Hatfield Local History Society Formerly Hatfield This Century No. 36 NEWSLETTER March 2000 SECRETARY: Mrs. C. Martindale. EDITOR: F.J.Cox. NORTH MYMMS Bruce, a property speculator Editorial . MANOR HOUSE moved in for four years before The recorded history of North selling to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Our open meeting in December Mymms Park goes back before Hayes Burns. They made exten- was well attended by members who the Norman Conquest. It was di- sive alterations to both the interior favourably expressed interest in the vided into two or more parts from and exterior. Most of their addi- projects displayed. Brian had cop- the middle of the 13th century un- tions were removed in 1947. The ies of Beresford Johnson's draw- til re-united in 1529-30 by John estate remained in the Burns fami- Conningsby. ings, Reg had items related to the ly until 1981, when, following the Lone Star factory and Frank had The present house was probably death of his mother, Sir George the oral interview tapes on show built by his son Sir Ralph in about Bums, then Lord Lieutenant of together with background items on 1599. It deteriorated considerably Hertfordshire, sold the house, the Tingey family. Caroline Rawle during the civil war when it was since when it has changed hands a forfeited due to the family sup- from the museum had a collection number of times and has under- of photographs submitted for iden- port of Charles 1. It later reverted back to the Conningsby family gone extensive structural repairs. tification and other members had and in 1658 the house and manor brought their interesting photos for were sold to Sir Thomas Hyde of It is currently in the hands of discussion. Brian had prepared a Aldbury. Glaxo Welcome who have kindly local quiz which, together with the offered to show us around. Our light refreshments, provided quite In 1733 the Duke of Leeds inher- ited the estate and carried out con- visit will take place on Saturday a party atmosphere and members 24 June and we will be met at the requested further such meetings. siderable repairs and refurbishment. In 1800 the estate War Memorial at the main gate at The River Lea was bought by Henry Browne 10.30 a.m. For those wishing to who possibly had the lease of the Our illustrated talk on the 10th join the party please notify Frank house before this. He restored Cox on 321812. We will try to April will be an interesting supple- parts of the house and gave it a ment to the exhibition running stuccoed and generally Tudor ap- arrange transport for those mem- from the 8th April until the 25th pearance. bers who need it. June at the Mill Green Museum, Baron Greville became the owner WANTED following the River Lea down- about 1824, although then still a stream. Eight panels on loan from minor. He made some alterations Hertford Museum will cover the adding turrets and corridors parts 3 and 4 of length of the river from Harpenden about 1846. In 1850, when he Hatfield and its people, to Waltham Cross. was Sheriff, his household was listed as himself, his wife and Carol Rigby, previously Sue Kir- The original WEA four children, a cousin, a tutor in booklets published by's deputy, now manager of the classics and fifteen indoor ser- Museum Service, and Caroline vants. In 1870 the house was pur- in 1960 Rawle the new Curator will be chased by Coningsby Sibthorpe Possible swaps available pleased to meet members visiting and remained in his family for the exhibition. twenty years until Hamilton BERESFORD JOHNSON lazy". /I Lived There ,.,...,...,.....3 (1905 - 1991) He became a member of the Guild The air raids on London had started By Brian G. Lawrence of Aviation Artists and formed the so my family decided to move to (Based on an article published in Hertfor- No. 6. Chapmans Terrace, in Old shire Countryside - December 1999) de Havilland Art Society, serving as its chairman and secretary. In Hatfield. It was a two up and two Beresford Johnson was a Suffolk the early 1960s he was also instru- down double fronted terraced house man by birth but very much a mental in the formation of the Hat- with gas lighting, an outside flush Hertfordshire man by adoption. field Art Society and played a lavatory and the bath hanging on prominent role in its development the outside wall. One downstairs Having completed his education in over many years. room contained a coal fired kitchen his home town of Ipswich, he pro- range for cooking and a round gressed to the Birmingham school His works covered a diverse range of subjects, seascapes and land- stone boiler for the washing, and a of Art. Thereafter he decided on a sink with cold water tap. Despite career in the developing aircraft scapes, portraits and the aircraft which played such a large part in the cramped space, we used that as industry taking up a position with his life. However, his most impor-our living room and called the oth- Airspeed in Portsmouth. It was tant contribution to posterity must er downstairs room the "front the acquisition of Airspeed by the be his paintings and sketches of room", to be used only on Sundays rapidly growing de Havilland scenes in and around Hatfield. and special occasions. Company which brought Beres- Many of these date from the 1960sAt the front of the house was a very ford and his wife, Doris, to Hat- and 70s when parts of Hatfield field in 1937. small garden and a footpath sepa- were being transformed with the rated, by a fence, from the large Within two years of the Johnson demolition and redevelopment of rear gardens of Fore Street. At the family's arrival in Hatfield war much of the Old Town and the back was a path - no garden - and had broken out and the de Havil- Town Centre. a wall beyond which was the grave- land factory was heavily engaged Beresford had developed a great yard of the long-gone Park Street in the war effort. By then Beres- affection for his adopted home Chapel . ford was employed in a reserved town over the years and viewed occupation working for the com- many of these changes with regret. Reg. Coleman pany at Salisbury Hall as a design He was quoted as saying "Hatfield draughtsman involved in the de- has lost its soul", a view shared by Continued from previous column velopment of the world famous many local residents. Mosquito aircraft. However, we are fortunate that he bitions both locally and in Despite the demands of his work went around the town with his London. and his responsibilities as the fa- sketch book and recorded the Beresford Johnson was a ther of a young family he man- streets and buildings as they were much loved character with a aged to find time to relax by at that period of great change. keen sense of humour and a pursuing his lifetime hobby of gentleman in the true sense painting, working in oils, pastels He continued his hobby of of the word. Examples of and watercolours. When asked painting well into his 80s, his paintings and drawings which medium he preferred he holding one man exhibitions hang on the walls of houses replied "watercolours, it's so easy of his works and having his both near and far as a testi- to wash out your brushes and I'm paintings displayed at exhi- mony to his artistic talent. MY VIEW FROM THE THE CECIL FAMILY TOWPATH & HATFIELD HOUSE A Talk With Slides by A Talk With Slides by John Higgs Robin Perkins Navigation of the River Lea Guide at Hatfield House for 12 years from Bow to Hertford Will Follow the AGM Bill Salmon Centre Oxlease Hall, Travellers Lane Monday 10 April 7.30 pm Monday 8 May 7.30 pm.