1877 - Collins, Staggs, Spanswicks and Bezzants

The Collins, Staggs and Spanswicks were all inter-related, and all lived around the Green in the early and mid 20th century.

Williams Collins died at the front in the Great War, and in 1917 his widow Nellie moved to Wilcot to live at 41 Wilcot. Much later she married Bob Stagg; they had three children, Stan, Doris and Phyllis. Bob’s brother George and his wife Maud lived with their children at 39 Wilcot before and after the Second World War. Here’s (Hannah) Maud Stagg of 39 Wilcot with Maureen Kearney her lodger in about 1950:

Nellie’s oldest son Harry (1905-) settled in Wilcot at 25 Wilcot from 1934, having married Rosa Spanswick (1911-2001) (her father Tom, born in 1872, lived at 25 Wilcot in 1911 and 26 in 1939, and worked with the Gilberts in their building firm).

Here’s Harry Collins on his wedding day, fetching beer from the pub:

And here he is with his wife and first child:

Partly because of the tragic death of his father in the Great War, there was never much money in the family, and Harry had to work all the time to keep his family fed. When he wasn’t earning money, he was on his allotment growing food:

Nellie’s second son George (1904-) also settled in Wilcot, and married Lily Lovelock; they lived at 36 Wilcot with their two daughters; George served in the Wilcot Home Guard.But there were occasional breaks. Here’s the Collins family on a Wilcot daytrip to Weymouth in the mid 1950s:

Both sons’ families are a strong presence in Wilcot. Some live here, others nearby, and George’s daughter Rosemary (now Rosemary Nunn) has written a delightful book about growing up in the village, To Lily and George, Two Daughters. Many of the Staggs are also around here still.

Rosemary’s book fondly remembers Uncle Sid and Auntie Win: Winifred and Sidney Bezzant (both born 1901), who were near neighbours at 43 Wilcot with their children Winifred, Beatrice and Anthony. Beatrice eventually married Jack Hilton.