The Kings Arms – 1915

High Street, Market Lavington as sent on a postcard to Canada in 1915

Here we see the High Street at Market Lavington on a postcard that was posted in 1915. The prominent building and sign, on the right, is the Kings Arms. On the right, on the corner of The Market Place, there is the Post Office which is where the chemist is now.

The Post Office stood where the chemist’s shop is now

This card was posted to Canada.

The card was sent to Ontario, Canada

We assume Bert, who sent it, was a Canadian soldier.

The brief message is transcribed below

March 9th
Dear Sam
Received your letter this evening. Many thanks for epistaxis. We are still in England billeted near this village but expect to leave shortly.
Bert

Of course, we can’t make out the epistaxis or nose bleed comment! But it seems Canadians were still around in March 1915.

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47th Canada Battalion

Here we have yet another metal detector find by our old friend Norman. This was found in Market Lavington and dates to the First World War. It is a shoulder flash for the 47^th Canada Battalion.

47th Canada shoulder flash dating from 1915/16

The battalion had quite a short history as outlined here (with thanks to Wikipedia).

The 47th Battalion (British Columbia), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. The 47th Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 13 November 1915. It disembarked in France on 11 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920.

The 47th Battalion recruited in New Westminster, Vancouver and Victoria and was mobilized at New Westminster, British Columbia.

This shoulder flash was lost between November 1915 and August 1916 when this battalion was in England. We assume they trained on Salisbury Plain and clearly at least one man found time to visit Market Lavington.

Mabel Baker and her brooch

Mabel was born in Market Lavington back in 1883. Her parents were John and Louisa. John was a whitesmith (working in tin plate) and ironmonger and occupied the former hardware shop which is opposite the co-op. John died in 1903 and Louisa in 1910. Four of the daughters, including Mabel, emigrated to Canada. Mabel went in 1912. We believe this photo of Mabel was taken in England.

Mabel Baker, born and raised in Market Lavington

Amongst treasured possessions which Mabel took, there was a brooch. This has made its way back to Market Lavington and is now in the museum.

A lucky survivor. Mabel was unable to get a berth on her emigration ship of choice which was Titanic. This brooch has been to Canada and back.

Susan Way, a member of this Baker family wrote the following about Mabel.

Mabel Alice BAKER (b.1883) was the third sister to emigrate to Canada.  She married Arthur Willoughby (b.1886) at St Matthew Church, Winnipeg on 29 Dec 1914. Arthur was in uniform and soon to leave for service in the First World War. Joan Woods (Mabel’s niece) was almost 3 years old when she attended the wedding and remembers the dress she wore.

They adopted James Norquay (b.1933).  Mabel was deeply religious woman and attended an Anglo Catholic Church, St Cuthbert’s by name – a church in Elmwood – a north-east suburb of Winnipeg.  Mabel died in 1943 in Winnipeg due to a blood clot following a successful operation.  Arthur died in 1960 in White Rock, British Colombia.

She was to have sailed to Canada on the ill-fated Titanic in 1912 but the ship was overbooked.

 

Collecting for the centenery

Next year – 2014 – we will mark the centenery of the start of World War 1 which, sadly, did not live up to the name given – the war to end all wars.

Market Lavington and Easterton played quite significant roles in the war. First of all, many of our own young men served in the forces and in the various theatres of war which opened up during the next four years. If you have personal stories – letters, postcards or just things told you about how the ordinary chaps from our area coped during the war –  then we’d love to hear from you so that we have the opportunity to share your stories with a wider audience. Maybe you have photos of a local soldier (and for us that means from Market Lavington or Easterton) in uniform and just a little tale of what the soldier did. It would be good to be able to honour such men who served.

But our parishes also had a wider role. Salisbury Plain was a training area for Commonwealth troops and we know that many Australian and Canadian soldiers spent time in Lavington and Easterton before being sent to the front to fight. People all over the world may have tales they have heard about Market Lavington and, in particular, the Pond Farm Camp.

Here, as a reminder, is a  little medallion from Valcartier Camp in Canada. This was an embarkation point for soldiers coming to train in England.

Medallion from Valcartier Camp, Canada, found in a house in Market Lavington

This medallion was found in a crack in a cupboard at 60 High Street, Market Lavington. The house had been occupied by Mrs Crouch and her sister married a Canadian who was billeted in Market Lavington. It was a more recent resident at the house who found this item and gave it to the museum.

It’s people like the descendants of  Mrs Crouch’s sister that we’d love to hear from with any tales they might be able to share.

You can contact our curator on lavingtoncurator@gmail.com .

Photos that beg a question

We are going to see, today, a couple of photos showing ‘The Grove’ in Market Lavington. The photos are certainly not brilliant in quality or condition. Here’s the first – it could be almost anywhere.

The Grove, Market Lavington in 1923 = not the most exciting photo!

The Grove showing St Mary’s church, market Lavington in 1923. AShame about the photo condition!

This one is in shocking condition but at least has St Mary’s Church visible and a grazing horse.

We have some information about these images. They are dated as 1923. The pictures were taken by Maude Wright who emigrated to Canada and married there. She sent these pictures to Peggy Gye prior to 1985.

The question for us, which we hope someone can answer, is ‘who was Maude Wright?’  We know nothing at all about her. We do not know if Maude Wright was her married or her maiden name. We don’t know when she emigrated – but presumably after 1923. Do get in touch if you can tell us anything.

Let’s finish with a ten minute digital clean up of that second photo.

Ten minute’s work at improving the photo with Market Lavington Church.

A Card for Canadian Soldiers

During World War One there were many Canadian soldiers billeted in Market Lavington. Indeed we still have a Canada Woods and a modern street called Canada Rise which remember the time when the Canadians came to the area.

Local photographer, Mr Burgess saw an opportunity to increase postcard sales by producing a special multiview card for Canadians to send home.

A multiview postcard commemorating the Canadians in Market Lavington - a photo at Market Lavington Museum

The card showed scenes in and around Market Lavington and Easterton – as far afield as Stonehenge, which is one of those, places that people around the world have heard of and is only a few miles from our parish.

Close up of a Canadian Camp

Around the card there are various messages lauding the efforts and abilities of our Canadian friends and allies.

A message on the card

Support from the people of Market Lavington

The Maple Leaf and the Union Jack

We suspect there were many times when British and Canadian troops were downhearted, but the win did come, eventually and owed much to Canadian soldiers.