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Wantage, Berkshire

Wantage was in the county of Berkshire until the local government reorganisation of 1974 when it was transferred to Oxfordshire. It was the birthplace of King Alfred the Great whose statue stands in Market Place.

Mill Street

One of the streets leading from Market Square. James McMullin [837] move to Wantage between 1881 and 1883. The 1891 census shows that James with his wife Harriet née FROUD [838] and their children Beatrice, Lily, Emily, Henry, Edward and Ellen were living in a 4 room house in Mill Street.


Looking from Market Square

Looking from Tram Booking Office away from Market Square

James McMULLIN

  Catherine Lillian, Harriet and James

The road running across is Mill Road where the family lived previously and where Frederick Thomas was born.

Left - Alfred Street taken from Mill Road. The Mc MULLIN’s house can just be seen next to the Castle Hotel (now a Chinese restaurant) the large window belongs to the Masonic Hall formally the boys school. The girls school was near the Doctor's surgery which is now the town's museum.

Right - Alfred Street taken from the other end by the Alfred Head. The Masonic Hall is to the right.


Alfred Street

By 1911 James and Harriet McMULLIN and family had moved to Alfred Street. Their house faced the Boys school attended by Frederick Thomas. The adjoining building was The Castle Hotel.

The two old photographs were taken outside the house. Other Photographs were taken by  Eric McMullin.

A sketch map showing place connected with our family.

The old Tramway Booking in Mill Street near the junction with Alfred Street and the McMULLIN's home. The steam tram ran from here several miles to Wantage Road railway station on the main London to South Wales and Bristol line. The last surviving Tram is now at Didcot Steam Centre.

A race was held between the tram and a donkey cart driven by  a one legged man. The race is commemorated in this verse:

"A curious race has come to pass,
Between an engine and an ass,
The Wantage tram, all steam and smoke,
Was beat by Arthur Hiscock's moke”

See also

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