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Warborough memories

Here are memories of Warborough and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Warborough or a Warborough photo.

Ancestors, A Lost Uncle And Kind People

I live in France, but many of my ancestors come from Dorchester on Thames. It's too complicated to go into the history of how I managed to be living here on the border with Spain, but for me Dorchester is a key element in what has made me who I am.

As far back as I can go at present, my earliest ancestor was Joseph King, born in Dorchester in about 1767. The family has lived there down the generations, and perhaps some of them still do. I may have distant cousins still living there.

When I took up my interest in family history it seemed natural that I should visit the place where so many of my ancestors come from. It was not an unmoving experience. It is amazing also the consistency with which the same given names are repeated down the generations. However not all stayed in Dorchester. My maternal grandfather, Kenric Vincent King, moved to Ireland... Read more

Western House, Warborough

I lived in Western House, Warbororough between 1950 and 1955 and went to Dorchester Secondary Modern School. All the Warborough youths used to assemble outside the shop opposite the church and cycle in a convoy to school each day. The variety of roughly assembled bicycles was extraordinary. I particulrly remember one ridden by 'Chucker'Hussey that had vastly differing sized wheels which gave the rider a rather down at heel look. I was a member of the 1st Warborough Scout Troup under Theo King and Tom Bullock and was chosen to represent our district at the World Jamboree in Austria in 1951. We went on several summer camps and I remember going to Thame Park (it rained) and North Devon and to Bosham. I certainly remember all the camps with a great deal of pleasure. I also sang alongside Theo in the church choir for several years. Western House is opposite the Bullock's bakery and was at that time alongside old Mr Bullocks house opposite the Cricketers Arms (There has been... Read more

Happy Days!

I wrote this in reply to Joyce Norgrove's comments, but thought I'd put it here too. I lived in Warborough from 1959 to 1970 - a wonderful place to grow up in. We lived in the School House, my father was the Headmaster of the school and I was in the school when we moved to the new site. We lived in what was Miss Nobbs's house of course. Although I only remember meeting her once, but the family stayed friends with Miss Kirby for the rest of her life. Mr King was also a friend of ours, as well as being Scout Leader he also sang in the church choir, and his seat was opposite mine - woe betide me if I made too much noise during the service! And yes I certainly did fall in the ditch! My friend Shirley Noakes and I were trying to cross the plank over the ditch with a bike betweeen us would you believe and in I went! Head... Read more

Sheila And Lily Phillips

Does anyone remember my mother and grandmother?  My mother Sheila, married John Edwards and moved to Jersey in 1959.  Lily lived in Warborough till her death in 1979. She lived in Gravel Walk, Warborough until approx 1973 then moved to sheltered accom until 1979. My mother died in 1977. I went to the local village school where I remember teachers called Mr Dance and Miss Kirby. My father who is still alive played cricket on the village green. He also played badminton and tennis. My gran also worked in the village shop. I also remember Mr King who had the post office. My brother Martin now lives in Spain. We were 5 and 3 when we moved to Jersey but I have many happy memories of visiting Gran in the 60s and 70s . Please contact me at lesleyperry53@hotmail.co.uk if you remember my family.

Wartime Memories

I well remember living in the village  from 1940 to 1944 being evacuated there as a 6 year old from the East End of London. I lived very close to the war memorial and attended school set up for evacuees in the cricket pavilion on the village green. My temporary parents were Mr & Mrs Bailey who looked after me very well and  their  upbringing has stood me well  during my lifetime.  One very strong memory I have is attending the church regularly and on one occasion giving a reading during the service. I recently located Mrs Bailey's grave in the church grounds and was pleased to find it but a little disappointed at the state it was in. During my time living there the church and the grounds were immaculately kept. Are there any other persons with similar memories of Warborough? I would love to read them.

Parish Church Cemetery

I visited Warborough had lunch in local pub looked round the church cemetery.There were quite a few 'Beislys' interred there during the 1800's.
Also one name on the WW1 memorial.
Are there any Beislys still living in the village or nearby.I believe one of the landlords of a pub in Shillingford was Beisly at one time?

Memories of Oxfordshire

Drayton St Leonards 1936

1936 - my father Ernest Eldridge and mother Violet and myself Barbara moved from Dorchester on Thames to Drayton St Leonards. My mother's friend May Rusher (wife of Frank Rusher) arranged for the cottage next door to be let to us. The kitchen window looked out to the churchyard. I attended the small village school until we moved to Oxford in c.1939. My grandparents lived at The Lodge, Chiselhampton. I remember going to the chapel on a Wednesday afternoon straight from school where mothers would be. I suppose it was a meeting of sorts.
Frank Rusher was a lay preacher there. I remember the plays and various other entertainments which were enjoyed in the chapel hall. Our garden was across the road from our cottage adjoining a field. The old fashioned toilet was there. I absolutely loved the cornfield with poppies, daisies and cornflowers and it led to my interest in my later life designing flower birthday cards and also Christmas cards. I remember taking a milk churn to... Read more

Memories of Benson

My memories of Benson started in 1946/7 when we moved to Sunnyside, which in those days did not have the recreation field. Nor did the village have street lighting apart from a couple in the High Street, one of which was on the wall of Franklin's Farm. The shops in those days were Slaughters Stores, High Street & Chamberlains Stores, Castle Square. There were 2 butchers in High Street (Wm. Lee & the other I can't remember the name), Stan Blisset had the hairdressers next to Slaughters Stores.  Tom Shotton was the postmaster. Bill Aldridge ran the greengrocers shop, opposite Crown Hotel, and was later taken over by Wm Turner.  Gurneys Garage was a small unit in Chapel Lane. My stepfather, Stan Pether, was born in the house between the Post Office & the Crown Hotel, and was one of the local postmen for several years. I recall Mrs Wharton running the cake/sweetshopin High Street and Eva Small ran a sweetshop in Brook Street next door to the pub.  In... Read more

Old Caravan Field Near Benson?

My husband was at RAF Benson in 1969. We got married in November, but could not find any accommodation around the airfield. In desperation we rented a tiny caravan in a farmer's field south of the airfield. There was no running water and the one outside tap tended to freeze in winter. The few caravans were managed by an elderly couple - the old lady I remember vividly, as she had long straggly grey hair and always wore the same outfit: big baggy sweater over a kilt over blue jeans and wellingtons! To get to Benson you came out of the caravan field, turned left and at the end of this lane was a pub, on the main road. In the other direction, turning right out of the caravan field, the lane led to a main road where you caught the bus into Wallingford (I worked at the Institute of Hydrology for a few months).
We went back to Benson recently - took photos... Read more

Haywards From Loders Dorset

From The River 1893
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John Hayward (1813) came from Loders in Dorset and settled in this area  of Wallingford, of Benson, Bradfield, Englefield and married local girl Mary Anne Kitchen.  His son Robert James eventually farmed Uxmore Farm at Ipsden, near Stoke Row in Berks/Oxon.  I am collecting a photographic record of the Hayward family in these areas for a family tree.

Ingrid Wilson

From The River 1893
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Hi Ingrid Wilson,

Apologise reply to your query - windows - Francis Frith site got problems connecting, my reply cancelled several times. If I can contact you direct I can give you info about the Hayward family tree free, so far as I have got. You are welcome to assist with further research.
yoga-prakash saraswati
lunarorange20022@yahoo.com.au--new email
sfrancesten@gmail.com---new email
aussieworldpolitics.blogspot.com

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