The following names are a POST SCRIPT to the far greater number of fatalities in my book “Killed in a Coalpit – the Mines of Mendip”, the manuscript of which is now at the Radstock Museum.

Joshua Ashman (54)

The beloved husband of Sarah Ann Ashman, who died at Newbury Colliery, August 17^th 1906. Interred at Coleford Churchyard.

"I'll praise my Maker while I've breath

And when my voice is lost in death

Praise shall employ my nobler powers

My days of praise shall ne'er be past

While life and thought, and being last

Or immorality endures." (His favourite verse.)

I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."

(2 Timothy 4; verses 7 & 8(From a funeral card.)

Thomas Athay

"One of the oldest miners in the Forest of Mendip incautiously entered some old works at Shipham when the side fell in and buried him." (FFBJ 4.6.1823)

James Attwood - see John Harding, 1796

William Ball (or Bull) - see Henry Carter, 1823.

S. Bath

Inquest at Timsbury on S. Bath who fell down the pit 100 fathoms by missing his hold at the bar at the top of the pit. (FFBJ 31.12.1801)

Clifford "Billy" Battle

Information from Edward P.S. Battle, who now lives in Yorkshire: "My uncle, Clifford "Billy" Battle of Welton Road, Radstock was badly injured underground at Ludlow's Colliery and died the next day in Paulton Hospital. This happened in the winter, 1928-9. I know I was 8 years old at the time. He left a wife and three year old son. My father worked as a face worker at Braze Down, Ludlow's and Haydon all his working life and died of pneumonicosis in 1959."

Thomas Bilby

Pauper, killed in Newton Coal Pit by coal falling on him. Buried Newton St Loe, 24.8.1792.

Herbert John Brice (19)

Killed in Greyfield Pit, 10 June 1905 and buried at High Littleton, 15 June, 1905.

(PRHL)

Mark Brice

Addendum. Of Farnborough, aged 17, buried at High Littleton, 29 October 1845. (PRHL)

Charles Bridges

Fatal Colliery accident at Timsbury. Charles Bridges, collier, killed 5^th July 1878 while working at Conygre Pit, owned by Messrs Mogg, Parish & Co of Withy Mills, in a roof fall. There was a large slip of the roof with brakes breaking away at the sides which caused the fall. A large stone was amongst the debris which was thought to have hit Bridges. (BMerc 20.7.1878)

James Brimble (57)

William Travers (16)

Killed at Mearns Coal Work and mentioned in High Littleton Overseers' Accounts 1.4.1815, which refer to payment for their laying out and coffins. Buried High Littleton 4.4.1815.

------Britton

"On Friday, a labourer named Britton, in a fit of insanity threw himself into the coalpit at Camerton near Bath and was killed on the spot. (BMi 12.6.1830)

--------Broughton of Farmborough

--------Gibbs of Near Paulton

killed at Middle Pit, Radstock when 3-4 tons of stone fell on them. (BMi 16.2.1861)

Azariah Bryant

"A boy, ascending in the lap of another boy from a coalpit at Writhlington was met by two others going down and the parties coming into contact with each other, Bryant was thrown from his seat and precipitated 80 feet to the bottom of the pit." Inquest Report, FFBJ 14.2.1824.

Daniel Budd

Killed in a coalpit, buried Nailsea, 8.1.1794.

Samuel Budd

"Killed falling down a coalpit at Nailsea", buried Nailsea, 26.3.1811, inquest reported FFBJ, 13.4.1811.

Joseph Bull

"whose back was broken by a stone 2 tons weight falling on him in a coalmine." FFBJ 30.3.1822. (This inquest was reported on the same day as that on Job Cromwell).

James Bunn

Accident at Barlake Colliery owned by Sir John Coxe Hippisley & Messrs Messiter of Wincanton. James Bunn was scalded so dreadfully that he survived only a few hours. (FFBJ 19.8.1820).

William Button (35)

"killed by falling down a pit…." (remainder illegible), burial register, Radstock, 8 May 1849

Henry Carter

William Ball (or Bull)

Paulton. The two men were ascending from their work at a coalpit at Petherton with George Harris & Stephen Ball, (brother in law of the above), when owing to a misconception, a wrong signal was given to the engineer who slackened instead of drawing up, Carter and Ball fell 20 fathoms to their deaths. Harris & Stephen Ball were saved. (FFBJ 15.3.1823)

James Carter and six others, see page 9.

A poem written in memory of the seven men who lost their lives at Timsbury Colliery, February 6^th 1895. It was written by a member of a well-known local mining family, William Ashman. Timsbury's Conygre. The poem is quoted in full in "Five Arches, the Journal of the Radstock and Midsomer Norton District Museum Society, Issue number 4, June 1987. I am grateful to the Society for allowing me to repeat it here.

Nine men we're told went down the mine

To labour for the night

But seven were killed and only two

Of them came up alive.

They had not left their homes so long

Before the news had spread

That an explosion had taken place

And seven poor men were dead!

How sad the news must be to those

To whom those men belong

To hear their husbands had been killed

Who had not left home long.

It's not so very long ago

That one of these poor men

Had lost a son through accident

Who was but a young man.

We're told it is (that in the midst)

Of life we are in death.

Today we're well, but perhaps ere long

Our eyes may close in death

We pray that God will bless the wives

And the dear little ones

God bless the widow who has lost

Her husband and her son.

Now just a word I'll say to all

Be watchful everyone:

For in an hour that ye think not

The Son of Man will come."

John Carter

Addendum. Of High Littleton, buried there 4.11.1845, aged 40. (PRHL)

William Churchill

"Thursday last, a piece of coal fell from one of the carts near the coalpits at Smoakem on the head of William Churchill, and killed him on the spot. He has left a wife and 4 small children. (FFBJ 29.1.1803)

Job Cromwell

Killed at Camerton by the rope of the gug wheel winding round his body. FFBJ 30.3.1822

James Chivers

coalminer of High Littleton, killed at High Littleton, and buried there 1.2.1772. (PRHL)

John Chivers

Of High Littleton, who was bailiff at Heighgrove Coal Works, and killed there. Died 17 April and buried 18 April, 1759. (PRHL)

Thomas Chivers

Coalminer, killed at Tyning Coal Pit. Buried 19 March, 1796. (Various Settlement examinations of the Chivers family including Sampson Chivers, 9 December 1845, are among High Littleton parish records.) (PRHL)

Mark Cleaves

Erratum. This man's name incorrectly appears as "Cleevis" in the Mining Inspector's Reports. He died aged 26, according to a gravestone in High Littleton churchyard. He was buried there 2.10.1866. (PRHL, MIHL)

William Cleaves

Addendum. Of Farnborough, age 25, buried High Littleton 7.11.1845 (PRHL)

David Cook (17)

"killed in the coalpit, brother of James Cook, killed in the coalpit at Fry's Bottom." Buried Clutton, 24.1.1831.

James Cook, see David Cook, above.

John Crick

Killed Bromley Pit Cage accident, buried Farmborough, 11.11.1913, aged 35. (PR)

George Dagger

Inquest on George Dagger, coalminer, killed Timsbury, 20. 6.1812 (FFBJ).

Ernie "Slogger" Edwards

Mr G.W. Quartley, a workmate, recalled in 1992, that "he was killed by a roof fall, late 1950s or early 60s. "I recall walking to the pit bottom with him and a group of colleagues some little time before the accident, and the following exchange took place: 'Slogger, is that right your young 'uns (brother) dead?' Well if he aint, they served the poor b----- a dirty trick, they've buried 'im.'"

James Evans

Addendum. Of High Littleton, aged 43, buried there, 29.10.1845. (PRHL)

Reuben Fear

Crushed to death by a fall at New Rock, Midsomer Norton . Mr Brough, the Inspector concluded the accident was "unavoidable". (BO 29.9.1860)

-------Flowers

"Tuesday night about nine o'clock, as a lad named Flowers, the son of Mr T. Flowers, farmer of Writhlington, was riding past Shoscombe coalpit, recently opened near Radstock, he with the horse unfortunately fell down the shaft by which accident, both were killed on the spot. The lad had one or two brothers at work in the pit but some scaffolding which was constructed inside the shaft intercepted the direct fall of the horse upon them, otherwise they must inevitably have been crushed to death. " (BMi 5.12.1829)

George Green

And Another

"Tuesday morning, two men descending a Coalpit at Holcombe, suffocated by noxious air. One, George Green, has left a wife and three children." (FFBJ 4.10.1794)

Joseph Gullick (70) of Farmborough

James Hollbrook (14) of Timsbury

Accidentally killed in a coalpit belonging to Messrs Moggs and Co. (FFBJ 21.4.1810)

(James Hollbrook was buried at Timsbury, see main list.)

George Hancock

"by a fall into a coalpit, lost his life." Buried 11.11.1759 at Kilmersdon. (Kilmersdon PR)

John Harding (62)

James Attwood (14)

Addenda. The two were buried at Newton St Loe, 17.7.1796.

John Haskins

Death through a pit accident, 1789-1800. (See Mendip Annals, Martha Moore, Bristol Ref Lib, RB/3316, p95.)

Thomas Heal

William Heal

"Mr C.D. Purnell, was clerk and weigher of Simon's Hill and Ham Lane Pit. The pit was kept open to pump the water from Simon's Hill. You could get small coal for 11 shillings and twopence, (about 57p), per hundredweight then. It was so plentiful that a lot was hauled down the land to repair the road. The pit engine boilers were haystack shaped with the bottom raised up and hollow. If the water was not kept up well above the bottom it would cause super heated steam and blow up the boiler. It happened at Simon's Hill and it killed Mr Thomas Heal. He lived at the Tennis Court. His son William was killed also at Ham Pit. The plunger of the engine came too far out of the house and as he worked to get it back the steam was turned on and the surge coming out suddenly knocked his brains out. He was a cornet player and used to lead the choir in the chapel."

(extract from the autobiography of John Watts, from "Five Arches, number 9, winter 1989/90)

Thomas Hill - see William Moore, 1847

Richard Hinton

Erratum. Killed Welton, not Wootton, 13.12.1799.

James Hodges (22)

"who had his back broke at Bromidge in the Coalpit at Midsummer (sic) Norton, 1796." (PRStanton Drew)

James Hollbrook - see Joseph Gullick, 1810

Edward Hoskins (80)

In order to get work at Braysdown pit, he falsely gave his age as 67. He was set to run "the jailer" but sadly fell down the shaft and was killed. The inspector, not surprisingly, concluded "he was too old for the job." (MIR, BMi 9.3.1861) (Thank the Lord for Old Age Pensions)

David Jackson

Crushed between one of the electric underground locomotives and the steel ring roof side supports, late 1950s, early 60s. (information from Mr G.W. Quartley, 24 May 1992)

John Jefferies

"a poor collier of Welton was killed by a large stone which fell on his head. He has left a wife and six children." (FFBJ 6.9.1794)

Bob Jones

Killed as a result of a shot firing accident, late 1950s or early 60s. (information from Mr G.W. Quartley, 24 May 1992)

John Lansdown (26)

"Killed by the coal falling", buried Newton St Loe, 1.2.1795 (PRNSL)

James Lewis

Killed at Camerton by a fall of stone from the roof. (BO 13.10.1860)

-------Maggs

c1750. Settlement Examination of George Maggs, aged 43, born Farmborough who stated, "When I was 12 months old, my father was killed in a pit accident." (PRHigh Littleton)

William Moore of Mells

Thomas Hill of Leigh on Mendip

"killed in a Coal Pit." Buried Mells, 7.5.1829. (PR Mells)

Joseph Osbourn (17)

Killed Vobster Coal Pit, buried Mells, 7.5.1829.

George Palmer

Adendum. For more details see Bath Chronicle 28 & 30.10.1845.

Daniel Pickford

Addendum. Of Farnborough, aged 25. Buried High Littleton 18.10.1845. (PRHL, see also Bath Chronicle 28 & 30.10.1845.)

James Powell

"An inquest was lately taken on James Powell of Timsbury, who was killed in a coalmine." (FFBJ 1.6.1811)

Charles Sage (13)

Inquest at Timsbury on Charles Sage who was crushed between the post of a gate and a railroad wagon. (FFBJ 31.12.1801)

George Short (14)

killed at Grove Coalpit, Timsbury. Evidence was given by Thomas Comer, who was working with him that a large piece of coal, 3-4 cwt fell down on him, crushing his right leg and knocking him against the timber supports. With a man named Brydges, they managed to release the boy, who was taken Bath United Hospital. His injured leg was amputated by Mr Gore, but he remained insensible and died Friday night. (FFBJ 9.11.1850)

Lewis Ward Silcock

"coalminer at Camerton Coalworks, being drawn up the pit, the rope or fastening giving away, he was precipitated to the bottom and killed on the spot. He has left a wife and eight children." (BMi 17.11.1827)

John Simmes

"kill'd per the Engine Mill at Timsbury." Buried 7.2.1795. (PRStanton Drew)

James Stockyer

Killed in Radstock Coalworks. Buried Midsomer Norton 19.12.1800. (PRMN)

William (Bill) Taylor

"killed in an underground accident, circa 1950. The result of a prank which led to two men being tried for manslaughter. The facts as far as I can recall, (it happened), before the start of the afternoon shift at the bottom of an incline where there was a small electric haulage engine, 'Pik Rose' after the name of the manufacturer. Bill was sitting on or near the engine and one of the two accused started it in motion. Bill got his clothing caught in the rope and was dragged into it. He fractured his spine and subsequently died. The two accused were acquitted at trial." (information from Mr G.W. Quartley, 24 May 1992)

"Tim"

"an eastern European, surname unknown. Killed when a man riding a trolley ran away on an incline as a result of being unhitched too early at the top of the incline and ran back into the next one in which Tim was riding. Another man, Arthur Woodland, lost an arm in the accident. Early 1960s." (information from Mr G.W. Quartley, 24 May 1992)

William Travers - see James Brimble

Thomas Ven

Addendum. "Thomas son of Thomas & Flower Ven of this parish, died 1812 aged 18.

"Act thou in health and spirits gay

I too was so the other day

And thought myself of life was safe

As thou who reads my epitaph."

(Dwelly, Mss Vol I, SRO)

William Walter

Addendum. For more information, see Bath Chronicle 28 & 30.10.1845.

THE DOWLING FAMILY

I have been contacted by Florence Chuk, the Australian author of the "The Somerset Years". Florence says: "I was so interested in the Dowling family, (page 15), who lost two members in mining accidents. Dowlings appear to be bad luck in mines. … I found a couple of Somerset Dowling brothers who died in mining accidents in Victoria. Robert Dowling said that he came from Saint Cuthbert's. He arrived, aged 32, in the 'Sir George Seymour' in 1849 with his wife Mary. He died on the Ballarat Goldfields in 1857, although his death was never registered. In the early days people often assumed that an inquest automatically registered a death, so many deaths are only officially indicated in the Inquest Records. His brother Henry had come out a year earlier on the 'Aurora' with his wife Ann. Henry said he came from Woodford and Ann from Chustock. Henry died following a fall of earth in a mine. He was taken out alive but his legs were terribly injured. He was taken to the Ballarat Hospital by cart, where one leg was amputated. Doctors said he seemed likely to recover, but he died the next day. Poor Henry. Their brother Edward arrived per 'Hope' in1849. He did not die in mine - well as far as I have discovered - but he was only 40 when he died in 1858.

"I began to list the men who had died in mining accidents in Victoria by going through the Inquest Index. It began to be interesting but quite overwhelming, as almost every inquest in Victoria was from a mining accident. And there were many Chinese - I had to admire the Coroners of that time in eliciting detailed statements through an interpreter."

ANONYMOUS

"Monday last, a man was killed as he was at work in a coalpit at Timsbury about 5 miles from this City." (Bath Journal, 14.3.1747/8)

"Three men were at work in Mr Davis's pit, Nailsea, when a large mass, 10 tons in weight fell on to the centre man, killing him instantly. One of the others had his leg broke. They were taken to the Infirmary at Bristol and it is very probable they will soon be speedily returned to their families." (FFBJ 22.2.1806)

"Three men were killed at Timsbury Coalpit Wednesday morning by the breaking of the rope." (FFBJ 21.5.1814)

"Saturday a deplorable accident happened at Timsbury Coalworks near Bath, six men having imprudently mounted on a basket of coal on its ascent at the mouth of the pit and having been drawn up a considerable way, the rope being over weighted, broke, and they were precipitated to the bottom. Four were taken up dead and two others survived but a short time." (FFBJ 15.4.1815)

"Accident at Smallcombe Coalworks, near Bath, when 5 men were precipitated 30 feet to the ground owing to the mismanagement of the fire engine. We do not hear that any of the sufferers have died, although they are severely injured." FFBJ 13.11.1819

MISCELLANEOUS

Tuesday morning died Parfitt Maggs, the noted fighting collier, who was shot on Saturday last by William Baker, a lime burner of Twerton in resolutely attempting to execute a warrant of distress on the goods of the said Baker. He received the whole charge of the gun on his hip. The Coroner's Inquest brought in their verdict - manslaughter and Baker is committed to the County Prison. (BMBJ 29.4.1775, kindly contributed by Jane Baker.)

Stephen Jordan, Henry Biggs, and James Gregory, "for leaving work unfinished at the Coalworks at Paulton, were sent to prison for one month; Joseph Gregory, two months

for the same offence." (FFBJ 25.2.1815)

AN APOLOGY

Mr Edward Battle, whose uncle Clifford Battle is listed above wrote to me to ask why Clifford's name was not included. This was because I had not come across his accident. I am glad to rectify the omission this time. Although I have tried to make the list as complete as possible, I know there must be many more miners who came to a tragic end through accidents, not to say those who died of illness, like Mr Battle's father, directly caused through their years of toil in the mines. If you happen to find any information about mining accidents in Mendip from any time, or know of anyone in your family who I have not found, and you would like included in the next update, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am sure there are a great many omissions of the more "recent" accidents from the late 19^th and early 20^th century when newspapers began to be issued daily, and there are many more pages to look through. As you can imagine this is incredibly time consuming.

AND FINALLY

a (slightly risqué) story, passed on to me in 1992 by an old Mendip miner, Mr Gerald Quartley:

"A story told to me by Frank Herridge of Writhington, one of three brothers who worked at Norton Hill. Frank started work at Foxcote, and the old chap who used to dish out the allowance of candles before going underground, Theophilus Swift, used to get carried away by Frank's and other young men's accounts, imagined and real of their exploits with the girls. So interested did he become that if you put your allowance of candles in an inside pocket, he would forget himself and give you a second lot. Frank used to play on this to keep the house supplied with candles for the bedrooms, oil lamps only extended to the downstairs rooms. Frank would often set off to work when the supply was running down with his mother's reminder, "Don’t forget the candles, Frankie." He never divulged the method by which these were obtained."

Abbreviations:

FFBJ – Felix Farley’s Bristol Journal

BMBJ - Bonner & Middleton’s Bristol Journal

BMi - Bristol Mirror

BMerc – Bristol Mercury

PR - Parish Register

MI - Monumental Inscription

BO - Bristol Observer

MIR - Mines Inspector’s Report

SRO - Somerset Record Office

I have to say I had never heard of Messrs John Hare & Co of Temple Gate until I saw a news item in the Bristol Evening Post of 30 August which refers to a Penny Black stamp on an envelope addressed to the Bristol firm of linoleum and floor cloth makers. The envelope was posted in Sherborne. Dorset on June 11, 1841 and 170 years later was due to go under the hammer at the Spink Stamps and Postal History sale in London on September 9.

Prior to the reform  of the postal service letters had to be paid for by the recipient and were left at poste restantes awaiting collection and payment. The Penny Black, Britain’s 1st adhesive postage stamp was introduced on May 6 1840. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Black

The firm seems to have been an early fan of the new country wide system for on June 15, 1844 when the Bristol Mercury published a subscription list under the heading “Penny Postage – National Testament to Sir Rowland Hill”, the second name in the list of subscribers, after the Dean of Bristol is John Hare & Co. Like the Dean, the firm contributed 2 guineas to the fund.

John Hare & Co had been in the news before on October 30, 1841 when they were publicly thanked by Mr Jasper Westcott, a brass founder,  for the speedy deployment of their engine when fire broke out at his premises in Redcliffe Street. Like the Penny Post, the Fire Service was a Victorian invention http://www.fireservice.co.uk/history/ and along with Hare & Co’s contraption, fire engines were sent out by various insurance companies and the police. Thanks to their combined efforts the fire at Mr Westcott’s was contained and his stock and patterns were undamaged so that he was able to continue work with little interruption.

At the time of the letter John Hare and his brother Sholto Vere Hare along with other members of the Hare family were running the company which had been started by their grandfather, John Hare. The younger John Hare became Mayor of Bristol in 1861 and was in the van at the mourning procession which took place following the death of the Prince Consort that year. His brother Sholto followed him as Mayor in 1862. Sholto took a great interest in the church of St Mary Redcliffe and endowed a stained glass window as well as erecting at his own expense, the statue of the boy poet Chatterton in the churchyard.

A full administrative history of the company together with genealogical and family information 1799-1994 may be found at Bristol Record Office under reference 40785.

In November 1842 at the British Embassy in Naples, John Hare married Jane, the daughter of the late Edward Strachey, esquire, of the Bengal Civil Service. Jane was the niece of Sir Henry Strachey, baronet, of Sutton Court in Somerset. In 1841, Sir Henry lived in London at a rather grand address, St George, Hanover Square. Sadly, John and Jane’s first child, a daughter, was stillborn in October 1843, but by the time of the 1851 census the couple were living at “Rosemont” in Clifton Park with two more children, sons John and Charles aged five and one. There were four servants, a nurse, a cook, a housemaid, and a seventeen year old “page”. John Strachey, aged 27, of the East India Company’s Civil Service was a visitor. Perhaps he was a brother or cousin of Mrs Hare.  Another son, Sholto, named after his uncle, was born in 1852.

Towards the end of their civic year in October 1862, John and Jane Hare attended the wedding of Jane’s niece Miss Olivia Strachey at Clifton Parish Church. Olivia was the daughter of the late Richard Strachey of Ashwick Grove, Shepton Mallet, cousin of Sir Edward Strachey, baronet. The groom, Captain George Law of the Madras service, arrived in the full dress uniform of his regiment. The bride wore a white moiré antique dress, carried orange blossom, clematis and white roses and from her “elegant coiffeur” fell a lace train. The bridesmaids were her four sisters, the Misses Minnie, Charlotte, Kate and Isabel Strachey, friends Miss Kate Doveton, Miss Symonds, Miss Williams, and Misses Charlotte, Ada and Sydney Law, relatives of the groom. All wore dresses of white tarlatan with sashes of scarlet silk, and on their heads wreaths of mountain ash berries and leaves. The outfit of Jane Hare, the Mayoress, was also described:  a gown of moiré antique silk in a shade of lavender with black lace flounces, a white muslin shawl edged with black and the piece de resistance, a bonnet of Terry Velvet trimmed with pink roses. (a little OTT perhaps?)  No fewer than 14 carriages, including the Mayor’s state coach carried the assorted guests to the reception at the residence of the bride in the Mall, Clifton.

The following month Mrs Hare attended the wedding of George Strachey to Miss Kate Doveton, both of whom had attended the previous nuptials, Kate as a bridesmaid. George was a secretary of Her Majesty’s legation at The Hague. “Light tripped the party, gay as gay could be” warbled Bristol Mercury’s scribe, despite the intense November cold. In December 1862, Mr & Mrs Hare were guests when Miss Kate Strachey married Lieut J.F.M Winterscale of the 3rd Battalion Prince of Wales’ Own Rifle Brigade. He and his best man, Willoughby Wallace of the 60th Rifles came in full regalia as did a host of other military gents. The Hares also went to the wedding in August 1863 of Miss Mary Strachey to Charles Elton. And in January 1864, at Farleigh Hungerford, they attended the wedding of Miss Annie Stancomb, daughter of the Lord of the Manor of Trowbridge to Mr George Lawrence Keir, an officer in the Indian Army. Although all these  fashionable events are described in lavish terms which equal the first, Mrs Hare’s ensemble, regrettably, is not.

Strangely enough, when John and Jane’s eldest son John married Annie Bell Ford, the second daughter of H.B. Ford, I could only find a simple announcement. (on August 21, 1869.)

In February 1874, a Mr & Mrs John Hare attended the wedding of Miss Catherine Dorinda Ludlow and Mr Francis Rhode Carbonell of Usk, but it is not clear whether this is the senior or junior couple of this name. In a turn which would put the wind up most people, a long list of the wedding presents given is printed with the names of their donors. Aspiring TV producers of Victorian plays could do worse than consult Bristol Mercury of 14.2.1874 and then furnish their set. It is like stepping into “Cranford”.  Mr & Mrs John Hare, somewhat dull,  gave a drawing room clock. 

Jane Hare died aged 72 in 1886 and John aged 84 in 1897. An obituary of Sholto Vere Hare appeared in Bristol Mercury on 24.3.1900.

When conducting this experiment to see how far a little information on an envelope would take me, I came across the names of the following long serving employees of the company whose obituaries appeared on the dates mentioned. 

Charles Cook, 55, Feb. 1, at East Redcliff Crescent, upwards of 40 years in the employ of John Hare & Co (4.2.1860)

Daniel Thatcher, 67, Apr. 19, at his son’s house, White Hart in Lower Maudlin Street, nearly 40 years in the employ of J.H & Co as engineer (14.4.1860)

Charles Colville Watkins, 71st year, Mar. 1, at Langton Street, for 57 years the confidential servant of J.H & Co of Temple Gate. (4.3.1865)

James Franklin, Dec. 4, at Frogmore Street, after a long illness, upwards of 50 years in the employ of J.H & Co. (9.12.1865)

Joseph Richards, 84th year, Nov. 29 at Hebron Terrace, Bedminster, formerly Bath Parade, upwards of 60 years in the employ of J.H. & Co. (6.12.1873)

John Prowse, 74, Jan. 21, at 5 Guinea Street, 54 years in the employ of J.H. & Co. (23.1.1875)

The above is my first cousin, Larry (Clarence Henry John) Honour during his National Service days. He died this morning after a long illness.

He lived with my family in Kingswood as an unofficial evacuee during the Second World War and was always held up to me by my mother, Florence Pillinger, as an example of good behaviour. He always said this made him sound like a real goody-goody.

I remember how he showed the local boys (I was an honorary member of the gang) how to make candle lanterns from jam jars but whether this evoked the perennial shout “Get that b…… light out”, I can’t remember. He was a talented engineer and made a bicycle out of spare parts whilst he was still staying at our house. Later he made a motor bike from other bits and pieces which he rode down to Kingswood from Epsom, Surrey.

In “MPH” the Journal Magazine of the Vincent HRD Owners Club (June 2002) he recounted the story of an amazing find:

“My bike is a bit non-standard but I have modified it to suit my own taste. It is known as the Skye Comet because I found what was left of it on a rubbish tip north of Uig Bay on that island. We were on holiday in May 1977, driving around enjoying the scenery, the magnificent Cuillins almost always visible in the background. Suddenly, I saw a pair of handlebars sticking out of a rubbish dump. They turned out to be part of a BSA with the Vincent remains alongside. I wanted to pack my find into the car, but with luggage, etc., there just wasn’t room. Sadly, my wife did not go along with the suggestion that she might have a more comfortable ride if she took the train home!

“In the  autumn, being careful not to mention rubbish tips or motorcycles, I persuaded my wife and son to return to Scotland in a motorised caravan (large). They were expecting to explore the West Coat on the mainland on this holiday and looked puzzled when I insisted on catching the Skye ferry. Not for long though – nods and smiles (at least I hope they were smiles) told me that they had guessed my mission. Fortunately, the remains were still in place which some might find hard to believe.

“Now, some 20 years later, with many hours of work, not to mention the cost of bits and pieces, I find that Old Father Time has caught up with me. I really need a lighter bike, but I thought I would recount the old girl’s history before we eventually part.

“The registration is OSJ 330 – Old Skye Junk?” 

Larry was the son of Harry Honour, my mother’s brother, my favourite uncle and his wife Winnie (Stovell). He knew his wife, Kathleen, nee Bullen from the time they were six! They were childhood sweethearts and were married in 1955. In 1959 twins were born to the couple, but sadly the baby girl, Anne, died shortly after birth. Larry is survived by his wife Kathleen and their only son Patrick and his wife Christine.