William Tallis DRAFT 1 : March 23, 2002
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Chapter 4 William Tallis DRAFT 1 : March 23, 2002 William Tallis—Patriarch Our branch of the family looks at William Tal- Is it one ‘s’ or two? lis as the recent patriarch and from where the • On William’s birth certificate, Canadian Tallis history begins. It is always Edward, his father spelled the difficult to succinctly tell the story of a family. Tallis name with one ‘s’. However, the history of the Tallis family must • In documents, including many include a reference to William Tallis. He en- from Cadbury’s, we have seen joyed and was very engaged with his close the name with both two ‘s’ and association with the original Cadbury brothers one ‘s’. at the Bournville Works in England. Much has • A number of the family members been written of William Tallis in various jour- still retain the two ‘s’ spelling. nals and magazines, particularly those pub- • William’s descendants eventually lished by Cadburys. dropped the double ’s’ spelling William Tallis born on the 30th of August in when they moved to Canada. 1840 in Warwick to Edward and Eliza Tallis. If the name appeared in articles or [see the previous chapter] William’s birth was documents, we will use the spelling th as so indicated. Normally, we will registered the 28 of September. use the Tallis spelling unless other- wise indicated. It is easy to be con- The registration spelled William’s father, Ed- fused over the one or two ‘s’ nomen- ward as Tallis (with one ‘s’), however, nor- clature.] mally we have seen Edward spelled in the two ‘s’ version. On documents we have seen Wil- William Tallis 1840—1903 liam’s names spelled with both the one and two ‘s’ versions. William was the father of nine sons and four daughters. These children formed the nucleus of the immigration to the Canadian prairies of the Tallis family, a story to be told later. Wil- liam was one of 8 brothers and sisters, whose descendants now live in England, Canada, UnitedWilliam States, was theSouth father Africa, of nine Mexico, sons andand fourNew Zealand.daughters. These children formed the nucleus of the immigration to the Canadian prairies of William,the Tallis son family, of Edward a story and to beEliza, told although later. Wil- fatherlessliam was atone ten, of grew 8 brothers up with and several sisters, bothers, whose George,descendants two years now liveyounger in England, and Charles, Australia four yearsand Newyounger Zealand. and a large family near him of aunts and uncles. We do know George fol- lowed William to Cadburys where he had a long career as a foreman. Page 24 William Tallis Schooling William attended Bablake School in Warwick. It was a charity school paid by Mrs. Grevilles Charity. Around 1850, the Head Master was Samuel Gazey. This seems to be the extent of the formal education William had, but it did not deter him from becoming a much sought- after advisor to the Cadbury brothers. Bablake School taught the 3 R's- Reading, Writing, and Arith- Life in Birmingham in the late 1800’s. metic, whilst the girls did reading, writing, and Funded by local charities, the wills of Mrs. sewing. The boys in the school started work at Sarah Greville in 1719, Earl Brooke in 1721 6 a.m. during the summer and 7 in winter. and Fulke Weale in 1729. Some charities sup- They worked until 5 p.m. with substantial ported children from St Mary’s Parish (the breaks from 9 to 10 o’clock for breakfast and Saltisford was in the parish). The Vicar and from 12 to 2 o’clock for lunch. Churchwardens of the parishes chose the chil- dren to be educated and the board of trustees As might have been expected having two dif- appointed the schoolmaster. The master taught ferent schools situated close together, there the boys, and his wife the girls, living accomo- was great rivalry between the boys of Warwick dation was provided for the couple and their Grammar School and those of the Bablake “As their family, on the upper floor of St Peter’s Chapel School. The boys of the Charity School were costume was Eastgate. School was kept in rooms over East- often nicknamed "Bobdogs" and they had a gate Archway. One room was for boys taught reputation for being extremely tough. Mr. Bo- old-fashioned, by the master and his apprentice. The other wen, writing reminiscences in a school maga- so were their was used as a dwelling room and classroom for zine years later wrote, girls who were taught by the master's wife manners” assisted by his eldest daughter. "The costume of the boys attending the school (Bablake) consisted of a coat similar to that Most pupils were funded from Sarah Greville’s worn by the Beefeaters, with knee-breeches Charity as 12 boys and 12 girls from each par- and stockings. As their costume was old- ish were educated and given all clothing, ex- fashioned, so were their manners. The few cept shoes and stockings. The boys wore blue college boys who had to pass the Bobdogs coats, blue stockings, yellow breeches, and School door daily on their way had an experi- yellow waistbands according to Thomas Bar- ence that must have hardened them for the rett. The charity Foundation stipulated that rough and tumble of daily life." once chosen by the trustees, this clothing was to remain unchanged for all time. The boys The School closed in 1875. The Charity who were funded by Oken’s Charity were sup- School held in St Peter's Chapel had served the plied with a coat and a pair of stockings annu- town well for over 150 years. ally. The coats were similar in design to those worn by the Beefeaters. During the Nineteenth Century, the Bablake Charity School went from strength to strength. In 1819, the number of pupils was still the customary 75, but by 1833, there were 111 and by 1851, 130 schol- ars. The teaching appeared to be of a very high standard and private pupils were allowed to swell the ranks. The boys and girls were taught separately and each followed a compli- Eastgate where Bablack School was located cated timetable. In general the boys were Chapter 4 Page 25 during the 1861 (April 7) census where his Seeing the light occupation was listed a butcher. Also in the One night in 1861 the eldest son, William vis- house in the Saltisford was Eliza, widow 45 ited a Quaker meeting in a little building a years and a laundress, Harriet, daughter aged block away from the Warwick castle wall and 20 unmarried, Eliza,, unmarried daughter of 22 "saw the light." This could be interpreted sev- years, George an unmarried son of 18 years as eral ways. He could have really been moved a bricklayer, Charles an unmarried 16 year old by the experience as was indicated in his dedi- laborer, and Edwin (14) and Hannah (10) both cation in later years to the Stirchley Sunday scholars all born in Warwick. (This agrees school and many years of dedicated involve- with some other information in that William ment with the Friends. On the other hand, joined Cadburys in 1862, however conflicts Quakers organized many companies such as with an earlier statement that says that William Quaker house where William Tallis first Cadburys, and to have an opportunity to work came to Birmingham in 1855. (He would have became acquainted with the Friends of the only been 15 years old but at the age most Society. This is located very near the West at the firms, the employees must have been of Gate. Photographs by Terry Tallis the similar persuasion. "Seeing the light" may started work– however, moving to Birmingham have been a ticket out of town. Other than the could have been the start of his apprentice- worsted industry in the mid-1800's there was ship). In the Bournville Works Magazine - "he little work in Warwick. We have to believe [William] became Works Foreman at Bridge that William “did see the light.” Religion Street in 1867, five years after entering the played a key part of his life, as you will read in Firm's service" which puts his joining Cad- the testaments of those around him. This was burys in 1862.) Starting at the bottom of the also very much like the William Tallis as we ladder he steadily worked upwards, and in have become to know him through what he 1867 he became Works Foreman. accomplished and how he lived his life. William married Harriet Freestone on Septem- We don’t know if William was an apprentice ber 23, 1861 in Birmingham, herself an or- or not. Orphan and poor children were often phan. This gives rise that William had been in placed as apprentices by parish charities. This the Birmingham area prior to joining Cad- could explain why William moved after attain- burys. We expect that he did travel back and ing 21 years of age, which was the end of ap- forth between Birmingham and Warwick prenticeship. 1861 was his 21st year. There is where his mother was. Harriet was born on The Society of Friends some evidence that he was in Birmingham May 30, 1844 in Oadby in Leicester and lived The origins of the Society of prior to his 21st birthday, in that he knew 68 years until December 12, 1912. She worked Friends (Quakers) are found in Harriett from there. as a housekeeper for the Cadburys. As pictures the seventeenth century in Eng- show, Harriet was a very tiny lady.