Swindon Photographers

Swindonians were an adventurous lot, embracing new ideas and new inventions. In the early 19^th century photography exploded in a blaze of magnesium and by the 1860s the popular carte de visite had become affordable to all but the very poorest in society.

In 1861 Richard Keylock Passmore, one of the first Swindon based photographers, was established at Victoria Street. By 1895 there were six local photographers listed in Kelly’s Directory with two in Regent Street and one in Regent Circus.

In 1889 James Smith Prothero had a studio at 30 Regent Street where he worked alongside his nephew Thomas Henry Simons who eventually took over the business. James Prothero died in Mumbles, Glamorganshire in 1929 and is buried in Radnor Street Cemetery. You can read more about him here.

Perhaps the most ‘famous’ of Swindon’s photographers is William Hooper who began his business following a disabling accident in the GWR Works which led to his dismissal on medical grounds. Hooper’s photographic career spanned more than 20 years and today his collection is managed by his descendent Paul A. Williams. William Hooper died in 1955 and is buried in Radnor Street Cemetery. You can read more about him here.

You might also like to read Swindon Photographers & Postcard Publishers by Darryl Moody and Paul A. Williams available from the Library Shop.

Carte de visite and cabinet card photographs survive in great numbers but sadly, unless in a family collection, most are identifiable. Local Studies at Swindon Central Library have reproduced some of their collection on their website. Here are just a few, people I am sure must now lie in Radnor Street Cemetery, if only I knew their names.

Alice Kate Richards – smile please!

When you have a professional photographer in the family you can be guaranteed some super snaps – and Alice Kate Stroud had one of Swindon’s best.

Alice Kate Stroud was born in Hereford on February 27, 1870 the younger of James and Ellen’s (Eleanor) two daughters. The family lived at 49 Portland Street, Hereford where James worked as a railway guard. It was probably inevitable that they would eventually end up in Swindon and in 1881 they were living at 22 Merton Street, a property they shared with Edwin and Louisa Brittain.

In 1892 Alice married railway clerk Thomas Richards and by 1901 Alice, Thomas and their two sons Leslie & Stanley were living at 15 Medgbury Road, next door to Alice’s in-laws. But by 1911 they were living at 10 London Street where they would remain for the rest of their lives.

So, who was this talented photographer of whom you speak, I hear you ask?

Well, in 1890 Alice’s elder sister Mary Jane Stroud married William Hooper.

Ah, now you understand.

Alice was photographed by Hooper as a young woman and appears frequently in many Hooper family photographs. We see her with her sister on a boat on Coate Water; with her husband and two sons; cradling her little granddaughter Mary and we watch her grow old alongside Mary Jane and William Hooper.

Alice died in 1958 at Kingsdown Nursing Home and was buried in grave plot D1030 which she shares with her in-laws Maria and Richard Nathaniel Richards. Thomas Richards died at 10 London Street and was buried with his parents and his wife on October 14, 1959.

Images are published courtesy of P.A. Williams and Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

The story of the broken headstone

I’ve had this broken headstone on my to-do list for a very long time. I thought it might prove something of a challenge. I had long wondered who Frederick Millman’s lost wife was and once I discovered her, she pieced together a large Radnor Street Cemetery family history.

Delia Spry was born on December 25, 1805 in Ninfield, Sussex and was baptised in the parish church there on March 26, 1806. In 1829 she married Richard Veness at the Church of St Peter the Great, Chichester.

Delia Millman formerly Veness born Spry

I discovered Delia on the 1841 census returns, the first complete census available online. She is living in Hartlebury, Worcestershire, a widow with 5 young children – Maria 10, Jane 9, Thomas 7, Alfred 5 and 3 year old Louisa.

Needs must and it would not be long before she married again. Her second husband was Edward Millman, a bricklayer, and in 1851 the family were living in Wolverhampton. Delia’s two sons by her first marriage have taken their stepfather’s name and Delia has three children by her second marriage – Edward 6, Elizabeth 4 and 2 year old Mary.

Thomas Veness

By 1881 Thomas Veness, married with four children – Thomas, Alfred, Harriet and Reginald, had arrived in Swindon and the family were living at 30 Sheppard Street. You can read their story (especially that of their daughter political activist Harriet) here.

The death occurred at Worcester, on May 21^st, of Mr. Thos. Veness, a retired foreman from the Locomotive Department at Swindon, at the ripe age of 87. Mr. Veness was one of the founders of the Swindon branch of the GWR Temperance Union, and as a member and chairman of the branch Committee rendered great service in the early days of the Union. He was an abstainer for over 60 years and an earnest worker. He was for many years connected with the Band of Hope movement, the Church of England Temperance Society, and the Good Templars. After the formation of a branch of the GWR Union in Swindon he gave himself whole-heartedly to forwarding the work and influence amongst the railway staff.

Great Western Railway Magazine August 1920

By 1881 Delia and Edward had returned to Bexhill but they would soon make there way to Swindon. Delia died at her home, 72 Bridge Street and was buried on January 6, 1887 in grave plot E8430 – the headstone broken and her name missing. Edward died 14 years later, at his daughter Mary’s home, 83 Victoria Road. He was buried with Delia on January 30, 1901.

Edward Millman

Elizabeth Millman had also made her way to Swindon by 1881. She had married Frederick Benjamin Hook, another bricklayer, and in the census of that year was living in Upper Stratton with Frederick and her family of six children. You can read the sad story of Ben Lawson Hook who died in an accident in the Works here.

Elizabeth Hook nee Millman

Elizabeth died in 1892 and is buried in grave plot B1711 with her husband and her 16 year old daughter Nora who died in 1909.

And finally, (or is there more to discover) there is Mary Millman, Delia’s youngest daughter born in 1848. After working in domestic service as a nurse she married builder Henry William Bennett and by the mid-1870s they were also living in Swindon. (It was at Mary’s home that her father Edward died in 1901).

Mary Bennett nee Millman

Mary died in 1922 and is buried in grave plot C3672 with her husband Henry William, her son Aleck and daughter-in-law Sarah Annie.

My thanks go to family historians Ellen Magill and S.C. Hatt who have generously shared so much of their family history and photographs on Ancestry and Local Studies, Swindon Central Library enabling me to tell all these Swindon stories.

Swindon and District History Network

Last evening I attended the 50^th meeting of the Swindon and District History Network. The Network was formed as an initiative by staff in Local Studies at Swindon Central Library to bring together all the various history societies, writers and researchers who regularly used the resources there, to share and support their work. More than thirteen years later the Network continues to thrive and this week saw new and existing members squeeze into the Reading Room in Central Library to celebrate and share our projects.

The Network has been hugely supportive to me as both an individual and as a member of the Swindon Heritage magazine team (published 2013-2017). As one of the original members of the Network, I took the opportunity to thank those societies who opened their archives, contributed articles and supported the magazine across five busy years of publication. I spoke about Mark Sutton, military and local historian, author and co-founder of Swindon Heritage who sadly died last year and is greatly missed on the local history scene in Swindon.

This coming weekend – September 9 and 10 – sees Swindon’s history on display during the Heritage Open Day events (8-17 September) when local history groups show Swindonians what a fascinating history their town has. I will be at the Heritage Apple Day event with the Friends of Lydiard Park in the Walled Garden at Lydiard House on Sunday, September 10 – 11-4 pm.

Our next guided cemetery walk takes place on Sunday September 17. Meet at the Chapel in Radnor Street Cemetery for 2 pm.

Local history is alive and busy in 21^st century Swindon – come and join us.

Swindon’s Market and Fair Charter 1626 on display in Central Library, ground floor.