Jean was born at Rothwell Northamptonshire on the 2nd August 1945, the eldest child of Bernard and Margaret Marlow. Jean attended the local primary school before moving on to Kettering Girls school where she gained a love for sports, hockey in particular. In 1963 Jean took up Teacher Training at Bedford and at the end of training she was offered a teaching post at Neithrop Infant School in Banbury. In Banbury she soon made friends with local ringers and in 1967, on a Banbury Branch meeting day at Mollington, Jean met Barry Davis. A week later they met again on a teachers course and in 1969 they were married at Rothwell. She continued as a full time teacher until Richard and then Julia were born. After the children had grown up she kept her hand in by doing supply teaching. Eventually Jean got a job working with children who had English as a second language. This was a job that she really enjoyed.
Jean loved literature and often wrote poems for the branch newsletter and the Ringing World. She had often said if she hadn’t gone into teaching then she would have liked to have been a librarian. An opportunity arose for voluntary work and then part time work in Banbury library which she did until she retired.
In 1966 soon after her arrival in Banbury Jean was persuaded by one of the Banbury ringers to join one of the local cub scout groups who were looking for volunteers to help run cub groups. Jean became involved with weekly meetings, weekend camps and the town carnival. The Banbury cubs even stood outside Rothwell church as a guard of honour for Jean and Barry’s wedding. Jean eventually retired from working with the cubs after 25 years.
Jean had three constants in her life. They were her family, who came first, followed by local history research and bellringing. Countless hours were spent looking for information on her ancestors including one who jumped off a viaduct and survived. Apparently he was known from
then on as ‘bent axle’. Jean had a love of Local History and enjoyed being a member of the Adderbury History Society. She particularly enjoyed being involved in research relating to Adderbury’s history and she was in her element when it came to making displays.
Although not a lover of computers, Jean still liked to spend hours chasing information by looking at computer programs such as ‘Find my Past’ and was often asked by friends for help in finding out about their relatives. Jean, in later years, also accompanied Barry to Postcard Fairs such as the annual three-day fair at York Race course.
Bellringing played a large part in Jean’s life. She learnt to ring at Rothwell in the 1960s and kept up ringing until April 2024. Rothwell was a very active tower in the 1960s and it allowed Barry and Jean the opportunity to enjoy ringing with Oxfordshire as well as Northamptonshire ringers at a variety of towers across the country. In North Oxfordshire Jean involved herself in things such as becoming Banbury Branch treasurer and news letter editor.
Barry and Jean belonged to a variety of ringing groups such as the ‘Raving Ringers’ and the ‘North Oxon Group’. Both particularly enjoyed the annual Autumn ringing weekend in Devon which led to them looking after Ron and Anne Thorne’s sheep and other animals on many occasions. Although not a prolific ringer by today’s standards, Jean was a good ringer and enjoyed ringing quarter peals. She rang 296. Her other ambition was to ring 50 peals and in fact she rang 54 in total.
Her first peal was in 1962 at Waddenhoe Northants. She rang in a peal at Rothwell in 1994 for her and Barry’s silver wedding anniversary. One of Jean’s ambitions was to ring a peal of Stedman. This was achieved at Adderbury in 2009 and was for their ruby wedding anniversary. Her last peal was in 2016 at Cropredy and was the first peal on the eight bells in that tower.
Jean was a ringer who put more into ringing than she took out, she was always ready to stand in and help others.
Jean stopped ringing in April 2024 when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Ringers in the Banbury area were devastated to hear the news she was unwell, Jean was so reliable and always there for others.
Sadly she died on 8th December 2024 in Katharine House Hospice, Adderbury, with her family with her.
Although Saint Mary’s Banbury is a large church, it was full for a service of Love and Thanksgiving for the Life of Jean. The vicar. Revd Serena Tajima, in her Homily summed up Jean’s involvement with the church and said it was a pleasure having her as part of the congregation. Dina Bentley read the poem, Leisure by William Henry Davis, and Graham Clifton gave the Eulogy. Three joyful hymns were sung at Jean’s request and there were large numbers of people from all aspects of Jean’s life. Banbury bells were rung before and after the service and five quarter peals were rung in the Banbury area as a tribute to Jean’s life.
Jean was one in a million and we will greatly miss her.
May she rest in peace.

Written by Graham Clifton with thanks to Barry Davis.