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health and declared “unfit for further duty” in
February 1905. He and his wife Martha became
the publicans at the Horse and Jockey in Tylers
Green where they planned to live a quiet life
after the rigors of being a career soldier. Sadly
the quiet life yearned for did not last. Tom died
suddenly of an aneurism on 3rd February 1907
– just two years after settling in Tylers Green.
Martha left the pub immediately and returned to
her old family home in
Middlesex where she lived with
her widowed mother. She never
married and for many years,
according to my late father’s
recollection, would display
Tom’s scarf at various local
events, raising money for charity.
For a number of years I have
endeavored to find Tom’s final
resting place. Did Martha return
him to the family home at
Holybourne? Was he buried in
Middlesex along with Martha’s
father and her other close family.
Or was Tom laid to rest at the
church of St Margaret in Tylers
Green where they had made their
home for just two short years.
After more research I have
recently discovered that Tom
rests in your churchyard at Tylers
Green. He was buried on 9th
February 1907 aged just 43. Due
to the Covid-19 pandemic I have
yet to visit the church from my
home near Bury St Edmunds, but
I would like to visit and pay my
respects at the church and to also
raise a glass in the Horse and
Jockey in memory of Tom and
Martha. Sadly, I do not know his
whereabouts in the churchyard.
Is he in an unmarked grave or
has his headstone become too
weathered to read? Are there
any records tucked away that
www.pennandtylersgreen.org.uk
Village Voice April/May 2021
might lead us to his exact final resting place? A
member of your community has very kindly
taken a look around the churchyard but to date
we have not located the spot. Perhaps we never
will. If any local folk have any information I
would be only too pleased to hear from you.
In closing, I never did find out why Great
Uncle Tom’s scarf was hanging on my Nan’s
washing line! Geoff Benton, geoffbenton51@gmail.com