Fred and Mary Winchcombe

Church and Chapel, Women at Home and at Work 1 Minute

This is the last resting place of Fred and Mary Winchcombe who married in 1911 and had a family of six sons and two daughters. Mary died in 1951 and Fred in 1964.

Several years ago their granddaughter, Mary, joined us on one of our walks and kindly sent me the following information about her grandparents.

Fred Winchcombe worked in the GWR and walked in from Chiseldon each day. He and the men he walked in with had the habit of taking a quick pint in the Patriots Arms on the way in, and one day he met up with recruitment men from Kings Troop.

Grandad took the King’s Shilling and joined Kings Troop and was posted to Ireland. He was stationed just outside of Kilkenny and the only watering hole deemed safe for the troops to drink in (he was CofE) was Mastersons Hotel in Kilkenny High Street. This was owned by Mary Morrisey’s uncle, and she worked there. Mary was Roman Catholic.

They met, fell in love and Fred asked her to marry him. Her family were not opposed as long as Fred changed religion. He did, they were married in Holy Rood Church, Swindon.

They started married life in Chiseldon, but as Mary insisted on walking into Swindon every day for Mass, Fred moved them to 10 Union Street, Old Town where they raised their children in a two up two down terraced house with outside toilet and no bathroom.

Mary very much wanted to go back to Ireland to see her own parents and siblings, but both parents died before they ever managed to save enough money for her fare.

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Published by Radnor Street Cemetery

I am a local historian and writer researching the history of Radnor Street Cemetery in Swindon. I have written three books - Struggle and Suffrage in Swindon: Women's Lives and the Fight for Equality published by Pen and Sword and The Ladies of Lydiard and West Swindon - What the eye doesn't see written in collaboration with Angela Atkinson and Roger Ogle both published by Hobnob Press.

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4 thoughts on “Fred and Mary Winchcombe”

  1. In response to this posting I may be able to add a little to the story. I lived at 6 Union Street until 1984 and well remember a John Winchcombe living at no.10. I believe he used to do cleaning at, what was then, a Royal Mail depot in what was formerly the Drill Hall. I hope this is of some use.

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  2. Hi I think Fred may have been a witness at my greatgrand parents wedding in Kilkenny on 7th oct 1910 , would this date tally with the information you have .

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