GRANNY WICKS
Written by her 77 year old granddaughter, Mrs Marjorie W. Dolman, Hullavington.
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(This article was provided by
Ken Greenman and has a dateline of 1984. Ken has been researching his family history and, with a name
like Greenman, it's hardly surprising he has so many connections with
Hullavington. Ken has provided us with a mass of information that
will be included over the coming weeks in the History section of the village
website.)
SARAH WICKS,
known as Granny Wicks, lived with her husband and her three sons, Richard,
James, and Jack, and her three daughters, Elizabeth, Eliza and Polly. She was
caretaker of the General Baptist Chapel in Newtown Lane. She always entertained
the preachers to a meal after the service. She was greatly loved by all who knew
her; no one else seemed to equal her in all the good deeds and kindness.
Granny Wicks was ‘Granny Wicks’ to the villagers; she was never called Mrs or by
her Christian name. The people were very, very poor indeed in those days, but
Granny was a little better off, or so the people thought, as they had a hurdle
making business. The sons worked very hard to keep things going. When poor
Granny Wicks’ husband passed away Granny also kept her part of the business
going – she was far too precious to the villagers to give up.
Granny Wicks went to Chapel regularly. She wore a little black bonnet and cape,
and in her cape was a pocket which she filled with little biscuits which were
called ‘Little Folks’ – when a little child was restless out came a few of these
biscuits. Needless to say, all was well as long as the little bits lasted.
Granny Wicks was nearly as good as a doctor; she gave a lot her time and life
caring for the poor of the village and was called upon night and day. She always
carried a little bag with her – cotton wool, Beechams pills, castor oil, goose
grease and some white rags and some brandy. She never forgot to take her candles
and matches; perhaps when she had walked a long way there was no light there, as
people were very, very poor. She was always sending soup and other things to all
she thought needed them.
Granny made a shroud, which she always carried under her cape, and this did a
lot to soften the bereaved family’s sorrow. But Granny could not afford to let
go of it, so the undertaker would take it off and it was returned to Granny for
the next poor soul.
Granny was called out one very cold, wet night to someone who had passed away.
When she arrived at the house and went upstairs alone to start laying the person
out, the woman said: “I’m not dead yet, we’ve only had a row!” Granny was
shattered!
Her body was laid to rest on June 21st 1907 at the age of 77 years, on top of
her husband, in a bricked grave in the Chapel burial ground, the general Baptist
Chapel, where she worked and laboured to God’s calling.
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