Honest John Arkell

Another day, another churchyard…

The Grade I listed church of St Margaret’s in Stratton St Margaret retains elements from the 13th century despite many later additions and a partial rebuild in the 19th century. The churchyard has also been extended several times, but I chose to take photographs in the oldest section around the church. Here I found the rather magnificent memorial to John Arkell, founder of the Kingsdown brewery, and his son Thomas buried with various members of their families in a large plot.

Last year the family brewery celebrated its 180^th anniversary and with more than 80 pubs across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Hampshire, the Arkell name is well known. But it could have been a very different story.

Crippled by heavy taxation and an agricultural depression, John Arkell (1802-1881) gave up on farming and, with his cousin Thomas, left England in 1830 for pastures new.

The pioneering group, which included other members of the extended family, landed in New York during the winter of 1830/1, but their eventual destination was the uninhabited plains of ‘Upper Canada’.

Cousin Thomas stayed but John returned to England three years later. He established the Kingsdown brewery in 1843, and the rest, as they say, is history.

John died on October 21, 1881 aged 79 and is buried with his two wives and several of his children in the large family plot pictured below.

Robert Albion King – Freeman of London

When Elizabeth King died in 1908 her family had the following inscription placed upon her headstone ‘The Beloved Wife of Robert Albion King of Swindon, Freeman of London.’ They were obviously very proud of Robert’s status.

However, in 1868 coach builders H. & E. King were forced to make the following announcement in the North Wilts Herald.

We are requested by Messrs. H. and E. King, coach builders, of Swindon and Stratton St. Margaret, to state that Mr Robert Albion King, recently charged before the magistrates with assaulting a Mrs Jennings, is not a coach builder, and is in no way connected with their firm.

North Wilts Herald, Saturday, April 18, 1868.

Robert Albion King appeared before Swindon Police Court on Thursday April 2, 1868 charged by Mrs Mary Jennings with damaging an unoccupied house, belonging to her, at Stratton St Margaret, by breaking two panes of glass, and with assaulting her, with intent to do her bodily harm.

Mrs Jennings said she had visited a property in Stratton which she had recently bought where she found Mr King in possession. Upon entering the property Mr King ordered her out tearing her shawl, and putting his fist in her face in a threatening manner; he was very much excited, and said he would shoot anybody who came on that property.

In his evidence King told the court he had previously informed Mrs Jennings that the property had been in his family since the 17^th century and could not be sold, and if she bought it she would lose her money as he was heir-at-law to it.

He in turn accused Mrs Jennings of assaulting him on a previous occasion, insulting his wife and children and scratching his face.

In summing up the Chairman said these family feuds were most disgraceful, and the bench would bind over both parties in their own recognizances of £20 each to keep the peace for six calendar months.

You can read more about the disputed property and the family connection in The North Wilts Herald, Monday July 20, 1868.

Robert Albion King died quietly (or perhaps he was arguing the toss at the time) at his home on December 23, 1909.

Death of an old inhabitant – One of Swindon’s oldest inhabitants passed away on Thursday, December 23^rd, in the death of R.A. King. Deceased, who had been suffering from heart disease for some time, died at his residence in County Road. He was the only surviving son of the late John and Ann King, of Little Britain and Moor Lane, London, and also of Stratton. Deceased’s father was a Freeman of the City and also of the Goldsmith’s Company, while deceased himself also enjoyed the same distinctions. He leaves three sons and six daughters. The remains were interred at the Swindon Cemetery on Wednesday, the coffin being of polished elm with brass fittings, bearing the following inscription: “Robert Albion King, died Dec. 23^rd, 09, aged 85 years.” A number of floral tributes were sent by relatives and friends.

North Wilts Herald, Friday, December 31, 1909.

Elizabeth King died in March 1908 at 166 Beatrice Street. Her funeral took place on March 6 when she was buried in grave plot B2820. Her husband Robert Albion King died in December the following year aged 85 years at 33 Country Road. He was buried on December 29 with his wife. Their daughter Olive Magdalene Manners is buried with them. She died in December 1926 aged 37.

Ignatius Michael Howell

It was the name of the occupant that drew my attention to this grave.

Ignatius Michael Howell. He had a brother, Aloysius. Pretty distinctive names in Stratton St Margaret, I would imagine.

St Ignatius was an early Christian writer. He was one of the five Apostolic Fathers and the third Bishop of Antioch. He died c108 in the Roman arena. St Aloysius was a 16^th century Jesuit who died during an epidemic in 1591. It’s probably fair to say that William and Esther Howell were a devout couple.

William worked as a Railway Clerk and in 1884 when he was 16 years old, Ignatius followed his father into the Works in the Clerks & Draughtsman Department. By 1893 he was earning £80 a year, rising to £110 by 1899.

Ignatius married Kate Celestine Knight on November 25, 1889 and the couple had eight children – seven daughters and one son, Mary, Agnes, Kathleen, Gertrude, Margaret, Monica, Winifred and William.

Ignatius died at his home at 154 Croft Road on April 19, 1951. He was buried in grave plot C3437 with his daughter Agnes who died in 1916 and his wife Kate Celestine who died in 1928.