Woodway Lane and Potters Green

Hi all, I'm really having a ball, talking about the old places. Yeh well Norman and I sure remember the Co-op, almost remember when it was a tent. Now I was too young really to know Frank Dyson, as I said we went to the woodyard, my father often talked to a guy, and I'm sure it was about sport, could have been 'running', a lot of the guys did paper chases in those days, like half marathons these days, except a guy went out before the race over farm fields dropping bits of paper to show the course. Greg, the old canal, the new canal and the basin, was a joint thing, hence what we called the double bridges, the little old bridge was halfway along the basin arm, and I believe it had to do with the horses in some way, now if only we could find out if they could have drained the basin? Woodway Lane cemetery is full of my ancestors, as you found out for me, they owned the Jolly Collier, ten boats etc. (thanks) Does any one know the name Phipkin? Can I get into the 1911 census? Thanks, Kaga.

Kaga I just searched on 1911 Census for surname Phipkin in Coventry and Warwickshire and nothing came up Bill

Thanks billr, maybe I got the name wrong, been a long time ago, tell you how long, below. Flapdoodle, your photo on 19, what do you see? I see a five year old boy skipping merrily along, not a care in the world, on that path 82 years ago. But of course there were no bush or bracken then, just grass, you could see Lentons Lane, A G Rd and Bell Green. The embankment stretched from Deedmore to the basin, then it levelled out as far as Main Farm, then another embankment. Seems strange we can both look at the same picture, yet have a completely different scene. When you think it was a single track (as far as I know) from Deedmore Rd to Hawkesbury station, some planning. Advice, don't get old, a real bummer.

Hi Kaga Simpson - I have had a look for the name PHIPKIN as well and have found a few of them at the 1911 Census. At an address given as 'Hawkesbury, Near Coventry' were: Ellen PHIPKIN, aged 49, shown as 'wife'; her son Samuel Arthur, aged 26 who was an 'artificial silk worker'; daughter Ethel, aged 18, a 'ribbon weaver; daughter Hilda Elizabeth, aged 15, a 'silk winder; daughter Elsie Maud, aged 13, an ' artificial silk worker'; daughter Lillian Doris, aged 11, and finally another daughter, Olive May, aged 7. At the same time, the boat 'Garlara' was moored at Heyford Wharf, Northamptonshire. The crew were Samuel PHIPKIN, aged 56, born Leicester, shown as 'Head'; his son Joe,aged 21, born in Hawkesbury,and a 'mate' Arthur Parks, aged 18, from London. The boat was carrying coal. At an address shown as 'Tusses Bridge, Hawkesbury' lived a lady called Matilda BALDWIN. A boarder at her address was Ceddela PHIPKIN, aged 38 (this form is badly written so the spelling of the christian name and the age may be incorrect). At an address shown as 'Masons Yard, Lockhurst Lane, Coventry' a lady called Gertrude PHIPKIN, aged 24, lived as a boarder. She was also an 'artificial silk weaver'. At the 1901 Census the family were all shown together - Samuel, Ellen, Samuel, Ellen, Gertrude, Joseph, Ethel, Hilda, Elsie, and Lillian. Hope this helps. Roger

Big thanks to "Not Local" and apologies to you Kaga . I had searched the name Phipkin in the "first name" box instead of surname, hence my drawing a blank. A bit like my head, I reckon

Not Local, 'hey' big thanks, you really got all my aunts there, one lived in cottage facing canal Woodway Lane, one lived Hawkesbury Hall one lived first house in A.G.Rd/Lentons Lane junction, around 1932 time. Now can I ask another favour. Phyllis? Baldwin, same census please, I have no idea how to do this myself. Thanks, Kaga.

Hi Kaga, no problem. All of the census records have at some time been transcribed from the original 100 year old handwriting and so there are often errors. My guess is that Mrs BALDWIN was either not very well schooled or needed glasses because her writing is not brilliant and her answers are not always for the questions asked. Address was 'Tusses Bridge, Hawkesbury, Coventry'. Matilda BALDWIN, aged 49, a widow, was the householder. Living with her were Elizabeth BALDWIN, aged 28, and described as both 'daughter' and 'married' so she could have been a daughter in law. Son Francis BALDWIN aged 22 was described a a 'miner in coal mine'. His name has been wrongly transcribed as 'Franceis'. Phyllis BALDWIN, aged 12, was presumably a daughter of Matilda but where the question asks for a relationship to the householder the answer is 'school'. Her name has been wrongly transcribed as 'Thyllis'. The boarder is shown as Ceddela PHIPKIN, aged 38 but the original writing is very poor, as is the figure 3 in the age. There are also some more PHIPKIN's in the 1911 Census: Joseph PHIPKIN, aged 44 and his wife Rebecca also 44, and their 5 year old daughter Gwendoline Gladys E. who are on board the boat 'Amaranth' moored at Grendon, Atherstone. With them are daughter Marian Eliza Ann PHIPKIN, aged 15, and described as ' master's daughter'. Her first name is wrongly transcribed as 'Marran'. Also Nellie BROOKS, aged 23, a 'mate' on the boat 'Amaryllis' which was also moored at Grendon, Atherstone. There is a photograph of Joseph PHIPKIN and family with the boats 'Amaranth' and 'Amaryllis' on the Canal and River Trust website (search on 'Joseph Phipkin narrowboats at Buckby Lock') Do these sound like some more of your extended family?

Kaga - a bit more on the BALDWIN family from Hawkesbury. At the 1901 Census they are recorded at Tring, Hertfordshire but a closer look shows that they are in fact just stopped on the night of the census with 'a pair of boats' - I can't read the names but someone's family site lists them as 'Buncula' and 'United States'. The family then were Francis BALDWIN (recorded as 'Franas'), aged 41, born in Buckingham, a Boat Captain; his wife Matilda, aged 40, born in Leicester; son Francis, aged 12, born in Leicester; and daughter Phyllis (recorded as 'Phillis'), aged 2 and born in Hawkesbury. The last crew member was Walter BAYLISS (recorded as Bayliff), aged 16, a 'boat boy', born in Hawkesbury. These records show that researchers have to be careful to look at all the details because it would be very easy to assume that a family recorded in Hertfordshire or Northamptonshire actually lived there when in fact they were based in the Coventry area and had just stopped at that particular point on the night of the census. In the same way other families from the boats will have been recorded at places like Sutton Stop or Bedworth when in fact they originated from London or Oxford or anywhere else on the canal system. Regards. Roger

Roger, absolutely brilliant, thank you. These boat people had little education in the early days, until the turn of the century, even then, one day at school and the next on the move with the boat, some even didn't make the censor, but from your records I make the two families joined by Samuel Phipkin and Matilda Baldwin brother and sister. If you could put all the boat family trees side by side I think they were all connected. But what a life, imagine dating, see you in a week's time at Tring or Sutton Stop. The mind boggles. Places like Grange Road, Tusses Bridge, Woodway Lane became the settling places as they grew older. Always with a pub close at hand, run by a 'Bargee' even had a graveyard near the towpath at Woodway Lane. A huge part of our history.

Kaga you are correct - Samuel PHIPKIN and Matilda BALDWIN were brother and sister. I think I have figured out who Cedilla PHIPKIN was. It looks like she was Elizabeth Agnes Belinda Cedilla PHIPKIN, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca PHIPKIN, born on 8 February 1903 and baptised at St Mary's. Walsgrave on Sowe on the same day. This may indicate that she was a weak baby who was not given much chance of survival. As you will know she married William BEESLEY in 1927. The folk on the boats often got missed by the censuses as they moved about the country but most of the women made sure they were at home for the birth of their children, and for the baptisms at St Mary's where there are quite a few records for PHIPKIN, BALDWIN, and SIMPSON during the latter years of the 19th century and the first years of the 20th. There are also lots of names which would still be familiar to people living close to the canal in Woodway Lane, Longford, or Bedworth. The marriages and the funerals also took place at their regular canalside churches, and like you said, the pubs were also run by canal families. They were used to taking so many days to get to a certain place, and to meet friends and relations as and where they could. Wonder what they would have thought about the internet?

Heritage, just been catching up on this forum, I'm a little confused, there was a lot said about Victoria Farm earlier, I had never heard or knew anyone speak of it, it was always 'Main Pit Farm' now on post 24 the walks on Potters Green corridor show a 1887 map, still no sign of a Victoria Farm, but clearly show Main Pit Farm. What your view on this. The farmer's daughter of Main Pit Farm was the teacher at the little school A.G.Rd. Lentons Lane for about forty years, taught all the boat kids as well as the locals, well liked and a major player in the district.

An update for Kaga Simpson I have been contacted by the great granddaughter of Rebecca and Joseph Phipkin who saw the previous posts. She provides the following information - Marion Eliza Ann was her grandmother, and Gladys Gwendolyn and Elizabeth Agnes Belinda Cidella (known as Della) were her great aunts. Marion and Gladys lived well into their 80s, Della into her 70's. All of the children were well educated (for the times) in the local school near Hawkesbury. The pattern appeared to be that the pre-school children travelled on the boats with their parents, and then stayed with their grandmother for their schooling. This lady has done a lot of research on the family and knows a little about the Baldwins (who linked as brother and sister). I hope this jogs a few more memories for you Kaga. Thanks to Karen for providing the extra information. Regards. Roger

Not Local. That's brilliant, need time to look at that, the school she refers to is right at the bottom of Tekmelf's garden or was - thanks once again. Regards Kaga.

I don't think these are the cottages being talked about in these postings but towards the Ansty Road end of Woodway Lane, nearly opposite, on the other side of the road to The Craven public house were some very old cottages set back off the main road. My first wife's grandparents lived there for years. I can remember listening to this grand old gentleman telling me how him, and his friends, after a couple of pints, went and signed up for the army as the 1st world war had started. The next day, realising what he had done, he asked his wife to go and tell the army that he had made a mistake!! Too late! I don't know if the cottages are still there, but we would love to know if anyone knew the "Hatfields", they had two daughters, one called Elsie who married a Mr Jim Coe and lived in Deedmore Road, and the other called Rose who married a Mr Alf Stevens and moved to Sewall Highway. Any knowledge of them would be appreciated.