Foot races in Sydney Gardens in 1861
Francis Farr-Cox found this fascinating ticket to the Foot Races in his family archive. Here, he tells us about the connection between Bath and his family.
My great grandfather Charles Farr Cox and his wife Maria both came from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire and were married there in Tewkesbury Abbey on July 30th 1861.
Educated at St Paul’s College, Cheltenham, Charles moved to Bath in July 1860. His wife, Maria, followed shortly after their marriage. He moved because he had taken a ‘situation’ at Bath Proprietary College, in Sydney Gardens; my understanding is that this situation was as a teacher.
Charles and Maria originally lived in Twerton with his nine children, but ultimately moved to Norfolk buildings when his home business, as an English and Mathematics tutor, started to take off. He was even Churchwarden of the Holy Trinity Church, James St West, for eleven years.
Whilst their children survived into adulthood, my great-grandmother Maria, sadly passed away aged 51 whilst on holiday in Seaton, apparently from diphtheria. My grandfather subsequently remarried and had a second family of three children.
When he eventually passed away at 91, in 1930, his death was reported in the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, headlined ‘Venerable Bath Citizen’ where he was described as one of the oldest residents of the city.
