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Published by Robert Hale, London. Chapter 7: Greensand (West), pp. 135-145, including Tilford, Frensham, Hindhead, Thursley, Elstead, Peper Harow

The lodge known as the Temple of the Four Winds was built around 1910 by Viscount Pirrie, a leading Irish shipbuilder and businessman. Photograph by Sean Edwards From https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/surrey/hindhead-commons-and-the-devils-punch-bowl/the-history-of-hindhead-commons-and-the-devils-punchbowl: The Viscount’s Witley Park estate included a deer park over this area and many elaborate picnic lunches were held at the lodge for his hunting friends. Viscount Pirrie used to enjoy looking out over his estate from here and admiring the extensive views. Sadly, the lodge gradually fell into disrepair and was vandalised in 1959. By 1966 it had become a hazard and had to be dismantled. Now, only the stone base remains. However, with help from the Black Down & Hindhead Supporters, the scrub and undergrowth around the old lodge has been removed, once again opening up wonderful views. Venture up to Hurt Hill to see the ongoing work, which is set to eventually restore the stone plinth to its former glory.

Thanks to Amanda Flint, Andy and Siobhan's research for their family tree was brought to the attention of Thursley History Society The complete story can be found here: Another page from the document: Following an enquiry from the society, Andy Franks sent this information: I started my research during lockdown. I was on furlough from my job as a TEFL teacher at a language school in London, living in Croydon. Until then, to me Thursley was just a sign on the A3! I've used ancestry.co.uk and also my own research. People in Thursley have been incredibly helpful. I went on a walk of former Franks family residences in Thursley last year with Amanda and Mike, and Amanda found what appears to be the only remaining Franks grave in the churchyard after I sent her a photo of it. Amanda introduced me to Sally when I visited the farm. So far I have found records of 162 Franks baptisms, burials and marriages at the church in Thursley. The first was a 1623 baptism, spelt Francis, and the first with the current spelling Franks is the marriage of William Numan and Margaret Franks in 1695. The last is the burial of Elizabeth Franks in 1905, who died in Hambledon Infirmary aged 86. Of course, there would be many more of people related to Franks who had different surnames. Areas in and around Thursley where the Franks lived include High Field, The Street, Thursley lane, Back Lane, Hedge, Hedge Cottage, Hedge place, Pitland House, Pit Farm, North Place, Warren lodge, Creed Hole, Lower Hole (and just Hole), Ridgeway, Cosford (Cosford Farm and Mill Cottage), Thursley Common, Truxford, the Poor House, Bowlers Green, Bowlhead Green, Smallbrooke (Die House Road), Bramley Stables, and Hambledon Workhouse. In the mid 1800s there were a number of Franks residences around Thursley. In Guy Singer's book 'Tales of a Country Churchyard' there is one shown on the 1847 Tithe Map. In 1861, Richard Franks (I think my great, great, great, great grandfather) was the farmer at Pitlands Farm. The remaining grave in the churchyard we found is of George Franks, a sawyer, who died in 1878, his wife Mary Anne (died 1886), and four daughters, three of whom at least died young (Naomi and Annie Harriet aged 8 and Ruth aged 13). George lived in Bowlhead Green but was recorded as living in Battersea in 1861 before returning to the area to Thursley Common. I believe I can now trace my direct ancestry back to my great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather Henry Franks, who was buried in Thursley in 1763. There then followed three Richards on the family line until (definitely) my great, great, great grandfather William Franks was born in Chiddingfold in 1811 and his son (great, great grandfather) Nelson was baptised in Chiddingfold in 1841. His mother, William's wife Charlotte, was buried there the same day so presumably she died giving birth to Nelson. In fact, two and possibly three of Nelson's young siblings died the following year within days of each other and soon after that William appears to have remarried and left the area. In 1851 Nelson is recorded as living with Charlotte's family in Dunsfold, aged 10. At age 21 in 1861 he is a groom (like his father) at Bramley stables. I can't yet definitively place the aforementioned George Franks whose grave remains in the churchyard at Thursley on my family tree, but there are a couple of connections. Great, great grandfather Nelson had a daughter Mary Anne, a reference possibly to George's wife who as I say is buried with him. Also, I believe that great, great, great grandfather William died in 1850 in Wandsworth, around the same time that George was living in nearby Battersea (or maybe they were at the same address). William left everything to his sister Elizabeth, not Nelson. There are also connections to other families who I believe still live in Thursley, the Keens and the Boxalls. In fact, Nelson's aforementioned daughter Mary Anne married a Francis Keen in 1897. Although they were living in Maidenhead by then, there may well be a connection with the Thursley Keens. In 1895 Walter Frank Keen married Elizabeth Franks in Thursley, and I believe they and their family are buried in the churchyard (Elizabeth died in 1931). In 1876 a William Franks married Fanny Boxall in Thursley. In 1891 there is a young Alexander Boxall living with Thomas and Ellen Franks in Godalming. There are also many Franks links to Witley, Chiddingfold and other nearby places. In Godalming museum there is a grave board from Witley churchyard from 1689 for An Franks, daughter of Robert Franks, and still in Witley church is a lavabo from 1910 in memory of an Annie Elizabeth Franks. The Franks would obviously have been well known and established in the area. In his diary, the Reverand John Chandler, Vicar of Witley wrote: July 5th 1835 Saw Mrs. Weston, who is ill and keeps her bed; afterwards walked to Bowler’s Green; saw Mrs. Lillywhite and her husband, the Berrys, the Courts & Mrs. Craft, who had the Lower House people to tea. Then to Mr. Gele’s where I saw the Riddells; then to Franks, where I saw him and his wife and had some talk. July 26th 1835 Set out for Thursley before ½ past 8, and got to Thursley by ½ past 9; read prayers to the school and heard some of the boys; gave a Bible to Mrs. Franks for William, who is left; pretty good congregation in Church. Heard the school girls at Witley, and preached the same sermon in Church; not very many there, especially in the singer’s gallery, but pretty well altogether. Le Maire’s boy came with his sister; singing did tolerably… In terms of post Thursley history, my great, great grandfather Nelson moved from Bramley stables to Hill Stables in Wargrave, Berkshire and became a Marine Stores shop keeper in Maidenhead, then 'a dealer in rags and metal'. His son, great grandfather John, was the lock keeper at Bell Weir Lock on the Thames in Egham (his brother William Nelson - names running in the family! - was also a lock keeper at the nearby Romney Lock). His son, grandfather Phillip, moved to the Midlands and his son was my father Neil, who took over Phillip's machine tool merchant business. I was born in the Midlands but after university in Edinburgh and then living in London for 25 years I now live in Battle in East Sussex. Most recently, and following my foray into ancestry and records, I've been working as a Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for East Sussex County Council!

Help in Thursley is a volunteer driving scheme and was founded in 1997 and which was launched in the village hall Help in Thursley: Constitution Help in Thursley responds to the pandemic And here, we hope, is another piece of history:

This book was published in 2021 by the Thursley History Society and this was made possible by the support of The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Copies are available form thursleyhistorysociety@gmail.org at £10.00 per copy. From the introduction: THURSLEY WAR MEMORIAL There are twenty-seven names on the War Memorial located in the cemetery of teh Church of St Michael and All Angels. They are the persons who died in both World wars, 1914-1918, and 1939-1945, in the service of their country and for the cause of freedom from tyranny and oppression. Each has a different story to tell, sometimes of bravery, sometimes of fear, but always of commitment to that for which he fought. As we read their stories, we will also be aware of those they left behind, families, loved ones as well as friends; they had to live with the burden of grief and pain for long after. As we remember the dead, we must also have compassion for those who followed, for whom, possibly, the tragedy never ended. For all - WE WILL REMEMBER THEM There follows a brief biography of each of the 27 brave men

Thursley Village Hall has hosted a number of theatre plays over the years. Photographs by Valérie Ferris and posters courtesy Clea Beechey The Launch Party by Farnham Maltings was held on 13 November 2016 Another production by Farnham Maltings was in 2017 This play started in the Church, processed through the village and ended in the village hall Abigail's Party is always a treat, even in the time of Covid: The latest play from Farnham Maltings, The Band Back Together, was held in the village hall on Sunday, 7th April:

Many people were responsible for the producing these beautiful kneelers in Thursley Church

Information on this event required (all photographs courtesy Valérie Ferris)

Waverley Borough Council, 14th March 2012. With thanks to Sean Edwards.

The Diamond Jubilee in 2012 celebrated the 60 years since the accession and was marked with a spectacular central weekend and a series of regional tours throughout the UK and Commonwealth. Photograph from The New York Times The central weekend began with The Queen’s visit to the Epsom Derby on the Saturday. On the Sunday, ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ were held across the UK: building on the already popular ‘Big Lunch’ initiative, people were encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant also took place on the Sunday, with up to 1,000 boats assembled on the Thames from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh travelled in the Royal Barge which formed the centrepiece of the flotilla. On the Monday, a host of famous faces came together to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace for a concert organised by Take That singer and songwriter Gary Barlow for the BBC. Performers included Will.i.am, Stevie Wonder, Grace Jones and Kylie Minogue. Following the concert, The Queen lit the National Beacon: one of a network of 2,012 Beacons which were lit by communities and individuals throughout the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth. In Thursley, as is tradition now, again a large marquee was erected in the garden of the village hall and a feast of pig roast was served to all villagers:

This census has been analysed (see below) and compared to the 2001 Thursley census. While the population has not grown significantly, there has been a major shift from young to old.