BURTON LATIMER - Key Persons
The village of Burton Latimer was the scene of a disastrous fire early on Tuesday morning, resulting in the total destruction of a large shoe factory, whilst a small villa adjoining was partly demolished by the falling brickwork. The premises in question are situated in the new and growing part on the western extremity of the parish, known as Alexander-street and were of comparatively recent erection, the present occupier having only been in possession some two years. The owner of the premises is Mr. W. Harris, Guardian of the Poor and Rural Councillor for Burton Latimer, and his house and factory were in the occupation of his nephew, Mr. W. Meads, who has carried on the business of a shoe manufacturer for some four years.
Baby Valerie had to have feeds every three hours day and night, so we had a little cane chair at the side of Mother's bed with a primus stove on it to heat up her feed. Father said, "I'll do it one night Dinah and you do it the next" but as usual, like most men, he was fast asleep when his turn came.
One night, in the middle of the night, Father came rushing into my room, in his nightshirt, and said, "Nancy, Nancy, the bedrooms on fire'. I rushed in and there was the cane chair all on fire. Mother was so tired she said she couldn't carry on. I just said to Mother "Let her come in with me" because I had a bedroom to myself then, my eldest sister having left home. She brought this tiny bundle of love into me and we used to lie there and cuddle up together. At 4 o'clock, religiously, every morning, I used to come down stairs to get her feed and I think this is why I've been a very early riser all my life. On a Sunday, we were always allowed to lie in bed until lunchtime and I used to lie there singing all these little ditties to her, such as ‘There was a little sparrow, ran up a little spout, there came a damn great thunderstorm and washed the blighter out.' She used to look at me with her little eyes twinkling and she would laugh.
Well the saga continued. Mum knew something was wrong. She took her to see the GP, a Canadian Doctor, Dr Warner. He advised her to go to
During her years at the Farm, Mrs Gilliat was careful to keep accounts of receipts and expenses and her books, beautifully handwritten, have been saved from destruction and provide a valuable record of the cost of living at the time.
In 1899, coal cost £1 8s (£1.40p) for 1.5 tons. Seven shillings and tenpence ha'penny (40p) was paid for a stone trough. Three pigs cost £2 14s (£2.70p). You could buy a cow or even a pony for £10. Fourteen fowl were smothered, value 14s (70p) and a fox got 36 fowl at a value of £3.
A pair of shoes for May cost 2s 11d (15p) and boots for William, 10s 11d (55p). A hat cost 7s 3d, a coat 14s 6d, gloves 9d, a blouse 2s and stockings 1s.
Eggs sold at 1d each, that is just 5p a dozen! Milk was a penny ha'penny a pint, steak and beef 8d (3p) a pound and a pound of mutton would set you back fourpence ha'penny. Also, The Loss on the year's working was £75 19s 4d (£75 96p).
Pam looked up in shock, then burst into tears. "No, I want my husband Robert!" Pam prepared a description of the man for the police, and Carl Barnes, 23, was captured a couple of days later.
He had been on the run from Wellingborough Jail and pleaded guilty in court to the attempted robbery. His 'weapon' actually turned out to be two pieces of metal tubing tied together.
Pam received a basket of flowers from Barclays Bank and a bravery commendation from Northamptonshire police. "I've never seen myself as a heroine," she says."I didn't really react as I did out of bravery - just sheer amazement!
Charles Miller (1851-1939), George & Elizabeth's fifth son, was born at Burton Latimer. His future wife, Susan Brains (1853-1932), was the daughter of agricultural labourer Thomas Brains and his wife Abigail (née Perkins) of Grafton Underwood. Charles and Susan were married at Grafton Underwood Parish Church in 1871. An ironstone worker, at one point described as an engine driver, initially living at Grafton Underwood, Charles and his family spent most of their lives at Burton Latimer, but in the 1860s and 1870s there was increased demand for labour in the East Cleveland ironstone mining industry (Yorkshire North Riding), attracting workers from Lincolnshire, Norfolk and even as far away as Devon and Cornwall. Charles was one of those who sought pastures new, moving to Warrenby, Redcar, where we know (from census returns) that he and the family were living in the mid-1870s. However, by the time the third son also to be given the name "James" (initially called "Jesse" to avoid confusion, later "Jim") was born in 1879, Charles & Susan had returned to their Northamptonshire roots.
Charles and Susan Miller are pictured here with their eldest son Frederick.
The boy in the goat cart is probably Tom Miller
Charles Miller's family c 1895. (Girls' married names in brackets)
Ena Victoria Maud Miller (1906-76): a machinist in the clothing industry, Maud married John ("Jack") O'Dell.
Gladys Ada Miller (1899-1985): a closer in the footwear industry, Gladys married Herbert Alfred ("Bert") Turner.
James Thomas Miller (1876-1960, "Tom" Miller senior) was born at Warrenby, Redcar, North Yorkshire during the years that his father, Charles Miller, worked in the East Cleveland ironstone mining industry (see above). He married Annie Manning James (1876-1963, later better known as "Nancy" Miller) in 1897 at the Kettering Parish Church, when both were living at 27 Bayes Street, Kettering, Tom employed as a shoe riveter and Nancy as a machinist in the clothing industry. Nancy, for her part, was born in Bridewell Lane, Kettering, the daughter of Edward James, shoe riveter, and his wife Mary (née Elson), a domestic servant, subsequently laundress, who had moved to Kettering from Earls Barton with their two older children c.1875.
Joseph Miller (1776-1833), in adult life a shoemaker, is believed to have been the son of Burton Latimer farmer William Miller and his wife Martha. On 30 Nov 1797 at St Mary's Church, Joseph married Mary Robinson (1776-1818), daughter of John Robinson and the latter's wife Elizabeth.
Their religious observance "nonconformist", in accordance with Lord Hardwicke's 1753 Marriage Act, in force between 1754 and 1837 (requiring all couples with the exception of Jews and Quakers to marry by Anglican rites/clergy), Joseph & Mary would have had no choice but to marry at St Mary's, or another Church of England parish church, but their nonconformity is reflected in the register kept by the Independent/Congregational Old Meeting at Wollaston (today's Wollaston Museum), which recorded the following baptisms of their children:
Kathleen Annie Elizabeth Miller (1904-95): also a closer in the footwear industry, Kathleen married George Albert Cousins.
Job Titles:
- Member of Burton Latimer Baptist Church
For the past year, Marje Mason has really been looking forward to her retirement - and on Friday she was able to celebrate it with colleagues at the Kettering clothes firm of Wallis and Linnell on the eve of her 60 th birthday.
Canadian born Marje, who lives in Glebe Road, Burton Latimer, came to England with her parents when she was two and has lived in Burton Latimer ever since.
At 14, she started work at the Kaycee clothes firm in Burton Latimer, where she did her training, and has spent most of her working life in the trade.
Her only break occurred during the war when she worked on the railways in the goods section. "We used to unload the wagons," she recalled. "12 tons a day with a 3d bonus for every ton over that."
NOTE: John Downing Cockayne was the Great, Great Uncle of Paul Cockayne currently living in Burton Latimer. John was the brother of Paul's Great Grandfather. The Cockayne family lived in Burton Latimer in the 1800s, 1900s and now in the new millenium.
The funeral took place at Burton Latimer Parish Church today of Mr.Oliver Tailby, a member of the town's first urban council and its chairman on two occasions.
Mr.Tailby, who liven in the Yews,
Kettering Road, Burton
Latimer, was a councillor for 26 years, retiring In 1949.
All his life he was connected with the Burton Latimer shoe firm of Whitney and Westley Ltd., the firm which he originally joined as an office boy and of which he became managing director.
He held his directorship until his death. He was at one time also a director of Kettering Cartons Ltd.
Pam Mills 49, a magistrate in Kettering, Northamptonshire, was presented with a certificate for the brave way she acted when the man behind her in the queue growled: "Give me the money." Mrs. Mills said: "I spoke to him just as I would have done to my children playing the fool ten years ago."
Mrs. Mills was paying in money from a charity street collection when she heard the gruff voice behind her. "I looked down at his gun and it looked like two pieces of tubing wrapped in a plastic bag. I told him: 'Don't be so silly. That's not a real gun. Just go away, 'and I brushed him aside."
The robber repeated his threat to the cashier and this time aimed his double-barrelled gun at Mrs. Mills. She said: "I looked at it again and thought. 'Oh, my God' This time it looked real. I thought my life was at risk. I knocked the gun up to the ceiling and he turned and walked off."
Mrs. Mills' first impressions were correct. The gun was a fake, but the man holding it, Carl Barnes, was real enough, and already on the run from Wellingborough prison where he was serving six years for robbery.
Pam Mills heaved two Sainsbury's bags full of coins onto the bank counter and smiled at the young cashier. "Well, that's the lot," Pam, 50, told her. "Would you change them to notes, please?"
She glanced at her watch . . . 10.45 am. This was her second trip to the Burton Latimer, Northants, branch of Barclays Bank that morning, emptying all her charity collection boxes. Pam glanced across at a cashier at the next counter along. Strange, she looked a little bit flustered. Pam's gaze then wandered to the man she was serving. He certainly didn't look a nice type, with that untidy white denim baseball cap holding back his hair . . .
The man seemed to be talking. Funny, she could have sworn he said. "Give me the money!" He was holding a carrier bag pointed at the cashier and Pam could see a tiny section of what appeared to be grey tubing sticking out . . .
Suddenly Pam twigged. He was trying to hold up the bank, but what was that pathetic excuse for a weapon? "Don't be silly!" Pam burst out. "That's not a real gun!"
The bank raider stood there, stunned. Uncertain, he began backing away, and as he did, the carrier swung round, pointing straight at her. Pam stared back at what appeared to be the twin barrels of a shotgun.
Again, she stared at his face. When her three sons were little, they were always playing pranks around the house, pretending to shoot her. Something in this man's face reminded me of their naughty expressions . . .
With one darting move, Pam leapt forward and pushed the gun towards the ceiling. She braced herself for the blast but to her amazement, nothing happened.
Pam Mills received a letter of thanks from Barclays, but the full details of the incident and her bravery only came fully into the public domain much later, once reporting restrictions had been lifted after the trial. In fact, it was a full year after the event that national media channels began to report the story.
For her bravery, Mrs Mills received various awards from local and county organisations, and the incident was reported widely in the national press. The Daily Star awarded Pam Mills one of its annual Gold Stars which was presented to her by World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Lennox Lewis at a glittering event at The Savoy Hotel in London, followed by a reception at 10 Downing Street with the then Prime Minister, John Major. Mrs Mills subsequently appeared on a number of television shows, including those hosted by John Stapleton, Robert Kilroy-Silk and Esther Rantzen. Magazines such as Best and Readers Digest also printed feature articles on the case.
He found time for a great deal of social work - as secretary of the Gala Committee, as a member of the Coal Charities Board and a member of Burton Latimer Blind Association committee. He did a great deal of work for the blind and was responsible for raising substantial sums for the towns' committee's funds. It was one of a number of a number of charities which he aided and it has been estimated that he was personally responsible for raising about £2,000 for such causes.
Rhoda Ethel Miller (1908-2003): a machinist in the clothing industry, Rhoda married Francis Bernard ("Frank") Toop. Rhoda helped her sister-in-law, Phyllis Miller, run the fish & chip shop at 52/54 High Street [Shop 36: Retail & Local Businesses: History of Shops: Section B] during and immediately after the Second World War.
Frank Toop was born on 4 May 1904 at Britannia Cottages, Cranford Road, the son of Francis Bernard Toop senior (1880-1956), better known as Bernard Toop, a shoe finisher, and Alice Toop (née Newman, 1881-1905), a clothing factory tailoress. Heading the Newman family at Britannia Cottages were Frank's maternal grandparents, Nathaniel Newman (1850-1934), painter and former Midland Railway carpenter from Cranford village, and Elizabeth Newman (née Webb, c.1847-1923), whom Nathaniel had first met in the railway community of Far Cotton outside Northampton. Sadly, when he was only sixteen months old, Frank's mother died in second childbirth and thenceforth Frank was taken under the wing of the Newman family, effectively being adopted by his "Aunt Lil", Lily Gertrude Newman (1884-1956), a tailoress at the Thorneloe & Clarkson clothing factory in Alexandra Street. In 1916, Lily married Robert ("Bob") Chamberlain, who also worked for Thorneloe & Clarkson.
Receiving his education at the Church Endowed School in Burton Latimer, Frank, once he was of age, went to work as a clerk at the Thorneloe & Clarkson factory, which at that stage was managed by Jacob ("Jake") Northern (1884-1939), married to another Newman aunt, Mary Jane (1882-1964). It was at the factory that Frank met Rhoda Ethel Miller (1908-2003), employed as a machinist, and they were married at the Parish Church on 6 June 1931. In the April of that year, whilst still living with the Chamberlains at 14 Cranford Road, Frank had bought the mid-terrace house at 16 Pioneer Avenue, enabling the couple to move into their new home straight after the wedding ceremony. Three daughters were to be brought into the world by Frank and Rhoda.
Job Titles:
- Chief Constable of Northamptonshire
Ted Crew, Chief Constable of Northamptonshire, said: "If it had not been for the prompt and courageous actions, despite the risk to her own safety, the robbery would have been committed."
Winifred Ellen Miller, (1897-1977): initially employed as a closer in the footwear industry, Winifred and her husband, Cecil Buckby, managed the "Waggon & Horses".