Quest For My Ain Folk

A Memory of Prestbury.

I visited St Peter's in August 1976 as part of a search for traces of my ancestors, the De Vauxs of Adlington, French Hugenots who first settled from France, in 1630. They became Yeomen farmers on the Leghs Adlington estate and stayed there until late 1890's. A number of them lie buried in a crypt next to the Leghs lair. I met the Verger who kindly opened the Church old registers to discover entries of my ancestors. My Grand Mother, Elizabeth Jane Vaux, lived at Hope Green, married my Grand father, James Kerr Bell, son of James Bell, co-founder of the famous Glasgow printing house of Bell and Bain now a public company est 1831.  I am born an Australian from my father, who was born at the Grange, Handforth, Lancashire in 1879 and after World War 1 emigrated to Australia where en route he met my mother and they fell in love and both settled down here in Melbourne, Victoria. Accompanying me in 1976 was my wife Merlyn whose pioneer family came out to Bendigo in the mid 1850's during the Gold Rush. Her family were Trembaths from St Just, Cornwall. With us was our young daughter Angela at the time, 41/2 yrs old. My two aunts, who grew up in Adlington estate at Marlsfield Farm, both knew Prestbury intimately. In fact, it was through them, that we made sure to visit Prestbury, especially the then Priests house which was later converted into a bank. We dined that night at Oscars restuarant on roast duckling. Recently, I purchased a CD from the Baroque Music Club of a Grand Concert conducted in the great Hall of Adlington Hall in celebration of Handel, who once played the organ there designed by Bernard Smith (1670) who also designed organs for  St Paul's and Westminister Abbey. In a special collection called the Vaux Collection housed in the Chester archives, there are records of proceedings in court of matters involving members of the Vauxs, in particular, Thomas Vaux who was a wine merchant and relied on a carter with a horse drawn lorry, named William Pickford ancestor of the famous Pickfords world wide transport firm. There is record of a case against Pickfords for damage to a batch of wines they were delivering for Thomas. The sums were not inconsiderable for the times. This occurred about the early 19th century. So Prestbury has a very special and unique place in our hearts as that is where an important part of my British, French heritage lies along with that of other parts of England, Scotland and also in New Zealand through my Uncle Archibald Kerr Bell and his three Maori wives and 26 children all Maori Scots. I am the annoited paternal head of this quite amazing dynasty. My Uncle was born at the Grange in 1883 and died in North Island, NZ in 1961.  My father, a World War Captain, Royal Horse Artillery, First Cavalry division lies buried in a rustic cemetery at Sorrento, with my mother, a Londoner, with the sound of the surf breaking on the reefs and the gulls circling over head, near where Harold Holt, our Prime Minister drowned in December 1967.  As I write these memories, here in a place called Carnegie, I have that inner warmth of knowing that such a  place as Prestbury with St Peter's occupies a special place in my heart. We have a crest 3 bells gold on a blue shield with the motto "sois fidele, be faithful. Ring true.  Thank you for allowing me to share some of my memories with your patrons. I hope they will resonate with a number of admirers of your unique heritage village.