Category: Persons – Surname beginning with F

Floral tributes for Simon Fox,
 left outside the Fox Auto Repairs
garage at Woodcock Road, Warminster.

Simon Fox, the proprietor of Fox Auto Repairs
at Woodcock Road, Warminster, passed
away on Sunday 9th November 2014.

The funeral service for Simon, who was 49,
will be held at West Wiltshire Crematorium,
Semington, on Wednesday 26th November 2014
at 11.30 a.m. 
“Wear something red.”
Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to
Claverton Down Cats & Dogs Home,
c/o F. Curtis & Son, Funeral Directors,
11 Portway, Warminster, BA12 8QG.

Elizabeth Farnfield passed away peacefully on Sunday 27th May 2012 at Henford House Care Home, Warminster, aged 106 (almost 107!). Sadly missed by her family and friends. Cremation will be on Tuesday 12th June 2012, 1.00pm, at Salisbury Crematorium. Family flowers only. Donations if desired for Henford House C/H and others to L.C. Hill & Sons, Funeral Directors, Water Street, Mere, Wilts. BA12 6DZ. Tel: 01747 860361.

Tuesday 28th February 1984

Herbert Sidney William Fox, who was always known as Bert to his family and friends, was born at Chippenham in 1899. He was the son of Charles Henry Fox, a Chippenham billposter. During the First World War Bert served in France with the Somerset Light Infantry, before transferring to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He completed his Army service as Chief Clerk on the Calais train ferry. He met his wife-to-be, Miss Constance Georgina Selfe, at a dance in his home town. She was a labourer’s daughter and was a native of Lacock. After leaving school she worked first as a probationer nurse at Fiddington House, a mental asylum at Market Lavington, and later as a part-time hairdresser at Chippenham.

Bert and Connie were married at the Parish Church of St Andrew, Chippenham, eight months after they had first met, on 19th June 1920. Bert followed in his father’s footsteps and secured a job as a billposter at Warminster. He and Connie, newly-married, set up their first home together at East Street in the former White Swan inn (closed 1907). They lived there and then at 4 Prospect Cottages, also at East Street, until 1940 when they moved to 34 West Parade. They had four children: Alan Herbert, born 9th December 1925; Gordon Eric, born 17th June 1927; Barry; and Joan Constance (Mrs Welsh), baptized 7th April 1921. Alan died of diphtheria, on l3th June1945, while serving with the Royal Navy at Madras, India. He had gained the rank of stoker in charge.

Bert Fox worked as a full time billposter until 1930. He then became an auxiliary postman for 15 years, although he continued to do some billposting on apart-time basis. He was finally employed at the School of Infantry, first as a bar steward and later as head batman. He retired in 1966. Between 1920 and 1934 he was also a retained fireman at Warminster.

Bert was a footballer of some renown and played in most positions for Warminster Town FC from 1920 until the mid-1930s. He was a member of the Wiltshire League Championship side of 1925/26 and was Captain for a year. He also played five times for Wiltshire. After his long soccer connection with Warminster, Bert played briefly for Westbury United before becoming a referee, serving as third man on most of the county’s pitches. He ended his footballing career as a first-class referee.

Bert’s other sporting passion was darts. He and his son, Gordon, were members of the Three Horseshoes team that won the Wiltshire Darts League Championship three years running. Later, Bert, Gordon and Bert’s other son, Barry, were members of the team from the Fox And Hounds that won the same championship. In 1940 Bert won the Spitfire Darts Individual Championship Cup, and also played for the White Hart and the Bunch Of Grapes.

Bert Fox died, aged 73, at his West Parade home on Friday 15th September 1972. Connie Fox died, aged 86, at Sambourne Hospital on 14th February 1984. Both were cremated at Salisbury.

A School’s Adventure by Geo. W. Olive, first published in 1951, relates the story of Dauntsey’s School. The book begins with a photograph of Samuel William Farmer and ends with two appendices about him.

The first is an ‘Extract from Mr Farmer’s Statement,’ and reads:.

“I was born at Market Lavington on November 29^th, 1847, attended a village Dames School, kept by my Aunt (my Father’s Sister), till 8 years old. I consider the education I received from her and at Mr Evans, Devizes, was more intrinsically valuable than that received at any other period in my life.”.

“From 1855 to 1863 I was at School at Devizes (Mr Evans) and at the Spa, Melksham (Dr Gilchrist’s).”.

“In January 1863 when I was 15 years old I went to Aberdeen where I attended the Grammar School, King’s College (arts), and Marischall College (Medicine) till 1866. In that year I suffered from severe haemoptysis which continued till 1868 and to a much less degree for several years.”.

“I attained my twenty-first birthday in 1868. My Father was taken seriously ill in November 1868 and died May 1869 in his forty-third year leaving his Executors with two butchering businesses, one at Trowbridge, and another at Market Lavington, also a farming business of about 1,500 acres at Market Lavington, Easterton and Eastcott.”.

“The Executors disposed of the Trowbridge business, and I took over the Lavington butchering business and the farming business at Michaelmas 1869. I had been with my Father during the summer of 1868. I had no knowledge of either business except what I picked up at that time and during his illness.”.

“The years 1869 to 1874 were, considering the size of the business, probably as prosperous as, if not more prosperous than, any I have since experienced.”.

“In 1874 I sold the Lavington butchering business and gave up all the land I had hitherto occupied except the Eastcott Farm. In that year 1874 I married Emily Redman, daughter of William Redman of Coulston. I took the Little Bedwyn Farm and we made Little Bedwyn our home.”.

The second reference to Samuel William Farmer is an ‘Extract from Mr Gauntlett’s Paper.’ It reads:.

“Mr Farmer, I suppose, was the most successful farmer in England; it is a curious fact that his name should be Farmer. Another curious fact is that his main education was taken in Aberdeen at Marischall College, where he studied for a doctor, but his health broke down and he could not take his examinations. At the same time his father was taken ill and died when Mr Farmer was about 20 years old, and left him with two butchering businesses and 1,500 acres of land at Market Lavington near Devizes which he farmed in partnership with my father. He came to Little Bedwyn in 1874 and died here in 1926 and left a fortune of £400,000. He also gave away probably £100,000 besides that. In 1879 seventy-five per cent of the farmers in the country went bankrupt, and Mr Farmer took over farm after farm till he got together about 25,000 acres, 5,000 acres farmed by himself, 5,000 with my father as partner, and 15,000 with Mr Frank Stratton as partner. All this land was arable and taken when everyone else was going bankrupt. He was the pioneer of selling milk to London from Wiltshire, largely produced from arable land till the labour question and prices became more difficult. He milked over 1,000 cows in old barns converted to cow sheds paved with blue bricks which are good today.”.

“He fatted many cattle besides rearing nearly all the cow calves. He also had some 5,000 H.D. [Hampshire Down] ewes which meant 5,000 lambs to be fatted through the summer. This system was carried on until the War when the H.D. sheep gradually went to be replaced by grass sheep. After the War changes came swift and fast. Landlords began to sell and Mr Farmer foresaw great depreciation coming, and instead of buying farms took the opportunity of getting out while prices were high.”.

“His success largely was having two wonderful partners, Mr Stratton and my father, whose delight was good farming. My father had several hard working sons who gave their best. And last but not least he was clever in selecting key men. He worked hard and expected everyone to do likewise.”