Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Button

A Rushden Couple’s Golden Wedding

Interesting Life-Stories of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Button - Making Boots For The Franco-German War

The golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Button, of York-road, Rushden, is being celebrated on Saturday, and they received the hearty good wishes of their numerous friends.

The Rev. Thomas Bromage, grandfather of the present minister of the Rushden Mission Church (the Rev. E. E. Bromage), officiated at the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Button at the High-street Congregational Church, Wellingborough on March 30th, 1879. The church had then only recently been built, and the young bride and bridegroom were naturally ambitious to be married there. Six sons and one daughter were born to them, all being alive. The children are Mr. Horace Button, who is with the Temple Press in London; Mr. Harry Button, stationed at an American Army hospital in El Paso, Texas; Mr. Bert Button, of Northampton, the only son in the boot trade; Mr. Reginald Button, of Los Angeles; Mrs. Hobley of West Southbourne; Mr. Percy Button, engaged with an electrical firm at Slough; and Mr. Howard Button, farming in Saskatchewan. There are also five grandchildren.

“I was a full-blown, full-time agricultural labourer at the age of seven,” Mr. Button told a representative of this paper. “I was paid 3s. a week, and for that I had to walk two miles each way to and from work,” he added. He then lived in his native village of Shelton and worked at Raunds Lodge (then occupied by Mr. T. Panter). At eleven years of age Mr. Button was a groom-gardener at Shelton Lodge, and only two years later, so proficient had he become in learning to make boots, he could make a hand-sewn Army boot throughout. He recalls that at the time of the Franco-German War in 1870 his father and he at one sitting made eleven pairs of boots for the French Army. Then young Button walked over to Higham Ferrers to take them to the shop and he took back the stuff for another dozen pairs.

As a lad he used to attend Sunday school at the Congregational Church at Upper Dean, his first teacher there being the late Mr. Ronnie Wilkinson.

Beer Poured Down Throat

“It was impossible to be a teetotaller when I was a farm labour,” Mr. Button told our representative, “because if one tried that he would be held down on his back and beer would be poured down his throat!” However, as soon as he was able to be free from the compulsion of drinking alcohol, and could see the effect it had on men, he became a total abstainer, and he has kept to the principle ever since. In Rushden he has for many years been a keen temperance reformer. Since the death of John Claridge Mr. Button has been president of the Rushden and District Band of Hope Union. He is a member of the Executive of the Northants and North Bucks Band of Hope Union and a member of the Rushden Temperance Society. Mr. and Mrs. Button are members of the High-street Independent Wesleyan Church, Rushden.

One of the best-known public activities of Mr. Button is that of recitalist, a role which he has filled for over 50 years, often being in great demand. At Irthlingborough in 1888 he won first prize in an open contest in reciting.

For twelve years Mr. Button worked for Messrs. William Claridge and Sons, boot manufacturers, Rushden, and for 40 years after that he worked at Messrs. Cunnington Bros., boot manufacturers, Crabb-street, Rushden, retiring two years ago when he reached his 70th birthday.

Mrs. Button, a daughter of the late Mr. William Cox, was born 70 years ago in Ebenezer-terrace, Rushden. She has greatly helped her husband in the many calls on his time for public work.