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George Reeves, Ganger Quarryman
Graham Matthews September 2015 All photos courtesy Graham Matthews It is rare to have the personal story of one of the quarrymen from Box and Corsham in the 1800s. They were a retiring breed and left little written record. It is even more unusual to have photos of them at work. This is Graham's story of his great grandfather at work and at play. George's Family
George Reeves appears to have been born in 1854 at Spye Park, near Bromham. Probably his parents, Henry (born 1828) and Sarah Reeves (b 1829), were itinerant casual agricultural workers who moved around and at times they gave George's birthplace as the nearby villages of Chittoe or Rowde. The family came from Rowde but by 1861 had moved to Lypiatt, Corsham, searching for work. Right: George and Sarah Reeves (nee Aust) in a studio portrait in 1925. |
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The family may have struggled for money, particularly when the boom years of the quarry trade were over. In 1861 George's eldest sister, Eliza, aged 10, was working full-time on the same farm as her father. There were at least six children in the family: Eliza (b 1851), Ann (1851), Sarah (1853), George (1855), May (1860) and William (1864).
Life as a Quarryman
In the years of agricultural depression, George looked for employment in the stone quarries. In 1876 he married Sarah Aust, born 1855 in Corsham, and they stayed in the Corsham area. By 1881 they had moved to Pickwick Road, with three children and George's brother, William, also a quarryman. George was described as Quarryman (Stone) possibly meaning he was an underground worker.
In the years of agricultural depression, George looked for employment in the stone quarries. In 1876 he married Sarah Aust, born 1855 in Corsham, and they stayed in the Corsham area. By 1881 they had moved to Pickwick Road, with three children and George's brother, William, also a quarryman. George was described as Quarryman (Stone) possibly meaning he was an underground worker.
George (seen on the right) lifting a huge block of stone probably in the period 1900 to 1910.
This marvellous picture shows the excavation of a special block of stone for a specific (but unknown) purpose. The picture may have been taken in Swan Quarry but more likely of Spring Quarry. Roger Tucker recalled these events in his book Some Notable Wiltshire Quarrymen:[1]
Herbert Hiscocks worked for George Reeves (1853 - 1932) and was his foreman. George Reeves owned two cranes in Spring Quarry and made a friend of his foreman. The friendship between the two families endured. George had ten children, of whom two survive. His third daughter Mrs West (b 1879) and her husband Gordon West (b 1884) have maintained a lifelong friendship with Mr and Mrs Hiscocks.
Herbert Hiscocks worked for George Reeves (1853 - 1932) and was his foreman. George Reeves owned two cranes in Spring Quarry and made a friend of his foreman. The friendship between the two families endured. George had ten children, of whom two survive. His third daughter Mrs West (b 1879) and her husband Gordon West (b 1884) have maintained a lifelong friendship with Mr and Mrs Hiscocks.
George's skill and expertise enabled him to become a ganger (self-employed foreman) working on piece rates and employing his team of quarrymen to extract stone. As the quarries got deeper and the building needs demanded large blocks, George's ownership of cranes would have enabled him to assume a more management role.
In his later life George took employment supervising road gangs on highway maintenance work. We think that this picture of him managing a road gang was taken about the time of World War 1.
In his later life George took employment supervising road gangs on highway maintenance work. We think that this picture of him managing a road gang was taken about the time of World War 1.
George Reeves supervising a gang busy on road repairs possibly WW1 / 1920s.
Life at Home
George and his wife had at least eleven children: Eliza Mylie (b 1878), Sarah Rose (known as Rose and born in 1879), Agnes Flora (Flo) (1880), Kate, Elizabeth B (1884), Enoch (Nock) George (1887), Daisy M (1889), Mabel D (1889), Clara Ann Maud (1892), Gladys Violet May (1895), and Edward (Ted) William John (1897).
George and his wife had at least eleven children: Eliza Mylie (b 1878), Sarah Rose (known as Rose and born in 1879), Agnes Flora (Flo) (1880), Kate, Elizabeth B (1884), Enoch (Nock) George (1887), Daisy M (1889), Mabel D (1889), Clara Ann Maud (1892), Gladys Violet May (1895), and Edward (Ted) William John (1897).
Eliza Mylie
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Rose Greenman and Flo West
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Kate Reeves
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George appears to have been a devoted family man and in 1901 he had moved his parents into the next door house in Green Lane, Corsham. They moved around the area as their family extended; Lypiatt, Pickwick Road, Green Lane, Pool Green, Neston, and Elly Green. Possibly these were all tenanted houses.
George was extremely hard working in a brutal job but a decent family man. There is no evidence that he was wealthy and he was not able to afford much schooling for his children. Indeed at least one of his daughters, Gladys (my grandmother), helped towards the family finances by working in service. In 1901 Enoch George was employed as a Quarry Errand Boy aged 14, and in 1911 Edward William John was a General Labourer aged 14, whilst his sisters, Clara and Gladys aged 19 and 16, were described as Glovers.
George was extremely hard working in a brutal job but a decent family man. There is no evidence that he was wealthy and he was not able to afford much schooling for his children. Indeed at least one of his daughters, Gladys (my grandmother), helped towards the family finances by working in service. In 1901 Enoch George was employed as a Quarry Errand Boy aged 14, and in 1911 Edward William John was a General Labourer aged 14, whilst his sisters, Clara and Gladys aged 19 and 16, were described as Glovers.
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This is a picture of George proudly showing the prizes and certificates he won from the Neston Villagers and Cottagers Show. The photo was taken about 1910.
On the original, the certificates are just readable, hence I could identify the prize event. My grandmother was a small girl at the time and remembered the picture being taken (I guess because she was indignant at being told to stay indoors and out of the picture!). Besides George, the other people in the picture are my great grandmother Sarah and their two sons Ted and Enoch. |
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George and Sarah's Children
Enoch George was one of the casualties of the First World War, killed in action on 13 July 1917, unmarried aged 30. He was a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery. Ted survived the war and married Ivy, who outlived him and lived in a cottage in the National Trust village of Slindon, West Sussex. I met her on a number of occasions and have pictures of her and the cottage taken in 1987. Rose married William George Greenman in 1906, a banker mason, who was born in Pye Corner, Box in 1877, son of a Box quarryman William Greenman. This part of the family stayed close with George and Sarah and when William George Greenman died in 1960 he was living at 22 Elley Green, Neston. Right: Enoch Reeves photographed in 1910 |
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My grandmother was Gladys Violet May. As a young girl she worked in service in the Bath and Bristol areas, probably after 1911 because at that time she is still recorded as living at home in Pool Green, Neston, with her parents, working as a glover. There is no indication of the lady who employed her in service but a photo of the lady may be the person shown later in this article.
She married my grandfather, Fred Munday, who was a builder in Havant, Hampshire, and they moved down there. Gladys died on 10 January 1990 in a nursing home in Havant, although she had spent most of her last years staying with my parents until mum couldn’t cope any more. Both my parents are still alive and living in Havant. Dad was 90 in September 2015, mum is a couple of years younger. Left: My grandmother Gladys Violet May Reeves who married my grandfather Fred Munday and they lived in Havant, Hampshire. |
Agnes Flora Reeves (my aunt Flo) married Gordon West. I remember them reasonably well and have a number of pictures of them over the years. Dad had some long chats with Gordon when he and mum holidayed with them in Seend in the early 1950s, probably about 1952.
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Above left: Flo and Gordon West shortly after their marriage and Above Right: With Sarah Reeves in their garden at Seend in 1943.
At that time Gordon, a wheelwright by trade, was working at a woodmill near the canal. My father described seeing some of the wheels Gordon had made, and spent some time shooting rabbits with a 12-bore shotgun on farmer Collett’s land. We don’t know whether the Wests’ cottage was rented from the farmer, but it certainly adjoined the farm. My father described whistling rabbits as a means of luring them. Apparently their curiosity gets the better of them hearing strange whistling noises. This was a trick he learned from reading The Countryman.
Apparently, at one time Gordon had a blacksmith’s forge in the 1920/30s, but had run into financial difficulties. Gordon took a job with Fred in Havant, bringing his father-in-law George and mother -in-law Sarah with him. After George died, Sarah used to stay with various members of the family.
We have been able to identify many of the photos in the family album but a few are still unknown. We would be delighted to have information from anyone who can help name the following family members.
Apparently, at one time Gordon had a blacksmith’s forge in the 1920/30s, but had run into financial difficulties. Gordon took a job with Fred in Havant, bringing his father-in-law George and mother -in-law Sarah with him. After George died, Sarah used to stay with various members of the family.
We have been able to identify many of the photos in the family album but a few are still unknown. We would be delighted to have information from anyone who can help name the following family members.
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Please contact us if you can you help to identify any of these women from Graham Matthews' family photo album.
The first four are believed to be Reeves women but the picture on bottom right is different. Is this the lady that Gladys Violet May Reeves worked for in service?
The first four are believed to be Reeves women but the picture on bottom right is different. Is this the lady that Gladys Violet May Reeves worked for in service?
Postscript
George Reeves died on 2 February 1933 at Elley Green, leaving £94.4s.2d to his youngest son, Edward William John Reeves, "glove cutter". Box and Corsham have moved on since the times that the quarry trade dominated employment in the area. Everywhere we see evidence of their industry but most of the families have left. All that is left of these men is the shadow of their world and a few glimpses of their lives, which Graham has given us.
And sometimes there is a poignant image of them like that provided by David Pollard of Box:
"One of George Reeves' daughters (Flo) was a near neighbour of ours in 1972-74 at Seend. She was then aged about 90 years and her husband, Gordon West, came from my grandmother's village of Kilmersdon. Mrs West said her father's quarry trousers would brush against the long skirts of his girls in passing and the stone dust would brush off on to the skirts which did not please them."
George Reeves died on 2 February 1933 at Elley Green, leaving £94.4s.2d to his youngest son, Edward William John Reeves, "glove cutter". Box and Corsham have moved on since the times that the quarry trade dominated employment in the area. Everywhere we see evidence of their industry but most of the families have left. All that is left of these men is the shadow of their world and a few glimpses of their lives, which Graham has given us.
And sometimes there is a poignant image of them like that provided by David Pollard of Box:
"One of George Reeves' daughters (Flo) was a near neighbour of ours in 1972-74 at Seend. She was then aged about 90 years and her husband, Gordon West, came from my grandmother's village of Kilmersdon. Mrs West said her father's quarry trousers would brush against the long skirts of his girls in passing and the stone dust would brush off on to the skirts which did not please them."
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Left: George Reeves in studio portrait at the time of his prime.
Above: George in old age walking in Havant |
Reference
[1] Roger J Tucker, Some Notable Wiltshire Quarrymen, Free Troglophile Association Press, p.7
[1] Roger J Tucker, Some Notable Wiltshire Quarrymen, Free Troglophile Association Press, p.7