The Palphramand family

This large family plot has many stories to tell. From Joseph Strong, a pattern maker, who moved to Swindon from Bolton in Lancashire in the 1850s to his son-in-law George Palphramand, who in retirement moved to Coventry and in death returned to Swindon to be buried with his family.

But I am beginning the story of the Strong and Palphramand’s with a family tragedy and the death of a little boy.

George Palphramand and Mary Ellen Strong married in St. Mark’s Church on April 13, 1876. Their first child Isabel was baptised on November 4, 1877 in the church where they were married. At the time of the 1881 census George and Mary were living at 24 Read Street with their three children Isabel 3, George 2 and 7½ month old baby Ernest. Mary’s brother Joseph Strong and his family lived next door at number 25. In the 1880s Read, Marlborough and Andover streets abutted the Wilts & Berks Canal.

Work began on the Wilts & Berks Canal at Semington in 1795 expressly for the transportation of Somerset coal to the towns in Wiltshire and Berkshire. However, with the completion of the Great Western Railway line from London to Bristol, trade on the canal diminished. It was closed by an act of parliament in 1914 and eventually filled in from about the 1930s. Today the short stretch of the former canal provides a route into Swindon town centre from the bottom of Kingshill.

At the inquest into the death of Ernest, a witness drew attention to the fact that there was really no fence there to keep little children from getting on the canal side, and ‘it was a great inducement for children to play there.’ Returning a verdict of accidental death the jury ‘expressed a wish that the Canal Company should endeavour to carry out such improvements to their fences that would hinder the occurrence of similar fatalities.’

Was this recommendation acted upon? Would this have been any consolation to the Palphramand family?

The Wilts & Berks canal looking east towards Marlborough Street footbridge c1914 published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Another Death From Drowning – On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Baker held an inquest at the Ship Inn, New Swindon, on the body of Ernest Strong Palphramand, aged three years and eleven months, son of George Palphramand assistant foreman in the P Shop, G.W.R. Works, of 24, Read street, who was drowned in the canal at the end of Read street, on Sunday afternoon. Mr George Thomas was foreman. The father of the deceased deposed that he last saw his son alive at about half past four o’clock on Sunday afternoon. The deceased was then playing with his brother in the backyard. The two children then went out at the back-gate, down the yard, and round by the front. The deceased went on to the path, and must then have fallen into the water. The other brother did not go on the path, but saw the deceased in the water, and gave the alarm. Witness ran up the street and jumped in, but could not find the child. His wife called the children back when they first went out of the gate, but they did not come; the elder of the children was five years old. When his older son came back from the water he seemed confused and could not tell where his brother was. No one really saw the child fall in the canal; and he must have been in the water for quite a quarter of an hour. Every effort was used to restore animation by those on the bank before the doctor arrived. Witness wished to call the attention of the jury to the bad state of the fences, and the path; there was really no fence there to keep little children from getting on the canal side, and it was a great inducement for children to play there. Henry Fraine, carpenter, of 44, Albion street, who helped to get the child out of the water, and Dr. Swinhoe also gave evidence. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, but expressed a wish that the Canal Company should endeavour to carry out such improvements to their fences that would hinder the occurrence of similar fatalities. The jury also expressed their deep sympathy with the bereaved parents.

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, Saturday, July 26 1884.

Ernest Strong Palphramand was buried on July 23, 1884 in grave plot E8469. The burial registers record that he was 3 years old and that his place of death was ‘The Canal near Read Street’.