Tag: northamptonshire

Abram’s Buses and Earls Barton Motors

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Earls Barton is a village in Northamptonshire, situated in the borough of Wellingborough. The name comes from Bere-tun, which is Saxon for ‘a place for growing barley’. The prefix ‘Earls’ comes from a long association with the Earls of Northampton and Huntingdon. Earls Barton is known for its Anglo-Saxon and shoe making heritage — it is also the place where my ancestors lived and worked.

On leaving the army in 1922 my great grandfather Joseph Charles Abram returned to the village where his parents Charles and Emily lived. He built two houses on the Mears Ashby Road, choosing to live in one and sell the other. He was also the proprietor of Abram’s Buses and later Earls Barton Motors, known locally as Abram’s garage.

Abram’s Buses

The first motor bus had arrived in Earls Barton in 1921 and was owned by the village carrier who would have transported passengers and goods between towns and villages in the area. In 1924 Joseph purchased his first bus — a model T Ford saloon from Henry Oliver Ltd, a Northampton based Ford agent, for which he paid £221. The same year he was summoned for leaving a motor bus in Wellingborough without having taken due precautions to prevent it starting in his absence. Superintendent McLeod explained the vehicle had been left in Sheep Street where a constable had been able to jump on the vehicle and stop it before it had got too far. Joseph was fined £1

Joseph Abram and bus

The main service Joseph provided operated between Earls Barton and Wellingborough but services also included a Saturday only service between the months of September to April for football supporters, services from Barker’s Shoe Factory in the village, an August Bank Holiday service to Castle Ashby, excursions to Yarmouth, Clacton and Skegness and a number of evening tour trips.

By August 1928 Joseph had a fleet of four buses. Newspaper articles from the time show that as the omnibus proprietor of a small bus company, Joseph took on the United Counties bus company on the road, in the press and in the courtroom —the much larger company had an operating area covering Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Huntingdonshire, with services that reached into Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire,  Rutland, London and Nottingham.

In a letter to the editor of the Northampton Mercury, Joseph wrote “I have been running my two buses (trying merely to get a living) for some few years now between Earls Barton and Wellingborough and was the first to commence early morning journeys for workmen between those places.” United Counties responded saying that “the authorities concerned should think seriously about granting a ‘small man’ a licence”. 

It was also reported in the press that Joseph applied for a new co-ordination between his services and the United Counties Omnibus Bus Company Ltd between Earls Barton and Wellingborough, due to overcrowding on the route and United Counties not keeping to the  scheduled times. As such “a start two minutes later could be of great importance.”  Mr Troup applying on behalf of Joseph said “The last Earls Barton census had a population of 2,800, yet no fewer than 111 passenger buses ran into it every Saturday and 120 out.” He continued that “on Wednesday and Fridays 93 buses ran in and out, 68 on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursday and on Sundays 48 in and 49 out.” The Chairman (Mr J H Stirk) asked “does everybody move at Earls Barton every Saturday” and Mr Troup replied “I think they must.”  William George Austin a United Counties inspector also advised that Mr Abram had complained on one occasion about a bus starting four minutes late but the driver said he started promptly having set his watch by the Regal Clock in Wellingborough which was met by laughter. It was concluded there were too many buses on the route but a decision would be deferred until loadings of the two services had been supplied.

Other newspaper reports exist of accidents, dangerous driving and a false statement made to the police by a driver for the United Counties Omnibus Company, who later admitted making the statement “because he was annoyed at the time by a woman who was one of Abrams’ customers insulting him.” When Joseph applied to run a service to Castle Ashby on the flower show day in the summer, it was report United Counties objected on the grounds there was an adequate service and that passengers had been left stranded which Joseph denied. The Chairman granted the application nonetheless saying “see you bring home all the people you take.” In the same article it was reported Joseph complained United Counties had a five minute service against him for a village of 3,000 people, so as to “squeeze the blood out of your body.”

In December 1930 Joseph offered his services and vehicles to United Counties but did not in fact sell his business to them until 1932. In March of that year Joseph advised them he was willing to dispose of his business which included four vehicles, two plots of land, a petrol pump and wooden garage — the business was sold on 23 March 1932.

On Friday 20 November 1931 the Northamptonshire Mercury reported that ‘an application had been made by J C Abram of Earls Barton to run his buses between Wellingborough and that place’ and further newspaper articles from the time show that as an Omnibus Proprietor of a small bus company he took on the United Counties bus company on the road, in the press and in the courtroom.

The document below, produced by The Omnibus Society, records Joseph’s life from September 1924 when Joseph purchased his first bus, to May 1932 when he sold his business to United Counties.

Joseph is also mentioned in the book United Counties Buses: A Fleet History, 1921 – 2014.

Earls Barton Motors (Abram’s Garage)

The sale of Abram’s Buses almost certainly assisted Joseph with his purchase of Abram’s Garage which Joseph advertised as ‘the reliable physicians for all motoring ailments.’ Complete overhauls and repairs were carried out to all makes of cars and commercial vehicles, with all repairs carried out by expert mechanics under personal supervision of the proprietor. Newspaper advertisements from the time also show that Joseph sold vehicles from the garage including a 1933 Austin light 124 saloon, 1934 Fordson end tipping lorry, 1932 Lanchester saloon and a 1930 Singer saloon.

In 1935 during his time as proprietor, Joseph was called as a witness at Wellingborough Police Court following an escapade by three youths who pleaded guilty to a number of offences including possessing a firearm. Joseph told how on 14 May dogs had awakened him — getting out of bed he heard clicking noises and saw a car driven away. The following morning he found two petrol pump globes had been broken apparently by bullets. Later the police found the pellets but Joseph could not say who was responsible. And the 1939 census of Earls Barton records Joseph as a Motor Engineer Garage Proprietor living at Abram’s Garage, Main Road with his wife Millicent (Milly May) and daughter Betty. Also residing with them is Albert E Evans, a haulage contractor and motor engineer. 

World war two

During the war the garage was used for repairing aircraft parts for Sywell aerodrome. A document from the Harrington Museum states:

‘The number or aircraft needing repair increased rapidly during 1940 and the accommodation at the main centre at Sywell was found to be inadequate. This together with the policy of dispersal and the benefit of taking work to the people instead of the reverse with consequent saving in travelling, led to premises being requisitioned including Abram’s Garage, Earls Barton – used for
undercarriage and bomb beams.’

The full document can be viewed below.

The home guard

 
Joseph is known to be a member of the Home Guard during World War two. The Home Guard was set up in May 1940 as Britain’s ‘last line of defence’ against German invasion. Members were usually men above or below the age of conscription and those unfit or ineligible for front line military service. The full Home Guard ledger is in Earls Barton  museum and lists all the streets and homes in the village. Each home is listed with how many occupants whether they were in the Home Guard or ARP wardens it even lists if the house had a ladder or a hosepipe in case of an air raid.A document from this time also lists buildings other than dwelling houses used by the Home Guard and Abram’s Garage is shown as post number 12.

Ooold Soljer and Two Beauts


And on 31 March 1943 the garage was recorded as sustaining a broken window when, during a practice air raid, two B17 flying fortresses, Ooold Soljer and Two Beauts, collided, shedding bombs and spreading wreckage in Mears Ashby and Earls Barton — an information board now stands in Mears Ashby which advises visitors about the crash.
 

Aubrey Leighton

Joseph is believed to have run the garage successfully until sometime after the war and when he retired, he sold the garage to Aubrey Leighton, one of the pioneers of F1 stock car racing. Aubrey began racing in 1955 when the sport was about a year old. He went on to win 48 Finals, plus the National Points Championship in 1963. In only his third season of racing, Aubrey won the 1957 World Championship, staged at Belle Vue.

abran-garage-stock-car-4

abran-garage-stock-car-3
abran-garage-stock-car
 
abran-garage-stock-car-2


The Abram family however remained in Earls Barton. Joseph’s parents Charles and Emily who are first recorded as living there on the 1911 census can be found on the 1921 census and the 1939 census also. And on 24 March 1930 the Northampton Chronicle and Echo reported the old couple, who had lived in Earls Barton for twenty seven years, had fourteen children, six of who had served in the Great War with all of them returning home, had celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. 

Joseph died in 1970 at which time his residence was recorded as Mears Ashby Road, Earls Barton. There is no fancy obituary for Joseph, he was not a prince or a king, a politician or a film star, he was simply an ordinary man doing his best to make a living during an extraordinary time in history — yet reading his words and those of the people who knew him bring him to life and ensure he is not forgotten. How lucky am I to call this ‘regular joe’ my ancestor?

Sources

Earls Baron Parish Council

Abram’s Buses

Abram’s Garage

Newspaper articles

  • Northampton Chronicle and Echo
    Summoned
    28 November 1924
  • Northampton Mercury
    Charge against a bus driver dismissed
    2 July 1926
  • Northampton Mercury
    Buses and competition:
    A letter to the editor of the Mercury from J C Abram, Omnibus proprietor
    5 November 1926
  • Northampton Chronicle and Echo
    Saloon buses for hire (party arrangements)
    27 May 1927
  • Northampton Mercury
    An error of judgement costs a bus driver £2 at Wellingborough
    21 October 1927

  • Northampton Mercury
    Bus overturns on joy trip to Hunstanton
    9 August 1929
  • Northampton Chronicle and Echo
    A family of fourteen
    24 March 1930

  • Northampton Mercury
    An application to run buses from Wellingborough to Earls Barton
    20 November 1931
  • Northampton Mercury
    Application for a new co-ordination
    26 February 1932
  • Northampton Mercury
    Petrol Pumps damaged
    31 May 1935

  • Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph
    Vehicles for sale
    17 June 1939

  • Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph
    Semi detached house for sale
    15 September 1939

More photos

The Dope Judies

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During world war two, my grandmother, Delia Eileen Abram (nee Clarke) worked at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, repairing the Irish linen skin covering on the bodywork of Wellington bombers.

nan-2

The aerodrome  dates back to 1927 when local landowner, Mr Harold Brown agreed to let 55 acres of his land off the Holcot Lane, adjacent the Belman Gate, to the Northamptonshire Aero Club. Today it has evolved from a world war two RAF facility into general aviation airfields.

During the second world war activities at Sywell included the expansion of flying training, repairs to 1,841 of the RAF’s Wellington bombers and completion and flight testing of some 100 Lancaster mark two, four engined bombers. Brooklands Aviation Ltd oversaw the use of the ‘shadow factory scheme’ and saw two major sites used for aircraft overhaul and maintenance.

  • Site number one concentrated on Wellington repair and Lancaster construction.
  • Site number two site was based at Buttocks Booth in Moulton mainly for Wellington work.

Wellington Bombers flying in formation.Wellington Bombers flying in formation.

Other local engineering shops and businesses were subcontracted to undertake specific component repair too, including Earl’s Barton Motors (Abram’s garage) which was run by my great grandfather Joseph Charles Abram. A document from the Harrington Museum states:

‘The number or aircraft needing repair increased rapidly during 1940 and the accommodation at the main centre at Sywell was found to be inadequate. This together with the policy of dispersal and the benefit of taking work to the people instead of the reverse with consequent saving in travelling, led to premises being requisitioned including Abram’s Garage, Earls Barton – used for undercarriage and bomb beams.’

The full document can be viewed below.

Second World War recruitment poster.

Second World War recruitment poster.

Around 2,000 people worked for Brooklands either directly or indirectly during world war two. However, as the men were conscripted, much of the work fell to women to undertake, including driving the roof cranes that shifted wings and tail fins into position, installing electrics and stitching a planes linen carapace.

The women who recovered and stitched the linen on airframes were nicknamed ‘Dope Judies’.  The word dope referred to the layers of dope that formed the outer skin of the aircraft that the Irish linen was treated with.

Flight Mechanic website explains:

‘Fabric-covered aircraft play an important role in the history of aviation. The famous Wright Flyer utilized a fabric-covered wood frame in its design, and fabric covering continued to be used by many aircraft designers and builders during the early decades of production aircraft. The use of fabric covering on an aircraft offers one primary advantage: light weight. In contrast, fabric coverings have two disadvantages: flammability and lack of durability.Finely woven organic fabrics, such as Irish linen and cotton, were the original fabrics used for covering airframes, but their tendency to sag left the aircraft structure exposed to the elements. To counter this problem, builders began coating the fabrics with oils and varnishes. In 1916, a mixture of cellulose dissolved in nitric acid, called nitrate dope, came into use as an aircraft fabric coating. Nitrate dope protected the fabric, adhered to it well, and tautened it over the airframe. It also gave the fabric a smooth, durable finish when dried.’

Wellingtons under construction, showing the geodetic airframe.
Wellington bombers under construction, showing the airframe.

Stitching  tightly with a curved needle, at a regulation eight stitches per inch, so the wind could not rip the seams open, the mostly female workforce worked 12 hour shifts, six days a week, in damp unheated hangars.  

Sources

 
Further information
 

John, Martha and Elizabeth Peach

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I learned about John and Elizabeth Peach while researching the Thompson family, with their names appearing on the 1871 census together and with Lucy Munn’s described as Mother in Law. Elizabeth Peach also appears on the 1901 census, where she has a 21 year old servant named Lucy Thompson working 25 Margaret Street, Northampton. Elizabeth is described as a widow and ‘living on own means’.

1851

In 1851 John Peach, aged 34 is recorded as a market gardener with one employee. Married to Martha, they are living at Gold Street, Northampton.

1861

In 1861 John and Martha can be found living at 17 Gold Street. They have a six year old visitor called Selina Starmer and one servant.

1871

In 1871 John and Martha are living alone at Billing Road, St Giles, Northampton. Aged 54 John is described as a retired market gardener.

1881

Aged 64, John can now be found living at 8, Billing Road, Northampton. Again he is described as a retired market gardener but he is now married to Elizabeth Peach and Lucy Munns, described as mother in law, is living with them.

1885

John Peach died in 1885 leaving a personal estate of £2.200.

Details of the will of John Peach.

1886

The Northampton Mercury reported the auction of three highly desirable properties at Gold Street, Victoria Street and Billing Road Northampton.

George and Lucy Munns

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I learned about George and Lucy Munns while researching the Thompson family. Lucy Munn’s name appeared on the 1871 and 1881 census returns along with William and Harriett Thompson.

1841

George and Lucy Munns, both aged 35 can be found on the 1841 census, living at Todds Lane Johnsons Square, St Sepulchre, Northampton.

1851

In 1851 George and Lucy are living at 1, Nelson Street Square, St Sepulchre Northampton, Both described as shoemakers, they have four daughters, including a daughter Harriett aged seven.

1861

In 1861 George and Lucy are living at 27, Vernon Street, Priory of St Andrew, Northampton. Harriett aged 17 is employed as a shoe machine worker.

1871

In 1871 a Lucy Manns is recorded as living with William and Harriett Thompson at Russell Street, Northampton. William is employed as a riveter, Harriett as a machinist and Lucy as a laundress.

1881

In 1881 Lucy Munns is again recorded as living with William and Harriett, living at 42 Great Russell Street, Northampton. Interestingly though, Lucy Munns, a widow also aged 75 and described as Mother in Law can be found recorded at 8 Billing Road Northampton, living with John Peach (a retired Market Gardener) and his wife too.*

* The 1901 census shows Lucy Thompson aged 21, working as a servant for a widow, aged 73, named Elizabeth Peach, at 25 Margaret Street, Northampton. Elizabeth is described as ‘living on own means’.

William and Harriett Thompson

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William and Harriett Thompson were the parents of Lucy Thompson, who was the first wife of my great grandfather Joseph Charles Abram.

1841

The 1841 census shows William aged three living in Dallington, Northampton, with his parents William and Mary and six brothers and sisters – George, John, Mary, Sarah, Richard and Elizabeth.

1861

In 1861, William aged 23, can be found living in the home of John and Emma Humphrey at 5, Cavendish Terrace, Clapham, Wandsworth. John and Emma have eight children and five servants including William. William’s occupation is given as a footman and John’s occupation is given as wharfinger, which is the owner or keeper of a wharf.

1871

In 1871 William is back in Northampton, living at Russell Street. He is now married to Harriett. Living with them are two other women, Lucy Manns aged 65 and Harriett Clarke aged seven.

1881

In 1881 William and Harriett are living at 42 Great Russell Street, Northampton. They have four daughters including Lucy aged one. Lucy Munns is living with them, aged 75 and she is described as Mother in Law. Interestingly though, Lucy Munns, a widow also aged 75 and described as Mother in Law can also be found recorded at 8 Billing Road Northampton, living with John Peach (a retired Market Gardener) and his wife too.*

1891

In 1891 William and Harriett are living at Great Russell Street. Lucy is now aged 11. William is described as a gentlemen’s gardener.

1901

In 1901 still at Great Russell Street, William’s occupation is now given as a market gardener and Harriett is recorded as a greengrocer shop keeper. **

1911

In 1911 William and Harriett are living at 18 Burns Street, Northampton.*** Living with them is a Mrs Peach, a boarder and a widow aged 83, with a personal description of ‘independent means’.

* The 1901 census shows Lucy Thompson aged 21, working as a servant for a widow, aged 73, named Elizabeth Peach, at 25 Margaret Street, Northampton. Elizabeth is described as ‘living on own means’.

** The 1890 Kellys directory has William listed as the greengrocer.

*** At the time of Lucy’s marriage to Joseph she was living at 35 Burns Street, Northampton.

Walter Abram

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Walter Abram was born in  1896 in Northamptonshire. The 1891 census shows him living at 75, Lower Hester Street, Northampton, Kingsthorpe and the 1901 census, aged 14 at Station Road, Earl’s Barton. His occupation is shown as a shoe machine operative.

Northampton Mercury: 21 July 1916

In July 1916 a piece appeared in the Northampton Mercury which records that Walter had written to my great great grandparents advising he was in hospital at Didsbury suffering from shell shock, having enlisted in in 1914 and going to France in 1915.  

Walter and Mabel.

I believe that Walter married his wife Mabel in 1920 and on the 1939 register they can be found living together at Rusholme Northampton Road, Earl’s Barton. Walter’s occupation is recorded as a puller over in the boot trade.

 

 

 

 

William Abram

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William Abram was born in All Saints, Northamptonshire in 1888.  The 1891 census shows him aged three living at Great Holme Street, Leicester, aged 13 at 75, Lower Hester Street, Northampton, Kingsthorpe and aged 23 at Station Road, Earl’s Barton.

William Abram

Alice Abram

In 1939, William can be found living at 50 Doddington Road, Earl’s Barton, married to Alice C Abram. His occupation is given as a console master (boot trade).

 

 

 

 

 

Amelia

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Amelia A Abram was born in Northampton in 1884.   The 1891 census shows her aged seven at Great Holme Street, Leicester.  Aged 17, she can be found on the 1901 census at 75, Lower Hester Street, Northampton working as a shoe fitter and aged 27 an Amelia Ann Abram can be found boarding at 43 Stanley Road, Northampton, Dallington St James.

Francis George Abram

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Francis G Abram was born in Northampton in 1881.   The census for that year shows him aged less than one year old, at 12, William Street, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton.

In 1891 the family can be found at Great Holme Street, Leicester and it now includes my great grandfather Joseph Charles, Amelia A, Theresa, William and Albert V.  I have been unable to find Francis on the 1901 census but the 1911 census records a Francis George Abram living at 27 Lawrence Street, Northampton.  Now aged 30 he is married to Annie Elizabeth who was born in London. Her occupation is given as Hotters Furrier. The couple have two children, a son named George Thomas and a daughter named Gladys Kate. 

The 1939 register shows Francis and Annie living at 84 Northcote Street, Nothampton.  Francis is recorded as a builders labourer (heavy worker) and Annie is recorded as undertaking unpaid domestic duties.