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Witnesham memories

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

William Gildersleeve & Thomas Robert Gildersleeve

In the year 1492 William Gildersleeve and in 1544 Thomas Robert Gildersleeve were born in Witnesham, Suffolk, England.
Gildersleeves first found in Norfolk area where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor.
If anyone knows any Gildersleeves (Spelling variations of the family name includes Gildersleeve, Gildersleve, Gilderslieve, Gildensleeve, Gildensleve, Sildsleeve, Gildsleve, Guildersly).

Memories of Suffolk

ARTHUR WALTER HURRELL

MY FATHER ARTHUR WALTER HURRELL WAS BORN IN CLAYDON IN 1898. HIS PARENTS WERE JOSEPH AND MARY ELIZABETH HURRELL. I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT WHETHER HE HAD ANY BROTHERS OR SISTERS. AND WERE HIS PARENTS ORIGINATED FROM. ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE APPRECIATED. MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS retfordrascal@hotmail.co.uk. Tony Hurrell

My Ancestors

All my ancestors originate in Otley, and I have traced them back to 1718. The only recollection I have of Otley is that when I was six to seven years old the family used to visit my father's aunt, my great-aunt Emma who was in her 90s and bedridden, she lived in a small cottage on the road to Helmingham. Further along the road lived one of his cousins who was married to a Walter Goodwin who used to drive a steamroller for Dawsons. It was a quaint little cottage standing endways to the road and looked rather like an oversized dolls house. Walter's son Willy lived there all his life and worked on the farm for Mr Ling. After he retired he spent his time making model steam engines with matchsticks and fairground carousels mounted on gramophone turntables. Willy died about three years ago. The cottage was then demolished. S G Forsdlke

Some Stories From 50's

Major's Corner c1955
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Pop was at it agin with his mates. To the front of this picure the Tudor faced building...THE BEEHIVE PUB, there was a fella called Stumpy (well known older gentleman). He was a gentleman with one leg, who propped himself up against the downpipe of the pub, and who would challenge anyone to put the money down on the path and try and kick his remaining leg from beneath him to win the pot.  As he then would give them a beating with his crutch ..... so in reality...you couldn't get near enough too kick his leg!!!!!  Crafty heh?

Ancient House

Buttermarket 1893
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My Father in Law aka POP (Michael Halls) can remember the building on the right as Ancient House. This was a big book shop which is now Lakelands kitchen shop.

TSB Bank

Post Office And Town Hall 1893
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The building on the left, the old Post Office, is now the TSB Bank. My Father-in-Law can remember the trams travelling in front of these buildings....no shelters, so the poor old Teddy Boy got wet!!!!!

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