Great Marlow Strays

Marriages of Great Marlow people I have discovered by sheer coincidence while trawling through the parish registers of other places. Spellings are as they appear to me. I have done my best with old writing.

Anthony, John married 27th November 1802 at Medmenham Bucks Elizabeth Hoare of Medmenham. This could be John Anthony the carpenter.

Breach, Ann married 2nd June 1730 All Saints church Maidstone, Kent John Chambers of Sonning Berkshire.

Carter, Mary and William Phelps both of Great Marlow married March 1st 1741 Stoke Poges Bucks by licence.

Fletcher, Henry married May 11th 1676 at St Helen's Bishopsgate London Anne Seale of Bledlow Ridge, Bucks..

Hall, Robert a widower married 20th October 1814 Medmenham Bucks Rachel Thatcher of Medmenham. More on Rachel here

Harman, James married 1st January 1717 by Licence at St Paul's Cathedral London Elizabeth Rowley of St Dunstan's In The West parish, London.

Heather, Mary a widow married August 24th 1791 at St Stephen's Walbrook church in London John Benson of St Stephen's Walbrook parish.

Ingram, Margaret married 26th April 1703 Bisham Berkshire Ralph Spicer of Chipping Wycombe. The latter place is now called High Wycombe. One of their descendants also called Ralph Spicer was a lawyer in Great Marlow - read about him here

Law, Mary married Bisham Berkshire 9th November 1699 Christopher Welder "a Dutchman".

Norton, Benjamin married February 3rd 1754 at St George's Hanover Square, London Sarah Jones of Cookham, Berkshire.

Tafield? Tofield? Athaliah married at Hughenden Bucks 30th March 1814 William Cock of Bisham Berkshire. By licence. Athaliah was not uncommon as a name at this period especially in this area.

Use the Person Index to find all mentions of a person on this blog. New people are added there daily and there are currently over 3,250 individuals listed there. 

I have more of these strays, mostly from London, Kent and Sussex where my own family history research has focused. I will add to this list as I sift my notes. 

Light Fingered Marlow - A List

 Updated Jan 2024

Just for fun here's a list of all the more unusual items (to us) that residents of the Marlows (Great and Little) were accused of helping themselves to during the reign of Victoria. Those names marked with an asterisk were found guilty. The other cases I do not know the outcome of - yet. 

Acorns (2 bushels)- Frederick Brooks and Charles Smith 1848. These would have had good resale value as pig feed.

Aprons- Ann Stockbridge* 1857. Six weeks in jail. A juvenile offender.

A clothes line (part of) from the garden of Henry Aldridge - John Thatcher* 1849. 6 weeks hard labour. 

Bell- Henry Smith* 1850. Three months hard labour.

Herrings (200!)- William Bowles and William Thatcher. 1855.

Lead Trough- Henry Knight* 1840.

Several sacks full of moss, (used for flower arranging etc) - James Perry of Dean Street* 1901. Fined 27s 6d including costs and damages. 

Pair of trousers - removed from their owner's person in a highway robbery 1845. Josiah Brookes* knocked down victim William Blackwell and made off with his trousers as well as a purse of money. A second telling of this event says the "trowsers" of William were in fact carried by him in a parcel as they were newly purchased. Whichever is true, you will be pleased to know that William's trousers were eventually recovered. Josiah was a familiar face to the justices. 

Part of a fence- John Finch* 1856. One month in jail.

Dahlia roots from Spinfield gardens - (and some chickens) James Lomax* and Henry James*, 1837. Henry was transported for life. James was sentenced to a month in jail then transportation for 7 years. He had stolen the birds from his own nephew James Pusey!

Shoe leather- John Wickes 1850. Offence occurred at High Wycombe but John was of Marlow. I am pretty sure he was convicted. In 1852 he was transported for 7 years for stealing a saw in Marlow, the property of Joseph East. He was then 23 years old.

Smelling bottle - John Martin* 1845. Stolen from house of William Curtis. 

Umbrellas, X 2 stolen from the vestibule of All Saints Church. Ellen Gibbons* and Maria Edwards* 1860. They each got 1 days imprisonment. Both plead guilty. The girls however said that they had taken the umbrellas only because it was raining and they had always intended to return them the following week, and indeed had attempted to do so but on seeing the parish Beadle just outside the church, had been too afraid to continue. Their lack of previous convictions helped their case. 

Watering pot (watering can)- Andrew Stuart* and Richard Kibble* 1848 from Alfred Batting. 14 day sentence each.

Whip- William Tilby 1844.

Wooden spokes-  Abraham James* and Thomas Rose*, 1838. Stolen from High Rews Wood. The spokes were the property of John and Thomas Rolls. It seems the spokes may have been being made in the wood. They convinced an 11 year old boy to help them in the theft, telling him the spokes belonged to them. The boy was allowed to escape prosecution if he gave evidence against the two men. Three months in jail and a whipping for both of the accused. In 1839 and 1842 Abraham was fined for poaching.

And for stealing the same horse twice, honorary mention must go to John Edmunds whose full and somewhat odd story you can read here

Related posts: 

 Crime and disorder in old Marlow here

The old police station and police court here

To find other crime/policing related posts see the General Marlow history index here and to find every mention of your ancestor here, use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. New content added daily. 

Sources:

Criminal research of Jane Pullinger supplemented by Bucks Herald 21st February 1857, 22nd November 1856 and 20th October 1855. Bucks Gazette 6th January 1838. South Bucks Free Press July 14 1860. Copies held at the British Library.

Bucks Advertiser 19 July 1845. 

All Saints Parish records  - my old transcription from the originals.

Censuses, my transcriptions from microfilm.

©Marlow Ancestors.