Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Alfred Mark Batchelor

21/09/1866 –16/11/1957

Farm labourer, coachman and warehouseman

Relatives

Jane Batchelor (566) — wife

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 566 Alfred Mark Batchelor (1866-1957)

Alfred Mark was born 21^th September 1866 in Great Gaddesden, the son of Henry Batchelor, a farm labourer, originally from Little Gaddesden, and Ann, (née Parker), a straw plaiter from Aston Abbots in Buckinghamshire. He was baptised on 21^st October the same year.

As he reached adulthood he used his second name and he has been referred to as Mark here from that point.

By the time of the 1871 census the family had moved to Castle Street in Berkhamsted. As well as Alfred Mark aged four, the family consisted of Sarah, six, William two and little Elizabeth who had arrived one week before the census.

In 1881 the Batchelors were living in Little Gaddesden and Alfred, aged fourteen (his name given as Mark Alfred), his brother William, aged twelve, and their father were all working as agricultural labourers. As the entry is immediately following that for Church Farm it seems likely that they were working there for farmer George Underwood who was employing eleven men and five boys. Mark’s sister Sarah was described as, “general servant, unemployed” and their mother was still working as a straw plaiter. The younger children were “scholars”.

Henry clearly had to move to wherever the work was and ten years later the family was living in Studham, Bedfordshire. From the location of their cottage between those of a butler and a gardener, Henry and Mark, both agricultural labourers, were probably employed on the estate of the imposing Barwythe Hall. This early Georgian mansion was the home of Lady Charlotte Osborne, the unmarried daughter of the 8^th Duke of Leeds.

Only Alfred, now recorded simply as Mark, and his younger sister, were living at home. His mother was employed as a needlewoman.

On 25^th November 1893 Mark married Jane Ginger in Studham. Jane was the daughter of an agricultural labourer and was born and brought up in Studham.

Their first child, Vernon, was born in Studham in 1894, but by the time Mabel was born in February 1897 they were living in the Berkhamsted registration district. In the 1901 census the family were resident in the little hamlet of Nettleden and Mark was employed as a “Coachman (domestic)”. Given the very small size of the hamlet and the fact that the only household that was in a position to maintain a carriage was that of widowed Mrs Adela Lane, living at the vicarage “on her own means”, it seems likely she was his employer. Mrs Lane’s establishment consisted of herself, her two daughters, a governess and three female domestic servants.

Son Archibald was born in October 1901 and daughter Lilian in 1907.

The 1911 census records yet another move, this time to Hudnall where Mark was employed as a “horseman on farm”. This would appear to be Hudnall Common Farm, now a private house. His son Vernon was working as a farm labourer, the two daughters were “at home” and Archibald was a scholar. The family was occupying a cottage with five rooms, including the kitchen. That census uniquely recorded the deaths of any children and revealed that Mark and Jane had lost two children. Their third daughter, Florence was born in December 1911.

The First World War brought tragedy to the family. Vernon, a private in the 1^st battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, died of his wounds 25^th July 1916 at the age of twenty two and was buried in the St Sever cemetery, Rouen.  He had left for France on 5^th November 1914.

According to the Hemel Hempstead Gazette of 16th January 1915, he went into the trenches on Christmas Eve and spent a week there. An extract one of his letter from that time has been included in The London Gunners Come to Town. “We are up to our knees in mud and water…Well what sort of a Christmas Day did you have, better than we did, I hope? I was busy looking through loop holes watching for Germans to come up. They were busy singing at midnight…”

At the time Vernon enlisted in 1914 the family were living in Nettleden, but by June 1921 census they had moved to 64, Shrublands Road, Berkhamsted and Mabel, Archibald, Lilian and Florence were all living at home.

Mark was employed by Alfred Button & Sons, wholesale grocers, as a warehouseman. The firm had their warehouse in Lower King’s Road approximately opposite the mini roundabout at the entrance to the car park which was built over the site of Corby, Palmer and Stewart’s clothing factory (or “Mantle Manufacturers”, as they styled themselves). Mabel worked there as a sewing machinist and Lilian as a baster for ladies’ tailoring whilst nineteen year old Archibald was an engineer for the company.

In the 1939 Register (Alfred) Mark, aged sixty six, was still employed as a grocer’s warehouseman and unmarried daughters Mabel and Florence were employed respectively as “sewing machinist” and “finisher” of ladies’ coats, presumably still with Corby, Palmer and Stewart.

Jane died in 1943, and is buried here, but Mark survived her until 16^th November 1957 when he died aged ninety one.

Jane Batchelor (566)

19/06/1871 –01/12/1943

Straw plaiter; married John Batchelor

Relatives

Alfred Mark Batchelor — husband

Plot 566 Jane Batchelor (née Ginger) (1871-1943)

Jane was born 19 June 1871, in Studham, Bedfordshire, the daughter of agricultural labourer William Ginger and Mary Ann (née Cutler). She was baptised in the parish church there 10^th June 1874.

The 1881 census shows the family living at Bell Terrace in Studham. Jane had an older brother, Albert, who at fourteen was an agricultural labourer like his father, an older sister Selina and a younger brother, Frederick, who, with Jane, attended the village school. Their mother, Mary Ann, like so many women in the area, worked on straw plait to supply the hat industry of the Luton region.

Ten years later William and Mary Ann, still in the same occupations, had moved to Clements End at the other end of the village. Only Jane, now a straw plaiter, and Frederick, an agricultural labourer, were still at home.

Jane must have met her husband, Albert Mark (known as Mark) Batchelor in the village where he and his family had moved in the 1880s. Mark and his father were agricultural labourers and his mother was a straw plaiter, so their backgrounds were very similar.

Their first child, Vernon, was born in Studham in 1894, but the second, Mabel was born in the Berkhamsted registration district in 1897. This was probably the little hamlet of  Nettleden where the family were found in the 1901 census. Mark was working as a coachman, probably for the widowed lady living at the vicarage.

Son Archibald was born in October 1901 and daughter Lilian in 1907.

By 1911 the Batchelors had moved to Hudnall where Mark was employed as a “horseman on farm”.

Vernon, who worked as an agricultural labourer enlisted in the Hertfordshire Regiment in 1914. He spent Christmas Day in the front line trenches, writing home, “We are up to our knees in mud and water…Well what sort of a Christmas Day did you have, better than we did, I hope? I was busy looking through loop holes watching for Germans to come up. They were busy singing at midnight…” Tragically, Vernon died of wounds 25th July 1916 at the age of twenty two. He was buried in the St Sever cemetery, Rouen.

The family had moved to 64, Shrublands Avenue, Berkhamsted, by June 1921. Mark was employed as a warehouseman by a local wholesale grocer and Mabel, Lilian and Archibald all worked for Corby, Palmer and Stewart, “mantle manufacturers” in Lower Kings Road.

Lilian married in 1928 and Archibald in 1937. In the 1939 Register Mabel and Florence were still at home at Shrublands Avenue and Mark continued at the warehouse.

Jane passed away 1^st  December 1943. Mark survived her until 1957 when he died at the age of ninety one and was laid to rest with her here.