Thank you for your email. The Idiens family had a few connections with Badsey: John Idiens had business connections in the village; he was a School Manager from 1902-1904; and his eldest son, Harold, married a Badsey girl, Elizabeth Helena Crisp, a former pupil and teacher at Badsey School.
I've just had a quick look in the index of the 1901 census and see that the Idiens were living then at Wickhamford (the next village to Badsey). Five of their children lived there (Harold, Albert, Walter, Doris and Stanley). I couldn't find Edith Mary Idiens anywhere on the 1901 census. The story goes that the Idiens lived very briefly at Wickhamford Manor (a beautiful old building with lovely gardens) but then lost all their money and emigrated to Canada. Are you descended from John and Alice? If you are, if you're ever visiting England, it would be worth staying there (they do bed and breakfast accommodation) to see what your inheritance might have been!
In the 1901 census I find Edith Mary Idiens (indexed as Idiers), aged 14, living with Mary South at what looks like 11 Clarendon Street, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire [RG 13/2673, p 25]. Also there were her own sister Alice M. Idiens (aged 15) and two of Mary South's daughters: Sarah and Mary South. There were only these five women plus a "general domestic" servant girl.
"Lost all their money" would explain why the Idiens emigrated. The agricultural depression in England towards the end of the 19th century, and heavier taxing of landowners, as David Cannadine explains in his books, certainly put pressure on the countryside. My Readings grandparents left rural Berkshire in 1905, where they had been brickmakers, and were followed in 1919 for similar reasons by my Bosher grandparents, gardeners on a big estate near Bracknell when it was still a village. The Idiens were not my forebears! Still, it would be fun to stay at the Wickhamford Manor, but I won't manage it this year.
I have just discovered your website and was delighted to renew my memories of Badsey and I was particularly interested to see the enquiry about Claybrook Nurseries.
My parents, Claude and Irene Hobbs, and I moved to Badsey in 1953 from the Cheltenham area. My father managed Claybrook Nurseries for Peter Fearis of Barnwood, Gloucester. The Fearis family owned a chain of grocery shops in towns such as Gloucester and Worcester. The nursery supplied tomatoes and other salad crops to the stores, as well as growing carnations and many other flowers and pot plants. The Fearis business was bought by the supermarket chain Fine Fare who later sold it to Jimmy Collett who I believe came from Chipping Campden. My father retired about 1968 and we moved to 54, Bretforton Road. I don't know who owned Claybrook after Mr Collett but the nursery fell into disrepair and when I last visited it in 1994 it was in a derelict, sorry state.
I attended Badsey School and was intrigued to see pictures of the trip to Cheddar and Cardiff. What a mammoth excursion! I must have joined the school after this trip as I am sure I did not participate. We arrived in Badsey just after the Coronation. I can remember being given a Coronation mug by our neighbour, Mr George King. I still have it. I joined the class of a rather kind young male teacher whose name I cannot now remember and I think Mrs Peet was my teacher for the top class; such an elegant lady with her grey hair in a neat bun. I also remember Miss Barnard, Mrs Osborne and Miss Smith. Mrs Peet took the girls for needlework and I have vivid memories of struggling to make a half petticoat in our final year. Other memories are of singing in the school choir and attending a school music festival; held at Blackminster School I think. I remember being mortified on that occasion at finding, during the concert, a pipe cleaner still rolled into my hair. The evidence of mother's efforts to give me curls!
My mother was a member of the WI so it was great to see a mention of the skiffle group. I remember it well. Mum played the tea chest double bass.
Does anyone else remember the Red Cross cadets? Badsey had no Girl Guides or Brownie groups but Mrs Brazier (whose husband was the local builder) ran the cadets from her home in the High Street. We were taught First Aid and the District Nurse (Miss Davies) prepared us for our Home Nursing certificate. We marched in Remembrance Day parades. In the summer, for some reason, we did needlework! Preparing us to do the odd bit of suturing maybe?
May I add my congratulations to the many and well-deserved plaudits you have already received for your excellent website?
I have been researching my family's history seriously for only twelve months, and only recently stumbled across your website. It is a veritable goldmine of information, and it is particularly exciting to make such a find when labouring under the difficulty of trying to compile information from the other side of the world.
My great-grandmother was Charlotte Knight (b. 1833), a daughter of Valentine Knight (1799-1849) and Sarah Houghton (1800-1866). Charlotte married William Houghton of Harvington in December 1860. She spent the rest of her life in Harvington, where she died in September 1902, attended by one of her daughters, who lived next door to her. Charlotte produced two daughters and a son, William Edwin Houghton (1869 - 1918), who subsequently had twelve children, of whom my father was the youngest. My grandfather was an employee of the Midland Railway, at Upton on Severn, Gloucester, Bristol and finally Bromsgrove, where he was Railway Traffic Inspector at the time of his death.
I read with interest the entries in your Visitors Book from other Knight family descendants, and would dearly love to examine the 14-foot-long Knight family tree.
Please keep up the good work; your website is a benchmark for other local history groups to aspire to.
I would just like to say how much I have enjoyed your website. I am doing family history research at the moment and found the parish records and church records section the best I have ever come across.
I went to Badsey School from 1959-1965 so it was lovely seeing the faces I remembered and the names of the teachers. I have a class photo with Mr. Morton in 1963. I was Head Girl in the academic year Sept 1964 to July 1965 with Stephen Tucker as Head Boy. Stephen proposed to me on the school turtle/ tortoise when we were 5 but sadly I went to Evesham High School (Four Pools) and Stephen went to Blackminster so true love never blossomed!!.
I went on to have a successful academic career at Evesham High and was the first pupil at the school to get a place at an Oxbridge College. The year 1972 and I went up to Girton College, Cambridge It was a good year for Evesham schools, Wendy Thomas from Prince Henry's went to Newnham in the same year and our stories were covered in the Evesham Journal. Wendy and I both read Natural Sciences with both of us graduating in 1975.
I then went on to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff to do my Ph.D. followed by post-doctoral research at Birmingham University. I then worked for 21 years service in the Forensic Science Service, retiring early last year when I reached 50, after contributing to the development of the service including the implementation of the National DNA database.
I would like to pay a tribute to all the staff at Badsey both teaching and non teaching for making my early school life so happy and setting me on a wonderfully fulfilling career path. Thank you all.
I have been researching the Barnard family for some years and have accumulated a lot of material on William (parish clerk, schoolmaster, postman and tailor through the 19th century).
I have all of my direct line back to William and their siblings linked up. Also, I know that the wife of a descendant of Joseph (William's son) is researching. Between us we should be able to cover two branches of the family.
However, there are cross links into other Badsey families (Addis, Walker, more recently Merrett, certainly more) and there might be some value in attempting a more ambitious Village Tree. I am too busy to do this at present (Birmingham Poet Laureate this year - Badsey seems to breed poets) but will be happy to share my tree with any willing volunteer. "Intermarriage in a 19th century village" - would make a good research project for a student.
I think the Badsey website is splendid, well-built and an enormous benefit to us exiles. Thanks to all who work on it.
Don Barnard (son of Edwin "Ted", born Brewers Lane, had land at Horsebridge and later Knowle Hill).
Leamington Spa, Warks
Congratulations on an excellent website and thank you to all who have worked to provide such a wealth of valuable and interesting information.
I am researching the family of my husbands great great great grandfather Samuel DONES, b. cl820 in Badsey, (son of Thomas DONES labourer) who married Emma VALE on 18 Nov 1847 in the Parish Church, Dumbleton, Gloucestershire.
After checking the information on your site I believe that our Samuel could be the Samuel DONES bpt. 9 Jul 1820 St James Church Badsey, son of Thomas DONES and Hannah JELFS who were married on 26 Dec 1816 in St James Church Badsey.
As this is still to be confirmed I would appreciate any assistance or advice you can give regarding the DONES and JELFS families.
Congratulations! Your website is fascinating, and a benchmark for excellence as a tool to help family research.
Your census strays show that John Harwood was resident in Leamington Priors at the time of the 1851 census. Although he is mentioned as having been born in Badsey in 1802 there seems to be no record of his birth in the parish records either in that year or thereabouts.
The John Harwood you mention is a bit of a mystery. I am assuming he is the same person as John Harwood who died at Badsey in April 1876, aged 74. As far as Badsey records are concerned, his burial is very much of a stray, as he occurs nowhere else in the records - no baptism, no marriage, and he does not feature in any census return.
The name HARWARD has featured in Badsey records since records began in the 16th century. However, this name had died out in Badsey and Aldington by the mid 18th century. The name reappeared as HARWOOD in the mid 19th century, but I don't know if they were descendants of the HARWARDs or not. Certainly, there's no record of John or any other HARWOOD or HARWARD being baptised at the beginning of the 19th century in Badsey. There are still HARWOODs in the area today, and they are all descended from George Harwood, who was born at Church Lench about 1836, and who moved to Aldington in the 1860s. George Harwood is described in an out-of-print book, "Grain and Chaff from an English Manor", by Arthur Savory. Arthur Savory was a tenant farmer at Aldington Manor and George Harwood, or "Jarge", (the Asum Grammar pronunciation of George) as he referred to him in the book, was his foreman. This is an excerpt from the book:
"Jarge was one of the most prominent characters among my men. He was not a native of the Vale, coming form the Lynches (sic), a hilly district to the north of Evesham. He was a sturdy and very excellent workman. He did with his might whatsoever his hand found to do, and everything he undertook was a success. The beautifully trimmed hedge in front of his cottage-garden proclaimed his method and love of order at a glance. Jarge was a wag; he was the man who, like Shakespeare’s clowns, stepped on to the stage at the critical moment and saved a serious situation with a quaint or epigrammatic expression. Owing to the somewhat unconvincing fact of his wife’s brother being a gamekeeper on the Marquis’s estate near Jarge’s native village, he had acquired, and retained through all the years of my farming, a sporting reputation; he was always the man selected for trapping any evil beast or bird that might be worrying us; and when the cherries were beginning to show ruddy complexions in the sunshine, and the starlings and blackbirds were becoming troublesome, armed with an old muzzle-loader of mine, he made incessant warfare against them, and his gun could be heard as early as five o'clock in the morning, while the shots would often come pattering down harmlessly on my greenhouse. Jarge was an instance of superior descent; his surname was that of an ancient and prominent county family in former days; he carried himself with dignity and was generally respected; he possessed the power of very minute observation, and was of all others the man to find coins or other small leavings of Roman and former occupiers of my land. His eldest daughter was a charming girl and, when Jarge became a widower, she made a most efficient mistress of his household. She showed, too, quite unmistakably her descent from distinguished ancestry. Tall, clear-complexioned, graceful, dignified and rather serious, but with a sweet smile, she was a daughter of whom any man might have been proud, to my thinking, she was the belle of the village, and she made a very pretty picture in her sun-bonnet, among the green and golden tracery of the hop-bine in the hopping season accompanied by the smaller members of the family. At the "crib" into which the hops are picked, many bushels proved their industry, and there were no leaves or rubbish to call for rebuke at the midday and evening measurings."
First of all I would like to thank you very much for the work that you have done on the Badsey website. This is a model example of how parish records, censuses, school records and surname family histories can be presented. What an amazing accomplishment.
My mother's mother was a Hartwell and I have totally enjoyed tracing her family from Ebrington to Badsey to Pensham to Aston and to Trenton and Niagara Falls, Ontario. You have certainly brought to life the Hartwell family in Badsey and confirmed to me that they previously came from Ebrington. Now I have a question about Thomas William Hartwell. You say in your Surname Notes that "Elizabeth Hartwell (1852-), married John Crane in October 1874. Earlier in the year she had given birth to an illegitimate son, Thomas William Hartwell, who was baptised in Badsey in February 1874." Your transcription of the baptismal records, however, shows Sarah Hartwell as the unwed mother of Thomas William Hartwell on 15 February 1874. The IGI name extraction of the parish records also shows Sarah Hartwell as the mother of Thomas William Hartwell. When the census information is added it is clear that Thomas lived with John and Elizabeth Crane. And when Thomas Hartwell's second son was born and the Vicar wrote "commonly known as Crane", more evidence is added. I think that your conclusion is correct. However, there is still the oddity of the baptism. Did the Vicar just mistakenly record Elizabeth as Sarah? Did Elizabeth have two Christian names?
Many thanks for your kind email; it is always good to receive letters of appreciation. I have gone back to my notes about the Hartwells, because as soon as I saw your heading, I remembered there was an issue with this person. I was aware of the inconsistency but had not had a chance to check the parish registers to see if I had transcribed the name correctly. However, I am grateful to Diana Daffurn who checked the register for me. The name in the "Mother" column is most definitely Sarah BUT, in the margin, someone has written "Elizabeth was the mother". So evidently an error was made which was later noticed and a message added. It was as a result of Diana's investigations that I was able to write with confidence that Thomas was the son of Elizabeth. What I forgot to do, however, was to have the note added to the baptism transcript. I will ask the webmaster to add this in.
I have found some wonderful information about the Malin family on the Badsey website, and would welcome more news, especially from Malin relatives!
My grandmother Ruby Henrietta Malin was born at Hidcote Bartrim in 1888. Her family moved to Badsey and grandmother attended Badsey School from 1891. Her parents John and Susannah Malin were married in 1876. The marriage was registered at Shipston on Stour. Grandmothers Grandparents were Louisa and Thomas Malin. Thomas was born in Broadway in 1815. Grandmothers family moved to Birmingham around 1900 and are mentioned in the 1901 census living at Old Farm, Dad's Lane, in the Parish of Kings Norton. Grandmother died in 1969 in Birmingham. She married Robert Smith of Yardley Wood in 1908?
I have been doing my family tree for about 6 months now and a friend of mine showed me the badsey.net website and to my amazement I have found my relatives. I was so pleased to know where they lived and what they did had me speechless. Thanks to the website and you're hard work and time, I found my 6th generation. Hopefully now I can go on and find out more about my Byrd family and hopefully know more about their lives back then.
Thank you so much I feel I have filled the missing pieces.
Jessica's initial joy at tracing her ancestors may have been a little premature, as it was based on a precarious link between Jessica's great-grandfather Sampson Byrd and the Byrds which appear on the Badsey website. Further research has shown that Sampson was not related to the Badsey Byrds but to a family of Byrds from Staffordshire.
Family History researchers, particularly from overseas, please check your links carefully from the present day back to the data which appears on the Badsey website. Because of Data Protection issues, the parish registers and census returns have only been transcribed for dates of over 100 years ago. It is up to you to fill in the gaps for the last 100 years. Even if the name you are researching is fairly uncommon, please be aware that in some families there are often frequent occurrences. If you are unable to search the paper records, the internet is a useful tool, particularly www.familysearch.org, www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk and www.1837online.com. However, with the first website, not all parishes are covered, so always be aware of what information might be missing as well as what is there. The census website is a valuable resource, but also be aware that there may be transcription errors. For example, in the 1881 census, the notable Badsey family of SLADDEN appeared as HADDEN.
My Aunt and I are trying to trace our family tree and were delighted to find the Badsey website. Most helpful is the section on the churchyard - congratulations and thanks to Peter Stewart for his hard work - we have quite a few relatives buried in the churchyard, such as my great grandparents Florence and Walter Jelfs, and he has made the job of finding their graves so much easier. We are particularly interested in information regarding the following names:- Jelfs, Lloyd, Cull, Chamberlain and would appreciate any assistance. My mother was Jo (Josephine) Jelfs who was brought up in Ivy Lane, Bretforton with her 4 sisters and 2 brothers and had various relatives living in Badsey and Childswickham.
How delighted I was to find the Badsey website and particularly the section about the school. As the Headmaster between 1981 -1987 I look upon it as the happiest time in my professional career! This was made so by a combination of the staff, children, parents and the whole village. How pleased I was that Jean James should be such a large part of the last 30+ years at the school. What a true professional who I'm sure will be remembered with affection for many years to come. I was particularly interested to hear that she now has connections with Murcia in southern Spain, as I myself now live very close by. Does anyone in the village have a contact address or e-mail for Jean? Perhaps someone could pass my address onto her. I shall continue to browse the website and remember a true piece of England!!
My maternal grandparents (Will and May Bigglestone) moved to Badsey in the early 1950's. They owned a house in Badsey Fields Lane. It was situated past a plot of land on the left hand side going towards the footpath to the recreation field. I believe that this piece of land was subsequently used to build a house. Next door to my grandparent's house lived an old lady who I recall was called Mrs. Dore and on the same side of the road a fisherman called Mr. Bunce who set me on a hobby for life when he taught me to fish - visits to the Avon at Evesham and a stream outside the village where there was an old mill pond if I recall correctly. The stream was full of dace.
As a boy I used to spend holidays in the summer in Badsey and got to know some of the village lads and lasses who spoke in a dialect if they did not want me to know what they were saying. To them I was known as "Cardiff" because I came from there. Still do!! We would meet on the rec. in the old wooden stand and climb the tall trees at the Sands Lane end. One boy lived with his family on the right hand side of the road after turning left out of Sand's Lane - he was called Jim. My grandparents name was Bigglestone and they moved away when my grandfather retired from the railway to live in Gloucester. He worked as an inspector of railways based at Honeybourne, I believe.
I remember going to the Blacksmith's shop just past the church and was thrilled to help him pump the huge hand operated bellows to make the fire glow. I cannot forget the smell of the burning hooves when the red hot shoe was presented to the hoof. Fantastic memories of the place.
In a field near the Wheatsheaf Pub was a donkey called Simon who we would visit with titbits. Is the tall tree in the churchyard still there? I have so many memories of your village but I have not been back for many years. I am 60 years of age now but the memories of Badsey are as fresh as though it was only last year.
Alan - if you come back to Badsey you will notice lots of changes. The blacksmith is still here, at least until he retires, but sadly the Wellingtonia tree is gone.
Having just visited Church Stretton in Shropshire and noticed their big sign with the website address of the town attached I wondered if this would be possible for Badsey? The Bretforton road only has a very small sign " to village Centre" which has to compete with a tree in the summer and a sign for recycling centre the rest of the year. Perhaps a sign which had our website address would generate interest in the village and could be financed with lottery money for example?
We would certainly like to see WWW.BADSEY.NET on the village signs. We looked into this about a year ago and suggested it to the Parish Council. I gather getting permission to do this involves miles of red tape. I know of one village (not Church Stretton) who have just gone ahead and done it without getting proper permission and I would personally not object if signs just appeared!
My Grandfather Emile Anton Ollsson known as Jack owned Claybrook Nursery in Badsey early last century until 1948. I would be interested to know if the nursery is still going.
Just a quick line to say how touched my brother, Terry, and myself were for the lovely comments that have been made about Aunty Norah on your wonderful website. In fact until Aunty's death I was not aware of there even being such a website in existence.
Both Terry and myself would like to thank the many people of Badsey who were friends of Norah's. Until her illness she really had been a stalwart of village life and I am proud to say that she was one of the few really "good" people I have ever come across. She gave willingly of herself, her time and her finances in many ways to many people.
Once again many thanks - Alison Brain and Terry Smith (niece and nephew)
My uncle Maurice Harvey lived at the Manor when he came with the evacuees to Badsey from Birmingham. Up in the attics there was all sorts of graffiti left by the German Prisoners.
Maurice Harvey was a schoolmaster at Prince Edwards Grammar School, Birmingham before the war living in Quinton. At the outbreak of hostilities the school was compulsorily evacuated to the Evesham area. Maurice, his wife Madge, and two children Pamela and Richard were housed in the Manor House. This sparsely furnished rambling house was a cultural shock after their modern home. Having survived a terrible winter trying to keep warm with open fires they moved to a house on a market garden, from memory along the Littleton Road.
I remember helping to sterilise soil using steam pipes from a large portable steam engine. This started my interest in engines which has been a lifetime hobby. When the war was drawing to a close and the school's return planned, uncle decided to try and stay. He had become a countryman growing asparagus and teaching my father the tricks. He applied for the Badsey School headship and moved into the School House.
While war is a terrible business for Uncle it was a blessing and the family enjoyed their Badsey involvement. He lost his brother Henry in the First World War so was well aware of the tragedies. Incidentally his Great Grandfather was Thomas Winter (alias Spring) of Fownhope, Herefordshire who was Champion of England at bare fist boxing having won his title before 40,000 spectators on Worcesters Pitchcroft racecourse. He is honoured in the American Hall of fame. No doubt Maurice stopped many a playground fight. I hope this will give ex-pupils a little insight into their headmaster.
I am trying to find any info on George Syril. He was in the 3rd Gloucester Regiment. He came to Badsey while he was in the army as a friend of the Bayliss Family. George married Linda Hodgkins on 17th November 1919 at Childswickham. George died in 1944 and is buried in the church grounds at St James Church Badsey. If you have any info it would be helpful.
I passed on Betty's enquiry to Desmond Syril of Green Leys Badsey. He is a son of George Syril and he has offered to give Betty information about his father.
We've just enjoyed browsing through the website and have found it very interesting. We were hoping to find out a bit about the history of our cottage, The Dovecote (formerly known as Stewart Cottage) in Aldington. We would be very interested to know if you have any details, pictures, etc or if not where we could possibly try to track these things down. We hope that you might be able to help.
I was very interested in the information about Thomas Walter Green (father and son) in your recent article on Houses that no longer exist. I am researching T.W.Green junr. because he published postcards (or had them published on his behalf) at his toy and confectioner's shop at 58, High Street, Evesham. I have attached some information about him which I found in the Evesham Journal 1914 (he died on 31 July 1914) plus various directory entries. My main interest is researching Worcestershire postcard publishers, e.g. Crisp's Series of Badsey published in Teesee Series (Thompson of Coventry) and Worcestershire history in general. This is a bit difficult as I live in Greenwich which is why I find your website so useful. Hope the information is of some use.
Ted Heath, Systems Librarian Southwark College, London
First let me congratulate all those responsible for a truly amazing website. My late father in law was one of the many bearing the Knight name to hale from Badsey, and it's been an absolute godsend to me in trying to discover his ancestry. Clearly such a wealth of material is bound to contain some interpretations of old writing which others with the benefit of additional material might conclude are probably not correct. I think I've found one such, and I hope you'll be able to check and correct if necessary.
In the index there are references to my wife's ancestor Edwin Knight born in 1844, who married at Badsey church on 30 Nov 1868. According to your index entry to the marriage registers his bride was Sarah DANBREY. The copy of the marriage certificate which I have from the General Register Office shows her surname to be what I read as DAUBNEY, rather than DANBREY. Edwin and Sarah appear in several census entries, all of which give her place of birth as Longborough. In the 1851 census for Longborough (HO 107 / 1790 pages 331 et seq) on schedule 99 are John DAUBNEY and his family, including a daughter Sarah, aged 3. There are six other schedules featuring people bearing this surname, which I assume must be a common one there. By contrast the FreeBMD site, which contains over 70 million entries from the civil registration indexes, has only one person named Danbrey!
I first want to commend you on such a beautiful website. My name is Kathleen Harris, and for the last few months I have been conducting a genealogical search for my surname. In my search, I came across family records from a departed uncle that had kept some family information showing me that my family originated in Badsey England.
Through your site, I have grown fond of what it must have been like to have grown up and lived in Badsey. I have never found another site like this out there. You should be proud.
Now, the most interesting information that I would love to see if you can assist me in. I was looking through the Badsey School photos, and one in particular caught my attention. Badsey School History: The Earliest Years lists a reference to Elizabeth Harris the grandmother of Geoffrey Hancock, and I believe it was submitted by Geoffs wife Peggy. (I have her surname in our records as Margaret Mary Ingles) This is my family - the Harris/Hancock side. I would love to see if there is a way to get this message to them, and confirm such.
See Elizabeth, was the sister to my Great Great grandfather, who left England for New York, USA. I had been stuck for many years at his line, until I found the records. To know that there are others with relations to me still living, let alone in the Badsey area makes me more than interested to reach out and learn more. Could you offer advice on how I could get the word to them, and others?
If you can, I greatly appreciate it. If not, then I shall continue to search and will remain a faithful visitor to this site. Wishing more towns/villages would take the effort to document their history as you have done.
Much appreciation, Kathleen Harris, Boston, Massachusetts US
Thank you very much about your kind comments about our website. Peggy Hancock is a keen family historian and a member of The Badsey Society, but is not a computer user. She lives in Evesham, so I will put a copy of your e-mail through her door. In the meantime, could you let me know your postal address, please, so that I can pass this information on to her. I see that Elizabeth Harris had two brothers, Thomas and David. Which one are you descended from? When did he go to the USA? Do you have any information which would be of interest to the website?
I came across your website whilst trying to find information on ivory carvers in England and I note that Bertram Jones's great grandfather was also an ivory carver. Does anyone know his name? My ancestor Thomas Moody Jacobs(1805 - 1851) carried on the same craft in Manchester, Liverpool and London and I wondered whether there was any possibility of a connection. Can you help please?
Thank you for your enquiry. I'm afraid nothing is known about Bertram Jones' ancestors. He and his wife moved from London to Badsey during the Second World War, to escape the bombing.
First of all congratulations on your excellent website. We have a couple of Campden websites, but yours is one I shall tell them they must emulate - though I doubt if we shall find anyone with the time or energy to do so. The Historical Society archives are mainly held as hard copy, though we have a growing amount of photographic records and oral history on computer.
I am interested in the Warmington, Bennett and Parker families of Badsey - all ancestors of mine. This is not a request for information, but I hope it might be helpful for your archives to fill in a few links.
The Parkers at The Manor House. About 1850 a young farmer, Edward (or William) Parker and his elder sister Prudence, or Prudence Grace, (both unmarried) moved into Manor House (folio 335 on the 1851 Badsey census). They were the son and daughter of William and Mary Parker and I imagine the house and farm had been bought - or leased - for them by the parents. The father, William had been born in Welford, where the Parker line stretches back to to the very early 18th century and probably earlier. William senior later moved from Welford, apparently first to Pillerton Hersey where in 1824 he married a Mary Smith of that village. Although originally a farmer, the couple later moved to Warwick and he may have taken up another occupation or profession.
By 1861, William and Mary, now retired, had moved into the Manor House with their son, (f.73; 1861) who was now married. (Your version of the census says Emilia Parker was William junr's sister; in fact she was his wife). Edward (henceforth always called William) by then had three children. It is interesting that all of the children were named after relatives : William Corbett (Corbett was the maiden name of Emilia) Emiia Grace, and Prudence Mary. Edward's sister Prudence Grace (of whom more later) had by then left the house. The elder Parkers are buried near the church door in Badsey, and Mary's grave states she was 'of the Manor House'.
The Warmingtons. Also by 1861, William Warmington had moved into Badsey and was at the Bell Inn. William was the youngest son of John Warmington of Wilmcote. John had moved to Wilmcote from Bidford (or possibly Marlcliff) as a young man to work in the newly opened quarries there. He had later married the daughter of the landlord of the Swan Inn in Wilmcote (later known as the Swan House Hotel, and now, I believe, Arden House Hotel). He had thus inherited the Swan. Having given up his former occupation, he farmed as well as being a brewer and publican. William followed in his footsteps and at the time of his marriage in 1854 he was farming in Dorsington. William had in fact married Prudence Grace Parker from Badsey Manor House.
I am an ex student from Badsey first school and am very confused with what I recently read in the Evesham Journal. I left badsey 6 years ago and now am in year 11 at Prince Henrys High, Evesham. During my time at Badsey, in year 3 ( 9 years ago) we all celebrated the 100th anniversary of the school, so how is it now that 9 years on the school is 150 years old? I have photos of the pupils on the field in a 100 shape which was taken by a helicopter and remember well that we dressed up in Victorian outfits, so I am not mistaken. Please could you get back to me, and explain how Badsey is 150 years old.
The answer is a simple one. The school building was 100 years old in 1995.
Badsey National School opened on 1st November 1854 in premises which have now become the British Legion. The school was a Church school and was funded by voluntary contributions. However, by the 1880s, it was running into financial problems, and in May 1893, the responsibility for educating the local children passed to a local Board. From May 1893, it was known as Badsey Board School. At this time, the population of Badsey was growing quickly with the growth of market gardening, and the Board either had to extend the school already in existence or move to new premises. The opportunity came up to purchase some land, so it was decided to build on a new site. On 21st June 1895, the teachers and children were able to move into the new building. The building was much smaller in those days, and has been extended extensively over the years.
From 1903-1948, the school was called Badsey Council School, from 1948-1975 it was called Badsey County Primary School, from 1975 to the present day, it has been known as Badsey First School. In a sense, there's a chance for lots of anniversaries - the original founding of the school, the move to the new building, or since it became known as Badsey First School!
It's the same with your current school. I believe Prince Henry's moved to its current premises in 1911, but the school foundation is much much older, dating back several hundred years.
Comments
Re: Idiens Family
Thank you for your email. The Idiens family had a few connections with Badsey: John Idiens had business connections in the village; he was a School Manager from 1902-1904; and his eldest son, Harold, married a Badsey girl, Elizabeth Helena Crisp, a former pupil and teacher at Badsey School.
I've just had a quick look in the index of the 1901 census and see that the Idiens were living then at Wickhamford (the next village to Badsey). Five of their children lived there (Harold, Albert, Walter, Doris and Stanley). I couldn't find Edith Mary Idiens anywhere on the 1901 census. The story goes that the Idiens lived very briefly at Wickhamford Manor (a beautiful old building with lovely gardens) but then lost all their money and emigrated to Canada. Are you descended from John and Alice? If you are, if you're ever visiting England, it would be worth staying there (they do bed and breakfast accommodation) to see what your inheritance might have been!
Re: Idiens Family
In the 1901 census I find Edith Mary Idiens (indexed as Idiers), aged 14, living with Mary South at what looks like 11 Clarendon Street, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire [RG 13/2673, p 25]. Also there were her own sister Alice M. Idiens (aged 15) and two of Mary South's daughters: Sarah and Mary South. There were only these five women plus a "general domestic" servant girl.
"Lost all their money" would explain why the Idiens emigrated. The agricultural depression in England towards the end of the 19th century, and heavier taxing of landowners, as David Cannadine explains in his books, certainly put pressure on the countryside. My Readings grandparents left rural Berkshire in 1905, where they had been brickmakers, and were followed in 1919 for similar reasons by my Bosher grandparents, gardeners on a big estate near Bracknell when it was still a village. The Idiens were not my forebears! Still, it would be fun to stay at the Wickhamford Manor, but I won't manage it this year.
Wendy Hobbs—a stitch in time!
I have just discovered your website and was delighted to renew my memories of Badsey and I was particularly interested to see the enquiry about Claybrook Nurseries.
My parents, Claude and Irene Hobbs, and I moved to Badsey in 1953 from the Cheltenham area. My father managed Claybrook Nurseries for Peter Fearis of Barnwood, Gloucester. The Fearis family owned a chain of grocery shops in towns such as Gloucester and Worcester. The nursery supplied tomatoes and other salad crops to the stores, as well as growing carnations and many other flowers and pot plants. The Fearis business was bought by the supermarket chain Fine Fare who later sold it to Jimmy Collett who I believe came from Chipping Campden. My father retired about 1968 and we moved to 54, Bretforton Road. I don't know who owned Claybrook after Mr Collett but the nursery fell into disrepair and when I last visited it in 1994 it was in a derelict, sorry state.
I attended Badsey School and was intrigued to see pictures of the trip to Cheddar and Cardiff. What a mammoth excursion! I must have joined the school after this trip as I am sure I did not participate. We arrived in Badsey just after the Coronation. I can remember being given a Coronation mug by our neighbour, Mr George King. I still have it. I joined the class of a rather kind young male teacher whose name I cannot now remember and I think Mrs Peet was my teacher for the top class; such an elegant lady with her grey hair in a neat bun. I also remember Miss Barnard, Mrs Osborne and Miss Smith. Mrs Peet took the girls for needlework and I have vivid memories of struggling to make a half petticoat in our final year. Other memories are of singing in the school choir and attending a school music festival; held at Blackminster School I think. I remember being mortified on that occasion at finding, during the concert, a pipe cleaner still rolled into my hair. The evidence of mother's efforts to give me curls!
My mother was a member of the WI so it was great to see a mention of the skiffle group. I remember it well. Mum played the tea chest double bass.
Does anyone else remember the Red Cross cadets? Badsey had no Girl Guides or Brownie groups but Mrs Brazier (whose husband was the local builder) ran the cadets from her home in the High Street. We were taught First Aid and the District Nurse (Miss Davies) prepared us for our Home Nursing certificate. We marched in Remembrance Day parades. In the summer, for some reason, we did needlework! Preparing us to do the odd bit of suturing maybe?
Wendy Ellis (nèe Hobbs)
Manningtree, Essex
Knight family tree—more roots discovered down under!
May I add my congratulations to the many and well-deserved plaudits you have already received for your excellent website?
I have been researching my family's history seriously for only twelve months, and only recently stumbled across your website. It is a veritable goldmine of information, and it is particularly exciting to make such a find when labouring under the difficulty of trying to compile information from the other side of the world.
My great-grandmother was Charlotte Knight (b. 1833), a daughter of Valentine Knight (1799-1849) and Sarah Houghton (1800-1866). Charlotte married William Houghton of Harvington in December 1860. She spent the rest of her life in Harvington, where she died in September 1902, attended by one of her daughters, who lived next door to her. Charlotte produced two daughters and a son, William Edwin Houghton (1869 - 1918), who subsequently had twelve children, of whom my father was the youngest. My grandfather was an employee of the Midland Railway, at Upton on Severn, Gloucester, Bristol and finally Bromsgrove, where he was Railway Traffic Inspector at the time of his death.
I read with interest the entries in your Visitors Book from other Knight family descendants, and would dearly love to examine the 14-foot-long Knight family tree.
Please keep up the good work; your website is a benchmark for other local history groups to aspire to.
Keith Houghton
Sydney, Australia
Head girl remembers what the tortoise taught us!
I would just like to say how much I have enjoyed your website. I am doing family history research at the moment and found the parish records and church records section the best I have ever come across.
I went to Badsey School from 1959-1965 so it was lovely seeing the faces I remembered and the names of the teachers. I have a class photo with Mr. Morton in 1963. I was Head Girl in the academic year Sept 1964 to July 1965 with Stephen Tucker as Head Boy. Stephen proposed to me on the school turtle/ tortoise when we were 5 but sadly I went to Evesham High School (Four Pools) and Stephen went to Blackminster so true love never blossomed!!.
I went on to have a successful academic career at Evesham High and was the first pupil at the school to get a place at an Oxbridge College. The year 1972 and I went up to Girton College, Cambridge It was a good year for Evesham schools, Wendy Thomas from Prince Henry's went to Newnham in the same year and our stories were covered in the Evesham Journal. Wendy and I both read Natural Sciences with both of us graduating in 1975.
I then went on to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff to do my Ph.D. followed by post-doctoral research at Birmingham University. I then worked for 21 years service in the Forensic Science Service, retiring early last year when I reached 50, after contributing to the development of the service including the implementation of the National DNA database.
I would like to pay a tribute to all the staff at Badsey both teaching and non teaching for making my early school life so happy and setting me on a wonderfully fulfilling career path. Thank you all.
Sara Westwood (nèe Kitcher)
William Barnard and his Descendants
I have been researching the Barnard family for some years and have accumulated a lot of material on William (parish clerk, schoolmaster, postman and tailor through the 19th century).
I have all of my direct line back to William and their siblings linked up. Also, I know that the wife of a descendant of Joseph (William's son) is researching. Between us we should be able to cover two branches of the family.
However, there are cross links into other Badsey families (Addis, Walker, more recently Merrett, certainly more) and there might be some value in attempting a more ambitious Village Tree. I am too busy to do this at present (Birmingham Poet Laureate this year - Badsey seems to breed poets) but will be happy to share my tree with any willing volunteer. "Intermarriage in a 19th century village" - would make a good research project for a student.
I think the Badsey website is splendid, well-built and an enormous benefit to us exiles. Thanks to all who work on it.
Don Barnard (son of Edwin "Ted", born Brewers Lane, had land at Horsebridge and later Knowle Hill).
Leamington Spa, Warks
See also William Barnard 1803 - 1892 an article written by Don Barnard.
Dones and Jelfs Families
Congratulations on an excellent website and thank you to all who have worked to provide such a wealth of valuable and interesting information.
I am researching the family of my husbands great great great grandfather Samuel DONES, b. cl820 in Badsey, (son of Thomas DONES labourer) who married Emma VALE on 18 Nov 1847 in the Parish Church, Dumbleton, Gloucestershire.
After checking the information on your site I believe that our Samuel could be the Samuel DONES bpt. 9 Jul 1820 St James Church Badsey, son of Thomas DONES and Hannah JELFS who were married on 26 Dec 1816 in St James Church Badsey.
As this is still to be confirmed I would appreciate any assistance or advice you can give regarding the DONES and JELFS families.
Joy Earnshaw
NSW Australia
Harwood and Harward—Good Relations?
Congratulations! Your website is fascinating, and a benchmark for excellence as a tool to help family research.
Your census strays show that John Harwood was resident in Leamington Priors at the time of the 1851 census. Although he is mentioned as having been born in Badsey in 1802 there seems to be no record of his birth in the parish records either in that year or thereabouts.
Were the Harward and Harwood families related?
Steven Powers
Re: Harwood and Harward—Good Relations?
The John Harwood you mention is a bit of a mystery. I am assuming he is the same person as John Harwood who died at Badsey in April 1876, aged 74. As far as Badsey records are concerned, his burial is very much of a stray, as he occurs nowhere else in the records - no baptism, no marriage, and he does not feature in any census return.
The name HARWARD has featured in Badsey records since records began in the 16th century. However, this name had died out in Badsey and Aldington by the mid 18th century. The name reappeared as HARWOOD in the mid 19th century, but I don't know if they were descendants of the HARWARDs or not. Certainly, there's no record of John or any other HARWOOD or HARWARD being baptised at the beginning of the 19th century in Badsey. There are still HARWOODs in the area today, and they are all descended from George Harwood, who was born at Church Lench about 1836, and who moved to Aldington in the 1860s. George Harwood is described in an out-of-print book, "Grain and Chaff from an English Manor", by Arthur Savory. Arthur Savory was a tenant farmer at Aldington Manor and George Harwood, or "Jarge", (the Asum Grammar pronunciation of George) as he referred to him in the book, was his foreman. This is an excerpt from the book:
Elizabeth Hartwell
First of all I would like to thank you very much for the work that you have done on the Badsey website. This is a model example of how parish records, censuses, school records and surname family histories can be presented. What an amazing accomplishment.
My mother's mother was a Hartwell and I have totally enjoyed tracing her family from Ebrington to Badsey to Pensham to Aston and to Trenton and Niagara Falls, Ontario. You have certainly brought to life the Hartwell family in Badsey and confirmed to me that they previously came from Ebrington. Now I have a question about Thomas William Hartwell. You say in your Surname Notes that "Elizabeth Hartwell (1852-), married John Crane in October 1874. Earlier in the year she had given birth to an illegitimate son, Thomas William Hartwell, who was baptised in Badsey in February 1874." Your transcription of the baptismal records, however, shows Sarah Hartwell as the unwed mother of Thomas William Hartwell on 15 February 1874. The IGI name extraction of the parish records also shows Sarah Hartwell as the mother of Thomas William Hartwell. When the census information is added it is clear that Thomas lived with John and Elizabeth Crane. And when Thomas Hartwell's second son was born and the Vicar wrote "commonly known as Crane", more evidence is added. I think that your conclusion is correct. However, there is still the oddity of the baptism. Did the Vicar just mistakenly record Elizabeth as Sarah? Did Elizabeth have two Christian names?
Denis Freel
Warren, New Jersey, USA
Re: Elizabeth Hartwell
Many thanks for your kind email; it is always good to receive letters of appreciation. I have gone back to my notes about the Hartwells, because as soon as I saw your heading, I remembered there was an issue with this person. I was aware of the inconsistency but had not had a chance to check the parish registers to see if I had transcribed the name correctly. However, I am grateful to Diana Daffurn who checked the register for me. The name in the "Mother" column is most definitely Sarah BUT, in the margin, someone has written "Elizabeth was the mother". So evidently an error was made which was later noticed and a message added. It was as a result of Diana's investigations that I was able to write with confidence that Thomas was the son of Elizabeth. What I forgot to do, however, was to have the note added to the baptism transcript. I will ask the webmaster to add this in.
The Malin Family
I have found some wonderful information about the Malin family on the Badsey website, and would welcome more news, especially from Malin relatives!
My grandmother Ruby Henrietta Malin was born at Hidcote Bartrim in 1888. Her family moved to Badsey and grandmother attended Badsey School from 1891. Her parents John and Susannah Malin were married in 1876. The marriage was registered at Shipston on Stour. Grandmothers Grandparents were Louisa and Thomas Malin. Thomas was born in Broadway in 1815. Grandmothers family moved to Birmingham around 1900 and are mentioned in the 1901 census living at Old Farm, Dad's Lane, in the Parish of Kings Norton. Grandmother died in 1969 in Birmingham. She married Robert Smith of Yardley Wood in 1908?
Pat Widdows
Byrd Spotting—A Cautionary Tale
I have been doing my family tree for about 6 months now and a friend of mine showed me the badsey.net website and to my amazement I have found my relatives. I was so pleased to know where they lived and what they did had me speechless. Thanks to the website and you're hard work and time, I found my 6th generation. Hopefully now I can go on and find out more about my Byrd family and hopefully know more about their lives back then.
Thank you so much I feel I have filled the missing pieces.
Jessica Byrd, Australia
Re: Byrd Spotting—A Cautionary Tale
Jessica's initial joy at tracing her ancestors may have been a little premature, as it was based on a precarious link between Jessica's great-grandfather Sampson Byrd and the Byrds which appear on the Badsey website. Further research has shown that Sampson was not related to the Badsey Byrds but to a family of Byrds from Staffordshire.
Family History researchers, particularly from overseas, please check your links carefully from the present day back to the data which appears on the Badsey website. Because of Data Protection issues, the parish registers and census returns have only been transcribed for dates of over 100 years ago. It is up to you to fill in the gaps for the last 100 years. Even if the name you are researching is fairly uncommon, please be aware that in some families there are often frequent occurrences. If you are unable to search the paper records, the internet is a useful tool, particularly www.familysearch.org, www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk and www.1837online.com. However, with the first website, not all parishes are covered, so always be aware of what information might be missing as well as what is there. The census website is a valuable resource, but also be aware that there may be transcription errors. For example, in the 1881 census, the notable Badsey family of SLADDEN appeared as HADDEN.
Jelfs, Lloyd, Cull and Chamberlain families
My Aunt and I are trying to trace our family tree and were delighted to find the Badsey website. Most helpful is the section on the churchyard - congratulations and thanks to Peter Stewart for his hard work - we have quite a few relatives buried in the churchyard, such as my great grandparents Florence and Walter Jelfs, and he has made the job of finding their graves so much easier. We are particularly interested in information regarding the following names:- Jelfs, Lloyd, Cull, Chamberlain and would appreciate any assistance. My mother was Jo (Josephine) Jelfs who was brought up in Ivy Lane, Bretforton with her 4 sisters and 2 brothers and had various relatives living in Badsey and Childswickham.
Dawn Cole, Bath
Badsey School and Mrs Jean James
How delighted I was to find the Badsey website and particularly the section about the school. As the Headmaster between 1981 -1987 I look upon it as the happiest time in my professional career! This was made so by a combination of the staff, children, parents and the whole village. How pleased I was that Jean James should be such a large part of the last 30+ years at the school. What a true professional who I'm sure will be remembered with affection for many years to come. I was particularly interested to hear that she now has connections with Murcia in southern Spain, as I myself now live very close by. Does anyone in the village have a contact address or e-mail for Jean? Perhaps someone could pass my address onto her. I shall continue to browse the website and remember a true piece of England!!
Yours, Trevor Clark
Memories of 'Cardiff'
My maternal grandparents (Will and May Bigglestone) moved to Badsey in the early 1950's. They owned a house in Badsey Fields Lane. It was situated past a plot of land on the left hand side going towards the footpath to the recreation field. I believe that this piece of land was subsequently used to build a house. Next door to my grandparent's house lived an old lady who I recall was called Mrs. Dore and on the same side of the road a fisherman called Mr. Bunce who set me on a hobby for life when he taught me to fish - visits to the Avon at Evesham and a stream outside the village where there was an old mill pond if I recall correctly. The stream was full of dace.
As a boy I used to spend holidays in the summer in Badsey and got to know some of the village lads and lasses who spoke in a dialect if they did not want me to know what they were saying. To them I was known as "Cardiff" because I came from there. Still do!! We would meet on the rec. in the old wooden stand and climb the tall trees at the Sands Lane end. One boy lived with his family on the right hand side of the road after turning left out of Sand's Lane - he was called Jim. My grandparents name was Bigglestone and they moved away when my grandfather retired from the railway to live in Gloucester. He worked as an inspector of railways based at Honeybourne, I believe.
I remember going to the Blacksmith's shop just past the church and was thrilled to help him pump the huge hand operated bellows to make the fire glow. I cannot forget the smell of the burning hooves when the red hot shoe was presented to the hoof. Fantastic memories of the place.
In a field near the Wheatsheaf Pub was a donkey called Simon who we would visit with titbits. Is the tall tree in the churchyard still there? I have so many memories of your village but I have not been back for many years. I am 60 years of age now but the memories of Badsey are as fresh as though it was only last year.
Alan Solomon, Cardiff
Re: Memories of 'Cardiff'
Alan - if you come back to Badsey you will notice lots of changes. The blacksmith is still here, at least until he retires, but sadly the Wellingtonia tree is gone.
Village signs & the website
Having just visited Church Stretton in Shropshire and noticed their big sign with the website address of the town attached I wondered if this would be possible for Badsey? The Bretforton road only has a very small sign " to village Centre" which has to compete with a tree in the summer and a sign for recycling centre the rest of the year. Perhaps a sign which had our website address would generate interest in the village and could be financed with lottery money for example?
Mrs Sarah Horton, Badsey
Re: Village signs & the website
We would certainly like to see WWW.BADSEY.NET on the village signs. We looked into this about a year ago and suggested it to the Parish Council. I gather getting permission to do this involves miles of red tape. I know of one village (not Church Stretton) who have just gone ahead and done it without getting proper permission and I would personally not object if signs just appeared!
Claybrook Nursery
My Grandfather Emile Anton Ollsson known as Jack owned Claybrook Nursery in Badsey early last century until 1948. I would be interested to know if the nursery is still going.
Jeremy Cowell, Eastbourne, East Sussex
Re: Claybrook Nursery
We believe Claybrook Nursery has closed although the farm buildings are still there. Can anyone provide more information?
Norah Edith Mary Smith
Just a quick line to say how touched my brother, Terry, and myself were for the lovely comments that have been made about Aunty Norah on your wonderful website. In fact until Aunty's death I was not aware of there even being such a website in existence.
Both Terry and myself would like to thank the many people of Badsey who were friends of Norah's. Until her illness she really had been a stalwart of village life and I am proud to say that she was one of the few really "good" people I have ever come across. She gave willingly of herself, her time and her finances in many ways to many people.
Once again many thanks - Alison Brain and Terry Smith (niece and nephew)
How Maurice Harvey came to Badsey
My uncle Maurice Harvey lived at the Manor when he came with the evacuees to Badsey from Birmingham. Up in the attics there was all sorts of graffiti left by the German Prisoners.
Maurice Harvey was a schoolmaster at Prince Edwards Grammar School, Birmingham before the war living in Quinton. At the outbreak of hostilities the school was compulsorily evacuated to the Evesham area. Maurice, his wife Madge, and two children Pamela and Richard were housed in the Manor House. This sparsely furnished rambling house was a cultural shock after their modern home. Having survived a terrible winter trying to keep warm with open fires they moved to a house on a market garden, from memory along the Littleton Road.
I remember helping to sterilise soil using steam pipes from a large portable steam engine. This started my interest in engines which has been a lifetime hobby. When the war was drawing to a close and the school's return planned, uncle decided to try and stay. He had become a countryman growing asparagus and teaching my father the tricks. He applied for the Badsey School headship and moved into the School House.
While war is a terrible business for Uncle it was a blessing and the family enjoyed their Badsey involvement. He lost his brother Henry in the First World War so was well aware of the tragedies. Incidentally his Great Grandfather was Thomas Winter (alias Spring) of Fownhope, Herefordshire who was Champion of England at bare fist boxing having won his title before 40,000 spectators on Worcesters Pitchcroft racecourse. He is honoured in the American Hall of fame. No doubt Maurice stopped many a playground fight. I hope this will give ex-pupils a little insight into their headmaster.
Max Sinclair, Lower Broadheath Worcester
Re: How Maurice Harvey came to Badsey
For more on Maurice Harvey's time as Head Teacher at Badsey School see The Harvey years (1945 - 1967). Max is also responding to our article German prisoners of war at the Badsey Manor House in 1918.
George Syril
I am trying to find any info on George Syril. He was in the 3rd Gloucester Regiment. He came to Badsey while he was in the army as a friend of the Bayliss Family. George married Linda Hodgkins on 17th November 1919 at Childswickham. George died in 1944 and is buried in the church grounds at St James Church Badsey. If you have any info it would be helpful.
Betty Syril and I live at Guiseley. Leeds
Re: George Syril
I passed on Betty's enquiry to Desmond Syril of Green Leys Badsey. He is a son of George Syril and he has offered to give Betty information about his father.
The Dovecote (Stewart Cottage) in Aldington
We've just enjoyed browsing through the website and have found it very interesting. We were hoping to find out a bit about the history of our cottage, The Dovecote (formerly known as Stewart Cottage) in Aldington. We would be very interested to know if you have any details, pictures, etc or if not where we could possibly try to track these things down. We hope that you might be able to help.
Many thanks, Matt & Martine Johnson, Aldington
Postcard publishing & the Green family
I was very interested in the information about Thomas Walter Green (father and son) in your recent article on Houses that no longer exist. I am researching T.W.Green junr. because he published postcards (or had them published on his behalf) at his toy and confectioner's shop at 58, High Street, Evesham. I have attached some information about him which I found in the Evesham Journal 1914 (he died on 31 July 1914) plus various directory entries. My main interest is researching Worcestershire postcard publishers, e.g. Crisp's Series of Badsey published in Teesee Series (Thompson of Coventry) and Worcestershire history in general. This is a bit difficult as I live in Greenwich which is why I find your website so useful. Hope the information is of some use.
Ted Heath, Systems Librarian Southwark College, London
Knight and Daubney families
First let me congratulate all those responsible for a truly amazing website. My late father in law was one of the many bearing the Knight name to hale from Badsey, and it's been an absolute godsend to me in trying to discover his ancestry. Clearly such a wealth of material is bound to contain some interpretations of old writing which others with the benefit of additional material might conclude are probably not correct. I think I've found one such, and I hope you'll be able to check and correct if necessary.
In the index there are references to my wife's ancestor Edwin Knight born in 1844, who married at Badsey church on 30 Nov 1868. According to your index entry to the marriage registers his bride was Sarah DANBREY. The copy of the marriage certificate which I have from the General Register Office shows her surname to be what I read as DAUBNEY, rather than DANBREY. Edwin and Sarah appear in several census entries, all of which give her place of birth as Longborough. In the 1851 census for Longborough (HO 107 / 1790 pages 331 et seq) on schedule 99 are John DAUBNEY and his family, including a daughter Sarah, aged 3. There are six other schedules featuring people bearing this surname, which I assume must be a common one there. By contrast the FreeBMD site, which contains over 70 million entries from the civil registration indexes, has only one person named Danbrey!
With best wishes, Dick Mathews
Re: Knight and Daubney families
Many thanks for the correction and good luck with your search for more Knights and Daubneys.
Harris and Hancock surnames
I first want to commend you on such a beautiful website. My name is Kathleen Harris, and for the last few months I have been conducting a genealogical search for my surname. In my search, I came across family records from a departed uncle that had kept some family information showing me that my family originated in Badsey England.
Through your site, I have grown fond of what it must have been like to have grown up and lived in Badsey. I have never found another site like this out there. You should be proud.
Now, the most interesting information that I would love to see if you can assist me in. I was looking through the Badsey School photos, and one in particular caught my attention. Badsey School History: The Earliest Years lists a reference to Elizabeth Harris the grandmother of Geoffrey Hancock, and I believe it was submitted by Geoffs wife Peggy. (I have her surname in our records as Margaret Mary Ingles) This is my family - the Harris/Hancock side. I would love to see if there is a way to get this message to them, and confirm such.
See Elizabeth, was the sister to my Great Great grandfather, who left England for New York, USA. I had been stuck for many years at his line, until I found the records. To know that there are others with relations to me still living, let alone in the Badsey area makes me more than interested to reach out and learn more. Could you offer advice on how I could get the word to them, and others?
If you can, I greatly appreciate it. If not, then I shall continue to search and will remain a faithful visitor to this site. Wishing more towns/villages would take the effort to document their history as you have done.
Much appreciation, Kathleen Harris, Boston, Massachusetts US
Re: Harris and Hancock surnames
Thank you very much about your kind comments about our website. Peggy Hancock is a keen family historian and a member of The Badsey Society, but is not a computer user. She lives in Evesham, so I will put a copy of your e-mail through her door. In the meantime, could you let me know your postal address, please, so that I can pass this information on to her. I see that Elizabeth Harris had two brothers, Thomas and David. Which one are you descended from? When did he go to the USA? Do you have any information which would be of interest to the website?
Ivory carvers
I came across your website whilst trying to find information on ivory carvers in England and I note that Bertram Jones's great grandfather was also an ivory carver. Does anyone know his name? My ancestor Thomas Moody Jacobs(1805 - 1851) carried on the same craft in Manchester, Liverpool and London and I wondered whether there was any possibility of a connection. Can you help please?
Yours faithfully, Margaret A Roberts (Mrs)
Re: Ivory carvers
Thank you for your enquiry. I'm afraid nothing is known about Bertram Jones' ancestors. He and his wife moved from London to Badsey during the Second World War, to escape the bombing.
Parker and Warmington families
First of all congratulations on your excellent website. We have a couple of Campden websites, but yours is one I shall tell them they must emulate - though I doubt if we shall find anyone with the time or energy to do so. The Historical Society archives are mainly held as hard copy, though we have a growing amount of photographic records and oral history on computer.
I am interested in the Warmington, Bennett and Parker families of Badsey - all ancestors of mine. This is not a request for information, but I hope it might be helpful for your archives to fill in a few links.
The Parkers at The Manor House. About 1850 a young farmer, Edward (or William) Parker and his elder sister Prudence, or Prudence Grace, (both unmarried) moved into Manor House (folio 335 on the 1851 Badsey census). They were the son and daughter of William and Mary Parker and I imagine the house and farm had been bought - or leased - for them by the parents. The father, William had been born in Welford, where the Parker line stretches back to to the very early 18th century and probably earlier. William senior later moved from Welford, apparently first to Pillerton Hersey where in 1824 he married a Mary Smith of that village. Although originally a farmer, the couple later moved to Warwick and he may have taken up another occupation or profession.
By 1861, William and Mary, now retired, had moved into the Manor House with their son, (f.73; 1861) who was now married. (Your version of the census says Emilia Parker was William junr's sister; in fact she was his wife). Edward (henceforth always called William) by then had three children. It is interesting that all of the children were named after relatives : William Corbett (Corbett was the maiden name of Emilia) Emiia Grace, and Prudence Mary. Edward's sister Prudence Grace (of whom more later) had by then left the house. The elder Parkers are buried near the church door in Badsey, and Mary's grave states she was 'of the Manor House'.
The Warmingtons. Also by 1861, William Warmington had moved into Badsey and was at the Bell Inn. William was the youngest son of John Warmington of Wilmcote. John had moved to Wilmcote from Bidford (or possibly Marlcliff) as a young man to work in the newly opened quarries there. He had later married the daughter of the landlord of the Swan Inn in Wilmcote (later known as the Swan House Hotel, and now, I believe, Arden House Hotel). He had thus inherited the Swan. Having given up his former occupation, he farmed as well as being a brewer and publican. William followed in his footsteps and at the time of his marriage in 1854 he was farming in Dorsington. William had in fact married Prudence Grace Parker from Badsey Manor House.
Allan Warmington, Chipping Campden
January 2004
Re: Parker and Warmington families
Sadly, Allan Warmington died in 2007. For more on the Warmingtons and Parkers, including some photos, see our Research Interests page.
Badsey School anniversaries
I am an ex student from Badsey first school and am very confused with what I recently read in the Evesham Journal. I left badsey 6 years ago and now am in year 11 at Prince Henrys High, Evesham. During my time at Badsey, in year 3 ( 9 years ago) we all celebrated the 100th anniversary of the school, so how is it now that 9 years on the school is 150 years old? I have photos of the pupils on the field in a 100 shape which was taken by a helicopter and remember well that we dressed up in Victorian outfits, so I am not mistaken. Please could you get back to me, and explain how Badsey is 150 years old.
Thank you, Emma Butters
Re: Badsey School anniversaries
The answer is a simple one. The school building was 100 years old in 1995.
Badsey National School opened on 1st November 1854 in premises which have now become the British Legion. The school was a Church school and was funded by voluntary contributions. However, by the 1880s, it was running into financial problems, and in May 1893, the responsibility for educating the local children passed to a local Board. From May 1893, it was known as Badsey Board School. At this time, the population of Badsey was growing quickly with the growth of market gardening, and the Board either had to extend the school already in existence or move to new premises. The opportunity came up to purchase some land, so it was decided to build on a new site. On 21st June 1895, the teachers and children were able to move into the new building. The building was much smaller in those days, and has been extended extensively over the years.
From 1903-1948, the school was called Badsey Council School, from 1948-1975 it was called Badsey County Primary School, from 1975 to the present day, it has been known as Badsey First School. In a sense, there's a chance for lots of anniversaries - the original founding of the school, the move to the new building, or since it became known as Badsey First School!
It's the same with your current school. I believe Prince Henry's moved to its current premises in 1911, but the school foundation is much much older, dating back several hundred years.
Hope this helps and that you are reassured that your maths is still OK! More information about the school history can be found on this website.
Natacza Boon
The actress Natacza Boon grew up in Badsey and contacted the website to send her kind regards. She now lives in Berlin. For news of her see her homepage www.beepworld.de/members47/natacza/index.htm and to contact her go to www.ukscreen.com/contact/Natacza.