again. Mill Lane, Mill Alley (Seven Corner Alley), St. Peter's Street and South Place all suffered substantial flooding. 

Captain Edward Wilfred Marshall of The Eyrie (off Gossmore) was seriously ill at home when the flood water rose. He had suffered from flu, and it was now believed he had pneumonia. His anxious wife and doctors had to weigh up the risk of remaining put and what they considered as the risk of removing a severely ill man from his home. Captain Marshall's infant son and nurse were sent to the safety of Remnantz. Before long The Eyrie was surrounded by a "tremendous flood" and with the water level rising, they had no choice but to take Marshall away. The water was 4ft deep outside when help was summoned. The horses bearing his carriage away were chest deep in the flood  as they made their departure. Marshall and his wife Penrose were taken to the Crown Hotel, but sadly he died there shortly afterwards age 28. Many blamed his final illness on the unhealthy situation caused by the flood water. (Captain Marshall and his menagerie is subject of a separate post here)

Flood mark at Marlow Lock, above. 

Summer floods stop play

While autumn and winter floods made living and working conditions miserable for many, Marlow did not always escape flooding in the summer either. Floods then extended the prospect of financial loss to a different range of people. It's sometimes easy to underestimate how dependent many Victorian and Edwardian Marlow businesses were on tourism or how many summer visitors the town received. 

The summer flood of 1903 was said to have been the worst for 50 years. People visited the town to "mess about on the river" but boating and fishing came to a halt. The hotels and private lodging houses were empty. The pubs and hotels that catered for boating and fishing parties by serving lunches, and hiring out punts and fisherman (fishing guides) did no trade. Salters Steamers could not run their river trips. The boathouses found no demand for hired steam launches or canoes. The mills had to stop. It was in short "disastrous" for the trade in Marlow. The Reading Mercury reported that all roads south of the town were cut off and that many hundreds of acres of Thames side meadows were flooded. This included all those in the vicinity of Pound Lane, with the cricket field included. Residents reported flooded cellars (barrels are said to have floated out of one unnamed pub cellar) and overwhelmed cess pits. Worse for some was the stench of decaying vegetation left behind as the waters receded, along with thick foul smelling mud that had to shovelled off the streets. At least the train managed to continue, thanks to the work done after 1894. The water got to within 1-2" of the rails, and lay all around the line, as far as the Bourne End road at it's worst. The storm that accompanied the initial deluge was marked by large hailstones and a horse was struck by lightning and killed at Seymour Court. At Danesfield house, the lightning hit the roof, causing significant damage. The rain coming through the ceiling caused substantial damage to some tapestries hanging on the walls, worth together several thousand pounds. 

In December of 1903 there were yet more floods, with water levels rising to just under a foot below the summer flood mark of that year. 

Station Road is submerged..again

The residents of Station Rd had more cause to complain than most. The summer flood just mentioned affected them badly in June-August. Then in September of the same year a heavy rain storm saw the road and houses flooded again. Questions were raised about the affect on visitor numbers if those arriving at Marlow train station had to step through several inches of water (at best) on their way into town. But what of the poor people actually living there? They resorted to blocking up their doorways "with 6-7" of wood backed up with a heap of mud and stone" but to no avail.  The water entered  the houses and was "spoiling the furniture". At a Council meeting, councilor Mr J H Deacon tried to get something done. Drainage work was planned to be completed at the same time new paving was due to be laid but that was 6 months away. Mr Deacon said autumn floods were likely and following on from the two already that year, could the Station Rd residents afford to wait? The other councillors (who did not live in Station Rd) thought they could. They said the homeowners should just raise their steps 6-7" to protect their homes. Mr Deacon pointed out that this had already been tried at the Wheatsheaf and the two cottages adjoining but they still flooded. It's also worth noting that most of these cottages were rented and some landlords were not willing to spend on these potential improvements. Mr Deacon failed to get any further money voted to help Station Rd as the others did not want the rates pushed up as a result. So when a "memorable" flood occured in February the following year, the cottages were again flooded. Things improved for the road gradually but it was still suffering in home floods long after the time our blog deals with. 

There have been many more bad flood years eg 1908, but the worst in recent times was 1947. Again this is out of our blog time frame but if you Google the date, you'll find plenty of images online. 

Always look on the bright side?

More minor seasonal floods were regarded as useful for irrigation purposes by farmers with land near the river, and some thought it added to the value of their holdings.  

A more ambitious plan to make use of excess Thames water was proposed by civil engineer Mr McClean in 1869. His idea was based on a plan previously advanced by him in 1849 and 1850, in conjunction with Mr Blackwell. This was to "embank and canalize" the Thames between Marlow and Henley, with the object of creating in the present channel of the river, a series of "impounding reservoirs". The lowest of these would be connected to London via a 36 mile canal, and so would provide the capital with more drinking water. Gravity would allow the provision of water for low lying parts of London, and a pump would be needed to serve the rest. Mr McClean thought this would solve both the inadequate provision of water in populous London, and flooding around the Thames. But the scheme was not to be! 

The other people who gained when the floods came were illegal fishermen. Those who did not have the right to take fish from certain areas of the Thames "netted" the ditches and flooded areas around the river, confident perhaps no one much would be on the water to notice. In the early 1870's the "netting  on the meadows adjacent to the river during flood time was carried on wholesale" with large quantities of fish captured and sold. The Thames Conservancy and the Angling Clubs put a stop to this by gathering the fish left stranded in the ditches or pools of water and returning them to the river themselves.

One last person to benefit from the flood was a Mr Couch of Quarry Wood House who in the 1870's is said to won a bet that he could drive his boat over the weir while a flood was on, as a feet of daring. It seemed to get stuck a little on the edge but finally slipped over and down again safely "to the cheers from the crown on the bridge". Don't try that at home!

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. Above picture shows Marlow floods in the modern day.

Related content:

Related posts about the river can be found in the General History post listing here including this about Victorian and Edwardian children drowned in the river

More about Way family of Wheatsheaf here

The angry, roaring hissing mist of 1897 here

To find all mentions of your ancestor here, click on the A-Z person index in the same menu. This currently contains over 3,000 individuals. 

SOURCES INCLUDE:

Royal Commission on River Pollution: Third report of the commission appointed to inquire into the best means of preventing the pollution of rivers - 1866, (C E Eyre & Spottiswoode) 

Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons - Reports from committees vol 17, 1877

Great Britain House of Commons - Reports from Commissions - Vol 33 1869

Wheedon, J P, Angling Clubs and Preservation societies of London and the provinces 1883. (Clowes 1884)

Leslie, John Dunlop - Our River (Bradbury, Agnew, and Co 1881)

Bucks Gazette 3 November, 11 January 1840. Copy held at the British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA.

Derby and Newcastle  Mercury, 1 November 1747, as above

Wolverton Express, June 1903 - thanks to Roger Woodman. 

©Marlow Ancestors.

The Marlow Elephants...And Lions

 It is a strange thought that many of our Victorian Marlow forebears may have seen more live elephants in person than we have. Or lions and bears for that matter. The streets of Marlow once echoed with the thud of elephants feet, while the roar of lions could be heard in Riley Recreation ground (Crown Meadow as it was known then). These animals were part of a number of travelling menageries that visited throughout the Victorian period. At least one made their entrance, proceeded by a band, down Henley Road, elephants at the rear.* That must have been a sight to make drinkers at the likes of the Hare and Hounds and Hand and Flowers question whether they had had a little too much to drink! Their finishing spot in the early days was usually Quoiting Square, with Crown Meadow taking some of the carts and caravans. Even so, conditions must have been very cramped in such a space. The menageries most famously came to town at the time of the October Fair but it seems that hardly any year passed without an additional visit by at a showman and his animals (usually they went to Crown Meadow outside of fair time). These menageries have been dealt with in a separate post about Marlow Fair which I will link to below. The subject of today's post is Marlow's resident menagerie, belonging to Captain Marshall. 

Captain Edward Wilfrid Marshall was the son of Shakespearean critic and playwright Frank Marshall. He is said to have been fascinated by wild animals since a boy. As a young man in his 20's he had wealth sufficient to indulge this interest by travelling internationally to see exotic species in person. Unfortunately for the animals, he would also be willing to buy them and bring them home to England to begin or continue a life of captivity. There is no doubt that Captain Marshall considered himself an animal lover, and that he was considered to treat them well within the bounds of their confinement, but it is still sad for us to read details of young animals torn from their natural habitats. 

The first spot Marshall chose for his new menagerie was a meadow near Marlow Mill. At this point Marshall himself was living at the original Thames Lawn, adjacent to Marlow Lock (not the house which currently bears this name which had previously been known as Thames Bank). One of his first acquisitions came courtesy of an unnamed menagerie visiting Marlow in 1890. From them he purchased a young lioness for £50. It was said to have been raised by a Russian collie! Marshall set out to tame her further, and was said to walk about the streets of Marlow with her at his side like a dog, with a collar and lead attached. (Some reports says he also did this with a young male lion.) This bought delight to some of the braver children, and quite the opposite feeling in some of the more nervous adults! A boating man was said to be astonished to see a young man lounging near Marlow Lock with a lioness at his side. As the lioness grew she became what was optimistically called "too affectionate" and was confined to the menagerie. Captain Marshall himself stated he had taken his adult female puma for walk on a leash on numerous occasions, this not ending until her death as she was "as tame as a cat". His younger puma was however too wild to consider attempting the same with it. The animals he found hardest to domesticate were the gnus, not because they were fierce, but because they were too frightened. 

Before long his first meadow became too small to contain his collection, and he took a long lease on a 50 acre area of meadow a little further along the riverbank off Gossmore. This included a large portion of what had formerly been the Marlow Race Course and what was then known as Lower Fields Farm. On this he began to build a range of special animal houses, enclosures and aviaries. These included an elephant lodge heated via hot water pipes. The animals homes, in 3 rows, were only a few hundred yards from his house. The pheasant building alone was 500ft long. 

The animals Marshall held varied over time but included at various points -  a juvenile male and female Bengal tiger, 30 species of pheasant, some antelopes, deer, a small group of gnu, a black American bear, cranes of every known kind including a pair of Mexican cranes he had bought for £200, two pumas, a lion, leopard, wombat, a number of kangaroos, several alpacas, elk, buffalo, small exotic birds, storks, herons, a pair of emus and an ostrich. Within his home could be found a parrot and other caged birds, a Siberian Wolf hound, several domestic cats and a little pug. 

After the farmhouse or homestead of Lower Fields farm -  burned down in 1892 in a suspected case of arson, he also built a substantial bungalow home known as The Eyrie to replace it. The design of this, and the fact it was located on a flood plain, would have a dramatic part to play at the end of the Captain's life. (Architect Howard Dinzey Blowers.) The fire caused great panic in the town as there were unfounded rumours the lions had escaped. A £10 was offered in the hope of catching the culprits behind the fire but I don't believe they ever were. Local rumour has persisted that a jealous former lover of Marshall Mrs Coopinger was behind the blaze and that she then left town never to return  - but the latter at last isn't true. She did not leave Marlow then and was a regular visitor over the succeeding few years. An overheated flue was initially considered the most likely if less dramatic cause. This first homestead does not to our eyes sound especially luxurious - it was described as a recently re- fitted corrugated iron structure. But it was his butler that first discovered the fire so Marshall was not roughing it too much! Marshall lost most of his furniture though, which had just been moved in prior to his arrival a week later. 

He continued to add animals, until he had developed "the most extensive and the most valuable private collection in the world". This now included his most famous acquisitions, the Marlow Elephants - 4 baby Indian elephants, 3 female and one male.

In 1892, Captain Marshall decided to go on a 6 month "Grand Tour" of the world. He left in January on the P&O steamship Himalaya. During his absence the menagerie remained in the care of their keeper Mr Frederick Collier, formerly manager of the Bristol Zoological Gardens. The rest of the estate would be supervised by Mr R F Jackson of Westhorpe.

When he returned, it is said the Captain decided to give up the extremely expensive hobby of collecting wildlife, and what's more to sell off his at least some of his existing animals. He however continued to add a few after this date such as a young tiger cub.  He still owned a number of creatures on his death 2 years later. He had sought to purchase a giraffe too during this time, but they were very rarely captured alive and hence were extremely expensive. London Zoo was said to be actively seeking one at the same period so the Captain had some competition. 

In 1893, Captain Marshall married Penrose Hayter in London. The two were to make their home at The Eyrie. At this point the collection still numbered an incredible 700 animals, although this included a number of small birds in aviaries. The menagerie was opened to the public in this year, as a one off fundraising event for the Cottage Hospital. A large number of curious souls went along the towpath to access the Eyrie, paying 3d entry. The "highly trained" elephants performed tricks and dances for the crowd with their trainer Madame Paul Telezerow of Austria. A month later, the 4 baby elephants were conveyed on a specially constructed van of "huge dimensions" by train to London. There they had been engaged to give a series of performances at the London Royal Aquarium. 

A few months after this, it seems the couple decided to move and the remaining animals and the then 50 acre Eyrie estate itself were put on the market. Their home was described as a "charming bungalow" and "pretty red brick dwelling" overlooking the beautiful Quarry woods, with 1000 yards of river frontage. The 4 elephants were priced at £1,100, a gnu £100, and a young tigress £70. It was noted that in recent years some £10,000 had been spent on the property. It appears they then changed their mind about the move, as they ordered work on the bungalow that would see it substantially enlarged. While this work was ongoing they planned a long trip away. 

Shortly after this, Marshall was in declining health. He suffered a severe attack of influenza, and although a recovery was initially hoped for, complications set in and he was believed to be suffering from acute pneumonia. By the autumn of 1894, he was dangerously ill. Unfortunately, the Thames was in flood and water surrounded The Eyrie. His wife remained at his side, no doubt hoping the flood would subside and so avoid the issue of moving a man on his sick bed.  The couple's baby son Albert Wilfrid Cordwallis Marshall, and his nurse, were sent to the safety of Remnantz. When the water was 4 ft high outside and still rising, it was realised that time was of the essence and an evacuation plan was made. The horse and carriage that took Mr and Mrs Marshall away did so in water that came up to the horses chest. They went to the Crown Hotel but nothing more could be done for the patient.  Captain Marshall died there on the 27th November 1894 age 28. A Catholic, he was buried at St. Peters Church**. 

The remaining animals were quickly dispersed and most of the outbuildings taken down or sold. Mrs Marshall organised that the Eyrie itself should be let before putting it up for sale in 1898. The majority of surrounding meadowland had already been sold, leaving the Eyrie with just 1 acre of grounds. At this point the property had 5 bedrooms, a bathroom and two reception rooms. 

But what of the animals? Some were sold to London Zoo. Others went to Ireland and the Continent. Two of the little elephants were sold to Olympia. One of the females, Rosie, ended up at Sangers Circus. The last mention of her I could find is sadly a heartbreaking one, from 1897. She was on the long march with the Circus from Hounslow to perform in Maidenhead. It appears the journey was too much for her, and when she reached Slough, she tried to break away from the march. A male elephant who tried to follow was "beaten off". Her keepers could tell she was ill and so took her to the stables of the Crown Hotel in Slough. She then collapsed with exhaustion in the yard. They fed her and gave her whisky for an hour after which she was able to stand and walk slowly into a stall. Rosie smashed the woodwork of her stabling while the keepers went to dinner. But there was no escape for her, and she eventually went on to join the other parts of the Circus in Maidenhead. 

The loss to Marlow of the Menagerie was credited as the reason behind an explosion in the rat population afterwards. It was said the number of rodents had declined once the big cats moved in as they did not wish to get too close. With the animals gone, the rats came back. 

A quick mention of the other Victorian menagerie situated in the town. Alfred H Cocks maintained one of British wild animals such as otters, foxes, wildcats, pine martens and polecats. This was located at his home Thames Bank and later at Poynetts, Skirmett. It was also open to the public occasionally for fundraising purposes. 

The Eyrie was rechristened Gosemore by resident Percy Wild the artist in the summer of 1899, reflecting an old spelling of the areas name. It was usually rendered as Gos(s)more however. 

*In 1880, residents could see two elephants from the visiting Myers Circus bathing in the Thames nearly Marlow Bridge. The animals seemed to enjoy their bath "immensely". 

**Mrs Marshall remarried in 1895, to Capt. Edward Bryce-Wilson of the 5th Lancers. 

For more on Marlow Fair see this post: here

And the 1890's flu pandemic in Marlow here

Index of posts related to everyday life in old Marlow: here

To find all mentions of your ancestors here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. New posts added daily! As of April 2022 there are 4,000 people listed there.

Sources: 

Cornish, Charles John - Life at the Zoo: Notes and Traditions of the Regents Park Gardens Edition 3, (Seeley 1895)

British Architect: A Journal of architecture and its accessory arts. Vol 37. (J.F Wells, 1892)

Supplement to the Fishing Gazette  - July 20 1889 (Charles William Bradley & Co, 1890)

South Bucks Standard 1st Jan, 16 September & 9 December 1892, 28 April & May 19 1893, 30 November 1894. Copies held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA.  

Pall Mall Gazette 20 October 1893.

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer October 11 1890 & Feb 24th 1894,  Slough reference library. 

The Million, 10th Feb 1894 - thanks to Jo Anderson for a view of this. 

Maidenhead Advertiser, April 28th 1880 courtesy of Malcom Jones. 

©Marlow Ancestors

 

 

Hush Money and Wildcats - Pets In Marlow History

As in the modern day keeping pets was popular in Marlow's past. Dogs were the most popular though a good many kept were used primarily as guard dogs, sporting animals or working dogs first and companion animals (if at all) second.

Sale adverts, court cases, recorded memories and dog show results tell us that Victorian Marlovians kept toy dogs, fox terriers, bulldogs, bull terriers, lurchers, greyhounds, cocker and other spaniels, retrievers, fox terriers, collies and Newfoundlands amongst other breeds.

Lurchers were primarily used for blood sports and poaching purposes.

In 1878 a spaniel puppy advertised in the Reading Mercury would set you back 10 shillings sixpence.

A Dog Tax applied 1796 to 1882. This was in addition to the cost of a dog licence for each animal kept except sheepdogs, imposed from 1867 onwards. I have found no local prosecutions for avoiding dog tax but those for failing to have a dog licence were two a penny. It has been estimated that nationally the compliance rate for having a licence in Victorian England was only around 50 per cent. Marlow's constables however were zealous in seeking out dog owners without licences, securing fines from them. In 1878 each licence cost 7 shillings sixpence, an eye watering amount for poor families and the obvious reason why virtually all prosecutions for not having a licence were of the poor. They often used their dogs for the night time poaching of rabbits, hares and pheasants. Ferrets were also used for rabbiting but the low number of Marlow prosecutions for that suggest that it was not as common.

Taking a dog out in the countryside could be risky. William Clayton Esquire had iron dog spikes all around his game preserve near Moor Common in the 1810s. A dog belonging to a Mr Deane [probably John Deane] accidentally entered this land when chasing a hare and was impaled. The poor animal died as soon as he was freed from the spike. It was the fifth dog to have so died in the space of a few years and Mr Deane took Clayton to court.

The estate staff of Clayton were evasive when questioned about how the spikes came to be present. The defence implied that they were intended only to kill foxes imported from aboard and let loose locally. Who was thought to be releasing such foxes does not seem to have been said. Though bringing in foxes to replace those slaughtered by the hunt did occur in this period releases would be into the protected and contained estates of hunt supporters not just into the countryside at random and I find no reference anywhere to the importation of animals from abroad for this purpose.

In any event the judge refused to except any version of events other than that Clayton had ordered the spikes put up in order to kill dogs. He savaged Clayton for this illegal practice and said a woman or child who mistook their way could just have easily been spiked. £15 in damages were awarded to Mr Deane.

Dogs themselves could be a danger of course. In 1882 three dogs at Bisham Abbey were attacked by an aggressive roaming dog, one receiving injuries so severe that it had to be put down. The same aggressive dog later gave a nasty bite to 13 year old village girl Annie May. The local constable found the animal and shot it. 

That dog was fortunately not infected with rabies but the disease was a real problem for our ancestors. Rumours of sightings of mad dogs anywhere locally struck fear into the town. Searchers went out to try to find such dogs and shoot them before they could spread the disease to other animals or people. Outbreaks of rabies nevertheless occurred in Marlow and Turville in the summer of 1896 and in Marlow again in 1925. During such times the movement of dogs to other areas was banned and all dogs had to be muzzled in public. The requirement to have your dog muzzled was also enforced at other times, seemingly haphazardly.

In 1896 Edward Suthall a farmer of Handy Cross was jailed for refusing to pay a fine for having a dangerous unmuzzled dog which had repeatedly attacked the Marlow constable PC Tapping when he was on patrol up there. The judge did not believe the defendant's claim that the dog did not belong to him.

On a happier note dog owners could win prizes by entering them into local events such as the dog show held in the grounds of Spinfield House Marlow in 1883. Both men and women were prizewinners. Successful dogs included some wonderfully named individuals- Pork Pie, Rags and Tatters, Lord Edward, Hush Money, Naphill Scamp, Hughenden Daisy and Comet to name but a few. Spinfield was also the venue for a "pet party" -  that is a fun pet show, in 1912. It was to raise funds to build the new church school (Holy Trinity) and included prizes for both the prettiest and ugliest animal contestants! Entered pets included toads, tortoises, ants and silkworms. (There was also a prize for human babies..)

While eating scraps from the family meal along with what additional meat could be afforded by their owners was normal for most dogs commercial dog biscuits could be bought in Marlow by the early 1890s. There were no pet shops then. Dog food was bought from ironmongers or agricultural suppliers. These businesses would also sell you worming and flea solutions and food for your poultry and pet birds.

The keeping of cage birds, canaries and linnets especially, as pets was popular with women. Virtually all agricultural shows had classes for them. Walter Lovegrove grocer of Marlow High Street was a frequent judge of pet bird and poultry classes throughout the area in the late 1800s. More about the tragic Walter here

No Marlow show in the 1800s had a cat class that I can discover though they were found in other Bucks shows as were classes for pet rabbits (as opposed to rabbits raised for meat) and even pet mice.

Guinea pigs were found as pets in Britain by the 1890s but don't feature in any local shows I can see.

There were plenty of feral cats in the town. Mr Cocks bred actual wildcats at his home near the river. His near neighbour Captain Marshall didn't stop there having a whole menagerie of exotic animals such as elephants and lions. Kathryn has written a whole post on that subject if you are interested here. 

Richard Blake of West Street trained an "enormous" cat to turn tricks. More on him here.

In 1889 Colonel Wethered donated a female  monkey to the Royal Zoological Society- perhaps a pet or why else did he have one?? (This monkey had been brought over from the Congo 3 years before the gift.)  Mrs Coppinger of Thames Lawn certainly owned a "riotsome" monkey in 1890 and liked to take it out on her steam launch Eunice, to the amusement of passers by on the riverbank. Mrs Crashaw was rather astonishingly reunited in Marlow with a monkey she had lost some time before while living in Kent. Known as Jacko, it had apparently found its way into the hands of a pair of Italian youths who had come to Marlow coincidentally with it as a performing animal. Mrs Crawshay saw it in the street, recognised some markings it had and found the animal remembered the tricks she had taught him. Arrangements were eventually made for Jacko to be returned to its former owner. The youths were compensated for the 30s they had paid for the monkey. The seller had been a stranger whom they had met in Portsmouth, or so they said. 

Sources:

Bazaar Exchange and Mart and Journal of the Household. Volume 47. 1892.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_licence

The Shooters Guide, Ninth Edition. By B Thomas.

Maidenhead Advertiser 1st February 1882 and Bucks Herald 8th February 1896 British Library via the BNA.

The Zoologist, A monthly journal of Natural History by Newman West 1881.

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer September 3 1887, 26 July 1912. Slough Library. 

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London - W H Fowler 1893. 

©Marlow Ancestors. If using this research please credit this blog and link here (but you are welcome to use it). Thanks.

Will Summary Ann Dolben of Great Marlow 1783

 Ann Dolben, widow. Will written 1780 and proved 1783.

Ann says she is in health and of sound mind.

 Two properties St Peter's Street also known as Duck Lane in Great Marlow in trust to her friends Buckle Hawes and Joseph White who are both drapers of Great Marlow. They are to give the rents and profits of these properties twice a year to her daughter Jane Medwin, wife of Luke Medwin. Any husband of Jane's is not to have any claim on it [This was a common clause attached to women's legacies to protect them however Luke faced bankruptcy in 1781 suggesting Ann had good reason to be cautious]. The yards, backsides, gardens, stables, wells, ways, rights, waters, outhouses etc that go with these properties similarly willed. Ann herself at time of will writing occupied one of them. The other is occupied by Thomas Rolls. Previously these properties were occupied by William Hayward and Jeremiah Hollis. Before that she says they were occupied by William Harman and Thomas Rawlins.

After Jane's death Jane's son and daughter James Medwin of Little Marlow a husbandman and Patty Medwin to get the rent and profits instead.

All Ann's ready money to be added to money raised by selling all other possessions she has to pay any debts and funeral expenses. Whatever remains to be invested for the profit of Jane and after her death for the profit of James and Patty.

Witnessed by: Elizabeth Price, Henrietta B....,  John Marshall of Beaconsfield.

The will was proved by Buckle Hawes only as Joseph White had died.

Patty Medwin looks to have been by marriage Patty Morris.

Transcription by Charlotte Day

You can find a copy of the original PCC will at the National Archives, Kew.

To find other wills on this blog see the Wills option on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. Please feel free to use my transcription summary if you need to for family or local history reasons, with credit to this blog.