An Interview with Mr John Partridge

Notes from an interview with Mr John Partridge made by Nicholas Butler in the mid 1980s

These are the notes made by Nicholas Butler who interviewed John Partridge 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.

What John Partridge told Nick Butler.

Bayard Brown: The engine of his yacht was kept running in case his wife appeared.

A woman called Black Biddy (because she wore a black cape with a hood that covered her face) would go out to his yacht.   She is supposed to be the mother of a dentist called Jimmy Burgess; they had the same type of nose. So Burgess inherited from her two hotels in Clacton and other property, from Bayard Brown.

He had an odd diet – bull’s blood.

Moments of near madness.

One man was pelted with lumps of coal.

He was in fear of his wife.

More than one lady taken out from time to time.

Alf Wakely: has written about Bayard Brown.

James & Stone closed from November 1987 to February 1988

Aldous closed before WW2 but opened later as Aldous Successors.

This page was added on 06/11/2016.

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