Tag: St Barnabas

The enterprising Westall and Lafford families

Shirley and her friend have been joining our cemetery walks for several years but it wasn’t until we all met at a recent Swindon Society Open Day that Shirley elaborated on her family history, telling us about her hard working parents Maud and Stanley and their Westall and Lafford families. And at our subsequent cemetery walk Shirley brought along some precious family photos.

Maud and Stanley Lafford ran a shop in County Road on the corner of Gambia Street, with their front room at 142 Clifton Street doubling as a storeroom. Here is a photo of Maud standing outside the shop. The couple are both pictured with their delivery van, which was actually a chassis built over a motor bike. Stanley used this vehicle to deliver to the surrounding villages. He also collected slabs of ice in this vehicle which Maud used to make ice cream. Stanley then had deliver it pretty smartish to the ice cream parlour in Old Town.

Shirley’s grandparents David Lafford and Susan Clara Page were married in Barnsley, Gloucestershire in 1902. Sadly, their first child Clara born in Durrington, Glos on February 6, 1905 died just 2 days later. By 1907 the couple had arrived in Swindon where David worked as a carpenter and the family lived at 126 Clifton Street where their children Stanley, Alfred and Ivy grew up.

Among the family photos is a tiny image of Shirley’s other grandparents, James Westall and Annie Day.* In about 1911 they moved from Hereford to Swindon with their daughter Maud. In 1912 they were living at 22 Omdurman Street when they had their 2nd daughter Edna Muriel baptised at St. Barnabas Church, Gorse Hill.

There is another precious photo of James and Annie Westall with their three young daughters -Maud standing, baby Mavis on her mother’s lap and Edna Muriel seated on the left of the photograph. Edna died aged 6 not long after this family photograph was taken. Shirley remembered her grandmother had an enlargement made of the section with the pretty little girl with bows in her hair. In amongst the family photographs there is also one of the elegant Annie Westall.

Young mother Susan Lafford is pictured with her baby son Stanley on her lap while a much later photograph shows David and Susan Lafford, possibly on a seaside promenade. There are even photographs where Shirley herself makes an appearance in the back garden at 126 Clifton Street.

Shop corner of Gambia Street

Maud Lafford nee Westall pictured in 1932

Stanley Lafford

Stanley Lafford

James and Annie Westall nee Day*

James and Annie with their three daughters, Maud standing, baby Mavis and Edna seated

Annie Westall

Susan Lafford with baby Stanley – 126 Clifton Street

Susan and David Lafford

Susan and David Lafford with Shirley

Susan and David Lafford with Shirley

Both sets of Shirley’s grandparents are buried in Radnor Street Cemetery. Shirley remembers as a child visiting the cemetery with her aunt and seeing the grave of James Westall where a wooden cross once stood.

James Westall died aged 49 years in the Isolation Hospital. He was buried on May 26, 1934 in graveplot C3553 with his little daughter Edna Muriel who died in 1918. The glamorous Annie died in 2002 aged 91 and is buried in the same plot.

Susan Clara Lafford died aged 73 in 1951 and was buried in grave plot E7850 where David joined her in 1955.

*This small format portrait looks to be an example of a so-called “stickyback” photograph produced c1915 at a studio at 15 Regent Street. These photographs had a gummed back and were cheaper than others available at the time. Swindon Photographers & Postcard Publishers by Darryl Moody and Paul A. Williams.

Florence Jane Maddocks – Vicar’s wife

There is no doubt Florence Maddocks played an important role in the Gorse Hill community as the wife of Rev Maddocks at St Barnabas Church.

Florence was born in Manchester on January 6, 1856, the daughter of a solicitor’s clerk, William Sherratt, and his wife Sarah Jane. She married Philip Maddocks at St Mary’s Church, Birkenhead, Cheshire on July 6, 1880.

At the time of the 1881 census Philip was curate at St Peter’s Church, Burnley but for some reason Florence was boarding with her baby daughter Florence at the home of Charles Behenna and his wife Winifred at St Oswald in Cheshire.

Ten years later the Rev Maddocks was living at St Barnabas Vicarage, 268 Cricklade Road with his wife Florence and their ten year old daughter Florence Ida Louise. A son, Cyril, was born the following year but died in 1895 aged three years old. A second daughter, Philippa, was born in 1897.

It is sad and frustrating that so little can be discovered about a woman who played such an active role in the Gorse Hill community. Perhaps someone out there knows more about her.

The Late Mrs Maddocks

Funeral on Saturday

Amidst every manifestation of sorrow and regret on all sides, the funeral took place on Saturday last of Mrs Maddocks, wife of the Rev. Philip Maddocks (Vicar of St. Barnabas, Gorse Hill), who painfully sudden death was recorded in our columns last week. The mortal remains of the deceased lady were laid to rest in Swindon Cemetery, alongside the grave of her only son, Cyril, who fell asleep on Feb. 25, 1895, at the age of three years.

Holy Communion was celebrated in St. Barnabas Church, Gorse Hill, at ten o’clock, by the Rev. G.J. Saywell, curate: The organist, Mr. James Gaskell, played “No shadows yonder,” from A.R. Gaul’s “Holy City,” and also a selection from a Requiem of Anderton’s.

The funeral service took place at 12.45 in the same church, and the sacred edifice was crowded with parishioners and friends, anxious to take part in the solemn service. Canon the Hon. M. Ponsonby (Vicar of St Mark’s Church, and Rural Dean), officiated, assisted by the Rev. G.J. Saywell.

After the service at the church, the funeral procession wended its way to the Cemetery, where the last sad rites were performed at the graveside by Canon Ponsonby. Rain fell heavily during the long journey from Gorse Hill, but the sun shone out brightly as Canon Ponsonby solemnly delivered the committal sentences.

The coffin was of polished oak, with massive brass furniture, and the breast-plate born the following inscription:- “Florence Jane Maddocks, died 2nd April, 1902, aged 46 years.” The funeral arrangements were most satisfactorily carried out by Messrs Chandler Bros., of Swindon.

The floral tributes were most numerous and beautiful, and covered the space of two graves.

At St. Barnabas Church yesterday, the services were conducted by the Rev. G.J. Saywell, who made fitting allusion to the great blow the Vicar and the whole parish had received.

Extracts from the Swindon Advertiser, Monday, April 7, 1902.