Michelmersh & Timsbury

Family History - seeking your assistance

I am researching my family history and seek your assistance.

I have checked your website, however, my enquiry relates to a Birth, Death and Marriage prior to the time of those listed.

I am researching the family of Joseph Wren who was born in Michelmersh in 1712. In particular I am interested in obtaining information about his parents and grandparents.

Joseph was married in the parish on 15 November 1731 and was buried in the parish on 21 December 1789.

His wife was Rebeccah Pearse (1712 – 1766?) and the names of his children are Joseph (1734 – 1828), Charles (1739 – 1766), William (1743 – 1743), Ann (1744 - ), and Sarah (1748 – 1748).

I am living in Brisbane, Australia and would really appreciate any assistance you may be able to offer.

Thank you
Greg Thomas
gregt3@optusnet.com.au

Looking for my great, great, great grandmother

In 1843 my great, great grandfather William Batten (a shepherd) left Timsbury to start a new life as a pioneer farmer in New Plymouth, New Zealand. One can only speculate on the enormity of this venture.

William was baptised, along with his brother James, in St. Andrew’s Church, Timsbury on the 20th May 1798. William married Phoebe Alexander (1804 – 1840) in April 1824. Only 7 of their 9 children survived to make the perilous sailing ship journey with their father to New Zealand. In Timsbury William was employed by a yeoman - a Mr. John Clark - and a member of the Society of Friends. A description of William’s life and experiences in the raw New Plymouth colony was published in the Chambers Edinburgh Journal of 1849.

I am eager to learn more about William’s mother (Phoebe Batten) and grandmother (Ann Batten).

Phoebe Batten (1766 – 1853) had three “natural” children (Charlotte, James and William). In later life (September 1815) Phoebe married a George Jewell of Timsbury and they both lived around Timsbury into their mid-eighties . There are a number of headstones at St Andrew’s Church with the name Jewell on them.

Phoebe’s mother, Ann Batten (? – 1780), had four children: William, William, Mary and Phoebe. This is all I know of her.

If you are able to help with my research I would very much like to hear from you: laptopbaby4@gmail.com.

Peter Rankin
28 August 2009

NOT JUST NAMES…

Reproduced from the January/February 2008 Newsletter

Back in August a group of us from the congregation at St Mary's hit on the idea of finding out a bit more about the men listed on our war memorial. We thought that a little extra detail would make our service on Remembrance Sunday just that bit more vivid. Three months later, after talking to people in the village and combing records, we have produced a booklet that has brought a slice of the village past back to life – and the project is on–going. Frances Ward, one of the Michelmersh churchwardens, describes what happened, and asks for your help.

The beginning There are only thirteen names on the war memorial in St Mary's: ten for the 1914–18 war and three for the 1939–45 war. There are no dates of death, and no ranks. We also have three war graves from the first world war in the churchyard, and the lectern is given in memory of a captain from the second world war. The most striking detail on the war memorial itself is that of the ten men killed in the first world war, three were Garlands, and two were Perretts. Were the Garlands brothers? Or cousins? Or father and sons? Had they enlisted in the same regiment? And the Perretts – who were they? When we first talked about the idea of finding out more we had envisaged producing just enough for the Rector to be able to add ranks and dates to his reading of the list of names during the Remembrance Day service, with perhaps a page with a few more details to go with the service sheets. But that was before we started…..

The research
Jane Chambers took on the tasks of checking details in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records and of asking people in the village descended from the families of the men mentioned for family memories. She and her husband John went to the Hampshire Record Office and trawled through local newspapers and diocesan records. Jane used the internet to access the National Archives at Kew, the Imperial War Museum records, and the Ministry of Defence records.

Dave Ward used the 1891 and the 1901 censuses to build a picture of the village at the beginning of the century and to get more detail about the families of the men on the memorial. His research indicated that the ten names on the war memorial may represent about a quarter of the men from the village who went to war. Dave also tracked down specialist websites that gave more information about particular things, such as the fate of the Lynx, the ship that one of our First World War men went down on, and the career of our local second world war hero, James Norris.

We met to pool our knowledge – and for some of the men, our lack of knowledge. For everyone we were searching for we cross–referenced our information from the different sources to try to ensure that we had found information about the right men.

Some information had come together easily. For example, Jane had talked at length to the niece of the three Garland brothers, who still lives in the village. Albert, Frederick and Robert (Bert, Fred and Bob) were three of a family of eight brothers and three sisters. Bert was killed in Turkey, but Fred and Bob, the baby of the family, died of their wounds back in England, hence their graves being in the churchyard. Kate, their mother, added the epitaphs to the gravestones. Dave's census research gave further details about their father's employment, and where they lived.

The Perretts, though, remain shadowy. We have found War Graves Commission records for two Perretts – but they seem to come from Bournemouth, with no obvious link to Michelmersh. We have also traced two Perrett brothers from Ampfield – but there are no war records (but these could have been destroyed in the blitz). There are no Perretts listed on the Michelmersh 1901 census – and we are only just beginning to find connections with the village.

The outcome
We pulled all the information together to make a booklet, which highlights where we lack information. We plan to continue tracing information about all the men on the memorial, especially those who are still – for us – shadowy figures. In the spring we will produce a revised booklet that we can offer for sale in the church.

Can you help us?
The names on the memorial:
1914–18
Walter C Compton, Arthur Earnshaw, Albert H Garland, Frederick Garland, Robert H Garland, Rupert Head, William Kerley, Ernest Perrett, Sidney Perrett, Aubrey S Maynard

1939-45
James A Lamb, James Lawrence, Stephen H Norris

We would welcome more information about any of the men on the memorial, but in particular want to know more about Arthur Earnshaw, Ernest and Sidney Perrett, and Aubrey Maynard, all men who were killed in the First World War. Can you help us?

Help to give away £7,000

LAST YEAR ROMSEY LIONS GAVE AWAY £7,000 We give away all the money we raise At the same time we have lots of fun BBQs, Meals out, Trips to France, and various other social events Fancy joining us, widening your social life and helping the local community? We need new members to enable us to carry on raising money to give to deserving causes most of which are local to the Romsey area. Ladies and gents come along to see us with no obligation on your part.

Contact Mike on 01794 368577
9 December 2007

BKP Gasification Plant

A public meeting was held in the Jubilee Hall on 9th September to explain the use of a gasification plant to dispose of waste which cannot be recycled. It is probably that a planning permission will be applied for by BKP Ltd. You can read the notes taken at the meeting by clicking here.
 
19 September 2006

Cango - or can't?

Having registered for the Cango Bus service many many weeks ago I was pleased to eventually receive the registration card and a couple of free journey passes.
It was a shame that the packet arrived just as a rumour is going round the village that the service is going to be stopped for Michelmersh and Timsbury! Let's hope it's not true however much the service costs to be subsidised.

a Fortunate Car Owner
11 August 2006

The Old Methodist Chapel

Having recently moved into the Old Methodist Chapel in Chapel Lane off New Road I am trying to piece together the history of the building. I would be extremely interested in any information or old photographs anyone may have of the building.

Please contact me if you can help.

Mike Koscian
mike.koscian@btinternet.com
20 February 2006