Page 18 - Moreton Village Only Book

18 Moreton Village Only

Mabel Howes, who was born in Vine Cottage in 1913 and then moved to Spencer
Cottage, left some interesting memories of her early life in the village. Mabel’s father
was William Howes, brother of Samuel, who was the lamp lighter and lived in Willow
Cottage. Mabel had a good friend Bertha Higgins who lived in Folly Cottage and
whose father was lay preacher at the Chapel in the 1930s and 1940s and who
subsequently moved into The Furlongs.
One of her recollections concerned the
way in which Moreton women responded
to unfaithful husbands. Apparently the
women of the village would walk along in
the path of a horse and cart clattering their
pots and pans. This would make a
cacophony of “rough music” and frighten
the horse into turning into the village pond
with everything following on behind.

At the age of 12 years, Mabel would
stay with Miss Betts as a night companion
at Rose Cottage – since demolished – which
was located in front of Moreton House. On
Vine Cottage – circa 1934. the one night that Mabel was absent due to
illness, Miss Betts died. Another poignant
memory was of the shell-shocked man from
the Great War who lived rough in the fields
near the osier beds alongside Cuttle Brook
near Brook Cottage. Whenever Mabel
walked along the nearby footpath, she would
whistle loudly and stamp her feet, to give
the impression of an older (and hopefully,
male) person.

Moreton House with Rose Cottage
in front – circa 1910.

Backside’s Pond and Brook Cottage.