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the society for clay pipe research - how to become a member

24/1/2021

Hello!

If you would like to find out how to become a member of the Society for Clay Pipe Research, then you can download the membership form here! It's very simple and good value and you will learn so much about clay pipes! What's not to like?!

"Membership of the Society is open to anyone and includes archaeologists, historians and genealogists with a professional interest in the subject as well as libraries, collectors and ordinary people with a general interest in pipes. The Society is a lively and friendly organisation that has members from around the world. Why not join today and find out why so many people have become fascinated with the subject?"

Nicola

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Call out to mini history & nature hunters - treasures in lockdown

5/1/2021

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Over the years, Ive been contacted by lots of mini history and nature hunters all round the world who enjoy searching for and finding treasures on the foreshore, the beach, in their gardens and well anywhere they can search really! It is wonderful to see young people inspired to search for history and nature. If you've got some treasures that you have found that you would like to share to be shown on a compilation YouTube video "Treasures in Lockdown 2021" (whether that's a marble, a bottle stopper, a piece of pottery, a fossil, a pipe stem, an owl pellet, a seashell, or all of the above or anything that inspires your imagination) please send me a round up of up to 3 minutes and I'll put all the clips together to share on my youtube channel www.youtube.com/user/driftwoodnic Send me or ask your parents/guardians to send me your 2/3 minute video clip via wetransfer.com to [email protected] by Friday 15th January 6pm GMT and I'll confirm receipt of it. I look forward to seeing your lockdown treasures. And Im sure everyone else will love to see them too. Mini Mudlarks are aged between 2 and 16 but I will consider older ones!! If you have any questions, please send me an email. Happy New Year! Nicola

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The corroded name tag of Bonzo the dog found in the river thames

5/8/2019

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In July of 2018 I found what I thought was a shopping trolley token in the Thames mud, wedged behind a rock. When I got it home and cleaned it up, it turned out to be the tag from a pet dog called Bonzo Tabner, from 21 Pelton Road in Greenwich SE10. I set about searching for Bonzo's story and discovered that there had been a Tabner family living in Pelton Road during the early 1930s. Remarkably I was able to trace the relatives of Bonzo's owner. She recalled to them how Bonzo had been her pet dog during WW2 and that she had been so thrilled to be reunited with him when she returned to Greenwich after being evacuated during the war.

During my research I came across a book (Bonzo's War) written by Clare and Christy Campbell detailing the fate of over 2.5 million pets during WW2 who were euthanised due to government advice.

I created a video (which you can find at the bottom of this page) about finding Bonzo's name tag, and my discovery of the tale of the WW2 pets, and after watching it, several viewers expressed their desire to money for a memorial dedicated to these pets. Consequently, a justgiving campign was set up and almost 3000 gbp was raised. I would like say a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed to this memorial. We are SO grateful. Although there is a memorial to the animals who died in conflict, there has been nothing to commemorate the animals who were euthanised.

Now, one year later, a specially commissioned ceramic plaque created by renowned Cornish potter, Adrian Brough - in memory of the over 2.5 million domestic pets - will be unveiled at the Old Blue Cross Cemetery at 2pm on Saturday 10th August - by Clare and Christy Campbell.

You are of course all invited and the details are here (and if you would like more details please email me at [email protected]):-

Memorial event at the Old Blue Cross Pet Cemetery
Shooters Hill Road London SE18 4LX
(opposite The Fox Under the Hill SE18 4LT)
www.oldbluecrosspetcemetery.org.uk

Saturday 10th August at 2pm

At 2pm on the above date three new memorials will be unveiled at the old Blue Cross Pet Cemetery

        A plaque in tribute to all animals that have lost their lives in conflict in the service of their country
        A plaque in memory of the 2,500,000 Domestic Animals euthanised during WW11 on government orders
        A plaque depicting the collar tag of a dog named Bonzo, found on Greenwich beach by a local Mudlark

       We Look forward to welcoming you to the Pet Cemetery where there are over two hundred little
       Memorial stones some dating back over one hundred years

     Visiting the Pet Cemetery
      There is no parking on site, please park in Farjeon Road SE3 8SA or Charlton Park Lane SE7 8QS
      Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and Victoria to Blackheath
      Bus 89 from Blackheath Station to Hornfair Park Lido
      Look for the blue road sign opposite The Fox Under the Hill and take the path running alongside
     the flats and wall which will bring you to the Pet Cemetery

      The Committee of the Friends of the Pet Cemetery, FOPC, hope you will be able to join us for this event

for more details please contact me at [email protected]

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a Thames mudlarking find takes me back in time to world war one

10/11/2018

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It is not uncommon to find reminders of our wartime past on the Thames foreshore - and when I am mudlarking, I frequently come across ordnance, military buttons and pieces of shrapnel washed out with the tide. With the military buttons in particular, I always wonder whose uniform they were once sewed on to. A few weeks ago, I found an object whilst mudlarking, with no obvious connection to the war, and infact I very nearly left it where it was. It was a large and heavy, rusty padlock. What peaked my interest though, was the fact that I could see a name stamped on it across the front. I hesitated before putting it (along with another one right next to it), in my finds bag and lugging it home.

Old padlock found whilst mudlarking along the Thames Foreshore

G. E. MORROW & SON, LIMEHOUSE

When I arrived home and looked at it more closely, the lettering became apparent and read:

G. E. Morrow & Son
Limehouse

The first thing I discovered when I started my research, was a newspaper article in the London Gazette from January 1931, when G. E. MORROW & SON was being handed over to one of the sons (Frank Alfred Morrow). I learned that G.E. Morrow was a "Mast, Oar, Scull & Pump Maker", based in Brightlingsea Place, and also Narrow Street in Limehouse, East London. Rather miraculously, I stumbled upon an old photo from what I believe to be the early 1900s, which shows G.E. Morrow's premises here.

The premises of G E Morrow, Mast, Oar, Scull & Pump Makers, Limehouse, circa 1905

George Edward Morrow was born in Australia in 1858, but sometime during his childhood, his parents moved back to England, and George married Clara Pow, a girl from the East End, in 1882 when he was 24 years old. He established his Mast, Oar, Scull & Pump making business at around about the same time. They settled in Limehouse (a place long associated with ship building and with strong maritime links), and they went on to have 11 children by 1899, five of whom died in infancy. All 11 of the children were baptised in St Anne's Church, Limehouse.

St Anne's Church Limehouse, where all 11 of the Morrow children were baptised

St Anne's Church Limehouse today 2018

My research lead me to discover that George and Clara’s son Frank Alfred Morrow who was born in 1892, fought in both WW1 and WW2. An article in the London Gazette dated 13th Februay 1917 said that Sergeant Frank Alfred Morrow, of the 3rd Worcester Regiment, service number 14512 was awarded the Distinguished Conduct medal for his actions during the Leipzig Salient during the battle of Thiepval on 7th July 1916.

Article in the London Gazette, 13th February 1917

A diary entry by a soldier who witnessed Frank Morrow's actions on 7th July at Thiepval, wrote:- “Sergeant F. A. Morrow took command of leaderless men of both units, held his ground and reestablished the position. Attack and counter attack followed in quick succession and the losses were very heavy, but the troops fought splendidly” Records show that on that day in 1917, Frank’s regiment lost 145 men. He went on then to be commissioned as Second Lieutenant into the 5th Reserve Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, on 25th September 1918.

Frank survived World War One, and went on to fight in World War Two. He died in 1944.

I then discovered the story of Frank's younger brother Sidney Walter Morrow the youngest son of George and Clara. Sidney was born on 15th May 1899 and was baptised at St Anne's Church, Limehouse on 4th June 1899.

In May 1918, just days after his 19th birthday he was dispatched to France with the 10th Battalion (City of London) Royal Fusiliers.

Sadly, just 4 months later, on 14th September 1918 just under 2 months before the end of the War, Corporal Sidney Walter Morrow, service number 72002 lost his life in a battle east of Trescault, in Flanders.

K.I.A. Sydney Walter Morrow

Sidney never returned to Limehouse. He is buried in the Hermies British Cemetery in France.

I decided to visit the War Memorial in the graveyard at St Anne's Church in Limehouse to see if Sidney's name was included.

War Memorial in graveyard of St Anne's Church Limehouse

It was a moving moment to find Sidney's name on the memorial, in the shadow of St Anne's church where he was baptised. His name is listed alongside the hundreds of other men from Limehouse who lost their lives during World War One.

S W MORROW - engraved on the memorial in St Anne's churchyard

I am happy that curiosity got the better of me and that I decided to bring the padlock home with me. It is a fine example of the wealth of stories and history contained in the River Thames. Finding and putting together these fragments of lives washed up on the foreshore is so immensely important to me. In this case, this old rusty padlock really did unlock a story from the past, and for a while brought the Morrow family back to life. There are so many more ordinary people and families whose pain and loss as a result of World War One we will never know about, and by paying tribute to Sidney, Frank and their family this November, 2018, one hundred years after the end of WW1, this is also a tribute to all those who fought and lost their lives during that conflict, the countless unknown soldiers, and the families who mourned them.

We will remember them.

detail from the WW1 memorial in St Anne's Church Limehouse grave yard

If you would like to watch the YouTube video about my research into the Morrow Family, you can find it here:-

Thank you to David and Lindsay Wheatley for their help on researching the Morrow family. Also to Ancestry, an invaluable resource - and of course to the various resources to be found on the internet.

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