Arthur Woodward (1902 – 1981) lived in Jaggard’s Cottage in Church Road for many years, and the tribute to him in the village magazine in 1981 paints a picture of village life in the mid-twentieth century. John Forsyth was the village magazine editor at the time.
When someone like Arthur Woodward dies, who has been one of the people of the village for more than fifty years, it is natural to come to an abrupt halt and give thought to memories of him and his times. It was certainly the wish of his family and his many friends to give thanks for his life when they attended his funeral and burial at St Peter’s Church in such solid numbers on July 21st 1981. Strangely, the day that would have been his 79th birthday, and exactly a week after his death in hospital.
He was born at the Leasowes, a farm by Green Lane, Coventry, where his Father worked, and where Arthur lived and worked until 1929 when he came to Church Lawford to marry Margaret Whiteman, Margaret was the daughter of Mr & Mrs Gilbert Whiteman and grand daughter of Charles Whiteman who had the dual role of village Blacksmith, with his forge in Smithy Lane, and Verger of St Peter’s Church.
Alf Day was apprenticed to Mr Whiteman before the First World War and it was he who led Alf to follow his exact pattern of village Blacksmith and Verger. At that time there were four terraced cottages between Woodford’s farm and the old school, with steps up from the road to the front doors. To the end one of these, Aunt Fanny’s Cottage, Arthur took his bride. Aunt Fanny was notorious; a universal Aunt to the village, with a hand in every pie. A strong character, domineering and interfering with little use for orthodox doctoring. She attributed her robust health to a daily walk up Coronation Road to the railway to breathe in the smoke that enveloped the bridge as the trains roared underneath.
Arthur by this time was a paviour and kerb layer with W.H. Jones, the Coventry Builders, with whom he stayed until he retired twenty years ago. Mr Aubrey Jones, the Principal, well remembers him, among his very many employees, as a loyal and conscientious worker.
The three children of the marriage Dick, Kay and Mick were all born in the Cottage next to the Woodford Farm. A Miss Riley lived in ‘Jaggards Cot’ in Church Road, the cottage near the Butchers smallholding. By the middle of the 1930’s Miss Riley had become very frail and was moved into a Home in Leamington. When Miss Riley came to live in Church Road it was no more than a rough track leading to the Church and the Manor. She was so distressed when the Council tarmaced the road she closed her front curtains on the scene and never opened them again. It was to this curtained Cottage that the Woodwards moved at a rent of 15 shillings per week (75p) including an orchard and land opposite to form almost a small holding. Arthur’s love of gardening and his hard work turned it into a productive fruit growing and vegetable enterprise. What energy the man had, cycling into Coventry every day, keeping abreast with work and the smallholding, playing cricket for the Church Lawford Club and, in the War, doing duty in the Home Guard.
A large slice went out of his life when Miss Riley’s beneficiary sold the land he cherished for building. In 1967 Margaret died and his health slowly worsened. But, he still enjoyed his ‘Over 60 Club’ was “always ready to put his hand in his pocket” and found great satisfaction in his family and his regular visits to his friends. In fact even after Alf Day died he continued his daily visits to Mrs Day’s home and each morning drank coffee with her, chatted and sometimes dozed off in the chair.
He is very much missed by his family and his many friends who had such affection for him. His daughter Kay summed up his bountiful spirit when she said “We never had much, but he gave us a good life”
C.J.F.
I am indebted to Mrs Day for her reminiscences of Arthur and the background to his life.
The following pictures show Jaggards Cottage. Some work is needed on dating them. The presence of the telegraph poles and tinned over thatching on the lower picture gives a clue – and perhaps the road is tarmac in the lower one – and thoughts welcome via the comments section – see here.
