Taken from an article in the Parish Magazine, November 2022, written by Jackie Rickenberg Fosberry is a name that has come up in many articles written for the Parish Magazine. It seems whenever Lutyens and his life and influence on Thursley is discussed, Fosberry’s name crops up. Hugh Semper, who lives in “The Outlook” has asked if the Society has any more information on the man who built, not only his house, but many others locally. “William Karn Fosberry was born in 1853 and was the village builder in Thursley from the latter part of the last century until the 1930’s. In the 1870’s he married Elizabeth Smithers whose parents lived at “The Corner”. At that time, it was a general store and baker’s shop supplying bread to the inhabitants of the village. (The rest of this article can be downloaded below). Here is some fascinating information about the sculptor, Julias A Gems, and his subject, written by his grandson, Chris Gems: "In 1939, Julius Albert [Gems] decided he would enter a model for the summer exhibition of the Royal Academy. There was a very aged builder named William Fosberry in Thursley Village, who had a long beard and very large hands. The old chap agreed to sit for Julius but, when he did so, as he was deaf he insisted on putting one of his hands up to his ear to hear what was being said to him, so Julius modelled him in this position and, not only was the model accepted by the Royal Academy, but it was placed on a pedestal in a very prominent position in the exhibition. With thanks to the Librarian of the Royal Academy for providing this photograph, September 2026 Julius and Evelyn Gems Mercy Fosberry and her daughter Mary - Copy of a painting by Eveline Lance c1930 (Mary Kalinowski, nee Fosberry, has the original) Mr & Mrs William Fosberry taken outside what is now know as Vean Cottage, date about 1920 Mr Harry Fosberry, Mrs Mercy Fosberry and their daughter, Mary, early 1940s

As part of the History of Thursley Society's Wedding Belles exhibition held in 2007, this list of marriages that took place in St Michael's and All Angels was compiled. For ease of research a complete file of the marriages from 1613 to date can be found at the end of this post. Overall, the most popular month to be married is October and March the least: 2000 August 19th James Ainsworth & Amik Nadia Steven Stephen Langley & Julie Holloway September 9th Stephen Langley & Julie Holloway 2002 June 14th Giles Parker & Lauraine Anderson September 7th David Slater & Emma Joan Scales 2003 July 5th Adrian Hugh George Linegar & Eulando Florendo Rimando July 26th Andrew Simon Ruffell & Joanne Jobson 2004 October 16th Christopher Melchior Richmond Hall & Louise Jane Burgess 2005 April 1st Simon Nicholas Richmond Hall & Amanda Jane Wood June 11th Theo Ivanovic & Martha Georgina Harvey August 27th Kerry Porter & Katherine Erika Sealy September 3rd Andrew Martin & Susannah Lindsay Prain September 9th Philip Patrick Collier & Abigail Christie Anderson 2006 May 6th Nigel John Hall & Fenella Duyland Wakeley August 26th Peter Rouse & Amanda Baker September 23rd Joseph Douglas Mercer Nairne & Melissa Emily Wakeley Scene from a Wakeley wedding 2007 September 15th Mark Ralph Godman & Katie Helen Cripp 2009 May 2nd Mark Lawrence Gordon Adams & Sarah Anna Maria Keating June 27th Ricardo Nuno Bugia Pires & Hayley Joanna Jutsum July 11th Gilbert Thinghi Yule & Michelle Anna Axford July 17th Christopher James Mendelssohn & Caroline Louise Morris July 25th Michele Ernesto De Gregorio & Catherine Selvarani le Doux Edwards September 12th Paul Tyers & Lynette Mary Jean Lawson November 7th Kevin Dass & Liza Ann Devi Gray December 28th Richard Charles Miller & Anna Hutton-Potts 2010 April 24th Nikolaos Minas & Lydia Laura Stephen May 28th Mehrdad Rahbar Sehat & Charlotte Mary Ford June 12th Edward James Alsford & Lara Camilla Patrick July 24th Deane Richard Eales & Annabel Charlotte Sophia Timberlake November 6th Andrew Neil Peters & Hannah Ellen Ford 2011 June 18th Benjamin James Russell Stoneham & Chloe Ria Rankin November 12th Mark John Fisher Foster & Emily Jane Ockenden 2012 June 30th Alan George Andrew Weir & Hailey Louise Wilkinson July 12th Maximillian Michael Collins & Shannan Louise Keen September 1st Benjamin John Whitehead & Katherine Jeanne Morris 2014 July 12th Benjamin David Clutterbuck & Francesca Louise Goodwin 2015 May 23rd Charles Simon Treadwell & Anne Herforth Finnerup June 6th James Peter Goble & Lucy Kate Wall-Palmer August 1st Peter Edwin David Swabey & Magali Clotilde Marie Webster-Nicol 2016 May 28th Alistair Matthew Smith & Louisa May Hunter 2018 June 30th Peter Justin Rickenberg & Jacqueline Jean Brown 2019 March 15th Ryan John Birse & Amy Louise Rapley June 29th Thomas Clermont Lake Davies & Pollyanna Louise Russell Stoneham 2021 July 30th Toby Oliver Simon Downes & Leonora Susan Chisholm Schofield Historical note: Covid masks worn by most 2022 April 2nd Calum Alastair Gee & Jemma Elizabeth Corridan 2023 May 27th Neil Geoffrey Lankester Woods & Lisa Catherine Rickenberg Neil Woods & Lisa Rickenberg September 9th Rupert Terence Bulkeley Perrier & Elodie Camilla Pendred 2024 April 27th Bradley Patrick May & Charlotte Mary Cruickshank Bradley Patrick May & Charlotte Mary Cruickshank July 20th Cameron Burns Dow & Lila Kate Flint Roberts Cameron Burns Dow & Lila Kate Flint Roberts 2024 Photo: James White Photography September 14th Patrick Hugh Hudson & Matilda India Tess Warner (Wedding Blessing) 2025 June 7th Edward James Spencer & Sophie Baker Edward James Spencer & Sophie Baker August 9th James Fitzroy Cordy-Redden & Olivia Frances Palmer-Jeffery August 16th Michael Joseph Barrett & Katherine Julia Woods Michael Joseph Barrett & Katherine Julia Woods August 30th Angus Frederick Secrett & Olivia Fae Welch 2026 April 11th Liam Thomas Herlihy & Virginia Finovola Cordy-Redden September 5th Alexander Cragg and Emily Forey

Burial Registers for St Michael & All Angels have been kept from the 17th century onwards and the oldest historical records are stored at the Surrey History Centre in Woking: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/history-centre Current records There is a Register of Burials kept in the church. The first burial, that of Arnold Henry Foster, took place on 15 December 1963. In total there are 318 burials recorded, the latest being that of Richard Charles Bates on 7 February 2026. The margin notes can denote if an individual is buried in the grave of another, almost invariably of the same family. DD denotes double depth. Title page of the Register in current use Page 1 of the Register in current use, note the comments in the margin The list of burials in the Register are in chronological order and are in the pdf below: As this list of burials consists of photographs of each page of the Register of Burials it is not a searchable document. The majority of the information from the Register has now been transcribed into a Word document, and page 1 is shown below. The headings correspond to the Register of Burials with the page number column denoting the relevant page in the Register and the complete file (23 pages as at April 2025) is in the pdf below. Although the records should be chronological, this is not always the case, eg see page 13 of the Register, but the dates shown in the Register have been followed. NB: details of plot numbers etc. ie the margin notes, can be found only in the pdf of the Register of Burials. In typing these records, sometimes a best-guess had to be made where the handwriting was difficult to decipher. If you are aware of an error please use the contact tab on the website: https://www.thursleyhistorysociety.org/ The work of the West Surrey Family History Society The comprehensive file below was acquired from The Revd Peter Muir in the early 2010s, without any provenance or authorship indicated on the file. The presumed origin is from the West Surrey Family History Society survey, 1990 (the latest grave date in this file is 1982). The list refers to the churchyard Sections (or Divisions) A-F on the file ‘thursley stitched plan.jpeg’ dated 1993, by Tim Wilcock, where the boundaries are not at all clear. An interpretation of these boundaries has been made by Sean Edwards on a file: ‘Thursley_Churchyard_20141121_divisions.tif’, extended to the west with Divisions ‘Gn’ and ‘Gs’, as a basis for Churchyard management. This File The ‘ThursleyStMichael.pdf’ file was converted to a word-processed file (WordPerfect) by Sean Edwards to allow formatting inconsistencies and typos to be corrected, and to enable updating. Otherwise no other errors have been corrected. It has now been converted to Word and here is page 1: NB: A great deal of work has been done, mainly by Amanda Flint and Alie Hanbury, to improve the accuracy of these records where they have been able to either correct or add to the entries on the gravestones. Their work has not yet been incorporated here, but over time it is hoped that their work will be reflected by updating the above file which should not, in the meantime, be regarded as approaching anything like 100% accuracy. This file is unchanged as far as the text matter is concerned, but it does contain a number of photographs of the gravestones beneath the relevant entry of burial, as the example below illustrates: The additions of photographs to this file is an on-going project: This map, inspired by the overhead photograph of the church from Google Earth, was devised by Sean Edwards for the churchyard walk planned by Amanda Flint: Other efforts to map the churchyard: Guy Singer's "Tales from a Country Churchyard: St Michael and All Angels, Thursley", recounts fascinating tales of those interred in the churchyard. His stories include: the Unknown Sailor; the man who taught King George VI to ride horses; a Titanic Survivor; many family histories. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Country-Churchyard-Michael-Thursley/dp/B0B4DXPGRB https://guyjsinger.sumupstore.com/product/pictures-from-a-country-churchyard

The Ruins, now known as The Well House, dates back to 1715. Frank and Elizabeth Keen lived at The Ruins from about 1920 to 1936. Their eldest son, Frank, when married lived in an annexe at The Ruins and their five children were born there. They included Alfred (Cocker) and Don who remained in the village. Frank and Elizabeth's eldest daughter, Nellie, married Bert Williams and continued to live with her father, their two children, David and Mary (Rapley) were also born at The Ruins. In about 1936 the house which had belonged to the Rushbrooke Estate was sold to a Mr Frost. Mrs Fosberry, standing outside about 1914-1918. From Thursley Today, 1966: WELL IN THE HALL. The Well House has been home to Canadian-born Mrs Elizabeth Jupe for twenty years. There is a 170ft deep well in the entrance hall. People do drop in, but not in the well, since it is covered. There is a fake well outside the main door. Small lattice windows appear in odd places. There are two winding staircases and low beams. The house, with its “tenpenny nail” wall and red tiled roof, is fascinating and Mrs Jupe wouldn’t live anywhere else. Some people outside Thursley, if they know nothing else about the village, know that the Jupe family take more than an ordinary interest in its affairs. Mrs Jupe’s husband, Mr Michael Jupe, after a day’s work at the London Stock Exchange, often comes home to tackle parish business in his capacity as chairman of the parish council. Previous owners of the Well House include: Keen; Frost; Bishop; Jupe

These were huge events that took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s before being wound up. Clearly they were taken very seriously, note that the President was Richard Dimbleby and the array of Vice-Presidents included Lt Col W Whitbread who, at that time, owned Thursley Common. The beneficiary of any profits raised was Thursley Village Hall. The artefacts, programmes and letters below give an idea of the scale of the Society but we have just one anecdotal record and no photographs of any of the events that occurred between 1958 and 1963. We would love to receive some! Please send to: https://www.thursleyhistorysociety.org/contact We are grateful to Anne Scales for providing her recollection of this event: The committee consisted of: Lt-Col Whitbread of the brewery family lived at Warren Mere up what is now the A3, a Lutyens house with Jekyll garden. He owned a large part of Thursley and Rodborough Commons Mr Charrington wasn’t of the brewing arm of the family but was a coal man. He lived in Street House. Mr Jupe lived in the Well House. Anthony Kentish was married to Ros and they lived at Sunset Cottage. When they moved to Lower House, a Mrs Boswell, who rescued cats, lived at Sunset Cottage Mr Jobson (Anne’s father) was an ENT surgeon and they lived at Foldsdown. Dr Craddock-Henry was a dental surgeon who lived at Fieldfare, Pitch Place. Mr Ellison lived in Sawyers. He and his wife were killed on the A286 leaving two daughters. Mr Crawfurd lived in Bracken Hill on Pitch Place. Mr Cridland was a garden designer. He was married to Julia and they lived at Foldsdown Cottage. It was the old gardener’s cottage for the big house but was sold when Anne’s family moved in. The shows were all held on Easter Saturday. The first one (Mill Farm) was in a field on the Bowlhead Green side of the now A3, close to where the Ransons farm shop used to be. Rodborough was as you’d imagine between what is now Warren Park and Rodborough Hill. Anne also recounted this charming memory: There was always a Dance at the old Village Hall after the show. In the tradition of the time, there were supper parties at various houses (probably for the wealthier villagers) before the dance. She remembers wearing a white dress with black polka dots, aged about 13 to one of the dances and being completely overawed on meeting one of the Craddock-Henry sons who was very dishy. Sadly her father was on call that evening and he was called to the hospital so she was taken home early. The following is from an archive (Box 8): Trophies & Artefacts 1) The Ridgeway Challenge Cup, Presented by Mr. W. E. Jupe with base: · 1958 Sheila Barnes "Spud Thompson" · 1959 John James "Rita" / Paul Oliver "Grey Mist" · 1960 Suzanne Cox "Coco" · 1961 Belinda Napier "Sharon" · John Kilby "Gay Crusader III" · Michael Cawley "Smokey XII" · Caroline Webb "Pratney" · 1962 Belinda Napier "Sharon" 2) Thursley Village Hall Societies Challenge Cup For Working Hunter with base: · 1958 Rosemary Greville-Williams "Top Twig" · 1959 Mrs. Vivian Boon "Rathkeale" · 1960 B. Gibson "The Chief" · 1961 "Knight of The Wold" Valerie Clark · 1962 "Suala" Mrs. C. Davico 1958 Schedule of Entries 1959 1960 1961 Small brown envelope addressed to Mrs. M. Bennett containing receipt dated 25/3/61 & Thursley Horse Show 1961, Car Park Ringside £1 rubber gummed label. 1962 1963 1969 vbvbv Announcement of the winding up of the Society in Horse and Hound, issue dated April 4, 1969 And this was the rather sad conclusion of the Thursley Horse Show Society:

This entry consists of photographs of all of the pages of the current Register of Baptisms held at St Michael & All Angels Church in Thursley. The plan is to transcribe them into a searchable document but this will take time. There follows groups of 12 pages from the Register from Nicola Jane Watt who was baptised on 31st March1963 to the latest entry for Jack Henry Dermody-Winter who was baptised on 16th August 2026. Pages 1 - 12 Pages 13 - 24 Pages 25 - 36 Pages 37 - 48 Pages 49 - 52

Thursley History Society organised a visit to the museum in November 2024 Sukey Langdale writes, "12 Thursley residents (including some from Pitch Place and Bowlhead Green) met in Southsea over coffee and then moved to the Landing Craft Tank 7074, the last survivor of this type. It took 10 tanks to Gold Beach on June 7th 1944. It had two tanks on board for us to look at. Then we were let loose in the museum to view whatever we liked at our own pace and it was truly fascinating. The shop had bits and pieces to buy including very interesting books about D-Day. Then we finished by looking at the Overloard Embroidery, finished in 1974. It is 83 meters long, with incredible detail and colour . To cap it all we then had a very good fish and chips lunch, sitting outside on the “front” at Southsea in glorious sunshine. What a day!" From L to R: Tom Grillo, Sue Ranson; Peter Hunter, Jackie Rickenberg, David Young, Tricia Horwood, Pat Clake, Lizzie Young, Sukey Langdale, Jerry Horwood, Sally Scheffers, Peter Clacke These are just a few examples of exhibits both outside and inside the museum A scale model of the Atlantic Wall The 83 metre, 33 panel Overlord Emroidery is worth the visit for that alone. How good to end the tour with some fine Fish & Chips!

Thursley has a fine history of supporting artists and this entry adds current and historic paintings of the village. We would welcome any new entries be they current or in the past. See also the entry for Thursley's Artists Through the Ages as it provides some more background on some of the artists featured. John Hassel (1767-1825) Three paintings by John Hassell From the Surrey History Centre: John Hassell (1767-1825) is remembered today as a watercolour painter, engraver and drawing master. He was born in 1767, perhaps in Wales, and first appeared as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy in 1789. He was a popular drawing-master and published several works on the techniques of drawing and painting in watercolour. He also published books of topographical views which owe much to the romantic interest in the picturesque. Several of these books, notably his ‘Views of Gentleman’s Seats Adjacent to London‘ (1804-1805), ‘Picturesque Rides and Walks within Thirty Miles of the British Metropolis‘ (1817-1818) and ‘Excursions of Pleasure‘ (1823) show Hassell’s deep interest in Surrey which was to take him to most parts of the county and result in at least 750 watercolour views of churches, houses and other buildings of architectural or historical interest which he found. They provide a superb glimpse of the county’s architecture over two centuries ago before the face of Surrey was transformed by the coming of the railway. Helen Mary Elizabeth Allingham (née Paterson) (1848- 1926) Helen Allingham (1848-1926) was an illustrator and watercolourist, whose career flourished in the late Victorian era. Best known for her rural artwork, the Surrey countryside, where she lived from 1881 to 1888, was a primary subject in her watercolours. Bowlhead Green, Surrey. Sold at auction in 2015 "Her Majesty's Post Office". This, at the time it was painted in 1887, was the only Post Office of which Bowler’s Green, near Haslemere, boasted, and from its appearance it might well have served during the reigns of several of Her Majesty’s predecessors. From Happy England by Helen Allingham, A & C Black, London James Edward Grace (1851 - 1908) James Edward Grace was a landscape painter born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1851. Little is known about his early life and by the time of the 1881 England Census he was living in Witley, Surrey. He was active exhibiting in London between 1871 and 1903 showing at the Royal Academy, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour as well as many commercial galleries. Thursley Common; pool in foreground, beyond two cows at left near trees, and in background surrounding countryside. Watercolour. British Museum 1957,1012.14 Sketch of Silver Birch tree and lake, Royal Common, Elstead. Watercolour. British Museum 1957,1012.15 Josiah T Wison (1800s) Josiah T Wilson lived in London, Witley and Thursley and exhibited for 20 years at the Royal Academy. This is the only example of his work: 'Stream and Cottage, at Thursley, Surrey, 1863. Courtesy the Vicotria & Albert Museum. Edward Wilkins Waite RBA (1854-1924) He was a prolific English landscape painter, born in Leatherhead, Surrey, the son of the Rev. Edward Waite, MA, and captured scenes and vernacular architecture throughout the Surrey Weald and the Sussex and Berkshire Downs. The Old Parsonage and the Granary of Hill Farm Barns The Old Parsonage has attracted painters for decades past Arthur Robertson (1850 - 1911) He was a late Victorian British watercolour artist and topographical painter active in the 1880s and 1890s. He specialised in village and town scenes, domestic and architectural subjects and figures in contemporary dress and exhibited intermittently at the Royal Academy in London from 1883 to 1905. The Lodge, The Street, Thursley Arthur Robertson and family outside The Lodge. He is buried in Thursley Churchyard. The Old Parsonage Arthur Roberson also painted these commemorative windows in St Michael & All Angels Church in Thursley: Amy Paine and Beatrice Victoria Paine Hill (not sisters, and for more information see page 111 of "Tales from a Country Churchyard" by Guy Singer. Memorial windows to Albert E Fosberry (1877 - 1900) in the north transept of the church. Arthur and Aphra Robinson's Grave in Thursley Churchyard Alfred Robert Quinton (1853 - 1934) He was an English watercolour artist know for his paintings of British villages and landscapes many of which were published as postcards. Sadly, his postcard publisher, J Salmon Ltd was disolved in 2021. Postcard of painting of Keeper’s Cottage by A.R. Quinton. Henry Edward Spernon Tozer (1864 - 1965) He spent his early years in Newlyn, Cornwall with his parents. His father, Henry Edmund Tozer, also an artist, exhibited “Surf and Rocks at the Mouth of the Cove” at the RA in 1892. Henry Edward painted scenes of country life (many of them from his life in Thursley) in oil and watercolour. By 1891 he had moved to Thursley, although we don’t know why, and in 1894 he married Mary, sister of William Fosberry. He continued painting alongside running the Post Office with his wife and died aged 90 still at “The Clump” in 1955. Minding the Fire by Henry Edward Spernon Tozer who is buried in Thursley Churchyard. He was a man who loved fireplaces! This book, published by J Salmon Ltd, Sevenoaks, contains numerous illustrations by Tozer Tozer also published a series of postcards like this one of the Sailor's Stone on Gibbet Hill. Thursley History Society is grateful to Art UK for permission to reproduce this entry and illustration: Born on 5th December 1864, in Sheerness, Kent, ‘H. S. Tozer’ (as he generally signed) was elder son of London-born Henry Edwin Tozer (1838–1913) and his wife Louisa Jane (née Griffin, 1835–1904). Henry Edwin was son of a tinplate worker and though he also became an artist, his stated profession on marriage at St Martin’s in the Fields on 18th May 1861 was ‘Civil Engineer’; Louisa’s father was a hairdresser. After Henry Edward in 1864, their second child was Marianne Alice (1866–1958), and the third Eustace Arthur Tozer, also an artist, born in 1869 at Milton, near Gravesend. By April 1888 the family had moved to Newlyn, Cornwall, possibly drawn by the artistic colony there. In the 1891 census Henry Edwin, his wife, daughter, and son Eustace were all at 3 Cape Cornwall House, Boswedden, St Just, Penzance. https://artuk.org/discover/artists/tozer-henry-edward-spernon-18641955#:~:text=Born%20on%205th%20December%201864%2C,Louisa%20Jane%20(n%C3%A9e%20Griffin%2C%201835%E2%80%931904) Eveline de la Belinay Lance (1866-1937) She was born in Essex, but moved to “The Outlook” in Thursley in 1929. She painted scenesof Thursley, including a picture of the kitchen of Pit Farm (now Punch Bowl Farm), as well as pictures of the local children. Mrs Anne Jones, curator of Farnham Museum, researched the artist for the Society. Her work is included in 'The Dictionary of British Artists 1880 - 1940' and 'The Dictionary of Victorian Artists', interestingly both gave a London address. 'The Dictionary of British Artists' gives her as exhibiting between 1891 and 1907 at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; the New gallery; The RBA in London; The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours and the Society of Women Artists. 'The Dictionary of Victorian Artists' gives only that she exhibited watercolour landscapes at the RBA in Suffolk Street and the New Watercolour Society, later the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. There is no record in the museum's library that Eveline Lance lived in the area. Anne Jones's research was published in the History of Thursley Society's newsletter of May 1996 as a result of which two further examples of herwork were traced, copies of which were exhibited in 1997. Mrs Mary Kalinowski (née Fosberry) kindly allowed us to photograph these pictures, one of which is of Mary as a child with her mother. The other,of Thursley Common, is not in our achive. She was best known as a watercolour landscape painter, but also illustrated books. She has a comprehensive back catalogue and her work is very much still in demand. Mercy Fosberry and her daughter Mary by Eveline Lance c1930 Kitchen of Pitlands Farm (now Punch Bowl Farm) by Eveline Lance - see signature, bottom left Gee-up Dorothy Warner, Freddie West and Marjorie Warner. All children of Thursley village. Russell Partridge Brockbank (1913–1979)* Russell Brockbank was a cartoonist, best known for his motoring, motor racing and aviation cartoons. He was born in the Municipal Hospital, Niagara Falls, Ontario on 15 April 1913 to Caroline (née Partridge) and Clarence Brockbank. The family moved to England in 1929. He studied at Chelsea Art School and his work was published in numerous magazines and journals, including Lilliput, Motor and Punch for whom he worked for over 30 years and was their Art Editor from 1949 to 1960. He lived in Badgers, in The Lane, and worked from the studio there, which he named The Haven. *see separate entry The Three Horse Shoes when the breathalyser was introduced. C W 'Bill' Cooper Bill Cooper was was a local resident and councillor best remembered for documenting the rich history of the area's local governance. This colour photocopy of Forge Cottage is one of 10 paintings by C W Cooper, including one of Hazel Cottage, that were donated by Barbara Lodder whose Great Grandfather was the blacksmith William Karn. Philip Traill Sunflowers leading to the Threshing Barn, painted in Thursley by Philip Traill, 2003 Philip's daughter, Helena Traill, is establishing a reputation as a plein air painter. She is now based in Bristol but is a frequent visitor to Thursley where her Mum lives: No. 248 Heather and Gorse, on Thursley Common, 2026 No. 46 After a walk everything changes, Moat Pond, 2025 Helena's painting can be found on her website, including those 'Inspired by Thursley': https://helenatraill.co.uk/shop/collection-inspired-by-thursley Sallie Roles Sallie has lived in the village for many years and is an enthusiastic painter of landscape and still life. These paintings are of Thursley Common.

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in October 2021 (see also separate entry for The Hindhead Murder 1786 - 1986. The Unknown Sailor was an anonymous seafarer murdered in the Devil’s Punchbowl in September 1786, and buried in Thursley’s churchyard. His murderers were hanged in chains on Gibbet Hill, Hindhead the following year. In his book Who was the Sailor murdered at Hindhead 1786 (2000), Peter Moorey argues the case that the Unknown Sailor's identity was Edward Hardman, born in 1752 in Lambeth, London, although this has not been confirmed. The story goes thus: The sailor was visiting the Red Lion Inn at Thursley, as he was walking back from London to join his ship at Portsmouth on 24 September 1786. There, he met three other seafarers, James Marshall, Michael Casey and Edward Lonegon. He generously paid for their drinks and food and was last seen leaving for Hindhead Hill with them. The three seafarers murdered and robbed him and stripped him of his clothes. The three then made their way down the London to Portsmouth road (now the A3) and were arrested a few hours later trying to sell the murdered sailor's clothes at the Sun Inn in Rake. The Hampshire Chronicle, dated 2 October 1786, reads: Sunday last a shocking murder was committed by three sailors, on one of their companions, a seaman also, between Godalming and Hindhead. They nearly severed his head from his body, stripped him quite naked, and threw him into a valley, where he was providentially discovered, soon after the perpetration of the horrid crime, by some countrymen corning over Hind Head, who immediately gave the alarm, when the desperadoes were instantly pursued, and overtaken at the house of Mr. Adams, The Sun, at Rake. They were properly secured, and are since lodged in gaol, to take their trials at the next assizes for the county of Surrey. Six months later they were tried at Kingston assizes (the precursor of Crown Courts) and two days after that, on Saturday 7 April 1787, they were hanged in chains on a triple gibbet close to the scene of the crime in Hindhead. The blacksmith who made the chains and gibbet was Richard Court who is buried in Thursley churchyard and his headstone bears the inscription: ‘My Sledge and Hammer lie reclin’d, My Bellows too have lost their wind; My Fire is out, and Forge decay’s, And in the Dust my Vice is laid.’ The sailor was buried in our churchyard and the gravestone was paid for by the residents of the village. It reads: In memory of A generous but unfortunate Sailor Who was barbarously murder'd on Hindhead On September 24th 1786 By three Villains After he had liberally treated them And promised them his farther assistance On the road to Portsmouth. The Sailor's Stone at Gibbet Hill (in The Punchbowl) was erected by James Stillwell of nearby Cosford Mill soon after the murder. It was sited on the Old Coaching Road from London to Portsmouth close to the site of the murder. The inscription on the front of the stone reads: ERECTED In detestation of a barbarous Murder Committed here on an unknown Sailor On Sep, 24th 1786 By Edwd. Lonegon, Mich. Casey & Jas. Marshall Who were all taken the same day And hung in Chains near this place Whoso sheddeth Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed: Genesis Chap 9 Ver 6 In 1851 Sir William Erle paid for the erection of a granite Celtic cross on Gibbet Hill on the site of the scaffold. He did this to dispel the fears and superstitions of local people and to raise their spirits. The cross has four Latin inscriptions around its base. They read: POST TENEBRAS LUX IN OBITU PAX IN LUCE SPES POST OBITUM SALUS which translate to "Light after darkness. Peace in passing away. Hope in light. Salvation after death." All monuments are standing to this day. St Michael and All Angels churchyard The murder of the unknown sailor has always attracted press coverage: Extract from The Daily Universal Register, 4 October As well as monographs and other literature: From the Francis Frith Collection: Front and back cover of latest edition of Peter Moorey's book. The Sailor's Stone on Gibbet Hill from a postcard published by H S Tozer

The articles that follow were first published in our Parish Magazine and were compiled by Jackie Rickenberg. Villagers mentioned in the articles include: Mr A E Karn of Karn's Stores; Margaret 'Mag' Cooper; Mrs Swallow (Headmaster's wife); Messrs Rapley, Wisdom and Goble (Senior); Mr Tozer; Mr Davidson; Thomas Karn (Blacksmith); Lucy Good This month I am featuring articles from a collection of Thursley memories, recently transcribed from the archives onto our website thursleyhistorysociety.org. The first one is titled “Thursley Between the Wars” and written by Margaret Cooper in 1989. The vehicles were known as charabancs (from the French, meaning 'wagon with benches') and were hired for day trips usually to the sea-side. “The present-day inhabitants of Thursley will find it hard to believe that once there was a school population of about one hundred and sixty children attending their present Village Hall when it was the Village School. Yet, this was the case in my young days soon after World War 1 in the 1920’s, when we walked in all weathers from Pitch Place and later Bowlhead Green; our dinner consisted of sandwiches or a lardy roll from Mr Karn’s shop, and sometimes a halfpenny cup of cocoa provided by Mrs Swallow, the Headmaster’s wife! How we saved each week to pay the five shillings needed for the annual char-a-banc outing to Worthing or Littlehampton, where we would dabble our feet in rarely seen sea water – one of the year’s highlights. Thursley School, about 1920. Third row, first on the right is Margaret (Mag) Cooper née Gale. Those were the days when the cat’s whisker and crystal set (an early unpowered radio receiver) were in their infancy, and TV was yet to be invented; possibly this was why we made our own amusements and wholeheartedly supported community efforts, such as the sixpenny hop in the old Village Hall (an ex-World War 1 army building) which used to stand next to The Three Horseshoes; the music was provided by people whose names are still known in the village – Rapley, Wisdom and Goble amongst others. The last named, Mr Goble Senior, was also the village carpenter, coffin maker and undertaker who lived at The Institute, now Prospect Cottage. The Institute, designed by Lutyens, served as a men’s club and was also the H.Q. of Thursley’s ARP (Air Raid Precautions) in the 1940’s. The Institute, Thursley (from Kay Cottle's Postcard Collection) Another of our amusements in the 20’s was to walk to the present (old) A3 “to watch the traffic on the hard road”. There was far less of it then, and the motor car was something owned only by the “gentry”- a ride on one being a very rare treat. At Bowlhead Green, it was quite an event when Mr A.E. Karn’s pony cart arrived to deliver bread, groceries and paraffin once a week. There were still only two shops in the village – Mr Karn’s and that of Mr Tozer, situated at what is now The Clump, the present Post Office and shop not being built until the 1930’s for Mr Davidson. On those rare occasions when we visited the local towns for shopping expeditions, we walked to the end of French Lane to catch the hourly bus to Godalming. The fare I recall was sevenpence each way, and if we should wish to go to Hindhead, for what reason I cannot imagine, then that would cost eightpence return. The Old Post Office at The Clump, postcard date stamped 1912. Mr Tozer was the first postmaster, he had the first telephone in the village. The Acacia trees were planted in memory of William Cobbett, For village girls leaving school in those days, the choice of a future career was limited in the extreme. We could either go into “service” or stay at home, if our parents could afford to keep us. The other choice was to seek employment in London, and I did this when I was fifteen, living with my married sister in Westbourne Park. Thus, it was that I met my future husband when we were sixteen, and when I brought him back to Thursley for introductions, he fell in love for the second time – only now it was with the village, vowing that this was where he wanted to live. It took the Second World War to see this wish fulfilled, but that as they say is another story. An amusing insight into the “closed shop” nature of the village in the early 1930’s can be obtained from a question put to me once, when my future husband was visiting during one weekend. He had chosen to wear what was then the fashion of many smart young men about town, and an elderly lady whispered in my ear “Who’s the toff in plus fours?” I think the “toff” at the time was earning about £2 a week! Thursley in the 1920’s and 30’s had not yet been “discovered” as a desirable area for commuters to live in, and the population was very much “native” in the true sense that generations of folk had lived in the same area for centuries, often in the same cottages. The Welfare State and affluent society had not yet arrived, and the inevitable consequence was that many of the houses and cottages were in a poor state of repair. So, although some of the original inhabitants may regret the passing of many of the old names, at the same time there is no doubt that the influx of “foreigners” with money to buy up and restore the old buildings has, on balance, been the salvation of much that is picturesque and irreplaceable in one of the country’s most beautiful villages”. And a small very relevant excerpt from “In Days Gone By” by Lucy Good 1988. “After being without electricity, and trouble with the water recently, reminds me of days gone by in the village when we had a very hot summer and a drought. I lived in Yew Cottage. My father, Thomas Karn, worked with Grandad and Uncle Jack in the forge (the Karns at the shop were another family). There was no electricity in the village in those days, or water on the mains. The rain water butts and tanks were empty and then the wells dried up. I can see my father now, with a wooden yoke with two pails on, struggling up Dye House Hill, after getting some water from the stream at the bottom which, in those days, fell into a small waterfall before going under the road. The water had to be for drinking, washing, cooking etc., and also some had to be brought up to use in the forge. Mr Rapley at Hill Farm had a horse-drawn water cart, which he used to get water for the animals and also to water the cricket pitch which was done with the horse’s hooves bound with sacks to save them churning the green up (Thursley cricket team was well known in those days). Everyone had oil lamps and candles for lighting – and of course, coal fires and stoves for cooking on”. Good to know, just in case………… NB: This entry will be continued as Jackie further delves into our archive.

WORK IN PROGRESS - Photographs only and see separate entries for The Three Horseshoes, Bears Barn, The Well House, The Old Vicarage, The Village Hall, The Corner, The Clump, The Dye House and Brook and Horn Cottages FOLDSDOWN The Patrick Family, Foldsdown, 1997 Surnames of previous owners of Foldsdown include: Parker; Jobson; Matthews FOLDSDOWN COTTAGE THURSLEY HOUSE Details to come of current building The above four photographs are of the original Thorcroft, now demolished, which sat on the site of Thursley House. A note on the reverse of the first photograph states, "In her will Miss Branchini donated money to the village hall". Pencil sketches of Thorcroft by Edward Langdon, 1963 THORCROFT HOUSE Taken from sale particulars from March 2026 Thorcroft is a 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom house that was built in 2006. It sits in 2.5 acres. https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/dye-house-road-thursley-godalming-surrey-gu8/gld180207 THORFIELD THE VILLAGE HALL* VEAN COTTAGE This photograph by Sean Edwards Vean Cottage, November 2027 THE OUTLOOK Reg Fosberry in 1996 The Outlook was originally the workshop of the builder, William Karn Fosberry, he and his family lived at what is now known as Vean Cottage. He eventually converted it into living accommodation. As you can see, a studio was built at the back for the use of his brother-in-law, Henry Tozer, who lived at The Clump when it was a shop and Post Office. Eveline Lance, the artist, rented the house in the summer months, eventually coming to live there permanently in 1929. The studio was then used by her. After the Fosberry family sold Vean Cottage, they moved into The Outlook, where Reg, William's grandson still lives. The Outlook faces Thursley Common and lies behind The Clump and Vean Cottage THE CLUMP* THE CORNER* THE OLD POST HOUSE The Old Post House 1932 Old Post House and Sawyers c1965 Ben and Nancy Wonham, The Post Office The Old Post Office was extensively remodelled in 2022 Surnames of previous owners of The Old Post Office include: Davidson; Wonham; Wishart SAWYERS Sawyers c 1980 Sawyers, Mary Rapley and Elizabeth Copeman 1996/7 Surnames of previous owners of Sawyers include: Ellison; Arnold; Gabriel; Sparks; Copeman Sawyers in 2025 From sales particulars in 2025: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/details/e4f55920-dde7-44c7-8602-dedfd1030af2?v=media&id=media1&ref=photoCollage THE THREE HORSESHOES* THE WELL HOUSE* BEAR'S BARN* THE OLD VICARAGE* CHETWYND COTTAGE Prudence Jones, Chetwynd Cottage MAGPIE COTTAGE Magpie Cottage was sold in 1952 as part of the break-up of the Cosford Estate: THE OLD STORES Information to come STORES COTTAGE Rodney and Tone Badcock, 1997 OVERDALE and CRICKETS Crickets, below, was built by the Canadian Army in World War 1 for the recuperation of wounded soldiers and is the original construction. Overdale, above, was built in 1985 and replaced a similar building to Crickets. FORGE COTTAGE From a series of photocopies of nine paintings of the Forge, Thursley, by C W 'Bill' Cooper in 1948 Forge Cottage, September 2025 Sale Particulars in September 2025: https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/dye-house-road-thursley-nr-godalming-surrey-gu8-6qa/gld0125845199331ea8c9b72&csg=34d3e8edf97180a5d7b02f5c163b59f66a8062d5dd02fed71b44555796fbb3bc&#/?channel=RES_BUY Previous owners of Forge Cottage include: Holford YEW COTTAGE Taken from 2020 sales particulars: https://themovemarket.com/tools/propertyprices/yew-cottage-dye-house-road-thursley-godalming-gu8-6qa SOUTH HOUSE, RED LODGE Simon, Joyce and Christopher Hall, South House, Red Lodge, December 1966 Red Lodge, 1930 BROOK COTTAGE & HORN COTTAGE* THE DYE HOUSE*

From Kay Cottle's postcard collection From Kay Cottle's postcard collection 'Farewell to the Pylons across Thursley?', from a calendar dated January 2014. Truxford Cottage and barns Painting by the Moat The Moat, c1990 But whisper it to avoid even more overcrowding!