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Cathy Malins - 15th October 2008 - 0:00

In reply to by Malins family

Just to clarify a few matters after some research...!

John Wilson Malins (my father in law) is the son of Wilfrid Malins who was the only son of Wilson Malins Jnr who unfortunately died shortly after Wilfrid's birth. His mother, Alice Malins (formerly Stanley) remarried to Henry Daniel and supplied Wilfrid with a number of step-siblings! Wilson Malins Jnr's death was registered by his father Wilson Malins Snr who was present at the time of his death in the Greenhill area of Evesham. His mother was Ellen Malins (formerly Ballard). I've gone back several more generations after this but hopefully this info will rule out any concerns about illegitimacy etc and explain John's middle name of Wilson.

Thanks, Cathy Malins Church Stretton, Shropshire

Lesley Wood - 6th October 2007 - 0:00

First, congratulations on your wonderful web site. I discovered it a few days ago and it is a fabulous resource, with all the photos and other features.

I am related to Eugenie Sladden, wife of Sir Julius. Not a descendent, but a distant cousin. Eugenie was the daughter of Mary Anna and John Mourilyan, who married in Tunbridge Wells, then lived in Sandwich before moving to Paris. Mary Anna was a Wood, a younger sister of my great-great grandfather Edmund Fowle Wood.

If any descendants of Eugenie and Julius Sladden are interested in information on Eugenie’s mother’s family, I would be happy to supply. I also have information about John Mourilyan, Eugenie’s father, that may be of interest.

Lesley Wood, Canada

Peter Stubbs - 25th September 2007 - 0:00

I found your website while searching for information about my Uncle Will Stubbs and Aunt Flo as part of my family history research programme. I am very impressed by the amount of information you have been able to amass there and I wondered whether someone in Badsey might just be able to help me.

They retired from Norwich to live in a house in Badsey in the 1950s, but the problem is that I have no address for them. They were both born in Birmingham but had no children and they were rather quiet, almost reclusive people, particularly Aunt Flo, so it is unlikely that many folk beyond their immediate neighbours would have known them. A couple more details I remember was that Uncle Will was a chartered surveyor and he always ran a Rover car, which was his pride and joy.

They moved from Badsey to Cheltenham in the late 1950s / early 1960s where they both eventually died.

That is all I know of them and I shall be most grateful for any information or further leads that you might be able to give me.

Peter Stubbs, Warwick

Spencer Hodgetts - 15th August 2007 - 0:00

I read with interest Evelyn Crane's own story of her childhood in Badsey and my attention was caught by her description of Harry Boswell from Jersey who helped escort German prisoners of war during World War One.

My great grandfather on my mother's side was "Harry the Jersey Guide". Other than an old photograph, showing Harry standing besides an open charabanc wearing his "Harry the Jersey Guide" sash I know very little about him. Mrs Crane's description of him with his rings and scented cards advertising Jersey Flowers is most interesting. The piece was most enjoyable and evocative of a bygone age. Is it possible that anyone has additional information on Harry?

Kind regards, Spencer Hodgetts

Sadly Evelyn Crane died in 2003 but can anyone else give Spencer more information about Harry?

P.S. John Etheridge friartuck01@ntlworld.com wrote to us in July 2008 to say: I was desperate to find out more about my grandfather so I typed in 'Harry the Jersey Guide' only to find that someone else was looking for him. It was an even bigger surprise when I realised that it was my third cousin Spencer. Having not seen him for something like thirty years I imediately got in touch by e-mail and we had a wonderfull reunion. We were able to combine our knowledge and fill in a few of the gaps in the family history. However, we are both still looking for information on our grandfather.

Dr Roy Thurston - 1st August 2007 - 0:00

I would be most grateful if you pass this on to all those kind people who mobilised themselves to help travellers stranded by the recent floods. While the stage in the village hall is not the most comfortable bed I have ever tried, it was infinitely better than trying to sleep in a car with several fellow travellers. This and the cups of tea, etc were most gratefully received.

Julie Sutton - 28th July 2007 - 0:00

My great grandfather Wilson EMMS was born in Aldington and baptised at Badsey in 1852. He was the last of six children born to John EMMS and Susan(nah) nee Hunting. They married at Bricklehampton in 1834. Wilson's siblings were Mary, born 1835 married Charles LOCKETT of Bretforton; Charles, born 1838; Ann, born 1843; Thomas, born 1845; Susannah, born 1848 married William Frederick TIMBRELL. Wilson married Eliza BROWN of Barton Mills Suffolk in London in 1879 and they had seven sons. They eventually settled in Richmond Surrey. John was one of five children baptised in Bretforton to Thomas and Elizabeth EMMS, he in 1804. I have yet to find Thomas and Elizabeth's marriage. Susannah HUNTING was born and baptised in Evesham in 1811. I have much more information than is listed here.

I would love to hear from anyone who thinks they are related to this family.

Helen Heath - 16th June 2007 - 0:00

I am writing to you on behalf of the Vale of Evesham Historical Society. In the Almonry in Evesham we have on display the Badsey Fire Service cart. On the 28th July 2007 the emergency services are holding an events day on the meadow in Evesham. The Historical Society have been invited to provide a display and show some items. We intend featuring the Badsey cart, but were wondering if you and your excellent site could give us any historical details about the Fire Service of Badsey, and perhaps some photographs. Maybe someone in the village remembers a relation involved with it. This request is probably a long shot but we feel if anyone has any information you will.

On a personal level many thanks for the very useful information you have provided with my family history quest to do with my Hartwell and Willoughby ancestors of Badsey.

Regards
Helen Heath

We have referred Helen to 'A Brief History of Badsey and Aldington' which has a section about 'A Village Fire Brigade'. Can anyone else help? Does anyone have photos?

Bob New - 9th May 2007 - 0:00

Your website was an invaluable source of information to shed light on two branches of my family tree. I have made a "family tree" created using this information. This is only about one of the HARRIS families in your village. There was another contemporary one; I don't know if or how the two might be related, nor their origins. Please use my information and pass it on in any way you wish to, and if any other information relevant to the HARRISes comes your way I'd love to hear of it!

Thank you and best wishes,
Bob New
Evesham born and bred, but now living in Leamington Spa

Marilyn Ditch - 23rd April 2007 - 0:00

 I have just read your site and have to tell you that I lived and worked in Badsey for twelve years without knowing my grandfather's background. The family have been living in Birmingham and I married and moved into Worcestershire, one time living at South Littleton and later Badsey. I worked at Seward House Nursing Home and lived at the top of Badsey. I decided to do family history only to find that my grandfather's family originated from Bretforton and Badsey and Bengeworth and Evesham, before moving onto Church Lench, Alcester and Great Alne, and eventually to Birmingham, down the centuries. My family name was Cormell or Cormoll and other different variants. The family are listed as living at Cormolls Yard next to the Squires House, and there is even a murder in the family! I sat in Evesham Library absolutely transfixed reading about the death of an Anne Cormell, the culprits were caught and one a Bretforton man actually hung up in Allens Barn for the villages to see.

There were Cormells for over 400 years there but they seem to have completely vanished. If there are any Cormells out there I would love to hear from you. My family starts with Issac Cormell who married Sarah Jelfs at Breforton in 1769. Amongst their siblings was Joseph my ancestor and he married Ann Percox at Offenham and their first son was called Issac and he was born at Bretforton. My ancestor however was born at Bengeworth and called Thomas Cormell in 1800 and he married Sarah Spiers at Church Lench. They in turn had Joseph my ancestor born at Alcester and he married Eliza Handy in Edgbaston, Birmingham. They were living at Great Alne with both families but Joseph who was a groom at Great Alne Mill decided to go Birmingham and work at a Mill in Edgbaston. I would love to hear from anyone connected with this family. Also born in Badsey was Hester Ainge to Samuel and Mary Ainge. (Hester was the mother of Sarah Spiers who married Thomas Cormell.) Hester married Joseph Spiers at Church Lench. If anyone has information on the Ainge family, I beleive one of Hester's sisters married a Mr.Bradley. I am enjoying my family history immensly and cannot beleive that I actually lived where some of my ancestors were born without knowing this, and also my son played for Badsey football team and his son, my grandson still plays in Badsey Rangers, how about that then ha ha.

Eric Rose - 15th January 2007 - 0:00

 I have spent many hours absorbing the information presented on your wonderful website. I am attempting to find more information about my mother's childhood, Doris Winifred Jelfs, who was born in Badsey in 1906 and her family. She was the youngest child of Oliver and Fanny Jelfs, the other children being Frank (or "Lop Hop" of LBG fame), Mary (married Edmond Goldsmith in London), Edmond (lived at the cycle shop in Bretforton) and Eric ( married Elsie Keen and lived in Ivy House in Chapel Street).

My mother married Ernest Rose from Childswickham in 1942. She died in 1974. I was hoping to find her on the Badsey School photographs of the early 1900s but I think they may be a little too early. If anyone can shed some light on the Jelfs of this period it would be much appreciated.

Steve and Alison Clark - 15th December 2006 - 0:00

Just a quick note to thank you for such an excellent job with regard to the web site. It really is so very informative. We had visitors to The Old Farmhouse from Canada this Summer, who were researching an old relative who lived at our house at the turn of the last century. We copied a page of your web site and sent it to them to help with their research. I have given them your web address so you may receive correspondence from them. Congratulations for a job well done. The web site is actually more informative and well presented than the ones I have seen for many large towns.

Best regards and Merry Christmas,
Steve and Alison Clark
The Old Farmhouse, Birmingham Road, Blackminster.

Peter Hall - 10th December 2006 - 0:00

I have looked on the website a few times in the past but gave up when I saw a picture of me, centre stage, on the beach at Weston. Since then I have not been able to excuse my mother for allowing me out in such trousers!. Seriously it was a real memory jerker.

Last week I saw that Michael Wells had joined the Friends Reunited website and I read that he was one a several who attended Green Hill School in preparatory then on to Badsey and then to Prince Henry's GS. The point being that Michael Wells is the big guy leaning over me in the photo! I wish I had photos of the days but cannot help. Others who did the same were John Miller, Peter Allard, John Allard, and myself. There were some others but memory is bad. I suppose it is only 54 years ago!

I lived in Evesham on Cheltenham Road and would catch the bus every morning from outside the Clifton Cinema. My Dad worked at National Provincial bank in the Market Square. Often a few of us would walk home from school along Badsey Lane exchanging our bus money for sweets in the shop in Badsey: a triangular paper bag full of yellow 'cali' (never had to spell it!) or cinder toffee broken off a huge slab. I could write quite well when I left Greenhill but the keen way handwriting was taught at Badsey turned my own into a mess, which it remains to this day. The whole point of the handwriting was the annual test and Mr Binyon judging the styles. I never got showed, let alone won a prize.

Mrs Peat was one of my teachers. ( I was at Badsey between 1952 and 1956 or so, till now never really thought about it.) There was a gang of us who all went on the PHGS and through to universities of some form or another. My wife, Audrey, was from Offenham ( market garden Smiths). We now live in Devon, Two daughters and I for one want to retire. Well done with the website.

Regards, Peter Hall

Terry Singleton - 6th December 2006 - 0:00

 I have come across your website today and find the information very interesting and detailed.

My family lived in Badsey for approximately 7 years. My grandparents were George Edward and Fanny Osmond, living at 'Ruby House, Badsey Fields Lane, Badsey' from about 1914 until 1921. The children were: Muriel (b 1907 Birmingham), Reginald (b 1914 Badsey) and my mother Helen Mary (b 1920 Birmingham).

My evidence is taken from my mother's birth certificate, dated February 1920 I would be interested in any information you have on the house or the family during this period. My grandfather's occupation in 1920 was: 'Clerk at a preserve works'. My aunt Muriel did say to me some years ago that the family moved to Badsey as her father had got a job as "a manager of a canning factory that Cadbury's had opened in Evesham". Whether these comments refer to the same job I do not know.

We do not know of a Ruby House on Badsey Fields Lane, but there is certainly a house of that name on Bretforton Road, the present-day No 15. This house would have been not too far away from his job at the canning factory on the Birmingham Road. It is now a Business Park with a number of shops and businesses. A history of the site (including an audio-visual tour) can be seen at www.blackminsterbusinesspark.co.uk and click on "Blackminster Yesterday".

Alex Withnall - 4th December 2006 - 0:00

Just to say how much pleasure Maureen's book Heads and Tales: A History of Badsey Schools has given my mother Margaret (nee Moisey) who is now almost 92 and living in a care home as she is physically very frail. She identified herself and one of her sisters on some of the photos and has spent hours reminiscing about various teachers and pupils and clearly remembers some of the school events mentioned. I imagine she is one of the oldest surviving Badsey-born people around by now. Thank you again - it's a great website.

Best wishes, Alex Withnall

Katherine Veitch - 1st December 2006 - 0:00

I was browsing through the Badsey site where I found your article on the Hartwell family. Rachel (1838) was my g.grandmother. I found the whole piece totally fascinating. Rachel married George Winfield and had three daughters Harriet (1857) Sarah (1859) and my grandmother Elizabeth (Bessie, 1877). Elizabeth married my grandfather William Holland (Worcester 1874) and had 5 sons and 3 daughters. Their eldest son was killed in France in 1918. Rachel died in Evesham in 1902 , George ended up in the poor house in Evesham and died in 1910. Sometime after WW1 William and Bessie moved to Birmingham where most of their descendants still live. Thank you for all your hard work in tracing this family.

Best wishes, Katherine Veitch

Many thanks for your message concerning the Hartwells. A couple of years ago we had another email from a descendant of Rachel Hartwell. According to him, George and Rachel had five children: Eliza (1856), Sarah (1858), George (1861), Harriet (1866) and Elizabeth (1877). I have just realised that this person's details are not up on the website, so I will write and ask him if he would like to be included on the Research Interests page.

Richard Largaespada - 17th November 2006 - 0:00

Thanks for a great site not only for family researchers, but for anyone interested in Badsey for other reasons.

I am researching my family that seems to have many spelling variations in America during the Colonial Era. Our spelling is DAFFIN, but doing research I find connections to DAFFAN, DAFFRON, DAFFON, DAFFEN, DAFFORN/DAFFORNE and DAFFERN among others. There was an early DAFFORNE family in the Boston, Massachussetts area very early in the 17th century and quite possibly they were the ones who first came to the colonies from England and maybe the ancestors of my DAFFINS. I hope to find where they came. I think it is possible that the name Dafforne may have come from French origins perhaps from the Conquest in 1066 or maybe Huegonot origins.

Maybe somebody there may know of Daffornes who went to America in the 17th century. The earliest seems to be an Isaac Dafforne of Boston.

Richard Largaespada www.daffin.org

Editor - 17th November 2006 - 0:00

In reply to by Richard Largaespada

Our records show there were people called Daffern (and many variations) in Badsey between 1642 and 1784. Today our local phone book lists 4 entries for Daffern, 9 for Daffin, 1 for Daffurm and 4 for Daffurn. No one seems to be left in Badsey but two of these are in Evesham. Can anyone help on emigration to America?

Liz and Graeme Sketchley - 1st November 2006 - 0:00

Greetings and thank you for your wonderful web site. I am emailing from Australia and wish to say how much valuable information we have found in browsing through this site.

We are of the Oldacre/Simpson family from Badsey on the William and Sarah Simpson line. William Simpson was recorded as an Engineer and Whitesmith. Do you know where we can look for apprenticeship records - William was born 1795 so we would be looking for apprenticeships in the early 1800's. I tired to do a bit of a web browse but didn't come up with anything.

We would be very grateful for any suggestions you may have.

Cheers, Liz and Graeme Sketchley
Australia

Editor - 1st November 2006 - 0:00

In reply to by Liz and Graeme Sketchley

Thank you for your kind words. I have never encountered any local apprentice records and none are mentioned on the Worcestershire Records Office website. But they may well exist somewhere. There is a fee-paying website Apprentices of Great Britain 1710-1774 with about 350,000 indentures but I don't know what it is like for this area. If we find out more we will let you know.

Jon Baker - 20th September 2006 - 0:00

I continue to be very impressed with this wonderful site, if only more villages had similar information online. I have Keen, Walker and Geden connections in Badsey.

Ella Geden was born about 1882 in Badsey. In 1901 she appears in your census strays list living at Aston near Birmingham. In fact Wilfrid and Daisy Geden were also at the same address, both born in Badsey. They are recorded living with their mother Sarah Geden, 44 Greengrocer. Sarah was born in Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire, and was married to George Geden. She later returned to Badsey and was buried there in 1933. In 1901 husband George was living in Badsey. It is a mystery to me why they were living apart. They do seem to have lived together again later. Can anyone help on this?

Gill Badsey - 10th September 2006 - 0:00

My name is Gill Badsey (married name). My husband is Michael Keith Badsey and his father is Geoffrey Badsey (only son). We visited Badsey in the summer as we do not live all that far away. We had a very enjoyable meal in the local pub. Surprised the landlord when we said our name was Badsey. I looked in the churchyard to see if I could find any old graves but sadly could not find any and it was getting a little dark when I was eventually pulled away by my husband. Is there anyone out there who could help me start to trace my husband's family history. I have been inspired by the TV programme 'Who do you think you are?'. I do not know exactly where to begin.

Hopefully I can start to put the family tree together soon.

Regards, Gill Badsey

It is good to hear Badseys have been visiting Badsey! As far as we know there has been nobody called Badsey living in the village since the seventeenth century. It is very likely that your husband's ancestors came from the village because we believe we are the only place in the world called Badsey. Have a look at our webpage about Badsey as a surname. But also try contacting Mr Mark Thursfield who is co-ordinating a one-name study for the surname Badsey. He may be able to put you in touch with other people doing family history on this surname.

Alex Naughton - 4th August 2006 - 0:00

I am delighted to see your excellent website and the wonderful Sladden family photographs and information you have on there. My great grandfather was Cyril Edgar Sladden. One of his children was Agnes Eugenie Sladden (born in 1924, died in 1987) who married James Alexander Lyon Naughton who was my grandfather. My grandfather like Cyril Edgar Sladden's brother Arthur Francis Savoy Sladden served in the Royal Army Medical Corps (but not in the WW1 but in WW2).

Richard Cudd - 24th May 2006 - 0:00

I thought the following information would be of interest, if not known already: Whilst trawling through the Internet looking for references to my surname in old Lay Subsidy records, I came across the Worcestershire Lay Subsidy Roll of ca. 1280 on the Ancestry.co.uk website. Listed in 'Villata de Evesham' is one 'Willielmo de Baddeseye' paying 18d and in 'Homburne' (Honeybourne) is listed 'Thoma de Badesheye'. These look to be even earlier references to Badsey as a surname than the Public Record Office reference to 'Nicholas de Baddeseye' in 1327. Strangely, there is no mention of Badsey itself in the Subsidy records; Aldington, Bretforton and most other surrounding villages are mentioned with their lists of subsidy payers. Any ideas why this would have been?

All the best, Richard Cudd (former Badsey resident)

Avril Thompson - 14th March 2006 - 0:00

I am trying to tie a Sarah Amelia Wilson Daughter of Edward Wilson and Sarah Roberts Taylor of Badsey to my Tree. I believe Sarah Amelia Wilson married Alfred Walter Carter a Schoolmaster in 1871. There are two children Beatrice Matilda Carter and Giles Walter Alfred Carter. These children remained in Badsey with members of the Wilson family. I have the Carter family on the 1881 census which would seem to tie it in to the Wilson family of Badsey.

Have you any information on Sarah Amelia?

Regards Avril Thompson

Ralph and Elizabeth Bolland - 20th February 2006 - 0:00

The 1st Badsey Guides are celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. The unit started originally in 1930 and disbanded in 1950. It was restarted in 1976 by Elizabeth Bolland who is still the Guide Leader after 30 years.

There will be a Celebration Evening at the Badsey Remembrance Hall on Wednesday 15th March 2006, at 6.30pm. Are you an ex Girl Guide or helper or do you know anyone you can tell, as all will be welcome? Maybe you will see yourself on one of the archive photographs?

Please contact us (not the Badsey website) if you have any photographs or memorabilia which might be of general interest.

Ralph and Elizabeth Bolland
Badsey

Alan Bunting - 15th February 2006 - 0:00

Greetings from Scotland!

The photograph of Littleton & Badsey growers is the wrong way round! The building, half of which is shown on the left, was the Sundries Department and is actually at the end of the site nearest the level crossing. This building, one of the first on the site dating back to canning factory days, was used during the war as an optical works by J R Fleming a company re-located from London.

The building on the right of the picture (which has the cream coloured oblong sign on it & should, of course, be on the left) was the office block where my father, Stanley Bunting, who was LBG's accountant for many, many years looked after the LBG finances.

I was born in Blackminster and lived there until I was 21 and have many memories of the area, especially Littleton & Badsey Station (many happy hours in the signal box with signal men Smith and Tutton) the LBG (many school holidays spent working there) and, of course, Badsey School (1945-49) and Prince Henry's (1949 - 1957).

Love the WEB site!

Sincerely,
Alan Bunting
Scotland

Derek and Catriona Charters - 7th February 2006 - 0:00

We are researching my family tree, and on my mothers side her maiden name was Pethard. Not a common name, as I have found, but we have tracked the family line back to the Badsey area to one William Pethard born in 1806 (Offenham ) and married (H)Ester. They then gave issue to Thomas Pethard in 1847 (Aldington) who via Birmingham made his way to Liverpool where all my family are. A far cry from the rural background of Evesham he became a porter.

It is made more poignant as there are no more Pethards on my mothers line as her only brother was killed during WW2. My middle name was made Pethard to move it along one more time.

However I now find that the area of Badsey is/was full of Pethards ...

I could not believe my luck when I came across your web site. Wow ... what a lot of hard work Maureen Spinks most have put in. I have gained an insight not only into my direct family but into a past way of life surrounding the Vale of Evesham and the market gardens of the area.

We intend to visit the area and soak up the atmosphere.

With all our thanks
Derek and Catriona Charters
Nuneaton, Warwickshire

Editor - 7th February 2006 - 0:00

In reply to by Derek and Catriona Charters

We agree Maureen has worked wonders. Although it is important to remember it has been a team effort. Peter Stewart, Will Dallimore, among others, have also done great work.