Introduction
In May 1937, John Genge of Ferndale, Hardington, advertised a five-roomed house with a large garden for sale at Hardington, stating that it would “Suit any retiring ladies or gentlemen.”[1] Genge had bought the property as the sitting tenant in the estate sale of 1920, so this was the first time it had come on the open market.
The advert was seen by a retired London printer, William Keen, who bought the property and lived there with his wife and daughter until he died in 1945. This article tells the story of his life.
Early life in Melksham
William Keen was born in the small Wiltshire market town of Melksham on 13 August 1866. He was the oldest of three children born to George and Rachel Keen, a working-class couple who lived in the part of the town named Shurnhold, close to the railway station. His father was a quarryman who later became a signal fitter with the Great Western Railway. His mother, before she married, was a servant at Shurnhold Farm. Rachel’s widowed mother also formed part of the household, living until 1898 when she was 92.
After leaving school, William served an apprenticeship with a printer in Melksham.
Life in Reigate and Redhill
After completing his apprenticeship, William took his life in a new direction. By April 1891, he was boarding with a house decorator at 42 Glover’s Road, Reigate, and working as a house painter. Such a significant change in career demands explanation, and one can only speculate that William resorted to painting because no printing jobs were available. Interestingly, at the same time, his sister, Rhoda, was a nurse in a private house in Islington.
While in Reigate, he met his future wife, Charlotte Elizabeth Smith. She was the daughter of Edward and Charlotte Smith, who were married at Redhill on 24 November 1870. Edward was a Colour Sergeant in the 106th Light Infantry who was soon posted to Dublin, where Charlotte was born on 19 January 1872.
When Charlotte was 3, her father died at Parkhurst Military Hospital on the Isle of Wight. Her mother returned to Reigate, where she probably lived with her parents for two years. Then, on 3 March 1877, she married a gardener named John Westlake, with whom she had two sons.
Charlotte’s family were religious nonconformists who took their faith seriously. Her uncle, Thomas George Thatcher, was the Congregational Minister at Staplehurst in Kent from 1881 to 1925.[2]
William and Charlotte were married at the Baptist Chapel, London Road, Redhill, on 24 December 1892. William was 26, and Charlotte was 20.
They set up a home together in Reigate and had two children there: Paul Willis on 31 December 1893 and Isabel Rachel on 11 April 1895. Sadly, Rachel died when only one year old.
Return to Wiltshire
Charlotte’s mother’s death in 1894 weakened her ties to Reigate. By March 1901, William had returned to Wiltshire and resumed his career in printing. He and his son, Paul, lived in New Street, Wardour, and he worked as a manager for a letterpress printer. However, Charlotte was a patient at Fisherton Anger, a psychiatric hospital near Salisbury. The loss of her mother and daughter may have contributed to her mental breakdown.
Fortunately, she must have recovered within the next year or two as she had two more children: Philip Christopher on 6 August 1903 and Cecily Elizabeth on 22 October 1904. Both children were born in Frome, Somerset, so William must have taken a job there.
Life in London
By April 1911, William and his family lived at 28 Turney Road, Dulwich. William was a foreman compositor at a general printer.
By 1918, they had moved to 204 Camberwell Grove, Camberwell.[3] The census of 1921 recorded William as a composing room overseer for Loxley Brothers Ltd of Gough Square, Fleet St.
William’s mother, Rachel, died intestate in 1924, leaving an estate valued at £146. Letters of administration were granted to William, who presumably shared the estate equally with his two sisters.[4]
Retirement in Hardington
The register of 29 September 1939 shows William, Charlotte and their daughter, Cecily, living at Ferndale Cottage, Hardington.
William and Charlotte attended the village chapel, where they became friendly with William George Delamont and his wife, Florence. When William made his will on 18 October 1945, Mr and Mrs Delamont witnessed it, and William appointed Mr Delamont as his sole executor. William left Ferndale Cottage and its contents in trust for his wife for her life and then to his daughter, Cecily.[5]
William died at Ferndale Cottage on 19 December 1945, aged 79.[6] The value of his estate was £433. Charlotte died on 21 January 1949, aged 77.[7] They lie together in Hardington churchyard.
[1] Western Gazette 7 May 1937, p.9.
[2] Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, 23 July 1937, p.20.
[3] Voters’ lists.
[4] Probate Calendars.
[5] The will of William Keen, dated 18 October 1945, proved in London on 8 September 1949.
[6] The will of William Keen, dated 18 October 1945, proved in London on 8 September 1949; Civil Registration Death Index.
[7] Civil Registration Death Index.
