Dry Sandford

Fortescue And Church Families

I don't have a memory as such, but I have been researching my family history and have traced my mother's family back to this place.  My mother was born in 1916 and lived in Oxford.  However, her grandfather came from Marcham and I've now traced the family back (so far) to the 1600's.  They were Fortescues and Churches, all from Marcham.  In the main the males were farm labourers and my mother's grandfather moved to Oxford to become head gardener at one of the colleges.
There is a record of the family being joined by marriage 200 years ago and, also, my mother's parents were a Fortescue and a Church.
If anybody has any memories of these families, or descend from them, I'd love to hear from you! anniewoodford@hotmail.com

4 The Gap And 7 Parkside

NO 4 THE GAP My memory of Marcham started in 1946-7. My grandmother, Lydia Lawrence, used to live at no 4 The Gap. She was born in Long Wittemham, then she married my grandfather in 1906 (Victor Davis, he was killed in the First World War). They went to live in Sutton Courtenay, by then they had two children, Victor Davis (my father) and Eileen Davis (my aunt), in 1920 she meet and married a Marcham man called John Lawrence, who used to live at Pack Horse Lane, Marcham, so they all moved to no 4 The Gap in 1921. There were four bungalows up The Gap, nos 2, 4, 6,... Read more

Mr Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris Invite Whitethorn Morris to Their Day of Dance

Market Place 1890
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

I remember this well - a glorious early Summer's day and lovely spots to play music, dance and drink beer with Mr Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris.

We started - I think - at a pub called "The Ox" and progressed through the day with dance spots in the Market Square and The Almshouses. Beer and a picnic surrounded by musical and dancing friends made this a lovely outing. I was there as the bandleader for Whitethorn Morris playing a 48 button Hohner piano accordian. The lovely women of Whitethorn Morris wore their well known kit of scarlet and blue dresses, blue mob caps and shiny black clogs.

This view marks one spot where we danced - the only difference being EXACTLY one hundred years! Who knows - maybe in the year 2090 someone may recall our happy dancing in Abingdon in 1990?

Cheers Steanes Langfords Simons And More

My mother's ancestors all seemed to live in Abingdon and the surrounding villages of Launton, Kiddlington, Bicester, Charlbury etc. and I am collecting photographic records of these families and their activities for a family tree.  Photos are a good way of recording events.  There are many text genealogical websites, but few, if any where one can get photos of one's ancestors activities.  Where people can give and recieve photos for research.  Villages I've visted when in England seemed to have changed little over time.

Memories

I went to Northmoor back in the 1940s and stayed with my parents' friends Mrs Bastable and her family for 6 weeks. The house was thatched and just across the way from a line of trees called "The Causeway". I remember going to the farm across the road and getting milk fresh from the cow. At the time there was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease and we had to dip our shoes and wellies in disinfectant before entering the farm. There was a little stream going past in front of the house and a little wooden bridge built to enter the garden. I wonder if that house is still there. We also rode bikes into another village where there was a raft-like contraption to take you across a small river. I often wonder about how things are and have things changed considerably? There was no electricity in the house at that time and we had to get water from a well in the garden, the lavvy was... Read more

LLwer And Upper Culham Farm

When I was 18, I lived with my relatives on the outskirts oif Reading. I was offered a job working as a builders labourer. The year was 1963 and I was given a lift most days to work, which was at Upper and Lower Culham Farm. The man ( Mr Berens ) we were working for was apparently a millionaire, and I believe that were true! I worked every day of the week, and on Friday my wage packet had 14 crispy, consecutive numbered pound notes in it ! We built pig styes and a corn drier at one farm. I used to fly from one farm to the other at top speed on a little grey tractor! I loved it. We worked on the owners big house and when I worked on the roof I was amazed at the graffiti carved into the chalk blocks, people's names that had worked there before I did; I think the dates and names were... Read more

Magdalen College From River 1922
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

This photograph is taken from the playing fields of Magdalen College School and shows the Botanical Gardens.