Mabel Janes

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Mabel on holiday with Rosalind Oakford.

Research by Joan West and reports on her conversations with Mabel Janes. See also 1912 Walt and Ruth Ginger's Wedding

Mabel Janes born 1887 was the daughter of Boaz & Caroline Janes.

Mabel never married.

Mabel Janes was born at Sunnybank in Highwood Bottom in 1887, she died in 1987, just a few days off her 100th birthday.

She was a teacher at St. Johns School from 1904 to 1948.

In the census of 1939 Mabel aged 52 is living at Sunnybank with Boaz, her father, aged 78.

Boaz died in 1948. Sunnybank was sold in 1948, to Doris Oliver, wife of Andrew Oliver and Mabel lodged in Lacey Green from then on.

MABEL'S MEMORIES

Photo taken by Mabel Janes in Switzerland. On holiday with Miss Hopton headmistress of Speen School

Mabel lived to be just a few days short of 100 years old. Fortunately she had an excellent memory and was able to bring many facts that I was discovering into vivid life with her descriptions. I had many conversations with her, some of which I report below.

Mabel on holiday with Cassie her sister-in-law, at Ryde, Isle of Wight.1927

MABEL JANES REMEMBERS HER CHILDHOOD

SEE Under Social Snapshots 1800s 1899 Mabel Janes remembers her childhood

Tall girls back row on right. Min Adams on far right. Mabel Janes next in on Min's right.

MABEL GOES TO SCHOOL

Mabel started at Loosley Row School where the 3 to 7 year olds went.   Quite a walk for a three year old from Highwood Bottom.

At 7 years old they moved up to Lacey Green School. Mabel and her brothers and sisters walked to school, as did all children, some from much further distances.  They had no other transport.

Schoolboys could take the Labour Exam at 11 years old and then take a job, perhaps holding the head of a plough horse etc.

MABEL JANES. Report from a conversation with Joan West

On 24^th October 1904 Mabel Janes started as a teacher at Lacey Green School on a month's trial.   She continued teaching there for 45 years.   She was then 17 years old and had attended the school herself.   She lived at “Sunnybank” in Highwood Bottom, which many years later became known as White House Farm.

By 1904 both Lacey Green School and Loosley Row School took children from three to thirteen years.    School was compulsory up to 11 years of age, when they could leave after taking the "Labour Exam" to show that they could read and write. The boys might then take a job such as holding the head of a plough horse.

The school consisted of two rooms – a small one for infants and a bigger one for the other grades.   She thought that there were between 70 and 100 pupils but could not give an exact figure as illnesses were prevalent which could keep a child absent for several weeks.  That winter of 1904/5 had severe frost and snow and as all children walked to school, some over 2 miles, attendance was low.   At one point 16 of the infants were away with whooping cough. There had also been croup and diphtheria of which an infant, George Sanders had died.

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Mabel Janes teacher

EXAMPLES FROM the SCHOOL LOGBOOK

The following excerpts from the school logbook are also indication of attendance in Mabel’s first year---   “There were also many local attractions which the children would attend.

May 30th 1904 many children were absent due to the chapel treat at Loosley Row

July 11^th  a half holiday was given for the anniversary of Speen Chapel

Aug 5^th  In that week attendance had suffered due to several attractions in the neighbourhood

12th August harvest started so attendance low.  13^th August school closed for summer

26^th September tea at Lacey Green Chapel and the Wycombe Fair caused smaller attendance

October 20^th bazaar at Loosley Row Chapel kept children away

May 15^th half holiday given owing to a children’s tea given in connection with the Chapel anniversary

24^th May Empire Day, instead of the timetable, lessons on the history and geography of the British Empire were given, interspersed with patriotic songs

May 29^th Loosley Row Chapel anniversary tea

July 7^th Hay making in full swing

August 1^st School closed in afternoon on account of tea for Sunday School children

The winter of 1904/5 had severe frost and snow and as all children walked to school, some over two miles, attendance was low.

3^rd February as the ordered coal had not been delivered no fires were possible so a holiday was given in the afternoon.   At this time 16 of the infants’ class were away with whooping cough.

All the week of March 17th had been very stormy but attendance was returning to normal

H.M.I REPORT April 1905

The new headmaster Mr Phillips was praised for making a good start, particularly the infants’ class.   However it added “The question of improving the cloakroom and providing lavatory accommodation should receive attention.   The two cloakrooms are still altogether too small and inconvenient.  They should be improved and arrangements should be made for providing lavatory accommodation.

MORE SCHOOL REPORTS

SEE 'Social Snapshots' and add decade, then add Lacey Green School for every year up to and including 1930.

MABEL DESCRIBES LACEY GREEN IN 1910

SEE. Social Snapshots 1910s 1910 A Walk Around Lacey Green.

MABEL TOLD ME. Mabel had a prodigious memory telling me many things in our chats Here are a few:--

She remembered people coming to Kingswood, then felled, and digging up the chucks (roots) for firewood.

The poor money was paid out at Loosley Row and people walked from Speen across the eight acre fields of Stock Farm to go and get it - 2/6d per week.

Minnie Brown, just one year younger was her friend throughout their long lives (click Min & Fred Adams).

The smell of fish near Ardengrove where Jacob and Rebekah smoked herrings.

Edith Crook, who walked with a stick, the daughter of John Crook, a superior type who was farm bailiff at Stocken Farm for John & Evelyn Forrest was a suplimentary teacher at Lacey Green School.

Connie Redding, daughter of another farm bailiff impaled her leg on the iron railings at the school.

She remembered  Mr. Forrest having a pipeline laid from Stocken Farm down to Grymsdyke to take any overflow from the water tanks at Stocken Farm.  He then had a well dug at Grymsdyke.   She was told it was 303 feet deep,  but when  there was a drought,  possibly 1893,  it was taken down another 48 feet. He had built Graham Cottages. She remembered Mr Brown (the schoolmaster) and a policeman living in them and thought a groom had lived there at one time.

During the First world War the Royal Engineers were billeted in the village. They took the small schoolroom and the Home Meadow at Stocken F arm, next to the school. The horses were stabled at the farm and exercises were done in the field. The farm dining room was made into an army hospital and the grain store into their blacksmith`s workshop.

She knew Emily Ginger who lived with her sister Ann who kept The Black Horse pub. they were spinsters and Ann left the pub to John Saunders, father of William Saunders (father of Mosh, Millicent and Ted) Emily always curtsied to the big crab apple tree in the Meadow of Stocken Farm, because it reminded her of Mr Brown, the farmer.

She said William Saunders was very much the boss of his family, with a very loud voice. She could hear him sometimes from Sunnybank. He had bilt a barn in the back corner of Hillcrest field and kept horses there. It grew a lot of mushrooms there and he kept a little pony and trap and would rush across in it to stop people taking the mushrooms. click William Saunders & Bethia Janes

Bethia, Williams wife was a quiet gentle woman, a good wife and mother

She told of numerous epidemics

How run down the school was after WW1

Her travels to the Isle of White and Switzerland with Miss Hopkins, the headmistress of Speen School.

She recalled parties at Stocken Farm where they played cards.

She played tennis at the Vicarage, having helped make a court

14th June 1948 Sunnybank Farm Sold After Mabel's mother Caroline died her executors sold the property. See Sunnybank. Mabel was then aged 61 and she moved to lodge in Lacey Green Village. She certainly lived with the Oakford family an the house at the top of Westlands Road for some time.

AGE NOT KIND TO HER LOOKS

Mabel could be called handsome to a degree, when in her prime. But the children nicknamed her 'Pout'. She had a deep somewhat gruff voice, as did many locals, but not as broad 'Bucks' as many.

In her old age Mabel lodged in the village and most days, sometimes twice a day, could be seen catching the bus to Risborough or Wycombe to do errands for anyone she was able to.

She died just a few days off her 100^th birthday.

Research Note. AN INSPIRED TEACHER for some, but STRICT and UNPOPULAR with Many.

Dennis Claydon, well known as a local historian, told me that It was Mabel, as his schoolteacher and neighbour, that inspired him to have an enquiring mind.

Many pupils were somewhat afraid of Mabel and tried to keep on the right side of her

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