Benjamin Ryle Swift was born on 21^st October 1866 in Birkdale, Southport, Lancashire. His father, the Rev. Benjamin Swift, was the vicar of that parish and his mother, Georgiana Elizabeth nee Darwin, was a cousin of the naturalist, Charles Darwin. The Rev. Swift baptised his son at St James’ Church, Birkdale on 27^th January 1867. His baby son’s second name was the maiden name of the Rev. Swift’s mother-in-law, Jane Harriett Ryle.

The censuses of 1841 to 1911 have many references to members of the Taylor family, most of them as tenants at the various farms in Wickhamford. The Church registers contain numerous entries for this family and the Churchyard contains gravestones commemorating no less than six generations of Taylors. An outline family tree of the family is given at the end of this article.

The Walters family first appeared in the records for Wickhamford in the 1881 census. Despite his advanced age, Henry Walters, at 84, was described as an agricultural labourer and he was living at Grey Gables, Manor Road. Also in the household were his bachelor son Charles, aged 31, (bapt. Elias Charles) also an agricultural labourer and Elizabeth his granddaughter who is described as a general servant.

Alfred Woodall lived in Wickhamford for about 25 years and made an impact on the local community as a fruit grower, active member of Littleton & Badsey Growers and the Congregationalist Church in Broadway. He was also a J.P., but not locally.

John Thomas William Haines was born on 24^th April 1920, the third child of Norris and Florence Jane Haines nee Harris. The family lived in 52 Manor Road, (now ‘Whytebury’), Wickhamford and Norris (always known as ‘Buckley’) worked for all of his life for the Lees-Milne family, initially as a groom, then as a chauffeur and finally as a gardener. Throughout his life John was always known as ‘Jack’ and his elder sisters were Hilda Doris - ‘Doll’ - (b. 1910) and Margaret - ‘Peggy’ - (b. 1913).

Pat Goldstraw describes her memories of village policeman Frank Haines.

Old age brings to many of us affectionate memories of our childhood days. For me they were blissful carefree times spent in our rural village with friends who are still friends today.

I have no objection to change - it is inevitable and we must accept such changes. But children today have lost a very precious gift - the gift of freedom.

‘Drysdale’ is a name that can be seen in Wickhamford in four locations. Drysdale Close is by the playing field, there is a commemorative tablet in the Church to Bertha Drysdale and her headstone is in the Churchyard; also Roger Drysdale’s name appears on the Great War memorial in the Church. There is no mention of the family name in any other record in the village, but nevertheless, their story is an interesting one.

At the time of the 1911 census William and Alice Jane Cox lived at what is now number 93 Pitchers Hill. They had been married for 28 years and Alice (nee Bacon) had given birth to eleven children, all of whom were still alive. William had been born in Ebrington, Gloucestershire; he married Worcester-born Alice there in 1883 and the couple had most of their family in the village. He worked at different times as an agricultural labourer, with a telegraph company and then on the railways but left that job to come to the Vale to grow fruit and vegetables.

When Syd Carter died suddenly at his home in Wickhamford, on the morning of 16^th February 1953, the village lost a true character. He was a well known personality famed for his lectures and his broadcasts on rural affairs for the B.B.C. The best way to record his life is to reproduce verbatim the obituary which appeared in the Evesham Journal of Saturday 21^st February 1953.