An Interview with Miss M L Harvey

Notes of an interview with Miss M L Harvey made by Nicholas Butler in the mid 1980s

These are the notes made by Nicholas Butler who interviewed Miss M L Harvey in the mid 1980s as part of the 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 Miss M L Harvey

My father was Captain William Harvey, my uncles were sea captains, too.   My father raced in America, they used to call him the Young Navigator.

Sir John Martin-Harvey was a cousin (second cousin I think)   A friend of mine had a maid who collected every picture she could find of him.

What Miss Harvey told Nick Butler

The last yacht my father was on was Lord Middleton’s   It went up to the Western Highlands, Applecross. “Varuna”?

He probably raced for Sir Thomas Lipton, at one point he was on the “Gunilda

He and two of his brothers had those houses built in Anglesea Road.   There was a wall in the middle of the road which was still there when we went to school.   I went to boarding school.

“Captain’s Row” was Anglesea Road, I think it was that row of houses, they had sail-lofts out at the back, at the part of the road beside the pub.

We went to the High School in Colchester, the wall had been there a very long time.

Wivenhoe Urban District Council was in the High Street.

Yachts on the river wall, still three of the big yachts then old Bayard Brown’s black one, it was there a very long while.  When I was a little girl there were hushed whispers about boats going out to see him.

2 Rose Lane Green’s fish shop.   Frank’s the baker has been taken down.   There were 3 bakers in all.   Coal Merchant in East Street.

Never went to school in Wivenhoe.   Mother was headmistress of a school.

My Guardian was Lazell, his father was trained at Southwick, he became the senior examiner at the Patent Office. Trained at the LSE

I remember all those fishermen called Downing.   I remember old Captain Turner.

One of the things that amazed me were they cut down all those trees, no not amazed – annoyed.   The trees were where the car park is now.   I loved hearing the rooks.

I came here to live after mother gave up teaching at the end of 1913.   Then at Chelmsford High School.   I was furious that mother made me come to Colchester High School.

In WW1 I can remember a Zeppelin over the river and we were taken in a waggonette to see it.

Troops at Wivenhoe Park, in WW1 we had so many Australians over and a lot of Canadians and some Americans in WW2.

There used to be a White House at White House Beach, only a few bricks left in my day.

Bill Husk:  He had a plot of land above the railway, used to keep goats.   We lived in Sunny Brae ? He lived there, used to swear like a trooper but not to me.   He wasn’t a boat builder.

First buses came past here (Rectory Hill) two of them.

WW2 dreadfully noisy, I was teaching at Colchester High School.  There was a lot of gunfire, a German plane crashed in the field behind this road.   We spent half our time at school in the air raid shelter.   The children were wonderful at school, they were often still in the shelter when it was time to go home.   I think the High School started in about 1912.

WW2 my sister agreed to have Canadian soldiers home for meals, we kept in touch with several for years.

End

This page was added on 02/11/2016.

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