Granny Wicks
SARAH WICKS known as Granny Wicks lived with her husband, and her three sons, Richard, James and Jack, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Eliza and Polly. She was caretaker of the General Baptist Chapel in Newtown Lane. She always entertained the preachers to a meal after the service. She was greatly loved by all who knew her, no one else seemed to equal her in all the good deeds and kindness.
Granny Wicks was "Granny Wicks" to the villagers, she was never called Mrs. or by her Christian name. The people. were very poor indeed in those days, but Granny was a little better off, or so the people thought, as they had a hurdle making business. The sons worked very hard to keep things going. When poor Granny Wicks' husband passed away Granny also kept her part of the business going; she was far too precious to the villagers to give up.
Granny Wicks went to Chapel regularly. She wore a little black bonnet and cape, and in her cape was a pocket which she filled with little biscuits which were called 'Little folks' when a little child was restless out came a few of these biscuits. Needless to say - all was well as long as the Little hits lasted.
Granny Wicks was nearly as good as a doctor she gave a lot of her time and life caring for the poor of the village and was called upon night and day. She always carried a little bag with her - cotton wool, Beechams pills, castor oil, goose grease and some white rags and some brandy. She never forgot to take her candles and matches; perhaps when she had walked a long way there was no light there, as people were very, very poor. She was always sending soup and other things to all she thought needed them.
Granny made a shroud, which she always carried under her cape, and this did a lot to soften the bereaved family's sorrow. But Granny could not afford to let go of it, so the undertaker would take it off and it was returned to Granny for the next poor soul.
Granny was called out one very cold, wet night to someone who had passed away. When she arrived at the house and went upstairs alone to start laying the person out, the woman said, "I'm not dead yet, we've only had a row!" Granny was shattered!
Her body was laid to rest on June 21st 1907 at the age of 77 years, on top of her late husband, in a bricked grave, in the Chapel burial ground, the General Baptist Chapel, where she worked and laboured to God's calling.
Written by her 77 year old grand-daughter, Mrs Marjorie W. Dolman, Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire.
