1911 Coronation of King George V
“Coronation of King George V Local celebrations June 24th 1911 in connection with the above an oak tree was planted near this spot by Mrs C Blundell Halsall House and Mr J Scambler Aged Resident”
We all know who King George V was, but who are the other people mentioned on this stone?
Mrs. C. Blundell was in fact Marjorie Gertrude Marcia Astley-Corbett (1886-1954) [KZ3P-KRD]. She was the daughter of Sir Francis Edmund George Astley-Corbett, 4th Baronet, JP [KHGM-JS2] and Lady Gertrude Augusta Anderson-Pelham [K8L9-7JK]. Marjorie was born in London on 26th July 1886. The family had a number of addresses including Sloane Street, London and Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea. On 6th April 1907, Marjorie married Cuthbert Leigh Blundell Hollinshead Blundell [MM1V-SQ4] (the son of Canon Thomas Blundell Hollinshead Blundell [MHP1-FLL], rector of Halsall).
Marjorie and Cuthbert lived for some time at Halsall House. However, when the 1911 census was taken, there was a note stating ‘family abroad’ and the only people living at Halsall House on Sunday 2nd April 1911 were 2 housemaids – Maud Dickinson and Mary Thompson and 1 kitchenmaid – Elise Griffiths. The family must have returned by the time of the Coronation festivities however, as Marjorie Blundell was jointly responsible for planting the oak tree with Mr. Scambler as mentioned on the commemorative stone.
The family moved to Sussex and in the 1939 Register for England and Wales, they are listed as living at Slaugham Place, Haywards Heath. Marjorie’s sister is living with the couple. They seem to have an entourage of servants – including a cook, kitchenmaid, ladies maid, domestic servant, house parlourmaid x 2 and butler – for 3 people!
Marjorie died on 5th February 1954 at 20 Devonshire Place, London. She was 67 years old.
Mr. J. Scambler, the ‘aged resident’ mentioned on the stone was John Scambler (1824-1913) [L8T3-3J2].
His life was worlds apart from that of Marjorie Blundell. He was born in Kendal on New Year’s Eve 1824 to Mary Taylor and Richard Scambler, a farmer living at Baxton Holme, a remote farm in Burneside, Kendal. John worked on his father’s farm until his early twenties and then moved to Scotland where he met Catherine Allen. They were married on 14th December 1849 at Channelkirk, Berwickshire. Initially, John worked as an agricultural labourer on farms in the Midlothian area of Scotland. In 1871, the family were living at Lockhart’s Hall and John was working as a mole catcher on the estate there.
By 1881, the family had moved to live in Halsall – their home was on New Street. John was still catching moles to earn a living until we see in the census for 1901, at the age of 75, he is a farm labourer, still living on New Street. When the 1911 census was taken on 2nd April, John was 86 and still employed as a labourer! One of his last duties must have been planting the oak tree together with Marjorie Blundell to celebrate the Coronation of King George V.
This hard-working man died 2 years later on 18th July 1913 aged 88. He is buried with his wife, Catherine in Halsall church graveyard.
