Obed Thomas Spargo

We’ll start by calling him Tommy. His full name was Obed Thomas Spargo and he was named for his father, a stonemason.

Obed Thomas Spargo and Nellie Tippet married on the 8th October 1900 in Paul Church. Obed sailed to South Africa on the 3rd December, two months after the wedding.

It is highly likely that Obed had been working in South Africa for several years before this trip. We do not have the evidence as not all passenger lists have survived. However, two of his siblings, William John and Richard Vivian went to South Africa in the 1890s. William died of dysentery in Johannesburg in 1899. Richard Vivian also caught dysentery at the same time, but survived and returned to Paul in the early 1900s.

Cornishman 22.6.1899

When we think about Cornish emigration we tend to think of Cornish miners, but many others also migrated, stonemasons, farm labourers, indeed it was almost a right of passage to spend some time abroad, particularly for young single men. Some emigrated for good, many returned, sometimes as planned, other times because the riches promised were not forthcoming. To read a study on emigration from Paul in the late 1800s, written by me Carol as part of course I did, click here

In the Census held on the 31^st March 1901, a pregnant Nellie was living with her parents. Tommy was born on the 21st August 1901. Tommy believed that he was born in what became the family home, a detached house next door to the Kings Head public house. His father, Obed was named as the lessee in the national Estate Survey of 1912. 

Tommy was born in the white house in this photograph.

His birth certificate is here. One family story is that when he was born the midwife attending said, “Don’t e cry my handsome, there’s a little maid just up the road from here that’ll do just right for ee”. This was Cora Waters who was born 2 days before him, and so she was….

So, we have a boy growing up without his father, but clearly financially well provided for. In Tommy’s memories of his early life, we hear of a warm extended family.

My first awareness of those around me. Mother of course, and Grandfather- sitting on his lap while entertained me with a button strung with cotton in his waistcoat buttonhole.

Going to Trungle with cousin Dick to help Grandfather with his carpenter’s frail (bag)

Grandfather’s funeral. I was sitting in the stairs with all the bustle going on and bursting into tears -hearing someone say “oh the dear child is feeling all alone” and I don’t know who it was that gathered me into her arms, but I can feel tothis day the lovely warmth of her body and the sense of complete and utter protection.

There were other days – Sundays no doubt when my cousin Beatrice took me out walking with her friends across the fields to Trevithal and the surge (of) emotion when eventually I saw my mother coming across the fields to meet us.

I remember too being taken to school by the same cousin and put to sit at the teacher’s table. In those days children were allowed to bring wee children to school. Gradually, I was also aware of my various relatives – Grandma (paternal) several aunts. One lived in Mousehole where she and Uncle ran a bakery and grocery and my wandering around there in a sort of Aladdin’s cave, and of going out to the bathing cove.

Another aunt lived at Lamorna – that too was another wonderful experience, a journey into the wilds.

Soon after Grandfather died my father returned from S Africa quite suddenly one winter evening unexpected! And mother’s cry of joy as she rushed to him, of my saying hello “Da” for that is what we called Grandfather – and I got the reply “I am your father”! I was too young to be flattened and duly corrected the address. 

Vividly I remember that winter, it must have been 1906 for there was a very heavy fall of snow ….

During that snow fall I saw father crouching below the front garden wall and heaving quite a large lump of snow right in the path of our neighbour who apt to be passing causing quite some fun.

During the summer (of 1906) my parents went for a holiday to Newquay! This was a treat for me too. Rarely did anyone in the village bar perhaps the vicar or members of his family have holidays away from the village. High spots of that trip stand out still in my memory such as playing on the sands with my parents, and when walking over the golf course hearing the cry “fore” being shouted from time to time and which puzzled me greatly! Of the journey there and back I can only remember the motor train as it was called which from the junction at Bodmin I presume – to Newquay. The cane covered seat backs were reversible to accommodate the direction of train – a sort of push pull. I can’t even remember the homecoming.

My father returned to S.A. early 1907 – my mother stayed at home. I think the reason was that she was fearful of the journey -being pregnant at the time. That she never did go eventually is still a bit of a mystery to me, apart from the fact that she was scared of the sea, or afraid of the journey with two young children.