Number 15 – October 2001
As we approach the season of colds and flu’ many of us will be visiting the village shop to buy medicines for our ailments in much the same way as the inhabitants of Walsham le Willows have done for many decades.
In the year 1791 an advertisement appeared in the Bury Post informing the public that ‘True Daffy’s Elixir’ was now available in Thomas Warne’s shop in the High Street of Walsham.
‘A most excellent and well-known and genuine medicine faithfully for up to sixty years. For the cure of stone, gravel, ulcerated kidney, the gout, rheumatism, cholic, dropsy, scurvy, surfeits, convultions, disorders peculiar to women, consumptions, the piles, fevers and the spitting of blood. An 8 oz. bottle for just 1s 6d.’ If, for some reason, this did not work, one could visit one of the chemists in Bury St. Edmunds where you could buy Ashton’s ‘never failing’ pills that cured ‘liver disorders, foul stomach, loss of appetite, trembling sensations, frightful dreams, disturbed sleep and impaired digestion and was the females’ greatest friend.’
Or there was Clarke’s ‘world-famed’ blood mixture that cured old sores, blackheads, ulcers, glandular swellings, impure blood and scurvy for only 2s 9d a bottle.
In February 1811 a letter from Walsham le Willows appeared in the Bury Post extolling Dr. Kent’s success in curing scrofula [a tubercular condition]: ‘After long continuance of my disease and the various means employed for my recovery without effect, could the speedy relief which I happily experienced from your incomparable medicines and applications sided by your judicious advice add anything to the celebrity of your name? I am now thirty-eight years of age and have been for upward of six years grievously afflicted with a scrophulous complaint on my nose and left leg. I would direct those who yet suffer under similar complaints to the only person who is likely to restore them to that health that I now enjoy and which, after many years of severe affliction, forms the felicity of my life – Elizabeth Frost’
A hundred years ago Beecham’s Pills were on sale in chemists then claiming to have the largest sale of patent medicines in the world. At one shilling ‘but worth a guinea’ they would, in twenty minutes, give relief to nervous disorders, wind and pain, sick headaches, giddiness, fullness and swelling after meals, flushings of heat, scurvy, frightful dreams, blotches on the skin and carry off all humours in females of all ages’
Dr. Simpson’s Herbal Pills, for one shilling, cured consumption and quickly stopped the spitting of blood and there was ‘a new medical work from London’ that cured ‘general weakness and depression, sleeplessness, fear, defective memory, confusion, trembling and nervous debility for those about to marry.’
Claiming that it had cured 27,066 people up to the end of December 1899, ‘Dr. William’s Pink Pills for Pale People’ were available for rheumatism, heart disease, anaemia, ladies ailments, and St. Vitus Dance – on special offer of 13s 6d for six boxes.
Finally there was Dr. Lalor’s Phosphodyne ‘for twenty-five years having a world-wide reputation for being ‘the only safe, reliable phosphoric remedy for the permanent cure of paralysis, sleeplessness, harassing dreams, consumption, heart disease, the premature decay of vital power and brain wreckage.’ At 4s 6d a bottle this could be the one for me, decay of vital power and brain wreckage – it sounds just the job.
‘We have to record another melancholy accident through the intemperate use of intoxicating drink. It appears that a young man named Ambrose Bull in the service of Mr. Plummer of Walsham le Willows, was sent in company with a man named Foucard to Mellis station with two loads of corn. After disposing of their loads they went to a public house and had between them four quarts of beer and one quart of porter with rum in it. However much the deceased and his companion may be censured for drinking so much, the publican who supplied two men in charge of teams and wagons with five quarts of malt liquor, deserves censure. It may be a publican’s policy to sell all he can but, in this case, there was an evident want of care, to say the least of it, especially as the deceased was a mere lad only about 17 years of age.
An inquest was held at the Lion Inn, Mellis on Tuesday last, when the following evidence was adduced.
Henry Collins: ‘I am a farmer living at Mellis. I did not know the deceased. On Saturday last, about half-past two o’clock as I was digging my garden, I saw a wagon belonging to Mr. Plummer pass with three horses at full trot. Almost immediately after that, I saw Ambrose Bull with another wagon drawn by three horses out at full length. The deceased was standing on the shafts and had no reins. The horses were going at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour. I ran after them, intending to write to the men’s master and have them summoned. I was about fifty yards off when I saw the deceased lose hold of the wagon and fall upon his head in front of the wagon, which was empty. He had no reins. Both wheels passed over the lower part of his body; there was no one else in the wagon. Constable Ling was running and got to the deceased first and the deceased, when we took him up appeared to be dying. I procured a horse and tumbrel and conveyed the deceased to the Lion Inn. The first wagon was going very quickly and I think the deceased’s horses were anxious to over-take them. Mr. Lawson of Botesdale came up at the time.’
Police-constable Robert Ling: ‘I am stationed at Gislingham. On Saturday last, about half-past two o’clock in the afternoon, I was going in the direction of Mellis station and, when opposite to Mr. Morley’s I saw a wagon and three horses going as fast as they could. The man was riding on the shafts without reins. I called to him and he jumped down, stopping his horses to a walking pace. I saw a second wagon coming from the station, drawn by three horses at full length. The deceased was standing on the shafts and the horses were galloping. I called out “Where are your reins?” but he did not seem to take any notice of me. When he was turning the corner I saw him fall from the shafts, face foremost, and both wheels passed over his body. I helped to pick him up and found him insensible. The man with the first wagon stopped the horses. I cannot say whether the deceased was urging the horses on but he was evidently the worse for drink, as he was reeling about on the shafts. The man on the first wagon was tipsy.’
Mr. Plummer: ‘I am a farmer at Walsham le Willows. The deceased and the man Foucard who was with the first wagon, worked for me. I went to the Lion to see the deceased on Sunday morning. He was conscious and I asked him how the accident occurred. He replied that Foucard started off first at full trot. He put his horses in the wagon as quickly as he could and when he got into the road he jumped upon the shafts and his horses started off after the others. He tried to stop them and when they were going round Mr. Morley’s corner he felt frightened and fell. He told me they had four quarts of beer and one quart of porter with some rum in it. He was a very steady youth and I never saw him the least excited by drink.’
The jury returned a verdict of ‘Accidental death’. Foucard will be summoned for riding without reins.’
Ambrose Bull was born in Walsham in 1849, the son of John and Mary Ann. The 1861 Census shows him living in Crownland Road with his parents, younger brothers William and George and sister Ellen. Their cottage stood beyond Crownland Hall and is now demolished.
A John Folkard, an agricultural labourer aged 45, lived next door. (1861 Census)
Mr. Plummer, their employer, was an unmarried farmer of 40 years. He farmed 175 acres and lived at Four Ashes Farm with a housekeeper and a servant. (1861 Census)
In the spring issue of the Quarterly Review we followed in the footsteps of Mr William Kerridge, an enumerator of the census that took place in the village in 1891. Starting at the Six Bells with innkeeper Jacob Cash and his family he made his way down The Street visiting each house and taking the details of the families who lived therein. We left him at the “Old Stores”, where the Clamps ran a grocers shop. He then crossed the road to the house that is now called “Maplestead”. In 1891 it had a shop extension to the front of the building where Thomas Colson (60) carried on his trade as a tailor and woollen draper. He lived in the house with his wife Sarah (69), and Caroline Hunt (26), a domestic servant. We believe that the present day property was divided into two dwellings. At the back lived Thomas Easlea (75) a retired farmer, and his wife Susannah (52).
Next to “Maplestead” we have two rows of cottages. In the first, a block of two, lived James Adams (71), wife Ann (60), and a lodger called Jonathan Hunt (21), a blacksmith born in Rougham. In the adjoining larger house lived George Blizzard (61) a butcher with Mary his wife (73), son Charles (22) also a butcher, and two daughters Lizzie and Annie who were shop assistants. The Blizzard’s butcher’s shop was situated through the gap between the two rows of cottages.
We then have a block of three, two up and two down, cottages. In the first lived Manning Moore (70) a master tailor, and his wife Pamela (72). In the second was Charles Nice (34) a carpenter and his wife Harriet (34), and five children, aged three months to ten years. In the end house, nearest the land on which is now the village hall, lived widow Phillis Last (63), and her son George Last (30) a watchmaker.
Crossing the road the enumerator would have come to Yew Tree Cottage, which was then split into two dwellings. In the first, comprising three rooms, were Arthur Nice (30) a painter, his wife Ellen (32), son Harry an agricultural labourer aged twelve and four younger children. In the three adjoining rooms lived Joshua Smith (43) an agricultural labourer, his wife Emily (35) and son George (12).
From here it becomes even more difficult to assess who lived where. We believe that the white boarded house that is sideways on to the road, was then a thatched barn, thus the next family on the census probably lived in the house now called “South Side”. They were Harry Baker (30) a groom, wife Ellen (34) a tailoress and three young children – Harry, Evelyn and Kate.
In the first of what is now called “Lime Tree Cottages” probably lived a spinster Rebecca Farthing (79) and next door Elizabeth Barrett (or Borrett) a widow (37) with four children aged from four to eleven.
The next property now called “The Tiled House” was divided. It is possible that here lived a widow Maria Cornell (63) a laundress living in three rooms and another widow Mary Sharman (58) a charwoman, in two rooms. Also in three rooms lived Thomas Fairweather (62) a shoemaker, his wife Lucy (62) and a fourteen-year-old son named Hunter.
Here the census mentions an uninhabited dwelling and a barber’s shop.
In the present day “Willow Cottage” probably lived widow Rachel Thurmott (59) and her son Horace (23) who were both saddlers.
The following entry is that of Henry White (53) and the following property is “The White House”. If these do indeed come together then perhaps the house was named after the family that lived in it and not the colour of the paint-work as is often believed. Henry was a foreman tailor who lived with his wife Emma (55) and their unmarried children, Edward (31) a groom, Emma (28), Harry (25) and Alfred (18).
In the house now called “Solcotts” probably lived a farmer George Sawyer (48) and his wife Ellen (40).
Next door in “Holly House” was Henry Drake (56) a plumber with his wife Eleanor (52), mother-in-law Harriet Luskard (85), Maria Luskard a niece aged fourteen and a boarder Jane Chasteney (38) who was a teacher in the infant school.
In the present day “Commerce House” lived William Clarke Jollye (66) a grocer, draper and wine-merchant, his wife Christiania (57), four unmarried children aged twenty-three to thirty, George Hayward (18) an apprentice grocer and two servants Helen Aldridge (17) and Lilian Meadows (15).
Crossing the road we go through the gateway leading down to “Clive Cottage”. This was then split into two dwellings, each with three rooms. In the first lived a single man John Finch (27) a plumber and glazier, his sister Lotty (15) and two brothers Philip (9) and Harry (7). In the adjoining three rooms resided William Death (50) an agricultural labourer, wife Mary (46) and son Arthur aged seven.
Back across the road in the house that is now the Post Office but was then the pharmacy lived Arthur Harrington (40) the chemist, his wife Anne (40) three children, Harry (14), Winifred (12), Arthur (11) and a domestic servant Florence Smith (14).
Opposite in “Clive House” were James Aldridge (33), his wife Harriet (30) and four children, Arthur (9), Ada (7), Herbert (5) and Ellen (2).
Across the road in “Holmwood” probably lived widow Emma Banyard (65) a dress-maker, her daughter Anna (31) an assistant mistress in the infant school and a grandson Stanley (15) a lawyer’s clerk.
Back across the road in the bow-fronted “Old Bakery” lived John Kenny (44) the baker, his wife Elizabeth (42) and children James (13), Oswald (7) and Mabel (2). Next door in the “Old Bakehouse” lived retired farmer George Pearson (74), his wife Maisy (62) and daughter Alice (24). (For more details on this part of the village see Rob Barber’s article in the Quarterly Review no. 10)
Opposite in “Clematis” lived Harry Nunn (39) who, in this census, was called a builder, house painter and blacksmith. His wife was Elizabeth (41) and his sons Wilfred and Frank. Next door was the infant school, now a private house.
Across the road the single storey building, now an office, was where the village fire-tender was kept. Next door in “Avenue House” lived shop keeper Sarah Clarke (44) a widow with six sons and two daughters. Also in the house was her father Robert Frost (75). The end of the house built in flint, by the stream, that was then a separate cottage was inhabited by Albert Baker (28) a carpenter, wife Lydia (26), son Ernest (2) and a lodger Jane Gort (17) a dressmaker’s apprentice.
Across the end of The Avenue, then called Coach Road, we find Jollycote Cottage with a hairdressers attached.
In 1891, as now, it seems the property was divided. In the main part of the house probably lived Betsy Jaggard a widow (73), her daughter Elizabeth (28) a dressmaker, her grand-daughter Isabella also aged 28 who was a companion and Lilian (22) another grand-daughter who was also a dressmaker. In another part of the house, in three rooms perhaps where the shop is, lived a shoemaker Alfred Aldred (72) and his wife Mary (62).
Next door in the schoolhouse lived the schoolmistress Emily Chidgley (28). She was born in Somerset.
Across the road, next to the infant school in the house adjoining Sideways Garage possibly lived a retired farmer John Proctor (80) and his wife Elizabeth (69).
The other side of the garage is “May Villa” where Mary Hayward (76) a widow lived with a companion Mabel Clamp (43).
Next door is the Congregational Chapel.
Much of the information in this article is educated guesswork. The houses on the census were rarely named or numbered; often properties contained more than one family and the hand-written forms are sometimes difficult to read. It is therefore quite possible that some of the assumptions are wrong. However, this provides a starting point – let me know if I need to make some corrections.
In April 1891 Lizzie Blizzard from the butchers married Louis Death. Lizzie’s brother Charles Blizzard married Maud Mary Pollard in June.
In November 1891 Pamela Moore, who probably lived next door to the Blizzards, died aged seventy-two.
Louis John Stevens, the wheelwright and blacksmith who lived at ‘Dages’ married Elizabeth Finch in the same year.
Knight’s County Handbook for 1891 gives details of the village fire brigade. Henry Drake from ‘Holly House’ was the captain, Louis John Stevens was second officer, Harry Nunn was the engineer and other firemen included John Kenny the baker.
Articles written in the Bury Post about Walsham le Willows and its inhabitants
The issue dated 8th April 1812 carried news of a reward being offered: ‘Absconded from the parish of Walsham le Willows in Suffolk about two years ago leaving his wife and family, Edward Pollard, about thirty-two years old, light complexion, five feet eight inches or five feet nine inches, had on when he went away a light frock, red waistcoat and leather breeches. Whoever will give information so that he may be brought to justice shall receive £5 reward by applying to the churchwardens or overseers of the parish’ Two years later he was still missing. The Bury Post 6th April 1814 reported:
‘Twenty pounds reward …… whereas Edward Pollard, late of Walsham le Willows, a labourer, hath absconded and left his wife and family chargeable to the said parish. Any person giving information to the churchwardens so that Edward Pollard may be apprehended shall receive the above reward. About five feet eight inches high, light complexion and grey eyes. One of his feet is a little slurred and the ankle bone is large supposed from a kick of a horse and he generally walks stooping. He has an enlargement at the side of one of his great toes shaped like an onion. He is supposed to have assumed the name of James Hunt and is said to have lived at Walpole St. Peter last year as a servant………Samuel Clamp’ [He probably did return to Walsham as an Edward Pollard was buried in the village in 1843 at the age of sixty-three]
Bury Post 9th June 1813: ‘On Saturday last Captain Golding of the Walsham Volunteers assembled his men together for the last time and, after thanking them for their good conduct whilst under his command, the corps (about 100) agreed to offer their service to the government without pay. The Volunteers then retired to the Swan Inn where the Captain had provided for them a good dinner of old English fare.’ [This was probably part of a standing down of troops after Napoleon was exiled to Elba.]
The Bury Post 6th October 1813 reported: ‘A sale of household effects and forty dozen old Ports etc. at the Boar Inn, Walsham le Willows, the property of Mr. Hunt who is leaving the situation. Includes four post beds, chests of drawers, eighteen wood chairs with hollow seats, eight-day clock in a wainscot case, a beaufet etc. Also a light quarter cart, three large shoats [young pigs] and eight pigs’
Bury Post 7th February 1816 a death was reported: ‘Lately at Walsham le Willows, at the advanced age of ninety-three, truly respected, Susan wife of Mr. John Meadows, for many years a respectable cooper in the parish. She was followed to her grave by her husband, who was blind, by whom she had two sons and one daughter who also attended with thirty-three of her grand and great grand children and was carried to the grave by six of the former.’ [The following year John Meadows died, aged 86. He and Susan (Middleditch) had been married for sixty-four years.]
