This poem was printed inside a Christmas card with Father Christmas on the front,  from William to his 2 daughters and 7 sons in 1905
1905
With W. H. MAJOR'S
BEST WISHES
To The
CHILDREN
___________________________________________

THE QUARRELSOME SQUEAKERS
Are you ready Children ? - Yes. - Then off we go !
Five little Piglettes one stormy night,
Commenced to quarrel, and then to fight.
To commence it, one said to the other, you glutton,
You've polished off all William Major's prime MUTTON.
Said the other, you rascal, you're brimming with grief,
Because you can't manage to eat all his BEEF.
Then the Plum Pudding Roaster joined in with a squeal,
O my eye, never yet have I tasted such VEAL,
So sweet, so delicious, so tender, so nice,
It comes from Lord Cranbrook, and sells in a trice.
Why, they tell me that William, of Rendezvous Street,
Is always in Health., cos he eats his own Meat,
And so is His Lady - so good and so fair -
Two Daughters and Seven fine Sons De-bonnair;
God bless 'em, say I, Here, hand me that fork!
Don't cuddle the Ale Jug - but pass up the PORK;
Then in burst a White Pig - curly tail and pink snout -
Ig-no-miniously started the others to rout.
Then followed such bustling, and tussling, till night -
Soft shadows descending - put a stop to the fight.
What a grand thing is rest, kind sleep always tends,
At Christmas, to make us all, Jolly good friends.
TRIPLE- BOB-MAJOR

GOD SAVE THE KING

------------------------------------
COMPOSED BY W. H. M.
I could be wrong, but my take on the 1874 receipt is that a Miss Kerry or Kerney is the customer,
a Mrs. Hart or Harding (probably her cook) was paying the bill on her behalf, and it was signed
by J. L. or F. L. Major for W. H. Major.  But this theory is more than likely completely wrong!

Going down the list, my guesses are as follows:
Scrag of Mutton 4 1/2 lbs 2s. 10d
Veal  12 (? chops)                 11 1/2d
? Beef 11 not sure what these are, maybe minced beef patties? Very cheap anyway at 6 1/2d for 11
Beef steaks 15  10 1/2d  These almost seem too cheap for steaks
? Mutton (Not sure of cut) 7 1/4lbs 5s 5 1/2d
Possibly Suet not sure of quantity  2d
Veal 3 1/2 lbs   3s 6d
? Mutton (same cut as above) 6lbs 10oz  4s 11 1/2d
Fillet of Veal 6 lbs  6s.0d
Loin of Mutton  5lbs 11 oz  5s 3d

I think the grand total was £1. 10s 6 1/2d

If anyone can decipher it better than this, I would love to hear from you.  Anyone fancy a fine pickled tongue?
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Josie Campbell's Great-Great Grandfather was William Henry Major 1828 - 1895, who was the son of butcher John Grayling Major 1798-1842 and Francis Wraith, who could possibly have had his shop at 46 High Street where he lived. William Henry and his wife Martha Taylor 1829 - 1901 had 13 children altogether listed below:

In 1858 William Henry opened a slaughterhouse in Mill Bay, for which you can see the license obtained below.  It's interesting to read that this slaughterhouse adjoined the garden of one Anton Payer - hence the Payer's Park we know today.

He opened up a butchers shop in Tontine Street on 27 September 1877 where his son William Henry was to be the manager. And he also had a butchers at 5 Rendezvous Street, and lived at number 3. He opened another shop on 20 Dec 1879 at 69 Guildhall Street and lived above.
Obituary for Stephen Hobday Major, William Senior's brother.
This is the lady who drew me into wanting to put her family on this website in detail.  Josie first contacted me saying that she had seen on my website that I used to live at 42 Tontine Street, and told me that her Great-Grandmother's sister was also on record as having lived at that address, but that in the late 1800's when she lived there, it had been a house.  She also mentioned that Catherine had kept a diary, which fascinated me, as it gives us such an insight of what daily living in Folkestone was like in those days.

I first checked with Alan Taylor to ask if 42 Tontine Street could indeed have been a house at that time, and he told me that when the shops were built, they only built them in the lower half of Tontine Street to begin with, and these had been built in the Regency style.  They stopped half way for a few years, as Folkestone wasn't ready for a shopping centre.

He pointed out that the 42 Tontine Street that I lived in was of the Regency style, and therefore must have been built as commercial premises.  So with Josie's help, we investigated a little further with the aid of the census records of 1881 and 1891, and discovered that this family had been listed at 42 in 1881 and 46 in 1891, and another family who lived a little further along towards Dover Road, were also listed two houses up.  We therefore came to the conclusion that when they built the first half of the shops, they added a couple extra, which caused the remaining houses to be renumbered.  So the bottom line is that she never did live in the same building as me, but was very close by.

Eventually of course, the rest of the shops were built, so Catherine and William's house would have been demolished.
Francis Edward 1853 - 1940 (Butcher) who married Elizabeth Alicia Banks and had 6 children, lived above 5 Rendezvous St between 1881 - 1901
Catherine Ann 1854 - 1929 who married William Dunk (Builder) and had 4 children
Martha Godden 1856 - 1888 who married William Bennett Kennett
Mary Ann (Polly) 1857 - 1921 who also married William Bennett Kennett and had two children
William Henry 1858 - 1919 (Butcher)married Alice Florence Stammers and had 12 children, we know he was living above 5 Rendezvous St in 1905
Frederick 1860  married Jane Elizabeth Maslen and had 5 children, in 1891 lived at 56 Tontine Street with his wife and son, Stanley.  His profession listed as Decorator.
Ann Lewis 1861 - 1954 married Charles Blaker and had 9 children
Thomas 1862 married Lizzie Smith
John 1864 - 1901 At one time lived at Claremont Livery Yard, Cheriton Road, Folkestone
Richard 1867 - 1908 (Butcher in Brighton, also Mayor of Brighton in 1826)married Ruth Page and had 2 children
Grace Emma 1869 - 1873
Charles 1870 - 1931 (Butcher & Licensee of East Kent Arms from 1901 - 1914 then went back to butchers trade at 162 High St Hythe) married Alice Weaver and had 1 child
Edith 1872 - 1954 married Alfred Darney and had 3 children
William and Martha's fifth child was William Henry, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a butcher.  First managing his father's shop in Tontine Street, and at some point moving to the premises at 5 Rendezvous Street.  We know he worked from this location because of the Christmas poem he wrote for his children in 1905 reproduced below.
At one time, Rendezvous Street was known as Butcher's Row, as there were several of them on both sides of the street.  However, this is a photo of 5 Rendezvous Street, where William Henry Major operated from, but as I don't have a date for this business card, I don't know whether Frank Curtis had the shop before or after the Major's.
A more modern photograph of 5 Rendezvous Street
Yes, William obviously adored the 9 children that he had with his wife Alice Florence Stammers.  They actually had 12 children, but one died at birth, and two, including his first born, died at a very early age which must have been heartbreaking. 

They lived at 33 Tontine Street according to the 1881 & 1891 census, but by 1901 they were at 25 Connaught Road, and were still there in 1913.  By 1915 they lived at Connaught Lodge in Westenhanger.  I was totally thrilled to hear this, because my parents had owned this house from 1967 to 1980.  Unfortunately, nobody has a photograph of the house from 1915.   Update:  I have a couple now!  Check the Connaught Lodge page to see them.

They were still living at Conaught Lodge when the news came that two of their sons, Donald and Roland had been killed at Vimy Ridge.  They had joined up with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Forces, and had taken part in that bloody, but victorious battle that took the lives of so many Canadians as well.

Two more of William's sons were injured in the war, and it all became too much for him.  By 1919 they had moved to 19 Trinity Square, Margate, and he sadly committed suicide there that year on the promenade.



I don't know if the adjoining tenants were allowed to object when a business was applied for in those days.  I would imagine not, because would you have wanted a slaughterhouse on your doorstep in the middle of summer in the days before refrigeration?  The smell and the noise must have been horrendous.  I find it interesting that in the case of Anton Payer, it is worded 'abutting on the South and West sides to a garden belonging to and in the occupation of Anton Payer'.  I am wondering if his garden was some kind of park, open to the public for a fee.  In which case, I would have thought he would have objected most strongly.  Regardless, Mr. Major was given permission, and the slaughterhouse was built.
East Kent Arms 1914, 21 Sandgate Road
Photo taken by me of the front of Connaught Lodge in 1968
Taken by Colette Millard in 2007.  The windows have all been replaced with leaded glass, and the front porch has been removed plus a general sprucing up.  They have also added a double story garage just out of the picture on the right, which possibly has living accommodation above.
Back of the house in 1968
If you would like to see more views of this house and the huge garden, click HERE
A modern photo of 25 Connaught Road
Many of these photographs have been supplied to me, and copyright is held by Josie Campbell, Colette Millard and Jean Little.  We have not been able to contact the latter, so if there is any objection to my using any of the images on this page, please contact me and I will remove them immediately.
A modern photo of 33 Tontine Street, I bet it looked better in William's day!
Daughter Ann Lewis who married Charles Blaker.
42 Tontine Street around 1954
Daughter Mary Ann (Polly) who married William Bennett Kennett
Daughter Edith Harriett who married Alfred Darney.
Catherine kept a diary, which is in the hands of Jean Little, who kindly transcribed it and sent a copy to Josie.  I certainly don't have the whole thing, but these snippets will give you an idea of her daily life, the things she bought, and how much she paid for them.  I hope you find it as fascinating as I did.
Catherine married builder's son William Dunk, who carried the same name as his father.  On the 1881 census, William was listed as a Builder's Assistant, but by the 1891 one, he was listed as a house builder.  So I would imagine by that time he had taken over the family business in Tontine Street.  This business continued until fairly recently, when it closed and the building was demolished to make way for the the Creative Quarter's Quarterhouse.  William Dunk was also an Alderman of Folkestone.
1874
House Servant £9 per year

1875
Bedroom Couch £1.1.0
Young Servant £7 per year
Gold Locket Chain from Haywards £5.10s

1876
Lustres in Drawing Room 21/-   

1877
Sewing Machine from Musgraves £4.10.0

1878
20 May 1878 Front attic thoroughly cleaned, floor washed once with a little chloride of lime.
5 June 1878 Paper hangers came to do staircase, dining and drawing rooms.
Butter dish, glass & silver from Haywards £1.0.0
5 teeth stopped & 2 of husbands cost 30/-
Thimble steel & silver from Haywards 2/-

1879
14 May 1879 New cistern put in kitchen roof.
Servant Girl £10 per year
Servant Girl £12 per year
Curtains in Drawing Room from Faggs 25/-
Cigar Stand from Uptons 7/6 
Boots for 2 year old 13/-
Black Silk Jacket £3.15.0

1880
21 May 1880 Cleaned the three attics out.
Feather Bed from Tyler in London £6.15.0 was cost price
Blue & gold Dinner Set from Wilson in High Street £2.15.0
Girl to help servant 1/6 per week
Drawing Room Clock at Darleys £4.0.0
Large pair Vases from Popes £1.1.0
Bonnet 29/6
Photod at Blackalls 5/6 for 6  (assuming this was mistyped in transcript, and was photos)
Boots from Franks £1.1.0
Umbrella from Bretts 7.11
Black & Beige Costume £1.12.10
Childs Costume & pinafore 15.7
China Flower Basket at Popes 12/6 marked 15/-
Child's Highland Suit at Joseph's 22/- marked 26/-


























1882
Nurse after baby born for 3 weeks 12/- per week
Dining Room Curtains 24/-
Gold Broach £2.12.6
6 plated fish knives & forks from Reich's £2.13.6
Biscuit Tin 25/-
Plated Hot Water Jug 27/6
Oval Mirror on velvet with vase attached for flowers £1.1.0
Ladies Laced Boots from Franks 18/9
Gold Bracelet £5.5.0

1883
Wm Bought this house 42 Tontine Street for £375, with £10 per year as well for ground rent.  Tontine St being paved
with wood, which I hope we shall find a great relief - the noise getting unbearable.
2 May 1883 2 front attic windows altered, front of house fresh cemented. Balconet put to Dining room windows.
20 Oct 1883 Alterations at back of house begun.
Dined at Table d'hote at the Criterion in London 3/6 each but bill ran up to 13/-
Mirror framed in wreath of Worcester China on velvet bracket 30/-
Meat price gone up, Shoulders Mutton 1/- lb and B E neck ½ (B E = Best End)
Friends to visit, found them a room for 1/6 per night

1884
4 Jan 1884 Poplar tree and shrubs planted in our new yard, children helped plant tree.
Servant girl £10 per year
Nurse 2/- per week
Boots 2 pairs 18/9 & 10/9
Stock Gyll Force 3d each to go in grounds  Highly picturesque waterfall in the Lake District
High charges at hotel, glass of beer 3d,  Bottle of Lemonade 6d, Cold lunch of bread, meat & cheeses 3/- each

1885
Made 14 pots of marmalade, 16 oranges 1/-, 10lbs sugar at 2¼ per lb.
Steamboat from Charing Cross pier to Hampton Court 1/6 each. Lunch on board 2/- each.

1886
Fruit cheap this year Plums 1s 2d per gall, damsons 9d

1887
18th Aug 1887 Ethel able to get down stairs (she had been ill in bed with measles)
Easter Communion Service 330 there collection was £58
Tram in Chester 3d charge for any distance
Lunch of Stout, bread & cheese on Snowdon 2/6 each
Lunch at 'The Goat' 2/6 each
Conway Water Falls, 2d to go down path to deep ravine. Possibly Conwy Falls in Wales, that does have a Fairy Glen
Fairy Glen 2d

1888
Washing Machine £2.15.0

1889
28th May 1889 Children to mother's while stairs were painted.
Gold Chain from O'Clee's £8.0.0
Childs Doll 9/-
Silver Chain 18/6
Board & Lodging at Paddlesworth, child age 14 10/- other children 7/6 per week

1890
Pepper's Ghost Entertainment & The Flying Dutchman in Torquay, seats 2/-

1891
Carpet for church vestry, art square from Lewis & Goole's £1.10.0
12 menu holders £2.8.0

1892
Umbrella 11/11
Train from Leamington to Warwick 3d each
24 wine glasses & 2 decanters from Popes 35/-

1893
27 Jan 1893 Susie better and down stairs (she had been ill in bed with mumps)
Eye Glasses from Chancery Lane London 2/-
Church collection on Hospital Sunday £64
Boat to Cowes from Royal Pier 3/- each 1st class return
Carriage from Hotel to Carisbrooke Castle 4d each
Newport Church, charged 6d each to be shown around

1894
Wedding invitation cards 14/6 for 50
Case of fish knives & forks 47/-

1895
Boarding House 'Pleasance' in Tunbridge Wells board 7/- per day
Let Manor Road House, furnished for 5 weeks at 7 guineas a week
2 Rooms in Montague Terrace Richmond 2½ guineas a week
Big Wheel ride for half an hour 1/- each

1896
Train from Tunbridge to Sevenoaks 2/- each to go over Mansion.
Violin £15
Necklet 45/- From Faulkener & Co. London
Rooms at Friars Stile Road Richmond 30/- per week
Bicycle £14.14.0

1897
19 June 1897 Street decorated with flags and festoons, fairy lamps
and Chinese lanterns."
22 June 1897 Jubilee Day. Wm, Ethel, Susie and I in Mayor's procession.
Crowds of people. Mr Howard threw a box of peaches in our carriage. Bonfires and illuminations."
Dinner Service 35/-
House in Kingsnorth Gardens sold for £800, resold shortly after for £850.
Dance at Masonic Hall, Hall £2.2.0, Band £2.2.0, Supper 2/- per head.

1898
Bicycle £18

1900
To Staines by the Duke of York 3/6 each return [probably from Richmond]
Ride round Edinburgh by Cable Tram then by a char a banc to the Forth Bridge 1/3 each
1d for a ride in a shakey little motor car at Haymarket
Duke of Atholl's Private grounds including guide 2/- each

1903
Gold Watch £11.11.0
Gold Chain for watch £7.5.0
Tea Service 12/6
Dinner Service 14/6
Folkestone to Deal cheap return fare 1/6

1904
Gold Pin & pair of links £1.1.0
Leg operation £100 guineas
Pony Trap from Ramill £30

1905
Lunch at Lyons in London 1/6

1906
Ebony Hair brush 8/6
Tram to Potter Heigham station fare fishermans tickets 1/3 return [probably from Yarmouth]

1907
4 ferns 3/6
Cake Basket £2.2.0
Ethel went for a job interview at White Hall Hotel, Hampton Court, and was engaged as Housekeeper at £36 per year.


1908
Massage ankle, ½ hour a day for 35 days £8.15.0
6 Silver Teaspoons & Sugar Tongs in case 25/-

1909
Silver Photo Frame 12/6

1910
Folkestone to Rye by Motor 7/- each

1911
Folkestone to Hastings by Motor 8/- each

1913
Rocking Horse 17/-

1914
Silver & Paste brooch Bow £1.1.

June 1897 Jubilee Celebrations in Tontine Street
Catherine & William Dunk's children
Ethel Kate 1875 - 1942

John De Lanoy 1877 - 1965

Susan Spain 1880 - 1962  Composer, one of her pieces was Kentish Downs Overture  http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/43.htm

William Major 1882 - 1931  Wounded in the leg in the Tontine Street air raid in 1917, you can read more about this on the Military page.
Son Charles Major
Son Roland Major
Stanford War Memorial where both brothers Donald and Roland are listed.  Coincidence again, one of my relatives, John Palmer is listed directly underneath their names!
  These are lustres, sometimes vases and sometimes candle holders, but always with the hanging crystal droplets. If you like this pair, I found them for sale for £1,395. :-)
There were many types of cigar stands, some were beautiful pieces of furniture that cigars were stored in.  However, because of the price paid, I am guessing it looked similar to this.
A coal vase was kept by the fire, and had a metal insert to protect the vase itself from the black of the coal.  Both vases and scuttles were available, but vases, with their lid hid the coal from sight.
A Drugget - a rug laid in high traffic areas to protect the floor or expensive carpet, removed only when company came.
A fur mantle - a cape, but usually longer at front and back than at arm area to allow for freedom of movement.
Charing Cross Pier
Pepper's Ghost Illusion
I love this photograph.  For a start, it is rare to see both women and men without their hats, in fact if you look closely, you can see one of the bonnets hanging jauntily from the hedge behind.  This was taken on a family picnic at White Hall Farm in Paddlesworth.

Back row:  Annie Court, Julie Hawkins, Ethel Dunk, Alfred Nicholls, Laura Boom, next two names missing
Centre row:  Alice Crickon, name missing, William Dunk, Catherine Dunk, neé Major,  Edith Darney, neé Major, Pollie (Mary Ann) Kennett neé Major
Front row: John De Lanoy Dunk, Gracie Major (parents Francis Major & Elizabeth Banks), William Dunk, Edward Lewis Major, brother of Gracie, Susie Dunk and Frank Major, brother of Gracie & Edward

Photo was taken by William Kennett, Pollie's husband          White Hall Farm is still there, in Paddlesworth Lane.
Fish knives & forks
An Edwardian hand-powered washing machine made by Morrison of Birmingham.

The machine has a round wooden tub with two iron bands and a lid to hold hot water, soap and dirty clothes. The tub has a handle to spin in and a spigot to drain away the used water. It sits on an iron spindle on a base with three legs. The back brace has two iron arms.

This washing machine would have been used in a wealthy household as at that time clothes washing was commonly done with a scrubbing board and washing dollies.

Catherine bought one in 1888

John was the last of Catherine & William's children to pass away.

He was also the cheeky boy pulling a face front row left in the picnic photo above.
Photo courtesy Martin Easdown
These photos of the slaughterhouse were taken in January 1940 by the Sanitary Inspector when the premises were owned by William Worsell, butcher, 3 High Street Folkestone.
Photo  of above advertisement kindly supplied by Alan F. Taylor

It says:  "I've traveled the world over and tramped every spot on the map, but I'm damned if I can locate that brook"
Cake basket
Obituaries kindly provided by Alan F. Taylor, President Folkestone & District Local History Society
Photos supplied by Alan F. Taylor
I was curious about the statement in this obituary that Mr. S. Hobday Major's butchers shop was located on the site of the Queen's Hotel, because I understood the Queen's had been built on the site of the King's Arms and Valyer's stables next door, and I always understood that the new hotel had been erected immediately after the demolition of the King's Arms.

I checked with Alan Taylor, who told me that in the 1882 Kelly's Kent Directory, the butcher's shop was listed at 4 Sandgate Road, and the Queen's Hotel was at No. 2.  I did a little more delving, and read the minutes of the Council meetings that involved the purchase and subsequent demolition of the King's Arms and Valyer's, and it appeared that Stephen Hobday Major's shop was in business already, next door to Valyer's, so that must have been the location of the mentioned Wesleyan Chapel prior to that.

Possibly, once Mr. Major's shop had split in two (maybe from the shaking up it must have undergone from all the demolition and building going on next door?), the Queen's Hotel then expanded into his location, hence the statement that his shop had been located where the Queen's Hotel now stands.

While reading these Council minutes, which I found on the fabulous website 'Even More Tales from the Tap Room' I also discovered a couple more things.  I came to the conclusion that the Council of the day were completely incompetent, and the handling of this transaction was an absolute farce.  I also discovered that Mr. Stephen Hobday Major had also been a Councillor at a previous time, but wasn't at the time all this took place.  However, Mr. William Dunk is mentioned as being a Councillor, but not on the committee that handled this transaction.
Susan Spain Dunk
Many of the things that Catherine listed were bought as birthday gifts etc. for other people
Hot water jug
An 1887 tram
Amazed to see that this was the style of an Edwardian umbrella, I had one just like it in the 60's, they were called Pagoda's.
1881
28 July 1881
"Had a serious talk with Wm about my housekeeping money. Have had 35/- a week lately, out of which I pay Olive's wages, 2/- pr week and all house expenses, excepting beer, wines, spirits, Jane's wages, coal, etc. and, try my best, I cannot make it do for keeping 7 persons. Wm met me, as he always does, with generosity and will allow me £2.0.0. pr week, out of which I wish I could put a trifle by, but am afraid I shall not."
Coal Vase from Astons & Greens in London £2.4.0, original price £4.0.0  
Servant Girl £10 per year
Toy Clockwork Train 7/6
20 Nov 1881 Ceiling fell in the sitting room so had the room papered, whitewashed, chimney swept etc., etc. (Unclear if ceiling fell or paper fell off!)
Silver plated tea, coffee, milk and sugar pots with inscription, presented to Grandpa, cost about £12.0.0
New Boots, 2 pairs from Normans £2.0.0
La Favorita, 15/- seats in stalls.  La Favorita-Opera written by Gaetano Donizetti in 1840. Originally in French & titled La Favorite, later performed mostly in Italian.
Drugget in Dining Room £1.1.0 
Lodging at Stouting for a while for children to get over illness, paying 18/- a week for lodging, 2 bedrooms and use of dining room for meals, meals charged accordingly.   Stowting in Kent was spelled this way at that time.  On today's map looks like the A259 between Brookland & Rye
Housekeeping money 35/- a week husband agreed to increase to £2.0.0 per week.
78 acres of grazing land in the Marsh called Guildeford Lane £7000. Bought by my father and eldest brother Frank.
Fur Mantle from Mays 3½ guineas 
Umbrella 25/-
Update:  Jean Little recently contacted me, she found this page by accident and has given her permission for me to continue displaying her photos here.  Even better, she has offered to send me a copy of Catherine Dunk's whole diary, so more may be added at a later date!