Christmas Doll Show a Success

House on Rothsay Road, Bedford 1905 (z1306/10/51/2 Bedfordshire Archives)

Thursday 7th December 1916 The exhibition of the dolls given for the Invalid Children’s Aid Association was held in Rothsay Road in the drawing room of Mrs. Le Jeune. This annual event has been running for 17 or 18 years and this year was no exception despite doubts about it continuing during wartime. It was thought that many of the children that would benefit from this event had fathers in the Army or Navy who would be cheered by the knowledge that their sick children were being thought of. Over 230 dolls were given; a greater number than last year and regarded as a remarkable number for wartime. Collections of dressed dolls were given by the children of St. Andrew’s School as well as St. Peter’s School. These dolls will be temporarily displayed and then given to sick girls for Christmas, with the funds from the admission to the show being used to purchase toys for the invalid boys.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 8/12/1916

Beds Farmer's Red Cross Sale

Auctioneer at the Red Cross Sale.
Also pictured; top left, the V.C. Cockerel, bottom left, Mr. Walter Harter - the chairman of the committee, bottom right, Lady Ampthill and friend.

Saturday 25th November 1916 The second annual Bedford Farmer’s Red Cross Sale was held in the Harper Trust Elementary School Grounds. As with last year the event was rousing success, with proceeds far exceeding the £1,050 raised in 1915. With donations and sales the total came to £1,366 with more donations expected.

Lady Ampthill was invited to open the sale for the second year in a row. She stated that it was a great honour, and in her speech addressed that Bedfordshire has always been among the most impressive of counties contributing to the British Farmer’s Fund. She stressed that the people of Bedfordshire were doing their share for the glory of their sons. Those left behind must do all they can to help their men at the front.

Along with livestock and other various items, a few special items were sold. The honour of presenting Lady Ampthill with a bouquet of red and white carnations sold for £15 15s. Her ladyship then stood in a trough and proceeded to sell off the bouquet bloom by bloom, ultimately raising £84. Other items included a bottle of ale brewed at Buxton in 1902 by King Edward VII, sign posts taken from German trenches and the V.C. Cockerel. This completely tame bird has been taken to forty sales and has been sold and returned over 2,000 times, adding approximately £2,400 to war funds. The repeated sales of the Cockerel at this event raised £29 13s for the British Farmer's Red Cross Fund.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 01/09/1916

Flag Day for Wounded Horses

Scottish horse riding through Cople, 1914 [Z68/1]

Tuesday 14th September 1915: A flag day is being held in Leighton Buzzard today in aid of the R.S.P.C.A. fund for wounded horses. The committee is asking the public to “Buy a flag and help a horse”. It is said that 85% of horses treated in R.S.P.C.A. hospitals will be cured. Those who contribute can therefore do so in the assurance that their money will be well spent both in preventing suffering and in helping our forces. This is the only fund of its type recognised by the Army Council and carries out work of national importance.  

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 14 September 1915

Queens Engineering Works Support the Belgians

Thursday 2nd September 1915: Over a year into the war Bedfordshire continues to show its concern for the plight of the people of Belgium. Not only are most of the county’s towns and villages supporting refugees in their midst, but an appeal has now been launched to help those Belgians who have been driven out of their country into Holland and France where they find themselves in a state of complete destitution. A meeting was held yesterday afternoon in the yard of the Queen’s Engineering Works at Bedford presided over by the Company Chairman, Mr. W. H. Allen.

The men were addressed by Mr Hastings Pimbury of the Union des Comités who appealed to their sympathy and generosity. Mr Pimbury had lived in Belgium for twenty years and was president of three working men’s clubs in the village where he lived. He had been there when the German Army invaded the country and had seen villages burnt to the ground. The Belgians who had escaped to Holland and those still in the unconquered part of Belgium were now living as best they could in huts in miserable circumstances. He reminded them of some of the atrocities which had been committed by German soldiers and told them of orphan children living on charity. When asked who was prepared to subscribe every member of the audience raised his hand. Three cheers were given for Mr. Pimbury and for the King of the Belgians.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 3 September 1915

A Gift from Luton

Luton Town Hall 1908 [Z1306/75/10/23/11]

Thursday 3rd June 1915: A meeting has been held at Luton Town Hall to discuss setting up a fund to provide parcels for prisoners of war from the Luton area. The idea for the scheme came from Miss Gurney of Henlow Grange. Funds were now being organised in various counties, but it was felt that Luton should have a local committee rather than be part of a county-wide scheme. There was a belief, firmly expressed by the Town Clerk, that Luton men would appreciate a gift sent direct from Luton and provided with Luton men a great deal more than if it came from the county of Bedfordshire as a whole.

The initial proposal was to send fortnightly parcels to men of the Bedfordshire Regiment only, but a strong case was made for sending them to all prisoners from Luton. This amounted to fourteen men in total, eight from the Bedfords and six from other regiments. One of the Bedfordshire Regiment men and one of the others were next-door neighbours, which would make any decision to focus only on those serving with the local regiment particularly difficult. There was some reluctance to duplicate efforts being made elsewhere. The prisoners included men from the wealthy Rifle Brigade, but no information could be found as to whether they were supplying parcels to their own men. Altogether 180 men of the Bedfordshire Regiment were believed to be prisoners, although only 20 to 30 had their homes in the county. Bedford intended to provide parcels for 30 to 40 of these men and it was proposed that Luton should do the same. Agreement was reached that Luton men would be given priority, whatever their regiment, and any remaining funds should be used to send parcels to other men of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

A unanimous decision was taken to set up a committee to organise the provision of parcels. . It was clear from letters arriving that the standard of living for prisoners of war was not high. Whereas nothing could be done for the men who had fallen in battle they could at least help to ease the lot of those who had sacrificed their liberty.  It was suggested that donors should be asked to provide gifts in kind as well as money. A list of useful articles was read to the meeting, with the inclusion of insect powder raising a chuckle. The Post Office would assist by taking parcels up to 11 pounds in weight without charge and the American Express Company would take them from 11 pounds up to 112 pounds

Source: Luton News 4th June 1915

Care Packages for Indian Troops

Indian troops, December 1914 [Wikipedia]

Tuesday 8th December 1914: The Bedford Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association has received a letter of thanks from Lieutenant-Colonel H. Hennessy, the assistant director of supplies and transport for the Lahore Division for ninety packages sent for the benefit of Indian troops at the Front. Forty have been given to muleteers of the 2nd and 9th Mule Corps; twenty were passed to the Assistant Director of Postal Services with with Lahore Division for his Indian staff; the remainder were given personally to “deserving cases”, individuals attached to smaller units who are often overlooked. The men are delighted with their presents, which included gloves, binder, shirt, vest and more. Many of the Indians have walked several miles to ask for thanks to be passed the ladies who made or collected the clothing. The muleteers who were given parcels included seven who have been recommended for the Indian Order of Merit for gallant conduct.

The Bedford Depot has already sent a second consignment of parcels and a third is ready for dispatch. However, Eleanor Paine, the Honorary Sec. Superintendent of the St. John Ambulance Association tell us that the Centre’s funds are now exhausted. She asks for help from anyone with a special interest in the Indian Army so that they can continue to supply comforts for the brave Indian soldiers. Any gifts of money or handiwork can be handed in at the Association’s depot at 53 Harpur Street between 11 and 1 or between 3 and 4.30. Thursdays are dedicated specifically to the Indian Fund.

Source: Bedffordshire Times 11th December 1914

A Lace Maker in Need

Lacemaker, c.1905-1910 [X396/304]

Tuesday 10th November 1914:  The Relief of Distress Committee has received the following letter from Mrs Caroline Wright of Carlton:[1]

Saturday November 7th 1914Carlton, Beds

Dear Madam

I am writing to tell you that I wrote to local representative committee and they never answered my leter. I sent twice. The parish doctor gave me meat and milk and as I am not likely to get well they give me 3s a week, and the little girl age 10 26 November so there is two of us to live. The rent is 1s 3d and coal 8d, oil 2¼d, candles 1d, soap 1d, wood 3d, 2s and 5¼ in all what we cannot eat. I have sold a few bits of lace but they want it almost for nothing about ½d an hour. We don’t have half enough to eat. We have not got a bit of shoes to wear. I am wearing men’s low shoes as mine were worn out. I think I am in need. They don’t help them as need, they help those that are got plenty. We lay cold at nights people now at Carlton but don’t care. There was a lot of cake and bread and butter given away after a tea drinking and we go to bed hungry. We are clean and respectable and they think you don’t want anything. They only help the dirty and lazy as a rule. They never try to help those that cannot help themselves. I have been wasting away. I have not got strength to do much. I have been left [widowed] close on twelve months and had to do the best I could as I was too young for the parish. My age is 53 and the parish don’t give it till you are 60. I should be very glad if you could send to us if only something to keep us warm.

From Caroline Wright, widow, Carlton, Beds

It is because of the war the lace buyer cannot buy it as they cannot sell it and so we have to sell it where we can. I can’t do nothing only make lace.[2]

Source: General correspondence file of Relief of Distress Committee [WW1/RD5/3/1]

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[1] Spelling has been corrected for ease of reading.

[2] In response to this letter the committee paid Caroline Wright five shillings from the Relief Fund on 15th November. However on 18th November they received a letter from Charles Pettit of Harrold House, Harrold pointing out that the little girl who lived with her was not her own and that the Relieving Officer had not been able to find the girl’s parents. He admits the lace trade is not as good as it was but it was still continuing and he not consider the case should come under the war relief fund. As the County Council’s representative for the district it was his responsibility to report all cases that came under the fund, and he wonders who made the application. The committee’s record card for Caroline Wright is annotated “a great talker and grumbler and no worker if she can help it”. Although a further letter was received from Mrs Wright by the committee in December no more payments appear to have been made to her. 

Never Marry a Foreigner!

Luton Town Hall [Z1306/75/10/23/16]

27th October 1914: At a meeting of the Luton War Relief Committee this evening the subject of aliens’ wives was raised. Two cases have arisen in the town where the arrest of alien men has left their families in distress. One wife has been left with three small children, all under school age. She herself is British, has no idea where her husband is, and has barely enough money to last the week. One member of the committee pointed out that these families could not be left to starve. Another believed that a fund had been started in London for this type of case and the women should be referred there. Dr Sworder felt “they ought to tap the big German millionaires in London”. The Town Clerk believed that “if a British woman was foolish enough to marry a foreigner she must put up with the consequences” and that “there were plenty of good Englishmen”, but he accepted that the children were British, could not live on principles and must have something to eat. He therefore felt the committee should help them. Another member agreed that a grant should be made, but disagreed that there were enough British men to go round. He expressed sympathy with the thousands of people who had become aliens through a technicality and pointed out that it was quite possible that the womens’ husbands were blameless. One of the women was paying a high rent and it was felt that it was not reasonable for her to receive relief from the committee and still live in an expensive house. In response to a suggestion that some of the rooms in the house could be used by Belgian refugees Dr Sworder pointed out that  it would be “rather rough to put Belgians with Germans”. One of the “German” husbands, it transpired, was in fact Hungarian. It was decided that the District Committee should attend to the families’ needs until the committee next met.

Source: Luton News 29 October 1914

Volunteers at Sharnbrook

Sharnbrook Council School, now John Gibbard Lower School.
© Bedfordshire and Luton Archive Service 2013

11th September 1914, Sharnbrook: A meeting was held at Sharnbrook school on Wednesday to provide information about the Soldiers and Sailors Families Association. As a result a committee has been set up to help local families who are in difficulties because of the war. 

Ten young men from the village have enlisted in the services this week. A roll of honour with the names of all volunteers from the village is to be put up in the Church porch.

Source: St Peter’s Sharnbrook Parish Record, P112/28/6, p.55.

Littered With Loafers

Bedfordshire County Council 1897. Samuel Howard Whitbread is seventh from left in the second row from the front, and George Payne is tenth from left in the same row [CCV33/65/1]

2nd September 1914, Leighton Buzzard: A public meeting was held in the Leighton Assembly Room tonight to consider forming a committee to deal with any distress arising as a result of the war. Mr George Payne, the Chairman of the Leighton Buzzard Urban District Council, chaired the meeting and read a letter he had received from Mr Samuel Howard Whitbread, the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire. Mr Whitbread asked that such committees should be formed to work with the County Committee for the relief of distress. He also requested that subscriptions should be collected for the Prince of Wales’ National Relief Fund and the Bedfordshire Branch of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families’ Association In response to the letter Mr Payne put forward a proposal for a committee as requested. Mr Ernest Saunt, however, stated that the time had come for some very plain speaking and that he had never lived in a place so “choked with charity” as Leighton Buzzard. In his opinion “Leighton Buzzard was littered with loafers”. He considered it a disgrace that men wanted to be paid a bonus to do their duty and had heard a man say that “he did not care if the Germans did come to England, he had nothing to lose; let the ‘nibs’ do the fighting, the people who got the money out of it”. In his opinion nobody would make money out of the war as once the fighting was done Europe would be ruined for a quarter of a century. He would only have anything to do with the committee if he was absolutely satisfied that relief was going to the right people “instead of it getting into the hands of the usual cadging crowd”. The Chairman reassured Mr Saunt that only genuine applications would be considered and the constitution of the committee was approved.

Source: Extract from Leighton Buzzard Observer, 8 September 1914, WW1/RD5/4/1