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Visitors’ Book

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Thank you for your offer, but the focus of our website is the villages of Badsey and Wickhamford.  Marmie Grant-Dalton (nee Battye) is mentioned on the website, simply because she appears in the letters written by the Sladden family of Badsey during WW1.  I hope you find someone who may be interested.

Robert Mrozek - 6th December 2024 - 20:07

Thank you for your wonderful site. I Googled the names of my grandparents, Charles William Plant and Annie Wasley and the page about their wedding came up. I never knew the name of my grandfather's brother, nor that he had moved from Devon to your area with him, nor that he had had a family. I am sorry to have discovered this too late to meet his son Arthur. I knew some of their back story, but a lot of details about their parents in London were new to me.

James Foy - 2nd December 2024 - 8:27

Hello

I am the grandson of Stephen Crisp and Florence Yates. I saw the archive piece about their wedding in Badsey in 1939. Was lovely to read it.

Christine - 19th November 2024 - 9:57

Many thanks for your interesting website. I am a direct descendant of William Seward through his only daughter Grace who married Josiah Robarts on 11 June 1751 in Badsey.
If you have any other information on the Seward family I would be most grateful.

Thank you

Raúl Fuentes Howes - 13th November 2024 - 14:26

Excelente pagina, de mucha información, muchas gracias.

Graham Smith - 10th November 2024 - 13:40

While reading "Local weather events in 1784-1799" by Tom Locke on your website I noticed a mistake. John Wesley would have been preaching on the 20th March 1784 when he mentioned the intense cold, and not the day before. I looked at John Wesley's journal to compare. I can see why the mistake was made, as he preached 5 in the evening and then 5 in the morning the next day (20th) at Broadmarston, and then back to Bengeworth.

Rose Phillips - 23rd October 2024 - 20:28

I have found out I’m related to Clarice Butcher, daughter of Emanuel and Louisa Butcher. I’m trying to put together my family tree if anyone can help please contact me

Valerie Harman - 25th October 2024 - 23:36

In reply to by Rose Phillips

I have looked on Ancestry, the family history website, and there are 16 family trees that contain information on Clarice Butcher and 52 trees containing information on Clarice's father, Emmanuel Pike Butcher.

SUE DANIELS - 9th January 2025 - 18:54

In reply to by Rose Phillips

Hi

Just read your letter Clarice was my Great Aunt - would love to know how your family tree is connected.

Sue Daniels

Rosemary Phillips - 10th October 2024 - 21:02

Through DNA I have found out I am related to Clarice Butcher. Who lived in Evesham and school at Badsey school 1921 to 1929. I have seen a photo of her at Sunday school on your site.

I am pleased you have found a photo of your DNA match, Clarice Butcher on the Badsey Society website. If you look under Index of People you will find there are over 30 references to the Butcher family who lived in Wickhamford. Click on any of them and you will find information and more photos. Two of the family, Muriel and William served in WW1. The family came to Wickhamford in early 1918 and were living in Corner Cottage and Emmanuel, the head of the family, was employed by Mr George Lee-Milne of Wickhamford Manor.
I hope you enjoy exploring the website and finding out more about your family.
Valerie

Patricia Deacon - 12th September 2024 - 21:11

This is for Jean Matson. I am the granddaughter of Ernest Evans who was brother to Beatrice and Tom.
I remember going to visit ‘Auntie Beat’ in Badsey,and Dan and Rene in Weston Subedge. My mother was very close to their daughter Bridget who emigrated to Australia.

Jean Matson - 13th September 2024 - 7:58

In reply to by Patricia Deacon

Hi Patricia
I am so glad to get a contact. I have been trying to get a contact with a relation of Ernest Evans. He was the only sibling of my grandma that I could not trace.

Valerie Harman - 3rd August 2024 - 9:22

Does anyone know if the Badsey Scouts went to the Jubilee Jamboree at Sutton Coldfield in 1957.

Will Dallimore - 23rd August 2024 - 17:51

In reply to by Valerie Harman

I was looking through a magazine for Movie Maker clubs and discovered an article by the Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers. It said that they were restoring old film and one was a 40 minute film of the 57 Jubilee Jamboree.

Neil Corbett - 2nd February 2025 - 17:51

In reply to by Valerie Harman

Yes, I was in the cubs at the time and we all went by coach , only for the day. I don't remember a lot except we got a glimpse of the queen. I remember being impressed by some American scouts in red shirts playing a guitar and singing "It takes a worried man to sing a worried song". I think we all had a good time but other than that I don't remember anything. There was a song we sang on the bus "Jubilee Jamboree" but I can't remember the words.

Michael David Kent - 7th May 2024 - 15:11

I grew up in 'Mock Morris' (the last house on the left before the Bridge Inn at Offenham on Boat Lane) in the early seventies. As a boy, I was fascinated with the stories of a bridge once crossing the Avon at the bottom the road, and still am. David Ella's excellent work has revealed the importance of the crossing at Offenham, which clearly has an ancient provenance. I remember the dredging that took place in the 70's, when David mentions the bridge footings were revealed. A side scan sonar of the riverbed in that area would show the remains of the footings and the exact location and orientation of the bridge. J. Doharty's 1739 map, posted by David Ella on the Offenham Facebook page, clearly shows a bridge of considerable size. Undoubtably, there will still be a footprint under the Avon, probably running linear from the bottom of Boat Lane to the opposite bank. This would be a fascinating project to pursue from an archaeological perspective.

Jane Piper - 5th April 2024 - 14:16

Miss Lillian Cox was my Headmistress from 1958 until 1963 when she retired to Storrington. I am interested in tracing her background and I am aware that there are families of Cox’s in the Badsey area of Sussex. I found an Alice Lilian Annie Cox but she has been described in the archives as having lived at Pitchers Hill all her life whereas the Lillian I am searching for left to be a Missionary in China and then founded a school in Yorkshire before she retired to Storrington. I am wondering if anyone might know of any connection her name might have to other Cox’s in the Badsey area. I am assuming this would be her reason for retiring back there.

Thank you for your email.  I have had a look to see where Storrington is and see that it is nowhere near Badsey.  Storrington is in West Sussex, whereas Badsey is in Worcestershire (we are the only Badsey in the country).  The Alice Lilian Annie Cox you mention lived all her life in Wickhamford (the neighbouring village to Badsey), so I am afraid the Lillian Cox you are interested in has no connection with this area.

Catherine Foot - 5th April 2024 - 11:42

My Mum taught in the school during this year, and had many fond memories of her short time here. She cycled to work from Evesham , much later to the consternation of the headmaster as she was pregnant, and he worried she'd over balance, Happily she didn't and here I am. My parents moved to North Yorkshire at the end of the academic year. Mum talked about the school bell in a tower and how the smell of a cheese pie made her nauseous. Her name was Mrs Walker.

Linda Cheeseman - 24th March 2024 - 11:48

Arthur and Lily Charlwood were my Grandparents. What a joy to explore your website with all the history and my memories. Thank you
Linda nee Charlwood

Jenni Last - 26th January 2024 - 18:21

In recent years I have been working on my family tree, something my late father started way before the advent of the internet. I have had for many years a photograph of a drawing/etching of a Georgian House once in the family which my father said he was never able to find and he thought that it had probably been demolished.
Subsequent research revealed this not to be the case: the property still exists off Badesey Road and is Prospect House, as it was named in a copy of an advertisement of sale written out by my grandmother in 1918. . Finding photographs of its renovation online me to compare it with the original building.
The property was built by George Day, my grandmother's great-grandfather in the early 1800s and he appears on the Mayoral Boards in Evesham Town Hall in 1803, 1815 1nd 1826.

Assuming that this information is of interest to you I will be happy to give you copies of what information I have about George Day and his life.

Sadly, I am not in a position to buy the property which seems to be advertised for sale currently at well over £1000,000.!!! Far too large for a retired couple and two cats!
I look forward to hearing from you.

Admin - 26th January 2024 - 23:42

In reply to by Jenni Last

Many thanks for your email, Jenni.  I have written to you directly so that you have an email address to which you can send information about George Day.  

i read Jenni Last’s contribution about her great great great Grandfather George Day and his last home Prospect House with great interest.George was clearly a very notable gentlemen who before building Prospect House in Evesham, owned Aldington Manor in Aldington near Badsey and arranged for the Regency period extension to be built on to the existing Manor House (The Regency extension is now Aldington Manor) before selling the Manor and building Prospect House which is a fine Grade 2 Listed Building of the Regency period.

I have two contributions to make.

Firstly I have undertaken a lot of research about Prospect House and would like to voice my opinion of whether the famous musician Muzio Clementi actually lived in Prospect House or rented a cottage in the grounds (Vine Cottage which was demolished and apparently rebuilt next to Rose Cottage in Badsey). The Vine cottage story seems to be based on a ‘recollection’ by a Mr Arthur Jones of Badsey handed down from his Father. This story was published in the Evesham Journal in 1955. Personally I think it highly unlikely this was true although it is possible that Vine Cottage did originate from the Estate of Prospect House Mansion and Gardens (as Prospect House was known at the time).

Muzio Clementi was both very famous and very wealthy and owned substantial property in London, Not only was he a famous musician and teacher, he had a very successful piano making business and was the equivalent of a multi millionaire today. In 1828 he moved with his second wife Emma Gisborne to Lichfield and rented Lyncroft House from the Earl of Lichfield until 1831 when he moved to Evesham. Lyncroft House is a substantial Georgian House not unlike Propsect House in size and scale. Meanwhile George Day died in 1830 and following his death Lady Day rented out Prospect House Mansion and Gardens for the same of £600 per annum which is equivalent to £66500 today (Source: Bank of England Inflation Calculator). We know Muzio Clementi was very wealthy and that he lived in substantial properties; it seems highly unlikely that a man of his wealth and status would then rent a very small cottage and it is a logical conclusion based on all the known facts (It is not certain Vine Cottage was rebuilt from a cottage in the grounds of Prospect House) that Muzio Clementi rented Prospect House from Lady Day’s Agents in late 1831 until his death in 1832.

Indeed when Prospect House was sold in 1834 in lots, the property was rented out at the time.

I have managed to source and purchase some of the original Auction documents for the sale of Prospect House and some of these will be framed to be retained with the property for future owners.

My second contribution is that I have some of the original auction documents which are surplus and I would like to offer them to Jenni Last so that she can keep them in her family in honour of George Day. I will leave the Secretary of the Badsey Society to liaise with Jenni and see if she would like these documents; she would be welcome to a tour of Prospect House as it stands today where it is undergoing a significant refurbishment to restore it to its past glory.

Many thanks for your very detailed message left in our Visitors’ Book.  It’s wonderful that Prospect House is being restored to its former glory.  I have alerted Jenni Last to your contribution and given her your email address so that you can correspond directly.

Regarding where Muzio Clementi died, if you look on the British Newspaper Archive website, various newspapers of the time, published shortly after his death, describe him as dying in a cottage rather than a house.  For example, this of 12th March 1832:  “Mr Clementi, the eminent composer and pianoforte player, breathed his last on Saturday morning, aged 81, at his cottage in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire.”  I suppose we shall never know for certain whether it was the cottage in the grounds of Prospect House.

Dear Admin

Many thanks for your reply. I would be interested to know which publication you are referring to dated March 1832.

As I mentioned I have a copy of the original auction documents for Prospect House when it was sold in 1834 in lots. Perhaps the most compelling evidence of Mr Clementi’s last residence is given in the Birmingham Gazette of October 1832 in which an advertisement for Prospect House is advertised to be let with immediate possession which is described as ‘late the residence of Muzio Clementi’ and then goes on to describe the residence in great detail including 10 airy lodging rooms as well as a commodious flagged entrance hall. This property is clearly Prospect House not a cottage and the Milton flagged tiles lie under the current Carrara Marble tiling at Prospect House to this day. I have sent you a photocopy of the article as I cannot upload a photo on your Visitor’s Book.

Kind regards
Derek Baptist

On the British Newspaper Archive, I searched for “Clementi” and “Evesham” for the dates 11th-31st March 1832 and came up with numerous references to his death, first appearing on 12th March, all basically saying the same thing – papers such as “London Packet and New Lloyd’s Evening Post”, “Globe”, “London Evening Standard”, “John Bull”, “Sun (London)”, “St James’ Chronicle”, “English Chronicle and Whitehall Evening Post”, “Morning Advertiser”, “Worcester Journal”, “Coventry Herald”.  Unfortunately there was no Evesham newspaper at that stage.

Thank you for the clarification.

I tried to respond to your website address with the evidence I have but the mail came back ‘undeliverable’ I have therefore sent to your alternative e mail.

Back then, like now to some extent, news was distributed on a central source basis which is why they all say basically the same thing - it is not first hand reporting.

The evidence I submitted to you was a first source advertisement in the Birmingham Gazette offering Prospect House for rental following the death of its tenant (Muzio Clementi). The Agent was instructed by Lady Day (George Day’s widow, so the reference to the previous tenant (Muzio Clementi) is sourced by Lady Day herself. This is historical evidence of far greater value, I would suggest, than central agency news reports copied from the same second/third hand source.

I have sent you a copy of the actual advertisement in the 19th October 1832 edition of the Birmingham Gazette which you are welcome to publish (I paid for this in my research) and subsequently the same Agent (Mr George Robbins ) sold Prospect House at auction in 1834 on the instructions of Lady Day and I have an original copy of the auction documents as well as copy of the 19 October 1832 advertisement in the Birmingham Gazette (sent to you). These are historical document of fact not reporting.

I would contend this depth of first source evidence is fairly compelling.

Kind regards
Derek Baptist

Ian Richardson - 26th January 2024 - 13:10

I came across this picture in the BT archives from 1909 and wondered if anyone can identify where this building was (or even is)?
http://www.digitalarchives.bt.com/CalmView/GetImage.ashx?db=Catalog&typ…
(Catalogue entry: http://www.digitalarchives.bt.com/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Cat… )
I can't find any reference to the historic (or current) telephone exchanges in your village, but hopefully this picture sits quite nicely with the directory entries you've collated from the trade directories of the time?

P. Clark - 3rd November 2023 - 22:28

Is it possible that there is any information about evacuees from Birmingham during WW11? Photos etc? My dad was evacuated to Badsey from Birmingham and he had many happy memories of his time there, especially at school. He stayed near a bakers shop. I remember him saying he could smell bread baking in the morning.
Any info appreciated.
P. Clark

Admin - 4th November 2023 - 14:16

In reply to by P. Clark

Thank you for your email.  Our publication, Heads and Tales: A History of Badsey Schools, has quite a large section in Chapter 6 about Badsey Council School during WWII.  

If you send your father’s name, we may be able to give you further information about when he entered the school and when he left and exactly where he stayed.

J - 31st October 2023 - 9:41

My 11th Great grandfather is Sir Thomas Hoby, to get to me, you go all the way through to George Hoby, the boot maker, One of his sons came to NZ in 1860s. So a majority of my family still carry the last name. I’m hoping to visit both the church and monemunt in the near future.