Mr Hiscock, the thatcher

Items, particularly photographs, continue to be donated to Market Lavington Museum. Some recently arrived in an email from Toronto in Canada.

Maurice told us, ‘I just came across these pictures of my maternal grandparents taken in Market Lavington’.

Maurice went on to say that he is now 80 but sure enough, his photos were there, downloadable from ‘the cloud’. And here is one of them.

Albert Hiscock, a thatcher by trade, outside Hillside, his cottage on White Street, Market Lavington – probably in the late 1940s

This shows Albert Hiscock, the thatcher who lived at Hillside on White Street in Market Lavington. The photo shows him at his front door which still looks much the same today at this level, although the thatched roof it used to sport, no doubt put there by Albert himself, has long gone.

Hillside, as it is now

Albert thatched until he was about 75 which would have been in the late 1940s. He died in 1955, and is buried in the local churchyard.

You can click here to read a little more about Albert.

It was great to hear from Albert’s grandson, Maurice and we would like to thank him for the photos he sent.

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Albert and Harriet Hiscock

It always seems a shame when the only physical memory we have of people is a gravestone. But sadly we have no photos of Albert or Harriet at the museum although we do have a little written information about Albert which has been seen on this blog. But here is the grave in Market Lavington churchyard.

 This side remembers Harriet and says, in loving memory of a beloved wife and mother HARRIET HISCOCK died 14^th Sept 1954 aged 77.

And on the other side, Albert is remembered.

Also of her devoted husband ALBERT died 18^th Jan 1955 aged 83.

Albert was born in Potterne in about 1872 but probably lived most of his pre-married life in the Fiddington/Easterton area. No doubt he learned his trade from his dad, Joseph, for Albert followed him into that business.

He married Harriet Plank towards the end of 1897.  She had been born in either Urchfont in about  1872 or West Lavington in about 1876. Her father was a cattle dealer.

The couple look to have set up home in Little Cheverell. By 1901 they had two sons listed as born there. In 1911 there were four more children which, according to the number of children born to the marriage made five in total. This could be because Eddy, the oldest child was born before the marriage.

We are not certain when the family moved back to Market Lavington but by 1939 they lived on White Street.

The aging Albert is reported to have thatched the barn near the top of Lavington Hill in 1947. Albert was still listed as at his Hillside House in 1954.

We’d love an image of Albert and/or  Harriet if anybody has one we could copy.