Culture, Honour and Virtue - A history of the early Catholic schools in Marlow

St Peter Street in Marlow may be a place of quiet calm and gentility now but if you were to walk it in the early and mid Victorian era, a much more noisy and boisterous atmosphere would have prevailed. There were many reasons for this - more inns and beer-houses, the bustling Limbrook wharf, Gibbon's brewery and later the Buckinghamshire Chair Factory¹. 

One of the characteristic sounds of the street would also have been the sound of children playing. In the 1860s St Peter Street was home to 5 schools - the Catholic charity/infants school, the small Convent School, the National girls, the National infants,  and the private boarding schools for young gentlemen run from the Deanery². And then there was of course another "classic and commercial" boarding school at Marlow Place³ just a stone throw away. Our focus today is on the three Catholic schools. 

Undated and sadly very faded image of a group of pupils, identified by Michael Eagleton as coming from the Catholic infants school. Image used with thanks. 

NB. Most older historic references to the St Peter's school refer not as we would expect to the Catholic school whose modern successor goes by that name but to the two National schools in the road. The others were usually referred to just as the Catholic schools or the Convent schools. 

A start in West Street

The oldest of the two Catholic establishments was the infants charity school, as established by Charles Robert Scott Murray of Danesfield and Medmenham Abbey. Scott Murray was a wealthy and prominent Catholic convert and the person who paid for the building of St Peter's Church in Marlow⁴. The first version of the school was actually located at the Albion Rooms West Street, part of Albion House - a building which has a long connection to schooling⁵. It was established there by 1850. Initially it was ran by a couple of lay ladies and was definitely on the small side - about 20-25 pupils. It is curious that the property was let to the school managers by the Clayton family of Harleyford Manor as Sir William Clayton was outspokenly anti Catholic in the years leading up to the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829. (A speech he gave in 1827 at the Town Hall in Marlow equated Catholicism with evil, tyranny and "intellectual degradation". And that was just the warm up!) This illustrates the prejudice Scott Murray faced when securing space for this purpose. 

Help for the poor

In late 1852 Scott Murray had organised for the Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle based at Banbury to start a small convent at Marlow. They were also to take over the running of the charity school. In 1853 they moved into their new premises adjacent to the Catholic church in St Peter Street. Scott Murray would pay for the day to day running costs of the school such as the heating and lighting, and the provision of books and writing materials. At a time when education was not generally free, the charity school became increasingly popular as it charged a lower fee than the other schools in town. It was not restricted to Catholic families - indeed for some time in this era the majority of pupils were technically protestant. It had only become legal for non Catholic children to attend Catholic schools in 1846. This legal change may well have been what precipitated the foundation of the school. The Catholic population of the town would probably have been too small to sustain an establishment by itself.  Prior to 1791, it was not legal to run a Catholic school - and up to 1778 the punishment for so doing was life imprisonment.

A price to pay?

 The demographic was unquestionably from the poor at this period. The families must have been grateful for the opportunity to educate their youngsters at an affordable price - but the decision to send them to a Catholic school was not without controversy in the town. Protestant families whose children did not attend the church supported schools felt they were under pressure to withdraw them from the alternative.  Some also believed that when their children got into minor trouble with the police they were more harshly dealt with that would be the case of they had not attended a Catholic run school. Nevertheless by 1860 there was around 60 - 70 children in regular attendance at the infants school. 

Treats and trips for the scholars

One advantage of having a wealthy patron who took a close interest in the school was that the little pupils were not forgotten on the occasion of any kind of celebration in Marlow. Scott Murray inevitably provided the youngsters with a Christmas dinner served in their school rooms. Roast beef and plum pudding all round. Royal celebrations were another common excuse to have a break from routine. When the then Prince of Wales married in 1863 Scott Murray provided the youngsters with all kinds of goodies from lemonade to sweets and oranges. Other treats including river boat trips to Danesfield - where sports and games were provided, and a special tea provided by Canon Bernard Smith⁶ to mark a 25th anniversary of his service at Marlow. (1878)

Life at the infant school had its difficult aspects though - the school inspectors inevitably noted that the two classrooms were far too cramped and that the toilet provision was abysmal! (In this they had something in common with the two National schools over the road.) The school was also, like others in the town, subject to periodic closures due to outbreaks of the likes of small pox and scarlet fever. 

Culture, honour and virtue - the Convent Upper School 

Right from the start, the Sisters of Charity were permitted to take in a handful of private pupils who would  be educated seperately from those attending the charity school. The fees charged to these weekly or monthly boarders (who tended to be fairly well off) could be retained by the Sisters. The proviso was that the education of the poor children had to come first - if the Sisters wished to increase the numbers of other pupils they had to provide another Sister to ensure this.

At a meeting of mainly non conformists to discuss the re-establishment of a British school in Marlow, a (concerned) comment was made that Scott Murray was going to expand the provision for middle class children at his Catholic schools. If accurate this seems to have been the start of the expansion of the private convent school to take in more day pupils. 

In 1885, a dispute of uncertain nature with the school managers caused the Sisters to withdraw from both the Marlow schools and their branch at Danesfield (also established by Scott Murray). They finally left in 1886, although Scott Murray begged them to stay. The schools were undoubtedly a success and had just been extended. A Miss Grace Crowther was then recruited to head both the infants school and what was then generally known as the Convent Upper School, which was mixed and took pupils up to around age 14. To quote a source from 1894, this upper school was where "the children of the wealthy and well to do are carefully trained by fully trained and efficient instructors to occupy their positions in the higher ranks of society with culture, honour and virtue."

The young people attending this second school followed a broader curriculum including subjects such as Latin and more in depth musical study. The two establishments remained closely linked however and shared a prize giving day and entertainments. Mrs Scott Murray usually presided over the former and ensured all those attending on a more or less regular basis came away with some prize. The younger and  poorer pupils recieved individual practical items such as clothing and the older pupils more decorative ones such as copies of old master paintings to hang on their wall. 

In 1891 it was decided that Miss Crowther's residence could be altered to allow her to take in paying guests during the lucrative river season. This was to permit her to increase her income. A straightforward pay rise was seemingly out of the question. This is the why the oft published Marlow summer visitors lists includes so many names for people staying at the Convent school.  Miss Crowther certainly earned her keep - she had some 90 children of the infants school in her care and only one assistant mistress beside pupil teachers. 

The 1890s and beyond 

By this time the schools founder Charles Robert Scott Murray had died, and although the wider Scott Murray family did not forget their school at Marlow they had a less immediate every day relationship with it. Many of the treats and trips now provided to the pupils were by well off Catholics who took homes at Marlow for the river season year on year. This is especially true of Eugene Kelly and his family who regularly took up summer residence at Temple House. Eugene had also personally defrayed most of the cost of an assistant priest to help the ailing Canon Bernard Smith in the last two years of his life. The Scott Murrays still could be depended on to provide a Christmas surprise for the children though. Mrs Charles Aloysius Scott Murray managed to find a Christmas tree that would reach the ceiling of the Music Room (now the Masonic centre, hired for the purpose) in 1899 and she festooned it with gifts for all.

Since the 1870s the infants school had been under government control. This meant they could access grants rather than rely solely on their benefactor,  but in return they had to submit to school inspections and payment was by results. It also meant a "conscience clause" was now formally in operation. So the religious education was to taken at the beginning or end of the day to allow those children not participating to more easily absent themselves. 

In the late Victorian period the school inspectors still lamented the state of the toilets, the rough stoney playground and the general state of the school buildings but praised the teaching at least. Grace Crowther remained in charge until just after the First World War which brings us up to the end of the period we deal with. But to answer the oft asked question of when the modern St Peter's school moved to Prospect Rd, it was 1974. The land was actually released for school use by the Ministry of Agriculture from allotment use in 1965! 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Links to related subjects referred to above:

1 - The Bucks chair co of St. Peter Street - here

2. The Deanery school - here

3. Marlow place schools here

4. Early history of St Peter's Church here

5. The Albion rooms as a British School here

6. Biography Canon Bernard Smith, 50 years at St Peter's and a Marlow Hero here

To find other school related posts search by school name here

For other church related content see here - all denominations

Sources include: 

Information from Sister Anne, archivist to the Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle with many thanks. This included information from the undated draft of the foundation agreement for the school and convent. 

Slaters commercial directory 1850. 

Musson & Craven's commercial directory 1853. 

Kelly's Directory Bucks 1863

The Catholic Directory 1853 

Marlow Town Guide and Directory 1891

Marlow Almanack qv 1907 & 1915

South Bucks Free Press 2nd Jan 1857, 14 Jan 1860, 19th Jan 1861, 15 March 1863, 13 May 1868, 7th Oct 1870, 28 June 1878, 7 June 1888, 3 February 1889, 4 March 1910

Maidenhead Advertiser 2 July 1879, 29th September 1886

Bucks Herald 17 April 1886

The Tablet April 16 1887 Vol 69 p 630

Buckinghamshire Examiner 2  December 1891

South Bucks Standard 21st April &  22nd December 1893, 8th June 1894, 21st July 1894, 22 December 1899, 5th September 1902, 14 January 1910

Bucks Free Press 19 July 1919

© MarlowAncestors 

The Winter Family of Dial House

When Stephen Winter / Winters was given the job of curate of Marlow's parish church he and his widowed mother Selina immediately took Dial House in St Peter's Street, a stone's throw from the church. This was in 1897. With them were Stephen's younger sister Lucy Agnes.

Selina, Lucy and Stephen had been living at the historic Long Crendon Manor prior to the Marlow move. There was another son in the family, Lawrence, who worked as a doctor in Kent.

Selina Winter /s was a lady of independent means thanks to wealth inherited from her dead husband Lewis and her dead father John Amos. She had grown up in Hackney and Shoreditch London where her father was a merchant and agent for those with business and property interests in Jamaica. He has been identified as a significant slave owner based on the fact that he was paid out multiple times after putting in claims for compensation following the abolition of slavery in Jamaica. Researchers into these compensation claims routinely presume (understandably) that those who filed claims were themselves the owners of the relevant slaves but further research frequently shows that this is incorrect and that the person filing the claims was acting as an agent, executor or administrator for the true owner or owners. To date I can find John Amos only as an agent and executor for slave owners. There is therefore no question that he profited from the misery of enslaved people but it remains an open question as to whether he was specifically, personally a slave owner. In his 1855 will which can be obtained from the National Archives, Kew he mentions no foreign property or assets. 

His wife Selina survived him. Their daughter Selina, the future Selina Winters, born in 1834 was their only child and thus came into much wealth and property, especially in London upon her father's death from chronic bronchitis in 1855.

In 1868 Selina aged 34 married Lewis Winter /s , an accountant, at St John's church Hackney. Within a few months of the marriage her mother passed away but the birth the next year of the couple's first child, Lawrence, meant a new beginning for the family. Selina and her household seem to have lived a quiet and comfortable life with a couple of servants in Wanstead Essex until the death of Lewis in 1887. He was just short of his 50th birthday at the time.

Selina made her home in the house "Clements" at Snaresbrook but the news that Stephen had won the Marlow curacy position uprooted the family. Selina set up the new Marlow household with a live in parlour maid and cook plus a live out coachman and gardener. Retaining staff was never easy even before the first world war and Selina appears many times in local newspapers advertising for new servants with a promise of good pay for the successful candidates.

All members of the Winters household were religious people and deeply interested in the provision of both Sunday Schools and other education for children in Marlow. 

Stephen's wife Florence (nee Scott, m 1899 St George's Bloomsbury*) was the superintendent of the Girls National School. This was a voluntary position and did not involve teaching. Stephen, Selina and Lucy all acted as fundraisers, and promotors for the parish Sunday schools. Lucy acted as honorary secretary for the local Sunday Schools association and for the Managers of the various church schools. Praise was heaped upon her for her diligence and ability to persuade others to help the cause. She is a good example of the young women who came of age in the early 1900s and began to carve out  their own place in public affairs. She served in committees where she 

might have been the only female presence at every meeting. Even serving as an secretary for a charitable cause, and giving speeches to committees or writing reports and letters in that capacity for the local newspapers was still an unusual thing for a woman to do at that time, especially one who was not an aristocrat. It is interesting to see that Lucy often styled herself in official letters as the simple and authoritative (because masculine style) "L.A Winters", not the more expected Miss Lucy Winters" or "Miss L.A Winters".

If you attended Holy Trinity School in Wethered Road, or your children do so now, then one of the reasons that is possible was the fundraising efforts of Lucy Winters to get the school built.

For an example of an active woman Lucy had her own mother who was president of the Provident Nursing Club in Marlow. A post about this club which mentions Selina's involvement is already on the blog here.

Late in 1906 it was announced that Stephen Winters was to take over as vicar of the nearby village of Medmenham early the next year. He and his wife left Marlow after receiving a testimonial from parishioners. Mrs Winters received two silver candlesticks as a farewell gift from the senior girls of the National School.

Selina continued to live at Dial House until her death on February 15th 1913. In her will she left over £27,000 to good causes and her children who acted as her executors. In lieu of flowers for the funeral they asked friends and family to contribute to the funds being raised for the Marlow church schools.

Lucy appears to have remained at Dial House for at least a period of time before moving in with her brother Stephen. In 1918 their older brother Lawrence died of pneumonia that had developed out of flu contracted while he was serving as a doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps in France.

Stephen became vicar of Wargrave Berkshire in 1914. He held this position for many years.

*The couple had a reception at the Langham Hotel London and a honeymoon in Paris and Switzerland. Stephen's sister Lucy was bridesmaid at the wedding.

Written and researched by Charlotte Day.

All mentions of any individual can be found on the A-Z Person Index.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use my research with credit to this blog.

Sources included:

P.C.C Will of John Amos 1855, National Archives, Kew.

"England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL1R-Q3Z : 22 February 2021), Selina Winter, Wanstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Essex county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

 "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2M2-V1K5 : 3 March 2021), Selina Amos in household of Selina Amos, Hackney, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

Henley Standard 23rd Nov 1906, Berkshire Chronicle 16th Aug 1902, Oxfordshire Weekly News 25th September 1901. British Library Archives via the BNA.

Oxford and Cambridge Yearbook 1904.

England and Wales Census, 1911," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VP-6LR : 22 July 2019), Mrs Selina Winter, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

London Gazette 25th April 1913.

Universities at War - http://www.universitiesatwar.org.uk/explore/winter-laurence-amos

"England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPLW-QHTR : Wed Dec 13 21:23:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Lewis Miller Wilmot Winter and Selina Winter, 16 Feb 1888.

Two Dedicated Victorian School Mistresses

This post is dedicated to two Victorian ladies who devoted themselves to the children of Marlow, working in sometimes difficult conditions, only stopping when their health failed. Both were the head mistresses of the National schools in St Peter Street in the late Victorian period. 

First we have Harriet Thimblethorp(e). Harriet was in charge of the girls school. She arrived in 1881 to a school building less than 20 years old. It was not however in good condition, and regular reports were made of a  leaking roof and smelling toilets. The school was also crowded by modern standards, with about 50-60 girls per class. Average attendance for the school was about 143 pupils a day, which was actually as few less than the buildings were designed to deal with however. 

Image courtesy of ©Colin Groves

 Harriet also suffered the closure of her school on a number of occasions because of outbreaks of disease. Scarlet fever and measles reared their ugly heads sometimes, and a nasty outbreak of small pox in 1893 caused a break in lessons of several weeks. As a result when the school inspector came round that year, he was willing to make some allowances for a lack of progress in the young girls education. The inspector concluded however that the main reason for unimpressive attainment in the children was that the particular intake of children it had lacked natural intelligence! He did mention their nice sewing and singing at least. 

Singing was an favourite activity of Harriet's. It is nice to think of those walking down St Peters Street in the Victorian period catching the happy sound of the girls' singing through the open windows of the school. She may have been described as naturally reserved but she was able to show affection and kindness to her girls and it seems to have been reciprocated. She was also described as absolutely devoted to her charges and always just in dealing with them.

By 1898, Harriet was not well. She refused to give up her work, though that was the advice she received. Sadly her condition deteriorated and it was clear she was suffering badly. She received news that her condition was now deemed incurable but it seems she wished to carry on at work as long as possible. In June 1898 however she was so ill that she had to give in and resign. She left Marlow for the sort of places people went in the hope of improving their health, or delaying it's decline. But a little over 2 months later, she died at Brighton. During the time of her funeral, the children sang her favourite hymn at the school. It's hard to imagine she would have preferred any other farewell. 

Our second devoted teacher is Elizabeth Harriet Hunt (AKA Lizzie) who was born in London in 1847. She was the head teacher at St Peter's Street School infant's department by 1876. She had accommodation provided for her in St Peter's Street, along with Harriet and the mistresses of both schools. 

The South Bucks Standard in 1893 said she deserved "the highest praise" for her work at the school. Her assistants then were Miss Evans and Miss [Florence] Nicholls. Between them they educated an average of 131 children each day. There would have been pupil monitors too.

Ill health forced Elizabeth to teach her last lesson on Tuesday 27th July 1909. That evening in the schoolroom local dignitaries and school teachers gathered to thank her for her years of service. She was praised for the "love she displayed for her work and for her children". A purse of £35 was presented to her by way of thanks.

Elizabeth went to live with her brother in London where she died in 1917. Thankfully she got to enjoy something of the retirement that Harriet never did. 

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. For other posts about St Peters Street use the Specific shops, streets etc option there. For a list of 75+ historic schools in Marlow see the post here. A fuller list of Victorian/Edwardian teachers for the national schools will follow. 

Sources

GRO Birth and Death Registration Indexes by the General Registry Office.

National Union of Teachers report 1888, 1893. 

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1883 (Kelly's Post Office Directories Ltd)

South Bucks Standard 3rd March & 12 December 1893,1 September 1899, and 30th July 1909. Copies held in the British Library archives. Accessed via the BNA March 2021.

Harris Royal Country Directory 1876.

"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9YB-P1F : 20 May 2019), Elizabeth H Hunt, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Researched jointly by Charlotte (Elizabeth) and Kathryn Day (Harriet)

©Marlow Ancestors. 

1833 Parochial Assessment Great Marlow St Peter's Street

 

I am gradually transcribing the original 1833 handwritten parochial assessment working notebooks of the assessors which my family own along with related correspondence. The purpose of the assessment was to calculate local taxes for 1834. The books were updated with additions and corrections up to circa 1839. Any such updates are highlighted in my transcription.

Format of my transcription:

Name

Property occupied

Annual value of each property

Any comments or research by me in square brackets

By Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. Use this information if you wish but please credit this blog.

Duck Lane [Also called St Peter's Street which is it's modern name, sometimes in the past called Old Bridge Street too. The name St Peter's does NOT derive from the church as this was not built until the 1840s. The name St Peter's Street was used alongside Duck Lane much earlier]

Thomas Clinkenbury 

House and garden

£5

*****

Timothy Chance [two men of this name headed households in this street. The other in a smaller cottage was a bargeman.]

House and garden

£5

*****

Richard Oxlade

The Blue Banner house [Pub, premises there till at least 1862 before becoming a house. This was very close to the River Thames and the water's edge. There was another pub of this name in Marlow in Henley Road later in the 1800s] and yard.

£8

*****

Christopher Copas

House and Garden

£5

*****

Aaron Oxlade [shopkeeper aged about 67. In St Peter's Street by 1830 when Pigotts Directory lists him. He had married Mary Truss at High Wycombe in 1800. She took over the shop after his death. She was specifically a grocer, Aaron just "shopkeeper". The shop was later licensed to sell beer as well. The Richard of the Blue Banner above was their son]

House and garden

£6

*****

Samuel Barnes [He owned this and other property in the street which was all sold 1850 after his death. His friend Richard Gibbons below was one of his will executors].

House, yard, garden, stable and lofts

£20

Malthouse

£15

*****

Thomas Gibbons [he was a coal merchant. Brother of Richard below]

House, yard, garden, stable and chaise house

£20

Orchard

£5

Wharf at Bankside

£15

*****

Richard Bye [Had recently moved from Abbey Farm Little Marlow. He moved again by 1841. He married the year of the assessment Mary Hewett, by her first marriage Mary Hawkins, some years his junior but she left him two years later. More on this couple in a post here. Mary's first husband had also run the Two Brewers in his time].

Two Brewers house [pub], yard, stables and garden

£12

*****

Samuel Carter

House yard and garden 

£9

******

John Shanks [journeyman blacksmith. In 1833 a court case to get back his alleged ancestral property Finnemoor, a farm near Marlow from Joseph Townsend failed. 1841 blacksmith Church Passage. 1851 blacksmith St Peter's street, 1861 St Peter's Street Blue Banner]

Cottage and garden

£3 10 shillings

*****

George Easley

Cottage and garden

£2 10 shillings

*****

John ?Fusten

House ["and garden" crossed out and "woodhouse" added later]

£6

*****

Thomas Gardener [a market gardener]

Cottage [the words "and garden" later crossed out]

£5

Garden [not attached to his cottage, further down the assessment]

£4

*****

George Newbery [Tailor. Still in street 1841 when aged about 75]

Cottage

£4

*****

William Coleshill [died prematurely in 1837. Widow Martha continued to live in St Peter's Street]

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Richard Heath [labourer, in street since at least 1823]

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Richard Gibbons [had a small brewery and also made rope. Sent to Newgate Prison in 1842 after giving false evidence to an inquiry into one of Marlow's many dodgy parliamentary elections. Brother of Thomas above. The property occupied here was inherited from their dad. Richard later rented Samuel Barnes' malthouse listed above as well. Richard was a friend of Samuel's and one of the executors of his will].

House, garden, mill house, counting house, yard, stables, lofts, store rooms, large yard, store house, brewhouse with malt lofts etc

£35

*****

The following people occupied cottages with an annual value of £3 each:

James Downing [labourer. Still in street in same cottage 1841]

John White [bargeman, see below for another John White]

Timothy Chance [2nd person of that name in Street. This one was a bargeman, wife Ann who continued to live in the Street in the 1840s]

Widow Neighbour

Widow Moore [Jane Moore widow of John Moore bargeman who died 1814]

Robert Corby [painter?]

William Lewington [on 1841 census he was said to live in "Mill Yard"]

George Hawes [labourer]

Joseph Gimmet

James Harding

Henry Clark

*****

Occupying cottages each with an annual value of £2 10 shillings:

George Collins

John Hawes

*****

Each occupying a cottage and garden with an annual value of £4:

Widow Butler x2 [could be an accidental repetition of an entry or two Widows Butler occupying identically valued property]

*****

Each occupying a cottage with an annual value of £4:

Henry Clark

Robert Oxlade [probably the shoemaker of this name]

*****

Each occupying a house and garden with £5 annual value:

William Croxen [usually spelt Croxon]

John White [seems to have started as a bargeman but became a beerseller here by 1838 until at least 1852. Wife Eliza. Cottage no longer exists. Name of his beer house is currently unknown. Note that there was a different John White, also a bargeman in St Peter's Street at the same time, see above].

Elizabeth White [the first name originally left blank, name Elizabeth added later in pencil]

*****

Occupying cottage and garden with an annual value of £4 10 shillings:

Samuel Hobbs [Later at the two Brewers]

*****

Cottage with annual value of £1 10 shillings [an exceptionally small value. This must have been a one room hovel]:

Ann Clark [lacemaker]

*****

Robert Gudgeon [also occurs as Gudgin. He worked in the paper mills. His wife Charlotte's grave is here. In 1843 he lived in St Peter's Street in a rented "newly built" stone house erected a few months earlier so he had moved within St Peter's Street]

House and garden

£5

*****

Late Bradshaw [no first name]

House, lawn, stables, yard, coach house, large garden and orchard

£25 [In 1837 a Mr Bradshaw a poor man of Duck Lane, that being an alternative name for St Peters Street, suffered a terrible fire at his cottage that left it completely destroyed. He was much burned when rescuing his children from the blaze. The family lost all their possessions. Two neighbouring cottages were badly damaged. This must be a different Bradshaw as the man called Bradshaw in the assessment above is far from poor if in a £25 house. This earlier Bradshaw he has either died or moved from St Peters Street in 1833, 4 years before the fire, as his recorded occupation is as "late Bradshaw", though the two Bradshaw men may be related] 

*****

John Morgan [draper, premises High Street. More here]

House, yard, offices

£10

*****

Ann Bond [widow. For more on her, her husband and an odd burglary Ann suffered in this house see here]

House, yard, garden

£25

Coach house belonging to Badger

10 shillings

*****

Martha Badger [likely widow of William]

Cottage and large garden

£5 10 shillings

*****

John Badger

House and garden

£4

*****

James Brown

Cottage and garden

£6

*****

Brown [no first name]

House and garden

£7 10 shillings

*****

Robert Jonathan Oxlade [in 1813 a man of this name was a shoemaker. Son of Robert Jonathan Oxlade senior who sold up his business -of an unknown nature but he owned a malthouse- and left Marlow in 1787. Obviously Robert junior had decided to return to the town]

House and two gardens

£9

*****

William Davis [could be the man of this name who was a Marlow beer seller in 1831, though presumably now of different trade as his premises are not noted as a beer shop or inn]

Cottage and garden

£4

*****

George Davis

Cottage and garden

£5

*****

John Collins

Cottage and garden

£5

*****

Thomas Frith

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Transcribed and researched by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors.

Marlow's Historic Graffiti

                                      

Photos above- Visitors to this St Peter's Street pub, the Two Brewers, certainly liked to leave their mark. The earliest dated inscription we could find was from the 1840s.

Immediately above- this carving of names on a house in West Street is included for comparison. It was said to be a rite of passage, if a frowned on one, for Wethered boys to carve their first initials and those of their friends on the wall of this West Street property. Cadets from the Royal Military College also marked this wall. Sadly much of the original and oldest carving seems to have disappeared in the last 20 years along with the Victorian pull door bell which still worked in the 1990's. 

Other carved names and initials were visible all along the 7 Cornered Alley in Marlow in the past but have disappeared as the brickwork has been replaced. Look for some of the older looking bricks and you may be able to make out some initials, dated from the 1940s+ while they are still visible! 

Photographed November 2020.

See previous post The Unhappy Marriage of Robert and Mary Bye for a story about one of the historic landlords of the Two Brewers here.

Other pub content, including for the Two Brewers, can be found by looking at the Pub Related option on the menu.

Look on the "Specific Shops, Streets....etc" option on the menu for more posts related to either West Street or St Peter's Street.

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduce images if you wish for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Even More Where In Marlow Was..? PART 3

A list of difficult or vanished addresses for modern researchers, updated often. 

Part One here, Two here. Four here. Five here

 To find out more about a particular house, street, shop etc see the Specific shops, streets etc option on the top drop down menu. 

Acorns, The house, Institute Rd. Still bears name. 

Ashley View - Newtown Rd

Avonmore - (See also this post on the 1890s flu pandemic  Here )

Avondale - house, Beaumont Rise. 

Bothy, The - the name for gardeners accomodation on large estate, and gardens. Can be found at Highfields and Danesfield.  Not used for accomodation at Remnantz despite name in Wethered Park - that building was a potting shed, and prior to that a vinery! 

Bromleigh - Station Rise

Bungalow, The - Wethered Rd 2. Station Rd 3. New Town 

Caxton, Caxton Villa - now Mill Rd, in Platts Cottages/Row

Cintra - Claremont Gardens

Clwyd - Portlands (adjacent Portland Villas)

Cornerways - Gossmore/Mill Rd. There was also a Crossways, Station Rise

Corshel - Newtown 

Crossways, The - Station Rise. See also Cornerways. 

Derriford  - Queens Rd

Dolls House, The - Claremont Rd

Elmwood - Glade Rd

Fairlight - Claremont Gardens

Fairford - Appartments in Station Rd. 

Glendower - Portlands

Glenoma - New Town eg Holland Rd, Newtown Rd area

Glenrosa or Glen Rosa - Claremont Rd. 

Glenthorne - house, Beaumont Rise

Godstone - Little Marlow Rd

Greyroofs - qv Portlands, may be meant for Greywalls. 

Harris's Gardens- West End as they called it. We would now render this place as being in Henley Road. Borlase side of road.

Hermitage, The - Pound Lane.  (occasional alternative name for the Deanery, St Peters Street too) 

Homelea - Red Pits, off Henley Rd. 

Homeleigh - Beaumont Rise

Homerton Cottage - Eton Place

Invergarry Dedmere Rd

Inverglyde - Beaumont Rise

Jordans- house apparently in Marlow Bottom 1700s.

Klemler - New Town - New Town rd area

Kewfields - Beaumont Rise

Larches, The - Oxford Rd

Leacroft - Little Marlow Rd

Lilyville - Dedmere Rd

Lindum - Little Marlow Rd

Lowermead - Dedmere Rd

Lulworth/Lulworth Villa - contemporary address given as Claremont Estate or Glade Rd, now in Claremont Gardens. Also name given more recently to a house in Munday Dean. 

Modena - Claremont Gardens

Montague House- house St Peter's Street.

Myne holm - Glade Rd, Myneholme - Institute Rd. Would not surprise me if the two properties were in fact one as Glade Rd was adopted as a nearest address for homes in the new development around Institute Rd before the name was established. 

Palmers - High Str, modern no 65.  Named after previous owners. Also historic surgeons premises, one of several in High Street, hence aka  Doctors House but this name may also refer to other properties depending on period. 

Reddersberg - West Street. One of a rash of South African inspired house names adopted in Marlow  around the time of the relief of Mafeking and later. 

Rosemead - Mill Road.

Rosemary AKA Rosemary Villa - Berwick Road.

Rosemont, Rosemount - New Town

Rosare - New Town Rd

Royton - Newtown. 

Ryepeck, Rye Peck - house then private residential hotel, riverside. For a post featuring the Cuppy family, one of whom briefly ran this place see post here. Originally built as a private residence. 

Spowkes - Hayes Place

Three Gables - the name taken on by the replacement for the original Thames Lawn by Marlow Lock. (Note Thames Lawn is also the name taken on by Lymbrook/Thames Bank after approx 1925)

Wedmore - Station Approach

White Cottage, The - Little Marlow Rd

Whitehead Place - address given for James Beckett, carpenter in Pigots Directory 1844. He is later described as being in the High Street. Other Beckett property is in Quoiting Place. 

Win-Tor - Little Marlow Rd

Post researched by Kathryn Day with with additional research by Charlotte Day.

For more Where In Marlow Was, see several previous posts linked at top. 

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

Gardener Grave, Parish Church Great Marlow

Grave of Catherine Gardener, wife of Thomas, of this town, d Oct 9th 1851 age 79.

Notes:

Catherine and Thomas lived St Peter's Street Marlow. On the 1851 census Thomas was described as a Chelsea Pensioner.

Photo and stone transcription by Kathryn, research by Charlotte.

For more graves see Graves on the menu. All mentions of  someone on the blog can be found under Person Index.

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction of content welcome for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog and a link back here. 

Ann Barney, Almswoman

Ann was born Ann Gomm circa 1809 in Bristol according to the census. By 1829 she was in Marlow as she married James Barney, a bricklayer at Marlow in that year.

On the 1841 census the couple lived in St Peter's Street Marlow with their family - George, Sarah, James and Henry. In 1851 they were at Dean Street. James senior died in 1853. After that Ann supported herself by working as a laundress. This was a common occupation for widows to follow but a very poorly paid one. She lived with 4 of her children in Berwick House, the former parish workhouse in Munday Dean Lane which by that period was subdivided into rental accommodation for the poorest families. On the 1871 census she lived in West Street Marlow.

Ann entered the Almshouse circa 1878. This would have been after she was elected to the almshouses by the trustees of the almshouses charity. She may have nominated herself for this, or someone else may have alerted the trustees to a her deserving case.

On the 1881 census Ann was living in her almshouse with her granddaughter Gertude Barney aged 11 (daughter of Henry). Within the next few years Gertrude moved on and Ann was left alone in the house. She became increasingly frail and by 1886 needed help to even get into her bed. Esther Wethered (widow of the former vicar of Hurley Florence Wethered- yes Florence was a male*) lived in nearby Oxford Cottage and along with another wealthy volunteer "parish visitor" Mrs Graves alerted Walter Lovegrove** one of the Guardians of the poor to the fact that Ann needed someone to take care of her. Walter wrote to the Wycombe Board of Guardians to request that Ann receive money to pay for a nurse attendant. This was refused on the grounds that Ann received a small income of €1 a month as an almswoman and thus was not legally classified as destitute. Nor on the same grounds would they give her a ticket to enter the workhouse infirmary for treatment despite the local doctor believing that would be the best thing for her.

Ann herself paid for Mary Stroud of Oxford Road to attend her for the sum of 2 shillings 6 pence a week. Mary got her breakfast, did her laundry, helped her get into bed and generally kept an eye on her during the day. But she did not remain overnight. 

Ann's family weren't absent from her life. The local surgeon would later testify that her daughter "Mrs Allum" had always been "very kind" to her mother but no longer lived in Marlow. Neither did her granddaughter Ellen Barney (daughter of George) but she still came to visit and did what she could for Ann when she did so. One of Ann's sons sometimes contributed to the cost of the nurse, as and when he could. The family members absent from Marlow apparently did not realise that Mary Stroud did not remain with Ann at night.

By 1887 Ann was struggling to afford Mary Stroud's attendance, even though one of her sons was paying part of the weekly cost. She asked Mary to pawn a blanket and dress of hers at Mr Batting's pawn shop in West Street. Embarrassed, she appealed to Ann to say the items came from an invented person rather than herself. The dress realised 2 shillings 6d and the blanket 1 shilling 6d.

Shortly afterwards Ann was found dead having fallen out of bed in trying to reach something and hit her head causing a fatal apopletic fit, though Dr Culhane testified that she had twice before had apoplectic fits caused by "overeating". The coroner said he felt that old people should not be left in a position where they had no attendance at night. The jury returned a verdict of death by natural causes. Her inquest was held at the Clayton Arms, a little further down Oxford Road, off Quoiting Square.

For more Oxford Road related posts see here 

Post by Charlotte Day.

Other Almswomen posts:

Sarah Evans

More Almswomen

First post about almswomen

Other related posts:

*Florence Wethered, eccentric Vicar of Hurley

**Walter Lovegrove biography

See Bucks Herald 11th June 1887 and South Bucks Free Press June 10th 1887 for details of Ann's inquest.

Census transcriptions, my own from microfilm. Census information remains Crown copyright.

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

Men Who Built Marlow Part Two

Thomas Corby Senior and Junior of Great Marlow.

The elder Thomas was born circa 1785 in Medmenham according to the census.

Thomas Senior in partnership with Theophilus Clifford the stonemason in 1829 won the contract for brickwork and masonry for the new suspension bridge at Marlow. More on the extremely fraught building process here.

That bridge is the bridge you see today in Marlow.

In 1833 Thomas and his son lived parts of the same building in the High Street, shown below as it is today. Their builders yard, workshops and offices were a little further along the High Street in buildings demolished in 1969. 

Thomas Senior's part in that year had an annual value of £14 and consisted of his part of the house, a storeroom, lofts, yard and garden. His son's property consisted of his part of the house, and a garden with a total value of £11. There was only one entrance doorway for the premises. This fact when revealed to investigators in the 1840s would lose Thomas Junior his vote in elections as a separate householder even though his part of the property was valuable enough to qualify him otherwise. Thomas did not marry and always lived in the family home.

Thomas the elder in 1833 also owned and occupied 67 acres of farm land at Munday Dean just outside Marlow worth just over £55 a year. The Corby family had occupied land there for some years. He also had a kiln, shed and other buildings up at Marlow Common where he made bricks. (The fraught history of the brick kiln there will follow separately). 

In 1846 he and his son built the Catholic Church in St Peter's Street. They also built a Catholic chapel at Danesfield.

In 1851 he appeared on the census as a builder employing 30 men.

Thomas Senior died in 1853. (See his grave here ) In his will he left two houses in Staines Middlesex in trust for the benefit of his grandchildren. These were the children of his daughters Mary Ann (by marriage Rogers) and Emily (by marriage Croxford). His then unmarried daughter Charlotte received the furniture he had already given her to use when she kept a school, his bed and bedroom furniture, 3 cottages at ...(Swelley?) Place Great Marlow, 3 cottages at Bovingdon Green and £1000 which was invested. There was also money invested for his grandchildren, the children of his dead daughter Catherine Reeves and his son Henry Corby. 

Thomas Junior was left 5 cottages in Hambledon and a cottage in West Street Marlow. After his father's death he took over the business full time. On the 1861 census he was a builder and brick maker employing 47 men and 3 boys. His brickmakers went on strike in 1860 to demand a pay increase of a shilling per one thousand bricks made. Other local workers struck or asked for wage increases at that time due to price inflation of everyday goods.

Thomas Junior built Holy Trinity Church, the vicarage, the Roman Catholic School, the brick arch and stabling at New Court (1874) shown below (which involved first demolishing the two houses right next to his own home), the Little Marlow village school (1862), the novel wooden church at Handy Cross (1864) and the Primitive Methodist Chapel (now Liston Hall).

Thomas Junior was forced to retire in 1877 due to his health. The man he employed as overseer of his building operations, Young Lovell bought the business. More on him in future.

Shortly after his retirement Thomas died and was buried with his sister Charlotte Gibbs in All Saints churchyard in Marlow. I have a post showing his grave here

The Bucks Herald paid tribute to Thomas after his death saying he had shown "indomitable industry" and "unswerving honour and integrity".

Above: the arch leading into New Court built by Thomas Junior.

By Charlotte Day. Photos by Kathryn Day.

Further Information:

The Men Who Built Marlow Part One: The Bonds has already been posted here

Part three - The Lovells - here

Part 4: Frederick Plumridge here

To find all mentions of a family of individual here use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Sources:

Bucks Herald 7th April 1877 [Obituary]. Copy held in the British Library archive. Via the BNA.

Bridge wardens accounts and papers at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.

Will Thomas Corby, held at the National Archives, Kew. Transcribed by me.

Original property records held by my family.

Census 1841-71 transcribed by me from microfilm.

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note 1:

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

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

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

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

Sources:

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

Hinton, John. Universal Calendar Vol 1 November 1747. 

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

Belgravia Magazine Vol 14 Alfred Rimmer 1881

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

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

The Architect, April 17 1869, digitised by Google. 

South Bucks Standard Directory of Marlow - 1891. 

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

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

Oxford Gazette 13 December 1788, as above

Oxford University and City Journal 7 January 1826

Berkshire Chronicle 3 November 1832, 7 January 1860 as above

Windsor and Eton Express 2 February 1833, as above

© Marlow Ancestors

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

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. 

Child Paper Makers Of Marlow

In 1842 a commission was set up by parliament to enquire into child labour in mine and manufacturing settings. As part of their evidence gathering they visited Wrights paper mill in Marlow and interviewed some of the young workers there. The way the process was conducted was not up to standards we would have today- the children were asked if their health was affected by their work as if they would be qualified to answer that question. Nevertheless these and similar enquiries gradually lead to limits on the working hours of children and the numbers of them which could be employed. The Marlow mills did not significantly employ children compared to other industries.

Edwin Anstead

Had worked as a rag cutter since the age of 12 and was then 17. His working hours were 8am to 5pm, with later hours overtime. One hour was granted to him for lunch which he brought from home. He was expected to cut 120 pounds in weight of rags a day for which he was paid 14 pence a day. Of all the young people interviewed at Marlow he was the only one able to both read and write. He signed his evidence.

Edwin can be found on the 1841 census living at Burroughs Grove just outside Marlow so he had a fair walk to work each day. Family relationships are not recorded on the 1841 census, and ages of adults are rounded. The Nathaniel and Sarah Anstead he lived with might have been his grandparents rather than parents  their recorded ages of 70 and 65. 

Hannah Coleshill

Started at 16 and was then 18. She smoothed paper. She said that her job sometimes made her tired but she preferred it to her previous job of sewing in a Marlow baby linen factory. In fact she liked her job very much. She worked from 9 to either 5pm or 6pm and earned 6 shillings a week.

Hannah was born in 1824 to William and Martha.

John Hawes

The 13 year old had just started at the mills but said his health was already being affected. He had developed chilblains on his legs which he put down to having to stand nearly all day. He also felt tired by his job which was to watch the reams of paper being produced to see none was torn and to try to fix the problem causing the tear or call someone else to do it if he could not fix it. No wonder John felt tired- he worked 5am to 6pm with frequent overtime all the way up to 9pm. He received an hour lunch break and a further 30 minute break in addition. John's father George was an engineer at the mill and also gave (somewhat defensive) evidence to the enquiry. He said the boy's work was not physically demanding (standing for most of a potential 16 hour working day?!?!?) and he would not let a child of his work there if he thought it unsuitable for his age.

John lived with George and his mother Miriam in Oxford Road in 1841. By 1851 the family had moved to Wooburn. Dad George was still a paper maker there but John was just described just as a "labourer"

Henry Tavage (perhaps should be Savage)

Henry had started at the mill when he was just 9 and was then 14. He worked 5am to 6pm with some hours overtime also worked. Despite his long hours he was not allowed any lunch break and had to eat as and when he could whilst working. He told the commissioners he might get some bacon with his bread lunch but generally he did not often eat meat as they were too poor.

He may be the Henry Savage who lives in St Peter Street with his parents on the 1841 census.

Eliza White

Aged 13. She worked smoothing paper at the mill from 8.30 am to either 5 or 6pm. In the last week before the interview with her she had earned 3 shillings 3 and a half pence. This was much less than Hannah Coleshill above who did the same task for similar hours which probably reflects her younger age and less experience. It was common in the Victorian world of work for lower wages to be paid to the youngest workers even if they were successfully doing the same job as older workers. Eliza was fortunate in that she, like Hannah, was able to sit down during her work. She had 30 minutes as a lunch break and ate on the premises. She told the commissioners that she liked her job.

I found her baptism in 1828 to John and Eliza. She was one of 8 children living with her parents in St Peter's Street Marlow at the time of the 1841 census. Her father was a clerk.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day

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

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. 

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