Introduction
Sidney George Pike spent his early life working as a labourer at Misterton and a railway platelayer at Hardington before later securing a position in an aircraft factory in Yeovil. Although Sidney’s attempt to become a parish councillor was unsuccessful, he served as a scout master in the 1930s and as a special constable during the Second World War.
Early life
Sidney was born on 13 August 1890, the youngest of eight children born to George and Jane Pike, two of whom died in infancy.[1] His father, George Pike, was a railway platelayer, a position he had held since the 1870s. His mother, Jane, who came from South Perrott, had worked as a domestic servant in Crewkerne before her marriage. Jane’s mother, Grace Bailey, had been widowed when Jane was six and lived with the family for many years.
When Sidney was three years old, his mother died at the age of forty, leaving four children under the age of fourteen. The younger children remained with their father, and Annie, the only daughter, appears to have taken on a caring role within the household for her father and younger siblings. Grace Bailey may have assisted in the household for a time after Jane’s death, although she herself died in 1897.[2]
Sidney probably attended the village school, and by 1911, he was working as a casual labourer. By this time, all his siblings had left home: John was a baker in Crewkerne, Eli an engine driver in Yeovil, Bertie a groom in Crewkerne, and Edwin an engine driver in Lambeth. Annie had married Joseph Hussey, a mason’s labourer and former soldier, in 1910.
Marriage and working life
On 23 December 1911, Sidney married Florence Mabel Cox, a domestic servant who had been working in the village for at least nine months. She was born on 25 August 1892 at Silton in North Dorset. Her father had been a steam engine fitter before his death in 1905, probably working for E. S. Hindley & Sons in their steam engine works at Bourton.
The couple initially settled at Misterton, where Sidney worked as a groom and gardener. Godfrey Harold, their only son, was born there on 24 December 1912.
At some point between 1911 and 1921, Sidney became a railway platelayer. By June 1921, he and his family were living at Hardington Marsh with two boarders. At that time, Sidney’s brother-in-law, Joseph Hussey, was also working there as a railway platelayer.
Sidney’s boarders in 1921 were George Goldring, a local farmer, and his bailiff, Donald Frederick White. By December 1923, Sidney and his family had moved to a cottage in the High Street owned by Goldring.[3] This may have been the cottage that Goldring repossessed from Albert Marsh in May 1921.[4]
Village life
Sidney took some part in village affairs. In March 1919, he was one of eight men nominated for five seats for the parish council, and, although he came last in the election with 28 votes, it was a respectable showing for a man who may not have been that well known in the village.[5]
In August 1931, he was involved in the church fete. A newspaper advertisement invited the winner of a guessing competition to contact Mr S. Pike of Broadstone.[6]
He was also an early scout master at Hardington. In June 1932, he led his troop to a Red Cross event at Montacute House attended by the Princess Royal.[7]
Later life
By September 1939, Sidney was still in the parish, but his address was Broadstone. At that time, both he and his son were employed at the Westland Aircraft Works at Yeovil: Sidney as a beltman and his son, Godfrey, as a fitter. Sidney also served as a special constable.
Sidney’s duties as a beltman would have included maintaining belts on belt-driven machinery to ensure they ran efficiently and safely. This practical, semi-skilled role required familiarity with machinery rather than formal engineering training. In a wartime factory, such work was essential for keeping production running smoothly.
Sidney died in 1957 at the age of 67. In 1943, his son Godfrey married Marjorie Phyllis Sweet, a shorthand typist from Crewkerne. Florence later lived at 3 Bowditch Row, South Street, Crewkerne, where she died intestate on 10 October 1963 at the age of 71. Her estate, valued at £519 19s, was administered by her son, by then an aircraft inspector.
References
[1] Civil Registration Birth Index (his birth was registered under the name “Sydney George Pike”).
[2] Her death was registered in the Axminster district, so she may have left Misterton before 1897,
[3] Hardington rate book 31 December 1923.
[4] Western Chronicle, 13 May 1921, p.6.
[5] Western Chronicle, 21 March 1919, p. 3; 18 April 1919, p. 11.
[6] Western Chronicle, 14 August 1931, p.9.
[7] Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser 15 June 1932, p.4.
