The world-famous SNOOKs of Lymington

[B.E.]

No wills that I'm aware of. The Snooks themselves never seemed to have enough cash in hand to feed themselves properly, let alone splash out on a will or leave anything for anyone else.

Oh, and they also appeared to enjoy hiding or ripping up documents in a bid to suppress scandals too!

[Little Nell]

Mrs Priscilla Broomfield is listed in both 1898 and 1911 directories at the Wheatsheaf Public House in Gosport Street, Lymington.

However, in 1901, the census records the landlord as John Bright.

Mrs Broomfield is nowhere to be seen in the vicinity of the pub.

The only prominent male Broomfield in Lymington around that time is Walter Broomfield who becomes the borough water engineer by 1911.  But he is not married to Priscilla!

Too many shadows......

Nell

[B.E.]

Hmmm, well there's some fire in the smoke then! I'll see if any of your information triggers ageing memories. Actually, the name Walter Broomfield does ring a bell, so he may well be the man. Is there any way we can find out whether he was "Alderman" Broomfield? And do we know who Priscilla was actually married to? Was she around for the 1891 census, for example?

Thanks a lot.

[Little Nell]

I did say before

I cannot find Priscilla Broomfield anywhere in 1891 either.

I cannot find her on any census at all spelt like that.  Since I've no idea of her age or where she was born or to whom she was married, we're down to any awful mis- transcription you can think of.

The directories I looked at give the names of various town officials, magistrates and council memebts - none of them have the title Alderman and Walter is listed as the Borough Water Engineer.  If he became anything "better" it was after 1911.

Nell

[B.E.]

Sorry, I'd forgotten about your earlier attempt to find her in 1891. Seems like a woman who avoided censuses like the plague but couldn't escape the town directories! I wonder why she appeared to be associated with the pub for 13 years in the directories, but without being the boss?

[B.E.]

OK, guys and gals, here's another bit of shadow-chasing for any of you out there with the patience, time and inclination...

FACT: Walter Martell Snook was staying/living with relatives on Census Night 1901 (the Broomfields of Dunsford Farm, Boldre).

FACT: Mrs Priscilla Broomfield had something to do with the Wheatsheaf pub in Lymington in 1898 and 1911, though she doesn't show up on any censuses.

QUESTION 1: Is there any link between James Broomfield of Dunsford (b. Sway 1855) and said Priscilla Broomfield? Like did she marry one of his brothers?

QUESTION 2: Is there any way of telling whether the Walter Broomfield (James's son) on the 1901 census is the guy who became the Borough Water Engineer in 1911 (carpenter to water engineer!) and/or Alderman Broomfield?

[Lesanne]

   Hi Brian et all,
         Following your thread with great interest.
                  Waiting for the siting of Hannah Snook (abt 1810).
            She married Tom Craze 1st Nov 1830 St Dunstan London. IGI source.
In following the Craze family, it seems as if they came from Devon/Cornwall pre1810.

                  Keep us in mind, if you come across them. 

[B.E.]

Hannah Snook? Cripes, I can't believe there's one we haven't come across yet!! Born in Beaulieu with the other squatters, do you know?

[B.E.]

Sod's Law! Within seconds of my last posting, mother-in-law phones up and announces she's found an obituary for Alderman Broomfield.

So here are the new facts:

He was Walter James William Broomfield. There's no date on the cutting, but it must be post-1952. He died aged 78, so he must have been born post-1874 (which makes him a possible later edition of the Walter Broomfield, aged 20, at Dunsford on the 1901 census). His wife was Priscilla (d.1952) who was "licensee of the Wheatsheaf Inn, Gosport Street, Lymington, for some 30 years". He sounds like a pompous old git who just loved being on committees (including the Water Management Committee), was a councillor for Lymington East ward and became Alderman in 1940.

So, my original questions still stand, but I'm now trying to work through the dates. If Nell's lady of the Wheatsheaf was already Mrs Priscilla Broomfield in 1898, then it sounds a bit unlikely that Walter was married at 17 or earlier, yet still lived with Mummy and Daddy 3 years later with no sign of the missus. Also I'm not altogether convinced by the notion of a carpenter, son of a gardener, rising to the dizzy heights of Borough Water Engineer and all-round local bigwig. So I'm starting to think there may have been two Walter Broomfields in the area. Could our bigwig be James's little brother? Cousin?

I'm also stymied my the fact that the borough water engineer in 1911 definitely wasn't married to the licensee of the Wheatsheaf. Hmmm!

H-E-L-P!!!!