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Photographs only of this Grade II listed property (9th March 1960) in The Lane. The house was lived in by Russell Brockbank and his wife, Eileen, from 1951 to 1978 (see also two entries for Brockbank). Badgers, April 2025 Surnames of previous owners include: Wade; Brockbank; Collins. A view from the garden of Badgers, c 1980/90

Thursley Institute , now Prospect Cottage, was originally built as a working men’s club. The Parish register states – ‘the site for the institute was given by Captain H Rushbrooke, the architect was Sir Edwin Lutyens , the builder was Mr W K Fosberry. The building was formally opened and given to the Parish Council on February 11th, 1901’. Captain Rushbrooke paid for much of the building itself and took a paternal interest in the running of the club. Reg Fosberry gave Thursley History Society one of the original Lutyens architectural drawings, as shown below, now in their Archives. The Institute with The Lodge in the distance The   Institute comprised a reading room, a billiards and games room and accommodation for the caretaker. Until 1914 one of the bedrooms was used by the Thursley Parish Nurse. The institute was disbanded in 1959 and was sold for residential use in 1968. The, then, conditions of sale included an interesting clause, presumably inherited from the rules of the institute, forbidding the purchaser to use the building for the ‘discussion of political or religious subjects ….or for the consumption of intoxicating liquors’ . Prospect Cottage, 1988. Surnames of previous owners include: Goble; La Mare; Jones; Richmond Prospect Cottage 1997 Barbara Richmond in 1997; and with neighbour, James Maclean, in May 2003. She lived in Prospect Cottage for many years, was an actress and her husband was involved in the theatre. She trained dogs for the blind for many years and is pictured here with two of her guide dogs that she demonstrated with.

From John Betjeman's Guide to English Parish Churches: "Pre-Conquest windows were discovered during aggressive restoration by Ferry in 1860; a triangular recess in the chancel has been interpreted as a Saxon oven for baking wafers. The nave is dominated by the timber cage supporting an impressive 15th-century wooden bell-turret" Memories of Revd H Gordon French, Vicar of Thursley 1932 - 1959 St Michael & All Angels: A Brief Guide From a leaflet originally compiled by the Revd A W Mills, Vicar 1959 - 1968 and revised in 1980 A Short Guide to The Parish Church of St Michael And All Angels An undated 6 page leaflet by Alan Bott, OBE, MA, FSA The interior of the Church before the installation of the organ and still with oil lamps The front of the Church before it was extended. The interior photograph of the Church shows the Gallery The West side of the Church Thursley Church, 1938 The illustration of the Church above comes from pages of a book held by Surrey Archeological Collections and reproduced in the pdf below 18th Century Table Tombs: "One of Thursley's landmarks, the large well-known old horse chestnut tree, at the Parish Church, fell victim to the gale on Monday evening (14th November 1977). Canon John Stevens, the vicar, said it was a miracle the tree did not fall the other way as it could have hit the church or it could have crashed on one of the cottages by the church. As it was, "it laid itself nicely across the road, blocking it." The church gate and a section of boundary wall have been damaged. The tree, thought to have been one of the largest horse chestnuts in Surrey, is referred to in tourist guide books and also has a brief mention in the Thursley Church Guide Book published in the 1960s which suggests it was 250 years old. Many years ago it was subject to tree surgery with iron rods holding the trunk together. These rods were made at the Elstead Forge by the late Guy Bovington, his daughter Mrs G Hewitt recollects. Many old Thursley residents and others, were sad to learn about the end of the tree under which, said one resident, "generations of Thursley have passed to worship in the church and for weddings, christenings and funerals". Picture shows Mr Otto Jaenicke who is over six foot tall and Miss A Ayres beside the roots of the fallen giant chestnut. Extract taken from The Herald of Friday, November 18th 1977 This is a link to the Church's website: https://parishesofetsph.org.uk/about-us/st-michael-and-all-angels-church/

The church was re-shingled with chestnut tiles from France in September 1986. The steeplejack was Mr Harknett. This was found during the re-shingling

When preparing for the Wedding Belles exhibition (see separate entry) in 2008, this list of the vicars of St Michael and All Angels was compiled to coincide with the dates covered by the exhibition. To this distinguished list must be added: 2010 John Jeremy Page 2020 Hannah Thérèse Moore Work in progress, so this is just the beginning of entries about our vicars: Francis Harcourt Gooch, 1886-1901 Bill from R B Stedman, Bookseller, to Revd F H Gooch, June 30, 1898 The Revd F H Gooch at Dye House, 1918 Alfred Perceval Pott 1901 - 1907 Charles Kaye Watson, 1914 - 1918 C K Watson was vicar of Thursley throughout the First World War. Here is a letter to parishioners that was in the Parish Magazine: Addison James Wheeler, 1925 - 1932 From Durham University The Addison Wheeler Fellowships are funded by a bequest from Addison James Wheeler, who died in 1967 at the age of eighty-five. Having read Theology at Durham University, Wheeler became a schoolmaster and afterwards took Holy Orders. Ill health prevented him from achieving his ambition of a career in scientific research. During his lifetime this remarkable man devoted himself to building up sufficient capital to support young scholars, whom he hoped would be able to make a significant contribution to knowledge that he himself had been unable to achieve. As reported above, the Vicarage suffered a terrible fire in 1930. 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. H Gordon French, 1932-1959 The Revd French with Mrs Lettice Fisher Dedication of Mothers' Union Banner Memories of H Gordon French Kenneth Mathews, 1968 -1977 This memoir of Revd A K Mathews, OBE, DSC, was based largely on an obituary in The Daily Telegraph and an article in the Thursley Parish Magazine of February 1993. It also appears in The Lives of the People of Thursley, published by the History of Thursley Society, which can be found on this website. Not mentioned in the article is that he was the progenitor of the Thursley Harvest Supper in 1972 which has recently been resurrected. The complete article can be downloaded from this pdf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Mathews https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-the-rev-kenneth-mathews-1564982.html A John Stephens, 1977 - 1983 From the Church Times : STEPHENS.  — On 13 October, the Revd (Archibald) John Stephens: CMS Missionary (1950-52); Manager and Chaplain of Ado-Ekiti Hospital (1950-55); Priest-in-Charge of CMS Training Centre, Akure (1955-56); E.T.C., St John’s College, Owo (1956-59); Principal of Bishop Phillips Hall, Owo (1958-60); Hon. Can of St Stephen’s Cathedral, Ondo-Benin (1957-71); Assistant Curate, of Christ Church and St Mary, Swindon (1968-70); Hon. Canon of Owerri since 1971; Curate-in-Charge of Ash Vale Conventional District (1971-72); Vicar of St Mary’s, Ash Vale (1972-77); Priest-in-Charge of Thursley (1977-82); aged 100. The Advertiser, July 16, 1982 Order of Service for the Revd Stevens is complete in the pdf below: William David Lang 1992 - 2010 John Jeremy Page 2010-2020 https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/6-march/features/features/ordination-would-i-do-it-again-no Hannah Thérèse Moore 2020 - https://parishesofetsph.org.uk/team-members/rev-hannah-moore/ Here is a complete list of Rectors, Vicars and Patrons from a photograph taken in the Church:

Formerly the Old Manor House, it is a Grade II listed building (9 March 1960) The house dates back to the 16 th Century in the back part and interior.  It is a Grade II listed building, March 9, 1960. Rear view of Hill Farm House in the early 1990s. Surnames of previous owners include: M Rapley; L Rapley; Stevens; Haviland In 1952 the Cosford Estate was broken up and Hill Farm was Lot 19. The annotation on the relevant page of the sale catalogue notes that it was 'Sold to tenants' and the tenant was listed as Mr M L Rapley: Ron and Rosemary's grandfather farmed at Hill Farm. He went toLondon to claim his bride,The Lutyens's governess Maurice Rapley and pony Mr & Mrs Maurice Rapley with sons Vernon and Lionel and daughter Aileen Aileen Rapley, Maurice's daughter, school teacher. She left Thursley when war broke out. The stars of Mrs Fisher'schoir were the three Hill Farm Rapleys: Lionel; Vernon and Aileen who was also Miss Lutyens's daughter and Maggie Walters whom Vernon Rapley married. Lionel Rapley, Maurice's son, Rosemary Walker's father. Labrador breeder, founded Hilldown kennels. Church organist. Vernon Rapley nicknamed 'Bay', Maurice's son and Ron's (nicknamed Boy) father, chicken farmer. Lionel Rapley, church organist for many years Martin and Rosemary Rapley, son and daughter of Lionel Rapley The Reverend Edmund and Jane Haviland, 1998 Edmund and Jane Haviland and her son, Nigel Chandler Photograph above and below by Sean Edwards

On 20th February 2025, Marion O'Brien and Amanda Flint-Roberts gave a talk in the Church. This article, written by Jackie Rickenberg, first appeared in the Parish Magazine in February 2025: St Michael and All Angles, John Hassell 1824 Please, if you haven’t already done so, could you put Thursday the 20th February into your diaries. Marion O’Brien and Amanda Flint-Roberts will be giving a talk in our beautiful church about …. our beautiful church, as it approaches it millennium. It starts at 7.30pm and the History Society will be collecting donations on the door. No need to book, just turn up to learn more about the amazing history of this ancient building at the centre of our village.   Our archives have recently moved (I could tell you where but …) and it has given us an opportunity to delve deep into its contents. Now and again, amongst the deeds and the official documents, a little piece of magic is unearthed and this is one such piece. It is a photocopy of an original hand-written record, not particularly old, but nonetheless, intriguing. It is not signed or dated and it is in little random paragraphs, full of past church life.   “The churchyard wall along the road used to have iron rings set in it at intervals, for horses to be tied to during services. Now, alas, all have disappeared. Lionel Rapley told me that when he was a young man attending a funeral, the gravedigger had dug the hole too small, so that during interment the coffin got stuck and nothing would free it. The gravedigger then jumped up and down on it and bashed it with a shovel, to no more avail than was the highly infunereal language he used throughout. He had to get down to it and dig the hole properly! Lionel Rapley told me that one Sunday when he was a young man, the congregation wondered why the vicar was so late for Matins, and the reason was that since he drove like a bat out of hell, he had overturned his coach in The Street on the way up to the church. A year before the bells were recast and overhauled we were forbidden to ring them because of their dilapidated state, as there was a real danger that they would break from their head stocks and descend to the floor of the nave. During the ministry of Bill Mills a bird flew into Matins one morning. After teasing the vicar considerably, it settled on the steps of the pulpit during the sermon. The vicar, a better cricketer than footballer, took a kick at it and missed. During the last hymn it settled on Mr Rapley’s head as he played the organ, and in fending it off he dislodged the fall, which being extremely heavy, descended on his hands. This brought the service to an unconventional close. Before the advent of the fundraising scheme known as Christian Stewardship, the finances of the church were in such poor shape that only the most pressing fabric repairs could be undertaken and the school, now in the village hall, was sold to the council because the church could not afford to keep the roof repaired. In those days the only way of raising money was by a Day of Gifts when a bucket was placed beside the font for donors to use. Strict anonymity was observed and the total raised was not very large. Some time ago the weather vane on the church steeple had for many years been stationary. This annoyed Christopher Watson, who lived at The Lodge, so much, that eventually he financed its removal and had it repaired to its present operational condition. For many years there was a line of elms along the south side of the churchyard, which shut out the sun and made the “new” part of the churchyard constantly damp and dark. The trees were felled about twelve years ago, making the bright and attractive end to the churchyard we have today. Since elms have a way of raising up as saplings after felling, it is much to be hoped that they will be kept clipped. The crocuses just inside the churchyard gate were planted by Mrs Malins who lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr Jobson, at Foldown. Though she has gone, her crocuses are a constant delight to us all in the Spring. On the altar there used to be two brass candlesticks which were part of a matching set which included the cross. The candlesticks were both stolen about ten years ago. Other vandalism from time to time has included smashing of the stained-glass windows in the chancel and North Aisle, smashing open the organ and vestry with attempts to open the safe, and immeasurable attempts on the alms box, as the many jemmy marks on the surrounding stonework testify. The best way of guarding against such damage is by unpremeditated visits, and restricting entry of the church to all and sundry”. It would seem that there have been many dramas in our church’s life throughout the years but we’re delighted to report that it is currently in a healthy financial position and that any repairs are dealt with promptly by our marvellous Clerk of Works, Simon Treadwell. The current Parochial Church Council, headed up by our wonderful Rev Hannah, oversee all Church matters and we are delighted and appreciative that this historic church is open daily for villagers and visitors alike. This beautifully hand-written, undated brief history of St Michael's Church is from our archive: Saxon window in church which was uncovered in1927 The page below accompanied this illustration of the Church which indicates it was published c1823

Photographs only of this Grade II listed building (28th October, 1986) Mr Nash, Caroline, Florence, Mrs Nash, Berth, in front is Lilian. Mr and Mrs Nash lived at Bedford Farm. Caroline became Mrs Norman of Hole Cottage, Florence became Mrs Rapley and lived at Highfield Farm. Bedford Farm House in the Autumn, complete with Aston Martin DB2 View from Mount Pleasant across to Bedford Farm House The house was sold in 2022 and the following photographs were taken from the sale particulars: https://grantley.co.uk/property/bedford-lane-thursley/

There have been four pubs in the village: The Horn Inn; The Red Lion, The Half Moon and the Three Horse Shoes - only the latter exists as a pub. Very little information is known about The Half Moon which was on the A3 near Hammer Pond and was demolished in 1975 when the A3 became a dual carriageway, it was formerly The Anglers Retreat. If you have any information, please email the website. Photo by Peter Shimmon From the 1936 Register of Electors From Kay Cottle's postcard collection The Half Moon Inn on closing down day prior to demolition for the making of the dual carriageway on the A3. It is now the entrance to Warren Park.

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 Bar of the Red Lion Inn The Red Lion Inn - pre 1914 The Closure and sale of the Red Lion Inn: https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/surrey/thursley_redlion.html

Many people were responsible for the producing these beautiful kneelers in Thursley Church. L to R: Unknown; Jane Hodges, Willow Cottage; Connie Bull, Bowlhead Green; Joyce Cottall, South Lodge; Marion O'Brien, The Lodge; Unknown; Margie Crawfurd, Bracken Hilll; Pat Arnold, Hedge Cottage.

Thursley Village Pre 1958 Drone photograhy courtesy Jackie Malton Thursley Churchyard