Tag: Astills Corner

Timothy Job Mills – a highly respected citizen

The family story is that Timothy Job Mills bought the Astill printing works that once stood at the corner of Victoria Street and Bath Road. His son Arthur Stanley Mills had married Amy, one of the Astill daughters and family historian Rhonda sent me the follow anecdote.

Image published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Arthur’s father Timothy Job Mills eventually purchased the Astill Printing Works and kept all the existing employees on.  He also bought tea in complete chests and the family used to spend ‘happy’ evenings bagging it up for sale to friends and neighbours.  It was his proud boast that he made one farthing profit on every bag… 

The enterprising Timothy Job Mills was born in Marston Maisey in 1845, the son of William and Helen Mills. By 1861 14 year old Timothy had moved to Swindon where he lodged with a family in Broome and worked as an agricultural labourer. In 1871, newly married to Ellen, he lived at Bradwick in Buckinghamshire where he worked as a painter’s labourer. By 1881 he was living in Upper Stratton and working as a commercial traveller. In 1891 he was living at 35 Bath Terrace, one of several terraces in the Farringdon Road area, where he continued to work as a commercial traveller. By 1901 he was living at 15 Devizes Road where he worked as a house furniture dealer, an enterprise his son Arthur Stanley Mills continued. In 1911 he was again working a a commercial traveller, this time dealing in cattle food. His acquisition of the Astill printing works followed but when his tea dealing enterprise took place remains unknown.

Timothy married twice – first to Ellen Reynolds by whom he had at least 7 children. Ellen died in 1893 and is buried in grave plot A965. Her details are recorded incorrectly in the Radnor Street Cemetery registers where it is stated she was 64 years old when she was actually 43.

Timothy married again in 1895. By then aged 50 his second wife was 23 year old Ada Kate Rosier. This marriage was a short one as Ada died the following year. She was buried with Timothy’s first wife in plot A965.

The Late Mr T.J. Mills

Funeral in Swindon

The funeral of the late Mr Timothy Job Mills, which took place on Friday, was marked by unusual demonstrations of sorrow and sympathy. The first part of the service was conducted at the Regent Street Primitive Methodist Church, where deceased had for so many years been a regular worshipper. He had filled many offices, including that of choirmaster, and he was also a circuit steward and a member of the Brinkworth District Committee, and had represented the church at District meetings and the district at annual conferences.

Appropriate music was rendered by the organist, and two of deceased’s favourite hymns were sung, “Give me the wings of faith” and “There is a land of pure delight.” The Revs. A.R. Wightman and C.H. Shawe officiated at the graveside in the Cemetery.

An Appreciation

In the course of the service at the church the Rev. F.W. Harper gave an address. He said Mr. Mills had lived a long life and had been a highly respected citizen of the town and a member of that church. He was a Free Churchman from principle and a regular worshipper at Regent Street church, and he had attended many important conferences as their esteemed representative. His very presence in the sanctuary, with his ever radiant smile and his jocose manner, brought to bear upon them the brightness of a spring-time morning. It was hard to think of Regent Street church without Mr. Mills. His cordiality was genuine, and he was ever out to do good for his fellow creatures. He always prayed simply, but persuasively and with great fervency, and he always joined heartily in the singing and loved the old Methodist hymns. Mr Mills’ child-like faith in the goodness of his Heavenly Father was one of the most beautiful traits in his character. He served his Lord and Master from a sense of duty as well as gladness. He was no weakling, and the church and denomination mourned the loss of a good man. Mr Mill had been an inspiration to preachers, to laymen as well as ministers.

Extracts from North Wilts Herald, Friday, March 2, 1923.

A Communion table & chairs were presented to the church by the family of T.J. Mills

Timothy Job Mills of 11 Devizes Road died on February 19, 1923. Probate was awarded to his two sons John Edwards and Arthur Stanley Mills when his effects were valued at £11,145 10s. He was buried on February 23 in grave plot A965 with his two wives, Ellen and Ada.

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The Astill Dynasty

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Continuing the Astill family story

Continuing the Astill family story

In recent weeks I have been telling the story of the Astill family with the help of Rhonda and the recollections of the late Eric and at our recent cemetery walk I stopped at the Astill grave.

I have now discovered the grave of Amy Maud Astill born on June 27, 1871 one of Robert and Margaret’s elder daughters and one of the 8 children baptised at Christ Church on February 1880.

She married Arthur Stanley Mills on April 18, 1902, a house furnisher, at Christ Church and the couple went on to have four sons. By 1911 they were living at 15 Kent Road with their sons Edward 8, Wilfred 6, Arthur 4 and 8 month old Leslie.

Rhonda kindly provided the following family anecdote – Arthur was assistant to Mr Merricks of Gilbert’s Furniture shop in Newport Street, Swindon in 1900.  Became a partner in the business in 1923 and moved the shop to Bridge Street, Swindon and renamed it Mills and Merricks.  (Perhaps Arthur and James Merricks became partners in an independent venture.) After retiring to Sandbanks Road, Poole, made the business over to sons Edward and Arthur.  Arthur’s father Timothy Job Mills eventually purchased the Astill Printing Works and kept all the existing employees on.  He also bought tea in complete chests and the family used to spend ‘happy’ evenings bagging it up for sale to friends and neighbours.  It was his proud boast that he made one farthing profit on every bag.  Wilfred’s son Michael Mills, a pharmacist for many years at 123 Commercial Road, wrote to me 20+ years ago from his retirement in Poole, providing me with this information and sending me my copy of ‘Swindon In Old Photographs’.  

Rhonda has also supplied this photograph from the family archives labelled ‘Mills family’

Sadly, Amy died in 1919 and lies alone in grave plot E7466 where she was buried on March 6.

Arthur married Gertrude Hedges in 1920 and the couple had a son Leonard John and lived at 13 Croft Road. Arthur eventually moved to Poole where he died in 1975.

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The Astill dynasty

The Astill dynasty continued

The Astill dynasty

Sometimes I get lucky…

A blogpost published last year about the Astill printing establishment was recently seen by Rhonda in Australia. Rhonda is the great great granddaughter of Robert and Margaret Astill and has an ongoing family history research project that she has been kind enough to share with me, including some fab photos.

Here is Robert Astill, founder of the printing business.

And here is Margaret, his wife.

Robert Astill married Margaret Hall on October 27, 1866 at the Baptist Chapel, Fleet Street, New Swindon.

The Astill family numbered 13. Two daughters died in childhood, Frances in infancy in 1881 and Emma aged 3 in 1870.

The surviving children were all baptised at Christ Church – eight in one go – on February 8, 1880! Ella Alicia Ward Astill was baptised the following year on August 28, 1881 and Annie Kathleen Wootton Hall Astill and Lily Blanche Astill on April 4, 1900.

In 1891 all 11 surviving siblings were living at 2 Bath Road – 7 sisters and 4 brothers – their ages ranging from the eldest Margaret Florence Marionne who was 21 to the youngest Lily Blanche aged 6.

Ellen Victoria, known as Nellie, was the sixth child, born on March 12, 1874. Family memories of Ellen speak of a charming lady who didn’t have much of a life. In 1911 she appears on the census returns as living at Roves Farm, Sevenhampton where she is described as a servant. Farmer Herbert Haine and his wife Edith have two young children and it is likely Ellen’s work was of a domestic nature.

By 1923 Ellen had moved to 28 Avenue Road, Swindon where she worked as a dressmaker and lived with various siblings across the years. In 1939 she lived there with her brother Quigley and sister Ella. It was there that she died aged 72 in April 1946.

And here is Ellen Victoria seated between her sister Mary and her niece Violet. Ellen is the daughter buried with her parents in grave plot E8601.

Many thanks to Rhonda in Australia and the late Eric Barrett from Wroughton for information, photos and family memories.

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Continuing the Astill family story

Robert Astill – Commercial and General Printer

Window bills, confectioner’s bags and sermons are just a few of the seemingly endless list of printing services produced by Robert Astill at his works in Victoria Street.

Born in Coventry in 1833, Robert Astill married Margaret Delphi Considence Hall in 1866 and by 1871 the couple were living at 18 Victoria Street with their two young children. Employed as foreman at the printing works established by auctioneer William Dore, Robert Astill later became proprietor probably after Dore’s death in 1877.

Astill’s premises occupied the large corner plot at the top of Victoria Street where Queen Victoria House now stands. With a Victoria Street frontage measuring 93ft (28.3 metres), the area was known locally as Astill’s corner. Astill had bought the property in 1885, signing a conveyance between Charles Richards Plummer and his wife Mary (most probably the former Mary Dore and daughter of Astill’s former employer, William Dore).

By the turn of the century Robert was widowed, the youngest of his eleven children, Lily Blanche, had recently emigrated to Australia where she worked as a domestic servant in the Brisbane/Gold Coast area. With the business now in the hands of his sons, Robert was preparing to retire to Zeals, a small village near Warminster.

The whole complex was placed on the market in 1903 when it was described as being ‘suitable for any Large Business or Offices with Stable, Coach House, Out Buildings, Yard and Garden ground.’

The 1903 sale catalogue describes a complicated arrangement of domestic and workplace accommodation. On the ground floor there were two entrance lobbies, one opening on to Bath Road and the other on to Victoria Street.

The Breakfast Room facing Victoria Street was used by Astill as a ‘Stationery and Fancy Shop’ while W.H. Bush used the Drawing and Reception Rooms on the Bath Road side as a ‘Hairdressing Establishment.’ The stables and use of the yard were let to Mr Greenman on a weekly tenancy.

A selling feature was made of the bressummers (strong beams supporting the superstructure of the building) thus enabling a conversion into two shops if the purchaser so desired.

With a dining room, seven bedrooms, a dressing room, WC and linen closet on the two upper floors, this building presented a serious undertaking.

A short account of the auction was reported in the Swindon Advertiser.

Sale of Property – An exceptionally large and influential gathering of property owners and speculators assembled at the Goddard Arms Hotel last (Monday) evening to witness the disposal by public auction of that very desirable corner freehold block of buildings situate in Bath Road and Victoria Street, and for many years in the occupation of the owner Mr Robert Astill. Mr T. Hooper Deacon was the auctioneer, and after a short introductory speech, the bidding was started by Mr James Hinton at £2,000, who became the new owner at £2,600. The solicitors for the vendor were Messrs Kinneir and Co.

Swindon Advertiser, Tuesday, February 17, 1903.

Kelly’s Directory of 1915 reveal that the Astill brothers still occupied the premises, then described as 103 Victoria Road after renumbering of the built up road linking former Old and New Swindon.

Margaret Delphi Considence Astill died in December 1899 and was buried in grave plot E8601 where her husband joined her on June 19, 1915. The last burial to take place in this plot was that of their daughter Ellen Victoria Astill who died in 1946 and was buried on April 12.

If there was ever a memorial on the Astill family grave here between the Thatcher and Chum family plots, it is no longer visible. We fully appreciate the financial constraints upon Swindon Borough Council – that the coffers are depleted and there is barely enough money to pay for essential services. But it is such a shame that an important heritage site such as Radnor Street Cemetery receives so little maintenance. Here lies, quite literally, the history of our town – remembering the ordinary people of Swindon.