The Porters Christmas Box

The Porters Christmas Box

Christmas had a gloomy outlook for one Tipton family over 100 years ago.

James and Betsy Dart of Dolberries tragically suffered a fire in early December 1910, the outbreak was discovered at 2 am, caused by a damaged flue. They and their 3 younger children had to flee for their lives as the fire quickly took hold, they had narrow escapes as the roof soon fell in and the house turned to ashes. Although the family saved themselves, their belongings were unfortunately not insured.
Mr James Dart was Head Porter at Tipton St John Station (and was for many years) and he had lived in Tipton for 27 years. The Darts house was used as a village meeting place with village reading and recreation rooms and even a miniature rifle range.
Mr Every (Tipton vicar), felt compelled to write to the Exeter Gazette to ask for help as he felt that Mr Dart was "a very good fellow and really deserved to be helped".
So a collection was begun to raise money for "The Porters Christmas Box".

The Stationmaster, Mr Greening, stated that he had made an appeal to all the railway men in the district and in true Tipton fashion a committee was formed to find "how they could best assist him in the misfortune that had befallen him".  The vicar spoke of the way in which "people had come forward and rendered such assistance as was in their power" to help.

In the newspaper article it asked "sympathetic readers to help make happy an honest English working man by assisting us to raise the cloud which has fallen upon the family at Christmas time" and acknowledged that any sum was gratefully accepted.
The newspaper used this phrase (which I had to Google!) "Many a mickle makes a muckle".

And on Christmas Eve the Porter and his family received their "Christmas Box" collected by their friends, colleagues and the community.
Mr Dart – Station porter.
Dolberries on the right hand side of the photograph.