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PETHARD - Badsey top ten 1800s; Wickhamford top ten 1800s-1900s

The name of Pethard (or Peathard, Pethwood, Pettard, Petthard, Pithard, Pitherd, Pittard, Pythard, as it occasionally appears) first appears in Badsey records in 1733 with the baptism of Thomas Pethard (or Pithard), son of Thomas and Mary.
  
It was through the descendants of Thomas Pethard’s third child, Benjamin Pethard (1767-1845), that Pethard became a top ten surname in Wickhamford in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it was through the descendants of Thomas Pethard’s youngest child, John Pethard (1782-1849), that Pethard became a top ten surname in Badsey in the 19th century.  The name has now died out in both Badsey and Wickhamford.

The Pethards of Badsey and Aldington – Thomas Pethard (?-1784) and Descendants

Generation 1 – Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Thomas Pethard and his wife, Mary, moved to Badsey in the 1730s.  It is not known where they were married or where Thomas was born.  They had two children baptised in St James’ Church, Badsey:  Thomas (1733) and Elizabeth (1735-1820).  The Pethards lived in the cottage owned by Francis Grove, which is now known as Orchard Way, No 7 High Street.  In his will of 1754, Francis Grove, who lived just across the road at Harrington House, left Mary Pethard the cottage, and thereafter to her daughter, Elizabeth and heirs for ever:  “I give to Mary, the wife of Thomas Pythard, the cottage or tenement with the appurtenances now in the possession of the said Mary for the term of her natural life and her demise I give same unto Elizabeth Pythard, daughter of the said Mary and her heirs for ever.”  Mary also received an annuity of 40 shillings, a suit of clothes, and “all the household goods now in her dwelling house and also one flock bed, two blankets, one pair of sheets, one pillow, one long cowl, one great spinning wheel, one old kettle, one warming pan and one cowl without a top”.  Whether Mary was related to Francis in any way is not known.  Francis Grove died in 1755 and so Mary inherited the cottage.  Mary Pethard died at Badsey in 1758 and Thomas Pethard died at Badsey in 1784.

  • Elizabeth Pethard (1735-1820), the daughter of Thomas and Mary Pethard, married Robert Mason at Badsey in 1755.  In the same year, she was given a suit of clothes and a spinning wheel as a result of the will of Francis Grove and, after the death of her mother in 1758, inherited the cottage at Orchard Way.  Her descendants remained at the cottage until the latter part of the 19th century.

Generation 2 – Thomas Pethard (1733-?), son of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Thomas Pethard was born at Badsey in 1733, the son of Thomas and Mary Pethard.  In 1755, as a result of the will of Francis Grove, Thomas received £5.  He married Hannah Knight at Badsey in 1763.  Thomas and Hannah had five sons and two daughters:  William (1763-1821), Thomas (1764-1839), Benjamin (1767-1845), Mary (1772), Edward (1776), Elizabeth (1781) and John (1782-1849).  It is not known when Thomas died, but Hannah died at Badsey in 1819.  Of their seven children, it was through their third son, Benjamin, and through their youngest son, John, that the Pethard name continued in Badsey and Wickhamford for several more generations. 

  • William Pethard (1763-1821), the eldest of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1763.  He married Sarah Clarke at Badsey in 1790 and had four children:  Thomas (1791), Betty (1795), Hannah (1801) and Sarah (1805).  William died at Badsey in 1821.  By 1841, there were no longer any members of his family living in Badsey.
  • Thomas Pethard (1764-1839), the second of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1764.  He married Mary Roberts at Badsey in 1810; they had no children.  Mary died at Knowle Hill in 1832 and Thomas at Badsey in 1839.
  • Benjamin Pethard (1767-1845), the third of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1767 – see Generation 3 below.
  • Edward Pethard (1776-?), the fifth of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1776.  He married Nancy Cooper at Birlingham in 1802 and did not return to live in Badsey.
  • John Pethard (1782-1849) the youngest of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1782 – see Generation 3 below.  

Generation 3 – Benjamin Pethard (1767-1845), son of Thomas Pethard (1733-?), grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Benjamin Pethard (1767-1845), the third of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1767.  He married Elizabeth (not at Badsey) and they had a son and daughter, both baptised at Badsey:  Mary (1803-1871) and John (1806-1849).  At the time of the 1841 census, Benjamin and Elizabeth Pethard lived in Badsey next-door to their daughter, Mary Daniels, and her family.  Benjamin died at Badsey in 1845 and Elizabeth in 1850.

  • Mary Pethard (1803-1871), the elder of two children of Benjamin and Elizabeth Pethard, was born at Badsey in 1802.  She married Samuel Daniels at Badsey in 1832 and had six children.  Samuel died at Badsey in 1843 and Mary in 1871.
  • John Pethard (1806-1849), the younger of two children of Benjamin and Elizabeth Pethard, was born at Badsey in 1806 – see “The Pethards of Wickhamford, Generation 4” below. 

Generation 3 – John Pethard (1782-1849), son of Thomas Pethard (1733-?), grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

John Pethard (1782-1849), the youngest of seven children of Thomas Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Knight), was born at Badsey in 1782.  He married Hannah Farmer (born at Harley, Staffordshire) at Offenham in 1806.  They had six sons:  William (1806-1869), Benjamin (1808), George (1811), John (1814-1814), John (1822-1884) and Thomas (c1828-1844).  William was born at Offenham whilst the others were all born at Aldington.  John and Hannah may also have had a daughter, Hannah (c1820), who was staying with William Pethard and family in 1841.  At the time of the 1841 census, John and Hannah, and 13-year-old Thomas, were living in Aldington at what is believed to be Ivy Cottage.  Both John and Thomas were agricultural labourers.  John died at Aldington in 1849.  In 1851, Hannah lived with her son, John, and family; she died at Aldington in 1857.

  • William Pethard (1806-1869), the eldest of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer), was born at Offenham in 1806 – see Generation 4 below.
  • Benjamin Pethard (1808-1887), the second of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer), was born at Aldington in 1808.  Benjamin married Elizabeth Clarke at Throckmorton in 1827.  They lived at Offenham and had five daughters, two of whom died in childhood.  At the Worcester County Sessions on 1st July 1839, Benjamin was tried for two convictions of larceny and was given two months for each conviction.  A prison register for 1841 reveals that Benjamin was imprisoned again, this time for sheep stealing.  He was convicted on 4th January 1841 and had to serve 15 years.  The Gaoler’s report said:  “Character very bad, twice convicted of felony.”  Elizabeth died at Offenham in 1857 when her husband was still in prison.  At the time of the 1881 census, Benjamin was staying with his younger brother, John, in Badsey.  Benjamin ended his days in Evesham Union in 1887 but was buried at Badsey.
  • George Pethard (1811-1878), the third of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer), was born at Aldington in 1811.  George married Charlotte Wilks at Ipsley in 1829; they had two sons.  George was an agricultural labourer and spent most of his married life in Webheath near Redditch.  Charlotte died at Webheath in 1872 and George in 1878.
  • John Pethard (1822-1884), the sixth of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer), was born at Aldington in 1822 – see below.

Generation 4 – William Pethard (1806-1869), son of John Pethard (1782-1849), great-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

William Pethard (1806-1869), the eldest of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer), was born at Offenham in 1806.  William married Esther Cole (born at Throckmorton about 1808) at All Saints, Worcester, in 1827.  A son, Joseph (c1828) was born at Worcester St Martin.  They spent their early married life in Bishampton where William (c1832-1882), James (c1834-1900) and Ellen (c1837-1900) were born.  They moved to Aldington in 1838 where William was employed by Richard Ashwin of Aldington Manor.  Five more daughters and a son were born at Aldington:  Mary (1839), Ann (1841), Jane (1843-1924), Betsy (1845-1894), Thomas (1847-1905) and Eliza (1850).  In 1841, they also had 21-year-old Hannah staying with them, who may have been William’s sister.  William and Esther lived at what is believed to be Stone Cottage, Village Street.  In October 1845, William was awarded £1, recommended by his employer, for seven years’ servitude.  He was again lauded in 1850 when he was awarded the first prize of £2 in the class for labourers who had brought up the largest family without receiving parochial relief, except in cases of illness.  William was recommended by Richard Ashwin for having brought up ten children.  By 1861, the Pethards were living in one of the newly-built cottages at Half Acre with two of their younger children, Elizabeth (Betsy) and Thomas, and also their granddaughter, Emma Matthews.  William and Esther’s youngest child, Eliza, was staying with her big brother, James, who was back in the village with his wife and children.  William Pethard died in 1869.  In 1871, Esther was living at Peopleton, lodging with Dinah Welland (possibly her older sister, as Dinah was also born at Throckmorton).  Esther died in the Walsall district in 1874.

  • Joseph Pethard (c1828-?), the eldest of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Worcester in about 1828, but spent some of his childhood in Bishampton and Aldington.  He was admitted as a Chelsea Pensioner in October 1865, having been with the 24th Foot Regiment with the rank of Drum.  In 1871 and 1881 he was lodging in Lancaster, described as a Chelsea Pensioner.  It is not known when he died.
  • William Pethard (1832-1882), the second of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Bishampton in 1832, but spent most of his childhood in Aldington.  By 1851 he was living in Claines working as a farm servant.  William married Maria Meeks from Claines at Worcester in 1854.  They had a son, William (c1856), who is thought to have died as a baby.  In 1861 William and Maria were living at 223 Bristol Street, St Thomas, Birmingham; William was a fruiterer.  William and Maria were still there in 1871; William’s unmarried sister, Ann, was visiting, and William’s niece, Emma Matthews (daughter of his sister, Mary) was working as a general servant.  In the 1881 census, 50-year-old William Pethard from Worcestershire, a married labourer, was described as a lunatic patient in Birmingham Borough Lunatic Asylum, Winson Green, Birmingham.  Meanwhile, Maria Pethard was head of the household at 114 Digbeth Street, Birmingham, where she was a fruiterer.  William died in 1882 and Maria in 1889.
  • James Pethard (c1834-1900), the third of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Bishampton in 1834, but spent most of his childhood in Aldington – see Generation 5 below.  
  • Ellen Pethard (c1837-1900), the fourth of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Bishampton but spent most of his childhood in Aldington.  She was working as a servant at Myton, St Nicholas, Warwick, in 1861.  In 1862, Ellen married William Tatton, a railway porter, at Warwick.  They moved to Birmingham and had six children.  Ellen died at Birmingham in 1900.
  • Mary Pethard (1839-?), the fifth of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Aldington in 1839.   Mary had a daughter, Emma, out of wedlock.  Mary, aged 17, then married Matthew Matthews on 29th October 1855 at Badsey.  Baby Emma was baptised with the name Emma Matthews Pethard on her parents’ wedding day.  It is not known what happened to Mary and Matthew Matthews, but in 1861, Emma was living with her grandparents in Aldington and in 1871 she was working as a servant in the home of her Uncle William.
  • Ann Pethard (1841-?), the sixth of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Aldington in 1841 (she appears to have been baptised twice in 1841 and 1842).  Ann was in Aldington in 1851 but after this her whereabouts are unknown.
  • Jane Pethard (1843-1924), the seventh of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Aldington in 1843.  Jane was working as a servant in Harborne, Staffordshire, in 1861.  In December 1861, Jane married George Rushton in Birmingham.  They had three children born at Smethwick.  Jane was widowed in 1873 and married again in 1878 at Birmingham to Charles Haynes.  Jane is thought to have died in 1924 in the Wolverhampton district.
  • Betsy Pethard (1845-1894), the eighth of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Aldington in 1845.  She was still living with her parents at Aldington in 1861.  Betsy married Joseph Garner at Birmingham in 1870.  They lived in Edgbaston; Betsy died in 1894 at Birmingham.
  • Thomas Pethard (1847-1905), the ninth of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Aldington in 1847.  Thomas married Eliza Sreeves (1844-1923) at Birmingham in 1869 and moved first to Ladywood, Birmingham, where he was in 1871, then to Aston where he was in 1881.  Thomas and Eliza had four sons and two daughters, all born in Birmingham.  In 1884, Thomas’ nephew, William, married Eliza’s niece, Eliza Ann Sreeves.  By 1891, Thomas and Eliza and family were living at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, Thomas working as a general labourer.  They remained there for the rest of their lives, Thomas dying in 1905 and Eliza in 1923.  The Pethards living today in the Liverpool area are descended from Thomas.
  • Eliza Pethard (1850-?), the youngest of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Aldington in 1850.  At the time of the 1861 census, she was staying with her married brother, James.  Her whereabouts after this are unknown.

Generation 4 – John Pethard (1822-1884), son of John Pethard (1782-1849), great-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

John Pethard (1822-1884), the sixth of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer), was born at Aldington in 1822.  John married Ann Ayland at Worcester in 1845.  They had two sons and five daughters:  George (1845-?), Joshua (1847-1915), Lucy (1850-1880), Caroline (1852-1925), Anne/Hannah (1854-?), Amelia (1857-1907) and Sarah Louisa (1861-1931).  At the time of the 1851 and 1861 census, they were living in Village Street, Aldington; John worked as an agricultural labourer.  By 1871, John and Ann were living in a new cottage in Badsey (this, and the one next-door, were demolished about a hundred years later; No 12 School Lane stands on the site) with their youngest daughter, Sarah, and their grandson, William (William George, born in 1866, was the illegitimate son of their eldest daughter, Lucy).  John was by now a market gardener, one of the first in the village – only nine men were listed as market gardener in the 1871 census for Badsey.  Ann Pethard died in 1879 and John remarried the following year to Ellen Wright.  They were still at the cottage in 1881; their daughter, Caroline Sears, lived next-door.  Their grandson, William George, still lived with them, and John’s elder brother, Benjamin, was staying.  John died at Badsey in 1884.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow, Ellen.  By 1891 and 1901, widowed Ellen was back living in her home city of Bristol, working as a charwoman.

  • George Pethard (1845-?), the eldest of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1845.  He was still living in Aldington in 1861 but his whereabouts after that are unknown.
  • Joshua Pethard (1847-1951), the second of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1847 – see Generation 5 below.  
  • Lucy Pethard (1850-1880), the third of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1850.  In 1866, Lucy gave birth to an illegitimate son, William George (see Generation 6 below).  Four years later, in April 1870, Lucy married Charles Richardson at Whittington.  They went to live in Worcester where a son and daughter were born.  By 1875 they had moved to Toxteth Park, Liverpool, where a further son was born.  Lucy’s son, William, did not live with them, but instead was brought up by his grandparents in Badsey.  Lucy died at Toxteth Park in 1880, aged 30.
  • Caroline Pethard (1852-1925), the fourth of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1852.  She married Benjamin Sears at Badsey in 1880 and spent the rest of her life in Badsey.
  • Hannah/Anne Pethard (1854-?), the fifth of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1854.  At the time of the 1881 census, Hannah was working as housemaid at 28 Gloucester Terrace, Paddington.  Hannah married widower Alexander Burgess at St George Hanover Square, London in 1886.  Their whereabouts after this are unknown.
  • Amelia Pethard (1857-1907), the sixth of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1857.  She married William Boswell at Badsey in 1877 and went to live in Evesham; by 1891 and 1901 they were living in St Mary, Warwick.  Amelia died at Warwick in 1907.
  • Sarah Louisa Pethard (1861-1931), the youngest of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1861. She married Richard Keen at Badsey in 1883 and spent the rest of her life in Badsey, dying there in 1931.

Generation 5 – James Pethard (c1834-1900), son of William Pethard (1806-1869), 2xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

James Pethard (c1834-1900), the third of ten children of William Pethard and his wife, Esther (née Cole), was born at Bishampton in 1834, but spent most of his childhood in Aldington.  He married Elizabeth Bishop at Worcester in 1856 and had five children:  Mary Ann (1857-1862), John (1860-1884), William (1862-1886), Martha (1864-1964) and James (1866-1947), the first two born at Aldington, the latter three at Church Lench.  James and family were living at Manor Cottage in 1861.  Elizabeth died in 1869 and James was back in Aldington by 1871 with his four youngest children, lodging with the Sallis family in a cottage near the Manor.  He was employed as carter at the Manor, firstly working for Thomas Blyth and then Arthur Savory.  Arthur Herbert Savory, a “gentleman farmer”, educated at Harrow and Oxford, became tenant of Aldington Manor in May 1873 and farmed there for the next 28 years.  On returning to his native Hampshire, Savory wrote a book, published a year or so before his death in 1921, entitled Grain and Chaff from an English Manor; James Pethard is featured in Chapter IV, The Head Carter.  The book gives a vivid account of farm and village life at Aldington during the period 1873 to 1902.

In the December quarter of 1873, James married Jane Stephens from Abbots Morton.  They had two children:  Owen (1875-1875) and Kate (1876-1947).  By 1881 they were living at The Fields, Bengeworth, where James was employed as a Garden Labourer.  By the mid 1880s, James was working as Farm Bailiff at Claybrook, Badsey.  Claybrook Farm was bought by Arthur Savory in 1891, so James was back in his employ.  Jane died at Claybrook in 1892.  James married for a third time, in 1893, to widow Mary Ann Hayes (née Stewart) of Bretforton.  James’ death was registered at Birmingham in 1900, but he was buried at Bretforton and his abode was given as Bretforton.  

The Valuation Survey of 1912 reveals that Mary Ann Pethard, together with six others, was the occupier of nearly 15 acres of land at Church Headlands, Badsey.  Mary Ann died at Bretforton in 1926.

  • John Pethard (1860-1884), the second of five children of James Pethard and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Bishop), was born at Aldington in 1860.  By 1881, John was living at 32 Court Bracebridge Street, Birmingham, together with his younger brother, William, both working as a miller.  John married Emily Brown in the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Aston, in 1883.  They had one son, John William (1884-1924) who was only a year old when his father died the following year.
  • William Pethard (1862-1886), the third of five children of James Pethard and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Bishop) – see Generation 6 below. 
  • Martha Pethard (1864-1964), the fourth of five children of James Pethard and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Bishop), was born at Church Lench in 1864.  In 1888, Martha married George Wiggins who was a shepherd for Arthur Savory of Aldington Manor.  George features in Chapter V of A H Savory’s Grain and Chaff from an English Manor.  From Aldington they moved to Taynton in Gloucestershire, then Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, then Childswickham.  Martha died, aged 100, at Prestbury and was buried at Didbrook.   
  • James Pethard (1866-1947), the youngest of five children of James Pethard and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Bishop), was born at Church Lench in 1865.   James married Ellen Aminda Joiner in 1887 in the Birmingham area.  He had four children born at Evesham and five at Redditch.  By 1901 he was working as a grocer and by 1911 as a coal merchant.  James was still living in Redditch in 1939, but died in the Swindon area in 1947.
  • Kate Pethard (1876-1947), the younger of two children of James Pethard and his second wife, Jane (née Stephens), was born at Aldington in 1876.  Kate married Frederick Fisher, a coal merchant, in 1899 at St Andrew’s Church, Birmingham.  The Fishers lived firstly in Evesham but then moved to Malvern where Kate died in 1947.  

Generation 5 – Joshua Pethard (1847-1915), son of John Pethard (1822-1884), 2x-great-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Joshua Pethard (1847-1915), the second son of John Pethard and his wife, Ann (née Ayland), was born at Aldington in 1847.  Joshua was still at home in Aldington in 1861, working as a labourer, but, by 1871 he was working as a footman at 26 Portland Place, Marylebone, London.

Joshua married Agnes Edwards in December 1873 at St Mary’s Church, Hampton, Middlesex.  By now his occupation was “cutter” which appears to be a costume cutter, as this was how his work was described in 1881.  Joshua and Agnes had seven children:  William (1874-1919), Jane Ann (1877-1931), Agnes (1880-1929), Joshua (1881-1881), Lucy (1883-1961), Joshua John (1885-1943) and Robert (1889-1961).  They lived firstly at 7 Westbourne Street.  By 1881, Joshua and Agnes were living at 17 Markham Square, Chelsea, with baby Agnes, but their two eldest children, William and Jane Ann, were staying with their grandmother, Alison Edwards and two aunts in New Street, Hampton, Middlesex.  By 1891, Agnes and family were living at 4 Peabody Square, St George’s Hanover Square, London, whilst Joshua was living at 7 Stratton Street, St George’s Hanover Square, employed as a butler to Arnold Morley MP, who was Postmaster General in Gladstone's administration, in 1892-1895.

Agnes, aged 43, died seven weeks after the census and was buried in a common grave at Brompton Cemetery.  She left behind six children ranging in age from two to seventeen.  It was then that the family became scattered.  Whilst the four eldest children remained in the London area, the youngest, two-year-old Robert, was sent to Badsey where he was cared for by Joshua Senior’s sister, Caroline Sears, and her husband, Benjamin.  By 1901, his elder sister, Jane Ann, had also moved to her father’s native Worcestershire and, by 1908, Joshua John had joined the Sears household in Badsey.  Joshua John, Robert and Jane Ann all remained living in Badsey, Wickhamford or Evesham for the rest of their lives (see Generation 6 below).

It is not thought that Joshua Pethard ever returned to Worcestershire.  By 1898 he was working as a steward in the Merchant Navy and was still in the Navy in 1901.  Joshua died in the Ipswich district in 1915.

Generation 6 – William Pethard (1862-1886), son of James Pethard (c1834-1900), 3x-great-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

William Pethard (1862-1886) was born at Church Lench in 1862, the third of five children of James Pethard and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Bishop).  His mother died in 1869 when he was seven years old.  The family moved to Aldington and his father remarried in 1873.

By 1881, William was living at 32 Court Bracebridge Street, Birmingham, together with his older brother, John, both working as a miller.  William married Eliza Ann Sreeves (1863-1937) at Edgbaston in 1884.  Eliza had been born at Alcester in 1863, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Sreeves; 15 years earlier, in 1869, Eliza’s aunt (her father’s younger sister), another Eliza Sreeves (1844-1923), had married Thomas Pethard (William Pethard’s uncle).  William and Eliza Pethard had a daughter, Rose Beatrice (1885-1955), born at Aston.

William was back in Badsey in 1886 where he died at his father’s home at Claybrook and was buried in Badsey churchyard.  In 1891, Rose was staying with her maternal grandparents, William and Elizabeth Sreeves, in Alcester.  William’s widow, Eliza, married John James Powell in 1892 and went on to have seven more children.  She died at Birmingham in 1937.

Generation 6 – Jane Ann Pethard (1877-1931), daughter of Joshua Pethard (1847-1915), 3xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Jane Ann Pethard (1877-1931) was born in London in 1877, the third of seven children of Joshua Pethard and his wife, Agnes (née Edwards).  Her mother died in 1891 when she was 14 years old.  By 1901, Jane Ann had moved to her father’s home county of Worcestershire.  She was working as a servant at 40 Port Street, Bengeworth.  On 20th February 1911 Jane qualified as a midwife.  She was living in Badsey from at least May to December 1911 as she advertised her services in the Parish Magazine as a certified midwife.  She was living with her cousin, Arthur Sears, of Hill View, Badsey (present-day Orchard House, 21 Badsey Fields Lane).  Jane was not present on the 1911 census night as she was visiting the Hemming family in Hampton, Evesham.  Eliza Stanley of Bretforton was already an established midwife in the area (she had delivered the Sears children), so it is not known for how long Jane Ann tried to build up her business in the Vale of Evesham.  The Midwives’ Roll reveals that, by the end of 1914, Jane Ann was living at 30 Herbert Street, Newport, Monmouthshire, where she practised as a midwife until at least 1920.  In 1926 she was at 18 Elm Road, Bengeworth.  In 1931, along with her sister-in-law, Maggie Pethard (wife of her brother, Robert), she was at 75 Burford Road, Evesham.  At the time of her death on 14th August 1931 she was living at 66 Northwick Road, Evesham.  Her death was reported in The Evesham Standard of 22nd August 1931.

Generation 6 – Joshua John Pethard (1886-1943), son of Joshua Pethard (1847-1915), 3xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Joshua John Pethard (1886-1943), known as Jack, was born in London in 1886, the sixth of seven children of Joshua Pethard and his wife, Agnes (née Edwards).  He was aged only five when his mother died in 1891.  Jack was working as a page boy at 11-12 Charles Street, London, in 1901.

Jack came to live in Badsey in 1908, joining his younger brother, Robert, in the household of their aunt, Caroline Sears, and her husband, Benjamin, on School Lane, Badsey. At the time of the 1911 census, Jack was working as a market gardening assistant.  He went into partnership with Thomas William Hardiman (known as Bill) and, in December 1912, he married Bill’s sister, Elsie Mary Hardiman, at Badsey.   In 1935, Jack and Bill opened a retail shop, The Evesham Shop, in Stourbridge, building up a successful trade.

Soon after marriage, Jack and Elsie went to live at West Lea on Old Post Office Lane which they rented from the Stephens family.  In 1930 they had the opportunity to buy this house and the semi-detached one next-door; the houses remained in Pethard family ownership until Elsie’s death in 1970.

Jack was very involved with St James’ Church, Badsey, and was churchwarden for over 20 years.  During the First World War, Jack appeared before a military tribunal.  He was not granted exemption from military service, but was not called up as he was not passed as medically fit.  Jack was a bell ringer.  He rang his first peal in June 1927, on the occasion of Julius Sladden’s 80th birthday.

Jack and Elsie had one son, John Douglas Pethard (1913-1937), known as Doug.  Tragedy hit the family in August 1937 when Doug was drowned on holiday in Austria. 

Jack and Elsie never really got over the loss of their only son.  Jack died at Badsey in September 1943 and Elsie in October 1970.  Probate of Jack’s will was granted to his widow, Elsie.  Jacks’s obituary appeared in The Evesham Standard of 11th September 1943 and an appreciation of Elsie’s life appeared in the parish magazine of November 1970.  They lived at West Lea on Old Post Office Lane.

Generation 6 – Robert Pethard (1889-1961), son of Joshua Pethard (1847-1915), 3xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Robert Pethard (1889-1961) was born in London in 1889, the youngest of seven children of Joshua Pethard and his wife, Agnes (née Edwards).  Robert was only two when his mother died in 1891.  He was brought up by his aunt, Caroline Sears (his father’s sister), in Badsey and attended Badsey School from 1892 to 1903.  For 66 years he was a faithful member of Badsey Church choir, as noted in his obituary.

In the 1911 census, Robert was still living with Benjamin and Caroline Sears and was working as a market gardening assistant.  He was a member of Badsey Adult School, which met at the Friends’ Meeting House in Chapel Street.  A report of the annual meeting in 1915 reveals that he was then Secretary of the Men’s School.  Robert does not appear to have served during WWI, but the war news in the Parish Magazine reveals that he was the recipient of several letters from former choristers serving overseas.

Robert married Maggie Heritage at Wickhamford in 1928.  Maggie had qualified as a midwife in June 1923 and operated from 75 Burford Road, Evesham, in the 1930s.  The Midwives’ Roll reveals that by 1944 they were living at Aston-sub-Edge and, by 1951, they were living at “Thatched Cottage, Wickhamford” (this was the present-day Grey Gables, Manor Road, which had been bought by Maggie’s parents).  Robert died at Grey Gables, Wickhamford, in June 1961 but was buried at Badsey; his will was proved at Birmingham.  An appreciation of his life appeared in the Parish Magazine of July 1961.  Maggie died the following May; her will was proved two months later at Birmingham.  Both Robert and Maggie were buried at Badsey.

Generation 6 – William George Pethard (1866-1908), daughter of Lucy Pethard (1850-1880), 3xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

William George Pethard (1866-1908) was born at Pinvin in 1866.   He was living with his maternal grandparents in Badsey by 1871, probably having gone there after Lucy’s marriage in 1870.    In 1891, with his grandparents dead, William was lodging with Charles and Kezia Watkins at what is now No 25 Old Post Office Lane.  William married Badsey-born Elizabeth Addis in the June quarter of 1895 in Birmingham.  They had one child, Lucy Hannah, born in 1896.  By 1901 they were living at what is now No 15 Old Post Office Lane, in the house of William’s father-in-law, George Addis.  William and family later moved to The Poplars, High Street.  He was by now becoming a prosperous fruit grower and commercial agent; full details of his work may be found in an article about his career.  He advertised in both Smith’s Almanack and the Parish Magazine.

William Pethard was a School Manager at Badsey Council School where his daughter was educated from 1900-1908.  William died in July 1908 and was buried at Badsey.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow.  His obituary appeared in the Parish Magazine of August 1908.  His grieving 12-year-old daughter died just four months later and was buried at Badsey alongside her father.  The School Log Book for 13th November 1908 states:  “Lucy Pethard, Standard VII, was buried on Tuesday.  She was in school on 3rd July.  Her father died on 5th July, since which date she gradually faded.  The children subscribed for a beautiful floral cross.”  By 1911, widowed Elizabeth was living in a new house on Bretforton Road (present-day No 18).  The Valuation Survey record of 1912 reveals that the land had been bought in March 1908 (two months before William died) and a house subsequently built on the plot.  Elizabeth was shown on the census as a market gardener and an employer.  Her mother, two nieces, a cousin and a boarder were also living there.  Elizabeth also occupied 3½ acres of land at The Leys, Badsey, belonging to Thomas Byrd.  Elizabeth died in 1937.   

Generation 7 – John Douglas Pethard (1913-1937), son of Joshua John Pethard (1886-1943), 4xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

John Douglas Pethard (1913-1937), known as Doug, was born at Badsey in 1913, the only son of Joshua John Pethard and his wife, Elsie Mary (née Hardiman).  He was educated at Badsey Council School from 1918-1925, Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Evesham and Birmingham University from where he graduated with an Honours degree in Geology and Geography in 1935.  He taught at Cowbridge Grammar School, Wales, primarily Geology.  He was tragically drowned in Austria in 1937 when he and a fellow teacher, Arthur, were on holiday in the Austrian Tyrol near Innsbruck.  His death was reported extensively in various newspapers.  Doug was buried in Austria but two memorials were erected in St James’ Church, Badsey:  a peal board in 1938 and choir stalls in 1939.  The full story of Doug’s life and death is told in this article, Drowned in Austria.

The Pethards of Wickhamford

Generation 4 – John Pethard (1806-1849), son of Benjamin Pethard (1767-1845), great-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

John Pethard (1806-1849), the younger of two children of Benjamin and Elizabeth Pethard, was born at Badsey in 1806.  John married Amelia Jarrett at Badsey in 1834.  They had two sons and five daughters:  Elizabeth (1834-1849), William (1836-1856), George (1837-1911), Amelia (1839-1917), Ann (1843-?), Sarah (1843-1897) and Hannah (1846-1928).  The first four children were born at Badsey and the last three at Wickhamford.  John was a wheelwright but he also became an Innkeeper when the family moved to Wickhamford about 1840 and took on the running of The Sandys Arms, a connection which was to last into the 20th century.  Another wheelwright and a blacksmith also lodged at The Sandys Arms in 1841.  John died in 1849 and was buried at Wickhamford.  By 1851 Amelia was the Innkeeper, still with a wheelwright and blacksmith lodging at the inn.  Amelia continued to run the inn until at least 1881.  In 1872, Amelia was appointed as an Overseer.  By 1891, Amelia was living with her married daughter, Hannah Timms, at Grimsbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire.  Amelia died at Grimsbury shortly after the census was taken but was buried at Wickhamford beside her husband.  Probate of her will was granted to her son, George.

  • Elizabeth Pethard (1834-1849) was born at Badsey in 1834, the eldest of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  When aged about six, the family moved to Wickhamford.  Elizabeth was 15 years old when her father died in 1849.  Just four months later, Elizabeth, too, died and was buried in the same plot in Wickhamford churchyard as her father.  
  • William Pethard (1836-1856) was born at Badsey in 1836, the second of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  When aged about four, the family moved to Wickhamford.  William was 13 years old when his father died in 1849.  Just four months later, his elder sister, Elizabeth, too, died.  At the time of the 1851 census, he was living at The Sandys Arms, Wickhamford, with his widowed mother and siblings.  Despite being aged 15, no occupation was listed.  William died at Wickhamford in May 1856, aged 20 and was buried in the same plot in Wickhamford churchyard as his father and sister. 
  • George Pethard (1837-1911) was born at Badsey in 1837, the third of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett) – see Generation 5 below.
  • Amelia Pethard (1839-1917) was born at Badsey in 1839, the fourth of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  Soon after her birth, the family moved to Wickhamford.  Amelia was nine years old when her father died in 1849, followed a few months later by her eldest sister.  By 1851, 11-year-old Amelia was living with her aunt and uncle, Thomas and Sarah Fletcher (Sarah was her mother’s sister) in Stratford-on-Avon; she was still there in 1861.  Amelia never married and spent most of her working career at the Warwick Avon Hotel, High Street, Warwick, where she was living and working at the time of the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census, employed either as a barmaid or housekeeper.  In 1901 she was visiting her brother, George, and family at The Sandys Arms.  By 1911 she had retired and was living in a detached house at Pitchers Hill (present-day No 20).  The Valuation Survey of 1913 reveals that she had bought the house in 1907.  She also owned Weathervane Cottage, Manor Road, which she had bought in 1899.  Amelia died at Wickhamford in March 1917 and was buried in the churchyard.  An obituary appeared in the Parish Magazine of April 1917.  By the terms of her will, her surviving siblings, George Pethard and Hannah Timms, and two nephews and a niece benefitted.
  • Ann Pethard (1843-1875) was born at Wickhamford in 1843, the twin daughter of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  Ann was still living at The Sandys Arms in Wickhamford with her widowed mother and brother at the time of the 1871 census.  In 1874, Ann married Frederick Johnston, in the Warwick district.  They had a son, Ernest Frederick William, born the following year at Coventry.  Ann died in giving birth to Ernest or shortly afterwards.
  • Sarah Pethard (1843-1897) was born at Wickhamford in 1843, the twin daughter of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  In October 1867, Sarah married Edward Wadams, a Relieving Officer Registrar, at Wickhamford.  They lived at Bengeworth, Evesham, where two children were born.  Sarah died at Bengeworth in 1897. 
  • Hannah Pethard (1846-1928) was born at Wickhamford in 1846, the youngest of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  In December 1875, Hannah married John Timms, an architect and surveyor, at Wickhamford.  They moved to Banbury, Oxfordshire, where three children were born (one dying in infancy).  By 1891 they were living in the hamlet of Grimsbury, near Banbury, and Hannah’s widowed mother was staying with them.  Hannah died in the Banbury region in 1928.

Generation 5 – George Pethard (1837-1911), son of John Pethard (1806-1849), 2xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

George Pethard (1837-1911) was born at Badsey in 1837, the third of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Amelia (née Jarrett).  When aged about three, the family moved to Wickhamford.  George was 11 years old when his father died in 1849.  Just four months later, his elder sister, Elizabeth, too, died.  At the time of the 1851 census, when his mother was Innkeeper at The Sandys Arms, George was a scholar.  He began his working career as a carpenter. 

George married Mary Anne Slatter in 1860 in the Droitwich area.  They had three sons and two daughters:  Sarah Ann (1860-1950), George Frederick (1862-1932), Edgar William (1864-1900), Amelia (1866-1867) and Edward John (1867-1946).  Sarah Ann was born at Badsey in December 1860 but, by the time of the census in April 1861, they were living in Wickhamford in a cottage close to The Sandys Arms; George was a wheelwright.  Mary Anne Pethard died in 1868, nine weeks after her son was born.  Probate of her will was granted to her husband, George.

By 1871, George was living at The Sandys Arms with his mother and two sisters; the oldest boy was staying with an aunt in Cheltenham, the two youngest boys were boarding with other families in the village but it is not known where Sarah Ann, the daughter was.  George married Hannah Byrd in 1880 in the Evesham area.  They had two sons and two daughters:  Henry Jarrett (1884-1953), Vernon Joseph Byrd (1885-1960), Millicent Gertrude (1887-1980) and Florence Mabel (1890-1967).

George was a churchwarden at the Church of St John the Baptist from 1882-1891 and then from 1897-1901.

In December 1884, a newspaper report reveals that George and his son, Frederick, were assaulted by two men at The Sandys Arms.  A report in The Evesham Journal of 6th April 1889 notes that George Pethard was appointed to be in charge of the water supply arrangements at Wickhamford.  At the time of the 1891 census, George and Hannah were running the pub; George was also a wheelwright.  Hannah was mentioned in a newspaper report of July 1895, when a man was accused of stealing money from The Sandys Arms.  Photos of George and Hannah and family appear in the article about Edwardian Wickhamford.

In 1907, George was one of several parishioners involved in obtaining land in order to build a village hall.  George continued running the pub until his death in 1911.  George died on Christmas Eve and was buried at Wickhamford on Boxing Day.  Photos of the family who were living in Wickhamford in 1911 appear here.  An obituary appeared in the Parish Magazine of January 1912.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow, Hannah.  The Valuation Survey record of May 1912 reveals that George Pethard was the owner of The Sandys Arms; it gives a detailed description of the pub.  George had died five months earlier, so the record should have been amended to say “Executors”.  Adjacent to The Sandys Arms was the plot of land on which Coronation Villa had recently been built, which was where Hannah and her children moved to.  George also occupied 1¾ acres of land at Francis’ Grave, Badsey, and on the allotments at Pitchers Hill.

Hannah died at Coronation Villa in 1925 and was buried at Wickhamford.  Probate of her will was granted to her son, Henry Jarrett.  

  • Sarah Ann Pethard (1860-1950) was born at Badsey in 1860, the eldest of five children of George Pethard by his first wife, Mary Anne (née Slatter).  Shortly after her birth, she moved with her family to Wickhamford.  Sarah Ann was seven years old when her mother died in 1868.  It’s not known where she was in 1871 but, by 1881, she was back home in Wickhamford.  In June 1886, Sarah Ann married Frederick William Bott, a journalist, at Wickhamford.  They settled in Albert Road, Stechford, Yardley, and had three children.  The 1901 census gave the house name as “Wickhamford”, Albert Road.  Sarah was by now a widow, Frederick having died in 1898.  Sarah died in 1950, aged 89.  
  • Frederick George (or George Frederick as the name sometimes appeared) Pethard (1862-1932) was born at Wickhamford in 1862, the second of five children of George Pethard by his first wife, Mary Anne (née Slatter).  Frederick was five years old when his mother died in 1868.  In 1871 he was staying with his aunt, Sarah Beasley (his mother’s sister), in Cheltenham, but was living back at home in Wickhamford in 1881.  Frederick became a wheelwright like his father.  In December 1884, a newspaper report reveals that Frederick and his father were assaulted by two men at The Sandys Arms.  In 1887, Frederick married Florence Cooper in the Lichfield area.  They had eight children, and lived firstly at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, and then at Great Wolford, Warwickshire.  Frederick died at Great Wolford in 1932.
  • Edgar William Pethard (1864-1900), known as William, was born at Wickhamford in 1864, the third of five children of George Pethard by his first wife, Mary Anne (née Slatter).  William was three years old when his mother died in 1868.  At the time of the 1871 census, he was boarding with the Hall family in Wickhamford; next-door, his brother Edward was being cared for by the Edkins family. By 1881, William was living in Broadway and working as a grocer’s assistant.  There is evidence that he worked for a time as assistant to his step-mother at The Sandys Arms, as he was mentioned as a witness in a newspaper report of July 1895, when a man was accused of stealing money.  William died at Wickhamford in 1900 and is buried in the churchyard of St John the Baptist. 
  • Edward John Pethard (1867-1946) was born at Wickhamford in 1868, the youngest of five children of George Pethard by his first wife, Mary Anne (née Slatter) – see Generation 6 below.  
  • Henry Jarrett Pethard (1884-1953), known as Jarrett, was born at Wickhamford in 1884, the eldest of four children of George Pethard by his second wife, Hannah (née Byrd).  Henry, as he appears in the school register, was educated at Badsey School from 1893, having previously attended a private school.  Photos of Jarrett and his siblings appear in the article about Edwardian Wickhamford.  Jarrett was mentioned in a Parish Magazine article of 1914 for assisting the Vicar on a choir outing.  Jarrett did not marry.  During the First World War, he appeared before a military tribunal; he was exempted on condition that his brother, Vernon, served.  From 1912 he lived at Coronation Villa, Wickhamford, along with his younger brother and family.  A postcard of Wickhamford Albion Football Club is thought to show Jarrett on the far left.  When the Wickhamford estate was put up for sale in 1930, both Jarrett and Vernon were listed as tenants.  National Farm Survey records for 1941 reveal that he was in partnership with Vernon; they had 6½ acres of land; the forms were addressed to Messrs J & V Pethard.  Jarrett died in Avonside Hospital in 1953 and was buried at Wickhamford.  Probate of his will was granted to his sister, Florence.
  • Vernon Joseph Pethard (1885-1960) was born at Wickhamford in 1885, the second of four children of George Pethard by his second wife, Hannah (née Byrd) – see Generation 6 below.  
  • Millicent Gertrude Pethard (1887-1980) was born at Wickhamford in 1887, the third of four children of George Pethard by his second wife, Hannah (née Byrd).  Millicent (or Gertrude as she appears in the register) was educated at Badsey School from 1894-1900.  Millicent became a pupil teacher at her old school, Badsey; she was mentioned in the Parish Magazine of June 1903.  Photos of Millicent appear in the article about Edwardian Wickhamford.  Millicent was working as an elementary school teacher in Godalming in 1911.  In 1914 in the Wandsworth district of London, she married Reginald Cuthbert Meaton, a journalist who served with the Royal Air Force during WWI.  They had three children.  Millicent died at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, in 1980.  
  • Florence Mabel Pethard (1890-1967) was born at Wickhamford in 1890, the youngest of four children of George Pethard by his second wife, Hannah (née Byrd).  Florence was educated at Badsey School from 1896-1902.  Photos of Florence appear in the article about Edwardian Wickhamford.  She was mentioned in a Parish Magazine article in 1910 because she sang a song at the dedication of the Hunt Memorial in Badsey churchyard.  Florence was still at home in Wickhamford in 1911, assisting in the business.  By 1939 she was working as a barmaid in Cheltenham, living in the home of Frank and Edith Banner.  Frank had formerly been the landlord of The Sandy Arms until 1927, succeeding Florence’s parents.  Following the death of Edith, Florence married Frank Banner in 1954.  Florence died at Cheltenham in 1967.  

Generation 6 – Edward John Pethard (1867-1946), son of George Pethard (1837-1911), 3xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

Edward John Pethard (1868-1946) was born at Wickhamford in 1867, the youngest of four children of George Pethard by his first wife, Mary Anne (née Slatter).  Edward was just nine weeks old when his mother died in 1868.  At the time of the 1871 census he was being looked after by George and Elizabeth Edkins in Wickhamford; next-door was his brother, Edgar William, who was being cared for by the Hall family.  By 1881, he was back at The Sandys Arm, living with his father again who had recently remarried, and with his siblings.  Edward became a wheelwright like his father, and was still working from The Sandys Arms in 1891.  Further details of Edward’s career may be found in an article about his life, and in the Account Book which he kept.

Edward married Annie Georgina Smith in 1894 in the Evesham area.  They had three daughters:  Violet Lilian (1895-1980), Priscilla Marjorie (1893-1981) and Nancy Kathleen (1903-1984).  Edward was a churchwarden at the Church of St John the Baptist in 1896.

Edward was described as a wheelwright in 1901 and a carpenter in 1911.  In 1901 they were living on Broadway Road (the present-day No 44 Pitchers Hill) and in 1911 they lived at what is the present-day No 20 Pitchers Hill.  Edward’s maiden aunt, Amelia Pethard, was living there, too; she was the owner of the property.  When the Wickhamford estate was put up for sale in 1930, Edward was listed as a tenant.  Some time in the 1930s, Edward and family moved to Rosebank (present-day No 16 Pitchers Hill).  Edward died at Wickhamford in 1946 and was buried in the churchyard.  Annie died in 1955.  Probate of her will was granted to her daughter, Violet Ward.

  • Violet Lilian Pethard (1895-1980) was born at Wickhamford in 1895, the eldest of three daughters of Edward John Pethard and his wife, Annie Georgina.  Violet was educated at Badsey Council School from 1901-1909.  She was a member of Badsey Adult School and participated in musical programmes such as one in 1915.  Violet married Cecil Herbert Ward at Wickhamford in 1917.  At the time of the 1939 Register, Violet and Cecil were living with her parents at Rosebank, 16 Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford.  Violet died there in 1984.
  • Priscilla Marjorie Pethard (1899-1981) was born at Wickhamford in 1899, the second of three daughters of Edward John Pethard and his wife, Annie Georgina.  She was educated at Badsey Council School in May 1908 from 1903-1913.  Priscilla was a member of Badsey Adult School and participated in musical programmes such as one in 1915.    In 1918 she played the part of Beauty in Beauty and the Beast at Badsey Old School.  Priscilla married Tom Herbert Collett at Wickhamford in 1925.  They had two children and remained the rest of their lives in Wickhamford, Priscilla dying at 21 Washington Road in 1984.
  • Nancy Kathleen Pethard (1903-1984), or Nancie as her name sometimes appeared, was born at Wickhamford in 1903, the youngest of three daughters of Edward John Pethard and his wife, Annie Georgina.  Nancy was educated at Badsey Council School from 1908-1917.  In 1918 she played the part of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast at Badsey Old School.  Nancy never married.  She trained as a nurse and a midwife.  Further details about her career may be found in this article.  Nancy died in the Evesham area in 1984.

Generation 6 – Vernon Joseph Pethard (1885-1960), son of George Pethard (1837-1911), 3xgreat-grandson of Thomas Pethard (?-1784)

 Vernon Joseph Pethard (1885-1960) was born at Wickhamford in 1885, the second of four children of George Pethard by his second wife, Hannah (née Byrd) see below.  Vernon was educated at Badsey School from 1893-1900, having previously attended a private school.  Photos of Vernon and his siblings appear in the article about Edwardian Wickhamford.

During the First World War, Vernon appeared before a military tribunal.  He was refused exemption as he had an older brother who was able to look after their land.  He enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and Labour Corps.  Vernon married Elizabeth Mary Collett Johnson in 1928.  They had one son, John. They lived at Coronation Villa, Wickhamford, along with Vernon’s older brother, Henry.  When the Wickhamford estate was put up for sale in 1930, both Vernon and Henry were listed as tenants.  National Farm Survey records for 1941 reveal that he was in partnership with Henry; they had 6½ acres of land – the forms were addressed to Messrs J & V Pethard.  Vernon died in Avonside Hospital in 1960.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow, Elizabeth.

Statistics

  • Position in League Table:  5 (Badsey top ten 1800s); 6 (Wickhamford top ten 1800s); 3 (Wickhamford top ten 1900s)
  • Name variants:  Peathard, Pethard, Pethwood, Pettard, Petthard, Pithard, Pitherd, Pittard
  • Name origin:  The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names gives the following derivation:  “Norman, English: nickname from Anglo-Norman French pe(i)ter ‘to break wind, fart’ (Old French petour ‘farter’) + the pejorative suffix –hard.”  An early reference to the name is William Petard who appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296.
  • Total number of Badsey baptism records:   44
  • Total number of Badsey marriage records:   13
  • Total number of Badsey burial records:   23
  • Total number of Badsey census records:   72
    • Badsey 1841    12
    • Badsey 1851    15
    • Badsey 1861    18
    • Badsey 1871    9
    • Badsey 1881    4
    • Badsey 1891    4
    • Badsey 1901    4
    • Badsey 1911    3
    • Badsey 1939    3
  • Total number of Wickhamford baptism records:   13
  • Total number of Wickhamford marriage records:   6
  • Total number of Wickhamford burial records:   13
  • Total number of Wickhamford census records:   64
    • Wickhamford 1841    6
    • Wickhamford 1851    6
    • Wickhamford 1861    6
    • Wickhamford 1871    6
    • Wickhamford 1881    6
    • Wickhamford 1891    7
    • Wickhamford 1901    10
    • Wickhamford 1911    11
    • Wickhamford 1939    6

mapThe British Surname Atlas produced by Archer Software gives distribution maps for all the surnames found in the 1881 census of England, Scotland and Wales.

In 1881, Pethard was ranked 31,929 in the country, with a total of 44 people bearing that name (as a comparison, the top surname, Smith, had a total of 421,703 people).  Worcestershire had the greatest incidence of the name.  The clusters in other parts of the country can be accounted for by sons or daughters migrating from Worcestershire earlier in the century.

pethard 1881 map

Mentioned in Publications

  • A Brief History of Badsey and Aldington – p 55, Miss Pethard (Florence) participated in a musical programme following the dedication of a stone cross in 1910; pp 63-64, William Pethard, fruit and vegetable merchant (including photos); p 77, George Pethard resigned as school manager; p 88, photo of William Pethard in the garden of his home, The Poplars; p 122, demolition of The Poplars, former home of William Pethard.
  • Heads and Tales:  A History of Badsey Schools – pp 27 & 173, George Pethard, school manager; pp 37, 70, 72 & 173, William Pethard, school manager; pp 45, 59 (photo) & 168, Millicent Pethard, pupil teacher; p 69, Nancy Pethard; p 70, Lucy Pethard, death; p 79 (photo) & 175, Douglas Pethard, honours board.
  • Digging for a Living:  Market Gardening in Badsey and Aldington – p 16-77, John Pethard, one of first market gardeners; pp 39, 41, 43, William Pethard, fruit and potato salesman and commission agent.
  • Peace, War & Remembrance:  The Great War in Badsey, Aldington & Wickhamford – p 37, Nancy Kathleen and Priscilla Marjorie Pethard, participants in an entertainment; pp 123, Robert Pethard, Secretary of Badsey Adult Men’s School; p 65, Vernon Joseph Byrd Pethard, military tribunal; p 101, Violet Lilian Pethard, married Cecil Ward.
     

Maureen Spinks, July 2020