Lillington Local History Society

JULY 2016 JULY 2016

Contents

Home Guard

Frederick Hands

Major George Nugent

Warwickshire Maps

Cubbington Road Lillington Home Guard. The Local Defence Volunteers, which Programme of eventually became the Home Guard, formed a number of meetings Platoons locally under banner of the 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Home Guard. Lillington men were not shy of Regular monthly volunteering as the picture of No. 3 Platoon shows. meeting Free Church Hall, Cubbington Can you identify anyone? Road, 4.30 pm on the first Friday of each month.

Contact us by -Coming to one of the Society’s monthly meetings, -or by referring any Do you know where the platoon met? queries about the society, contributions, photographs or reminiscences to Graham Cooper – telephone 01926 426942

Image courtesy of Leamington Home Guard Club 1

Frederick George Hands 1878 - 1969

Fred Hands was born at Eathorpe in January 1878, the ninth of the twelve children and youngest of the four sons of Jane and George Hands, a Master Blacksmith. By the age of twelve Fred was already out at work as a farmhand at Fosse Farm, Offchurch, up at 5 am winter and summer, milking cows and doing menial farm labouring jobs. He wasn’t paid for his work: as he lived at the farm, his ‘keep’ was the only wage he had.

In his early twenties, Fred returned home and took up his father’s trade, but still never earned money until he went to work for a saddler at Brinklow, - for thirteen shillings a week. His next move took him to Marton where he spent seven years working for an uncle who was also a blacksmith. He also worked for a time in Bedford, where he met his future wife Gertrude Annie Hulatt. By 1908, Fred, Gertrude Annie and baby son Leslie Frederick were living in Lillington, with Fred working first for Sam Allcock in Tavistock Street and then Sam’s brother Tom in Windsor Street, Leamington. Finding work was not a problem: as almost everyone seemed to own horses in those days, a blacksmith was always in demand, and the smithy a very busy cheerful place.

Manor Farm

Another move brought Fred to the forge at Manor Farm, where he worked for the McGregor family. Amongst others, he shod the McGregor’s famous Derby winner April the Fifth and the Grand National champion Bogskar. Fred lost count of the number of animals he shod in his long working life, from ponies, donkeys, shire horses and First World War cavalry horses to the celebrated racing breeds – probably many thousands.

He was still at work in his eighties, - but as the motor car started to take over from the horse, he decided it was time to diversify. He became Basil Thwaites’ first employee when he set up Thwaites Agricultural Engineering Company, turning up to work at 10am until 4pm, to make and repair all kinds of engineering tools associated with the business. In an interview with the Leamington Courier at the age of 84, Fred said how he wished he was still shoeing horses, but recognised that mechanisation had changed everything, that electric welding had become the order of the day. His only regret was that it hadn’t been invented when he started out.

2

Fred and Gertrude Hands lived at 2 Farm Road with their two sons Leslie and Eric, and daughter Kathleen Nancy. They were active churchgoers: Fred served on the Parochial Church Council from its inception and was a sidesman from as early as 1908.

For most of his adult life, Fred sang in the choir at St Mary Magdalene, joined later by his son-in-law, Tom Harris and grandson David. In the 1950s choir photograph (above) Fred can be seen 6th from the left, middle row, Tom is fourth from the right in the same row, and David is sitting cross-legged in the middle of the front row.

Before she married in 1938, Kathleen Hands was a Sunday School teacher, and then a pillar of the W. I. and the Mothers’ Union, known to many as ‘Catering Kath’, for her cake-making and formidable skills of organisation. Fred and Gertrude’s children were baptised, confirmed and married – and later buried – at St Mary Magdalene. Their grandchildren too were baptised and married there.

The Hands’ family interest in their home village was not confined to the church: Fred and his wife owned a copy of William Cooper’s 1940 publication, The History of Lillington, complete with a hand-written receipt from the author. They were near neighbours of Herbert Edward and Margaret Cox, and had a small collection of Cox watercolours. One shows the lake in Jephson Gardens, another, the church by moonlight, - now a family heirloom in the care of Fred’s great-grandson.

Compiled by Margaret Rushton from information and photographs supplied by Fred’s granddaughter Gill Moss

3

Major George Nugent, who took part in four cavalry charges at Waterloo.

George Nugent enlisted into the 16th Dragoons in 1813 as a Cornet1 and joined the Regiment in Spain, seeing action during the latter part of the Peninsula Campaign (1809- 1814) before returning to England in July 1814.

After Napoleon’s escape from Elba and his return to Paris, the Regiment embarked for Belgium on April 11th 1815 as part of the 4th Cavalry Brigade. During the Battle of Waterloo on Sunday June 18th 1815, George and the 16th made four charges, before the French – with the Imperial Guard broken- fled the field. George survived and returned to England with the 16th.

In 1821 the Regiment was warned of a 24 year posting to India. George, now a Lieutenant, was not keen about serving in India and exchanged with Lieutenant Crossley in the 7th Dragoon Guards. The Regiment were stationed at Piershill, Edinburgh, where they remained until they were posted to Ireland May 1823. They were kept busy over the summer raiding illicit stills and hunting down smugglers and dealers in contraband. On the 4th October the 7th were informed that Major-General Grant, who had commanded the 5th Cavalry Brigade at Waterloo, would be inspecting them. Grant left them in the wind and rain for four hours when he went to meet Lord Combermere. Grant’s report wasn’t very flattering and, as a result, the Commanding Officer and seven other officers were dismissed and retired on half pay.

On the 6th August 1824, George was promoted to Captain through purchase2 and in 1833, to Major, also by purchase. In 1839 the 7th were warned of a future move to India, and, as before, George exchanged to avoid the posting, this time to the 2nd Dragoons (Queen’s Bays).The following year, 1840, George married Anne Murray. In 1857, The Queen’s Bays were informed of their future posting to India, and with George’s dislike of India, it is believed it was then that he retired from the Army, and for a short while returned home to Westmeath in Ireland.

George is believed to have moved to Leamington around 1865 and took up residence at Clonfina Lodge (27 Kenilworth Road). Anne died on the 9th January 1876 aged 83 and was buried in the St Mary Magdalene Churchyard on the 13th January. George died at Clonfina Lodge on the 10th February 1878 aged 84 and was buried with Anne on the 15th February.

David Eason

1Second Lieutenant 2 To purchase a promotion, an officer had to pay the difference in price between his existing rank and the desired rank. Officers leaving the army, could sell their commissions as a form of pension pot..[2] 4

Warwickshire Historical & Current Maps

The County Council operate this website with a wide range of maps at various scales and dates from 1886 up to the present day. It can be found at this address: http://maps.warwickshire.gov.uk/historical/

The file tree on the left of the window takes a bit of trial and error to understand, and some of the tick-box options only cover limited areas of the county, but with a little practice it is quite simple to see a modern map overlaid on an old one.

There is a set of radio buttons at the top of the list to choose the style of the modern map which is the backdrop, then a list of tick boxes below to select the old map.

You can hold down the left mouse button to drag the centre of the map around, and the mouse wheel will zoom in and out to suit the scale of the map you have chosen.

RICHARD TAULBUT

Cubbington Road shops and former filling station

Another postcard view of the former filling station on Cubbington Road

5

How times have changed

In this, the year of the Queen's 90th. Birthday, it is appropriate to reflect on the changes which have taken place since her accession in 1952, especially since most of them have not suddenly happened, but have evolved. As we lived through them, the alterations were not readily apparent, but if we were able to re-visit that vanished time we shall soon realise have times have changed.

At home there were enamel bowls in Belfast sinks with small packets of Lux, Dreft or Oxydol washing powder, rather upright brown electric kettles, only semi-automatic washing machines, semaphore traffic indicators on cars and bells on fire engines and police cars. There were no duvets or tea bags. The radio, or wireless as many people called it, was more respectful as to the subjects discussed and announcers spoke with cut-glass accents.

Television was available with its small black and white pale screens which were the fascination of the age and just one programme to watch and that only at certain times of the day, but it was expensive.

Some homes were still serviced with just gas and the coal lorry was a familiar sight on the streets, devoid of many vehicles: it was generally possible to park outside or at least very near to the shop one wanted to visit on the Parade.

Eating out was a rarity with not a wide choice. Hotels were the usual places for luncheon or dinner, supplemented by one or two restaurants, such as the Cadena (which, I think was still in operation then) opposite the Town Hall. It was very unusual to see pavement tables and chairs. Reasonably well-off people lived permanently in hotels such as The Desmond in Kenilworth Road and there were still some uniformed housemaids to be seen going about their duties round Victorian villas.

There were few traffic lights or roundabouts and no pelican crossings. Petrol stations were allowed to refuel cars via supply pipes over the foot ways while pedestrians passed underneath. Asbestos was widely used with no thought of the danger which it was later known to bring.

6

Leamington was blessed with well-tended flower beds containing roses and annuals. The Annual Flower Show was a summertime feature on the Pump Room Gardens. Houses did not look as well-presented as they tend to be today: they were not intended to glow with a freshly painted look, but to simulate Bath Stone, and the shortages of the War years had brought with them imposed neglect of everyday maintenance. Features in children’s play areas had often been left broken because of the pressures of wartime restrictions and it was at about this time when their defects were being remedied. There was still some rationing, especially of sweets and meat, so besides needing the money to make such purchases and it was also necessary to have enough coupons left in one's ration book.

Central heating was a luxury and open fires were usual, so the local sweep was a common sight. In the mornings, Jack Frost drew artistic pictures on the insides of windows and often bedrooms were almost as cold as the temperature outside, since there was rarely any heating in the upper storeys and little or no insulation on the rafters. Fitted carpets were a luxury, usually only in sitting rooms, and most floors were covered with linoleum with mats on the floor of the circulation areas.

Telephones were rare, and those possessing them had to put up with the occasional visit of a neighbour asking to make an urgent call and bringing with them the necessary money to pay for it. Telephone kiosks were in regular use. Buses did not have passenger doors so one had to dress for the cold in winter and there was always a conductor or conductress to take one's fare and issue tickets, which were printed on a roll from a machine supported from their shoulders. Many passengers smoked, so one had to tolerate the smoke even if one did not use cigarettes.

Popular music was gentler and less brash and people lived the high life of their imaginations by going to the cinema (or “the pictures”) to see films of American life, almost always in black and white on smaller screens than we now have. Shows were continuous and if one came in after a film had started, one stayed until this point came round again on the next showing. There were intervals when the auditorium lit up and under a spotlight an usherette sold refreshments from an elaborate tray suspended from her shoulders and the drink “Kiaora” in a waxed cardboard carton was popular.

Between the major and the supporting film there was usually a cartoon and with a bit of luck it would be a “Mickey Mouse” which would be - marvellous - in colour! It was at about this time when the practice of playing an organ which rose up in front of the screen during the interval had almost faded out, but certainly, such an instrument was still in situ at the Regent Cinema in Holly Walk. Films on television were still few and far between.

These are just some of the differences in the past 64 years and you will probably be able to pinpoint many others, but I feel that, if we were able to travel back to those times we should find it a strange world in surroundings we had long ago forgotten. Graham Cooper 7

Chains and trusses of Old Hay

Do you remember the tables on the backs of school exercise books? Now we are metric, so many of these measurements have disappeared. How many inches to the nail? How many trusses of Old, rather than New Hay, to the Load? [Answer 2¼ and 36]

Most land measurements were made in Chains. This was the basic unit of measurement used by James Fish in his 1711 map of Lillington. Today the chain, 22 yards, is largely used in sport: the length of a cricket pitch or in horse racing [10 chains to the furlong].

The first measuring chain was made by the clergyman Edmund Gunter [1581-1616]. The links were made of thick wire with a loop at each end. The links were connected to each other by three rings. There were brass handles at each end. People folded the chain up, link by link, and carried it in their hand.

Farm-derived units of measurement:

 The rod is a historical unit of length equal to 5½ yards. It may have originated from the typical length of a mediaeval ox- goad. There are four rods in one chain.

 The furlong (meaning furrow length) was the distance a team of oxen could plough without resting. This was standardised to be exactly 40 rods or 10 chains.

 An acre was the amount of land tillable by one man behind one ox in one day. Traditional acres were long and narrow due to the difficulty in turning the plough. A standard acre measured 10 chains by 10.

 An oxgang was the amount of land tillable by one ox in a ploughing season. This could vary from village to village, but was typically around 15 acres.

This Newsletter is published by the Lillington Local History Society, The Chain, Crown Way,

Lillington. All references prefixed CR refer to documents held in the County Record Office, Warwick. For further information, contact The Chain, Crown Way, Lillington. The views expressed in the Newsletter are personal to the contributors and are not necessarily the views of the Society.

8