Graces of Marlow (some distressing content) *Updated September 2024*

Whilst wading through my mountains of research on Great Marlow people I noticed that I had picked up quite a lot of information about those of the last name Grace so I have gathered a selection of it  here:

George and Sarah:

George poss bapt 1765 Marlow to parents George and Jane however there are two contemporary Georges and only one baptism between them. Married Sarah Nibbs [this name also Knibbs in local records] 1785 Marlow. Sarah buried 1820 age 68.

George and Mary

George son of above George and Sarah. Baptised 1790 Marlow. Wife Mary buried 1840. George on 1833 parochial assessment and on 1841, 51, 61 census Gun Lane [now called Trinity Road]. On 1833 assessment his home was a cottage and garden worth £3 10 shillings a year. This would be very small, though there were slightly smaller cottages in Gun Lane. George on 1851 census is bricklayer's labourer 

Children:

Richard 1.) bapt 1811. Died 1814. 

2.) bapt 1815. Wife Mary Ann. Lived St Peter's Street 1851. Richard in 1861 summoned for failing to contribute to the maintenance of his children who have been sent to Reformatory Schools. Children not named in case. Road labourer for the parish 1881 when he lived St Peter's Street. *Update - one of the children was young Emily, sentenced to 3 years in the reformatory for stealing the clothes belonging to some of the girls attending the Miss Washbourne's Ladies Seminary or school in Marlow. Emily was at Hampstead Reformatory.*

Elizabeth bapt 1813. Mother of illegitimate son William bapt 1837 (who probably moved to Downley). Both of them live with her parents Gun Lane 1841. Probable mother of illegitimate daughter Sarah Webb Grace bapt 1839 too. This second child is not on the 1841 census.

George bapt 1821. Home with parents 1841. George, or just possibly his father, was stabbed by teenage Gun Lane resident Alfred White in 1858. Survived but badly injured. Alfred went for 2 years in a reformatory school as a result. George probably married a Rachel Smith 1865 Buckinghamshire.  Wife definitely a Rachel. Lived 1871 and 1881 Coleshill Buckinghamshire.

Michael bapt 1826. Home with parents 1841. Ag lab. See below.

Mark bapt 1828. See below.

Frederick bapt 1836. With parents 1841. Later a labourer. Wife Eliza. Daughter Sarah born circa 1869/70 charged with stealing clothes from a woman she briefly lodged with at Rotherfield Greys near Henley in 1888. When arrested she was working at Shiplake Farm.

George and Jane

George born circa 1841/42. Parents of Mark and Penelope below. Grandson of George and Sarah above. Lived with widowed grandad George in Marlow 1851 and 1861 Gun Lane. In 1858 sentenced to 14 days in prison for attempting to steal a pie from the shop of Margaret Winfield. Accomplice Thomas Stone managed to run off with two pies but George was seized by Mrs Winfield while trying to take his one. Was not George's first conviction. That Thomas Stone later accomplice to George Grace's father Mark in stealing peas from a field. 1871 George was a casual lodger at Bear lodging house come pub Chapel Street. George married a Jane who died 1892 Oxford Road Marlow aged 50. They lived there 1891 too when George is listed as a shoe maker and Jane as a laundress, as was their teenage daughter Alice.

Mark and Penelope.

Mark bapt 1828. Son of George and Mary above. He home with parents 1841 and with wife and parents 1851. Ag lab. Married 1849 Little Missenden Penelope James. Children Michael, Mary Ann, Elizabeth (Betsy), Richard, George (possibly 2 with first dying) James,  Polly?. Possibly others. Some children born before couple's marriage. Penelope acquitted of pickpocketing William Saunders in 1859. Couple lived Dean Street 1861. Mark acquitted of assaulting a woman in Quarry Woods that year. Wife Penelope died 1871. She had been drinking heavily, including at the Mint in Dean Street with her husband. He went off for a while with his nephew to go to Burroughs Grove outside Marlow. There he spent some hours drinking at the Three Horseshoes. When he returned home with some friends in a donkey cart they ran over Penelope near Marlow Bottom. She had been lying there in the road drunk and it was thought had already been run over by a ginger beer delivery vehicle. It is likely she had intended to meet her husband coming back from Burroughs Grove but had drank too much to make the journey. The report of the Reading Mercury on her inquest is listed in the sources below. The newspaper can be accessed at the British Library or via the BNA online for a fee. If you choose to read it please be warned that it contains some graphic information about the autopsy. Her husband Mark and son Michael were witnesses at inquest. Penelope was buried at Holy Trinity Church Marlow. There is no visible gravestone for her now. To see pictures of the church and graveyard as it is today please see this post. 

Mark still lived Dean Street 1881. He had by then married a second wife Emily. In 1884 received 3 months in prison for receiving stolen goods, wire netting, taken from Mr Darrell of Medmenham. Had only just then been in court for attacking his daughter Bessy during a drunken argument in the Chairmaker's Arms Dean Street.

Working for High Street builder Young Lovell 1889 when charged with stealing 6 yards of asphalt from him.

George and Alice

George born circa 1856 to Mark and Penelope above. Married Alice Green Cooper 1876. Her two brothers John and George Green beat him up 1882 so he summoned them for assault. He himself was in court charged with stealing 2 cakes and some tea from Alfred Ilsley the grocer in the High Street. Sentenced to three months hard labour. Not his first conviction. To see a photo of what these premises look like today or read more about Alfred Ilsley see here.

Michael and Eliza

Michael was a coal porter and sometimes grocer, the son of Mark and Penelope above. He gave evidence at his mother's inquest. Lived Dean Street 1873. Worked for Mr Langley, presumably John Langley.

Young daughter Rose burned to death in 1880 after being left momentarily unattended by her mother Eliza in a chair by the fire while Eliza went to take husband his breakfast and to walk two other reluctant children of hers to school. Rose had suffered fits before, and had played with the fire, either of which may have led to her getting close enough for her clothes to catch fire.

Live Cambridge Road 1881. Eliza operating a corner shop 1887, 1888 in Dean Street near corner to Queens Road. Shop new built 1887 and part of "Jubilee Terrace" which honoured Queen Victoria's Jubilee. Still there 1891. No longer any old buildings there. Eliza fined £5 for selling adulterated butter (plumped with too much water) shortly after she opened. It seems a commercial traveller had taken advantage of her inexperience and given her incorrect advice about product labeling. As such Eliza's large fine seems very unfair. She must have been a determined business woman to recover from such a dent in her finances. 

Michael and Eliza's son Walter later managed her shop until a fire, probably cause by mice, destroyed his stock in 1906. He moved to a different premises in Dean Street in the corner of Trinity Road where it seems his father operated as the boss. Unbelievably the next year that shop also caught fire but with less serious consequences. By 1911 the Graces had left the premises. They did not live in there.

Mary Ann Grace

Mary Ann born circa 1857/58. Daughter of Mark and Penelope Grace, above. On 1871 census a furrier living at home. 1881 own household, she an ag lab with her illegitimate daughter Rose. Married 1881 Charles Boddy. Charged later that year with stabbing him in the head with a knife in an argument after he had hit her. Her sister Elizabeth Grace rescued their baby from being in the room in the midst of their argument. When she heard her sister scream she thought she was being attacked and fetched constables. When she realised the situation she initially told the policeman her sister always went for a knife if she was angry, before seeming to decide to help Mary Ann after all and struggling with the officer who wanted to take the knife as evidence. The force of the blow had bent the knife. The blade penetrated to the bone. Mary Ann was sentenced to 6 months hard labour in Aylesbury jail. Her husband tried to prevent her arrest and did not wish her prosecuted. He required stitches to a 2 inch wound and lost a lot of blood. She said he had continually mistreated her. On hearing her sentence she fainted. (The arresting sergeant in the case was John Maneely whose biography can be read here) At the same Quarter Sessions that saw Mary Ann put in prison, her husband Charles was himself sentenced to three months in jail on the charge of fowl stealing. She still lived with her husband in 1891 when she was again arrested for threatening him, and for drunk and disorderly conduct. A constable said she behaved towards her husband then in "the most disgraceful manner" and was seen to chase him up Dean Street with a poker. An 18 shilling fine was the punishment this time. Three years later Mary Ann, up for further drunk and disorderly offences, and for swearing in public, said in court that she was driven to drink by a husband that continued to mistreat her and her children. She said she was afraid to go home so she spent much time outside. She however denied she had been drinking on the occasion for which she was arrested because she said she had no money. Mary Ann said her husband drank it away and her children would starve if she was not there for them. It was obviously a sad and difficult case and the magistrates told Mary Ann just to go home and there was no punishment. 

Walter and Elizabeth

Walter son of Michael and Eliza above and born circa 1877. Wife Elizabeth of Devon origin. In 1901 lived York Road and Walter described as grocer. Probably working already in his mother's old premises. Certainly Walter in 1906 had the grocery shop on corner of Dean Street and Queens Road which his mother previously ran. The premises that year suffered a serious night time fire. A constable on his beat saved the family's life by seeing flames and waking them. Shop and family's living space both badly damaged. His shop, seemingly in charge of his father Michael this time, had moved to corner of Dean Street and Trinity Road in 1907 when a lamp fell over and caught the room on fire. This time the flames were extinguished before serious damage occurred. Walter and Eliza left Marlow not long after that second fire, leaving Michael with the shop. Walter was possibly a Salvation Army man. 

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The Graces were not the focus of my research so there is likely to be much more out there on them if you look purposefully. There are definitely many more criminal cases involving the Graces - as victims as well as perpetrators. All posts are updated with new research as often as possible.

To find people of interest on this blog use the Person Index option on the top drop down menu. There is also a Biographies of Families option on that menu which you may find useful.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this research if you credit this blog and link here so that my sources remain credited for contributing too.

Sources:

1833 parochial assessment. Original  notebooks owned by my family and transcribed by me.

My old transcription of Great Marlow Parish Registers.

My transcription of Great Marlow census from microfilm. Census content is the property of the Crown.

Little Missenden marriage, provided by Jane Pullinger. Also judicial records  / Quarter Session research of Jane. Thanks Jane!

Bucks Herald 23rd October 1858. Croydon Weekly Standard 16th April 1859. Reading Mercury 9th November 1861. Reading Mercury 11th September 1871 [Penelope's death] and 4th March 1882. Buckingham Advertiser 12th April 1884. Bucks Herald 18th December 1880. South Bucks Standard  28th September 1906. All British Library Archives. Via the BNA.

Death Certificate Jane Grace.

GRO Marriage Index online from the GRO website.

The Greyhound - Landlords And Timeline

Updated by Charlotte November 2025

This was an ancient building, originally adjacent to the medieval St Thomas Hospital and no doubt originally used as part of it. 

Originally called the White Horse, however be warned there was also formerly a White Horse in West Street too (mid 1700s to probably about 1792).

A cellar in West Street near Quoting Square went with the pub despite the distance between them. 

1797- as the White Horse, bought by the Langton family.

1809- landlord John Bunce. See here for more on him.

1819 - Robert Mossenton takes over from an unknown individual as landlord the premises and calls it the Greyhound not the White Horse but for some years people still use the old name as often as the Greyhound. Robert fits it up in a "genteel manner" He runs The Accommodation coach to London via Little Marlow, Maidenhead, Burnham and Slough. To see the price of a seat on his coach see this Marlow cost of living post. A full listing of historic coach services in Marlow is here. Robert faced bankruptcy that year but managed to recover. He was also a horse dealer.

1820 - hosts a performance from the  ventriloquist Lee Sugg "calculated to rub off the rust of care". A lit candle will be placed in front of his mouth to demonstrate how little air comes out as he "speaks". He is accompanied by those offering recitations, songs and anecdotes. 

1823 - The Favourite coach to Aldgate, London also stops at the Greyhound. Via Bisham, Pinkneys Green, Maidenhead and Taplow. 

1824 - Robert Mossenton/ Mossington.

1825 - William Bowles who had come from the Six Bells. Mrs Bowles dies this year. 

1828- Langton's sell it to the Wethered family brewers.

1830 - William Bowles 

1834 - W Bowles. 

1836 - Arrives July.  Henry Hyatt. "Former gamekeeper for Lord Camoys" For information on a major fraud case in which he was a witness see this post. 

1839 - Henry Hyatt "St. Thomas Street"

1842 - Henry Hyatt takes on fellow cricket enthusiast Mr Brooks the baker at a one on one cricket match at the Crown Enclosure (now Riley recreation ground). Such contests were all the rage at the time. Brooks won so Hyatt had to meet the costs of a handsome dinner (at the Greyhound naturally) for the pair and their friends. Both are described as "gentleman remarkable for their athletic form, activity, and skill in that manly exercise" of cricket. (Windsor and Eton Express September 1842) More on his cricketing antics here

1844 - Hyatt has twice weekly carrier service to Henley and Wycombe - "The Waggon". The Van, running same route also stops here (Loftin's Van).

1847 - Henry Hyatt* Henry bravely voted against the political interest of his landlord, the Wethered family, voting instead for the Liberal candidate, Clayton. It is said that the Conservative supporter tried to evict Henry thereafter, and the story of Henry's outrageous treatment is hard to read - find out more here

1848 - Henry Hyatt leaves, George Abbott takes over. A biography of George is available here

1852 - Omnibus leaves from here to meet trains at Maidenhead, and a separate service goes to Windsor to meet South Western trains there.  

1853 - George Abbott  ("Greyhound Inn") In 1855 a silver spoon is stolen from the premises. The enterprising thief William Brangwin breaks it up and tries to sell the bits but is caught and sentenced to 3 months hard labour. He plead guilty. 

1861 - George Abbott

1863 - Mary Ann Abbott

1869 - Mrs M A Abbott "Commercial inn and posting house"

1871 - George S Abbott

1876 - George Abbott dies age 27, wife Jeanette briefly takes on licence in own name. 

1877, 78 - Job Palmer

1880 - Job Palmer 2. Thomas Haydon Wills/Willis

1881 - Thomas Haydon Wills (born Axminster, Devon according to census). 

1882 - Mr Wills. In January Thomas' wife Charlotte Amelia had died at the Greyhound age 56.  2. Ephraim Sheppard. Thomas Wills accuses fisherman William Humphrey Shaw of using the "most foul disgusting and blasphemous language" when they refused to serve him - on account of drunkenness and prior bad conduct. Shaw is forcibly ejected and subsequently fined for refusing to quit a licensed premises. One of many brushes with the law for this particular Mr Shaw! Biographical post on him here

1883 - Ephraim Sheppard    ("Greyhound Commercial Hotel"). "That excellent and reasonable charging hostelry" - The Angler, November 1883.  Biography of Ephraim is available here

1891 - Ephraim Sheppard (born Rudgewick,Sussex). Billiards is a big draw here in 1890s, with London professional players coming down to show off their skills and start the season in 1897. Ephraim was a big supporters and fundraiser of the cricket club at Marlow too.

1903 - Ephraim Sheppard leaves. 

1903 - R.A. Ashby "Greyhound Hotel". Runs into financial difficulty. 

1904 - E A H Winfindale, manager of the George Hotel, Halstead is reported as the person going to take the hotel on but I have not found evidence he actually did so, so this is a "maybe". 

1905 - Frederick L Jackson takes over in November. 

1906 - Frederick Lemairs (Lemars) Jackson. He went bankrupt, so all stock in trade put up for auction on premises. Includes furniture from 11 bed and sitting rooms, and a nearly new billiards table. Says trade was very bad. Claimed to have been told by a the brewers agent that the Greyhound should generate an income of £100 a week in the summer but he'd managed to generate only £12-14. Had paid £500 to brewery as an entry fee, which was very common then. 2. C H Yates. 

1907- 1.) William Wilson 2.) Mr and Mrs Willoughby 

1908- 1.) Mr and Mrs Willoughby. 2.) John Henry Yates a clerk at the brewery managed the business for the brewery as no tenant could for a while be found. He lived off site which contravened the Beerhouse Act and magistrates said this could not continue. Brewery thought classing the business as a hotel not pub made them exempt from the requirement for a licensee to live on site 3.) J.H Browne.

1909 WR Browne. Pub already has a motor house for customer cars, as well as  accommodation for cyclists. Billiards table.

1911-12 William Robert Browne. Has a German waiter Ludwig Aubke, born Munster. In 1912 William sued the organiser of  "beanfeast" party who had dined at the Greyhound but not paid. They left after complaining that they were not being given enough food. He was awarded most of what he asked for. Evidence was given in court by James Mayne, the waiter, and Lily King waitress at the Greyhound. The diners had thrown jelly and meat about the room and dumped their jackets on his piano all of which William Browne said was not unusual behaviours for beanfeasters.

1915- Grace Hards (Mrs)

1921 - Grace Hards 

1925 -Mr B J Garrington. He hosts dances here quite often.

1926 - Arthur Brown. Paid £800 to come into the business. 

1927 Arthur George Brown. "Ye Olde Greyhound Hotel". Family and commercial hotel. Luncheons offered. Motor garages and stabling available. Full sized billiard table and large hall to let for dances and parties. 

Above image courtesy of Michael Eagleton with thanks. 

1931 - Arthur George Brown. Forced to close by local authorities aiming to limit the number of licenced premises in the area. They say it has become outdated as a hotel, and the front rooms are too cramped. Arthur naturally disagreed as he is happy with the trade he is doing and does actually have practical experience of managing with the so called impossible front rooms. They do acknowledge he has spacious dining, club and billiard rooms out the back and more accomodation for guests than the Chequers hotel in town. The lodge room was "very fine indeed".  Arthur says he caters for many parties and provides many meals to visitors. But it makes no difference. Even it's detractors say it was in "many respects a beautiful old house, many of the rooms having fine old beams". 

Researched by Kathryn Day and Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

For a full list of Marlow pubs and beer houses from the past, see our listing here. For more detailed information on each, use the Pub Related option on the menu. We have extensive landlord listings gathered over a long period which will be uploaded gradually. 

Related Posts:

There are posts on this blog about individual families associated with certain pubs, as well as on individual pubs themselves so have a look at the Pub Related index here  & don't forget the Person Index for all mentions of someone on this blog. Find it on the top drop down menu. 

Posts about historic residents and businesses in Spittal Street and neighbouring streets here

More beer sellers than bakers -Temperance in Marlow here

Lists of posts about everyday life in old Great Marlow here

SOURCES

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial directory, published by Mussons. 

Wills, property deeds and sale notices research. 

1833 Parish Assessment

Pigots Directory 1830, 1831,1844

Robson's Directory 1839

Census 1861,1871,1881,1891

Kelly's Post Office Directory -1859, 1863,1877,1899,1907,1911

South Bucks Standard February 15 1907 and September 6th 1912 held at British Library and accessed via the BNA. 

Windsor and Eton Express, 5 & 12 September 1819, 6 August & 15 October 1820 as above.

The Troubles Of Minister George Edwards

George Edwards was the Minister of what we now call Christ Church in Quoiting Square between 1806 - 25. (The current building dates from after his time).

The year he took over, his congregation raised over £11 to support the work of missionaries abroad. Seems like he was off to a good start with them but things didn't always go so well.

In 1823 George got into quite some bother after he criticised one of his Sunday School teachers during a service. When I first heard about this case I thought that when it was said  he had "impugned her virtue" that he was referring to some romantic entanglement. But actually his criticism centred upon her allegedly giving her pupils leave not to attend the Sunday School. Margaret was a disgrace to the school he said and if another child was given her permission to be absent she should be banned permanently from the school premises.

You might wonder why George didn't just dispense with her services straight away if he was so unhappy. The court case details reveal however that this was not in his power to do. The school was run by a committee of ladies. This committee was voted for by the church members as a whole. George had one vote like everyone else but no more than that and certainly no power of veto or dismissal.

If George felt this difficult situation would be solved by a public admonishment he was wrong. Some of his congregation were up in arms. Margaret of course was upset. She said that only once had children been given leave not to attend and that was because their mother needed them to watch younger siblings so that she could attend her own church which was the Wesleyan Chapel.

Margaret appealed to Joseph Wright, deacon of the church. He called a meeting of members. How would you feel if a "defenceless female" perhaps your own daughter (Margaret was 24) had been publicly humiliated this way, he asked. Margaret's brother in law Samuel Washbourn asked for a formal and public apology to be made but George refused. Joseph and George exchanged "warm words" but Joseph's motion of censure against George was not seconded. Joseph would later allege that following the meeting he heard George call Margaret a "lying hussey", language which startled him.

Someone tipped off the local papers who presented events as George having lost the goodwill of the entirety of his flock by his actions. The Times newspaper took up the story so it received nationwide attention. Their report said that he had abused his position by using the pulpit for personal invective. That was too much for George and he sued the Times (but not it seems the local papers) for slander on the grounds that he had not lost the goodwill of his congregation or been unprofessional. The sum of 40 shillings damages came his way but the ruling acknowledged that the newspaper version of events was not entirely inaccurate.

The lawsuit had the unfortunate effect of renewed coverage of the original events, and in fact wider coverage than before as local papers from around the country picked it up as an interesting case. In the 1800s these papers routinely filled out their pages with non - local but interesting stories.

Whether Margaret Fair remained as a Sunday school teacher or not I cannot say but George was two more years Minister of the church before he resigned.

Members of the congregation that gave witness to what George said about Margaret were a Miss Smith, Eliza Holding, Mary Anne Stone, Samuel Washbourn, Sarah Puddifant and "John Ceilings" (perhaps John Snelling?). 

All kinds of personal factors were probably at play in this case. Samuel Washbourn admitted he had gone bankrupt previously and that the Minister was one his creditors. Their relationship was no longer good.  Margaret said that George had never been one of her favourite preachers. Perhaps he had discerned that fact and felt upset. Perhaps the fact she was aiding a Wesleyan worshipper rankled with him, or his falling out with her brother in law Washbourn meant he had less patience than otherwise with that family. 

It's a pity as the school was a pet project of George's and Margaret had been willing to be an unpaid regular teacher there since she was only 17. Everyone but George thought she was a lady of "spotless virtue". He and she could have been a great Sunday School team!

George died in Stonehouse near Plymouth Devon in 1833. His obituary said he had been ill for a number of years but still sometimes preached sermons in the Plymouth area. It is possible that this ill health contributed to him leaving Marlow. At the time of the 1823 court case he was said to be a married man with 5 children. The Manse he lived in at Marlow was in Chapel Street and was acquired during his tenure as was an additional small meeting place in the village of Bisham near Marlow.

Something about the other people in the case:

John Ceiling (Snelling? Selling?) said in his evidence that he was 80. When George Edwards was new in town it was John whose house he first visited. John obviously considered this a sign of distinction.

Samuel Washbourn was a children's clothing manufacturer and embroiderer who lived in Chapel Street next to the Manse at first. Later he moved to Quoiting Square right by the church, probably taking over the home of his deceased brother. A kind and charitable man, as was his brother John. Both suffered bankruptcy in their life.

Joseph Wright was of Marlow Mills. See my post on the Wane family published in April 2021 for a Joseph Wright's further involvement in church troubles. 

Sarah Puddifant- there's a post all about her and her husband James on the blog here

To find other people of interest to you that are mentioned in the blog use the Person Index option on the drop down menu. As of December 2021 there is 3,000 individuals from or connected to Marlow listed there. 

Researched by Charlotte Day. Most of the Salem Chapel/Congregational Church ministers have biographies here on the blog - see the menu  here to find them all. 

Sources:

Evening Mail, 7th July 1823. Copy held at the British Library Archives. Accessed by me March 2021 via the BNA.

The Statesman (London). 7th July 1823. As above.

Reports Of Cases Argued And Determined In The English Courts Of Common Law, Volume 8 by H.C Carey and Lee, 1824. Digitized by Google. Accessed March 2021.

The Evangelical Magazine And Missionary Chronicle, 1833. As above.

History of the Congregational Churches in the Berks, South Oxon and Bucks Association. 1905. WJ Blackett, Newbury.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

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