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Hilary Sharp - 20th December 2002 - 0:00

I have been researching my family for a while, with much assistance from your wonderful site.  The whole family seem to have worked on the land, and I cannot find any reference to them on the 1901 census.  Perhaps because George Henry Crane was allegedly illiterate.

I am stuck on several "Cranes" and wonder if anyone else is researching this rather prolific family?

I have attempted to get as much information from existing members of my family as possible, but my grandmother is now 93 and is one of three remaining of the twelve children of Amelia Louisa Perkins and George Henry Crane. (The three remaining of the 12 are Zena, Hilary and Vera)   I am particularly interested in their children Doll (Dorothy?) Crane who married Sidney Porter, William (Bill) Crane who married Edith ?.

Amelia and George also seem to have had a daughter Margaret Doris Crane in 1903 but as this child has never been mentioned by my grandmother (Irene Vera Crane, known as Vera) I suspect she did not survive infancy.

I am also interested in Amelia's sister Charlotte Perkins who married Amelia's husband's brother, Albert John Crane and had children Henrietta (married a Mr Padfield), Albert Crane, Jessie May Crane (also married a Mr Padfield) and Winifred Crane (married a Philip Smith). If anyone has any information about these Cranes, or any others from Badsey, or the surrounding area I would be delighted.

Many, many thanks. Hilary Sharp 0118 9678272

Diana Wallis - 15th December 2002 - 0:00

I was delighted by your web site. I was trying to research my ancestors who came from Wickhamford and found your web site.

This gave me all the information I needed about JUDITH SIMPSON and her ancestors. Judith married in Wickhamford and lived there for the rest of her life. Her youngest son married Louisa Hall, who was also living in Badsey by then.

They moved around a lot after that, Shenstone, Bonehill, both in Staffordshire, Then the hamlet of Wolverton, Hall, both Worcestershire before moving to Foxton, and Great Bowden, in Leicestershire. Your Census and Parish Register Transcriptions were a great help. I just wish other villages would do this.

Also regards to Cottage Garden Plants for their excellent stalls at the Malvern Shows.

Diana Wallis

Henry Knight - 12th December 2002 - 0:00

Thanks for a wonderful site. I am Henry Knight of Sydney Australia. I have traced my ancestors back to Joseph Knight who died in 1727. The tree goes via baptized  and b dates - Thomas 1686 (a twin), Henry 1712, James 1760, Thomas 1788, Charles 1814, Charles 1840 (emigrated to Brisbane on the Samarang 1865), Charles b1867 (a twin), Herbert b1913 to me b1940. I noticed you mentioned in one of your replies to Lucy Sweeting, Joseph marrying an Eleanor but can find only children from Henry 1699 to James 1715 in the records. His children Thomas 1686 to John 1695 show no mother. There was a death of a Joan Knight 1697 between the two groups of children. Was she connected?

Thanks again for a very helpful site.

Henry Knight, Sydney Australia

Tony & Lucy Sweeting - 10th December 2002 - 0:00

Since our last contact I have been trying to establish a connection  between Captain Valentine Knight who put forward plans for the rebuilding of the City of London after the Great Fire of 1666 and all our Valentine Knights.  Haven't had any success yet but I did receive two small documents from the PRO regarding Capt. Knight's imprisonment by King Charles the Second, they are in Old Legal Latin. Can you suggest anybody that might be able to translate them?  Does anyone know anything about a Sid Knight who went to South Africa and wrote a book of nostalgia called Cotswold Lad, published c 1960.  We think Sid Knight was born in Broadway around the mid 1890s and his father was A.E.Knight, he says in the book his Grandfather was Henry Knight.  

Thanks again for the wonderful website.  Happy Christmas and a successful 2003.

Tony & Lucy (nee Knight) Sweeting, Wales

Olga Hiern-Cookeon - 5th December 2002 - 0:00

Hallo from Australia!

As the last of the English born (1932) Hierns, I was thrilled to find your web site. I have been deep into genealogy since 1949 and have now, thanks to you, found yet more spellings of the name!  Don't know how to thank you for such an interesting site.  I wonder why the Badsey Hierns all died out. Perhaps the Plague had something to do with it? The family seems to have petered out completely in England now although there are a good many in Australia and America.

Thanks again and a Happy Christmas to you and all your volunteers.

Olga Hiern-Cookeon, Australia

Richard Phillips - 6th December 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by Olga Hiern-Cookeon

In our index the name appears under HYERNE. I had a look in our local phone book and could not see an entries for Hierns or its variants. There are plenty of Hines and Hearn, but I guess they are different. The family left Badsey about the time of the Civil War which was a time of great social upheaval. Perhaps someone else knows more.

David Knight - 1st December 2002 - 0:00

Many congratulations on a marvelous web site!

I am David John Knight, now 50 years old and a Royal Naval officer living in East Cornwall. My father, who sadly died at the age of 77 a few years ago, was Albert Knight - born on 21 September 1921 in Badsey. Until joining the Army in WW2 he worked for a farmer called George Witts not far from Evesham, where he met my mother, then Patricia Jarvis, who was a Land Girl. Although Dad took a smallholding in Mum's home county of Essex when they married after the War, he remained a proud Worcestershire man all his life, so much so that I feel a decided pull to the right every time I pass Bredon Hill going north on the M5, and see the Cotswolds on the eastern horizon. He never lost the distinctive accent, and even this Essex-born Cornish "incomer" has been known to say "occud" instead of "awkward" (probably because it was a word Dad often used about me)!

I was delighted to learn that us Knights were so prolific in Badsey, but have no way of knowing whether I have more in common with those that still live there than just the surname. Regrettably, although Dad often told stories of his childhood and youth, I never thought to remember the names of his family and friends. He was an only child, although I believe he may have had a cousin called Dorothy (Dot), and my childhood memory of his mother reveals only a very kind white-haired lady who lived in Bengeworth Avenue in Evesham until she died (in the early 60s, at a guess). She must have remarried, because her surname was then Penson, and I have a very vague recollection of being told that Dad's father, her first husband, had died when he was young.

I'd be delighted to hear from anyone who could shed more light on my murky family history!

David Knight, Cornwall

Maureen Spinks - 2nd December 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by David Knight

I would like to be able to say I could present you with a family history going back several centuries, as has been true for some other Knight enquirers to the website, but unfortunately this does not appear to be the case for you. However, after a little detective work, I can reveal the following: Albert Knight enrolled at Badsey Council School on 12th January 1926, aged 4½. He lived at Brewers Lane, Badsey, and his father’s name was Joseph Knight. He transferred to the "Mixed Department" (as the Junior Department was known) on 1st October 1928, aged 7. His parent then was given as Minnie A Knight. He left Badsey School on 25th October 1929, the reason being "left the district".

The burial registers for the 1920s (not on the website) indicate that a Joseph Knight was buried on 22nd February 1927, aged 42. This Joseph Knight does not appear to have been born in Badsey. He would have been born about 1885 but, having checked the baptismal registers, there is no Joseph Knight baptised in Badsey at the appropriate time (this was at a time when most children were baptised); there is also no record of a Joseph Knight attending Badsey School. Smith’s Household Almanack lists a Joseph Knight for the years 1922-27 (the years (1920 and 1921 are missing), so it seems that the Knights moved to Badsey around the time of Albert’s birth, and then Minnie left the village after the death of her husband.

Having had a look at the 1901 Census website, when putting in an entry for Joseph Knight, who would have been around 16 at the time, it lists 68 Joseph Knights within a 2-year age-range of 16. The most likely person seems to be 15-year-old Joseph Knight, living at Broadway (about 5 miles from Badsey), whose occupation was "help on farm". His place of birth is given as Webheath, Worcestershire, now swallowed up by Redditch. The best thing would be to purchase a copy of the census page, to see if this will assist you in your researches, and whether this appears to be your grandfather.

Jean C Noble - 29th November 2002 - 0:00

What a lot of work has been carried out - gathering all these records and then publishing them. I run the Corbett One Name Study Group and found some Corbetts. They are from 2 families but who knows, they might be found to be connected. The witness at one was a Robson Corbett and the only man with this name that I have found lived up in Northumberland at that time so it is quite probably him but I haven't found the connection yet.

Thanks everyone from me who was involved in collecting these records and preparing them and the website for publication on the net.

Best wishes, Jean C Noble, The Corbett Study Group, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, England

Richard Phillips - 30th November 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by Jean C Noble

Many thanks for your good wishes. William Corbett and his daughter Georgina appear to have lived at Harrington House at the time of the 1881 census. William died in 1886 and his headstone at Badsey also mentions his son 'CAPTAIN WILLIAM SMITH CORBETT ONLY SON OF THE ABOVE, WHO DIED AT SHANGHAI, CHINA AUGUST 22ND 1869, AGED 25 YEARS'. If you have not discovered it already our website also included a photo of this headstone and a short article on Harrington House.

Posted in 2002 and I have only just seen it, Richard. My apologies. Age has caught up with me, I’m afraid, so everything has slowed dow. By 20 years in this instance. How embarrassing. Regard, Jeane

Peter Lawrance - 20th November 2002 - 0:00

A great site, found courtesy of the Admag.

There must be lots of other poems in Badsey to rival "Grandad and Spud", which is excellent.

I'll keep checking back

Peter Lawrance, Ledbury

Teresa Rosina Fleming - 15th November 2002 - 0:00

I have found the web site very interesting and have visited it several times. I am researching my family tree and found that my gt. Gt. Gt. Gt. grandfather was married to Harriet Knight who was baptised 6th January 1811 and her parents were Joseph and Elizabeth. I have found a Joseph Knight in the records baptised 2nd Sept 1789 and his parents were John and Elizabeth. Does anyone know anything about them or are you descendants?  I would love to know more. Please email me if you can help.

Teresa Rosina Fleming (known as Rose), Bearwood, Birmingham

Maureen Spinks - 16th November 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by Teresa Rosina Fleming

I have transcribed all the parish records for the Badsey website and, because Knight was the commonest name in Badsey, I have produced a huge family tree of the family dating back to the 17th century.  As it's rather confusing, with so many Knights, I have listed what I believe to be your line of descent.

Jessica Goodman - 10th November 2002 - 0:00

Hello! I'm a pupil at St Benedict's RC High School, Alcester. I live in Badsey and I'm currently doing a project about Badsey for my GCSE coursework in geography. The website has been of great use, but I was just wondering if anyone else had any information which may help me with my studies. The title of my project is to do a comparative study between the village of Badsey and the village of Betws-y-coed in Wales. I'm looking for any information which could be of use e.g. old street maps? Although much of the information is on the wonderful Badsey website, I was just looking for extra information.

Jessica Goodman

Jenny Norman - 5th November 2002 - 0:00

My maiden name is Knight.  My father Cyril Knight was born in Badsey on November 17th, 1914, to Herbert and Annie Knight. Herbert was a market gardener.  Cyril had an older brother Ronald and a younger sister Dorothy Mary.

The family had to move to Wednesbury when Herbert became ill.  The children were quite young.  Herbert and Annie are both buried in the churchyard in Bretforton.  My father would love to hear from anyone who may have known him.  He is currently living in Staffordshire.

I do have some photos of Herbert and Annie, and of Ronald and Cyril when they were young.

Regards, Jenny Norman (nee Knight)

Maureen Spinks - 6th November 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by Jenny Norman

I have transcribed various parish records for the Badsey website.  Cyril and his siblings were not baptised at Badsey, but Cyril and Ronald do feature in the School Admissions Register.  Cyril started in the Infants Department on 6th January 1919, but was there for only a month and a half, leaving on 16th February, the reason given "left the village".  

Meanwhile, his elder brother, Ronald (born 7th August 1912) started in the Infants Department on 8th April 1918 and then transferred to the Mixed Department on 29th April 1919.  Ronald left on 6th June 1919, the reason given "left the district".  It seems, therefore, that Ronald remained in Badsey for a few months longer than Cyril, probably remaining there with his mother, Annie, as when he enrolled in the Mixed Department, his parent's name is given as Annie rather than Herbert.  

Lionel Knight, who still lives in Badsey, is descended from the Knights of Bretforton, and appears to have connections with your side of the family.  Lionel was the son of Ernest Knight.  He believes that Herbert Knight may have been the uncle of his father, Ernest.  Certainly, there is some kind of family connection, because when Lionel and his family moved from Bretforton to Badsey, they moved into what is now known as 59 Bretforton Road, which is where Herbert and Annie Knight lived.  Lionel recalls that the family had to move to Wednesbury because of Herbert's illness, and that initially his mother paid rent to Herbert and Annie, before eventually buying the house from them. 

Jenny Norman - 7th November 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by Maureen Spinks

I have in fact met Lionel, when I went to Bretforton  looking for my father's family.  I subsequently took my father to meet Lionel later in the same year, when my father was 80 years old, and we visited the Inn at Bretforton for his birthday celebration.  I have printed much of the contents of the web site and sent it to my father, who does not have internet access either.  He was very interested.  They did have to leave the village when my father was very young, due to his father being ill.  His mother went to live near her family in Wednesbury.  It was always their ambition to return one day to Bretforton, but sadly they have not managed to do that.

Editor - 20th October 2002 - 0:00

[This letter was sent to Peter Stewart about his photographic survey of the churchyard.]

This morning, I printed a number of photos from your survey of the above Church (with great delight), as I will probably never have the opportunity to see this Church in person.  My interest is due to the fact that my direct ancestor (Charles Bloxham) was an Assistant Curate (1820) of this particular church, and together with his wife Mary Hope (Ouchterlony) and their 9 or 10 children (born in Badsey) have history in the area.  Mary is also buried there.  

Mr. Stewart, I wonder do you have a photo of the actual outside of the Church?  I haven't come across one amongst this group.  I would be interested in viewing one if possible.  

I must congratulate you on a tremendous work in displaying all the photographs and information on this wonderful history.  My research into the Bloxham Family has been long and tedious, but very rewarding.  An interesting family!   Many thanks in anticipation of your reply.  

Shirley King, Australia
October 2002

Elsewhere on the website is an article about the Bloxham family and some photographs of the exterior of the church.

Michelle - 10th October 2002 - 0:00

I would like to congratulate you on your website, and thank You for transcribing all of those records.  I have been lucky enough to find my gg-grandmother on your site.  Her name was Mary Ann HERBERT and you have her Christening and her parents' marriage:
HALFORD, Hannah (f) married 21 Nov 1833 to James HERBERT.
HERBERT, Mary Ann, baptised 24 Jun 1838, daughter of James and Hannah.

It's a great shame that Hannah HALFORD wasn't baptised at Badsey!

Thank you for your superb site, Michelle, Andover, Hants
 

Judy Cameron - 10th October 2002 - 0:00

I have just been looking at the most interesting webpage on Badsey School. In the school photograph "Class photo, Standard VI (1924)" on the back row, second from the left, is my father Frank Styles, well known in Wickhamford, for his piano playing, and sadly now deceased. His brother Jack, who died at Alamein was the friend mentioned by Fred Mason in his memoirs. My father lost his father with flu at the age of five, and from what I can gather Mr. Amos was a father figure to him, helping him with his natural gift of music, and discussing world affairs with him.

I would love to know if Mr. Mason has anything to add.

Congratulations on the web site, and best wishes, from Judy Cameron, nee Styles

Kathy Brooks - 15th September 2002 - 0:00

Hello, I am a teenager of Badsey and I think that the Badsey.net website is brilliant. It lets people from all over the world know what our village is like and the beauty of the village. I have lived in Badsey for 17 years and it is all at its best.

Kathy Brooks, Badsey

Barry Davies - 10th September 2002 - 0:00

My name is Barry Davies and as a young child I was from 19 Chapel Street, Badsey. My father Bill met Peggy of 19 Chapel Street during the war - they married during the war time years at the church in Badsey. My grandparents also lived at No 19 and most of my family.

Your Visitors Book is fascinating reading. My brother Brian has already sent a message to it.

I now live in a small village called Eastham on the Wirral.

Regards, Barry Davies, Eastham, England

Sarah Elizabeth Showell - 5th September 2002 - 0:00

I was thrilled to stumble across this website while. I cannot wait to share this with the rest of my family.

Showell is NOT a common name here in the States so to find a place from whence we had possibly come is very exciting. I was born in the county of Wocester; in the state of Maryland in the United States. In fact I was born directly on the coast as if a Showell from Badsey fell into the ocean off the English coast and washed up on the Maryland coast by accident!

I would very much like to visit. In what month is the weather most conducive to walking the area?

Sincerely, Sarah Elizabeth Showell, United States (born 3/26/55)

Richard Phillips - 5th September 2002 - 0:00

In reply to by Sarah Elizabeth Showell

Yes, Showell is very unusual as a surname. I know nothing more than what we have in our name index but hopefully your letter will get a response from someone who knows more. Do come and visit Badsey. There are some good walks around here. No one can predict the English weather but I would say the best time for walking is from the beginning of May to the end of August. Mid May to mid June is asparagus time.

Billy Showell aka Gillian Showell now Cook - 15th November 2020 - 16:23

In reply to by Sarah Elizabeth Showell

Hi Sarah I know for sure the Showell name originated in Oxford and is a derivation of Seven-wells and goes back to the doomsday book, my fathers grandfather Michael Showell known affectionately as Comic was one of 5 children all the boys went to sea and the family name is now seen in Australia Canada and USA from those brothers in that line, I believe their father was a potter.

Brian Elsey - 20th July 2002 - 0:00

Hello, I was searching the web for ideas for my own website when I luckily dropped on your site. It is fascinating, I was hooked! Spent hours looking at the history even though it has no relevance to me.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, have bookmarked it, and will be back....

Brian Elsey

Mike Lymn - 15th July 2002 - 0:00

We wondered if any of your readers had any thoughts or views, whether positive or negative, on the proposed development of a minimum of 35 dwellings within the village. Is it something that the village needs or indeed wants?

Mike Lymn, Badsey

James Rochat - 10th July 2002 - 0:00

I want to tell you what an incredible website this is... I am part of the Dore family and stumbled on it as I was killing time at work and thought I might check out Badsey and see what I could find.

My name is James Aaron Rochat (formerly James Aaron Dore) and I was born in Evesham Feb 15th, 1970. We lived in Willersey until my parents chose to emigrate to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1979. The name Rochat is through my mother re-marrying about 2 years after coming to Canada.

My Grandparents were Arthur Edwin Evans Dore (Bill) and Eileen Louisa Dore. I was fortunate to see them on my Honeymoon in 1993. Grandad passed January 1995 and Nan in October 1997.

I see a picture under "Memories & Photographs" "Class Photo Standard 1" 1924. Arthur Dore is shown, middle row 2nd from the right. I guess this must be my Grandad as he would have been 8 years old in 1924.

I am truly amazed as I also found the picture of their Headstone.

I wish I was able to provide you with more photos to give you for the site but have lost touch with my Dad Jim Dore. I am going to look for my mothers family also.

Anyway congratulations on an outstanding website. It has put a big smile on my face today.

Regards, James Rochat, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Sarah Minney - 5th July 2002 - 0:00

Firstly let me say that I think this web site is fabulous!

I have been tracing various Vale of Evesham families for almost 20 years and I wish the other villages in the area had similar web sites!    I am currently researching the Dore family of Badsey as one of the daughters, Beata married a Mr. Gilbert of Bengeworth.  The Gilbert family were nail makers and agricultural implement makers of Castle Street, Bengeworth, but also lived at sometime (1880's) in Badsey.

Well done all concerned!  Sarah Minney, Twickenham.

Lee Gibson - 20th June 2002 - 0:00

Some of my ancestors, the Moore family, used to live at Ivy Cottage in Chapel Lane, Aldington. From your website I discovered they had children at Badsey School in the late 1800s. Do you have any additional information about this cottage? I have never ever seen it. Have you any old photos of Aldington which may show the cottage or is it still there and, do you know if it is still called Ivy Cottage?

I live in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. My parents are from Evesham and my Dad from South Littleton.

Can you tell me anything about Aldington Mill? Do you have a list of workers as one of my ancestors was a miller.

My Moore family ancestors also lived at the Old Turnpike, Aldington in the 1880s -1890s.

Yours faithfully Lee Gibson, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

A mill at Aldington is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 . There is no mill marked on the Aldington Enclosure map of 1807 but there is a mention of a Mill Lane in Aldington on the 1851 census. If you look in our Place Index you will find several other references to it. On the 1901 census I found references to three people working at the Aldington Mill including Jerry Sharp the miller.

Michelle Pekali - 10th June 2002 - 0:00

Hi, what a great website, long may you prosper and grow! I was googling when I came across your site and I was so impressed.

I am researching the KEYTE family, which is very extensive. They came from Chipping Campden, Blockley, Ebrington,Westington,Willersley & surrounding areas, covering Gloucester,Warwick, & Worcester. The KEYTEs married into the KEEN family (on several occasions), the EMMs, the HOLMES,TAYLORS & IZODS also feature in there at various times.

Good luck to all. Michelle Pekali, New Zealand.

Jane Watt - 1st May 2002 - 0:00

I just wanted to let you know what a great site it is. I noticed your piece in the Family Tree Magazine of February 2002 and immediately went to the website. Over here in Canada we get our British magazines about 6 to 8 weeks late. My husband and I visited the area in 1994, it seems like yesterday. We were touring the UK and doing genealogy, my HUGHES and TOMB families were from Evesham and Norton. We stayed in Evesham and had a great lady, Peggy Hancock give us the tour of the area. We really enjoyed ourselves and it is great to see some of the places we visited turn up on the website. It brings back great memories. It is going to take me weeks or months to go through all the parish records and census you have on the site. Again, thank you for a great site.

Jane Watt, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

I'm glad you enjoy looking at the Badsey website.  Funnily enough, I met Peggy Hancock for the first time about a month ago.  She was doing some research at Worcester Record Office and spent ages talking to her friend about various Badsey names.  Eventually, curiosity got the better of me, and I went over to talk to me.  She has provided some photographs which can now be seen on the website.

Elizabeth Fisher - 20th April 2002 - 0:00

I came across your website, when actually doing a search for an Offenham bed and breakfast.  My husband and I are coming to England in November only for two weeks for a family wedding.   I want to have a nostalgia overnight stay in an old English bed and breakfast close to where I lived in Offenham.   However,  in my search it was so exciting to read of Badsey.  I live in Canberra, Australia now, where I came for a two and a half year posting back in 1969!  I lived in Offenham from 1954 until 1969 and my memories of Evesham and surrounds are so nostalgic.  

It was exciting to just see the words 'Littleton and Badsey Railway Station', where I pedaled my bike before catching the train from the station to Stratford-upon-Avon where I did my one year secretarial course at South Warwickshire College of Further Education.  

We used to go to the South Littleton Church. My sister, Jayne, was married there. In fact the main village of South Littleton was about the same distance as the main village of Offenham. We lived on the outskirts of Offenham, on the Evesham Road, in a semi bungalow, called "Maryland" then. The bungalow was in a group of six I think, directly opposite some market gardens in an area which used to be called Newtown. I used to go to Swan Lane Primary School and then I went to Greenhill School for Girls (not sure whether they exist any more).

In the meantime can anyone recommend an Evesham, Offenham, close-by oldish bed and breakfast with a bit of character, which is not expensive?  The rate of exchange is terrifying and we need somewhere charming and not expensive.  

Elizabeth Fisher (nee Adams), Canberra, Australia

I hope you have a really good trip over here. I am afraid Littleton and Badsey station is gone but I am sure there will be a lot you will recognise. On B&B, there are a few possibilities in Badsey - see the details on the website.

In a follow up message in July 2002 Liz Fisher added:
My husband, Vince, and I are coming to England for a family wedding. We are staying at Buttercups House in South Littleton for two nights on 3 and 4 December 2002. My parents left Offenham in about 1967, and I have not been back since then. I left home to work in Oxford when I was 18 (1965 I think!).

Just an offchance, but I thought I might mention, in case anyone remembers us, my name was Elizabeth Adams of "Maryland" on the Evesham Road (near Newtown) in Offenham, and my parents (now both dead) were Cyril and Margaret Adams. I have a sister, Jayne. We lived next door to the Cole family (Ray and ? (Mrs??) Cole and children, Margaret, Janet, Audrey and Alan). Audrey lives(?) in Pershore now. (I hope to contact her.) I was very friendly with Audrey and I know her grandfather when he was alive lived in Badsey (a lovely old fellow, very stooped over and went everywhere on his pushbike). Our local church was South Littleton Church which we went to, vicar, Denis Russell.

Alexandra Withnall - 10th April 2002 - 0:00

Thanks for such an interesting website. I am a granddaughter of George and Julia Moisey who owned the house called 'Bredon View'. My mother, Margaret, now 87, is the youngest of their children and the only one still surviving.  

Last summer, I was in Vancouver and met up with two cousins, Bernard and Gordon Agg and their families. Their mother, Rosa Moisey was my mother's eldest sister and she emigrated to Canada shortly after WW1, having married into the Aggs, another well known Badsey family.  

My mother still has amazingly clear memories of growing up in Badsey, especially of the village school, the blacksmith and many of the other families who lived in Badsey in the 1920s.  My mother and I now live in Walsall, West Midlands, although she has lived in various places over the years since she left Badsey - she volunteered to join the army in 1940, I think. I occasionally take her to Evesham for the day but she scarcely recognises the place now.

We have often wondered about the origins of the name Moisey - one suggestion is that it is derived from a family of French Huguenots, possibly weavers, who came to England to escape persecution. Does anyone know?  

With best wishes Alexandra Withnall, Walsall, West Midlands