John and Alice Hayes

This story was submitted by their great-granddaughter.

‘John Henry Hayes was born 2 Nov 1872 to parents William (ox carter) and Mary of 27 The Street, Broad Hinton. He was the 7th of 8 children, having 3 brothers and 4 sisters.

Living in a rural community he initially trained as a blacksmith before entering the Great Western Railway as a springsmith. (1911 census gives his occupation as Blacksmith Striker GW Railway).

Circa 1898 John Henry, aka Jack, married Alice Maude Mary (nee Pyke born 1879 Wroughton).

They moved to 50 Summers St. Swindon and he became a churchwarden at the Rodbourne Road Methodist Chapel.  My father remembers having to play quietly on Sundays whilst his stern granny read her bible. He also remembers she didn’t cook on a Sunday so there were only ‘cold cuts’ for lunch.

I understand he taught other railway employees in his front room. I don’t know whether this was religious studies or reading/writing.

Their family expanded and by the 1911 census they had 3 living and 2 deceased children. To my knowledge there were a further 2 girls and a boy, 6 in all surviving to adulthood.

My grandfather, imaginatively named Thistle Ewart aka Tom, was his second child. He, together with his only child my father Barrie John, and myself all in our turn ‘went inside’ GWR/BREL.  We have a 4 generation plaque on the wall at Steam.

John Henry lost his wife in 1939 and passed away 11 Feb 1951.  He was buried at Radnor Street Cemetery Swindon, plot C4160′

The attached photo is of John Henry and Alice taken in approx. 1934.

*The couple share their grave with Alice’s mother Jane who died in November 1926. Her last address was given as 50 Summers Street.