Not You Again Reuben!

Today's subject is Reuben Anderson, a man who is fair to say kept the police constables and J.Ps more than a little busy! 

The age of Reuben differs by a few years here and there when he gives it in court, on censuses and the like. He generally decides on a birth year of 1845, although he may have been a couple of years older. He was the son of George and Emma Anderson of Dean Street (more commonly known as Well End, Great Marlow at the time Reuben was born, not be confused with Well End, near Little Marlow.) Another Reuben Anderson living in Marlow in the early Victorian era was our Reubens uncle, born in Maids Moreton, Bucks. 

Reuben's father spent several spells in prison throughout the boys childhood, usually lasting a month or two, mostly relating to petty thefts and trespass after game. His was not a wealthy family, and George's work principally as a general and agricultural labourer was not necessarily regular. Dean Street was a poor and populous neighbourhood, the haunt of many a poacher. Many lived on the edge of destitution in a way that's much underestimated now. Those that didn't tended to supplement their income in many  ways, not all of them quite legal. 

Starting Young 

Reuben therefore started his somewhat shady career rather young. In 1858 the boy found himself called to the petty sessions, suspected of stealing a quantity of iron from the premises of baker John Millward in West Street. (Formerly Gibbons the tallow chandlers - see the premises here) At this point the petty sessions were held in a small and often raucous room in the Crown at the Market Square. In court, his age was given as 11 but I think he was more likely 13-15 years. Generally speaking if a resident of Dean Street was bought to the sessions room, a crowd of friends and relatives from the area would attend to offer vocal support much to the magistrates annoyance. Perhaps the same thing happened to young Reuben. Regardless, he was found guilty and sentenced to be privately whipped. This was regarded as a lenient punishment compared to time in gaol. Two months before either Reuben or his uncle of the same name had been summoned and fined for stealing underwood at Little Marlow. I suspect it was the elder of the two. 

 Reuben is often recorded as either an agricultural labourer or general labourer, that catch all term for a variety of unskilled and semi skilled work. But the type of crimes he tends to get arrested for, indicates a slightly different story. By far the most common is wilful damage to a tree or stealing underwood. Reuben isn't gathering firewood, he is collecting the type of material he needs for his sideline as a "skewerter". That is he makes wooden skewers that are sold wholesale to butchers, usually in London. It was a very common and perfectly legitimate trade in Marlow, centred around Dean Street. However it was not legal to help yourself to the wood wherever you found it locally, as almost every tree belonged to someone specifically. Some landowners sold the right to collect the skewer materials to an individual, who naturally would be at a serious disadvantage if it all had vanished come harvest time. But skewer makers like Reuben could not afford to lease woodland and it's unlikely that buying the materials from a middle man would be profitable. Snarky comments were often made about how "wealthy" the skewer makers of Marlow were, given that it was pure profit to make goods from materials obtained free and illegally. But the reality was those we have identified as long time workers in the trade were in poor (sometimes shockingly so) houses and never escaped them. It was hardly a road to riches! Reuben is also identified later as a fruiterer - another classic Dean Street occupation. In this case it was the wholesale trade that involved Reuben along with his father - he did not have a shop. This was a seasonal source of employment for him, something to add to his other sources of income. 

Reuben's punishment for the wood rustling and tree damage tended to be a fine. (For example 2d plus costs in 1861 for damaging trees belonging to magistrate Benjamin Atkinson of the Rookery.) If he could not pay, he would be forced to spend time in gaol in lieu. Sometimes the fine was demanded immediately after the case was heard, on other occasions a week or two to gather the required finds was allowed. (Two weeks in the case mentioned above.) In 1862 he was imprisoned for 3 months for stealing the lunch of a farm labourer William Harris who was working in the fields. (His accomplice James Grace recieved 2 months)

A Familiar Defendant 

1863 was an especially busy year for young Reuben. He plead guilty to 3 offences in the same petty session in January. He was at this point described as a youth "well known to police", as was his co accused in two of the offences, James Grace. First up was two charges for stealing swedes and turnips, both offences committed on the same day. The quantity of swedes was large and they were likely intended for selling on as fruiterers had the connections to sell vegetables too. The second offence occured at Blunts Farm. In both cases the young men were bought to the intention of the authorities by an "informer" Thomas Tilbury. When Reuben heard this, he had gone after Thomas and threw stones at him several hitting their mark. Hence the 3rd case for which he was summoned. For each of the first two offences, Reuben was sentenced to 1 months imprisonment with hard labour. The same sentence was awarded to his co accused who had like Reuben plead guilty. For the stone throwing, Reuben was set a high fine of £1 plus costs. As he could not pay, he was taken to prison for an additional 2 months. As he was led away, our miscreant was heard to mutter threats of dire vengeance against the informant. Thankfully for both, nothing cane of these dark mutterings - as far as public records show at least! Come October Reuben was back in front of the magistrates again. This time he was accused of stealing a higher value item, and this along with his string of previous convictions meant Reuben was remanded for trial at the Assizes. The theft involved a large quantity of straw belonging to surgeon William Hickman. This time the sentence was for one years imprisonment. His age at sentencing is given as 18. 

Father George Creates A Scene

A little under a year after his release, Reuben's father was yet again in hot water. The cause this time was a very public act of rebellion. It was November, and he was out of work as many of those with partially seasonal occupations naturally were. He applied to the Relieving Officer Mr Russell for some parish aid. Mr Russell refused to sanction any "outdoor relief" - that is an allowance of bread or money paid to George while he continued to look for work and live in his existing lodgings. Instead he said he would issue an order that George should go to "the House". That is the parish workhouse. George was furious. No one wished to be admitted there, but the parish officers had decided to crack down on the giving of aid that would allow the poor an alternative to the house. It was considered the provision of out relief made things too easy for the poor and prevented the workhouse acting as proper deterrent to the merely idle. It was noted in the newspaper reports of the events that followed that George had a "good" summer income as a fruiterer and skewer maker, the inference being if he had no money now it was because he had not spent it wisely or saved enough. (This was of course usually an attitude espoused by those who had never had to manage on such wages or live in the condition of those that did.) But it's obvious from study of others in the Anderson families position that the debts and rent arrears speedily increased over a winter when little money came in. These then had to paid out of the next summer's income.  

The following evening, George was heard to declare publicly that he would "wreck" the relieving officers home. He took a bludgeon and smashed 15 panes of glass. He made no attempt to disguise himself and was arrested immediately. It may be that Reuben acted heedlessly out of bravado or anger or both. It may also be that his situation was dire and he did what many others in Marlow did and commited a public crime certain that he would be sent to prison and provided for. We have found many examples of people doing just that, often going to confess immediately at the police station. Was prison better than the work house? Unlikely, but it perhaps carried less stigma for men in Georges situation who had often been in prison before. Whatever the motivation, George's attack earned him two months behind bars, with hard labour. It just be said the conditions of providing parish aid were not set by poor Mr Russell and he could have been dismissed if it was considered he was too lenient. 

Happier Events

In 1879 Reuben married Martha Sparkes, daughter of Maria and William, the landlords of at various times the Barge Pole, Black Boy and Fisherman's Retreat inns in St Peter's Street/Church Passage. Martha was just over a decade younger than he. The couple made their home in Oxford Road, and then St Peter's Street. See links below for detailed information about Martha's family. 

It was not exactly the quietest start in life for the couple, as in 1880 Reuben was arrested for his supposed role in the wide scale election riots in Marlow. The case against him was dismissed over uncertainty about his identification although Reuben himself did admit to being present in the area - as an innocent bystander of course. The riot is covered in more detail in a post here

And now at last we have a report of Reuben in which he is the hero. A few months after the riot, he stepped in to rescue a women who was being threatened and harassed by her brother after the siblings had quarreled. It must have been quite the novelty to appear in court as a witness! But old habits die hard and less than two months later Reuben was back at the petty sessions in the role of defendant, along with John Price. The pair had stolen some wood and both recieved hefty fines based on previous convictions for both. 

Throughout the 1880s minor convictions continue to be earned by Reuben. Charges of drunk and disorderly behaviour, being asleep while in charge of a horse and cart, and tresspass in pursuit of game for example. All resulted in fines. 

Reuben died in 1890. He was only in his forties. Poor Martha was of course even younger when she entered her widowhood. She went to live with her brother George at first, then her elderly widowed mother and youngest  brother Thomas in West Street. At this point she took to working as a laundress or washerwoman.* 

*Tragedy struck in 1907 when Martha's brother Thomas went missing and was subsequently found drowned in the Thames. The circumstances were not known. He was working for Lovell's the builder as a labourer  and carter at the time. It was considered by some that he may have been worried about a summons he had recieved for drunk driving a horse and cart presumably because a conviction may have lead to the loss of his job. He had been sleeping rough at times over the few weeks before, although he had returned home by the time he was last seen alive. Verdict: Found Drowned. Age given as 49.  

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Related Posts

Sparkes family of the Barge Pole here

Index of posts about life in Dean Street when Reuben was growing up - here

The skewer trade in Marlow here

Posts linked to crime and disorder in old Marlow - here

To find every mention of an individual or family here use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. There's more than 4,000 people mentioned there! 

Sources:

Census 1841,1851,1861,1891 - transcript made by Jane Pullinger. 

Sparkes family and 1880 election rioters research by Charlotte. 

 Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette 5 May 1858. From the British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA. 

Bucks Herald 27 March 1858, 25 May 1861, January 24th 1863, 10 December 1881 as above. 

Windsor and Eton Express 24 Jan 1863. As above. 

Buckinghamshire Advertiser and Free Press 24 October 1863,as above

Reading Mercury 3 December 1875, 

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer, 21 September 1907. Slough Reference Library. 

© MarlowAncestors 

Lady Of The Riverside - Catherine Sparkes/Neighbour

  Catherine Spark(e)s was a women who must have wondered whether it wasn't the River Thames running through her veins in place of blood, so strong was her connection to it. Born in 1814 to Thomas and Ann, Catherine's family were involved in the barging business. Uncle William Sparkes was the landlord of the Black Boy inn at Church Passage, although as a bargemaster himself, he was frequently a long time away from home. As was often the case in reality, the everyday business of keeping the place running was down to Catherine's aunt. By the time Catherine was a teenager she was living in the Causeway, very close to the river. Nearby was the Swan Inn, run by another bargemen, George Cresswell. The property leased by young Catherine's family was a fairly valuable one, valued at a higher amount than the Swan, and significantly more than any of the cottages in the streets adjacent. Thomas and Ann were clearly doing well for themselves at this time. 

A few years later, Catherine's parents took over the Barge Pole Inn.  The adjacent Black Boy was also in the Sparkes family for many years. (See the link below for more information on these other family members and landlord listings for all those licensed premises). This was close to the river and associated with bargeman drinking and lodging there, although a close study of records shows the clientele was actually quite mixed. Although those connected to the barge trade had a tough reputation, there are fewer incidents of trouble recorded for the Barge Pole than at other inns not so associated with the trade. It is likely that many of the people the young Catherine associated with were involved with river trades in one form or another. She almost certainly followed the path of most innkeepers daughters and helped her parents run the premises. She also followed that well worn path of growing up to marry someone who was involved in the alcohol trade.

Her spouse was Henry Neighbour whom she married in 1837. I believe they had began to run the waterside Waterman's Arms (aka The Waterman) by 1841. The Neighbour family may well have been there longer. Right on the river front, at a location sometimes known as Limbrooke Wharf, The Waterman was just a few minutes walk from the other Sparks family premises. You could say they had the river side trade quite sewn up! It was a smaller affair, and does not seem to have taken lodgers, at least on a regular basis. Catherine was again most likely to be the one to be found within dealing with the customers, despite Henry's name on the licence. Henry had another job, which he would continue in for decades, that of a cordwainer. Beer or ale retailers who followed one occupation only were very much in the minority in Marlow at this time, and the most common "other" trade to follow was  that of a cordwainer or shoemaker. How the worker gets described depends on the context, often only the most relevant one to the circumstances gets mentioned or just the one that generates the most income. While some "side" businesses were minor in scale, Henry employed assistants. In 1851, a pair of shoes was stolen from him by one of his employees, John Wicks. Perhaps Catherine attended the court session that saw the guilty John sentenced to 4 months hard labour. It was a punishment that took into account the fact John was considered to have committed a particularly serious theft as it was from his employer. The Neighbours  clearly forgave John as he continued to be involved with the family.  John was subsequently convicted of another theft, and with that being his 3rd conviction he was sentenced to 7 years transportation. He was 23. (1852). The last item stolen was a saw taken from Joseph East and taken to Henry and Catherine. They say Wicks claimed it as his own and that he was short of money and so they lent him 6d with the saw as security. 

In 1854 Catherine and Henry moved premises, to The Bear in Chapel Street. It must have felt strange to be living out of ear shot of the river at last, although it was just a few minutes walk away. The Bear was a fairly small concern as regards the selling of alcohol but it also acted as a common lodging house. The Bear lodgers tended to single men working as general or agricultural labourers.   Records of trouble on the actual premises itself were virtually absent. A fight to the death in the tap room lay in the future and occured under another proprietor. (Details in post here) It's fair to say The Bear was not the most luxurious place to stay in Marlow but it was quite peaceful relatively speaking during the time  Catherine and Henry were in charge. The number of lodgers increased afterwards and some of those staying there became associated with petty crime.  There was one incident that did see the couple appear in court as a witness however. 

In 1855 John Simson of Marlow had been in the Bear drinking heavily. Some of the drinkers had (while fairly inebriated themselves) decided to play a practical joke on John and blacken his face with soot. He was apparently in no state to resist and they then attempted to paint his face with tar, but Catherine intervened and took the tar away. Catherine herself would later deny ever even seeing the tar however. Things took a more serious turn when John then went missing and some of those in the Bear on the last night he was seen alive were found to be in possession of his coat, a handkerchief and an umbrella. Three weeks later John's body was found in the river near Marlow Mills. Further investigation did however reveal that John had been seen alive by several people the morning following his Bear drinking session, when he was unsuccessfully enquiring for work in the fields. It was also revealed that he was subject to epileptic seizures, especially when he'd been drinking heavily, and there were no marks of violence on his person. Those who'd been found in possession of John's coat etc said they given him money for them on the understanding he could buy them back at the same price in a few days. A sort of unofficial pawnbroking service. Henry Neighbour was the one who'd had the umbrella and a handkerchief from John but he said he'd been drinking through the two days before as it was Marlow Fair and he couldn't recall that much about it all. This caused Henry to be censured heavily by the JP who also felt both he and Catherine had prevaricated in their evidence. They were told they were lucky not to be pursued on a charge of perjury. Henry was obviously not in much of a state to police his taproom, and Catherine seems to have been busy elsewhere in the premises during the sooting. No doubt she subsequently wished to play down the raucous behaviour on the premises rather than admit she had  harboured a group of badly behaved drunks. 

Henry and Catherine remained at The Bear until at least 1863. Henry had continued to work as a cordwainer after his move here. There is a possibility they moved back to the Church Passage area (or nearby) the following year, with the couple retailing beer from an unknown premises but this requires more investigation. (To rule out other members of the Neighbour family, a number of whom had similar roles). What is sadly certain is that Catherine died when she was only 55 years old. Henry had a long widowhood. By the time of the 1881 census the 67 year old was an inmate in the Union Workhouse at Saunderton. When the census enumerator came by 10 years later, Henry was still there. Despite working at two occupations, the poor man could not support himself in his old age. 

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

Related Posts:

The Sparkes Family of The Bargepole etc here

Fight to death at The Bear here

List of landlords of the Black Boy/Waterman's/ Bargepole here

A tribute to our bargemen here

All mentions of a family or individual can be found in the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. (4,000 + names and counting)

Index for other inn/beer seller etc  related posts: here

100+ Marlow Pubs/Ale Houses/Inns etc list here

General posts about everyday life in Catherine's Marlow here

 

Sources:

Parish Assessment 1833, original notebooks belonging to our family. 

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

Slaters Commercial Directory 1852 

Dutton, Allen & Co Directory 1863. 

Robson's Directory 1839

Bucks Herald 05 July 1851.

Windsor and Eton Express 1 December 1855, Slough Borough Libraries. 

Petty Session records transcript by Nick & Jane Pullinger -1987, with thanks. 

© MarlowAncestors.

William Sparks / Sparkes Grave Great Marlow - Pub landlord

Very worn - reads - William Sparks died Dec (31st?) 1875

Age 6...? [He was 66]

William was landlord at various times of The Barge Pole, Black Boy and Fisherman's Retreat pubs (the latter became more of a hotel and well heeled boarding house). His wife was Maria who died after him. It's possible that she is also mentioned on this grave as it's badly worn where her name may be. Sparks is the spelling chosen on the grave, but in local records it often includes an e near the end. [Maria died in the Almshouses  August 1893 age 74 - Death notice South Bucks Standard 22 August 1893]

A detailed post about William and family can be found here

List of proprietors of the Barge Pole etc here

Grave index here

Pub/beer house/ hotel etc related content here

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu where you will also find links to our lists of wills etc. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You may reproduce this image for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog and a link here.

List Of Landlords Of The Two Brewers, and Fishermen's Retreat Hotel, St Peters Street. *Updated*

Updated August 2025

THE TWO BREWERS

This building is still in existence and still trading as a pub.

1755 claimed start date for the pub 

1770 - John Ireland landlord

1772 - used for an auction

1776 - Passing mention in the Oxford Journal, it is hosting an auction. 

 1795 - William Carter or Widow  Carter. Building has arched cellar, walled garden, and spacious stabling. Premises up for sale in this year. It's "extremely commanding and advantageous situation" at the foot of Marlow Bridge is emphasized. Owner was the late deceased maltster Henry Smith who had had a malt house in the High Street.

 1823 - G. Hawkins. Other source say John.

 1824 - John and Mary Hawkins. 

 1826 - John Hawkins who died of  Smallpox that year.

1831 - Mary Hawkins, John's widow (nee Hewett).

1833 - Richard Bye. Marries Mary Hawkins who is widowed. Widow of John Hawkins. More on this couple in a post here.

1837 - William Bavin. Previously a chairmaker. Went to first incarnation of Carpenters Arms c1843. See also The Clayton Arms.

1839 - Samuel Hobbs  See his grave here In the 1833 Parish Assessment a Samuel Hobbs is listed as an occupier of a cottage elsewhere in St Peters Street. Samuel seems to have come from High Wycombe originally.

 1844 - Samuel Hobbs "Duck Lane"

 1851- Elizabeth Hobbs. Widow of Samuel above.  See her grave here

 1853 - Elizabeth Hobbs.

 1854 - William Truss (also a sexton).

 1862 - bottle of gin and 10s stolen from till while Mrs Truss away from it. 

 1869 - William Truss.

 1871 - John C Truss.

 1883 - John Clark Truss.

 1894 - John Clark Truss.

 1896 - J C Truss 2. William Truss.

 1899 - E. S. Truss.

 1902-1910 - final stop for many  motoring clubs on their regular  "runs". 

 1903 - Emily Sophia Truss. At this point John Clarke Truss (below) was letting apartments at neighbouring Weir House.

 1907 -  John Clark Truss - bellringer too.

 1911 - John Clark Truss (Junior)

1914 - John Clark Truss is also a boat proprietor.

 1915 - John Clark Truss. In this year severe floods mean the pub can for a while only be accessed via a raised plank walkway. 

 1918 - "late J C Truss"

1925 ? - John C Truss. Died 1939 at Weir Cottage after retiring from the Two Brewers just over a decade before. After retirement he became a traveller for the Wethered's Brewery.  

c1926 Thomas Alfred Neate takes over. 

1939 - Thomas Alfred Neate

1952 - Thomas Alfred Neate retires, but stays in Marlow. He died 1959. 

1958 - H.H Gummer

The Two Brewers, above, on right.

To see a small sample of the historic graffiti carved into a wall at the Two Brewers, see here

THE FISHERMAN'S RETREAT HOTEL /FISHERMENS RETREAT (the latter rendering of the name was on the front but the other was often used too).

This was opened by William Spark(e)s in 1873 after his former premises The Barge Pole in Church Passage became due for demolition. Originally described as a "first class boarding house". It was converted from a house. William also spent time in charge of the Black Boy in Church Passage. (You can read a post about the Spark(e)s family here ) Referred to as Fisherman's Arms in the 1877 Post Office Directory. Housing is now on the site. It was very close to the Two Brewers. Some evidence points to the fact that it was commonly if not officially known as The Barge Pole for the first couple of years. It was also frequently recorded as The FishermEns Retreat, a name which appeared above the door but FishermAns Retreat is the form which almost invariably appears in advertising and at licensing hearings. The owners probably gave up correcting this! Despite becoming increasingly up market, it was still used as a "local" drinking hole by working class residents in the first 15 years or so. This is pointed to by the names and occupations of people drinking there who are mentioned in passing during court hearings, news reports, inquests etc. They include labourers and others who also lived in St Peters Street for example. (E.g "jobbing man" of St Peters Street John Lloyd in 1880) 

1873 - William Sparkes (Read a detailed post on him here)

1875 - William Sparkes dies, widow Maria takes over. See his grave here

1877 - Maria Sparkes, widow. In this year the retreat hosts the inquest relating to death of young labourer Timothy Young at Marlow Place. He was killed when the 10ft high brick and flint garden wall he was employed to help demolish collapses upon him. He was trapped from running away by some shrubs planted nearby. Other workers were also injured. This is during improvement works at Marlow Place when it is converted back to a house after spending much time as a school. 

1878 - described by The Field as an economic and comfortable place to stay, especially for anglers. 

1879 - "As cosy a retreat from the cares of the world as a man may desire" - Bells Life in London and Sporting Chronicle. 

1880 - Albert D Symes.  Still described as a "public house" during court case this year. Transfer to John "Hodenot" - see below

1881 - John Hoddinott (Born Balcombe, Somerset) John is a keen angler himself. 

1882 - John is assaulted by John Neighbour and Walter Bowles who are reluctant to pay for the beer, mineral water and cigars that they have consumed. Neighbour is convicted of pushing John and spitting in his face while Bowles breaks a window at the Retreat. Both are fined with the threat of 14 days imprisonment if the fine is unpaid. After the window is broken, the police are called and Neighbour and Bowles decide to pay but the damage has been done. 

1885 - John and Elizabeth Hoddinott cater for 40 guests each day at breakfast during a busy August weekend. 

1887 - hosts Fire Brigade dinner, one of many such events. 

1880's - frequently used as retreat after racing for regatta crews as well as visiting societies and clubs on their annual river outings. 

1891 - John Hoddinott ( John died in the 1890's Flu pandemic. For more on the outbreak, see my post Here ) Described as one of the most comfortable hostelry on the river (Evening News, May 1891)

1895 - Has collection box on the premises for Marlow Cottage Hospital. Both the Hoddinotts were frequent in their own financial and practical donations to the hospital. "Fishermen's Retreat Hotel"

1903 - Mrs Elizabeth Hoddinott, John's widow. 

1907 - Mrs Elizabeth Hodinott qv

1911 - Elizabeth Hoddinott

1915 - Recommended for closure without compensation as fully licensed premises, by Renewal Authorities of County Licensing Committee, continues as hotel however.

1920 - the Misses Hoddinott

1927 - described as "residential hotel". Does also take short term guests however. 

1932 - up for sale. It then comprises 8 bedrooms, one good bathroom, a office-reception, lounge, dining room, sitting room, kitchen and 3 servants bedrooms. Outside there is a barn, garage and stabling. 

1933 - substantially altered, updated and extended, with new entrance door (the one currently for Duck Lane House). It was discovered the existing Retreat was in a bad state  of repair. New supplies of hot and cold water, new sanitary fittings and electric lighting were all put in.  Architect for this work was G Berkley Wills of Marlow, with local builder R H Harris & Co as the principal contractor. We are told the finished property was decorated throughout with a colour scheme centered on "dove grey", the 1930s equivalent of Magnolia. The other two entrances were added later, when the property was extended again. 

1939 - Mrs Dorothy Herbert. Private Hotel. 

Researched by Charlotte Day and Kathryn Day.

This post is updated as new information emerges. All listings are as noted in original sources, including alternative spellings. Where multiple sources list an individual's name, only the first and last mention are listed here unless there is any alteration in how they are recorded, for example when an additional occupation is noted. Note that some listings may in fact refer to fathers and sons sharing the same given name so be sure to double check this. 

Many Marlow landlords changed premises and there can be other family members running other establishments. Some places changed how they described themselves - or how they were viewed - and so licensed premises listings here take in not just beer houses, pubs and inns but common lodging houses and hotels too. We mainly focus on pre WW1 listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with. To find every mention of an individual here, use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. There's 3,000 people listed there currently! 

SOURCES -

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory, (compiled 1852).

Kelly's Post Office Directory- 1859,1864,1869,1877,1899,1903, 1907,1911,1915,1920. Published by Kelly's Directories Limited.

Dickens Dictionary of the Thames from Oxford to the Nore (1880 Edition, issue 2)

Census 1881,1891. Transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger.

Historic newspapers, held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA March 2021:

Bucks Herald - 13 May 1837, 9 Jan 1915, as above. 

Reading Mercury - 6 & 20 July 1795, as above. 

Oxford Journal - 24th June 1826, as above

Maidenhead Advertiser 14 April 1877, 26 August 1885,  as above

Robson's Directory 1839, 1844. Via University of Leicester Archives.

South Bucks Standard 7 June 1895, as above

Sunday Mirror 26 June 1927. 

Morning Post 18 June 1909

Pigots Directory 1823

Weekly Dispatch London 26 June 1927. 

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Sparks Family Of The Barge Pole /Black Boy *updated*.

 Updated January 2024

The Barge Pole was a pub very close to the River Thames in Church Passage, Great Marlow. It was demolished in 1873.

First Sparks / Sparkes connection to it is William Sparks landlord in 1833. The day to day running of the business must have been down to his wife Mary (nee Collins) as William was also a barge master. That is he owned barges. Though of Marlow origin he was later described as having been formerly a barge master of Abingdon as well as Great Marlow so must have had an additional or earlier business base there. Being a barge owner didn't entitle you to pilot one unless you joined the Waterman's Company, something which William found to his cost when he was prosecuted for navigating a barge without such membership. He was fined £10. This was the maximum possible fine. Other barge owners packed the room in support of William and to hear the outcome of this the first case of its kind brought against a barge owner. The result meant that if they found themselves short of a crewman they could not step in and take the navigator's place unless they had served an apprenticeship and been made freeman of the Waterman's Company. Most barge owners would have worked as barge hands of some type as youngsters so likely did know fully how to steer the barge safely.

Prior to coming to the Barge Pole William and Mary had ran the Black Boy pub also in Church Passage. They were there from at least 1823.

William died of cholera in 1834. Marlow suffered repeated outbreaks of this disease in the past, including at the time of William's death and the Church Passage / St Peter's Street area where drinking water sources were contaminated by sewage from the river were always especially hit in these outbreaks. (A post on the cholera outbreak in the "notorious" St Peters Court, Marlow 1849 can be found here)

Two years after her husband's death Mary had a silver pot stolen from her by William Willis who was sentenced to a year in jail with hard labour as a result - see here for more on William who ended up transported for another crime. [Bucks Herald 21st March 1835]. If Mary took over the pub after William's death I cannot say for certain.

She and William had at least two surviving sons who became bargemen- William Junior and Thomas.

William Junior born 1808 was also a coal merchant and would go on to run the Barge Pole with his wife Maria but not for some years.

Next into the premises was actually William senior's brother Thomas Sparks. He took over the Barge Pole by 1838 with his wife Ann (née Hammerton). She died in 1843 but he was still there until his own death in 1849 aged 62. Though Thomas's name was officially on the the licence, Ann must have done most of the actual pub running on a day to day basis as Thomas's main job throughout his life was working for the Rolls family as a bargeman. He began working for them aged just 10 years old. When he was 18 he was press ganged into the navy but rescued by friends who organised a substitute to take his place!

Thomas and Ann's daughter Catherine married Henry Neighbour and with him ran the nearby Waterman's Arms.

All the children of Thomas and Ann were mentioned in the will of Thomas's employer John Rolls. See here

William and Maria Sparkes meanwhile (the son and daughter in law of William and Mary Sparkes) were in Chapel Street with William running his coal and barge business from a wharf and stores he called "The Old Bridge" stores by the river in St Peter's Street. Though he had to keep room on his barges for coal he would also transport goods between Marlow and London and all places in between for what he assured the public was a very low fee. The St Peter's Street wharf and store were in his occupation by 1835, likely he took over directly from his father in the same spot. William expanded his stores in 1865.

In 1842 William had his vote in the General Election thrown out after it was considered he no longer met the minimum value of property occupied qualification. This was because he had given up some property he had previously occupied. The loss of his voting ability would have been quite a blow to his status as a man in the town. Maria of course couldn't in those days have voted no matter how much property she occupied.

In 1848 William's coal barge sank in the Thames. No lives were lost but I could find no evidence that the barge or the cargo on it was recovered. 

By 1853 (probably by 1852) the couple were also running the Black Boy in Church Passage. In 1857 William was summoned for opening the Black Boy at illegal hours. A constable spied 5 men in the pub just before midnight.  The details of this case make it clear that it was Maria was the one behind the bar most of the time. She was the one who went to court to defend the case, and only describes herself as selling the beer. This was a very common scenario in small beerhouses- the husband having the licence in his name but sending most of his time running a different business while his wife managed the pub. Maria was told a £3 fine would be imposed on her- this was a very heavy fine for such an offence. The judge said the fact that the Black Boy was a fully licensed premises aggravated the offence. That is to say those inside could have been drinking strong liquors not just relatively weak beer. Maria's defence was that she was simply sitting downstairs reading in the company of some friends who were drinking and lost track.of the time. She said that as a mother to a large family and a beer seller she got little time to herself to relax and see friends except late at night. The issue of whether guests of landlords could legally sit with alcohol in the pub parlour (which was very often the only sitting room the publican actually had in a small premises) after hours comes up repeatedly in Victorian court cases. It was usually impossible to prove that the drinks came from their own private stocks and were not sold, or has been sold earlier during legal hours with friends invited to stay and socialise after the pub was shut up as far as the general public were concerned. You were always guilty until proven innocent in such cases as far as the police thinking went. The drinking vessels of Maria's guests were actually empty when the constable entered the premises. She pleaded that she only sold half a barrell of beer a fortnight and as such couldn't afford to pay so large a fine but the court told her an order for seizure of goods would follow if it was not paid within 7 days. Again note that it is Maria who considers the fine to be hers to pay despite her husband being the official licensee.

At some point between 1863 and 1869 William and Maria moved to the Barge Pole. The business of barging and coal dealing with a sideline in timber dealing continued for William from his wharf.

In 1869 William was fined for using a short measure for alcohol on his premises at the Barge Pole. Tsk, tsk William [Reading Mercury 13th March 1869].

As well as selling alcohol the Sparks family offered lodgings for their customers. Despite William's connection to the barging world these were mostly not bargemen although some obviously were. The Fishing Gazette recalled later that the Barge Pole was a popular place for anglers to stay, and "less pretentious" than the Compleat Angler for example!  

In 1873 the owner of the Barge Pole decided to demolish it as well as other nearby buildings. There had recently been another cholera outbreak in nearby St Peter's Court and the area was seen as an unsanitary eyesore. William had his alcohol licence transferred to a new pub he had converted out of a cottage in St Peter's Street. This he dubbed the Fishermen's Retreat  but he was so associated with the barge business and thus the name Barge Pole he struggled to get any other name to stick for a business he ran and the Fishermen's Retreat was often referred to as the Barge Pole all the while a Sparks was in residence there. (Note premises most often appears as FishermAns Retreat in historical records, and even contemporary advertising at times)

William died in 1875 age 66. (His grave is still visible at All Saints, see it here). Maria took over the licence of the Fishermen's Retreat. She ran it to at least 1877 but had gone by 1880. She moved to the High Street to run a coffee shop.

By 1891 however Maria had retired. She had been elected to a post in the Almshouses for widows in Oxford Road. As well as her small home she got 5 shillings a week income as an almswoman.

On the 1891 census she had little Ethel Webb age 8 staying with her as a visitor.

Maria died at the Almshouse in 1893 age 74. 

Written and researched by Charlotte Day.

Related Posts:

To find every mention of a person on this blog see under the Person Index - there are over 10,000 people mentioned. See the Pub Related menu here for more posts like this. A list of landlords for the Barge Pole and the Black Boy can be found on the blog here And a list for the Fishermen's Retreat here

To read a post about Marlow Barge men in general see here

And one about fellow barge masters come beer sellers the Creswell's see here

Catherine Neighbour nee Sparkes here

Written and researched by Charlotte Day, with additional research by Kathryn Day

See also:

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1847 and 1869

Slaters Royal, County and Commercial Directory 1852

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

.

"That Abominable Den" St Peter's Court

**This post is due for an update. Further, earlier named households in this court are now identified**

St Peter's Court was a small, impoverished court off St Peter's Street, Great Marlow. It was an address with a very bad reputation. 

The first reference to it by name I find is in 1848 but it was clearly not newly laid out at that time. There were in that year 19 homes in the court which between them were home to at least 85 people. A different report gives the numbers of people there as even more - 88 adults and 35 children in the 19 cottages. Cottages as a description is undoubtedly optimistic given that some were later called "hovels" and were likely single room accommodations.

The Court was very close to the river and both sewage from the town was which emptied into the River Thames and the Court's own poorly built cesspool contaminated the wells providing drinking water for the people who lived there. The single privy serving all the homes was persistently overflowing. The whole court was described as "charged with the most offensive effluvia".  At times the resident families literally walked through sewage to get to their tiny homes. Cholera and persistent low fevers plagued them. During the 1849 cholera epidemic in Marlow 3 people in the court died and 8 more became ill. An emergency meeting in the Town Hall saw it organised that the families were removed for the time being to the Old Workhouse in Munday Dean Lane. This had been let to someone who at first refused to allow the parish to take back any of the space but relented. The St Peter's Court houses were to be disinfected. Some may have been demolished as a direct response to the cholera- that plan was mooted at the time and certainly the 19 houses of 1849 had become only 5 in number by 1871. 

In the early 1860s the single cesspit that all the residents shared was replaced by a new one. But still just the one.

In 1867 the Reading Mercury referred to "St Peter's Court" as "that notorious court". The case it was reporting was of James Spark(e)s, convicted of assaulting fellow resident Sarah Stacey. Few other court cases seem to involve the people of the Court. But wretched poverty went hand in hand with a presumption of bad character in the popular imagination of the day.

I found five households in the Court on the 1871 census. There were two households headed by a James Sparks so it isn't possible to be sure which one was the James of the assault case. One James Sparks was a labourer aged 46. He lived with his wife Maria who was a 53 year old laundress and their children George aged 21, James aged 18, Thomas aged 15 and Martha aged 12. Martha was a scholar, her brothers all labourers.

The second head of household James Sparks was aged 60 and a coal porter. He lived with his 50 year old wife Sarah, 21 year old son William a spinner of something I couldn't decipher, 18 year old labouring son Henry, 14 year old labouring son James and 7 year old scholar daughter Mary.

Sarah Stacey was not still in St Peter's Court in 1871 though there was a Stacey family headed by 29 year old bricklayer William and his 24 year old laundress wife Elizabeth (née Sadler, married Marlow 1864). The only named victim of the 1849 cholera epidemic in the Court which I could find was a  Stacey- William aged 40, father to the William above. William senior was described as a person of "most moderate and temperate habits"  and previously in good health. He left a pregnant wife and 6 children, who had no choice but to go to the workhouse. William Stacey the younger could be the one who asked the Board if Guardians for financial help towards the emigration to Canada for himself, his wife and their children in 1873 but was refused. Miss Fowler of Marlow who had helped others migrate was raising money to help the Staceys so it is still possible that they were able to leave England. The cost was estimated at £20.

The other families in the Court in 1871 were the Illsley family headed by James a 57 year old labourer and Elizabeth his 68 year old wife and the Grove family headed by Thomas a 40 year old labourer and Mary his 35 year old wife [Elizabeth Illsley was nee Grove]. On the 1861 census Thomas is more specific and calls himself a wharf labourer. He lived then with Mary in "St Peter's Street". It is possible this was actually St Peter's Court not being given a separate address by the census enumerator. The elder Sparks couple are also censused as living in St Peter's Street 1861. Remember that the Court was already occupied in 1848. Someone had to be living there in 1861.

Thomas Grove was fined for being drunk one evening in St Peter's Street in 1874. He was aghast at the charge insisting he had been more drunk plenty of times when out with "swells" on the river than he had been that evening. This suggests that he was one of the many Marlow men who earned money by taking well-off tourists out on the river and guiding them to the best fishing spots. The fact that his co-accused in the drunkenness incident was William one of the Shaw family, boat proprietors and fishermen, of Marlow supports that. Both men were unusually confident in Court, challenging the witnesses against them when they spoke. Still the charge was a minor one. Nothing to make the Court seem a terrible "den". Thomas had nearly two decades previously spent a month in jail for stealing filbert nuts from a tree belonging to the vicar but this does not relate to his time at St Peter's Court.

James Illsley had a conviction for stealing in his younger days but again not when living at St Peter's Court. His daughter Sarah, a needlewoman, in 1873 and described as of "St Peter's Street" was a witness against Isabella Quelch who had stolen various articles from the well off Morgan family of that street. One of the articles was some calico which Isabella gave to Sarah to work up. For more on this case see this post. There was no blame or suspicion attached to Sarah. 

The poor quality buildings of the Court were seen as an eyesore and embarrassment for the town.

In 1875 it was announced that the Court was to be demolished and more salubrious housing put in place of it. The Bucks Herald reporting this said that everyone would be glad such "an abominable den" would be swept away (the people set to lose the only home which they could afford presumably not included).

The Illsleys moved out to St Peter's Street at first. The cottage they rented there was in 1877 stated as being unfit for human habitation because it was in an insanitary state and in need of substantial repairs. The landlord William Crook blamed the Illsleys for the insanitary condition of the cottage and said he had removed them and was going to do the structural repairs necessary for safety. The Illsleys were camped outside their former home, presumably hoping to be able to go back in once repairs were done or simply having nowhere else to go. It was then in the middle of winter. By 1881 they were in Dean Street where we can only hope they had at last the decent home they deserved. 

The Staceys ended up apparently in Turville (where Elizabeth's family was) and the younger Sparks couple went to Oxford Road. The Groves lived later in Oxford Road too and Station Road, where Mary died in 1892.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day with additional research by Kathryn Day. 

Related Posts:

Poverty in Victoria and Edwardian Marlow here

Life at Great Marlow Workhouse 1775-1843 here

To find all mentions of your ancestor here, use the A-Z Person index in the top drop down menu. For other posts about general Marlow history including other poverty and medical related posts, see the General Marlow History section also in the top drop down menu.  

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

Census information always  remains Crown Copyright.

Sources:

The Third Report Of The Commisioners Appointed To Inquire Into The Best Means Of Preventing The Pollution Of Rivers [Royal Commission] 1866. Published by G.E Eyre and W Spottiswoode.

Censuses my transcription from microfilm.

Newspapers, available British Library:

Bucks Herald 11 August 1849, 30th October 1875 and 27th January 1877.

Bucks Chronicle 6 Nov 1848

Reading Mercury 22nd June 1867 and 12th September 1857.

Parish registers, my old transcription.

 

Transported! William Willis And Wife Emma

 Emma Archer and William Willis married at Lane End near Marlow in 1838. She was born in Marlow in 1821 one of several children born to unmarried mother Ann Archer. Her father was given at marriage as John Sharp, tailor. John witnessed the marriage as did Emma's older married sister Sarah Butler.

William was born in Marlow in 1817 to Henry and Sophia. At the time of his marriage he was a labourer.

As a teenager he had twice been convicted of theft. Firstly he was sentenced to 6 weeks hard labour for stealing brushes from a High Street shop. Then he was convicted of stealing a pewter pot from Mary Sparkes in Marlow. He deceived a sentence this time of 12 months in the house of correction, two of which were to be in solitary confinement.

His marriage might have meant a fresh start for him but William faltered. In 1841 the local tithing man and a constable knocked at Emma's door when her husband was out and asked to search her home. She made no objection, perhaps because she didn't think that there was anything to worry about. 

She was wrong. In a hole under the stairs the searchers found a hoe and confiscated it. 

The hoe was the stolen property of baker John Cresswell. He had given it to blacksmith Mr Shanks, the hoe's maker, to be blacked up ready for spring work. Mr Shanks had done the blacking and left it outside to dry but it disappeared.

William claimed in court he had just picked it up because he found it lying around in someone's yard.

The court did not believe him and his previous convictions told against him. He was sentenced to 14 years transportation.

Later that year at the time of the 1841 census Emma lived in Dean Street with her sister Sarah Butler and Sarah's much older husband Richard who was a Chelsea Pensioner retired from a regiment of foot.

Emma had no occupation listed then but on the 1851 census she was listed as a dressmaker. She was still living with Richard and Sarah, this time in Marefield Marlow. Emma had moved to Chapel Street by 1861 and was living with a different married sister Elizabeth Owen and Elizabeth's husband Thomas. She was still a dressmaker. That was the last time I found her on a census.

William Willis never reappeared. This doesn't mean he didn't want to reunite with Emma. Getting back from Australia after you had served your sentence was near impossible to afford or manage.

The couple had no children before William was taken away.

To read more about Emma's sister Sarah see here

Emma's Archer grandparents Thomas and Hannah ran the White Hart in Chapel Street. More here

To see more posts about people of Dean Street, Marefield or Chapel Street see our street index here.

Sources:

Great Marlow Parish Registers

Lane End Parish Register transcription, via Find My Past Buckinghamshire Marriage Index.

Newspaper copies held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA October 12th 2020: Bucks Herald 21st March 1835, Bucks Gazette 10th April 1841.

Census my transcription from microfilm.

Chelsea Pensioner Records, National Archives Kew.