Charlie Wonder

Before Marlow opened it's own railway station passengers for the town travelled as far as Bourne End or "Marlow Road Station" as it was known and then waited for a connecting horse-drawn omnibus. The driver of this unwieldy contraption was the much loved Charles Burns or "Charlie Wonder" as he was affectionately known as the Omnibus was called the Wonder. It dropped it's passengers three times a day outside the Crown Hotel in Market Square. The roads weren't brilliant and the omnibus rather old so the journey progressed at a pace best described as stately. A few grumpy travellers complained about that but most relished every minute as Charlie regaled them with his stories from a long career as a stagecoach and omnibus driver. Charlie you see was a precious relic of the days of stage coaches and he had seen it all. He clearly had the gift of the gab and as his omnibus passed you on the Marlow road you often heard his passengers roaring with laughter. He treated everyone the same, rich or poor.

At a time when formality in social interaction was the norm everyone nevertheless called him "Charles" or "Charlie". Not only did he get you home but while waiting at the station for the morning train he would help baffled travellers make sense of the railway timetables, which were continually changing and (I've seen them) not exactly user friendly. Grateful for such help, Lavinia Lovelace wrote to the Bucks Free Press in 1864 to praise him while another, Mary Carnegie, said he was not only "sagacious" but had a voice "so mellow and sweet". Mary was less impressed by the management at the Crown saying they failed to notify passengers of changes to their omnibus departure times. She believed this was probably a deliberate ploy to stop passengers from catching the train they didn't want to become a success. This wouldn't make a lot of sense as the train was the main way guests came up from London to the Crown and then from again.

The sweetly voiced, helpful and friendly Charlie was not a Marlow man by birth, but was baptised at Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire in 1811. On one census he indicates a birth in Birmingham (or whoever filled in the census form for that household that night believed him to have been born there) but generally he indicated Wraysbury. 

Charlie's first wife and the mother of his sons George and Owen was Anne (nee Tyler, possibly widow Powell when she married Charlie) as per their birth registrations. The family lived in Cookham. The occupation of Charlie in the 1841 census looks like "house keeper" which seems improbable unless he meant it in the sense of watchman or guardian but perhaps that might be "horse keeper"? Again that's not usual vocabulary. In 1847 Ann passed away.

Charlie first appears on the census in Marlow as a 39 year old widowed stagecoach man with two young sons in Strong Beer Acre, which was off the future Station Road. With the family was a widowed housekeeper Elizabeth Bearfoot or Barefoot. Within a few months Charlie and Elizabeth would marry. The stagecoach Charlie drove was most likely the Lovegrove and Co coach from Marlow to Maidenhead .

By the time of the next census in 1861  Bourne End Station as "Marlow Road" and Charlie had switched to become an omnibus driver as stagecoaches had been rendered obsolete. He lived then with Elizabeth at South Place. In 1871 they were entered on the census at Wycombe Road. 

In 1872 the omnibus overturned after a wheel detached. Charlie was thrown off as was the box passenger but nobody was seriously hurt. 

As well as people Charlie would carry parcels and packages and in one memorable instance a cargo of live swans (strapped on to the top of the omnibus). The swans were being relocated from Marlow where they were thought to be too numerous and a nuisance to anglers there to Bourne End.

The opening of the Marlow station meant that the end of the Bourne End to Marlow omnibus and Charlie's job driving it. The people of Marlow contributed to a fund to help him set himself up with a new living. The idea to buy him a new omnibus and horse which he could use to pick people up from Marlow Station and bring them and their luggage into the town centre (short distance though that was) was reckoned to be the best one. Contributions could be given to, amongst others, Mr Porter the Bourne End station master and Charles Carter the West Street architect and surveyor. Some £90 was collected which would have paid rent on an average house for several years to give you some idea of that sum's value at the time. It was decided to simply hand the cash to Charlie to do with what he will. He took out an ad in the Bucks Free Press to express his thanks to his friends for their kindness.

The owners of the Crown were already planning to run a coach from their hotel to the station so suggested Charlie should drive this, rather than set up another service. This meant that the money raised by Charlie's well-wishers could go directly to him. He welcomed the job but a journey time of less than 5 minutes didn't allow him much opportunity to spin his tales of yesteryear, and it was widely observed that the spark had gone out of him. Within a year he became seriously ill and had to be admitted to Reading Hospital. His faithful passengers again collected money for his aid but sadly on the 11th of June 1874 Charlie died aged of 62.  His estate was wound up by his son Owen who gave a correspondence address of 5 Park Villas, Wycombe Road, Marlow. This may in fact be his father's address as Owen was a live-in servant at Bisham Abbey across the river. He is later specifically described as a "valet de chambre". Now that's posh! His brother George became a steward and then a clerk in London. Elizabeth, the second Mrs Burns, seems to have died in 1880.

Written and research by Charlotte Day.

Much more about the history of stagecoaches in Marlow here and here

©Marlow Ancestors.

England and Wales census 1851, 1861 and 1871 transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte Day. Census information remains Crown copyright.

"England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2D3R-57B : 13 December 2014), Charles Burn, 1851; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1851, quarter 3, vol. 6, p. 407, Windsor, Berkshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1841-UK-Census/Chas-Burn-1811-Out-Of-County/f1697020-e502-4f2f-8e40-55b11793859a/

Bucks Free Press 21st May 1864, 25th April 1873 and 19th June 1874. Bucks Free Press Archives.

Post Office Blues

 This is a brief run down of the post offices in the 1800s and early 1900s in Great Marlow. 

The Regency Post Service 

At the start of 1800 Marlow was looking forward to its first official "cross post" between Marlow and Maidenhead and certain other places in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. A cross post means letters between the two places didn't have to go up to London and then back down to the intended recipient but instead went direct which obviously saved a lot of time. I say the first official cross post because unofficially letters had been taken by carriers and coachman and other commercial travellers. It makes sense for these people to take post but it undercut the post service so was not officially allowed. After the cross post for Marlow actually started in 1801, adverts were placed in the newspapers threatening dire consequences to these unofficial letter carriers if they continued. They faced a £5 fine per letter carried and £100 for every week the practice continued. A very high price to pay. The official letters were left at the post masters who then saw them distributed to the actual recipient. 

From at least the 1820s the Post Master at Marlow was James Field of the High Street. With only one post delivery and dispatch to deal with, posting did not occupy all of James time. The family ran a school, and James also worked as a tailor and insurance agent. Latter people would remember the post office was almost an afterthought, a cramped room with the school room up a somewhat rickety staircase. (You can read more about the Fields school here  and read their wills here). James died in 1849 and it seems his widow continued to be in charge for a little while. 

Early and mid Victoria post office

A common complaint was Marlow didn't get frequent enough deliveries of mail. But in 1848 after much effort, the town secured a second post as the mail coach running between High Wycombe and Maidenhead would now stop at Marlow in both directions. John Moss the High Street iron monger, inventor and agricultural machinery manufacturer was credited for a relentless campaign to secure this benefit. He considered improved postal communication essential for a successful businessman like himself to operate - and compete with those in other better supplier towns. At this point the post office was in West Street with the Tyler family in charge. The premises tended to change when the postmaster did. 

In 1852 the post from Maidenhead arrived at the very precise time of 5.10 am and 2.15pm and left at 10.45am and 8pm. If you wanted to send a letter after that you had to go to a town with a later dispatch and people really did trouble to do so which shows how important the post service was. When I say the post arrived I mean it came by mail cart. Later the train would bring in much post, but it had yet to reach Marlow. Even then letters were still brought by mail cart from Wycombe. The post arrival times were subject to change over the years and so therefore was the time you might get your post delivered at home. 

In 1860 the mail cart contractor between Marlow and Maidenhead, Mr Hall suffered an accident near Pinkneys Green. His horse was startled by shooting in a farmers field, bolted and crashed. The cart was smashed to pieces, mail scattered  and Hall was much injured. In fact a cart wheel was supposed to have passed over his head which if true makes the prognosis that he'd be able to resume work  seems quite miraculous. They did not mention how long the poor man's recovery was expected to take. In 1875 it was announced that the midday mail to Marlow would now arrive by train from Maidenhead rather than cart. No mention is made of a change in transport method for the other delivery yet so either it was already bought by train or there was going to be two ways it came to town.

The next milestone was probably the opening up of telegraphic services at the Great Marlow Post Office from 1870. This meant recruiting more people to deliver the messages. And in 1877 Marlow got it's long awaited third post arrival and dispatch, thanks to the 4.15pm train to Maidenhead. 

In 1880 it was possible to officially use a rival parcel delivery option in Marlow. Sutton & Co promised a cheap service through local agents, and the Marlow one was Banbury's the chemist. The Victorian equivalent of an Evri parcel stop! In the following decade there were still three post deliveries a day to the town, and one on a Sunday. The post boxes were cleared in time to get the post to the station at the right hour. If you realised you'd left it too late to post your letter in the usual way, you could go to the West Street post office and pay an extra fee to have it placed directly in the mail bag, up to around 20 minutes after the official time the bags were made up. After that you'd have to wait until the next dispatch.  In this decade the mail cart contractor was John Creswell who employed others to actually drive it (I think they were mainly bringing post from High Wycombe). Time keeping was taken very seriously and this lead John getting into trouble in 1881. His horse fell and cut its knee. He tried to secure another one in time to take the mail out at the right hour but could not. So unfortunately he decided to allow his driver Charles Shephard to take out the injured horse. This was reported to the police, and so John was bought before the magistrates and given the maximum fine of £5 for cruelty to the horse. 

 Snow drifts and other difficulties 

Everyday difficulties in the town for our Victorian postman included vandalism of the post boxes (the enamel tablets giving the collection times were constantly removed), the occasional theft of mail bags and complaints at the posties spending too much time waiting at the door for someone to answer when not all had letter boxes. Then there was the possibility of the Wycombe mail cart getting stuck in a snow drift as happened in 1893 at Borroughs Grove. The dedicated driver abandoned the cart and bought what mail he could on horseback, but it arrived a day late. 

The 1890s

 At this time our main post office was still in West Street, and John C Butler was postmaster. It opened from 7am-8pm and on Sundays from 7am - 10am for letter or telegraph business. But if you wanted to take advantage of one of the other services offered over the counter, such as buying insurance or a money order, or a licence you had to wait until after 9am and couldn't buy these at all on a Sunday.  By now the post was dispatched from the town 4 times a day, while post arrived three times. The boxes were emptied either 4 or 5 times a day and actual household deliveries were usually twice daily. You could however call at the post office to collect a letter possibly waiting for you if you were really in a hurry to receive it. And it was still possible to pay extra and slip your last minute letter across the counter if you'd just missed the last posting time. The main boxes were described as positioned at Thames Lawn (not the house currently known as Thames Lawn, this one was adjacent to the lock and you will still see a little wall box there in Mill Road), near the parish church, (may be referring to the wall box currently at the church hall but photographs show one at this period in a wall opposite Station Rd on the other side of the High Street), in York Rd (gone), Station Road (gone), and in Chapel Street (gone). 

The distant outpost known as Institute Rd...

In the mid 1890s the increased trade at the Post Office made some in the town question whether we didn't need a bigger and more modern building to host it. It had been slightly enlarged in 1883 to accommodate an increased parcel traffic but this wasn't enough. This issue would rumble on a very very long time. The post authorities agreed the existing building was not only too small for current demand, but "unsanitary". They had secretly planned to find an alternative for several years they claimed. This claim would infuriate post master John Butler. He said he'd constantly complained in private letters to his bosses about how dire the conditions were in West Street. The health of his staff had suffered he said. But he'd been rebuffed as the Post Office said the income at Marlow didn't justify the expense of either finding a bigger premises or making good the old. After two years of threatening to resign as his health was worth more than any lost income, he did so in September 1897. He saw out his 3 months notice and wrote to remind the Post Office that the lease there expired in a few weeks, and he wondered what exactly they planned to do about that. This was all happening behind the scenes. 

 One proposal was to build a purpose built premises in Institute Rd where there were plenty of undeveloped plots available. The Post Office went as far as to draw up a plan of how the building might look but if they hoped the locals would be impressed they were wrong. They said Institute Rd was not central enough, despite running directly off the High Street. If the post office had to move, it should be in the High Street itself they said. A vote at a public meeting in 1894 condemned the Institute Rd site as unsuitable. They said the 30 or so commercial travellers who came to the town each week usually put up at The Crown at the other end of the High Street to Institute Rd and would be inconvenienced by having to walk to the new site. It's slightly baffling that a walk of probably 3 minutes would be considered something that would put off these commercial men from visiting Marlow but the residents of West Street were also unhappy that their convenient branch would be lost to the very slightly further away High Street let alone Institute Rd. (Three times as many people signed a petition for the office to stay in West Street as signed one to move it to the High Street.) One advantage of the new Institute Rd site was considered to be that it would be (slightly) nearer Shaw's boat house and that as a large number of letters and telegrams came their way relating to the hire of boats, it would save some delivery time. But the needs of the locals should come before tourists it was declared. 

There were more public meetings and an unofficial group of local citizens were tasked with finding a possible High Street site that would suit the Post Office but without initial success. Some locals were sceptical that the local committee would make  any progress anyway because they said the gentleman could shortlist any site they liked but it would be no good if the owner didn't wish to sell.  And knowing the town was desperate the owner would probably charge a high price for the building. A deputation even met the Post Master General. He agreed to stay the Institute Rd plan to give time for a more locally supported alternative to be found. The Post Office would be willing to rent somewhere they said, if the rent was reasonable. (They eventually said they'd only be willing to rent an existing building and would not fund a purchase or a new build after all.) An alternative plan to improve the existing West Street premises were considered but this was found to be too difficult and expensive. A proposal to raise a private subscription to pay for a new build in West Street never got off the ground. 

So what would the never to be built Institute Rd alterative have looked like? It would have had a resident for the Marlow post master next to and connected with the main post office building. You'd have entered through a spacious lobby in which all the post office notices would be displayed. Then proceeding through some swing doors, you'd enter the main room 22ft square with polished mahogany counters. Leading off this would be an office for the Marlow post master and a 40ft long 22ft wide sorting office fitted with "swing seats" for the postman. Then there were rooms for the telegraph staff and various other offices and a separate entrance for parcels. Sounds very efficient and much different to the "cribbed, cabined and confined" West Street premises. (Or as a letter writer to a local paper called it, "a miserable excuse for a post office".)

A home at last

The list of potential properties on West Street or the High Street considered as a potential site is indeed long. It included the old malt house and Langston's original boot stores, both in the High Street as well as numerous residential properties. Many of these look no more spacious than the existing post office, and the residents were not usually very receptive to the idea of being turfed out. Someone had the idea that the new stables of New Court that fronted the High Street (next to what's now W H Smith) should be demolished as an eye sore and affront to the town and the post office put up there. 

Finally, after three years of public meetings, protests and indignant letter writing, Cromwell House in the High Street became available, almost opposite old Mr Fields premises.  At first the fact the drawing room was on a different level to the front room was considered to scupper the plan to use this part as a sorting office. But after a little more investigation it was felt the levelling of the two would not cost as much as initially feared. Still it seems the Post Office originally rejected Cromwell House when it first became available. The reminder sent by retiring  Marlow post master John Charlton Butler that the lease on the West Street premises was due to run out in a matter of weeks seems to have panicked them into action. A deputation came to John and asked him if he'd allow the premises to be used for longer under a new post master but he utterly refused. It was against his conscience to allow what he considered a dangerously unhealthy place to continue in use. 

So alterations were made to Cromwell House and a nice new lamp was affixed outside.  John Charlton Butler later revealed that the move there from West Street was done at such speed that it was chaotic and a lot of property had been left behind with him. After a few weeks and more reminders a frustrated John said he'd begun using the left behind papers as fire lighters and would continue! He was very bitter at both his former bosses and members of the town council - "parasites" as he referred to them - who he said were taking credit for getting a new premises. The new post master was John William Langdon. 

Still the Post Office was satisfied. The residents of West Street were not, and successfully petitioned to get a sub post office in their Street which opened in June 1898. This was described as nearly opposite the old one, and in the premises of clothier A E Sutton. (Sutton occupied three different premises in West Street, the last was the former Sycamore House boarding house which he took over in 1901.) I should mention that there was also a sub post office at this time in Station Rd at the corner of Mill Rd in a grocers. It was proposed that if the authorities thought Marlow a little over supplied this could be closed in exchange for allowing the West Street sub to open but it survived. I expect the poor post master general had had more than enough of Great Marlow by then and had no appetite for an avalanche of letters from disgruntled Station Rd residents! 

Edwardian Era  and beyond 

So did the post office live happily ever after? Hmm, some people are never satisfied. A 1904 visitor to the town said Marlow couldn't count as a modern sort of place as its post office closed at 8pm on weekdays and  5pm on Sundays. In Maidenhead you could visit the post office at 9pm he said, and at Wycombe you could still post letters to London at 11.30pm. What they would have thought of our current arrangements? 

The mail cart was still running between Maidenhead and High Wycombe via Marlow to supplement the use of the train at the time of the first world war. In 1911 the cart was struck by lightning at Pinkneys Green. Both horse and man were rendered senseless but amazingly after 30 mins they were recovered enough to continue onwards. The driver did admit to feeling "a bit queer" for sometime afterwards as well he might. 

As for additional sub post offices, the residents of Marefield petitioned for one in their area for many years but it did not open there until June 1939. (In the Dean Street grocery shop of Mr Porter). 

Written by Kathryn Day. Researched by Kathryn Day and Charlotte Day.

Related Posts: 

Victorian Postman Plumridge here (also covers workings of late Victorian post office here)

Will of postmaster James Field 1849 and his wife Sarah 1855 here

Life of the poetic postmaster, radical and friend of Shelley William Tyler -here

For biographies of other post office staff eg postmen/letter carriers see the General History index occupations section here

General posts about Marlow history here 

To find every mention of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There's over 6,000 people listed there. 

SOURCES INCLUDE: 

Kelly's Directory for Buckinghamshire 1852, 1854, 1883, 1889, 1905, 1911, 1920, 1939. (Kelly's Directories Ltd) 

Notice - Changes to Postal Delivery - 1874, 1875, 1877. Thanks to James Purdsey for a view of these. 

Marlow Guide 1903 & 1905

Census, 1841-91 - Transcript from the microfilm made by Jane Pullinger. 

 Berkshire Chronicle 29th April 1848, Gloucester Journal 30th March 1801, South Bucks Free Press 27th October 1860, Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 9th April 1870, Bucks Herald - 17th February 1877, 30th July 1881 & 3rd June 1911, and South Bucks Standard 24th April 1891, 18th & 25th May, 6th July & 31st August 1894, 15th Feb 1895, 6th August 1897, 12th Feb & 24th June 1898, 9th September 1904 - these copies via the BNA. 

Slough, Windsor and Eton Express Oct 31 1885 - Slough Libraries. 

Slater's Commercial Directory 1850

Maidenhead Advertiser 31st March 1880, 22nd November 1883 - Bayliss Media Archive. 

© MarlowAncestors

Poetic Postmaster William Tyler

 William Tyler (born circa 1797) was a fascinating man, poet, political influencer, post master etc- and historic West Street Marlow resident.

His initial day job was that of a property agent specialising in sales and lettings of farms and land but also handling houses. In his spare time however he was a poet. He is said to have known well the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his author wife Mary Shelley who lived elsewhere in West Street for a short period in the 1810s. They probably shared a similar radical outlook. William would often write or speak about his memories of Shelley's residence here and it's a shame more of his anecdotes were not preserved. He had been given the chance to read diaries kept by Mrs Shelley during the families time in Switzerland for example and described it to contain many curious entries and incidents. Furthermore he knew the exact spot that the Revolt of Islam had been composed, on a little island near Medmenham Abbey. He says Shelley had visited that place daily while working on the Revolt, and had sometimes stayed there overnight. It was he said in 1824, now known by few. One obituary of William says he was visited in 1863 by an (unspecified) descendent of Shelley's, much to his delight. 

William's collected book of poetry 'Woodland Echoes' published in 1824 was a love letter to the tranquil beauty of the countryside along this stretch of the Thames. (It also features brief reminisces of Shelley's time in Marlow.) But William was acutely sensitive to the fact that the beauty of the scenery masked a hard reality for many. 1800s elections in Marlow were scarcely ever less than controversial but reached a particular low in the 1820s-40s for corruption and underhand dealings. In 1827 successful anti-reform M.P Owen Williams evicted scores of his tenants for daring to vote for his liberal opponent in the previous year's election. William Tyler (who also acted as a political agent for Owen Williams rival Clayton)  lead the public outrage at this act, writing to newspapers and others to quash William's allegations that they were all in rent arrears. As a property agent he could have seen a lot of homeless residents and business owners as a money making opportunity for himself and those he represented but instead he tried unsuccessfully to get the evictions reversed. The victims held on for four months by simply refusing to leave but were then ejected. 

He and local surgeon John Goodman organised a petition to Parliament for secret ballots to be brought in for elections and for an update on the Bribery Act to crack down on dirty elections. The Whig M.P for the county town of Aylesbury Lord Nugent was an early ally for them and retained Tyler's public support for years. William himself originated from a dissenting family in the Aylesbury area.

Col William Clayton, who hoped to represent Marlow as a Liberal candidate rehoused all the voters who had been evicted. He was eventually elected as M.P for Marlow in 1832. 

William Tyler acted as a property agent for some Clayton owned homes then. His ads for those properties which he had the job of letting often spoke of the beauty of the local scenery which had inspired his poetry or the health of Marlow's riverside location.

William continued to speak out on political matters both locally and in London. He strongly supported the end to discrimination against Catholics and Dissenting Christians, who because of the Test Acts were barred from various kinds of public office (Marlow in general was not in favour of Catholic emancipation). William also argued in favour of Irish independence, saying that he was embarrassed as an Englishman every time he accepted the warm hospitality of an Irish family.

In 1842 he found himself in hot water as a result of Clayton's dubious electioneering practices at the last vote, that is Clayton claiming some of his supporters who were also his tenants occupied more property than they really did in order to qualify them for a vote. As his "man of business" in Marlow William cannot of been unaware of what was happening in general and was openly accused of abetting voter fraud in the case of Zachariah Blick. Mr Blick was a Clayton supporter who wanted to register to vote in Marlow on the grounds of occupying sufficient property. The opposition objected saying Zachariah wasn't wealthy enough. He had even received poor relief (which would have debarred him from voting). William Tyler stood accused of tearing out a page in the local Union's record book that recorded this relief. He said he had not done so himself though a relieving officer had torn it out and given it to him in case he needed it for his own records. It isn't easy to say why William would ever need a record of someone else's poor relief. There was a feeling similar antics had occurred previously as regards another Clayton supporter William Plumridge. Had William Tyler grown weary of fighting for political integrity? Did it become a case of "If you can't beat them, join them"? It is important to say that many of the local papers reporting the case were strongly Conservative and biased against any Liberals in their reporting. 

William does not seem to have faced any charges in relation to the 1842 election. Indeed he was clearly still held in high esteem and trust in Marlow as when the role of Post Master for the town fell vacant in 1849 and there was no immediate applicant to take it on, William Tyler was nominated for it and accepted. This meant moving across West Street to new premises as in those days Post Masters lived in the Post Office. Mail came by waggon from Maidenhead twice a day, the first one arriving at ten past 5 in the morning. Letters were also sent to Maidenhead for onward distribution twice a day. Though William would have been very busy with the postal service he still acted as a property agent. His wife Ann worked as a milliner in the Post Office building, as did her mother Elizabeth Rose and sister Charlotte Rose who lived with the Tylers.

William continued to assist Liberal voters to register to vote in Marlow so he wasn't put off politics.

He was an early member of the town's Literary and Scientific Institute. He gave frequent lectures for the Institute on the subjects of art and history, illustrated by his own collection of antique prints, as well as on literature until poor health curtailed his appearances. His last known lecture was in the Sunday School building of William's church the Salem Chapel in Quoiting Square, which was where he himself worshipped. The lecture was on the theme "Knowledge Is Power" in 1856. The Windsor and Eton Express reporting the lecture said a large audience had been delighted by the talk and that William had spoken without notes for 90 minutes. It also called him a much respected Marlow resident. 

The theme of William's lecture was close to his heart. He was one of the biggest supporters of the town's British School which provided non-denominational education. Unusually for the time, music and recreation were seen as key to the children's development and a regime of kind encouragement for the mostly poor children to learn and truly understand their studied subjects was preferred over learning by rote.

William and his wife Ann may not have had any children of their own. She died in 1856 age 59 - see her grave here He followed in 1863, by which time he'd been forced by general ill health and an attack of paralysis to resign as post master. William passed away in Reading but was buried close to his wife at Marlow. 

Written and Researched by Charlotte Day. Additional research by Kathryn Day. 

Additional Notes and links:

William witnessed the will of Elizabeth Heine [could be Haine] of Great Marlow 1851.

 William was the brother of Clayton supporter  Joseph Tyler a linen draper and then publican at the Clayton Arms Quoiting Square. Joseph's wife Elizabeth features in another biography post on this blog. It is available here. More on Joseph in future. Biographies of other individuals are indexed here

More about the British Schools here

More posts about historic West Street (or any other street) residents can be found indexed here.

Another Shelley friend in Marlow. - the Maddocks see here

©Marlow Ancestors.

Sources:

Bucks Chronicle 1827 4th August. British Library Archives. 

Berkshire Chronicle 29th October and 19th November 1842. As above.

Bucks Advertiser. 2nd February 1856. As above.

Oxford Gazette June 10th 1843. As Above.

Windsor and Eton Express, November 13th 1824, February 2nd 1856. As above.

History Of Parliament Online. https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/great-marlow

Slater, Isaac. Slater's, late Pigot & co., Royal National and Commercial Directory and Topography of the counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire. United Kingdom, n.p, 1852.

Post office directory of Berkshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, with Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Huntingdonshire.  United Kingdom, n.p, 1847.

Woodland Echoes - Tyler, William (Wetton of Fleet Street, 1824)

1841 and 51 census Great Marlow as transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger.

South Bucks Free Press 28th August 1863

Servants at Remnantz 1871

 On the 1871 census 62 year old Anne Wethered had 8 other members of her family living with her at Remnantz and 9 live in servants.

The head gardener had his own cottage so isn't included in the household. Under gardeners likely came in on a daily basis. There are no grooms listed. There were rooms above the stables, which if occupied by any such might have constituted a different household to the census taker or perhaps any grooms employed did not live in.  The only male servant censused at Remnantz other than the butler was 18 year old William Saunder Brook. He might have taken on a groom's role amongst other household duties. He is simply listed as "general servant." By the time of the next census William had married an Elizabeth and become a French polisher. He was recorded as having been born in nearby Hurley, Berkshire, which indeed he was.

The only servant censused as born in Great Marlow itself was 19 year old general servant Mary E Maine, who I struggled to find any later trace of.

Coming from the furthest distance away was Aberdeen born general servant 50 year old Elizabeth Polson.

Elizabeth appeared on the next census on the Isle of Wight with her widowed niece before returning to West Street Marlow on the 1891 census. In both instances she lived on her own income/ annuities so somebody left her something or gave her a pension or she made some good investments herself.

One of the two domestic nurses in the household, Louise Davis, was said to have been born in Dieppe, France. French nurses were a fashion for a time. 

The other domestic nurse present was Elizabeth Coombes, a 22 year old Oxfordshire girl. There were 3 grandchildren in Anne Wethered's household ranging in age from a baby less than a year old up to a 10 year old. The term domestic nurse on a census isn't always easy to interpret. Both nurses may have been nursemaids caring for the children, or one may have been providing care for an infirm or unwell household member. On the 1881 census Anne Wethered's married daughter Sophia Fenwick* had Remnantz and still employed a live in "domestic nurse" despite there being no children in the household. 

Elizabeth Coombes returned to Oxfordshire. Never marrying, she was eventually a housekeeper.

The only two 1871 servants still at Remnantz in 1881 were Mary Tyler aged 64 in 1871 and Caroline Bridgeman whose age varies a lot between censuses. Both had been working there 1861 too when Anne Wethered still had her husband Owen with her (he died the next year). Mary Tyler was said to be a nurse 1861, general servant 1871 and a nurse and housekeeper 1881. Caroline went from housemaid to general servant to upper housemaid across the censuses.

The most senior servant censused 1871 was the butler Alfred Crockford from Chertsey in Surrey, born 1836. He was on the 1851 census as a page boy, perfect butler training! After Remnantz he could be found living in Holborn London working as a meat carver. The precise and neat carving of meat would be a requirement of a butler so his old skills were still being put to use. Alfred married in middle age, his wife Emily.

The final servant to be mentioned 1871 is another general servant Mary A Turner originally from Norfolk but whose family moved to near Sandhurst, Berkshire when she was a little girl.

Remnantz Related Posts: 

Biography of Stephen Remnant, early occupier here

Life for the young cadets at the military college- here

Photos of items once dug up at Remnantz and adjacent properties -here

Use for a cricket match here

The barge that came over the wall (!) here

*Sophia Fenwick nee Wethered had married Lieut Col Percival Fenwick in 1861. Her father was Owen Wethered. 

Sources:

Census:

Great Marlow censuses my transcription from microfilm.

GRO Death Index.

Hurley parish registers.

Great Marlow Parish Registers, my old transcription from the original.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this material for family or local history research purposes providing you credit this blog and link here to make sure my sources remain credited for information provided.

Elizabeth Lee / Tyler of Great Marlow - Clayton Arms

Elizabeth was born circa 1795. By 1817 she had married Marlow baker William Lee of Chapel Street and was mother to a daughter Rose Ann, known usually as simply Ann. 

I have not located the marriage of Elizabeth and William. He was baptised into a nonconformist Christian family which may explain that. I believe the couple worshipped at the Salem Chapel, Quoiting Square now known as Christ Church.

According to an obituary for Rose Ann, her father William Lee was hung in Aylesbury Gaol for forgery, one of the last to suffer this punishment for the crime. This must have been traumatic and embarrassing for Elizabeth. I believe the offence was actually fraud.

By the time of the 1841 census she had remarried Joseph Tyler and they were running the Clayton Arms pub in Quoiting Square. Joseph was there personally, with or without Elizabeth, by 1838. He was the first landlord of Clayton Arms, which was owned by the Clayton family. 

Prior to this pub job Joseph had been a linen draper, at first in Watlington, then by working with John Meadows in the High Street, before striking out on his own with a business in Quoiting Square (probably next door to the Clayton Arms). He gave up the latter and sold it in 1830.

Joseph had a reputation for providing excellent dinners at the pub - or was that really Elizabeth's doing?

On the 1841 census Elizabeth had her daughter Ann with her. The girl would go on to marry Henry Moss. On the 1851 census Ann and Henry were living with Elizabeth who by then was a widow and running the pub alone.

The licence was transferred to someone else in 1858 following her death.

For more posts like this see the listing Biographies Of Individuals and Pub Related Index.

For more Quoiting Square (formerly Quoiting Place) content see this index

All mentions of a person on this blog can be found on the Person Index.

Sources:

Newspaper copies held at the British Library and accessed by me October 2020 via the BNA- South Bucks Standard May 17th 1895 [Rose Ann's obituary], Reading Mercury 15th March 1830 [Joseph Tyler information].

GRO death index online.

1841 and 51 censuses transcribed by me from microfilm images of census pages.

Buckinghamshire Baptism Index, baptism of William Lee. Find My Past. Accessed October 12th 2020.

© MarlowAncestors 

Part 2 1820s Marlow Trade Directory

After exhaustive trawling of wills, property records, court cases, adverts etc I have put together a trade directory for Marlow in the 1820s. It will never be complete, especially for women who make less of a mark in surviving records, but it may be interesting to you anyway. For some of those listed the exact premises are known, and some of the traders have dedicated posts about them already on the blog. See the A-Z Person Index for any mention however small of any particular person or Biographies of Individuals for full length dedicated posts only.

This is ongoing work. I have lots more names to add.

Part one contained occupations Auctioneers to Insurance Agents alphabetically and is available here

Can't find your ancestor? Look at my 1820s Street Directory of Marlow. This lists for every street not just those with a known trade but anyone we have found as a tenant of land or property there but for whom no known trade has been identified.

Ironmongers

John Henry Badger. 1822+ High Street.

Lydia Lane, West Street. To death 1844. More on Lydia here.

Lace Makers

Samuel Washbourn (business owner). Probably Chapel Street, was later.

Lace Merchants

John Glover. Dean Street. 1822

Henry Lovegrove. West Street. From pre 1820s. In 1822 Henry was injured when his gig was run into by the Greenwich stage coach. He received £10 compensation for his injuries and the damage to his vehicle.  

Lawyers / Solicitors

Henry Allnutt. Died 1821. Keen amateur gardener whose detailed notebooks of his success and failures in his Marlow kitchen garden were used by grandson Henry to produce "A system for Cropping a Kitchen Garden" published 1867. 

Henry Goldsmith. Chapel Street. 1823. Started as clerk to Robert Goldsmith, in Marlow.

Ralph Spicer 1826 to after 1820s. Biographical post on him here.

Mr Wright. Pre 1820s. High Street 1822-29. Probably John.

Liquor Merchants

Charles Wethered. 1820+. High Street. Earlier described as a malster.

Malsters

Samuel Barnes. St Peter's Street.

James House. Medmenham.

Thomas Webb.

Millwrights

Charles Moss. 1828.

Papermakers

John Dell. Will proved 1821.

John Jacques.

Francis Pepper. From pre 1820s.

Joseph Wright. From pre 1820s.

Pawnbrokers

James Clark from at least 1806 to at least 1823.

Daniel Humphries 1821. Will written 1826. Also a substantial landlord. Market Place. Someone tried to sell him a stolen velveteen waistcoat in 1822.

Plumbers

Mr Cox. Market Square. 1826.

George Goldsmith. Dean Street. 1823.  In business to at least 1836 but not necessarily in Dean Street. 2. George Wilmer Goldsmith, plumber and glazier, died July 1834.  

John Rance Lovegrove. West Street. Also glazier. Pre 1820+. Died 1827. Will proved 1828. First wife was Susanna. Second was Henrietta. Third wife Harriet (all as per will). Business left to his son James Thomas Lovegrove who worked with him by 1823. John witnessed the will of fellow West Street resident William Sawyer. See  here. Will summary of John's daughter Mary is available here

Joshua Phillips. Little Marlow. Also Publican etc. See here

Postmaster 

James Field, also insurance agent. Also teacher, see schools below. Will here

"Publicans", Innkeepers, beer sellers etc - for more on all these pubs and publicans see our Pub Related Index of posts here NB publican as job description was not in common use at this time, it is included to aid modern readers. 

Thomas Archer. White Hart number 2 (Spittal Square) see Mary Fletcher below. 1823 to post 1820s. 

James Biddle. Unknown premises. 1826.

Thomas Bowen. Red Lion. 1823 to post 1820s.

William Bowles. Greyhound Inn. 1825. Greyhound landlord listing - here

William Bowles. Six Bells. 1823-24. Probably same as above.

Richard Clark. Jolly Maltsters. Dean Street. More here The name Clark has a very long pub / innkeeping heritage in Marlow. Later at Rose and Crown Dean Street.

William Clark. The Ship. West Street. 1823-24. Wife Ann.

Robert Collins. Victualler. Will 1826. Premises unknown.

William Cresswell. 1823 to post 1820s. Complete Angler/ The Angler(s), Angler Inn. Read more on him here

George Davis. The Chequers.High Street.

George Phelps Dell. Barge Pole, to into the 1830s. See the grave of him and some others of his family here

Mary Fletcher. White Hart number one (Chapel Street). To post 1820s. There were two White Hart pubs at the same time.

Richard Furnell. Upper Crown. Died on premises of a fit of apoplexy 1820.

John Green - at the Three Horseshoes, Burroughs Grove. 1826. More on him.and his family 

William Harding. Throughout period. Turks Head. High Street.  Also shoemaker.

George Hawkins. Two Brewers 1823. Wife Mary. This may be a mistake for John.

John Hawkins. Two Brewers. Died 1826. Wife Mary then ran.

Mary Hawkins (nee Hewett). Widow of John above. Two Brewers. 1826+. 

William Hoare. Three Horseshoes Gun Lane. 1823+

William Lloyd. The Roebuck, Causeway. 1823+ A man of the same name was a butcher. Probably not the same man though many beer sellers had other occupations at the same time.

Robert Mossenton. Greyhound Inn. Started 1819. Left 1825. Also a horse dealer. Went Uxbridge. Coach from his premises to and from London Piccadilly via Maidenhead. Only a five hour trip each way! For more than on this and other stagecoach services, see here

Joshua Phillips. Kings Arms, Little Marlow. See here.

John Pierce / Pearse. Coach and Horses. West Street. 1823+ There was another man who was a butcher with this name in town at the same time.

Richard Ruddle.1829. Was a few years later at the Hare and Hounds and was most likely already there in 1829 too. Earlier in the 1820s was described as a tallow Chandler.

William Sparkes. Black Boy.

Richard Westbrook. Upper Crown. 1823-24. Mr Westbrook 1826.

Robert White. The Swan. 1823.

Thomas Wyatt. Horns Inn. 1823 to post 1820s. Much more about him and his family here 

Rope Makers

Richard Gibbons. From at least 1822. Also Hemp and Flax Merchant. In the 1840s Gibbons of Marlow provided ropes for ringing the church bells at Hambledon on several occasions. Lived St Peter's Street. Also brewer etc 

John Muspratt. 1819+. Labourer rope spinner.

Saddlers 

Hackshaw and Son. (And harness makers) Thomas and John. Partnership dissolved 1821 (insolvent) West Street. Thomas provided ropes for ringing the bells of Hambledon church 13 times between 1803 - 1839. He may be the parish constable mentioned here. John was again insolvent 1823. See under harness makers for more on him.

Sawyers

Robert Rose. 1828+

Shoemakers - see Bootmakers and Cordwainers. 

School Teacher's see the Education section on the General Marlow History menu here for more on these schools and teachers.

Misses Bond. West Street. Perhaps Mary Ann and Elizabeth who were apprentice teachers early in the 1800s to Sophia Tylecote at Albion House set up their own school later.

George Cole. Day School for boys Chapel Street. 1812 to post 1820s.

William Faulkner. Great Marlow School at Prospect House. 1826 to post 1820s.

William Francis. Borlase.

James Field. High Street. Also post master. To post 1820s.

Misses Field. West Street. To post 1820s. Probably Matilda and her sister.

Mary Garland Lovegrove. 1829+. West Street. Day and boarding g school for girls. Her will on the blog and more on her here.

Misses Rolls. Brampton House. High Street. 1823 to post 1820s.

Henry Terry. Prospect House. 1823-26.

Servants (selected)

William Hackshaw. 1822.

Skewer Makers -more on this trade in Marlow here

Mr Robinson. 1829. (Business owner)

Mr Todd. 1829.

Stone Masons

Theophilus Clifford, High Street 1823 to post 1820s. Post on him here

Surgeons

Robert Colbourne. Started in town in 1823. Also apothecary. To post 1820s.

John Creighton. 1828. 

Henry Riggs Goodman.  1825-27 at least. By 1831 he was living in Portland Place Islington and was the Surgeon for an orphanage. Looks to have emigrated to Canada with his second wife shortly afterwards.

John Goodman, High Street 1823,24.

William Hickman. Pre 1820s to post 1820s. See here for more on him.

John Shaw. From pre 1820s. Will proved 1823. Also apothecary. High Street. See his grave and will summary here. Robert Colbourne takes over his practice. 

Robert Colbourne : see Shaw above. 

Tailors

James Allum. 1821.

William Allum. Through period to at least 1840s. High Street. A Mr Allum senior tailor died 1830. Perhaps a father to William?

Henry Clark, West Street 1823

Samuel Clark. West Street. To post 1820s.

Joseph Grey. 1824+. In High Street 1830s, may already have been.

William Massey. 1820.

Tallow Chandlers

John Gibbons. See Grocers above, same man. 

Mary Horniman. West Street. 1825.

Richard Ruddle. 1823. By 1829 was a publican at unknown premises and by 1833 ran the Hare and Hounds pub. 

Thatchers

William Higgins. Died 1829. Well End near Little Marlow. 

Tinplate Workers

William Harper. West Street. 1823.

Turners

George Ball. 1828.

James Ball. 1826.

George Bavin. 1825. Brother of William below.

William Bavin. Chair maker and publican later. See here

Henry Hawes. 1823+

James Pusey. To 1822.

Watchmakers

Mr Costar. Chapel Street. 1829. May be same as below.

John Coster. Chapel Street. 1821

Edward Jackson. West Street. Pre 1820s to 1823.

Wheelwrights

George Butler. 1820.

James Cox. 1826+ Probably working for Thomas below.

Thomas Cox. Oxford Road / Quoiting Square. To post 1820s.

Stephen East. 1823 to post 1820s. Was later in Spittal Street running the Wheelwrights Arms pub too.

John Green. Chapel Street.

Wine Merchants

Charles Wethered. High Street.  Earlier described as malster.

Wire Manufacturers

John Washbourn. Bankrupt 1822.

Wood Cutters

Francis Friar. 1827.

Related Posts:

Recreated 1600s trade directory Part One

Recreated 1700s trade directory here

Index of posts related to specific shops and businesses here

Call the Apothecary! here

 

To find every mention of a family or individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

By Charlotte Day. Additional research Kathryn Day. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse this material for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

The Other Royal Celebrations In Marlow

We have posts due on events such as the Golden and Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Queen Victoria's reign, but this entry is about how the town celebrated (or not) some of the other events in Queen Victoria's life. 

If your ancestor lived in Marlow in June 1838, then it is very likely they at least heard celebrations of the Queen's coronation because it appears to have been a very noisy event. Victoria had succeeded to the throne in June 1837 so the residents of Marlow had plenty of time to consider how to mark the occasion. The reports vary widely with rival political groups accusing the other of doing little, which is reflected in the accounts published in local newspapers. The Windsor and Eton Express said that the church bells were rung on Coronation day and that the shops were closed. Others said this was a lie, and only the Tory supporters in town would be content to do so little. The Bucks Gazette said liberal tradespeople took on the task with enthusiasm as did the Clayton family at Harleyford. The Clayton's Conservative political rivals, the Williams of Temple House, who included the Marlow M.P, were accused of not organising anything grand. So the reports have to be filtered with the understanding of the political bias of the reporter. One thing all can agree on is that many fireworks were let off, some guns, and a few cannons. The last were courtesy of Harleyford where the din of artillery was said to have been kept up all day. After 41 discharges of cannon, even the most devoted royalist in the neighbourhood must have been happy a new Queen was not crowned everyday!

 Amongst the criticism levelled at MP Thomas Peers Williams and his supporters such as the Wethered family of the Brewery, was that they had not as wealthier citizens put their hand in their pockets to subsidise any celebrations for the poorer classes. It seems they had been expected to pay the bell ringers for their services, but had not offered to do so so the money had to come out of the Church rates fund. It was also hoped a subscription would have been raised to provide some relief to the poor.  The Bucks Gazette went further and said those who put on events publicly had "resisted the will of the domineering tyrant in the town." (Williams) This may be a little unfair, as while Williams was a controversial politician who was accused of evicting those of his tenants who did not vote for him, his family did entertain members of the Royal Family at Temple House in latter years and so was not exactly anti royal. It seems the feeling was that big occasions meant those who acted in power in the town should play their part and help those with little money to celebrate. Failure to do so was regarded as "selfish". 

Those who did include the less well off were Joseph Tyler of the Clayton Arms in Oxford Lane/Quoiting Place. Joseph entertained more than 100 to dinner - an "elegant repast". And Messrs Wright of Marlow Mills gave a hot beef dinner with ale and punch to 100 or so staff and their family members. This dinner included plum pudding which might seem unseasonal to our eyes but it's a regular feature of many Victorian celebration dinners in Marlow and elsewhere whatever the time of year. 

Moving on to 1840, when Queen Victoria was married to Albert. On this occasion the liberal papers again accused the conservative interests of failure to mark the occasion properly. The celebrations were described as "very limited". But Harleyford House bought out their "artillery" again. (41 discharges of cannon). The bells were of course rang and guns fired. The reliably generous and kind Benjamin Atkinson of The Rookery entertained all his staff to a meal along as did a few unnamed tradesmen working on a smaller scale. But the "most influential  inhabitants of the town who owe all this wealth and influence to the lower ranks of society did very little."

In 1858, the Queen's eldest daughter, Victoria the Princess Royal was married in turn to Prince Frederick of Prussia. Mr Borgnis and Mr William Ward decided to treat the boys of the Blue Coat school (now Borlase) to something to mark the event. Their choice would probably not get distributed today, given that it consisted of cake - and wine! Those attending the National schools recieved some tasty buns while the pupils of the British Schools were given a full tea, presumably without alcoholic beverages. 

The Queen's birthday was usually marked in a small way. Prayers for her continued health were a standard in the local churches. The church bells were rang, and some shops and homes were decorated with bunting. This is more often recorded in the later part of the reign. The local Oddfellows lodge (friendly society) held a church parade (that is a parade to the parish church in full regalia for a  special service) on several occasions in the 1880s in honour of Her Majesty's birthday. In 1887, they were lead by the town band and they followed this with a public dinner for 100 people at The Greyhound.

Various members of the Royals visited the big houses in the area such as Temple, Gyldernscroft and Harleyford. Some of these visits were "under the radar" but others very much the opposite. When the prince and princess of Wales passed through Marlow in a steam launch, on their way to visit the Williams at Temple House, they were expected. Their arrival was somewhat inconveniently timed to occur during the Regatta. They were late, but they did indeed arrive in the end and were greeted with a royal salute. 

The last event other than the Jubilees to mark was of course the death of the Queen. The first notification of any significant news usually came courtesy of a telegram to the post office which would then be displayed either inside or out for all to see. (Less seriously the match reports of Marlow Football Club when playing away also arrived this way.) A week before the Queen's death, a telegram bought news the Queen was seriously ill. Special prayers were said in the various churches and chapels the following day, in the hope of a recovery. Public events due to take place in the next few days were cancelled as a gesture of respect - dramatic performances in the Music Room and a football match. But on 22 January 1901, the news was recieved by telegram late in the day that the Queen had died at Osbourne House, surrounded by her family. It was immediately ordered that the bells should toll in the church. This sound was said to be what made many Marlow residents realise that the rumour about the Queen's death were true. 

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

Related posts:

Coronation Celebrations 1902 here

Jubilee 1887 Here

Storm disruption during 1897 jubilee Little Marlow here

Royal furniture makers the Mealings here

Other posts about everyday life in old Marlow here

To find every mention of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. 

Sources:

Goodrich, Samuel Griswold. Peter Parley's visit to London during the Coronation (Library of Alexandria, 1838)

McCarthy, John - A History Of Our Own Times, 1871. 

Wilson, Robert. Life and Times of Queen Victoria (Cassell and Company, 1891) 

Bucks Gazette 14 July 1838, 22 February 1840 - British Library Archive, accessed via the BNA. 

Reading Mercury 30 January 1858, 31 May 1890, 26 January 1901 - As above

Bucks Herald 13 July 1878, as above. 

Windsor and Eton Express 30 June 1838. As above. 

Slough Eton and Windsor Observer May 28 1887, Slough Library. 

©Marlow Ancestors

Wills of James Field and Sarah Field of Great Marlow

James Field, will proved 1849. (Age 74) 

Postmaster.

After all debts and funeral expenses paid everything to his dear wife Sarah. She sole executor.

Witnessed by Robert Footitt, druggist of Great Marlow and Henry Salmon, ironworker [he also was of Marlow. Ironmongers shop in High Street].

Sarah Field, will proved 1855.

Says she of sound mind.

£100 each to nephew William James Caffall, niece Sarah Ann Caffall and niece Ellen Crake. [I believe Sarah Ann Caffall was née Crake].

£5 each for the purchase of mourning to Robert, Ellen, Henry and Anne Caffall. The relationship Sarah had to them is not given.

Rest of property to nephew William Crake who is the executor of the will.

Witnessed by Robert Colbourne, surgeon and James Low [two Marlow men].

For some reason Robert Colbourne was asked when it came to the probate court to give an affidavit that the signature on the will was Sarah's. He said he witnessed the signature. 

Notes:

James was 74 years old when he died. The Reading Mercury reported 12th May 1849 [accessed November 2020 from the British Newspaper Archive. Original copy held by the British Library] how the shops in Marlow closed for the day as a mark of respect on the day of his funeral. The postmaster general was an important person in town. James who had been postmaster since at least 1829 was replaced by William Tyler. James was also a tailor and ran a school on his premised so he was a busy man!

The post office premises were in the High Street in Field's day. James and Sarah lived on site. Robert Footitt's chemist shop was then on the other side of the road. 

Read more about Marlow post services in the Fields day - here and their school here

I transcribed these wills which I obtained from the National Archives and then summarized them here. 

All mentions of an individual on this blog can be found on the Person Index.

More wills can be found under the Will Transcriptions option on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use these summaries for family and local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Will Summary Elizabeth Ollis 1830

 Elizabeth Ollis. Will proved 1830. 

Note: Elizabeth was landlady of the Three Tuns Inn in West Street, having taken over from her deceased husband who died in 1808. She was nee Spicer. James Crease of Marlow left her £50 in his will proved 1804. Their relationship is unknown.

Elizabeth says she on good health and has a sound mind.

Confirms will of her husband Thomas, asking her executors to follow the instructions therein as to what should happen after her decease to property left to her for the term of her life.

After that has happened and her debts and funeral expenses have been paid all her property is to be sold off. The money raised to go to her 3 sisters: Ann Beaver the wife of Thomas, Susan Muspratt who is a widow and Dinah Spicer who is single. If any sister dies before they get their legacy their children to get their share. If sister Dinah marries only children born to her, not stepchildren already belonging to the man she marries are to be included in this.

Executors Mr John Morris of Great Marlow, draper [High Street premises, more on him and his family here] and Mr John Muspratt of Great Marlow.

Elizabeth made a mark rather than sign the will.

Witnessed by John Allnutt and Joseph Tyler of Great Marlow [Joseph was a fellow West Street resident].

Will of Thomas Ollis here

Historic list of Three Tuns landlords here

To find other wills see under Will Transcriptions on the menu. Use the Person Index for all mentions of someone on this blog and Pub Related for more posts related to that industry in Marlow history.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse my will transcription  summary and notes if you credit this blog.

The will is at the National Archives Kew if you want to read it .

Tyler Grave, All Saints, Great Marlow

 Ann, wife of William Tyler

D. Feb 10 1856 age 59 years. 

Ann lived in West Street. Her husband was a postmaster, poet and friend of Shelley  - read more about them here

When William Tyler died in 1863 in Reading he was bought back to Marlow to be buried next to his wife. "Next to" can mean in the same grave or quite close but not really adjacent in our experience but he may have been memorialised in the crumbled away portion of this headstone. 

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction welcome with credit.

Landlords and History Black Lion Well End

Landlords found from court cases, wills, adverts, census etc.

This pub was routinely used to hold coroner's inquest and auctions of  both goods and real estate. The earliest mention I have of it is in 1839 but this doesn't give a landlord name. The pub is a much older building so I hope eventually to find some names for earlier landlords.

1841-43 William Suthery /Suthury

1843 -63 George Tyler "late of Box, in the county of Oxford.". In 1844 Robert Lunnon of Well End was fined and bound over to keep the peace for a year for breaking a window of the pub and damaging the pub sign by shooting at them not to mention threatening to shoot Mrs Tyler, George's wife. Presumably this was Sarah who is on 1851 census. Perpetrator was apparently known for his drunken antics which left him "very violent"*. George was also one of the parish poor rate collectors for Little Marlow and Well End which could have led to tensions with some. Robert however was said in court to be comfortably off, in receipt of an income paid by the executors of an unnamed individual  who had desired the money to be dished out gradually so he wouldn't spend it too easily! George Tyler had been assaulted by another customer in 1843. You had to be tough to be a Victorian landlord!

1863 William Nutt, must have been briefly.

1863- 80 Stephen Nutt

Above, the grave of Stephen and Sophia Nutt in Little Marlow Church yard. Stephen died Sept 16 1880 age 65, Sophia "his beloved wife" died January 15 1887 age 62. 

1880-87 Sophia Nutt taking over from her dead husband Stephen Nutt. Pet canary stolen from her premises 1882.

1887 Edwin Alma Bruce for few weeks only, caretaker publican following the death of Sophia Nutt.

1887-89 Robert Way. 

1889-96 Thomas Henry Jeffreys. 1891 census publican and gardener. Thomas suffered a serious assault in 1896 and is on the 1901 census as a gardener only. In 1895 customer Arthur Hughes was fined for assaulting another customer after a hypothetical argument as to whether it was acceptable to shoot a dog that strayed into your garden got out of hand. Arthur said he would do it, fellow drinker William Green said if any man turned a gun on his dog he would shoot that man. I'm with you, William.

1899-11 George Benjamin Hughes. Wife Sarah.

1914 Edward Walker, J Gilby at different times (holdovers) 

1915 George Benjamin Hughes (see also the Carrier's Arms)

1920 George Benjamin Hughes.

1927- Charles James Gregory 

1927-29 Mr and Mrs Sidney James Benning or Bennell who had come from Southsea. Took over from Mr Gregory. Mrs Benning /Bennell 's father retired naval lieutenant Alfred Edward Parnall lived with them. He died at the pub aged 71 in 1929.

1932 Edward Henry Lloyd transferred licence to Albert Ernest Holder**. Albert is perhaps the same man who was earlier at the Bricklayers Arms, Marlow.

1933 Louisa Holder (could be a widow of Albert above perhaps) transferred license to Charles Hawkes Todd.

1936 A.W Brinkman.

1941 Arthur Thomas Granville.

GAPS IN DATES REPRESENT GAPS IN MY KNOWLEDGE. SOME OF THE ABOVE LANDLORDS WILL HAVE BEEN IN THE PREMISES LONGER THAN STATED.

*Windsor and Eton Express 27th April 1844, via the BNA/ British Library Archives.

** Bucks Free Press October 21st 1932 via the Bucks Free Press Archives.

Written and researched by Charlotte Day.

Use the Person Index option on the top drop down menu to search for a particular person. There is also a Pub Related option on that menu. For more Well End and Little Marlow content in general see Nearby Places on the menu. New content uploaded weekly.

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

Clayton Arms - Landlords and history

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

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

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

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

1847 - Jos. Tyler.

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

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

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

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

1877 - Robert Hall.

1878 - George Heslett.

1879 - George Heslett transferred premises to William Clifford

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

1892 - 1.) William Clifford

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

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

1898 Mr Cross to F Lester.

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

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

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

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

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

1920 - 26 Walter Sadgrove. See grave image below.

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

1929 - Mr E White transferred to A H Wilder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Complied by Kathryn Day and Charlotte Day.

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

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

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

Landlord listings for other Quoiting Square premises can be found here

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

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

SOURCES

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

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

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

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

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory

Robson's Directory 1839

Census 1871, 1881. Transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte.

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907, 1915. 

Marlow Guide 1903. 

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