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NETLEY ABBEY MATTERS!
SHARED VILLAGE STORIES l
This Page is dedicated to the Families, past and present, of Netley Abbey Village.
The stories reproduced here are their family stories, told in their own words.
Photos are invaluable but as these are personal stories, not everyone wants to share them.
If you have a story to tell and are happy to share it here, then please
let me know via Contact Me.
Index of Family Surnames
These Shared Village Stories are not in alphabetical order because some naturally follow others and
they wouldn't if I was to file them alphabetically.
The featured surnames appear below in this order -
Attrill/Lowe/Dove Parker Peckham Sellwood Miles Cosier/Meikle Balldelli
Clatworthy Ford McIsaac Alger Jacobs
Sainsbury Phipps Sharp Wilkinson Holloway French Butt/Gilbert
Crook/Shaw Baptie/Rogers Dawkins/Gallagher Wright Chaplin
Shared Village Stories has expanded into 2 pages - see left!
About 18 months ago, Geoff Attrill got in touch to check if I could help him trace his relative. Here's what we have so far. If you can help, please let me know via Contact Me and I'll connect you to Geoff.
The Lowe, Attrill, Dove Families
"William Lowe was a Private in the Army Service Corps living in the Royal Victoria Hospital when he married my Great Aunt Frances Attrill in 1899 - see the Marriage Certificate below.
There were two other Lowe brothers, Edmund and George, my Grandfather.
George was born in Butlock's Heath in 1881; my father (Edmund) was born in Netley Abbey in 1925 and I was born here too in 1955."
Sadly the Netley Military Hospital Names' database did not show Geoff's William Lowe.
The 1901 Census shows a Private William Lowe, married, age 26 serving with the Army Services Corps at Aldershot Hospital - is this Geoff's Great Uncle William?
Back in April 2019, John Dove had contacted me to share the story of his family ties to Netley Abbey.
"I am the son of William and Lucy Frances Dove, nee Attrill.
My parents were married on 23 April 1932 at St Edward's Church Netley Abbey.
My father was from Freemantle, Southampton. I now live in Canada but I grew up and was
educated in Southampton."
Lucy is the Niece of Private William Lowe's wife, Frances Attrill.
Lucy's parents were Sidney James and Elizabeth Attrill.
My Netley Abbey Residents' Register has her parents living at 62A Woolston Road, Butlock's Heath
in 1920 and in 1954, at 15 The Crescent, Netley Abbey.
The Register also has a Captain William Edmund Lowe living at "Heathfield",
41 Station Road, Netley Abbey who is in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1920.
One last thought - Rob Dove who creates those beautiful photographs/ drawings which
grace the stairway at Lowford Community Centre - are you related here?
"The Parker Sisters"
Philip Parsons contacted me via my website in August 2018 querying whether No 4 Oxford + Cambridge Terrace on Station Road, Netley Abbey was still there?
This created a bit of a mystery!
In 2018, the only houses included in the address of Oxford + Cambridge Terrace are numbered 11 - 15.
However, according to the pre-1914 map below, it looks like there was only Oxford + Cambridge Terrace on that part of Station Road. The large building on the corner of Victoria Road and Station Road belonged to the Cutler family who had a blacksmith forge and later Refreshment Rooms on Station Road, below Oxford + Cambridge Terrace.
Pre-1914 map, reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland via www.maps.nls.uk
Philip’s Family History -
"This is the story of two sisters, one who made Netley her permanent home and the other
who temporarily passed through.
It begins about 100 miles away in the small Somerset village of North Petherton,
midway between Bridgwater and Taunton, where Henry Parker, a baker
and his wife Martha, raised 11 children.
There was a twelfth but sadly she died at one year of age.
They married in 1869 and a year later they had their first child, Mary Ada and following
the birth of 4 sons, they had a second daughter, Ethel Kate, who was born 14 years later in 1882.
A further son followed along with a further 5 daughters.
At the age of thirty, Mary Ada married Frederick Charles Tucker in 1896 at
North Petherton Parish Church.
He was about 5 years older and had previously been working as a stone mason’s labourer.
They initially lived in North Petherton close to members of both families.
Their first two children, Ethel Grace and Hubert Frederick, were born there also.
In about 1901, Frederick became a hospital nurse having by then moved to Hound.
I am by no means certain but assume this was at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
I can only speculate why at the age of 36 years he chose such a career move
but this may have been to improve his earnings as he had by this time a growing family.
He appears to have initially moved to Hound on his own because in the
1901 census, Mary and their two children remained living at North Petherton.
Again I can only speculate the reason for them living apart but it may have been
that he was undergoing training.
She must have joined him by 1903 because their third child Cecil Ernest was born at
Netley on 28 July 1903 and 6 years later, their daughter, Kathleen Ruth, was also born in Netley.
Frederick possibly did not take to nursing because in the 1911 census, then aged 45 years,
he had returned to being a general labourer.
Mary’s sister, Ethel Kate, my paternal Grandmother, continued to live in Somerset.
In the 1911 Census, she was living with my Grandfather’s parents, so it would appear at that time that my Grandparents had begun their courtship. She was approximately 4 years older than him.
My Grandfather, William Thomas Parsons, was a career soldier having joined the
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1904.
He saw service abroad and was stationed on Gibraltar for a time and was serving
in Ireland at the outbreak of the First World War.
He went from Ireland to the Western Front with the British Expeditionary Force in September 1914.
At the outbreak of war, he was a senior NCO but at some point thereafter
he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
In about 1916 or 1917 he was wounded and repatriated, I presume, to the Royal Victoria Hospital.
His treatment would be what we would now call plastic surgery to his face and nose.
He must have been given first class treatment as he never appeared to have any facial disfigurement.
At some point my Grandmother moved to Netley to be near him
and they married here in the summer of 1917.
My Grandmother must have remained there for a time although Grandfather returned
to active service and was posted to the Italian front where he remained for about a year.
In December 1917, he sent a Christmas card to Grandmother at 4 Oxford and Cambridge Terrace,
the address at which her sister Mary and husband Frederick were then living with their four children.
By the following Christmas, Grandmother had returned to Somerset as the card for that year was addressed to her in North Petherton.
Grandfather saw out the war and was posted back to Ireland before being demobbed.
They settled first at Selworthy and after a year of so, at nearby Allerford,
where they remained until their deaths in the 1970s achieving over 50 years of marriage.
They had 2 children, my father born in 1920 and my Aunt, eleven months later in 1921.
By this time my Grandmother would have been over forty years of age.
Mary and Frederick remained at Netley but Frederick passed away in 1923 and Mary
7 years later in 1930.
Their son, Hubert Frederick, was probably conscripted towards the end of the
First World War and joined the Royal Navy.
He survived the War but was lost at sea in 1919, then aged only 19 years.
He was at the time an Able Seaman serving on HMS Nairana off Kem in the
White Sea off Northern Russia.
The Commonwealth War Grave Commission website contains a document that says he was
drowned in a “tragic accident”. The ship’s log for HMS Nairana, however, says that he fell
overboard and was drowned on 4 August 1919.
The log also records that a search was undertaken for his body on a number of days
following but it was never found.
His name is recorded on the Netley War Memorial and on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
As for their other children, Ethel Grace married Ernest Vidler in 1919 and had 2 children -
a son and daughter. The son Ernest Frank emigrated to Australia where he died in 1974.
Their daughter, Valerie Ruth, married and appears to have moved to Essex.
Mary and Frederick’s other son, Cecil Ernest, married Ivy, curiously another Miss Parker
but no relation. They had 3 children, a daughter and 2 sons.
They appear to have moved to the Winchester area.
Their other daughter, Kathleen Ruth, married Edwin Moss, in Eastleigh in 1932, but appears
not to have had children."
UPDATE on the above Article!
A lady has since contacted me via this website to say she recognised one of the names,
Philip mentions in his story. She asked if I could put her in touch with Philip.
He agreed and now their joint family tree has just got bigger!
Connecting people works!
Thomas (Tom) Peckham's Memories of Netley Abbey
("I was ribbed about the 'as' bit at school so dropped it and forever have been just "Tom” - Ha Ha)
I was born in 1935. We were the first residents of 46 Sea View Estate when it was built in 1937.
The houses opposite were still being constructed when we moved into ours.
Neighbours I recall were Mr & Mrs Herring, Mrs Hoar, Mr & Mrs. Potts and Mrs Mills.
Our house was rented from a landlady, by the name of Mrs Green.
I recall being taken to Netley Infants school by my mother, Beatrice Peckham.
A traumatic experience in the lives of all small children I suspect.
I was a member of the 4th Itchen Sea Scouts. Our leader was a man who everyone called "Ricky".
He was a great guy and extremely good to us youngsters.
As sea scouts, we had a sheath knife held in a scabbard on our belts as part of the uniform.
That would be illegal these days. I never knew of any event where the knives were
used against anybody at all. What a different age!
We used the knives to cut ropes etc. Also to cut sticks and make fires when we did “wood-craft”.
We had a huge boat, a whaler which was kept on the foreshore.
I used to get blisters from pulling at the oars. It was great fun though.
The Scout Hut was on the road that led to the main gate of Netley Hospital.
I remember as a child the sight of a very old man dressed in a red uniform who rode up
on a Penny Farthing bicycle to a lamp post situated outside of the Post Office.
He wobbled up to the lamp post and used it as a support while he dismounted.
The Post Office then was integrated with the Chemists shop, I think the Chemists name was a Mr. Kilford. It was on a corner of Victoria Road and Chamberlayne Road.
I was told that this elderly man was one of the Chelsea Pensioners from Netley Castle.
He would collect his pension from the Post Office, re-mount his Penny Farthing and wobble off!
The Netley Library was in a small building in New Road opposite the Police Station.
I used to get books there as a youngster until one day it seems that I kept a book for longer
than the stipulated period. When I returned it the librarian, a large man looked at the book,
then he said in a loud voice. “This book is over-due. You have to pay a fine”.
I was terrified. I had no money. Fines were what criminals paid.
I fled. I avoided the Police Station and I never ever returned to that library again! Ha Ha.
I later went to Butlocks Heath school and then went on to Hamble school.
Possibly a lot of older people who attended the school might recall an embarrassing event
that happened to me.
Dinners were served in the main hall which was also used as an assembly area and a gym. It had “wall bars” and “ropes hanging from the ceiling” for PT.
Dinners were served in relays because the whole school could not be seated at one sitting.
I had eaten my meal. A friend and I went to the woodwork room which had an annex to it. We saw a trap door in the ceiling of the annex which we decided to investigate.
The trap door led up to the roof area over the main hall. It was great fun to explore it. However, it was dark. We walked on the beams that supported the ceiling, but my foot slipped and went through the ceiling making quite a large hole.
I looked down and saw a sea of startled faces all looking up at my foot hanging through the hole. I am sure that the dust and bits of tile contaminated many a dinner.
Of course, I was terrified and my friend and I scampered down to the woodwork room again.
I decided that a large hole in the hall ceiling was bound to cause some trouble and so I decided that the only thing that I could do was to own up.
I went to the Head Master's office, his name was Mr Newbold or possibly Newbolt.
I timidly knocked on the door. Strangely the news of the hole in the roof had not got to the headmaster at the time.
The Head opened his office door. I said, “I’m sorry, sir but I have come through the roof.”
The man had a fit of laughter. At that point another member of staff arrived and stated that somebody had made a hole in the roof of the hall.
To my relief no further action was taken!
The Prince Consort public house I remember as a youngster had a morgue in it, which was used to house corpses of occasional drownings.
I also recall a little tobacconist shop in Victoria road which was close to the fish and chip shop there. It was operated by a little old lady with white hair set in a bun.
The shop had the old large glass jars on shelves behind the counter displaying
the boiled sweets, liquorice and so on.
On the counter the lady had a wine glass in which she put Wild Woodbine cigarettes.
She would sell us children a single cigarette for, I think. one penny!
[Chris Meikle emailed me to say that this "little old lady" was his Great Grand-Aunt,
Grace Ellen "Nell" Baldwin, sister of Elsie, wife of George Cosier.
Read all about her and much more below!]
I remember the hairdresser Cosier. I used to have my hair cut there.
The hair dresser had a length of wood that he used for “tithes” like me which he placed
across the arms of the barber's chair so that when I sat on the wood,
my head was at a suitable height for him to cut the hair without having to bend.
Further along that road was the Post Office and Chemist.
The Chemist was a delightful old world one with the many glass jars containing the ingredients
for the medications, which the dispenser, I think his name was Mr Kilford, used to make up
in accordance with the doctor's prescriptions.
Liquids medications came in glass bottles with an old fashioned cork.
The sides of the bottles had the dose levels marked on the side by raised marks in the glass.
I could buy chemicals of all sorts there in packets. That is impossible these days.
Opposite the General Store Lankester and Crook was a garage.
One could buy sulphuric acid at that garage.
It was delivered in large glass carboys which were cradled in a metal basket with
straw at the bottom.
The acid was, of course, for use in batteries. Many people had battery accumulators then to run
their radio receivers. I remember that the garage offered a charging service for such accumulators.
When I left school I was apprenticed to the Fairey Aviation Aircraft factory at Hamble.
After the war, the Hamble airfield was used as a training airfield for Volunteer Reserve pilots
to keep their flying hours up. They flew Tiger Moth aircraft.
I was a member of the Air Training Corps (ATC) and we lads were allowed to go for flights with
the VR pilots. That was a great experience and I learned a lot about the rudiments of flight.
I attach a picture of me all togged up and ready for a flight.
I left Netley at around the age of 20 years to work in Rampisham, Dorset.
My father, Herbert Morris Peckham, was a tool maker and he worked at the Supermarine factory
in Woolston until it was bombed. He was fortunate in that he was ill at that time.
He did start off for work on his bicycle but hit a pot hole and was thrown off injuring himself,
so he abandoned the trip and returned home.
The factory was bombed and the shelter that was allocated to him took a direct hit.
His mates all died.
After that he worked at Air Service Training at Hamble.
My father was a keen model engineer who made model steam ships, model trains and such like.
Here are photos of 3 of his models
My parents remained in the Sea View Estate house until my mother died.
My Dad continued to live there until about 1984.
Then when he was in his late 90s, my father was moved to a small nursing home
near where the road forks, one fork going to Netley Railway Station, the other towards Hamble.
He stayed there until he died, aged 99."
Tom, thank you so much for sharing more of your memories and the photos!
Well before Tom's time but ...
If you think you may have a family connection to any of the Folk mentioned on this Page,
please let me know. I'll need to check with the author first but if okay,
I'll pass on their contact details to you.
"A War-time Postcard"
In early 2020, a lady called Hannah contacted me via this website to tell me a lovely story
surrounding a war-time Postcard which she had recently purchased at an Antiques Fair.
She lives in Cheshire; somehow the Postcard had made its way up to there.
Hannah decided to do some research and here's what she found out ...
"The Postcard is addressed to a Miss Rose Sellwood at Hartfield Cottage, Grange Road,
Netley Abbey.
I know that it is a World War 1 postcard as it mentions the Dardanelles.
It is also signed by a "Reg" although that doesn't yield many clues."
"Rose was actually called Elsie Rosa Sellwood and is Joseph Sellwood’s daughter.
The man who wrote to her, “Reg”, was Reginald Lewis Sellwood, her brother who was in the Royal Army Medical Corps. [See front of postcard photo below]
Elsie Rosa Sellwood went on to marry an Edward Skinner, and I think that their daughter Rosemary Skinner went on to become a Ruthen?
Ben Miles, mentioned on the Postcard, was Benjamin Parker Miles who lived in Netley and went off to war at the same time as Reginald."
The 1911 Census below shows the Sellwood Family living at Hartfield Cottages,
Grange Lane, Netley Abbey.
The Text in the margin at the back of the postcard reads -
This is the picture on the front of the postcard.
RAMC Mess Hall - but which one is Reg?
Ben Parker Miles
Bob Miles contacted me recently to advise that he and his sister, Heather had
continued to research for more about Benjamin Parker Miles after reading Hannah's story above.
They first had found an article in the Hull Daily Mail giving notice that Ben had married Miss Cora Thompson on 6 April 1920 at Hull, Yorkshire. Cora was born on 20 May 1896.
Following their search for family members on Facebook, they were contacted by Mrs Jayne Diffey, nee Miles. who is the Grand-daughter of Ben and Cora. Jayne gave them more information from Ben's Memoir:
When WW1 broke out, Ben joined the Royal Engineers much to Topsy's disgust -
"My father sneered - What's wrong with the Navy?"
Ben was sent home from Gallipoli in August 1915 after being injured.
"I'm not sure what happened, either the Turks blew us up or the Navy dropped heavy shells short"
He was then put onto a hospital ship, the Alurnia.
He continues - "We managed to get to Southampton, arriving on 28 August.
As we steamed up the Water I could see my home at Netley.
At the docks I was taken ashore on a stretcher and labelled for Bootle, Liverpool.
Along came a St John Officer taking details and I recognised him as a schoolmaster from home
doing voluntary work.
He said "It's young Ben Miles.” You're not going to Bootle".
He brought a horse drawn ambulance and saw me off to Netley Hospital.
When he got home that evening he told my mother and she and my sisters came to see me."
We can't obviously be sure but it sounds like the St John Officer has been Reginald Miles as
per Hannah's postcard story above.
Ben's back was injured and he lost most of his hearing.
His back injury recovered but his hearing never did.
Jayne remembers - "We were always being told to 'Speak loudly to Poppy so he can hear you!'
Mind you, I believe he used to keep his hearing aid turned off most of the time!"
He was sent to Hull in October 1915 on Home Service and to attend the hospital there for treatment. It was here he met Cora as she was a St Johns nurse.
In December 1915 he returned home to Netley to re-join his old shipyard as "owing to a shortage of labour", servicemen who were connected with ship or boat work before joining up were requested to return to their civil employment. The firm was building seaplane hulls for Super Marine Aviation where he stayed until 1922 when he took over Topsy's yard.
My Netley Abbey Locations' Register shows -
Benjamin Parker Miles living at "Heathfield", Station Road, Netley Abbey in 1925.
The Miles Family in Netley Abbey
In early September 2020, Bob Miles contacted me to say that Benjamin Parker Miles
mentioned on the Postcard above was his Great Uncle!
Bob has been researching the Miles Family Tree since April (2020) and has kindly forwarded me a
lot of information about his Family who have lived in the South Stoneham, Woolston and Netley Abbey
for a long time.
3x Great Grandparents
William Miles and Charlotte Parker
Born 1780 and 1781 respectively
married in July 1799
lived in South Stoneham
had 7 children
Died October 1850 + October 1859
2x Great Grandparents
William Miles and Harriet Parker
Born 1826 and 1829 respectively
married in July 1850
lived on Victoria Road, Woolston
had 5 children
Died December 1908 + unknown but post-1908
Great Grandparents
"Topsy" William Miles and Louisa Maria Kent
Born July 1861 and October 1865
married in May 1885
lived at - the Yacht Tavern, Itchen Ferry;
1 Melbourne Terrace, Woodley Road, Woolston;
Sea View Cottages, Victoria Road, Woolston;
on the Houseboat opposite Sophie's Pond, Netley
"Lincolnville", 49 New Road, Netley Abbey
had 13 children
Died September 1940 + unknown but post-1935
Grandparents
George Henry Miles and Ellen May Riches
Born September 1896 and 1895/96
married in July 1916
lived in Yarmouth, Norfolk; then Eastleigh;
at Sea View Cottages, Victoria Road, Woolston;
on the Houseboat opposite Sophie's Pond, Netley
at "Ellerslie", 39 New Road, Netley Abbey
at 12 Winchester Close, Netley Abbey
had 4 children
Died September 1972 and July 1957
Parents
George Robert Miles and Phyllis Jeanette Moore
Born in Yarmouth on 18 October 1919 and in Cowes Isle of Wight 30 October 1927 respectively
married in October 1950 in Southampton/Winchester
lived at 37 The Crescent, Netley Abbey
Died 31 July 1982 and 17 February 1989, both at home.
Bob's Dad was in the Navy for some time after which he worked for Vickers-Armstrong in Swindon but between 1960 - 1980, he was employed by Vosper Thornycroft in Victoria Road, Woolston.
He retired ca 1980-81 as a result of irregular poor health.
His Mum, Phyllis was a fine cook and could "knit for England". In the early days of raising 4 children, she worked part-time as a cook and also knitted jumpers and woollen garments for a local haberdashery at 32 Queens View, Netley Abbey.
"Mum could knit a jumper in 2 days and was always on the hunt for wool.
I recall as a young boy, Mum would send me down to the Jubilee Hall in New Road when
there was a Jumble Sale on.
My job was to get as many hand knitted jumpers, cardigans etc; basically, anything made from wool that could be un-picked. Mum would give me 2 bob or half a crown, to get as much wool items, as I could.
When I got it home, Mum would hand wash everything and leave it to dry.
Once dry, we would start the job of un-picking."
Reading through Bob's family information, it seems to me that Bob and his Auntie Peggy were
particularly close.
Her husband, Private Frederick Phelps, Service No 7260862, 2nd Casualty Clearing Station, RAMC
was killed on 2 June 1940. They had only been married 4 years earlier.
He mentions sensing the sadness in her on his regular visits to her house at
12 Winchester Close, Netley Abbey.
His next port of call would be to visit his Uncle Pat and Auntie Helen who lived at 2 Monks Road, Netley.
He recalls one story told to him by Peggy about his Grandfather, George and his fondness for the
Prince Consort Pub on Victoria Road, Netley Abbey.
"On Christmas Day lunchtime, he could be found in the Prince Consort with his sons, (my Dad) George and (my Uncle) Pat. They would play darts and table board games such as dominoes. It was said that the Landlord would press/mould a type of chicken wire over the top of the bottle collector (bit like a hopper) and stand all the empty spirit bottles upside down to drain the last of the spirit from each bottle. This would be collected for some time prior to Christmas and on Christmas lunchtime, the landlord would then produce a “hot toddy” for all his best customers to enjoy."
The Miles Family in September 1969
From left to right at the front -
My Mum (Phyllis Jeanette Miles); My Grandfather (George Henry Miles); My Auntie Marie;
My Dad (George Robert Miles)
Standing behind -
Maureen, my cousin Bob Phelps (with his hand on his new wife Maureen's arm) and lastly my Auntie Peggy.
Bob's Family Tree is very detailed.
There are many more generations of the Miles Family whom I've not included here.
If you are member of the extended Miles family and wish to more but have lost touch with Bob etc,
let me know via this website and with the family's permission, I'll pass on their details.
Thank you, Bob, for sharing!
In June 2021, Chris Meikle contacted me via this website to share the story of his Family in Netley Abbey. Thank you!
The Cosier/Meikle Family
George C Cosier was born on the 7 August 1885 into a hairdressing family and was taught
the craft by his father, also George.
After serving his apprenticeship in the early 1900s, he moved from his father’s business
at Leigh Road, Eastleigh to Netley Abbey and started his own Hairdressing business
at 34 Victoria Road, living in the flat above the premises.
On 8 March 1908, George, aged 23, married Elsie E Baldwin, age 26, at St Edward's Church, Netley.
Elsie was originally from Maldon, Essex.
On 12 November 1910, Elsie (Betty) M Cosier was born at 34 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey.
The business expanded and in 1911, George was running a Hairdressing Salon and a Tobacconist Shop. By the 1930s, George had also become a Newsagent.
Much of his business came from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley.
Elsie, his wife, also had a business mind and bought and sold furniture & antiques privately,
and at sales and auctions.
Over the years they were married they bought a number of properties in the Village,
- The Sweet Shop at No 37 and The Chocolate Box Shop, both on Victoria Road and
five terrace cottages Nos 20 - 24 Victoria Road.
Tom Peckham in his Village Memories above mentioned the old lady who ran the
Tobacconist/Sweet Shop at No 37 Victoria Road?
Chris read it and commented -
"This lady was my Great Grand-Aunt Grace Ellen (Nell) Baldwin a spinster and eldest sister of Elsie.
Having moved to Netley in the 1930s Aunt Nell bought the shop at No37.
She was quite a character and when you entered her shop, the opening line was most likely -
"What you want mister". She lived on the premises and ran the shop until late 1962.
When in her 80s, her health deteriorated and she ended up staying at Ingleside before she died at
age 82 on 13th March 1963 at Moorgreen hospital."
George & Elsie Cosier’s only daughter, also Elsie, but better known in the village as Betty,
met John McKay Meikle from Falkirk, Scotland at a local dance in 1930.
John MacKay Meikle was born on 12 May 1908.
He had joined the RAMC as a Clerk in 1925 and was stationed at the
Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley.
They were married on 12 August 1931
In 1931, Betty's Dad, George bought Trafalgar House, 52 New Road, Netley for Betty and John.
John & Betty Meikle had two children:
Gordon, born 4 April 1932 and Alan, born 15 March 1937
Below - left to right:
George and Elsie Cosier, Betty (seated) and John Meikle with Gordon standing in front.
(Alan is missing as he was only born that month)
In 1938, George Cosier purchased the next door shop and flat at 33 Victoria Road.
Its walls were knocked down and Nos 33 & 34 Victoria Road now became one shop -
Men’s & Ladies Hairdressing, Newsagent, Tobacconists plus stationery & greeting cards.
When the 1939 Register was recorded on 29 September, George and Elsie Cosier, Betty Meikle
(changed at a later date to Binstead, see below), Gordon and Alan Meikle (closed record) are all living in the flat above 33 - 34 Victoria Road.
The 1939 Register for Trafalgar House states that the "House is locked up. Family away."
When the upstairs flat at Victoria Road was found to be too cramped, Betty took Gordon & Alan
north to Leeds for a short time, where John, now a Sergeant was based with his Regiment.
On their return to Netley Abbey, Betty and the children moved back into Trafalgar House.
In 1939 John Meikle was mobilised with the RAMC to France and returned to England
from Dunkirk in June 1940 saying it was "a miracle to be alive".
He served throughout the war in the Middle East, Sicily and Italy.
In 1944, after the D-Day Landings, John and his Regiment were stationed in Belgium.
By 1945 he had been promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major and he returned to the UK
sometime in 1945.
By this time, Betty had not seen her husband for over 2.5 years and their lives had gone
in different directions. In September 1946, they divorced. The family continued to live at
Trafalgar House with the support of her parents.
It would be around this time when George discovered that the large house called "Ingleside" was up for sale. To George, this was the ideal solution - to have both families living in the one house.
However, in order to buy Ingleside, George needed to sell Trafalgar House.
Betty was very unhappy about her home being sold but it was her father's to sell so
reluctantly went along with the move.
George Cosier bought "Ingleside" in 1947.
However, the house desperately required modernising and redecoration.
It had no electricity or plumbed water. Water came from a well. The lighting was still generated from gas mantles and paraffin mantle lights.
Once electrics and plumbing had been installed and many rooms decorated, George and Elsie Cosier along with daughter Betty and her sons Gordon and Alan moved into separate areas of the house.
In 1949, Elsie's Sister, Ida Boreham, nee Baldwin, visited from Canada.
Left photo is Ida with George and Elsie; right photo Ida, Betty and Elsie with Alan sitting.
In 1950 Betty, 30 met William (Bill) Binstead, 39 at a Conservative Club Dance. He was a very good dancer as was Betty. Bill was a widower with two teenage daughters, Jean and Marjorie.
He was a stevedore at Southampton Docks.
A relationship formed from dancing and they married in August 1950.
Bill moved into the house and lived in the ground and first floor rooms that Betty occupied,
originally the servants' end of the house.
In 1953, Gordon Meikle became engaged to Rosalind (known as Doris) Taviner
They were married on 12 June 1954 at St Cuthbert's Church, Copnor, Portsmouth
Although the wedding photos below were taken at Ingleside, Gordon and Doris lived in the 2-bedroom flat above Cosiers in Victoria Road which had been empty since the family moved to Ingleside in 1947.
Bill's younger daughter, Marjorie, was born in 1937 and lived at Ingleside on and off until
she married in 1957.
In 1954, age 17, whilst living at Ingleside, she was a witness to a fatal car accident
in a "head on" crash with a motorcycle at Bursledon Bridge on 23 January.
The motorcycle rider died from multiple injuries, The driver of the car was found guilty and sent to prison.
Extracted from the newspaper account in the Portsmouth Evening News 02/02/1954
In 1954, George Cosier, 68, gave the Legacy of Cosiers at 33 - 34 Victoria Road to
Gordon Meikle upon his marriage to Doris.
Gordon and Doris would have 3 sons, Chris, John, Roger and 1 daughter, Allison.
In 1960, George, age 75 retired from hair cutting at Cosiers on Victoria Road.
On 19 September 1961, George's wife, Elsie died at Ingleside, age 79. She is buried at the Church of St Mary's Hound.
Gordon and Doris remained in the flat above Cosiers on Victoria Road until their youngest son,
Roger was born in 1963. We then moved to the dormer bungalow at 103a Station Road, Netley Abbey.
My sister Allison was born in 1966.
Gordon continued as a Newsagent & business man until 1968, when he and to a lesser extent Doris
decided on a new life in Australia. After nearly 60 years, the Cosier family business was sold to the Spencers.
We had been accepted on the £10 scheme to emigrate to Australia.
Unfortunately from my teenager's view, this didn't happen!
My Mum just couldn't leave close family behind and Australia in 1969 wasn't so close in those days.
The Australia dream gone, Dad needed work and leased a shop in Cheriton Avenue West End before he sold up in Netley and we moved to the Galleon Stores Locksheath/Warsash in 1971.
By 1970, Ingleside was about 75 years old, becoming run down and so in need of a great deal of renovation.
George Cosier, now 84, Betty, 60 and Bill Binstead, 69 were in their twilight years and Ingleside
was just too big to manage. So in 1971, it was sold (for a song) to a group of families,
possibly called the Callaghans, and not much later demolished to make way for the current housing estate known as "Ingleside" - built by Laing Homes in the 1980s.
In 1971, George Cosier with his daughter and son-in-law, Betty and Bill Binstead moved to Sholing.
On 18 March 1977, George Cosier died at the age of 91 and was laid to rest beside Elsie at Hound Churchyard.
Bill Binstead died, aged 87, at Moorgreen Hospital in 1988 and is interred at St Mark's Extra, Sholing.
On 29 May 1997, Betty Cosier/Meikle/Binstead died, aged 86 and is buried at
Hound Churchyard.
On 25 January 1998, my Dad, Gordon Meikle passed away, aged 65 and is buried next to his Mum, Betty at Hound Churchyard. My Mum, Doris, 86, still lives at Abbeyfields Close, Netley Abbey
Betty's first husband, John McKay Meikle died on 29 March 1999.
- and last but by no means least, Chris's own memories of Ingleside and Netley Abbey
"I had a great childhood in Netley from playing with Alan Witham and Mark Storey at the Rec by the shore, being a choir boy at St Edwards, in the Sea Scouts sailing with my best friend Hugh Poore at the Hard near the Victoria Hospital gates.
If we were able to, my school mates and I would sneak into the hospital grounds and
play footy as the goals always had nets up.
The Bunney next to the boundary of Ingleside was also where as kids we would climb trees and
try to dam up the brook at the bottom of the Bunney. Best of all were the grounds of Ingleside.
As children, I remember the times my brothers John, Roger & sister Allison stayed at the house with our Grandmother Betty + Uncle Bill, as we called him.
Sometimes for tea after school, and when Roger and Allison were born, John and I stayed at the house in one of the large cold bedrooms. (Thankfully they were born in April & May!)
The house had a grand look but it was always cool in the summer and freezing in the winter.
The room that was always warm was the kitchen. It had a large Rayburn type cooker that was kept stoked with coal every day. When we stayed at the house we ate, washed and if we were lucky, watched the little B&W TV there, before going upstairs to bed in the arctic zone.
No central heating in those days!
The front lawn was a lovely sunny area and I remember the family christenings and summer tea & cake afternoons in the 1960s. We were very lucky at that time to have had our own playground in the woods (next to the Bunney) and the extensive gardens.
As kids, they were happy times.
[For a tour and a couple more photos of the house and gardens, pop over to
Lost but not forgotten]
In January 2021, Christopher contacted me to share the story of his family in Netley Abbey in the 1950s. Let's meet the
Balldelli Family
"During the 1950s, my maternal Grandmother lived with her second husband in a large
house named "West Dene" on Station Road opposite the Railway Station.
Her husband was Giovanni Balldelli. He was a leading academic a noted professor and freedom fighter from Italy. The title of his most famous book 'Social Anarchism' has been adopted as the masthead
for the modern anarchy movement.
"My Mum, Pamela Chapman, nee Balldelli, is the young woman in the white top; my father is
in the jumper on the left; my older sister is the smallest young girl.
My Grandmother is Eve and the man in the suit is her husband, Giovanni.
His daughter, Giovanna, is sat in front of him.
I think the photo was taken around about 1957 or 1958 on the steps of West Dene."
Thank you!
The Clatworthy Family at The Abbey
1884 - ca 1904
I had quite a lot of information about the Clatworthy Family, mainly courtesy of Ken Ford's book "Netley Abbey Village" and several days, rummaging through the Hound Local History Society's Archives. About three months later, I was contacted by Alan Baker, one of the Grandson of Phyllis Clatworthy and he has very kindly
(thank you) given me permission to share some of his family photos below.
So, this is our shared story of the Clatworthy Family.
The Clatworthy family lived inside the Abbey itself whilst William Clatworthy was the Caretaker at the Abbey. They served Victorian Teas and had a sign above their shop door which read
"licensed to sell tobacco".
One of the first pupils into the newly-opened Netley Infants School in Station Road, Netley Abbey was Minnie Clatworthy in October 1885; she would be followed by her brother Herbert.
Father, William was born at Kenn, Exeter in 1852; Mother, Elizabeth Ann at Midsommer Norton,
Exeter ca 1856.
Minnie was born in 1879; Herbert in 1881; Phyllis was born on 15/01/1888 and went to
school on 06/07/91, just 3.5 years old.
The 1881 Census has the Family living at Tudor Cottage, Bradfield, Whitchurch, Berkshire.
The 1891 Census shows the following Family now living at the Abbey:
William, Head of the Family, aged 39 - Custodian;
Elizabeth Ann, Wife, aged 35;
Minnie Norah, Daughter, aged 11;
Herbert, Son, aged 10;
Reginald Barrett, Son, aged 9;
Evelyn, Daughter, aged 8;
Edith Amelia, Daughter, aged 7;
Albert Edward Barrett, Son, aged 5;
Phyllis Mary, Daughter, aged 5;
Guy Samuel Quance, Son, aged 1.
Alan writes -
"The first (top left) is of the whole family and was taken in about 1898 - Phyllis is sitting bottom left.
The second is just the children and must have been taken about 1894 - Phyllis is front row on the right.
My Great Grandfather (William Clatworthy) had a shop in the Abbey and you can just see the "THY" of Clatworthy in the third photo. (This was the front door of the shop)
When I was a boy it said "William Clatworthy Licenced to sell tobacco" but even the "THY" has gone now."
The 1911 Census showed William was widowed so I looked for a date of death for Elizabeth but Alan has since established from one of his many Irish cousins (his Grandma Phyllis had 9 children!) that
Elizabeth and William had separated by then.
William in 1911 was now living at 44 Porchester Road, Woolston with his sons, Hubert (30) and Albert (25) and his daughter, Evelyn (28). There was also a 2-year old Grand-daughter, Irene Phyllis Baker.
Elizabeth was living with her daughter Phyllis and son-in-law, Harry Baker at 12 Garton Road, Itchen.
Alan also advised that one of William and Elizabeth's sons, Albert Clatworthy was killed by heavy shelling in the small hamlet of Le Sars in the Battle of the Somme on 15 November 1916, aged 30.
He is remembered on Sholing's War Memorial and at the Commonwealth War Grave Memorial at
Thiepval in Northern France.
The 1921 Census shows William still living at 44 Porchester Road, Woolston with his sons, Hubert (40) and Albert (35) and his daughter, Evelyn (38) and 12-year old Grand-daughter, Irene Phyllis Baker.
Elizabeth, 66, is now living with her son, Guy Quance, 31, at 82 Derby Road, Southampton.
The photo below is of Phyllis Clatworthy who was 96 in March 1984. and was at that time,
the last surviving Clatworthy.
Alan has also since let me know that the last surviving child of Phyllis, Leonard, passed away on
21 August 2019 aged 98.
Thank you Alan
In early 2021, Sheila Spence got in contact with me -
"I am researching some of my Ford forebears and have found Probate for Francis Robert Ford
who died 4 March 1935, Probate 13th May that year and his given address is
Ishmailia, Butts Lane, Netley Abbey, Hampshire.
I have no idea what this place is and am interested to find out more, wondering if you
have any information please."
Let's meet The Ford Family ...
Francis Robert Ford and his twin brother, Thomas J Ford, were born in 1859 at Newnham, Berkshire
Sadly Thomas died in 1861.
Francis married Miss Sarah Ann Johnson on 20 November 1879
Francis and Sarah Ann had four sons - Richard Henry, Harry, Francis "Frank" Herbert and Arthur John. Richard Henry Ford pre-deceased his parents in 1907
The 1911 Census shows the Family living in Rochester St Margaret, Kent.
Francis's occupation is Jobbing Gardener.
Arthur John Ford also pre-deceased his parents in 1929.
Then Francis's wife, Sarah Ann, passed away in Kent in 1933.
It may be that Francis Robert Ford then moved in with his son Frank Herbert Ford living at
"Ismailia", Butts Road, Netley Abbey where he died.
Ca 1935, there were two sets of semi-detached houses
"Windy-Croft" and "New Aloes" and then next door "Ismalia" and "Wynrose"
The 1939 Register shows Francis Herbert Ford and family still living at "Ismailia".
By then, the houses which had previously been in Butts Road were in the process of being given
House numbers rather than House names and had been "moved" to St Mary's Road.
"Ismailia" had become, we think, No 1 St Mary's Road
Charles Francis Ford and his family were living at No 1 St Mary's Road when he passed away on
28 December 1981 as shown in the Probate Records
Looking at the 1939 Register above, I noticed that Frank Herbert Ford's younger son is called Kenneth A. I asked Maureen Queen of Hound Local History Society to check for me and she has now confirmed that this gentleman is indeed Netley's own Ken Ford,
author of "Netley Abbey Village"!
It was reading his wonderful history of the Village which set me down the path to create
Netley Abbey Matters' website!
I have now been contacted by Roger Ford, one of Ken's sons who has given me more
information to add here. I'm just waiting for a couple of photos.
In December 2020, Robin McIsaac got in touch with me to share not only his own personal memories of growing up in Netley Abbey but also the story of his Grandfather, John Francis Collins whilst he was at Netley Hospital which can be found on Shared Hospital Stories A - C.
Here are Robin's memories -
I was born on 12 July 1945 at a nursing home in Swanwick by the Hamble River.
My Mother (Brenda McIsaac, nee Collins) was a "Sister" at Coldeast Hospital at
nearby Sarisbury Green.
My Mother had grown up in Netley Abbey at 10 Denzil Avenue and after she had married my Father,
Michael in 1944, they lived for a short time on Abbey Hill, I think possibly "Redmile" - No 6?
My Dad was working in Hamble at Air Service Training after his medical discharge
from the Navy in 1944.
In 1947, shortly after my brother, Frank was born, we moved to 26 Hound Road Gardens, a new "Prefab" (Arcon, I think) with asbestos panels and roof,
My Dad was at AST for the Berlin Airlift in 1948 - 49.
This is me on the left, my brother Frank on the right and Jeremy Hobbs in the middle.
This is me on the right, Frank on the left and our sister Lesley in the middle.
I used to mispronounce Jeremy as "Germy" which my mother thought was hilarious,
Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs not so much!
Two years after my sister, Lesley was born, we moved away to Bitterne in October 1952. I lived in Netley Abbey for only five years but I continued to visit my Grandparents - John Francis and Frances Mary Collins - at 10 Denzil Avenue, Netley Abbey.
I remember as a youngster gladly helping my Grandfather by carrying anything I could manage
or holding a pair of pliers as he worked. There was always a biscuit or two at the end or something from the shop on the corner of Denzil Avenue and Station Road!
[Rogers' Grocers - see the Rogers Family story further down this page]
More Memories of Playing with my Friends
The Brickyard (now Hound Ecology Park)
This was the playground for scores of us early baby boomers living in the Prefabs of Hound Road Gardens. It was north of the prefabs, south of Hound cemetery.
Whatever its origins, by the late forties/early fifties, it was a storage area for the rubbish from the prefab building with piles of various materials.
However, the real highlight of the Brickyard for most of us was the stack of anti-tank drums. These were concrete filled 50 gallon oil drums that, in the event of an invasion, would’ve been rolled down across the road to impede the Panzers.
Fortunately, not only were they never used but none of them ever broke loose on to a child clambering over them.
The Bunney
Behind Butlocks Heath school was the Bunney, and a path (still) across the stream to Netley Station (and to my Nana’s on Denzil Avenue). This was another great playground. A large part of it was heath and there actually were rabbits and/or hares then.
The walk was less than a mile but easily took an hour with playing, train watching and general dawdling.
Butlocks Heath School
All my friends went to Butlocks Heath, but my mother wanted me to go to Netley Village Infantsl as it was easier for my “Nana”, living on Denzil Avenue, to pick me up after school.
I knew nobody and I hated it and managed to ‘throw up” enough times after lunch (it was the slimy mashed potatoes) to get to go to Butlocks Heath after a couple of weeks in 1950.
My teacher was “Miss Darby”, I think the headmaster was “Mr. Manley”. I had Miss Darby for the next year too, as a new teacher, “Miss Alexander”, took over the infants which included my brother, Frank.
We used black slates in a wood frame to practice writing with chalk.
I had a number of escapades at school (too many to include here) which required me to be taken to the headmaster, but I don’t recall any particular punishment.
We did a class performance of “Soldier, Soldier Won’t you Marry Me” one year. All the boys wanted to play the soldier as the girl, whose name I don’t recall, was very popular. The soldier was played by Melvin (Grossard?) who lived in the Prefabs - all gone now.
The Reservoir Stream (Spear Pond Gully)
We just called it “The Stream”. There were no houses then on that part of Hound Road so we
could easily cross over and go down to the stream to play all morning or afternoon,
building dams or looking for frogs.
Some of the more daring boys would cross under St Mary’s Road using the concrete pipe
when the water flow was low.
There was a story that the stream was haunted by the ghost of a worker killed by a cave-in while digging the ditch near where it went underneath the railway line.
I’d repeat the story to scare my younger brother and his friend from the Prefabs, Jeremy Hobbs.
Never knew if it was true, but it kept us away from the stream after dark!
I can't obviously confirm whether the stream was haunted by him or not but sadly, Alfred Judd did die
due to a broken spine and neck whilst digging the ditch for the Hound Sewerage Scheme.
Hampshire Telegraph of 12/03/1937
Bluebell Copse and Reservoir (Prior's Hill)
Crossing Woolston Road from the school led to the playing field and the Copse. Can’t remember if the pitch had goalposts then, but it didn’t matter to us budding footballers.
The Copse was popular in the Spring to pick bluebells to take home for our mothers. Unfortunately, by the time we were home, the flowers all hung limply in our hands, dead.
Later in the year there were lots of blackberries to harvest. They didn’t make it home either!
We could also wander further to the reservoir, I couldn’t swim, and I don’t remember any of my friends going in.
We also had to watch out for Gypsies (now
a perjorative), who regularly set up camps there.
The Field
Behind the Prefabs was another playground, an enormous (to us) farmer's field
stretching to Hamble Lane, with a footpath crossing it that saved going over to the railway footpath.
Late in the summer, the crop (wheat or barley) would be tall enough for us make mazes and
hide from each other. I’m sure the farmer was not best pleased!
One of my friends from those days, Stephen Budden lived in Hamble and a gang of
us would meet in The Field.
Did any of the above "ring a bell" with you?
Please let me know via Contact Me on the left!
In June 2021, Garth Alger contacted me via this website to share his memories of
Netley Abbey in the 1940/1950s. His family lived at 38 Hunt Avenue.
"My father Frederick was a bowling green and landscape gardener and had offices behind the now co-op. He was responsible for extending the football pitch and installing the tennis court in the
Recreation Ground.
My uncle Edward who also lived with us (off and on) was a local character and gentleman of the road.
My Uncle Rick was a local Scout Master and Auntie Helen married a Cundick
(can't remember his first name).
We were also related to the Carters some of whom lived in the Avenue.
My Father got into financial difficulties when he took on the Contract to paint the exteriors
of the houses on the Council estate. He had his shed broken into and all the paint was stolen.
He fled to New Zealand in 1959."
My Netley Abbey Residents' Register showed Charles Frederick and Emma Jane Alger living in
Chamberlayne Road, Netley Abbey in 1920. Emma's maiden name was Carter.
They were married at South Stoneham in 1907.
In 1911, there were Carters living at No 1 Victoria Villas, Chamberlayne Road and between 1964 - 1971,
a Mr W A Cundick was living at 15 St Edward's Road.
Garth confirmed that these were his relations.
Below is an extract from the 1939 Register
I asked if he had any family photos ...
"As we had to vacate 38 Hunt Avenue in a hurry I have no photos.
Also there was another sister whose name was Doris; she married a Fred Gittus and moved to Birmingham.
I remember many happy hours spent in the Bunney with the Edward Brothers who also lived in Hunt Avenue - the bonfires on the grass in the middle of the Avenue and taking lorry
inflated inner tubes to go swimming in the Solent during summer holidays.
I think there was a family called the Cosiers lived in the house at the entrance to the Bunney.
The rumour was that ghosts roamed their back garden because a horse and its rider
drowned in their pond."
Thank you!
The Jacobs Family
In March 2022 I was contacted by James who was happy to share his Family's story.
Let's meet -
Great Great Grandparents - George Edwin and Julia Milvena Jacobs (nee Bale)
He was born in 1855 on the Isle of Wight; she was born in 1863
They were married on 23 August 1890,
Kelly's Directory of Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1898 shows George as the Landlord of
The Sportsman's Rest, Porchfield, Isle of Wight.
He was a Hound Parish Councillor in 1907
On the 1911 Census, he is the Inn-keeper of The Plough Inn, Portsmouth Road, Old Netley
The 1921 Census shows George Edwin Jacobs (senior) and his family are living at 69 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey
[Sadly despite my best efforts, the Census Entry is virtually illegible so here's the transcript.
It's only got spelling errors and possibly George Jnr's birth year wrong?]
By 1933, he, his wife, son and 2 daughters were living at No 1 Ellis's Rows, Victoria Road,
which is where he passed away in late June of that year as a result of failing health.
His son, James's Great Grand-dad was also George Edwin Jacobs, well-known in the Village as "Ted". He was born on 7 September 1892.
In 1924, he married Edith Joan Place who had been a Nurse at the Royal Victoria Military Hospital.
Read her story on
Shared Hospital Stories N - P
Ted and the family lived in 1927 at "Belmont" on Station Road; it's believed that he
ran his haulage business from a lock-up behind what is now the Estate Agents
(previously the Launderette, then a Florist)
Sadly Ted's wife, Edith died young at 33/34 years, causing James's Grandfather and Great Uncle
to split their upbringings, his Grand-Dad, Peter Vernon Jacobs, remaining in Netley Abbey.
"The wife of Mr T Jacobs, Coal Merchant, Station Road who had influenza, contracted
pneumonia and was taken to the Royal South Hants + Southampton Hospital
where she passed away on Sunday afternoon.
She leaves 2 small children.”
Hampshire Telegraph + Post 13/01/1933
We've now established that around 1936/37, Ted built House Nos 90, 92 and 94 Station Road.
[We are now quite confident that No 90 became "Rowiana" and No 92, "Penrhyn"]
Following on from the death of his first wife, Edith, Ted had married Miss Dorcas Mary Perry.
He and his family moved into No 94 naming it "Perryville" after Dorcas's maiden name.
The 1939 Register shows -
The family moved from "Perryville", ca 1946 to "Avonmore", further down Station Road
[Another "Lost Property", knocked down to build Avon Court flats off Latelie Close]
The family were still at "Avonmore" when Ted passed away on 7 April 1965.
"There used to be a swing on the large oak tree in the back garden, The tree is apparently still there today."
Ted's brother, Robert James Jacob died in the Great War and is remembered on
Hound Church War Memorial. [Ongoing research]
Ted's sister, Ethel married Arthur Willoughby Weeks.
Ken Ford’s book, Netley Abbey Village, contains many pictures of the Jacobs Family.
Great Grandfather Ted and Grand-Dad, Pete are in the cricket teams and
3 of James's Aunties and his Mum are in the School photos.
James's other set of Great Grandparents were Fred and Nellie Scard.
They were living in Denzil Avenue when their daughter Joyce was born.
Fred was apparently involved in drawing up the plans for the building of the British Legion.
Nellie was living at No 8 Denzil Avenue when she passed away in 1980.
Their daughter Joyce married James's Grand-dad Peter Vernon Jacobs,
His Mum, Gillian, was born at 26 Queens View and attended Netley Infants in 1966.
By the way ...
James's sister's Nan is Pat Hailstone, wife of Stan, leader of the Hailstone Band.
Stanley Ralph Hailstone passed away in 2006.
Pat still lives at No 94 Station Road aka Berkswell House aka Perryville!
and Great Grandfather George's second daughter married into the Holt family.
and there is a family called "Dines" who live in Culver on Ingleside related to the Scard Family
James concludes -
"I’ve lived at the The Crescent, Moore Crescent, New Road, Priory Road and Newbridge,
but the final ending of 100+ (possibly continuous) years of Hound Parish residence
from my direct Jacobs family finally ended with me, when the part of Old Netley
I now live in was decided to be moved to Bursledon
- I wonder what George Jacobs Snr would have made of that on the 1907 Council!"
Thank you, James!
Past memories of Mr Frank Sainsbury
[Extracted from Oral History Interviews done in the 1970s by the then RVCP Team]
"I was born in Netley in the year 1890. I went to school in Netley and worked in Netley doing farm work with the horses, long hours from six in the morning to five at night. Then I went in the fields to work; then I went carting coal around the village and around Netley Hospital.
In 1939, I took over as Verger of the Royal Victoria Hospital Church, Netley. The congregation was good, we had a good choir and anthems morning and evening.
About thirty years I was Verger there.
I enjoyed every day and I am hoping to do it for many years to come."
There are already several mentions of this next Family throughout my website and I had planned to add their story to my Village Folk page but hadn't yet done it when in late January, a descendant of said family contacted me. This, in turn, reminded me that another member of the family had made contact via Facebook last year.
So, this is a mix of their information and mine - allow me to introduce you to -
The Phipps Family
with thanks to Derek Phipps and Paula Gibson for their contributions
[Derek's comments are in this font colour]
Thomas Samuel Phipps, born in 1868, is Grandfather to both Derek Phipps and Paula Gibson.
The 1901 Census has Thomas Phipps family living at 38 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey
Their Aunt Ivy was living at "Airedale", New Road in 1906.
By the time the 1911 Census is recorded, Thomas's wife Annie has passed away
and he has re-married.
Thomas and Kate Phipps' family are now living at Aston House, 47 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey
I have found the following newspaper articles about the 'driving habits' of the Phipps family ...
Kelly's Directory of 1920 lists Mr T Phipps at the Netley Motor Works.
The 1921 Census has Thomas and Kate living at 48 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey
Derek writes -
"In 1955, I was 4 years old and grew up in Netley until the early 1960s, living at No
50 Victoria Road. I rode my trike around the block doing wheelies around the corner of New Road and Victoria Road.
Once I knocked a poor old lady off her feet - what a terror!
My Grandfather, Thomas Samuel Phipps (born 1868; died 09/05/1946, aged 76)
started the Hamble to Woolston, via Netley, Bus Run."
Apparently locally, the buses were called the "Biscuit Tins" because they rattled so much.
Mr + Mrs Thomas Samuel Phipps were very generous, donating their time, support and
resources to Netley Villagers. More info in both Past Lives and Times of Netley Village pages
The family, however, suffered great sadness - also known as "Fanny" - in 1922:
By 1927, Harry Phipps is listed as a Motor Engineer at 48 Victoria Road, Netley.
He was the victim of a theft at his property in May 1929 when two £1 Treasury Notes were stolen
from the till by 24-year old Joseph James Shaw of Victoria Road, Netley.
The accused was found guilty at Eastleigh Magistrates Court and sent to prison as he was a repeat offender.
Hampshire Telegraph 31/05/1929
"My Uncle Harry (Tom Phipps) - my father's brother - used to run the fish and chip shop in Victoria Road, Netley. I knew the French family very well and last saw 'Little Ted' a couple of years ago.
My Father was friendly with 'Big Ted".
My Aunt Ivy Phipps attended Netley Infants School on 1906.
She was one of my Grandfather's daughters from his first marriage.
I went there too, 50 years later.
My Father was from his second marriage to Kate, nee Kill."
Kate Phipps passed away on 20/05/1962, aged 79. The "Kills" are another Netley Abbey family.
In addition to the addresses shown above, I have records of the Phipps Family living in -
1937: Nos 1- 2 Chamberlayne Road - T S Phipps
1964: No 52 New Road - Mrs Phipps
I am hoping that the above articles etc jog some memories!
If you have any further stories and/or photos etc about the Phipps family which
you are happy to share, then please get in touch via Contact Me.
Thank you.
Mr A E Sharp was a Resident in Netley Abbey
between 1910 and 1985
He contacted Ken Ford in the late 1970s to give his Memories of the Village
Betty Wilkinson's Memories of her Childhood Home + Family
No 2 Sea View, Abbey Hill
Correspondence, dated February 1989, was found in Hound Local History Society's Archives from Mrs Betty Wilkinson to Councillor Neale. At the time of her writing, Mrs Wilkinson lived in New Road, Netley Abbey.
[I have been given permission from HLHS to reproduce Mrs Wilkinson's memories.]
Here is her story ...
"My Grandfather, known as Captain Bran, was Skipper of Sir Harry Crichton's yacht and was often
away at sea.
No 1 next door was occupied by the Crichton's Coachman and later Chauffeur.
There were no driveways to either of our houses. We each had single small gates.
My Grandmother and her baby were buried in Weston Churchyard, as was my Aunt Beatrice who,
at the age of 9, fell down the stairs at "Sea View" and broke her neck."
[See below for the article in the Hampshire Advertiser on 08/07/1899]
"At first, there was no mains water. All water was from an internal pump over a well under the kitchen.
By then gas had come via very sparse lighting on Abbey Hill but no electricity whilst we were
there in the 1920s. I remember "Ginger" Rowe on his bicycle lighting the oil lamps with a taper.
There was no mains drainage at the edge of the road. In my mother's time, Hound stretched over all of Weston Shore promenade area, over the Weston housing estate and on into Woolston."
Mrs Wilkinson continues her story ...
"The pond and woodland surrounding the house including the bluebell wood on the 'Lake House' side, was fenced off from the woods going on up to Weston . There were double gates, sometimes locked, with a rustic seat alongside, to rest awhile.
Often the gates were unlocked, especially if there was a "shoot" in progress, I was very fortunate to have the sun of the lower copse to myself (my grandfather being an employee).
I was sufficiently in awe of my surroundings to take care - not to fall in the pond and get drowned;
not to go near the shooting when in season; and not to damage the flowers etc.
"Sea View" was built about 1883 and the name of the first owner of the Lake House (not proprietor of the Abbey Hotel, as it was previously known in 1853) is engraved on the foundation
stone of 'our' old house."
[Julie and I went looking for this in summer of 2018 and found the following below, half way up the wall of No 2 Sea View - rather than on the foundation stone and the dates don't quite match up but we'll leave it as is until such times as I can find corroborating evidence.]
DISTRESSING ACCIDENT AT NETLEY
A terribly sad fatality occurred on Tuesday night. A little girl, aged nine years, daughter of the skipper of the Hon. Col. Crichton's yacht, was walking in her sleep, about midnight,
when she fell downstairs.
Her father, hearing a noise, jumped out of bed, and ran downstairs, and, to his horror, found his
daughter dead, her neck having been broken.
The sad event has evoked the greatest sympathy for the bereaved parents.
The inquest on the body of the deceased was held on Thursday, before Mr. Bernard Harfield, the
County Coroner. Dr. Brown, of Woolston, was first called, and deposed that he assisted
Dr. Stephenson in the post-mortem examination, and found a small fracture of the base of the skull,
and some blood, diffused on the surface of the brain.
The fracture might have been caused by a fall.
Lily Bran, sister of the deceased, stated that about ten minutes past 12 on Wednesday morning,
she heard the deceased’s call, and almost immediately heard a fall.
The witness went out of her room, and found her sister lying at the bottom of the stairs, consisting of seven. The deceased had walked in her sleep.
Frederick Bran, father of the deceased, stated that he, too, heard his daughter fall, and when he came out of his room, he found the deceased with her sister.
The Witness sent for a doctor, but the deceased did not live many seconds after.
Witness took her into his room.
The deceased had not walked in her sleep for the last 12 months, but before that she did so frequently.
The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."
Hampshire Advertiser 08/07/1899
If you want to see more of Ken's Collection, please visit the History Room at
Netley Railway Station. It is open on the last Saturday of each month between 1000 - 1300h
or by contacting Maureen Queen of Hound Local History Society.
The French Family and Business
55 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey
1912 - 2019
In 2012, Ted French, the current owner of Abbey Engineering, 55 Victoria Road spoke to John Lawrence from Hound Local History Society on the occasion of his Family Firm's 100th Anniversary.
John L subsequently published the article in the "Scene" magazine.
On 20 January 2019, Julie and I visited Ted, Joan and John (Storey) at Ted's home in New Road
to be updated about this long-running family business etc.
The family gave us permission not only to reproduce their story here
but also allowed us to share their family photos. [Thank you]
"EASTER WEEK WEDDING".
A picturesque wedding was celebrated at St. Edward's Church on Saturday, April 18, the bride being Miss Violet May French. only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. French. 55. Victoria Road. Netley Abbey, and the bridegroom Mr. MacDonald, son of Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, 12, St Anne's Road. Woolston.
The bride was given away by her father, and was attired in a gown of heavy oyster satin, draped shirt and short train. Her veil was hand embroidered with silver and a halo of silver leaves and pleated net.
She was attended by one bridesmaid. Miss Winnifred McDonald (sister of bridegroom),
who wore a gown of pink floral chiffon and large crinoline hat, and carried a posy of pink carnations.
The duties of Best Man were carried out by Mr. E. French (brother of the Bride).
The officiating clergyman was the Vicar (the Rev. W. E. Henty Summers).
A merry peal of bells rang out as the happy pair left the church.
A reception was held at the bride's home.
The bride and bridegroom, who subsequently left for the honeymoon (which is being spent at Highcliffe), were the recipients of numerous and useful presents.
Hampshire Telegraph 24/04/1936
During WW2, Ted's father "Nipper" served in the Home Guard and the business was left to "tick over" whilst Nipper worked at Folland's Aircraft in Hamble, helping to build Spitfires.
During this time, he met Ted's mother, Daisy, who was also helping to assemble Spitfires.
They married once the War was over. Petrol rationing came to an end so the garage business picked up again.
"Nipper" and Daisy lived in Satchell Lane, later moving to Station Road, Netley Abbey where
Ted was born and grew up.
It is the house going up Station Road on the right just before the site where the British Legion Hall stood until recently. The large shed at the rear of their garden was used
by the Mini-car Racing Club of which Ted is a founder member.
Always looking for a new slant for the business, a paraffin delivery round was offered on Saturdays. There were two main types of paraffin used in those days -
"Esso Blue" and "Shell Pink".
Ted told us that on their delivery van, one side was blue and the other pink!
The paraffin came from Esso at Fawley, pumped under Southampton Water to
the Shell Hamble Depot where the pink dye was added.
Sharon's Memories of growing up in Netley Abbey
Sharon Butt, nee Gilbert, contacted me earlier this year via our Facebook Page to tell me about the isle of Wight Family History website which had several entries relating to members of the VAD
who worked at Netley Hospital.
We got "chatting", as you do, about Netley Abbey etc and I asked her to jot down some of
her memories of childhood etc.
"I was born in Netley in 1958, and grew up there. I’m related, through my Dad, to the French family, and remember Auntie Vi (Violet) very well, along with Ted and Daisy French who lived on Station Road,
just down the hill from and on the same side of the road as the Catholic Church.
Daisy owned two beautiful Samoyed dogs which I found quite alarming to walk past as a child.
Royal Victoria Hospital was always a place of intrigue as we weren’t allowed in to see what it was like until the early 1980s. My Great Grandmother worked at the hospital, I’m guessing in the late 19th/early 20th century.
Her surname, I think, was Hopper. She told tales of daring to go into the museum at night.
I grew up with tales of the Grey Lady ghost at the hospital - we could see the hospital dome from our house in Waverley Avenue, and I used to find these stories frightening.
As a small child, I was taken to the Jubilee Hall to children’s parties, put on, if I remember rightly, by the Conservatives. I remember there often being a conjuror who would magically produce bunches of flowers from his sleeves, or a string of sausages.
There was always orange squash to drink.
The hall was used for baby clinics, where newborns were weighed regularly,
and rosehip syrup was given out."
[Thank you Sharon]
The Crook Family History
Back in July 2020, Steve Crook got in contact with me to tell me about his family's
connections to Netley Abbey Village. Steve was a resident himself in the Village until 1988.
"My Paternal Great Grandfather was John Crook the Boot Maker mentioned on the site in 1927.
He served his apprenticeship to a Boot maker in Romsey and opened his first shop in Sholing
before moving to Netley Abbey.
I know the shop he was working in when he retired was in Station Road (where the Launderette is now) and he had a Birthday party at the Jubilee Hall to celebrate his 100th Birthday in 1973.
His Grandson (My Father) still lives in the village today.
On my Mother's side, my Great Grandfather, Joseph Shaw, was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire and,
aged 15 years, joined the Welsh Royal Fusiliers.
A career soldier, he served in the Boer Wars in South Africa and was in the British Expeditionary Force that went out to France in 1914.
Within a month of hostilities commencing, he had been wounded and was eventually returned to
the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment.
His Family were moved to Netley to be near him and were billeted at 66 Victoria Road, a house that
stayed in the family until 2009.
When his treatment was completed, he was invalided out of the Army as unfit for active service.
To supplement his Army Pension, he took a job as Gate Keeper at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
My Mum remembers taking his tea up to him in the gatehouse when she was a little girl.
He is buried in the Royal Victoria Hospital Military Cemetery."
"The wedding of Miss Winifred Beatrice Shaw, the third daughter of Mr J Shaw, 66 Victoria Road, Netley Abbey and Corporal A Medhurst, RAF, youngest son of Mr + Mrs Medhurst of 89 New Road, Chatham was solemnised at St Edward’s Church on Saturday, 17/12/1932.”
Hampshire Telegraph 23/12/1932
Violet Gladys Shaw was born on 09/10/1906 and was a pupil at Netley Abbey Infants' School in 1915.
Mr T G Davis, a past Resident, then 9 years old, recalls -
"Just after the end of the WW1, you needed a Pass to get into the Hospital Grounds,
even to go to the cinema. There was a policeman, a War Veteran on the bottom Gate, Mr Shaw, always on duty there. He wore his WW1 Medals and he had an injured arm."
Robert goes on to explain -
"The boy at the front on the left is George, my grandfather.
He and John ran the boot repair shop at 33 Station Road in Netley and I think that the photo was
taken at the back. George died in 1965 and John retired the year after at the age of 93!
I have also attached a piece from the Daily Echo covering his 100th birthday.
I was born in Bursledon but lived in Netley from 1962-1982 when I married and
moved to Hedge End.
You rightly identified my old residence, 23 Queen's View and my father Robert Frank Baptie.
Jean Crook (George's daughter) being my mother who grew up living in 12 The Crescent,
also one of 9 children!
Her brother, Ray Crook who still lives in Netley, and is in his 89th year, used to run the Garden Centre which was next door to the post office."
See Growth of the Village for the photo of the Garden Centre in Station Road.
Annie Crook passed away on 29 April 1953, aged 79
John Crook passed away on 15 March 1974, aged 100.
They are buried together in St Mary's Churchyard, Hound.
This has been a tad of a challenge to add all this on to the website - because Robert actually contacted me as a result of the next Family Story - the Rogers Family!
In December 2019, Elizabeth Conem contacted me via this website to add her Family's Story here.
The information she has given me and the photos found by her brother, Simon, make interesting reading,
with the added bonus of the connection to the Crook Family story above
- even before Robert's additions above and below!
Let's meet the Rogers Family ...
"My Nan was Annie Beatrice Crook, the first daughter and I believe possibly the eldest child of John Crook who had nine children.
Annie married Edward Rogers."
On the 1921 Census below, the family was living on Grange Lane, Netley Abbey.
Edward is employed as a Grocer's Assistant at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
"Their son, my father, was called Arthur Rogers.
He and his sister, also Annie Beatrice Rogers who was 7 years older than her brother, were brought
up in the accommodation belonging to the Grocers shop, their parents ran
on the corner of Denzil Avenue, Netley Abbey.
It was called "E Rogers".
The man standing at the door was my Grandfather, Edward Rogers. One of the two children is my Dad, Arthur Rogers. I don't know who the little girl was."
"Photo No 1 below is a bit of a mystery to us. We don't know who the fine chap on the cycle is.
The reverse of this photo is an unwritten Postcard."
Elizabeth is hoping that someone may recognise him.
If you do, please let me know via Contact Me.
Miss Ethel Irene Moore, third daughter of
Mr + Mrs William Moore of Pasadena Cottages, New Road, Netley Abbey was employed for "some time" in Mr Rogers' shop in Denzil Avenue.
She passed away suddenly on 18/08/1931.
There is a house called "Heatherdene" on Station Road, Netley Abbey but not in
Butlock's Heath. Mr Reynolds lived there between 1912 - 1917
"The photo below was taken in 1953.
It is the Wedding photo of my parents - Arthur Rogers and Pamela Mead at Hamble Church.
The couple on the very left of this photo are Edward and Annie Rogers in maturity."
The next photo is from the early 1930s - a lovely off-guard relaxed holiday photo showing the rest of the small family from E Rogers' Shop.
I think they were holidaying in Bournemouth, probably while husband and Dad, Edward Rogers
was back at the shop keeping the business running!"
"Centre - Annie Beatrice Rogers, nee Crook
Left - Arthur David Rogers, aged about 8;
Right - Annie Beatrice Rogers, known as Nancy, aged about 15."
"Edward Rogers died in 1957, aged 81; his wife, Annie Rogers, died in 1974, aged 82.
Both are buried in Hound Church Cemetery."
There is another mystery with which perhaps YOU can help Elizabeth!
She writes -
"There is a family story that my Nan looked after a Swedish princess somewhere in Netley for a while. Apparently the princess took refuge in a big house during the war, presumably WW1, and
Nan used to go there to cook for her. My Mum keeps a bell on her bookcase which apparently the princess used to ring to call for service."
Thank you Elizabeth and your brother, Simon, for sharing your Family Story!
So, coming back to Robert's info now ...
"Annie Rogers was my Great Aunt. I'm wondering if Elizabeth could identify her Nan?
Annie Beatrice Crook married Edward Rogers in 1913.
However, I am not entirely sure who Annie is in my picture. She is one of the two elder daughters and is either standing at the back with her hand on her father's shoulder or the one sitting in front of her. Annie is the eldest but only by a year."
So, with Robert's permission, I emailed the above Crook Family photo to Elizabeth who, it turns out,
had never seen the photo and was delighted!
Elizabeth -
"What a wonderful, wonderful picture!!! Thank you so much for sending us a copy.
I suspect it is the lady standing at the back with her hand on her father’s shoulder."
I have since introduced Robert and Elizabeth to each other via email.
Don't you just love a Happy Ending!
In June 2019. Julie and I accepted an invitation from Shirley Welch to visit her at home to see her
collection of family memorabilia.
Shirley had lots of newspaper clippings, postcards and photos.
The Dawkins/Gallagher Family
Her Grandparents were James Gallagher and Eva Dawkins.
James was born on 18 December 1899; Eva on 31 December 1901.
They met at Netley Hospital where James was serving with the RAMC as a stretcher-bearer and
Eva was a Domestic worker. They were married in Colchester in 1926.
James V Gallagher, born 02/10/1927;
Patrick M R Gallagher, born 05/11/1931;
Valerie E D Gallagher, born 05/01/ 1938;
One of their sons, Patrick M R Gallagher became an Aircraftsman in the RAF, at Calshot,
Service No 2463614.
He used to get day release from the RAF to go and play cricket.
However, it was his abilities in football which brought him first to the notice of Eastleigh Spartans,
closely followed by Fulham Football Club!
Patrick, wearing No 11 shirt, played for Fulham against Brentford, winning 5 - 2 on Thursday 07/12/1950 and, also against Charlton Athletic on Thursday 20/03/1952, both in the Mid-Week League.
Shirley gave us copies of the two photos below of Netley Sports Team for which
Patrick played in the 1955/56 season.
Michael (Mikey) Wright contacted me recently via this website to give his memories of
living in Netley Abbey
"My Father was Daniel Wright (Danny) and my Mother Hilder, nee Davey.
My maternal Grandparents lived in Wales. I was born in 1941 at No 47 Sea View Estate.
I have two elder brothers - Tony who was over 3 years old and David who was 2 in 1941.
We lived there until about 1945 when we moved to an ex-Army Camp (about 30 huts) in
Southampton, maybe because of the War.
Did any of the others from Sea View Estate go there?
[Please let me know if you did - thank you.]
My Father was an Aircraft fitter in Hamble. I remember going there and seeing flying boats
and ducks (crafts for land and sea).
Strange it may be at age 11/12, I was sent to Netley [Court] school, a school for low grade children.
(I was bullied at school so fell behind with my lessons.)
The school was on the cliffs over looking Southampton water.
We would stop lessons to go outside to watch the Queen Mary and the United States Ships go by.
I would get on the bus in Southampton which would pick-up other children on the way.
Maybe someone from the village remembers seeing the bus arriving at the school each day?
Thank you Mike!
In February 2021, Colin and Caroline contacted me both via this website and Facebook to share information on -
Captain Benjamin Chaplin
Master Mariner, fisherman and Councillor for Netley in 1930s
Ben was a merchant seaman and subsequently a yacht master and professional skipper and a keen fisherman. He was also an active member of the Netley Angling and Cruising Club and latterly the Hamble Angling and Cruising Club and helped organise the Netley Regattas in the 1930s.
He skippered the yachts "Seran" and "Cleone" for owner Charles C Regnart
Between 1925 and 1940, he, his wife, Lilly and their daughter Patricia lived at "The Myrtles" on
Grange Road, Netley Abbey.
Patricia (Paddy) Chaplin was a strong swimmer, swimming Southampton Water when
she was 11.
Ben retired to Cowes on the Isle of Wight and ran the Royal Standard Pub until his death in 1959.
Colin and Caroline would love to hear from anyone who remembers him or has recollection
of the yachts he skippered during the 1930s.
Drop me a line via Contact Me and I'll pass the info on.
