City to Shire Chapter 28 ~ Vine Cottage (Revised Edition)

Windsor Street Days

Chapter 28

Vine Cottage

Vine Cottage and Croft Cottage

1901 Census

IN the 1901 Census, Grandad Marshall is the youngest of four children living with their parents, our great grandparents Samuel and Agnes Marshall at Croft Cottage, St Marks:

            Mabel / (age left blank)

            Frederick 9

            Harry 6

            Frank 2 (Grandad)

At Vine Cottage we have Joseph Marshall, a widower, and Ann Wheeler “a Servt”.[1]

No doubt Ann was Great Uncle Joseph’s partner, and the clerk might have been displaying a sort of ‘diplomacy’. It is difficult to comprehend life in 1911. Fifty years ago, it was far removed already; but in 2019 I wrote that it is now light years away. In 2024, it simply cannot be comprehended. There is no similarity between 1910-1918 and 2010-2018.

This comes home to me with the War in Ukraine. Even middle-aged TV presenters speak of events as “a first”. It takes them aback, They are bemused, bewildered. They explain things without realising that my generation, 20 years older, even 30 years older than they, grew up in the aftermath of World War II. What planet do they live on? Are they really so narrowly read?

I am using family titles to help us keep in mind who we are looking at. For example, until now, I never knew of the existence of Joseph Marshall. Is Joseph a brother of Samuel? Is Joseph the relative that Grandad had a fist fight with in the back garden of Vine Cottage (the cottage displayed above) and seen by mum from the bedroom window? Two brothers so family myth reports (but, I think, more likely cousins) living next door to each other in two halves of one cottage not getting along because, as the account goes, Joseph wanted the whole cottage for his own growing family? Mum always talked of the rift; of Grandad drawing a demarcation line between the two cottages and, ‘god forbid you cross it!’

Vine and Croft Cottages were next door to each other.

The Chapter image at the top depicts Grandad ~ Frank Ewart Marshall with his mother Great Grandma Agnes Marshall ~ circa 1914-15 just before he volunteered for military service.

We have to keep in mind, too, Grandad’s state of mind in the 1960s and 1970s.

PTSD[2], a repatriated prisoner of war, and having lost his elder brothers Frederick and Harry in the Great War, as it would have been known at the time of the family quarrel, Harry Marshall dying in the same camp as his brother Frank on 18 October 1918. This whole part of Grandad’s war service is found in Chapter Eighteen (A) here.

Grandad’s father Samuel Marshall was a master bricklayer, and we can still see our great-grandfather’s skills in the original walling on Tewkesbury Road and Gloucester Road (the outer boundary of the old Gas Works which had been bombed by the Luftwaffe on 11 November 1940, the boundary walls remained intact - and now the boundary of Tesco). At around eye-level or a little above, there is a single line of blue-grey decorative brickwork. Both Grandma and Grandad, also Mum, and in 2016-2017, Uncle Frank too, confirmed that this was Great Grandfather Samuel’s work.

1911 Census

Ten years later, in the 1911 Census, the family has moved into Vine Cottage, with Agnes Marshall, and as head of the family and a widow; so Samuel has died at some time between 1901-1911. This is very helpful when I go on to the Ancestry website to continue working on the Marshall Family Tree.

The 1911 Census now shows three children living at home:

            Frederick                            19 ~ Apprentice Book-keeper

            Henry (Harry)                   15 ~ Page Boy at a local hotel

            Frank Ewart (Grandad)   12 ~ At School

Harry appears variously as both Henry and Harry in the different censuses.

Aunty Mabel (that’s how I always remember Mabel being referred to by Grandma as well as being “Grandad’s sister Ken”) is not on the Census. Was she older than her brothers? I ask this as the 1901 Census lists her at the top of the four children.

Aunty Mabel

I wonder where Mabel went? Aunty Mabel figured prominently throughout Grandad’s life; it’s possible that Mabel was the eldest and, therefore, Grandad was the youngest; it could be that the childhood bonding was as strong as originally existed between Mum and Uncle Frank, between whom there is a gap of ten years. I wonder if there is a gap of ten or so years between Mabel and Grandad?

In fact, am I right that Aunty Mabel moved to Brighton, hence Grandma and Grandad visiting Brighton annually? In those days, I regarded Brighton as being the other side of the world!

It is a pity that we never got to know Aunty Mabel – although I’m sure our aunt would have met us all as babies; I wonder if Carol can recall anything?

As regards Chapter Eighteen (referred to above), I emphasise the quality and precision of Brunsdon’s research, his work, and of course his authorship. He has a meticulous eye for detail and accuracy; his published history of King’s School, Gloucester is a masterpiece and running to 405 pages.[1]

Frederick Marshall 1892-1918/1919

We discover that Uncle Fred was an apprentice book-keeper, which suggests a school certificate. This suggests, too, that he may have been apprenticed with a view to, one day, joining the family business – the local shop on the corner of Alstone Lane and Gloucester Road and which, to this day, is the local newsagents. His Bible bears his signature beautifully inscribed. In time, my Grandma, Martha Isabella Marshall née Hope, would make her family notes. Here lies the importance of records, of what they tell us about the people who lived, just like we do now, before us.

Signature of Frederick Marshall, 1906 (14 years)

As late as 2015, Mum would always point it out when we drove by, “there’s our old shop on the corner. It’s not changed a bit from when we were in Vine Cottage.”[2] Vine Cottage is just 90 meters down the main road towards the level crossing. This is not the family shop that was on Hewlett Road, now the Liberal Democrat Party HQ for Cheltenham (as at 2019). That too, amazingly, still has the angled shop doorway that always caught Mum’s eye.

It used to stand adjacent to the Calcutta Inn and which, until the 1990s, gave this busy cross roads its name – “The Calcutta Traffic Lights”. I recall many times in the 1970s-80 attending collisions there – Alpha One, RTA at Calcutta traffic lights, ambulance en route, two vehicles involved; [and occasionally: be prepared; bit of a punch up! ] that sort of thing.

And directing traffic there was no easy matter, but I loved it.

There is something very satisfying about directing a four way junction, especially when you have to time your directing to the Alstone Lane level crossing. As one police sergeant said to me one day, Webbey, there’s no doubt about it. You’ve sure got the knack. Most . . . t their pants if I say I’m going to turn off the traffic lights and make them stand out there. You take after your Dad. He’ a real ace at it! [3]

Those were the days!

Bowles Wheelchair Business

Then there is vague mention of the Bowles branch being involved in the wheelchair  business, which was on the maternal side of the family, i.e. Grandad’s mother’s side as Great Grandma Marshall’s maiden name is Bowles. I’m not sure of the link here, but I think Carol found out quite a few things, which I’ll update in due course.

In short, it seems to me that the Marshall family roots lie in the successful and burgeoning Artisan Class of the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

Artisan is defined thus:

skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand that may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative arts, sculptures, clothing, jewellery, food items, household items, tools, even mechanisms

And Mum always referred to Grandad’s very successful wooden toys that he made and supplied in increasing quantities to Bon Marche of Gloucester. (Now Debenhams). That was one amazing contract to have earned and which only came to an end because of WWII when all wood had to be turned over to the war effort. Grandad had to close his business; and for a while Bon Marche tried to encourage Grandad but, obviously, toys give way to war.

All in all, one individual wrecked millions of lives, and what that individual caused, certainly hit the Marshall Family hard. [4] I remember the ferocity of my Mum’s anger as regards Adolf Hitler. I was at primary school. A conversation must have been going on at home about the war, and I recall commenting what I’d learned about Hitler in my history class that day. Mum would not even say his name, rightly so, but what followed shocked me because of the ferocity, and Mum’s beautiful blue eyes, suddenly having this ferocity I’d never before seen, nor have seen since.

He should have been strangled at birth!

These notes are very much ongoing. I have to do things differently these days, and our family archive is, at times, a well-built haystack.

But what delight when I recently found this photograph of Mabel. Suddenly, I can remember her quite clearly.

Grandma Marshall, Uncle Frank, Great Aunt Mabel (Aunty Mabel) wearing hat Brighton circa 1959-1960, the photograph presumably being taken by Grandad (Frank Ewart).

Mabel ~ continued

In this remarkable photograph, Aunty Mabel is on the right, Grandma is on the left and in the middle is Uncle Frank (Frank Frederick Marshall 1938-2018). Judging from Frank’s hairstyle I would say that this may be in his last few months of national service, or shortly after leaving the Royal Air Force as a qualified chef.

Frank elected to earn a trade, thereby requiring three years service, a point that I recall pleased my parents and grandparents. When I visited 36 Elmfield Road with Mum in around early 1958, Grandma came to the door crying. Oh Mum, what on earth’s the matter, now?

Oh ee our Nance, Frankie’s got his call-up papers, and its arfool! thrusting the call-up papers in Mum’s hand. I was around five and a half.

I remember Mum impatienty reading them; but Mum! This is NOT the same as Harry. This is Frank’s National Service, and it’s for three years, not two, because he has elected to learn a trade. Dad’ll like that Mum. Now come on Mum. Pull yourself together. Come on. I’ll put the kettle on.

Yes, but our Nance, what if we go to war?!?

Well that was the proverbial pot hitting the pan for Mum. I can see Mum now standing by the dining room door in her long coat, high heels with straps, long hair over her shoulders … Mum! We’re NOT at war. Don’t worry. Now, come on and pull yourself together, Dad’ll be home soon.

Mum was firm with Grandma, as Grandma was a bit of a glass half empty lady, which tried Mum’s patience. I remember being bemused. I remember too, that Grandma wasn’t the only one who enjoyed a cup of tea that day! A little five year old did too!! I was in my own world, trying to compute how this scenario would have played out across town in that other world of peace and practicality, 25 Windsor Street. I think I knew the answer. Grandad arrived shortly after and I remember his smile. Hello Ken! What brings you here? I loved it. Grandad was like an anchor. And Grandad and Mum seemed to have a way of communicating without saying words. That, too, got my little bonce computing a lot.

Frank went on to serve overseas on ‘Operation Grapple’, the United Kingdom’s testing of the Hydrogen Bomb in the Pacific, this would be around 1959. In Grapple, Uncle Frank was based on Christmas Island and witnessed at least two hydrogen tests.

Evelyn 1937

It is 2024. Quietly working through the Archive relating to the Marshall Branch, the maternal line, I finally have confirmation of Evelyn Marshall’s very short life (29 January ~ 23 April 1937) In Cheltenham, and that when my mother, Nancy Webb frequently recalled nursing her baby sister, Mum did indeed do this in 1937 and was not confusing nursing her baby brother Frank Frederick who was born in 1938.

Transcription by Desmond Budd Webb of the Notes made by his mother-in-law Martha Isabella Marshall née Hope, and found in my father’s archive papers.

Grandad … Hello Ken! What brings you here?

1974 ~ Christopher John with his Great Grandparents Frank and Martha Marshall at his home in Cirencester

Nancy Webb “my big daughter” ~ Oh Mum! Stop saying that!! And Martha Isabella Marshall. Mother and Daughter ~ this is one of my all-time favourite archive records. Grandma never lost her Northern accent. Wonderful. KTW

Footnotes

[1] This is also seen on the Ancestry website. It is, therefore, hugely satisfying to the compiler of that related family tree doing their own research, thereby promulgates this. It is like a master jigsaw, coming together piece by piece.

[2] Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and at that time unrecognised until 1980 and not ratified until 1992 ~ PTSD first appeared as an operational diagnosis in DSM-III (1980) and was revised in DSM-III-R (1987) and DSM-IV (1994). It made its first appearance in the ICD system later, in 1992

3 April 2024
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© 2024 Kenneth Thomas Webb

First written 23 April 2022