There have been an awful lot of words written about Queen Victoria, but it always come back to just how tall (or small) she was. You probably know that she was lacking in stature, something she frequently mentioned herself. It’s one of the facts of her life still talked about today. She had nine children, she was not amused and she was – how tall, 4ft 10ins, 4ft 11ins. In fact, she was probably a little over 5ft.
So what does Alice Arman have in common with Queen Victoria?
Well, she had 4 children not 9 and she didn’t become Empress of India neither was she the subject of countless books, TV series and films. Alice Arman quietly (or maybe loudly) spent a lifetime of service to the people of Swindon, which is now lost and forgotten. There does remain however this rather spectacular photograph of Alice in which she doesn’t look particularly small (or tall).
So which women of history would you like to meet during Women’s History Month. I’ve got a very long list, and I’d also rather like to have met Alice Arman.
The facts …
Alice was born in Oldham in 1857, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Schofield. She married William Fairclough at the church of St Wilfrid, Standish, Lancashire on July 16, 1883. At the time of the 1891 census Alice and her first husband, William Fairclough, were living at 3 East Vermont Street in the Govan district of Glasgow with their three children, Mary, William and Alice. A fourth child, Norman was born in 1891 but died before his first birthday. The family moved to Swindon in around 1893 when William secured a job as a boilermaker in the Works.
Industrial New Swindon probably looked quite familiar to Alice who had grown up in Oldham, Lancashire where her parents ran a greengrocer’s shop. But sadly the move to Swindon didn’t herald a brave new future for the family as William died that same year.
In 1896 Alice (sometimes known as Alison) married widower Thomas Arman. The couple lived first in King Street where Thomas was employed as a carpenter in the GWR Works and Alice worked as a trouser machinist. Her son William lived with them along with Thomas’s three children by his first wife, Alfred, Mabel and Rosie. On the 1911 census Alice and Thomas Arman are living at 15 Lowestoft Street with Thomas’s daughter Rose Mary Arman and Alice’s daughter Mary Elizabeth Fairclough. Alice’s occupation is described as ‘part time student.’ I hope this is correct and not an error when the census return was filled out. I love the thought that Alice is studying at the age of 50.
In 1909 Alice was involved with the Bridge Street Men’s Adult School. An article published in the Swindon Advertiser on February 26, 1909 reporting on a recent meeting when ‘at the Social Hour at eight p.m. Mrs A. Arman read, by request, her paper entitled “From Gypsy Lane to the Workhouse” to an appreciative audience’ a subject no doubt informed by her work with the Poor Law Board of Guardians.
In 1894 the Local Government Act enabled the election of women to the Poor Law Board of Guardians for the first time. In Swindon Maria Matthews, Elizabeth Williams, Elizabeth House and Elinor Buller were the first four women to serve as Guardians. At the beginning of the 20th century Alice was also elected a member. We know she served as a Guardian for several years because an election in 1922 produced some shock results. Seven of the old members were defeated including Mrs Elizabeth Williams, the Deputy Mayor Alderman E. Jones and Mrs Alice Arman.
Alice continued with her community work after the First World War when she served as secretary of the Comrades’ Club, which met at Bridge Street.
In 1920 Alice unsuccessfully stood as one of six Labour candidates in Swindon’s local elections, however, her political colleague Mrs Ellen Anglesea Tanner won the West Ward seat for the Labour party.
Alice died at her home in Princes Street aged 68. She was buried three days before Christmas 1927 in plot C24a in Radnor Street Cemetery. She is buried alone with her first husband William Fairclough remembered on her headstone.
Radnor Street Cemetery 
I was so excited to stumble across the story of Alice Arman. My Great great grandfather was her second husband, Thomas Arman. My great grandfather was his son Alfred Richard Arman. Alfred’s daughter, Lucy Annie Winifred Arman was my maternal grandmother. Alfred and his wife Mable Florence Sawyer are buried in Whitworth Road Cemetery.
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Hi Sharon – thank you so much for getting in touch. I was thrilled to discover Alice has such a nice grave. So often the people I research have no marker on their grave.
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Hello Again, Yes, I was also thrilled to discover Alice Armans’ grave when I went onto a web site [Duncan and Mandy], and I was able to download and print a picture of it. I had no idea that Alice was such an active societal member, but she looks very kind and caring in the photo. I would love to have a copy of that photo that was posted. can you tell me how i can do that?
I first thought that Alice was buried with her son not knowing her history. She is not directly related to me but must have been a comfort for my great grandfather and his siblings after their mother died. I have been unable to find exactly where Thomas Arman is buried, but I suspect that he is also in Radnor St Cemetery, as you say so many graves are unmarked.
I was born in Swindon in 1953 and now live in Cornwall. I visited RSC in November last year on a mission to find resting places of my Grans’ long dead infant children. I managed to find the area and was so dismayed to find a tangle of brambles and weeds marking the spot. I am hoping to show one of my cousins around Swindon in the Summer. I am hoping to write to the council and ask them to at least cut back the weeds. I know that the grave will not be marked.
It’s fantastic that people like yourself care about the Cemetery, it is such a special place and so is Swindon.
Regards, Sharon Strutt
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Hi Radnor History authors , I wonder if you could write a piece on Gertrude Selina Sharman , I think she was qualified as a teacher and then for the Swindon education board , her grandfather was a Wesleyan minister , and she died aged 86 in 1971 , buried at Radnor with her parents Frederick James Sharman and Sarah his wife. I really don’t know any more except her grandmother and aunts are also buried at Radnor close by.
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Hi Deborah – we met on our last guided walk. I have the notes you sent me on John Sharman and will definitely have a look out for Gertrude Selina Sharman.
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I no longer live in Swindon but I do have a longstanding facebook group for older Swindonians.
Its a shame people cant have some platform for finding their ancestors in the cemetaries.
I have long researched Alison Arman as she was often called, and she was a Justice of the Peace on some records. My mother and her sister Lucy were Thomas Arman’s grand children. His son was Alfred Richard Arman, who started an Army life, his children being born while in Reading.
The Armans have a long and intricate history in Chiseldon dating to the 1500s,, but most likely coming to Swindon very early in the Factories history, living in the very first buildings, (or Canal Cottages).
I have traced Alison’s children to her granddaughter who became very successful with an OBE or some similar award.
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Hi Pam – thank you so much for your very interesting comments.
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I can give you a lot of info on Arman links, but I dont vouch for the accuracy!
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I might enlarge a little on these recollections, as Thomas’s first wife was Elizabeth Jane Webb. She died in her thirties of Uremia, meaning that my mother had no (known) grandmother. They lived off Eastcott Hill. In my conversations, the name Webb often comes up. Indeed, William Webb was a mayor of Swindon of which little is written. (Here is a ripe subject for an author! )
So I always ask any Webb person if we might be related…no luck so far!
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I havent referred to this poem “Radnor Street Cemetary” before now, but I do think it expresses everything we -at least I – think about the cemetary.
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