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https://earth.google.com/web/@51.1398953,-0.68751104,112.63724356a,4518.48894138d,35y,72.17247331h,0t,0r/data=OgMKATA A view of the Chapel taken from Corner Cottage in the early 1920s. Holly Cottage, formerly Yew Cottage can be seen. It belonged to Heath Hall, the estate of the Yalden Knowles and used to be two cottages. A view of "Timbers", which used to be two cottages. The Gale family once lived in the right hand side, which had two bedrooms. The Walkers lived in the left hand side. A view of Forge Cottage which dates from the 16th Century and an anvil stands outside as a memento of the forge site. Forge Cottage was the home of the Gale family from 1932 to 1938. Miss Fulford built the extension for the Gale family. The little shed housed the engine for the pump of the well of Corner Cottage. A group by Bowlhead Green's village seat taken in the late 1930s. On the left is Margaret (Mag) Gale and Bill Cooper who married her. He was Parish Clerk from 1948 to 1983. He was also responsible for the Thor sign. On the right are friends of theirs from London. The oldest part of Emley Farmhouse which can bee seen on the right hand side. It was a four-bay timber framed house with many characteristics of immediately post-medieval period called the smoke bay period, i.e. 1550 - 1590. The house featured in an episode of "Foyle's War". Emley Farmhouse in the early 1920s. The wisteria on the front can be seen and the bay tree on the left. It was lived in by Colonel and Mrs Vesey. Mrs Vesey was the daughter of the Loring family who lived at Emley from the early 1800s. The Veseys lived at Emley until 1929. The herbaceous border of Emley Farmhouse which once boasted the best garden in Surrey. Unfortunately, in 1948 it was let to Mr Pentcheff, a Bulgarian diplomat. He completely ruined the garden by allowing poultry, ducks and pigs to free range. Emley Farmhouse showing the chimney from the bread oven. The bread oven is one of the best preserved and has an iron door hinged at the bottom. The building on the right was built to house. a pair of mongoose given to the Lorings in 1914. The barns at Emley Farm. The extensive farm buildings show that in the past a traditional mix of arable and pasture farming was practised. The driveway of Emley Farm leading to the garage and cart shed, the old granary can also be seen. Holly Tree Cottage Ian and Gill Mclellan, Blackhanger Farm, 1996 Tom and Grace Ranson, Bowlhead Green Farm, 1997 Ian and Aly Warner, The Old Post House, 1997 Emley Hill House and its garden (below), 1997 Robin Hill The Clockhouse, 2024 with sales particulars below https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/bowlhead-green-godalming-surrey-gu8/GLD012219749

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in August 2021 After reading about Shepherd’s Cottage in last month’s article, Anne Treadwell, a Bowlhead Green resident, wondered whether we could shed some light on the origins and past residents of Emley Farm, in Bowlhead Green. Some of you may be familiar with this, now National Trust owned, property as it is one of the oldest and most prominent houses within the Parish of Thursley. The oldest portion of the Grade 2 listed Emley Farm is the rear section. It was a four-bay timber-framed smoke bay house with many characteristics of immediately post medieval period, circa 1550-1590. The remainder of the house is early seventeenth century, with the front porch being added in the later nineteenth century and then the timber framed bathroom wing added in the 1920’s. The bay window in the study is believed to have come from nearby Cosford House. The house also boasts one of the best-preserved bread ovens and a brick lined well 140 feet deep, the deepest in Thursley. Access to the well would originally have been at floor level and is now built around. It is said that donkeys were used to raise the water and they were reportedly kept in the cellar. The house has five bedrooms and bedroom 4 is known as the Witches Room as it was the dressing room used by the children for dressing up at Halloween. Outside there are wonderful barns, a granary and extensive farm buildings, used for the traditional mix of arable and pasture farming (although at the turn of the 1800’s, it was predominately a turnip growing farm). Emley was once part of Witley Park Estate and from the early 1800’s was lived in by the Loring family. A Loring daughter married Colonel Vesey and they lived at Emley until 1929. Emley was the Vesey’s country house as the following advertisement in the West Sussex Gazette of 31st July 1924 would indicate; “Cook and betweenmaid wanted end Aug. Cook about 30, betweenmaid about 15. Two in family; two in nursery. House-parlourmaid, nurse and nursery nurse kept. Town and country. Apply Mrs Vesey. (Two things. How employment law has changed and secondly, remarkable really that I have lived until this age without the services of a betweenmaid being essential!). Shortly after the Vesey’s left, the farm was then occupied by Mr Bertram Austin, a retired Royal Artillery Colonel who, tragically, had two prosthetic legs after being blown up in the Great War. In those days prosthetic li mb technology had, sadly, not quite reached the awe-inspiring levels it deserves today. It was reported that “Mr Austin never oiled his legs and every Sunday would squeak as he walked up the aisle for the service”. Despite his disability Bertram Austin went on to successfully race cars at Brookwood circuit. Col. Austin had bought a new Bugatti, directly from a Paris showroom and drove it back to his Surrey farmhouse. He was undoubtedly a man of some spirit as he had his new Bugatti modified to accommodate his disability, creating a hole in the scuttle and fitting larger pads on the control pedals. He left Emley in 1948 to live in Cornwall. Circa 1920's, Captain Bertram Austin racing his Bugatti at Brooklands. The author and lecturer, who lost both of his legs on the Somme, took part in the Spring meeting of the Junior Car Club at Brooklands (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images) Another resident was Dr Dennison, who bought the farm in 1953 for £11,000, later buying another two boggy fields, which until then had been part of Begley Farm. It was after his death in 1991 that Emley Farm was bequeathed to the National Trust and more restoration work was carried out. It is now available for rent and among the various domestic details about the farmhouse on their website, comes the warning “Long eared bats roost in the loft at this cottage. If a bat gets into the living room during your stay, please open a window to allow it to escape”! Incidentally, Emley was originally called Imbeleg in its early days. The first element is the Old English “imbe”, meaning a swarm of bees i.e., the place where the bees swarm. An aside. Whilst researching this article, I came across this hysterical article from the Nottingham Evening Post of 2 Nov 1919. COAT, NOT GOAT. COMEDY OF A TELEPHONE CALL AND ITS SEQUEL. Hello! Is that you? Please meet me the station -with the car, and bring a coat." Dench was chauffeur at Lower House, Bowlhead Green. Godalming, and, during a telephone call, was puzzled to hear his mistress (as he thought) request him to bring a goat to the station in the motorcar. As his mistress kept goats, he obeyed. But the strange cargo attracted the attention of the police, with the result that a summons was taken out against the faithful chauffeur for " moving a goat contrary to the Surrey Foot and Mouth Disease Order." The explanation was made to the court yesterday and amid general hilarity, the case was dismissed.

Cosford House estate is an historic property dating back many centuries and it included several properties such as Cosford House, Cosford Mill, and various cottages.  The name Cosford is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cōs," meaning a choice or election, and "ford," referring to a river crossing. It is presumed that the estate was named due to its location near a significant crossing on the River Wey. The first documented reference to Cosford House dates back to the 13th century when it was mentioned in a landholding document. See also Sale of the Cosford Estate, June 1952 From Historic England: In the medieval period, Cosford House was owned by the de Thurmarsh family, who were prominent landowners in the area. The estate remained in their possession for several generations until it changed hands through marriage in the 14th century. Over the following centuries, the ownership of the estate continued to pass between various families, including the Albury, Bray, and Evelyn families, who were all prominent figures in English society. In the 17th century, Cosford House underwent a significant transformation when it was purchased by Sir John Evelyn. Sir John was a renowned diarist, horticulturist, and author, best known for his invaluable work in the field of arboriculture. He extensively renovated the hall and its surrounding gardens, turning it into one of the most luxurious and impressive estates in the region. Sir John Evelyn's influence is still evident in the estate today, with remnants of his exquisite garden designs and landscaping. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Cosford House continued to thrive under the stewardship of various owners. The estate saw numerous additions and improvements, including the construction of additional outbuildings, such as stables, a chapel, and farm buildings. The hall and its grounds became renowned for their grandeur and elegance, drawing visitors from far and wide. In the early 20th century, Cosford House faced a period of decline as the estate's owners faced financial difficulties. The estate was bought by the trustees of Robert May's School in Odiham in 1913, and the archives of the school record their stewardship of the farm and its relations with tenants. However, this endeavour was not to last and the school closed in the mid-20th century.  In 1952 the estate was broken up into 25 lots at an auction held in Guildford (see Sale of the Cosford Estate). Colonel Philip (W.P.H.) Rushbrooke and his wife, Hilda photographed in the early 1930s. Hilda sold the estate on the death of Philip in 1951 and went to live on the coast. The estate was very impoverished as such low rents were charged. Hilda Rushbrooke, who was Irish, and unfortunately stone deaf. We believe she married Philip in the early 1930s. In more recent years, the estate changed hands several times, with different owners attempting to restore the former glory of Cosford House. Numerous restoration and preservation projects have taken place to ensure that the hall and its surrounding gardens maintain their historical significance. Today, Cosford House remains a private residence and is not open to the public. About 1900, no climbers visible on the house. According to the rate book of 1854, Cosford Estate was owned by Colonel George William Eyres. The rate book of 1870 lists Miss Rushbrooke as the owner. Cosford House in the 1920s with the creeper on the house. Captain Rushbrooke is listed in the rate book of 1884 but may have been here earlier. The staff at Cosford House in the late 1920s. Philip Rushbrooke took over the estate on the death of his father.

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:

The Red Lion Inn, which closed as a pub in 1958, was infamous for its connection with the murder of the Unknown Sailor which is linked below. The Red Lion pub around 1901. The Jubilee rooms can be seen on the right behind the shed, became the Red Lion garage. Photo taken from above the Red Lion Garage; note the Cleveland petrol sign which was the subject of much debate The Red Lion Inn - pre 1914 The Closure and sale of the Red Lion Inn: https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/surrey/thursley_redlion.html

Photographs of the original Vicarage The Vicarage suffered a terrible fire in 1930 as the photographs below show. The Reverend A J Wheeler lived there. He saved his pet spaniel from the fire by lowering the dog from a window in a quilt. His wife and daughter had to make their own way out. Unfortunately some church records were destroyed in the blaze as the vicar had taken them home having removed them from the church safe. Revd Wheeler was responsible for uncovering the 12th Century sedile ( a group of stone seats for clergy in the south chancel wall of a church, usually three in number and often canopied and decorated, OED ) in the church and for discovering in 1927 the Saxon windows in the chancel. After the fire, the Revd Wheeler bought the Haybarn field at Smallbrook Farm and converted a yard and barn used for the cattle and known as "The Hovel" into a bungalow, which then got rebuilt by Paul Wedge. Sadly, the Revd Wheeler could not stay due to his asthma induced by the cattle. He had to sell and move away. He and his wife divorced and he left the ministry. Mary Bennett said that he ran off with his ward. He was vicar of Thursley from 1925 - 1932. The lower end of the fire damage. The Vicarage building was nearly identical to the school building.

The land on which The Vicarage was built in 1932 is thought to have been owned previously by the Lutyens family. The first Vicar to live in the house was Revd Gordon French (Frenchy) who stayed until 1959 when Revd Bill Mills came to the village. Bill Mills was succeeded by Revd Ken Mathews in 1968, followed by Revd John Stevens who with his wife, Rosemary, lived there until he retired in 1982 and when the Parish of Thursley became a plurality with Elstead. The house was sold by the Church Commissioners in 1983 to Eddie and Sheila Hawkins who stayed only a few months. Pat and Hilary Barr lived at The Old Vicarage from 1984 and altered and extended the property

The Ruins, now known as The Well House, with Mrs Fosberry, standing outside about 1914-1918. 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.

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in February 2023. See also Vicars of Thursley. Revd Mathews with a parishioner It is with a heavy heart I heard this week of the untimely passing of Peter Muir, until recently, the vicar of St Michael’s and All Angels, Thursley. Peter had been an enthusiastic supporter of Thursley History Society and even in this last year or so since retiring to Cyprus, with his indomitable wife Angela, he maintained close links with us. On a personal note, Peter married my husband and me, some years back and I have very fond memories of his wisdom and guidance during this time. Rest in Peace Peter. I’m sure Peter’s almost four decades of living in Yew Cottage in the village, will be chronicled for posterity, but until then it reminded me of the memoir of Ken Mathews, a previous vicar of Thursley, which was compiled by John Fforde in 1996. “The Rev. Arthur Kenneth Mathews OBE, DSC, was of the generation that had only just completed its preparations for a career and taken up its first appointments when the Second World War intervened. Then came the naval life, best described by extracts from the obituary in the Daily Telegraph of 4th January 1993. Rev Kenneth Mathews was one of the Royal Navy’s most distinguished wartime chaplains. He joined the RNVR in 1939 and spent the rest of the war on the County Class cruiser Norfolk, a busy ship on the Northern patrol and then in the South Atlantic. “It would be impossible”, the captain of Norfolk later wrote, “to exaggerate Ken Mathew’s influence on Norfolk. His value in the ship was certainly greater than that of any other officer. He made her the happiest ship I have ever known. He was loved by every man on board, and it is largely his influence that has kept the Norfolk spirit alive ever since”. “ He had an admirable naval record, resulting in him being appointed OBE in 1942 and then DSC soon after, so becoming one of the few service chaplains to be twice decorated. After an influential career in the Church, he chose to return to the work of parish priest in which his pastoral gifts had free rein. And so, Ken and his wife, Betsy, came to Thursley in 1968. In the Parish Magazine for February 1993, thirty years ago exactly, Michael O’Brien and Robert Crawfurd record the following memories: “We remember him as Vicar of Thursley from 1968 until his retirement in 1976. For Thursley they were eight splendid years. Ken quickly made his mark on our community as a man of outstanding personality. He loved and understood people: understood their eccentricities, their joys, their sorrows. Just as in the Navy, he had won the hearts and minds of the men in his care as Chaplain on board HMS Norfolk so, in the less hazardous days of his peacetime ministries, the same magic was quickly evident to his parishioners. His desire to draw a community together, in the same way as earlier he had drawn his ship’s company together, resulted in the foundation in 1972 of our annual Harvest Supper in the Village Hall – an event that quickly proved popular with everyone and had continued, until recent events, without a break ever since. A series of winter lectures in the hall started under his direction and he also encouraged the formation of the Thursley Over 60’s club. He came to us from Peebles, in the Scottish Borders, where walking in the country is a popular recreation. He immediately reinstituted the Rogation Walk around the entire parish, including Bowl Head Green, blessing the farms along the way. He outwalked most of his new parishioners by completing the whole seventeen miles himself, and then presiding at Rogation Evensong in the Church. He always encouraged the young to come on their ponies if they wished, and always had a large following. Walking his dog in the village he was a popular friend to meet. Ken’s ministry in Thursley was marked by his untiring efforts to help all in need, to which end he would go to almost any lengths and be quite unsparing himself. Both he and Betsy were lovers of classical music and supported enthusiastically any musical events in the parish. When he left us, we all felt the loss of a truly Godly priest and valued friend. In 1976 they retired to a house in a valley near Burford, to the restoration of which they had given much thought. The Tallat, Westwell, became a place of pilgrimage for their many friends. Betsy died in 1981. In 1987 Ken married Diana Goschen and they lived happily at The Tallat until Ken’s peaceful death in his 87th year in December 1992”. The Institution of The Reverend Arthur Kenneth Mathews: The pdf of the Order of Service shows a heavily annotated version: Undated obituary from The Times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Mathews

This article by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Thursley Parish Magazine I have been gripped by the tragic and rather mysterious tale of an air disaster over Thursley, in days gone by. The observant amongst you may have picked up a mere whisper of it in the poignant epitaph to Edmund Haviland from The Old Parsonage in last month’s magazine. It would appear that Edmund knew the harrowing tale that explains the existence of one of the memorials in Thursley church’s graveyard. The story begins on Wednesday 27th July 1932. It was a blustery day with storms predicted later on in early evening. A bright young man of 21 years old, already qualified as a pilot, planned an outing for his mother and a friend, visiting from Hanover, Germany – a mere afternoon jaunt to Hamble on the south coast and back to Heston, on the west side of London. The young man in question was Bruce Bayne Bossom, his mother Mrs Emily Bayne Bossom and his friend a rather dashing sounding Count Otto Erbach-Fürstenau, or to give him his full title, Count Otto Adolf Joseph Emich Alexander Graf zu Erbach-Fürstenau (aged 23). Mrs Bossom was the wife of wealthy noted architect and Member of Parliament for Maidstone, Mr Alfred C Bossom (later ennobled as Lord Bossom). Mr A C Bossom had had a renowned career in the US, an early exponent and well-respected pioneer and designer of many of New York’s famous skyscrapers in 1910-20’s Manhattan. He married his American wife, before returning to the UK with their three young sons, in order for them to receive a traditional English education (Eton). It was at this stage that he followed his father into political life in Westminster, only to be succeeded many years later by one of his two remaining sons, Sir Clive Bossom MP for Leominster. Mrs Emily Bayne Bossom Bruce Bossom, who piloted the plane, was a promising and talented airman, who by the age of 21 had passed his parts A and B licences and his blind flying licence and according to his father “had flown for several hundred hours and was capable of flying any type of machine”. He was fully intent on making his name in the still emerging world of aviation and had hopes of being an early adventurer, often talking about breaking flying records across the Atlantic. He had just become engaged, to Miss Odette Herard, although not with the blessing of his parents, who felt he was too young and not yet established in a career, for such a step. The young German prince, who hailed from a distinguished aristocratic family, had been visiting the Bossom family on his first trip to the UK, staying with them as their guest in their rather smart house in Carlton Gardens, Belgravia. The story of the actual crash is perhaps better left to the reporters from The Portsmouth Evening News, dated 28th July 1932, the day after the crash: MYSTERY OF MACHINE SHATTERED IN MID-AIR Mrs Emily Bossom, wife of Mr. A. C. Bossom, M.P. for Maidstone, her son Bruce, aged 21, and Prince Otto Erbach Furstenau were killed last night when the aeroplane in which they were flying to Hamble crashed at Tilford, near Churt, Surrey. The cause of the disaster is a mystery. Is it possible the machine may have been struck by lightning, though there is no sign of it having been burned? Or perhaps another view is that the wind may have torn off one of the wings which was seen to come away from the plane in mid-air? These are among the questions which experts will have to solve when they investigate the cause of the crash. Our Special Correspondent gained a grimly vivid idea of the terrible nature of the tragedy when at dawn today he stood atop the brow of Kettlebury Hill, within a mile of Mr. Lloyd George’s country home at Churt, and looked over the wide valley below. Half a-mile away, in a spinney of young beech trees, was the battered fuselage. Six hundred yards to the east of it was a portion of one wing, and nearly a mile still farther away was the wing which was seen to tear off in the air. Five hundred yards to the west of the fuselage, a policeman on guard marked the area about 100 yards square—in which the bodies were found. A gust of storm force wind, might have turned the machine over and put strain on the landing wires which they could not bear; which in turn could have ripped out the side of the aeroplane hurtling the occupants to their death. It is however, practically impossible to say anything definite at the moment, except that one side of the fuselage seems to have disappeared. The men of the Border Regiment were duo to have left their bivouacs at 3.30 a.m. to-day, to march across the slopes where the wreckage lies, to engage in a mock battle with the Devon’s, but the manoeuvres were postponed on account of the tragedy. It was these men who formed the search party which spread over the heather-clad valley looking for the bodies. This is the air accident investigation details of the crash. Date: 27-JUL-1932 Time: 17:45 Type: de Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth Owner/operator: Brian Lewis & Co Ltd Registration: G-ABDH C/n / msn: 2081 Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Devil's Jump, Hankley Common, Churt, near Hindhead, Surrey Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi Departure airport: Heston Aerodrome, Heston, Middlesex Destination airport: Hamble, Hampshire We continue with the strange tale of the three passengers in a light aircraft, meeting their fate over Hankley Common. As you saw from last month’s photograph, the two members of the Bossom family killed – mother Emily and son Bruce - are buried in our churchyard. And although Alfred, Emily’s husband, went on to marry another American lady, he, along with a further son, are also buried alongside his first wife and son. An inquest into the plane crash was opened in Farnham Police Station on 29th July 1932, two days after the fatal accident. The Coroner, Mr G. Wills Taylor, stated that he proposed to take evidence just sufficient to permit the funerals to take place and would then adjourn, until the 14th September, to allow the air accident report to be made available. Sir Percy Simmons, solicitor, appeared for Mr A. Bossom, who sat next to him. The post mortems revealed some very odd results. It was confirmed that all three victims had died of multiple injuries, wholly consistent with falling heavily through the air. However, injuries which were indicative of burn marks or electrocution, caused before death, were present on all three bodies. Does this imply the lightening theory, rather than mechanical failure was more likely? Possibly, but never confirmed. Remember, they were flying through a thunderstorm at the time of the crash. The Western Daily Press of 30th July 1932 reported that “the funeral of Mrs Bossom and her son will take place at Thursley Churchyard, at the foot of the famous Hindhead Ridge, today at 2 o’clock”. The bodies were released from Farnham and went on immediately to Thursley. The body of Count Erbach Furstenau was conveyed to London to prepare for it to be taken across the Channel for interment at the family’s castle in Hanover. His brother was present at the Inquest and made the necessary arrangements. However, before rushing back to Germany, he paused briefly in Thursley to attend the funeral of Mrs Bossom and Bruce. The Scotsman newspaper reported on Saturday 1st August “In the secluded churchyard of Thursley, Surrey, about three miles from where they met their deaths on Wednesday evening, Mrs E Bossom and her son, Bruce were buried today. There were only two family mourners, Mr A C Bossom, MP for Maidstone and his elder surviving son Mr Clive Bossom. Other mourners were Count Alfred Graf zu Erbach Furstenau, brother of Count Otto, who was also killed in the crash and Sir Percy Simmons (solicitor). The officiating clergy were the vicar of the parish, the Rev. H G French and the vicar of Maidstone, Canon T K Sopwith. Mendelssohn’s “O for the Wings of a Dove” was played on the organ as the bodies were carried into the church. The only other music was the tune of the hymn “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past” played as the coffins were borne to the grave. The bodies were laid side by side in a double grave. There was a wreath of Lilies of the Valley from Miss Odette Herard, to whom Mr Bruce Bossom was engaged. It was inscribed “Je t’adore, Odette” “. It was, it would seem, a very desolate and intimate affair. More about Odette. At the time of the accident, she was on a Mediterranean cruise with her mother, reported as being a Knightsbridge dressmaker, although reading between the lines, she was more likely a French dress designer, as she had a personal secretary and they lived in Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, one of the best-preserved set pieces of Georgian architecture in London. The Daily Herald rather dramatically reported as follows: AIRMAN'S LOVER WHISPERS, "I KNOW" - MONTE CARLO The news of the death of her young fiancé, Mr. Bruce Bossom, in an air crash at Farnham (Surrey) a fortnight ago, was made known to Miss Odette Herard by her mother, to-day, in the hospital at Monaco, where she is ill with scarlet fever. Miss Herard seemed to divine the nature of her mother's mission. " I know, mother. It is Bruce," she whispered, almost before her mother had spoken. Then, in spite of all her courage, Miss Herard. already weak and exhausted from the effects of her severe illness, broke down completely. Her mother said afterwards that her daughter had had a presentiment of impending disaster ever since she left England for her Mediterranean cruise. In parting from her fiancé on the quayside as she left England, she had had to turn away from him with tears in her eyes as she felt certain she would never see him again She had given him a little gold cross for luck in exchange for a ring. Ill in hospital, Miss Herard often said she heard the noise of aeroplane wings, and had feverishly asked when Bruce was coming to see her. A box of chocolates given by Mr Bossom has been kept by Miss Herard's mother as a pathetic souvenir. Only a week before Mr Bossom was killed, his parents had objected to his engagement on the grounds that it would interfere with his career as a pilot. During the research for this article, it was often implied that the flight itself may have had a more sinister raison d’etre, instead of the joyride that it first appeared. Some reports talked about a reward being offered for the return of money or jewels that the plane may have been carrying. That spurned all the local children onto Hankley and surrounding areas, in a vain search for the “illicit” stash. The truth was much more sentimental and believable. Mr and Mrs Bossom had travelled extensively throughout their time together, and rather charmingly, he bought her a pearl from everywhere they visited. This became a four-string set of pearls held together with a precious diamond clasp. When her body was recovered, forty of the sixty rare and highly valuable pearls were missing and her poor distraught husband offered a reward for any pearls recovered. Unfortunately, it was reported on 13th September, some two months later, that none of the missing jewels were ever traced. Finally, interestingly, to this day there are two little known memorials to the Bossom’s on Hankley Common. These mark the spots where their bodies fell. Of course, the bracken and heather will have grown up around them in the intervening years, but if anyone is interested in following up this mysterious tale, the co-ordinates of Emily’s memorial, as seen below, are N 51° 09.023 W 000° 44.760. Bruce’s memorials’ whereabouts are currently unknown to the writer but if anyone has anything they can add to, or indeed take away from this terribly tragic affair, then please do get in touch at jackierickenberg@gmail.com . Bossom aircrash 90th anniversary memorial (From an article written by Jackie Rickenberg in the Parish Magazine in September 2022) Some of you may remember the tragic tale of the Bossom air crash that I retold in the May and June 2021 articles. The crash, on Hankley in 1932, of a light aircraft, killed Lady Emily Bossom, her pilot son, Bruce Bossom and his friend, an aristocratic German Count. By another strange quirk of fate, it transpired that a villager who read it, knew a direct relative of the Bossom’s – both of whom are buried in our churchyard. This in turn led to a delightful meeting with Lady Barbara Bossom, whose late husband Sir Clive, younger brother of Bruce and son of Lady Emily, is also buried in the family plot in Thursley. As this July 27th was the 90th anniversary of the crash, a small memorial service was recall family held in the churchyard and attended by interested parties, Lady Barbara and her eldest son Sir Bruce (I know, a confusion of names!). Rev Hannah delivered a short reflective service and Sir Bruce read an apt poem (see below). Afterwards lunch at Hedge Farm provided an apt opportunity for the Bossom’s to recall family memories from that time. It was a sunny but overcast day and the graveyard was peaceful and tranquil, all very fitting for the occasion. The churchyard working committee had done a tremendous job of clearing around the impressive Bossom headstone and it seemed appropriate for Thursley to remember this part of its past in such a contemplative way. Impressions of a pilot by Gary Claude Stoker:read by Sir Bruce Bossom Flight is freedom in its purest form, To dance with the clouds which follow a storm; To roll and glide, to wheel and spin, To feel the joy that swells within; To leave the earth with its troubles and fly, And know the warmth of a clear spring sky; Then back to earth at the end of a day, Released from the tensions which melted away. Should my end come while I am in flight, Whether brightest day or darkest night; Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain, Secure in the knowledge that I’d do it again; For each of us is created to die, And within me I know, I was born to fly. The report below is from Surrey History: Report of Accidents Investigation Branch dated 27 July 1932 Report by Aviation Safety Network, updated 4 July 2021

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!

This article was written by Sally Scheffers for the History of Thursley Society in 1993 (as can be seen from the dot matrix print) and now includes some Thursley wells. The full article can be downloaded from this pdf A Donkey Wheel in action As mentioned in the article, a donkey wheel can be seen working in Carisbrooke Castle: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/carisbrooke-castle/things-to-do/meet-carisbrooke-donkeys/ Thursley Wells: Patricia Coles of Upper Ridgeway Farm believes that her well is probably both the deepest and oldest in Thursley. It would have been dug before the building of the house in 1331 as water was required for its building. In common with most wells, it was built nine feet from the exterior wall although it is now within the curtilage of the house having been absorbed by an extension. It is stone built for approximately seven feet, and then it was dug through rock. It is 100' deep to the water level and the water is 14' deep. Susan Goodridge of Pitch Place Farm discovered they had a well within their property when digging up the floor. The rebuild, approved by Waverley, consists of a new top layer of bricks but the lower brick work and pumps are original plus the cow bone, which serves as a water monitor, lies at the bottom. Julia Cash sent this photograph of the well in the garden of Street House , Summer 2024. There is also a well within the curtilage of the property but it covered up by floorboards and a stud wall. These photographs were supplied by a previous owner. Gillian Duke of Badgers , The Lane, sent these two photographs. The well is now within the curtilage of the property but earlier plans show it the requisite nine feet from the back door. Lisa Woods of Holly Cottage, Bowlhead Green, sent these photographs of the well that is now beneath her kitchen sink! It had to be filled in by order of the Environment Agency due to an oil spill: Other wells have been reported in Hole Cottage, the garden of what was The Red Lion Inn, Boxalls (now filled in), Red Lodge (covered by a fridge!), Watts Gallery Chapel, Robin Hill (Bowlhead Green), Punch Bowl Farm, The Old Vicarage and Gnome Cottage (in the Punch Bowl). Please send details of any more to davidjohnyoung51@hotmail.com Thanks to Ian Exton, wells can be found on two maps. He wrote: I was just looking at old OS maps of the village. It seems they really liked putting the wells on the map in the 1870s. They're very clearly marked. https://maps.nls.uk/view/102347514 These show the location of wells at Emley Farm and (Upper) Ridgeway Farm Also, try the British Geological Society map as you can turn on borehole and water well data. https://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/home.html With well data turned on