Funeral Held for Samuel Whitbread

Samuel Whitbread (Wikimedia, from Vanity Fair 1895)

Thursday 30th December 1915: The funeral took place at 1pm today of Mr. Samuel Whitbread, D.L., J.P., who died at his residence at Southill Park early on Christmas morning at the age of 85. The church at Southill was filled to capacity for his funeral. Mr. Whitbread was associated with the brewery which bears the family name from 1867 and in 1889 became chairman of the company. He served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Bedford for forty-three years from 1852 until his retirement in 1895. Locally he served as Chairman of the Governors of the Harpur Trust and of the Bedford County Hospital, to which he was a great benefactor. He took a great part in administrative affairs in the county and was at one time an Alderman of Bedfordshire County Council. Of great importance to the county was his role as Chairman of the Biggleswade Water Board in providing an excellent water supply for Biggleswade and the surrounding parishes by sinking a well in the greensand from which supplies are piped as far afield as Kempston.  He continued to be active in local affairs until a few years ago when advanced age and deafness forced him to retire.

Samuel Whitbread maintained his estates in excellent order, building a number of model cottages, restoring the churches of Elstow and Cardington, and carefully preserving the two villages. Large numbers of his tenants have attended a memorial service for Mr. Whitbread at Elstow where the flag flew at half mast. During his career he spent over £50,000 building and improving cottages on his estate. He helped to draft the Local Government Board Act which established Parish Councils and until his death was the first and only Chairman of Southill Parish Council. Thanks to his generosity Southill possesses a splendid cricket ground. It is said that, “He was one of the kindest and most sympathetic of men, always ready to help any good cause, and to relieve any necessitous case, his right hand not knowing what his left hand did; he never, I believe, said a harsh word to any person of humble estate, and was most careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 31st December 1915

Thefts by Soldiers Billeted at Southill

Men at Southill Station, 1920 [Z880/2]

Wednesday 7th July 1915: Two soldiers have appeared at the Biggleswade Petty Sessions today charged with stealing potatoes and peas worth 7 shillings and 6 pence from George Brown at Southill between 20th and 23rd June. Walter Kirby and Herbert Brown both pleaded guilty. Mr. Brown reported the theft to the police, estimating that he had lost half a bushel of peas and about 60 roots of potatoes. The Bench was informed that other charges had been laid against the men and decided to hear those before passing sentence. They were then accused of stealing five fowls from J. King and Sons, Southill on three separate occasions between 1st and 21st June.

Police Sergeant Marritt told the Court that he had met Kirby leaving the 2.38am train from Leeds on the morning of 28th June. Kirby, a Private in the Royal Engineers billeted at Southill, admitted taking the potatoes and peas and made a voluntary statement. He said had found the hens sleeping out in the open and took them home to be cooked. Another man was with him but he did not wish to give his name. There was also mention of a pheasant, which was not included in the charge. P. S. Marritt and P. C. Pedley met Brown at leaving the 3.38am train at Biggleswade on the same date. Brown at first denied any knowledge of the fowls or potatoes, but later admitted having the vegetables and one hen.

The soldiers’ landlady, Mrs. Lichfield of Southill, said that Kirby had been billeted with her for nine weeks and Brown for some time less. About five weeks ago she saw a fowl on the copper in her wash house which then disappeared; some time later she saw a pheasant which the soldiers ate. A week later there were two hens, which she cooked at Kirby’s request and ate with the men; then a week or two ago there was another fowl hanging outside the wash house door. She said the men had been sending parcels away but she did not know what was in them.

Henry Vellam, the farm bailiff for Messrs John King and Sons, had noticed on 26th June that some slats had been pulled off the hen house. Several fowls had been lost during June; two which were in the habit of roosting out and two others which were sitting on eggs had disappeared. He believed that between ten and a dozen fowls were missing. Kirby and Brown pleaded guilty to stealing the fowls. They were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour for each crime, with the sentences to run concurrently. The Bench may have been more lenient for a single charge, but the theft of fowls was a serious offence and appeared to be part of a “systematic course of plunder”. It was hoped that after serving their sentence they would be able to return to their military duties. Mrs. Lichfield was told to think herself extremely lucky not be charged with receiving stolen goods.

Source: Biggleswade Chronicle 9th July 1915