Monday 24 December 2018

Our Programme of Talks for 2019

The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217.

Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs.

Visitors and new members are always very welcome.



The 2019 programme of talks:


23rd January    

‘A Phoenix from the Flames: The Fire and Restoration of Windsor Castle’
with Mr Josh Lovell

27th February 

‘St. Laurence Church’, Slough 
with Mr Allan James 

10th April        

‘An Eton Wick History Miscellany’
with Mr Elias Kupfermann

22nd May         

‘The Rise and Fall of Skindles’
with Mr Nigel Smales

10th July         

‘The Revd. John Wells Wilkinson – Tales from my Grandfather’s Diaries’ 
with Gaby Appleby

11th September 

‘Flora and Fauna of the Jubilee River’ 
with Mr Bill Stacey

30th October    

‘1919 and the Peace Conference’ 
with Mr Martin Davey


11th December 

‘The Early Days of Fire Fighting in Bray, Eton and Eton Wick’ 
with Mr Geoff Hayes


Wednesday 19 December 2018

The Story of Oliver James Stannett in his own word - Starting Work.

In 1915 when I was 12 my Mum and Dad applied for an exemption from school for me but we did not hear from the Education Board for over six months. When I was thirteen and a half I worked with Dad for about six months because we had pigs and another two acres of land on which we built a dozen pigsties.

Dad used to collect swill from about twenty houses in the village and they agreed to have a joint of pork for Christmas instead of being paid for it. Dad used to kill two pigs for this purpose. He used to feed them up so as to make good joints.

During wartime, he was only allowed to kill one pig for the family but someone had to split on him. So Dad went to see them (Ministry of Agriculture) and told them about all the children who had to have a joint. They told him that owing to his large family they would allow him two pigs but on no account must he kill more otherwise the Ministry would confiscate them. And, he must inform them every time they were being killed so that the Ministry could send an inspector to see that it was done properly. Who should come but a mate of Dad's so everything was O.K. and whoever came along and started asking questions would be shown the piece of paper from his pocket.

One chap at Wick named Roland Bond, who was a builder at the time, told the inspector that if Stannett could kill two so could he. He did and was fined £100. We believe that he was the one who reported Dad in the first place. Anyway, we had two large policemen up at the allotment.

Image courtesy of
Wiltshire Country Fayre
We had a big tin bath that hung on the wall. When the pigs were killed I would fetch them in a wheelbarrow and lay them in the bath one at a time. Then we would pour boiling water over them and used tin lids to scrape the hair off. It was surprising how easily it came off.

The chitterlings were done separately and I was the one who had to do them with a cane. After a thorough wash, they were threaded on to the cane, turned inside out and washed again. Mum always had one head to make brawn - it was beautiful stuff I am sorry that we can't get any like it today.


Eventually, Dad had forty-two sows and two boars but because he was the only one paying rent he had to sell up because it was crown land. So I had to get a job. 

This is an extract from the autobiography written by Oliver James Stannett (1903 - 1988) and republished here with the kind permission of his relatives who still live in Eton Wick. The collection of Oliver Stannett's articles can be found by clicking on this link.




Wednesday 12 December 2018

OLD DAYS OF ETON PARISH - Eton Porny School

It is to Antoine Pyron du Martre, best known by his adopted name of Mark Anthony Porny, that the parish has most reason to be grateful. He was born at Caen in Normandy, and came from France in 1754 when a young man of twenty-three. After a severe struggle to maintain himself, he settled down as French Master in Eton in 1773, and occupied this position for thirty-three years.

It seems that about 1790, steps were taken by Provost Roberts to establish a Charity and Sunday School for the children of the parish. A committee of twenty-two was appointed and subscriptions were collected, which enabled the good work to be carried on in a small way from year to year. This was the first attempt, since the College was founded, to give the children of the poor a religious and elementary education, and Mark Anthony Porny was much interested in it; but few knew how great his interest was, or anticipated his noble intentions.

It is, however, pleasant to learn that his worth of character was otherwise recognized, and that, towards the end of his life, he was appointed by George III. one of the Poor Knights of Windsor, and on his death in 1802 was buried on the south side of St. George's Chapel, where his grave is still to be seen with its Latin inscription.

By the hard work of teaching and writing school books, he managed to put by about £4000, and on his death it was found that " in gratitude for the little property he had acquired in this free and generous kingdom he had bequeathed the bulk of it upon trust unto the Treasurer of the Charity and Sunday School established in Eton in the County of Bucks, to be applied by the Trustees or Committee or by whatsoever name they may be designated for the time being, towards carrying out the laudable and useful designs of its institution. Mr. Charles Knight, Printer and Bookseller of New Windsor, was appointed his executor. There was some delay in carrying out this bequest, in consequence of a lawsuit instituted by some distant French relatives, and meantime the money was out at interest and had become worth £8250. But at last the plaintiffs were defeated in their attempt to upset the will, and in 1813 steps were taken to build a Master and Mistress's house, now known as 129A and B High Street, with two schoolrooms behind which now serve as the Parish Room.¹

The ideas of suitable school accommodation were much more limited than in these times, but, in the local press of the day, they are described as " neat and convenient buildings, in conformity with plans submitted to the Court of Chancery." They were built by contract for £1723 by Mr. Tebbott of Windsor.



The school was opened on April 26, 1813, the management of it being vested in the Provost and Fellows and eight other inhabitants of the parish, who were called Porny Trustees.


After paying the cost of building, there still remained an endowment of £5200, the interest of which enabled the Porny Trustees to give a free education to ninety children. According to the old rules these scholars were elected from the Sunday schools, being the children of parishioners of Eton, born in wedlock, having been not less than one year in the Sunday school, and regular and punctual in their attendance.²

The Porny Trustees used to meet on the first Tuesday in each month except during the holidays. Every Porny scholar who reached the age of 14, and left school with a good character, received a Bible and Prayer Book.

1 A board bearing an inscription is still over the archway leading to the Parish Room.
2 The school hours in those days were in summer 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., in winter 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 1.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. On Sunday's 8.30 a.m. and in the afternoon 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 6 p.m. in summer.

This is an extract from Old Days of Eton Parish by The Rev. John Shephard originally published by Spottiswoode and Co., Ltd. in 1908.


Read Arthur Mylam's memories of Eton Porny School here.

Wednesday 5 December 2018

Our Village August 2011

The way things were — `Le jour du Fair' '


The day of the fair' was indeed the big day of most rural communities before the ownership of family cars. Eton Wick was no exception, although until about 130 years ago the village was probably not large enough to support regular events.

In 1878 some diverse social gatherings did take place and were considered worthy of recording. Firstly a political rally, and a steam circus, were held on the Common. I find this perhaps surprising, as at that time all villagers' were conscious of their Common's Rights and vehemently opposed any misuse. Again, a surprise that the small population was deemed adequate for a steam circus. Perhaps more importantly in 1878 Eton Wick held its first Horticultural Show, which predated the village recreation ground by several years; the allotments by 16 years and was 13 years before Eton Town's first Horticultural Show. Apart from war years the show became an annual event and with time, became ever more successful. By the 1930s it was the August Bank Holiday event held in Wheatbutts Orchard, often with a Guards' band; outdoor dancing, side shows; various pet classes on show: children's competitions of wildflowers, grass collection, mini gardens. needlework etc., and adult cookery entries of cakes, cooked vegetables, dinners etc. The allotment holders have revived the horticultural show in recent years but alas the days when every villager attended with enthusiasm have long since gone.

We will now look at the biggest of them all, the Wicko! carnivals. held between 1967 - 1981, at how they came about, why they stopped and ask "could they have survived?' The origin was certainly unusual and indirectly came about following the end of the Eton Wick cricket club in the 1960s.

The cricket club was long established; it played home matches at Saddocks Farm, had its own wood pavilion and regularly had very popular fixtures. Unfortunately, a possible move to the village recreation ground brought about the club's demise. They gave the mobile pavilion to the Eton Wick youth club, but unfortunately, village children burnt the building and the youth club duly claimed the insurance money of £600. At that time; and after ten years as the 'Club Leader' I was then its Chairman. The Adult Committee decided against a replacement pavilion but opted for a purpose-built Sports Hall to be built behind the Village Hall. The insurance money was inadequate so we decided to raise the money needed with a Recreation Ground based fete. The word 'fete' had been used by the scout movement and also the Village Hall in recent years so we settled on 'carnival'. That year of 1967 Canada had held an International Exhibition. logoed 'Expo! 67' so committee member Andy Skeels said we will call our carnival 'Wicko 67½'. Success came so we subsequently held 'Wicko 68'; 'Wicko 69' and so on. Publicity was pushed way beyond our locality and Mr. Jim Kinross of Manor Farm generously let us have the entire use of South Field as a free car park for the many hundreds of visitors at one event it was estimated a crowd in excess of 10,000 attended.

Of course events in the arena cost money and being held in the recreation ground no admission charge was possible, so as with the car park the event was virtually free to those not wanting to spend. There were, of course, side shows: fairground stalls and continuous arena entertainment. including music by a Scottish pipe band. a Caribbean steel band and a military band. There were go-cart rides: ladies wrestling: boxing: piano smashing competitions (inter pubs). a lively mock American civil war performed by the Civil War Re-enactment Group plus regular beauty queens and fancy dress shows. Also every year expert tug-of-war competitions. Wicko! attracted tug-of-war teams from far and wide - the midlands, west country and the London districts. With no experience of tug-of-war we were much indebted to the long-established Holyport organiser, Mr Charlie Aldridge, who guided us through the necessary 'know how' We were able to offer more attractive prizes to the teams through the good offices of Mr Stout, a villager who at that time had a substantial Reading based business trading suitably priced chinaware.

Within a few years we were able to build the youth club's sports hall and in a year or two, the carnivals were handed over to the Eton Wick Football Club who themselves needed funds to develop their newly built headquarters. The event probably needed much more work input than had been anticipated and it quickly fell into decline. Just one example was an Eton Council Officer giving his usual warning that he would inspect the recreation ground the day after a Wicko!. As usual, the same few cleared the site and with failing light, the crowds all gone: my brother Albert was driving our shop truck on the Rec and by its headlamps my two aging sisters were on hands and knees picking up the rubbish. Looking up we saw the Club customers with pints in hand looking from the clubhouse window and naturally, we mused they were saying "just look at those ..... fools'. Enough for Albert who said 'this is my last and of course his input had been overwhelming - making props, repairing stalls, painting etc., and always giving us new ideas

Like other village ladies my sisters had spent months knitting saleable items and later making cakes and jams. All these village happenings need keen workers and it is no use dreaming up ideas without the will to execute them.



Susan Lunn with Billy Walker
Could Wicko! have survived? I have always thought it may, but probably depended on a more positive initial approach. I always had the old village pre-war shows in my mind and when planning the first Wicko! I asked Mr Harry Cook, who organised the annual Horticultural Show, If they would combine with Wicko! for a Recreation Ground annual event and in return Wicko! would guarantee the marquee and prize expenses of the allotment event. Harry decided to keep his independence, for which I could appreciate. However, if it had joined with Wicko! there would have been permanence to the show that the 'quick fix' need for money may not have brought about the early demise. 

Incidentally, in 1969 the Sports Hall and Wicko! Carnival were opened by the British Heavyweight Boxing Champion 'Billy Walker'. He also judged the many young ladies' Beauty Queen Competition. He chose Susan Lund as the 'Queen' and Kathy Reader as runner-up. Both girls lived in Princes Close, and eleven youth organisations had girl entrants. Some years later both Susan and Kathy were married to the village twin brothers. Tony and Terry Skeels, who were, in fact, the sons of Andy Skeels who had given the first Wicko! its name. 

Frank Bond 

Footnote: To further the family connection, Susan is the Great Niece of Ernie Brown: the 22 year old remembered on the Village War Memorial.


This article was originally published in the Eton Wick Newsletter - Our Village as is republished with the kind permission of the Eton Wick Village Hall Committee. Click here to go to the Collection page.


Wednesday 28 November 2018

Church of England at work in the village in the late 1800's

It must not be thought that the Church of England was inactive in the village. Sunday Services were held and in the 1880s more than a hundred children attended the Sunday School for which there were seven teachers and two superintendents, one of whom was always the schoolmistress. Parish work was now a recognized part of a clergyman's duties and it took a variety of forms. It was usually centred on Eton, but the villagers were included because they were parishioners, and in time successful ventures were often extended into Eton Wick. A few were simply charitable, the richer subscribing to help the poorer.  The laying-in charity, which was started in 1866, came into this category. Through it expectant mothers could borrow linen and a first layette from it and were given five shillings (25p) for the doctor's fee and two shillings (10p) for groceries. Mostly, however, there was an element of self-help in each scheme. Probably the first to be set up was the Provident Club, formed in 1840 to encourage the habit of saving and thrift by the Provident Club, formed in 1840 to encourage the habit of saving and thrift by giving a bonus to all depositors who saved for a whole year.  The money and bonus had to be spent on clothes, shoes and coals at particular shops. Nearly forty years later this idea was extended, and a Penny Bank was formed in Eton and Eton Wick; though these did not last long for they were being superseded by a Government Scheme managed by the Post Office.

Two other ventures were begun in 1866. The first was the Eton Soup Kitchen which was opened on New Year's Day. Broken meats, bread and other leftovers were sent daily to the Kitchen from the boys' Houses in the College, and were re-cooked to form nourishing stews, soups and puddings which could be purchased at nominal prices - not by all comers, but by the poor and needy who had been given tickets by one of the conducts or the parish doctor. By the end of the year the Kitchen had become self-supporting and in most years there was a small balance that could be used to keep the Kitchen open during the school holidays.  Before many years passed the conducts were being helped by District Visitors; at first, there were only three of them for the whole parish, but before the end of the century there were five for Eton Wick itself.  In 1872 the newly formed Church of England Temperance Society helped to establish the Three Lilies Coffee Tavern as an attractive alternative to the public houses.  For the first time in the parish, there was a place where people could meet and not feel obliged to drink alcohol.


In 1885 the Eton Wick Branch of the Church Temperance Society was formed with eighteen temperance members, thirty total abstainers and sixty-three children. Both branches worked towards obtaining land which could be used for allotments and three years later the first three acres in South Field were leased from the Crown. No thoughts of freezers acted as an incentive to these first allotment holders, who made time to cultivate them in spite of at least a seventy-hour working week. Poor wages, insecurity of employment, large families and the diminishing size of cottage gardens were sufficient spur.

Already a parochial library had been started in the Girls' School at Eton, though in its first year it had only 147 books and the borrowings had to be restricted.  The parish schools continued to be an important consideration to the church: every year money was needed and regularly raised by subscriptions for their maintenance, .but as town and all parts of the village grew more money was required.  A gallery was built to accommodate the infants in the village school, but still, it could not keep pace with the increasing number of children of school age. There was even talk of refusing entry to newcomers from New Town, and by the 1880’s the schoolroom was so overcrowded as to be 'unwholesome'. No longer could the Government Inspector give a favourable report; this was disastrous for without it no grant would be forthcoming.  

A new school had to be built; meetings were held, the Provost took the chair and inevitable Subscription Lists were started. The Crown granted half an acre of land and the lammas rights were relinquished. At last, building began in 1888 and by the February of the next year, the children were in their new classrooms - one for the infants and one for the girls.  The boys after the age of six or seven went to the Porny School. There was a new schoolmistress, for Miss Wheeler, after twenty years service, was now found unequal to her task under the new Government regulations.  School was now compulsory, and as infants' and girls' school it had entered a new phase in its history.

This is an extract from The Story of a Village: Eton Wick 1217 to 1977 by Judith Hunter.

Wednesday 21 November 2018

A Soldier Who Lived In Eton Wick Whose Name Is Not On The War Memorial.

Frederick Albert Boxall, 1880-1917 - Private, M2/130622 Army Service Corps

Frederick’s father, Robert Boxall, was a gardener from Kirdford, Sussex, born c1827. His mother Elizabeth was about 15 years younger. (Her maiden name was also Boxall which suggests she may have been a cousin.) Robert and Elizabeth had at least seven children; six boys – Charles Robert, William George, James Percy, Alfred Ernest, Frederick Albert, Jehu John – and a daughter, Florence.

In the 1871 census they were living at Maybanks Lodge, Ewhurst; in 1881 at Meers Cottage, West Chiltington (where Frederick was born); and in 1891 they were at Pol Common, Pulborough.

Stableboy at Upper Gatton.

Upper Gatton House,
watercolour by John Hassell, c1822
.
By 1901, Frederick was working as a stable boy, living in rooms above the stables at Upper Gatton in Surrey. He was one of four young men living there; the others were a coachman, a carriage groom, and another stable helper.

Gatton was a small parish, north-east of Reigate; half of it was taken up by the 550-acre Gatton Park Estate. Upper Gatton was owned by Alfred Benson, a director of J W Benson Ltd, a firm of jewellers, watch and clock-makers, based in London’s West End.

According to Mr Campbell Beverly Smith (1881-1977) whose memories were published in the Lower Kingswood Newsletter in 2014:

“Each member of the [Benson] family had a personal coachman. The Bensons also employed seven gardeners, seven strappers for the horses, 19 maids plus a ladies maid, a butler, a footman and a pageboy! Mr Benson always made sure before employing anyone that they were cricketers – he had his own team. There was a cricket pitch with two pavilions in his grounds, one for the family and one for the rest! Amongst his greenhouses, he had a special buttonhole house where the special flowers for the family’s buttonholes were grown. His wife even had a special buttonhole room.” The Bensons’ neighbours were the Colmans who were known for their extravagant parties. “Sir Jeremiah Colman’s family lived nearby, at The Hall, Gatton Park; he was known as ‘The Mustard King’ and all their carriages were painted yellow to show they belonged to the Colman mustard family.”

A move to the coast

By the time of the 1911 census, Frederick was living in Brighton. He listed his occupation as coachman/chauffeur, rough-rider, and domestic odd job man. (A rough rider is usually a rodeo rider, or someone who breaks horses, riding without a saddle. Perhaps he learned this skill while he was at Gatton?) Sir Jeremiah Colman had a cousin, also Jeremiah Colman, in Hove, Brighton. It’s not known if Frederick found a job in the area through his contacts at Gatton.

Frederick was living in four rooms at 271 Eastern Road, Kemptown, Brighton (since demolished). The 1911 census recorded him with a wife and child. He had married a Devonshire girl, Mary Ann Davey from Dalwood, in November 1907 at St Anne’s church, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales.

Frederick and Mary Ann went on to have four children in total; Robert, born in Brighton c1909, May also born in Brighton in 1911; John born in Stafford in 1913, and Ethel whose birth was registered in Eton in 1916. The birthplaces of these children suggest the family was moving around, perhaps following Frederick’s work.

Joining the army

An extract from Frederick’s
military records
When Frederick enlisted in October 1915, he gave his address as 1 Castleview Villas, Eton Wick. He was 34 and working as a chauffeur. The army made good use of his driving skills and he became Private, M2/130622, a driver in the mechanical transport section of the Army Service Corps, part of 569 Company, a Motor Ambulance Company. His service records describe him as 5’7” tall, weighing just under 10 stones, with a chest measurement of 37½” fully expanded, 34” at rest.

Family in the Datchet?

Sometime after Frederick joined up in October 1915, Mary Ann and the children moved to Datchet, to 28 Green Lane. There were other Boxalls, Matthew and Clara and family, living in the village at Green Lane in the 1891 and 1901 census and at the Parish Council Office in 1911. It is very possible they were related to Mary Ann and Frederick but this hasn’t yet been confirmed. Two of Matthew and Clara’s sons also fought in WWI.

Illness strikes

It wasn’t long before Frederick was promoted to Sergeant but after six months in France, in mid-April 1916, he became ill with typhoid. He was brought back to the UK and treated at various hospitals: University War Hospital, Southampton; Addington Park War Hospital, Croydon; The Enteric Depot, Woldingham; and then tested monthly at Catterick and Southport. Eventually he was well enough to come home to Datchet on leave in February 1917. Sadly, he contracted pneumonia while he was here. He died in a military hospital in Wiltshire on 1 March 1917.

A military escort

Windsor & Eton Express, 10 March 1917:

Frederick’s grave has a
War Graves Commission headstone
"Frederick was buried in Datchet. The Windsor & Eton Express reported on 10 March 1917: “We regret to record the death of Sergt F Boxall, ASC, which took place at Tidworth, from pneumonia. The deceased, who was formerly a chauffeur joined the ASC in October 1915, and almost immediately was sent to France. Last May [1916] he was taken ill with typhoid and was brought to England. Eventually he got better and about a month ago came home on leave before again going back. The Saturday previous to his departure he contracted pneumonia, from which he never recovered. His promotion took place only a short time prior to his illness. He leaves a wife and four young children, to whom the greatest of sympathy is extended. The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon last and was witnessed by many sympathisers. A party from the Coldstream Guards met the funeral cortege at the house, and the drums and fifes played farewell music. At the conclusion of the service three volleys were fired, and the ‘Last Post’ sounded. The Rev J H Harvey, M A officiated and Mr G Hunt had charge of the arrangements. The mourners included: Mrs Boxall (widow), Mrs Boxall (mother), Messers E., W., and P [Ernest, William and Percy] Boxall, brothers, and others and there were many floral tributes."

Datchet Parish Magazine also reported in April 1917:

“Sergeant Frederick Boxall who belonged to A.S.C. since October 1915 had a long illness, or rather a series of illnesses from May last onwards, succumbing a short time ago to pneumonia. Much sympathy is felt for his widow and her four young children.” 


The cemetery records also show
details of Frederick’s burial.
Frederick was awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 15 Star. His wife was awarded a pension of 28/9 per week for herself and her four children.


This biography is republished here with the kind permission of the
Datchet Village Society. who undertook the research. Further information about the men who are remembered on the Datchet War Memorial can be found on Datchet in WW1.



Frederick Boxall: The For King & Country page.

Frederick Boxall:  Lives of the First World War page.

The Datchet War Memorial page on Buckinghamshire Remembers website.

Grave Registration Records courtesy of CWGC

Headstone Records courtesy of CWGC

Wednesday 14 November 2018

The Story of Oliver James Stannett in his own word - Part Four

Dad got a job on the Thames Conservancy repairing Boveney Lock gates. They had finished the gates and had to repair the path with bags of cement and fill in behind them to make up the path. All the materials were brought in by barge.

One day they were waiting for the barge to arrive so decided to have their lunch. P. C. Pheasant came along to see what we were doing. There were planks going out on to the barge with a couple of wheelbarrows. P. C. Pheasant walked out to the end of the plank and looked into the river. Dad put his foot against the end of the plank and pushed and P. C. Pheasant fell into the river. Then a couple of men pulled him out. Without a word he got onto his bike and went home. I think Dad was a bit too artful for our P.C. Anyway P. C. Pheasant left Eton Wick as he was made inspector for a small place in the Midlands.

But there is one thing I must tell you which might have had some bearing on his attitude towards us. Just across the stream at the bottom of our garden was a small fever hospital for Eton College boys. There was a high hedge with poplar trees all round it so it was a hard job to get in. We had to be content with the apples that were overhanging.

We were there one day when we saw P. C. Pheasant coming across the common. We all bolted to the sewage farm and of course P. C. Pheasant had to follow. There was a big bank with sluice gates so that the whole field could be covered. Every fifty yards was a sluice gate. Several of the covers had rotted. We ran along the top of the bank. I looked round but P. C. Pheasant had disappeared. We stopped and then saw him coming out of the gate. He had gone in up to his waist. We disappeared. My Mum and Dad had a good laugh about it. Of course, he had his leg pulled unmercifully by the villagers but none knew how it happened. I think he was rather glad to get away from there.

One day when I was twelve years old Mum gave me tuppence (2d.) and asked me to go to W. Hearne, the shoe repairer's shop and get Dad two pairs of boot laces. The shop was situated next to The Grapes public house. I ran to the shop and went inside but there wasn't anybody there.

I shouted a couple of times but nobody came. As the laces were hanging up in bunches so that one could pull them out I decided to go round the counter and get two pairs. I thought of leaving the tuppence on the counter but decided against it in case someone came in and picked it up.

So I pulled out the till to put the tuppence in and got the shock of my life! A bell started ringing in the back room. Mr. Hearne came dashing in, "Ha! Caught you," he said. I stood there and started to explain but he would not listen. He said, " Stop there, I will fetch the village constable." So I waited about ten minutes. I could have run away but didn't. So I was taken to the Windsor police station. I was put in a cell. Dad came to see me and I was taken home.

The case came up a fortnight later and I was found guilty and ordered to have six strokes of the birch. I have never forgotten it. You see when I walked in there were blood stains all over the walls and floor. I had to lay on a table and the punishment was administered by a very large policeman. I didn't want any more like that.

I cannot understand why my mother never gave evidence for me. Anyway three weeks after Hearne sold his shop and bought a taxi. He must have found that I had not taken any money when he counted the money in the till so he packed up the repair business.


This is the only conclusion I can come to after thinking about it over the years. 

This is an extract from the autobiography written by Oliver James Stannett (1903 - 1988) and republished here with the kind permission of his relatives who still live in Eton Wick.

Sunday 11 November 2018

The Great War Roll of Honour












1993
21/08/1915
Gallipoli




746
26/10/1917
Passchendaele




16671
24/04/1918
Amiens




7993
24/09/1915
Loos




11811
31/07/1917
Ypres




T/202287
24/10/1917
Passchendaele




19160
27/03/1918
Arras




9813
11/11/1914
Ypres




G/3615
17/12/1914
illness




39794
17/07/1917
Ypres




12472
01/09/1914
Villers




3760
19/07/1916
Somme




630936
23/04/1917
Roeux




185017
31/10/1918
illness




32908
15/07/1918
illness




2556
08/06/1918
Arras




5335
09/10/1916
Somme




K/18991
03/09/1917
Chatham air raid




40782
30/09/1917
Passchendaele




7937
25/12/1915
Loos




33180
20/08/1916
Iraq




30958
26/10/1915
Aegean Sea




K/25314
09/07/1917
HMS Vanguard



Henry Moss M2/097873 21/10/1918 Roisel




1232
11/04/1917
Arras




9534
24/05/1917
Turkey POW


camp


12050
12/03/1916
Ploegsteert Woods




34891
15/04/1918
Outtersteene Ridge




24307
28/02/1917
Ancre




7570
30/10/1918
Asfold POW camp




10060
02/05/1915
Gallipoli




94017
15/02/1918
Passchendaele




197731
02/07/1918
Orpington from effects of Gas




4176
24/10/1918
Wassigny