Mickleham & Westhumble Local History Group NEWSLETTER Volume 6 – February 2019 Editor: Sue Tatham The Chairman writes ... t has been another busy year for help you to get started. An example of now an office. At the moment our Ithe Group’s researchers as you can what you might do is researching the archives are stored in the houses of see from the reports on our activities history of your own house. We have three committee members. We need a which follow. We would welcome the information and people who can place which is warm, dry, secure and more people to help with this work help you to do that. easily accessible with about 10 metres and to extend our activities. Would Another matter with which we would of shelving about 50 cm deep and a you like to contribute to the subjects like your help is finding a suitable spacing of about 40 cm. which we are already researching? place to store our archives. We have I look forward to seeing you at our Are there particular things in our local had to take all our material out of AGM meeting and at our other events. history which interest you? If there the National Trust offices in Warren Ben Tatham are, please get in touch so that we can Farm Barns as the room we used is [email protected] From our archives - then and now photographs Dell Close, Mickleham in the before 1920 with the village hall on the right and Eastfield Cottage at the far end of the road. Same view today. The village hall car park has replaced the hedge on the right. The house on the right beyond the hall was originally the police house. The 12 semi-detached cottages on the left were built by the district council in 1920. 1 Task Group Report: The Village Archives his year we have welcomed some was commissioned by William Locke Memorial have made a contribution to Tmore visitors. The first was not in the 18th century which would be a the hugely successful research project M&WLHG Contact Information strictly an historical researcher at all fitting scene for a romantic encounter! undertaken by the SHC over the period but a Californian lady called Abigail We were also visited by a number of of the Great War. To find all the above Committee Bok who is a novelist. She fell in love members of the Mortimore family who items in the SHC catalogue they are with Jane Austen as a 13-year-old and were interested in tracing the various available on reference no. 9572 and Chairman: Ben Tatham 01306 882547 [email protected] consecutively read all her books five descendants of Robert Mortimore, there are no access restrictions. Secretary: Sue Tatham 01306 882547 [email protected] times she says! Her interest did not headmaster of St Michael’s School They are also posted on the Dorking wane, and she wrote her undergrad Museum website. Treasurer: Elizabeth Moughton 01306 883040 [email protected] (then the National Schools) for 33 thesis on ‘The Watsons’ before writing years, who died in 1907. More on this Other material, minute books and Librarian: Judy Kinloch 01372 375358 [email protected] her own contemporary version of family is to be found in the report on papers, that came to light from the attic Programme Secretary: Judith Long 01372 375206 [email protected] ‘Pride and Prejudice’ which she called the churchyard. of a Westhumble resident were also Committee members: ‘An Obstinate Headstrong Girl’! Since deposited at the SHC last year. These then, possibly inspired by Box Hill, Last year we deposited at Surrey Roger Davis 01306 884505 [email protected] History Centre (SHC) a photograph date back to the period immediately she has embarked on a new series of at the end of the Second World War Rosemary Robinson 01372 378157 [email protected] album of Theodore Henry Bryant who novels, ‘The Darking Hundred’ set in when residents felt that action was Surrey circa 1800, the first of which lived with his family at Juniper Hill towards the end of the 19th century. needed on a number of fronts and was called ‘Coldharbour Gentlemen’, so formed what was then known as about the smuggling trade. One album had already been deposited some years before by a descendant the Westhumble Association. The Task Groups Abigail came to the UK again this year of the Rose family of the now sadly inaugural meeting was reported in the in order to research Fanny Burney Archives: Judy Kinloch 01372 375358 [email protected] defunct Rose’s Stores, but this one Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser and the Locke family of Norbury. Her th Oral Histories: Roger Davis 01306 884505 [email protected] is of particular interest as it focuses on 20 July 1945. To view these, the heroine will we understand be one on Mickleham villagers, the church catalogue number is 9189. Last year St Michael’s Churchyard: Judith Long 01372 375206 [email protected] of William Locke’s sisters but I’m not (including late 19th century works such Michael Hallett wrote a comprehensive clear about any further details. We Mickleham Parish Magazine: Sue Tatham 01306 882547 [email protected] as the temporary iron church while account, ‘A History of the Westhumble introduced her to Norbury Park House restoration was carried out), and Residents’ Association’ which has Mickleham Village Hall: Ben Tatham 01306 882547 [email protected] (seen through the bars of the gates!) various notable residents. We have now been edited by Sue Tatham for and spent some time in the church been able to add to the information publication in the parish magazine; the looking at the Norbury Pew with the on the original captions in the album archive holds the full version. graffiti on the rear of the altar tomb. which are now included in the SHC We continue to catalogue the material We also arranged to visit the Templeton catalogue. This album contains a note that we hold and receive. It is being Room at Juniper Hall and were able to written by Bryant presenting the album put on to Excel spreadsheets and now The Group’s website look through the 19th century album to the church for the interest of visitors amounts to 2017 items. www.hugofox.com/community/mickleham-westhumble-local-history-group-13483/ of the house and garden. Abigail was and parishioners and names Mrs Pack, also interested to see our archive Thanks must go to Judith Long for Manager: Roger Davis the pew opener, as custodian. It can of photographs taken at Norbury her impeccable research and her IT now be viewed on the our history during Leopold Salomon’s ownership. skills, as well as to Angela Ireland who group’s website although the quality Although these were a little later than continues to work on cataloguing the of the pictures varies. the period Abigail was interested in, historic parish magazines. she was able in particular to view the Our own research into the war service Judy Kinloch famous Painted Drawing Room which of the names on the Mickleham War M&WLHG Programme for 2019 Photographs: Village Archives • Friday 22nd February AGM at Mickleham Village Hall followed by a talk by Robin Daly ‘The Story of Broadmoor - the Village’ • Thursday 6th June Guided tour of Charlwood & Charlwood Church followed by a pub lunch • Saturday 5th October (provisional date) Village Walk along Old London Road starting at the Burford Bridge end. Views of the painted room in Norbury Park House circa 1900 2 3 >>> on the steps. In 1830 magistrates attracted a crowd of about fifty people of the pubs outside Dorking, including Our Fifth Annual General Meeting even read the Riot Act to an angry mob when he installed a television in his the Running Horses and William IV in On 24th February 2018 following the AGM of the M&WLHG in Mickleham Village Hall we were treated to a of starving labourers. On a less serious room in 1936. Mickleham, and we very much look fascinating presentation on the History of Dorking Pubs byDavid Langford. The following note, a demonstration of one of the forward to the publication of their report appeared in the April 2018 edition of the Mickleham Parish Magazine. At the end of the talk we were pleased first vacuum cleaners took place at the to hear that David and Jim plan to second book. Judith Long Time Gentlemen, Please inn and a Daily Express correspondent extend their research to cover more From July-August 2018 Mickleham Parish Magazine The Story of Dorking Pubs Photographs: From Clare McMillan, copy in Village Archives The Laundry at Flint Cottage n February 16th, following the Photograph: Village Archives OAGM of the M&WLHG, we were here are three Flint Cottages treated to a very entertaining talk by Tin Mickleham but I think the David Langford about the history of earliest is situated high up on the Dorking pubs. David, together with London Road (A24), some distance Jim Docking, thoroughly researched from the Old School House. In 1841, the subject (requiring the enjoyable James and Elizabeth Andrews (aged task of visiting the surviving pubs) for 20 and 25 respectively) from Headley an exhibition at the Dorking Museum arrived with their one-year-old son. last year and published a book on The family settled in Mickleham and the subject. Working out when and had a total of nine children. James is where the various hostelries were described as a carter or carman and we located turned out to be quite a know he was respected in the village as challenge.