Page 31 - Hindsight Issue 26 April 2020

PeoPLe
Louis Franz, a brother of Herbert Phillips opened the business in Rushden in 1891. At the time, the High street was not fully developed and the original store was in a converted barn attached to a farm situated on the High street. By 1903 the store required larger and more modern premises and this led to the move to 96 High street. As the business developed, 98 High street was added in 1914, and in 1927, during extensive alterations, 94 High street was also added to the premises. After the premature death of Louis Franz, the business was continued under his son, Leslie who was the manager until his death in 1981.
MY FAMILY: STOKE BRUERNE BOAT PEOPLE
Eunice Jones
Eunice Jones is a member of a U3A Family History Group and a visit to the Canal Museum – Stoke Bruerne and the Who Do You Think You Are exhibition set her off finding out more about her mother’s family, the Clarkes, some of whom were boat people.
the name Clarke was my mother’s maiden name and her family hail from shutlanger and stoke Bruerne and I have traced this line back to 1696!
I purchased several publications from the northamptonshire Family History society stand at the Who Do You Think You Are event at the national exhibition Centre. one of these publications was The Boat People of the Grand Junction Canal. I highlighted the name J Clarke who was mentioned as being a master of Maggie, Amelia and Prosperous. I had nothing to go on except the dates which were 1898–1899. I didn’t know where to start, so in fact I didn’t – because I had five Joseph Clarkes in the stoke Bruerne area about that time!
Margaret, another member of the U3A Family History group I belong to, lent me a novel by Annie Murray called The Narrow Boat Girl and stoke Bruerne was mentioned in this story. Margaret had owned a narrow boat and so my enthusiasm to try and trace this J Clarke was rekindled, as I felt sure he could be related to me in some way,
the group decided to have a day out in october this year at the Canal Museum – stoke Bruerne which was crammed full of memorabilia, so much so, that we all took photographs which we could study when we returned home. I mentioned to the lady in the gift shop that my ancestors came from there and she said that there was a local historian who was very well versed in the boat people as she was descended from them. I left my name, email and phone number at the shop and she said she would pass these on. the following week, Lorna York contacted
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