John Bolton Bigg
A Letter to My Grandchildren
Beginnings (1867 - 1894)
TO MY DEAR GRANDCHILDREN
It is very probable, that during the course of your lives, you will read biographies of one sort or another, and it occurred to me that it would be of interest to you, to read something of your Grandfather Bigg. People often know a lot about people not related to them, but very little about their own kith and kin.
To make a beginning, I will start with my Grandfather Bigg. He came from Kent and was proud to be known as a descendant of a "Man of Kent". My Grandmother's maiden name was Morley, and her father owned an Hotel in Lombard Street, just opposite the Mansion House in the City of London.
My Grandfather Bolton was a Londoner born, and was in business at a stationers on the left hand side of Cheapside. He used to relate that when he was a boy, grass grew between the stones along the road.
Grandmother Bolton came from a village in Suffolk, named Cavendish, and her sisters married village people who lived at Clare, and Long Melford, and Bridge Street, and as a boy I spent many happy holidays with my great aunts Sophie and Alice.
My father, Henry Morley Bigg, was born on the 9th November 1839, and my mother, a Bolton, on the 25th May, 1844. They were married on August 11th, 1866, so he was then in his 26th year, and my mother 22 years of age.
My father lived until he was past his 62nd birthday, and my mother died when she was nearly 86, the dates of their deaths being respectively 10th February 1902 and 11th April 1930.
They lived when first married in the Albion Road, Stoke Newington, and he used to walk to his place of business in the City, a matter of three or four miles. The company where he was employed, The Madras Irrigation Company, was situated in Coleman Street, and in 1930 the building was still there.
In my father's day, clerks were plentiful, and very poorly paid, and in glancing through his diary I found that in his early days he was frequently out of employment.
1853. Went to my first place, Mr Griffiths, Solicitor, stayed with him eight months.
Entered the service of Chelsey (sic) Waterworks. After I had been with the Company four years I was dismissed, having learnt nothing.
1857. Some months out of employment. Obtained a clerkship in the Eastern Companies Railway.
1858. Out of employment again, but got a place at Brass & Hayward, Upholsterers.
Oct 22nd. Entered the service of The Madras Irrigation Canal company.
This seems to have been a permanency, for he remained with this concern for some 25 years, in fact until it was purchased by the Indian Government, but more of this anon.
It is interesting to note in passing, that young people managed, at the summer holiday season, to get away together, for I found such entries as "1863", "1864", "1865". "Holiday with Anna (my mother) at Poslingford, Melford, Hastings", coupled "with mother" "with sister" so they did not go alone as the young folks do at the present time.
My mother and father spent their honeymoon at Yarmouth.
I was born on the 1st October 1867, and so far as I can gather from my mother, the interesting event took place early in the morning. I had three brothers and one sister.
Tom was born October 26th, 1869 Amy January 1st, 1872 Arthur September 10th, 1876 Harold March 2nd, 1881
Poor little Tom died on 30th November 1873 from inflammation of the lungs, following Measles, at 5 o/c in the morning. I can remember this quite well, waking up in the morning to find myself in the Parlour, in a made up bed. The gas was alight and my father and mother and others were sitting talking. I was told that he was dead, and I can remember crying and being told very kindly and gently to go to sleep again.
A grave was purchased in Abney Park Cemetery, and the poor little chap was buried there. He was a curly headed boy, merry and bright, and a great favourite in the family.
In spite of small means, we children were always well fed, well clothed, and were sent to good schools, and the house we lived in was purchased, the cost being �400. There was no extravagance, holidays were of the simplest, a stop at country aunts, but I can remember several trips to the Zoo, Crystal Palace, and on one occasion my parents took a trip to Paris.
After the usual Dames school I was sent to "The Middle Class School, Cowper Street" in the city. It was a school instituted by the Goldsmiths Company and was looked on in those days as A1.
This was on the 5th October 1874, so I was just 7 years old. The school was three miles from my home and I walked there and back each day. In case of wet I had two pence in my pocket to pay the cost of a Tram ride, and I was o-be-joyful if I could find the slightest pretence for finding it wet. It was a long journey for a child of 7 and I had a big satchel of books to carry.
When I look at the present day child of seven I wonder how I did it, but I was only one of many who went from the same district. My father used to bribe other boys with sweets to keep an eye on me, and keep me company on the way home, he used to walk with me in the mornings, which caused him to get to his place of business an hour earlier than he need have done.
At the same time I started learning music - the piano - and had to practise half an hour before breakfast. What with this and my homework there was very little idle time. During the winter months, with no fire in the room, I used to sit in agony at the piano, the keys were like ice and all feeling went from my fingers, yet if I stopped running up and down the scales, I heard a voice calling out to me to get on, and a reminder that the cane was on its way.
Poor mother, poor father, they were doing their best as they thought for their first born, and could not have realised what little musical use it was. In these later days I put down this continual practice as being the reason for my hard strong hands and my fingers, much remarked upon by my dear wife when I seized hold of her. My caresses hurt!
After my return from school I had homework to do, this took me all the evening until it was time to go to bed. I was not by any means brilliant and my father spent the evening sitting with me and helping me to get it done, the result being that I usually got full marks, and commendation for neatness, but when I won a prize for this my father truly said it was his.
He could not have had much schooling himself, but I know that he went through the school books I had, and was ready for me, he took the French books, and translated the simple exercises into a notebook of his own, and I can remember how vexed he was when my homework was marked "wrong", showing that he had made a mistake.
The schoolmasters at that time had a huge class of boys, and we sat wedged together, giving plenty of opportunities to play. We used slates and pencils, the former we cleaned by spitting on them and cleaned with our hands and the sleeve of our coats. Poor old clothes! And what about the hygiene? What a glorious mixture of microbes associated with the usual childish troubles. Measles, Hooping-Cough (sic) not to mention Diphtheria, Scarlet Feather (sic) and other noxious germs. The slates were changed each lesson, so we had to clean other boys' slates each time, yet in spite of this there was no break out of disease in the school. It amuses me to see the modern mother throw away food, cakes &c, that have fallen on their clean floors, and the care that they take in disinfecting their nipples before even their babies suckle. Good certainly, but still people used to live to a fairly good old age without it.
The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race was a great time at school. Each boy favoured either one side or the other, and boldly wore the colours of the side he patronised. This was the challenge for a fight, and in the play hour gangs of boys went about seizing the rival side as prisoners; the first year that I was at school, knowing nothing about it, I was seized and asked what side I was on, one boy said "say Cambridge", this I innocently did, and was straight way hauled across the playground, pushed into the Lavatory, a stone was put under the metal catch, a boy stood guard outside half a dozen similar boxes, and there I was kept the remainder of the playtime a prisoner. Not being a member of a gang, I was not released, but in most cases the detention was not long as frequent raids were made on the rival prisons and the occupants released.
Strange to say, this experience instead of driving me to the opposite side for safety, I remained for the rest of the time "Cambridge" until I ceased to take any interest in either side.
In spite of the hard time (compared to modern school life) I have happy memories. We played very rough, "Hunt the Stag", "Prisoners of War", "Prisoner Base" etc, tore our clothes, got whacked at home for the damage, knocked the skin off our arms and knees, still we had some sport. Of course there were some soft boys whose parents complained, and once I was called down to the office of the clerk of the school and he shewed me a letter that he had received from an angry parent whose son had grazed his face. A boy was blamed and I was asked what I knew about it. I told the master the game we were playing and how the damaged boy had accidentally been pushed against the wall. He smiled and said "that's all right" and that is all we heard about it. Naturally the hurt boy dropped out of our gang.
We learnt from the Boys Own Paper how to make gunpowder, and at Guy Fawkes time made Squibs, Crackers etc and I remember on one occasion four of us were busy tying on a squib to a gate, and had just set it alight when looking round we found a Policeman watching us. Needless to say we scattered and ran half a mile before joining forces again. I am pretty sure, now, that the policeman was enjoying the fun as much as we were.
During the years 1880 and 1881, my father went through a very difficult time. The Company where he acted as Registrar, was bought up by the Indian government, and owing to litigation, death of the former secretary, no salaries were paid to the staff for nearly two years, and he had to live on his savings. At one time when I was staying in the Country, I had a letter from him asking me to lend him what little money I had in the Post Office Savings Bank, and I signed the form at once. The amount was something like £5.
In passing it is interesting to remember that during the War, when Frank was a prisoner in Germany, and news was difficult to send, I managed to get a brief through that his mother was working in the Bank of England. He sent a letter back in which he gave me authority to use, claim, make use of any moneys that he possessed, or was due to him. Thank God we were not so sorely pressed, but I have treasured this letter amongst my few valued things that I would not part with for much. Strange how history repeats itself.
During this trying time, an old acquaintance called to see my father and told him that an office boy was needed at his son's Firm and I was taken up to James Shepherd and Co., 10 Old Broad Street by the introduction of Herbert Greener, and on the 5th April 1881 I entered my first place at a salary of 7/6 per week. My age was then 13½.
At the following Xmas, I received a rise to 12/6 i.e. 5/- per week, and the following year 15/- for the year 1883.
These past years were a very trying time in my family history. My father was 43 years of age, out of a berth, and the talk in the papers of "too old at forty" for employment. After much anxiety he secured an appointment in the Bengali Central Railway Company, a new Company just starting, his salary being £150 a year. It was a tight job to keep a Wife, Children 3, and I earning only 15/- a week. To cap it my firm were let in for a heavy loss by a client that wiped out all their capital.
Business was bad, and I and my fellow clerks dare not ask for a rise, in fact the business was a hand to mouth one, also other berths were scarce, so knowing how things were at home I had to struggle on for three years without any rise! I was literally afraid to risk changing my job because I knew there was little money at home, and I was fairly secure where I was, a cheap clerk, with some years experience.
Looking back I know I made a mistake and should have shifted, but I didn't.
In 1888, 21 years of age, I received an increase to £50 a year, the following year 1889 £70, and in 1890 £80 with an annual increase of £10 until £120 was reached!
At the present day these increases look absurd but at that time they were not out of the ordinary. The increase of salaries now paid to clerks is quite out of proportion to the increased cost of living. Boys of 14 or 15 years of age easily get 15/- a week to start, and some £1 in spite of the vast army of girls who do office-boy work.
To augment the small pay clerks received they frequently took up evening work, and having learnt to play the violin as well as the piano, I soon found people willing to let me teach their children.
Living opposite to my home there was a retired Post Office clerk, who nearly drove his neighbours mad with his Cornet and Violin playing, and I went to him for lessons on the Violin which I paid for myself out of my meagre 15/- a week. He charged 15/- a quarter and I learnt on a violin that my father had won in a raffle. A rotten instrument but I hadn't the money to buy another. He was no artist as I found to my cost in later years, but I became one of his show pupils and he delighted in keeping pupils to listen to us playing duets. I could read fairly well, but he ruined any tone I might have acquired by racing me through difficult things to show off in front of beginners.
I sometimes wonder how I managed to carry on during these years on the salary I received. Out of the 15/- to £1 a week I gave my mother 5/-, 7/6 or 10/- a week towards my keep, paid for my own clothes, any train or tram fare, my music lessons, and the cost of an annual holiday. True this holiday was spent in a little village in Suffolk where an old aunt took me in for a few shillings a week. Poor old dear she was very good to me also her husband. These poor folks were far more generous with their small means than the present day better off people.
This music business kept me busy. I didn't leave the City until 6 or 6.30. Walked half way home to save the train or tram fare, then had a meal, and spent the evening in preparing for the next lesson. Then the pupils of my own started, so I did not mix with the rest of the young sparks who went out "girling". Good thing too, I had no money to spend on them, and in spite of small pay I had succeeded with the help of my teaching to put away a £5 occasionally into the Post-Office Savings Bank.
I have nothing to complain about as regards my health during life, but I do think I would have been a bit brighter, if the time spent at music had been spent at cricket. Perhaps I kept fit by the long walks I took. Three or four miles to business, the same back at night, and then, when not at the piano or violin, I went for long walks. Sometimes with a friend, a small office boy like myself, sometimes alone. Many times I walked from Stoke Newington, my home, to the Alexandra Palace and back. As we all went to bed at 10 o/c there was no loitering about but quick walking. We timed ourselves and kept up a steady four miles an hour.
My Uncle William was running an Orchestral Society and he asked me to join. This was in 1890 and I was 23 years of age. It was a scream. All a lot of duds! And you can imagine the row we made. I found out afterwards that many of the members had only had a quarter's lessons; some played with the flat of their fingers. Having been playing for some years, and the music being very simple, I was shifted from 1st violin to 2nd just as the side wanted bucking up. Of course a concert was given, and to "assist" outside help was called in.
They came from the Crystal Palace Orchestra, brought by a family friend, Mr Watson, and without any previous practice together we all took our places on the platform. The first violin simply took charge, and his group carried everything before them. Uncle William tried frantically to keep them down to his own society's level, and perspired, waved his baton, but it was no use. The "helpers" took their cue from the first violin and followed him, with the result they played their pieces in fine style and the amateurs in their efforts to find their places on the music made so little noise that it didn't matter. The audience, proud mothers aunts and whatnot, clapped and shouted at the success, and thought what a wonderful lot of clever young people their musical relations had become.
I got invited home to some of my fellow scrapers homes, and met them on walks abroad, result one family, quite unintentionally!? took their holidays at the same time and place as I did, and we met at Bournemouth.
This was in the year 1890 when my Firm had promised me the annual increase of salary up to £120. In those days this sum looked very large and being then in my 23rd year "and never been kissed" I caught what my father called "the love fever".
The symptoms are very distracting. I was torn in two directions, wanted to go boating with the other young fellows staying at the Y.M.C.A. where I boarded, but the young woman I sat beside at the Orchestral Society was sitting on the sand near the boat-house. What was the result? Well boating went west and I found myself wandering about the place with Miss Lilly Dowell!
I was invited to her place to tea, went to concerts on Boscombe Pier, and one evening the pair of us walking through the Public Gardens until we found ourselves in a narrow passage too close to walk abreast, and in our efforts to do so our faces met and I had my first kiss.
In those days this sort of thing meant business and I found myself "engaged", ring bought and we were considered an engaged couple.
What a difference from modern times!
When I look back at my financial position at that time, it is an amazement to me to understand how I had the cheek to arrive at such a position.
My assets were £30-19- 8 in the Post Office and £ 5-19- 5 in cash ----------- Total £36-19- 1
Still love is blind, I began to save hard and by the end of 1891 I had increased my savings to £86 - 4 - 8.
We spent a few summer holidays together at Bournemouth, the Dowell family arranging to go there, but her father got very jealous at our being away from his group. He could not understand young people wanting to have quiet times together. He made himself so unpleasant that I made up my mind that it would be the last seaside holiday in his company, so next year I went with my brother Arthur to Windsor where we spent a jolly time on the river. I think the old man regretted his bad temper and its result, for I received an invitation to spend a week-end at Herne Bay where I went by boat and came back by train.
My assets by the end of 1892 had increased to £153 - 4 - 3.
Owing to the small pay of a clerk, I did what many another poor chap was doing i.e. increased my income by evening work. I gradually increased my music pupils until I made £50 a year at it. I used to have a hurried tea and then took the train to Walthamstow where my first pupil's mother and father lived. They recommended me to their friends and I soon was busy every evening of the week except Thursdays and Saturdays, so I only had these two days and Sundays to spend with my beloved.
In the train I studied Harmony, and read up all I could to help me with my teaching. Looking back I can see that I should have done much better to have spent the time learning Book-keeping, French, German and perhaps Shorthand, it would have made me more valuable as a clerk, and I could have probably shifted my place to one where better pay was given. I was too full of the necessity of saving money as speedily as possible so that I could provide a home for my dear one.
After all these years, when the edge has worn off, I think that Mr. H. W. Dowell was very hard on us. We only had two week evenings together, yet he expected us to sit with him and his wife, and play Crib all the evening. If we tried to play piano duets together he called us selfish, Chess the same.
If we went out we had to return by ten, I agree a good time to be home in the ordinary way, but when we were invited to friends this meant leaving by 9.30, and we had to rush away sometimes before supper was finished. Special dispensation was given to 11 o/c for a party, but black looks and sulks followed if we were a minute late.
I had to refuse these parties after a fearful row when we did not arrive home from the Adams until 11.30. Then we had rushed away supperless, and annoyed the Adams so much that we were not asked again. We were wanted for our Music, Song accompaniment & I could at that time read music fairly well and was much in demand.
The old man at that time had taken his younger daughter away from boarding school, and she was worrying to get some outside work to do. He wanted to keep her at home at house-work, but there was not enough for the mother and two girls, he gave me a pretty broad hint that he wanted his step-daughter married and out of the house.
I often wonder how I stood it. I was very fond of Lil, for I put up with it all and worked harder and saved every penny I could, walking miles to save a penny train fare, I used to give music lessons on Saturday afternoon and then walk from Forest Gate to Clapton having had a hasty cheap tea on my way.
On January 1st 1893, I had a chat with my father and Mr Dowell about getting married, and came to the conclusion that I should try and save £200 and wait until next Xmas before deciding the day.
In the summer I spent my holiday at Hastings with my brother Harold and on December the 28th arranged with my Firm to take a short holiday in the spring.
On the 31st of December I told Mr Dowell that I had now saved £200 and could now arrange the wedding-day.
January 4th 1894 it was suggested that the great day should be fixed for April 2nd. We didn't want to be "Married in Lent" and have cause to repent, or in May, that was considered unlucky, why I know not, and April 1st seemed rather a doubtful sort of day. Eventually it was decided to fix on April the 3rd.
We began to look for apartments, the usual sort of thing for young couples just starting married life. Both set to work and it was a funny experience. What places we visited; ten shillings a week was the sum I reckoned to pay, and some were more and some were less but Oh the rooms we saw! I remember Lil telling me that one house she visited was too bad to enter, when the street door opened, the effluvia that met her was too awful for words. There must have been constant cooking of red-herrings and drying napkins!
On February 27th we took rooms at 28 Brook Road at 10/6 a week, two rooms on the ground floor, one front and the kitchen, and two at the top of the house. The bedroom was a really good one and I expect made us for ever afterwards look for large rooms.
These apartments we took from the 19th March and started to buy furniture. I spent £90-7/- for furniture including Piano! for which I paid about £40, a good price in those days when £20 would have procured quite a good article. I tried for a second-hand one but found they were mostly "planted", people seemed to make a side line in these articles to catch the unwary. I happened to know a bit about the insides, and when I opened them, I found they were cheap and nasty, mostly new, built to sell to novices.
It's wonderful what could be got in the furniture line in those days, or were people satisfied with small things? Anyway we were very highly commended on both sides of the house for the satisfactory home we got together.
On the 3rd April 1894, after 3 years and 8 months courtship we were
married at St Andrews Church Stoke Newington at 11.30 am by the Rev.
Bevan, Uncle William officiating at the Organ.
It happened that a very swell wedding was taking place later in the day and the Church was beautifully decorated with flowers, so we had the benefit of the show. Personally I did not notice it, there was only one "flower" for me, and only realised the fact after it was all over. It gave our business a very posh appearance. Red carpet, Canopy at the door, Flowers, Organ... Some wedding!
Alfred Dowell acted as best man and my sister Amy and Betty Dowell bridesmaids. We left for Hastings at 3.40 and stayed at 19 Millward Road, Mrs Carless being the landlady.
Being small monied and not amongst the card leaving class we had no "at home" days, but gave a general invitation to our friends to come and see us. For a time no one came, except immediate relatives, so we told everyone that we should be at home on Tuesdays. The result was that the next Tuesday evening we were crowded out. They all came at once, and stopped to supper!
It was really too funny, my dear wife managed to scrape together enough for all, but I am afraid it was mostly Bread and Cheese and Beer.
During this time I was still busy in the evenings teaching and was able to afford another weeks holiday at Windsor which we spent on the River and wandering round the country and Castle.
In October Lil paid a visit to Dr Miller, and informed me that our home next year would have another occupant.
At the end of the year, in spite of all my expenses I found that my assets amounted to £173 - 11 - 7.