Introduction
John Rendell belonged to a generation of Hardington men whose lives bridged the transition from an agricultural village economy to one increasingly shaped by industrial employment. Although he was born into a farm labourer’s family, he spent most of his working life as a weaver at North Coker Mills. His life was interrupted by service in the Royal Field Artillery during the First World War, after which he returned to Hardington and achieved the security of owning his own home.
Early life
John was born in late 1880 at Hardington, the fourth of ten children born to Walter Rendell and his wife, Mary (née Partridge).[1] The family initially lived in a cottage in Moor Lane, and around 1896, moved to a five-room cottage at Lyatts. His father worked as a farm labourer throughout this time.
Little is known of John’s childhood, but in 1900, he suffered a serious accident while chopping wood with an axe. The injury to his foot was severe enough to require treatment at Yeovil Hospital.[2]
By 1901, he was employed as a domestic gardener, one of a number of young village men who found work in service or on local estates before the growth of industrial employment opportunities in the area.
Marriage and family life
On 14 April 1903, John married Florence Sarah Delamont at Hardington Church.[3] He was twenty-two years old, and she was nineteen. The couple settled at Broadstone and raised two children there: Arthur William, born in 1904, and Mabel Kathleen, born the following year.
During the early years of his marriage, John moved away from domestic service and into factory employment. By 1911, he was working as a weaver for a web and twine manufacturer, probably F. Drake of North Coker Mills, whose workforce included a number of Hardington residents.
A minor court case in 1908 provides a glimpse of village life and John’s family connections. On 1 July, he appeared before Yeovil magistrates as a witness in a case against his cousin, Charles Purchase, who was accused of using indecent language. According to John, the dispute arose after Purchase’s dog quarrelled with his cat on the evening of Sunday, 28 June. The magistrates ultimately dismissed the charge upon payment of costs. Although trivial, the incident illustrates how everyday disagreements within a small rural community could sometimes find their way into the courts.[4]
A more serious episode followed four years later when Florence faced three charges of obtaining goods from Yeovil shopkeepers by false pretences. John stood by his wife throughout the proceedings, presenting a letter from the Rev. Cleife appealing for leniency and even addressing the court himself. He explained that they had been married for nine years, had two children aged six and nine, and had lived happily together. He assured the magistrates that he would do everything in his power to prevent a recurrence and informed them that he had repaid the money owed to the shopkeepers. Despite these efforts, Florence was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.[5]
War Service
John volunteered for military service during the early months of the First World War and was serving with the Royal Field Artillery by January 1915.[6] During the conflict, he attained the rank of bombardier, a non-commissioned officer equivalent to corporal, responsible for discipline and the operation of artillery equipment.[7]
After more than four years of service, he was discharged on 14 March 1919 and returned to civilian life in Hardington.[8]
Post-war years
Like many returning servicemen, John resumed the occupation he had followed before the war. The 1921 census described him as a chair web weaver employed by F. Drake at North Coker Mills. His daughter Mabel also worked there, demonstrating the factory’s growing importance to the family’s livelihood.
The year following his return brought a significant change in his circumstances. At the estate sale of October 1920, he purchased the house in which the family lived. The property comprised a living room, kitchen, pantry, wash-house with a furnace, an outside earth closet, a large garden and the use of a shared well.[9] For someone who had grown up in a labourer’s household, owning a home represented a considerable achievement and a measure of security for his family.
John’s life was cut short when he died on 13 July 1928 at the age of forty-seven due to valvular disease of the heart.[10] His estate was valued at £200.[11] Florence outlived him by nearly forty-eight years, passing away on 31 January 1976 at the age of ninety-two.
Conclusion
John Rendell’s life was characterised by continuity rather than dramatic change. He spent most of his years in Hardington, adapting to the growing importance of industrial employment while maintaining strong ties to his family and the village. His service as a bombardier during the First World War, his purchase of a home after the conflict, and his steadfast support for his wife during her public difficulties all suggest a man who valued responsibility, stability and family loyalty.
References
[1] Civil registration birth index; the 1881 census recorded John’s age as 5 months.
[2] Western Chronicle, 25 May 1900, p.7.
[3] Western Chronicle, 17 April 1903, p.5.
[4] Western Chronicle, 3 July 1908, p.4.
[5] Western Chronicle, 26 July 1912, p.4.
[6] Western Chronicle, 5 February 1915, p.6.
[7] World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
[8] World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
[9] Portman sale catalogue.
[10] Death certificate of John Rendell.
[11] National Probate Calendar.
