OBITUARY – MR A C SPARROW
Badsey has lost one of the village’s most respected inhabitants. Mr Alfred Cecil Sparrow, of No 4 South View Terrace, died suddenly on Saturday. He was 81.
Born in the Isle of Man, he was the eldest son of the late Mr & Mrs Alfred Sparrow of Church Lench and Badsey. He came with his parents to Badsey about 70 years ago and lived the rest of his life in the village.
HAMLET WITH A LONG HISTORY
Draw a triangle with the three points at Bengeworth, Badsey and Offenham and almost in the centre you find the hamlet of Aldington nestling at the foot of a small hill.
In area it actually extends much further than one would imagine because its boundaries stretch far over the summit of the hill and across the market garden holdings way down to the Avon. Buts its communal life is centre around the varied collection of dwellings clustered about the old Manor House.
ALDINGTON WANTS PARISH COUNCIL
In the old clubroom of the little hamlet of Aldington, two miles from Evesham, about 30 of Aldington’s population of 144 yesterday discussed, somewhat heatedly at times, what they could do to improve the amenities of the village.
In 1944, The Land of Britain – Part 68 Worcestershire, by K M Buchanan, was published. This was part of The Report of the Land Utilisation Survey of Britain. It dealt with changes in land use in the county from about 1825 until the 1930s. A copy of this volume is held in the Reference section Evesham Library and the fifty maps in the book have been reproduced below. They show how market gardening grew in importance in Worcestershire and, in particular, in the Vale of Evesham.
THREATS – Elizabeth Howes, wife of Richard Howes of Wickhamford, was summoned by Elizabeth Edkins the wife of George Edkins of the same place. Mr Eades appeared for Mrs Edkins and proved that defendant had made use of threatening and abusive language towards complainant. She was therefore ordered to find one surety to be bound in £10 that she keep the peace for six calendar months.
Market gardening in the Vale of Evesham began in the mid-19th century and developed in the latter half of that century to be a common use of land in the area. There were no residents recorded as market gardeners in Wickhamford or Badsey at the 1861 census, but ten years later nine heads of household in Badsey were listed as such. There was also just one in Wickhamford, George Edkins, who worked 11 acres of land in 1871.
OBITUARY – The death of Mrs M Blake, widow of Mr W W Blake of Badsey Fields, Badsey, took place at her home in Swansea on Saturday. She was well known, having lived in Badsey for many years, being connected with the Badsey Friends Mission Room. The funeral took place at Badsey on Tuesday, a service in the Friends’ Mission Room preceding interment in St James’ Churchyard. Mr W Churchill was at the organ. The service was conducted by Mr H Smith and Mr W Stewart, assisted by Mr G Hitchings and Mr F Bubb.
