Marlow Has A Ball - The Georgian Assembly And Victorian Dances

 If you had an ancestor living in Georgian and Regency era Marlow, and they were of a fashionable turn of mind (and reasonably deep pockets)  there's a good chance they took the chance to attend one the Marlow Assembly or one of the town balls. An assembly was an occasion for dancing, listening to music, and general socialising. 

The bigger fashionable towns had their dedicated Assembly Rooms. Marlow could not at first stretch to one of those, but by the early 1760s, they had an Assembly nevertheless. I do not know where the first was held but it was probably in one or both of the joint venues that served as hosts from the 1780s -  the Upper and Lower Crown inns respectively. They were the inns with the greatest capacity so the choice makes sense. I can find around equal references to the assemblies taking place at each inn, and in fact in at least one year they were alternating between the two each month. They were organised by a committee with a master of the ceremonies, a couple of stewards* and some honorary patrons in the form of various members of local gentry. The latter's involvement wasn't probably too taxing but their "sponsorship" of the event made it a guarantee the event would be sufficiently "genteel" and respectable. Those keeping the inns did the donkey work and provided the required refreshments. The other requisite was a band, bought in from out of town and often a military one. 

The assembly was always hosted on the night of a full moon, and this fact was pointed out when the dates were advertised. This was standard - it was a safety precaution for those travelling on unlit and sometimes less than perfect roads late at night, especially in the era of foot pads and highway men. Assemblies had their season - at first they ran monthly from October to April inclusive but later the season contracted to 4 months from November. Starting in the evening they continued late into the night. 

There were door men and an entrance free was charged. In 1792 this was 3 shillings (rising to 3s 6d 2 years later) but subscribers could pay 10s 6d for admittance throughout the season. This fee obviously precluded the less well off from attending. 

In the first years of the 19th century Marlow got a new Town Hall and the upper floor was designed as an assembly room with a gallery for an orchestra. This building was later incorporated into the adjacent original Upper Crown, and eventually became the Crown Hotel with the first Crown becoming shops. Around this time the Upper Crown/Town Hall took on a larger share of the assemblies but the Lower Crown was still used sometimes until at least 1830. A little after this the events seem to get less common no doubt due to changing fashions  but there were still the balls. 

There were three main public balls held in Marlow. The Annual Race Ball celebrated the end of the Marlow horse races and are covered in a post here. The second was the Tradesmen's Christmas Ball which was revived to great success in 1844 and continued fitfully throughout the Victorian period, always in the Town Hall. Then there was the annual Christmas Ball, often actually held in the new year and more for the gentry. And there were also sporadic balls in the summer season throughout this and the Victorian period too, first at both the Crowns and then at the Town Hall. These later were aimed so they said at the nobility and gentry and those who were resident at the grander houses in the area do seem to generally attend. In 1827 tickets for an August ball cost 8s and could be purchased at the stationers in town. (10s 6d for ladies and 12s for gentleman in 1828.) It would start at 9pm (other stated start times range from 7pm to as late as 11) and dancing and merriment was continued until the early hours. The following year we are told that the balls have not been very well attended for some years but that this one was "enlivening" and "joyous" with all the first families of the neighborhood in attendance -250 people in all. The ladies were dressed in "a costly and elegant style" no less. At 4.30am the last weary guests trooped into their waiting carriages and headed home. A moonlit night had of course been chosen. 

But there were others. Dancing Master Mr Hart had a dancing school in Marlow in the 1790s (as well as at a bewildering number of other places apparently under his personal supervision) and he also gave private lessons to those who could afford them. What better way to show off your students progress than to organise a ball for them and their guests? Mr Hart did just that at the Upper Crown in 1782 when it's described as an annual affair.  Thirteen years later he had moved to High Wycombe and had just taken his son into partnership. The pair had schools both in Marlow and High Wycombe. Mr Hart junior was apparently a former apprentice of a Signor Sala, dancing master of London. 

It was said that after Sir William Clayton of Harleyford failed to become MP for Great Marlow in both the 1842 and 1847 elections, he gave up supporting many public events in the town including the annual ball for the nobility. His party was always the biggest group attending so this was probably a blow to the events social credibility at least for a while. 

However balls for all kinds of events were still popular in the 1850s and 60s including an annual agricultural ball initiated in 1856.  But as time went on the primary event was the annual Christmas one at the Town Hall, organised by the Upper Crown who managed that venue. As mentioned above it was usually held a little after Christmas in fact. In 1865 the South Bucks Free Press thought that our town hall was "the handsomest ball room in the county". They noted that one "gallant officer" thought that the floor polished to perfection "equalled the deck of his ship." High praise indeed.  In 1870 the carefully waxed and polished floor again raised comment, along with the beautifully decorated refreshment room tables loaded with every delicacy. Ten years later the assembly room was "brilliantly lighted and charmingly decorated with tastefully arranged floral and evergreen arrangements". And "sociability, courtesy and kindly feeling prevailed on all sides." Or so they said. 

In 1887 the County Ball, a once popular annual event, was revived at the Town Hall in Marlow. It was now more fashionable to have lady patronesses to set the tone and there was a clutch of all those from the bigger houses in the neighborhood. Guests arrived at the front of the Hall to find a special decorated canopy had been erected at the entrance. Thought this, the route to the assembly room was carefully decorated.  In the main venue, ivy and greenery was artistically and creatively festooned across the walls and ceilings, supplemented with flags and mottoes. The Slough and Windsor Observer tells us that this event was glittering in more ways than one as it was "the very first public introduction in this  neighborhood of electric lighting, it's dazzling brilliancy agreeably tempered by coloured glass globes." Memorable in more ways than one. 

The First World war put an end to mist of these balls as a regular occurrence although of course venues such as the Crown Hotel, George and Dragon, Court Garden and the Complete Angler saw many dances after that period.

The less well connected who were not invited to the farmers or tradesmans balls might have attended one of the slightly less prestigious but certainly very merry Christmas balls at the Greyhound Inn, or the occasional fund raising one for the Literary Institute.  (The latter had a temporary canvas ballroom in the grounds with a board floor which doesn't sound the easiest sort to dance upon). The Edwardian period saw an annual fundraising ball for the Cottage Hospital, with the first two hours reserved for children to dance. 

Of course the success of the various balls was down to the preparations made by many servants and staff. The up stairs servants of the private houses large enough to host their own balls (Bisham Abbey, Court Garden, Harleyford, Spinfield and Highfields were three popular venues) might have had chance to pause in the corridors and take in a little of the music. Let's hope so as a ball made a late finish for all concerned. 

A page from a 1930s brochure for the Crown Hotel, showing the "ball room" in what used to be the town hall. The proprietor then was Edward Keeling. If you think that looks like markings for a badminton court on the floor, you are absolutely right. It was the headquarters of the local badminton club then! 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

More information:

Balls at the Greyhound: here

Other posts about general Marlow history: here

Sources include:

Berkshire Chronicle: 27 Jan 1844,15 Jan 1853

Oxford Journal 3 November 1764

Reading Mercury 22 April 1782, 17 November 1787, 13 Oct 1788, 1 Oct 1792, 11 Nov 1799, 16 December 1801

Slough, Eton and Windsor Express 3 Jan 1819, 14 April 1827.  

Windsor and Eton Express 16 Aug 1828, 21 Aug 1841

South Bucks Standard - 21 Jan 1860, 8 Jan 1909, 18 January 1912. 

South Bucks Free Press - 28 Jan 1859, 4 Feb 1860, 20th January 1865. 

Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News - 19 Feb 1881 

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer Jan 29 1887. 

*Known stewards include postmaster James Field and resident John Allnutt, as well as local gentry. 

© Marlow Ancestors

The Tragedy Of Susan West Of The Crown.

 

In 1875 widow* Susan West took over the Crown Hotel from short term proprietor Samuel Hill. It was one of the foremost places to stay in Marlow and a big affair to take on. Unfortunately for Susan, things began to go wrong for her almost immediately. 

Less than a year after taking charge, the Crown suffered a severe fire. A certain amount of smoke was seen one evening coming from above a stove, but it was quickly put out by Susan and her servant or so they thought. The household then retired to bed. Towards morning, they awoke to find the chimney was a "burning mass of soot"  down it's entire length. Their own attempts to put the flames out failed so the fire brigade was summoned. This would only have involved rushing to outside the building and ringing the fire bell of the adjacent Town Hall. The horses that pulled the fire engine were usually kept in the Crown's meadow behind the hotel. 

They may have arrived quickly, but the fire brigade faced a formidable task. The old chimney ran a zig zagged course between the bar parlour through the centre of the hotel and out. It was this haphazard path that had allowed "boulders of soot" to form in the corners and these were now alight.  Getting to the fire involved knocking holes in the chimney and walls and pouring in a huge amount of water. Only after hours of "unceasing labour" in very difficult conditions was the fire extinguished. The damage from smoke, flame, and water can be imagined. Some furniture was destroyed and Susan was left with holes in the structure of the building. Thankfully she was fully insured. But the loss of trade occasioned by the time needed to set things right may well have been the start of Susan's financial difficulties. 

The hotel hosted many big events in the next few years and it seemed outwardly to be doing well. But Susan had spent money on modernising the premises and this had left her in debt. Then came the Election Riots of 1880. The hotel was used as the base for poll winner Owen Williams, and his victory was not a popular one with many, especially the poorer members of society. When the election result was announced outside the Crown at 6pm, boos and hisses turned gradually into a full scale riot, with the Crown it's initial focus. By the time the Riot Act was read at 9pm, every single window of the hotel had been broken. A ladder which had been unfortunately left leaning against the front of the building was used as a sort of battering ram. Initially they may have wanted to use it to gain access to the building, but it was pushed through the window with such force the interior plaster and lathe walls were badly damaged. It was then used to batter the hurriedly closed gates of the hotel, which were barricaded from the inside. Threats were said to have been made to burn down the entire hotel. Every front room was described as damaged. While Susan was able to claim some compensation for the structural damage, time spent putting it right must again have lost Susan much income. 

In approximately 1881, Susan suffered an accident when travelling by dog cart. (Horse drawn light vehicle, usually 2 wheeled.) She was thrown from the vehicle and hit her head on a kerb. This left her needing to stay in bed for a month, and even after that she experienced periodic severe headaches. 

Enter John Langley, a recent widower, large scale farmer and fruiterer and landlord of The Verney Arms in Dean Street. He began to "court" Susan and offered to buy the the Crown. This he eventually did, making arrangements with her creditors and shortly afterwards discharging her debts. He took on the licence in 1883, and soon afterwards the couple were married by licence in Fulham at the Parish Church. (Marriage 19 June 1883. Susan had family in the Fulham area). Salutes were fired from the back of the Crown throughout the wedding day and the bellfry stood in readiness to welcome the couple home with a peal of bells when they stepped off the train. However the ever modest Langley sent a message that he did not want any special fuss made and so the bells stayed silent. However a crowd of friends and neighbours gathered at the Crown to shake the hand of the newlyweds. John was something of a local hero and you can read about him and his son in a dedicated biographical post here

At the Christmas of 1882, Sarah seemed happy. She bought a large tree and erected it in the town hall next door which she also managed. She covered the branches with sparkling decorations and toys and invited the children of the tradesman of the town to come and pick out a free gift. It's one of many examples of her generous spirit. But there was an underlying sadness that would not go away. 

Susan was worried that her new husband would never recoup his investment. He said he told her repeatedly that she need not trouble about this. But she seemed depressed and spoke of guilt at the risk John had taken on. She is said to have developed a restless manner, leaving home every few days for short times away, often visiting a sister in London. After one such visit, Susan never returned home. 

She travelled to Bridport Harbour, arriving with a small bag but no luggage or money. (She was born in Somerset although it's believed she was a stranger to Bridport itself.) She asked to hire a room at a boarding house for a few hours, initially to rest after a long journey. She then asked to stay the night and after that extended her stay. She told the landlady of the boarding house that she had no money with her but could have it at a moments notice if she wired to her family. The landlady thought Susan looked respectable if tired and allowed her to stay. She had been told by Susan about her head injury and the lingering pain resulting from it and thought Susan could benefit from a holiday. Her actions seem to have erred on the side of kindness considering she had to take it on trust that Susan would settle her bill and yet allowed her to extend her stay nonetheless. One day Susan went out for a walk and never returned. Her bag was found in her room. A few days later her body was found at the foot of a cliff 300ft high. 

The verdict was suicide. There was some delay identifying Susan as she had given her name as West and her body was described as mangled due to the nature of the fall. At her inquest, questions were raised about the lack of money Susan had travelled with. It was suggested perhaps husband John had not allowed her much money but this was disproved. He said he had never allowed her to ask him for money - because he had always ensured she had plenty so she would never need to ask for it. He had given her £10 as she was going to  visit her sister and he had also received an affectionate letter from Susan while she was staying there. This was supported by others who said Susan had suffered depression because her husband had spent a lot of money on her behalf, despite his reassurances that he did not seek to recoup his investment. John said the Crown was then trading well and they had no ongoing financial difficulties. He would, he said, readily loose a £1,000 pounds if it could bring his wife back to him. Reports of Susan's age range from 33 to 39 at the time of her death. She gave her age as 30 on the 1881 census however. 

This was not unfortunately the last tragedy in the story. Less than 3 years after Susan's death, her husband John was killed in an accident at the Crown. He fell from a ladder while pruning some wall trained fruit trees in the now vanished gardens at the rear of the Hotel. Sadly he could not survive his injuries and died aged 60. The Crown was then put up for sale. 

*It was said at her inquest that Susan had been a widow for about 9 years at the time of her marriage to John Langley. She left a son according to the same report but he is not with her on the 1881 census. 

For a list of landlords of the Crown Inn/Hotel see here and for other related content and other pubs see the Pub Related option on the top drop down menu. Use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu to find every mention of your ancestor here. 

SOURCES

Census 1871, 1881. From the the transcription from microfilm by Charlotte. 

Law Reports Volume 7, Great Britain High Courts of Justice, Queens Bench Division, Council of Law Reporting, 1881. 

The Hotels Of Europe. (Henry Herbert & Co 1876)

 Maidenhead Advertiser 21 June 1876 - copy from the British Library and accessed via the BNA April 2021. 

Bucks Herald 19, 30 June & 11 September 1883, as above.

Reading Mercury 25 December 1875, 11 September 1883, as above

Kelly's  Directory 1883, Kelly's Directories Ltd. 

Post written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

©MarlowAncestors