Tag: Kingshill

Maurice Uzzell, Louisa and little Lily

Maurice Uzzell, who was buried in grave plot D64A, has been relatively easy to research. He has a pretty unusual surname and his branch of the family kept in close contact, which all helps the researcher.

Born in 1868 in Christian Malford, Wiltshire, Maurice was the fourth child of Henry and Hannah Uzzell. In 1871 aged 2 years old he is living in the village with his parents and two elder brothers. By 1881 the family was complete – a daughter and two more sons – and they all lived at 35 Leigh Cottages, Christian Malford. The two elder sons Charles 17 and Stephen 15 were working as agricultural labourers, Maurice 13, was still at school.

Drawn to the bright lights of Swindon, by 1891 Charles 27, Maurice 22 and Fred 19 were boarding with Jesse & Mary Scott (formerly Uzzell and their elder sister) at 67 Jennings Street, Rodbourne. Charles and Maurice worked as labourers and Fred as a blacksmith’s labourer, so probably fair to assume they were all employed in the GWR Works.

In 1896 Maurice married Louisa Worts – so let’s have a look at Louisa. Born in 1855 in Leyton, Essex by 1891 Louisa was living with her widowed mother and her sister and brother-in-law in Colebrook Road, Walthamstow where she worked as a laundrymaid.

In the 1901 census Maurice is living at 61 Clifton Street where he works as a Wood Turner in the GWR Works. Living with him are Louisa, his brother Fred and – hello – a niece – Lily Uzzell aged 10 born in Walthamstow.

An Uzzell family search found all his brothers (and Ellen) and it seemed none of them had ever lived in Walthamstow. Only Louisa (nee Worts) had lived in Walthamstow. Was young Lily her daughter, born before her marriage to Maurice?

In 1911 Maurice and Louisa lived alone at 61 Clifton Street. Louisa declared they had been married for 14 years and had no children.

But what happened to little Lily? Did she die in childhood? If so she is not buried with Louisa and Maurice. Did she marry? I can’t find a name or place that matches.

Louisa died in 1931 and is buried in the area close to the cemetery chapel with this discreet pink memorial. Maurice died in 1941. Probate of his estate was awarded to William Scott, railway clerk, most probably the son of Jesse and Mary Scott who Maurice lodged with in Jennings Street as a young man. Maurice is buried here with Louisa.

Fred Uzzell, Maurice’s younger brother who lived with him in 1901 and then moved to Kingshill Road, was buried close to him in the cemetery in grave plot D234.

This branch of the Uzzell family has been relatively straightforward to trace. But what happened to little Lily? I’d love to know.

You may also like to read:

David Uzzell – a bit of a country rogue

Who was Mrs Griffin?

In 1950 John Betjeman, Poet Laureate 1972-84, famously wrote in Studies in the History of Swindon that ‘there is very little architecture in Swindon and a great deal of building’. He did however add ‘but Swindon is more interesting than many towns which are more beautiful’. And it is the rows of red brick terrace houses that I’m interested in; more especially the people who lived in them.

For instance, how did Ernesto Poletti, born in Milan, arrive in Swindon and a job in the Works? How was Henry Kirby, a farm labourer, who at the time of his marriage was unable to sign his own name, end up living off a private income in 1911? And who was Mrs Griffin?

In 1906 Mrs Griffin engaged auctioneers Dore, Fielder & Matthews to sell four houses she owned on Kingshill Road.

The properties were to be sold in two lots and were described as follows:

Lot 1 – A pair of substantially erected dwelling houses, beings Nos. 55 and 56 Kingshill Road, Swindon, each containing entrance passage, sitting room, kitchen, washhouse and 2 bedrooms, together with w.c. and large garden at rear (with back entrance) in the respective occupations of Messrs Darling and Pellotti [sic] at weekly rentals producing £28 12s per annum, owner paying outgoings.

Lot 2 – A pair of similar dwelling houses adjoining Lot 1, being Nos 57 and 58 Kingshill Road, Swindon, in the respective occupations of Messrs Waite and Kirby at weekly rentals producing £28 12s per annum owner paying outgoings.

The Poletti’s must have liked Kingshill Road. From 1906-1918 they lived in three different properties, numbers 56, 64 and 188.

Ernesto Cesare Poletti was born in Milan, Italy in 1870. In the December quarter of 1896 he married Bessie Daymond in the Newton Abbot registration district, Devon and the first time I find him in Swindon is on the 1901 census. Then the couple lived at 34 Clifton Street with their two young sons, both born in Torquay, and Ernesto was employed as a carpenter in the railway factory. Ernesto became a naturalised British Subject in 1923. He died at his home in William Street in 1952 aged 83 and is buried in Radnor Street Cemetery.

Henry Kirby was born in Stratton in 1833 and spent most of his life working as an agricultural labourer. He married Eliza Cavey at St Margaret’s Church, Stratton St Margaret on October 20, 1860 when both bride and groom signed the marriage register by making their mark, indicating neither of them could write sufficiently well to sign their names.

In 1911 Henry 78 and Eliza 71 were living at 58 Kingshill Road with their unmarried son William George 41. Eliza states that they had been married 51 years and had ten children, one of whom had died by 1911. William worked as a boiler smith’s driller in the Works while Henry was living off ‘private means.’

Henry died in 1916 and is buried in grave plot C494, a public grave. Eliza died in 1920. Her funeral took place on July 1 when she was buried with Henry.

But how does the street numbering system work on Kingshill Road. The 1899 Ordnance Survey map reveals the road was barely built up at the turn of the twentieth century. The canal side was allotment gardens and on the opposite side there was a large gap in the housing, just before the steep incline begins.

So, as I stand in front of the present-day numbers 55 – 58, while taking photographs and looking extremely suspicious, I’m left wondering if these houses were the homes of Ernesto Poletti and Henry Kirby and who was Mrs Griffin?