A great many people must have had cause to be grateful to John Player who was, for many years, keeper of the “Coffee Tavern” attached to the Working Men’s Club. He had to rise at 5 a.m. every morning to be able to serve hot coffee at 6 a.m. to the market gardeners before their long trek to Covent Garden, for they had to be on their way by 6.30 a.m. In his old age he became Sunday School Superintendent and acting Verger during the illness of Mr. C. Friend (verger 1934-41).

Mr. Dawkins served St. James’s from 1876 to 1911 when he retired after thirty-four years as organist and choirmaster. On his retirement “a large and fashionable” gathering turned out even for the modest school treat which was the occasion of his being presented with a gold watch and chain by an appreciative congregation. In 1886 we hear of him conducting the choir in the new belfry and mention is made again and again of his fine teaching and musicianship. He composed music for the Crystal Palace concerts as well as several Christmas Carols and the Surrey Comet reports that he had had published “a pretty setting” of “A Babe of Bethlehem” the words having been taken from the Penny Post of 1859. On occasions he could muster a choir of over forty men and boys whose singing was often commended.

Another long-serving organist was Mr. Russe, who left in 1932 after fourteen years, and we are told that “it was difficult to choose a successor from amongst the forty-three applicants for the post.” One particularly notable service to St. James’s which must receive mention is that of Mr. Thomas Willis, “who blew the organ for thirty-six years until he was replaced by electricity “(!).

Mr. R. Simpson, who died in 1919, deserves mention for having been a chorister for forty years and also Mr. William Chandler, who was Verger and Sexton from the time the church was opened until his death in 1900 at the age of eighty-one, having dug one thousand graves during his long term of office and having attended the same number of funerals. The community collected £8 and erected a tombstone in his memory. His successor was Mr. Charles Hallt, whose other occupation, we understand, was that of local chimney sweep.

A colourful personality was Dr. Dashwood Howard, who lived at the recently demolished Fairlight. He married a Miss Betts, of Park Villa, the house with a tower, standing at the top of Park Road. The year 1900 sees him giving an Exhibition of Chemical Experiments to the Church Lads’ Brigade, of which he was captain—one wonders if this made him as popular with the parents as he undoubtedly was with the boys! He took part in many local entertainments, being the possessor of “a fine baritone” voice. We read of him giving magic lantern shows and phonograph recitals as well as instruction in wood carving. It has been reported to us that he had a strong and lively vocabulary and was “even more expansive than Dr. Atkinson, of Welmead !“ Jerome K. Jerome is said to have stayed at Dr. Howard’s home.

Mr. Henry Gabriel Cremer, B.A., who, we are told, lived next to the house now occupied by Melford Radio, in Windmill Road, was an indefatigable church worker and was known as “The Children’s Friend.” He used to carry bags of sweets on his person to gladden the hearts of youngsters not so used to the enjoyment of sweetmeats as are present-day children, and one of our older residents reports that one cold day, as a small boy, he was taken by Mr. Cremer into Rowland Moores’ drapery establishment on the corner of Windmill Road and was bought a fine woolly scarf.

Of the ladies of the congregation, Miss Jane Barnard must rank highly. Described as being “Mr. Job’s right hand” she was, we believe, the daughter of Major-General Sir W. Barnard, K.C.B. She was by all accounts a truly beloved personality and is described by one who knew her well as being “very nice indeed.” She lived at No. 14, Park Road, and, we are told, invariably wore a small, neat bonnet. Wherever there was work to be done for St. James’s she was in the vanguard for at least twenty years. She cleaned; she worked for the Missionary Society; she was a District Visitor; she ran the lending library and it was she who organised the soup kitchen in 1891. She was seventy years old when she died and appropriately—since she had served St. James’s so well—her memorial, in the form of a mosaic, represents that Saint. The inscription reads: “In memory of Jane Barnard, who died March 31st, 1913, devoted and unselfish parish worker. Erected by her many friends. In Thy presence is fullness of joy.” She is buried in the graveyard near to her parents and on the simple stone is written, after her name, “an untiring and devoted parish worker. Erected by admiring friends.” Some of the esteem in which she was held makes itself felt so many years after her death when one contemplates these sincere tributes.

After her death we find Miss Minnie Brewer, M.A. Lond., doing many similar services to the community. She lived at Glentilt, Park Road, and it was she who compiled the list of fallen for the war memorial. She is described as being “a very nice lady and a great church worker.” The Misses Lambert, aunts of the Misses Isdell, lived at Lismore, Uxbridge Road, and were also pillars of St. James’s. Miss Eastland, headmistress of the girls’ school from 1873-96, was another prominent personality, particularly in the Band of Hope, and Mrs. Poley is another name which appears very frequently, raising money and organising jumble sales. Mrs. Crean, who resigned as headmistress of the girls’ school in 1921, was commended for her devotion to duty and it was reported that “there was a reverent tone in the school, which was efficiently ruled.”

Perhaps the most frequently mentioned names on the subscription lists after Mrs. Fitz Wygram were those of Mr. and Mrs. Downes Elland Norton, who arrived in Hampton Hill in 1893 and lived at Laurel Dene until Mrs. Norton died in 1942, having survived the death of her husband by eight years. They had three children, Nona, who married Colonel Bruce, Alma, who married Brigadier Gill, and (Colonel) Dudley.

Mrs. Norton, in particular, was a very thoughtful person and helped many people who were sick or in trouble. She was very active during the First War in helping Belgian refugees and as an old lady she collected books for the Red Cross during the Second War.

On the death of Mrs. Norton, who was a personal friend of Rev. F. P. P. Harvey, the vicar received a handsome white stole to be placed amongst the Vestments of the Church. It was given “to the Glory of God in loving memory of Downes Elland Norton and his wife Gertrude of Laurel Dene, for forty-nine years members of St. James’s Parish.” Mr. and Mrs. Norton and Mrs. Bruce are buried outside the south door.

After the vicarage was rebuilt and houses built on the adjoining fields, the church fetes were held in the grounds of Laurel Dene, in the hay-field which was roughly where the new old people’s home now stands, and an entrance was used which lay to the side of Stevens’ Garage. In the early ways the house (much as it looks today) had large lawns surrounded by flower beds, two hard tennis courts, a rhododendron garden, a very large
kitchen garden with dozens of fruit trees, a private swimming pool with changing rooms, a large hay-field and grounds which extended behind the houses in the High Street as far as the Park Gates, and in his later years Mr. Norton had a mound built near the Park wall and a small summer house built on it so that he could sit and watch the cricket and football in the Park. He had his own large workshop and was a keen inventor of gadgets, several of which he patented. His name appears as Treasurer of the War Memorial Committee.

An earlier donator to the subscription lists was Mr. William Blanchard, restaurant keeper whose obituary in 1892 describes his many kind acts among the poor of Hampton Hill to whom he left £500. His fortune was estimated as being £250,000.

We cannot resist mentioning the Dickensian-sounding Misses Clegwidden, whose names appear frequently in the 1920’s, and also that the name Tommie Bolt (the compiler of much of the information in this chapter) appears as having collected 10 1/2d. for “The Young Empire Builders” in 1927!

Mention must be made of Mr. A. E. Basey, Headmaster of the Hampton Hill Schools and leading officer of the Church Lads Brigade for many years. He was active in all fields of parish life. We read of the report of his wedding in April, 1891, to Miss J. Wright, “the courteous booking clerk at Fulwell Station.” We are told that the bride’s dress was of crêpe de Chine and cream silk and the bridesmaids wore “electric green dresses and biscuit coloured hats and gloves.” The bouquets were presented by Mr. May and the presents numbered between sixty and seventy, including “a purse of gold to Miss Wright,” from passengers at Fulwell Station and a “handsome timepiece from the station staff.

Among the prominent tradesmen was the firm of Singleton, builders. All the male members of the large family were sidesmen or choristers of St. James’s and the respect in which the family was held may be gauged from a report of the sudden death of Mr. James Singleton, of Florence Cottage, Eastbank Road in March, 1891. It tells us that he was one of Hampton Hill’s most prominent and useful inhabitants, being popular as one who was always ready to assist in any project which could be calculated to promote the welfare of those around him and the advancement of the interests of the locality.” He was a large employer of local labour and treasurer of the Working Men’s Club, “an institution which he served with great zeal.”

On the day of his funeral “a general gloom was cast over all classes of parishioners.” All shops and public houses were closed from 1.30 to 3 o’clock and blinds were drawn in private residences. The funeral procession consisted of a large number of tradesmen from Hampton Hill, Hampton, Teddington and Twickenham with many local gentry intermingled, and a strong detachment of members of the Hampton Friendly Society, of which Mr. Singleton had been for many years one of the trustees. Next came two employees bearing a number of wreaths and emblems tastefully arranged on a raised bier.” Five mourning coaches followed the plate-glass funeral car, and the whole route was lined with people and “at every point signs of sympathy were more than apparent.” The Rev. de Ricci, curate, took the service and the church was “crowded to its utmost capacity and the ceremony was most touching.” Also, the scene around the grave “was one to remember, many of the spectators being in tears.”

Mr. Singleton was born in Hampton Hill in 1837, the year of Queen Victoria’s accession and lived in the village all his life. He left a widow and eight sons, and we read in the Parish Magazines of their services in lending timber, erecting stages and overseeing labour, all free of charge, to the church. They also built the organ shed completely free of charge.

Rather a touching sequel to the funeral is an announcement that “Messrs. W. and F. Singleton beg to inform the customers and friends of their late father that they will continue to carry on his business under the name of James Singleton and Sons and trust that by careful and prompt attention to any orders entrusted to them to merit a continuance of their kind support.” Mr. William Singleton was St. James’s first organist. He died in 1877 and his memorial window is in the north aisle.

Much of the quite elaborate printing for the area was done by Edwin Makepeace, of High Street, who advertised “Superior work and materials only, established 1835.” He sold church psalters and in 1888 “Makepeace’s Bazaar” is advertised as selling stove ornaments and having a show of Foreign Art Pottery.

In the 1890’s St. James’s Church “witnessed the nuptials of Miss Mary Makepeace, second daughter of the respected postmaster of the village.” All five bridesmaids, in their heliotrope dresses “with wreaths of narcissus and maidenhair fern” were younger sisters of the bride. Many of the numerous presents, we read, “were accompanied with expressions of high appreciation of the bride’s discharge of duties connected with the Postal Branch of Mr. Makepeace’s business,” and we are told that “advantage was taken of the brightness of the day to obtain a photograph of the happy event.”

One of Makepeace’s most notable contributions to the community were the various Directories containing details of the village and its institutions, and the gift—already mentioned elsewhere—of the Post Office clock.

In November, 1890, we read of the death of Mrs. Austin, at Oxford Cottage, where she lived with her husband since “relinquishing the Post Office and printing business to Mr. Makepeace.” Her husband, William Austin, was one of the most outstanding of the public servants. He is described as “looking like a typical Dickens character,” and we first hear of him in 1855, a year of heavy frost when the Thames froze over. He printed a pamphlet, “Glorious News! A Sheep to be roasted on the Thames, near the Angler’s Retreat, between Hampton and Hampton Court, onl Friday, February 23rd, 1855, between two and three o’clock, and the public are invited to partake of the same. Two barrels of superior ale will be supplied at the same time.” We are told that Mr. Austin set up a small printing press on the banks but the thaw set in and the whole affair became bogged down in mud. He became a most active member of the Hampton Board of Guardians, the Local Board and the Urban District Council. As Lighting Inspector of the district he guaranteed that “the lamp posts will be put in their selected spots as soon as possible, thus supplying a. long felt need.” As early as 1869 he was paid assistant overseer for the parish and was given a rise from £40 to £60 per year in spite of the fact that “Mr. Broome thought there were plenty as able to do the work for his present salary; if not he would do it himself !“ This offer was not taken up and Mr. Austin received his increase in salary “as it was impossible to speak too highly of his merits.” In 1870 he was elected as Surveyor of Roads—unpaid—and he undertook to do his utmost to get them into a good condition and not to let them revert into the state they were in at the time of his election when “What was everybody’s business appeared to be nobody’s business and nothing has been done.” He also promised to lay open for inspection a weekly statement of expenditure and proceedings “thus establishing a precedent long wanted!” Ironically, it was criticism of his muddled account keeping which, as an old man, led to his resignation in 1882. He was a campaigner for better workhouse conditions and along with T. Bailey was responsible for having the “tramp cages” pulled down.

T. Bailey was another prominent tradesman. He was a builder, of Devon Villa, High Street. He too was active in public life, being a member of the Local Board. Chatty and lengthy details are given in the Surrey Comet of his sudden illness and death. Services were held at both St. James’s and the Congregational Churches. “Manifestations of respect and sympathy came from all classes” and local tradesmen walked in procession before the hearse and lined the pathway to the grave.

Reports of funerals often give information about people which otherwise might have escaped the chroniclers’ notice.

In 1886 one John Templeton died, aged 84. He was a quiet and retiring old gentleman, a famous tenor singer in his day, both in the U.S.A. and here. He retired in his fifties to his pleasant little home in our village, Temple Lodge, now renamed Templeton Lodge, in the High Street.

The importance of the individual to the community comes out in these reports. For instance, at the funeral of Mr. Veysey, for many years station-master at Fulwell Station, many local tradesmen and many of his colleagues of different grades on the railway “came from all parts of the line to do honour to his memory “ and the local fire brigades of Hampton and Hampton Hill were represented and local gentry attended in appreciation of his services.

The Surrey Comet, of March 18th, 1893, reports the death of Sub-Divisional Inspector G. Dixon, who had seen service in Africa in the Cape Mounted Police. “His sad and untimely death is deplored by all and especially by his comrades who admired him for his intelligence, bonhomie, urbanity and uniform kindness in the strict discharge of duty.” Apparently he had died suddenly, for we are told that “a few days before he had been seen mounted on his well-known horse in all the prime of manly vigour.” His was an enormous funeral with at least three hundred constables, a contingent of the Life Guards, the local fire brigades, Twickenham’s bringing their engine too, and a large gathering of local tradesmen and gentry. Hopes were expressed in the Surrey Comet that the Home Secretary “in the exercise of his discretion” would grant a small annual pension to the widow and family. Meanwhile they had been left totally unprovided for and funds were speedily raised by local subscription for their succour.

In May, 1894, we read of the death of Lady Evelyn Paget, daughter of Lord and Lady Alfred Paget, of Bushy Park. The funeral must have been one of the largest, if not the largest and most consequential, in the history of the village. Many members of the royal family attended and “the body was consigned to rest in a newly constructed brick grave by the side of her sister to the east of the district Church.” The solemn cortege left Upper Lodge and all business was suspended, the route being lined with sympathisers. An “unprecedented amount” of lovely floral wreaths and devices were arranged round the Baptistry. Two wreaths were from Her Majesty the Queen, one being a magnificent tribute “artistically worked out with immortelles” and bearing a card on which Her Majesty had personally written “A Mark of Affection and Friendship from Victoria R.I.” and which by special command of Her Majesty was placed by Lady Spencer Churchill on the grave. A wreath was sent from Sandringham by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, inscribed in the Princess’s own writing “Rest in Peace—in affectionate remembrance of dear Evelyn Paget from Alexandra.”

The previous year had seen the death of Mr. Charles Allison who was a deacon of the Congregational Church with which he had been connected for thirty-five years. “In fact,” says the Surrey Comet, “we believe he was one of the self-sacrificing few, who, in the face of grave difficulties, succeeded in erecting the present handsome and commodious chapel.” Mr. Allison was described as being “active in participating in all movements conducive to the welfare of girls and young men, hundreds of whom will both miss his kindly presence and lament the loss of a dear and valued friend, tutor and counsellor.”

Another funeral, this time that of Mrs. Carr, of Gordon Villa, High Street, in 1895, shows the community spirit of the time. She was reported as being charitable and benevolent and loaned money to St. James’s in time of need. Her name is conspicuous on the subscription lists; she gave £100 for alms-houses in Hampton and to show their respect all the trading establishments in the village suspended business on the entire day of the funeral and many tradespeople and representatives of local institutions attended the service. There were five coaches of mourners and the funeral arrangements were in the hands of Singleton and Son.

Many more names come to mind; Rowland Moores, draper and prominent tradesman; T. Prewett, who supplied the milk for church functions and often gave it free of charge; useful Mr. Branchett, who kept a horse and cab and lived in Windmill Road; Mr. Bloxham, who drove the fire engine so furiously; Mr. Jakeman, who was a tower of strength to St. James’s in Mr. Coad-Pryor’s and Mr. Harvey’s time; Mr. Charles Arnett Child, churchwarden, who died in 1946 and whose memorial is the seat in the church, close to the south door; but there is not time to mention all the many who deserve mention and those who have been singled out belonged mostly to the congregation of St. James’s.

This chapter cannot, however, be concluded without mention of one who served the church with all her strength until her death at the age of eighty-five, in May, 1963. This was the indomitable Miss Eliza Mary Edwards, a familiar, stooping, black-clad figure as she faithfully and unobtrusively performed her duties as verger for many years. Rev. R. Brunt, writing in the Parish Magazine, says of her, “she was indeed a ‘character‘—a sturdy individualist who made up her mind and stuck to it, and one thing she had made up her mind to do was never to fail the church.” This she never did, and she served St. James’s every bit as faithfully and with as much devotion and loyalty as did the stalwarts of old.

This chapter has been included in our history as a tribute to the many named and unnamed people who were not “famous men” in the generally accepted sense of the word, in order that they may be honoured in their generation. Because of the efforts of such as these the area which we inhabit today has developed into a pleasant and self-respecting community rather than a mean and under-privileged “overspill” of the mother parish.