Melksham Times Past

A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis

Melksham Death Statistics of 1932

In its 31st December 1932 edition, the Wiltshire Times looked back on a few deaths that had occurred during the year.

“In the early part of the year there was a regrettable gas poisoning tragedy which involved the death of the steward of the Constitutional Club, Mr Arthur George Cross (41). This was but one of a series of deaths of very well-known people which occurred in Melksham during the year.

“By far the best known and greatest missed of these will be the late Mr Frederick Henry Knee (72), who passed to his rest on Sunday, June 26th, after a life of service in the public interest. To mention that Mr Knee was Chairman of the Rural Council at the time of his death, and had been since 1911, that he was a member of the Urban Council from 1903 until about 1917, and a past Chairman of that body, is to refer only two of the many branches of public work in which Mr Knee was interested. Even now his work is continually referred to in public, and it will be long before he is forgotten or his influence lost.

“Among other outstanding deaths during the year were Mr George Pocock (70), well-known egg and poultry dealer of Whitley; Ex-Sergt William Milner (64) of King Street; Harriet (Newbury) Harvey who at 90 years was one of Melksham’s oldest inhabitants; Emily (Chivers) Knowles (58), wife of the Rev H Knowles, Minister of the Congregational Church; and Cordelia Mary (Wilton) House (73), wife of one who had been headmaster of St Michael’s School for a number of years before retirement, which unfortunately involved Mr House’s departure from Melksham to live with his daughter at Chalford, near Stroud.

“Sympathy will be extended to all those who will miss someone at the Christmas time, to those who are above mentioned, and to Mr Stratton, who lost his sister-in-law, Ellen Jane “Nellie” (Rogers) Dowse Hill (79), and to the family of Edwin Haines Scott (50), who died very suddenly after spending practically the whole of his life in Melksham trade.”

The Wiltshire Times left out a few locally connected individuals who also died in 1932 (this list is not limited to): Fanny (Deverell) Alford (73); Mary Elizabeth (Rawlings) Alford (76); Alice Jane (Harding) Amor (72); Minnie (Stevens) Deverall Austin (40); Ethel Kate (Caddy) Barnes (44); Laura (Edmonds) Barnes (94); Susan Mary (Ferris) Blake (53); John Bliss (89); Millicent Mary (Smith) Bowerman (55); Annie Louise (Sloper) Bracher (48); Susan (Smith) Wakely Buckland (80); (infant) Burriss (0); (infant) Burriss (0); Herbert Cromwell Bush (70); Sarah Ann (Gibbs) Chilcott (75); George Chivers (74); John Colbourne (77); Frederick James Cottle (73); Louisa (Burrows) Cottle (75); Herbert Coward (50); Fanny Maria (Cottle) Cradock (66); James Curnick (74); Jane Dann (77); Richard James Day (0); Anna Amelia (Weaver) Dennis (64); William Brookland Dennis (64); Rosa “Rose” (Robins) Derrick (50); Emma (Hull) Deverall (84); Clara Ann (Wicks) Dodd (65); Emily Gladys (Smith) Dolman (37); John Henry Edwards (2); Edward Ellis (84); David Escott (43); Ard Fennell (64); Emma (Beath) Ferris (78); Frederick “Fred” Flower (81); Harriett (Gerrish) Gerrish (75); Celia Ellen (Stevens) Gibbons (65); Mary Ann Gillman (80); Roland Gimbert (0); Edwin Albert Gore (67); William Henry Gould (73); Georgiana (McNamee) Green (91); Job Jesse Gregory (74); Mary (Chilcott) Gregory (82); Ernest George Guy (41); Frederick George Harding (59); Mary Jane (Hayward) Harrold (82); Millicent Maud Helps (22); Gerald Augustus Frederic Hervey (72); John William Ethelbert Hickley (56); Rose Kate (Jones) Hill (75); Rosa (Salter) Holloway (63); Faniah “Fanny” (Hill) Knee (80); Herbert John Knee (66); Elizabeth Amelia Edith (Waight) Lochhead (51); Henry John Locke (63); Sarah Jane Locke (81); Herbert William George Loder (10); Lisette Henrietta (Hamilton) Ludlow Bruges (77); Frances Laura Arabella (Long) de Windt Lyster (67); Ellen Louisa Harris (Deverall) Maggs (75); Frederick George Marks (72); Samuel Mawditt (87); Sarah/Jane (Richards) Adams McAuley (84); Emma (Bath) Merrett (77); Paul Sanford Methuen (87); Edith Ellen (Hale) Truman Mills (64); Mary Ann (Sadler) Moger (59); Annie Storrier (Bain) Murray (68); Emily (Harris) Nash (69); George Llewellen Palmer (75); Daisy Louisa Maud Park (28); Harriet Ann (Blake) Park (77); Winifred Maud (Gregory) Pearce (52); Harry Harold Petty (24); Emma Maria (Hayward) Pocock (90); John Pottow (76); Francis Reynolds Yonge “Frank” Radcliffe (80); Henry John Redman (75); Mary Jane Ritchens (71); Rebecca (Wiltshire) Rose (61); Fanny (Harvey) Rudman (69); George Sainsbury (73); Ethel Florence (Pearce) Shell (44); Harriet (Riddle) Vinall Smart (79); Mary Ann Eatwell (Edwards) Smith (72); Henry William Sydee (25); Albert Edward Townshend (53); Agnes Ellen (Rogers) Tucker (62); Laura (Cox) Viles (74); Henry Watson (89); Eliza (Smith) Webb (77); Edward Whale (76); Alfred William Wiltshire (75); Frederick Withy (77); Emma Jane (Dewey) Youdan (78)

Life expectancy is one of those statistical measurements that have too many variables to be fully accurate. For instance, unanticipated world events, such as World War I or Covid, even post-war baby-booming – all these skewed life expectancy. I personally feel far too much weight is put on its importance, but I don’t argue that it’s interesting for comparison purposes. The accompanying chart examines the above-mentioned 1932 Melksham area deaths (the 105 that are on The Well House Collection’s database) and looks at an age breakdown, comparing it to national statistics.

This period life table uses the current age-specific mortality rates for 10 decades (1842-1932) to illustrate the expected age at death if a person experienced exacting mortality rates throughout their life. The median age is the middle value, ordered from lowest to highest, while the modal is the most common age at death.