First impressions

The re-imagined story …

There was a lot of talk in the workshop about the new cemetery. We had a vested interest as undertakers, and wondered at the choice of location.

“Makes you wonder why the Local Board settled on that piece of land.”

“Must have been something to be made out of it for one of them.”

“It belonged to Mr. Hinton.”

“Enough said.”

“Which gate will be the usual entrance?”

The new cemetery was situated in the middle of Kingshill with an approach by four entrances at Dixon Street, Clifton Street, Radnor Street and Kent Road.

“I’m assuming it will be the Radnor Street one. That’s going to be quite a climb with a handbier.”

“Kent Road might be a better option.”

“Which ever way you approach from New Town there’s going to be a hill to climb.”

“Has anyone been to have a look?”

“It’s one big building site up there at the moment. There’s work going on in all the surrounding streets. I pity anyone who has to bury a loved one during the next few weeks.”

Little did we know we would be burying our own governor, Mr Edward Hemmings, just five days later.

The facts …

Edward Hemmings, a carpenter, joiner and undertaker, was born in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. He and his wife Eliza lived in London between 1851 and 1861 and moved to Fleet Street, Swindon in the mid-1860s.

By 1871 he had a business at 43 Fleet Street and ten years later they were living and working at 22A Fleet Street. This may have been the original property, renumbered as building work continued in that area.

Following her husband’s death Eliza placed an announcement in the Swindon Advertiser.

Mrs Hemmings, of 22, Fleet Street, New Swindon, begs to inform the inhabitants of Swindon and the neighbourhood that she intends carrying on the business of her late husband Edward Hemmings, Builder, Carpenter, and Undertaker, and trusts to meet with the same liberal support bestowed upon him during the past 15 years.

Six years later the following announcement appeared in the Swindon Advertiser.

22 Fleet St New Swindon

Fredk. Hemmings

Builder, carpenter, & Undertaker

Begs respectfully to inform the inhabitants of Swindon and neighbourhood that he intends carrying on the business of his later Brother Edward Hemmings, who preceded him as above so successfully for many years.

F.H. begs to remind them that the same earnest attention to business, and care in the execution of all orders entrusted to him, will be paid, and that there shall be nothing wanting on his part to give the same satisfaction as heretofore.

Funerals Economically Conducted.

Estimates given for all Work connected with the Building Trade.

The Swindon Advertiser, Saturday March 11, 1882.

Edward was buried in plot A137 on August 11, 1881, the fifth burial to take place in the new cemetery. He was buried in a public or pauper’s grave where he lay alone for more than twenty years. In 1904 a child by the name of Frank Batt was buried with him.

Florence Rhoda Wilcox – midwife

Florence Rhoda Wilcox was born in Clifton, Bristol, the eldest of three daughters. Her father, Philip Weldon Roberts, was a Pattern Maker and by 1901 the family had moved to Swindon where they lived at 18 Kent Road.

Florence worked as a music teacher when in 1912 she married John Wilcox and the couple moved into number 61, Kent Road. Sadly, their marriage was a short one as John was killed during the first World War. He was serving as a First Engineer in the Merchant Navy and was drowned on May 28, 1917 when his ship was struck by an enemy submarine in the English Channel.

Back home in Swindon Florence made some life changing decisions when on August 14, 1920 she enrolled as a midwife. By the mid 1920s Florence had converted her house in Kent Road into a small maternity home, the Haven Nursing Home, where she worked alongside fellow midwife Gertrude Tucker.

In 1931 numbers 61 and 62 served as both Nursing Home and doctor’s practise and it was on October 23 of that year that Mary Fluck was admitted for what proved to be a traumatic birth during which both mother and baby nearly died. It is likely that Florence and Gertrude were both on duty that day, assisting the doctor during this difficult confinement. The baby who made such a dramatic arrival was named Diana Mary Fluck. She later went on to change her name to Diana Dors and became a film star, Britain’s answer to Marilyn Monroe.

The nursing home remained in operation until the mid 1930s and most probably closed with the opening of the Kingshill Maternity Home.

In 2017 a Swindon Heritage blue plaque was installed on the property to mark the birthplace of Diana Dors.

Florence and Gertrude both moved to Paignton in Devon. Gertrude died aged 59 years at Waterside House, Waterside Road, Paignton and was buried on January 14, 1938 in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot D721. Florence died at the same address in February 1952 aged 70. She was buried with Gertrude.

Lucy Clarice Dash – assistant to newsagent

Regular visitors to our cemetery walks will know my pet hate – the under recording of married women’s work on the Victorian census returns. Despite official instructions to the enumerator regarding the recording of women’s work e.g. ‘women who are regularly employed from home, or at home, in any but domestic duties to be distinctly recorded,’ much was lost in translation. Casual and seasonal work was frequently omitted, as was work in a family business, so often all we see here in on the census returns for railway dominated Swindon is, for example ‘boilermaker’s wife.’

The 1939 list compiled at the outbreak of WWII also reveals most married women described as being engaged only in ‘unpaid domestic duties’ – really! Well I have found an exception – Lucy Dash who was recorded as ‘assistant to newsagent’ at 3, Kent Road. Yes, it only tells half the story, but it’s an improvement.

The newsagents in Kent Road where Lucy ‘assisted’

Lucy was born in 1893 in Gateshead, the third child of John, an engine fitter, and his wife Lucy Peters. The family arrived in Swindon sometime during the 1890s and a home in Stafford Street.

At the time of the 1911 census 17 year old Lucy was working as a Draper’s Assistant in Maidenhead, Berks and lodging with Mrs Edward and three other young, single women all employed in the drapery business (the occupation of single women was usually recorded). In 1923 she married Herbert George Dash and the couple went on to have four children.

In 1928 A.R. Leach occupied the newsagents at 3 Kent Road but by 1939 Herbert and Lucy (assisting, of course) were in residence.

Following their retirement the couple lived at 10 Grovelands Avenue, Swindon. Lucy died on October 14, 1955 and was buried in grave plot E7773 with her parents and her sister Phyllis.