AN
OLD FULHAM FARMER
MR.
E. MATYEAR PASSES AWAY
HIS LIFELONG ASSOCIATION WITH THE CRABTREE
“An interesting link with the farming life in old Fulham has been
severed by the death of Mr. Edward Matyear, of the Crabtree Farm, Fulham.
The deceased who was 72 years of age, died in the West London Hospital on
Monday, the primary cause of death being of a septic character.
The late Mr. Matyear was in the best of health up till three weeks ago.
On Monday fortnight he was confined to his house with a swollen leg,
which is said to have risen from a hardened place on the toe. This became very threatening, and was treated in the usual
homely way.
On the following
Wednesday Dr. E. W. Lewis of “The Hermitage,” 290 Fulham Place-road, was
sent for, but he was out of town. His
locum tenens, however,
saw Mr. Matyear the following morning, and attended him until Saturday week.
On Friday week Dr. Townsend (Dr. Lewis’s partner) was consulted, and
ordered fomentations. The next day the doctors again called and, detecting serious
symptoms ordered the patient’s removal to the West London Hospital whither he
was taken with promptitude in a taxicab. An
hour after his arrival at the institution an operation was performed, Mr.
Matyear’s toe being taken off. Everything
progressed very satisfactory, and the swelling decreased.
But on Wednesday last week there was a change in the patient’s
condition, and a special messenger was sent to Mr. Jeremiah O’Brian,
deceased’s manager, at half-past ten to go and see his principal immediately.
This request was acceded to after which Mr. O’Brian consulted the
patient’s nearest relative, Miss Matyear, a second cousin.
Mr. O’Brian drove to the lady’s residence at East Sbeck?? in a taxicab
and informed her of the bad news. Everything
possible was done for him but Mr. Matyear gradually became worse and died on
Monday.
The deceased, who was a bachelor, was born and lived all his life at Crabtree Farm, and the regret of many friends is that he did not also die there. This is not meant to hint that he was not happy in the West London Hospital, and that he did not have the best of treatment. Indeed, he had been a life governor of the West London Hospital, and was a generous supporter. But Mr. Matyear was so closely associated with the farm that sentiment does not approve of his absence in his last moments. It was not the first occasion that he had been a patient in the West London Hospital. About six or seven years ago when going to his bank at Hammersmith, Mr. Matyear slipped down in the roadway. It was not till he attempted to put some money in his pocket that he discovered there was something wrong with his arm. Thinking that the limb was possibly fractured, he at once proceeded to the West London Hospital, where it was found that the old gentleman’s surmise was unhappily correct. Mt. Matyear was not retained on this occasion, but he attended the institution as an ordinary out-patient for some time. With regard to his connection with the Crabtree Farm, deceased became proprietor on the death of his father nearly forty years ago. Although he attended to his business up to a few weeks before his death, the doctor declares that he must have been suffering from kidney trouble for about two years.
One addition: 1910 - Fulham, This over, the coffin was conveyed to a grave nearby where the mortal remains of four of deceased's relatives lay. The committal __terces were read by the Rev Mr. Crockerton.
The sad procession made it's way along the Fulham Palace Road to the main entrance of the Fulham Cemetery. The coffin was borne into the Church of England Chapel where the first part of the order of the Burial of the Dead was impressively read by the Rev. J. C. Wilson (curate at St Glopeet's??
The name Crabtree is very modest. It was directly named from the pyrrus malus or wild apple tree.
At the present
time Crabtree Farm comprises about 21 1/3 acres of land, of which the deceased
was the freeholder. The land now
only stretches from the Fulham Place-road Schools to Crab Tree-Lane, but in
bygone years the late Mr. Matyear rented land from the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners along what is now known as the Fulham Place-road estate as far as
the Fulham Cemetery gates, and it was here that a glorious orchard once
flourished. The deceased also hired
some land near the “Pear Tree,” Margravine-road,
for market gardening purposes. For
the past ten or fifteen years practically the whole of the produce of our
respected neighbor’s land has been sold locally, and many Fulham people
can remember the time it was no uncommon occurrence to see fifty or sixty
carts waiting at the Crabtree Farm to be served.
Even now many greengrocers from Fulham and the surrounding boroughs buy
vegetables grown on the farm, but this practice will probably not continue a
year hence, for we understand that the farm and the adjoining land will most
likely be sold. Mr. Matyear had what is known as a “yearly stand” with
the Covent Garden Market, and any goods which
were produced in Fulham, demanding a price higher than the inhabitants of the
borough were prepared to give were sold there.
Mr.
E. Matyear’s Funeral
Particulars of
the will
“Amidst manifold signs of sympathy and regret the funeral of the late Mr. Edward Matyear, formerly of the Crabtree Farm, Fulham, took place on Monday. The cortege consisted of an open hearse containing the polished oak coffin with brass fittings, and three carriages containing the following members:--Mrs. Kees, Mrs. Wood (three), Mrs. Wolverton, Mr. Flagg, Mr. B. Comerford (second executor), Mr. Alfred Comerford, Rev. Mr. Cockerton, Mr. Jeremiah O’Brian (deceased’s manager at the Crabtree), Mr. J. Beckett, Sr., Mr. J. Beckett, Jr., Mr. Thomas Matyear (second cousin), and Mr. Potberry. Between twenty and thirty past and present employees of the Crabtree Farm followed behind the carriage. The sad procession made it’s way along Fulham Palace – Road to the main entrance of the Fulham Cemetery. The coffin was borne into the Church of England Chapel where the first part of the Order of the Burial of the Dead was impressively read by the Rev. J. C. Wilson (curate at St Clement'). This over, the coffin was conveyed to a grave nearby where the mortal remains of four of deceased’s relatives lay. The committal sentences were read by the Rev. J.C. Wilson who was curate of St. "Clement's" £500 to the *Lygon* Almshouses. A large but sympathetic crowd assembled at the graveside to pay a last tribute of respect. Several police officers attended, but their services were scarcely required as the crowd conducted itself in a most orderly manner. Amongst those present, apart from the mourners named above, we noticed Counselor Cronis, Councelor Kees, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. White (of the Crabtree Hotel), and Mr. Robert Dean (of the Greyhound Hotel). The coffin bore the inscription:
Edward Matyear,
Died Sept. 19th, 1910.
Aged 73 years.
Floral tributes were placed on the coffin or seat by Colonel Comerford, Miss Matyear (cousin), Mrs. Quinton, Mr. Allan Comerford, Miss Missie Rouse, Mr. Robert Comerford, Miss Potberry, Mrs. A. W. White, Mr. Robert Dean, Misses Good (three), Mr. Hammond, Miss Agnes Cockerton, Lady Ounliffe??, Mrs. Madd, Rev. Richard Free (Vicar of St. Clemonts Fulham) , Mrs. Stephenson, Messrs. Flagg and Boa (solicitors), Mrs. Bamont Comerford, Miss C. Beckett, Messrs. Leslie Vere and Owen White, employees at the Crabtree Farm, and Mrs. Young (deceased’s housekeeper).
After the funeral the mourners were conveyed to the Crabtree Farm where deceased’s will was read. It contained legacies of £500 to the West London Hospital, £500 to the Lygen?? Almhouses, £250 to Nazareth Houses, five hundred pounds each to the five cousins, £100 each to Misses Good (three), £20 each for three nieces, £50 to Mr. Thomas Matyear, £50 to Mr. Thomas Matyear’s brother, now in Canada, £100 to Mr. Jeremiah O’Brian (deceased’s foreman), £100 to his housekeeper (Mrs. Young), £20 to his carman (Mr. Harry Carter), and a month’s wages to all his employees who had been in his service for twelve months at his death. The whole of the residue of the estate will be devoted to King Edward’s Hospital Fund. All the above-mentioned legacies are free from death duties.” “Fulham Chronicle” September 30, 1910
Mr. Matyear’s Bequests
Mr. Edward Matyear’s will does not disclose any sympton of warm affection or active personal interest. It seems to contemplate people in the mass rather than individually, and one gets the impression of a man so uneasily weighted with wealth as to laboriously multiply the number of recipients, that the conservative and quaint old farmer meant well is obvious, and substantial good must result from his bequests; but I doubt whether any individual will feel the ardent gratitude which is often excited by an unsought and perhaps unexpected provision in a will. I suppose that, if the truth were really known, Mr. Matyear did not guess what he really was worth. He always wore the air of a man who had become well-to-do in his own despite, and who had decided in a certain hard and painfully clear-cut that money is a secondary consideration. That it is not what so many in this feverous, hurrying age think is obvious: but I believe the least worldly will agree with me that it bears the potentiality of much good when used with benevolence and discretion. Of course, the greater share of Mr. Matyear’s wealth lies in the land which a few years ago was worth very little. His is a clear case where the public make huge wealth for land owners. I should not be at all surprised if, in the near future, it realizes anything from 60 to a hundred thousand pounds. Lowly enough as it’s name sounds, the Crabtree is classic ground. Upon the gifts of this modest house which the Matyears have held for about a century, stood the splendid mansion of that dazzling Englishman and courtier, Sir Nicholas Crisps.
Some annuals of Crabtree
Crisps was one of the most friends of the ill fated Charles the First, and endured much for his misguided royal master with small recompenses. For when Charles the Second “came into his own,” the valorous cavalier was too old to enjoy his tardily awarded honours. Crisps died here in Fulham on the 26st of February, 1645-6, aged 67. He directed that his body should be buried at St. Mildred’s in the City, but his heart was embalmed and placed near his pew “at Hammersmith Chapel”. According to old Falconer’s History, it was the custom to take out the heart on the anniversary of the interment, and to refresh it with a glass of wine; at length, after the expiration of more than a century and a half, it became decayed, and it was finally enclosed in a leaden case and deposited agreeably to his directions.” The name Crabtree, many of my readers may know, is very modest. It was directly named from the pyrus matus??, or wild apple tree, which was once very common in old Fulham. So frequent was the sight of the tree and so pleasing the sound of it’s name to generations of Fulhamites long ago that the stretch of ground near the river did not enjoy the distraction alone. Then it came about that near Grove House, Beads End was the Crabtree Close, and there was a place called Crabstock at North End. … ” “Fulham Chronicle” September 30, 1910
Compiled by Karen Miller