Where It All Began!

A Memory of Mappleton.

My great grandfather John Plant (known as Jack) was the grave digger at Mappleton church, St Mary. He married Francoise Chevenia, a coloured lady bought over from Mauritius to work as a maid at the Manor House in Mappleton. They lived at Rose Cottage for about 13 years. Their son, John Frederick (Freddie), was born after the war in 1920. Although Francoise met an early death in 1928 John and Freddie remained at Rose Cottage. Freddie even brought his Yorkshire-born wife to live here. They lived there for several years but were forced to move because the house was to small for their growing family. My mother Patricia was born at Rose Cottage like her father before her, and still to this day feels a sadness at having to leave. One of her earliest memories is of her and her grandfather walking to the Post Office to collect his pension and get some sweets, her weekly treat.
I recently went to stay at the Bed & Breakfast in Mappleton and was amazed to find that our host, Dorothy, was in fact an old school friend of my mother's and she also knew my great-grandfather. In St Mary's Church there is a plaque with all the names of the volunteers that joined WW1 and John's name was up there along with all the other brave souls who went to fight. Mappleton will always hold a special place for me too.

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