Harold Wall – fishing for tiddlers

What were the events that led up to that fateful Tuesday morning in April 1938? Was Nellie frazzled with four young children under her feet as she tried to get on with her housework? Had she shooed Harold out of the house.

“For goodness sake Harry, get out from under my feet.”

Or had the boy taken advantage of the noise and busyness of the house to sneak out before his mother found him a job to do or an errand to run.

Perhaps Nellie didn’t even notice he had gone until there came a knock on the door.

Hawkins Street in Rodbourne

Swindon Boy Drowned

Fell Into Water Fishing for “Tiddlers”

Nine year old Harold Wall, of 13 Hawkins street, Swindon, went fishing for “tiddlers” in the Great Western Pump House Butts, alongside the Gloucester branch line at Rodbourne, Swindon, just after lunch on Tuesday*. He had not been there long when he fell in the water and was drowned. The water is well over six feet deep at the spot.

Shouts of other youngsters near by attracted the attention of some men working on allotments, and they rushed to the scene. At first they could not find the lad’s body, but eventually grappling irons were brought into use and his body was recovered.

A doctor and the police were quickly on the scene and Chief Officer T.W. Abrahams of the Swindon Fire Brigade, rushed to the field where Harold’s body lay with the oxygen resuscitation apparatus, but the doctor had already pronounced life extinct.

Mr Abrahams responded to a telephone call from Mr S.A. Shaw, of 28 Hawkins street Swindon.

Harold is the son of Mr and Mrs E.F. Wall and it is thought that he fell through the hedge which grows on the very edge of the water and was quickly submerged in deep water.

He was fishing quite near the pumping station at the far end of the Butts.

When the men from the allotments reached the spot where the boy had fallen through a narrow gap at the base of the thick hedge they could not force a way through, and valuable time was lost owing to the need for making a detour round the Pump House.

Mr Wall, the boy’s father, has been employed on the G.W.R. coal wharf.

At the inquest held at Gorse Hill Police Station last night, by the Wiltshire Coroner (Mr Harold Dale) the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.” They added that no blame attached to anyone.

North Wilts Herald, Friday, 22 April, 1938.

Harold Charles Wall was born in the December quarter of 1928, the eldest of Ernest Frederick and Nellie Wall’s large family. He was buried on April 22, 1938 in a public grave plot C632 with four others.

*Easter Sunday fell on April 17 in 1938. It is likely the children were on a school holiday the following week.

Ewart Hubert Clack – cause of death appendicitis

It’s easy to be nostalgic about ‘the good old days’ but quite another thing to have lived through them. Personally, I am eternally grateful for so many aspects of modern life, particularly antibiotics.

When 39 year old Ewart Hubert Clack died in 1906 the obituary published in the Swindon Advertiser stated ‘that strange disease, appendicitis claimed him for a victim.’

The Late Mr E.H. Clack – The mortal remains of the late Mr Ewart Hubert Clack, whose death was announced in our last Friday’s issue, took place on Saturday afternoon amid many manifestations of sorrow. The deceased was the fourth son of the late Mr Charles Clack, who for many years resided in Newport Street, Swindon. For some years Mr Hubert Clack had been employed as a clerk in the GWR Timber Stores, though he commenced his business career as an ironmonger, having served an apprenticeship under Mr Joseph Walter, who at that time had a shop in High Street, Old Swindon, and another in Bridge Street. New Swindon.

In the GWR Works Mr Clack had won the respect of all with whom he came in contact. Nor were his many friends confined to those who were engaged in the Company’s service, for all who came into close touch with him found in him an affable companion, and one who was ever ready to sympathise with those in trouble.

It is only sixteen months ago that he entered upon married life, his wife being a daughter of Mr George Moore of Curtis Street.

That strange disease, appendicitis claimed him for a victim, for nothwithstanding strenuous efforts made to save his life, he passed away on Wednesday morning in last week, at the comparatively early age of 39 years.

Many tokens of respect were visible on the occasion of the funeral, neighbours and friends uniting in manifestations of grief. The cortege left the deceased’s late residence, 33, Tennyson Street, the chief mourners being: Mr and Mrs Ashley Clack (brother and sister in law), Mr Douglas Clack and Mr Bernard Clack (brothers), Mrs E.L. Gardner and Mrs A.E. Clack (cousins), Mr George Moore (father in law) and Mr John Frost. Others who joined the sad procession included Mr R. Wall, Chief of the Department where the deceased had been employed, while a number of the clerks attended to show their last token of respect to their late companion.

The first part of the funeral service was conducted in St Mark’s Church, the officiating clergyman being the Rev K.M. Graeme, who also conducted the remainder of the service at the Cemetery.

Extracts from The Swindon Advertiser Tuesday December 4, 1906.

Ewart Hubert Clack was born in Swindon in 1867, the son of Charles Clack, a boot and shoe manufacturer, and his wife Eliza. The family home was at 67 Newport Street. Ewart married Elsie Winifred Moore at St. Paul’s Church, Swindon. At 21 years old Elsie was more than 15 years younger than Ewart. The couple’s daughter Reta/Rita Mabel was born in 1907, after Ewart’s death, and baptised at St Mark’s on March 4. It seems likely Elsie remarried and emigrated to Canada where Rita grew up in Toronto.

Ewart Hubert Clack was buried on December 1, 1906 in grave plot C1763. It is possible this was a public plot and later sold to the Critchley family where Henry James was buried in 1937 and his wife Louisa in 1940.

Robert Powell – killed in a motor bike accident

Responding to my request for old photographs, Broadgreen and Queenstown historian Kevin, sent me one taken following a funeral in Radnor Street cemetery, but discovering whose funeral it was proved difficult.

He writes: This reminded me of an old photo I have that had belonged to my late grandparents. I have no clue who’s grave it is or even the date it was taken as there were no details on it.

Kevin went to a great deal of effort trying to place the grave site using aerial photographs of the cemetery and cemetery maps. The break through came when I was able to tell him the names of those buried in the area he had identified as a possible location.

This is Robert Powell, writes Kevin. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on 16 June 1935. He was good friends with my Grandad Fred Newman and Fred’s brother Harry. Grandad used to talk about Robert when I was younger. Although he was killed in a road accident, grandad was always worried I’d be killed when I was racing speedway.

Unconscious near his blazing machine

Young Swindon man dies in hospital

Robert Powell, a young man of 5, Carr street, Swindon, was found lying unconscious by the side of a blazing motor-cycle at Little Faringdon, on Saturday night.

Dr. Moredon, of Lechlade, ordered his removal to the Fairford Cottage Hospital, where he died yesterday from serious head injuries.

The discovery was made in the Filkins-Lechlade road at Little Faringdon, soon after eight o’clock on Saturday night.

In the absence of any indication of a collision with another vehicle, it is assumed that Mr. Powell’s machine must have skidded, then mounted the grass verge and collided with some tar barrels. The accident occurred at a bend in the road.

Mr Powell, who was a member of Swindon Y.M.C.A., and a keen cricketer, recently obtained work in Coventry.

Powell was employed at the Rolls Royce Works at Coventry, and it was only a week ago that he purchased a motor-bicycle.

He was the sole support of his mother (a widow) and a little brother.

Swindon Advertiser June 17, 1935.

At the inquest his mother said the first time she saw he had a motor-cycle was on Whit-Sunday. The machine was his own. She explained that her son rode it during the Whitsun weekend and returned to Coventry on it. The Coroner asked if her son had any difficulty with the motorbike and she replied that he was not used to the kick start, but otherwise he seemed all right. “I thought the machine was far too heavy for him, but he told me he did not think so. He said it would be all right when he got thoroughly used to it. He also said that he found it far easier to manage than a car,” she told the inquest.

Mr R. Powell, Swindon.

The funeral took place on Saturday of Mr Robert Powell, of 5, Carr Street, Swindon. Mr Powell met with a motor accident at Little Faringdon last Saturday. He was taken to Fairford Cottage Hospital, where he died on Sunday morning. He would have been 24 years of age next month. Mr Powell was well known in Swindon and was a member of the Boys’ Red Triangle Club. He was apprenticed in the GWR Works as a fitter and turner, and at the time of the accident was working for an engineering firm in Coventry. The funeral service was held at St. Mark’s Church, and the interment at Radnor-street cemetery. Rev. T.J. Barrett officiated.

Extracts from Swindon Advertiser June 24, 1935.

Among the many floral tributes shown in the photograph were ones from – ‘his broken-hearted mother and little brother Leslie’ along with others from W.D. and H.O. Wills’ Cricket Club, friends and neighbours from Carr Street, Villet Street and Catherine Street and one from Mr and Mrs Newman (Kevin’s great grandparents) who also kept the Order of Service.

At the time of the complilation of the 1939 List, Lily was living at 14 Farnsby Street and working as a laundress in the GWR. Living with her was her younger son 12 year old Leslie. In 1954 Lily married William Bridgeman. She died four years later. Her funeral took place on January 2, 1958 when she was buried in grave plot C4154 with her eldest son Robert and her first husband, also named Robert.

Kevin’s grandad, Fred Newman, is pictured standing next to Robert Powell in this photograph of the YMCA boys’s football team taken in 1929.