100 years ago in Barkway - Tom Doig

The ‘100 years ago in Barkway’ page will be updated each month. If you wish to find out more about the history of the people or villages (including Reed, Nuthampstead and Newsells), please contact: Tom Doig, Tel: 01763 848759 or please email Tom .

Click here to view previous months: January , February, March

April 1906:  April 1906 was a momentous month for Nuthampstead, for the Post Office announced that they would be providing an additional Sunday delivery service to the hamlet. With two deliveries each weekday plus two on Saturday and this new delivery on Sunday, the people in Nuthampstead would have 13 deliveries per week.  This was a little short of Barkway’s 19 but it was felt that the new service was a distinct improvement.

On the 5th, the Barkway Band of Hope gave an entertainment in the Congregational Chapel School-room. Mr H J White (of White’s Farm, Nuthampstead) took the chair and ‘spoke a few earnest words for the temperance cause.’  The list of performers reads like a census of Barkway villager surnames at the turn of the century - Foster, James, Copsey, Wilson, Harrington, Woodcock, Bentley, Scripps, Pledger, Baker, Thrussell, Puddock, Glasscock, Wisbey, Burton and Knights. Songs included ‘Our daily drink is water’ and ‘Look not upon the wine.’

Co-incidentally, the Royston Crow reminisced on a letter of 1600 that said of Royston and the surrounding area: ‘The town [and villages] is a poor one, consisting for the most part of inn holders and victuallers.’  Little had changed during the ensuing 400 years?

St Mary Magdalene’s parish church was beautifully decorated for the Easter-tide services.  The weather was fine and the choir was in brilliant form. The Vicar, on Easter Sunday morning, and the Curate, in the afternoon, were pleased to find that there was 70 communicants at each service.  The population of Barkway, at that time, was just under 1000. However, a congregation of 70 does not appear to reflect the generally accepted view that most people attended Church at least once on a Sunday in those days.

Towards the end of the month, the Barkway and Barley Nursing Association held its first Annual General Meeting. Nurse Andrews had been employed by the Association (under a grant made by Mrs Crossman) to provide medical help for the bedridden villagers and expectant mothers.  She reported that she had made 2129 visits during the year and that the 250 subscribers had donated £99 17s 11d.  This sum would ensure the future of the Association for a further year.  Indeed, it continued for another 40 or so years until the advent of the Welfare State. The Association changed its name on a couple of occasions but, essentially, its activities remained the same.  One of the last nurses was Nurse Ivy McHugh who lived, initially, at The Manse and, later, on the south corner of Church Lane.

Joshua ‘Jos’ Burton was carefully counting the takings in his butcher’s shop at the Limes opposite the School.  He reckoned that he had been short on two occasions -  £2 11s 11d and £5 1s 10½d.  Both times it was money that should have been collected by his journeyman [another term for a post-apprentice employee] butcher, Edward Robert Cunningham.  Eventually, Cunningham was arrested for fraud and held at Royston Police Station awaiting his trial at Cambridge.  His case came up early in May and we will see how he fared next month.

Work progressed smoothly in the Junior School until it closed for the Easter ‘Vacation’ on the 12th April.  The Mistress, Miss Elizabeth Lane, was allowed to take the morning off so that she could catch a train to return to her parents home in Yorkshire during the holiday.  Mrs Pledger, who after the Great War became the Headteacher, was left in charge.

At the Continuation School, those who had regularly attended the evening classes received a share of the 37s awarded to them by the County Council. Like the main school, the students were then dismissed for the holiday.

At the start of April, the Senior School was rocked by a mystery.  Ralph Bentley, who lived at Morrice Green, Nuthampstead, failed to attend and, after investigation by Mr Pryce, it was found that he had run away and disappeared. After circulating his description and intensive investigation by the police, he was found hiding at Ware. As he was 13 years old at the time of his decamping and his 14th birthday fell on the 14th April, he made sure that he stayed away.  By the time he returned, he was beyond school age and so was struck from the register. Nonetheless, Mr Pryce was upset and vented his wrath in the log-book, ‘The Bentleys at Morrice Green ..... this family attend very badly especially the elder ones. They are 3 miles away from School and out of reach of the Bye-laws.’

The measles epidemic continued to take its toll.  When the children returned on the 26th, the Copsey boys were absent - Arthur was in Royston Isolation Hospital and George was kept at home in case he spread the infection.  Nellie Scripps was absent for the same reason. Preparation were in hand for examinations.  The children who had reached 13 were eligible for ‘Half-Time Certificates.’  These allowed them to attend school for 2½ days and work for the rest of the week.  They had, however, to pass the examination to prove that they had reached an acceptable academic level. The examinations for three girls and three boys were scheduled for 5th May.  Gladys Loder, daughter of the Cokenach Manager and who lived near the Bentleys at Morrice Green, attended the Minor Scholarship Exam at Hitchin.  It would appear that, in her case, living over 3 miles from school did not lower the standard of her achievement.

Mr Pryce had hoped that the playground would be re-gravelled and the boys urinals be attended to during the holiday.  As usual, nothing happened and he continued to complain that the boys’ offices overflowed in to the playground.

As far as the children were concerned, none of this mattered very much for following the last day of April came the first day of  May - May Day, and all the excitement that this meant.  Next month we will see how they celebrated.

March 1906: The villages were entertained to three more concerts during late February and through March. On the evening of the 26th February the ladies, supported by the Rev Fisher and Mr Grundy, performed in Barkway School. There were piano duets by Mrs and Miss Bowman from Ash Grove and a couple of violin solos by Miss Sinclair of Barkway House. Mrs Pledger, the head-teacher offered a song, ‘The song that will live for ever’ whilst Rev Fisher sang, ‘Land of Hope and Glory.’ The Royston Crow reported that ‘The vocalists were loudly applauded.’ and that ‘The violin solos of Miss Sinclair were so much enjoyed that she had to repeat them.’ The revenue from the admission charges [1s for front seats and 6d for those at the rear] was given to the Reed Church Repair Fund.

Later on, at the Nuthampstead Congregational Mission Hall [on the site of the present Potton house], the Rev J Hadfield presided over a good audience who heard songs and sketches by the local chapel people. Accompanied by the piano loaned and played by Mrs White, the performers included Mrs Hayes (from Barley), the Misses Glasscock, E & L Baker, Whyman, and Ruby White. Rev Hadfield read ‘A Child’s Kiss’ and Mr S White recited ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’

Finally, on 30th March, The Royston John Street Choir gave a service of song in Reed Church entitled, ‘Michael’s Motto.’ The collection was on behalf of the general fund and Mr Whyatt loaned a van to ‘convey a number of the choir there and back.’

The Inspector of Nuisances, Insp. Spriggs, was called to the Royston National School to look at the children of John and Mary B. who lived near Eagle Tavern in Barkway on the road to Royston. He examined three lads, George, aged 10y & 4m, Albert, aged 7y, and Frederick, aged 12 y. He reported that they were ‘swarming with lice’ and ‘badly clad and in a dirty condition.’ He opened their coats and found ‘they had on very old torn shirts quite black and lice running all over their bodies from head to feet.’

Mrs B told the Inspector that her husband worked for Mr Bevan and earned 15s per week. She also said, ‘We have to pay 2s a week rent, 5s for bread, 4s 6d for groceries, 2cwt coal a week, and the rest is all we have to find meat and other things for eight of us.’

On presentation to the Royston Magistrates, Mr and Mrs B pleaded guilty to causing their children unnecessary suffering. He explained that they were liable for a fine of £25 or six months imprisonment but in this instance they would be discharged. He hoped the defendants would ‘never come there again.’ They replied, ‘No, sir. Thank you, sir.’

The villagers were anxious to keep up with local and national news and so Warren Bros, the Royston newsagents and publishers of The Crow, proudly announced that they would, from April 2nd, be able to deliver the ‘London dailies’ to Barkway houses. This was the start of the service later provided by Mrs Grover.

On the 11th March, Henry Douglas Webb was baptised in Barkway Church. He had been born on 19th January to Edward and Kathleen Webb but had to wait for a few weeks for his baptism until Kathleen had been ‘churched.’ Edward was a shepherd to Mr Burton (of The Limes) and the family lived in what we call Church Lane (no. 6 High Street, Barkway - old style.) Henry, know as ‘Harry’ was their seventh child (they went on to have another three children.) Sadly, Edward was killed in an accident in April 1929 when he broke his back falling off a cart loaded with straw at Barley. He had been complaining of giddyness for a couple of weeks after suffering a heavy cold. With Mr Webb riding on the straw in the back, the cart was being driven off Mr Burton’s field at Smith End by Sidney Jarman. After they had gone 40 or so yards, he heard Mr Webb shout ‘whoa’ and, on looking round found him lying injured in the road. He was taken to Mrs Mansfields’s house at Barley and Dr Attwood was immediately called. Mr Webb died shortly afterwards.

Kathleen Webb was the daughter of John Joseph Norris Springall, the landlord of the Swan public house, next to the Chaise & Pair. Her brother was Leopold Springall who often visited Barkway School to tell the children about his adventures as a ‘horse-soldier.’

At school, the various epidemics of chicken pox and measles continued to take their toll on the attendance figures and reports were sent to Dr Anningston, the Area Inspector of Health. He replied that ‘those children who have had measles in the past might be allowed to attend school.’ Nonetheless in the Senior School alone, sixteen children from Class One had been isolated.

Mr Pryce, the headmaster, also had other things on his mind. The state of the boys’ yard was still giving him concern and he asked the managers to arrange to have it regravelled. He was also suffering from overwork - ‘As I examine the whole of the paperwork done by the school in the evenings, a great deal of my private time is taken up after schools hours.’ Taking into account his efforts in arranging concerts, visiting the Continuation School evening classes, working as secretary to the Barkway Excelsior Friendly Society and the Football/Cricket Clubs, it seems unlikely that he every had any ‘private time.’

And then, just as the month was ending, Mr Pryce was informed that the boys’ urinals were overflowing onto the untidy gravel in the playground - more of that next month.

February 1906:  Early in the month, the parents of a child in the Junior School sent word that it would not be attending as it was suffering from measles.  This was the first indication that an epidemic was about to break out in the village and the hamlets.  By the end of the month, almost half the children in the Infants’ and Junior Schools were absent either with measles or because they were living in homes where another child was infected. In addition there were isolated cases of Chicken Pox and the situation was becoming so worrying that the School Attendance Officer [and ‘Inspector of Nuisances'], Mr William James Webb (1849-1940), placed the list of absentees before the Attendance Committee at Royston.

The Senior School was not immune from the epidemic although it managed to achieve about 90% attendance for the month.  Some pupils were forced to remain at home being ‘isolated owing to measles.’  These included Basil Burton [of The Limes], Henry Charles ‘Charlie’ Nottage [of 97 High Street], Fred Baker [of The Post Office] and Clara ‘Mable’ Nottage, sister of Charlie. The attendance figures were not helped by the irregularity of Oliver Bentley who lived at Morrice Green, Nuthampstead. His home was beyond the ‘3 mile limit’ and he could not be forced to attend school.  Charlie Brook was also absent suffering from a ‘chest complaint.’

New composition and arithmetic books were issued and in these the children worked ‘at their own pace.’ The teachers checked and corrected their work, ‘so as to reduce the number of errors in both arithmetic and composition also to secure neatness in writing.’  The Composition and Object Lessons for the month were, ‘A House Fire - how it originated and how the inmates escaped’ and ‘The Broad Bean’.  The broad bean was ‘prepared by soaking so that the Testa could easily be removed from the Cotyledon.’

In the village, Miss Baker, who worked as housekeeper to her family at the Post Office, was looking for a new domestic servant.  She advertised in the Royston Crow:

‘Wanted: Useful help for entire work of small private home, family two, plain cooking.
B. Post Office, Barkway, Royston, Herts.’

One wonders at the candidates surprise when the found that she meant two families rather than two persons!

Also advertising was Mrs Harry Fenn of The Woodman, Nuthampstead: She was selling fertile eggs from her prize Aylesbury Ducks, ‘2 a sitting.’

February was the month of the Annual Licensing Meeting at Royston  and it was reported that  in Barkway (population 661) there were 8 public houses and 3 beer houses, in Nuthampstead (population 168), 2 public houses, and at Reed (population 183), 1 public house and 1 beer house.

These would have been - (Barkway), The Chaise & Pair, The Swan, The Three Horse Shoes: The Bull: The Tally Ho!: The Cross Keys: The Wheatsheaf: The White Horse: The Bell: The Bull and  Eagle Tavern (at the junction of the roads to Royston & Barley in what was then called New Town) - by now the Royal Oak, the Half Moon, The Plough, etc had either closed for business or were operating on such a small scale that they were not considered applicable.

It seems that the Welsh Harp, at Newsells Village, was also not listed. At Nuthampstead, the premises were The Woodman and the Bell whilst at Reed, the public house was the Cabinet and the beer-house was the Crow.  The Woolpack, now Rosemary Hobson’s veterinary practice, appears to have been listed under Therfield!

The cold weather took its toll on the older villagers and two deaths were reported during February. Nathaniel Barker, who had worked for the Pigg family at Rushing Wells, died on the 20th at the age of 76.  He had married Mary Ann Camp, a skilled seamstress, in 1867 and was step-father to shepherd, Jimmy Camp. As a lad, Nathaniel had lived in one of the long-gone cottages behin the White Horse PH and the village pond. On his marriage, he went to live with his new family at Clock House and after the death of his mother, Mary Ann, in 1913, Jimmy Camp continued his tenancy. Older villagers might just remember Jimmy working in his garden and replying to regular enquiries from children, ‘What is the time, Mr Camp?’ with the words, ‘Thyme, my little maids? Why thyme - it grows in my garden?’

Earlier in February, on the 15th, John Sharp died at 51 High Street. John was a horse keeper (also with the Piggs at Rushing Wells) and had been born at Kimpton’s Cottage in Newsells.  He married Selina ‘Lena’ Nottage, one of the village mid-wives and they went to live at 94 High Street.  Lena also dealt with the dead (charging between 9d and 1s 6d depending on what was required) - she was skilled at ‘laying-in’ and ‘laying-out’! For a six month between 1886 &1887, John was landlord of The Swan PH but soon returned to his horses.  He was also Church Clark and sexton at the turn of the century.  Between them, John & Lena had 11 children but Lena always boasted that she had brought ten times as many into the world. Lena’s story would take up a book! She was involved, in 1909, in a village ‘punch-up’ when George Nottage had a street fight with Police Constable Wassell in the High Street and, with the Bunyan sisters, was always ready to roll up her sleeves if the Barley women encroached on Barkway territory at gleaning. When John first became ill in 1903, she took over the duties of Church Clerk and, apart from the occasional slip, became a model citizen.  Lena died in 1935 a much respected old lady haven enjoyed, to the very end, her daily can of soup delivered by the girls from the top class in school, Barkway’s pioneering ‘Meals on Wheels’ service

January 1906:  At the start of the year the weather was as expected - damp, cold and miserable. The children dragged back to the Schools which opened on Tuesday the 2nd. The mistress was absent, suffering from a heavy cold, and the 43 pupils in the Junior School worked under the charge of Mrs Pledger (102 High Street: previously 106 High Street.) In the afternoon Miss Farrow took the older girls for needlework. The Senior School, with Mr ‘Willie’ Pryce (School House) in charge, achieved an attendance of 93% although some familiar faces were missing. Arthur Bysouth (Well Yard, behind 129 High Street), Hilda Harrington (from The Penns [then known as Barkway Hills or Cokenach Cottages], Cambridge Road) and Gertrude Butterworth (49 High Street) had been granted certificates to go off to work and their places were taken by new pupils, Ida and Edith Cunningham. The first task for the Seniors was to write a composition, set by Mr Pryce, on ‘What would you do if you were lost in a wood.’

The weather did not improve during the week and ‘stagnant water’ began to collect in the playground. Mr Pryce sent a note to the Managers reminding them that he had asked repeatedly that it be regravelled and now the children were suffering the consequences of their indecision. Willie Pryce was not a man to mince his words!

As the month rolled on, attendance dropped off. The situation was not helped by the departure of two further children - Thomas Harvey moved to Elsenham and Grace Hewett (her step-father was James Nottage, a cowman at Rushing Wells) reached the leaving age of 15 years.

By the middle of January, it was clear that the Schools were about to be visited by an minor outbreak of measles. Possibly this was brought to the village by Mary Machon, a monitress, who had been away on a course learning about ‘Normal Correspondence in the Classroom.’ On the 12th, Basil Burton’s parents (they ran a butcher’s shop opposite the School in what is now The Limes) informed the Headmaster that their son was infected and, by the time that the School was closed for the North Herts election on Friday 26th, Henry ‘Charlie’ Charles and Clara ‘Mabel’ Nottage (97 High Street) were also absent with the disease. Nonetheless, Mr Pryce ploughed on giving ‘Special attention to the Boys’ Reading’ although he felt that some (R King [John William ‘Bob’ King of 110 High Street], W Scripps [William ‘Willie’ Thomas Scripps of 112 High Street], F Bentley [Frank Bentley of Bury End, Nuthampstead] & L Scripps [Leonard ‘Len’ Albert Scripps, brother of Willie]) were so dull that it was hardly worth the effort. He reported that ‘The greatest efforts are made to concentrate their minds and to get the best results, but often with discouraging results.’

Around the middle of January the weather had been particularly wet and many of the younger children stayed away. Indeed, on the 18th, 12 children, mostly from Reed, were absent because they could not get to Barkway. Remember that Reed did not have its own school until 1915 and consequently those children were forced to take the muddy route across the fields past Rookey Wood - many parents, understandably, were reluctant to risk their children’s health in the rain and sleet.

The Continuation School opened at the same time as the main schools.  This was a series of Evening Classes for young people who wished to ‘Continue’ their education. The classes were held either in the Reading Room or in the Schools although during the winter the warm classrooms in the Schools were favoured.  The project this term for young women was to make a dress whilst the lads investigated aspects of market gardening particularly rhubarb, kidney beans, potatoes and cucumbers.  The Continuation School was so successful that it attracted a grant from the County for two of its regular students, H Nottage [Harry Nottage of 110 High Street - he was an apprentice wheelwright and was killed in action during the Great War. His name appears on the Barkway War memorial] and G Doughton [George Doughton, horse-keeper’s boy of Billingsgate on the Rookey Wood footpath in Reed.]

The Reading Room had been closed during the Christmas period and some maintenance was needed before it could be opened again regularly for the Continuation School and other events.  To raise funds, a concert was held in the Reading Room and local people demonstrated their ‘latent talent which had been unused.’  It was decorated with palm fronds by the young Wilsons and Parkers. Performers prepared for their appearances in the Reading Room Cottage (14 High Street) next door. They entered the stage via a connecting door (now bricked up) adjacent to the High Street side of the fireplace. The concert opened with a piano duet by Mrs and Miss Bowman (of Ash Grove) and it was not long before the large audience forgot the damp and musty smell in the Room.  Songs by Walter Burr (of 77 High Street), Victor Pledger (of 102 High Street) and the Vicar demanded encores whilst the curate, Rev Boothby, read ‘How Tuttlebury flitted.’ Miss Machon ‘brought the house down’ with the rendering of ‘No followers allowed.’ In all, there were nineteen individual performances and the evening ended with a hearty rendering of ‘God Save the King.’  They all agreed that it had been a ‘great night.’

At the end of the month, the villagers learned of the sad death of one of Nuthampstead’s oldest inhabitants, George Rutland who farmed at Little Cokenach.  He was a staunch supporter of the Chapel Mission Room and rarely missed a meeting. The announcement was made at the Barkway Congregation Church by the Rev Joseph Hadfield (The Manse, 7 High Street) who told of his work as a Deacon and ‘the high character of disinterested devotedness of the deceased.’

Newsells was also in the news.  At a mundane level, the Post Office reported that a new ‘pier wall box’ had been installed at the Mount near Holmstall in Barley for the convenience of Newsells and Barley residents. Collections were to be made at 10.50am and 5.55pm daily on weekdays and 11.30am on Sundays.