A baby to watch over

The re-imagined story

Mam would take flowers up to the cemetery every week. People did in those days, but what I thought was odd was that Mrs Adlam always went with her.

Mam would knock on her door at number 18 and they would walk together up Cambria Bridge Road to the cemetery in Radnor Street.

Mam looked after a few graves in the cemetery, alternating the flowers each week. She’d tidy up Pop and Nanny Williams grave, then she would move on to Gramps and Grandma Griffiths and then Auntie Hilda and Uncle Len. Dad grew the flowers in his greenhouse otherwise it would have cost her a small fortune, he used to say.

But quite why Mrs Adlam joined her, I could never understand. Well, not then I couldn’t.

Mrs Adlam was from Somerset originally and had spent the first years of her married life living in Frome. The Adlam’s were a big family, more than ten children she had. Two of the sons went to America but most of the others lived around and about in Swindon.

She lost two babies when they lived away, Mam told me, and another child buried in the churchyard at Rodbourne Cheney. One little boy was only 12 days old. That wasn’t unusual either in those days. All those dreadful diseases that swept through families. Our mam was one of the fortunate ones. Tidy little family we were, just the four of us, all grown up with families of our own.

Two babies left behind, buried in Frome. I wonder if anyone looked after their little graves. Now I understood why Mrs Adlam visited the cemetery in Radnor Street with our mam. It was her way of being close to her babies.

Of course she is long dead herself now and buried with her husband. But recently another burial was made in the family plot. A little baby just three weeks old, Mrs Adlam’s great-grandson. At last she has a baby she can watch over.

The facts …

Sarah Elizabeth Smith was baptised on May 4, 1856 at the parish church in Marston Bigott, Somerset, the illegitimate daughter of Mercy Smith.

She married Thomas Adlam at the same church on April 19, 1877. Thomas states his occupation as a Rivetter and that he was the son of Thomas Adlam, a gardener. Sarah Elizabeth was of full age and written across the space where father’s name and occupation is required is written ‘illegitimate.’

At the time of the 1881 census Thomas and Elizabeth were living at 2 Cottages, Nunnery Lane, Frome. They already had three children, William Henry aged 3, Eleanor Sarah 2 and Ernest Thomas five months old. Eleanor died later that year and was buried at Holy Trinity church, Frome on July 6. Oswell Joseph Adlam was buried in the same churchyard on October 16, 1888. He was just 12 days old.

By the 1890s the family had moved to Swindon where Thomas had a job in the Works. On February 2, 1893 Mercy Alice was baptised at St Augustine’s and on July 29 1896 their youngest daughter and last child, Dora May was baptised at St Barnabas Church when they lived at 51 Ferndale Road.

By 1911 Thomas and Sarah had moved to 18 Cambria Place where they lived with their three youngest children. Alice Mercy 20 who worked as a shop assistant in a drapers, Reginald Frank 18, an apprentice brass finisher in the works (and part time student) and fourteen year old Dora. Sarah declares that she and Thomas have been married 34 years and that they had 11 children, seven of whom are living and four who have died by 1911. The fourth child could be son Gilbert who left for the USA and about whose date of death there seems to be some confusion.

Sarah died on March 7, 1920 and was buried in plot E8190. Her son Ernest Thomas died in Southmead Hospital Bristol and was buried with her on May 29, 1936. Husband Thomas spent his last years living with his married daughter Dora M. Baker at 38 Osborne Street. He died in May 1946 aged 93 years old and was buried in the same plot on May 20. The last burial in the grave was that of Peter William Graville the three week old son of Marie Helena, Thomas and Sarah’s granddaughter.

Percy Adlam was born in Frome in 1883 and died in 1890 aged 6 and a half years old. He was buried on January 7, 1890 at Rodbourne Cheney.

Adlam, Sarah Elizabeth of 18 Cambria Place Swindon Wiltshire died 7 March 1920 Administration Salisbury 26 April to Thomas Adlam boilersmith Effects £382 0s 10d.

Benjamin Messiter – Swindon’s story

If ever a family provides a snapshot of life in Swindon at the turn of the 20^th century, it is the Messiter family. A story of Swindon’s growth and the development of the railway works encouraging migration from across the country; a story of non-conformity and close family ties. Even Benjamin’s death took place during that iconic event in the Swindon calendar – the GWR Trip.

Image published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Benjamin was born in Trowbridge in 1845 and began his working career as a wool worker, arriving in Swindon in the 1860s for a more lucrative job in the railway works. He married Ann Ferguson in 1869 at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel ‘near the market place, Swindon’ (the Planks).

The young couple began married life at the newly built Cambria Place living with Ann’s parents and six siblings at No. 34. Her father Charles was a fitter who had moved down from Scotland in the 1860s to a job in the railway factory. Ann and her brothers and two of her sisters were all born in Scotland.

Benjamin and Ann’s only daughter Louisa Ann, was born in 1872 and at the time of the 1881 census they were all still living with Ann’s parents in Cambria Place.

By 1901 Benjamin and Ann had moved to 11 Deacon Street where they lived with their married daughter Louisa, her husband Frank and their 5 year old son, Stanley.

An old and highly respected resident of Swindon, in the person of Mr Benjamin Messiter passed away with painful suddenness at Bristol early in the evening of last Saturday. Mr. Messiter had been spending his “Trip” holidays with his sister at 31, Hayward Road, Barton Hill, Bristol, and, not desirous of coming back to Swindon with the “Trip” train on Friday, he had arranged to return on Saturday evening.

After having completed all the preparations for his return, Mr Messiter was partaking of tea at half past five o’clock, when he collapsed and passed away immediately.

With all speed, medical aid was summoned, and in less than five minutes from the sad occurrence a doctor was in attendance, but could only pronounce life extinct.

News of the occurrence was immediately despatched to Mr. Messiter’s relatives at Swindon, his son-in-law, Mr. Matthews, at once leaving for Bristol

A Coroner’s inquiry touching the death was held on Monday, when a verdict of “Death from syncope” was returned.

Mr Messiter, who had been ailing for the past two years, was a native of Trowbridge and was 64 years of age. Coming to Swindon from his native town some 32 years ago, the deceased gentleman had since that time followed his occupation in the GWR Saw Mills.

During his many years’ residence in Swindon, he had gained the warmest esteem and respect of a very large circle of friends amongst the older generation of Swindonians, among whom the news of his death will occasion the keenest regret. He had a large number of relatives in Swindon, who have been the recipients of many tokens of sympathy in their sad bereavement.

Extracts from The Swindon Advertiser, Friday, July 16, 1909.

Swindon’s story – photograph taken from Radnor Street Cemetery

Benjamin Messiter was buried on July 15, 1909 in grave plot E7956 which he shares with his wife Ann who died in 1902 and his son-in-law Frank Matthews who died in 1935 and daughter Louisa Matthews who died in 1958.

Ebenezer Evans – Sunday School Teacher

The re-imagined story …

“Put your feet up Gramps,” we used to tell my grandfather. Always dashing about he was, as if a ten hour shift in the Rolling Mills wasn’t enough to tire him.

Then, of course there was the Chapel. What little spare time he had was spent in the Baptist Chapel just behind the house where he and Nan lived. He might as well have lived there, I used to think. Wonder he hadn’t worn a path from the garden gate to the Chapel door.

One of the founding deacons he was, along with a Sunday School teacher and a dozen other duties he performed.

When he retired they presented him with an armchair.

“There we are Gramps, now you can put your feet up proper.”

He never did, mind.

The facts …

Ebenezer Evans was one of the foundation deacons of the Cambria Baptist Chapel

A Teacher’s Retirement – On Sunday afternoon an interesting ceremony took place at the Cambria Baptist Chapel, New Swindon, in the presentation to Mr Ebenezer Evans of an easy chair as a slight token of the esteem of his fellow teachers on his retiring from the school through advancing years and consequent declining health. Mr Evans has been a teacher in the Sunday School for 20 years, and had spent a similar time in Sunday School work in South Wales before coming to Swindon. The presentation was made by Mr J. Green, superintendent, on behalf of the teachers and scholars, who willingly subscribed towards the gift. Mr Evans, evidently much surprised, thanked the subscribers for their kindness, adding some good advice to those present who were beginning life.

The Faringdon Advertiser, Saturday, August 13, 1898.

Ebenezer Evans moved to Swindon following the opening of the Rolling Mills. By 1868 he was living at 38 Cambria Place and the 1871 census describes him as a 40 year old Rail Straightener born in Beaufort, Brecon. Living with him were his wife Jane and children John L. 14, Elizabeth 12 both born in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire and David 8, William 5, Sarah 3 and 1 year old Edith all born in Swindon. Also living with them in the small cottage were two lodgers. The couple would go on to have another two children, Mary Ann and George.

Jane, wife of Ebenezer Evans, died in November 1900 aged 65 and was buried on November 8 in grave plot C1167. Ebenezer died in 1903 aged 72 and was buried with his wife on February 19, 1903.