Does anyone know anything about “Springdown” Tea Gardens, possibly in Calstone at around 1900 and connected to Spray’s Mill. In the 1901 census John Wesley Edwards is listed as living at Spray’s Mill and employed as “Mop Manufacturer & Proprietor of Pleasure Gardens”.
Since writing the original post I came across the photo above in my files. I hadn’t linked it to Sprays Mill before but looking at it with the photo on the invoice below I can see they are the same place. By reviewing the 1901 census I am guessing that the photo was taken in the early 1890’s. It shows John Edwards with his wife Georgina and children Walter, Daisy and Hilda. I do not know the name of the fourth child as she probably died before the 1901 census.
If you know anything more about the Tea Gardens please comment below.
The late Mrs Joyce Kelly told me, that it was a regular Sunday walk over to the tea gardens, from Calne and quite an event. Attended by lots of families.
I can’t tell you anything about the Tea Gardens, but I came to your site to trace Spray’s Mill, because it was mentioned in the “Family Notes” left by my great Grandfather, David Davies. His mother, Elizabeth, was a Kilminster, born at Calne, and met her husband, Moses, when he was doing plastering work at Squire Heneage’s House at Compton Basset, where she was the school teacher.
David describes a visit to Spray’s Mill, Calstone where Aunt Ellen had settled after marrying John Edwards. I have a family tree with shows they had a son, also John Wesley, like his father.
I have found Sprays Farm on Google. Is that the same building as Spray’s Mill?
Thank you! John
Hi John,
Thanks for the interesting information. The photo on the page talking about the pleasure gardens (https://calstone.org/help-wanted-springdown-tea-gardens/ ) shows who I have deduced is John Edwards. According to the census in 1901 he was married to someone called Georgina. I assume this is the son to whom you refer – unless he married twice with Ellen being is first, or second, wife.
Spray’s Mill is not the same building as Spray’s farm. The mill and pleasure gardens were at the bottom of Spray’s Hill on the left (if you are facing up the hill towards the Reading Room). Nothing remains of the mill now but you can still see a “pull in” on the left side of the road by the bridge over the Marden which was where it stood. There are several photos of the mill on this site which may interest you.
Doug.
Thank you, Doug! I had fancied that the lady in the photo might be Aunt Ellen, but according to my family tree, she died in 1869. So John Edwards might easily have married again. But the invoice is dated 1900, fifty years after my great-grandfather’s visit, and my family tree mentions the son of John nad Ellen being “John Wesley” like his father, so if the photo is contemporary with the invoice, than that is probably John Wesley Edwards the Second!
GGF David’s first visit to Calstone was in 1850, and a further passage from the “Notes” is a lyrical description of staying up very late, to beyond midnight, awaiting the return of Uncle John and his brother Philip from their visit to Great Exhibition!
“Aunt Ellen lived in a cottage attached to the Mill, her father-in-law, Anthony Edwards still held the business in his hands his sons working under him. The garden behind stretching along the bank of the mill-stream & its plum trees, the watercress growing plentifully in the stream which had it rise under the chalk of the Churchill Downs; of the pleasant smell of the meal which the millstones ground, and the place in the Mill where service was held on Sundays; all these things go to make very sweet associations with this and future holidays at Calstone.
But the sweetest memory of all, consists of my experience on a certain summer night, when we waited beyond midnight for Uncle John, & my brother Philip who had been visiting the Great Exhibition at Hyde Park and were returning. In those days there was no conveyance from Chippenham to Calne, so that after leaving the Railway Station on the Great Western, there was a long walk of 6 or 7 miles to Calne, and 2 more across the fields to Calstone. Mother, Aunt Ellen, Uncle John’s sister & myself & Richard sat up awaiting them. We strolled up the road towards the gate at the corner of the field over which they would come. The moon was up and at the full; farm labourers were still at work gathering in either hay or corn, I forget which, and we could hear their voices in the distance. The air was full of the soft shimmer of moonlight, caught in the slight haze, and as we gazed upon the lovely scene, the bells of Calne Church ringing the midnight chime were heard, their soft sounds wafted to our ears upon the gentle wind. This all comes back to me, very often, especially when I am listening to the strains of gentle music, whether in God’s house or under His open sky.”
I shall certainly search your site for those pics – but I’d be most grateful for a link! I can see a stream running across the Village, east/west – this the Marden? And is the bridge the one just south of the farm and “Buttercips Kindrgarten”?
Thanks John for the fascinating message.
Yes the river is the Marden and yes the bridge is the one just south of the farm. The photos of Spray’s Mill are – https://calstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Sprays-Mill.jpg , https://calstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Sprays-Mill-and-Farm-1.jpg , https://calstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Sprays-Mill-and-Farm-with-cows.jpg
Doug.