Family from the Forge in Silver Street, from Les Chard

I remember Bill Lane at the Forge in Silver Street in the 1920’s, as lads we used to go down and watch him shoeing the horses.

There was Daisy, Ivy, Ena, Elsie, Dora, Harold and Clarence. I’m afraid I don’t remember
much at all about Daisy but knew the rest quite well.

I recall my mother telling me that her and Dora worked for Mrs Amor whose family ran a grocery business (where Pearce the Butcher was until a few years ago) and during the first world war the Amor boys were called into the forces and my mother and Dora ran the business, going into Bristol with Horse and Vans to collect supplies and also delivering groceries around the neighbouring villages.

Ena married Joe Brown and lived at Claverham.

Ivy married Bill Smith lived in Wrington during their later years. Bristol originally.

Elsie - I’m not to sure about in her early years but I recall she married George Brunker and lived in Station Road Wrington

Dora married Tim Kington and lived at the Forge in Silver St.

Ivy had a son called John who when they came to Wrington to visit we used to play together in the garden at the Forge. When they came to Wrington to live they lived at Clock House.
Ivy lived until she was 100

Harold used to work for Dubric Wood who were solicitors where Fryer Bennet’s were. He used to play cricket for the local First X1.

Clarence worked for Standens at Congresbury, I believe as a plumber. He played soccer for the local First X1.

During the 1930's my parents bought a cottage at Compton Bishop, a lovely spot so that they could get away from the hustle and bustle of Paradise from time to time.(This idea did not last long as Paradise did not run very well when they were not there). [See previous correspondence with Tony for recollections of the Paradise Motel - the site of the new Holiday Inn on the A38 - Ed]. I remember the cottage well as I enjoyed a couple of school holidays there.

Anyway, last week I plugged "Dunnett Cottage" into Google and what should pop up but a picture of the place. It had just been renovated and was being used as an advertisement for the builder. This whole Internet business boggles my mind !!!

I wrote a congratulatory letter to Trevor [Wedlake - see his writings which Tony refers to - Ed]] this year and I think it pleased him as I am now referred to by him as a "fan". Which of course I am. How many more of his essays have you got available? ["Merrily on high" was added immediately on receipt of this ! - Ed]

Just discovered my ancestors lived for a while at Wrington. John Stevens was a carpenter and was living there in 1863 when his daughter Emily was born. He was born in Redhill. As interest in family history is booming, how about introducing a family history page? [See Personal Quest section for this - Ed]

I enjoyed the history section particularly. Keep up the good work

Paul Hurley - Poole, Dorset, 26th November

Would anyone remember Stanley Hurley (my great grandfather) who lived at 8 Station road. I think he was a barber and local postman. I am looking for any information towards researching my family tree. Also would anyone remember my grandfather Vernon "Jack" Hurley ?

[See information supplied by Trevor Wedlake on the Hurley page of the Personal Quest section - Ed]

I grew up in Wrington and left when I was 13, in 1982

My Great Great Grandfather Jeremiah Mathlin was born in WRINGTON in 1831.
I am researching my family tree so I found your website very interesting.

Jeremiah's Daughter Louisa was born in Wrington in 1859 . Alice and Melinda 1864 John 1855.

As far as I know Jeremiah had a son John born in Wrington in 1855. He married Emily Marshman from Churchill and later moved to Bath where my Grandfather Harry Mathlin was born in 1890. He had 3 brothers George, Hodson and William. My father Leslie J Mathlin was born in Bath in 1914.

Harry and family imigrated to Western Australia about 1922. A few years ago my father received a letter from a Betty Mathlin who said she had a lot of info on the Mathlins and one photo showed her husband's grandfather standing in front of Mathlins cottage about 1900.

She lived in Basingstoke but has been to Wrington to research. Unfortunately I have lost her address so if anyone there knows it I would love to get it.

Lee Docherty - Cardiff, 5th November

Hello, what a lovely Town & Website.. Lovely photos.

I wonder if you can help. I'm looking for any details on a family of stone masons that have lives in the town of Wrington for centuries. The families name is Ashley. I'm particularly interested in a gentleman, listed on your war memorial called 'Alroy Arthur Ashley' who died in 1946 whilst serving with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve aged 25. We believe his mothers name was 'Gertrude Ashley' and father was 'Henry Ashley'. These are the only useful details we are able to obtain regarding him. I believe this man to be my grandfather. I'm wondering if any of his relative still live at your lovely town.

I would love to find out a bit more about him, or just see a photo of his face..

Can you help or can you point me in the direction of someone who might have more information ?

Thursday Cottage was a great place to live in that when I was ‘gardening’ my little wall in front of the cottage, I used to talk to all the people who walked past. The Atters, the Smiths, the Dennys were my neighbours. We were our own little community. And dear Peter Bennett, of course. Before the field attached to the rectory was built on there was a horse and donkey and they used to prune my rose bush over the wall. It did very well. The Clements drove their cows through the village, and Diana Wager, who lived in Farleys, and I, had a studio upstairs
in the barn behind CJ Hole. It was truly rural.

My husband and I enjoyed Roger and Annie’s hospitality at the Plough, I was a committee member of the Village Association, and I think I was a founder member (in its resurrected status) of the Gardening Club at that time. I taught at that time at Yatton Junior School
and felt very involved in the community. We also had vet students lodging with us.

If I can remember rightly, Commander Lawder identified Thursday Cottage as being where Ernest Bevin lived for a short time. I have it somewhere in my records, but not to hand. What amuses me is that he lived in so many places. Here down in Mid Devon he is identified, and has a plaque on the wall, as having attended our village school in Morchard Bishop. And in the neighbouring village of Copplestone there is a plaque on the wall on a cottage where
he lived. So perhaps there should be a plaque on the wall of Thursday Cottage (formerly known as Triscombe). Can anybody source this?

Last time I came through the village with my mother after a trip to Clevedon, two years ago, we chanced upon the annual flower and vegetable show. I didn’t get a chance to speak to anyone in particular, and indeed didn’t recognise many people. Except I did see and speak to Joyce Smith my old neighbour. I was so pleased to see so much activity. Diana Wager put me in touch with the website and I think it is fantastic. We are developing a website for our village of Morchard Bishop and I am going to pass on you site as an example for ours to follow. Well done.

I moved to Wrington in 1981, went to Churchill School and moved away in 1986. Got to know some good friends.

After leaving school, Heather became a nurse, doing her training at King's College, London and later qualifying as a Neo-natal nurse.

When she married she lived in Nottingham and later with her husband Stephen decided to do an honours degree at Trinity Theological College in Clifton, where the principal at the time was Dr. George Carey. On completion they spent six months in Seville having language tuition because they were going to become missionaries for S.A.M.S (South American Missionary Society).

First serving for 3 years in Peru until it became too dangerous due to The Shining Path
terrorists, which were at their height, they then went to Uruguay where they worked for 11 years. Given the ages of their children, Luke 16, Bethany 13 and Phillip 8 it was decided it was time to return to the UK..

Stephen was inducted as vicar of St. Michael's, Dalston with St. John's, Cumdivock, All Saints', Rauton Head, and St. Mary's, Wrey on September 8th, living in the vicarage in Dalston which is 5 miles south of Carlisle.

Heather will also assist Stephen with the four churches. Also she hopes to be able to carry on with her "Signing" and hopefully form a Deaf Club as she did in Montevideo. She will have to get to grips with the British Sign Language as Spanish will be of little help here.

The Bishop of Montevideo, Miguel, whom Heather worked with, and who ordained her as deacon, is hoping to be here for the laying on of hands at the service in Carlisle.

The children have started their new school year in Dalston and are all settling in to the English way of life and the climate change.

Just to say "hello" on 21st June (World Wrington Day) from Australia. Today I am at work, the sun is shining and the wind is cold. We are well into Winter now, but the weather has
been very dry and warm this year - most unusual.

I work as the receptionist in a residential college at the University of Sydney that has 200 residents who come from all around the world. I enjoy my job very much and this is my fourth year. This week the exams begin and everyone is stressed. Many students are writing Ph D's in all manner of fields, so this makes for interesting conversations around the lunch table and at the social events.

The most recent college social event was World Environment Day Formal Dinner on 5th June with a guest speaker on environmental issues which was enjoyed by everyone, especially the food! Our Director is in London at the moment attending a World Conference of International Houses. There are representatives from USA, France, Taiwan, Korea and 4 from Australia.

Even though it is 14 years since I visited Wrington, I can still picture All Saints' Church, Broad Street shops, Havyat Road and Havyatt Farm as if it were yesterday. I do hope to be able to make another visit in the not too distant future. Have a happy day!

[I didn't set up a repeat of last year's Wrington World Day this year being busy arranging the events for the tercentenary of John Locke in October, but it's great to hear from Lyndley again, and I hope we may all pick up the World Day idea again in 2005 - Ed.]

Thank you once again.

Your area presents a problem as very little has been recorded or written.

Have any of your readers any memories, records or photographs of your local quarries that I can use and of course give credit to them.
Can you help please ?

Bob
I also have enjoyed your site, it was quite an eye opener

Russell Crook - 19th March

I have no knowledge of any Hardwicks, but I do have the ring from the nose of the bull that killed Dick Hardwick who farmed next to the school, sometime in the 30s I think

On another track I am the Crook in my brother's photo with Sylvia Millard.

I keep up to date with Wrington through your first class web site.

All the best,

My line stems from his elder brother Thomas, who married a Pheobe Oldfield and had my great great grandfather George Hardwick, who left for London at age 16 in 1832 to be an apprentice in the workshop of the famous engineering company of Maudslay & Son, and Field, of Lambeth.

So, my gt gt grandfather, George Hardwick and Abel were first cousins. George would have been about 11 when Abel was born. This is our link.

Abel himself married an Emma (?) possibly in 1850. In the 1851 Census she is with him at Venice Street, Congresbury. He is described as a farmer with 50 acres. In 1861, the Census states that he has moved to Wrington and is farming 130 acres. Emma is 23 and they have two children, Mary, aged 8 and George C, aged 7. I wonder if he named his son George, after my gt gt grandfather, who by that time was being quite successful in Maudslay's company. Abel had three servants on what seems a larger than usual farm for the Hardwicks as most farms seem to have comprised between 50 and 80 or so acres. One of the men on the
farm is listed as being a Samuel Hunt from Kingston Seymour, where my George grew up, so the link is possible.

In 1881, Abel now has 125 acres in Wrington and is also married to a widow, Jemima Collins, née Hassell. The missing 5 acres might indicate the land that is mentioned in your web pages as that which was taken for the building of the village school in Chew Magna. His new wife,
Jemima was from Chew Magna, though no maiden name is listed for her in the records. Liz Bang provided that-her name was Hassell. She brought two grown daughters into Abel's household, Alice Collins, aged 23 and Kate Ann Collins, aged 19, both born in Chew Magna.

In 1891, the Census shows Abel at Wrington Farm, aged 64 and with Jemima, aged 57. All four of their children unmentioned. However, George is discovered on the 1881 Census as being 27 years old, a farmer, born in Wrington, with 93 acres. He is married to Sarah (?)
aged 25 from Blagdon. In 1891, he is listed as farming at Havyatt Farm, Wrington, though no children are mentioned.

In the 1902 Directory of Somerset Farmers he is at Stepstone Farm, Wrington. I don't know any more about this line after this though it appears no children came after this and this Hardwick line ended with his son George.

Liz also sent me a picture of Abel Hardwick sitting grandly and confidently in front of an impressive looking front door in a group that looks like a wedding commemorative photo. Beside him possibly is Jemima, while other family members are also included.
One of Jemima's daughters is there with her new husband Mark Lock. I don't know when it
was taken but possibly it is from 1880s or 1890s. Abel looks about 60.

Incidentally, Liz Bang's connection to Abel is through Jemima, his second wife. Liz says that Jemima is her great-great-grandmother so presumably her line is from Alice or Kate Ann.
She also states that Jemima Hassell's sister had a daughter, Clara J Baber, who married an
Ernest Hardwick and has asked me to find out a bit about him. I have another job springing from this one!

One thing that fascinates me is how close all these families were and how the same names arise again and again and again; Hardwick, Price, Gage, Stuckey, Baber, Yeeles, Baker, Vowles, Harris, Lock, Kingcott. It is amazing and so different from today.

I hope this is interesting information for you. I am very grateful to you for getting this line
of study started and thank you for your interest. Next time I am down in Somerset, as I most surely want a second visit, I will look in on Chew Magna, Havyatt and other places in
the Wrington area. My short visit was taken last month was taken up in searching out my most immediate family around the Gordano valley villages. I did go to Wraxall and Failand and was most impressed with the unspoilt countryside there.

Best Regards,
Will Hardwick

Will

I use your web site to catch up on events going on in the village, events like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which my daughter performed in.

Web cam would be a great idea. It could be set up on Broad Street and I could keep an eye
on Wrington as it goes about its day, also Johnny Dunstone. I could also get envious of the comings and goings of the Red Lion.

Just an idea!

[This is an ambition I've long had. All it needs is the necessary cash ! - Ed]