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| Before 1910: Sarah Smith sen. was buried July 16th 1910 aged 62. Sarah Smith jun. with her bicycle, Sarah Smith sen., in the trap. Even the dog is still in the doorway. You will note that Alfred Smith is standing side to the camera. This hides the fact that he had no left arm. |
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| Alfred E. Smith, the sub-postmaster, and his wife Sarah, had four children, Edward, Ralph, George and Sarah. Sarah, who was known as Aunt Cissie in the family, remained a spinster until she died. Ralph moved to Manchester where he married and had three daughters. Information from Stuart Thomas. | ||
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Behind the Post Office before 1910
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Sarah jun., Sarah sen. with Alfred in the orchard behind the post office before 1910.
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The Journal of John Albert Greaves There were also the shop and the public house and blacksmith shop but I pulled down completely and rebuilt the shop at a cost of about three hundred pounds
1877 - 1895 Kellys Directory Ephraim Gaskins, shopkeeper 1899 Kellys Directory Mrs. Harriet Gascoyne shopkeeper 1901 census Harriett Gascoyne, widow aged 70 was Shopkeeper & Postmistress 1911 cenus Alfred Smith widower aged 56 was Sub Postmaster his daughter Sarah single aged 29 General Stores 1915 Kelly's Directory Miss Sarah Smith, shopkeeper, Post Office 1916 Mr. Birch Alec Burbidge (image left) ran the shop for a number of years - he moved with his family to Castlethorpe in January 1944. |
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I have paid off two thousand pounds more making five thousand in all and two thousand pounds remains as yet upon the estate now, June 1889, which if I do not clear must be left to my successors who will then take the estate less burdened than I had it. The cottages too, were many of them very old and ruinous and I have rebuilt a fair portion of the village which my successor will have the benefit. The blacksmith's was an old thatched house so too the Tithe houses in Q Square. The next row adjoining were very miserable places with upstairs windows on the floor level the houses opposite I had reslated tho' I ought to have pulled them down, I improved the next. The shop down street I pulled down and rebuilt at a cost of two hundred eighty pounds (this is the Post Office) and I have put barns and out buildings to most of the others. I have worked at a disadvantage through not being on the spot. The cottages are now too small but the rents are small also. Some widows still pay six pence a week and some nine pence. We want better houses but agricultural laborer cannot pay sufficient rent yet the sanitary inspectors pursue us with their investigations of which however, I do not complain. The village is low and the drainage is always a difficulty and I am placed at a disadvantage in not owning the land behind the cottages.
Taken from: The Journal of the Revd. John A. Greaves 1829 - 1893 (page 47). |
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