Notes written for the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes who hold photographs and documents donated by the family relating to James and Ida Oram’s life in Devizes:
In 1887 Alfred & Alice Talbot moved from Braintree to Devizes to open their own draper’s shop AC Talbot. They came with their six children:
- Sidney 1878-1981 who was a draper throughout his working life. He was initiated into the Masonic Lodge of Fidelity 663 Devizes in 1904.
- Harold 1880-? (after 1975) who emigrated to Canada after serving in the Royal Engineers in the 1914-18 War.
- Ethel 1882-1972 married Henry Stratton, a tea taster from Melksham. They lived in Stockbridge, Hampshire where they ran a grocery store .
- Mabel 1884-? (after 1974) married Edward (Ted) Earle of Lloyds Bank, Devizes, later moving to Thorpe Bay, Essex.
And twins:
- Hilda 1887-1928
- Ida 1887-1972 who married James Oram, manager of A Hinxman & Co, coal merchants, Devizes. James Oram held many civic positions including as a JP & Mayor of Devizes and is the subject of other acquisitions of the library at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes.
AC Talbot’s was first on the site of Lloyds Bank in the Market Place where they lived over the shop with a big garden & tennis court. On expiry of the lease they moved to a shop & house without a garden at the top of Brittox, where Mays Furnishings later stood & HJ Johnson in 2011.
In 1896 Alfred died aged 46 and was interred in Devizes cemetery. Later his father Rev Charles Talbot was interred in Devizes cemetery in 1908, aged 82.
Sidney left home when he was 15 years old and held five apprenticeships around southern England gaining experience in all aspects of the drapery trade. After his father’s death Sidney returned home to help his mother Alice, a draper’s daughter, run the business. In the meantime Harold had unsuccessfully tried to set up a coffee shop in Bratton before becoming an apprentice in the drapery trade. Harold returned to AC Talbot a year after Sidney. Before Ethel & Mabel were married in 1908 & 1910 Ethel had helped in the Fancy Department (gloves, lace etc) while Mabel ran the house. In 1909 Sidney went to Gosport for about a year to manage the drapery business of his uncle George Blake who had promised to sell it to him, but that soon seemed highly unlikely and he moved to Rhyl in North Wales. This left Alice & Harold running AC Talbot with Ida in charge of the millinery department. Unfortunately Harold was not successful with the shop & it was sold in about 1912. It is assumed that Alice & the twins moved to Heytesbury as Ida was married from there in 1915. Alice & Hilda spent much of the rest of their lives with Ethel & her family in Stockbridge.
Alice Talbot sitting in a conservatory surrounded by her four daughters & either son Sidney or Harold. Undated, probably about 1900
The three Talbot sisters Ethel, Mabel & Ida as young mothers. Undated, probably summer 1919 On the left: Ida Oram with Arthur Oram b27/6/1916 on her knee Centre: Mabel Earle between Cecily Earle b4/11/1914 on the table & Maurice Earle b26/2/11 On the right: Ethel Stratton holding Peter Stratton b28/1/1919 who was to die on 31/8/1925 and Monica Stratton b27/3/1916
Source: Memories of Sidney Talbot as written down by John Oram in 1971 and information from the Talbot family bible.
Information supplied by Carolyn, grand daughter of James & Ida Oram
