Introduction
Jane Partridge was born and raised at the Royal Oak Inn, Hardington, and probably lived there until she married Theo White, a farmer, in 1900. After their marriage, she and her husband settled at Hardington Marsh.
Childhood
Jane was born at Hardington on 26 March 1874, the seventh of ten children born to Joseph and Louisa Partridge. Her father kept the Royal Oak Inn and also ran a farm.
The inn was a hub of constant activity, serving as both the family home and the business premises for the family farm, as well as a communal drinking establishment.
It was also a place marked by sadness, as three of the children died within five years. When Jane was eight months old, her brother Francis died from scarlet fever, aged 3; when she was two, her sister Harriet died from heart disease, aged 13; and when she was six, her sister Louisa died from a stomach disorder, also aged 3.[1]
The pub may also have been a place of family tensions. The eldest son, James Saint Partridge, moved to the Isle of Wight as a young man and did not return until their father had died.[2]
Despite the constant bustle, Jane may have valued quietness. In December 1891, when she advertised for a position as a nurse, she specified that she sought employment with a “quite family.”[3] This preference may have stemmed from her position in the family. The deaths of Francis and Louisa created a significant age gap between Jane and her surviving siblings, which may have contributed to her enjoying her own company. Her sister, Elizabeth, was five years older, while her sister, Rose, was seven years younger.
As the children grew up and left home, the family unit gradually diminished. James had moved to the Isle of Wight before Jane turned seven. During the 1880s, Joseph moved to Parsonage Farm, Pendomer, where Elizabeth became his housekeeper. Susan married in 1890 and moved to Curland, where Rose lived with her for a time. By April 1891, the only siblings still at home were Jane and Ethel.[4]
Jane was an intelligent child, and by April 1891, she was working as a schoolteacher. However, later that year, she placed her advertisement seeking a nurse’s position, although it remains unclear if she was successful.[5]
On 30 July 1893, she gave a recitation entitled “No Tears in Heaven” at the village chapel, suggesting she still resided in the village at that time and supported the chapel.[6]
Marriage
On 3 July 1900, Jane married Theophilus White at Hardington Church. By March 1901, they lived at Hardington Marsh, where Theophilus was a ‘Farmer grazier’. Then or soon after, they occupied Marsh Dairy Farm, which they bought in the sale of 1920.
Family deaths
Jane’s father died on 4 May 1904 at the age of 64, leaving an estate valued at £265, which he bequeathed entirely to his wife.
Jane’s brother, Joseph, died on 8 November 1905, due to heart disease, dropsy and bronchitis.[7]
Jane’s mother died on 17 January 1911 at the age of 70. All six of her surviving children attended her funeral on 21 January 1911, except Jane, who was only two weeks away from giving birth to her son, Aubrey.[8]
Witness to a will
On 16 June 1937, Jane witnessed the will of her brother-in-law, George White.
Inheritance
Jane’s brother, James, died on 23 May 1938, leaving an estate valued at £488-1s-9d, which he bequeathed to his five surviving sisters equally.[9]
Death
Jane died on 14 February 1944, aged 69. Theo died on 7 October 1949, aged 80, leaving an estate with a net value of £16,619-9s-6d.
Children
Theophilus and Jane had four children:
1903- Winifred Dorothy;
1904- Gladys Olive;
1911- Aubrey Ernest;
1912- Dulcie Vera Theodora.
References
[1] Death certificate of Francis Partridge (the cause of death is recorded as “debility after scarlatina”); death certificate of Harriet Partridge (the cause of death is recorded as morbus cordis, anasarca, dropsy); death certificate of Louisa Partridge (the cause of death is recorded as “Tabes Mesenterica 2 years”).
[2] Western Chronicle 17 November 1905 p.8.
[3] Western Gazette, 18 December 1891, p.4.
[4] By March 1901, Joseph and Rose had returned home, and Jane had left home.
[5] Western Gazette, 18 December 1891, p.4.
[6] Pulman’s Weekly News and Advertiser, 8 August 1896, p.5.
[7] Death certificate of Joseph Partridge.
[8] Western Gazette, 27 January 1911, p.3
[9] The will of James Saint Partridge, dated 25 November 1925, proved at Bristol on 7 September 1938. His sister, Rose, died in 1935. James bequeathed his sister, Ethel, a life interest in his bungalow, orchard and furniture. Ethel died in 1956.
