Eddie Butler at the Court Varian Tye & Alan Payne May 2024
Previously both sides of the pathway were called The Court (photo courtesy Carol Payne)
History has tended to make the Box Hill quarrymen into heroes (exploited working-class employees) or villains (uncultured and illiterate). Of course, lack of education, overcrowded accommodation and poverty caused difficulties for those living somewhat isolated at the top of Box Hill. This article features one man who rose above his upbringing to become a national celebrity after the Second World War.
The Court comprises two small terraces of cottages on Box Hill, off the lane opposite The Quarryman’s Arms which ended at the quarry face. The name is now used only for the cottages on the left of the photograph above; those on the right being called 2-4 Albert Cottages (with number 1 known as Tisbuts). They were all once part of The Court, both sides facing onto a courtyard. The terraces were quarry-workers houses built by the Strong family, quarry-owners, for their workers to rent, very close to their quarry work. The natural limestone ashlar block houses were probably built to replace cabins and tents of earliest workers at the quarries.
To the employer, the cottages were a cheap way of securing the permanent availability of good employees at a reasonable cost. But for the workers they presented a different perspective. Life in the houses was socially deprived, without running water, forcing residents to collect water from outside standpipes. They also lacked internal lavatories and gardens, with occupiers expected to carry away human waste in a bucket and deposit it in nearby sewage pits outside. A communal washhouse existed in the bottom right-hand corner of the terraces pictured above. This was needed because the quarrymen would arrive back each day smothered in stone dust. Little wonder that these conditions and overcrowding often caused social issues.
Origin of The Court
The word Court often applied to inner-city housing; a rank of poor-quality accommodation (often lodging houses) usually very over-crowded. The name was a shortened version of the word courtyard. The use of a communal quadrangle between The Court terraces avoided the need for the purchase of land to fulfil the function of gardens.
The cottages were one of the earliest property developments on Box Hill, probably built by quarry-owner Thomas Strong around 1840.[1] Thomas Strong was an early quarry-owner and builder, who leased 2 acres of land described as Piece of Ground used as FREESTONE QUARRY on Box Hill and extracted the stone from a quarry there after 1832.[2] He leased the site from the estate of John Gale who may have been the Bath resident living at Sydney Gardens, who died in 1831 (although this is speculative).[3]
Thomas Strong appears to have built a group of stone cottages on spare piece of land near the quarry.[4] He also developed other similar tenements included Box Hill Cottages and Laura Place, making a self-contained estate of houses on Box Hill.
Residents
Some of the houses seem to have become unoccupied later in the 19th century. There are local anecdotes that some were used as stabling by Thomas Hancock, landlord of the Quarryman’s Arms.[5] Like many publicans, he had an involvement in the quarry trade and operated a dozen pit ponies used for underground haulage of stone. This anecdote appears to be substantiated by an advertisement just before the First World War, which offered various properties for sale in May 1914.[6] The notice of sale advertised an unnamed freehold: Good stabling and Yard in the occupation of Mr Thomas Hancock at a low rental of 30s per annum.
We can trace all the residents in 1921 when the properties were simply called The Buildings, and some properties divided into two residences. The residences were not numbered but the following is the order in which they appear:
To the employer, the cottages were a cheap way of securing the permanent availability of good employees at a reasonable cost. But for the workers they presented a different perspective. Life in the houses was socially deprived, without running water, forcing residents to collect water from outside standpipes. They also lacked internal lavatories and gardens, with occupiers expected to carry away human waste in a bucket and deposit it in nearby sewage pits outside. A communal washhouse existed in the bottom right-hand corner of the terraces pictured above. This was needed because the quarrymen would arrive back each day smothered in stone dust. Little wonder that these conditions and overcrowding often caused social issues.
Origin of The Court
The word Court often applied to inner-city housing; a rank of poor-quality accommodation (often lodging houses) usually very over-crowded. The name was a shortened version of the word courtyard. The use of a communal quadrangle between The Court terraces avoided the need for the purchase of land to fulfil the function of gardens.
The cottages were one of the earliest property developments on Box Hill, probably built by quarry-owner Thomas Strong around 1840.[1] Thomas Strong was an early quarry-owner and builder, who leased 2 acres of land described as Piece of Ground used as FREESTONE QUARRY on Box Hill and extracted the stone from a quarry there after 1832.[2] He leased the site from the estate of John Gale who may have been the Bath resident living at Sydney Gardens, who died in 1831 (although this is speculative).[3]
Thomas Strong appears to have built a group of stone cottages on spare piece of land near the quarry.[4] He also developed other similar tenements included Box Hill Cottages and Laura Place, making a self-contained estate of houses on Box Hill.
Residents
Some of the houses seem to have become unoccupied later in the 19th century. There are local anecdotes that some were used as stabling by Thomas Hancock, landlord of the Quarryman’s Arms.[5] Like many publicans, he had an involvement in the quarry trade and operated a dozen pit ponies used for underground haulage of stone. This anecdote appears to be substantiated by an advertisement just before the First World War, which offered various properties for sale in May 1914.[6] The notice of sale advertised an unnamed freehold: Good stabling and Yard in the occupation of Mr Thomas Hancock at a low rental of 30s per annum.
We can trace all the residents in 1921 when the properties were simply called The Buildings, and some properties divided into two residences. The residences were not numbered but the following is the order in which they appear:
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The Buildings occurs once as a house name ten years earlier in 1911. The word Buildings is somewhat derogatory, perhaps implying that they were just accommodation rather than homes. The level of overcrowding was exceptional, such as the five daughters under 10 years of age, children of George James and Annie Hancock. The overcrowding was possibly worse than it appears because it is possible that one of the 3 rooms listed was an external scullery acting as kitchen. Most of the 1921 tenants were in the properties a decade earlier when the 1911 neighbours included John Hancock, William Butler, John Butler, George James Hancock, William George Smith, and John J Wilkins. A few families seem to have passed the tenancy on to their children.
Butler Family
The Butler family lived at number 3 The Court from before the Great War until after the Second World War. Walter John Butler (1878-1948), usually called John, and his wife Louisa J Phelps (1887-) brought up at least five children in the house, possibly sharing child-minding duties or sleeping facilities with Walter John’s uncle, William Butler (1851-), road stone breaker, and his wife Elizabeth (1858-) in number 2. They were all long-established Box Hill families, Walter John being brought up at Albion Terrace by parents, John Butler stone miner, and Elizabeth Allen. Walter John’s job was described as Rockman in 1939. After the war, he had a tragic accident, when he fell from a bus at Lambridge, Bath on Christmas Eve, breaking his leg and needing to be taken to hospital.[7] He died in the RUH shortly afterwards in his late 60s.[8]
Butler Family
The Butler family lived at number 3 The Court from before the Great War until after the Second World War. Walter John Butler (1878-1948), usually called John, and his wife Louisa J Phelps (1887-) brought up at least five children in the house, possibly sharing child-minding duties or sleeping facilities with Walter John’s uncle, William Butler (1851-), road stone breaker, and his wife Elizabeth (1858-) in number 2. They were all long-established Box Hill families, Walter John being brought up at Albion Terrace by parents, John Butler stone miner, and Elizabeth Allen. Walter John’s job was described as Rockman in 1939. After the war, he had a tragic accident, when he fell from a bus at Lambridge, Bath on Christmas Eve, breaking his leg and needing to be taken to hospital.[7] He died in the RUH shortly afterwards in his late 60s.[8]
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Walter John’s youngest son Ernest Albert Edward Butler (13 May 1919-2002) became a world-renowned football player, possibly unique in his achievements, certainly remarkable coming from such a limited background. Before the war Ernest was a left-back for Box Hill Football Club and later Bath City. At one match, the regular keeper was absent and Ernie went into goal because he was the tallest player. During World War II, he served in the Royal Navy and played for Tranmere Rovers when stationed near there. He survived the war, although he was captured as a prisoner-of-war in 1942.
After the war, he settled in Portsmouth, allegedly because he wanted to stay near the sea. He established himself in Portsmouth’ first team in 1946 and remarkably became one of Britain’s greatest goalkeepers. He was ever-present in the side for two consecutive years when Pompey were champions of the English First Division in 1948-49 and 1949-50.[9] He conceded just 80 goals in 84 matches over those years and played 222 matches for the club in total, before a wrist injury forced him to retire in 1953.[10] |
Ernie Butler, goaljeeper (unknown attribution)
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After football, Ernie ran a fruit and vegetable business in Portsmouth and later owned the George & Dragon pub for seventeen years. It was rumoured that he always carried his Championship medals with him to proudly show anyone who was interested. He died on 31 January 2002 and the Portsmouth crowd observed a minute’s silence to commemorate their star goalkeeper.
Portsmouth Football Club team 1949-50 (Uncertain copyright)
We sometimes judge people and places rather superficially without troubling to investigate further. That might be true of The Court Buildings on Box Hill, built as small one-up, one-down properties without great architectural merit. However, that assessment overlooks their importance in the history of stone quarrying on Box Hill, representing early examples of purpose-built houses for quarry workers and their families by quarry owners. In so doing we might also have omitted the remarkable story of Ernie Butler and his meteoric rise to fame from seeming obscurity. Judge these terraces superficially at your peril.
Butler Family Tree
Nathan Butler (27 July 1807-1890), blacksmith, possibly married twice. First unknown and secondly Jane Hancock (1823-) in 1866. Children:
John Butler (1848-1919) stone miner, married Elizabeth Allen (1851-). Children:
Walter John Butler (1878-1948) married Louisa J Phelps (1887-) in 1907. Children:
Nathan Butler (27 July 1807-1890), blacksmith, possibly married twice. First unknown and secondly Jane Hancock (1823-) in 1866. Children:
- Catherine (1844-);
- John (1848-1919);
- William (1851-) stone breaker, his wife Elizabeth (1858-) laundress
- Frank (1854-);
- Albert (1857-) stone quarries labourer, lived with William and Elizabeth;
- Nathan (1860-).
John Butler (1848-1919) stone miner, married Elizabeth Allen (1851-). Children:
- Walter John (1878-);
- Kate (1881-)
- Charley (1883-);
- Kate (1885-);
- Minnie (1887-);
- Rose (1890-)
Walter John Butler (1878-1948) married Louisa J Phelps (1887-) in 1907. Children:
- William John (24 April 1907-1948) was a builder’s labourer in 1939. He married Mabel E Davis (11 May 1916-) in 1936. Children: John W (28 March 1937-), Teresa E married John H Muspratt in 1960, and Pat;
- Doris Lilian (20 May 1909-);
- Rosie (1912-);
- Vera (1916-);
- Ernest AE (13 May 1919-31 January 2002).
References
[1] David Pollard, Digging Bath Stone, 2021, Lightmoor Press, p.477-78
[2] The Bath Chronicle, 1 March 1832
[3] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 23 June 1831
[4] Courtesy David Pollard
[5] Courtesy Bob Hancock
[6] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 16 May 1914
[7] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 3 January 1948
[8] Western Daily Press, 12 January 1948
[9] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 19 February 1949 and 13 May 1950
[10] BBC Sport, Portsmouth, 2 February 2002
[1] David Pollard, Digging Bath Stone, 2021, Lightmoor Press, p.477-78
[2] The Bath Chronicle, 1 March 1832
[3] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 23 June 1831
[4] Courtesy David Pollard
[5] Courtesy Bob Hancock
[6] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 16 May 1914
[7] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 3 January 1948
[8] Western Daily Press, 12 January 1948
[9] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 19 February 1949 and 13 May 1950
[10] BBC Sport, Portsmouth, 2 February 2002