Job Richardson – House and Estate Agent

Image of Rodbourne Road published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

It’s not very often I get the opportunity to visit a house owned by the same family for 100 years (unless they are an aristocratic family) but recently I did. One hundred years of children running up and down the narrow stairs, one hundred years of washing on the line. There was even a saucepan dating back to those days – how many meals had been dished out from that pan and eaten at the kitchen table where I looked at family photographs and letters?

At the end of the 1860s Even Swindon was still mostly farmland but with the Great Western Railway Works on the doorstep it was growing fast. Development began in the 1870s with the sale of Northaines Farm, Edwards Farm and part of Even Swindon Farm and an early speculator was Job Richardson.

Job Richardson was born in 1842 in Somerset, the son of coal miner Elijah Richardson and his wife Eleanor. By 1861 19-year-old Job was also working in the Somerset coal mines.

In 1866 Job married Henrietta Milsom in Radstock. Sadly, Henrietta died the following year, during or soon after the birth of her daughter Henrietta Milsom Richardson. She is buried in the churchyard at Radstock, most probably with the baby who died. By 1871 Job had moved to Bath, lodging in St James Parade, where he worked as a mason.

In 1872 Job married Sarah Rebecca Tanner at the parish of Widcombe, Somerset and by 1877 they had arrived in Swindon where Job bought land in Even Swindon. In 1881 Job was living at 33 Henry Street (quickly renamed Hawkins Street to avoid confusion with a street in the town centre) and working as a House & Estate Agent.

1884 notice published courtesy of Rodbourne Community History Group.

Job and Rebecca later moved to 133 Clifton Street but continued to rent out their properties in Rodbourne. Job died in 1903 and is buried in grave plot D163 with his father-in-law Henry Tanner who died earlier that same year. Rebecca sold her stake in the Rodbourne properties in 1924 and was buried with her husband and her father on January 4, 1928.

Down Your Way – Princes Street

photograph published courtesy to Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Building on Princes Street dated from about 1876. In Roadways published in 1979, Peter Sheldon and Richard Tomkins state that the name commemorates Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Demolition on the Victorian houses took place in the 1960s. Photograph taken during the 1960/70s redevelopment shows the Courts and in the distance the Police Station, since demolished as well.

Read about some of the residents below:

All photographs published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Stephen and Augusta Nicholas

Dabchick Thomas Sawyer

Albert and Elizabeth Beak – safe in the arms of Jesus

Down Your Way – Clifton Street

Building began in Clifton Street in about 1879. There were a lot of builders involved, Job Day, James Hinton, Richard Leighfield, which is why the houses all look a little different. There is the Clifton Hotel and 180 houses in Clifton Street; some detached, semi detached, some terraced. Some of them have extensions and loft conversions or porches and some have a name incised in the stonework above the front door, a remnant of a bygone era. There’s a blue house and another with a pink front door and a pink gate and artificial flowers and a heart in the window. The Clifton Stores, still there, stood opposite the the Primitive Methodist Chapel, long gone. There were probably other shops along this long street that stretches from the top of Kingshill to Radnor Street. And tucked away behind is the cemetery.

In the 19th century Clifton Street was home to a lot of railwaymen and their families, now all gone as well.

You might like to read about some of the former residents of Clifton Street who now reside in the cemetery.

Miss Beatrice Wall

Henry Smith – undertaker and monumental mason

The Griffin family – another Swindon Story

Fred Tegg – a well known Swindonian

Do you know where Carr Street is?

Do you know where Carr Street is? If someone asked you for directions, would you be able to help them? Today Carr Street runs behind the Waiting Room pub, an access road with parking for several businesses including Da Vinci’s Restaurant.

However, it wasn’t always so. Carr Street was built in around 1878/9 by the United Kingdom Land and Building Society along with Catherine Street and Farnsby Street. In 1881 Carr Street comprised 27 houses and cottages and was built in a most convenient situation.

In 1885 numbers 2-10 came on the market when they were described as four roomed cottages, ‘yielding the sum of £128 14s per annum.’ As today, investors bought property to rent and Carr Street was an attractive proposition. The advertising blurb stated ‘The Houses are only a short distance from the Great Western Railway Works, and therefore let readily.’

In 1888 numbers 11 and 12 Carr Street were also on the market when they were described as follows – ‘Each house contains Passage, Parlor, Kitchen with Cupboards, 3 Bed-Rooms, back kitchen, with fire-place and copper, coal house and, outside, a closet. The Houses have Gardens, and water is laid on.’

New-build number 13 Carr Street was probably of a similar design when Thomas & Eliza Wells moved there in 1879. Edith Mary was born that same year and Frederick James in 1883. Thomas was employed as a carpenter in the Works and by 1881 his two elder sons had already joined him there – George William 16 worked as a carpenter and 14 year old John as a railway clerk.

The Wells family lived at 13 Carr Street for more than 15 years. By 1900 they had moved to 5 Dean Street where Thomas died in March 1901. He was buried on April 3 in one of three Wells’ family graves, E7644, E7645 and E7646. He was buried with his wife Elizabeth who died in May 1924.

Inkerman John Garlick

Photograph taken at the funeral of Daisy Garlick’s brother. Daisy and Inkerman are the second couple on the right.

The Battle of Inkerman took place on November 5, 1853 during the Crimean War between Russia and the UK and her allies. Inkerman later became popular as a street name, although we don’t have one here in Swindon but it is curious how battle names were chosen for the naming of children. During and immediately after the First World War children named Ypres, Verdun and Arras appear in birth registration records.

Inkerman John Garlick was born in October 1863 in Wootton Bassett, the son of John and his wife Julia. He grew up at the Pack Horse Inn, Chippenham where his parents were the publicans. He married Ada Jane Barnes in 1889 and the couple had five children. In 1891 they were living at 26 Carfax Street, with their baby son Percy and Ada’s two brothers, Ernest and Sholto Barnes. Inkerman worked as a wood sawyer. Sadly, Ada was admitted to the Wiltshire County Lunatic Asylum where she died in 1903 aged 39.

In the summer of 1904 Inkerman married Daisy Ayers and at the time of the 1911 census they were living at 69 Port Tennant Road, Swansea. Inkerman was 47 and worked as a Railway Timber Inspector. Daisy was 29. They lived with children from both his marriages – Elsie 19, Frederick 15, Arthur 13, Iris 5 and one year old Myrtle.

This stylish art deco headstone marks the grave of Daisy Garlick who died in 1938 aged 57 and was buried in grave plot C1821. Inkerman died less than three months later and was buried with her on September 5. He was 75 years old.