I am frequently asked if I have ever seen a ghost in the cemetery and have been told by others of their own paranormal experiences, but I don’t tend to go in for ghostly graveyard stories. For me Radnor Street Cemetery is a place of beauty and serenity and it’s the life and times of those buried there that interest me.
As a team of volunteers it is our mission to remember. We remember those who served in war; those who served in the industry of our town; those ordinary men and women, some of whom devoted their lives to good works, and those who had such short lives they are in danger of being forgotten.
On Remembrance Day November 12 we will be honouring Mark Sutton who spent all his life remembering others and doing good works. We hope you will join us for a Service at the Cross of Sacrifice at 2 pm followed by the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to Mark.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the last guided cemetery walk this season. We next meet on Sunday November 12 for the Remembrance Sunday service during which a plaque dedicated to Mark Sutton will be unveiled. Meet at the chapel for 2 pm.
Here is one of the stories I told yesterday (with thanks to Kevin Leakey for his information and research).
Leslie Charles Newman was born on October 17, 1907, the son of Thomas Charles Newman (Alderman and Mayor of Swindon 1923-24) and his wife Frederica.
In 1921/2 Leslie, then aged 14, began an apprenticeship at his father’s printing works, the Borough Press. He took over the business following the death of his father in 1941, but it is probably fair to say his first love was motorcycle racing.
Kevin Leakey writes:
Having purchased his first motorcycle as a 17 year old in 1924, Leslie Newman quickly took to participating in many different forms of motorcycle racing and competition, including trials, grass track racing and hill climbs.
Leslie also raced at the first dirt track (speedway) meeting at the Gorse Hill Autodrome in 1928.
As well as competing in and organising many local motorcycle competitions through his connections with the Swindon based North Wilts Motorcycle & light car Club, Les also found time to compete in the Isle of Man Grand Prix, the amateur races held on the T.T. circuit.
Although he had considered retiring from motorcycle competition in 1933, having never competed in road racing events, the call of the famed Manx race was too much for Leslie, so he scraped together the £35 needed to purchase a four year old T.T. Sunbeam motorcycle and had it race prepared by the factory for an additional £10.
In order to prepare for the gruelling race he devised a 21 mile training circuit similar in shape to the TT track. Taking in many of the villages on the Downs, Leslie would set out at dawn from Swindon, and be back for breakfast followed by a 2 mile walk to start work at 8am.
Leslie competed in four Grand Prix races between 1934 and 1937. His most successful performance was in the 1934 Senior race. Despite crashing at one point, he still managed to finish a highly creditable 12th place out of 57 starters, averaging almost 70 mph over 6 laps of the 37 ¾ mile circuit. Quite a feat considering some of his fellow competitors were either professional racers, or would eventually turn professional.
It’s also interesting to note that, unlike today, where the whole circuit is on tarmac roads, back in the 1930’s it was often narrow, had loose surfaces in parts and had many dangerous blind corners.
In recent years, his Isle of Man efforts have been remembered by the Marston Sunbeam Club by holding an annual ‘Les Newman memorial run’. They follow the route across the Downs that Leslie used for his practice runs.
Post war Leslie was involved in the early speedway meetings at the Abbey Stadium as Starting Line Marshal, and his business, the Borough Press (Eastcott Hill) printed the meeting programmes. He also continued to organise vintage bike runs and rallies for many years.
Leslie died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on October 13, 1989, aged 81. His ashes were later placed in this large family grave with his parents, sister, his wife Doris and their son John Charles Newman who died in 2005.
Les pictured in his heyday and reunited with his motorcycle in later life.
Some photos taken at our guided cemetery walk yesterday.
This pristine art deco gravestone proudly boasts the achievements of Thomas Charles Newman, Alderman and Mayor of Swindon in 1923.
Mr Newman served on the council for 32 years and during his Mayoral year welcomed King George V and Queen Mary on their first visit to Swindon.
Other less glamorous duties he performed that same year including opening the sewage works at Rodbourne and the hard tennis courts at Town Gardens.
Thomas Charles Newman was born in Swindon in 1878 and was educated at Sanford Street Schools.
He began his career in the printing trade as a printer’s devil (an apprentice who runs errands in a printing office) and went on to become a master printer and proprietor of the Borough Press Ltd.
He was chairman of the committee in charge of the new Civic Offices built close to his old home in Euclid Street and he had many interests outside of politics. He was involved with Swindon Town Football Club and the Wiltshire Football Association along with many other local organisations. He enjoyed gardening, singing and various sports, in particular angling.
Thomas Charles Newman died on October 14, 1941 and an obituary published in the Advertiser described him as an extremely popular and generous man who assisted in every way the town’s many causes, and took a special interest in housing and unemployment questions.
His funeral took place at Sanford Street Congregational Church on Saturday, October 18. A prominent freemason, Masonic honours were accorded at his funeral and 60 Freemasons headed the funeral cortege from Sanford Street up here to Radnor Street Cemetery.
Thomas was buried with his daughter Sybil who had died ten years previously aged 15. They were later joined by his wife Frederica who died in 1963, their son Leslie who died in 1989 and his wife Doris who died in 1983. The last member of the family to be buried here was grandson John Charles Newman who died in 2005.
Charles Edward Stroud was born on March 8, 1894 the son of William Henry Stroud, a storekeeper in the railway factory, and his wife Elizabeth Mary. William and Elizabeth had a large family of nine children but by the time of the 1911 census only four were still living.
We can find out a lot about Charles’ working life thanks to the UK Railway Employment Records 1833-1956 available on Ancestry.
Charles began work in the railway factory on June 1, 1908 as a 14 year old office boy. On December 6, 1909 he transferred to R shop to begin a five year fitting and turning apprenticeship. These records were meticulously updated and the last entry referring to Charles reads: War – Military duty, last at work 29/8/1914. Apprenticeship terminated.
Sadly, we know little about Corporal Stroud’s military career. You may wonder why so many of the WWI servicemen’s’ records are lost. In September 1940 the War Office repository in Arnside Street, London was hit during a bombing raid, destroying more than half the military records stored there. What remains of these records (referred to as the ‘burnt documents’) are available to view on microfilm at the National Archives and also online at Ancestry and Find My Past. There is roughly a 40% chance of finding the service record of a WWI soldier. But before you get started on your research why not visit Local Studies at Central Library, Swindon where the staff will be able to help you.
The go-to-book for information on Swindon men who served is Tell Them of Us by Mark Sutton. We have a few copies for sale, available during our cemetery walks. (Our next walk is Sunday October 29, meet at the chapel for 2 pm).
Corporal Charles Edward Stroud served with the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment. He died of wounds on March 6, 1916 at the General Hospital Cambridge. His body was returned to 41 Stanier Street, Swindon and the funeral took place on March 11. He is buried in plot D1501 with his parents. He was 21 years old.
The burial of Swindon’s dead continued to be a controversial subject even after the opening of Radnor Street Cemetery in 1881.
The following letter to the editor of the Swindon Advertiser reveals burial practices that should have been eliminated following legislation passed during the previous 30 years.
To the Editor of the Swindon Advertiser
Sir – Can any of your readers tell me how it is that the inhabitants of that part of the parish of Swindon known as Old Swindon do not use the new cemetery, provided at their cost some five years ago? When it was decided to purchase this cemetery it was generally held out as an inducement to ratepayers to part with their money that the parish church burial ground would be closed, except to owners of vaults. Instead of this being the case, however, the churchyard is not only being crowded with bodies, but some of those interred there are being dug up in a most indecent manner to make room for more.
At the funeral of a pauper this week there was exposed beside the grave the skull, vertebra, and other bones of a corpse which previously occupied the same ground, together with the handles and other portions of the coffin furniture. I do not think this is right, or that it is decent. With the spacious cemetery we have it cannot be necessary. I am told that the reason Swindon paupers are buried in the churchyard instead of the cemetery is that the poor law authorities refuse to pay the cemetery fees. If this is so I do hope the Swindon guardians will bestir themselves and put an end to such a state of things.
Today’s story has been revealed by an enquiry through the Radnor Street Cemetery Facebook page and two newspaper articles.
When Hilda Lawes was interviewed by the Swindon Advertiser in 1995 she spoke with affection about her childhood, living in Faringdon Road above her parents’ fish shop.
It had taken Ada and Richard Jones a long time to get to Swindon.
Ada was born in 1879 in Canton, Cardiff the daughter of Edward Barrow, a stonemason, and his wife Mary. She married Richard William Amhurst Jones in Cardiff in 1897. Their daughter Ada was born that same year in Cardiff. In 1899 a second daughter Emma was born followed by son Richard William in 1902 when the family lived in Tilehurst, Reading where Richard worked as a Ferryman. The family were soon on the move again and Edna was born in 1905 and Hilda in 1907 in Southampton. They eventually arrived in Swindon where Matilda was born in 1910. By 1911 the family were living at 26 Commercial Road where Richard worked as a fish dealer. The census of that year informs us that they have been married for 14 years and have 6 children who are all living. Their last child, Freda, was born in Stratton St. Margaret in 1912.
Their family complete, their business established, Richard and Ada might have thought they were settled.
The Great War was raging when Richard enlisted in Swindon in November 1915. He was 41 years of age with a family of seven children to support. His military records reveal that he served in the RAMC as a Motor Driver and Mechanic from 1916 to 1919 in what was then known as German East Africa. During 1916 he was injured in a bomb explosion suffering wounds to his left leg. That year he also contracted malaria. He remained in East Africa until the end of the war, returned to England in January 1919 when he was declared 30% disabled, but still transferred to the Reservists List.
Hilda, then aged 12, remembers him returning from the war and how the family moved to new premises at Faringdon Road.
Despite his injuries, work carried on apace for Richard, but family life sounds as if it was rather fun.
In June 1931 Richard and Ada’s youngest daughter Freda entered the Carnival Queen competition organised by the Evening Advertiser. She was crowned by popular actress Evelyn Laye (who had a Swindon connection) and was presented with a silver rose bowl.
The Swindon Advertiser report includes a fantastic photograph of Richard riding his motorbike with Ada sitting in a wicker sidecar. The second photograph is a grainy picture taken from the North Wilts Herald of their youngest daughter Freda crowned Carnival Queen in 1931.
Ada died aged 63 at 39 Faringdon Road. Her funeral took place on October 13, 1937 when she was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot C4490. Richard died aged 65 at 176 Pinehurst Road, the home of his youngest daughter Freda, and was buried with Ada on November 24, 1939.
Local farmer Elliot Woolford kept a daily diary for more than 50 years and I’m transcribing it for the Friends of Lydiard Park online Lydiard Archives project.
The diaries in which Elliot records life in the small rural parish of Lydiard Tregoze constitute an important social document. Here he discusses everything from the vagaries of the weather to crop failures; from church festivals to village goings-on; the death of Queen Victoria and the end of the war in South Africa. His writing is unaffected and his voice colloquial, the diary was written for his reference only.
In 1911 Elliot brought his produce to Swindon market and delivered to shops in the town centre. One of his regular customers was George Watson who ran a greengrocers and florists at 21 Cromwell Street. In his diary Elliot records their transactions.
Friday April 7: Received 10/6 of Mr G. Watson for rhubarb delivered last week.
Monday May 15: 1 doz Pea sticks to Swindon for Mr G. Watson.
On Friday September 22 it was Mrs Watson who greeted Elliot, paying him £1 10/- for 20 dozen cabbage.
On Saturday September 23 Elliot writes in his diary: Mr G. Watson died last night after a short illness.
George Watson was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot E7394. Two days later Elliot writes: Received 43/- of Mrs Watson for cabbage & turnips delivered.
Annie Watson continued to run the shop after the death of her husband.
Saturday October 28: 7/6 worth of cabbage to Mrs Watson and 9 old hens @ 1/3 each.
Annie and George were both in their 40s when they married; there were no children to carry on the business.
In time Annie moved in with her sister and brother-in-law, Susan and George Fowler at 23 Salisbury Street. When George Fowler died in 1929 he was buried in grave plot E7394 with Annie’s husband. Annie died in 1945 aged 80. She was buried with both the Georges.
George Watson’s shop pictured during flooding in Swindon July 25, 1909 published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.
Death of Mr. G. Watson, – At his residence, 21, Cromwell Street, on Friday night, Mr. G. Watson suddenly passed away. Deceased, who was 52 years of age, was a florist, and he had recently been under medical attention for heart trouble, though the end came quite unexpectedly. Mr Watson had lived in Swindon during the last nine years, and was on the executive of the local Horticultural Society. He was also a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters. He leaves a widow, but no children.
The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon. The procession left the house at 3 o’clock and wended its way to St Paul’s Church where the first portion of the service was conducted by the Vicar (the Rev. H.H. Rackham). The cortege then proceeded to the Cemetery, where the Rev. T.L. Mackesy read the concluding portions of the service.
The floral tributes were numerous and handsome and included two artificial wreath inscribed “A token of respect to George Watson from stallholders, shopkeepers, friends and neighbours RIP” and “a tribute of respect from members of the Queenstown Club.”
Extracts from the North Wilts Herald, Friday, September 29, 1911.
William Hall had a short life. You could easily miss him on the 1881 census returns where he is recorded as James William Hall aged 4 years old. He was then living in Llanelly, Carmarthenshire with his parents John and Ellen, and two brothers. William was born in Swindon in 1877 but by 1881 the family had lived in Wales for a few years. His younger brother Thomas was born in 1879 in Llantrisant while Frederick was born in Llanelly in 1883. By 1890 the family were back in Swindon living at 166 Rodbourne Road, handy for the Works where John worked as a Stationery Engine man and where William would soon join him.
At 13 years and 8 months of age William was working as a ‘slipper.’ A ‘slipper’ was a young lad who assisted with the movement of wagons by horses. He would place the chocks to ensure that the wagon did not move when parked. They were called slippers because the chock looked like a slipper.* As one of the jurymen remarked during the inquest – ‘he thought it a great shame that the Co. should employ lads at such work. It was very dangerous for the lads so employed.’
The Fatal Accident at the GWR Station
On Saturday, Mr W.E.N. Browne, coroner, held an inquest at the Cricketers’ Arms, New Swindon, on the body of the lad William Hall who received fatal injuries at the GWR Station, New Swindon, on the previous Thursday. Mr T. Wheeler was chosen foreman of the jury, who then proceeded to view the body, which was lying at the GWR Medical Fund Society Hospital. Inspector Wheeler was present to watch the proceedings on behalf of the GWR Co. The following evidence was taken:-
John Hall sworn, said: I am father of deceased, whose age was 13 years and 8 months. He had been only two days in the employ of the GWR Co., but he was at the same work for three days a fortnight ago, but left and did nothing till he was taken on again during the past week.
Henry Roach, shunter, in the Loco. Dept., said he was standing near the E Box in the afternoon. He heard someone call out, and on looking round he saw the second wheel of the van go over the deceased. Witness went to the lad’s assistance and picked him up. He asked deceased how he got under the van, and he replied, “My foot caught in the points, and it threw me down.” Deceased was quite sensible when picked up. The driver was at the horse’s head.
By a juryman: – It was a general practice for boys to be employed in “slipping coaches.”
(A juryman here interposed with the remark that he thought it a great shame that the Co. should employ lads at such work. It was very dangerous for the lads so employed).
Albert James Ford, said he was a driver in the employ of the Great Western Railway Company. Deceased was working with him as a “slipper.” On the day of the accident he was at work with the deceased, as usual. The first he heard of the accident was when the boy, being caught under the wheel, cried out. He went to the lad, and found the wheel had passed over him, and his shoe was left in the points. It was a horse box that was being drawn, but the boy was not riding on it at all. Witness had that same morning cautioned the deceased against walking on the rails, and he was not doing so when the accident happened. If the lad’s foot had not caught in the points the accident would not have occurred.
Mr Cailey, assistant to Messrs Swinhoe, Bromley, & Howse, said deceased was admitted to the hospital about 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. He was suffering from severe injury to the thigh and one arm. Deceased had his boots on when brought to the hospital. He lingered till six o’clock, when he died from exhaustion.
The Coroner having briefly summed up, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”
The Swindon Advertiser, Saturday, Feb. 15, 1890.
c1886 View of Swindon GWR Works from railway line published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.
Today there is no one left to remember the young boy who was doing the work of a man. No one to remember that William Hall was 13 years and eight months old when he was killed at work.
William was buried on February 18, 1890 in grave plot B1778 – a public grave that he shares with two others.
*Many thanks to David Robert for correcting a previous error.
Emma Pinnegar’s five sons all followed their father into the railway works. Francis and Ernest became fitters, Nelson a blacksmith and Levi a coppersmith. Her youngest son Herbert could hardly have been employed for many months when he was killed at work one Monday afternoon.
Herbert was working in D Shop “cutting of tyres for the wheels of railway carriages.” He was rather short sighted, according to the newspaper report, and working with heavy machinery. Do you suppose he was wearing glasses? I doubt it. Do you suppose anyone was supervising him? I doubt it.
In Swindon Works – The Legend, Dr. Rosa Matheson devotes a chapter to accidents. She writes: “The causes of accidents could be put down to a number of things – workers’ carelessness, difficult and horrendous conditions, over work, inexperience, lack of supervision, inattention, youth, old age, bad luck.”
It would seem young Herbert ticked a number of these boxes.
The railways brought employment and prosperity to Swindon; the railways brought life and they also brought death. Emma’s husband had been killed ten years previously walking home to Purton along the railway line. It appears he had been doing some shopping in Swindon that evening after work – it was the week before Christmas.
Fatality at Swindon
A terrible fatal accident occurred in the D Shop of the GWR Works on Monday afternoon. A lad named Pinnegar, aged about 14, was engaged upon a machine for the cutting of tyres for the wheels of railway carriages. Pinnegar, who was rather short sighted, was looking down to see if his work was placed in a right position, when going too near the large wheel, he was knocked down between the chisel and another part of the machine. The top of the poor boy’s head was cut completely off. Death, of course, was instantaneous. Deceased’s father, about six years ago, was killed on the railway while returning home from work.
The Bristol Mercury, Wednesday, September 16, 1891.
Herbert was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot B1592, a public grave. He is buried with three other unrelated persons.
Fatal Railway Accidents Near Swindon – Between twelve and one o’clock on Saturday morning the stoker on a goods engine passing the Rifle Butts, between Swindon and Purton, saw what he thought to be the body of a man lying by the side of the rails. On search being made the body of a man named Frank Pinniger, a boilersmith in the Great Western Railway Works, but living at Purton, was found. He had been in Swindon shopping on the previous night, and left Rodbourn Lane about eleven o’clock to walk to his home down the line. The night was rough and windy, and it is supposed he was struck by the 11.20 mail train from Swindon. His body was removed to the mortuary at Swindon to await an inquest. Deceased was between 40 and 50 years of age, and leaves a wife and eight children.
The Stroud News and Gloucestershire Advertiser Friday, December 24, 1880.
Frank was buried on December 24, in St. Mark’s graveyard ‘by Coroner’s Order.’
A William Hooper image of A W Shop taken in 1907 and published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.
On Friday December 14, 1894 Thomas Messenger was involved in a fatal accident in the Timber Yard at the GWR Works. Back home in Linslade Street his wife Emma went into labour. Thomas died two days later. He was 31 years old and according to the report made to the Great Western Railway Board he had been employed in the Company for 5 years and 5 months, his daily rate of pay was 3s 2d.
Fatal Accident in the GWR Works – On Tuesday morning, Mr. Coroner Browne and a jury, of whom Mr W.J. Deavin was foreman, held an inquest at the Cricketers’ Arms, New Swindon, on the body of Thomas Messenger, aged 31 years, a labourer, employed in the Great Western Railway Works timber yard department. Mr T.O. Hogarth and Mr H. Hayward were present to watch the case on behalf of the GWR Company.
From the evidence adduced, it appeared that deceased was on Friday morning employed with other men in stacking timber. A “skid” – a piece of timber weighing some 7 cwt. – was used for sliding the timber on to a stock in order to save labour. Deceased placed the skid too far over the corner and it rebounded and stuck him in the head, causing a fracture of the skull.
A verdict of accidental death was returned. The jury gave their fees to, and also made a subscription on behalf of deceased’s widow, who is left with three children, and was confined on the morning of the accident. The sum handed to the widow was £1.
Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, Saturday, December 22, 1894.
Thomas was buried on December 19 in a public grave plot B2264. His father, also named Thomas, was buried with him in 1902. They share the grave with a baby and an elderly widow, both unrelated.
Thomas and Emma had been married less than two years. Emma had already been widowed once before, left with two little daughters Martha and Amelia. Now she was on her own again with another child. The baby was baptised at the parish church in Latton on January 27, 1895. She was named Thomasina Polly Strong Messenger. Emma went on to marry for a third time in 1901. She died in 1943, aged 82.
Thomasina married, raised two children and died in High Wycombe in 1973, aged 79.
No 1 Shop, Timber Yard pictured in 1928. Image published courtesy of STEAM Museum.
Radnor Street Cemetery 