The Reverend Frith

Also some Coleman Family History

We have seen this photo before – or rather this composite photo which shows the Market Lavington Vicar with a wonderful name (The Reverend William Blackstone Cockayne Frith) hovering over St Mary’s church in the village.

The Reverend Frith and Market Lavington Church on a card posted in 1905

It’s a lovely image and we rather expect Alf Burgess enjoyed putting it together.

What makes this card different is the family history contained in the message.

The back of the card

The card was sent to Miss A Coleman and was posted in Chippenham at 10.45 pm on May 27^th 1905. Although posted in Chippenham the writer has given his address as Chapel Gardens, Easterton and he has sent this card to ‘Dear Sister’.

‘Just a line wishing you many happy returns of the Day’

With the speed of postcards in 1905 it’s a fair bet that Miss A Coleman’s birthday was the next day – 28^th May.

After a quick ‘hope you are well’ the card is signed by ‘your loving brother Charlie’

What is effectively a PS then goes on to say that ‘Stephen and Alice had a son this morning.’

 

Alice, Charlie and Stephen are three of the children of William Coleman, a shoe maker and one time Town Crier for Market Lavington. Alice was in service in Kensington, working as a cook. Charlie, as we saw, lived in Easterton where he was a Baker. Stephen was living in Market Lavington where he worked as a groom and gardener. The son born that day was also Stephen – the father of the person who has let us copy the card but understandably, with so much information he wishes to retain the original for the family.

A mystery football team

How we’d love to be able to tell you more about this group of young men who formed a football team.

Unknown football team in 1906/7. This postcard is at Market Lavington Museum

Our records just say, ‘Postcard: Market Lavington Football Club’

Well we can do better than that but we can also cast some doubt on the truth of the record.

There’s the ball. We are not certain whether the top line says ‘FSB’ or ‘F&B but the rest is clear. It’s a football club and the year was 1906-7.

Maybe the back of the card can give a little extra. It has a name on it.

Apart from the post card information and our museum code numbers, it has the name Mr C Coleman of Easterton written on.

At the time in question there were two Mr C Colemans living in Easterton – actually, both were Charles.

One was a baker on High Street born in about 1869 so in his late 30s when the photo was taken. The other was a tad older – in his early 40s in 1906/7. He was a carter on a farm.

Yet again, we appeal for help. Can anybody name any of the players? Can anybody tell us which Mr Coleman and how he was involved? Can anybody tell us which football club is shown?