Howes Family History
Edward Thomas Howes
Edward Thomas Howes (1921-2001), my father, was born in Fishponds, Bristol on 18th February 1921. In about 1930 his family returned to Northamptonshire and settled in Parsons Street, Woodford Halse.
His first job on leaving school at the age of 14 was with the village Gas Works. Here, at a site at the edge of the village on the left-hand side of the Eydon Road, they burnt coke to produce coal gas to supply the street lighting and Tom was employed to light the gas lamps in the evening and to extinguish them in the morning.
When he was 15 he was employed by the Great Central Railway and this was the beginning of a long and illustrious railway career of 49 years until he retired at the age of 64. Initially he was an engine cleaner but was soon offered an apprenticeship as an engine fitter. This taught him everything about steam traction but more importantly all about mechanical and electrical engineering and that was to stand him in good stead throughout his life.
On the 6th March 1943 Tom married Florence Violet James in the parish church of St Mary’s in Woodford Halse. Their reception was held in the Fleurs de Lys public house on South Street. Maud Shrimpton, who was renowned for her cooking, provided the buffet.
For a while they lived in rooms with the Douglas family in a farmhouse on Pool Street in Hinton. On the 18th November 1943, at Bragborough Hall in Braunston near Daventry, Florence gave birth to their first child, Michael Edward (the author of this account). Needing more room now, they moved into rooms at 32 Percy Road in Woodford. They eventually bought the house and lived there until 1967, thence moving to Farndon Road. They had two further children; a daughter, Stella, born at the Weston Favell Maternity home near Northampton and a son, Roger, born at the house in Percy Road.
Michael Edward joined the Royal Air Force in September 1962 and after two years training “passed out” as an Air Electronics Officer. During 18 years in the RAF he enjoyed postings to RAF Ballykelly in Northern Ireland, RAF Luqa in Malta, RAF Kinloss in Scotland, Joint RAF/RN Headquarters in Northwood, Middlesex, and finally at Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. It was here that he retired from the RAF and took a job with GEC/Marconi as a flight trials engineer working on the infamous Nimrod AEW project and later on a radar upgrade for the F3 Tornado. He married Maria Ilona Norman, daughter of Allan Norman and Margaret (nee Haese), at St Mary’s church in Andover, Hampshire on 11th May 1968 and they had two children, Karen Samantha born in Malta, and Julia Suzanne, born in Forres, Morayshire. Mike retired in March 2001 and now spends most of his time in family history research.
Stella joined the civil service as an Executive Officer and worked at the Home Office in London. She lived at the Chester House Methodist Hostel at Muswell Hill and there met her future husband, Mike Stratton, a Norfolk man, son of William Edward Stratton and Ivy Ruth (nee Curtis), who was studying for his Architect degree. They were married at the Methodist chapel in Hinton, Woodford Halse on 23rd September 1967. They lived for most of their married life in Kent and had two children, a daughter, Fiona Victoria, and a son, James Edward. Mike was a successful Architect, with Stella in a support capacity, involved with building several prominent buildings on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. He is now retired and living with Stella in Dallington, Northampton.
Roger worked briefly as a farm labourer in the true tradition of the Howes family until he became a Police Constable in the Thames Valley force in Kidlington, near Oxford. He married 21 year-old Christine, daughter of Donald Thomas Pass and Daphne (nee Parsons) on 23rd February 1974 at St Mary’s church in Banbury. They had two daughters, Kathryn Jane and Nicola Claire. After his initial training Roger spent just a couple of years ‘on the beat’ with a Panda car before taking a wide variety of other police jobs including Tactical Team Firearms Officer, VIP Protection Officer (for the Home Secretary Douglas Hurd amongst others) and Firearms Training Officer. He left the force in 2002 and took on the task of swimming coach for Oxford University. He is now enjoying retirement, but in his spare time he is a volunteer railway engine driver at the heritage Great Central Railway in Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Tom was in a protected occupation during the 1939-1945 war and therefore was not conscripted. However he joined the Local Defence Force, which became the Home Guard, and rose through the ranks to Second Lieutenant. His senior officer was Major Tom Coy and his friend Bill Preece was a First Lieutenant. As part of their training Tom and Bill went to No. 1 Home Guard Instruction School at Denbie House near Dorking and Tom became the local Bomb Instructor along with Bert Young who incidentally lived next door at 30 Percy Road. Tom also went on a House Clearing Course at Wellingborough. They never came into contact with the enemy but they took their responsibilities very seriously and at the same time had a bit of fun. Further details of his time with the Home Guard are contained in a booklet called ‘Reminiscences of the Home Guard 1939-1945’ written by him and Mr Jim Anscombe.
After his apprenticeship Tom continued as a fitter in the loco shed, and a spell on the break-down gang, and accumulated a wealth of knowledge in all things mechanical and electrical as well as steam. He eventually took the job as foreman (gaffer) for the Outdoor Machinery Department sited in the “Power House” on the Byfield Road at the top of the cinder track from the village to the loco sheds. This department was set up to service and repair the transformers, which provided electricity to the locomotive depot, and machinery such as cranes, coal hoppers (which automatically filled the engine tenders with coal), water pumps and water towers for instance serving the water troughs at Charwelton (where the locomotives on express trains were able to take on water at speed). The work involved all the disciplines of engineering and called for a well-trained team of railwaymen. It also called for flexibility of working hours especially when Starlight Specials (overnight expresses) were working through in the summer, because Tom and his team had to be on site at Charwelton to ensure the uninterrupted supply of water to the troughs.
He was very active in the Trades Union movement and acted as branch treasurer, referee, minute secretary and trustee of the Amalgamated Engineering Union over a period of 23 years, receiving an Award of Merit signed by Hugh Scanlon in September 1969.
Most of his spare time was spent on his allotment in Hinton and in preparing and showing vegetables at the various ‘shows’ around the county. The Woodford Show, which included poultry as well as fruit and vegetables, was held at the back of the Gorse Hotel in the former stable block. His Uncle Bill (William James Howes) was also keen on showing his garden produce and often used some of Tom’s output to his own advantage!
In the 1950s he was very active in the Methodist church. He was baptised and became a lay preacher, travelling the local circuit by bicycle and preaching the word in the chapels of South Northamptonshire.
On the 3rd September 1966 the Great Central Railway at Woodford saw the last train from Marylebone and the line was closed to passenger traffic. Prior to this and in anticipation of the closure, Tom had transferred to the LMS depot at Rugby where he took up the post of Motion Study Foreman. He remained in the job until he retired in 1984.
Tom was still passionately interested in steam railway preservation and joined the local Woodford Halse Great Central Railway Enthusiasts Association which met once a month in the Railwaymen’s Association Club (previously the Gorse Hotel) and became its treasurer.
He died at the age of 80 in Horton General Hospital, Banbury on 19th September 2001 after suffering bravely for three years with Multiple Myeloma. He was cremated at Banbury Crematorium on Friday 26th September and his many family and friends gathered afterwards at the Whately Hall Hotel in Banbury for a buffet reception in honour of his life.