The field called The Stockey has a recorded history going back to at least 1747 and, by definition, earlier than that, and work has previously been carried out on the ownership and occupancy of small parcels of the large field to the present time [see ‘The Stockey’ and ‘34 to 62 Willersey Road’ by the same writer].
In 1893 a part of the large field was sold to the Badsey School Board, and later on a further part, known as the Rick yard, was also sold to the School Board to allow for the provision of a school house for the master. In 1900 a further portion was sold to Alice Kate Bell who built Stanhope House [24 Willersey Road]. In 1903 a small portion was sold to Annie Crisp [who then sold it to John Idiens in 1905] and in May 1904 John Idiens bought another piece of the field, and went on to build the Terrace of Houses known as Cotswold View [34 to 60 Willersey Road]. And between 1905 and 1915 the remainder of the piece called Stockey containing 5 acres 4 poles and a small copse adjoining, containing 2 roods 3 perches, was sold to the Dean & Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford, and became Glebe land.
In 1919 the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church Oxford sold part of this field called Stockey together with the existing right of way, with reservations pertaining to mines quarries and minerals found there, and to considerations of the tithe commutation of rents charges. The Conveyance was signed on the thirtieth of October 1919 and Victor Charles Edward Cockerton, Market Gardener was the new owner of 1.87 acres of The Stockey, which on the eastern side abutted the fields of Glebe Farm.
The name Cockerton first appears in the Badsey records on the thirtieth day of January 1890 when Victor Cockerton was enrolled at the old Badsey School after having been at school in Barningham in Suffolk, the register says that he was born or baptised on the twenty sixth day of March 1882 at Cork Ireland. This is confirmed in the 1891 census which shows the nine year old Victor and his fourteen year-old sister Elsie Cockerton, [born in Gosport, Hampshire in the early summer of 1876 and registered at Alverstoke Hampshire] living with their grandparents, Henry and Eliza Stewart, at The Leys in Bretforton Road.
Their mother was Mary Ann Stewart, daughter of Henry and Eliza Stewart who had been christened at Bretforton on the sixth of September 1856, and who had subsequently married Frederick Cockerton. Frederick Cockerton was the Colour Sergeant of the Regiment where Henry Stewart was serving and was to become his son-in-law when he married their daughter Mary Ann. It was in India in 1873 that Henry's daughter, Mary Ann, married Colour Sergeant Frederick Cockerton. Henry Stewart named his son, Frederick Cockerton Stewart, who was born in 1873. Frederick Cockerton reciprocated by naming one of his sons Bertram Stewart Cockerton.
Victor and Elsie Cockerton were the children of Frederick and Mary Ann [nee Stewart] and they travelled far and wide in the Queens service, the places of birth of the children suggests a well travelled family. Elsie was born in a suburb of Portsmouth, which is a garrison town, Victor was born in Ireland, and the English army was always in Ireland. Another child was Mildred who was born about 1879 at Treganthe Fort Cornwall. [This was probably Tregantle Fort, Antony, Cornwall, it is situated in Whitesands Bay in South East Cornwall, guarding the sea approaches to Devonport Dockyard, built in 1865 and still used by the military today.]
By the early 1880s they were living in Barningham, Suffolk, where they seemed to have put down some roots. Four sons were born and registered at Thetford which spans the boundaries of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and both Thetford and Barningham townships, are part of Thetford Poor Law Union - the Workhouse. Percy Walter was the first to be so registered (first quarter of 1884), then Bertram Steward Cockerton (second quarter of 1885) Louis (first quarter of 1887), and finally in the last quarter of 1899, Harry Cecil Cockerton’s birth was registered there.
It was whilst they were living at Barningham that Frederick Cockerton, the head of the family, died and was buried. The death was registered in the last quarter of 1890. And Mary Ann was left with a young family. So she packed off two of her older children, Elsie May and young Victor to her parents, the children’s grandparents in Badsey, and as we have seen, Victor enrolled at the local school at the end of January 1890, some weeks after his father died. Henry Stewart had a memorial stone erected to Sgt. Major Cockerton in Badsey churchyard, though he is buried in Barningham, Suffolk. However, his son Cecil Harry, who was killed under the wheels of a carriage in London in 1899 is interred in the plot.
The Headstone bears the legend “In Loving Memory Of Sergent Major F. COCKERTON, Who Died At Barningham 19TH October 1890, Aged 47 Years” “Also of Cecil Harry Cockerton who died 7th of December 1899, Aged 10 years”
The 1891 census, in this case, leaves a lot to be desired. We do find that Elsie May and Victor were living with their grandparents Henry and Elisa Stewart, and their ‘son’ Frederick, in ‘The Leys’ Bretforton Road, and we do have the six year old Percy Walter Cockerton, who was an inmate at Dr. Barnardo’s Home, Stepney, in London. But no sign at all of any others of the family, Mildred is not to be found, neither is Mary Ann herself, but wherever she was her younger children would most likely have been with her. It is of course possible that they were on the tramp somewhere, moving from one place to another, or maybe their surname has been miss spelled, whatever the cause I cannot find them.
Early in the new year of 1895 an Elsie May Cockerton was married to one of two people, William John Bedenham or George Edward Field, without a certificate I cannot say which of the two gentlemen married Elsie May. A monumental inscription suggests that it was Mr. Bedenham, but the ages are wrong, Elsie May’s age is given as 81, but that suggests she was born in 1891, when in fact ‘our’ Elsie May was born in 1876. It seems that the monumental inscription may not be that of Victor Cockerton’s sister. Frederick Cockerton Stewart [Henry and Eliza Stewart’s son] was also married that year of 1895, in the second quarter of the year he married Ellen Elisabeth Westmacott, the marriage was registered at Evesham, the couple settling here in Badsey, and in 1901 they were living in The Leys with their three young children.
By 1899 Mildred Cockerton was also living within the area, it is possible too that her mother and younger siblings were living here by this time, although Harry Cecil, Victor’s young brother, was living in Paddington London until his death, as a ten year old in December 1899. He was brought to Badsey to be buried, and his name is etched on the headstone on his grave, which also includes a memorial to his father ‘Major’ Frederick Cockerton. It is probable that Mildred was married shortly before her young brother’s death, as she was married in the last quarter of 1899 to Frederick William Hatch, but she must have been in the village to start the courtship proceedings of the day long before she married her Fred.
The 1901 census shows us that Mildred and her new husband Frederick were living in Old Post Office Lane [number 15] with her unmarried brother Victor as a lodger, he was described as an “ordinary agricultural labourer”. Their mother Mary Ann was living on Mill Lane [Vicarage Cottage] with her three surviving younger children. Her mother and father, Henry and Elisa Stewart were living in Gladstone Cottage.
After leaving school Victor worked for his grandfather, Henry Stewart, for several years in Market Gardening, and later was employed by Mr. A E Jones of the Stone House. Mr. Cockerton then took up Market Gardening on his own account, and as his business developed he became a merchant, and subsequently had connections throughout the south of England and South Wales. Victor Cockerton was aged 28 before he decided that he could now see a slot for himself in the village. He must have known the girl of his choice for many years before they married, they even commenced school at the same time. But marry they did within the first three months of 1910, the marriage registered at Evesham. He married Kathleen Mary Marshall, the eldest daughter of Emma Smith (nee Marshall). Emma was born at Dorsington Gloucestershire in 1857, the daughter of Joshua and Mary Marshall, and sister to Thomas Marshall who was the licensee of the Wheatsheath in 1901. After their marriage, Victor and Kathleen Cockerton moved into number 23 Willersey Road [6 Belmont Terrace], some two doors away from Kathleen’s mother and step father.
Two years after they were married, Vic Cockerton’s entry is to be found in Kelly’s Directory of 1912, where he is described as a Market gardener. During the First World War he served in 1st (?) Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, at the end of which, and eight years after they were married the couple had a daughter Winifred Joan, who was born on the seventeenth of November 1917 and christened on Sunday the twentieth day of January 1918, where the entry is endorsed Market Gardener. As we have seen Victor Cockerton bought the piece of land, which we see today as the school playing field [less a small segment of it] in 1919. This piece of land called Stockey once had a footpath, going from Willersey Road [old Bully Brook Road], with a style in Willersey Road, going west onto the field for about 30 yards, where there was another Stile, then heading north till it came to the school wall, then north west and exiting opposite the old Stone House, or Montpellier House. The footpath appears to have followed, or to have formed the boundary of The Stockey and the Glebe Farmhouse land. There was no sty at the Stone House end. The entrance in Willersey road was located opposite Sands Lane. I understand that part of this piece of ‘The Stockey’ was a remnant of the medieval strip method of farming, known as the ‘ridge and furrow’. Ted Wheatley recollects that Vic Cockerton’s house [The Firs] was the first port of call, when, at the end of the school summer holidays, the boys thoughts turned to Bonfire Night. It was presented as a trade off with the boys offering to clear the leaves from his walnut tree if he would give them his rubbish for the bonfire, and Mr. Cockerton would sort out the broken pot hampers and other flammable objects.
Some time about 1927 or 1928, Vic Cockerton took on a young man as his clerk and bookkeeper. And it seems to have been about this time too, maybe even earlier, that he became the tenant under the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church Oxford, of approximately four acres of the remaining part of The Stockey. Vic Cockerton had taken over from Thomas Saddler, as the tenant, and it was very soon after that, that he was giving words of advice and comfort to the teenager Thomas Bennett, whose father had died in February 1930. Mr. Bennett remembers him fondly, and says that he was employing eight or nine men on the land at that time, not forgetting Lettie Hartwell from Cotswold View. Vic Cockerton was a very good teacher, and the young Tom Bennett was a quick learner, as witnessed by his later successes with the humble spring onion. Other people remember Vic Cockerton. Some, who were children at the time, tell the tale of a large pear tree [this was in the area of the northern part of what is now number 22 Willersey Road] from which the village children used to ‘scrump’ pears. They did not need to keep a look out to protect their activities, they could hear the approach of Mr. Vic Cockerton on his motorbike [later in his farm lorry and car] and away they would run, and hide in the dips and hollows of the old field.
The corrugated Nissan hut, located on the Stockey at the rear of Stanhope House was pressed into a different use early in the Second World War, even buildings shared in the war effort. Many were the soldiers that were billeted throughout the land, and Badsey had her share. The soldiers were no doubt made welcome, but the only place that could house the numbers was in the barns and outbuildings of the gardeners, the spare accommodation no doubt having already been taken by the young children from the large cities, the evacuees. During this second of the world wars Vic Cockerton signed up as a Special Constable.
The young man that Vic Cockerton employed as his clerk was Philip Sparrow. There was a familial connection between Philip Sparrow and Vic Cockerton though they were a generation apart, with Philip’s father’s brother Alfred having married Rose Marshall, who was a first cousin to Kathleen Marshall, Vic Cockerton’s wife.
Philip was the son of Louis Henry and Rosine Sparrow of Badsey. He was born on March the fourteenth 1911 and was christened on Easter day April the sixteenth. He had a sister Esme who was born on February the seventeenth 1914. His father Louis was the son of Alfred and Lucy Sparrow and he was born at Atch Lench about 1884. The 1901 census shows the two children with their parents and a lodger, Frank Thould, living at Summerfield Cottage Badsey [14 Badsey Fields Lane].
Shortly after Esme was born, their father Louis joined the army, one of the first married men to volunteer for service from Badsey. Leaving behind a wife and two little children, Esme was only a babe in arms. Within two years the children were fatherless and Rose was a widow, Louis was killed in action at Guedecourt, France on October the twenty second 1916, aged 33 years. He is commemorated on a stone plaque in the church.
By 1924 the family had moved to 1 South View Terrace [now Brewers Lane], and the children grew apace. Philip on leaving school was employed for a short time by Littleton and Badsey Growers Ltd, but then took up employment with Victor Cockerton, and carried out the clerical duties for the business, and also assisted on the land or worked in the green houses, when his clerical duties were done for the day. Philip was a slight wiry man and weighed in at something about 10 stone or 140 pounds.
With the build up to the war in the 1930’s, tensions were high, not only amongst governments, but amongst the people of the nation. And a letter from Don Wasley [late of Aldington] to the Evesham Journal of 19th of August 1999, relates a story from shortly before the war, which indicates some of the feelings which must have been running at that time. It seems that there was to be a rally in Badsey, by Oswald Mosley which had been organised by Lance Johns of Pool House, and a few of the lads in the village decided to climb the Wellingtonia Tree, in the garden of Pool House, and plant the Union Jack on the top, as a demonstration against this visit and rally. Philip Sparrow was to be the principal climber assisted by Steve Crisp, the others [Don himself; Bill Salter and two unknown lads] keeping look out, etc. The flag duly fixed and left to fly till it disintegrated, and shortly following the escapade, when the lads were waiting at the bus stop for the bus to Evesham, Philip had a 10 shilling note thrust into his hand by Mr. J Knight, who said that he was not about to ask any questions, but to have a drink with him. So we did, says Don.
Philip [also known as ‘Cockey’] Sparrow was engaged to be married [to one of the Brewer girls I understand] none the less, at the outbreak of war he joined the RAF. The photograph, taken in 1940 or 1941, at the rear of number 1 South View Terrace, shows Philip Sparrow in full RAF uniform, probably just before he embarked on active service. He served in 242 squadron in England, and was posted overseas with the squadron in 1941. In March 1942 he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. Philip was in Batavia when the Dutch capitulated to the Japanese, and as the British were under the Dutch ’rule’ the same applied to them. They were informed that they should make their way to Pamigatan.
Philip spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war of the Japanese. He had kept a diary, and notes, on scraps of paper, of his experiences, and the original is kept in the Imperial War Museum. It has been my privilege and pleasure to be able to read an edited version of his diary. What comes across is the inner strength of the man, his stoicism. Not once complaining at, or about his captors, his lack of food, his compatriots, not bemoaning his luck once. He always seemed to see the bright side of things, ‘there’s always a tomorrow and I’ll live for that’ kind of mentality, he must have been a pillar of strength to others. At the beginning of the twenty second of June 1945 he writes “I am 100 lbs compared to what I was at Makasura” and in mid July he notes “have lost another six lbs - nearly everyone has lost between 5 and 10 lbs since last being weighed” That means he weighed just over six stone seven lbs.
The returning troops were ‘inspected’ and were repatriated according to their fitness. The fittest went back home first, and so on. The infirm and weak were held back and attempts made to build up their strength, and generally fill out their frames somewhat. Philip was in this batch. I understand that his mum saw him a few days before his official home coming here in the village, and no doubt made him aware, if he wasn't already, that his fiancé, fearing the worst, had married another man. But on that day in 1946, Brewers lane was full of bunting, streamers and cheering village folk, the area around number 1 South View Terrace especially so. Two small boys of about eight at the time remember it, they recollect a black car arriving and Philip Sparrow stepping out, every one cheering and waving, and the man hurrying into the house. Considering his own notes, it’s no surprise that the two small boys described him as ‘all bones’ and ‘he was like a bag of bones’ as he stepped out of the black car. But Philip’s homecoming was the cause of another planting of the union flag at the top of the Wellingtonia tree, which was situated in Mr. John’s front garden at Pool House. A group of Badsey’s best young men, like Philip and his pals before them, in the dead of night climbed the tree, with a man on either side as they climbed to keep it in trim, and on reaching the top the flag was lashed to the topmost rising branch. There flying proudly in the breeze the following morning, a tribute to a brave man, fixed there by yet another brave group of unknown?? men.
No doubt taking some time out for rest and recuperation, and to build up his strength, [Philip later told Roy Page that he had only survived his incarceration because he was such a small man, the big, strong men died first] he was offered his old job, in the office of Vic Cockerton, who lived at The Firs. The office from which he worked is, I understand, still standing at the Firs today. Philip met up with Margaret Stratford, the daughter of Frederick Stratford, an Evesham Butcher and Farmer, and they were married in 1947. It is said that Vic Cockerton ‘saved’ Philip Sparrow’s wages all the time he was away from home and in the forces, for all of four years, and presented this bounty to Philip who duly used it to build his bungalow.
There is a covenant recited in a conveyance dated October 1960, which is dated the seventh day of February 1949 in which the purchaser, Philip Sparrow, covenanted with the vendor, Victor Charles Edward Cockerton, that he would “forthwith erect to the satisfaction of the vendor good and sufficient fences against cattle sheep pigs and poultry extending along the western and northern boundaries of the property hereby conveyed and will at all times hereafter maintain such fences in good and substantial repair” Vic Cockerton had sold him a nice piece of land.
To the north of Stanhope House a path or track of about twelve feet was formed [E], for access to the field called Stockey, and to the north of that was the piece of land, that Mr. Cockerton sold to Philip Sparrow. It was fronted by the Willersey road, and was about eighty feet long by about 40 yards deep, which is the depth of the other properties built on Stockey. The bungalow was built about 1950, soon after he bought the land. It is thought that the local British Legion helped with the costs, recognising his worth to society. Philip had a huge influence on the design of the building, he incorporated ideas that he had seen elsewhere, including the high ceilings that were to be found there.
Philip decided on a name for the bungalow, one that, for him, must have had a very sweet sound to it, he called it after the troopship that brought him home to Blighty, away from his years of incarceration at the hands of the Japanese. “Almanzora” he named it. The entrance to the right of way must have been moved some feet to the south, and anyone wishing to use it would have started the journey down the track at the side of Philip’s Bungalow, then made a right turn to pick up the old route.
In April 1951 Victor Cockerton, as a tenant bought the remainder of The Stockey, being Glebe Lands, and with a covenant that he would not allow anything to occur to the land that was detrimental to the adjoining Glebe land. On that day he bought off the Dean and Chapter 3 acres 2 roods and 34 perches ‘or thereabouts’ the rump of The Stockey. The land was renowned as some of the best growing land in the area, made better by the use of leather ‘shoddy’ [the sweepings and dust of leather fragments formed in a manufacturing process]. He employed at this time Roy Page; Jim and John Sadler; Ron Keen, known as Dixie because of his prowess at football, Mrs. L Salzer and of course Lottie Hartwell of Cotswold View. He was well known in the community as for several years he served on the committee of Badsey Rangers FC and for some years he had been President of the club. For many years he had been a member of Evesham Bowling Club and he also served on the Management Committee of Badsey Recreation Ground from the time that the ground was provided until it was taken over by the Parish Council.
He was very efficient in his methods, rather than have too much land, and have his workers weeding all of the time, he retained just the Stockey and a piece behind the Sadler land at Bully Brook, which was planted weeded and harvested in the usual fashion. He also had three or four large greenhouses at the bottom of his garden at the Firs [now built on and known as Church End]. But he also bought standing crops off other growers, sprouts; Plums or other produce that was in season, and his workers could earn twice as much as usual harvesting the likes of these Plums and Sprouts, rather than weeding and earning less money. It also increased Vic Cockerton’s turnover, with him being able to reap a harvest all of the time. His own two pieces of land were immaculate, and everything grew at a rate of knots. Coulis started in three inch pots in the green houses, were planted on the Stockey when ready, and six weeks later were being harvested. On the land at Bully Brook, was a round tent like construction, a shed, made out of corrugated iron which was full of Guano. This fertiliser was offered as an inducement to purchase the new fangled pelleted fertiliser, and used to good effect when the two were combined by Mr. Cockerton. An aspect of his efficiency is displayed in the fact that one day he arrived at the field behind Bully Brook, and signaled to the men to gather round him. When they were all there, he said “before I tell you why I wanted you, what are they up on the ridge”? “Crates” was the reply, “what’s in them then”? asked Mr. Cockerton “nothing” was the retort “they’re empty” “then why did you not bring them to the Hovel while you were coming”? Of course they had no answer.
It is also recollected that one day the men fell about, laughing behind his back. It seems that he had forgotten his wellington boots, he therefore had gone into the hovel and rummaged amongst the abandoned boots there, and picked out the best pair, a yellow one and a green one. He put some card in the bottom covering the sole, to keep the water out, and had gone up the ground in these dissimilar boots that would let water in. He had never taken a driving test [Driving tests were introduced on a voluntary basis on 13 March 1935 and became compulsory on 1 June but if you were already driving that was fine] and used to drive in a haphazard fashion, thinking that the kerbs were there to be driven over, and missing the gears. The men were terrified when he was driving them to a piece of work in the truck, even though his maximum speed was 30 miles an hour. In 1951 he had bought a brand new Daimler motor car, but it was only used on a Thursday afternoon to take his good lady to Evesham to do the weekly shopping. But he was not to enjoy it for very long,
Victor Cockerton died at Evesham Hospital, aged 70 having been ill for some time. He was buried on Monday afternoon the twenty second of December 1952, in Badsey churchyard. A tribute to Mr. Cockerton was made by the Vicar, Rev. W B Chapman and the hymns ‘The King of Love’ and ‘Abide with Me’ and the organist, Mrs. G W Marshal played Handel’s ‘Largo’. The church was practically filled for the service with many mourners, including his widow; daughter and son in law; the Mayor of Evesham, Philip Sparrow and many of the local dignitaries and merchants that he dealt with, etc.
His widow lived in the old house for just over 3 years when she too died. The Evesham Journal of 3 March 1956 reports that “The funeral of Mrs. Kathleen Mary Cockerton of The Firs High Street Badsey (whose death we reported last week), took place on Wednesday afternoon [twenty ninth of February]. At a service at Badsey St James’ Church, which preceded internment in St James’ churchyard, the Vicar (Rev WB Chapman) officiated and paid tribute to the help Mrs. Cockerton gave to various village organisations. Psalm 23 was recited and the Hymns ‘The King of Love’ and ‘Abide with Me’ were sung”
A headstone and kerbs surround their final resting place.
Vic and Mary Cockerton’s only child Winifred Joan had married Edward Edgar Albert Smith and they took up residence at the Firs. They were living there, next door to the church, when they took their first child Victor Christopher Edward Smith to be christened on the eighteenth day of October 1959. Twelve months later in October 1960 Mrs. Smith sold the piece of land purchased by her father in 1919 to the Worcestershire County council [minus the piece that had been annexed when her father sold it to Philip Sparrow] subject to the County Council erecting and forever maintaining a chain link fence six feet in height with concrete posts on the South Western and Southern boundaries. This piece of land now forms the bulk of the Badsey First School playing field. [The other part of the school field and the car park are formed from a portion of what was Glebe Farm].
Just over two years after the birth of Christopher he had a baby sister, Susan Mary Margaret, who was baptised on Sunday the fifteenth day of July 1962.
The field at the rear of Willersey road, once commonly known as Stockey, remains in the family hands to this day.
On the death of Mr. Cockerton, Philip Sparrow went to work for Harry Stewart, another eminent market gardener, carrying out the same function of clerical duties, working on the land, or even working in the greenhouses. Some years later he was made a Director of the Company. He was a pillar of our community. Throughout his life he had been connected to and took an active part in many of the local organisations. He had a great love for his church, attending Sunday school at St James’ church school, being a member of the choir for many years, a lesson reader and a sideman. Very soon after coming back to civvy street, he joined the Badsey Branch of the British Legion, and for the next thirty years almost dedicated his life to the work of the Legion.
He had been involved in the purchase of the old school house which was transformed into the Legion. This occurred in January 1962 when he reported to the committee that his employer, Harry Stewart, was willing to sell them the old school house. The building was bought and the conversion work was quickly started, with much of it on a voluntary basis.
![George Tucker & Philip Sparrow [2nd carrier] Easter about 1960](/sites/default/files/inline-images/places/Almanzora-4.jpg)
He became the Secretary of the local branch and served in this office for many years, later being made vice-president, and at the time of his death was president of the branch. He was also service secretary and carried out a great deal of visiting the sick members, both at home and in hospital. For his loyal and devoted service to the Royal British Legion he was presented with four awards, the greatest of which was being made a Life Member of the Legion and also received a gold badge.
He became a member of Badsey Parish Council in 1958, serving as vice chairman for several years, and was a sitting member at the time of his death. For more than thirty years he served on Badsey Flower Show Committee, and for many years was the honourable Secretary. He also served on the Badsey Remembrance Hall Committee both before and after the erection of the Hall.
In his later life, Philip went blind, and he had to move around with the aid of a white stick. It may well be that this was brought about by the time he spent in the hands of the Japanese; certainly his wife Margaret thought so.
Philip died at the end of March 1976 and at the service on the first day of April St James’s Church was ‘packed to capacity’, the coffin was draped in the Union Jack, cremation followed at Cheltenham and his ashes were latter scattered in the Garden of Remembrance here at Badsey. A table was given to the church in his memory, a plaque affixed to the table reads “In Gratitude for his Service to the Church and to the Community”.
His widow Margaret continued to live at 22 Willersey Road, and was still living there in October 1996, with Roy Page carrying out the maintenance etc. on her bungalow on the Stockey for many years. Sometime soon after the autumn of 1996 Margaret Sparrow moved out of her home and moved into a residential home, I understand it to have been Briar Lea, and the bungalow was put on the market. Margaret Sparrow died recently. Philip Sparrow was the cousin of Terry Sparrow’s father, their common ancestors being Alfred and Lucy Sparrow, Terry’s great grandparents.
Number 22 Willersey Road was bought by a couple who had a lot of work carried out, including the re-plastering and rewiring of the property, installation of a new kitchen, etc. Externally the rear garden was completely fenced in and an enclosed porch was built around the front door. The couple moved in before October 1998, but it could have been a little earlier, and remained there until 1999.
The present owner occupiers Roy and Pauline Smith, from Birmingham, bought the bungalow in 1999. They in their turn carried out work to the bungalow, including the provision of a garage and upgrading of the windows and gutters and soffits etc. Much work has subsequently been carried out on the gardens. This couple still live at number 22.
References
- Deeds and Particulars of The Stockey and School Field courtesy of the owners in common - VCE Smith Esq. & Miss SMM Smith
- Inclosure Map of Badsey dated 1812 (Badsey.net)
- The Badsey Parish Registers (Badsey.net)
- 1841 to 1901 census of Badsey (Badsey.net)
- Civil Indexes (images.freebmd.org.uk)
- Census 1881; 1891 and 1901 (Ancestor.com)
- St James Church Badsey Transcribed Burial Registers 1538 to 2004, courtesy of P Stewart Esq. (the Burial register was not maintained for some years)
- St James Church Badsey Baptism Register 1903 to 2004 Courtesy of P Stewart Esq. (the Baptism register was not maintained from 1935 to 1945)
- TC Sparrow “A Brief History of Badsey and Aldington” second edition
- Electoral Registers:- South Worcestershire Parliamentary Constituency, Ref. 247.7, Worcester Record Office
- Obituary of Philip Sparrow
- Local Knowledge
- Evesham Journal Obituaries Mr. and Mrs. Victor Cockerton.
Acknowledgements
My grateful thanks go to VCE [Chris] Smith Esq. & Miss SMM Smith for sharing the contents of their written and photographic archives; to the present owners who have spent time being quizzed by me, and for their keen interest in the topic and to all of the other people for the anecdotal evidence so freely given and for allowing me to peruse a copy of Philip Sparrow’s War time Diary
To the Worcester Record Office Staff for putting up with continual requests for so many (heavy) files of Documents.
To my wife Beryl for her support, tact and toleration.
TW Hockenhull
January 2011