Frederick George Neate at Hillcrest Alan Payne, June 2022
Frederick George Neate (20 January 1880-22 May 1960) built Hillcrest in the years just before the First World War, with a crenelated roofline like a castle, depicting both a willingness to engage in battle and military defence. That sentiment was characteristic of Frederick, son of a local stone miner. The earliest mention of Hillcrest appears to be in 1914 when Fred offered to let five unfurnished rooms with use of bathroom.[1] He possibly let out parts and just kept a small part of the house for himself because in 1916 he advertised three large houses to rent with six, seven and eight rooms and gave his address as Mr Neate, Hillcrest.[2]
Frederick was the son of John and Mary Neate, all born in Box and brought up there. The family lived at Boxfield Cottages in 1881 and were all actively engaged in the quarry industry. Fred’s father John was an underground miner and elder brother William was chopper for his father and later a ganger with a crane at Spring Quarry.[3] His mother was Mary Jane Tinson, daughter of a stone quarry carter at Goblins Pit, Corsham. By 1891 the family had moved to Berry House. Fred himself rose in importance in the quarry trade throughout his life: in 1901 described as stone miner, in 1916 as foreman stone cutter and in 1939 as master builder.
Humble Origins
Fred didn’t start off wealthy but speculated in land, hoping that property would become valuable. Most of the land he bought when the Northey family auctioned their estate in 1923. Like most people at Box Hill, Fred was a self-made man rising from humble origins but, in becoming a substantial property owner, he ran into conflict with others. In some ways, this was the age-old battle between the rights of individual property owners and the access of the local community to public amenities and commoners’ rights. The most significant of these disputes was probably in the years from 1927 to 1932, culminating in the dispute with John Field and the re-naming of their house as Victory Cottage.
Another example of the disputes was in 1933 when Fred was charged by the parish council with encroaching on the public highway by building a wall outside Hillcrest.[4] He denied it was his intention to encroach, which he claimed left him a little bit grieved and then simply ignored the council. He probably enclosed the front garden just in time as in 1936 the Minister of Transport legislated to prohibit wayside developments in Wiltshire, including those accessing the old quarries on Box Hill: past the Chapel to “Hill Crest”, bearing east round “Hill Crest” to locations near Clift Quarry Works.[5]
Frederick was the son of John and Mary Neate, all born in Box and brought up there. The family lived at Boxfield Cottages in 1881 and were all actively engaged in the quarry industry. Fred’s father John was an underground miner and elder brother William was chopper for his father and later a ganger with a crane at Spring Quarry.[3] His mother was Mary Jane Tinson, daughter of a stone quarry carter at Goblins Pit, Corsham. By 1891 the family had moved to Berry House. Fred himself rose in importance in the quarry trade throughout his life: in 1901 described as stone miner, in 1916 as foreman stone cutter and in 1939 as master builder.
Humble Origins
Fred didn’t start off wealthy but speculated in land, hoping that property would become valuable. Most of the land he bought when the Northey family auctioned their estate in 1923. Like most people at Box Hill, Fred was a self-made man rising from humble origins but, in becoming a substantial property owner, he ran into conflict with others. In some ways, this was the age-old battle between the rights of individual property owners and the access of the local community to public amenities and commoners’ rights. The most significant of these disputes was probably in the years from 1927 to 1932, culminating in the dispute with John Field and the re-naming of their house as Victory Cottage.
Another example of the disputes was in 1933 when Fred was charged by the parish council with encroaching on the public highway by building a wall outside Hillcrest.[4] He denied it was his intention to encroach, which he claimed left him a little bit grieved and then simply ignored the council. He probably enclosed the front garden just in time as in 1936 the Minister of Transport legislated to prohibit wayside developments in Wiltshire, including those accessing the old quarries on Box Hill: past the Chapel to “Hill Crest”, bearing east round “Hill Crest” to locations near Clift Quarry Works.[5]
Character of Frederick Neate
Frederick was a man of uncompromising religious principles, a committed pacifist at a time when that was severely challenged during the Great War. In front of a military tribunal in 1916, he asserted that He did not believe that God ever intended men to kill one another.[6] He volunteered to serve as an ambulance driver (a dangerous job close to the Front Line) but was declined. In his appeal against conscription in 1916 he said that he had been brought up as a member of the Plymouth Brethren and had attended the Methodist Church since the age of 17 years. His conscience would not allow him to carry armaments or ammunition. His appeal as a conscientious objector was accepted and he was exempted from combative duty.
It is hard to deny the good that Fred did for his family. He looked after his mother at home until her death in July 1935. He was also a benefactor to his siblings and to the people of Box Hill. He allowed the Institute Hall to be built on his land in 1938 (although he didn’t pay for the materials) and ran the Sunday School at the Methodist Chapel for 50 years. Throughout his life, he allowed the chapel to hold fundraising events at Hillcrest.[7] But these were small gatherings compared to his determination to steer people away from alcohol.
Perhaps his most important moral achievement was to be an active member of the Rechabite movement of teetotalism from at least 1922 until his death in 1960. In this, he was staunch in his desire to improve the family lives of quarrymen, their wives and children. He organised the North Wilts Rechabite meeting in 1926, when a special train was run from Swindon to Box Station to bring 350 juvenile members, where they alighted and marched up Box Hill to Hill Crest. They processed behind the Swindon Prospect Silver band with flags and banners to celebrate sports and other amusements on the hill.[8] And we should also mention his educational work in the building, naming and being a manager of the Box Highlands School during and after the Second World War.
Yet he often fell out with people. Partly it was because he had risen from the status of a quarryman to become the owner of considerable land on Box Hill Common, including Grove Farm, The Tynings, Tunnel Inn and Boxfield Cottages. Partly it was because some of his actions resembled those of a lord of the manor, even if many of his innovations were on behalf of Box Parish Council, who were attempting to rationalise the footpaths and rights of way on the Common.[9]
Frederick was a man of uncompromising religious principles, a committed pacifist at a time when that was severely challenged during the Great War. In front of a military tribunal in 1916, he asserted that He did not believe that God ever intended men to kill one another.[6] He volunteered to serve as an ambulance driver (a dangerous job close to the Front Line) but was declined. In his appeal against conscription in 1916 he said that he had been brought up as a member of the Plymouth Brethren and had attended the Methodist Church since the age of 17 years. His conscience would not allow him to carry armaments or ammunition. His appeal as a conscientious objector was accepted and he was exempted from combative duty.
It is hard to deny the good that Fred did for his family. He looked after his mother at home until her death in July 1935. He was also a benefactor to his siblings and to the people of Box Hill. He allowed the Institute Hall to be built on his land in 1938 (although he didn’t pay for the materials) and ran the Sunday School at the Methodist Chapel for 50 years. Throughout his life, he allowed the chapel to hold fundraising events at Hillcrest.[7] But these were small gatherings compared to his determination to steer people away from alcohol.
Perhaps his most important moral achievement was to be an active member of the Rechabite movement of teetotalism from at least 1922 until his death in 1960. In this, he was staunch in his desire to improve the family lives of quarrymen, their wives and children. He organised the North Wilts Rechabite meeting in 1926, when a special train was run from Swindon to Box Station to bring 350 juvenile members, where they alighted and marched up Box Hill to Hill Crest. They processed behind the Swindon Prospect Silver band with flags and banners to celebrate sports and other amusements on the hill.[8] And we should also mention his educational work in the building, naming and being a manager of the Box Highlands School during and after the Second World War.
Yet he often fell out with people. Partly it was because he had risen from the status of a quarryman to become the owner of considerable land on Box Hill Common, including Grove Farm, The Tynings, Tunnel Inn and Boxfield Cottages. Partly it was because some of his actions resembled those of a lord of the manor, even if many of his innovations were on behalf of Box Parish Council, who were attempting to rationalise the footpaths and rights of way on the Common.[9]
Fred Neate never married and he died in a Bath nursing home in 1960 leaving £22,388.14s.6d to his youngest sister Ellen Margaret Head (1884-11 July 1963) and her husband William Edward, retired stone mason. On Ellen’s death, many of the properties went to her daughter Evelyn Mary Green (1911-) who later sold several of the cottages to Mr Burgess of Batheaston and Box Hill Common to George Lacy.
Conclusion
How should we assess the life of Fred Neate? He was a totally focussed person, with enormous strength of character and the ability to take risks in property investments. His faith and morality provided the backbone of his lifestyle and his affection for Box Hill and its residents were fundamental to him. But these attributes did not always endear him to others and his rise from a rather humble background to that of landlord of a large estate caused inevitable envy amongst some. Fred was a most complex man, the like of whom Box Hill will probably never see again.
How should we assess the life of Fred Neate? He was a totally focussed person, with enormous strength of character and the ability to take risks in property investments. His faith and morality provided the backbone of his lifestyle and his affection for Box Hill and its residents were fundamental to him. But these attributes did not always endear him to others and his rise from a rather humble background to that of landlord of a large estate caused inevitable envy amongst some. Fred was a most complex man, the like of whom Box Hill will probably never see again.
Family Tree
John Neate (1841-9 February 1919) married Mary Jane Tinson (1846-3 July 1935) ay Bradford-on-Avon in 1863. Children:
John Neate (1841-9 February 1919) married Mary Jane Tinson (1846-3 July 1935) ay Bradford-on-Avon in 1863. Children:
- William J (1867-) who married Mabel Jeffery in 1920;
- Annie (1872-);
- Alice Mary (1874-1875);
- Selina Mary (1871-) married William Hillier at Devizes in 1896;
- John (1878-);
- Frederick George (20 January 1880-22 May 1960);
- Alice Beatrice (6 November 1881-);
- Ellen Margaret (1884-11 July 1963) married William Edward Head in 1908;
- Albert (1886-).
References
[1] The Bath Chronicle, 28 March 1914
[2] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 11 March 1916
[3] RJ Tucker, Scripta Legenda, 1976, Free Troglophile Association Press, p.36
[4] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 15 July 1933
[5] The Wiltshire Times, 13 June 1936
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 23 March 1916
[7] The Wiltshire Times, 16 July 1955
[8] The Wiltshire Times, 13 July 1926
[9] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 28 March 1936
[1] The Bath Chronicle, 28 March 1914
[2] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 11 March 1916
[3] RJ Tucker, Scripta Legenda, 1976, Free Troglophile Association Press, p.36
[4] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 15 July 1933
[5] The Wiltshire Times, 13 June 1936
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 23 March 1916
[7] The Wiltshire Times, 16 July 1955
[8] The Wiltshire Times, 13 July 1926
[9] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 28 March 1936