Few for Clarity, This Narrative Should Be Read In

Home , Fosbury, Hippenscombe, Savernake Forest, Shalbourne, Tidcombe

Few

For clarity, this narrative should be read in conjunction with the pedigree chart showing the ancestors of Frederick William Few.

The main concentration of the Few surname is in the Chesterton district of Cambridgeshire however there is another noticeable cluster in and around Devizes in Wiltshire.1 The ancestral Fews belong to this second group and they lived close to the Hampshire/Wiltshire border for several generations. There is nothing convincing in the surname dictionaries about the meaning of the name.2 Early spelling variations of the name include Feu and Phew. Distribution of the Surname Few

William Few

The earliest confirmed ancestors in the Few line3 are 4x great grandparents4 William Few and Hannah Smith, who were married on the 12th of October 1781 at Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire. Neither could sign their name and the witnesses were John Cole and Thomas Batten.5 Many believe that William was the William Fue baptised on the 11th of April 1752 at Tidcombe, Wiltshire, the son of Daniel and Ann Fue née Hore.6 Although St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn ages at burial are notoriously

1 The Surname Atlas Archer Software (2003). 2 Cottle, Basil, The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames Penguin 2nd edition 1978. Lower, Mark Anthony, A Dictionary of Surnames Wordsworth Editions Ltd. 1860. Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of Surnames Routledge and Kegan Paul (1958). 3 An earlier generation of Smiths is known. Other Few brides also have lines that go back one or two generations further. See below. 4 The relationships are described in terms of John David Few’s relationship. If you are a child, niece or nephew, or child of John’s cousins, you will have to add a great each time. Grandchildren and great nephews need to add two greats. 5 Marriage register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 6 Baptism and marriage registers of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. inaccurate, William’s age at burial does suggest a date of birth of 1758-1759.7 What can’t be ignored however is the baptism of a William, the son of George and Margaret Few of Savernake Park, on the 6th of April 1760, at Wootton Rivers, Wiltshire,8 which is just six miles away. This is closer to the date of birth suggested by William’s burial entry; also William’s eldest child was named George. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to trace the future of the wrong William Few, which might have helped with elimination.

approx. 5 miles

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The Smith Family

5x great grandfather John Smith married Elizabeth Shipway in Marlborough, Wiltshire on the 7th of May 1741.10 The surname Smith is a widespread one and is an occupational

7 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 8 Baptism register of St. Andrew’s, Wootton Rivers, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 9 www.archersoftware.co.uk/genmap01.htm. 10 Index to marriages of St. Mary’s, Marlborough, Wiltshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. surname with a clear meaning. Shipway The Children of John and Elizabeth Smith probably means one who lives by the née Shipway of Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire sheep way, or drovers’ road. It is principally found in Gloucestershire and Mary baptised 26 December 1743 Wiltshire. John baptised 25 August 1745

Thomas baptised 25 September 1749 John and Elizabeth Smith had seven Elizabeth baptised 15 December 1751 children baptised in Great Bedwyn.11 John William baptised 28 March 1755 was probably buried on the 17th of March Hannah baptised 24 September 1758 178712 and Elizabeth, as ‘widow Smith’, on George baptised 23 May 1762 the 7th of February 1790, both at Great

Bedwyn.13

Farming on the Wiltshire-Hampshire Borders14

This area is made up of chalk downs and loamy river valleys. The climate is generally benign but the area is noted for its ‘cold, sharp air’,15 that sometimes led to soil erosion and crop damage. Farms were generally small and situated near a water supply. Typically, they had an adjacent cattle yard, stabling, granary, pigsty, pond and three barns, so that different grains could be threshed separately. Farmers often owned several farms and lived in one farmhouse, letting the others to their labourers, meaning that those that were tenanted were often in poor repair. Leases tended to be short and commenced on Lady Day, the 25th of March.

Corn was usually kept in barns, rather than constructing hayricks. Barns were wooden structures, on stone foundations and had thatched roofs. As the eighteenth century came to a close, threshing machines were being introduced. These were very efficient but fewer labourers were required, leading to a shortage of employment. By 1830, following an agricultural depression and a series of bad harvests, the plight of the labourers led to protests known as The Swing Riots, during which threshing machines across the south of the country were destroyed under the auspices of the mythical Captain Swing. Two hundred and fifty two Wiltshire labourers died in these riots and over a thousand were transported. One of the farms that was targeted was that of John Fulbrook in Hippenscombe, when a three hundred strong mob smashed the windows and entered the farmhouse.16 This farm is an isolated one, which is perhaps why it became the focus of a protest.

11 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 12 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 13 Index to burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. 14 Most of the information in this section is taken from Davis, Thomas General View of the Agriculture of the County of Wiltshire Richard Phillips (1811). 15 Davis, Thomas General View of the Agriculture of the County of Wiltshire Richard Phillips (1811). 16 Vivash, Paul Family Loyalties in Wiltshire Family History Society Journal April 1998 pp. 45-46. Salisbury and Winchester Journal 10 January 1831 p.4 col. b. Labourers often struggled to support their families. Women might supplement the family income by spinning flax or silk at home, on a piecework basis.

In the late eighteenth century, although enclosure was being advocated, much of the county was still implementing a common field system, whereby tenants were allocated small areas of arable land in common fields and their livestock ran on communal sheep and cow downs. Wheat, barley and oats were grown and fields would be left fallow every three or four years. By the nineteenth century, crops such as clover would be sown in rotation to enrich the soil. Potatoes and turnips were planted, the latter were predominantly used for animal feed. There were also apple orchards; these were used for eating rather than cider making, which was more common further west.

Woods supplied different types of timber for a variety of needs. Its use as a fuel was being replaced by coal during the nineteenth century, especially as the canal and railway system opened up, making transportation easier. Wood was still needed in the construction of buildings and to make such things as furniture, tools, hurdles and clogs. Oak bark was used in the tanning process. Water mills were numerous but there were concerns that they adversely impacted on the water meadows that were important for irrigation.

In the eighteenth century, sheep were kept for the manure they produced and for wool; meat was a secondary consideration. The manufacture of cloth and carpets was important to the local economy. By the 1800s, there was more emphasis on rearing sheep for meat. The Wiltshire Horned Sheep were then being replaced by breeds more common in Dorset and on the South Downs.

The three major markets in Salisbury, Devizes and Warminster were thirty to forty miles away from Great Bedwyn. Salisbury was noted as the best cattle market in the south. It is likely that the market at Marlborough, which was much closer, would have been used by the farmers in the area where the Fews lived. Marlborough market was noted for its cheese, which was a speciality in the north of the county. The development of the canal and railway system opened up the market for farm produce.

Great Bedwyn17

Great Bedwyn is a rural parish on the edge of the Savernake Forest. Originally a borough, by the time that the Few family are known to have been there, it had lost much of its status and was described in 1754 as ‘a poor town of farmers, maltsters, and publicans’.18 There were about fourteen inns or ale houses in the parish in the mid-eighteenth century. Fair days were the 23rd of April and the 15th of July and market day was a Tuesday. The is a large open area at the end of the main street, which may have been where the market was held.

17 For detailed information about the parish see www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol16/pp8-49. 18 Travels through Eng. of Dr. Ric. Pococke, ii (Camd. Soc. [2nd ser.], xliv), 157, quoted in www.british- history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol16/pp8-49.

There were six hop yards in the parish and malting was a common trade. There were several schools, including provision for the teaching of poor children but the Fews do not seem to have benefitted from this. The Kennet and Avon Canal linked Hungerford and Great Bedwyn in 1799 and by 1810, it was extended to Devizes, with obvious implications for migration. A wharf was built in Great Bedwyn. In 1862, the railway came to Great Bedwyn, providing a direct link to Reading and Great Bedwyn station was sited near Great Bedwyn the wharf. Most of the cottages are brick built, sometimes interspersed with flints, with steeply sloping thatched roofs.

William and Hannah Few née Smith The Children of William and Hannah Few née Smith of Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire William and Hannah Few had eight children, seven of whom were baptised George baptised 6 January 1782 Great 19 in Great Bedwyn. The other child, Bedwyn th William, was baptised on the 30 of Hannah baptised 21 October 1787 Great 20 November 1794 at nearby Tidcombe; Bedwyn census records suggest that he was John baptised 12 December 1790 Great 21 about two years old at the time. Bedwyn William and Hannah both died in June William born c. 1792 baptised 30 November 1814, possibly of an infectious disease. 1794 Tidcombe th Hannah was buried on the 5 of June David baptised 21 September 1794 Great th and William on the 14 , both at Great Bedwyn Bedwyn. William’s burial says that his Elizabeth baptised 6 August 1797 Great 22 abode was ‘Martin’; Marten is a small Bedwyn hamlet within the parish of Great Mary baptised 8 March 1801 Great Bedwyn Bedwyn, two miles to the south of the James baptised 18 March 1804 Great Bedwyn village on the far side of the canal. It

19 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 20 Baptism register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 21 1851 census for Faccombe, Hampshire HO107 1683 folio 605. 22 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. clusters round Manor Farm, which may be where William worked.

David Few

3x great grandfather David was born in Marten23 and baptised on the 21st of September 1794 at St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn.24 In 1794, George III was on the throne. In that year the three men were alleged to have plotted to assassinate the king with a poisoned dart, in what was known as ‘The Popgun Plot’. The Tory MP, William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister. It was the height of the French Revolution, Britain was at war with France and Horatio Nelson lost his eye. Although developments in the arts would have had little impact on the Fews, it may help to put the era into perspective to realise that, in 1794, Drury Lane Theatre reopened after being rebuilt, Robert Burns and William Blake were writing poetry and Goya was painting.

David Few married Elizabeth Richardson on the 16th of May 1816 at Tidcombe. Both made their marks; the marriage was witnessed by William Brunsden and Joseph Pike.25 Tidcombe is a small, rural Wiltshire parish on the Hampshire border. Fosbury is a hamlet within the parish. The farmland seems to have been predominantly owned by Manor Farm. Both arable and sheep farming took place in the parish.26 It is likely that St. Michael’s, Tidcombe John Richardson worked for the farmer at Manor Farm.

The Richardson Family

Richardson is a patronymic surname, meaning, as it suggests, son of Richard. 4x great grandfather John Richardson married Elizabeth Farr on the 15th of November 1773 at Tidcombe. The witnesses were Francis Miles and John Young. The register clearly reads Farr but it should be noted that neither party could sign their name.27

23 1871 census for Tidcombe, Wiltshire RG10 1254 folio 9. 24 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 25 Marriage Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 26 Victoria County History of Wiltshire online at British History online www.british- history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol16/pp215-222 accessed 12 February 2021. 27 Marriage register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk.

Farr is a name that is widespread across the south of England and in the Midlands.28

Online trees and correspondence suggest that Elizabeth is really Elizabeth Few, the daughter of Daniel and Ann Few.29 If this were the case, it would strengthen the case for Daniel being William’s father. It is true that no baptism for Elizabeth Farr has been found but Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel, appears to be the Elizabeth who had illegitimate children in Shalbourne, Wiltshire in 1775 and 1780,30 so it seems that John Richardson’s wife was not Elizabeth Few.

Distribution of the Surname Farr

The Children of John and Elizabeth Richardson née Farr of Tidcombe, Wiltshire

Thomas baptised 9 April 1775 Sarah baptised 17 November 1776 James baptised 16 May 1779 John baptised 24 June 1781 William baptised 13 July 1783 Hannah 26 June 1785 George 15 April 1787 Elizabeth 21 December 1788 Febey 12 June 1791 Giles 19 May 1793 Christchurch, Fosbury

John and Elizabeth had ten children baptised at Tidcombe. The baptisms of the five younger children indicate that the family were paupers.31 4x great grandmother Elizabeth Richardson was baptised on the 21st of December 1788,32 she was born at Fosbury.33

28 The Surname Atlas Archer Software (2003). 29 Trees on www.ancestry.co.uk. Correspondence from Paul Fenwick. 30 Index to baptism register St. Michael and All Angels, Shalbourne, Wiltshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. 31 Baptism register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 32 Baptism register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk 33 1851 census for Fosbury, Tidcombe, Wiltshire HO107 1686 folio 170. The 1780s were a difficult time for farm labourers. Iceland’s Laki volcano was erupting from June 1783 until February 1784. It was not so much the ash but the sulphur dioxide gas that caused devastation. Europe was covered in a haze for several months and harvests were poor. The summer of 1783 was unusually hot, with severe thunderstorms and hail and it is thought that the eruption was a contributory factor. This was followed by a particularly hard winter. It is thought that 23,000 people and large numbers of livestock in Britain died from the of the effects of the gas and from starvation as the food supply dwindled. An estimated further 8,000 people died during the severe winter weather. Gilbert White wrote of the second half of 1783: “This summer was an amazing and portentous one, and full of horrible phenomena; for, besides the alarming meteors and tremendous thunderstorms that affrighted and distressed the different counties of this kingdom, the peculiar haze or smoky fog that prevailed for many weeks in this island and every part of Europe, and even beyond its limits, was a most extraordinary appearance, unlike anything known within the memory of man. From June 23rd to July 20th inclusive, during which period the wind varied to every quarter without making any alteration in the air. The sun at noon looked as blank as a clouded moon and shed a rust-coloured ferruginous light on the ground floor of rooms, but was particularly lurid and blood-coloured at rising and setting. All the time the heat was so intense that butcher’s meat could hardly be eaten on the day after it was killed.”34 It is not just poor harvests that caused problems for agricultural workers. The difficulties of 1783-4 were followed by a good harvest in 1785. In this instance, the market was flooded and prices were depressed as a result.

John Richardson was buried on the 12th of May 1836 at Tidcombe.35 Elizabeth Richardson died on the 8th of December 1839 at Fosbury of ‘course of nature’; her age was recorded as ninety.36 She was buried at Tidcombe on the 12th of December; her age at that point was given as ninety two.37

David and Elizabeth Few née Richardson

An interesting incident occurred in 1822, just four years after David and Elizabeth married and it seems that David narrowly escaped prosecution for slander. An item in the Salisbury and Winchester Journal reads, “CAUTION. We David Few and Jane Whitebread, both of Fosbury, in the parish of TIdcombe, in the county of Wilts, labourers, having circulated false and scandalous reports respecting Mr Scorey of Tidcombe aforesaid, of his having been bound to keep the peace in a bond of £20 and Mr Scorey in consequence having threatened to prosecute us. We do hereby publicly acknowledge that the reports we have circulated respecting Mr Scorey are utterly false and unfounded and we promise never to spread any scandalous report of Mr Scorey in future and in consideration of this our acknowledgement and payment of all expenses incurred, Mr Scorey has kindly withdrawn the prosecution, for

34 Gilbert White, quoted in Baker, T.H. Records of the Seasons: prices of agricultural produce and phenomena observed in the British Isles Hanse Books (1883). 35 Burial register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 36 Death certificate of Elizabeth Richardson née Few 1839 from the General Register Office pdf. 37 Burial register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. which we shall ever feel grateful. Witness our hands this 6th day of July 1822. The mark of David Few. The mark of Jane Whitebread. Witness the mark of Hannah Bowley.”38

Jane Whitebread and Hannah Bowley appear to have been unmarried neighbours in their twenties.39 Mr Scorey had not been positively identified.

David and Elizabeth had seven children baptised at Tidcombe. Great great grandfather Frederick was baptised on the 27th of January 1831; having been born on the 22nd of January. David was described as a labourer of Fosbury in the baptism records.40 David’s Home in Fosbury

David and Elizabeth, together with their three daughters and two The Children of David and Elizabeth Few née youngest sons, were living in Richardson of Tidcombe, Wiltshire Fosbury in 1841.41 As William had already died, only George was Sarah baptised 19 April 1818 missing from the family. The tithe Mary baptised 19 March 1820 map shows David living in a cottage George baptised 21 April 1822 with a small plot in Fosbury, owned Hannah baptised 18 April 1824 by David Bevan esq..42 This is a small William baptised 30 April 1826 died March 1833 flint cottage on the road south of John baptised 14 September 1828 the centre of Fosbury. Frederick born 22 January 1831

In 1851, Hannah and John remained at home and David was still a farm labourer.43 Elizabeth died of dropsy on the 8th of October 1851.44

38 Salisbury and Winchester Journal 15 July 1822 p. 3 col. d. 39 Wiltshire baptism indexes via www.findmypast.co.uk. 40 Baptism register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 41 1841 census for Fosbury, Tidcombe, Wiltshire HO107 1180 en. dist. 17 folio 6. 42 Tithe Schedule for Tidcombe, Wiltshire IR29 58 261. Tithe Map for Tidcombe, Wiltshire IR30 58 261 via www.thegenealogist.co.uk. 43 1851 census for Fosbury, Tidcombe, Wiltshire HO107 1686 folio 170. 44 Death certificate of Elizabeth Few née Richardson 1851 from the General Register Office. By 1861, David was living with his daughter, Hannah, in Fosbury and was still an agricultural labourer.45 Ten years later, David, by this time a pauper, was lodging with Thomas and Priscilla Richardson.46 Thomas was his brother-in-law and Priscilla was Thomas’ second wife. David died at Fosbury, on the 27th of January 1877 of senile bronchitis, which he had had for eight days. The death was registered by Elizabeth Richardson, who was probably a niece.47

Frederick Few

Frederick was said to have been born on the 22nd of January 1831.48 He was baptised on the 23rd of January 1831 at Tidcombe, Wiltshire ‘of Fosbury’.49 In 1841, he was living with his parents and four of his older siblings in Fosbury.50 Ten years later, Frederick was one of seven agricultural labourers lodging in the household of Jesse Holdaway, in a labourers’ cottage on Hippenscombe Farm, which at the time was farmed by Henry Miles.51 Hippenscombe was a farmstead, with eight labourers’ cottages nearby,52 set in an isolated chalk combe, or valley. This was the farm that had been attacked by the Swing rioters.53 It changed hands in 1833, at which time the area was described as being suited to a large breeding flock, with arable land that was particularly favourable for turnips and saintfoin.54

Later in 1841, on the 16th of October, just one week after his mother’s death, Frederick married Amy Louisa Gilbert at Chute, Wiltshire. The witnesses were George Hooper and Mary ‘Cook’, Amy’s sister or half sister. Frederick was a labourer and neither of them could sign their names.55

The Gilbert Family Gilbert is another patronymic surname, meaning son of Gilbert. There is no particular focus to its distribution.56

Distribution of the Surname Gilbert

45 1861 census for Fosbury, Wiltshire RG9 724 folio 6. 46 1871 census for Tidcombe, Wiltshire RG10 1254 folio 9. 47 Death certificate of David Few 1877 from the General Register Office. 48 Oral evidence from Colin Brown. 49 Baptism Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 50 1841 census for Fosbury, Tidcombe, Wiltshire HO107 1180 en. dist. 17 folio 6. 51 1851 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire HO107 1686 folio 164. 52 Salisbury and Winchester Journal 7 October 1833 p. 2 col. g. 53 Salisbury and Winchester Journal 10 January 1831 p.4 col. b. 54 Salisbury and Winchester Journal 7 October 1833 p. 2 col. g. 55 Marriage certificate of Frederick Few and Amy Louisa Gilbert photocopy from fellow researcher. 56 The Surname Atlas Archer Software (2003). 5x great grandfather, Joseph Gilbert, The Children of Joseph and Mary Gilbert née a labourer, married Mary Hapgood in th Hapgood Great Bedwyn on the 15 of May 1765.57 Three months later, the first John baptised 22 September 1765 Great Bedwyn of their seven children, John, was Elizabeth baptised 1 November 1767 Great baptised on the 22nd of September Bedwyn 1765 at Great Bedwyn.58 The fifth Joseph baptised 8 December 1769 Great Bedwyn and sixth children, including 4x great Thomas baptised 29 March 1772 Great Bedwyn grandfather Isaac, were baptised at Isaac baptised 1 October 1775 Burbage nearby Burbage but the family were Mary baptised 25 December 1777 Burbage described as being ‘of Great Mary baptised 14 November 1779 Great Bedwyn Bedwyn’.59

Although no burial has been found, it seems likely that Joseph and The Children of Isaac and Elizabeth Gilbert née Mary’s second daughter, Mary, died Barrett of Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire as another Mary was baptised on the th 14 of November 1779 back at Great Charles baptised 9 December 1799 Burbage 60 Bedwyn. Joseph was buried at Carolina baptised 21 February 1802 Burbage th Great Bedwyn on the 29 of July buried 3 September 1822 Great Bedwyn 61 1792. Mary baptised 27 May 1804 Burbage Letitia baptised 12 April 1807 Burbage th On the 14 of November 1799 Isaac Amy baptised 11 June 1809 Burbage buried 6 July Gilbert married Elizabeth Barrett or 1828 Great Bedwyn 62 Berrett at Great Bedwyn, Elizabeth Charlotte baptised 31 January 1813 Burbage 63 th was only about sixteen. On the 9 buried 30 July 1823 Great Bedwyn of December, just three weeks after Maria baptised 22 January 1815 Great Bedwyn the wedding, Charles, their eldest John baptised 6 April 1817 Burbage son was baptised at Burbage, Elizabeth baptised 10 February 1822 Great although they were said to be of Bedwyn 64 Great Bedwyn. They went on to Ann baptised 20 January 1822 Burbage have ten more children, eight of Thomas baptised 29 October 1824 Great Bedwyn 65 whom were girls. The five eldest girls were all baptised in Burbage,

57 Marriage register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 58 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 59 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 60 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 61 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 62 See below. 63 Death indexes of the General Registrar. 64 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 65 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. although the baptisms are marked ‘of East Grafton in Great Bedwyn’, or similar and it may be that they always lived there.66 Three of the girls, Carolina, Amy and Charlotte, died between the ages of ten and twenty.67 Having three daughters dying at this sort of age might suggest tuberculosis but it is too early for death certificates, so this remans speculation. Isaac was consistently described as a labourer in the baptism records of his children.68 All Saints, Burbage

Burial of Elizabeth Gilbert 17 August 1839 St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire

Elizabeth Gilbert of East Grafton ‘died suddenly’ on the 17th of August 1839 and was buried at Great Bedwyn. The unusually detailed register notes that she left four sons and four daughters, which does not tie in with the baptism and burial records.69

A newspaper report gives further details, “Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Monday last, in the parish of Enford, on the body of Elizabeth Gilbert, 57 years of age. The deceased belonged to Grafton, in the Fields at Enford where Elizabeth may have been parish of Great Bedwin, but had, working during the past week, been reaping with her husband at Enford. Up to Friday evening she had continued to work in health and spirits – and ate a hearty supper. In

66 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 67 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 68 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 69 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. the middle of the night she was taken ill, but in the morning, although labouring under a severe indisposition, she made an attempt to go on with her work. She had not, however, been long in the field, before her illness increased, and she felt obliged to return home. Her husband followed shortly after and found her in the road a corpse. Verdict – Died by the Visitation of God.”70 Even going across country, Elizabeth must have walked at least ten miles from her home in East Grafton to Enford. Her death certificate confirms that she died on the 17th of August 1839 at Enford of ‘a visitation of God’ and that there was a coroner’s inquest.71

East Grafton Village Green St. Nicholas, East Grafton In 1841, Isaac was living in East Grafton and working as an agricultural labourer. He cannot be found in the tithe schedule, so was presumably a sub-tenant.72 East Grafton was a small village clustered round a large village green or common. Isaac’s adult children, John, Elizabeth, Thomas and Letitia were with him, as well as Letitia’s three surviving illegitimate children, another child had died in infancy and George, the illegitimate son of his daughter Elizabeth.73

Isaac died of old age on the 3rd of June 1850 at East Grafton. The death was registered by Maria Cheeseman, who was present at the time.74 Maria was a neighbour in East Grafton and does not seems to have been a relative.75 On the 6th of June, he was buried at St. Nicholas’, East Grafton, which was formerly part of Great Bedwyn parish.76

70 Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette 22 August 1839 p. 3 col. c.. 71 Death certificate of Elizabeth Gilbert née Barrett 1839 from the General Register Office pdf. 72 Index to Tithe Schedule for Great Bedwyn via www.thegenealogist.co.uk.

73 1841 census for East Grafton, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire 1180 e. dist. 1 folio 52 Isaac Gilbert. 74 Death certificate of Isaac Gilbert 1850 from the General Register Office pdf. 75 1851 census for East Grafton, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire HO107 1686 folio 236 Maria Cheeseman. 76 Burial register of St. Nicholas’, East Grafton, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. The Burgess Family

Map Created using Genmap™77

The Burgesses are an interesting family. The line begins with 6x great grandparents John Burgess and Elizabeth Kember who married on the 1st of December 1745 at Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire.78 They had fifteen children in twenty three years, as the family moved around various parishes on the Berkshire-Wiltshire border.79 The will of one of the children, Giles, which mentions several of his siblings, helps to confirm that this is all the same family.80 Giles was buried at Shalbourne, Wiltshire on the 18th of March 1817.81 In addition, some unusual Christian names continue into future generations.

Distribution of the Surname Distribution of the Surname Burgess Kember

77 www.archersoftware.co.uk/genmap01.htm. 78 Index to marriages of St. Mary the Virgin, Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. 79 Index to baptisms of St. Mary the Virgin, Chieveley, Berkshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. Index to baptisms of St. John the Baptist, Padworth, Berkshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. Baptism register of St. Michael and All Angels, Shalbourne, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 80 The will of Giles Burgess proved in the Consistory Court of Salisbury 1817 via www.ancestry.co.uk. 81 Burial register St. Michael and All Angels, Shalbourne, Wiltshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. The Children of John and Elizabeth Burgess née Kember

George baptised 10 October 1746 Chieveley, Berkshire Ann baptised 8 December 1747 Chieveley, Berkshire John baptised 3 January 1749 Chieveley, Berkshire Giles baptised 7 September 1750 Padworth, Berkshire. St. Michael and all Angels, Shalbourne Naomi baptised 28 February 1751/2 Chieveley, Berkshire One child was prosaically named Fish Elizabeth baptised 30 November 1753 Coppinger Burgess.82 Initially, it was hoped Shalbourne, Wiltshire that his unusual names might provide clues Martha baptised 6 January 1755 to earlier generations. There was an earlier Shalbourne, Wiltshire Fish, or Fysh, Coppinger, a man of some Hannah baptised 2 February 1756 status, who assumed the surname DeBurgh Shalbourne, Wiltshire but there is no suggestion that he was a Mary baptised 24 October 1757 relative. The Coppinger/DeBurgh family did Shalbourne, Wiltshire own some land in Berkshire,83 so perhaps Lucy baptised 9 February 1759 Shalbourne, the Burgesses named their son for a local Wiltshire dignitary in the hope of some kind of Richard baptised 26 May 1760 Shalbourne, preferment for him. Wiltshire Edward baptised 24 September 1762 The Barrett Family Shalbourne, Wiltshire Fish Coppinger Burgess baptised 1 July The Barretts sometimes appear in the early 1764 Shalbourne, Wiltshire registers as Berrett. 5x great grandfather Sarah baptised 8 June 1766 Shalbourne, Robert Barrett married Mary Burgess at Wiltshire Great Bedwyn on the 27th of December Phoebe baptised 28 November 1768 1779, neither could sign their names and Shalbourne, Wiltshire the witnesses were Robert Highett and Thomas Batten.84 They had six children. The eldest five were baptised Burbage,85 including 4x great grandmother Elizabeth who, as a heavily pregnant sixteen year old, married Isaac Gilbert, as mentioned above.86 The

82 Index to baptisms of St. Mary the Virgin, Chieveley, Berkshire via www.findmypast.co.uk 83https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/LMA_OPAC/web_detail/REFD+ACC~2F1386?SESSIONSEA RCH accessed 20 February 2021. 84 Marriage register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 85 Baptism register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 86 Death indexes of the General Registrar. youngest, Charles, was baptised at Great Bedwyn.87 One child, Isaac, died in infancy.88 The Children of Robert and Mary Robert was buried on the 26th of January Barrett née Burgess

1811 and Mary on the 13th of May 1831, John baptised 2 July 1780 Burbage both at Great Bedwyn.89 Elizabeth baptised 20 January 1782

Burbage Letitia Gilbert Letitia baptised 4 November 1783

Burbage To return to 3 x great grandmother, Letitia Isaac baptised on the 30 October 1785 Gilbert; an intriguing character. She had four Burbage buried 4 March 1788 Burbage illegitimate children. There is no way of Robert baptised 31 May 1789 Burbage knowing if these multiple extra-marital Charles baptised 7 August 1791 Great pregnancies were the result of a long- Bedwyn standing relationship, perhaps with a married man, or if they were a by-product of her lifestyle. It seems unlikely that they were the children of her future husband, Thomas Cook, as his first wife died at the beginning of 184090 and presumably they would have married sooner were this the case. The eldest of Letitia’s children, Jacob, was born when she was about nineteen.91 Her daughter Mary was baptised at The Children of Letitia Gilbert Great Bedwyn92 and great great Jacob baptised 28 January 1827 Great Bedwyn grandmother, Amy Louisa, was Mary baptised 26 June 1831 East Grafton baptised at Froxfield.93 The Amy Louisa baptised 24 November 1833 youngest child, George, was Froxfield baptised at Lambourn, Berkshire George baptised 10 March 1839 Lambourn, on the 10th of March 1839.94 He Berkshire, buried 7 January 1840 Froxfield was buried at Froxfield on the 7th of January 1840‘ of Lambourn By her husband Thomas Cook workhouse’.95 It seems likely that

Letitia was in the workhouse at this Harvey baptised 2 April 1843 Chute time, perhaps with all her children. Elizabeth Ann baptised 27 October 1844 Chute Alternatively, she may have been Isaac baptised 31 January 1847 Chute working in Froxfield and had left Charles born c. 1848 baptised 25 May 1861 George, with or without his Chute siblings, in the workhouse where he was almost certainly born. By

87 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 88 Burial register of All Saints, Burbage, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 89 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 90 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 91 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 92 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 93 Baptism register of All Saints, Froxfield, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 94 Baptism register of St. Michael and All Angels, Lambourn, Berkshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 95 Index to burial register of All Saints, Froxfield, Wiltshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. 1841, Letitia and her three surviving children were living in East Grafton with her father, Isaac, three of her siblings and a nephew.96

When Letitia’s daughter, Mary, married Jeremiah Hoare on the 18th of July 1851 at Chute, she gave her father’s name as Moses Gilbert.97 He could be a complete fiction, or perhaps her father’s Christian name was Moses. Her second marriage, to John Rolfe at Fosbury on the 22nd of April 1876 leaves her father’s name blank.98 On marriage, Amy Louisa’s father was listed as Thomas Gilbert,99 perhaps because her step-father’s christian name was Thomas. Jacob’s marriage to Mary Cumnor at East Grafton on the 18th of September 1851 All Saints, Froxfield pulls no punches. Under father’s name it reads ‘illegitimate so no father’.100 Interestingly, Jacob had had banns of marriage called in the November of 1850, stating his intention to marry Ann Cue. The incumbent has made a marginal note to state that the couple were not married and that Jacob later married Mary.101

Letitia was not the only member of the Gilbert family to have children out of wedlock. Her sister, Elizabeth, also had four illegitimate children,102 sisters Ann and Maria had one each and their cousin Amy had three.103 Only one of the five sisters who reached the age of twenty one did not have an illegitimate child.

On the 18th of June 1842, Letitia married widowed Thomas Cook at Chute, neither could sign and the witnesses were Jane and John Gilbert.104 They had four children, Harvey, Elizabeth, or Elizabeth Ann,105 who went on to marry John Few, the brother-in-law of Elizabeth’s half-

96 1841 census for East Grafton, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire 1180 e. dist. 1 folio 52 Isaac Gilbert. 97 Marriage register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 98 Marriage register of Christ Church, Fosbury, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 99 Marriage certificate of Frederick Few and Amy Louisa Gilbert photocopy from fellow researcher. 100 Marriage register of St. Nicholas, Grafton, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 101 Banns register of St. Nicholas, East Grafton, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 102 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. Baptism register of St. Nicholas, East Grafton, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 103 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. Baptism register of St. Nicholas, East Grafton, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. Index to baptism register for St. Mary the Virgin’s, Vernham Dean, Hampshire via www.findmypast.co.uk. 104 Marriage register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 105 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. sister Amy.106 Next came Isaac, baptised at Chute on the 31st of January 1847107 and finally Charles, who was born about 1848108 but was not baptised until the 25th of May 1861.109

In 1851, Thomas and Letitia were living in Hippenscombe. With them were their four children, two of Thomas’ children by his first wife and Letitia’s daughters Mary and Amy, or Emily as she was sometimes known. Thomas, Letitia and all the older children, including the girls, were listed as farm labourers.110 Thomas was buried at Chute on the 14th of August 1853.111

Letitia’s second marriage took place at Chute on the same day as the baptism of her youngest son by Thomas Cook, who was by then about thirteen. On the 25th of May 1861, she married shepherd Thomas Fisher, who was twenty years her junior. The marriage was witnessed by Ann Absalom and her son in law Frederick Few.112 Letitia died of heart disease just nine months later, on the 18th of February 1862, at Hippenscombe. The death was registered by her daughter Mary Hoare.113

Frederick and Amy Louisa Few née Gilbert

Following the family tradition of pre-marital pregnancies, two months after their marriage, The Children of Frederick and Frederick and Amy’s eldest son, great grandfather Amy Louisa Few née Gilbert William, was born at Fosbury.114 Five more sons were to follow, the three eldest also born in Fosbury William born 12 December 1851 and the two youngest in Hippenscombe.115 George George born 5 October 1853 was born on the 5th of October 1853.116 He was Isaac born 1856 baptised at Tidcombe on the 9th of October.117 In Edward John born 1858 1878, he married Emma New and they had nine Fred born about 1868 children.118 Isaac was born in 1856119 and baptised James born 29 January 1872 on the 27th of April 1856.120 He married Mary Ann

106 Marriage register of Christ Church, Fosbury, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 107 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 108 1851 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire HO107 1686 folio 163. 109 Baptism register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 110 1851 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire HO107 1686 folio 163. 111 Burial register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 112 Marriage register of St. Mary’s, Chute, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 113 Death certificate of Letitia Fisher, lately Cook, née Gilbert 1862 from the General Register Office pdf. 114 Birth certificate of William Few 1851 from the General Register Office. 115 1871 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG10 1254 folio 11. 1881 census for 3 Queens Terrace, Southern Hill, Whitley, Reading, Berkshire RG 11 1309 folios 115 and 116. 116 Oral evidence from Margaret Bird. 117 Baptism Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 118 Oral evidence from Margaret Bird. 1861 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG9 724 folio 10. 119 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 1861 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG9 724 folio 10. 120 Baptism Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. Neville in 1877121 and they had one daughter.122 Edward John was born in 1858.123 He was baptised at Tidcombe on the 23rd of May 1858.124 In 1881 he married Mary Jane Newport125 and they had two children.126 Edward, like his brother George, worked in the biscuit factory in Reading, which was a major employer in the town.127

In 1861, Frederick and Amy, with their four eldest sons, were living at Hippenscombe, Wiltshire, next door to Jesse Holdaway. Hippenscombe is a hamlet, adjacent to Fosbury. Frederick was a carter and was almost certainly working on neighbouring Hippenscombe Farm. This 890 acre farm was run by Henry Miles, who employed sixteen men and seventeen boys.128

Frederick Few Frederick and Amy’s fifth son, Fred, was born in Hippenscombe in about 1868.129 He was baptised on the 23rd of February 1868 at Tidcombe, Frederick was described as a carter of Hippenscombe.130 He married Georgina Ironside in 1894 and they had two sons.131 No explanation has been found for the ten year gap in the family; perhaps there was a series of unsuccessful pregnancies. In 1871, the family were living in Hippenscombe and Frederick was working as an agricultural labourer. William had left the family but the next four sons were all at home, the eldest three, aged thirteen to seventeen, were all working as agricultural labourers.132 The youngest son, James, was born on the 29th of January 1872.133 He married Ann Heath in 1896 and they had three children. 134

121 Registrar General’s Indexes of Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 122 1891 census for 13 Johnson Cottage, Reading, Berkshire RG12 998 folio 128. 123 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 1861 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG9 724 folio 10. 124 Baptism Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 125 Registrar General’s Indexes of Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 126 1891 census for 79 Donnington Road, Reading, Berkshire RG12 996 folio 107. 127 1901 census for 22 Granby Street, Reading, Berkshire RG13 1151 folio 111. 1911 census for 81 Donnington Road, Reading, Berkshire RG14 6596 sn. 369. 128 1861 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG9 724 folio 10. 129 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 1871 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG10 1254 folio 11. 130 Baptism Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 131 Oral evidence from Colin Brown Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth and Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 132 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 1871 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG10 1254 folio 11. 133 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 1881 census for 3 Queens Terrace, Southern Hill, Whitley, Reading, Berkshire RG 11 1309 folios 115 and 116. Oral evidence from Colin Brown. 134 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth and Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. Oral evidence from Colin Brown. A newspaper report of July 1875 suggests that the family then lived in Sindlesham, just outside Reading. Although the age is incorrect by two years, there are no other Frederick Fews withing twenty miles of Reading at this time. “The following cases of accident have been admitted into the Royal Berks Hospital during the week:- On the 24th, Frederick Few, aged forty two of Sindlesham, with an injured thigh and foot. He jumped off a waggon loaded with corn and the wheel passed over him.”135 Unless Frederick was paying into a friendly society, who might have provided some financial help, this accident would have been disastrous for the family. The hospital stay would have been expensive and they would have been dependant on the earnings of the older sons136 who were still at home for support until Frederick recovered.

By 1881, the family had moved to 3 Queens Terrace, Southern Hill, Whitley, Reading, Berkshire, close to their eldest son, William. Frederick was still an agricultural labourer and Amy was a launderess. Only the youngest two boys were at home. Fred, at thirteen, was a waiter in a coffee house and James was a scholar.137

In 1891, Frederick and Amy were living at 1 Essex Street, Whitley, Reading and Frederick was a farm labourer. Fred and James were still at home, working as a seedsman’s assistants, probably for Sutton’s Seeds, who had a large factory in the town.138 They were still living at 1 Essex Street in 1895.139 On the 23rd of September 1895 Amy Louisa died of heart disease and dropsy at 44 Essex Street.140 Her death notice in the Reading Observer reads “At 44 Essex Street, Reading, after long suffering borne with resignation, the dearly beloved wife of Frederick Few, aged 59 years.”141 She was at least 61.

In 1901, the widowed Frederick was living with his son Fred at 21 Highgrove Street, Reading and was working as a florist’s labourer.142 By 1911, he was living with his son Edward John at 81 Donnington Road, Reading.143 By the time of his death, on the 17th of December 1916, Frederick’s home address was once again 21 Highgrove Street. He died of heart failure in Reading Workhouse infirmary. The death was registered by James’ wife Ann.144

135 Berkshire Chronicle 31 July 1875 p. 5 col. c. 136 It is likely that George, Isaac and Edward will still have been at home and of working age at the time of the accident. 137 1881 census for 3 Queens Terrace, Southern Hill, Whitley, Reading, Berkshire RG 11 1309 folios 115 and 116. 138 1891 census for 1 Essex Street, Reading, Berkshire RG12 994 folio 104. 139 1895 Electoral Roll for Whitley, Reading, Berkshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 140 Death certificate of Amy Louisa Few 1895 from the General Register Office pdf. 141 Reading Observer 28 September 1895 p. 8 col f. 142 1901 census for 21 Highgrove Street, Reading, Berkshire RG13 1148 folio 112. 143 1911 census for 81 Donnington Road, Reading, Berkshire RG14 6596 sn. 369. 144 Death certificate of Frederick Few 1916 from the General Register Office. William Few

Great grandfather William was born on the 12th of December 1851 at Fosbury, Tidcombe.145 He was baptised two days later at Tidcombe.146 In 1861, aged nine, William was living with his family at Hippenscombe, Wiltshire. Although his two younger brothers were scholars he was not.147 Schooling was not yet compulsory at this time. By 1871, William was listed as the head of a household in Tidcombe which St. Mary the Virgin, Vernham Dean consisted of four young agricultural labourers, of which William was one. It The Children of William and Mary Few was almost certainly a farm cottage for née Kent workers on the neighbouring farm run by William Wallis. Living in the Wallis Kate Sophia born 1874 Vernham Dean, farmhouse was William’s future wife, Hampshire Mary Kent, then a fourteen year old Edith Annie born 1881 Whitley, Reading, 148 servant. Berkshire Florence Elizabeth born 1885 Whitley, th On the 8 of November 1873, William Reading, Berkshire 149 married Mary Kent in Mary’s home Tom born c. 1887 Whitley, Reading, parish of Vernham Dean, Hampshire. Berkshire died 1 January 1905 Croydon, William was described as a labourer of Surrey 150 Vernham Dean, so perhaps he had Ada Jane born c. 1889 Whitley, Reading, changed employers. Although this was in Berkshire a different county it was only five miles Lily Emily born 6 March 1891 Whitley, from Tidcombe. William and Mary had Reading, Berkshire eight children. The eldest was Kate Albert Ernest born 22 August 1894 Sophia who was born in Vernham Dean Whitley, Reading, Berkshire 151 in 1874. She went on to marry Byron Frederick William born 13 December 1898 William Marlow and have three Croydon, Surrey children.152

145 Birth certificate of William Few 1851 from the General Register Office. 146 Baptism Register of St. Michael’s, Tidcombe, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 147 1861 census for Hippenscombe, Wiltshire RG9 724 folio 10. 148 1871 census for Tidcombe, Wiltshire RG10 1254 folio 9. 149 See Kent-Ballard narrative. 150 Marriage certificate of William Few and Mary Kent 1873 from the General Register Office. 151 1881 census for Whitley Road, Whitley, Reading, Berkshire RG11 1309 folio 91. Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 152 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth and Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk.

In 1880, William gave evidence in a court case, when a group of boys were accused of damaging a rick pole, the property of Reading Sanitary Authority, for whom it seems William was working, as he was described as a ‘labourer on the sewage farm’. There had been damage done on previous occasions and men, presumably including William, had been set to keep watch. He was called upon it identify the culprits.153

In 1881, the family were living in Whitley Street, Reading and William was working as a carter.154 After a seven year gap, a second daughter, Edith Annie was born in 1881.155 Edith Annie was to marry Kyrle Charles Francis Sewallis Symons. Although by the time of their marriage in 1908, William was described as a foreman, this was a definite moved up the social ladder for Edith as her husband was a vicar.156 The couple emigrated to Victoria, British Columbia where Kyrle founded the prestigious St. Michael’s School.157

William and Mary’s third daughter was Florence Elizabeth, who was born in Whitley, Reading in 1885.158 She married Ernest Owen Denham in Reading in 1906 and had one daughter.159 The eldest son, Tom, was born in 1887 in Whitley.160

Ada Jane Few, the fourth of William and Mary’s daughters, was born about 1889 in Reading.161 In 1906, she married Arthur Robert Marshall in Croydon.162 They moved to Devon and had two sons and a daughter; the eldest son died in infancy.163

The next and youngest, daughter was Lily Emily. She was born in Reading on the 6th of March 1891.164 On the 26th of December 1922, she married Albert George Kear at St. James’, Croydon.165 Her younger brother was already married to Albert’s sister.166 The couple lived at

153 Berkshire Chronicle 28 August 1880 p. 3 col. b. 154 1881 census for Whitley Road, Whitley, Reading, Berkshire RG11 1309 folio 91. 155 1891 census for 34 Whitley Street, Reading, Berkshire RG12 994 folio 89. Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 156 Marriage register of St. Nicholas, Grafton, Wiltshire via www.ancestry.co.uk 157 St Michael’s University School http://www.smus.bc.ca/about/history accessed 7 August 2010. 158 1891 census for 34 Whitley Street, Reading, Berkshire RG12 994 folio 89. Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 159 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth and Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 160 1891 census for 34 Whitley Street, Reading, Berkshire RG12 994 folio 89. Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 161 1891 census for 34 Whitley Street, Reading, Berkshire RG12 994 folio 89. Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 162 Registrar General’s Indexes of Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 163 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth and Death at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 1911 census for 12 Stoke Road, Plymouth, Devon RG14 12978 sn. 535. 164 Birth certificate of Lily Emily Few 1893 from the General Register Office. 165 Marriage certificate of Albert George Kear and Lily Emily Few 1922 seen in the 1980s, in family possession, no longer surviving. 166 Marriage certificate of Frederick William Few and Dorothy May Kear 1920 from the local register office. 9 Dartnell Road, Croydon.167 They had no children.168 Lily died in Croydon in 1951 and Albert in 1975.169

In the 1891 census, William, Mary and five children were living in four rooms at 34 Whitley Street, Reading. The eldest daughter, Kate had left home. They even found room for a lodger. William was described as a general labourer. Three week old Lily was listed as ’Baby Few’.170

William and Mary’s second son was Albert Ernest. He was born in Reading on the 22nd of August 1894.171 In 1915, he married Dorothy A Francis in Croydon and they had one daughter.172 Albert died in Worthing, Sussex in 1970.173 An electoral roll of 1895 finds William living at 20 Whitley Street, Reading.174 At some point between 1895 and 1898, Lily Emily Few the family moved to Croydon, Surrey where Frederick William, the youngest child, was born on the 12th of December 1898.175 His story continues below. In 1901, the family were living at 2 Bute Road, Croydon and William was working as a labourer on the roads for Croydon Corporation. Kate had returned to the family home and Tom was also working for the Corporation.176 Edith and Florence had remained in Reading, working as servants in the household of William Smith, a stationer and bookseller.177

On the 1st of January 1905, eighteen year old Tom Few died at 3 Bute Road of acute rheumatism, mitral stenosis and cardiac syncope. This is consistent with Tom having had rheumatic fever following a bacterial throat infection, or scarlet fever. Like his father, Tom was a Corporation labourer.178 Today, rheumatic fever can be treated by anti-biotics but these were not available until the middle of the twentieth century.

167 1939 register for 9 Dartnell Road, Croydon, Surrey RG101 1290D/002/39 Letter Code CLJE. 168 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 169 Registrar General’s Indexes of Death at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 170 1891 census for 34 Whitley Street, Reading, Berkshire RG12 994 folio 89. 171 1939 register for 110 Chapman Road, Croydon, Surrey RG101 1298B/007/11 Letter Code CLLM. 1901 census for 2 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG13 641 folio 117. 172Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth and Marriage at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 173 Registrar General’s Indexes of Death at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 174 1895 Electoral Roll for Whitley, Reading, Berkshire via www.ancestry.co.uk. 175 1939 register 53 Highbarrow Road, Addiscombe, Croydon, Surrey RG101 1288A/005/29 Letter Code CLIM. 1901 census for 2 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG13 641 folio 117. 176 1901 census for 2 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG13 641 folio 117. 177 1901 census for 109-111 London Street, Reading, Berkshire RG13 1148 folio 9. 178 Death certificate of Tom Few 1906 from the General Register Office pdf. By 1911, the family’s address was again given as 3 Bute Road.179 This seems to indicate a renumbering of houses, rather than a move. Especially as, in 1911, 3 Bute Road is said to have six rooms, whereas, according to the 1901 census, 2 Bute Road has five or more rooms but number 3 only has four.180 The change from number 2 to number 3 occurred between 1901 and 1905.181 Both numbers 2 and 3 look to be similar Victorian terraced houses. At that time, only the two youngest boys were at home and the family had taken in a lodger. William was a general labourer and Albert a butcher’s assistant. 182

Mary Few died on the 25th of February 1915, at 3 Bute Road, of ‘a cerebral haemorrhage of the right side’, which she had had for two days. Her daughter Lily was in attendance.183 Just a week later, on the 30th of March 1915, William Few of 3 Bute Road put his mark to a will. In it he mentions membership of the Croydon Corporation (Highways Department) Slate Club and the Spread Eagle, Mitcham Road Slate Club. 184 Slate Clubs were ways of paying in regular contributions that could be reclaimed when needed, perhaps to pay for a funeral. He left all his furniture and household effects to his only unmarried185 daughter, Lily Emily, William Few with his money to be divided between the surviving seven children.186

In 1920, William was described as a Corporation employee187 and in 1922 as a foreman labourer.188 He died at 9 Dartnell Road, Croydon on the 9th of February 1934 of cardiac failure, renal degeneration and an enlarged prostate.189 He was buried at Mitcham Road Cemetery in plot number 3180/A4 on the 14th of February 1934.190 Mary is said to have been buried in the same cemetery.191

179 1911 census for 3 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG14 3324 sn. 233. 180 1911 census for 3 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG14 3324 sn. 233. 1901 census for 2 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG13 641 folio 117. 181 1901 census for 2 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG13 641 folio 117. Death certificate of Tom Few 1905 from the General Register Office pdf. 182 1911 census for 3 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG14 3324 sn. 233. 183 Death certificate of Mary Few 1915 from the General Register Office. 184 William Few 1915 from the Principal Probate Registry proved 1934. 185 Lily had married by the time the will was proved. 186 William Few 1915 from the Principal Probate Registry proved 1934. 187 Marriage certificate of Frederick William Few and Dorothy May Kear 1920 from the local register office. 188 Marriage certificate of Albert George Kear and Lily Emily Few 1922 seen in the 1980s, in family possession, no longer surviving. 189 Indexes of the Principal Probate Registry via www.findmypast.co.uk. 190 Letter from Mitcham Road Cemetery, no longer in family possession. 191 Oral evidence from the late Roger Frederick Few. Frederick William Few

Frederick William Few was born on the 13th of December 1898 at 2 Bute Road in Croydon and was the youngest of William and Mary’s eight children. On the birth certificate, William’s occupation was recorded as a Corporation labourer.192 He was baptised on the 18th of March 1899 at St. John’s, Croydon. Strangely, the family’s address was given as “Mitcham Road 2 Bute Road.”193 Bute Road is off Mitcham Road.

On the 3rd of April 1905, Frederick transferred from the infants’ department to Mitcham Road Boys’ School, where he remained until the 29th of November 1912.194 Frederick enlisted in the 2nd Dragoon Guards on the 6th of January 1916. He was recorded as being 5 feet 6½ inches tall, 140lb with a chest size of 36½ inches. He had been working as a butcher.195 His medal roll card gives his regiment as the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment of the Dragoon Guards. 196 The regiment took part in the Battle of the Somme in the autumn of 1916, the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917 and the Battle of the Scarpe in August 1918.197

On the 30th of October 1920, Frederick William Few, a warehouseman of 3 Bute Road, married Dorothy May Kear at St. Mary Magdalene church, Addiscombe, Croydon. The witnesses were William Court Kear and Frederick William and Thomas Alfred Mott, Dorothy’s father and brother-in- Dorothy Few with their law.198 Frederick and Dorothy had two children born in children Roger and Mary Croydon.199 Roger Frederick Few on the 15th of November 1925200 and Mary Grace, who was born in 1927. 201

192 Birth certificate of Frederick William Few 1898 from the General Register Office pdf. 1939 register 53 Highbarrow Road, Addiscombe, Croydon, Surrey RG101 1288A/005/29 Letter Code CLIM. 1901 census for 2 Bute Road, Croydon, Surrey RG13 641 folio 117. 193 Baptism Register of St. John’s, Croydon via www.findmypast.co.uk. 194 Admissions’ Register Mitcham Road Boys’ School via www.findmypast.co.uk. It was 2 Bute Rad when his older brother transferred in 1904. 195 Transcript of Surrey Recruitment Registers via www.findmypast.co.uk, originals at Surrey History Centre. 196 Medal Roll Card. Silver War Badge Record. 197 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Dragoon_Guards_(Queen%27s_Bays)#First_World_War accessed 10 January 2021. 198 Marriage certificate of Frederick William Few and Dorothy May Kear 1920 from the local register office. 199 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. 200 Personal information. The birth and death indexes of the General Registrar. 1939 register for 38 Seaford Avenue, Eastbourne, Sussex RG101 2467E/024/37 Letter Code EHAR. 201 Registrar General’s Indexes of Birth at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.freebmd.org.uk. In 1939, Frederick and Dorothy were living at 53 Highbarrow Road, Addiscombe. Frederick was the assistant manager in a grocery warehouse.202

Frederick died on the 14th of May 1975. His address at the time was 179 Croham Valley Road, South Croydon.203 Dorothy and their daughter Mary moved to 4 Sunnyhill Close, Crawley Down, Sussex. Dorothy died of heart failure on the 12th of June 1992 at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex.204 Mary died on the 12th of February 2018.205

202 1939 register 53 Highbarrow Road, Addiscombe, Croydon, Surrey RG101 1288A/005/29 Letter Code CLIM. 203 Indexes of the Principal Probate Registry via www.findmypast.co.uk. 204 Death certificate of Dorothy May Few 1992 in family possession. 205 Indexes of the Principal Probate Registry via www.findmypast.co.uk.