Harold JONES 1905-1983

HAROLD JONES 1905-1983

The Historical Society has been given a few artefacts in relation to Harold Jones (1905-1983).  Harold had been born in Cheshire.  By 1911 the family had moved south to Hildenborough.  In 1937, he married Harriet Peacock at Malling and on the 1939 Register at Findmypast, he and his wife are listed as living at 5 Forge Square.  Harold is a farm labourer, by then aged 55.  Harold would die at Forge Square in June 1983.  We know little else about him except that he was a prominent supporter of the Leigh Village Produce Association (now Leigh Village Horticultural Society) and would often win prizes and cups at the annual Summer Show.   We do know, however, that he must have been very involved with the Royal Horticultural Society because among the artefacts are a long service medal from the RHS as well as an award for Merit in Horticulture (which would be Leigh Show related).  But there is little else about him in the local press other than his name appearing as a prize winner at some of the Horticultural Society’s early shows.
Another item we were also given was a 1956 account book that belonged to Harold’s wife showing her purchases from E W Wells, Grocer and Wine Merchant at the Post Office Leigh.   It is an interesting list of what a local housewife would buy in Leigh in 1956 and the prices – before the advent of the first supermarkets.
For example, on 6 November 1956 she settled her account for the following:

Large Tide                           1s 10d
Large Persil                         1s 8d
6 Eggs                                   2s 3d
½ Echo                                  8½d
½ lb butter                          1s 8d
¼ lb of Typhoo Tea           1s 8d
½ Digestive                          11½d
2 bars LifeBuoy                    2s
And there were two further items on the list, but crossed off the final bill.  Perhaps they paid separately as they were post office items:
2s Postal Order     2s 2d
2/6 book of stamps   2s6d

Some other regular items found in the book – some still familiar today – include:  4 (assume lbs)   sugar   2s 9d; ½ lard  10d; 3/4lb bacon 3s 4½d;  2 lb  Golden Shred (marmalade)  2s 9d; ½ cream crackers  1s; Daddies Sauce   1s; SR flour  1s 10½d; 2lb mincemeat   3s 2d; Military Pickle  1 10d;  lb cheese 2s 10d; Fruit salad  2s 6d;   Wine   9s;  Packet of Kelloggs   1s 5½d;  ¼ corned beef  1s;  ½ green streaky  1s 9d; ½lb summer county   1s  1½d;  Ibcol   1s 6d; Icing Sugar  1 2d.

Mrs Jones’s shopping bag did not vary much week on week from those items listed above, with the exception of a few items such as 1lb plums for 8d bought in the summer of 1956; and ½ cucumber at 9d and ½lb tomatoes for 2s seasonal items bought in the summer of 1957.

Housewives would have bought items by the ‘lb’ such as sugar that today are ready weighed and packaged.  Everything would have been in imperial measures and ‘old money’ when 1s was the equivalent of 5p today.

I don’t know who left these items in my letterbox, but thank you.  They will be kept safely in our archive.

Joyce Field   (Parish Magazine Feb 2025)