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The Refreshment Rooms

There were refreshment rooms at Ashchurch Station which were staffed by a manageress and assistant, both unmarried women, with servants in 1901 and 1911. The staff lived on the premises. Their names have not been found in railway staffing records, the details here being from the national censuses and Kelly Directories for Ashchurch. In the latter Miss Brown, the manager, is listed among the private residents of the village, an indication of status. It has not been possible to find continuities of these people, especially as they have very common surnames. There is no information as to whether they are railway employees or whether they were employed by a separate company. None of them appears to have been recruited locally, their birthplaces showing a very widespread range across England.

DateNameAgeRoleBirthplace
1871Sarah E Evans
Caroline Hilard
25
23
manageress
servant/waiter (sic)
Marylebone, London
Swindon, Wilts
1881Kate Morris
Helen Partridge
25
23
manageress
assistant
Leicester, Leics
Strood, Kent
1891Jane Wood
Agnes Noling
37
21
chief bar attendant
assistant
Royston, Herefs
Ardwick, Lancs
1901Mary P Brown
Minnie Lawson
Rosey Simmons
41
19
18
manageress
servant
servant
[Lancs]
?Berkhampstead, Herefs?
Banbury, Oxon
1902Miss Brown manageress 
1906Miss Brown manageress 
1911Nellie Wood
Mary Shaw
Lily Matthews
Annie Aldridge
27
27
20
21
manageress
assistant
servant/housemaid
servant/housemaid
Kilburn, Derbys
Crewe, Cheshire
Barton, Staffs
Hilton, Derbys
1937-48Mrs Mary Agnes Snellb.1880manageress 

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This data has been researched and produced by Brian Harringman. Comments, additions, and especially corrections would be gratefully received.