Are you related to the Hanks family? Private (Alfred) George Hanks is named on Rodborough’s WW2 memorial. He was born in the Horsley area in 1914, the youngest of 7 children and the only surviving boy. He was just a year old when his father George Henry Hanks was killed in the First World War We know little of George’s life, but his mother Alice (nee Rudge) remained in Downend, near Nailsworth for many years and moved to Bowl Hill, Kingscourt sometime between 1929 and 1939, and was there till her death in 1973 aged 95.

“George” was probably a regular soldier with the 1st Gloucestershire Regiment was killed in action in Burma in 1942. We would love to know a little more about his life and maybe find a photo.

The picture here shows Bowl Hill in the early 50s. Mrs Hanks lived just above the cottages on the right and the girl in the centre of the photo is her granddaughter Christine Buckingham.

Albert was born on 25^th April 1909 in Woodchester to William and Elizabeth (Herbert). The family was large; William had 6 children from a first marriage that left him widowed.  He married Elizabeth Herbert in 1891 and they had nine more children.

Albert was the youngest child. His mother died in 1911 and his father in 1915 leaving him an orphan at the age of 6. An older brother, Edwin, was killed in France in 1918 and is remembered on the Woodchester War Memorial and Wayside Cross.

The 1921 census shows Albert aged 12, and at school, in the household of his 26-year-old sister, Margaret, who was also providing a home for three of his older siblings at High St, Woodchester.

Albert married Doris Kemp in 1937, and a daughter Marlene was born in 1939. They lived at Whiteholme Cottages, Kingscourt when the 1939 register was compiled, and Alfred was employed as a printer’s journeyman at Arthur’s Press in Woodchester. He was a former Woodchester team footballer.

Albert served as Gunner 11401652, 173 Bty., 62 H.A.A. Regt., Royal Artillery. He was aged 34 when he died at sea, of wounds on 19^th January 1943. He is buried in Gibraltar. The chain of events leading to his death is unclear.

Doris was then living in a house in Stanfields, since demolished. In 1945 she was married in Stroud to Felix Kalpokas, an American serviceman, and with their new baby, she and Marlene went to join him in the States in 1946.

This was a large local family. Does anyone have any more information or a photo of Albert?

Cecil Burcher

We are still seeking information on some of the men on the WW2 memorial. The photo is of Edie nee Harrison in 1908. She became the stepmother of Cecil Burcher. The family lived in Kitesnest Lane and Edie died in 1985. We know precious little about Cecil who while serving with the 1st Glosters in Burma. He had a brother, Arthur, who seems to have moved to Bristol and married there in 1934. Can anyone fill in his life story?

Martin White has let us know that his book largely about growing up in Rodborough from 1955 to 1963, has been published and is available on Amazon. Here is the link:

Amazon.co.uk : the cotswold boy – martin white.

We have been recently loaned some records and you can read a summary here:

The lettering on Rodborough’s WW2 memorial has been repainted thanks to generous donations to Remembering Rodborough. The wording is much more legible, though the reflective stone is difficult to photograph.

Rodborough Parish Minute Book – 9th April 1840
“At a special vestry meeting held this day according to a notice fixed on the church door and pursuant to the Act of Parliament it was resolved that the application of Jacob Haines to be sent to Australia with his family of six sons and one daughter should be acceded to and notice then sent to the Board of Guardians.”
(Provision for the emigration of the poor, with the cost being borne by an emigrant’s home parish, was included in section 62 of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.  http://www.workhouses.org.uk/emigration/.) 
It seems, however, that Jacob didn’t go, as the family are found on later census records at Houndscroft. He was a woollen weaver born in 1796 and lived to the age of 84. With all those sons there must be lots of Haines descendants around – wondering if they know how close they came to being Aussies!

I have a feeling of delight and amazement when I become aware of something that I must have passed hundreds of times and not noticed. Cresby Brown or ‘Mr Red’ has been carefully recording Ordnance Survey benchmarks before they disappear.

Looking at http://benchmarks.mister.red/#rodborough I realise how unobservant I have been. There are 28 benchmarks photographed in Rodborough.

The term benchmark, or bench mark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a “bench” for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future.

All the news in the media about the Armistice centenary has stimulated many family memories.

We have been sent a photo of Albert Edward (Ted) Clarke who lived in a cottage in Kitesnest Lane. He survived the war and emigrated to Australia with his family in 1927.

We know he lived at a group of cottages and out buildings known as the Homestead above the allotments in Kitesnest Lane.

We believe the buildings were demolished in the 80s. The photo below shows cider making at The Homestead in the 70s

Does anyone have any photos of the cottages?

It’s finally time for Rodborough to say thank you to Sergeant John Cuthbert who gave his young life in 1944 when his plane was lost, believed to have been shot down near Brest in France. He was 23 years old and left a young wife and a baby born three weeks later. His name has now been added to the WW2 memorial.

After a beautiful service on Remembrance Sunday flowers and messages were placed under the WW1 memorial in an attempt to recreate an impression of the striking display at the unveiling in 1920.

Initially placed randomly they formed a rather artistic floral heap!

A talented lady has now worked her magic and they are transformed to a beautiful display that will last a little longer.

Remember our note last year about phone boxes being decommissioned?

We have had an enquiry about the ‘Lonely tree’ on the common. Does anyone know its age? Has anything been written about it?

The war memorial was cleaned yesterday and is looking much better. It may continue to lighten a little in the next few days as the cleaning agents continue to work.

Marked on the 1909 land survey map as Allotments Gardens. Does anyone have any idea how far back this land use goes?

We are very excited to have been loaned Rodborough Scouts Archive. We will be busy scanning for quite a while, but hope to share some of the pictures here.

This little snap was in the bottom of the box with the woodlice! Any thoughts?

Last Saturday evening we were proud to host a performance by Spaniel in the Works Theatre Company of Tommy Atkins and the Canary Girl. It was a powerful and emotional performance depicting the lives of one Gloucestershire family in WW1 and fitting that it was held in the church alongside the war memorial for which we are raising funds to clean. Thanks to all who supported us and to the additional generosity of Rodborough parish Council, we now have the funding to go ahead.                                                                      

One of the best things about Remembering Rodborough’s website is reaching people across the globe. We’ve had contact from a delightful lady in the US who has very special memories of coming from Birmingham to stay with grandparents at The Pike House opposite the Prince Albert. This photo of the garden is from c1940. Does anyone have any photos of the Pike House?

Thank you to everyone who made this morning’s event such fun. Sometimes it’s like the Antiques Roadshow without the cameras. These exciting packages bundled in old newspaper and brown paper have a remarkable story; Ernest Mills of Park Lodge, Dudbridge Hill was employed by the Apperly and Curtis Woollen Mill when it became bankrupt in 1933 and Charles Apperly “moved quickly to the South of France”. His workers were paid off in cloths lengths and those seen here have been a treasured family possession. Today they were on their way to a safe home at Stroud Museum.

Have you had a look at Know Your Place ?

Covering the South west of England, Know Your Place is a digital heritage mapping resource to help you to explore your neighbourhood online through historic maps, collections and linked information.

It’s worth the effort required in learning to navigate the maps.

Look at this screenshot of Rodborough in 1835 – there’s not much there!