An Interview with Mr E H C Squire

Notes of an interview with Mr E H C Squire made by Nicholas Butler in the mid 1980s

These are the notes made by Nicholas Butler who interviewed Mr E H C Squire of 67, Bixley Road, Ipswich in the mid 1980s as part of his research for his book “The Story of Wivenhoe”.   These notes have been re-typed by Ann Jones from Nicholas Butler’s original notes and posted here by Frances Belsham.

About Mr Squire.

Has been retired for 23 years.   He made motorcycles in Wivenhoe, in the stables of a house in Station Road until the 1926 strike forced him into liquidation.   The Suley-Squire Manufacturing Co. Ltd in Station Road.   Started up after World War One.   He was at Epsom School where he helped to build a glider.   Later, he built another at Wivenhoe.   He belonged to the Flying Corps in World War One.

His uncle sold Wivenhoe Hall for demolition.   Edgar Chapman demolished it.   Found enormous quantities of papers.   Mr Squire’s mother heard about it.   She was given a case full of Corsellis documents.   He kept the rest himself and later they were burned by his widow.

The father and mother of Beau Brummell lived in Wivenhoe.   He has a card case with Mrs Brummell’s cards in it. [In fact Beau Brummell’s parents died in 1793/4. Beau was the brother of William Brummell who lived in Wivenhoe House see here.

Martin Harvey went to Miss Proctor’s school in West Street.   Martin Harvey was in a Christmas play.   My aunt was the Virgin Mary.   This was in about 1860.   Martin Harvey’s house opposite the shipyard, a flat double-fronted house.   Opposite the Shipwright’s Arms.   They built a house on the Quay opposite the Rose & Crown.

When they pulled down Wivenhoe Hall they found a Tudor house beneath that and a wattle and daub house beneath that.

My ancestors were lords of fifteen manors, including Battleswick, Donyland, Little Totham, Cockaynes and Keelars.

My great-grandfather was in the Navy.

Perhaps Wivenhoe House stood where the almshouses now stand?

Wivenhoe baths in the mud, somewhere near the end of Bath Street.

Before my uncle sold Wivenhoe Hall, he let it to a London financier, who tried to burn it down.

Bodleian Library has a book printed by Frederick Corsellis.   Caxton set up his press twelve years after Corsellis printed books in Oxford.

Nicholas Corsellis lived at Pakefield? Great-grandfather.  Served under Nelson.

SECOND INTERVIEW

The name “Rebow” is accented on the second syllable.

The Norwegian boats unloaded timber, which was stacked up so high that the lowest sails on these square-rigged ships could not be used.   They returned with sand as ballast.

The back entrance to Wivenhoe Hall was above the main one.

The affairs of the Manor were conducted in a large room whos  window appears in one of the photographs of the Hall.   It was known as “The Justice Room”.

Mr Squire showed Nicholas Butler numerous photographs of old Wivenhoe and allowed him to borrow 40 of them, together with a newspaper cutting.

He also showed Nicholas Butler [NB] an album containing more photographs of old Wivenhoe, good ones, pencil drawings of Nicholas Corsellis (1661-1727) whose dated NB verified from the family tree sent to him from Canada, and his wife (presumably) a lady known in the family as “The Barmaid”.   Mr Squire also showed NB a watercolour of the Corsellis who was a Naval officer.

He showed NB some Naval “orders” for Lieutenant Corsellis, a Child/Corsellis Crest, and numerous ancient papers, seventeenth and eighteenth century, relating to the Corsellis family, all of great interest.   He also showed NB an agreement about the land upon which The Nottage was built.   It seems that Child originally used three balls of gold on his crest, but changed them to leopard’s heads lest he be thought common ie by flaunting what became a pawnbroker’s sign.

He showed NB the first and last pages of a book printed by Frederick Corsellis in 1469.

During the collapse of the South Sea Bubble Sir Caesar Child lived with the Corsellises at Wivenhoe Hall.   A lot of documents in connection with this.   He was bled by Dr Flack

My father, Mr E H Squire, may have either helped to found a yacht club at Wivenhoe, or been its first commodore. They can have my clock with the fouled anchor.

THIRD INTERVIEW

My grandfather, Samuel Nathaniel Squire, was the son of a Captain Squire who took Napolean to St Helena.   

As boys we “babbed” for eels with a chunk of fat wound round with a string, at high tide, and “grubbed” for flounders at low tide, off the Quay.   A fishing licence cost 6d or so.   Wivenhoe Ferry was a ford and carts and horses were driven across.

FOURTH INTERVIEW

Dr Squire would not be on Lloyd George’s panel.   He had hundreds of patients at 1d a week.   He refused to go on to the panel.   He refused to pay National Insurance contributions either and had to appear in court because of it.

Dr N C Corsellis: Mr Squire showed Nicholas Butler Dr Corsellis’s diploma gained in about 1820 showing that he had dissected the human body.   He never charged a fee.   He had a practice at Benson near Oxford.   He is buried at Wivenhoe.

Mr Squire said they are proud of the Corsellis family name: therefore we are called after him ie Dr Corsellis.   Dr Corsellis left his estates, including Wivenhoe Hall, to my father N C C Lawton.

Mary Squire my father’s sister had a Sunday School opposite the Congregational Church.

My grandfather, Nathaniel Squire, would never have anything to do with Mr Carolin.   He went to church at Rowhedge.

Edgar Chapman became the demolition agent for Wivenhoe Hall.   He took away old documents.   After his death his wife had a bonfire.

Mr Squire showed NB deeds relating to the South Sea Bubble.   It seems that Nicholas Caesar Corsellis took over Caesar Child’s affairs.   (but this Corsellis would not have had Caesar in his name)   Dr Flack came to attend Caesar Child who lived at Wivenhoe Hall.

There is no Caesar in the Corsellis’ family name until one of them married Sir Caesar Child’s sister.

Description of some photos:-

My father’s yacht Valfreya with father, mother, Aunt Edith at the helm and Felix my younger brother.

Father in a gig with groom, mother, brother and dog, taken by me.

Family photograph: Back row l to r Uncle Basil Squire, A Brewer, Dr E H Squire, Mother, Uncle James Squire .Front row l to r Brett (uncle Basil’s son), Mary Squire, Me, Felix, Grandfather, Guy.

FIFTH INTERVIEW

The Volta.   It had a detachable keel which could be unbolted and stick in the mud, allowing the submarine to float free.

Pounds: One in De Vere Lane, one on Anchor Hill.   Remember them as a child.   The Cage was behind Fale’s the fried fish shop at the top of Anchor Hill looking downwards.  Neither were used in my young days.

I think there was one German bomb dropped in Wivenhoe in WW1 which did a lot of damage.

West Street used to be known as Hog Lane, before my time.

Hall was sold in 1905 by my uncle.   He inherited the Hall but didn’t have the money for its upkeep

This page was added on 08/11/2016.

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