The Hale Family of Gloucestershire & Birmingham

This is the story of the Hale family as it is understood to date - 5th. May 1999. The general outline is evident, but with more research it should be possible to fill in the detail, and hopefully to trace the history of the family even further back.

Our story begins on an autumn day in the village of Withington, Gloucestershire, which nestles in a fold of the Cotswold Hills, some 8 miles S.E. of Cheltenham. The infant river Coln ripples along in the valley - there is a mill, clusters of mellow stone cottages and an ancient church. Walking towards the church - a young couple - Henry Hale and Mary Kilby - this was their wedding day - 5th. October 1763. Following the ceremony they made their marks beside their names in the register, maybe a little awkwardly, being unaccustomed to holding the quill pen. Then they set forth to begin their life together.

So far research has revealed little about them beyond what can be found in the parish register - other documents still to be searched should provide more detail of their lives. We can visit Withington today - walk where they walked, see what they saw - it may even be possible to identify the cottage where they lived. However we shall never know what they looked like, and sadly will learn little of their characters - but maybe one of us, or one of our children has inherited hair like Mary's, or is of the same stature as Henry, or has something of their personalities. They lived long ago, and yet they are part of each of us, their descendants - they belong to us and we to them. The original parish registers of Withington are kept amongst the archives in Gloucester Record Office, and so we may look upon the marks they made beside their names on the day of their marriage, and in doing so, bridge the 236 years which have since passed by.

It is unlikely that Henry and Mary were born in Withington, as they were not baptised in the Church of England there. They had probably settled after finding employment in the parish. Many Cotswold villages were "closed" communities at that time, owned by the Lord of the Manor, and strangers were not welcomed, but Withington was an "open" village, the land owned by many small freeholders, and this attracted people from other villages to live there. In 1772 there were some 500 inhabitants, and it was a thriving community.

As yet we do not know how Henry earned his living, but probably he was involved in agriculture as most people were at that time. However it is likely that Mary was able to supplement the family income by spinning. The looms of the blanket-making industry centered at Witney, Oxfordshire needed a constant supply of yarn, and it was customary for the spinning to be done in the cottages of the Cotswold villages.

Following their marriage Henry and Mary continued to live in Withington for at least another 20 years, and raised a family of 6 sons, Richard, Joseph, Samuel, Thomas, William, and John.

The Hale family was strong and healthy - as is evident by the fact that no burials of the children or of their parents were recorded in the Withington register. So it seems the boys probably all survived childhood, and this at a time when infant mortality was generally high! Also, as so often disease walked hand in hand with poverty, it seems safe to assume the family must have enjoyed a reasonable standard of living.

Henry Hale was to make his mark once more in the Withington register when on the 18th. July 1768, he witnessed the marriage of Joseph Kilby, who was possibly Mary's brother. Joseph was described as "of the parish of Coberly", a village several miles to the west. His bride however was a Withington girl, Mary Rofe, and one wonders if they had met when he visited Henry and Mary.

The entries in the registers may give clues as to Mary Kilby's origin. It is possible that Mary and Joseph were the children baptised at Naunton, near Stow-on-the-Wold in 1743 and 1748. The father of these children was Richard Kilby, and it may be significant that Henry and Mary Hale's first son was given this name, whilst their second son was named Joseph - but further research is needed before we can be sure of this.

The baptism of John in 1783 was the last entry for the Hale family in the Withington Parish Registers. It is likely the elder sons had already left the village in search of work, as usually happened in the families of agricultural workers. We know that eventually Henry and Mary also left Withington, because there were no entries for them in the burial registers. Maybe in their old age they went to live with one of their sons, or possibly they moved on earlier to find work, for there is evidence that the village became less prosperous at the end of the 18th. and beginning of the 19th. centuries. When William Cobbett passed through Withington in the mid 1820's on one of his "Rural Rides" he wrote :-

".... here in this once populous village you see all the indubitable marks of most melancholy decay ..... it was, and not very long ago, a gay and happy place; but it now presents a picture of dilapidation and shabbiness scarcely to be equalled".

This he attributed to the mechanisation of the woollen blanket industry which brought to an end the spinning of the wool in the Cotswold cottages.

We do not know if Henry Hale owned land or property in Withington, but the fact that all the family moved away suggests they had nothing to keep them in the village. An examination of the Land Tax Records may clarify the situation.

It is now to Henry and Mary's 4th son and our ancestor, Thomas Hale, that we turn our attention. He was baptised in Withington Parish Church on the 20th March 1774.

So far we know nothing of his early life, and next find him in his mid 30's, married and living in Prestbury, a village just outside Cheltenham. His wife Hannah had been born in Charlton Kings, another village close to the town. It is possible it was their marriage which was recorded in the Charlton Kings Parish Register on 9th January 1798, when Thomas Hale of Badgworth married Hannah Moulder of Charlton Kings - again further research is necessary to verify this.

The family appear to have settled in Prestbury about 1810-11. 6 children were recorded in the Prestbury baptism register -Robert, Ann, George, Samuel, Henry, and Mary. It is likely there would have been older children too, who were born and baptised elsewhere. One older son, Thomas Hele aged 11 was buried in Prestbury churchyard on 8 April 1812.

It is interesting to note the variations in the spelling of the name Hale, which reflect the fact that Thomas and Hannah were probably illiterate. The vicar would have written what he thought they said, and he may have been unfamiliar with their Gloucestershire accents.

Thomas and Hannah remained in Prestbury for the rest of their lives. They were listed on the 1841 and 1851 census returns, living in an area of the village called Noverton. Thomas was an agricultural labourer.

(N.B. Ages on the 1841 census were rounded down to the nearest 5 years below, eg. someone aged 63 would be shown as 60. The ages of children were listed exactly)

Thomas and Hannah were pauper's by 1851, probably being too old and infirm to find employment. It seems likely however that their family helped them out, as they remained in their home. If they had applied for assistance from the Overseers of the Poor, they would have been sent to the Union Workhouse, where they would have been cruelly separated from each other after having been together for more than 50 years.

Hannah was buried in Prestbury Churchyard on the 4th July 1852 aged 72, and Thomas on the 26th February 1854. According to the Burial Register he was 78 years old, but his baptism in Withington shows him to have been within a few weeks of his 80th birthday. The ages given at death were often incorrect, as the person giving the information did not always know the correct age.

Our line continued with their son Samuel, who was baptised in Prestbury Parish church on the 18th. July 1819. He married Harriet Maria Robins on the 20th. September 1840 in the Parish Church of Charlton Kings. He was a labourer, she in domestic service. Their marriage certificate shows that Samuel could write his name, whilst Harriet made her mark.

The Robins were a very well known family in Charlton Kings and Cheltenham, and in the 18th. century had produced two famous artists, a father and son, both named Thomas Robins. Thomas Robins the elder 1716-1770 had trained as a fan painter, then became a garden designer and produced paintings of clients houses and grounds. Examples of his work hang in Cheltenham Art Gallery and in Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe. It would seem to be a possibility that Harriet Maria Robins was a descendant of Thomas Robins brother William, who was a carpenter and cabinet maker in Cheltenham, as this was also the occupation of her father, Thomas Robins, when she married in 1840. However further research is needed to verify this.

Samuel Hale had made a good marriage, his brides family being tradesmen - a step up the social ladder from agricultural labourer.

The young couple set up home near to Samuel's parents, Thomas and Hannah, in Prestbury. Their first son George was baptised there in 1841, to be followed by Mary, Samuel, Henry Thomas, Amelia, Anna Maria, Caroline, Harriet, and Fanny.

[In High Street, Prestbury was living Robert Hale, Samuel's older brother]

Soon after the birth of Fanny in 1858, the family moved into Cheltenham, for the next child Edith was born in the town in 1861, although they took her back to be baptised in Prestbury Church, on 11 August 1861. Their youngest child, another Samuel, was born in Cheltenham in 1863.

By the time of Anna Maria's baptism in 1851 Samuel was no longer described as a labourer, but as a gardener, and on Edith's birth certificate in 1861 he was a Master Gardener.

The census was taken on 7th. April 1861, and the information recorded shows that Samuel had obtained the position of gardener at Priory Lodge, Priory Place, Cheltenham, in the employ of an elderly Scottish bachelor, who also employed a butler and housekeeper. The Hale family lived in Stream Cottage in the garden of Priory Lodge. Samuel and his son Henry worked together, and it looks as though the two elder children, George and Mary were servants in the main house. Harriet was listed as a laundress and probably washed the linen for the household. The baby Edith was not named - maybe just an oversight as she was only 11 days old and it is known that she did not die young.

Later Samuel and his family moved from Stream Cottage to a house in nearby Hewlett Road, where they set up a laundry ~ there was plenty of linen to be washed for the large households in the town at that time.

Samuel and Harriet were the first of our ancestors to be mentioned in our oral family history. They were the grandparents of William George Hale "George" [my Grandfather], who in the 1960's took us to see their home at 227 Hewlett Road, and which still stands today. George explained how his Grandfather Samuel would collect the washing on Monday or Tuesday and return it on Thursday or Friday......

"He used a long hand-cart with bars across - not bars butted up - they were 4" apart. It had a back to it but no sides".

George told how all the daughters, his aunts, worked in the laundry, washing the linen by hand in tubs. It must have been hard, hot work - the water would have been heated and then carried to wash tubs. Here the linen would have been rubbed clean and later the tubs emptied. They probably had the use of a mangle, but after starching and drying would come the ironing . This would have been done with heavy flat irons which were heated on the range. After this the linen was placed in "large oval baskets with a handle each side", ready to be returned by Samuel. After the girls left home to be married Samuel and Harriet had to employ workers.

Of their sons we know the eldest George, a painter and decorator by trade, married and had two daughters, Annie and Louisa, but by 1881 he was a widower, and later moved to Birmingham [possibly Selly Oak]. Of their next son Henry Thomas more later. Samuel the youngest went to work in the Welsh coal mines, and we know nothing more about him.

I haven't as yet searched the 1871 census for Samuel and Harriet, but by 1881 all the children had left home for the census of that year showed Samuel and Harriet living alone in the house in Hewlett Road.

[N.D. may mean 'Not Domestic' indicating that Samuel was involved in market gardening]

By 1891 they had moved again, and were living at 18 Gloster Crescent, in their late 60's and still working as a gardener and laundress, with them was their married daughter Fanny with her husband and children.

The deaths and burials of Samuel and Harriet Maria Hale have yet to be found.

Samuel and Harriet Hale's 4th. child was baptised Henry Thomas on 27th. February 1848 in Prestbury Parish Church, and it is to him, our ancestor, that we now turn our attention. His copy of the New Testament has come down to us ~ it was presented to him in November 1863 when he was 15 years old, (see illustration in the later section on his son William George Hale). His son George told how Henry had only a little schooling, but his marriage certificate showed he could sign his name. This certificate gave his occupation as a gardener like his father Samuel.

Henry married in St. Mary's Parish Church, Cheltenham on the 9th. June 1872, his bride was Mary Ann Spencer. According to their marriage certificate both were aged 24, however whilst this was correct for Henry, from the evidence of the census records, it seems that Mary Ann was a few years older.

Like his father before him Henry had married into a well established Cheltenham family. The Spencer's were shoemakers in the town, and had been so at least since 1820 and possibly earlier. Mary Ann was the daughter of Timothy Spencer, and it is possible that he descended from the Timothy Spencer whose son, also called Timothy, was baptised at Cheltenham in 1699. Further research is needed to trace the line back to discover if this was so. Timothy is an unusual name and may well indicate it being a traditional one passed down in the Spencer family.

Mary Ann's father Timothy Spencer had a shop in Cheltenham, and had the commission to make the boots for the town's police force. He had been baptised in St. Mary's, Cheltenham on the 23rd. January 1820, the son of John and Ann Spencer, Shoemaker, and he was married in the same church on the 13th. March 1842.

He signed the register whilst his bride, Matilda Pearce, made her mark. She was born in Chalford, near Stroud, Glos., the daughter of Nathan Pearce, a labourer.

In 1851 Timothy and Matilda Spencer were living at 71 New Street, Cheltenham, and the census taken that year listed their children, including our Mary Ann, then aged 6.

Timothy and Matilda's eldest son William Spencer 1842-1913 was about 6' tall, he smoked cigars and liked a 'drop of short'. He was a poulterer, who travelled regularly with his horse and cart to Ross-on Wye and Kinver to buy live ducks. William, his wife Caroline and another man would kill and dress them ready to be sold by Wilkinsons, a shop in Cheltenham High St. They had no children but adopted a boy, believed to have been called "Mardikay" or something similiar, whom they educated and is said to have become a teacher. William and Caroline lived in a large house, 8 Bayshill Parade, Cheltenham which had an underground kitchen, and 'George' Hale remembered going with his Mother and young brother Albert to have tea there with his Uncle and Aunt Spencer regularly each month.

The second son of Timothy and Matilda, Alfred born 1847, sadly died in 1861. Their third son George Spencer 1850-1931 was like his brother William about 6' tall, and photographs show him to have been a fine looking man. He was a carpenter, specialising in the making of coffins. He never touched alcohol and was a lay preacher. George and his wife Mary Anne lived at 20 Henrietta St. Cheltenham. They had 9 children, one of whom was still born whilst another was tragically scalded and died. They have many descendants today, both in this country and in Canada. 'George ' Hale must have been fond of his Spencer cousins because it seems that he named his own daughter Elsie Dora after them. Through her cousin Kenneth Hale, Elsie has now made contact with the grandson of George and Mary Anne Spencer ~ Philip Smith, who lives in Cheshire and has researched the history of the Spencer family, and my thanks go to Philip for all the information he has so generously given.

Mary Ann Spencer, 184?-1932, our ancestress, the eldest known daughter of Timothy and Matilda Spencer, had an accident when she was about 13 years old which resulted in the loss of a leg. Throughout her long life few people were aware of her disability because the crutch she used was concealed beneath her long dress. Two photographs survive of her. We also have the memories of her passed on by her grandchildren. 'Ted' [Albert Edward Spencer Hale] recalled when he lived with her for a time as a boy, and his memories of his 'Granny Hale' were recorded on tape by David [Lukeman] shortly before Ted died in 1995, and so we can still recapture something of those now far off days.

The 1861 census showed the Spencer family to be still living at 71 New St., but a few years later Timothy died and the 1871 census shows Matilda widowed, and working as a housekeeper at 11 Fairview St, Cheltenham.

Ten years later, in 1881 Matilda, aged 60, was living with another elderly lady, at 37 Rutland St, earning her living by needlework. As yet we do not know when she died.

After their marriage in 1872 Henry Hale and Mary Ann Spencer set up home at 6 Fairview St. a few doors away from her mother Matilda. Their son Alfred Henry Spencer Hale was born in 1873, [named Alfred no doubt in remembrance of Mary Ann's brother Alf who died a few years before]. On 1st. December 1874 William George Hale , 'George' was born ~ just a day after Winston Churchill. Their other children were Rosabella, 'Rose'; Annie Nellie who died young, Nellie Annie, 'Nell'; and Albert Samuel Spencer Hale born in 1887.

The 1881 census showed the family living at 5 Princes Place, Cheltenham.

Later the family moved to Duke Street, and then to 1 Nash's Cottages, Haywards Lane, in Charlton Kings, a village just outside Cheltenham, and it was there that their youngest child Albert was born.

Henry and Mary Ann's two eldest boys, Alf and George attended the church school in Charlton Kings, for which a charge of 3d. a week was made, whilst copy books were extra. George, his pal Frank Lawrence and another boy played truant and went off "mooching", but Alf would never go. This went on and on until George hadn't been to school for a fortnight! When his mother went to pay "Bossy" Weaver, the school master, the truanting was discovered. The boys had spent their days in Gloucester, some 10 miles away ~ they had bathed in the docks and watched the prisoners from the gaol making mail bags on the quay.

Unfortunately fate was about to deal a terrible blow to the Hale family, and it all began with George truanting! One day he and his pals decided to go to the fair at Gloucester Cross, where George ate some shellfish ~ within days he was suffering from Typhoid Fever, and spent 10 weeks in Cheltenham General Hospital. The whole family, except by some miracle the baby Albert, developed Typhoid! Then on 1st. March 1888 Henry Hale died of Typhoid in Cheltenham General Hospital. On the death certificate his age was given as 42, but he was only 40. Alf, his eldest son, aged 14, died on 19th. March. Mary Ann was with them both when they passed away. Her brother George Spencer saw to their funerals on the 5th. and 22nd. of March ~ they were buried in Charlton Kings churchyard ~ the snow lay deep on the ground.

Mary Ann now had to struggle on parish relief to bring up the remaining four children [one a babe in arms], all of whom subsequently lived into their 90's. The family moved back into Cheltenham to 3 St Annes Cottages, Fairview. George had to leave school to help to support the family, and the 1891 census listed him as a grocers porter.

Mary Ann was a fine needlewoman, who particularly specialised in making mens shirts. But they just couldn't manage and little Nellie Annie had to go into a home for a time, this was the reason she was not listed on the 1891 census with the rest of the family. Later George began work as a paper hanger, and he worked as a painter and decorator for the rest of his long working life.

Rose, Nell and Albert all continued to live in Cheltenham, where they married, raised families, and like their brother George lived well into their 90's. Rose became Mrs Knight, and I remember visiting her several times when I was on a course in Cheltenham in 1967. She was a lovely old lady and made me very welcome. Her eyesight was failing, but she always had a Large Print book from the library ~ "I love a bit of romance ", she would say. Nell became Mrs Greenman, and both sisters have family still living in Cheltenham today. Albert married Kitty, and saw service in the First World War. They had a daughter Rita, who sadly died, and a son Kenneth who is an accountant. Kenneth Hale married Claude, a French girl. They live in Cheltenham and have a grown up family.

Mary Ann Hale [nee Spencer] lived on until 1932, latterly living with Albert and Kitty. She made a simple will leaving an insurance policy on his life to George.

By 1895 William George Hale 'George' was courting Blanche Laura Higgs. At first he had 'walked out' with her sister Florence but cheekily told her that it was Blanche whom he was really interested in!

Blanche was a member of another ancient Cheltenham family ~ Higgs had been mentioned in documents relating to the Manor of Cheltenham as early as the 14th. century. For centuries the Higgs were important farmers in the town, they leased the Rectory from Sir Francis Bacon which led eventually to a litigation against them which was heard in the Court of Chancery; they were granted a Coat of Arms; one was a commissioned officer in the army of Charles 1 and fought at the Battle of Naseby - his table top tomb stands in Charlton Kings Churchyard; yet another member of the family had owned the land on which was discovered the mineral water spring which ultimately led to the rise of Cheltenham as a spa. Even in the 19th. century certain branches were still wealthy ~for example in that century, Charles Cook Higgs built the Church of the Holy Apostles in Charlton Kings. Blanche's line however was no longer as prosperous as their forebears had been, although they did still own 9 cottages, known as Higgs Cottages at Lower Alstone, Cheltenham, which had been handed down for generations.

During the 19th. century Sir Thomas Phillips researched the history of the Higgs, and produced a pedigree, a copy of which he presented to the British Museum, as an example of a typical yeoman family. In the 1930's a branch of the family based in Berkshire privately published a book on their Higgs family, and they included in it Sir Thomas Phillips research . A copy of this book can be seen in Birmingham Central Library. The story of the family is a fascinating one, but much too detailed to be related in full here.

Simeon Higgs 1777-1824, whose tombstone is in St.Mary's Parish Churchyard in Cheltenham [now sadly almost illegible], was listed by Sir Thomas Phillips and also appears in the Higgs book ~ Simeon was the great grandfather of Blanche Laura Higgs.

Simeon had married Sarah Brint in the church at Charlton Kings on 27th. October 1802, and their eldest son Emanuel was born in 1803. Their other children who survived childhood were George, Henry and Sarah. In his Will Simeon left his 6 cottages at Alstone, Cheltenham to his wife for her lifetime and then to his 4 children.

Simeon's 6 cottages, together with three more which were added later, became known as Higgs cottages. They remained in the family and at times were lived in by various family members until compulsorily purchased by Cheltenham Council in the 1950's for a pittance, a block of flats was built where they had stood. Leslie Dyer, the son of Blanche Higgs younger sister Annie, began at that time to collect information about the Higg's family, in an attempt to distribute the compensation paid by Cheltenham Council, to those entitled to receive a share. When I met Les in the early 1960's, he showed me the information he had, and this was how my interest in the history of the family began. We have worked together on the project for over 30 years now, and even today we are discovering more, and enjoy many happy hours on the telephone discussing the family. Most of the information which follows is the result of the early research which Les undertook.

Emanuel Higgs 1803 - 1883, eldest son of Simeon and Sarah, and our ancestor, married Rhoda Cosier in 1825. After she died in childbirth 1838 , he courted Mary Daniels, a girl whom his brother George was 'sweet' upon. Mary Daniels was born in Stroud, Glos. Emanuel and Mary finally married in 1844, having already had several children together . He had children by both of his wives, and it is said by the family that he fathered 22 altogether. Our branch of the family descends from his second marriage, to Mary Daniels.

The census returns of 1851 and 1861 show their growing family. Some of the ages given were obviously inaccurate.

A son William was born to Emanuel Higgs and Mary Daniels in 1840, several years before they married, and when this child died in 1846, just a short time before another son was born they called the new baby William also. With the same name they did not see any reason to register the new baby, although he was baptised. The use of the dead child's registration only really came to light when the second William was able to claim his pension years before his contemporaries, which didn't go unnoticed amongst his friends!

The baptism of the second son to be called William Higgs took place at St. Mary's Parish Church, Cheltenham as follows:-

William 1846-1926 was known in the family as Grampy Higgs. He was a market gardener, and was also very gifted in the growing of flowers. He usually kept a pig at home in Higgs Cottages, ~ his knowledge of pig rearing he had learned from his bachelor uncle, George Higgs. As young lads William and his brother had the job of taking uncle George to church each Sunday in the pony and trap. William married Harriet Poole on 3rd. February 1870, at St. Marks Church, Cheltenham.

Harriet, born 12th. January 1849, was the daughter of Thomas and Maria Poole, of Sandfield, Cheltenham.

Maria's maiden name was Cook, and it would be interesting one day to discover more about her family. Les Dyer says they were market gardeners, who owned land in the area, and certainly the name Cook appears in the Land Tax Returns back to 1780, but it has yet to be proved that this was Maria's family.

Of the daughters of Thomas and Maria Poole we know that Ellen married a Mr. Bevan. Eliza remained single and ran a pub in Cheltenham. She had a daughter, Alice Poole of whom we have a photograph, which shows her to have been a beautiful young woman. Eliza died in 1927, aged 84. Celia married Robert James Birt, and again we have a photograph of this couple. Harriet married William (Grampy) Higgs. Rose or Rosina did not marry and died aged 76 in 1927, just 15 days after her sister Eliza, and both were buried with their parents. Frances Poole, known as Fanny, married William Tallboy who as well as being a wheelwright was also a physical training instructor at the Gentlemens College in Cheltenham. Ann Maria (Annie) also married a Mr. Birt.

Thomas Poole died in 1895 aged 83. Maria his wife had died a few years earlier in 1891 aged 74. They are buried, together with two of their daughters in Cheltenham Cemetery.

To return now to the story of William Higgs and Harriet Poole, the 1891 census showed them with their children William, Florence [later lived in Birmingham], Frederick, Charles, Emmanuel [known as 'Todger', and later lived in Birmingham] , Rose [later lived in Birmingham], Arthur, Harriet [known as Alice], and Annie. Only two children were missing from the census ~ 14 year old Blanche Laura, who was working as a 'live in' domestic servant at the Salisbury Arms Public House in the town centre, and Thomas Reginald who had yet to be born.

'Rowanfield' stood near to Higgs Cottages, but was a much more spacious house. William and Harriet rented it, but during the 1890's there was a particularly hard winter, and William's market garden business was all but ruined. The family could no longer afford to live in Rowanfield, and moved into one of the family cottages.

Harriet died in 1917 and William [Grampy] Higgs died in 1926 at the age of 80.

Grampy Higgs is still remembered by the family, even though 73 years have now passed since his death. His grandaughter Elsie (Lukeman nee Hale) recalls the day when her parents took her with them to visit Grampy. The cottage seemed rather bare to the little girl, and she remembers how Grampy cut her a chunk of currant loaf. Les Dyer tells how on a Sunday his mother would cook a dinner for her widowed father. Les and his brother Bill would take it over to him, and Grampy would ask the boys to read aloud a passage from his bible.

Another story concerns Grampy's drinking. When he'd had a bit too much he had the unfortunate habit of pulling the cloth off the table, smashing all the crocks! This went on until one day he did it when his sister Rosa was visiting ~ she gave him the "biggest telling off " he ever had ~ he never smashed the crocks again !! This story was told by his daughter Annie.

Les recalls another story told to him by his mother, Annie. It was on a Sunday morning about 6 o'clock, when Harriet, Grampy's wife, heard noises at their bedroom window, someone was throwing up stones to attract their attention. She opened it, and down below was a man she already knew, and she near enough guessed what he wanted before she asked him:-

"I wondered if Mr.Higgs could help me with one of the pigs having her young?" he asked

"I will have to see what sort of mood he is in at this time of a Sunday morning, and see if I can persuade him to come down to your sties", was Harriets reply. After a few extra drinks on a Saturday night he was not always in the best of moods! However, Willum, as Harriet called her husband, soon made up his mind to help, for he knew he would be well rewarded for his services.

Harriet went back to the window and told the old boy to go back to the sties and wait till Mr.Higgs came down. Willum had a cup of tea, a bite to eat and off he went. He looked the pig over, then sent the man away, telling him to come back in 2 hours, this he did and was overjoyed on his return to find the pig with her piglets safe and sound.

Many years after, when Willum died in 1926, this same man placed a stone on his grave. For some while no one knew where it came from, then one day many years later it went missing. Enquiries at the cemetery office revealed that as the grave had not been paid for (a common grave) and 14 years had now passed by since Grampy's burial, the stone had been removed (in preparation no doubt for the grave to be reused). Annie his daughter then purchased the grave, and had a proper headstone erected ~ but the orginal stone, placed there by the grateful man whom Willum had helped, was replaced on the corner of the grave.

Grampy Higgs was a real 'character', but now we turn again to the story of his daughter Blanche Laura Higgs and to her courtship by William George Hale. George proposed and was accepted, but the path of true love didn't run smoothly... During the weeks when the Banns were being called they quarrelled. It was serious enough for them to pass each other by in the street and not speak. In the end George's mother went to see Blanche to ask if she would make it up with him as he was drinking himself silly. Blanche relented, and she and George were married at St. Marks Church, Cheltenham on 21st. September 1895. Their quarrel was recalled many times with much amusement during the years that followed. By such a slender thread did our future existence hang during that late summer of 1895!!

George and Blanche did not know on their wedding day, nor would they ever know, that may be they were distantly related. As we have already seen George, through his grandmother Harriet Maria Robins, was possibly descended from a brother of Thomas Robins, the artist, well Blanche was a descendant of Thomas Robins sister Anne, who married Thomas Higgs of Cheltenham! This information has only recently come to light, and further research will be necessary to clarify the situation.

George gave his age as 21 when he married ~ he was in his 21st. year but his 21st. birthday was not until 1st. December of that year. On that day his mother, Mary Ann Hale, gave to him the New Testament which had been presented to his father Henry in 1863. She wrote a few lines inside, beneath the dedication to Henry, to commemorate the occasion.

George and Blanche Hale lived in Cheltenham for the first 3 years of their marriage. It was during this time that Blanche was painted by Sidney Herbert, a well known artist. At that time he was teaching in Cheltenham, and Mary Ann Hale, George's mother did some sewing for Mrs Herbert. We think it was through this connection that Sydney Herbert met Blanche and asked her to sit for him. He painted her as a gypsy, peeling potatoes beside her caravan ~ Blanche's dark good looks must have made her the ideal model for this figure. Unfortunately George became jealous and stopped Blanche going for the sittings. We do not know if Sydney Herbert ever completed the painting. I have made enquiries at the Art Gallery in Cheltenham without success ~ it would be wonderful to find it if it still exists.

We have now followed the story of the Hale family from the marriage of Henry Hale and Mary Kilby in 1763 in the village of Withington, later to Prestbury and then on into Cheltenham. In 1898 the great great grandson of Henry and Mary, William George Hale and his wife Blanche were about to take the decision to try their luck in Birmingham, some 50 miles to the north, and that is where we shall next take up the story....

The connection of the Hale family with Birmingham goes back a hundred years, to the late 1890's, when William George Hale, known as 'George', travelled the 50 miles from Cheltenham to find employment. He was 24 years of age, and having difficulty in finding enough work as a painter and decorator in Cheltenham to support his young wife Blanche Laura [nee Higgs], who was expecting their first child.

Blanche soon joined George and they set up home in Tennant Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, where their eldest son George Henry Spencer Hale , known as 'Harry' was born in 1898. The family moved to Irving Street, Edgbaston, Birmingham and it was there that a second son was born in 1901, his name was Alfred Charles Spencer Hale, known as 'Alf '.

In about 1903 George and Blanche decided to return to Cheltenham, where another five children were born ~ Blanche Laura Hale in 1904, Albert Edward Spencer Hale known as 'Ted' in 1905, Archibald Ronald Hale in 1908, Gladys Irene Hale in 1911, and Frank Hale in 1914.

For a time the family lived in No. 1 Higgs Cottages, which belonged to Blanche's mother, Harriet. Often on a Saturday evening George would wander over to Grampy Higgs cottage, and after a few drinks, they would enjoy a sing song together.

About 1916 the family moved to Birmingham once more, where two daughters were born ~ Elsie Dora Hale in 1918 and Florence Helen in 1921, completing a family of 9 children. This time they settled permanently in the city, and lived for many years in rented houses in the area around Broad Street and Bristol Street ~ 35 Cumberland Street, Ladywood c1916 - 1928, and 78 Grant Street, Edgbaston [shop and house] c1928 - 1930.

There was other family close by as two sisters of Blanche ~ Rose Williams nee Higgs, and Florence Compton nee Higgs, and their brother Emmanuel 'Todger' Higgs, together with their families also made Birmingham their home. There was the paternal uncle of George living in the city also, and like his nephew he was a painter and decorator by trade.

George was a craftsman who took great pride in his work ~ at one time working on the home of the Chamberlain family in Moseley, whose son was Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. George complained that the house keeper there was too mean to give them hot water to make a cup of tea, and he also loved to tell the story of having his nose 'decorated', by a workmate, with a piece of the gold leaf which they were using on the gates of the estate.

He was a good workman and found steady employment, but as many men at that time, he liked a drink. After he began working for a Moseley firm which was contracted to decorate Mitchell & Butlers public houses his drinking became a problem. Home life was seriously disrupted when his natural Hale stubborness turned to belligerance under the influence of alcohol. Blanche had a hard task trying to keep home and family running smoothly. She was a gentle and loving person, who kept her troubles to herself and was greatly loved by her children, relatives and friends.

As a young man in Cheltenham George had enlisted with the Royal Engineers as a reservist, and once had been included in the guard of honour when King Edward V11 arrived at the railway station. At the outbreak of the First World War George was not immediately required, being by then 40 years old, but in May 1918 he received his call-up papers. He applied for and was granted exemption from military service from the beginning of September until 5th. November, but was then called upon to join the Volunteer Force instead. He was sent to work in an army camp on Salisbury Plain, along with his boyhood friend Frank Lawrence. They remained in civilian clothes and were set to work building latrines.

Harry too was called up to serve in the army, saw action in France and Egypt, and was wounded in the leg. After his demob. he started his own business repairing shoes in the front room of his parents house, later moving into a shop in Granville Street, Ladywood. Harry had learned his trade before the war, and whilst he served abroad, younger brother Alf had taken his place to also learn shoe repairing. After the war Harry and Alf began a partnership which was to last for over 40 years. Eventually George and Blanche's other 3 sons, Ted, Arch and Frank each worked in turn for Harry and Alf, learning the shoe repairing trade. The Hale boys were following in the long tradition of their Grandmother Hale's family ~ the Spencer's ~ who had been shoemakers in Cheltenham since at least the 1820's.

During the depression of the 1930's the boys struggled to keep their business going. At this time Gladys was also working for Harry and Alf in the shop, and her evenings were spent folding leaflets advertising their special offers, which were then distributed around the area to get some trade. At that time the shop was open from 8am-8pm each day.

The boys all worked hard and eventually they were rewarded with successful businesses. At various times Harry and Alf had 3 shops, Ted also had 3, and Frank had 5 around Birmingham, for a time in partnership with Arch.

During the years 1922-29 a host of mishaps befell the family. They suffered great sadness when in 1922, their youngest child, Florence Helen, known as 'Nellie', died aged only 13 months. George took her death particularly hard.

Then their eldest daughter Blanche fell ill with a goiter, Gladys had rhuematic fever which left her weakened for the rest of her life and whilst Gladys lay ill Blanche managed to set fire to the attic with a candle. Then Frank broke his arm whilst playing.

The troubles for the family were not over yet. Harry had a motorbike and sidecar, and one day a cousin and his young lady came on a visit from Cheltenham. Harry took her for a short ride around Birmingham ~ a bus collided with them, and tragically the girl was killed. It was later proved that Harry was in no way to blame for the accident.

Next it was Ted's turn to have an accident on his motorcycle, which was also proved in court not to have been his fault. He was awarded about £375 in compensation, which he never received from the car driver involved ~ the tale is told that the culprit had skipped the country.

There were happy events too during the late 1920's and early 1930's with the marriages of the older children, and the births of George and Blanche's first grandchildren. Harry married Olive Brownhill, who lived nearby, in about 1926, their children are Irene and Beryl. A year later Alf married Lillian Preedy whom he met because her brother had 'chummed up' with Harry when they were both called up for the 1st. World War. They served in France together, but unfortunately Lil's brother was killed ~ Harry had been standing next to him. After the war was over the two families kept in touch, which led eventually to Alf and Lil's marriage. They had two sons George and Ronald.

In 1928 Blanche married Bill Miller, and had three sons, Fred, George and John. Soon after Blanche and Bill's wedding, Ted married Mabel Gardner and their two daughters are Doreen and Joyce. A few years later Arch married May's sister Edith Gardner, and their son Roy was born. Mabel and Edith were the daughters of Albert Gardner who played for Birmingham City Football Club from 1908-1920. He was known as 'The Silent Knight' because of his profound deafness.

In 1941 Frank married Beatrice Carter, and their children are Roger, Keith and Graham. In 1942 Elsie married David Lukeman, and they have one daughter Barbara. Only Gladys remained single.

About 1929 the family moved from 35 Cumberland Street, into a large house and shop at 78 Grant Street ~ the shop being for Ted to start up his own boot and shoe repairing business in the evenings, whilst still working for Harry and Alf . His mother, Blanche served behind the counter during the day.

Just after Alf and Lil married George had a serious nervous breakdown, thought to have been caused by lead poisoning from the paint he used daily. He was ill for about 15 months in Rubery Hill Hospital. When he was well enough to leave hospital, it was decided that the family should move from the centre of Birmingham into the suburb of Moseley, where they purchased 40 Dovey Road. The rented house, 78 Grant Street was still kept in the family with Blanche and Bill living in the attic area and Ted and May living in the remainder of the house with the use of the shop for his shoe repairing business.

In Dovey Road George continued his recuperation, and gradually regained the confidence to take up his trade again, by painting and decorating the whole house with the help and encouragement of Blanche and the family. It was just after this time that he started his own decorating business.

The Hale's were a close knit family, but ofcourse there were disagreements from time to time, however they did know how to enjoy themselves when they all got together. Boxing Day was celebrated as 'Mom's birthday' (her birth certificate actually gave the 27th. as her birth date), and the children and grandchildren always gathered for a party. On one occasion Blanche snr., helped by Gladys and Elsie, cooked a dinner for 24 of the family!

It seemed by the end of the 1930's that George and Blanche, now in their 60's, had weathered the storms ~ their elder children were settled, and the 3 still at home, Gladys, Frank and Elsie, were grown up too. But the clouds of war were gathering once more over Europe, and Arch, particularly sensitive, worried about the inevitable conflict, and suffered a nervous breakdown. He was in Rubery Hill Hospital for several months, then on Sunday 8th September 1940 he paid a visit to Dovey Road to tell his parents that he was to be discharged on the following Wednesday. Tragically Blanche did not live to see it. She died suddenly of a heart attack at teatime on the Monday afternoon ~ 9th September. She was buried in Brandwood End Cemetery in Kings Heath. The family was in deep shock, but with the Battle of Britain raging, had to somehow cope with their grief and get on with everyday life. Blanche had followed the newspaper reports closely during the first year of the war, and predicted that it would end in the desert ~ which came true some 4 years after her death.

The family remained in Birmingham during the war, except for several of the grandchildren and May and Edie who were evacuated to stay with relations in Cheltenham. Frank was the only one to be called up.

After Frank married, Gladys and Elsie moved into a cottage at 109 Brook Lane, Kings Heath, Birmingham, owned by David Lukeman's family, and George came to live there with Gladys after Elsie and David married in 1942. The house in Dovey Road was not sold but let to a tenant. Later Gladys became the owner, with the view to it providing her with an income, as it seemed likely that she would not marry, and eventually would stay at home to look after her father, George. It became a great source of worry to her as the tenant was always grumbling and if repairs were not done promptly would complain to the authorities. Unfortunately the rent did not cover the cost of the repairs, and at one time Gladys had to arrange a loan from the Corporation to fulfill her obligations. It was a nightmare situation, and to make matters worse even should the elderly tenant die, her unmarried daughter who lived with her would be able to claim the tenancy. So it seemed highly unlikely that Gladys would ever benefit from her ownership. In the end Ted offered to buy it, which eventually he did, and so the burden was lifted off her shoulders.

After Gladys gave up her work in a cooked meat shop in Kings Heath to care full time for her father, George, they had to live on his old age pension ~ only a few pounds a week. It was hard to make ends meet. The boys made sure that she would be entitled to a full pension when she reached retirement age, they also took them on holidays either to the seaside, or to stay with George's brother Albert and his wife Kitty at Cheltenham, and most weeks members of the family visited them. Elsie and David, who lived close by in Coldbath Road took them out for car rides and picnics, and were there to help out when needed.

For several years during the mid 1960's George and Gladys moved temporarily into 41 Institute Road, Kings Heath, whilst the old cottages in Brook Lane were demolished and three new town houses built in their place. They then moved back into the new 109 Brook Lane.

Gladys looked after George until he died on 15th. October 1972 aged 97, and was laid to rest with Blanche and their son Arch, who had died aged only 57 in 1965. [Their son Alf had also died before his father, in 1961]. George had died within 6 weeks of his 98th. birthday, he had worked until he was 75, and was still fit enough to paper the cottage ceiling at the age of 92. He came from a very long lived family ~ his two sisters and his brother all living into their 90's. His mind was clear to the end, and he was able to recall events from long ago, but he refused totally to believe that man had walked on the moon ~ that was one innovation too far for a man who had been born before the invention of the motor car!

Gladys lived on in the house in Brook Lane. She missed her father very much. After Olive sadly passed away, Harry would come to stay with her, and she would visit him at his bungalow in Rugeley, Staffs. There were happy holidays too, during the early 1980's, with David, Elsie, John, Barbara and James in the Gower, Scarborough, and Llandudno. After Harry died Gladys enjoyed staying with Irene and Mac, whom she said 'spoilt' her. Unfortunately by then her health was failing fast and she passed away on 24th. May 1988 aged 77. Much loved and greatly missed by the family.

George and Blanche had 9 children, 14 grandchildren, and now there are 24 great grandchildren and already several great great grandchildren, with no doubt many more yet to be born. The future of the Hale family belongs to them, whilst the past is their inheritance.

By the time I was born in 1944, Grandpa, [William George Hale], was already in his 70th. year and living with Auntie Gladys at 109 Brook Lane, Kings Heath. As we lived nearby in Coldbath Road, they were important people in my life, and I have many fond memories for I loved them both dearly.

When I was very young Grandpa called me "Duck duck". I remember watching, as he methodically cut the edges off the rolls of wallpaper with his long bladed scissors ~ what wonderful curls they made for a little girl to pin onto her straight short hair! He carried his ladders on a handcart, smartly painted brown with his name in ornate gold lettering along the side. Eventually the day was to come when I watched as he sawed up the handcart and his ladders, and I felt so sad for him as he so acknowledged the end of his long working life.

Many of my earliest memories are of the two of them in the cottage ~ Auntie Gladys busy cooking biscuits and gingerbread men ~ the red cardinal polish she used on the quarries ~ the rag rugs she made, Grandpa helping to cut up the old coats and dresses into strips and the intricate patterns evolving as if by magic.

Speaking of patterns remind me of the doors in the cottage, which Grandpa had expertly 'grained' in warm glowing shades of mellow gold. The small two up, two down cottage was surprisingly well supplied with doors ~ five led off the kitchen alone ~ to the pantry, to the steep spiral staircase, to the cubby hole under the staircase where the coal was kept, to the front room, and lastly the door which led out into the yard.

Across the blue brick yard were the damp earthy smelling wash houses for the three cottages ~ Grandpa and Auntie Gladys' had a large brown sink. Behind this building were the lavatories, and then came the long narrow gardens. I can picture the two of them so clearly working together among their neat rows of vegetables ~ potatoes, peas, runner beans, lettuces and radishes ~ and later, Grandpa sitting contentedly in his shed [the top of one side of which was glazed] smoking his pipe.

Of course he had mellowed with the advancing years, and my memories are probably very different from those of his older grandchildren, but even so he could still be quite formidable at times. On one occasion I stayed with Auntie Gladys overnight, and slept with her in the front bedroom. Next morning she seemed anxious and told me to be very very quiet so as not to disturb Grandpa, who must not know I had slept there. No doubt he'd had a few drinks the night before and would not have been in the best of moods if awakened as I passed by his bed to the stairs.

He could be melancholy too, and some days would sit for hours on the settee in the front room, head in hand, complaining of headaches ~ he had high blood pressure, but looking back now I wonder if he also suffered from depression, as he lived to bitterly regret the unhappiness he had caused to his family.

The cottage was a meeting place, and most weekends one or other of my uncles and aunts would visit with their children. Then often the 'boys' would take Grandpa down to the nearby Billesley Arms for a drink. He liked a flutter on the horses too, and I remember how once when he had taken to his bed, the family gathered fearing the worst, but by the afternoon, jollied along by his visitors, he was placing a bet! He enjoyed following most sports. He and Auntie Gladys would stay with Albert and Kitty Hale in Cheltenham for cricket week ~ in his younger days he had seen W.G.Grace play. He also went to watch matches at Edgbaston and in later years he listened to the commentary on the radio or watched the T.V. coverage. He enjoyed Rugby League too and boxing.

The family all contributed in one way or another to the little household in Brook Lane. Grandpa and Auntie Gladys went on holidays with Harry and Olive, Alf and Lil, and to Frank's caravans in Brixham. Ted and May were frequent visitors, and Edie too.

We took them out for rides in the country, and I have particular memories of this, because when I eventually had my own car, Mom, Auntie Gladys, Grandpa and I would go out for afternoon runs. By then he was well into his 90's, and sometimes had to be persauded to make the effort. Mom would jolly him along ~ "Come on George" she'd say. Once out he would brighten up and be good company. I can see him now, wearing his suit, cap, muffler, and latterly slippers, walking out to the car, stick in one hand, the other on my arm ~ and off we would go ~ off to Alcester and a walk in Oversley Green as we ate our ice creams, or to the Lenches and a visit to the ancient church at Rous Lench, and many more. On the way home I would boast, "Grandpa, I'll get you home without touching a main road" ~ I knew all the bye-ways in those days. How I wish I could relive once more one such afternoon. . . . . .

Sadly that's not possible, but other occasions have been captured ~ my Dad had the foresight to leave a tape recorder running during a visit to Cheltenham in the 1960's, and we can eavesdrop today on Grandpa talking about the old days with his brother Albert, and later with his sister in law Annie Dyer.

Christmas is another time when I particularly miss Grandpa. He and Auntie Gladys would come over to our house for Christmas Day, and after a drink in the evening Grandpa would begin to sing ~ the old music hall songs of his youth and Mom and Auntie Gladys would join in too. Then he would go even further back to recite from the mummers play he took part in as a boy, and verses from 'The Village Blacksmith' which he'd learnt at school. How his eyes would sparkle as his memory took him back to the 1870's and 80's. Again Dad caught these moments on tape and its wonderful to be able to hear his rich Gloucestershire accent once more.

To the day he died, a few weeks before his 98th birthday in 1972, Grandpa's mind was clear, and when his time came, it did not seem to be as the result of a specific illness, but he just seemed to wind down slowly. During his life he had witnessed so many changes, but the inventions and achievements of the second half of the 20th. century eventually overtook him, and he could not comprehend them.

His family had often found him a difficult man, but possibly because most of my memories are of happier times, I have great sympathy for him. He carried the heavy burden through life of knowing that because he played truant from school, his family all caught typhoid, which resulted in the deaths of his father and elder brother, his youngest sister being placed in the workhouse, and his mother having to struggle in poverty to bring up the children. As the eldest remaining son responsibility fell on his shoulders early, and then later having to provide for his own large family of 9 children, must also have been a great worry. Surely this was a lot to cope with, and I have wondered if that was why he sought an escape through drink. If so then it proved to be in vain, because his behaviour while under its influence only added to his feelings of guilt and remorse. He had been brought up to know right from wrong, and in his latter years he looked back with a great deal of regret.

When I think of Auntie Gladys now I remember how she always had time to sit down to talk. She gave me great support over the years, and we spent many happy hours together. She would say, "When are you going to have all these babies for me to look after?". I was a late starter! Then after our son James was born, she came day after day with Mom, through the terrible heatwave of 1976, to help to look after him and me. As we all know she adored children, and it was a great sadness to her that she hadn't any of her own ~ I would explain that she had all of us, her nieces and nephews, who loved her very much, but she would shake her head and say, "But it's not the same as having your own".

Auntie Gladys had a loving nature and was such a good listener, always interested in people, that many visitors, family, friends and neighbours made their way to her door, to be welcomed warmly. When I came home, if Mom wasn't in, then I'd be sure to find her up at Auntie Gladys' enjoying a chat ~ a cup of tea, a cosy room, easy conversation ~ who would have thought it could ever come to an end?

One last memory now, which makes me laugh when I think back ~ in my 20's I liked walking in the countryside, and one day I persuaded Auntie Gladys to give it a try. We caught a bus from Kings Heath to Wythall, where we planned to walk the lanes and then along a 'green way'. Off we went, and all went well until we started along the green way. The track wound between high hedges, mud oused up over our shoes. We both got stuck, and then Auntie Gladys's foot came up, leaving her shoe behind!! Well that was the end of our country walk. We retrieved the shoe, retraced our steps and caught the bus back to Kings Heath. What a fiasco!! What a sight we must have looked!!

I think I was very fortunate to have lived nearby, and able to spend time with Grandpa and Auntie Gladys, gathering precious memories. In my mind I'll leave them now, sitting together, as on many evenings, singing along with the hymns on 'Sunday Half-Hour' on the radio.

These are just some of my memories ~ if you would like to add yours about Grandpa and Auntie Gladys or of other members of the family, please do write them down. I would urge you also to gather together your old photographs, making sure they are named and dated. I know from experience how sad and frustrating it is to be given a collection of family photos and not to be able to identify the people. The photo of Maria Poole, taken well over 100 years ago, could so easily have remained unidentified, but fortunately we took it down to Cheltenham one day and Auntie Annie (Dyer nee Higgs) recognised her grandmother, and was able to tell us who she was.

Looking to the future, it would be so good if members of the Hale family, possibly in a hundred or even two hundred years time, could read our recollections and through them be able to learn something of the lives and characters their 19th. and 20th. century forbears. Without such testimony our descendants will only have impersonal official documents to help them build up their understanding of the family, and the limitations of these are only too obvious in the 18th. and early 19th. century sources used in the attempt to recreate the lives of our ancestors, Henry Hale and Mary Kilby.

Barbara Ann Farmer passed away on 23rd April 2000. She was 55 years old.

When she wrote this document, she never intended that it would be seen by anyone other than close family members. In fact, copies have been circulated to many parts of the family, and a copy has even found its way into Gloucester Reference Library. And now I'm putting it on the Internet, so that anyone who wants to can read it.

If you have any comments about this, we, her family, would be very interested to hear them. You can email us at: jjf@twinlobber.org.uk.

Thanks for reading.