Mabel Janes
From Lacey Green History
MABEL JANES, born 1887. by researcher Joan West
MABEL Janes was born at Sunnybank in Highwood Bottom in 1887, she died in 1987. She was a teacher at Lacey Green School from 1904 to 1948. In the census of 1939 Mabel aged 52 is living at Sunnybank with Boaz aged 78. He died in 1948. She moved from Sunnybank in 1948, when it was sold to Doris Oliver, wife of Andrew Oliver. Mabel lodged in Lacey Green from then on.
MABEL'S PARENTS
Mabel Janes was the eldest daughter of Boaz Janes and Caroline Ruth Janes, who were distant cousins. They had 6 children. See under ‘family’, 1862 JANES Boaz.
GREAT-GRAND and GRAND PARENTS
It was Mabel’s great grandfather Thomas Janes who was the first person recorded in Highwood Bottom as ‘Flint dealer in Highwood Clearing’. Their only child John, Mabel’s grandfather, purchased the 6 acres where ‘Sunnybank’ was built. (later called White House Farm). John had married Elizabeth Mary Randall in 1850. She was the daughter of William Randall, blacksmith from Lacey Green.
MABEL’s MOTHER
Mabel’s mother, Caroline Ruth, born 1858, had an elder brother John Randall Janes, born before his parents married, hence ‘Randall’ added to his name and also a younger sister ‘Eva’ born 1863
MABEL'S MEMORIES
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 JANES REMEMBERS HER CHILDHOOD
MABEL’s HOME was at “Sunnybank” in Highwood Bottom at the bottom of Kiln Lane. All of Highwood Bottom on the east side had been enormous Parish Woodlands. During the 1800s it had been gradually felled, but in the 1890s people were still coming chucking (digging up roots) for firewood. On the north boundary of Sunnybank ran Grym's Ditch, also a bridleway.
POOR MONEY. “Poor money” of 2 shillings & 6 pence (12.5p) per week was paid out at the Post Office, in Lower Road, Loosley Row. She would see the people from Speen walking along the footpath across the Stocken Farm Fields on their way to Loosley Row to collect it.
ANN & EMILY GINGER. She knew Ann Ginger who kept The Black Horse and her sister Emily, who was a simple soul. She always curtsied to the big crab apple tree in the Horse Meadow at the farm because it reminded her of Mr. Charles Brown, the farmer. They were spinsters and Ann left the pub to John William Saundersthe father of William John Saunders and grandfather of Ted Saunders. Mosh Saunders and his twin sister Millicent.
WILLIAM SAUNDERS of STOCKEN FARM
William Saunders bought Stocken Farm in 1911. He had a very loud voice. She could sometimes hear him shouting from Sunnybank.
STONE PICKING. To raise a bit of extra money her mother Caroline would go stone picking in the fields. These were used to mend the roads which were only earth tracks. People had to keep the roads which went past their land repaired. There was always a great demand for stones especially in lower lying places where it could get very boggy.
MEDICAL HELP. They could not afford doctors or dentists. Times were hard. I asked Mabel "If your parents got a toothache what could they do?" She replied "You just had to ‘lump it’." But there was always someone local who would act as midwife and someone to lay out people when they died.
MABEL GOES TO SCHOOL
Mabel started school at Loosley Row 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.
MABEL JANES STARTS TEACHING
1904. On 24th 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. By this time things had changed in that all ages 3 to 13 years were taken at both schools.
SCHOOL LEAVING AGE 11 YEARS. School was compulsory up to 11 years of age, when they could leave after taking the 'Labour Exam' to show they could read and write. The boys might then take a job, say perhaps. such as holding the head of a plough horse.
ONE BIG & ONE SMALL ROOM – 70 to 100 PUPILS. 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 2004/5 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 Saunders, had died.
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 11th a half holiday was given for the anniversary of Speen Chapel
Aug 5th In that week attendance had suffered due to several attractions in the neighbourhood
12th August harvest started so attendance low. 13th August school closed for summer
26th September tea at Lacey Green Chapel and the Wycombe Fair caused smaller attendance
October 20th bazaar at Loosley Row Chapel kept children away
May 15th half holiday given owing to a children’s tea given in connection with the Chapel anniversary
24th May Empire Day, instead of the timetable, lessons on the history and geography of the British Empire were given, interspersed with patriotic songs
May 29th Loosley Row Chapel anniversary tea
July 7th Hay making in full swing
August 1st 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.
3rd 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.
Minnie Brown, just one year younger was her friend throughout their long lives (See Minnie Brown).
Edith Crook, who walked with a stick, the daughter of John Crook, a superior type who was farm bailiff at Stocken Farm for Mr.Forrest was a suplimentary teacher.
Connie Redding, daughter of another 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.
He then had a well dug a Grymsdyke. She was told it was 303 feet deep, but when there was a drought, possibly 1893, it was taken down another 48 feet.
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 exersizes were done in the field.
The farm dining room was made into an army hospital and the grain store into their blacksmith`s workshop.
N.B. She recalled parties at Stocken Farm where I imagine they played cards.
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 100th birthday.