JOURNAL

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Annual General Meeting 2005 - Notice of Agenda
The Annual General Meeting of the West Middlesex Family History Society will be held on Thursday 17 March 2005 at Montague Hall, Montague Road, Hounslow. The Agenda for this meeting is as follows:

1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Thursday, 18th March, 2004
4. Matters Arising
5. Chairman's Report
6. Project Coordinator's Report
7. Treasurer's Report
8. Approval of Financial Statement for the year ended 31st December, 2004
9. Appointment of Examiners
10. Election of Committee
11. Any Other Business

Tony Simpson, Secretary, 32 The Avenue, Bedford Park, Chiswick W4 1HT

The Poor Are Always With Us

A WEST MIDDLESEX FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY ONE DAY CONFERENCE
Saturday, 10th September, 2005
at The National Archives, Kew
10 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.
Book the date in your diary now

Look for the Booking Form in the June Journal

News Roundup - Diary Dates

Sunday 13 March: The Merseyside and Cheshire Family History Fair, Hulme Hall, Bolton Road, Port Sunlight Village, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside. 10-5.

Tuesday 15 March: Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society, Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton. 8pm. “Sources for the history of your House and Garden”by Julian Pooley. Donations £1 per head.

Sunday 3 April: The Stockport Town Hall Family History Fair, WellingtonRoad, Stockport. 10-5. Parking and Refreshments available.

Saturday 9 April: “The Good, the Bad and the Missing” Bristol & Avon Family History Society’s 30th anniversary at B.A.W.A. Leisure Centre, Southmead Road, Bristol. Incorporating The Federation Of Family History Societies A.G.M. www.bafhs.org.uk

Tuesday 19 April: Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society, Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton. 8pm. “The History of Aircraft Production in Weybridge” by Julian Temple. Donations £1 per head.

Sunday 10 April: West Midlands Family History Fair, Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton. 10-5.

Sunday 17 April: South Wales Family History Fair, Llantrisant Leisure Centre, Southgate Park, Llantrisant, Rhondda. 10-5. Easy access from Cardiff and Swansea.

Sunday 24 April: South Coast Family History Fair, Worthing Pavillion Theatre, Marine Parade, Worthing. 10-5. The South Coast’s largest Fair.

Saturday 30 April: The Society of Genealogists, Royal Horticutural Society, New Hall and Conference Centre, Greycoat Street, Westminster, London SW1. 10-5.

Sunday 8 May: Oxfordshire and Bucks. Family History Fair, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kiddlington. 10-5.

Tuesday 17 May: Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society, Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton. 8pm. “The Derivation of Place Names” by Ann Cole. Donations £1 per head.

Sunday 22 May: Central England Family History Fair, Buxton Pavilion Gardens. 10-5. Great Fair in Derbyshire’s Premier Event Venue with up to 120 stalls.

Sunday 12 June: Essex and East London Family History Fair, Courage Hall, Brentwood School, Middleton Hall Lane, Brentwood. 10-5. Large fair with over 100 stalls.

Saturday 25 June: Yorkshire Family History Fair, The Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, York Racecourse. West Middlesex will be attending this and would be pleased to see any of our Northern members.

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WMFHS Noticeboard

PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE
The Society provides insurance cover for the risk of personal injury liability to fully paid up registered individual members of the Society between the age of 16 and 75 whilst taking part in a society meeting or activity. In no way will our Insurers waive this age restriction. It should also be pointed out that this cover does not extend to non-members, helpers or assistants. Paul Kershaw - Treasurer

CIVIL REGISTRATION NEWS
In December the House of Lords and House of Commons Regulatory Reform Committees issued their reports on the proposed Civil Registration Regulatory Reform Order. The Federation of Family History Societies has published extracts on its web site and these can be viewed via their Stop Press page at www.ffhs.org.uk The order will not proceed, so at present there will be no change to the Civil Registration system in England and Wales.

INDEX
Once again we enclose, as a centre insert [to the paper version], an “Index to the Journal” – a quick way to look up those names and places that have appeared in our Journal during 2004. Currently we provide references to articles, to reports of talks, to the photos, places and names that have featured in the articles and finally, alphabetically, to the over 350 surnames that have appeared in the HELP! and MEMBERS’ INTERESTS sections. The Index should build up over the years to a comprehensive record of places and names featured in our Journal, of use to new and established members alike. Copies of 2004 Journals are available from the Membership Secretary, or the Editor can supply a copy of a particular item. Your views are welcomed as to the value of this annual Index.

BOOK SALE!
At the March meeting we shall be holding a book sale with books from both the Society Library and the Bookstall. Bargains for all!

GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE Southport
The new telephone number for the GRO is: 0845 603 7788

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES BEHIND the SCENES TOURS

The National Archives now offers visitors the chance to see 'behind the scenes' every Saturday. The behind the scenes tours provide a opportunity to see the inner workings of Britain's most important archive and will give a thorough introduction to the collection and workings of this immensely important resource.

On the tours you can:

• See and touch some of Britain's most significant historical documents;
• Visit the bomb-proof, climate controlled storage facilities with over 100 miles of shelving;
• See the original Domesday Book in the 'Treasury';
• Learn what preservation work goes into a thousand year old manuscript;
• Learn how they deal with 'Harry the spider' and 'Woolly Bear' if they find them in the repositories;
• Visit the museum containing world famous documents;
• Get advice on starting family and military history research and on dozens of other topics.

Tours last approximately two hours and start at 11:00 and 14:00. The tour is suitable for wheelchair users and wheelchairs can be made available on request. Children are more than welcome if accompanied by an adult, but the tour is not really suitable for children under the age of 12.

Places on the tours are limited and booking is essential. To book a free Saturday tour call 020 8876 3444.

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The Sutton Seminar
On 20th November 2004 the Federation of Family History Societies held a Seminar in Sutton, Surrey, to discuss the topic: What Does the Future Hold for Family History Societies?
West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

Library Additions - Richard Chapman

ORIGINAL CERTFICATES FOR SALE
Over the years members have kindly donated their unwanted certificates to us. We hope to shortly publish the list of BMD certificates in our area on the WMFHS web site, but we are detailing them in the Journal, continuing with Marriages and Deaths. The cost of each certficate is £3.00. Please apply, with sae, to Valerie Walker at the address shown on the Courier Service page, but cheques in this instance should be made payable to WMFHS.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

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The Perils of Census Transcription — A talk given in January by George Smith - Reported by Yvonne Masson
In November Jeanne Bunting stepped in at short notice and delivered a hilarious but cautionary account of the perils of census transcription. She and colleagues had been examining both the 1881 and 1901 census transcriptions and found a woefully large number of errors, many as she pointed out avoidable if due care had been taken. Some of the mistakes were at least understandable given the style of writing of various Victorian enumerators, and the poor preservation of some of the original census pages, but others were less forgivable. Jeanne considered the main causes of mistakes were: misreading; miskeying; carelessness. For instance ...
West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

Your Victorian Ancestors — A talk given in November by Jeanne Bunting - Reported by Yvonne Masson
In January George Smith spoke on the social background against which our Victorian ancestors lived out their lives. At home in Britain the Victorian era was at least one of peace and a growing prosperity. It saw the beginning of general education, modern drainage, new transportation systems, labour-saving inventions, etc. Queen Victoria’s household takes up eight pages in the 1841 census. It is worthwhile perusing it – and other households in the various large houses - for a ‘missing’ ancestor amongst all those servants. George Smith pointed out that many ‘errors’ on Victorian marriage certificates were in fact deliberate. 40% of brides were pregnant and the parties concerned often lied about their age for various reasons. ...
West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

Bookshelf
Two new books that can be found in the General Reference Section at the FRC:

• The Jewish Victorian
  This is an index transcribed by Doreen Berger and drawn from Jewish Newspapers, 1861-1870. It gives births, marriages, deaths and other announcements of genealogical interest.

• Baptismal Register of the Roman Catholic Military Chaplains at Cairo in the Apostolic Vicariate of Egypt, 17th November 1895 – 8th July 1944
  This is a photocopy of the original register. Gives details of the father’s regiment if he is in the Army. There is also the occasional date of a confirmation or marriage.

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The Will of James Self (1761-1826) of Hammersmith - David Self
This will, which can be seen at the Family Research Centre (PROB/ll/1712 folio 227 - 233) and with its associated Legacy Duty Papers (IR26/1103 pp166-169) provided a strong incentive to undertake a research into our family history... James Self left his native village of Great Cheverell, Wiltshire, as a young man to seek his fortune in London. The first, possibly vital step he took was to marry a widow, Sarah How, at St. George's church, Hanover Square on 20th December 1786... Sarah Self was buried on 23rd May 1823 and this no doubt caused James to make the new will which provides so much information about his family. There were legacies of various amounts to six of his siblings and/or some of their children. These were covered by a debt of £2400 owed by brother Samuel...
Subsequent research enabled me to identify all the beneficiaries and their spouses but there was a sister Eleanor, the first born and Henry, the last born, who did not receive legacies. The father of this family was Samuel Self (ca1735 - 1803) and the mother was Mary Collens (ca 1735 - 1819) who lived in Great Cheverell but moved to Polshot (now Poulshot) probably to farm there with son John when he started paying land tax there in 1794...

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

Harlington Parish - David Self
The parish shares its western boundary with Harmondsworth and the parish of Hillingdon. To the south is the parish of East Bedfont and on the north it is bounded by Hayes. Historically the parish boundary with Cranford to the east ran across the fields mid-way between the two villages. However with the re-organisation of local government in 1932, the boundary was extended eastwards as far as the River Crane which now forms the boundary between the boroughs of Hillingdon and Hounslow... [And there's more:] Church of St. Peter and St. Paul - The Baptist Church - Education - Provision for the poor - Transport - Employment - Local Personalities.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

The Story of the Reed Family - Frances Reed
The story starts, rather shakily, around about 1680 with the birth of John Reed who lived in Wetheringsett cum Brockford, Suffolk. He married a lady called Martha (no surname recorded) and in January 1682 their son Stephen was born... Stephen married again in 1708 to Eliza Johnson: it is not known if Eliza was Mary’s sister, or another relative. Both marriages took place at St Peter and St Paul Church in Felixstowe, where Stephen was a Thatcher. Seven, possibly eight, children were born to the couple...
...So Grace is my great grandmother and my great great grandmother!

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

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Don’t Believe All You Read – Or Even All You’re Told - Vic Gale

The 1851 census for Finchley in north London shows that my ancestor, John Smith, (a name to conjure with!) had been born in ‘Osphey’, Norfolk. Examination of all the reference books and gazetteers I could find showed no evidence of such a place. The enumerator’s handwriting was quite clear – Osphey it was. Enquiry of the Norfolk Library service and County Archives confirmed that no such place name existed in Norfolk.

I discussed the problem with a colleague who had been Norfolk born and after some thought he said, “That’ll be Horsford”, a village just north of Norwich.

I visited Norfolk Record Office, looked at the registers and found him. It wasn’t in Horsford though, but not far away in Horsham St. Faith. John Smith had probably never seen the name written down; just try saying the name in a strong, perhaps clipped Norfolk tongue and you’ll probably finish up saying ‘Osphey’ as that Finchley enumerator apparently heard.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(1) (March 2005)

Editor's Notes

New material for the journal is always very welcome and I would be pleased to receive any new material that members might care to send in; remember it does not have to be a full article; a small piece on some aspect of your research, or your views about a family history matter, are also needed. Thank you to those who have already responded. Deadlines for the quarterly issues of WMFHS journal are:

Local Studies & Archives at Hounslow and Chiswick Libraries

Following a period of considerable disruption to the local studies service during the first quarter of 2005, we are pleased to announce that our original opening hours have now been reinstated.

• Hounslow Local Studies will be open Mondays, Fridays and alternate Saturdays 10am-5pm (breaking for lunch 1-2), Tuesdays 10am-1pm and Thursdays 2-8pm. Access on Monday and Friday mornings and Saturdays is by appointment only (tel. 0845 456 2800).
• Chiswick Local Studies will be open Mondays and Thursdays 10am-5pm (breaking for lunch 1-2), and alternate Saturdays 10am-1pm. Due to the limited space in the local studies room, access is by appointment only (tel. 020 8994 5295).

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the West Middlesex Family History Society held at Montague Hall, Montague Road, Hounslow on Thursday 17th March 2005.

1. Welcome by the Chairman: The Chairman opened the proceedings by welcoming all those members attending. A special welcome was extended to Howard Stevens, to Webmaster David Childs and to guest speaker Richard Butterworth.

2. Apologies for Absence: Apologies were received from Sheila Gibbon, Jeanette Hocking, Pam Morgan, Lewis Orton, Brian Prior, Muriel Sprott and Jean Whitby.

3. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of 18th March 2004: The Minutes had been included in the Society Journal of June 2004. It was agreed that the Chairman should sign the Minutes as an accurate record of that meeting.

4. Matters Arising: There were no matters arising.

5. Chairman�s Report:

• Indexes to parish registers
• Indexes to census records
• Contributions to FamilyHistoryOnline
• Inclusion of indexes, including members� interests, on the Society website, as well as a wish for journal items and publications relating to histories of local parishes and their records � on which a start had already been made

• To develop resources in forms that allow publication electronically, where possible.
• To exploit the opportunity provided by FamilyHistoryOnline for wide scale and low cost publication.
• To support Federation projects where there is a �fit� with the policy and objectives of WMFHS.
• To sponsor project activity on both specific local research resources and collective projects. An example of the latter mentioned was the idea of a West Middlesex Baptism Index, along the lines of the Marriage Index.

• To maintain and enhance existing research resources, in particular the Marriage Index.
• To make the work already done in transcribing local parish registers more available to researchers with an interest in West Middlesex, regardless of their location.
• To identify parish registers for which transcriptions are not available at all and instigate project work to fill such gaps.
• To participate in the NBI project, liaising with other local contributors as required.
• To endeavour to publish or re-publish other existing resources created by the Society, such as MI transcriptions.
• To improve awareness of the considerable resources that already exist for research in West Middlesex, by means of record guides, journal articles, website information etc.

The Senate House Library - Dr Richard Butterworth

After the business of the AGM was over, a short talk was given by Dr Richard Butterworth of the Senate House Library, University of London, Malet Street. It was he who gave the guided tour last year to WMFHS members.

The Library is not well known to the general public. It is housed in a large Art Deco-style building which posed as a New York hotel in the Jeeves and Wooster TV series. There are research resources at both Senate House and other academic libraries which contain huge amounts of archive material, and that at the Senate House library is still in the process of being catalogued. A project is currently under way to broaden access to the holdings.

Neither the Librarians at Senate House nor family historians yet know the value of the library for family history; material in the Library is at present very under-used for both family and local history. Family history societies and individual family historians could be of great help in deciding what is of value and how it can be publicised and promoted. Some of the material might well be of use to people who have come to a dead end in their research. There is for instance a large economics archive going back to the 15th century which includes lots of banking records, and this probably contains material of great value to family historians.

When the Library finds out what kind of material is of value it will be publicised on the Internet, with connections to a variety of family and local history research guides, resources and tools. So Richard invited us to contact him by email or telephone if we are at a dead end, and he will do his best to help; the enquiry will also go to other London Colleges if they have resources to help.

Use of the Library in person costs �5 a day for non-members, but he might be able to arrange a group rate for Societies. The Library is inviting family historians to come to the Library to be interviewed about how they do their research, in exchange for a free day�s use of the Library.

Dr Richard Butterworth, Special Collections, Senate House Library, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

tel. 020 7862 8477, email: rbutterworth@shl.lon.ac.uk, website: http://helpers.shl.lon.ac.uk/aamh/

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(2) (June 2005)

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STANWELL PARISH - Carol Sweetland

Stanwell is a large parish in the south west of Middlesex incorporating Stanwell, Stanwell Moor, West Bedfont, Poyle and the Middlesex part of Colnbrook. The most ancient parts of the parish boundaries are probably in the south, along the Staines Road which is Roman, and in the west along the River Colne, which separates Middlesex and Buckinghamshire. The boundaries in the north and east are comparatively modern: in the east the dividing line between West Bedfont hamlet in Stanwell parish and the parish of East Bedfont may not have been drawn before the 11th or 12th Century; whilst the northern boundary ran over what used to be part of Hounslow Heath, which was probably divided between the parishes that surrounded it before 1545. The Duke of Northumberland's River, which marks the boundary, was constructed about this time though it may have followed the course of an old ditch or stream.

History

The name Stanwell comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for stony stream or spring and there is certainly plenty of water and stones in Stanwell. The Domesday Book refers to the manor of "Stanwelle" as belonging to William FitzOther, who was constable of Windsor Castle. His descendants took the name Windsor and the family held the Manor until compelled to hand it over to Henry VIII in 1542, in exchange for monastic lands in Gloucestershire and elsewhere. In 1603 James I granted the freehold to Sir Thomas Knyvet and it was held by his heirs until 1720, when it was sold to the Earl of Dunmore. The Earl of Dunmore died in 1752 and in 1754 the Manor was sold by his trustees to Sir John Gibbons Bt., it remained in this family until 1933 when it was sold to H. Scott Freeman, Clerk of Staines Urban District Council. The fact that the Lord of the Manor owned very few houses was taken as a reason why he had not brought about an enclosure. The Victoria County History of Middlesex says that according to "An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Middlesex" made by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments in 1937, Stanwell was cited in 1744 as an example "of the evil effects of open field and commons on the character of the villagers. These with only a poor house and little orchard make shift just to live, some of them doing without any work at all, and those that go to day labour are very lazy and care not whether they are employed or not."

Stanwell then became one of the few villages to successfully fight enclosure. The Bill was read for the first time in Parliament on 27th January 1766. On 18th February 1767, there was a petition against the Bill from various "owners and occupiers of cottages and tenements" setting forth that they were entitled to common pasture for their cattle and sheep at all times of the year upon the large common called Hounslow Heath. The Enclosure Bill was defeated by 34 votes to 17, although a second attempt to enclose the land was successful on 20th February 1789.

Stanwell did not change much until the very late 19th Century, when the Staines Reservoirs were built. These were built between 1897 and 1902 to supply water for London and provided a lot of employment. In the 1901 Census there are many navvies and water works labourers, most of them not born locally. Because the Reservoir was to have been built over a local footpath to Staines, local people objected and so we have two Reservoirs with a causeway between them. From this causeway many landmarks can be seen, most notably Canary Wharf in London�s Docklands to the East and Windsor Castle to the West. The King George VI Reservoir was built in 1936, literally across the road from the Staines Reservoirs on the site of Hammonds, an ancient farm and manor, again to supply water for London and again providing much needed employment.

After World War Two prefabricated houses (pre-fabs) were built on open land to house the many people who now needed homes, but by 1963 they had been replaced by houses, flats and maisonettes. Heathrow Airport was built in 1946 adjacent to the northern boundary of Stanwell and housing was needed for the many engineering workers that were brought into the area from Bristol, so in the mid-1950's even more of what had once been open farm land became the British Overseas Airways Corporation Housing Estate.

Religion

Situated by the village green, the church of St Mary the Virgin has its origins in the 12th Century. The nave arcades date from around 1250 whilst the chancel has 14th Century arcading. The tower is built from flint and Kentish Rag checky work topped by a 138 feet high mediaeval spire covered in English oak tiles. The tiles dried out more quickly on the western side and subsequently twisted six feet out of plumb. The spire was retiled in the 1970's but the landmark twist was retained. The church is fairly unusual in that its main entrance is on the northern side and not the more usual southern, with a lovely long aisle from the eastern door to the altar just perfect for a wedding procession. The main memorial in the church is that to Lord and Lady Knyvet: they are shown life size, dressed in court clothes and kneeling at prayer. The church registers are complete from 1632, although parts of the late 18th Century registers are very faint and in some cases impossible to read.

Stanwell air seems to have been very beneficial to the health of its vicars. The first vicar, John Salle, was here from 1335 to 1368 and between 1674 and 1893 there were only eight vicars; William Awbery Philp served for 47 years and Richard Parry Burnett for 35 years; Matthew Stent for 32 years; John Calvert for 31 years; William Harper for 23 years; George Calvert for 22 years and William Windsor Berry for 19 years.

As in so many places, the memorial stones in the churchyard get fewer each year. Many of the stones have been removed because of age or by vandalism. Does vandalism include those removed to be used to make a footpath round the churchyard? Those that are left standing are becoming harder to read as weather and air pollution takes its toll. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1895 and a new cemetery was created in Town Lane.

It is worth mentioning that Ashford Cemetery also lies within the parish of Stanwell. This was opened in 1910 and since then many Stanwell parishioners, especially those from West Bedfont, have been buried there.

There are not many references to non-conformity in Stanwell. In 1778 the Victoria County History stated there were few Dissenters and by 1810 there were only three Quaker families as well as a few Independents and Methodists. There was a congregation of Independents at Poyle established in 1807 in a room at the paper mill in Poyle. Stanwell Moor had a house registered for religious worship in 1848 and in 1904 the Staines Society of Friends erected an iron Mission Room, although they had been conducting a mission in Stanwell Moor for some time. Mass was said in the Union workhouse in the 1880's, otherwise there are no other known references to Roman Catholicism in the parish.

Education

The first school, and one of the earliest free schools to be built in this country, was built in 1624. In his will Thomas, Lord Knyvett, provided for the foundation of a free school in Stanwell which was to be endowed with lands worth �20 per annum. Today Stanwell schools still benefit financially, albeit in a small way, from this fund. The school was actually built, at her own expense, by Elizabeth Hampden, executrix of the Will of Lady Elizabeth Knyvett. The building still exists and was still in use for education as late 1990.

The free school was for boys only and the girls did not get a school until the 19th Century. The girl's school was built at the opposite end of the village from Lord Knyvetts School, nearer to the church and Stanwell Place. It was known as Park Road Church of England School and was in use until the 1970's when it was converted into flats! The exterior of this building has changed very little from when it was built. It was 1936 before the next school was built, St Anne's County Primary School in Short Lane, to serve the West Bedfont part of the parish. This school closed in 1973.

These three schools were adequate until the post war baby and housing boom. Town Farm School, named after the farm to which the land had belonged, was built in 1955 to take the children from the pre-fabs and the Airways Housing Estate. The girls� school and Lord Knyvetts school were finally closed to children's education in the early 1970's, when a new school, St Mary's Church of England, was built, although Lord Knyvetts School continued being used for adult education until 1990. Although it also has now been converted into flats the exterior remains the same, as it is a listed building.

Stanwell briefly had its own secondary school, The Stanwell School, opened in 1970 and closed in 1986.

Welfare

There is a reference to a village poor house long before the Poor Law Acts required it, but with insufficient information to be able to locate it. The Staines Union Workhouse was built in 1840 to serve Stanwell, Ashford, Staines, Sunbury, Bedfont, Feltham, and Harmondsworth. In the 1841 Census there was a master, a matron and only 31 paupers. Of the paupers ten were over the age of 70; nine aged 50 to 69 and two children both under the age of two. Of the 17 reported as being born in county, only two were actually from Stanwell by reference to the Baptism Register. The Stanwell Parish Registers record many baptisms and funerals of the inmates. Like so many of the workhouses the Union eventually became the local hospital.

I cannot find any reference to either plague or cholera having occurred in Stanwell. The well was a little way from the centre of the village so presumably far away from possible contamination. It would seem that there was very little fear of disease in this area because Stanwell was often used as the marriage venue for many of the London gentry during the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries.

Manor House

There was a manor house at Stanwell by the 14th Century, some of the rooms and farm buildings having been described in 1367. The house that was known as Stanwell Place was in existence by the mid 18th Century and was built on the site of the original manor house. A Tudor manor house had also been built on the same site but whether it was pulled down or gradually improved is unknown. The park was laid out in the 18th Century and it was at this time that a form of enclosure took place as the road was diverted round the park instead of going through it, meaning a longer walk for those travelling between the village and Stanwell Moor.

Stanwell Place was used during WW2, whilst it was the home of Sir John W. Gibson, as a venue for meetings for the planning of D Day and many high ranking Allied personnel visited, including General Eisenhower. After the death of Sir John Gibson, the house was purchased for the use of the young King Faisal of Iraq who was assassinated in 1958. Regrettably the manor house is no longer in existence having been pulled down to allow for gravel extraction during the 1960's, all that remains are the gates and the lodge at the entrance to what were the grounds.

Famous Residents

Thomas, Lord Knyvet was the leader of the party that arrested Guy Fawkes in the cellars of the House of Commons. In 1603 he received the manor of Stanwell as a reward for his services as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I. His wife Lady Elizabeth Knyvet, was governess to the children of James I. The young princesses Sophia and Mary lived in the old Tudor manor house at Stanwell and Princess Mary died there in 1607.

Nicholas Hilliard the celebrated painter lived at Poyle manor, he made the two great seals of Elizabeth I and painted many miniatures of the famous people of the day.

Bruno Ryves was vicar of Stanwell at the outbreak of the civil war, being a staunch royalist in a parliamentary village did not bode well for him and he was forcibly evicted in 1643. Richard Cox was living in Colnbrook when in about 1825 he grew the apple that bears his name, Cox's Orange Pippin. Sir John Watson Gibson was instrumental in designing the Mulberry Harbour, which was used off the coast of France for the invasion of Europe in 1944. Sir John died in 1947 and was buried in Stanwell cemetery; his memorial is a chest tomb with carvings of the mulberry harbour on one end.

West Bedfont

West Bedfont was mentioned in the Domesday Book as being part of the parish of Stanwell. In 1570 the Manor of West Bedfont was referred to as Bedfont Court. Most of what now exists in this area is 19th Century and later. It still has one public house, the Three Crowns, the Devonshire Arms having disappeared before WW2. This area was largely farmland but sadly it is now mostly warehousing for the ever-expanding Heathrow Airport.

Stanwell Moor

Stanwell Moor is about a mile from Stanwell village; the surrounding moor adjoined Hounslow Heath and Staines Moor and the area was mainly agricultural. There was a paper mill in the 18th Century which had changed from paper to corn by the end of that Century and remained a corn mill until the 20th Century. In 1791 Edmond Hill owned a gunpowder mill on the River Colne, south west of Hithermoor Farm, by 1896 it was a snuff mill and later on a corn mill.

Poyle

The manor of Poyle seems to have become an independent estate in the late 12th Century, before this it was probably part of Stanwell Manor. It was again attached to Stanwell Manor in the late 16th early 17th Century and when it became detached again it seems to have lost its manorial status. No courts or copyhold tenants are recorded and by the 18th Century it was often referred to as Poyle Farm.

There was a mill at Poyle by1299 and the site seems to have been in continuous use as a mill until the 20th Century. In 1636 it was a paper mill employing 12 men. In the 18th Century it became primarily a leather mill, although still making paper, and in the 19th Century it was used for paper, leather and asbestos. By 1896 it was a snuff mill and soon became a corn mill, remaining as such until it burnt down in 1925.

War Memorial

The War Memorial, on the northern edge of the village green, was dedicated in 1920 and bears 55 names of those who died for their king and country in the First World War and 24 names of those who died in WW2.

Transport

Stanwell was and is well placed for local transport links. The London to Bath Road (now the A4) lies about one and a half miles to the north of Stanwell village whilst the London to Exeter Road ( now the A30) lies about one mile to the south, both conveniently situated without actually passing through the centre of the village. The Bath Road passed through Colnbrook and Poyle and both had coaching inns. The nearest railway arrived in 1848 at Ashford, about two miles to the south of the village. This line was built to link London with Windsor.

The last great transport invention was the one that really changed Stanwell and the surrounding area, the arrival of the aeroplane with the start of the building of Heathrow Airport in 1946. The Airport can be said to both ensure Stanwell's survival and also possibly to cause it's extinction. Heathrow needs people and businesses to survive, many of which are local, but it also threatens in that it seems to be for ever expanding.

Bibliography

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A History of the WILD family - William Wild

from the early seventeenth century traced through family documents and the Census
This is the story of a family which has spent the greater part of their history in one parish, that of Harmondsworth, the most westerly parish in Middlesex. For three hundred years they were engaged in agriculture and for all that time they were members of a Baptist Church. Because they moved so little, no more than six miles in all that time, they acquired a lot of documents that have been passed down through the generations. It is those documents and the census returns from 1841 to 2001, which will form the basis of this essay...

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(2) (June 2005)

THE 25th WEST LONDON LOCAL HISTORY CONFERENCE MARCH 2005 - Reported by Yvonne Masson

West London in the Twentieth Century

Chairman Val Bott welcomed everyone to the conference, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary and held as usual in front of a virtually capacity audience at Montague Hall in Hounslow. She then introduced the first speaker, Oliver Green, Head Curator at London�s Transport Museum, invited back from last year, who spoke on �Buses, Boeings and Bromptons: how transport shaped West London�. He began by asserting that West London is essentially a 20th century area, its westward advance largely due to developments in transport. A slide depicting the street in front of Shepherd�s Bush tube station in 1905 included both a horse bus - these were to disappear within six years � and an electric tram. Clifton Robinson began London United Tramways after gaining experience of electric trams in the USA. Here he electrified the old horse-drawn tramways, overcoming opposition by local councils - for instance Ealing, a middle-class area which considered itself the �Queen of Suburbs�, was worried by the fact that the new electric trams would be larger and cheaper and would attract working-class passengers. As part of his persuasion Robinson undertook to improve the old tracks, using Hammersmith-based Wimpeys as contractor, even laying down wooden sets below the rails which were quieter. A Depot was built at Chiswick with a power station, which is still there, and the first line opened in 1901. The new tube and tramways meant everybody could afford to travel. Huge crowds used the trams, especially on Bank Holidays and weekends - the tramways made most of their revenue from weekend excursions. Trippers could visit olde worlde villages still surrounded by countryside. The tramways extended down to South East London and to Twickenham and on to Kingston. Robinson, who travelled around in his own ornate tram driven by a black chauffeur, wanted eventually to reach Maidenhead, and although this was not achieved the trams did eventually run to Uxbridge, the Uxbridge Road becoming a major traffic artery.

Mainline railways already ran through West London but had had little impact there. But eventually the Metropolitan and District Lines came out to West London, the Met. Line terminating at Hammersmith, but the same steam locomotives were used both outside and inside the tunnels. In 1900 Charles Tyson Yerkes came to England from Chicago, where he had built most of the streetcar lines. Where the Government had been unwilling to invest in underground transport, he encouraged private investment. He built the huge Lots Road power station � the Chelsea Monster � and using American technology and management techniques completely refurbished the District Line with electric trains. The Met. Line also had to agree to electrification but the two lines remained rivals. By 1904 the tube had reached Uxbridge. The Met. Line began promoting the idea of living in areas such as Osterley and Hounslow: up to WW1 most people still rented but after the War it became easier to buy one�s own home. The advertising slogan �Metroland� was born. But most of West London remained rural till the 1920s: Rayner�s Lane was named after Rayner�s Farm, which had provided fodder for the horse buses. Some district names were created by the railways: Roxeth in Middlesex became South Harrow. Stations were built in the new Art Deco style. London Transport was set up and Beck�s famous underground map created. Huge cinemas such as the Odeons appeared to entertain the inhabitants of the new suburbs. On the roads the London General Omnibus Co. had developed the reliable �B� type motor bus by 1910. People waited for the new style buses at concrete bus-stops manufactured at Parson�s Green. It was possible to go to the end of the tube line then take a motor bus to places such as Windsor Castle. AEC at Southall became the main builders of London buses; the famous �Routemaster� bus was completely a West London product and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. And a 1933 photograph of Osterley Station shows it with a pretty full car park. Heston Aerodrome was established and was the scene of Chamberlain�s infamous return from meeting Hitler. Suburban development stopped during WWII and the transport factories became war factories: Halifax bombers were built at Chiswick. After the War Heathrow Airport was developed, coming to dominate West London, and is now a huge employer. The well-known folding bike, the �Brompton�, is still assembled at Brentford, with a new light-weight version made from titanium being developed.

Colin Manton, a museum consultant, then spoke on Workshops and Windsocks � West London�s aviation landmarks 1894-1929. He pointed out that the human urge for speed creates technical innovation, and at the beginning of the 20th century many people were attracted by aviation. Mrs Hilda Hewlett, the wife of a novelist, qualified as an aviator in 1910 and founded a flying school at Brooklands: Sopwith was a pupil. She took over an ex-coachworks in Battersea which was being used as a skating rink, renamed it the Omnia Works and began building aircraft under licence; during WW1 they built reconnaissance aircraft. London-born Horatio Phillips, also fascinated by aviation, started building prototype aircraft in Wandsworth. He actually got into the air in one and so may have been the first man to fly. Two British firms, the Wright Bros. and the Short Bros. developed aircraft in Battersea and were pioneers of industrial aviation: Howard Theophilos Wright experimented with helicopters. The Short Bros., who had come into aviation via ballooning, manufacturing balloons for sporting gentlemen such as Rolls of Rolls-Royce, had premises under the railway arches in Battersea - balloons were launched from a field next to the Battersea gas holders. The American Wright Bros. achieved a flight in 1903, and the Short Bros. produced the Americans� aircraft under contract, going on to produce Sunderlands during WWII. Alliott Verdon Roe, a former ship�s engineer, was another enthusiast who was Secretary to the Aero Club in 1906. He founded the Avro Co. in 1910, beginning in stables at his brother�s house in West Hill, Wandsworth. He experimented with various prototypes, trying them out on Walthamstow Marshes and eventually achieved the first official British flight of 100 feet in July 1909. His company later produced heavy bombers. T.O.M. Sopwith, a sportsman interested in all forms of speed, obtained his pilot�s licence in 1910. Based in Kingston he also rented an ex-skating rink (the end of the skating craze had left many premises empty) and designed his own aircraft. Frederick Simms, 1863-1944, a keen engineer and founder of the RAC, rented a workshop under the arches at the Fulham end of Putney Bridge. The first person to import motor car engines (Daimler) from the Continent, he produced a motor car in 1894 and is considered the father of the British Motor Industry. His Magneto Electric Ignition was suitable for both cars and aeroplanes. Geoffrey de Haviland, born in 1882 and trained in engineering, started building aircraft in 1909 in Bothwell Street, Fulham in a loft workshop near his flat, his wife sewing the fabric skin for the aircraft on her sewing machine. He took his first plane down to Hampshire to fly, crashed, but kept trying and eventually persuaded the Government � reluctant to spend money on aviation � to buy his machine. His company later produced the first commercial jet aircraft, the Comet. Harold Piffard, an artist living in Bedford Park, Chiswick, also built aircraft and produced the �Hummingbird�, which he tested at Snell�s farm in North Ealing. In 1909 he managed to get a foot off the ground and later at Lancing College in Sussex, of which he was an Old Boy, flew across their flying field. He suffered many injuries during his experiments, and later returned to his painting career. An aerodrome was set up at Acton and the Alliance Works there built aircraft: companies tended to come westward as there was still a lot of space available. Motor cars and aeroplanes were mostly custom-made at first: one could design an engine and an engineering works would make it � this was what de Haviland did. Heston Aerodrome, first built for private flying with no runway, only grass, was set up in 1919 and the buildings were not demolished until 1979. In terms of technology, aviation was the �IT� of its time.

Paul Barnfield followed with his talk: �Intern them all � anti-German feeling in Hampton and elsewhere in WWI�. Following the sinking in 1915 of the Lusitania, anti-German feeling ran high, exacerbated by propaganda such as Horatio Bottomley�s hate-filled editorial in the magazine John Bull, calling for a vendetta against all Germans, particularly those living in Britain. In the 19th century some 5 million Germans had emigrated to the USA, Britain and elsewhere; many were very poor and employed at the lowest levels. There were worries about Germany�s growing power and Britain�s military weakness; France was no longer the traditional enemy, having signed the Entente Cordiale with Britain in 1904. Novels were written about a future German takeover: for example, George Chesney�s 1871 �Battle of Dorking� and in the early 1900s �How the Germans took London� and �Invasion of 1910�. Popular magazines published stories about German spies who cut railway lines etc. By 1914 aliens, including 57,000 Germans, had to register at a police station. They could not own certain items such as homing pigeons, cars, motor cycles etc. Over 10,000 German males were interned on the Isle of Man, some 7,000 were repatriated. German communities were destroyed. Paul gave the example of a Mr Werthain, born in Germany in 1847, who moved to England in 1866 with his brother and set up in business. After marrying an English girl, producing 10 children and receiving naturalization, he eventually retired to Hampton in 1906 at the age of 60. Involving himself in local affairs he became a Councillor on Hampton Council and in early 1914 was elected Chairman. Not everyone was in favour of his appointment, and a special meeting was convened to discuss his resignation, but he refused to budge. The affair was reported in newspapers both in Britain and abroad. Then came the sinking of the Lusitania and many German businesses were attacked. Another meeting of the Council descended into chaos with the Chairman declaring he was as loyal as any Englishman. Eventually he stopped attending meetings and died in 1917.

After lunch members of the Conference Steering Committee gave the now traditional readings, this time of extracts from writings describing some of the changes brought about in West London in the 20th century. From �The Combined Maze�, a novel by May Sinclair published in 1913, came a piece about speculative building, with a description both inside and out of typical new terraced houses in Southfields. This was followed by a newspaper article about the coming of electricity in 1902 to Twickenham from a new power station in Edwin Road. �Kew Past� by David Blomfield provided a description of the changes that had come by the 1930s to Kew, fast becoming just a dormitory suburb with the loss of local industry. Then came some nostalgic oral history from �Voices of Ealing & Hounslow in 2000� about the wireless and programmes during WWII and the 1940s and 50s, followed by a celebration of local businesses from the 1955 Guide to Brentford and Chiswick, a 1960 visit to the Coty factory in Brentford, and memories, again from �Voices of Ealing & Hounslow�, of film-making at Ealing Studios including �The Ladykillers�. The early days of Heathrow Airport were described by a young air steward in the 1950s, then came the cinema just after WWII from a report written for Middlesex County Council, and reminiscences of a West Indian family moving into their own home in the 1960s. Finally Andrea Cameron read some memories of teenage dress in the 1950s, including her own recollections of getting dressed up to go dancing.

Next came Nick Pratt, a freelance researcher, on �Homes fit for Heroes � council housing in Brentford in the 1920s�. A Birkbeck College course he attended required students to produce a project on a house and who lived in it: he decided to feature his own council house, his main source being Chiswick Local Studies Library. Victorian terraced houses had been built by speculative builders in a style evolved from Georgian architecture. Builders had to make money and houses were deep but narrow: those with an 18 foot frontage were built 31 to an acre, 41 to an acre if 15 feet wide. Reformers objected to this typical Victorian terraced house: the gardens were too small to grow food, and the infrequently used front parlour was wasted space. Some enlightened industrialists attempted to build better housing with low densities in places like Bournville and Port Sunlight, and designers of the garden suburbs tried different styles. Even before WWI, the Tudor-Walters Committee was set up, an influential member of which was Raymond Unwin who wanted to provide high quality housing for the working class. Lloyd George�s famous phrase from the talk�s title started off the process of council house building after WW1. In 1919 the Housing Act was passed and it was intended to build some 500,000 houses. Local authorities were required to look into local housing needs and received a subsidy from the Government. A manual of 50 house plans was produced - standardised housing enabled estates to be built cheaply, anywhere in the country. With a maximum of 12 per acre, at just under �1000 each, houses were provided with large gardens, lots of windows, and were wider and shallower than before, to maximise access to air and sunlight. They covered typically 900 square feet � some modern houses now being built are smaller than that. Provision was made for the building of shops along main roads. Streets were not built on grid lines but in crescents, etc. to give a variety of vistas, and cul-de-sacs saved on road-building. There were mixed terraced and semi-detached and two- and three-bedroomed houses. They had standard picket fences with concrete posts and concrete canopies over the front door. Terraces were provided with alleyways through to the gardens so that coal could be delivered. The cottagey look of many estates was an influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement. At Chiswick Archives Nick consulted Ordnance Survey maps of Brentford and Ealing and Housing Committee minutes which included monthly reports on what was happening with regard to the building of the estates over a 15-year period � from the early 1920s to the mid 1930s. Former market gardens were bought up; land was purchased from Colonel Clitherow of Boston Manor for �6,500. But gradually the number of houses per acre went up. The local council allocated the houses, usually to the better-off working class who could afford the rents. Ex-servicemen, widows and large families were high on the housing list. There are lists of people�s names in the Chiswick Local Studies Archives. To round off the conference, James Wisdom of Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society talked of the 25 years of the West London Local History Conference and raised the question �What is local history?� It used to be based, for example in the Victoria County Histories, on the Parish and the Vestry. But this is no longer applicable. People�s whole concept of the boundaries inside which they live has changed � they speak of �living inside the M25� rather than inside a Parish or even county boundary. Perhaps we should speak of pre-suburban and suburban local history. People are �making new villages�, and even though there have been no contextual studies of our new communities, there seems to be a lot of interest and demand. Several museums have recently opened in West London: Richmond, Wandsworth, Twickenham - there is a relationship between local history and conservation. Perhaps our task is to chronicle change, and it is becoming easier to learn how to record local history. The quality of material being produced by local societies is of much higher quality than 30 years ago, but their publications should be of a standard that can be sold in local bookshops. The Centre for Metropolitan History offers MAs in Metropolitan history and Kingston University�s MA local history course started in 1995/96. Record Offices are now much more accessible to the general public than previously, probably due to the influence of family history societies, which has also benefited local history enquirers, and original records are now being published on the Internet � locals societies� publications should go onto databases so that they become known to the academic world. On chiswickw4.com, a community newspaper on the Web, local history items are the most popular. Perhaps one day future local history conferences will be conducted over the Internet.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(2) (June 2005)

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A Many-Intertwined Tree - Margaret Watson

Intermarriage between the TILBURY and COLE families in Chilbolton, Hampshire.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

Mystery Solved - Joan Scrivener

What became of Thomas Wright SCRIVENER? Australian research.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

Harmondsworth Parish - Philip Sherwood

A short (7 page) account of the parish of Harmondsworth.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

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Brookwood Cemetery - a report by Yvonne Masson of the April 2005 talk by John Clark of the Brookwood Cemetery Society

Details awaited

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

Forty Year Wait to Visit Brookwood Cemetery - Valerie Walker

How the Italian column memorial came to be erected at Brookwood.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

Was She a Murdress? - Richard Ratcliffe

Elizabeth BRANDISH (1857-1927) and her trials in 1897.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

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What Have They Left Behind? - Joyce Finnemore (Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry)

An account of the June 2005 talk. Diversions and curiosities originating from family history research. "The familiy historian's interest in death is what brings our ancestors to life."

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

Death of a Grocer - Gavin Meeser

A quite detailed report of the inquest on the death on 23 November 1839 of John ROUND, grocer of Old Brentford, published in the Times on 27 November 1839

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

Thomas Wild's 1871 List of Ratepayers in Harmondsworth - Malcolm Heyward

Thomas Wild (market gardener of Sipson) was Overseer of the Poor for Harmondsworth, probably on more than one occasion. He left some documents which will be of interest to local and family historians. This article describes these documents and the context in which they were created. A searchable CD-ROM of Harmondsworth ratepayers is available at WMFHS meetings.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(3) (September 2005)

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

• Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the West Middlesex Family History Society will be held on Thursday 16 March 2006 at Montague Hall, Montague Road, Hounslow.
• Reports will be presented by the Chairman and Treasurer and members will be asked to approve the accounts for the year 2005 and elect accounts examiners for the coming year.
• Elections will be held for officers and members of the Executive Committee.
• Members who wish to bring forward any matters at the AGM, or to propose nominations for the Committee, are asked to write to the Secretary at the address below by 4th January 2006.
• The agenda for the AGM will be included in the next issue of the Journal, to be published at the beginning of March 2006.

The Civil War in Hounslow - Andrea Cameron

An account of the talk given to the Society in Aug 05 by Andrea Cameron, formerly Local Studies Librarian at Hounslow is provided in the printed Journal. Names mentioned: BERKELEY; PERCY; SPENCER, Sir Edward; BULSTRODE, Richard; NOYE, Sir William; COTTINGHAM; DUCK, Arthur; Francis, Earl of Bedford; BELIZE, Thomas (Viscount Falkenburg); CROMWELL, Mary, Oliver; Prince Rupert; Earl of Essex; General FAIFAX; "Moll Cutpurse".

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

Using the Computer for Family History - Jeanne Bunting

In Sep 05, Jeanne Bunting gave a comprehensive talk on using computers for family history. The talk was recorded.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

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The Messenger Story - How it all began - Miss F M Reed

The descent from 9 x Gt Grandfather Leonard [MESSENGER], who was baptised in 1560, married Cecelye FELOW (or PELOW) of Thame and died in 1635. Other names cited: BIGGE, Elizabeth; PEADE, Ann; BEESON, Ann; THOMPKINS, Richard; HOWLETT, Benjamin; SMITH, Elizabeth; STRATFORD, Elizabeth; ARNOLD, Charles; ALDERMAN, Ann; BLINCO, Ann; BARRATT, Annie (or Amelia); STONE, Jane Smith; SMITH, Grigor Anderson; ANDERSON, James; REED, Francis Charles; and SANDIESON, Grace (who was the author's Gt Grandmother and also her Gt Gt Grandmother, see the printed article for the explanation).

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

A Rose by Any Other Name (1850-1915) - Peter Jennings

Bobbin lace making was a cottage industry probably introduced into England by Flemish refugees - Protestants escaping from the Inquisition - in the sixteenth century. Many drifted to the Midlands, particularly Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckingham, and on into Northamptonshire. Huguenot lace makers from Lille in France soon joined them....
Every bobbin maker had his own method of making coloured dyes and of applying them...
Five of our eight bobbins carry inscriptions: MARIA, SOPHIA, BETSY, WILLIAM and WILLIAM HOLD MY LOVE YOUR LIKE A ROS. [the article goes on to investigate the origins of this curiously inscribed bobbin.]

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

WMFHS 2005 Conference - reported by Yvonne Masson

The Second WMFHS Conference, this year on the theme "The Poor Are Always With Us", was held in the Conference Suite of the National Archives, Kew, on Saturday 10th September 2005. Attendance was slightly disappointing at 65 delegates, but those who attended enjoyed the day.

Family history expert Jean Debney started off the proceedings with a talk entitled 'What's in Your Parish Chest?', a comprehensive summary of the sort of records produced by individual parishes and what records, which originally were kept in a large chest in the church, may have survived ...

After a break for coffee or tea, it was back to hear Richard Harvey, formerly Librarian at the Guildhall Library in the City of London, speak on Apprenticeship. At the beginning of his talk, he announced that he would be looking at four questions: (1) What is apprenticeship?; (2) Who was apprenticed?; (3) What records are there?; and (4) What do the records tell? ...

The break for lunch afforded an opportunity to browse the Society's bookstall or the TNA bookshop and museum, and pick up past journals from other societies which were being offered for free. Then the audience gathered once more to hear Liz Carter, dressed appropriately in Victorian costume, assume the role (as 'Widow Carter') of workhouse visitor addressing an audience of late Victorian ratepayers on the changes which had recently come about ...

After a break for afternoon tea, social historian Tom Doig stepped up to tell us about the Victorian Way of Death. He pointed out that, unlike nowadays, with our longer life spans and much reduced infant mortality, Victorian children were surrounded by death. But he has found modern children are still fascinated by the subject. In 1842 was published a manual The Etiquette of Death, containing such advice as: if one is portly and expecting to die soon, do not go upstairs, so that family members will not have to carry you down ...

As with our previous conference, arrangements at TNA went smoothly and the accommodation was comfortable and convenient. Delegates to the Conference had come from as far away as Devon, and all agreed it had been a worthwhile and enjoyable day.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

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Enclosure in the 19th Century (part 1) - William Wild

This article compares and contrasts two dissimilar parishes in different parts of the country. Both were enclosed within six years of each other, Thorington in 1813 and Harmondsworth in 1819 by Parliament Acts. Much of Thorington [Essex] consisted of heath land (The Great Heath and Tenpenny Heath), while Harmondsworth lying in the Thames Valley was made up of rich alluvial soil which was watered by four rivers (two natural and two dug). Both however had to go through many of the same processes to produce their Awards. Part 1 [provides some background to enclosure and] documents the process in Thorington.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

A Visit to the Fleet Air Arm Archive at Yeovilton - Valerie Walker

The Fleet Air Arm archivist (Mrs Jan Keohane) and her staff answer over 1000 queries per annum, usually from the general public, but also from Service personnel and other government departments. All enquiries are acknowledged but answers, unless simple, may take a long time. For example, to compile the details of someone's career in the Royal Naval Air Service can take a considerable time as there are so many different sources to gather information from. Individuals are welcome to come and carry out their own research, but it is necessary to make an appointment.

The Archive holds over 500,000 images relating to most aspects of British naval aviation. Today there is as much interest in the people as the ships and aircraft. Jan is always interested in seeing what people have to offer her archive, but does appreciate details in writing to see whether it is suitable. Flying log books and service records are always welcome. Jan told us that more information is wanted from the 1950s onwards, as it is not considered by many to be a long time ago!
...

Written enquiries should be sent, with as much details as possible, to the Records and Research Centre, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Box D6, RNAS Yeovilton, Nr Ilminster, Somerset, BA22 8HT - telephone 01935 840565 or e-mail research@fleetairarm.com. There may be a charge for researching and postal enquiries. By all means telephone first to have a chat about your enquiry or your offer of material.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

The Practice of Pansy Plots - Margare Kendall

A description of how farm hands in West Middlesex (Isleworth, Cranford, Heston and surrounding area) were allowed to cultivate small areas of land for their own use. In particular, they grew pansies, wallflowers, sweet william and gladioli for sale in London.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

Editor's Notes

When family historians get together, there is always much talk about the problems, the peculiarities that arise and the unlikely stories they have heard from relatives - some true, some not! The stock of articles from members about their family history is getting low, so please think about contributing some of these stories to the Journal. Short pieces are always needed and I would be pleased to receive any new material that members might care to send in; remember, it does not have to be a full article. A small piece on some aspect of your research, or your views about a family history matter, are also welcome. Thank you to those who have already responded.

West Middlesex FHS Journal 23(4) (December 2005)

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