ROBBINS (late 19th/20th century) - Robbins family and Robin Cottage
The following material was kindly supplied by June Lambourn, the grand-daughter of George Robbins.
ROBERTS, Edward John (1902-1982) - Ted Roberts and his Transport Business
In the early 1930’s fruit and vegetable merchant, Bert Daws, asked Cliff Warwick of Birchfield Road, Birmingham, who owned a transport business, if he would operate a transport service in the Evesham area to collect produce from the local growers and deliver to his Birmingham business.
The job to operate the Evesham end of the business was given to Edward John Roberts always known as Ted. Ted Roberts had been market gardening, but due to rheumatic fever had been forced to give up his land at Bowers Hill.
SANDYS (17th-19th century) - The Sandys family at Wickhamford
Sandys Family origins
The Sandys family can trace its origins back to beyond 1300. The surname is pronounced ‘Sands’ and spelled ‘Sandes’ in early documents. They were resident in Cumberland when Richard del Sandys was one of the two Knights representing the county in Parliament in 1377, the first year of the reign of Richard II. Another branch of the family were established in Hampshire at ‘Vyne’, Sherborne St John. It was not until 1594 that one of the Sandys family acquired property in Wickhamford, the Manor House and its estates.
SMITH, Frederick Sutherland (1837-1915) - Of Wickhamford Manor
At the time of the 1871 census, Wickhamford Manor was occupied by Fred S. Smith and his family. He was a 34-year-old ‘Factor & Agent in Cloth Trade’, who had been born in Aston Manor, Warwickshire. His wife was Edith J. R. (28) and there were four small children present – Frederick H. N. (5), Edith L. M. (4), Ethel (2) and Arthur H. B. (1). The eldest had been born in Aston Manor and the others in Birmingham.
SPOONER (16th century) - The Spooner family of Wickhamford Manor
In September 1972, Rev. Peter Braby wrote an article for the Badsey, Aldington and Wickhamford Parish Review on ‘Goods of a Wickhamford Yeoman 1601’. This concerned the inventory produced for probate purposes after the death of William Spooner at the end of 1601. According to the parish burial register, William ‘Sponer’ was buried in Wickhamford Churchyard on 30th November 1601.
SWIFT, Benjamin Ryle (1866-1947) - Of Longdon Hill
Benjamin Ryle Swift was born on 21st 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 27th January 1867. His baby son’s second name was the maiden name of the Rev. Swift’s mother-in-law, Jane Harriett Ryle.
TAYLOR (19th-20th century) - Taylor Family, a farming life in Wickhamford
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.
Midsummer Walk
Two dogs and 27 members turned out to walk to Blackminster and back via Black Banks and Aldington.
In an Aldington meadow, we marvelled at the fact that this was once home to Badsey Rangers’ Football Club in the first 30 years of its existence. Brian Smith, our Aldington poet, recited a poem he wrote about a final in 1912 that attracted around 2000 spectators. Terry Sparrow also gave a brief history of times past when football players and spectators prioritised a football match over their daily labours.
WALTERS, Elias Charles (1849-1932) - Walters family, market gardeners
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.