Introduction
Mildred Olive Hughes spent her early years in Hardington Mandeville, where she attended the village school, grew up among the extensive Partridge family, and worked from home as a glove machinist. Although her marriage took her to East Coker, she maintained her connection with Hardington and eventually returned to the village, where she spent the final decades of her long life, which spanned almost a century. From a young age, she was usually known as Olive.
Early life
Olive was born on 17 December 1903 at Hardington Mandeville, the second of seven children born to Archibald Abraham Partridge and his wife, Ellen Jane (née Sansom). The couple’s first child had died in infancy. Archibald was the son of Abraham Partridge, the village baker, for whom he initially worked, while Ellen was originally from Sherborne and had come to Hardington as a cook at the rectory.
Olive enrolled at Hardington School on 7 September 1908. At that time, the family lived in North Lane, and Archibald was a dealer. Earlier that year, on 9 January, her father sought an administration order to manage mounting debts. Despite these difficulties, the family soon moved to a five-room house in the High Street.
The 1911 census recorded Olive living not with her parents but with her grandparents, Abraham and Laura Partridge, at Hardington Moor. The reason for this arrangement is unknown, although it may reflect the close ties within the wider Partridge family. How long she remained with her grandparents is unclear.
By this time, Archibald had recovered sufficiently from his financial difficulties to establish himself as a smallholder at Hardington Moor. The parish rate book for 31 December 1923 recorded him as owner of a cottage and garden measuring one rood and three perches, along with 17 acres, one rood and two perches of land. His son Stanley assisted him in working the holding.
Like many young women in the district, Olive found employment in the glove industry. The census taken on 19 June 1921 recorded her working at home as a gloving machinist for Atherton & Clothier of Yeovil. Home-based glove work was an important source of income for women in the villages surrounding Yeovil, allowing them to earn wages while staying at home.
Marriage and later life
In late 1933 or early 1934, Olive married James Hughes of East Coker. James was born in London but moved to East Coker with his mother and stepfather during or soon after the First World War. His stepfather was a gamekeeper on the Coker Court estate before later becoming a self-employed rabbit catcher.
As a young man, James worked for Yeovil Rural District Council as the driver of a steam roller. The couple settled at East Coker and had one daughter. By 1939, they were living at Sleight Cottage, East Coker. James was then employed in the dye department at Yeovil Aircraft Works, part of the growing aircraft industry that became increasingly important to the local economy during the Second World War.
James died on 17 January 1963 at the age of sixty and was buried at Hardington. Olive remained a widow for many years. In the late 1970s, she returned to Hardington Moor, re-establishing her connection with the village where she had spent her childhood and youth. She passed away on 19 April 2009 at the age of ninety-nine.
Conclusion
Although Olive spent much of her married life at East Coker, Hardington remained the constant thread in her story. After decades away, she returned to the village and spent her final years among familiar surroundings, bringing her life full circle.
