Among the singers from whom Anne Gilchrist noted songs during her visits to Blackham, in the period 1905-1907, were a Mr and Mrs Ford, and an Ethel Ford, whose version of ‘The Farmer’s Boy’ Gilchrist noted had been learned from her father. Her notes to the song ‘Sylvia’, meanwhile, say “Sung by Mr Ford, blacksmith”. This allows us to identify them as: William Ford, born 1852 at Penshurst in Kent; his wife Agnes (née Durrant), born 1858 at Cowden in Kent; and their daughter Ethel, who had been born at Tunbridge Wells in 1893.
In the 1901 census the family (which also included their 12 year-old son William) were living in Blackham at 1 Forge Cottage – just off what is now the A264 – and it’s likely that this is where Anne Gilchrist met them.
William Ford, 1853-1939
In the available twentieth century censuses, William Ford is shown as working as a blacksmith in Blackham (“Shoeing & General Smith” in the 1921 census). His residence is given as Forge Cottage in 1901, and presumably he remained at the same address in 1911 and 1921, although the precise address is not specified in those years. His place of birth is stated either as Penshurst or Chiddingstone (which are less than three miles apart as the crow flies). At his death in 1939, his age was given as 87, and his birth year as 1852.
He was in fact born on 31st May 1853, the son of John Ford, a labourer, and Harriet née Jenner. Harriet died in 1859, and in the 1861 census 42 year old John Ford was listed as a widower, living with one daughter and three sons, all under 10 years old, at Spring Hill Cottage, Ford Place, Penshurst. William and his siblings were all shown as “Scholar”.
In 1871 it must have been the same William Ford – 18 years old, and place of birth given as Penshurst – who was recorded as working as a farm labourer at Perry Hill Farm, Hartfield, East Sussex, for John Swift, “Farmer of 240 acres of land”. And then surely, ten years later, he must be the William Ford who was a Blacksmith’s journeyman living at Burnt House Holtye, Hartfield, and employed by the blacksmith John Hemsley (birth details for this William Ford are given as Chiddingstone, 1855, but inaccuracies in nineteenth century census records are far from uncommon).
He was married to Agnes Jane Durrant in the final quarter of 1887, and by the next census in 1891 he had set up as a blacksmith in his own right, living at 2 Pennington Road, Tunbridge Wells. The couple had one 2 year old son, also named William. They had another child, Ethel, in 1893. At some point between then and 1901 the family moved to the Withyham area of Sussex: the 1901 census shows that they were living at 1 Forge Cottage (actually Blackham rather than Withyham), with William’s occupation still given as blacksmith. The following year it appears that they wanted (or needed) to leave the business – the Kent and Sussex Courier for 6th June 1902 advertised “Old established Blacksmith’s Business, at Blackham, to Let; ½ mile from Ashurst. Possession can be had at once. – Apply W. Ford, Blackham, Withyham, Sussex”. Circumstances must have changed, however, as local newspaper cuttings reveal that the family were still living at the Forge in 1904 and 1906.1 And in 1911, although William’s address is given only as “Blackham, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells”, since he was still the village blacksmith we can assume he was still at Forge Cottage. In 1921 too, he was still living with his wife Agnes, with his occupation given as “Shoeing & General Smith”. William was 71 at the time of that census, and it seems likely that he retired not long afterwards, moving the five miles or so to Markbeech. When Agnes died in 1924 her funeral took place at Holy Trinity, Markbeech. William survived another 15 years, being buried on 15th March 1939, with the funeral again being held at Holy Trinity, Markbeech. His residence was given as “East Grinstead Formerly Of Markbeech”.
Anne Gilchrist noted the following with regard to William Ford’s singing:
“Sylvie” or “Silvery” (i.e. Sylvia) was learnt as a boy from the singer’s ‘mother-in-law’ (i.e. step-mother).
Mr Ford’s singing of this and other songs was characterized by an excellent boldness and vigour, and his feeling for rhythmic accent was so good that I asked whether this harmonious blacksmith sang at his work in the forge. But it seemed that this was not the case. He has no knowledge of music, but is famed for his singing of a special song, the tune for which he told me he had made himself, after having “got the words off a ballad-sheet”, such as used to be hawked round the neighbourhood. This song, “The Old Grey Mare,” is in great request at village concerts, where he accompanies it with dramatic action.
It is unclear who is meant by William’s “step-mother”. His father John appears to have been married twice: to Philadelphia (Philly) Thompsett in May 1841 and then, after her death in 1847, to Harriet Jenner in September 1851. Harriet – William’s mother – died in 1859, when William was just 5 or 6; but there is no record of John having remarried, and in all subsequent censuses he is recorded as a widower.
Agnes Jane Ford, née Durrant, 1858 -1924
Agnes Durrant was baptised on 9th May 1858 at St Mary Magdalene, Cowden. Her parents were Liberty Durrant, a farmer, originally from Brighton, and Jane née Bowra. In 1861 the census showed the family living at Ely Land, Cowden, a 16th century timber-framed house, now Grade II listed. 37 year old Liberty was listed as “Grocer and farmer 20 men 1 boy”, Jane as “Grocers wife”. 3 year old “Agness” had one younger brother, named Liberty after his father.
Census records show that Liberty Durrant continued to farm at Ely Land, being described as “Landowner” (1871) and “Farmer of 20 acres” (1881). He and Jane had one further child, Walter (named after his paternal grandfather), born in 1868. In 1881 Agnes’ occupation was given as “Farmers daur”.
Agnes married William Ford, Blacksmith and resident of Cowden, on 15th December 1887 at Holy Trinity, Markbeech, and they settled first at Tunbridge Wells before moving to Blackham. Predictably, the occupation field is blank for Agnes in subsequent censuses, until 1921 when she is listed as performing “Home Duties”. It appears that when William retired, they moved to Markbeech. Agnes’ funeral took place there on 18th March 1924, although her residence was still shown as “Blackham, Sussex”.
Ethel Agnes Ford, 1893-1962
William and Agnes’ daughter Emily was baptised at St Barnabas, Tunbridge Wells, on 5th February 1893. She was the couple’s second child – her brother William was four years older than her.
Ethel would have been around 12 years old when she first sang for Anne Gilchrist. By the time of the 1911 census she was 18, and out at work, as “General servant domestic” for a Mr and Mrs Farrer, who lived at 6 Arundel Road, Tunbridge Wells. She married Frederick G Carey, from Cuckfield, in 1918. In 1921 they were to be found living at 4 Myrtle Cottages, Groombridge, Sussex. Her husband worked as a Railway Porter for the London Brighton & South Coast Railway, and she was listed as carrying out “Home Duties”; they had a one year old son, Gordon Frederick. Another son, Donald, was born the following year.
Fred continued to work on the railways – in 1939 he was a Railway Signalman, and the family were living at 1 Town Station Cottage, Station Road, Edenbridge. Ethel’s occupation was “Unpaid Domestic Duties”.
She died in 1962, her death being registered in the Tonbridge district.
Jane Durrant, née Bowra, 1825-1886
Agnes learned the song ‘Mother mother make my bed’ from her mother. Jane Bowra was baptised at St Mary the Virgin, Westerham on 14th August 1825. Her mother was Mary Ann, née Hollamby, originally from Speldhurst. Her father, William, farmed at “Oberries Farm”, Brasted – this was probably Obriss Farm, at Toys Hill, which is now owned by the Landmark Trust.
She married Liberty Durrant in Shoreditch, London, in the final quarter of 1844. At the next census, in 1851, she and Liberty were living at Ely, Cowden, where they would remain until at least 1881. He was shown as “Farmer 20 acres”, while her occupation was given as “Grocer”.
She died in 1886, at the age of 61, and was buried at Holy Trinity, Markbeech on 9th September. Her residence at the time of death was given as Stick Hill (about half a mile north of Cowden Pound). The same information was given for her husband, Liberty Durrant, who had been buried at Holy Trinity just a few months earlier, on 28th March 1886.
Songs
Agnes Ford
- The Banks of Sweet Dundee (Roud 148)
- The Golden Glove (Roud 141)
- Mother, mother, make my bed (Roud 48 / 32444)
Ethel Ford
- The Cottage in the Wood (Roud 608)
- The Farmer’s Boy (Roud 408)
William Ford
- Barbara Ellen (Roud 54)
- I prithee, love, let me in (Roud 608)
- Sylvie (Roud 7)
My thanks to Kathy Wallwork, whose genealogical expertise helped me unravel the details of William Ford’s early life.
- Richard Coomber, Blackham Village website, http://www.blackham-village.co.uk/WWI%20William%20Ford.html ↩︎
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