“I’ve always wanted to write a story about Hettie and now is my chance.” Janet Yuill nee Bowsher
Hettie’s mother was Annie Elizabeth Bowsher, born in 1858 in Lambourn Berkshire to George Bowsher and Thirza Malt. They first lived in Old Chapel cottages in Lambourn. By 1871 George and his family moved to the High Street in Lambourn.
By 1881 Annie had left home and now was an under servant to a surgeon, John Craigs, living at Portland place in Cavendish Square. In 1891 Annie, now 28 years old and still single is working for a retired surgeon, John Woolfryies, at Kintbury. Just down the road from Annie’s residence was Frederick Thomas Crosse. She married Fred in 1892 and very shortly afterwards Hettie was born at Twyford Berkshire. I think it wasn’t a good marriage as Hettie has been left with her Grandparents at 8 years old or possibly even earlier.
At the same time her mother Annie was now claiming to be a widow and working as a cook servant for the Reverend Bagnall back in Lambourn. In fact Frederick lived till 1944 and Annie outlived him passing away in 1952 and dying in Lestershire. Her death puzzled me greatly. I know we all have to die sometime but I was more puzzled by where she died. For many years I believed Hettie had just disappeared and only this last year was I able to piece together what happened to Hettie Thersea Bowsher-Cross.
By 1911 Annie, still claiming to be a widow, was working in Hungerford as a servant at John Pinckney residence who was an East India Trader.
Poor Hettie has not seen much of her mother. Her Grandmother died in 1899 so now Hettie is living with her Grandfather and Aunt Harriet in the High Street Lambourn. They have a sweet shop which Harriet seems to run. In that decade the Newbury to Lambourn railway line had opened in 1898. And I think by then Harriet who was quite the mover and shaker and because she was unmarried she had other things in mind. So she set her sights on Valley View, my favourite house of all time. It was the closest to the railway station so perfect for running a boarding house or guest house. So poor Hettie was bought there to live with her Aunt Harriet and her Grandfather George.
Here it is in an unkempt condition probably towards Harriet’s passing in 1941. You can just see the Valley View sign sticking through the hedge by the lamppost.
Here is a frontal picture of it.
I knew this lovely house and grounds only because I played as a small child with Elizabeth Dowdeswell. Her father was a famous jockey who owned it after my Aunt Harriet.
The front two bedrooms were magnificent. Seen here between the smaller box room as it was called where suitcases and steamer trunks were placed. There was also access to the attic through that room. There were two back bedrooms that were smaller but still a good size. Later there was a bathroom added on. Downstairs had an enormous kitchen with pantry’s and add on’s. A beautiful sitting room with French doors and a formal parlour to the front and a large dinning room with marble fireplace. A pull waiter brought things up from the kitchen to the dining room. The staircase wound around to the upper floor.
It was my dream to buy that house. Upon reflection everything would have seemed much bigger in a small child’s eyes.
So there was Hettie, brought up as a servant under the care of her Aunt and Grandfather. I knew that George was a Primitive Methodist and many a time entertained Primitive Methodist preachers that travelled the circuit. In fact George was well travelled and he was called upon many times in disputes over boundaries in and around the village.
He was well known to travel to Yorkshire where his ancestors came from. Most of all he was stern, which stemmed from his faith. Many of his children and grandchildren feared him according to tales told to my father.
So I can imagine Hettie would have felt unloved and abandoned by her mother and now had a life of drudgery. Made to go up and down those stairs hundreds of times. Carrying hot water for wash basins, linen and dirty laundry. Setting tables for meals and cleaning non stop with eyes upon her to make sure everything is just perfect.
Hettie next shows up at her Grandfather’s funeral in 1921.
He lived till he was 91 years of age. Here is part of his obituary.
By the passing of Mr. George Bowsher on April 5th Lambourn lost her oldest inhabitant. Few families can claim more ancient connection with her than the Bowsher’s. It is recorded in Footman’s History of Lambourn Church that the first Methodist services in Lambourn were held in the house of his ancestries, Betty Bowsher. Since then, i.e. about 1797, all the family have been staunch Methodists. None stronger in their views than the deceased. Until recent years his house was one of the centres of activity in the circuit. Although of a very retiring disposition, he had in his younger days travelled through most of the principal towns of England and Wales. No one was better acquainted with the district round Lambourn and many’s the time his aid had been invoked to determine the position of boundary stones that had remained hidden for years. The evening of his days was spent at Valley View with his unmarried daughter. There he delighted to potter about until within a few months of his death. Five weeks before that occurred he took to his bed and for three weeks lay unconscious of the passage of time. Then he seemed to revive and for a fortnight right up to the last, was in possession of all his faculties. His body was interred in the burial ground at St. Luke’s, Upper Lambourn, the commitment being made by Rev H. Didcock, the Chapel Minister. Previously there had been a largely attended service held in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Lambourn, when every respect was shown.
Hettie is shown as family attending the service. I can imagine the amount of relief of the drudgery once George is buried.
In 2020 during the lock-down due to covid 19 I was determined to find out what happened to Hettie Theresa as she seemed to disappear just after George’s funeral. I even searched the Lambourn burial yard for her in Upper Lambourn.
Then I find her in 1922, the very next year, married in India!
What….. How did that happen! But her full name appears Hettie Theresa Bowsher-Cross. I am shocked! Did she meet a young officer who stayed at Valley View and followed him out to India?
Let’s backtrack a bit. Edward Charles Martinnault was born in
1890 in Hyderabad Deccan, India. Edward’s family were very prominent coming from military families going back 3 generations who all served in colonial India. His Grandfather was a professor of Music in India.
But in 1911 Edward was in England. He had joined the 1st Sherwood Foresters of Nottinghamshire And Derbyshire. He was stationed in India.
November 30th Hettie boarded the steamship China which sailed the following day for India.
On the 23rd of December Hettie Theresa Crosse married Edward Charles Martinnalt in Bombay India. Edward was known by his second name Charles.
Is this the last I see of Hettie’s brave adventure to India….. no.
Her first child is born Archibald Edward Bowsher Martinnalt born in Secunderabad, Madras, India in 1923. Then a second child Maurice Densfield Martinnalt, born in 1925. A third son James was born in 1926 but he did not survive long. Upon his death and probably grieving, Harriet returned to Valley View with her two surviving sons in 1928 where Harriet was able to meet Hettie’s two children. Hettie returned to India with the two children in October 1928 and her husband Charles passed away in 1939. She seemed to be stuck there for the duration of the war. Her first born Archibald Edward Bowsher Martinnant died during the war. He was awarded the Military Cross and was a Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion 10 Baluch Regiment who died in Burma. He was only 21 years old.
Hettie had now lost her husband, her first born and her 3rd born. How sad it must be to outlive two of your children and your husband. Her life must have been so different from growing up in the village of Lambourn.
But that’s not the last I hear of Hettie Theresa. She returns to England with her remaining son Maurice in 1947.
In 1948 she is found at Valley View. Harriet passed away in 1941 and Harriet’s brother Ernest has moved into Valley View with his wife Edith Somerton. They stay there till the house is sold. Ernest and Edith have no children and Edith dies in 1949 and Ernest in 1959.
But what happens to Hettie? After 1950 Hettie joins her son Maurice in Doncaster. He is married and as yet I haven’t found an obituary for Maurice so presumably he could be living. My next quest is to find Maurice. I’ve also found no children of Maurice’s.
Hettie passes away in 1967 in Doncaster at the reasonable age of 74.
So Hettie, born into drudgery and abandoned by her mother and father.
Her mother pretending to be a widow. Bought up by a very strict Grandfather and Aunt she runs off to India where she is pampered by servants and lives with status amongst a military family who have a history of 3 generations serving India. She eventually returns to her roots and settles in her senior years with her son in Doncaster.
Thank you to Janet Yuill for sharing this fascinating story with us
Liz Beard
