Batterbury Family John Wilson March 2025
William Batterbury on the pond of The Wilderness (courtesy Richard Grigsby)
Although my branch of the family moved away to Leicestershire, I always kept a connection with Box through my ancestors, William Batterbury and his daughter Helen. This is the story of their lives and the properties they acquired in the village.
William Batterbury
William Batterbury was born in Bathford in 1846 (the same year that the Corn Laws were repealed) and he died in 1933 (in the middle of the Great Depression). For much of his life he was employed as a gardener at The Wilderness, Box when it was owned by Miss Mary Burges.
William Batterbury was born in Bathford in 1846 (the same year that the Corn Laws were repealed) and he died in 1933 (in the middle of the Great Depression). For much of his life he was employed as a gardener at The Wilderness, Box when it was owned by Miss Mary Burges.
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Above Left: Mary Ann Coates and Above Right: William Batterbury as an elderly man in their garden at Rosebank (couresy John Wilson)
William was the son of Thomas Batterbury, an agricultural labourer, and his grandfather Stephen was recorded as a pauper in 1861. William worked as a coachman and gardener when living with his family at Church Street, Bathford. He married Mary Ann Coates from Newton St Loe (between Bath and Bristol) in 1871. Her father appears to be Robert Coates, an Inland Revenue officer who had been born in Chelsea. After a brief spell in Twerton, the married couple moved to Box in about 1876, renting a property in Ashley, close to Ashley Villas.
Notwithstanding his humble beginnings, William became a most respected person in Box society. More than that, he became a man of property, presumably because his wife inherited money. As the Devizes Road was developed for housing, William acquired a property called Rosebank, next to the Lamb Inn, shortly after it was built in 1893. The Batterbury family also became a necessity for Box people through William and Mary Ann’s eldest child, Helen.
Notwithstanding his humble beginnings, William became a most respected person in Box society. More than that, he became a man of property, presumably because his wife inherited money. As the Devizes Road was developed for housing, William acquired a property called Rosebank, next to the Lamb Inn, shortly after it was built in 1893. The Batterbury family also became a necessity for Box people through William and Mary Ann’s eldest child, Helen.
William Batterbury's passbook for the Wilts & Dorset Bank (acquired by Lloyds Bank in 1914)
Helen Batterbury
Helen trained as a nurse at St George’s Hospital, Hyde Park Corner in London, and became an assistant matron there until she suffered a breakdown in health and returned to Box before the Great War. She recovered and became matron in charge of 18 boys in the private school run by Victor Gregoire at Ashley Manor. After the First World War she cared for her widowed father at Rosebank and established a role as the village nurse and a leading light in church and social activities.[1]
Helen was strongly associated with the work of the Rev George Foster who came to Box in 1924. His ministry was significant in raising morale during the worst period of the Depression when scores of residents were unemployed and surviving by food handouts. In 1929 she took a role in leading the Church Christmas collection for the sick and needy in the absence of the vicar who was recuperating after an operation. She raised £15.18s.6d.[2] She also organised a house-to-house collection in support of the cancelled Box Revels (the Feast Day of Box Church celebrated on 7 July) to support the school.[3] In 1933 she organised 187 eggs to be given to the Holy Innocents Home, Middlehill.[4]
Helen trained as a nurse at St George’s Hospital, Hyde Park Corner in London, and became an assistant matron there until she suffered a breakdown in health and returned to Box before the Great War. She recovered and became matron in charge of 18 boys in the private school run by Victor Gregoire at Ashley Manor. After the First World War she cared for her widowed father at Rosebank and established a role as the village nurse and a leading light in church and social activities.[1]
Helen was strongly associated with the work of the Rev George Foster who came to Box in 1924. His ministry was significant in raising morale during the worst period of the Depression when scores of residents were unemployed and surviving by food handouts. In 1929 she took a role in leading the Church Christmas collection for the sick and needy in the absence of the vicar who was recuperating after an operation. She raised £15.18s.6d.[2] She also organised a house-to-house collection in support of the cancelled Box Revels (the Feast Day of Box Church celebrated on 7 July) to support the school.[3] In 1933 she organised 187 eggs to be given to the Holy Innocents Home, Middlehill.[4]
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Helen’s work for the church was primarily as Superintendent of the Sunday School bringing both literacy and moral education to local children. Her status in the village enabled her to become a significant fundraiser acting as local treasurer and secretary for the Church Missionary Society and treasurer of the Church Free Will Offering. Local resident, Kathleen Harris, recalled Helen in the 1920s: We tied primroses into bunches, kept them in water overnight and on our way to school next morning, took them to Miss Batterbury, who lived in the last house before The Lamb Inn.[5] Miss Batterbury packed these into boxes and sent them by rail to London and Birmingham to be sold. The money received for the flowers was handed to a Church of England charity. Her social work encompassed many activities, starting a Children’s Holiday Fund, providing temporary accommodation for children from London. She was also assistant librarian for the village library in the Bingham Hall.
Her obituary in 1935 referred to the esteem in which she was held in Box as a painful impression was created in the village on Monday evening when it became known that Miss Helen Batterbury had died suddenly. She was only 60 years old and was talking to her gardener when she suddenly collapsed and died. In a rather macabre ceremony, her coffin was laid to rest in the Children’s Corner of the church, which she had founded in the south aisle in 1932. |
Memorial epitaph to Helen Batterbury in the south aisle of Box Church (photograph courtesy Carol Payne)
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Two years after her death the Children’s Corner was improved in memory of her devotion to church work in 1937 and given the name The Battersbury Memorial.[6] Rev George Foster paid fulsome tribute to Helen in the service for the church patronal day, remembering her work and associating her with the dedication of three silver candlesticks for Miss Elsie Chaffey who had also died tragically that year.[7]
Ernest Thomas Batterbury
Ernest Thomas Batterbury (14 Oct 1882-1968) served as a lad porter in Box in 1898 but resigned in 1899 to become a prison officer.[8] After his service during World War 1, he married Kathleen Naomi Hussey from Plymouth in 1920. His early working life was at Princetown Prison, Dartmoor, Devon. Ernest’s hobby was bowling where he was highly skilled representing Devon and set the tone and standard of the teams he represented, which was recognised by the Prison Officer’s Bowling Club with the presentation of a barometer on his promotion to Second Chief Officer in 1936.[9] Next year he was promoted to Chief Officer.[10]
In 1939 he was in charge of Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight and after his retirement Ernest lived in Southampton, where he died in 1968. His daughter Kathleen was a nurse in the Second World War and afterwards her working life was with the National Provincial / Natwest Bank in Southampton. She married Graham Brooks in her sixties.
Ernest Thomas Batterbury (14 Oct 1882-1968) served as a lad porter in Box in 1898 but resigned in 1899 to become a prison officer.[8] After his service during World War 1, he married Kathleen Naomi Hussey from Plymouth in 1920. His early working life was at Princetown Prison, Dartmoor, Devon. Ernest’s hobby was bowling where he was highly skilled representing Devon and set the tone and standard of the teams he represented, which was recognised by the Prison Officer’s Bowling Club with the presentation of a barometer on his promotion to Second Chief Officer in 1936.[9] Next year he was promoted to Chief Officer.[10]
In 1939 he was in charge of Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight and after his retirement Ernest lived in Southampton, where he died in 1968. His daughter Kathleen was a nurse in the Second World War and afterwards her working life was with the National Provincial / Natwest Bank in Southampton. She married Graham Brooks in her sixties.
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William Herbert Batterbury
William Herbert started his working life as a station boy at Box Railway Station. He recalled broad gauge rails being used on the GWR London to Truro line and when it ceased in 1892. His anecdotes included the regularity of trains leaving whilst the guard was talking on the platform. In the early 1900s he started work as a stone mason, at times working in the Bradford area of Yorkshire where he undertook reservoir work. He married Rebecca White Stone from Portland in 1909 and they stayed there. In the years of the Great Depression during the 1930s there was no work as a stone mason and William Herbert bought a newsagency, tobacconist and confectionery in Portland. He and his wife moved to Weymouth where William Herbert died in 1962 and Rebecca in 1965. |
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In Circle: William Herbert Batterbury as a young man
William Herbert Batterbury with his young grandson, John Wilson (all three photos courtesy John Wilson)
William Herbert Batterbury with his young grandson, John Wilson (all three photos courtesy John Wilson)
Evelyn May, Meryl and Freda
All three of William Herbert’s daughters attended Weymouth Grammar School. My mother, usually called May Batterbury, went to the forerunner of Southampton University to gain a teaching certificate. She taught in Oxford, where she met my father. On his retirement they moved to Weymouth.
Freda married Robert Templeton, an accountant. He was drafted into the Ministry of Agriculture and sent to North Wales during the war. Afterwards they moved to Southampton and then, presumably at the behest of the ministry, to Bristol until retiring to Sandbanks. They had three children. On her husband's death Freda moved to Poole.
Meryl looked after her mother for some years, after which she trained as a teacher and taught in Weymouth. She took a position in Chippenham and lodged with the vicar in Box Vicarage during weekdays. She was a keen tennis player and won to Dorset Evening Echo women's singles championship nine years on the trot.
All three of William Herbert’s daughters attended Weymouth Grammar School. My mother, usually called May Batterbury, went to the forerunner of Southampton University to gain a teaching certificate. She taught in Oxford, where she met my father. On his retirement they moved to Weymouth.
Freda married Robert Templeton, an accountant. He was drafted into the Ministry of Agriculture and sent to North Wales during the war. Afterwards they moved to Southampton and then, presumably at the behest of the ministry, to Bristol until retiring to Sandbanks. They had three children. On her husband's death Freda moved to Poole.
Meryl looked after her mother for some years, after which she trained as a teacher and taught in Weymouth. She took a position in Chippenham and lodged with the vicar in Box Vicarage during weekdays. She was a keen tennis player and won to Dorset Evening Echo women's singles championship nine years on the trot.
Family Tree
William Batterbury (22 March 1846-1 January 1933) (great grandfather) married Mary Ann Coates (1849-). William was gardener. Children:
William Batterbury (22 March 1846-1 January 1933) (great grandfather) married Mary Ann Coates (1849-). William was gardener. Children:
- Helen (1874-1 July 1935);
- William Herbert (12 October 1876 at Ashley-21 August 1962) (my grandfather) married Rebecca White Stone (28 April 1887-28 April 1965). Children:
- Evelyn May (16 June 1910-22 January 1972) married Cuthbert Walter Wilson, telephone supervisor. John Wilson’s parents;
- Meryl (22 March 1924-23 March 1997), schoolteacher, never married;
- Freda Mary (6 January 1917-4 April 2005) married Bob Templeton (-20 June 1963)
- Henry Thomas (1879-1881);
- Ernest Thomas (1882-1968) worked as a Prison Officer. He married Kathleen Hussey in 1920. Child: Kathleen Mary Hussey (7 September 1924-8 February 2013).
References
[1] The Wiltshire Times, 6 July 1935
[2] Parish Magazine, February 1930
[3] Parish Magazine, July 1929
[4] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 11 November 1933
[5] Kathleen Harris, Up the Hill and Down the Hill
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 25 December 1937
[7] The Wiltshire Times, 13 July 1935
[8] The London Gazette, 3 March 1908
[9] Western Morning News and Daily Gazette, 13 February 1936
[10] Hampshire Telegraph and Post, 16 July 1937
[1] The Wiltshire Times, 6 July 1935
[2] Parish Magazine, February 1930
[3] Parish Magazine, July 1929
[4] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 11 November 1933
[5] Kathleen Harris, Up the Hill and Down the Hill
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 25 December 1937
[7] The Wiltshire Times, 13 July 1935
[8] The London Gazette, 3 March 1908
[9] Western Morning News and Daily Gazette, 13 February 1936
[10] Hampshire Telegraph and Post, 16 July 1937