Isaac Southard: Box Horticulturalist
By Rachel Keegan and Jan Tapscott
With information and photos courtesy family members, especially Monica Keegan (Rachel's mother); and Keith Lewis and Phil King (Jan's cousins).
March 2015
This is the story of how Isaac's great grandchildren got in touch via our website after reading Jan's story at Southard Family. Together the family came up with this fascinating story of an important Box horticulturalist.
Keith Lewis had a family souvenir that intrigued him but was rather vague. His mum had left him a family souvenir, a medal and a family anecdote that it was won by his great grandfather, Isaac Southard, a gardener at Box.
What was its relevance?
Left: Isaac Southard
By Rachel Keegan and Jan Tapscott
With information and photos courtesy family members, especially Monica Keegan (Rachel's mother); and Keith Lewis and Phil King (Jan's cousins).
March 2015
This is the story of how Isaac's great grandchildren got in touch via our website after reading Jan's story at Southard Family. Together the family came up with this fascinating story of an important Box horticulturalist.
Keith Lewis had a family souvenir that intrigued him but was rather vague. His mum had left him a family souvenir, a medal and a family anecdote that it was won by his great grandfather, Isaac Southard, a gardener at Box.
What was its relevance?
Left: Isaac Southard
National Chrysanthemum Society Medal
The medal doesn't tell much of the story: it is inscribed National Chrysanthemum Society and in a presentation box marked
Awarded to Isaac Southard 1890 - 1900.
The medal doesn't tell much of the story: it is inscribed National Chrysanthemum Society and in a presentation box marked
Awarded to Isaac Southard 1890 - 1900.
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Not much to go on ! But a family photo from Phil emerged which showed a huge chrysanthemum bush with 188 blooms on it and a note NCS medal Bath 8th November and Bristol 14th November 1893 - Winner of Centenary Medal - Grown by Isaac Southard, Middlehill, Box, Wilts.
Rachel was able to fill in many of the blanks when she discovered two references in newspaper archives. The Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette of 1889 reported on the Bath Chrysanthemum Show and Mr WJ Brown of Middlehill House, Box: Mr Brown's gardener, Isaac Southard, has for four years gained the medal for the best plant in the show.[1] These details were later expanded in a report from The Bath Chronicle of 1938, who said that this specimen gained the National Chrysanthemum Society's bronze centenary medal awarded in 1893 ... for the best plant exhibited in any show in that year ... the bloom was so large that the side of the greenhouse had to be taken out to enable it to be removed.[2]
Family photo of Isaac's chrysanthemum display
By 1880 Isaac had married Elizabeth Couzens (sometimes written Elisabeth Cousins) of Saltford (see below). They appear to have moved to Box between 1880 and 1882 and had ten children. The 1911 census gives Isaac’s residence as Gloster Cottage in Box, which is listed between Spa House (owned by quarry owner Norman Wilson Pictor and family including three domestic female servants) and Woodbine Cottage. They were still living at Middlehill, just down the road from Middlehill House, where we encountered them in 1893.
Isaac and Alfred, Horticulturalists
The family archives produced an anecdote which told of Isaac's reputation as: a gardener of some renown living in the area of Box Wiltshire.[3] He was listed as a specialist in the growing of Chrysanthemums and Begonias and won many awards in local and district shows. He won a cup at the Chippenham Flower Show that was only intended to be one yearly but he won it outright in five years.
Isaac and Alfred, Horticulturalists
The family archives produced an anecdote which told of Isaac's reputation as: a gardener of some renown living in the area of Box Wiltshire.[3] He was listed as a specialist in the growing of Chrysanthemums and Begonias and won many awards in local and district shows. He won a cup at the Chippenham Flower Show that was only intended to be one yearly but he won it outright in five years.
Isaac and Elizabeth
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The reference explains that he was not a humble gardener but a well-known horticulturalist: He wrote many articles on flower culture for Harmsworth Magazine and was employed freelance for many years visiting many of the large houses in Wiltshire advising and designing their gardens and repairing vegetables and flowers for shows.
Elizabeth Southard
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Alfred Southard in Harmsworth Magazine
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The anecdote goes on to say that Isaac was involved with apple-growing.[4] He was also one of three men who grafted the apple tree at a nursery at Bathford that became named as "The Beauty of Bath" and was the first English-grown apple to mature and became the well-known apple of today.
There is no definite evidence about this and the claim remains unproven. But there are some tantalising clues. Rachel came across a letter written in 1950 by a lady who claimed that her father, George Garraway, a friend of Alfred Southard (Isaac's brother), developed the apple and sold it to Mr Cooling in 1864.[5] But this doesn't seem to be the whole story as George Garraway was only 16 in 1864 and Alfred Southard only 15. |
George Garraway definitely knew Alfred Southard as they were both judges at the Chippenham Flower Show in 1885. Alfred was born in 1849 in Bathford and by 1881 he was living in Bathwick; but, at some time between 1881 and 1891, the family had moved to Sutton in Surrey. Rachel also found an article in the Harmsworth magazine about chrysanthemum-growing which mentions a
Mr Southard. It also refers to Sutton, so it appears that Alfred was also a leading authority in this field.
Mr Southard. It also refers to Sutton, so it appears that Alfred was also a leading authority in this field.
Isaac and Elizabeth's Children
The fascinating picture below shows all of their children attending the wedding of Florence and Frederick Brooks at Box Church on 8th July 1905.
The fascinating picture below shows all of their children attending the wedding of Florence and Frederick Brooks at Box Church on 8th July 1905.
The wedding group at Florence's marriage to Frederick Brooks.
It shows left to right:
Back Row: Louise Nicks (nee Couzens,Elizabeth Southard's sister), Clare Brooks, Nell Brooks, William Nicks, Alfred Hawkins, Alice Hawkins, Bert Southard, Bill Brooks, Harry Southard. Middle Row: Vic Southard, Anne Brooks, Nellie Southard,
Minnie Brooks, Frederick Brooks, Florence Southard, Rose Southard, Jack Parsons, Ted Southard.
Front Row: Lillian Southard (standing), Elizabeth Southard, Isaac Southard, Hector McDonald Southard (child).
Isaac died in London in 1924, ten days after his youngest daughter's wedding for which he had made the bouquet, just as he had done for his other four daughters. But that isn't the end of the Southard story because two of the boys, Vic and Ted, were recorded by the local press for their service in the Great War.
Vic and Ted in World War 1
Another terrific find by Rachel was a newspaper cutting entitled Brothers in Arms in the Bath Chronicle of 1916, which gave pictures and told the story of her grandfather, Vic Southard, and her great-uncle Ted Southard.[6] By then Sapper Vic of the 1st Wessex Royal Engineers had been in France for nearly a year. Bombardier Ted had enlisted in September 1914 and fought in the Battle of Loos.
Back Row: Louise Nicks (nee Couzens,Elizabeth Southard's sister), Clare Brooks, Nell Brooks, William Nicks, Alfred Hawkins, Alice Hawkins, Bert Southard, Bill Brooks, Harry Southard. Middle Row: Vic Southard, Anne Brooks, Nellie Southard,
Minnie Brooks, Frederick Brooks, Florence Southard, Rose Southard, Jack Parsons, Ted Southard.
Front Row: Lillian Southard (standing), Elizabeth Southard, Isaac Southard, Hector McDonald Southard (child).
Isaac died in London in 1924, ten days after his youngest daughter's wedding for which he had made the bouquet, just as he had done for his other four daughters. But that isn't the end of the Southard story because two of the boys, Vic and Ted, were recorded by the local press for their service in the Great War.
Vic and Ted in World War 1
Another terrific find by Rachel was a newspaper cutting entitled Brothers in Arms in the Bath Chronicle of 1916, which gave pictures and told the story of her grandfather, Vic Southard, and her great-uncle Ted Southard.[6] By then Sapper Vic of the 1st Wessex Royal Engineers had been in France for nearly a year. Bombardier Ted had enlisted in September 1914 and fought in the Battle of Loos.
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Elizabeth during WW1 wearing the regimental badges of her two serving sons.
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They
both returned from the war although Vic suffered several bouts of
malaria, which affected his health for the rest of his life.
Monica Keegan says that Vic never talked about the war when he returned, like so many of the servicemen. They were the lucky ones who came back, and they just wanted to get on with their lives. After the war, both Ted and Vic became police officers. Vic was stationed in Bristol and Ted in Bath. Vic's appointment came almost by chance. He had been an apprentice stonemason before the war and he apparently went to Bristol hoping to work on the Wills University Tower which was just being built. When he got there, he saw a poster saying Are you 6 feet or over - if so, why not join the Bristol Constabulary. He ended up as an Inspector, not bad for one who left school at about 12. He died in Bristol on 22 May 1961 when he was living at 122 Coronation Street, Bedminster, leaving an estate of £2,303 to his widow, Thirza Evelyn Southard. Ted married Emily Pardon of Bath in 1925. He was cited several times for his police work, including Policeman's Prompt Action Kept Bath Fire in Check Till Brigade's Arrival [7] and an RSPCA award for saving cows from drowning in the River Avon.[8] Ted died in Bath in 1963. Left: Vic Southard |
My sister Ruth and I both benefited from the grammar school system and we both went to Oxford University. I'm sure that Isaac could not have imagined that his great granddaughters would go there, especially as women had only just become full members of the university at the time of his death.
Isaac Southard's story highlights many aspects of our society that have altered beyond recognition over the century since he won his medal. Nowadays it is rare that people earn a living growing vegetables and chrysanthenums for private landowners. It isn't that the skill of gardeners has altered; on the contrary there is more interest and money in the horticultural trade than ever.
Rather it is the wealth of landowners which has disappeared from the economy of Box. By the time of his children, Vic and Ted, employment in the united Kingdom had moved to career advancement and social support and jobs like the professions and the police force had become the norm.
Rather it is the wealth of landowners which has disappeared from the economy of Box. By the time of his children, Vic and Ted, employment in the united Kingdom had moved to career advancement and social support and jobs like the professions and the police force had become the norm.
Family Tree
Isaac Southard (1851 at Bathford d 1924) from Bathford married Elizabeth Mary Couzens (1858 - 1948) from Saltford.
Children: a. Annie Ada Florence (Florrie) (b Saltford 1880, d Wroughton 1963); b. Alice Mary (b 1882); c. Rosina Harriet (Rose)
(b 1883); d. Harry Couzens (b 1885); e. William Herbert (Herbert) (b 1887); f. Nellie Maude (b 1890); g. Edwin Frank (Ted) (1893 - 1963); h. Alfred Victor (Vic) (1894 - 1961); i. Lillian Violet (b 1896); and j. Hector McDonald (1900 - 1909).
a. Florence's story is given at Southard Family
She and Frederick Brooks had four children: Rose; Hector James (known as Jim); Eileen who married Mr King (children: Robin; Philip); and Barbara who married Harold Drewer (no children).
b. Alice married Alfred Isaac Hawkins, a railway engine stoker, in 1905. They lived in Oxford in 1911 and had a child, (Hilda) Nellie, and possibly others. They later lived at Harlesden, London. Nellie Hawkins had several children and one of them (Mary) was adopted by Lillian Southard who was unable to have any of her own.
c. Rosina lived at Gloster Cottage as a pupil teacher in 1911 although In 1908 she had married John (Jack) Parsons, stone mason. She and John moved to Wandsworth, London, by 1924 and she died at Tooting, London, in 1956.
d. Harry had left home by 1911 and was working with his Box friend, Herbert Benjamin, in Faringdon, Berkshire, as banker masons. He married Florence Mary Goodliffe of Christchurch in 1913. He died at Mitcham, Surrey, in 1959, leaving his estate of £2,460.15s.11d to his widow.
e. Herbert married Annie Clay White at Camberwell in 1913. They later lived in Kingsley Green, Haselmere, where they owned a dairy farm. Herbert died at Haslemere, Surrey, in 1951 leaving an estate of £3,841 to his widow.
f. Nellie was working as a servant (domestic cook) for Mr & Mrs Thomas Smith of Lambridge in 1911. She married Ernie Franklin who worked as an upholsterer at the GWR works in Swindon and they lived in Wroughton. Children: PhyIlis (children: Alan; David); and Bob.
g. Ted married Emily A Pardon of Bath in 1925. He died in 1963 in Bath.
h. Vic married Thirza Evelyn Gay (1890 - 1973) of Corsham in 1918 at Potterne. They possibly met through Isaac's work because in 1911 Evie was working as a domestic housemaid for Charles Morley at Shockerwick House. One of the witnesses on the marriage certificate was Stanley James (Jim) Stiles. In the 1911 census the Stiles family were living at Totney Cottages, Kingsdown, Box and Jim served with Vic in the Wessex Engineers in WW1. After the war, Jim Stiles became a plain clothes police officer in Bristol and the two families remained close friends for the rest of their lives.
After Vic retired from the police, he and Evie spent ten months in Australia in 1951-52 visiting many of Evie's relations (three of her siblings had emigrated in 1901). They also visited Evie's eldest sister in New Zealand (she had emigrated in the 1920s). Vic died suddenly from a heart attack in 1961 while playing bowls in a park in Bristol,
Vic and Evie's only child Monica (Rachel's mother) married Robert Keegan (a civil servant) in Bristol in 1947. Roland Stiles (Jim's son) was best man and the bridesmaid was Mary McDowell, the adopted daughter of Lilian Southard. They moved to Ashford, Middlesex in 1961.
Rachel recalls that her other great grandfather, Henry Gay, was also a gardener at a number of big houses, including Shockerwick, and specialised in growing roses. In recent years, Rachel and her sister Ruth have both developed a keen interest in gardening (it is obviously in their genes!).
i. Lillian married Joe McDowell and adopted a daughter, Mary (see above). At the beginning of WW2, Joe was a clerk in the Foreign Office where he met Robert Keegan (Rachel's father) and introduced him to Rachel's mother.
j. Hector died in 1909, aged nine years.
Isaac Southard (1851 at Bathford d 1924) from Bathford married Elizabeth Mary Couzens (1858 - 1948) from Saltford.
Children: a. Annie Ada Florence (Florrie) (b Saltford 1880, d Wroughton 1963); b. Alice Mary (b 1882); c. Rosina Harriet (Rose)
(b 1883); d. Harry Couzens (b 1885); e. William Herbert (Herbert) (b 1887); f. Nellie Maude (b 1890); g. Edwin Frank (Ted) (1893 - 1963); h. Alfred Victor (Vic) (1894 - 1961); i. Lillian Violet (b 1896); and j. Hector McDonald (1900 - 1909).
a. Florence's story is given at Southard Family
She and Frederick Brooks had four children: Rose; Hector James (known as Jim); Eileen who married Mr King (children: Robin; Philip); and Barbara who married Harold Drewer (no children).
b. Alice married Alfred Isaac Hawkins, a railway engine stoker, in 1905. They lived in Oxford in 1911 and had a child, (Hilda) Nellie, and possibly others. They later lived at Harlesden, London. Nellie Hawkins had several children and one of them (Mary) was adopted by Lillian Southard who was unable to have any of her own.
c. Rosina lived at Gloster Cottage as a pupil teacher in 1911 although In 1908 she had married John (Jack) Parsons, stone mason. She and John moved to Wandsworth, London, by 1924 and she died at Tooting, London, in 1956.
d. Harry had left home by 1911 and was working with his Box friend, Herbert Benjamin, in Faringdon, Berkshire, as banker masons. He married Florence Mary Goodliffe of Christchurch in 1913. He died at Mitcham, Surrey, in 1959, leaving his estate of £2,460.15s.11d to his widow.
e. Herbert married Annie Clay White at Camberwell in 1913. They later lived in Kingsley Green, Haselmere, where they owned a dairy farm. Herbert died at Haslemere, Surrey, in 1951 leaving an estate of £3,841 to his widow.
f. Nellie was working as a servant (domestic cook) for Mr & Mrs Thomas Smith of Lambridge in 1911. She married Ernie Franklin who worked as an upholsterer at the GWR works in Swindon and they lived in Wroughton. Children: PhyIlis (children: Alan; David); and Bob.
g. Ted married Emily A Pardon of Bath in 1925. He died in 1963 in Bath.
h. Vic married Thirza Evelyn Gay (1890 - 1973) of Corsham in 1918 at Potterne. They possibly met through Isaac's work because in 1911 Evie was working as a domestic housemaid for Charles Morley at Shockerwick House. One of the witnesses on the marriage certificate was Stanley James (Jim) Stiles. In the 1911 census the Stiles family were living at Totney Cottages, Kingsdown, Box and Jim served with Vic in the Wessex Engineers in WW1. After the war, Jim Stiles became a plain clothes police officer in Bristol and the two families remained close friends for the rest of their lives.
After Vic retired from the police, he and Evie spent ten months in Australia in 1951-52 visiting many of Evie's relations (three of her siblings had emigrated in 1901). They also visited Evie's eldest sister in New Zealand (she had emigrated in the 1920s). Vic died suddenly from a heart attack in 1961 while playing bowls in a park in Bristol,
Vic and Evie's only child Monica (Rachel's mother) married Robert Keegan (a civil servant) in Bristol in 1947. Roland Stiles (Jim's son) was best man and the bridesmaid was Mary McDowell, the adopted daughter of Lilian Southard. They moved to Ashford, Middlesex in 1961.
Rachel recalls that her other great grandfather, Henry Gay, was also a gardener at a number of big houses, including Shockerwick, and specialised in growing roses. In recent years, Rachel and her sister Ruth have both developed a keen interest in gardening (it is obviously in their genes!).
i. Lillian married Joe McDowell and adopted a daughter, Mary (see above). At the beginning of WW2, Joe was a clerk in the Foreign Office where he met Robert Keegan (Rachel's father) and introduced him to Rachel's mother.
j. Hector died in 1909, aged nine years.
References
[1] Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, 21 November 1889
[2] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 5 November 1938
[3] The details come from an unidentified, type-written extract. The source of the information appears to be the influential publication Harmsworth Magazine (sometimes called the London Magazine) published by Alfred Harmsworth (later Lord Northcliffe),who founded The Daily Mail and owned The Times newspaper.
[4] Other family sources say that he developed a rose (not an apple) called Beauty of Bath.
[5] Lots of references to Beauty of Bath on the internet say that it was introduced by George Cooling in 1864.
[6] Bath Chronicle, 29 January 1916
[7] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 5 October 1940
[8] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 7 December 1940
[1] Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, 21 November 1889
[2] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 5 November 1938
[3] The details come from an unidentified, type-written extract. The source of the information appears to be the influential publication Harmsworth Magazine (sometimes called the London Magazine) published by Alfred Harmsworth (later Lord Northcliffe),who founded The Daily Mail and owned The Times newspaper.
[4] Other family sources say that he developed a rose (not an apple) called Beauty of Bath.
[5] Lots of references to Beauty of Bath on the internet say that it was introduced by George Cooling in 1864.
[6] Bath Chronicle, 29 January 1916
[7] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 5 October 1940
[8] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 7 December 1940