Introduction
Ethel Mary Partridge’s life was characterised by a strong attachment to her family, home and community. She lived her whole life at Hardington Moor, dedicating herself to domestic duties and work on the family farm. Ethel married late in life and lived for the last 18 years in a bungalow inherited from her brother.
Early life
Ethel was born on 22 September 1883 at Hardington, the youngest of ten children born to Joseph Parsons Partridge and his wife, Louisa (née Saint). Her father was a farmer and the licensee of the Royal Oak Inn.
She was close to her sister Jane and was a bridesmaid at Jane’s wedding to Theophilus White on 3 July 1900.[1]
By 1901, Ethel and her siblings, Joseph and Rose, were the only children still living at home. In 1904, her father became seriously ill with heart disease. Ethel witnessed his will on 26 April 1904, and he died eight days later.[2] He left an estate valued at £265, which he bequeathed entirely to Louisa.
The following year, Rose married her second cousin George William Partridge, and Joseph died from heart disease, dropsy and bronchitis aged just forty.[3] After Joseph’s death, their eldest brother, James Saint Partridge, took over the running of the farm and pub, while their mother, Louisa, remained the nominal licensee. Ethel helped him run the farm and may also have served in the pub. A newspaper report of May 1910 refers to the landlady’s daughter entering the tap room while two policemen were present, but it does not specifically state that she was serving drinks.[4]
At the time of the policemen’s visit, Louisa was ill, and she died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 17 January 1911.[5] After her death, Ethel and James continued at the pub, initially helped by one general servant. The 1921 census recorded Ethel as James’s housekeeper.
Marriage
In late 1926 or early 1927, Ethel married her second cousin, Henry George Partridge, a farm labourer who had been disabled in the First World War. Henry was 55 and Ethel was 44. Before their marriage, Henry lived at Lyatts.
James Saint Partridge died in May 1938, leaving an estate valued at £488 1s 9d. He bequeathed his bungalow and an orchard of one rood 7 perches to Ethel for her lifetime, along with a one-fifth share of the residue, ensuring her security in her home.[6]
Henry died in 1947 at the age of 74; Ethel died in 1956 at the age of 73.
Conclusion
Ethel Mary Partridge spent more than seventy years within the small community of Hardington Moor. Although she left little trace in the historical record, her life appears to have been centred on family responsibilities, running the farm and pub, and maintaining a household shared with close relatives. The bungalow her brother left her gave her security in her later years.
References
[1] Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 11 July 1900, p.7.
[2] Death certificate of Joseph Parsons Partridge.
[3] Death certificate of Joseph Partridge.
[4] Western Chronicle, 6 May 1910, p.8.
[5] Death certificate of Louisa Partridge.
[6] The will of James Saint Partridge, dated 25 November 1925, proved in Bristol on 7 September 1938.