The second report comes from the Brighton & Hove Herald, dated Saturday May 24, 1958.
(It has a photo of an old chap sitting in a chair with two women sitting around the table, and a woman with glasses and a chap also with glasses standing behind his chair. The photo is very bad in the original and didn't come out clearly)
BRITISH RAILWAYS REMEMBER A VETERAN
£25 Gift For Brighton Centenarian
A gift of £25 was made by the Southern Region of British Railways to Brighton centenarian Mr James Fowler, on the occasion of his 100th birthday on Monday.
A local resident for most of his long life, Mr. Fowler worked on the railway for 53 years, starting as an engine fireman in 1884 on the Brighton and South Coast lines. When a spark blinded him in one eye he was forced to leave the footplate, but he carried on for another 40 years, ending up as a boiler washer in the Brighton locomotive works.
To his home in Park Crescent-road on Monday went the Mayor and Mayoress of Brighton (Alderman and Mrs Charles Tyson) with a present of a box of handkerchiefs to wish him many happy returns of the day.
Pinend among the many other greetings cards on the mantelpiece was a congratulatory telegram from the Queen; and there to present Mr Fowler with 25 £1 notes was Mr. F. A. Trott, British Railways Southern Region welfare officer.
With Mr. Trott was Brighton's stationmaster (Mr. H. S. Tanner), Mr. H. Knight, of the railways welfare department.
And to the officials the centenarian said:"You have made my day; I thought you had forgotten me by this time."
Other gifts to Mr. Fowler included a birthday cake with a model steam engine on top, from Mr. Fowlers family (widower since 1937, he fathered 11 children, has 22 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren): a bouquet from the Kemp Town office of the Ministry of Works (where the daughter with whom he lives, Mrs. Annie Neeve, is employed as a cleaner): and a basket of flowers from Inter-Flora - both the basket and bouquet being presented on behalf of the donors by Garland, of St. James's-street.
Outing For Grandchild
Only grandchild present was 10-year-old Ernest Collins, of Walmer-crescent, Bevendean, who had a day off from school in honour of his grandfather's birthday.
Ernest, who has three electric train sets, was promised a day out in London as a guest of British Railways during the summer holidays. Asked by Mr. Trott what he would specially like to do, Ernest promptly replied: "I should like to go to the Tower of London, see Buckingham Palace and have a ride on the Big Dipper at Battersea Fun Fair." And Mr. Trott carefully made a note of the programme for a day in August.
Visiting Mr. Fowler for his birthday celebrations were Ernest's mother - his daughter, Mrs Louisa Collins - another married daughter, Mrs Bertha Trussler, and a son, Mr Walter James Fowler, aged 72.
The last name should be the clincher, so the family in 1901 is almost certainly the correct one to look for. Hope the marriage certificate provides the same info
Glen
