Frank Swann

 

WW1 medals of Late Frank Swan of High St

(Deacon)

 

Copy of original 1914 Xmas card sent to Frank Swan

(Deacon)

 

Oct 1951 C Thompson's farm 78 yr Fred Jordan stack Frank Swan loading 76 yr James Bye inset

(Deacon)

 

Mr Swan well known & respected during his lifetime

(Deacon)

 

Hut on wheels (2009)

(Deacon)

Early & army life

Frank William Swann was born in Woodditton, Cambs on 5 Mar 1887 to parents Moses and Emma. In 1891 he was still living in Woodditton at Ditton Green, with his parents and 4 sisters & 2 brothers. In 1901 he was an agricultural labourer in nearby Dullingham, Cambs along with his family.

Frank served in the militia but had been living near the school in Milton when in Oct 1904 he joined the Army Reserves, signing up at Woolwich for 12 years with the Suffolks. He spent some time in Aldershot, working with horses and apparently, reared horses to be used in the War, but in 1906 transferred to become a driver in Army Service Corps.

He married Dorcas Mary Segrave in 1908 in Harston, where she’d been born, but they moved to live in Milton and were there in 1911.

From 17 August 1914 he went with the Expeditionary Forces Overseas to fight in France. In Oct 1915 he became an Acting Corporal, then in Dec Acting Sergeant, a Lance Corporal Mar 1917 and paid as sergeant in 1918. After one month’s leave Jan-Feb 1918 he returned to France, then Cologne, until his demob in May 1919. Carter was his desired employment on demob, a good choice as he had been a driver in the army. He received the British War, Victory and 1914 Star medals.

Living and working in Harston

Records show that in 1921 he lived in Highfields, Caldecote with wife and adopted daughter Peggy, and worked as a labourer. By 1924 they lived 16 Church St (prev No 24), Harston, one of the new council houses. By 1935 Frank, Dorcas and Peggy had moved to No 41 High St, Roseneath. We don’t know whether Frank bought this house or rented it.

Joan Bash remembers that “Mr Swann had a smallholding that would produce vegetables/fruit to sell. He also had a pony and trailer and, acting as a carrier, would collect everyone else’s produce and take it to Cambridge market and sell it for them. People would then go and collect their money from him.” In those days people had their fingers in many pies – not necessarily involving lots of money. At one stage he also worked for Chivers – they owned land – possibly the meadows by Haslingfield. The 1951 photo shows him in his 60s helping with the harvest at Trigg farm, Station Road, Harston.

They still lived at No 41 when daughter Peggy got married in 1940 to Victor Clarke but in 1950 the family had bought Roseleigh, 43 High St from Claude Chapman and Frank probably bought Victoria Terrace/cottages in 1950s too, as we know he rented them out then.

Roseleigh had a large area of orchards behind it and a hut on wheels so he didn’t have to pay rates on it when he rented it out. Dorcas died in 1953 but by 1962 his daughter Peggy Clarke & husband Vic lived with him. From Frank’s orchards behind the house they used to take lots of boxes of greengages to Harston Station to go on the Sunday Special – either to Dundee or to London – before the line closed in 1964. Later the Clarkes would put out the picked plums & apples/fruit in boxes by the road which were collected by lorries early morning to be taken to London.

He died in 1980, having lived with his family in Harston for many years.