I thought you both might enjoy this extract. It doesn't mention any names but gives a glimpse of how your ancestors were living.
"Many changes have been made in the village itself of late years. We have now a very neat little Church in the centre of the village. It stands next the old Post Office. The front railing stands on the site of the blank wall, where the ‘muggers’, old Harry Augus, Harry Wilson and others, used to plant them. The School Board (of which, I am a second time a member) has built a nice school and house for the master, in the ‘Bakers’field, as we used to call it, opposite the night fold. We have a nice stone bridge over the river. The road to it being through the ‘Well’ field about half way
between the head of the village and the new school house. By this route we are only about a mile from Bilton Station and there is considerable passenger traffic upon it in the summer season. A great many people coming to us every season for the sea bathing. We have also Gas works, situated near the ferry and hot and cold sea water baths connected with them. A rate of 2-1/2 or so keeps the village lighted during the dark nights. You will remember the ‘Howe Kiln’ where we used to sail our ships, and slide, it has long been drained off and that part is now the best piece of pasture on the common. By the way, only a few weeks since during a temporary stoppage in the drain, the water rose considerably there and the present generation of boys took to sailing their ships on it just as we used to do and the sight of them thus engaged
called up in my mind many a pleasant memory of thirty years ago. The old Bond-yard and the ‘woods’ as we used to call the logs and deals, have all been removed."
Christine