MR J J GARNER’S DIARY ENTRIES (2) – STAFF AND OTHER OLNEY PEOPLE

Mr J J Garner’s diary entries provide a valuable insight into the running of a successful drapery business in a small country town during the first half of the twentieth century. The entries will also be of great assistance to anyone attempting to establish dates or ‘time lines’ for events in Olney.

The entries have been selected and collated by Mr Roger Gooden (Mr J J Garner’s grandson) to provide a series of lists that will be of interest to readers with family connections to Olney.

This, the second of two ‘diary entry’ web pages, presents two smaller lists covering Mr J J Garner’s entries regarding his staff and other Olney people.

The first web page presents by far the largest list and covers the set of general observations recorded by Mr Garner over the period 1903 to 1941. The third web page presents two lists covering Mr J J Garner’s entries during the early days of the Second World War (unfortunately he did not add any entries after 1941) and his entries regarding other shops around the Market Place.

GARNER SHOP – STAFF MEMBERS (1903 – 1941)

Ablett	07/09/18	Ablett had suit
Allabarton	20/04/14	Miss K Allarbarton starts month on trial at desk
Andrews	31/03/10	Kate Andrews left, been here 3 years
Andrews	23/09/18	Miss Andrews, Emberton, starts on trial
	23/09/22	Miss Andrews starts at Bedford (CP Roses)
Ball	07/06/30	Engaged Ball (Roland?)
	08/08/39	Ball called up
Benyon	22/01/08	Benyon out will bills
	29/02/08	Paid Benyon to date
Blackwell	26/05/03	Miss Blackwell – birthday
Boswell	29/09/19	Miss Boswell starts
	10/02/21	Miss Boswell spoke about leaving
	08/08/21	Miss Boswell comes back again in shop
	22/12/23	Miss Boswell left
	29/12/23	Miss Boswell’s wedding day
Bridges	25/02/05	Gave Miss Bridges notice to leave
Britton	05/08/26	Miss Britton starts month on trial
	05/09/30	Miss Britton to hospital
	28/10/30	Heard of Miss Britton’s death
Chater	26/05/35	Frances Chater left after 5 years
Church	03/11/27	Mrs Church re her daughter
	19/11/32	Miss Church left after 4 years
Clark	12.01.39	Miss Clark here
Clarke	28/06/37	Miss Stephanie Clarke 21
	11/09/39	Miss Stephanie Clarke starts in Men’s Shop
Coley	29/09/08	Miss Coley back
	07/07/10	Miss Coley on holidays
Cooley	04/02/10	Miss Cooley retired
Croft	26/05/20	Miss Croft on holidays
	05/12/20	Gave Miss Croft notice to leave
Crouch	08/01/07	Miss Crouch came
	07/03/07	Miss Crouch started again
	28/06/13	Miss Crouch left – been here 6 years
	02/08/13	Miss Crouch married
Crouch	02/03/31	Miss Crouch signed agreement
	04/07/32	Miss Crouch started – Mrs Ted
	17/07/37	Miss Crouch left after 4/5 years
Cummings	15/09/22	Miss Cummings went away – Thompsons
Dalby	21/11/36	Tom engaged Dalby for Men’s Shop
	05/12/36	Paid Dalby off
Drage, Fred	17/03/06	Fred Drage left – here about 5 years
	11/03/07	Fred Drage back again
	07/05/12	Drage out with bills
Drage, Leslie	22/09/06	Leslie Drage came in shop
	29/06/07	Leslie Drage left
Eeley	29/03/06	Miss Eeley started in shop
	02/06/06	Miss Eeley left
Field	13/08/23	Field starts month on trial
Fowler	29/04/09	Fowler finished bills
	05/03/10	G Fowler leaving next week
Freeman	24/07/06	Freeman sent home
Fuller	17/09/11	Tom had Fuller in for tea
Garner	09/03/14	Tom starts in shop
Gladwin	24/10/08	Engaged Gladwin for Men’s Shop
	24/12/08	Gladwin left
Goy	09/07/06	Miss Goy arrived
	13/12/06	Gave Miss Goy notice to leave
Griggs	30/09/08	Cliff Griggs left after six years
	07/05/12	Griggs out with bills
Hill	04/09/29	Hill starts month on trial
	18/04/35	Tom & Hill – lino
Hobbs	10/12/06	Mary (Amy Hobbs) leaving
	12/10/09	Miss Hobbs’ wedding
Hoddle	28/07/06	Nellie Hoddle on holidays
	09/02/09	Nellie Hoddle to stay on 1 more month
	19/02/10	Nellie Hoddle left
Howson	29/03/26	Boy Howson starts in Men’s Shop
Howson	15/04/41	Miss Howson starts month on trial
Johnson	15/01/12	Miss Johnson started in shop
	20/05/16	Miss Johnson left
	13/12/20	Miss Daisy Johnson wedding
Kitchener	04/03/13	Miss Kitchener starts month on trial
	22/06/14	Miss Kitchener starts in shop
	19/04/19	Miss Kitchener leaves after about 6 years
	15/07/29	Miss W Kitchener married
Knight	07/06/09	Rose Knight starts in shop
	07/02/13	Miss Knight spoke about leaving
	01/07/13	Miss Knight not well
Lay	17/01/10	Lay started month on trial
	10/02/12	Lay putting lino in Allerbarton’s passage
Lett	06/08/35	Miss Lett starts in shop (Stella?)
	18/03/41	Miss Lett left after 4 years
Libby	04/06/08	Miss Libby arrived
	16/07/08	Miss Libby went away
	05/03/12	Miss Libby went away
Lineham	01/12/19	Miss Lineham starts in shop
	22/03/30	Miss Lineham left after 10 years ‘Satisfactory Service’
	17/01/31	Daisy Lineham 21
	02/07/33	Miss Lineham’s wedding day
Lister	13/03/27	Took Lister to Ravenstone
	23/03/31	Lister over for lino
Litchfield	12.11.07	Miss Litchfield married S Inns
	10/02/16	Miss Litchfield left
Ludgate	27/03/41	Mee and Ludgate to Odell
	29/03/41	Ludgate’s first pay day
Minard	02/08/06	Miss Minard mending blinds
	18/09/41	Miss Minard spoke about leaving
Mee	29/01/41	Mee out with van alone
Monks	29/04/22	Mary Monks left
Moore	22/04/24	Girl left – Moore – Clifton
Moye	04/10/17	Miss Moye starts in shop
	26/05/20	Miss Moye on holidays
	01/04/21	Miss Moye left
	06/10/36	Miss Moye and Lyman married
Mynard	03/01/38	Miss Mynard starts in shop
Osborn	11/02/05	Miss Osborn to Bedford (errand?)
	02/03/08	Olive Osborn started in shop
	14/10/08	Doug Osborn starts on month’s trial
	28/10/11	Osborn left, been here 3 years
	23/10/22	Miss Osborn starts month on trial
Parris	15/07/35	Miss Parris starts month on trial
	27/07/35	Spoke to Mrs Parris – sorry
Partridge	06/12/30	Miss Partridge and Mr Mayhew married
Paybody	04/12/11	Paybody here, one month on trial
	04/12/13	Paybody day off
	10/05/15	Sid Paybody starts at Woods Motor Works
Peggs	15/05/39	Mary Peggs returned after 8 weeks
Perkins	24/11/13	F Perkins – full time apprentice
	28/01/30	Perkins left after 16 years
	31/01/30	Perkins went away from Olney to Marlow
Peters	12/05/06	Boy Peters started
	23/06/06	Peters left
	29/07/14	Tom and Peters covering room
Pettit	04/01/37	Miss Pettit starts in shop
	06/09/37	Miss Pettit ‘Shan’t come no more’
Porter	24/07/39	Desmond Porter starts month on trial
	19/11/40	Porter out with bills
Rainbow	06/01/14	Miss Rainbow, Lavendon, starts month trial
	16/06/14	Miss Rainbow weeks holiday
	08/04/18	Miss Rainbow’s sister starts for 2 years
Richens	04/07/32	Richens round Cosgrove
Roberts	01/10/23	Miss Roberts starts month on trial
Ruff	24/02/06	Ethel Ruff left, been here over 5 years, nearly 6 years – Good Worker – Good Girl
	11/05/08	Ethel Ruff went to Roses, Bedford
	03/03/13	Ethel Ruff married Charlie Hoddle
	20/02/08	Maud Ruff came, started on day-to-day
	01/03/10	Miss Maud Ruff began Indoors and in Shop
	25/09/12	Miss Ruff left shop for Bedford
	05/05/24	New girl – Miss Ruff
Sharp	05/07/13	Miss Sharp – Bozeat – left after 3 years
	14/04/20	Sharp starts in Men’s Shop
Shorley	03/05/30	Mary Shorley gave notice of leaving
	10/05/30	Hilda Shorley left
	30/07/35	Gave Hilda Shorley Wedding Present
Slater	04/07/32	Slater round Cosgrove
Taylor	29/06/36	Taylor starts in shop
	12/09/36	Taylor gave notice to leave
Tinston	04/03/15	Miss Tinston not here
	25/06/18	Miss Tintson notice to leave
Tompkins	26/11/29	Engaged Mr Tompkins as Traveller
	07/06/30	Tompkins left
Trevelyn	04/08/06	Mrs Trevelyn went away
Tunn	20/07/07	Jack Tunn began here
Turner	13/12/40	Turner Called-up
Wall	29/10/32	Mr Wall in Men’s Shop
Ward	28/12/36	New man (Ward) in Men’s Shop
	15/07/39	Ward left
Watson	17/11/34	Miss Watson is leaving Olney
	18/12/34	Miss Watson in to say goodbye
Wells	19/11/40	Wells out in Woodings van
	18/01/41	Mr Wells left
West	15/01/23	Miss West starts month on trial
	25/10/41	Miss West wedding day
	28/10/41	Miss West’s birthday
	30/10/41	Miss West introduced he husband – Mr Horace Morgan
	03/11/41	Miss West returns to business
Willis	05/11/11	Miss Willis gone to Ravenstone for me
WiImer	30/12/40	Mr Wilmer in Men’s Shop
	18/01/41	Mr Wilmer left
Wheeler	25/04/32	Miss Wheeler starts month on trial
	29/06/35	Miss Wheeler spoke about leaving
Wooding	16/10/34	Wooding out with Morris Van
	14/11/40	Wooding Called-up (Arthur)
	18/11/40	Wooding left
Wooding	11/04/21	Miss Wooding starts in shop
	13/10/23	Miss Wooding left
Wright	07/05/17	Maurice Wright starts in shop for 2 years

 DIARY ENTRIES OF OTHER OLNEY PEOPLE

(Not necessarily having any connection with Garner’s Shop)

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 Should you have any comments on this article, please contact us at information@olneyhistory.org.uk.

 Visit the third page – Diary Entries (3) – WW2 and other shops around the Market Place

Copyright © 2010 Olney & District Historical Society