Page 13 - Life in Langham 1914-1919

Neighbours on Well Street

Prince, Rowett, and Nourish. Three of the 'lucky' families in

Langham whose children returned from the war.

Mr & Mrs Rowett and Georgina lived here.

When their youngest daughter Lily Rowett

celebrated her nineteenth birthday in June

1914 she could not have imagined how

different life would be for the next four

years. Lily's sweetheart, Joe Nourish, lived

nearby and she was happy in her job at

Langham House, regularly seeing her

parents and her beloved handicapped sister

Georgina. Lily's other surviving sisters

Nance, Agnes, and Rose, were married and

living away and she had two older brothers,

Jack and Tom.

When War was declared,

Jack Rowett re-joined the Marines

to serve on HMS Benbow.

Tom also volunteered for the Army

before he was married that year.

Lily noted some events in a diary

Dec 20th 1914 - Belgium refugees came - Some of the

refugees were given shelter at Langham House and

Lily became friends with a girl named Martha and

heard accounts of the suffering in Belgium. Tom’s wedding 1914

June 29th 1915 - Belgian refugees went away to London.

The war had only been predicted to last six months but when

Joe Nourish consulted Lord Ranksborough about volunteering,

Lord Ranksborough’s opinion was that it would last two years so

conscription would eventually become necessary.

May 31st 1915 - Joe had his medical for joining the Army.

June 9th Joe went to Lee, got his khaki on June 10th.

It was a bonus for Joe to be billeted in a house next door to

Dr WG Grace, the famous cricketer, and sometimes see the old

man walking in his garden.

Joe had two days at Langham in mid-July and a week’s leave.

Then he went to Bulford Camp to train on Clayton steam

waggons, he was already an experienced traction engine driver.