JANUARY
In which a General Election is held; May narrowly evades a mob of salt workers and the Riot Act is read in Droitwich (Ed.)
1910, JANUARY
1 SATURDAY Dog and Establishment Licences due. King's taxes due.
Slight frost in the morning and cold and dull all day with rain at times.
Ted Holloway1came to stay here for a fortnight.
2 SUNDAY
Warm and mild all day.
We all went to Church in the morning.
3 MONDAY
Very mild all day.
Father and Jack went hunting; they met at Gallow Green; and I went to the meet with Emily Wilson2.
Mr. Howson3 and Dick Fowler4 and Ernest Millard5 came and helped Ned to shoot. Father went to Mr. J Bakewell's in the evening to a party.
4 TUESDAY
Very foggy and nasty all day.
It was our washing day and it didn't dry any all day. Ernest Millard came down here to stay the week while Mr. and Mrs. Millard went out. Ned and Ernest went shooting in the afternoon.
5 WEDNESDAY Dividends on Consols due.
Still very foggy and dull all day.
Ernest Millard and I walked down to Droitwich in the afternoon. I went up to Witton to see Aunt Bessie6, but I didn't stay long; and we came home to tea. Austin Seagers7 came in the evening and we all played cards.
6 THURSDAY
Very foggy and cold all day.
Ned and Ernest Millard went to John Wilson's of Astwood8 shooting; then I drove there in the afternoon to fetch them back. We played cards and spent a very pleasant evening. Miss Gilbert9 went to a Whist Drive at the Club Room at Hanbury.
7 FRIDAY
The weather is still foggy and dull.
Ernest Millard and Ned went rabbiting all day. Ned went to a Social at Cutnall Green with Bert Millard in the evening.
8 SATURDAY Christmas Fire Insurances due.
Cold morning; and a very cold wind all day; and it rained in the evening.
Mr. Marsh and his son came here shooting. Mr. Wilson of Mere Green10 came and played cards with them in the evening.
9 SUNDAY
Fine day but rather windy.
We all went to Church in the morning. Martin Gibbs11 came back with us to dinner.
10 MONDAY
Very nice and sunny all day; but two or three showers in the evening.
Mr. Howson and his nephew came here shooting. Father and I went to a party that Mr. and Mrs. Harvey gave at the Rectory and we had a very nice evening. The boys went to a Political Meeting at the Club Room.
11 TUESDAY Hilary Law Sittings begin.
The weather was nice and fine all day; but it snowed in the evening; and there was a sharp frost after.
Kitty Lord came and went with me to the Subscription Dance at Droitwich. I enjoyed it very much.
Miss Gilbert went home for a week's holiday.
12 WEDNESDAY
Fine morning; but a lot more snow fell in the afternoon.
Mr. Seager came across in the morning. The boys went ferreting rabbits; and Father stayed at home all day.
I went to bed early at night.
13 THURSDAY Commencement of the year 1328 of the Mohammedan era.
Sharp frost first thing in the morning; but it thawed all day, the snow going fast.
Father and the boys were away all day and I was here by myself. Ned and I went to the Social at Hanbury at night.
14 FRIDAY
Nice mild day; all the snow having gone during the night.
The two boys and Ted Holloway went rabbiting all day; they killed 27 rabbits.
15 SATURDAY
Very nice bright morning; but it came on to rain about the middle of the day and rained on and off all the rest of the day; the wind rising rather high at night.
I was very busy all day because Mrs. Pitt didn't come to work until 10 o'clock and Miss Gilbert was still away. This was the first day of the General Election12.
16 SUNDAY
Very windy and wet morning, and it was stormy most of the day.
Father and the boys went to Church in the morning; and I went to Wolmer to Church in the evening.
17 MONDAY
Wet morning, but it came out fine afterwards, only rather windy.
Father and the boys went hunting. The hounds met at Himbleton, and they had a fair day's sport.
Ted Holloway went home and I drove him down to Droitwich Station.
18 TUESDAY
Fine morning but rather dull and it came on to rain about four o'clock and it poured all the evening.
Father and Jack went to Bromsgrove to market. It was our washing day, and it didn't dry at all.
19 WEDNESDAY
Nice fresh morning and it was very nice all day.
Ned stayed in bed until dinnertime with a bad cold and a boil on his face. I went to the Ambulance Examination in the afternoon at the Club Room at Hanbury.
20 THURSDAY
Fine morning at first; but it came on stormy afterwards. Ned's face was not much better so he didn't get up until dinner time again. Father and Jack went hunting, but they had a very bad day's sport.
Miss Gilbert came home again in the evening.
21 FRIDAY
Sharp frost in the morning; and a very nice day, only rather cold.
Ned stayed in bed until dinnertime again and his face was not much better. I cycled down to Droitwich in the evening to do some shopping.
22 SATURDAY Tenth year of the reign of King Edward VII begins.
Bright frosty morning but a very cold blow all day.
We were very busy because Mrs. Pitt wasn't able to come to work and we had got shooters.
Mr. Ralph Palmer13, Cousin Henry Gibbs, Mr. Howson, and John Wilson of Astwood were here shooting, and they killed 60 rabbits. Ned's face was better but he wasn't able to go out.
23 SUNDAY
Very cold; sleeting and raining nearly all day.
Father and Jack and I went to Church in the morning. Ned's face was a lot better but he didn't go outside.
24 MONDAY
Nice fine morning but in the afternoon it was very miserable, a sort of a sleety rain falling.
I didn't go out anywhere and we played cards in the evening.
25 TUESDAY
Very bright frosty morning, only a very cold wind.
I went and called for Doris Millard in the morning, then we both cycled into Bromsgrove to hear the poll declared and Mr. Austen Chamberlain got in by 5,68914. In the afternoon we cycled on to the Cherry Trees to see Aunt Green15. We had a very nice ride; the roads were nice and clear and it was a full moon to come back.
26 WEDNESDAY
Fine morning but a very sharp frost and it froze hard all day.
In the evening Miss Gilbert and I walked down to Droitwich to a Political Meeting in the Salters Hall. Mr. Littleton and another gentleman had just finished speaking when a woman fell off the gallery and they decided that, as it may cost her her life, to adjourn the meeting. Father was at the meeting and the boys kept home.
27 THURSDAY
Bright and frosty morning and very cold all day.
The boys and father went to Phepson shooting. I walked up to Mere Green in the afternoon to see Mrs. Wilson and she was bad in bed. I saw Doris Millard up there and she came back with me to tea. Vincent Grafton came here in the evening
28 FRIDAY
The weather had changed very suddenly; a lot of rain fell in the night and it was very stormy and cold all day, the wind rising at night.
I stayed at home all day because it was so wet. It was polling day for mid Worcestershire. Father went to give his vote at Droitwich and I hope Mr. Littleton will get in.
29 SATURDAY
Sharp frost in the morning but it thawed in the daytime and was a nice day, only it was a cold wind.
The poll was declared at Droitwich and Mr. Littleton got in by 105. I went down to Droitwich in the afternoon and nearly got mobbed because I had got a red tie on; I had to pull it off, and then I went and stayed at Aunt Bessie's until the crowd was gone. The people got worse at night and they had to read the Riot Act; there were 200 policemen there to try and keep order.16
30 SUNDAY
Very nice day and not so cold as for the last week.
Father and Jack and I went to Church in the morning and Ned and Miss Gilbert at night. Mr. Harvey preached his farewell sermon. Father went to Mr. Palmer's at Hadzor to tea, and Doris Millard came here to tea.
31 SUNDAY
It was rather a dull day but it thawed all day.
Mr. Howson and Charlie Fowler came here shooting. Dolly Gibbs came here in the afternoon and stayed to tea. They played cards in the evening then Ned took Dolly home, and I took his place and played cards. I lost as usual.
1George Baylis' sister Frances Ann (b.1864) married George Edward Holloway in 1888; 14 year old Edward George “Ted” is one of their nine children ; 1911 Census
2Emily Wilson (31) and her brother John Gordon Wilson (32), both born in Salwarpe, live with their widowed mother Emma Margaret Wilson (60) at Astwood, Dodderhill : 1911 Census. Emily was a lifelong friend; May used to take her, Miss Gerrard of Court Farm Huddington post and Norman Palmer post to follow the hounds in her car regularly well into her 70's (Source: Tricia Havard)
3Charles Howson (38) lives with his wife Agnes May (28) and their daughters Eleanor (5) and Marjorie (3) at Westfields Farm, Hanbury; Charles hails from Bromley in Staffordshire :1911 Census
4Richard Fowler (31) born in Bromley, Staffs. and his brother Charles born in Hanbury (28) live at Pumphouse Farm with three other siblings, Fred (45), Elizabeth (44) and Mary (38) all born in Staffordshire : 1911 Census. In 1891 their father, also Richard (59), was at The Valley, Hanbury with his wife Elizabeth (nee Archer) and eight children of whom Charles was the youngest : 1891 Census. Thomas Howson (father of Charles Howson, ante.) married Elizabeth Fowler's sister; Charles Fowler was a staunch Methodist and published a book entitled "Russia Cannot Win" (Source: Tricia Havard)
5John Millard, (57) a Head Teacher, and his wife Mary Jane (54) are the parents of John (29) Mary (26), Joseph E (presumably Ernest) (22), Albert (presumably Bert) William (19), and Doris (16). The Millards also hail from Staffordshire ; 1901 and 1911 Census.
6George's sister Mary Elizabeth (49), a spinster, lives at Witton, Droitwich.: 1911 Census. She died in 1924 and is buried at Hanbury, described as “late of Hownings”.
7Charles Austin Seager (28) and his wife Elizabeth Ann (33) live at Shell, Himbleton; 1911 Census
8John Wilson, Emily's brother ante.
9Miss Bessie Gilbert (21) lives at Hownings as a “Ladies Help” ; 1911 Census
10 A John Wilson (57), born at Hampton Lovett, lives with his two spinster sisters Elizabeth (66) and Emma Sarah (64) in Hanbury, possibly Mere Green ; 1911 Census
11“Cousin” Martin Gibbs (17) and his parents Harry (52) and Jane (44) live at Little Intall Fields Farm, Stoke Prior with four other siblings Sarah Dorothy “Dolly” (20), John (18), Jane Elizabeth (14), and Nancy(12) : 1911 Census. George Baylis' Great Aunt Sarah (b. 1822) married John Gibbs from Wolverton, Warwickshire in 1849; they lived at Wychbold Court (census 1891) farming some 440 acres. Harry Gibbs (above) was their younger son. Their children were Sarah (b 1852), Edward George (b. 1853), Philip Baylis (b.1855) (in Kings Norton), Mary (b. 1857), Harry (b. 1859) (above) and Charlotte Elizabeth (b. 1860). Sarah and Charlotte (both apparently spinsters) live in Kings Norton (see post). Philip Baylis Gibbs, married to Mary (nee Boulton) lived in Hadzor (1891 Census) then in North Bromsgrove (1911 Census), again see post. Another John Gibbs (b. 1835) married to Elizabeth (b. 1836) lived at Goosehill and had five children including a Mary and a Philip (census 1901) and a Philip Gibbs (b 1867) lived in Tibberton (1911 Census)
12In the 1906 General Election the Liberals led by Campbell-Bannerman gained an absolute Commons majority of 84, but still faced a permanent Conservative majority in the Lords which persisted in voting down reforming legislation passd by the Commons. Matters came to a head in November 1909 when Lloyd George's 1909 “People's Budget” (including a proposed Land Value tax) was passed by 379 to 149 in the Commons but vetoed by the Lords 350 to 75. A January 1910 election became inevitable.
13Ralph John Palmer (55) lives at Court Farm, Hadzor with his wife Mary Ann (50) and four children Ethel (26), Nora Elizabeth (18), Norman (16) and Alic John (14) : 1911 Census
14Austen Chamberlain was the son of Joseph Chamberlain and elder half brother of Neville Chamberlain. He was (Liberal) Unionist MP for East Worcestershire. He served twice as Chancellor of the Exchequer and was briefly leader of the Conservative Party before serving as Foreign Secretary. The General Election resulted in a hung parliament with the Conservatives and Liberal Unionists together receiving most votes but the Liberals led by Asquith gaining two more seats. The Liberals continued in government with the support of the Irish Parliamentary Party. Another General Election would be held in December 1910.
15George's sister Sarah Hartwright Baylis (b. 1857) married John George Green in 1880; they had four children: Gertrude Mary, (b. 1882) William Edward (b. 1883) John George (b. 1884) and Leonard (b. 1886).
16The disturbances in Droitwich were prompted by the election results, the local saltworkers favouring the defeated Liberal candidate Cecil Harmsworth over the Conservative Hon. John Lyttleton. Harmsworth, they hoped, would be able to revive the salt making business which was then in decline. After declaration of the election result a 1,000 strong crowd assembled outside the Raven Hotel and went on the rampage round St Andrew's Sreet and Friar Street, particularly targetting the “Waggon and Horses”; the “Barley Mow” also came under attack. Some 136 members of the County Constabulary had been drafted in, especially to guard the public houses. At about 11pm the Deputy Chief Constable summoned the Mayor, Alderman Jackson Gabb, to read the Riot Act, by the light of a candle; apparently very few people heard the announcement due to the noise of the rioters, and missiles continued to be thrown as he read : http://historicdroitwich.org.uk/people/individuals-and-families/albert-frank-kench/index.php