Mabel k. wOODS
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1870-1955
She wrote the definitive history of Newnham-on-Severn having moved there as a child. After moving away in later life the village remained important to her: owning a house near by with her sister she continued to visit. |
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EARLY LIFE
Mabel Kate Woods was born in 1870, in Stoke Newington, North London. Mabel was the second daughter of Samuel Wilkinson Woods and Catherine Ann (Kate) Cock. Samuel, the son of a farmer, trained as a bank clerk eventually rising to the position of bank manager. It was this that brought Mabel and her family to Newnham-On-Severn in 1871, her father as managing the village’s branch of the Gloucestershire Banking Company. The family quickly established themselves in local society, Samuel in his role as bank manager would have been a significant figure in the town. He was a Freemason, owned shares in various local businesses (including coal mines, and a wine & spirits merchant), was instrumental in the building of the clock tower, established a public water works in the village, and at the time of his death he owned the Subscription Rooms (now Newnham Club).
Mabel attended Cheltenham Ladies College and showed an early interest in music, in 1886 passing the British Academy of Music examinations on the violin. She appears in several newspaper articles during the 1890s reporting her musical prowess:
the violin was a wonderful instrument in her hands She played and sang at the prestigious Grand Pump Room in Bath, on that occasion being described as having ‘exhibited rare proficiency’ in her bowing and fingering of the violin. Mabel Kate was also involved in a number of concerts staged in Newnham, (one for example in aid of temperance work). She also sang and was conductress of a local choir. It may have been her musical interests that first lead her into becoming a published author, as in 1902 The Girls’ Own Paper featured an article by Mabel K Woods on concert pianist Leonard Borwick (1868 – 1925).
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writing her bookAcross the period 1900 - 1912 Mabel Kate was researching her book, Newnham-On-Severn: A Retrospect. It was published in 1912 by John Bellows, Gloucester and by Longman, Green and Company. Mabel describes the book in the preface as: 'A book for those general readers in this part of Gloucestershire….(who) have yet no time for the fascinating study of History'. She made use of local resources, including Parish Registers, legal documents, and papers accessed from the Gloucester Public Library and material made available to her by local individuals and family friends to aid the development of the book. She was given access to Churchwardens’ Books, made available by the then vicar Rev. George Carter, and access to other local records through her uncle, bank manager S. W. Hadingham. Her connections gave her access to material in private collections, and in places she quotes at length from these, as well as inclusion of local sketches. Throughout the book she shows her familiarity with the area through her confident use of current place names, relating these to older versions of the names located in her research. Although she rarely expresses her personal views, when writing about the history of the church in Chapter 5, she does describe an event at which she was very likely present – a fire which engulfed the newly renovated church (February 1881) when she would have been about 13 years old. Her description of intense frosts which froze the buckets of water before they could be used to douse the flames suggests either personal memories, or perhaps descriptions she heard of this event from her parents. Similarly in Chapter 11 Mabel includes a personal memory of the Lych Gate at the church being the location for the erection of ‘the Yearly Wild Beast Show’. |
Later life
Mabel's mother had died in 1889, and by 1900 she'd moved to Gloucester with her sister Charlotte and their father, who himself passed away shortly after the move. Between 1901 and 1920 both sisters were living in London, however it seems likely that not only did Charlotte maintain her links with the Forest of Dean during this period, but may also have visited whilst researching her book. Certainly by 1927 both sisters are listed on the electoral register for the hamlet of Blaize Bailey, close to Newnham, suggesting this was their primary place of residence at that time.
Mabel Kate is not known to have written any further books, but did in later life show interest in a number of causes.
In 1942 she wrote from her home in Kingswood, Surrey, on the subject of the Belgian Crisis (Western Morning News, Oct 12th 1942). In the letter she comments that she is ‘in touch with many who know King Leopold intimately’ and outlines a wish for the well-being of Belgium. Another interest was involvement with the Surrey branch of the RSPCA, for whom she was an auxiliary Secretary (Surrey Mirror, 25th April 1941). Her sister was by the 1940s heavily involved with the Tadworth Adult School which provided a series of evening talks and lectures to local adults. At least two of these talks, delivered by Charlotte, were papers written by Mabel, one on the theme of The Forest of Dean, described as snippets of ‘history’: ‘Spanish spies were sent to burn the forest trees, but our unfortunate climate frustrated their plans’ (Surrey Mirror, 21st August 1942, Pg. 5). The same newspaper report also includes the detail that at this time (1942) the sisters continued to own a ‘charming little cottage built in the heart of the Forest of Dean’. It can be assumed therefore that the sisters continued to visit the Forest on occasion, despite living some significant distance away. A second paper written by Mabel but presented by Charlotte Emma (Surrey Mirror, 17th Nov 1944, Pg. 7) had the theme of ‘Being Entertained’, reflecting on differing forms of ‘entertainment’ from the Stone Age onwards!
Mabel died on 4th August 1955 at Sutton and Cheam Hospital in Surrey. She left an estate a little in excess of £10,000.
Seven years (1962) after Mabel’s death, under the will of her sister Charlotte Emma, her book about Newnham was republished in her memory. It was revised and brought up to date by the then vicar of Newnham, Rev. R. J. Mansfield.
Mabel Kate is not known to have written any further books, but did in later life show interest in a number of causes.
In 1942 she wrote from her home in Kingswood, Surrey, on the subject of the Belgian Crisis (Western Morning News, Oct 12th 1942). In the letter she comments that she is ‘in touch with many who know King Leopold intimately’ and outlines a wish for the well-being of Belgium. Another interest was involvement with the Surrey branch of the RSPCA, for whom she was an auxiliary Secretary (Surrey Mirror, 25th April 1941). Her sister was by the 1940s heavily involved with the Tadworth Adult School which provided a series of evening talks and lectures to local adults. At least two of these talks, delivered by Charlotte, were papers written by Mabel, one on the theme of The Forest of Dean, described as snippets of ‘history’: ‘Spanish spies were sent to burn the forest trees, but our unfortunate climate frustrated their plans’ (Surrey Mirror, 21st August 1942, Pg. 5). The same newspaper report also includes the detail that at this time (1942) the sisters continued to own a ‘charming little cottage built in the heart of the Forest of Dean’. It can be assumed therefore that the sisters continued to visit the Forest on occasion, despite living some significant distance away. A second paper written by Mabel but presented by Charlotte Emma (Surrey Mirror, 17th Nov 1944, Pg. 7) had the theme of ‘Being Entertained’, reflecting on differing forms of ‘entertainment’ from the Stone Age onwards!
Mabel died on 4th August 1955 at Sutton and Cheam Hospital in Surrey. She left an estate a little in excess of £10,000.
Seven years (1962) after Mabel’s death, under the will of her sister Charlotte Emma, her book about Newnham was republished in her memory. It was revised and brought up to date by the then vicar of Newnham, Rev. R. J. Mansfield.
Written and researched by Reading the Forest volunteer Caroline Prosser-Lodge.
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