kintburyandbeyond

The League of Nations Union in Kintbury

The League of Nations Union was formed in Britain in October 1918 to promote justice and peace between nations following the end of the First World War, with its aims and ideals based upon those of the League of Nations. Enjoying cross-party support politically, by the mid 1920s it had over a quarter of a million members with branches established in many towns and villages.

It seems likely that a branch was first established in Kintbury in 1930 although there are no records of meetings being held until 1933.

Although the LNU, as an organisation, is now long gone and pretty much forgotten, the minutes reveal a time of awareness of international affairs and a concern for what was happening in the world beyond Kintbury. Meetings in local village halls were addressed by influential and well-informed speakers, reflecting, in its early years, a sense of optimism throughout the LNU. What had happened between 1914 and 1918 must not be allowed to happen again. However, as the international situation deteriorated and the League of Nations seemed increasingly powerless, disillusionment set in, as these minutes reflect.

1933

According to the minutes of the March AGM, held in the Methodist schoolroom, the previous year had seen eight committee meetings and two public meetings, one in Inkpen and one in Kintbury. Membership numbered 86 and included the President, Mr H.D.Watson and Rev’d C.R.G. Hughes who was Hon.Sec. and Hon Treasurer. The committee comprised Messers Lawrence, Rolfe, Pinnock, Browne, Bridgeman and Giles. A very male dominated committee.

The March meeting, a public one, was very well attended. Four members of the Reading Youth Group addressed the meeting on their visit to Geneva and the Kintbury Choral Society sang a chorus. A lively discussion followed.

Committee meetings were held at the Vicarage and between May, and August 1933, five open air meetings had taken place on the Kintbury street corner. In October 1933, Mr. Hughes offered his resignation because of his impending departure from the village.

Education was important to the LNU and across the country schools were encouraged to take up corporate membership as were cooperatives and also churches.

In November, 1933, a Mr. Archer came to Kintbury from the Federal Council to address members and local schoolchildren. He apparently gave ‘every satisfaction’ and proved himself capable of keeping the children to whom he lectured at a ‘high pitch of interest’.

1934

A year later in November, 1934, committee meetings were resumed in the vicarage as the new vicar, Rev’d Guthrie Alison, became a member of the League. It was agreed during this year to canvass the village for the Peace Ballot, which was being organized across the country. Nationally, over 11 million people voted in favour of the aims of the LNU. In Kintbury, 540 voting papers were collected, but the time taken to organise the ballot locally prevented canvassing for new members and there was a slight drop in membership. However, Mr. Alison recruited at least one new member in November, Mrs. Goodheart of Inkpen.

1935

On a wet summer evening of 19^th July, 1935, a very enjoyable and successful meeting and whist drive took place at ‘Windrush’, home of Mr. H. D. Watson. Sixty members attended and partook of pleasant refreshments as well as listening to an attractive and illuminating speech by Mr. Alec Wilson on the work of the League.

LNU Head Quarters suggested an effort be made to increase membership by arranging a campaign. However, the Kintbury contingent felt that this had better be left until after the General Election in November and until after the Italo-Abyssinian war had concluded. Mussolini, the Italian leader, had invaded Ethiopia (Abyssinia) with the intention of expanding Italian influence across East Africa. Such aggression ran counter to the pacifist-mindset of many in the LNU.

In October, 1935, Mr. Alison read aloud a pamphlet on ‘Five Minutes of Your Time’ by A. A. Milne, the popular author who was, at that time, a pacifist. This was sent by H.Q. and deemed very suitable for propaganda. (Used here and at that time, the word did not imply political or ideological bias as it has since come to mean. It implied more of a dissemination of information.)

All branches were asked to find the views of their parliamentary candidates on the vital international issues of the moment. This, Mr. Watson had done for the Kintbury Branch and he drew attention to the answer of local M.P. General Clifton Browne in the Newbury Weekly News.

In November, Mr. Alison, now President, talked of his recent visit to Geneva and his inspection of the League of Nations’ new building. There was a suggestion of acting a play for propaganda purposes but, as the last play had not been a success it was decided to postpone the suggestion. Arrangements were made however, for a public meeting to be held in December, in the Coronation Hall, Vice Admiral S. R. Drury Lowe to speak. The vicar was successful in gaining the consent of Barton Court’s Lord Burnham to take the chair.The secretary was asked to communicate with the Heads of the Mothers’ Union, Women’s Institute and Christchurch School regarding this meeting and the vicar was to give notice in church and see the Head of St. Mary’s School. It seems every effort was being made to ensure this meeting was well attended.

1936

Another public meeting was held in Inkpen on Wednesday, 29^th January, 1936. An omnibus ran from Kintbury to Inkpen free of charge and a good many members availed themselves of this facility. Fifty or more people were present to hear the most fluent explanatory and interesting speech by Mr. Anthony Mouravieff. Mouravieff, a Parliamentary Private Secretary to an MP, and a prominent member of the League, was a popular speaker on international affairs and addressed many branch meetings across the country at this time. Inkpen must have been lucky to secure his appointment to address their meeting. Discussion followed with several short speeches made with animation and new members enrolled.

At the February AGM, Mr. Pinnock mentioned that Mr. Liggins secretary of the Thatcham Branch would be willing to bring a cinematograph with a League of Nations film to Kintbury!

Meanwhile, the crisis surrounding Abyssinia had not been resolved. The League of Nations had banned weapons sales although these actions were generally ignored by Mussolini. The British government wanted to keep Mussolini on side as an ally against Hitler and were reluctant to enforce sanctions. Together with France, Britain began secret negotiations with Italy without involving the Ethiopian leader, Heili Selassie.

Britain had adopted a position of neutrality and non-intervention with regards to the Spanish Civil War which began in 1936. This way, it was reasoned, made it less likely that the conflict would escalate. However, many young idealistic British men and women travelled to Spain to fight against the rise of fascism. Despite many countries having signed the League of Nations’ Non Intervention agreement, this was ignored by many; Italy and Germany provided military support to Spain’s military general Franco who was aiming to establish a fascist dictatorship. For many, events in Spain served to illustrate how ineffectual the League of Nations actually was at preventing or resolving conflict.

In Kintbury, a resolution was proposed and sent to H.Q. that:

‘the Branch expresses its concern about the present position of the League in relation to the action taken by this country alone in the Mediterranean without a mandate from the League and would be interested to know if H.Q. of the League considers that such concern is justified’.

In June the League was in sad financial straights. Indeed. Mr.Jowett, organising secretary for Bucks, Berks and Oxon, was told that his salary must cease owing to the need for economy. However, he agreed to carry on for a while without salary. Mrs. Goodheart meanwhile, resigned from the committee and the Union. While still believing in the ideal, she could not approve of the Union or belong to it. The worsening political situation must have made many people reconsider where they stood on issues such as pacifism and appeasement.

Another open air meeting was proposed for late July. Unfortunately, July, 1936 was extremely wet and as rainy day succeeded rainy day, an open air meeting became impossible and instead an open meeting was held in the Methodist schoolroom.

Mrs. Corbett-Fisher made a strong and extremely interesting speech and the popular amateur dramatic group, the Reading Pax Players performed “Gas Masque”. This was fresh, well-acted and caused much amusement – it was sadly disappointing that so few people came.

In October it was announced that nationally, 3,000 more members had joined than at the same time last year. The Chairman, who had attended a meeting in Scarborough, went on to report that

‘The League is always most useful in some matters if apparently useless to stop a war. The constitution was not elastic, not workable with regard to some affairs – but might be altered.’

When the League’s debts became known people hastened to its support and £10,000 raised to pay the debt. There was still enthusiasm and resignations were not taking place in large numbers. Discussion took place on the League’s actions and inactions. Mr. Padel wished to form a protest from Kintbury with regard to the League’s inaction in relation to Abyssinian and the Spanish troubles. The League was not doing its duty, he believed. Mr. Giles opposed intervention in Spain but joined in warm criticism!

The vicar resigned as a committee member in November. Whist Drives were suggested as a fund raiser but it was thought that these were overdone at the moment. There followed a discussion concerning the International Peace Campaign – a movement started in 1935 as a response to Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia. Mr. Giles hoped that the League of Nations would try to prevent war, not wait and only try to stop it when it had already begun.

On December, 7^th, 1936, there was a public meeting in the Methodist Schoolroom. The Chair was taken by Lord Faringdon and the Speaker was once again Vice Admiral S. R. Drury-Lowe, who had achieved splendid work for The League. The Admiral spoke of the difficulties and weakness of the League at times but stressed its great possibilities and unique position. He spoke of its inability to stop the last war of aggression, but its immense good in the cause of workers in all parts of the world. It did much good for children and had opposed the opium and so-called white slave traffic, doing work no other organization could do. There was no other organisation to do the work. It must be helped and strengthened to allow it to rise to greater power and influence.

It was an extremely cold evening with a searching wind, the attendance at the meeting was very poor. The Vice Admiral had a whimsical story and a light touch to occasionally relieve his earnest speech, but no new members were made and no new faces seen.

1937

By 1937, the financial situation of the local branch seems to have been less than robust as at the March meeting Mr. Pinnock was asked to find out from the Methodist Trustees, Mr. Phillips and Mr. Mackrill, if the schoolroom could be hired for less than the usual five shillings.

The following month, at the A.G.M. the President, H. D. Watson Esq. gave the little meeting an informal, delightful talk as they sat around a fire. He spoke of his recent visit to Geneva where the League was housed in a magnificent building. However, he reported an atmosphere of depression as regards the peace work of the League particularly amongst the Italian delegates.

In the International Labour Section there was a keen and enthusiastic spirit, as if the good work done was heartening. He spoke of the wonderfully good work done in the ‘Save The Children Branch’ its great activity and hopefulness. The League was doing magnificent work for the so-called white slave traffic, drug smuggling and slavery.

It was decided that all accounts must be audited as was the case in all other Kintbury Societies.

The Vicar consented to be Vice-President again. As H.Q. was in great need of money Kintbury forwarded ten shillings in November 1937.

1938

The public meeting on January, 17^th, 1938, was a great success. Miss. Chu Chan Koo (Miss. Wellington Koo), daughter of China’s representative at Geneva, made a moving speech on the history of China and its present sad state which was particularly well received. This was followed by a short pageant play entitled ‘Friendships Chain’. The parts were taken by 23 Kintbury ladies and girls and watched by an audience of over 200 people. A collection for medical relief for Chinese sufferers raised £3-17s-0d.

It was announced that Mr. Lloyd resigned as President of the Berkshire Federal Council. He still adhered to the League of Nations but not to its instrument, the League of Nations Union. Lord Neston of Agra agreed to take his place.

At the March meeting of 1938, the committee spoke with great regret of the death of Mr. Rolfe, ‘an important member of the committee’. The committee also lost two other members, Miss Joan Ewins resigned and Mr. Gordon Abraham moved to Surrey.

Mr. Watson continued as President. He had just visited Geneva again and reported on the international situation which was not optimistic. In May, it was explained, Italy will require Abyssinia to be acknowledged as part of the Italian Empire. All nations, with the possible exception of Russia, will have to do this. It would be necessary for Great Britain to recognise Italy’s conquest of Abyssinia in order to keep the peace and be on good terms with Mussolini. In return, Italy was apparently anxious to maintain good relations with Great Britain because of affairs in Austria.

The outlook in Geneva seemed gloomy and the League was anxious. Great Britain still believed in the work of the League but acknowledged that reconstruction of it might be necessary. Although it might not be able to maintain international peace it still had important work to do regarding the sale of dangerous drugs and so-called white slave traffic, and, importantly, continuing to help all refugees and keep up the Save The Children Fund.

Mr. Watson was thanked for his talk and the vicar continued in a ‘happy little speech’, to hint that such an end as peace perhaps justifies the means i.e. the recognition of Abyssinia’s conquest. A lively general discussion followed.

In May, the vicar suggested that a meeting be held soon in Kintbury in which a speaker could explain the current situation in central Europe, particularly with regards to Czechoslovakia and the threat to peace. This was arranged to take place in the Coronation Hall at 7.30pm on Sunday, 19^th June.

Mr. Anthony Moore gave an interesting address to an audience of fifty to sixty people. He explaining that the Czechoslovakians are not an upstart nation, but Bohemians, a small nation now since the 14-18 war. Their country was a buffer state with a German minority population likely to cause trouble, he believed, in the near future. It was Hitler’s intention, he explained, to acquire all the smaller nations of Central Europe. The Germans, he believed, had taken against the Jews because they were “international”.

The League of Nations Union has passed a resolution to ask the British Government to support Czechoslovakia and present a bold front to Hitler.

Mr. Moore answered several pertinent questions from the audience, who keenly enjoyed his fluency and grasp of the subject. A vote of thanks was warmly seconded by General Rennie, who said that he appreciated the speech but not the League of Nations Union. The vote was carried with acclamation.

1939

Attendance at the May A.G.M., 1939, was very poor: President, Secretary, Treasurer, four committee members only. At the Public Meeting that followed, Mr. Alec Wilson, M.I.R.A., gave a short, optimistic speech: ‘After the Great War there were widespread results. The League of Nations was formed to help peace and goodwill among nations. After the great slump set in over the world, Germany was very low in money and work. Hitler, whose plans were for all Germans to be one huge family, rose as Dictator or Leader. His book, ‘Mine Kampf’, shows his idea that the Germans are the only people fit to govern Central Europe’.

The lecturer traced events from 1914 up to date, showing how the German threat to Poland arose and that part of South Russia called the Ukraine. Wilson was of the opinion that Britain’s alliance with Russia posed a problem as the British had a dislike for communism and also there was much danger in naval and military commitments in a vast distant territory.

On 30^th July, 1939 it was decided that ‘the time had come for the Kintbury and Inkpen Branch to acknowledge that no work was done in connection with the League of Nations’.

The Treasurer, Mr.Pinnock, had left the neighbourhood, the Secretary, Mrs. Norton, said she wished to resign because the League of Nations Union seemed quite dormant here and she had other work to do. The President said that although other branches were closing many were active, especially in the north. He wished some remnants of the branch to be kept – in view of a revival, when their time came again, when peace was near. The vicar agreed to keep the minute book and list the members until peace came and a working secretary was needed.

Ironically, peace was to be a long time coming as war broke out across Europe in September of that year. The League of Nations was officially disbanded in 1946 although its aims and intentions were enshrined in the United Nations, established by charter in 1945. Its work continues to this day.

The Lloyd family of Enborne…and beyond

On the chancel wall of St Michael & All Angels, Enborne, near Newbury, is a plaque to the memory of a former rector with a rather unusual name.

Nowes ( pronounced “Noise” ) Lloyd had been born in Essex and was baptised on 6^th September 1719. His father was the Rev John Lloyd of Epping and his mother Isabella. Isabella’s maiden name had been Nowes, hence the baby’s rather unusual name.

As a young man, Nowes seems to have taken the traditional route to the priesthood for the time, having graduated with a BA from St John’s College, Oxford in 1742 before being ordained by the Bishop of London at Whitehall on 9th June, 1745. However, his vocation was to take him out of the city and into rural Wiltshire. By 1751, Nowes had become vicar of Bishopstone as well as Rector of the next door parish of Hinton Parva, near Swindon.

St Mary’s church, Bishopstone, Wiltshire

The position of parish priest has never been a lucrative one, and this may be why the Rev Lloyd did not marry until 1763, when he was 43. His bride, ten years her husband’s junior, however, may well have been used to a more affluent lifestyle than the vicarage could offer, since she was Martha Craven, the daughter of the Honourable Charles Craven of Hamstead Marshall, and his wife Elizabeth, Lady Craven.

Martha’s father had been the first Governor of South Carolina in what is now the U.S. Martha’s mother is reputed to have been something of a socialite and a very difficult person, with little time for Martha or her sisters, Mary and Jane. Consequently, Mary left home to make a very unhappy marriage with a horse dealer whilst Martha worked for a time as a seamstress at a school, using a false name to hide her identity before marrying Nowes.

Martha Craven and Nowes Lloyd were married by licence at Bishopstone on 2nd June 1763. I do not know why the marriage was by licence rather than banns; there may have been a very simple reason although I wonder if Martha’s difficult relationship with her mother might have caused the couple to arrange their marriage at short notice thereby requiring a licence rather than banns. We will probably never know.

In the same year that Martha married Nowes, her sister Jane married Rev Thomas Fowle of Kintbury.

Martha and Nowes began their married life at Bishopstone, where four children were born to them. The first child, also Martha, was baptised there on 16th November 1765, to be followed by Elizabeth on June 15th, 1767, Charles on December 21st, 1768 and Mary on May 20th 1771.

The Rev Lloyd’s relationship with what is now the Walbury Beacon Benefice seems to have begun in 1764 when he became Domestic Chaplain to William Craven, 5th Baron Craven of Hamstead Marshall. Baron Craven was, of course, a relative of Martha Lloyd. These were the days when who you knew rather than what you knew could make a really big difference to your life.

St Michael’s & All Angels, Enborne, Berkshire

In 1771, Nowes Lloyd became rector of Enborne whilst retaining his position at the other parishes, even though they were over thirty miles apart. This was not an unusual situation for the time, when it was quite common for a curate to undertake all the duties of the absent priest. Eventually, the Lloyd family moved to Enborne where Martha would be much closer to her sister Jane at Kintbury. Their mother, however, was by now also living in Kintbury, at Barton Court, with her second husband, Jemmet Raymond. We can only wonder what Elizabeth Raymond’s relationship with her daughters was like by this time.

Sadly, there was an outbreak of smallpox in the Enborne area in 1775 and, whilst his sisters survived, Charles Lloyd, then only six, died. He was buried in the churchyard on 13th April of that year. Martha’s mother, meanwhile, had died in 1771. As if to demonstrate the wealth and status of the Raymond family, an elaborate marble memorial was commissioned from the renowned sculptor, Peter Scheemakers, to be placed next to the altar in Kintbury church. A letter written by Nowes Lloyd to his brother-in-law, Rev Thomas Fowle, regarding arrangements with Scheemakers, is still in the church’s possession.

Letter from Rev Nowes Lloyd to Rev Thomas Fowle concerning the Scheermackers monument, Kintbury

You might have seen Elizabeth Raymond, formerly Lady Craven, in Kintbury church. If you happen to be standing in a pew near the front and to the left hand side of the aisle, possibly singing a favourite hymn, and casually turn your head to the left – there, in her current position in the north transept will be Elizabeth, stonily staring back at you as if in disapproval of something, you know not what.

Nowes remained as rector of Enborne until his death on February 3rd, 1789. The previous year, his daughter Elizabeth had married her cousin from Kintbury, Fulwar Craven Fowle. At this time Martha and Mary were still living at home. There was a need to vacate the Enborne rectory but fortunately for Rev Lloyd’s widow and her daughters, a friend of the Fowles offered them his parsonage at Deane. The move to Deane proved to be quite significant for Martha Lloyd in particular as she became a close friend of the vicar’s daughter, later living with her, her sister and their mother in Bath.

Martha’s friend was creative and lively with a keen if sometimes wicked sense of humour. She loved walking, wrote long, detailed letters whenever she was away from her family and friends and, in particular, would entertain them all by reading to them the stories she had spent hours writing. In this way, Martha Lloyd, formerly of Enborne, became one of the first people to read what have become some of the best loved novels in the English language. Martha’s close friend was none other than Jane Austen. In 1797, the link between the Lloyds and the Austens became even stronger when Mary Lloyd became the second wife of the Jane Austen’s widowed brother, James. When Jane Austen, along with her mother and sister Cassandra moved back to their native Hampshire, Martha went with them to share the cottage in Chawton, now the Jane Austen’s House Museum. It says something of the position of women in the early nineteenth century that Martha Lloyd, grand daughter of Lady Craven with her elaborate and expensive monument in Kintbury church, had no home of her own except the one she shared with her friends. But life had another surprise in store for the young woman from Enborne. After Jane Austen’s death in 1817, Martha continued to live in the cottage at Chawton with Cassandra Austen. However, on 24th July 1828, she became Sir Francis Austen’s second wife and therefore, Lady Austen.

Today, the name of Martha Lloyd is well known to Jane Austen fans all over the world. A facsimile of her household book containing the recipes for dishes she cooked at Chawton, has been published and earlier last year saw the publication of Jane Austen’s Best Friend: The Life and Influence of Martha Lloyd by Zoe Wheddon . So, while Janeites (as fans of Jane Austen are known) all over the world think of Martha Lloyd as Jane Austen’s best friend, I will always think of her as the young woman from Enborne.

Many thanks to Alec Morley of Romsey Local History Society https://www.ltvas.org.uk/ for information regarding Nowes Lloyd’s family and also for clarifying for me how to spell and pronounce his unusual first name.

Our churches: Not what they seem?

The church’s restoration,

In eighteen eighty-three,

Has left for contemplation,

Not what there used to be.

John Betjeman

Many church guide books will proudly tell you that St Whoever’s is a fine example of, say, Norman architecture. It is easy to imagine, as you sit in your pew, listening to this week’s sermon, that the church you see around you is more or less the same building that, for example, knights would have known as they stopped off on their way to the crusades, carving on the Norman pillars the familiar crosses while their horses chewed on the church yard grass outside.

Although there are very few churches which exist today just as they were when the last mason knocked off work for the last time and the building was consecrated, it was the Victorians who were responsible for the greatest changes to our much-loved buildings. By the nineteenth century, many ancient buildings might well have required building work but in their enthusiasm for what they chose to call restoration, the Victorians swept away many significant features, and at times, entire buildings.

In the Berkshire volume of his series, The Buildings of England, the architecture historian Nikolaus Pevsner, describes St Mark & St Luke’s church at Avington as being, “A memorable little church … Entirely Norman …” so perhaps the crusade-bound knights of my imagination would have seen the very-same church that we see today. Except, that is, for the pulpit and pews, which are Victorian. Also the vestry. And the stained glass, of course.

So how did the other churches in our benefice fare during the nineteenth century?

St Mary’s, Hamstead Marshall seems to have survived the Victorian enthusiasm for restoration relatively unscathed, leaving earlier architectural features as they were. Pevsner says the building underwent a restoration in 1893 and another in 1929 – 30, “preserving and enhancing the C17th & C18th character of the interior.” Perhaps, therefore, the interior of this beautiful church does not look so very different as it did when the first battle of Newbury was being fought in 1643, just a few miles up the road. Perhaps a battle-weary soldier, either cavalier or roundhead, might have staggered into this church and seen before him an interior almost identical to that which we see today.

But what about the other churches?

I used to imagine Jane & Cassandra Austen would have known St Mary’s, Kintbury, just as I know it today, but this is far from the case. In 1859, the architect responsible for the now long-gone Christchurch and also the former vicarage, Thomas Talbot Bury worked on St Mary’s in what Pevsner refers to as a heavy-handed restoration. More restoration work followed 1882 – 84 by George Frederick Bodley & Thomas Garner. All three architects worked in the popular Gothic Revival style which took its inspiration from the medieval buildings much admired by the late Victorians.

In St Mary’s, many changes and remodelling included moving the Scheemakers monuments from their original position by the altar to their present one in the north transept. The gallery was repositioned to its present position under the tower and plans were proposed to enlarge the building, although this never happened. The eye-catching, brightly painted reredos is a Bodley & Garner addition, so one way and another Jane Austen’s view of the altar – in fact the church as a whole – would have been very different to ours.

Pevsner describes St Michael’s at Enborne as “an aisled Norman church” so could this delightful building really be almost exactly the same today as it was when my (imagined) knights passed through on their way to Jerusalem? Unfortunately, although Enborne church retains many Norman features, it did not escape the enthusiastic hand of the Victorians. However, it seems that there might have been a good reason for the work. The Newbury Weekly News of 12^th January 1893 included an article in which the Rector of St Michael’s is quoted as saying, “The church at present is in such a dilapidated state that the less said about it the better unless it is of a view of increasing the Restoration Fund at the Newbury Bank. The plans are the result of much care and thought.”

The Reading Mercury of August 12^th 1893 reported:

“The restoration of St Michael’s, Enborne is being satisfactorily carried out by Mr G. Elms of Marsh Benham under the direction of the architect Mr James H. Money.”

Apparently, the diocesan architect had recently visited the church along with James Money:

“… and has testified to the great pains being taken to render the restoration a favourable one in all aspects.”

Clearly, not everyone approved of what was being done, although there is little evidence of dissenting voices in the local papers.

On March 6^th 1897, the Reading Mercury reported on the rededication of St Michael & All Angels’ church, Inkpen, it having been “in restorer’s hands” for more than a year. The rector, the Rev Henry Dobtree Butler believed it had “long fallen into a lamentable state of decay” and so the grandly named Oxford architect, Mr Clapton Crabbe Rolfe, had been engaged to carry out a restoration. And a very thorough job he did of it, too. The Reading Mercury went on to report:

“The greater part of the church has been rebuilt and a new north aisle added …

The only ancient portions of the actual fabric are the exterior walls and one west window.”

Nineteenth century mural, St Michael & All Angels, Inkpen

Whilst the tone of the Reading Mercury’s report suggests that the destruction of much of the original building was a positive thing, not everyone agreed. According to Pevsner, the recently formed Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings had opposed the drastic restoration. Founded in 1877 by William Morris and Philip Webb, SPAB was concerned that the fashionable enthusiasm for restoration was destroying the historic fabric of many venerable buildings.

East window, St Laurence’s, West Woodhay

Despite his opposition to the fashion for extreme restoration, William Morris contributed work to many churches, including St Laurence’s, West Woodhay. Here, the red brick church which had stood next to West Woodhay House since 1716 was demolished and a church designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield built on a new site in 1882. The distinctive east window was designed by Burne Jones for Morris & Co as were the side windows of the sanctuary. On 15^th April, 1882, the Hampshire Chronicle waxed lyrical in their appreciation of this new amenity:

“The inhabitants of West Woodhay … have reason to congratulate themselves upon having in their midst a resident lord of the manor whose liberality bids fair to effect a great improvement in the social position of all in the village.”

Quite how the new church would effect a great improvement in the social position of the cottagers of West Woodhay, the Hampshire Chronicle does not explain!

So, there is nothing ancient about St Laurence’s, West Woodhay and it remains the only church in our benefice to represent just one period of church building. But this beautiful little church demonstrates, I think, some of the very best of Victorian architecture and design. No crusade bound knight in shining armour may ever have passed through passed through its door. No weary parliamentarian would have sought sanctuary from the battle field to the north. But it is beautiful, all the same.

And I would very much like to know if William Morris or Edward Burne Jones ever visited in person!

From Combe Gibbet to Hollywood

Many people hereabouts are familiar with the story of the two young Oxford students who, in September 1948, set out to make their first feature film.

Filmed entirely on location around Inkpen and Combe with many scenes shot on Walbury Hill, the plot of the film is based on true events. These were the murders in 1676, of Combe ’s Martha Broomham and her son Robert, by Martha’s husband George and his lover, Dorothy Newman of Inkpen. The murderers were executed at Winchester and their bodies subsequently displayed on Combe gibbet.

Entitled, Black Legend, the film used actors drawn from, variously, members of Oxford University Dramatic Society, one young director’s family who lived locally, villagers from Inkpen & Combe and children from Christchurch School, Kintbury.

The weather that September was sometimes cold and bleak; shooting was held up when the camera broke and had to be sent away for repairs. However, the young men were pleased with their results, writing in the film’s accompanying programme notes:

But for all its failings we believe BLACK LEGEND to be an achievement that in one respect at least has rarely been equalled. For it shows how much can be achieved by the co-operation of enthusiastic people, even in a project so technical as a film.

Copy of the original programme for Black Legend

Were the young students right to feel so positively about their work? Well, when the finished version was shown – in Hungerford, Inkpen, Ashmansworth and West Woodhay the following January, 1949 – the Newbury Weekly News declared in its advertisement for the screening, “The Film YOU helped to make” and “YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU MISSED IT”.

In its review, the Newbury Weekly News quotes an anonymous film critic as saying:

“Black Legend is a film to see and remember…

The acting is a marvel of cooperation among amateurs, some skilled, some quite inexperienced, but all gifted enough to convey their thoughts and often their probable words without any speech.

Soon, Black Legend was to receive a wider audience than the villages around Newbury. An article in the Scotsman of March 1949 reports that it had been shown in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons. The film is now described as, “having all the cinema world by the ears.”

The report goes on to say,

“The wonderful landscape, the local people, the farms and their implements, are all so used … that the compositions are beautifully organised; the photography of these young people with relatively little experience resulting in a work which ought to make the film industry pull up its socks.”

These young men obviously showed promise: but did they fulfil that promise?

In 1965 one of those young men returned to film on the chalk downland not so very far from here. By now, John Schlessinger – whose family had lived near Kintbury in the 1940s – was regarded as part of the British “New Wave” of film directors and his previous movie, “Darling,” had been Oscar nominated.

This time, Schlessinger’s leading actors were well known throughout the movie world of the early 1960s: Terence Stamp, Alan Bates and Julie Christie, although, as with Black Legend, his cast included many local people. “Far from the madding crowd,” an adaptation of the novel by Thomas Hardy, was to be filmed entirely on location – as Black Legend had been – this time in Wiltshire and Dorset. Just as Black Legend had featured music by Vaughan Williams to compliment the film’s rural setting, so Richard Rodney Bennett’s score for “Far from the madding crowd” is frequently reminiscent of Vaughan Williams’ work, similarly using variations on English folk songs to evoke the period and place of the piece.

Schlessinger’s “Far from the madding crowd” is one of my favourite films. It must be one of the most visually beautiful films ever shot in England and captures the Wessex downland like no other, in my opinion. So many shots, I feel, are reminiscent of scenes in Black Legend, almost as if Schlessinger was finally perfecting, on a much higher budget and in glorious technicolour, scenes he had shot with Alan Cooke on and around Walbury Hill, all those years before.

Iconic 60s star Julie Christie starred in Far From The Madding Crowd

Throughout his career as a film maker, John Schlessinger received four BAFTAs and an Academy Award (an “Oscar”). He was made a CBE in 1970 and a BAFTA Fellow in 2002.

He died in 2003.

References:

https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-with-john-schlesinger

Newbury Weekly News Archive, West Berkshire Library

British Newspaper Archive

Far beyond Kintbury

In his article, A Revelation of Personal Endurance, published here on March 22nd, David Hutchinson recounts something of the life in Australia of his ancestor, Edmund Steel.

Edmund was a Kintbury man who was one of the three Kintbury men – the other two were Francis Norris and Daniel Bates – who were sentenced to transportation for their part in the Swing Riots.

David would like to hear from anyone who might have comments or questions about his article. He would also like to hear from anyone who might know more about his ancestor, Edmund Steel. It may be that there are Steel descendants still living in England who have researched their ancestor themselves.

David can be contacted on:

EdmundSteelKintbury1831@gmail.com

Many thanks,

Theresa Lock

A Revelation of Personal Endurance

Perseverance, and Love that arose from the Swing Riots of 1830-31.

We are delighted that David Hutchinson, a direct descendant of Kintbury swing Riots transportee, Edmund Steel, has allowed us to publish this article concerning his ancestor’s life in Australia.

Readers will already know of the ‘Swing Riots’, the trials, and the sentencing of those arrested for their participation in one form or another in the ‘Swing Riots’ that occurred in and around Kintbury and nearby districts in late 1830 – early 1831. Recently, on this website we read of the ‘Swing Riots’ Memorial Gathering in Kintbury on 12 January 2024, and the accompanying article submitted by Keith Jerrome on Remembrance of the Swing Riot Martyr, William Smith, also known as and referred to in the trials as William Winterbourne.

Readers who don’t know of the ‘Swing Riots’ or would like to know more, can simply Google ‘Swing Riots 1830-31’ and a dearth of both generalised and detailed information is there on your PC screen, ranging from scholastic research, to entire books.

Notwithstanding, unless one knows how, or has the luck to ‘stumble upon’ evidential ‘portions of’ succeeding history(s) of those of William Winterbourne’s tried and sentenced individual comrades, there is little obvious information of what subsequently occurred to them.

Following, is a ‘word sketch’ of just such one [partial] personal history, unearthed by a 3 x Great Grandson of one of the convicted and sentenced rioters:-

EDMUND STEEL was one of those arrested. EDMUND was born in 1789 at Three Legged Cross, Hampshire, to parents James Steel and Jane Steel (nee Bulpit).

1830

Edmund is one of the referred to ‘Kintbury Five Deputies’ who attended the meeting at the Hungerford Town Hall at the request of Magistrate Willes. It was Edmund Steel to whom Magistrate Willes referred in his verbal statement to the subsequent trials ‘Observing that Steel had a hatchet in his hand, he said to him, “My friend, that is a lethal weapon you have; it would split a man’s skull”, to which Steel replied, “Depend upon it, sir, it shall never injure yours”.

At the time of the Swing Riots Edmund was aged about 41 years, making him amongst the older of those sentenced. Edmond had married his wife Maria Thatcher on 30 September 1811 at St Nicholas Church, Newbury. By the date of the trial Edmund and Maria had already produced 11 children, 8 of whom survived, ranging in age from 18 years to twelve months. Edmund’s occupation is recorded as variously ‘ploughman’ or ‘maltster’ and he is recorded as being able to read and write. Edmund is described as being ‘stout’ and standing at ‘5 feet 4 inches without shoes’.

The Berkshire Family History archives record Edmund as having applied for and received Parish Relief funds on 11 occasions in the 12 months before his trial.

Following his arrest, Edmund and his fellow prisoners were held at the Mansion House at Newbury, and eventually had to be transported from Newbury to Reading for the ‘Special Commission’ trial. An account of that event states: “Before those committed could be tried by the Special Commission they first had to be conveyed from Newbury to Reading. “Harrowing and heart-rending was the scene that took place when the vans that were to convey the main body of the prisoners drew up in the Market Place.” A troop of Lancers and the Yeomanry, with sabres drawn, were “the imposing military escort responsible for seeing the prisoners safely lodged in the county gaol.” The men were brought out in batches while “Women fought their way through the surging throng praying for a parting word with their husbands or relatives before they took leave of them perhaps for ever.” A particularly distressing sight was witnessed when “a poor woman with eight children and an infant at the breast rushed forward to press the manacled hands of her husband as he took his seat in one of the vehicles.”. Newbury has not witnessed a sadder procession through its ancient streets”. It is very likely the poor lady and her manacled husband referred to were Maria (eight children) and Edmund Steel.

1831

Edmund was one of those tried who were sentenced to death. The severity of the trial sentencing generally drew quick response from a significant proportion of the local community and some Elders, concerned that the sentences were too harsh. Subsequently, with supporting petitions to the King and other Authorities, testimony from Magistrate Willes and possibly other Elders, Edmund’s death sentence was commuted to Transportation for the Rest of His Life.

On January 27th 1831, the sentenced prisoners were transported from Reading to the prison hulk ‘York’ in Gosport (Portsmouth Harbour). Conditions aboard the prison hulks is well documented, and could generally described as appalling:-

The “York”, to which the Berkshire men were assigned, was an old 90-gun line-of-battle ship, sold to the Convict Establishment in 1820 and destined to serve as a floating prison for the rest of her days. On her three decks she housed on the average about five hundred prisoners, in addition to the officers and guards who occupied the quarter-deck and stern cabins.

On their arrival the convicts would have been paraded on the quarter- deck where they were mustered and received by the captain. Their prison irons were then removed and handed over to the jail authorities who departed as the convicts were taken to the forecastle. There every man was forced to strip and to take a thorough bath, after which each was issued with an outfit consisting of a coarse grey jacket, waistcoat and trousers, a round-crowned broad-brimmed felt hat, and a pair of heavily nailed shoes. The hulk’s barber having shaved and cropped the convict’s heads. each man was double-ironed and taken on deck to receive a hammock, two blankets and a straw palliasse. A guard then marched the laden and fettered prisoners below deck where they were usually greeted with roars of ironic welcome from the convicts already incarcerated there.

The lower decks were divided into sections by means of iron palisading, with lamps hanging at regular intervals, and these sections were sub-divided by wooden partitions into a score or so compartments, each of which housed from 15 to 20 convicts. Newcomers were allotted to the lowest deck where the air was foulest, and bilge water occasionally slopped through the cracks in the floor boards. Weaklings were congregated on the middle deck, usually the most crowded of the three. Those who had served the greater part of their sentence without being transported were accommodated in the upper deck, the most airy and consequently the most healthy and pleasant. On these decks the convicts existed when not at work and slept at night. Never were they free from the chain between ankle and waist, which was one of the badges of their state, and which clanked and rattled with their every movement. Their bodies, their clothes, their beds and the very walls of the hulk itself were infested with vermin.

Edmund was fortunate insofar as his tenure in the prison hulk ‘YORK’ was limited to only one week. On 2^nd February 1831 Edmund was transferred to the transport ship ‘Eliza II’, bound for Van Diemen’s Lands (VDL), known today as the Australian Island State Tasmania, with a cargo of 224 male only convicts, plus Captain, Surgeon, Gaolers, and Crew.

Eliza II, described as having been built in British India in 1806, was a 511 Ton (later 538 Ton) merchant ship. All the Australia & VDL convict ships were chartered merchant ships. None were specially commissioned convict ships. It is not yet discovered what accommodations were on-board to house the convicts, or how many decks there were. Some of the ships that transported convicts were notoriously over-crowded and unsanitary, and many voyages resulted in many lost lives en-route to VDL.

After a voyage of 112 days, Eliza II arrived at VDL, landing at Hobart Town on 29^th May 1831, no lives were lost on the voyage. Hobart Town is today the capital city of Tasmania.

It is important in the context of this sketch account of Edmund Steel to provide some background to Van Diemen’s Land:-

Tasmania, or Van Dieman’s Land, as shown in Milner’s Descriptive Atlas, 1849

VDL

The pre-history of VDL is that it was inhabited continuously by Indigenous Aboriginal Peoples for some 30,000 years before being ‘discovered’ by the Dutch seafarer/explorer Abel Tasman in 1642, sailing from Batavia (Jakarta, in Indonesia today) on instruction from his superior Anthony van Diemen, Governor of the Dutch Settlements in the Indian Archipelago to explore the coast of the ‘Great South Land’ as the landmass of Australia was then known. However, VDL was not known to be an island until 1798-99 when it was first circumnavigated by Mathew Flinders and George Bass in their sloop ‘Norfolk’.

Around 1784-85 it was proposed by Henri Peyroux de la Coudreniere, a French politician, to the Spanish Government that there were advantages for the Spanish Crown to settle VDL, but there was no interest from the Spanish. Henri later proposed the same to the French Government, but again nothing resulted. Sealers and Whalers are recorded as having based themselves on VDL and its surrounding Islands as early as 1798. In August 1803 the English Governor Philip King, of the settled English Colony New South Wales (Australia), sent a military party to VDL to prevent any claim to the Island from the French.

The arrival of white people (sealers and whalers, but especially later the British Colonialists) in VDL was totally disastrous for the Indigenous Aboriginal Peoples, and remains, even today, as a matter of great sadness, and heated debate.

VDL was initially governed from the remote New South Wales, but eventually, in 1856 the Colony of VDL was granted responsible free self-government with its own parliament, and the name of the Colony was changed to Tasmania.

From the early 1800’s to the 1853 abolition of penal transportation, VDL was the primary penal colony in Australia. A total around 73,000 convicts were transported over the years to VDL.

BACK TO EDMUND STEEL

On their arrival in VDL it was common for the convicts to be ‘assigned’ to work as labour to Free Settlers (business proprietors, farmers, households, etc), or to work in Government Gangs. EDMUND STEEL on arrival in VDL in 1831 was fortunate to have found himself ‘assigned’ as a labourer to free Settler Robert (Rob) Taylor, Farmer, of property in the MacQuarie River District, very possibly due to Edmund’s past farm labourer work history. The MacQuarie River District is in the Centre-North of VDL, in the Epping Forest area, below the (now city) of Launceston. At this time Rob Taylor owned 4,000 acres of land, including his late father’s estate ‘Valleyfield,’ and rented another 2,000 acres. It is not yet known if other convicts were already or subsequently assigned to Rob Taylor, but the isolation of the Macquarie River District from Hobart Town and other areas of mass convict habitation may have been a blessing for the future of Edmund.

1834

On 19^th March 1834 Edmund, with the assistance of his ‘employer’ Rob Taylor, applied to the office of the Colonial Secretary VDL for his Kintbury family (wife Maria, and eight children – John Steel born July 1814, William Steel born June 1817, Maria Thatcher Steel born September 1819, Alfred Steel born June 1821, Sarah Steel born July 1822, David Steel born November 1824, Edmund Steel born March 1826, Charles Steel born April1829) to be sent to join him in VDL. The application is endorsed by Rob Taylor, stating ‘I certify that Edmund Steel has the means of supporting his Wife and Family on their arrival in this Island, and I hereby further undertake that they shall be no expense whatever to the Government, after their arrival in this Colony. (illegible place name) MacQuarie River 19^th March 1834. The application is numbered 497, and date at the head of the application form is September 1834, the two dates discrepancy possibly relates to the difficulty of travel and the distance from the Taylor property on Macquarie River to the Administrative Centre in Hobart Town, as much as to possibly the administrative workload for the administration clerks.

Sadly, wife Maria and her eight children did not undertake the journey to VDL, although it is suggested in historic research the application was fully supported by the Authorities but declined by Wife Maria. Maria ultimately passed away at Kintbury on 26^th November 1844, the death certificate stating cause of death as breast cancer.

At the time of writing this sketch, no material relating to Edmund’s duties in his employ with Rob Taylor have yet been discovered, but given the degree of support Rob Taylor has signified by his endorsement note to the application for Edmund’s family to join him in VDL it is probable that Edmund enjoyed a courteous and cordial relation with Rob Taylor, possibly exceeding beyond that normally expected of ‘employer’ to ‘employee’. It is known that the Taylor Family, from patriarch George Taylor (father of Robert), a Scot who arrived with a family of eight in VDL in 1823, aged sixty two, and down through the Taylor VDL family line, were staunch Presbyterians, which may well have influenced Edmund, as he was probably housed in or on the same property as the family homestead.

As far as it is known, Edmund stayed as an assigned convict employee with Rob Taylor until at least 1837.

1837

On 24^th April 1837 Edmund (and others) was granted a Free Pardon (numbered 280). The granting of the Free Pardons was result of a change of attitude by the English Government, driven by popular opinion, to cease Convict Transportation to the Colonies.

Not much is known of Edmund’s activities immediately after his Free Pardon, but it is likely that he stayed on with Robert Taylor until about 1841, and possibly his remuneration as a free person could have been elevated to above that which he may have been ‘illegally’ receiving as an assigned convict.

On 13^th November 1837 Edmund married Martha Saunders (nee Pulsford), widow, at St John’s Church of England in Launceston, VDL. Martha was mother to two boys, and one girl, William Jr born 1820, James born 1929, and Emily (born at sea) 1832. The marriage certificate describes Edmund as ‘free widower’ despite him actually still being married to Maria in Kintbury, so at law his new 1837 marriage to Martha was bigamous. There seems to have been an unwritten ‘acceptance’ by authorities and churches ‘to turn a blind eye’ to circumstances such as Edmund was in, where a wife in England having declined an approval for her to join her convict husband in the colonies, ‘allowed’ the convicted husband to remarry, notwithstanding the ‘bigamy’. Perhaps this ‘acceptance’ was also available to the wife in England?, although there is no discovered evidence of this having been the case with wife Maria.

Martha Saunders had arrived in VDL with her Husband William Saunders in 1833 as free settlers. William was employed by the private enterprise Van Dieman’s Land Company as a blacksmith and wheelwright but died by drowning at East Bay (Circular Head, VDL) in 1835. In late 1836 Martha subsequently set herself up in business as a Registry for Servants, and potentially also as a Retail Grocery Store, in Launceston the principal town settlement in the north of VDL, to support herself and her three children.

The marriage of Edmund and Martha produced two children, Sampson in 1838, and Martha in 1841.

1841

By 1841 it is recorded that Edmund, together with Martha and all 5 children, has left VDL and is now located in the Port Philip Bay colony of New South Wales (now the Australian South Eastern State of Victoria), across the Bass Strait, north of, and almost opposite, Launceston in Northern VDL.

It is not yet discovered when or how Edmund and family made this move (whether Edmund moved first and the others followed, or they all moved together) but they can only have done so by sailing ship, across the Bass Strait, being the direct route between Launceston and Port Philip Bay, and one of the ‘notoriously unpredictable’ although relatively narrow seaways of the world. Hundreds of historic shipwrecks are recorded on the shores of both sides of the Strait.

It is reported Edmund engaged in ‘Depasturing’ in various areas of Port Philip, meaning applying for and receiving Government approval, and paying for the right to graze stock on unfenced Government land for a set period of time (often for one month), that he was also in business with William Booth for a time which he dissolved in 1842 (Booth was the father of Mary Booth who married William Jr the older son of Edmund’s wife Martha in 1841. William Booth and his wife Eleanor had both arrived in New South Wales as convicts). Edmund was at various times through the period 1841 to 1847 the leasehold proprietor of larger government land grazing properties, including at Jan Juc, Steel’s South Beach Station, Indented Head, Steel’s Station Coriyule/Coryule on the Bellarine Peninsular, Point Henry. It is not difficult to believe Edmund was determined, working to a plan, and intent on achieving success as quickly as possible.

1844

In 1844, James the younger son of Edmund’s wife Martha, at age 14 and situated at the time with Martha and others of the family at the Steel’s South Beach Station, was violently and brutally murdered in an encounter with indigenous aboriginals (apparently solely for the want of his clothing and his rifle) while working alone as a shepherd in charge of a flock of grazing sheep. None of the sheep were taken. Older brother William Jr who had been working about a mile distant noticed the sheep were returning and straying into the cattle area of the property. Realising something was wrong, William Jr set out to find younger brother James and eventually found him in the evening, stripped naked, laying face down with multiple body wounds, including a tomahawk blow to the back of the neck which almost severed the head from the body. The indigenous aboriginals are said to have been from the Cape Otway district (westward from the Station). Following this sad event, Edmund is reported to have immediately removed the family from South Beach Station to a safer land holding (presumably to the East) and occupied the South Beach Station himself.

1847

On 13^th March 1847 it is reported Edmund, with wife Martha and two children (the youngest two, being Sampson age 9-10, and Martha age 6-7, departed Port Philip Bay on board the ship ‘Bombay’ bound for England as Cabin Class paying passengers. It is not yet discovered, but it seems likely the next two youngest of the VDL 5 children family, James Saunders and Martha Saunders, would have remained in Port Phillip in the care of their now married older brother William Jr Saunders.

1848

On 13^th March 1848 it is recorded in the ship’s Passenger log that Edmund, with wife and children Sampson and Martha, and others of Edmund’s Kinbury family (see list following) all as ‘assisted immigrants’, are aboard the ship ‘Adelaide’ returning to Port Philip from London:-

Sarah
David
Edmund++
Charles

Also on board are separately and individually recorded to be Steel’s:-

William with wife Mary, and children George age 10, Elizabeth age 6, Edmund age 4, and an un-named infant girl born on board.

Also on board, separately and individually recorded under Widowers and Widows are Steel’s:-

Maria Thatcher, and son James age 1 year

Not recorded as being on board Adelaid are two of the Kintbury Steel’s, being:-

John – he never immigrated to Australia
Alfred – he did immigrate to Australia, but at a later date

++ Edmond (son of Edmund) after immigrating to Australia on the ‘Adelaide’ is recorded as having eventually journeyed to California to join the gold rush, and thereafter appears to have returned to England.

In the Passenger lists the ages of Edmund and Martha are recorded as being younger than they really were (Edmund as 50 – when actually 59 / Martha as 45 – when actually 54), presumably to enable them to travel at Government expense as ‘Assisted Immigrants’ – (had to be not older than 50 to qualify), as were the other members of the family group, but later in the voyage they are recorded as having paid the real value of their passage (presumably their subterfuge was ‘discovered’ somehow?, or their moral sense prevailed?). They all landed at Port Philip on 22^nd June 1848.

It is not yet discovered what activity each of the now extended family engaged in following their arrival in Port Philip, or how separated the family became in order for the older members to gain employment, but it is likely that the younger children would have remained with Edmund and Martha, or at least with Martha.

1851

It is recorded that Martha died on 1^st June 1851, age 51, at Timboon (now known as Camperdown, in Victoria). It is not yet discovered how Martha died, or which children she had with her. Her occupation on the death certificate is described as ‘overseer’. It is not yet discovered where Edmund was at the time of Martha’s death. Timboon at that time was a large and ‘newish’ agricultural district, with property owners of names that crop up regularly in the early 1841-47 years of Edmund and Matha’s start in Port Philip, so it is very possible both Edmund and Martha were both working in the same Timboon district, probably as employees of people they had previously known before 1847, rather than property owners or lease owner employers.

Martha is buried in the Eastern Cemetery, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The gravestone is marked with her surname as Saunders not as Steel. Sharing the grave plot with Martha are her youngest Saunders child James, his older brother William jr, and Mary the wife of William jr.

New South Wales and Victoria as shown in Milner’s Descriptive Atlas, 1849

1863

It is recorded on 6^th January 1863, Martha the youngest of the children produced by Edmund and Martha is married to Samuel McWilliam, at Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Martha subsequently becomes the Matriach of the (Australian) McWilliam Family, and from this event comes the beginning of the Australian (Iconic) McWilliam Winery, which continues strongly to this day.

1865

On 22^nd June 1865 the Death of Edmund is recorded, at Richmond, Victoria. The death certificate records the death causes as Exhaustion, Old Age, and Senile Gangrene – medical dictionary interpretation: ‘(medicine, archaic) A form of gangrene occurring particularly in old people, and usually caused by insufficient blood supply due to degeneration of the walls of the smaller arteries’. To me it reads as though Edmund never stopped working.

The Certificate address of Edmund is given as Chapel Street, Richmond, Victoria. The address of the ‘informant’ (of the information about Edmund) is Emma Tilbury who describes herself as a ‘friend’, and giving the same address There is no information on the death certificate, or yet discovered, as to whether there may have been some of Edmund’s ‘children’ with him at the time of death. The Chapel Street accommodation detail is yet to be discovered.

Edmund is buried in Church of England – section ‘S’, grave #197, Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. Buried in the same grave plot with Edmund are:-

Sarah Maria Raymond – (not researched – a grand daughter to Edmund?)
Maria Thatcher – daughter
Sarah – daughter

Sketch Summation

I am very proud to be one of the 3 x Great Grandchildren of EDMUND STEEL, who I discovered by accident while researching the ancestry of my late Mother. Until then I had not knowingly heard of Edmund Steel, although I can, in hindsight, recall as a child at festive gatherings of my extended family, the adults sometimes reminiscing over an ale or two, and (obviously intentional) mention of the name STEEL bringing guffawing and pointed gesturing toward my mother and her sister, being both 2 x GG children of Edmund, their lineage to Edmund being via his son Charles.

Clearly Edmund was not a ‘bad’ man. Post his arrest during the Swing riots everything discovered about his recorded life would suggest in fact that he was an honest hardworking man, devoted to his original family, and to his second family. In hindsight, I suggest Edmund was likely to have been a very poor, very frustrated parent with great concern for the future welfare of his large family before and during 1830-31, and his participation in the Swing Riots was at worst a ‘poor decision’, and probably totally influenced by ‘need’, and not by greed.

It could even be hypothesised that Edmund was in fact a ‘lucky’ man, in the sense that it is likely his Swing Riots arrest was a fortunate turning point in Edmund’s life, evidenced by the sentence, originally for DEATH but ‘luckily’ commuted to TRANSPORT FOR LIFE, and the later ‘lucky’ granting of a FREE PARDON, removed him from the rather hapless age old daily dire existence of a life of day to day struggle to exist for farm labourers in Berkshire in the 1830’s, more so for those with large families such as Edmund’s, and placed him in a vastly different life in ‘new’ VDL, where ‘luck’ placed him with Robert Taylor and his Family of devout Presbyterians, possibly able to earn some modest income (although it was ‘illegal’ for assigned convicts to be paid anything by their employers, it is reported that it was not unknown for some employers to recompense their assigned convict with cash or goods), and importantly allowed him at last to exercise his intuition and learn valuable skills in animal husbandry and possibly some business management, then ‘luckily’ to finally find and marry Martha, create a new family with her, and together relocate to Port Philip where they could put their combined skills of animal husbandry and business management to good advantage, ‘luckily’ earning sufficient for them to both return to England and recover Edmund’s original eight (adult) children.

It is clear to me that as early as 1834 when Edmund applied for permission for first wife Maria and her children to join Edmund in VDL, he had realised there was an opportunity for a better life for his entire family in VDL than in Berkshire and he wanted for them to all share in that opportunity, even though at that time of 1834 he was still a Transport for Life Convict, meaning he could never personally return to England for any reason, ever, and of course, he had no inkling that he would gain a Free Pardon in 1837.

Of course there was real tragedy for Edmund, and for his original family, and his subsequent ‘second family’ throughout this entire journey, but they all prevailed, seemingly (to me) by commonalities of Personal Endurance, Perseverance, and Love, most of which are directly attributable to EDMUND.

Through his life journey Edmund produced 13 Children and (adopted?) another 3.

Following is the known birth – death record of the entire family of Edmund in age order:-

Edmund Steel 1789 – 1865 (Age approx. 76 years)

Maria (nee Thatcher) wife (approx.) 1788 – 1845 (Age approx. 57 years)

Married 1811

Children (11) of Edmund with Maria:

John (approx.) 4 July 1812, Newbury, Berkshire, England – 11 June 1896, Oakham House, Twickenham, Middlesex, England (Age approx. 83 years)

Mary Anne (approx.) 7 Nov 1813, Swallowfield, Berkshire, England (no death record discovered – suspected infant or child death – tallies with ‘eight children’ records)

William 15 Jan 1814, Newbury, Berkshire, England – 10 Jul 1894, Mount Beppo, Queensland, (Age 80 years)

Maria Thatcher (approx.) 25 Oct 1816, Kintbury, West Berkshire, England – 18 Jan 1877, Chapel Street, Richmond, Victoria, (Age approx. 60 years)

Sarah (approx.) 8 Jun 1817, Berkshire, England – Before 11 Mar 1821 (Age approx. 3 years – tallies with ‘eight children’ records)

Alfred (approx.) 25 Apr 1819, Oare, Berkshire, England – 23 Aug 1894, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia (Age approx. 75 years)

Sarah (approx.) 11 Mar 1821, Chieveley, Berkshire, England – 1880, Victoria, Australia (Age approx. 58 years)

David (approx.) 18 May 1823, Avington, Berkshire, England – 1881,Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Age approx. 57 years)

Edmund 31 Jul 1825, Kintbury, West Berkshire, England – Bef 1865, Kintbury, West Berkshire, England (Age approx. 39 years)

Mary Thatcher (approx.) 9 Mar 1828, Kintbury, West Berkshire, England – (no death record discovered – suspected infant or child death – tallies with ‘eight children’ records)

Charles (approx.) 31 May 1829, Kintbury, West Berkshire, England – 1890, Footscray, Victoria, Australia (Age approx. 60 years)

Following is the known birth – death record of the entire family of Edmund with Martha in age order:-

Edmund Steel 1789 – 1865 (Age approx. 76 years)

Martha (nee Pulsford / Saunders) Wife approx. 1794 – 1851 (Age approx. 48 years)

Married 1837

Children (3) of Martha with William Saunders:-

William Jr Saunders 1820 – 1896

James Saunders 1829 – 1844

Emily Saunders 1832 -1918

Children (2) of Martha with Edmund Steel:-

Sampson (sometimes Samuel?) Steel 1838 VDL / Tasmania (known to be alive 1848 following return from England with Edmund, Martha, and original family members, but nothing yet discovered after that time)

Martha 1841 VDL / Tasmania – 1889 Gelong, Victoria, Australia (age 48)

REFERENCES:

The sources accessed and utilised in the preparation of this sketch include (in no special order):-

Norman Fox’s book ‘Berkshire to Botany Bay’
Hungerford Virtual Museum
Berkshire Family History Society
Berkshire Overseers Papers (CD)
Bellarine History Society
Portphilippioneersgroup.org.au
Various Government Gazettes
Various Convict / Convict Transportation Registers
Trove
we4kings website
black-sheep-search.co.uk
anu.edu.au/biography/george taylor
Wikitionary
Thesis of Bruce Brown Uni Tas 2004
Thesis of Rebecca Rose Read Uni Tas 2019
Various other thesis documents and books in the public domain ex web browsing, and other on-line research sites, the details of which I lost with a catastrophic computer failure and not backed up! (Lesson now Learned!!)

My sincere apology for any source I have inadvertently overlooked in this schedule.

I accept responsibility and apologise for any errors in fact that may have occurred in my misunderstanding of researched information, or in my transposing of information.

David Hutchinson (Octogenarian)

Perth, Western Australia. February, 2024

The Inkpen Temperance Band

Throughout the nineteenth and into the early twentieth century, brass bands were particularly popular; many towns and villages could boast their own local musicians to offer entertainment at fetes and flower shows, in public houses or to accompany parades

Playing, however, is thirsty work, and unfortunately brass bands were often associated with heavy drinking. This was a time before licencing hours introduced during the First World War restricted the hours a public house could open and, “the sacred freedom of drinking was tampered with” (A. J. P. Taylor). It had long been recognised that excessive alcohol consumption was becoming a serious problem.

The temperance movement – calling for abstinence from drinking alcohol – began in Ireland in the 1830s. Throughout the following decades the movement spread across England where temperance coffee shops, hotels, billiard rooms and even music halls were opened. People were encouraged to, “sign the pledge” to say that they would never drink alcohol.

Temperance brass bands were seen as a way of spreading the word. By the turn of the century, hundreds of towns and villages could boast their own temperance bands, a great many of which – although not all – were associated with methodist churches. Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham all had temperance bands but one of the smaller communities to host a band was Inkpen.

Mr Arthur J. Edwards, the band’s conductor, was a member of the Edwards family from the Sawmills, Inkpen, on whose land the Methodist chapel had been built and who were well known as Methodist church members. Edwards was a talented musician himself and clearly very successful at teaching his band of young players. Band practice was held in the Wesleyan schoolroom where rules and regulations were displayed on a card hanging on the wall.

The first reference to the band that appeared in the local press was in a Newbury Weekly News report of April 1902 when the Inkpen Temperance Band performed at a fund raising event for Inkpen Wesleyan Methodists. The chapel in Post Office Road Inkpen had recently been renovated and the event was to make up a shortfall in the costs of doing so.

In June 1904, the band played at another Wesleyan fund raiser, this time for the Wesleyan Sunday School in Kintbury. It seems the band was well received as the same month, Mr. Edwards placed an advertisement in the Newbury Weekly News stating that the, “12 to 20” performers would play, “First-class, up-to-date- music” but that they were already booked up on August 21^st as they were to play at Kintbury Flower Show.

Although Mr Edwards continued to advertise in the newspaper across the following months, the next report of the band’s appearance is not until August 1905 when they play at the Annual Camp Meeting in Gore End. Although the report does not specify, I’m assuming from reading later reports this is an event of the Primitive Methodist Church. The meeting was, apparently, well attended: “A large gathering of people listened to the Word of Life simply and earnestly expounded by men who evidently spoke from a religious experience”.

Presumably no women were permitted to speak, whether they had had a religious experience or not.

By 1906, Mr Edwards is confidently advertising the band as having 20 performers, “open for engagements”, wearing, “Full dress uniform” and playing, “Good class music”. Bookings must have been increasing because, as well as having Mr Edwards as conductor, the advertisement names F.D.Carter of Inkpen as “Hon Sec”.

The Christmas season of 1906 was a very busy one for the band who, according to the report in the Newbury Weekly News were, “in splendid form now, and has received praise all round for their fine playing seeing they are only a young band.”

The committee were planning to buy new instruments and were hoping to receive the aid, “of the generous public”.

In January 1907, band members enjoyed an “excellent supper” in Inkpen’s Wesleyan Schoolroom although the severe weather prevented some members from travelling the long distance. It would seem that the popularity and success of the band was attracting members from villages beyond Inkpen. The “esteemed bandmaster” Mr Edwards and others “gave some capital songs and pianoforte solos while various games were freely indulged in”. A Mr Tilley from Newbury “gave some capital selections on the phonograph” – a rare opportunity for some to hear recorded music, I expect. The report concludes:

Great praise is due to the bandmaster for his never-tiring patience, especially with the younger members, and it is hoped that the members will rally round their leader so that this year might be a record one

1907 proved to be a particularly successful one for the band. In May they played at the Whit Sunday Primitive Methodists camp meeting in Inkpen where a special feature was, apparently, their rendering of the march, “Crown Him With Many Crowns.”

In July the band performed at another Wesleyan fund raising event, this time at a sale of work and jumble sale for the Kintbury Wesleyan Sunday School.

August was a busy month. The band played at another Annual Camp Meeting, this time at Ashmansworth where, following talks by visiting preachers, the band led the singing and, “rendered a nice selection of sacred music”. The “profitable day” ended with an, “old-fashioned love feast and prayer”.

What an old-fashioned love feast was, I have absolutely no idea – although it sounds to me more like something that would have happened in the late 1960s!

On August 7^th – a week day, interestingly – the band played at the Speen and Stockcross Horticultural Society show, and on August 21^st – also a week day – they were at the Kintbury and Avington Annual Flower Show & Sports. Then in September, the band won third prize at a band contest at Blenheim Park, Woodstock. This must have been no mean feat as it could not have been cheap or easy to transport twenty band members and their instruments the 42 miles to Woodstock and back. The Newbury Weekly News commented that great credit was due to Mr A. Edwards, “seeing that the band is quite young”.

By April of 1909, Mr Edwards seems to have achieved his aim of purchasing new instruments although these had not come cheaply. The band’s end of year financial report recorded a total income of £70 13s 2 1/2d although a further £100 was still required to defray the cost of the instruments.

In the following years there are fewer reports mentioning the Inkpen Temperance Band although in August of 1911 they were playing at Kintbury & Avington Cottagers’ Show which suggests that the debt regarding the purchase of the instruments had not resulted in the demise of the band.

In the August of the following year, the band played at the Inkpen Flower Show, although their conductor is now Mr W. Edwards.

I found the last reference to the band in a local newspaper was in a report of March 1913 which records the Inkpen band – now known as the Inkpen Temperance Prize band – as attending a Wokingham & District Band League competition, where they came 3^rd in the “March” section and 1^st in the “Own choice”. Mr Edwards is once again the conductor.

Perhaps the outbreak of war in August 1914 meant that newspapers had other concerns rather than reporting on the doings of village brass bands. However, the website, brassbandresults.co.uk, records Mr Edwards and the Inkpen band – known variously over the years as Inkpen Silver Band and Inkpen United Band – as continuing to compete in various competitions throughout the south of England. On occasions the band is conduced by Arthur Muddiman, later B. Edwards and then P.G.Dyson. The very last competition the band entered was on February 27^th, 1954, in Southampton.

Whether the band retained its strong links with the methodist church, I have no way of knowing. Many bands which began as “temperance” bands eventually dropped that word from their names and many of them are still playing today. Locally, the Reading Spring Gardens Silver Band, the Basingstoke Silver Band and the Tadley Silver Band all began life as temperance bands.

It is, of course, impossible to know how many band members – if any – who played at Southampton in 1953 had also been at Woodstock in 1907. Many reports describe the band as being young then – the generation whose lives would be tragically interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War.

A fingerpost pointing to Inkpen, Hungerford and Kintbury. There are trees on a common with a road going through them behind the sign.

References and sources:

Inkpen Wesleyan Methodist chapel

https://www.brassbandresults.co.uk/bands/inkpen

The Newbury Weekly News

E.A.Martin: Inkpen Yesterday 1993

Kintbury in the time of Jane Austen

Jane Austen, the celebrated novelist, lived from 1775 to 1817. Although the Austens were a Hampshire family, there was a close friendship between them and the Fowle family of Kintbury and we know that various Austen family members visited our village.

The village Jane knew was, of course, very different from the village we know now. So, what do we know about Kintbury- and the wider world – in Jane Austen’s time?

For much of Jane’s life, England was at war with the French. When Jane was 5 in 1780, the Gordon Riots took place. In 1788 George III’s first illness began and the first convicts were sent to Australia. In 1792, the September massacre took place in France and 12,000 political prisoners were murdered. In 1793 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed and France declared war on Great Britain. Then, in 1797 the French landed in Wales, – the last invasion of Britain! In 1798 the Battle of the Nile took place.

In 1804 Napoleon had himself crowned Emperor, then 1805 saw the battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson. In 1807 the Slave Trade was abolished, 1810 and 11 saw the King’s illness recur and the Regency established. In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia and America declared war on Great Britain. The war ended in 1814 and 1815 saw the battle of Waterloo and restoration of Louis XVIII to the throne of France.

The 1834 Poor Law Act saw the building of more workhouses throughout the country to house the poor and destitute; one was built in Kintbury.

For cricket fans June, 1814 also saw the first match to be played at Lords.

Jane received letters from her sailor brothers and other relatives and was therefore conversant with European news. In her novels, sailors and soldiers appear but there is never any specific reference to the situation in Europe or to war. Similarly, life in inland villages such as Kintbury would have been lived with far less reference to the turmoil across the channel and the fear of invasion than that which threatened some coastal areas during the war with France.

The Kintbury Jane knew was much smaller than the modern village we know today; most of the housing was located around the centre and surrounded by fields or open land. Dotted around the village were whiting pits as well as pits from which clay for brick making was extracted.

Irish Hill had its own little clutch of cottages which remained until the 20^th century. Despite the legend that it was named “Irish Hill” for the Irish navvies who worked on the canal, the original name, which predated the arrival of the canal, was in fact Ayrish Hill. It was the site of yet another of Kintbury’s whiting manufactories and after the canal came into existence had a jetty where the whiting was loaded onto barges.

The Rev’d Thomas Fowle II was vicar of Kintbury from 1762 to 1798. He had been a close friend of Jane Austen’s father George since their days together as students at Oxford University.

In 1775 an alarming event at the Rev’d Mr Fowle’s vicarage was reported in the local papers: on Wednesday 6^th September, at about nine of the evening, a ball of fire entered the house at one of the garrets which went through the house, melted the bell wires, threw two candlesticks from the table, entered a cupboard and set fire to some papers. The family were much alarmed but no further injury sustained.

Also in June 1775, the paper reported that smallpox had broken out and was likely to increase. It was advisable to inoculate the poor and as the situation was very hazardous people were advised not to visit the area. This is the attack in which the Lloyd family at nearby Enborne suffered. At this time, Martha – who was later to become Jane’s close friend – was 10, Eliza – later to be Mrs Fulwar Fowle – was 8, and their sister Mary,4. Sadly their brother, Charles, aged 7, died.

In 1779 Jeff Painter, an old parish pauper, was found dead and Mrs Giles, in a despondent state, cast herself into a well. The Jury’s verdict on this last was ‘lunacy’.

One notable Kintbury resident at this time was Samuel Dixon, a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn, who lived with his sister in Wallingtons, (now St Cassian’s Centre), Kintbury. One night in early 1784, when Dixon was staying in London, his butler, a man called Benjamin Griffiths, broke into Wallingtons, stealing several items and setting fire to the house which was burnt to the ground.

At first, Griffiths was not suspected of being the arsonist and, ironically, he was sent to inform Dixon of what had happened. However, his behaviour aroused suspicion. When charged he confessed and cut his throat but recovered, was convicted and hanged.

Griffiths had previously been a toll gate keeper and was suspected of murdering his partner although never convicted of the crime. There were, according to Newbury historian Walter Money, three toll gates between Newbury and Marlborough and Dixon was on the board of The Turnpike Trust which might go some way to explain why he later employed Griffith. Dixon tried, unsuccessfully, to get the death sentence commuted. In his will left money to two of Griffiths’ children.

Samuel Dixon died in 1892. His sister Elizabeth had predeceased him in 1786 and he had carried out her wishes in providing the parish with a ‘good fire engine’ which is now in the Newbury museum.

Arson was not the only crime to be committed by a resident of Georgian Kintbury.

In October 1785, Charles Smart was transported for seven years for stealing wheat from Mr. Barker. Then, in July, 1787, Thomas Page was sentenced to be kept for three months hard labour in the House of Correction for leaving his family chargeable to the parish.

Also in 1785, an advertisement appeared in a local paper for a Kintbury School for Young Gentlemen. It stated that the young gentlemen were to be carefully instructed in language according to the principles of grammar. The charges for boarders at this school were:

Boys under twelve: 12 guineas
Boys 12-13: 14 guineas
Over 14: 16 guineas.

If the boys were kept at school over the Christmas and midsummer periods then the charge was 1 guinea.

In January, 1790, Thomas Hillin was committed to the county Bridewell charged on the oath of James Thatcher, surgeon of Hungerford, with attempting to extort money by threatening to charge him with a detestable crime! However, what, exactly, the detestable crime was, we do not know!

A village woollen manufactory was advertised in July 1797 as containing: “scribbling, raising, shearing etc in a high state of perfection, erected in a commodious building with 40 looms, twisting mill and other articles used in making cloth. A Dye House with every fixture for washing and dying and land surrounding the manufactory desirable and situated with ample supply of water and built to command ever benefit of light and air.”

This must have employed a number of people.

There was also a silk manufactory said to be situated behind the cottages on The Cliffs. Perhaps this was why local resident and MP Charles Dundas raised the question in the House concerning imports of French silk which were ruining the English silk trade.

1797 saw the completion of the canal from Newbury to Kintbury. A wharf was built opposite the Red Lion and a busy trade soon developed in all sorts of goods but also it aided the increasingly productive Whiting Industry. The inaugural voyage consisted of a horse drawn barge carrying the band of the 15^th Dragoons and several important dignitaries. They were watched by large crowds, reached Kintbury in two hours and dined with the Canal’s Chairman Charles Dundas before setting back to Newbury in the rain.

A crime particularly associated, in the popular imagination, with the Georgian period must surely be highway robbery and it is not surprising that there was at least one example of this crime recorded in Kintbury. In March 1798. John Williams alias Timms and John Davis alias William Emmery held up the Hon Hugh Lindsay and Robert Spottiswood on the highway in the parish of Kintbury. The gentlemen were relieved of money, banknotes and a gold watch.

Daniel Heath is mentioned as innkeeper for the Blue Ball; He was still there in 1830 when, it was said, Prize Fights took place at the back of the inn. Prize fights were a popular sport in Regency times and mostly took place outside cities and towns and their location kept secret. This was the age of Tom Crib famous for his victory over the American Tom Molyneaux and Gentleman John Jackson, the English Champion, both of whom taught boxing to gentlemen.

A more peaceful pursuit was the annual was the Pink Show which began in 1778. Silver plate was presented as a prize and a dinner was held in the Blue Ball.

The Napoleonic Wars formed the background of most of Jane’s life and in March 1794 a call had been sent out to the Lords Lieutenants of the counties to form infantry and yeomanry to defend their local areas.

Here in Kintbury, the Kintbury Volunteer Rifles played their part in preparing to defend England if needed.

Particular friends of both Jane and Cassandra Austen were the Rev’d Fulwar Craven Fowle and his wife, Eliza. Fulwar was the son of Rev’d Thomas Fowle II and had taken over the living in Kintbury in 1798.

In 1805, Fulwar led the local Volunteer Brigade to Bulmersh near Reading where they and the other Berkshire Volunteer Regiments were inspected by none other than King George III himself. According to a contemporary report, the troops were on parade at 10.00am and at 2pm the king and Royal Family arrived and then His Majesty rode down the lines whilst the band played a lively air. Afterwards His Majesty expressly desired the Duke of Cambridge to communicate to the Commanders, the particular gratification he felt at having witnessed the military perfection of his Berkshire Volunteers. The King, according to one source, told Fulwar that he knew he was a good clergyman and a good man, now he knew that he was a good officer. Praise indeed!

As well as having an active interest in the military, Fulwar Craven Fowle also had an interest in the developing science of agriculture, keeping his own prize winning flock of sheep. In 1808 two dogs worried his valuable Leicestershire sheep, eleven of which died. It is to be lamented, said the report, that individuals are not careful in securing their dogs as a disaster of this kind is a very serious injury in this most valuable flock in the county.

Unsurprisingly, theft continued to be a problem in Kintbury. In May 1815, someone entered the house of Fulwar Craven Fowle and stole the silver cutlery which had a crest of an arm holding a battleaxe surmounted by a ducal coronet. Silversmiths and pawnbrokers were asked to look out for it and £20 reward offered.

Then, in 1817, John Cozens had a dark bay gelding stolen from the stables opposite the Red Lion and offered £5 reward. Seemingly he could not offer as much as Fowle had following the theft of his silver.

Throughout this period, populations of towns and villages were growing throughout England and Kintbury was no exception. During the years 1761-1815 its population rose from 1,170 to 1,430.

The marriage registers show that, although many people chose local partners i.e. from Inkpen, Kintbury, Hungerford etc some brides chose their husbands from further afield: Binfield, Basingstoke, Marlborough and even Crewkerne. Similarly, brides appeared from Salisbury, Ramsbury, Chieveley, Farnborough and Hurstbourne. Of the grooms, 42% were able to sign their names and 34% of the brides, which suggests quite a high level of literacy at a time when very few people were able to have received an education.

Between the years 1761 and 1812 the average number of births per year was 42 –with an average of 7.2% being illegitimate. Some of the mothers appear to have been in long standing relationships such as Ann Palmer who had five children surnamed Mason. Ann Darling had seven children of whom only one had a surname. Sadly Ann later appears in the workhouse records.

When Ann Green had her baby baptised the vicar wrote disapprovingly that, ’her husband had been transported some years’.

When Elizabeth Harrison brought her son James for baptism it was noted that ‘her husband has been beyond seas for two years’.

Fathers could be summoned to pay for illegitimate children. The father of Elizabeth Watts’ son had to pay £1 towards the ‘lying in’ and one penny a week for the maintenance and twenty pence weekly as long as the child was chargeable to the parish. Elizabeth had to pay or cause to be paid six pence a week. However, Mark Bird from Welford – the father of Esther Sawyer’s daughter – had to pay 40/- for the lying in and £4 19s 6d for maintenance . Esther had to pay 6d weekly.

Although the first census in England and Wales took place in 1801, its results were recorded numerically and it was not until 1841 that we begin to have a clearer idea of trades and occupations in each town or village. However, a study of the church baptismal records give us some idea of how early nineteenth century Kintburians made a living.

In 1813 the church baptismal records began to record the father’s profession and from these we are able to see that the village provided the following:

3 shopkeepers
1 gamekeeper
4 wheelwrights
4 blacksmiths 1 of them at Elcot
3 cordwainers
1 shoemaker
4 sawyers
1 yeoman who was Bailiff to Charles Duindas
4 other yeoman: 1 at Clapton, 1 at Elcot and 1 at Walcot
6 carpenters
1 coachmaker
1 publican
2 bakers
1 miller
1 thatcher
3 farmers
1 pig dealer
1 maltster
1 grinder at mill
1 tanner
2 gentlemen identified as “Esquire”
1 clerk in holy orders at Barton Court.

However, the majority of fathers were listed as labourers and these numbered around 80. Of course, these were only those men who had brought their children for baptism in the years 1813-1817.

Today Kintbury could be regarded as a dormitory village and a great majority of residents are employed outside the village. The Kintbury known to Jane Austen must have been a busy, vibrant place largely supporting its own community.

Kintbury W.I. during World War II

Women’s Institute meetings were first held in Kintbury in the June of 1930. In the following months, the pattern was set for the years to come: demonstrations, competitions, social time, games, talks, round table conferences and a summer meeting at Hungerford Park.

However, the 1930s were a time of increased tension on the international scene leading to war being declared in 1939. How this impacted on the lives of the ladies of Kintbury can be traced through a reading of the WI meetings’ minutes.

In September, 1938 the decision was taken to begin Keep Fit Classes at a cost: 2/6 for 24 lessons. However, the start was delayed for at least a week owing to the “International Situation.”

Despite this, however, the spring of 1939 saw some members set off on a jaunt to Belgium under the leadership of Mrs. Baxendale. They arrived home safely and promptly gave a talk about their experiences.

Meanwhile other members had arranged a series of Red Cross lectures and Mrs.Packer, wife of the Headmaster, called for volunteers to help in a canteen providing refreshments for evacuated children. During the next few years the Billeting Officer, Mrs. Mackworth, was to house some 600 evacuees, (some of these in a biblically named Upper Room somewhere across the A4 and owned by the church).

Illustration in public domain Wikimedia Commons

The last meeting before the war was declared was a carefree summer one and took place at Barton Court, then the home of Lord Burnham. There was a picnic tea, walks in the gardens and the great man, after providing a large cake, undertook to judge the ankle competition -and this was in two categories, under fifty and over fifty. The winners are not named!

Poor Lord Burnham was to see his house become the HQ of a searchlight battery, his grounds full of Nissan huts and soldiers everywhere. Kintbury was about to embark upon the most intense, vivid and busy period of its history.

In October, 1939, the future of the W.I. seemed bleak. It proved impossible to obtain speakers and the President, Miss Corsair, had to resign because of her war duties in a military hospital. Lady Spickernell agreed to take her place. All branches were urged by H.Q. to continue if at all possible and to help in all forms of voluntary service and in the growing and preservation of food. This our ladies proceeded to do with great success.

The voluntary service began with a decision to knit for the Berkshire Regiment and a box was produced for contributions to buy the necessary wool. From this moment an incessant noise must have been heard throughout Kintbury -the non stop clicking of needles.

1939 drew to an end with the wives of servicemen being invited to join the November meeting which included a Round Table Conference on Wartime Economies and December produced a display of garments for the Regiment and an appeal for more money.

1940 opened with the news that the Coronation Hall had been commandeered by the troops and a new venue for WI meetings had to be found. This proved to be the Wesleyan Schoolroom in the Inkpen Road. This being settled the knitters were spurred on to greater things when in February a “particularly fine scarf ” was put on show. Produced by a member’s husband it was judged a ‘very fine effort’.

The knitters being duly encouraged had, by April, sent 45 garments for Army Comforts and a letter of thanks requested more socks, furthermore, in May, a Captain Phillips appealed for ‘a continuity of supplies of woollen comforts for the British Expeditionary Force.’

The W.I,, then turned its attention towards money and decided to form a National Savings Scheme in the village. Fifty books were issued in March and by May this had increased to a hundred and five. Collections were taken in the Parish Room on Wednesday afternoons between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. This continued throughout the war.

On the domestic front, sugar began to disappear and members were told to make individual applications for jam making and to take their own to meetings if they desired it in their tea.

During 1940 Mrs Bowen obtained a ‘very nice album for local history’ and asked for local pictures and cuttings to be collected and preserved. This was so successful that in 1945 a -and I quote -‘Historian’ asked that a copy be sent to the British Museum.

Despite gloom and bad weather, it was decided to hold the usual open air summer meeting at Hungerford Park. The emphasis was on self sufficiency. The Campden Fruit preserving solution was shown and vegetable seeds on sale. Two appeals were issued during the afternoon for khaki gloves and gumboot stockings and funds for an institute ambulance.

Members struggled to keep meetings going and decided that despite the blackout, which meant short meetings and difficulty in obtaining speakers, they must continue.

The talks that they did receive reflected the preoccupations of 1940: National Savings; Food Production; First Aid; Best Use of Preserved Food; even the social half an hour had a game called The Dustbin Game which taught that nothing need be thrown away. A lighter moment resulted in a competition of “Working a pig on a postcard with needle and wool”.

Let no one wonder what occupied Kintbury ladies during the anxious winter months of 1940/41. They must have been knitting non stop. The county appealed for comforts for POWs and money was advanced to buy wool from a firm in Bradford. Besides producing all these garments the ladies now began to take in the washing of the large numbers of troops billeted in the parish.

began with a party but also brought a reminder of the scourge of diphtheria and the WI was urged to have their children inoculated and to spread the news of free inoculations.

In March H.Q. drew attention to the need to grow onions and tomatoes to provide a surplus. A Mrs. Butler gave a pep talk entitled ‘The Home Front, the Aims of the Present Struggle and How Women Play a Great Part’ – which without doubt they did.

The 19^th -25^th April was designated ‘War Weapons Week’ and members volunteered to sell stamps in the Parish Room each day between 4pm and 7pm. They ran a money raising stall and sold tickets for a concert at Haworth House, home of Mrs. Lucas. This plus a raffle and Mrs. Chislett’s box of groceries raised the grand sum, of £31-2s-lld.

In May, Lady Peterson joined the W.I.. Lady Peterson was the sister of Mrs. Nancy Goulding who lived in The Tannery. Sir Maurice Peterson had been Ambassador in Spain and went on to be Ambassador in Moscow where Lady Peterson kept chickens in the Embassy attics!

Lady Peterson lived at Inglewood Lodge which proved very helpful for she owned some stables and when Lady Spick reported that the Fruit Preservation Scheme was now compulsory, these stables were offered for the making of jam, storing of sugar and the finished product. The Scheme was not reserved for the W.I. but they were in a good position to organise it. It did not get off to a flying start as owing to the late frosts fruit was not available until July. However, by September 576 1bs had been produced and sold to the Reading Co-Op.

Whilst our ladies were waiting for the fruit to materialise the knitting continued. A blanket was handed to the Hungerford Evacuation Centre and another started for Shipwrecked Merchant Seamen. The Berkshire Regiment was still being catered for and an appeal was issued for comforts for the ARP. The W.I. issued their own appeal — for more knitters. Kintters could register with Camp Hopson ( haberdashers in Newbury ) under a scheme which allowed 1 1/2 lbs of wool per year to knit for relatives in the forces. At the end of 1941 members were asked to knit also for Yugoslav POWs.

A talk was given on how to overcome the shortage of sugar, and perhaps in an effort to produce the required surplus of onions and tomatoes, Mr. Davis took the W.I. around Hungerford Park gardens and gave many useful tips on growing and storing vegetables.

I cannot think where the money came from but in 1941, in addition to the fund raising already mentioned, the W.I. joined the Red Cross penny a week fund, organized a collection for St. Dunstans – a favourite village charity. During Warships Week a stall raised £8-10s-0d.

In case the enthusiasm for gathering money had started to flag, the ladies were treated to a talk on ‘War Savings and The Government’s Urgent Need as War Expenditure Increased’.

But all was not concerned with money -Miss Green gave a thrilling talk upon her experiences in the Balkans during the last war with an American Red Cross Unit. Whether the thrills came from the Balkans or the Americans we are not informed!

Despite the hard work time was found for a choir to train under Miss Walden. Performing in Reading they earned the verdict of ‘good interpretation and musical rendering of a high standard’.

This high standard was demonstrated to the parish when the choir sang for a Nativity Play at the end of December. This must have been an interesting performance for although staged in the church the PCC had strictly forbidden any rehearsals to be held there!

1942 began with Mrs. Marsden giving a talk on her thrilling experiences as a War Correspondent in Holland and France and on the domestic front a stall was started for outgrown children’s clothes. Thrilling experiences seem to have abounded in for the Kintbury ladies!

The Ministry of Labour informed the W.I. in February, that it had organised transport for villagers who wished to undertake war work in the Newbury area. Also in February the fruit preservation scheme -which had made a profit of £8, asked everyone to save jam jars as it was thought these would become difficult to obtain -and arrangements were made for the elusive cup of tea to be provided again -at the price of 1d.

Now, on top of knitting, jam making, organising collections and acting as town criers, the W.I. became responsible for running monthly whist drives to provide money for POW parcels. The first of these raised £20!!

In March, Mrs. Bowen attended a meeting on Post War Planning. A trifle optimistic as this was early 1942 but perhaps the arrival of the Americans brought renewed optimism. On her return she stressed the importance of planning with respect to agriculture, education, health and housing.

In April, Lady Farrington asked the W. I. to make it known that she had had an interview with the manager of the Vickers Armstrong Factory in Hungerford and had been told that part-time workers were badly needed and half day shifts and transport could be provided if enough people applied.

April also brought yet another pep talk from HQ and attention was drawn this time to unskilled work on farms. One wonders where our ladies were expected to find the time.

The 1942 Fruit Scheme opened on 19^th June with the making of 135 lbs of gooseberry jam, but July was devoted to the gathering and drying of herbs. These were despatched in July and again in September and future supplies were requested. The year was relentless in its demands upon women and this is only the report of one organisation. The Paper Salvage Drive was next -each member asked to bring at least ten books and by September 570 books and innumerable magazines had been collected. One wonders how so many pre war books survived. A further 281 lbs of plum jam was produced and the school children despatched to collect a consignment of fox glove leaves -these were urgently needed to treat heart disease and cases of shell shock.

Despite all this, time was found to form a Drama Society and work in the garden – Lady Peterson and Miss Hayward won first class certificates in the Country Garden Competition. In October the Institute asked Mr. Packer to allow children to collect rosehips, which he did and they collected l cwt -no mean feat. HQ again drew attention -this time to harvesting leek seeds. How casually we treat these things today but in 1942 leek seeds were apparently another vital ingredient in the war effort. But jam, was the main priority and before closing for the winter 160 lbs of blackberry and 130 lbs of crab apple were produced. This meant that in 1942 the grand total of jam produced was 706 lbs!!

The knitters, of course ,were still on the go. Thanks were received from POWs, RAFBF and the Comfort Depot. Next the ladies were then asked to knit for the Merchant Navy or join a Red Cross Working party. The latter was chosen and from 1939 until 1944 the Red Cross Working party produced 4,000 garments and among the special orders were: Pyjamas for the Royal Artillery, Gloves for the Wrens, Socks and Gloves for POWs, Hessian Aprons for ATS Kintbury Home Guard, Kintbury Service men and, later, Baby Clothes for liberated Europe.

Just think for a moment: 4,000 garments in addition to jam making, fund raising, gardening, herb gathering etc all without washing machines, often only kitchen ranges rather than cookers, no main water or drainage, no main sewers.

By December the elusive cup of tea had disappeared again -this time due to a milk shortage.

During 1942, our ladies listened to such serious talks as ‘The Need to Co-Operate with Russia’; Archaeology’; ‘The Early Life of Churchill’; and the intriguing ‘Who Are The Americans?’

The year closed with a curious resolution being sent to HQ from Kintbury. It read as follows: ‘That representation be made to the Ministry of Labour and National Service, that the interviewing of housewives who are mothers of families should be undertaken by women of mature age and experience of running a home. It has been found that young women without practical experience of this kind find difficulty in comprehending the extent of labour and planning necessary to provide a home for a family’.Obviously members felt very strongly about the subject.

1943 began with a very successful party at Hawath House and this seems to set the scene for a lighter note creeps in but the relentless work continued.

The Institute was asked to produce material for occupational parcels for POWs and to take a three month turn in making and despatching them. A talk on savings urged everyone to intensify their efforts. This they did by helping with a variety show for Wings Week.

These shows seemed to have been quite a feature of village life and indeed at one time sported a Minstrel Group called the ‘White Coons’. The Girls Club rehearsed under Mrs. McCartney singing and cabaret acts and the soldiers at Barton Court took part in various sketches, singing and piano playing. A very popular act was Mr. Funnel and his fiddle. Mr. Funnel was a local shopkeeper and his wife a W.I. member. The Wings Week included an auction and made £156 7s Od.

In April, Miss Lansley agreed to become Chief Harvester and to undertake the collection of medicinal herbs. Culinary herbs were also required and these sent to POWs, but in June HQ announced that these were no longer needed and could be sold to the market stall. Presumably medicinal herbs continued to be harvested.. The W.I. was again urged to think of working on farms and perhaps in an effort to obtain agricultural workers it was proposed to erect houses in the village for them. W.I. members were invited to a parish meeting to discuss this but the RDC stated that although four houses were proposed plans had not been approved or rents fixed. Housing was evidently upon the villager’s minds for later in the year there was a talk on housing schemes and how they would affect Kintbury after the war!

Jam making began in June with 160 lbs of gooseberry which was put on sale in the shops and passed as of ‘excellent’ quality. The output for 1943 was 684 lbs.

Whist Drives continued to finance POW parcels and between September and January raised £21 2s 8d. The Drama Club went from strength to strength but perhaps a sign that the war was going well was the return of the travelogue talks. The armchair travellers were treated to talks on America, Russia and the Canary Islands.

1942 ended with the choir raising £10 10s for the Red Cross by carol singing.

1943 began with food and diet uppermost. The W.I. organised and distributed cocoa from the National Milk Cocoa Scheme. Mrs. Willoughby obtained a lemon and raffled it for £1! In the spring members were asked to stress the importance of Cod Liver Oil, and the importance of fruit juice for children.

July brought another Variety Show for Salute The Soldier Week which raised £80 10s Od and Jim Crowe and his concert party gave a show to boost POW funds. Jim came from Newbury and the mere mention of his name brought shrieks of laughter from the people who told me about him.

1944 was a bad year for fruit as I can only find mention of 192 lbs -but perhaps it was not so desperately needed.

December brought the only recorded disagreement and this happened when two more names were put forward to receive POW parcels making six in all. One lady contended that the two men concerned were not Kintbury people and thus not eligible. A definition was called for and Lady Peterson proposed that a ‘local prisoner should be one whose wife or relative is living in Kintbury and has been for at least six months and was not receiving help from any other source’. This was agreed.

The year was supposed to end with a film show -but the machine broke down so an hilarious game of clumps was played. Talks given included, ‘The Danish Folk Movement’, ‘How to Attract Younger Women to the W.I.’ and ‘Housing for The Country’, this last causing many lively comments and criticisms. Just in case the knitters thought that they could ease off a little, they were asked to knit for the European Clothing Relief Fund.

The last few months of the war brought an urgent appeal for a collection for Lewisham. Miss Lawrence placed an office at the disposal of the village and was there to receive gifts at 5 o’clock on Wednesday and Friday. Many gifts were collected and a letter of thanks received. It seems that Kintbury seldom failed to respond generously to charitable appeals.

Eventually the long awaited day arrived: Victory in Europe, 8^th May, 1945. Finally, there was time to relax and the next W.I. meeting became an open party. Mr. Saunders undertook to be M.C. and everyone was grateful for his able assistance. The hall was very well filled and Sir Frank Spickernell played the piano for dancing and musical games. Mrs. McCartney gave an account of the arrangements for The Welcome Home Fund, tea and cakes were served and the Drama Club performed a sketch entitles Mrs. Whipple’s Husband. More games and dancing followed.

A committee was formed to organize the Welcome Home Celebrations. These were to include four Welcome Home Parties in the Coronation Hall – with the hilarious Jim Crowe supplying the variety items. At this party 68 returning servicemen were welcomed and altogether 227 received gifts of money and a card of thanks.

The last months of 1945 were spent trying to get back to a normal life and Lady Spick asked to be allowed to retire as she had served 5 years as President instead of the usual 3. It was obvious to those of us who moved into Kintbury in the last years of Lady Spickernell’s life, that she was held in very high regard and much affection. I have been told that she was a lovely person who really cared.

So the W.I. war duties came to an end and to demonstrate that they were now back in the realms of domesticity. The first talk of 1946 was given by a Mrs. Rigg and entitled, ‘Singing While You Work’. Housework, said Mrs. Rigg, particularly bed making, would be less irksome if one sang or hummed a tune.

Perhaps we should bear that in mind!

“It’s your Britain, fight for it now” poster by Frank Newbould. Public domain. Wikimedia Commons

William Winterbourne: A Reflection by Keith Jerrome

This year Keith Jerome, a retired trade unionist, was able to join us as we remembered William Winterbourne. Keith has given us permission to reproduce here the speech he gave, reflecting on the injustices suffered by the Kintbury Martyr and his comrades.

William Smith, known as Winterbourne, has been referred to as ‘The Kintbury Martyr‘. And why not? The men of Tolpuddle, the Six Men of Dorset, also achieved this title without a trip to the gallows.

The document Sentences of the Prisoners tried at the Special Assizes at Reading, began December 27, ended January 4, 1831 shows that several village communities were to be deprived of many members of their agricultural workforce and, most of all, deprived of family members who were the principal breadwinners. The ‘Swing Rioters‘ had been acting in protest against poverty and starvation and for those families losing wage earners from January 1831 the prospect was bleak. They too would share the punishment meted out.

The Kintbury men, like their comrades further to the South West, were apprehended and taken to gaol. They went to Abingdon and to Reading, leaving their homes to which they would never return.

Our Kintbury Martyrs were hunted down by a posse of 300 horsemen who were on a bonus of 50 guineas for each prisoner they delivered up to Reading Gaol. They shared £600 from the County Sheriff (Probably a four figure sum in today’s money). They were led by Charles Dundas and Lord Craven and included ex Yeomanry troops plus Grenadier Guards and Special Constables. Both the Red Lion (today the Dundas Arms) and the Blue Ball were raided and many began the onward journey to Reading Gaol where they remained pending the Special Assizes. This activity was described as “A good day’s sport” by Mr Dundas..

Twenty–two men from Kintbury and Hungerford were sentenced to be transported, of whom fourteen were married. Six were farm labourers and the remainder were country tradesmen and all were destined for the ‘Hulks‘. These were old wooden warships used as floating prisons They were utilised as a temporary measure in 1777 but were still in use 70 years later. Described as “Hell on Earth“, scrofula, consumption and scurvy were rife. Retired battleship the ‘York‘ at Portsmouth to which the Berkshire men were taken held 500 prisoners. Men were held here until convict ships became available and prisoners were judged fit to sail. That could be months and “Men died almost immediately from disease induced by despair and a great many died later due to despair and a deep sense of shame and desperation“.

“Naval guards were brutal, tyrannised, cruel by consciousness of the power they possessed“. Beatings, punishments and reduction in rations, together with “Floggings of unspeakable severity” were inflicted on prisoners.

Fortunately, the Berkshire men did not have to wait too long. The Kintbury Martyrs left Portsmouth on 19 February 1832 on the convict ship the ‘Eleanor‘ while four of them sailed on the ‘Eliza‘. They sailed via Madeira and Cape Verde, round the Cape of Good Hope and on 26 June were in sight of Sydney, New South Wales while the ‘Eliza‘ was bound for what was then Van Diemens Land.

Although the sentence of transportation was not for life, it was in fact a life sentence, as few had any hope of returning home. Back in Berkshire, their families were reliant on the support given by parish relief, principally to be able to feed their children and themselves.

We remember William Winterbourne in 2024 as we have done for many years. We must also remember his fellow comrades and their families, who did not suffer the ultimate punishment of being deprived of life but the lives they had known were changed completely.

The hope that change for the better has befallen those seeking a better life and freedom from tyranny is challenged when we recall that the concept of transportation has been promoted by the current government. However, it is faltering in its intent to use modern methods of transportation to ship refugees and so called ‘illegal‘ immigrants to Rwanda. It also faces a problem of the costs of housing the increasing number of refugees in hotels.

But here comes an eighteenth century solution! Buy in a ‘hulk‘ (from Holland), the barge now moored in Portland Harbour in Dorset. Conditions on board, while not like those of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, are far from ideal for providing shelter to men accused of no crime, who are merely seeking freedom and a better life.

As we recall the terrible fate suffered by William Winterbourne and the life sentences to which his comrades and their families were condemned in 1831 let us recognise that the protest against the tyranny which seeks to deprive people of their freedom and their right to a better quality of life must go on.

Quotes thanks to the late Norman Fox, Author ‘Berkshire to Botany Bay‘. Teacher, Trades Unionist, Marxist and friend. Keith Jerrome 11 January 2024.