11th august 1907 maud crambrook nee farrant to john smaridge
salisbury, wiltshire to attenborough, nottinghamshire
129 miles
the message
“Salisbury Sunday 11th 1907
White Hart Hotel
Sunday ???????
Have just come in from Bath where motored over to lunch. Having tea here & them home to Normanhurst.
Love to both
Maud”
the sender
Maud Crambrook nee Farrant (1861-1929) was born in Kensington, London. Her parents were Champness Farrant (1828-1910) and Eliza Marshall (1828-1892). Champness appears to have had a varied career having been an Inn Keeper, a Cabmaster, and a Commission Agent at various times.
In the 1871 Census Maud was living with her parents at the Black Swan in the St Mary area of Sothampton, Hampshire. Her father was the Inn Keeper. Later in the 1870s he was landlord or The Eagle in Southampton where he appeared to have trouble sticking to the licensing hours according to newspaper reports. In the 1881 census Maud, now a Milliner, was still with her parents in St Marys. In 1882 Maud married William Henry Crambrook (1855-1923) who was a Jeweller and Electroplater. In 1891 William and Maud were living in the Holy Rood area of Southampton. In 1901 they were living in a property called Normanhurst in the Shirley area of Southampton and this property is referenced in the message. In 1911 they were living in a property called Westland in the Portswood area of Southampton.
Maud’s death was recorded in Southampton in 1929.
the recipient
John Smaridge (1858-1944) was probably not the intended recipient. That was more likely Lucy Ann Smaridge nee Farrant (1851-1942), the elder sister of the sender Maud. Lucy and John had married in 1885.
John Smaridge was born in Diptford, Devon. His parents were John Smaridge (1833-1893) and Elizabeth Lethbridge (1838-1900). John senior was a Farmer. In the 1861 Census John junior was recorded as living with his grandfather Christopher Lethbridge (1802-1865), also a farmer. In 1871, aged 12, John was a lodger at an address in Totnes, Devon and working as a Solicitor’s General Clerk. In 1881 John was studying Theology in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. In 1885 John married Lucy Ann Farrant. In 1891 he was a Church of England Clergyman in Radford, Nottinghamshire. In 1901 he was a Clergyman in Attenborough which is where this card was sent to in 1907. In 1911 he was a Clergyman in Middleton by Wirksworth in Derbyshire. John, now retired, and Lucy were still together in the 1939 Register and had moved to Southampton.
Lucy’s death was recorded in Southampton in 1942 and John likewise in 1944.
the trees
Smaridge
Farrant
The places
Salisbury, Wiltshire to Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Salisbury, Wiltshire
what the card says to us
The picture shows a drawing of Poultry Cross in Salisbury (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_Cross_(Salisbury)). The card was posted in Salisbury.
It is hard to tell from the message whether Maud was having a break in Salisbury and staying at the White Hart (which is still there and looks very grand and has 4 stars), or just stopping for tea. Was this a day trip to Bath for lunch or a longer holiday. It was probably a day trip. There can’t have been that many people motoring around Hampshire and Wiltshire in 1907 so the roads would be pretty clear, except perhaps for farm traffic.
There is little else to say except to remark on Maud’s father’s name of Champness (she also had a sister called Tryphenia), and on the nomadic life of the Clergyman John Smaridge.