The Sawbridgeworth Local History Society

Many people coming to this site do so in search of local history to do with Sawbridgeworth, the next town to High Wych. Indeed,  yours truly, the High Wych village historian was and is very much involved with a local history group in Sawbridgeworth.  Until recently that group operated under the umbrella of U3A.

For a variety of reasons that proved unworkable and it was decided to seek independence. That process is now finished. As from 27th October 2016 we are  a society with officers and all. Yours truly was appointedchair person. We also drew up a constitution. According to this our aim is:                                                                                                                   to research, collect, record and preserve the history of Sawbridgeworth and its surrounding area and share it through public meetings, and in printed and/or electronic formats.

Eventually there will be a website where we will publish the results of our research and members can work on projects. Please be patient whilst that is set up. For the moment watch this space  for news about the Sawbridgeworth Local History Society.

Talk to you soon,     Theo

 

Hadrian at the Manor of Groves

Recently I started research on the Manor of Groves. History of that estate goes back to the middle ages. The Manor of Groves was the place where local vips such as the Barnards, the Buxtons and the Egertons resided. As always I will appreciate help from all who think they have a story, a picture or any other information.

I can already show you one picture. It was given to me by Douglas Scott. The Scotts were the last private occupants of the Manor before it became a hotel.  The photograph shows Hadrian the Bull on what had until then had been a cricket field.  Shortly afterwards, in 1987, the Scotts left for Gloucestershire where they still live and are engaged in raising pedigree South Devon cattle.hadrian-sIsn’t Hadrian beautiful?

A tribute to John Sapsford and Rivers Orchard

2008 john sapsford in his later years sHello,

Currently I am preparing the second of two articles about John Sapsford (1922 – 2010) a local history luminary who wrote about Sawbridgeworth and High Wych.

In his later years John was active in promoting the Rivers Orchard Project.  The importance locally of Rivers Nursery (1725 – 1987) cannot be underestimated.  John Sapsford  collaborated intensely with Elizabeth Waugh, author of “THE ART OF PRACTICAL POMOLOGY, THE HISTORY OF RIVERS NURSERY, a book I cannot recommend enough.                                                                                                  Elizabeth came up with the below tribute:

For a number of years, I enjoyed working with John afternoons in his bright sitting room. I was attempting to pull together the facts that would form the basis for writing of the rise and fall of Rivers Nursery, one of the most important in terms of employment and prestige and certainly the longest surviving of local businesses. John was a fount of local knowledge in the best possible sense: he gloried in the accurate recording of events, having a positive attitude to assembling mundane facts in chronological order, in bearing witness to his times from his place in them. Unlike many writers he did not choose to aggrandise himself. He seemed to take pleasure from paying attention in an intelligent manner and noting what he observed.

Although he focused on several other subjects too, his relation to the Rivers Nursery is a good example of his skills. His father was one of the long-term employees of the company which at its height in the early 20th century employed up to 300 people – but one who rose to be manager. John never worked for Rivers but in addition to being a good archivist of his father’s documents, he was quietly collecting information as he grew up and went to work for other employers. As John witnessed the prosperous times and the decline of the business as well as the eventual rebirth of Rivers Orchard as a local heritage, he was there at a crucial period. In his later years, he found time in his industrious way to make notes and take pictures and to share them with all who were interested.

His efforts can be valued for being comprehensive and his own modesty allowed him to see the people and events he walked through without bias. His quiet achievements and accurate knowledge certainly underpinned the efforts to preserve the memory of Rivers Nursery, in its way the embodiment of the rural Sawbridgeworth that is so quickly disappearing.

Elizabeth Waugh

The below picture, taken on 1st September 2016 shows Rivers Orchard in its full glory.  It is good the Orchard has been saved!

1609-0101-rivers-orchard-c

John Sapsford, the Sapsfords, the Burys and the Birds

Currently I am preparing publication of an article based on the writings of John Sapsford.  As some of you may know already, John Sapsford (1922 – 2010)  wrote extensively about the history of High Wych and Sawbridgeworth.  I received a lot of help from John’s daughter, Wendy Oxborough who supplied me with some lovely photographs. Amongst those is the below  picture taken in 1907 at the wedding of Alice Sapsford and Walter Bird. Perhaps some of your ancestors are in it as well!

1907 wedding of alice sapsford to walter bird

According to John Sapsford’s writings the people in the above photograph are:

Backrow left to right: Frank Bury, Susanna Thurgood, Percy Saban, Harry Tucker, William Bird, George Childs, Emma Thurgood, Nellie Thurgood, William Sapsford, Jim Eaton, Bertha Rickett, Minnie Rickett.

Middle row left to right: Lilian Bury, May Tucker, Louisa Sapsford, Walter Bird, Alice Bird, Alfred Sapsford, Liza Saban.

Bottom row left to right: Leonard Thurgood, Harold Thurgood, William Bury, George Rickett, Emily Tucker, Arthur Sapsford, William Rickett.

Talk to you soon. Best regards,  Theo

Grace Dunn

hw 65 grace dunnThose of you who have read my articles may have noticed mention of this lady.  A lifelong villager she wrote her reminiscences and also a short history of our village.      It is my intention to write an article about her. Meanwhile it might be a good idea to to make her writings directly available. Had she been alive whilst the internet came about, I am sure that is what she would have wanted.

Click here for Grace Dunn’s history of High Wych.

Click here for Grace Dunn’s personal recollections.

Thanks to Chris Finch for making these nice handwritten versions available.

 

 

 

Walter Richard Webb – Finally some more details

It has been a while since I did anything about first world war research. The internet   being what it is however people contact you out of the blue with questions and with help. That was the case when Gareth Hughes of St. Albans contacted me. Sadly I could not help him with the questions he asked me but the help he gave me set me on the way to finally find out more.

It appears that Walter ended up in Mesopotamia, present day  Iraq where he served with the military police until his death in 1921.

baghdad northgate cemetery

Walter Webb was buried at the Northgate cemetery in Baghdad, I have not been able to find out the exact co-ordinates of his grave.

Having found out all this I amended the list of High Wych WW1 fallen soldiers. You can download it by clicking on the below link.

The first world war in High Wych – The soldiers that did not come back

 

 

Jane Lydia Bird

hw un dated high wych green reducedin the centre of our village are two rows of cottages. One is still referred to as the Helmer & Dyer officeds although that company moved out quite a while ago. The other are known by some as the “pink cottages” although only one of them is now a pinkish white. In the middle is the green where between 1865 and 1919 a pump stood.  The picture above was taken around 1911-12. We know that because at HALS a postcard version was found with a date stamp from 19 13. The woman in the picture was Jane Lydia Bird. The boys in the front mst probably her sons.

hw 25 or so jane lydia bird

The second picture  was taken some 10-15 years later and shows the same Jane Lydia Bird in front of her cottage which was the one on the right.

Two surviving soldiers from WW1

Hello,

November is drawing near and once again we prepare for the remembrance of the fallen in two world wars. My latest article however concentrates on to soldiers that survived war: William Smith and George Howe. You can download it by clicking on the link :   two surviving soldiers

At present I am working on an article about the Queens Head, the one and only hostelry in Allens Green. If you have any recollections of this place or the people that managed it, please get in touch.

Thanks very much.   Theo

A Message for September

Because of a bereavement in my family no High Wych History article was published in our parish magazine the Link this month. I did  however send round an article I wrote for the Hertfordshire family history society. It is of a more general nature but may still be of interest to you. You could download it. Just click on this link

Whilst on the subject of the Herts FHS, I suggest you visit their website and have a look round. Who knows, you might even want to join! Check out  http://www.hertsfhs.org.uk/

My next article will once again discuss  the first world war, its implications for our village and talk about two soldiers who actually survived that awful conflict.   After that I intend to turn to Allens Green and hope to discuss the Queens Head public house there and the primary school which existed there until the early sixties when it was incorporated into High Wych School. If you have information on those two subjects, please get in touch.

Meanwhile, over in our neighbouring town the Herts at War Exhibition has opened. It will run until 31st December 2015 at Sayesbury Manor, Bell St, Sawbridgeworth CM21 9AN. Opening days are – Thursday by appointment, Friday 10-4 and Saturday 10-4. Anyone wishing to volunteer, book an appointment or requiring further information can visit www.hertsatwar.co.uk or contact Dan Hill – danhill@hertsatwar.co.uk. As yet there is not as much High Wych and Gilston content as some would wish but that as soon to be remedied.

Talk to you soon,  Theo