Edwardian /WW1 Trinity Road Part One

 This was previously Gun Lane and at times during the Edwardian era was also referred to as "Trinity Lane".

A poor area with many homes consisting of just three rooms (two bedrooms and a kitchen come family room) and at least one having only two rooms. Piped water arrived here at the close of the 1800s but not before the only well for the residents had run dry. The road surface was not properly made up until near the end of the era. Most houses here were demolished long ago.

It is likely some residents have been missed due to the rapid tenant turnover in poorer streets. We will endeavour to add in anyone found to be missing as research opportunities permit. 

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

1.) Richard Cook, born circa 1861, unmarried farm labourer. Richard seems to have lived in Trinity Road or in Trinity Place just off it all of his life. He was the son of Richard and Keziah Cook.

3.) In 1907 Mrs Price. Then carter Robert Bowles and his lodgers the Hall family headed by laundress Mrs Hall. After that Bertie (agricultural labourer bn circa 1885) and Jane (bn circa 1883) Bryant and their children. 

Mrs Price was PERHAPS Clara Price who lived at an unknown number in Trinity Road in 1901 with her husband Francis, a vegetable hawker, and their children. However she wasn't a widow at this point so the 1907 Town Guide wouldn't usually list her as the head of household, and the guide says Francis is in Dean Street. You would expect Clara to be with him there but this couple did go on to separate in later years so PERHAPS this is evidence of an earlier separation that didn't last. They were together in Dean Street in 1911. The couple's son Nathan died at Trinity Road aged 7 months in 1895. They had a daughter called Freedom!

A Wesley Hall, presumably of the above Hall family was in 1912 fined for swearing in his home in Trinity Road for two whole hours! It was a risky business raising your voice in Trinity Road, or swearing with the window open given the fact that the Police Station was in the same street. Prosecutions for swearing so that it could be heard outside were very common in Edwardian and Victorian Marlow. Trinity Road was a major hotspot for such offences. You definitely needed to stop up your ears if you went by.

The Bryant's two month old baby daughter Rosamond suffocated while sharing her parents bed in 1913. The potential dangers of co-sleeping were understood at this time but the benefits in most people's eyes outweighed them and it was a very common practice. A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded.

Jane Bryant was the daughter of Joseph and Charlotte Budd who will feature in the second part of my Edwardian residents of Trinity Road post as they lived on the other side of the street. Her baby daughter Rosamond was named after her sister.

5.) W Aldridge. Then uncertain others. Then Rose and George Jones and their children. This couple came to Marlow from Wooburn between 1912 and 1914. At Wooburn George (bn circa 1879) had been working at the board mills as well as assisting at times in a coal business. He admitted stealing a small piece of coal from that business and was bound over as a result. It is possible that this precipitated the family's move to Marlow. He was a private in the Royal Berkshires when he was injured in 1914 and was evacuated to an English hospital. Still resident 1915 however in the next few years the couple separated and only Rose (nee Harmsworth) and the children remained at no 5.

 7.) A Winkworth then labourer James Bowles. The latter was born circa 1855 and continued to live here for many years.

9.)William Beaver a domestic gardener /labourer, born circa 1852-54 but has a variable birthdate. Moved in to number 9 late 1901 or very early 1902. Continued to live in this tiny cottage for many years. He lived alone as he had separated from his wife Rachel (nee Stacey). In 1902 he took out an ad in the paper warning traders in the town he would no longer be responsible for any bills she ran up. They were already living apart at the time of the census the previous year. Rachel had taken the children and gone to live in High Wycombe. William was the uncle of Richard Cook, above. That is, he was the brother of Richard's mother Keziah who was born a Cook. 

11.)Rapid turnover of tenants. Charles Higgins and his wife Esther, Miss Hunt, then laundress Selina Austin (who gives her address on the 1911 census as no 6 but she can't live there as it was certainly the home of someone else at that time and her censused neighbors show her to be in fact in no 11. See the note far below about Marlow's atrocious street numbering record).

Charles Higgins was born in the early 1840s Bucks and grew up in Skirmett. He was a labourer. Esther's birthdate wanders on censuses. They moved to Trinity Road from Hayes Place Marlow between 1901 and 1907. They also lived up at Marlow Common and out at Burroughs Grove for a time. While at the latter Esther was called to give evidence at the inquest into the death of a newborn baby. The mother of the child could not afford even the cheapest midwife. These typically attended not only the birth but visited washed and dressed the newborn child for the next day or few days. When Esther heard about the mother's situation she offered to help in any way she could and said to send word to her when she was needed to attend. Unfortunately Esther fell ill at the crucial time and the mother decided she could not fairly call on her. Instead she gave birth without assistance and passed out towards the end. The child died within minutes of being born for want of attention. Another woman fetched by one of the mother's children, saw that the mother was unwell immediately after the birth but did not check on the child or stay with them because she had supper to prepare. She did return 45 minutes later but found the child dead. The coroner's jury were not impressed by her actions.

As a young man Charles Higgins spent a short time in jail for failing to pay the fine levied on in for assaulting a man helping to clear a Skirmett pub of some disorderly customers.

Selina Austin moved to Marlow some time between 1908 and 1909. She lived in Trinity Road with her children / step children. Selina was born circa 1868, the daughter of Richard and Ruth Jewell of Turville. As a young woman she worked as a servant in Henley and got into trouble for obtaining a silk blouse under false pretences. As a first time offender she was bound over rather than jailed. She married her recently widowed husband Thomas Austin in 1901. Within a matter of weeks he had deserted her and his children so Selina had to ask for poor relief. Though he returned to her he deserted again in 1908. At this point he was a rag and bone man. She wished for a separation order but he promised to return. Shortly afterwards she moved to Marlow, seemingly without him but taking her children and step children.

In 1909 her stepson Henry Austin age 15, of "weak intellect" was convicted of stealing 6d from her. She had sent him to pay for certain goods she had requested but he instead spent it on toffee and having fun in Cookham. This offence saw him ordered to a reformatory school. Soon after his return he was arrested for begging for food and jailed for 14 days. The local police inspector had found him a job but said the young man was "idle" and ended up in the workhouse, from which he stole clothes. In 1914 he was jailed again for stealing sacks from a barn.

Selina moved to Dean Street, probably by 1915, and then later went to Berwick Road.

13.) William Collins or Colyer, a council employed road scavenger and his wife Florence for most of the era followed by Henry and Emily Nash and their children. The Nash family moved here from Chapel Street. Henry was a carpenter born circa 1864. Emily was born circa 1860. Towards the end of the era Henry as a widower became the lodger here rather than the tenant and the household head was Henrietta Bidmead (nee Rockell, widow of William Henry Bidmead). Henrietta was the niece of John Lovegrove and she had previously lived with him on the opposite side of the street and therefore both these residents feature mostly in Part Two of this Edwardian Trinity Road post. Later Henry Nash moved to number 22 Trinity Road to live with his then adult and married son Reginald. 

15.) A brick and timber semi detached house with some stucco. Two bedrooms. Initially the home of John Boot (bn circa 1855), beater at the paper mills and his wife Harriett (born circa 1859), their son also called John plus Harriett's widowed sister Mary Ann Francis. The Boots were very long standing residents of Trinity Road. They paid 3 shillings 6d a week rent in 1905. Their son John became a postman.

After the Boots left Mr and Mrs Harry Bowles made it their home. Harry was already a soldier in the Royal Berkshires before the First World War and then saw active war service before his capture and retention in a German POW camp in 1917. He was held in Westphalia.

Police Station and Court (17-19) - the Sergeant and his family typically lived in. Police officers will form separate posts on the blog so are not included here. Buildings stand but in different use.

Holy Trinity Church

21.) Trinity Cottages Brick, Flint and tile two up, two down home attached to number 23. Alice Player, then Mr Smith (not the Eli Smith who appears in Part Two of this post) who was followed sometime between 1905 and 1907 by Samuel Todd, a carter born circa 1880, his wife Mary born circa 1878 and their children.

This cottage still stands.

23.) Trinity Cottages . A two up two down brick, flint, and tile cottage. James (bn circa 1859) and Annie Mitchell (bn circa 1868) with their children occupied the cottage at the start of the era along with the teenage Florence Cheetham who was cousin to James. The Mitchells, who paid 3 shillings a week rent in 1905, Were followed by  A Hickman, then Eliza Atkins and her husband James Atkins a brewer's labourer. Both the Atkins were originally of Stokenchurch. They moved into this particular house between 1905 and 1907. In 1901 they lived in Chapel Street, Marlow. Eliza was born circa 1853 and James circa 1846. 

This cottage still stands.

Even numbered properties will be in Part Two along with some Edwardian Trinity Road Residents that can't be certainly placed in any particular house number.

*Note= Marlow was beyond terrible at organizing street numbering, displaying house numbers, or making sure everyone knew what number they lived at. Some people refused to acknowledge the fact that their home had been officially renumbered and carried on using the old number. Others don't ever seem to have understood what their house's number was even after it was officially given one. Some people without moving house would give a different number for their home each different time they were asked, based presumably on guesswork. We often have to use multiple sources to repopulate an Edwardian street in this town reliably.

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

Similar Posts 

Victorian residents of Trinity Cottages Jeremiah and Emma Harding here

General earlier history of Trinity Road here

Edwardian St Peter Street here.

Edwardian Cambridge Place here

Edwardian Spittal Street and Spittal Square Part One here and Part Two here

Edwardian wedding gifts in Marlow here

Some Sources=

Marlow Town Guide and Almanack 1907 and 1915 editions. Marlow Printing Company.

South Bucks Standard 24th July 1913, South Bucks Standard 18th April 1912, . Reading Mercury 24th November 1914. South Bucks Standard 12th November 1909. All British Library Archives via the BNA.

South Bucks Standard February 7th 1902. Directly from the British Library.

Maidenhead Advertiser 17th October 1888. Baylis Media Archives.

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

Rent receipt from Jane Pullinger.

Excerpt Henley advertiser 26th June 1897.

GRO marriage Index, GRO online.

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1881-UK-Census/Slian-Jewell-1869-Turville-Buckinghamshire-Turville/45eac361-6400-40dd-968a-5910b9edb3fd/l

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1901-UK-Census/James-Atkins-1846-Stokenchurch-Buckinghamshire-Marlow-Urban/50235109-fac7-40e6-ae41-0874082aee1d/

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1901-UK-Census/John-W-Boot-1859-High-Wycombe-Buckinghamshire-Marlow-Urban/d4b375a0-a0ad-44f9-842a-51474bcabaea/

Other 1901 census information from the transcription from microfilm by Jane Pullinger.

"England and Wales, Census, 1891", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GGX-Z3Z : Thu Jan 16 07:18:41 UTC 2025), Entry for William Beaver and Rachel Beaver, 1891.

"England and Wales, Census, 1901", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9YY-186 : Thu Feb 13 03:33:37 UTC 2025), Entry for Henry Lunnon, Robert Lunnon, Rachel Beaver 31 Mar 1901.

Edwardian Cambridge Place Marlow

A now completely vanished Great Marlow address. The Place was formed of just 4 houses off Cambridge Road Marlow (next to where Eton Place is today). It was accessible on foot from both Cambridge Road and Queen's Road.

Edwardian Residents (using the popular definition of the era as stretching from 1901 to 1914)

No 1: By 1907 the Adams family headed by Jemima and John Adams neither of whom originated in Marlow- he was from Middlesex and she from Sussex. They arrived in Marlow in 1892 (in 1891 they were in Taplow). At first the family did not live in Cambridge Place but in West Street. John was a domestic coachman, whilst also being the official licensee of the Saddlers Arms pub. As was common at the time a husband would take legal responsibility for a pub business but his wife actually ran the pub on a day to day basis while he followed another trade. A word of warning- There was another Marlow man with the name John Adams, a confectioner, fancy bazaar keeper and toy seller in West Street. If you are interested in this other John Adams and have come to this post by mistake don't worry- there is a full biography of John the shopkeeper on our blog here. The John of our post today gave up the Saddlers in 1903 and by 1907 his family were living in Cambridge Place. John died just after the Edwardian era in 1918, Jemima in 1941. She had moved to Flowerdene Oak Tree Road Marlow (after 1921 but before 1939) to live with her married daughter Edith and Edith's carpenter husband Edward Heatley.  There were various other children born to Jemima and John. Elizabeth (a domestic cook), like Edith lived at home in Cambridge Place or at least part of the Edwardian era. Daughter Annie had come third in the girls' running races held at Remnantz West Street as part of 1897 Jubilee celebrations. Son Charles may have worked as a waiter at the Compleat Angler hotel in the late 1890s.

No 2: Stroud family from 1902 headed by Annie and George. Later, towards the end of the era W Mitchell. George Stroud was a bricklayer. He was formerly the landlord of the Traveller's Rest pub in Dean Street (though Annie was the one behind the bar most of the time because George was working as a bricklayer. Annie took in lodgers too). The couple had had a tough time on those premises. You can read more about that here.

George while working as a bricklayer at a house in Chapel Street for Mr Wellicome in 1908 overheard the juiciest piece of gossip in the town at the time - that the wife of his work colleague John Harvey had been seen walking arm entwined with another man. This piece of gossip was being relentlessly spread by the landlord of the Chair Makers Arms in Dean Street and led to him being sued for slander by Mrs Harvey. George was one of the witnesses in the resulting 1909 court case, as was his cousin Robert Stroud another bricklayer. More on the case here.

No 3: A property with a lot of turnover= John and Harriet Janes in 1907 (gone by 1911), then Florence and Litton Smith, then at the very end of the era Emily Mead and her children.

The Janes family had previously lived in Chapel Street Marlow. John was the caretaker of the Literary Institute (now the Library) in Institute Road. He played for the Institute cricket team and for Marlow Football Club (having been poached from their big rival Maidenhead in 1896!), was an occasional rower for the Rowing Club and acted as the the escape foreman of the Marlow Fire Brigade. A busy man! The couple seem to have left Marlow about 1909 / 1910?

Litton Smith was a bricklayer who had moved from the village of Bisham across the Thames. He and Florence were a young couple with a baby daughter Flora. After his time in Cambridge Place Litton worked at the town gasworks in Cambridge Road.

Emily Mead was a young widow who worked as one of the chamber maids of the Crown Hotel. She had previously lived with her husband Arthur and various children in nearby York Road (where Emily gets a passing mention as a witness in a court case when one neighbour was said to have poisoned another's pet cat!) and then as a widow in Potlands / Portlands off West Street. Her daughter Grace in 1909 won a prize for her cooking as a Bucks Educational Committee cookery class pupil. She looked after the family while her mother was at work in the hotel. Arthur Mead had managed the grocery shop of Mathew Clifton in Marlow High Street and probably also for James Gray who took over that business in 1901. In 1904 Arthur became fatally ill despite efforts to treat him at St Thomas's Hospital in London. Collections were made locally for the support of his wife and children as they had been left without any income since the start of his illness.

No 4: Elizabeth and William Stacey, a couple who had had 19 children! Moved to this address by 1907 having previously been at Dukes Place, Oxford Road and Eton Place. William was at this point blind and unable to work any more as a bricklayer. Elizabeth was one of Marlow's midwives and thus would have touched the lives of many Marlow households. She would not have been medically qualified but with nineteen births behind her she was certainly experienced! Elizabeth and William's adult children Herbert, Harry and Ada all lived at home at some point during the Edwardian era. To read about a case when much earlier in his life William had been in trouble for fighting in nearby Eton Place see this post.

More posts on specific Marlow streets in various eras from the 1700s onwards are indexed here.

See the A-Z Person Index for all mentions of any individual on this blog. Thousands of people are mentioned.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

Some sources:

Marlow Directory and Almanack by Marlow Printing Company 1907 and 1915 editions.

England and Wales census Great Marlow / Marlow Urban National Archives, 1891-1911.

"England and Wales, Death Registration Index 1837-2007", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCH-SFWC : 2 November 2021), Jemima A Adams, 1941.

Graves of John and Jemima Adams Marlow Cemetery.

1897 Jubilee celebration notes, privately held.

"England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZG-S68N : 8 October 2014), Edith Adams and null, 1923; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1923, quarter 2, vol. 3A, p. 1920, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. 

Kelly's Directory of Buckinghamshire etc 1939.

South Bucks Standard Jan 22nd 1909 and 29th January 1904. The first from the British Library Archives and accessed via the BNA.

That Furious Mob - 1847 Great Marlow Riots

there The destruction caused by the 1880 election rioters in Marlow is well known, not least because some excellent photos have survived of the damage to property. (See this post here for more) But Marlow has a history of election related violence going back a lot longer. This post focuses on one of the most lively contests, which was the 1847 General Election. We are not going to detail the political arguements, instead we are going to describe the effect on the everyday life of our Marlow ancestors. 

The Background 

Two candidates represented the Conservatives - Colonel Thomas Peers Williams of Temple House, and Colonel Brownlow Knox. The third was the Liberal or Whig candidate, Sir William Robert Clayton of Harleyford. A few years before they had been involved in a lengthy battle relating to the ownership of the brick kiln at Marlow Common. The Clayton family had sold the Marlow manor lands to Williams ancestors but there were later disputes about what exactly had been included in the sale. Clayton said the kiln was not included, the Williams that it most certainly was. It's fair to say no love was lost between the two and they were very frequently at each others throats in a legal sense. They were both substantial land owners with many tenants in Marlow. Both Williams and Clayton had sat in parliament for Marlow before. And yes, both had been accused of pressurising their tenants to vote for them, or of bribing voters. Clayton had his victory in the 1841 election overturned when some of the votes for him were thrown out for being invalid. He had had a majority of just one. Williams had evicted tenants for failing to vote for him  before and he was accused of regarding the borough as his own. 

The "Blues" or blue and whites were the liberals and the Conservative colours were the red or red and white although they were popularly known as the Coppers here. 

Marlow was already well known for troubled elections therefore. In March 1847, the Windsor and Eton Express voiced the hope that at last "party feeling" had subsided in Marlow and there was an "improved tone and better feeling now prevailing".  The previous bad atmosphere in town interfered with the friendly society they said. This hope was to prove very wrong. In the same month, William Robert Clayton declared that he would be a candidate in the coming election, and Williams had already indicated he would run. As Marlow returned two members at this time, it was hoped that there would be effectively no contest. But a little later, a second Conservative candidate was declared - Colonel Brownlow Knox. His wife was of the Williams family. 

Polling Day Panic

The polling was held in the summer.  Voting then was not by secret ballot. It was very public. A wooden stage was erected in front of the Town Hall, large enough to accommodate 100 persons. On these hustings were the candidates and some of their prominent supporters. Some of their less prominent but vocal supporters also found their way up at times, and lined the two sets of  steps leading upwards. Onto this stage, voters would go and vote. Before they could do this, they had to give some personal details to the returning officer such as by what right they were a voter (only those men leasing, owning or occupying a property of a certain value were entitled to vote) and their occupation. They were also required to answer out loud who they wished their two votes to go to. The supporters of the side you picked would let up a cheer so even those not close to the clerk recording the votes would know who you voted for. It was described as an intimidating experience to vote the "wrong" way according to the crowd gathered around the stage. Many men were jostled and had their hats knocked off or were on the recieving end of mocking chants but there was as yet no serious outbreak of violence. The polling started at 8am and continued until 4pm with periodic updates given to the crowd below. 

Before the voting started, the atmosphere was already tense. Most of the pubs and beer houses in town were associated with one side or another and did a roaring trade. It was said that the pubs of each side hung banners from their upper windows to indicate their support for either the Blues or Coppers.  The candidates grand arrival at the hustings had seen some scuffles. Williams and Knox were met by their supporters at Marlow Bridge. According to the (extremely) pro Conservative Berkshire Chronicle, their carriages were stopped by an adoring crowd of working class people who unhitched the horses and insisted on pulling the carriages themselves up the High Street. The same source says Clayton arrived shortly after and was amazed at the support given to his rival by the more humble citizens who were said to generally support the Clayton cause. This information has to be taken with some salt as the paper really was very partisan! All agree that a band had lead the Williams procession.  After the riot their instruments were left in pieces. 

 The Well Enders On The Rise

Williams and Knox took the two seats for Marlow. When this was announced, even the pro Conservative papers admitted that there was a loud groan from the crowd. What happened next is something I've had to pick out from many different accounts, trying to balance the differing versions of the opposing supporters. What is undoubted is there was an outbreak of fury, from a largely working class crowd, who were vocally supportive of the defeated Clayton. They were not it seems especially surprised by yet another Williams victory but did not like Knox taking the second seat. The Conservative supporters claimed that the Clayton's had in their pay a set of "blood thirsty ruffians" during the week before the election.  What's more they said the Claytons had "placed in their hands" cudgels and staves with which to cause trouble if the vote did not go Clayton's way. Clayton could not have expected to have any result overturned just because some armed men caused trouble in the town, however unpleasant that may be for those around. It would hardly help their cause with the more respectable householders for Clayton to be associated with riots. But another writer, William Mitchell, recalling his time as a polling clerk at this election, gives a similar story and another potential motive for the rioters. He said that a core group of Well End [what we know as Dean Street, not Well End, Little Marlow] residents lead by the three brothers East, had feared a Clayton loss. They had apparently sent to London for some staffs and policeman's batons.  He says the Easts and their friends gathered at an appointed meeting place at 6am on election day - the one mile stone, presumably the one near Seymour Court. They had organised for a Clayton supporter on the stage to keep them informed of the running total of votes and if near the end of polling, Clayton was behind, they were going to protest in the town, assuming Williams had used undue influence to succeed. In particular they were going to rush the stage and destroy the polling books and with them all records of the voting. This would cause the polling to be conducted again, presumably with less opportunity for bribery beforehand. However the apparent Clayton supporter on stage was not reliable. William Mitchell does not name him but did say this man was stood close by and he continually heard him shouting out "We are all right" to the Clayton supporters. He continued this until the poll stopped, but as this was not the correct result the men were even angrier when the truth of the victory was known. What this unnamed supporters motives can have been is hard to say, if indeed he was a Clayton supporter at all. The updates given earlier in the day had not generally shown Clayton to be loosing and the result often came down to a handful of votes. But the Conservatives had a late afternoon surge. 

  William Mitchell may have had time to personally attend the 6am Well End meeting before his official duties started but it seems unlikely it would have continued in his presence. He does not give the source of his account of events there so it may  have come from a partisan source. (However he seems generally fair, in that he reports unfavourable behaviour from both sides.) He says that about 31 men came forward as their names were read from a list and they were then given a half crown and either a baton or staff from a stack. The Well End residents were generally quite poor and if this is true, someone else must indeed have subsidised the violence. It is certainly true that tumult was feared much earlier in the day, as several businesses pulled shutters while voting was ongoing and did what they could to protect their windows. And in the afternoon, most of the Copper supporting beer houses are said to have closed. It was said those carrying the batons and staffs of the Well End gang could get free drinks at the Clayton supporting pubs all day on showing them. 

To be seen emerging from the headquarters of a particular group on the way to vote was also problematic. The supporters of Brownlow Knox, which had used the premises of lawyer William Ward in the High Street up to polling Day, switched base that morning. They used the house of Ward's clerk Mr Seagrave instead. This was supposedly placed so those inside could take advantage of a back entrance through a garden to get near the poll without attracting much attention. 

A Chairing Is Attempted 

Reports agree the tumult started as soon as the result was announced by Returning Officer Mr Stallwood outside the town hall.  No mention is made in the newspaper reports of an to attempt to rush the stage or steal the polling books which is not to say that was not the original intention, just perhaps it was considered now too late. The focus of their work was Brownlow Knox, and in particular the tradition of "chairing" him. This meant the carrying of the successful candidates through the town carried aloft in a (usually specially constructed) chair. The rioters, generally reported to be in varying states of drunkenness, thought that the chair for Knox was housed in the Market Square property of Rolls the auctioneer and wine merchant. They broke in and - according to the Knox supporters- threatened to murder everyone within if the chair was not produced. It does not seem to have been there, as the crowd went on to a second property which they attempted to search but found was already barred against them. Mitchell thought could not remember exactly what had happened to the chair but thought it had been at the Rolls after all and was thrown into the street through the windows and demolished.  Wisely, it was decided Knox would not be chaired on this occasion. It doesn't seem Williams was either. 

The Fleeing Constables

"Respectable citizens" who had turned out to hear the election result risked being "knocked down like beasts" (Berkshire Chronicle) if they were not considered to support Clayton. A number apparently sort shelter in whichever house would let them in. The two Misses Cocks, of Thames Bank, hid in Mrs (Eliza) Brighton's bakers shop in the High Street when confronted by the mob. The Conservative banners were reduced to ribbons and stones broke windows and thudded against shutters. A number of people were hurt and one man seriously. (Some reports gave his name as Mr Nugent, presumably one of the Nugent's of Westhorpe. He was pulled into the safety of the Rolls house, although the crowd followed initially.) William Mitchell the poll clerk, watching from the hustings, personally saw many men knocked down by a blow to the head with a staff, farmer John Gibbons among them. (Of Seymour Court farm, Blounts and Copy farms)

 The 26 Special constables were accused of fleeing as soon as they saw what was afoot and so parish Constable Thomas Walker was bravely left virtually single handed to deal with the situation. He was of course completely outnumbered. This probably explains a lack of prosecutions arising from the destruction. In the end, the magistrates, fearing that the "peace and property of the inhabitants in a serious state of jeopardy" were apparently able to appeal to the more respectable amongst the unhappy crowd to encourage all to disperse. All agree this happened quite quickly. 

Clerk William Mitchell was not hurt on the day but did experience a volley of stones and sticks thrown at his head as he was driving back from Maidenhead a little later! He escaped injury then too, thanks to a fast pony. 

Poor Henry Hyatt

Henry Hyatt (Hiatt) was the longstanding proprietor of the Greyhound Inn in Spittal Street. His landlord was a Wethered and it was therefore assumed he would vote Conservative in the election. William Mitchell recalls that Hyatt had "against all the efforts and threats of his landlord" publicly declared his intention of voting Liberal. What's more he was steadfast in this resolution. William Mitchell's eye witness account here is sad to read. He noticed that as Henry declared his vote for Clayton, his lips quivered. William heard a voice which he believed to be Wethereds, say "Hyatt, you are ruined man". Hyatt replied "I have voted conscientiously".  Henry must have known life was going to become very difficult indeed for him. Mitchell recalled that the inn keeper was given notice to quit, but refused to leave, and so Henry found various legal attempts was made to eject him. These failed. 

Mitchell personally witnessed the vindictiveness poor Henry was subject to. If they could not force him out, they would make it as difficult as possible for him to do business. His landlord had the windows removed, then the doors, floorboards and roofing materials. But Henry stuck on and William Mitchell saw him sitting in the roofless building at night, with a few loyal Blue customers perched on casks around him. The situation was not sustainable though, and in 1848, Henry left the Greyhound. Mitchell's says he had heard that Clayton had given him £150 so he could start again somewhere else. Let's hope that is true. 

The End? Not Quite

Sir William Robert Clayton thought he had been robbed of his seat. In October 1847, the unfortunate Henry Hyatt  invited Clayton to a dinner in his honour at the Greyhound. Among those present were long-standing liberal supporters who praised Clayton for his efforts. The Windsor and Eton Express described the company as some gentleman of the neighborhood and "a highly respectable assemblage of influential yeoman." Clayton was described as moved almost to tears and replied in fulsome terms. Samuel Barnes (parish clerk of St Peters Street), Ralph Spicer (the lawyer) George Cannon (bookseller and chemist), John Morris, Mr Morgan, Samuel Horrod, William Tyler, Mr Blackwell and Charles Susan are some of the people familiar to readers of this blog who were present. Some of these contributed some songs to liven up proceedings! A bench put together a bit hastily perhaps by a local carpenter collapsed during the proceedings, depositing several gentleman onto the floor, to much laughter.  Interestingly, a Wethered, no first name given, was also there and gave a speech in support of the Claytons. As his family were strongly associated with the Conservative cause, this was a probably awkward attendance! Interestingly, the large feast was said to have been prepared partly at the Crown, which was a Williams owned property. The Franklyns of the Crown had put their kitchen at Henry's disposal. A somewhat brave decision given Henry's treatment. 

 

Aftermath

In December, a petition was presented to Parliament to investigate the return of Brownlow Knox. This was partially because a number of people had promised to vote for Williams with one of their votes but not Knox with the other. (About 31 voters in all) These individuals had apparently decided at the last to in fact cast their ballot for both of the Conservatives. The suspicion was that the supporters of Knox had offered bribes to these voters. The petition itself went further and accused Knox himself of directly offering money for votes while out canvassing. The Berkshire Chronicle naturally rubbished this suggestion and thought it amusing that a gentleman such as Knox would be seen asking for votes after dark, knocking at shutters like a"timid lover." They mention a supposed £20 payment to a Well End resident (Dean Street)who after accepting the money had gone to Harleyford to report the action of Knox to Clayton. At the investigation into these events, it does not seem that Clayton's supporters were very well prepared with their evidence. They had failed to provide a list of suspected bribed voters when the committee first sat. Later they did bring forth witnesses from Well End/Dean Street who admitted taking money to vote for the Conservatives. Beer house keeper  Thomas Frith was the principle one. (He was of the Nags Head, Dean Street) He said that in coming across Mr Wethered on the road a little before the election, he had asked Mr Wethered out right for money. He said Wethered had said that if he promised to vote for both Williams and Knox, he could go to the counting house of the Brewery and claim his reward, which he had duly done. However Frith was discounted as a witness after he admitted on cross examination that he had spent time in both Oxford and Aylesbury gaols (for taking wood from private property, not taking bribes but it was enough to create an impression of dishonesty) He had also spent some time living at Sir William Clayton's estate in Goldstone and had received an allowance from him. Farmer John Miller also testified that an elector who had promised to vote for Clayton had not done so on the day, and when quizzed had admitted selling his vote to the other side. John was listed as of Little Marlow at the investigating committee but I believe he was at Marlow Bottom Farm. More on him here.

However what they could not find was an acceptable witness who would say he had received money from Knox himself, as stated in the petition. The Committee admitted that Knox had aroused suspicion by his habit of canvassing inhabitants in the evening - it was assumed he must have ulterior motives to be visiting under the cover of nightfall. His supporters did admit this had proved unpopular with many voters who had dismissed him with some forceful language! 

For a post on a voter said to have been bribed by Clayton in 1842 see here!

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

Related Posts:

To find other posts about general history of Marlow and life here for our ancestors, see our index here

1880 Election riots here

Swing riots 1830 here

Women's riots 1800 here

Posts related to some of the people mentioned above include:

Charles Susan, Radical and Emigrant here

George Cannon - Consumption cures and ball tickets here and here

Henry Hyatt - Greyhound Inn/hotel timeline and landlord listing here

Ralph Spicer - here

To find all mention of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There's over 3250 people listed there, and new posts are added daily. 

©Marlow Ancestors 

Sources Include:

Dod, Charles Roger Electoral Facts from 1832-1852 (1852)

Great Britain Houses of Parliament, Accounts and Papers Vol 11, 1880.

Martin, Frederick. Handbook of Contemporary Biography (Macmillan 1870)

Walford, Edward - The County Families Of The United Kingdom (Robert Hardwicke, 1871)

Bucks Gazette 13 March 1847  

Berkshire Chronicle 7 August, 25 December 1847 

Bucks Herald  4 December 1847

Dublin Evening Mail - 03 December 1847

Bedford Mercury -  7 August 1847. 

Windsor and Eton Express 6 August, 2 Oct 1847, 19 Feb 1848. 

Memories of the Past, volume LIV , 10 August 1897, digitised by Christchurch City Libraries. 

Landlord research for licenced premises by Kathryn Day.

 

More Widows Of The Almshouses

Isabella Mitchell

Isabella after a 10 year wait and at her 12th attempt of trying was successfully elected into an almshouse in 1901. She was at that time living at Cape Town, a virtual shanty town on the edge of Marlow. For more about that place see my post here. As a widow she had survived by working as a servant or charwoman at different times.

Earlier in her life she lived with her husband George in the gardener's lodge at Spinfield House (also called Spinfield Lodge) where George was gardener. 

Isabella married her husband in 1848 at the age of 19. She was born to unmarried mother Ann Holloway. When Isabella was 5 her mother married James Jones, a brewer. On the 1841 Great Marlow census Isabella lived with her stepfather, presumably widowed, and half siblings in a cottage in the Church Yard. That may sound a strange address but there were several homes on the edge of All Saints churchyard and so described in those days. Isabella worked as a satin stitch worker then.

Her husband George is censused as being born in Lambeth. He won numerous prizes in local shows in the Marlow area for flowers and fruit he had grown. He began working at Spinfield circa 1849.

Sarah Butler

Sarah was resident at the Almshouses at the time of her death in 1901 at the age of 83.

She was born to unmarried mother Ann Archer in 1817. When her daughter was 13 Ann married George White and had another child, Elizabeth. George died not long afterwards and Ann married again. It is with that second stepfather Richard Juggins that Sarah lived in 1841 along with her mother, half sister and husband Richard Butler whom she had married at the age of 17. At the time of his marriage Richard Butler himself was around 44. 

Richard and Sarah continued to live in the Dean Street area for many years (Alma Passage and Marefield). Unsurprisingly given the age gap between her and her husband, Sarah had a long widowhood. She worked then as a servant before being elected into the Almshouses in 1889.

To read more about Sarah's sister Emma and her husband who was transported see here. Sarah's grandparents Archer ran the White Hart in Chapel Street. More on them here

Ann Plucknett

Died in her almshouse in January 1892 aged 81 by which time she had been a widow for a few months short of 40 years. Her husband James (born 1810 Marlow to James and Mary) had been a baker and flour dealer of West Street (there by 1839) and after his death Ann continued to run the very small shop for a while. She thereafter lived with her nephew William Cox, Marlow's chief well sinker, before she went to the almshouse.

Post researched and written by Charlotte Day.

This is the second post about the widows of the Almshouses. The first here contains an introduction to the institution. Also see my post here on resident Rebecca Blake who was in her younger days a professional photographer. A post about another resident Sarah Evans is here.

For an index of Oxford Road related posts or of any other Street see here

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

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this material for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog and a link here.

Sources: 

My census transcriptions.

Newspaper copies in British Library archives, via the BNA:

South Bucks Standard 8th March and 20th December 1901.

Death Cert.

1841 Piggots Royal National and Commercial Directory.

1839 Robson's Directory.

1847 Kelly's Post Office Directory of Bucks 

Death Registration Index, GRO.

Marlow's Own Cape Town

The exotically named Cape Town, Great Marlow sprang up by 1856 in a site off Spinfield Lane. The location was first known as Forty Green Place but had the name Cape Town by 1882. In 1895  magistrate George Higginson expressed horror that families could be allowed by the landowner William Clayton to rent the mostly two room, single storey properties which were in a disgraceful state and "unfit for habitation". Other references to the homes there suggest that they were virtually shacks. 

The site stretched over 20 acres and contained at different times between 4 and 8 residences. Though the Marlow Water Works were said to be on the edge of or within Cape Town I find no evidence of anyone living there employed at those works. It's likely that some of the shacks were originally erected for or used by the 40 navvies employed in 1884 to sink the first well and lay piping at the Chalk Pits for the Marlow water company. A variety of occupations are given for Cape Town residents - workers in the brick kiln at Bovingdon Green a short walk away, labourers at Blounts Farm ditto. Hooks Farm would also have been near. Domestic servant Isabella Mitchell censused at Cape Town in 1891 might have been a daily servant at nearby Spinfield House. Her husband had once been the gardener there. Isabella, a widow, was one of Cape Town's longest residents, present 1871 as a charwoman with her children and still there 1901. By then she lived alone. For more on Isabella see her biographical post here.

Most Cape Town households consisted of no more than two people because of each property's tiny sizes but as said above some whole families squeezed themselves in like Isabella's had done.

Also potentially working at Spinfield House were 1871 census gardeners George Roberts and James Swadling.

The local chair making industry was represented by chair seat maker Owen Blewitt. Owen was guilty of a savage attack on his wife Sarah that left her unable to walk for weeks. Her "crime" was failing to stop eating her own supper when he decided she should make him a pancake. Cape Town neighbour Mary Ann Platt came to Sarah's aid and gave evidence against Owen in court. The judge called his behaviour "unmanly". He was sentenced to 6 months hard labour, increasing to 8 months if he could not find sureties for his good conduct. Given that his personal surety level was set at £10 (plus £5 from someone else) he was going to serve the 8 months*. 

His son Owen grew up to live at Cape Town too.

Other Cape Town residents to get in trouble were husband and wife Henry and Sarah Stroud. Sarah stood accused of stealing the key to the neighbouring Stacey family's home, letting herself in with a duplicate key and taking potatoes from a sack in their bedroom, no other storage being possible in a two room home. She received a 21 day jail sentence after pleading poverty. She was suspected of having stolen potatoes in similar circumstances. Henry was jailed for stealing a huge quantity of wood (from over 100 trees!) and tree saplings from William Clayton's nearby woodland. It was his third such conviction.

The last reference I found to Cape Town was 1903 when a William Gates of that address put out ads locally for a job as a groom. I think Cape Town was probably still inhabited 1904 or even later however .

To find all mentions of someone on the blog see the Person Index option on the top drop down menu.

*Update by Kathryn - Unfortunately Owen Blewitt was convicted at least  twice more for assaulting Sarah who said she was constantly in fear of her life. Despite this, the prejudices of the time meant Sarah's application for a separation order (so she could live legally apart from her husband) was refused after the third assault in 1891. And Sarah was given the advice by magistrate Sir George Higginson to try and "do her best" with her husband so they might live peacefully going forward. She said she'd rather live in the workhouse than with him. To be fair to Sir George, he often heavily dressed down domestic abusers in court, attacking their lack of manliness, and more than once pushed for maximum penalties for the accused. Why Sarah was not given a separation order when those with fewer convictions against their abuser were is hard to say. It may be the accusations made by Owen against his wife that she often came home drunk coloured the bench against her - although her son and daughter denied ever seeing their mother drunk. 

Sources:

Census my transcription from microfilm.

Newspaper copies held by the British Library and accessed by me via the BNA October 2020: Bucks Herald 5th May 1885. Bucks Herald 26 May 1883.

Newspapers held at British Library:

Berkshire Chronicle 25th October 1884. 

South Bucks Standard Jan 22nd 1891. 

Property records in my family.

Clayton Arms - Landlords and history

 *This post is updated as new information emerges. Last update August 2025*

1837 - pub existed (which it did not in 1833, having been most likely a carpenter's premises previously). Hosted dinner for more than 100 people in honour of Queen Victoria's Coronation. For more on the Coronation celebrations in Marlow, see here.

1838 - J. Tyler (Joseph, formerly draper of Quoiting Square, possibly previously operating as a draper in the shop next door to the pub).  Joseph was a liberal supporter. Sir William Robert Clayton was their frequent election candidate in this era, he was also a substantial landlord. When not at work in the pub Joseph served as umpire at Marlow cricket matches which were then played on Alder Meadow mostly.

1839 - Joseph Tyler started a branch of the Royal Standard Benefit society. For more information on the Slate Clubs and Benefit Societies of the Clayton Arms see our post here on poverty in Victorian Marlow. 

1847 - Jos. Tyler.

1851 - Joseph Tyler died 24th March. Age 61. 

1853 - 58 Elizabeth Tyler, wife of above.  Her first marriage was to William Lee. Biographical post on her is available here. Elizabeth died in 1858.

1859 - 72 Thomas Hall. In 1863 and 1871 said also to be a carrier, and in 1869 to be licenced to let horses and carriages. Gave evidence at an inquest when a man who came to hire a carriage to take him to Bourne End station fell down dead in the yard of the Clayton Arms. The man was a London based pianoforte tuner who had been visiting various houses in the area for his job. He died of natural causes it was found. In 1872, Sarah Hall wife of Thomas Hall died at the Clayton Arms aged just 32. Thomas moved to the Coach and Horses in West Street later that year. More here. In 1861 the Marlow Co-Operative movement started in the pub. Members clubbed together to buy cheaper groceries.

1875 - William Hall advertised that he runs Hanson cabs, and other vehicles to hire from both the Clayton Arms and the Angel Inn, Maidenhead. Getting married? William can provide a suitable vehicle for the happy couple with strictly matching horses for smartness, in a choice of grey or bay. He also had a private omnibus and large waggonette available to hire, and offered horse clipping services too. 

1877 - Robert Hall.

1878 - George Heslett.

1879 - George Heslett transferred premises to William Clifford

1883 - William Clifford. In 1890 William escapes a fine for opening his beer house before the legally permitted time on a Sunday (12.30pm at the time.) He was only 15 minutes early in opening, which he put down to having a cheap unreliable watch! He had set it by the town clock that morning. The court considers his premises to have been otherwise well conducted. 

1892 - 1.) William Clifford

             2.) Charles Smart Mitchell. The 10 month old daughter of Charles died at the Clayton Arms, Ruth Emily Mitchell.

1897 - C S  or W G Mitchell to W J Cross (holdover).

1898 Mr Cross to F Lester.

1899 - 1906 Frederick William Lester, (Born Suffolk, his children born in London. Wife Eliza born Wembley. For the grave of the Lester children see here ). Eliza is a talented pianist and presides at the Clayton Arms piano during selected gatherings such as the Christmas Suppers of the Clayton Arms Slate Club. This was a huge affair with 150-200 members on average, providing life changing benefits for the working men who were members. You can read more about them and the Clayton Arms one in particular here. 

1906 - Frederick Lester. (Moved to the Red Lion in 1909) 2. William John Steel.

1907 - W J Steel 2. Arthur William Towers. In 1907 the pub had an air rifle range on the premises - hopefully restricted to the lighter drinkers! 

1907 - 1914 Arthur William Towers. Left 1914 to move to Bisham where Arthur ran a boot and shoe business. He died 1944.  Wife Alice was born in Suffolk and came to the Marlow area to enter service with a local family. She died 1961, a much loved Bisham resident known for her care and attention to the sick. 

1914-15 - Francis Thomas White. Summoned for selling watered down brandy 1915.

1920 - 26 Walter Sadgrove. See grave image below.

1926 - 28 Bertha Sadgrove, widow of Walter Sadgrove. She transferred the licence eventually to Herbert? White. Sanitary arrangements were described as "disgraceful" in the building in 1928. Bertha became a live in domestic housekeeper after she left the pub before retiring to Deansfield Close. Licence transferred early in the year to Mr E. White.  The club room was then being used as a paint and furniture repair workshop. The local magistrates weren't very happy with that and wanted the internal doorway between the workshop and the rest of the pub stopped up. This would have been due to concerns that the workshop could act as a front for beer service during illegal hours. Anyone going in to the workshop as a customer could sneak through into the bar when the bar was supposed to be closed. Of course there is absolutely no evidence that anyone intended to do that. More likely Mr White was simply trying to carry on two businesses because the pub trade was very much in the doldrums. Even when times were good many landlords in order to survive had to work in supplementary trades. Mr White agreed to return the clubroom into normal pub use however as he was told that he could have a dance and music licence if he did so, with the clubroom used for the dances.

1929 - Mr E White transferred to A H Wilder.

1930s  - (from at least then, going onwards for many years) pub had a team in the Town League for darts. Always a successful team.

1930- 35 (at least) William Christopher Tilbury. Pub had some upgrade work done in 1933.

1939 - Mrs Annie Mabel Tilbury. Previously of The Queen, until it's forced closure in 1928. Annie was a native of Stokenchurch and died in Marlow in 1952. 

WW2 - During the second world war the cellars were used as a bomb shelter for the children in nearby Oxford Road infants' school.

1946- a veteran's club for those who served in the 1939-45 war was started at the pub. It met monthly.

1950 - Mrs Tilbury. Presumably the same one as above.

1950s - Pub often hosts pigeon racing club meetings and shows (and 1960s).

1954 - the brewery's live-in manager was James Wishart.

1958 - pub hosts basket and lampshade making classes for women under the auspices of the Townswomen's Guild.

Complied by Kathryn Day and Charlotte Day.

The grave of landlord Walter Alexander Sadgrove, landlord. "Alick" D. July 28 1926. (Grave in Marlow Cemetery).

Use the Person Index option on the top drop down menu to search for all mentions of a person on this blog. Thousands of people are mentioned.

For a full list of old pubs, inns, beerhouses of Marlow (more than 100 listed!) see this post here

Landlord listings for other Quoiting Square premises can be found here

Post about the raucous temperance meetings held outside the Clayton's can be found here!

Also check out the Pub Related option on the top drop down menu. 

SOURCES

Numerous cross referenced wills, property deeds, and the like. 

Reports of licencing sessions, related court cases and general news reports from The South Bucks Standard, Bucks Herald and Windsor and Eton Express, held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA including :

South Bucks Standard 27 December 1879, May 17, July 5 1895, as above

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1859, 1863,1869, 1877, 1903, 1915, 1939

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory

Robson's Directory 1839

Census 1871, 1881. Transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte.

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907, 1915. 

Marlow Guide 1903. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to quote from this research if you credit this blog and link back here.