Herry's Archives

N otwithstanding the many changes effected and about to be made in the Poor Law world, one thing remains unchanged, and that is the kindness and generosity which has been bestowed upon the occupants of the "House on the Hill" by the residents of Dunley Manor . As far back as 1922 the late Lady Herbert invited the occupants of the House to Dunley, this invitation being repeated each year until 1930. Since Lady Herbert was called to her rest, Sir Alfred Herbert has given the annual treat to perpetuate the memory of Lady Herbert. Owing to the increase in the number of inmates the affair has taken place at the House, the women occupying the dining hall, and the kitchen being used as an annex for the men. On Friday in last week loads of good things to eat were sent to the Institution, including meat pies and fancy cakes to numerous to mention. The meal was served under the direction of the Matron at 5 p.m. The walls of the dining hall were delightfully decorated with branches of...

My mother Annette Rosemary Pugh was born in Darjeeling on 8th August 1911. Her mother was Marion Fraser Arundel (known as Nina) and her father Lt-Col Archie Pugh , CBE, VD (1871-1923), a solicitor in Calcutta and later Colonel of the Calcutta Light Horse. The family lived at 7 Menlo Park, Calcutta and in Wales, and retired to the nearest hill station - Darjeeling - in summer. Her parents were married in Calcutta Cathedral in 1904 (see a report of their wedding in The Times of India and a photo here ). Annette had five brothers - Archie, Jimmy, Ivor, Michael and David - and the family lived at Cwmcoedwig, Llanfarian near Aberystwyth while her father continued his work in Calcutta, returning for the summer to Wales until he died suddenly of colon cancer at the age of 52. There is a charming memoir written by her cousin Ruth describing her own life in Wales and India during the same period, and a fragment mentioning Annette is linked here . Annette went to sch...

My grandparents' wedding in Calcutta in 1904. Archie Pugh is standing at Nina's left shoulder and her father, Sir Arundel Tagg Arundel, next to him. Others present include 'Puff-Puff' (in the middle next to Archie) and Eyelyn and his wife - fearsome Aunt Norie. Pugh - PUGH - Originating from the Welsh AP "son of" Hugh which has subsequently been contracted. The first name Hugh came to Britain with the Norman forces of William the Conqueror. The 2nd Norman Earl of Chester was Hugh D'Avranches aka Hugh "Lupus". Lovegrove & Abermad Estates This is a whole new chapter on its own. A search for Loves Grove on the internet has thrown up a whole range of websites. I’ll include immediately below an extract regarding the Pugh Evans family of Lovesgrove (as the family there is known). “In 1843, Lovesgrove, in the parish of Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire, was bought for £7,500 by John Evans (1804-1874), a prosperous lime merchant who owned a ...

Click the photo to see it in full.  Annette and Patrick having tea at the bottom of the pool at Stocks in 1967, surrounded by family and friends. Left to right: Tim Handcock, Belinda Martin, Cilla Clempson, unidentified, Annette (with Justin in her arms), Mike Lawford (probably - back to the camera), Annie Skipwith, Patrick, Belinda Luxmoore (kneeling), Jess (in chair), Nick Duke, Ricky Skipwith, Piers Mervyn Archdall Tony Ashforth Julian Avery Gilly Back John Beveridge Rachel Biggs Michael Biggs Carol Bowhill Barry Bowhill Jane Boddington Tim Boycott Nicky Boyle Rosie Bryans (later Jenks) Tim Bruce Susannah Bulman Marney-Jane Bulman Christopher Butlin Clarissa Carpenter-Turner Robert Cecil Virginia Chomondley Cilla Clempson John Clive Louise Clive Johnny Cooke Georgina Cooke Roddy Cooke Paul Cook Pete Corbett Richard Courtauld Julie Courtauld Juliet Craig-Harvey Rosemary Curtis Fiona Curtis Mike Curtis Angela Davy Moira Dawnay Richard Dow...

Will Martin, B'lin Wallis (in her car), Herry (on the bonnet), Piers, Cilla Klempson, Cilla's sister Rosie's boys (the one on the left being Robert, Edward and Anthony), Penny Hitchcock , Nick Duke , unknown. Photo probably by Rosie Bryans . My earliest party memories (prior to ten) are of hunting for gold dubloons in a huge pile of sand at HMS Dryad , where the Navy held a childrens' party every year. In my teen years we were lucky to be surrounded by friends with long-suffering parents and large houses. Summer holidays were spent playing tennis - at the Archdall's, Mack's and Hulbert's, the Duke's, the Cooke's and Kelburn's - and of course at Stocks . I went to my first dance (black tie) at my Aunt Ruth's house at Warnford when I was about 13 and thereafter the winter holidays were filled with dances to which my parents kindly drove me - and picked me up from - almost nightly. Particular friends were B'lin Wallis, Nicky Bo...

This photos is probably of 'Kingcups' with Herry squinting in the front row. Will Martin is on his right and Anthony Gilbert-Harris on his left. Those standing include Penelope Martin, Sue Howard, Elspeth Martin, Penny Jagger, Vicky Hulbert and Vinny Archdall. While at Danegate , Herry went to a nursery school at Rotherfield for a term before the family moved to Hampshire. He then joined 'Miss Etheridge's' above the stables at Firhill House , Droxford - (then the home of the Hulberts) - where Will Martin and he were the only boys. Annie Ommaney was another pupil though eight months older than Herry. Thereafter Herry went to Miss King's (known as 'Kingcups'), whose schoolroom moved around from her house in the middle of Droxford and then up to The Grange - with a term at Carr House in Soberton, where Will Martin's parents lived. Herry's prep school was St Ronan's at Hawkhurst in Kent (following Fuff and to be followed by Piers) from Se...

Stocks and Harvestgate Farms in about 1973 Click on the heading to see some early photos of the family at Stocks. Click here for some photos of the farm and the valley Following Patrick's farming training at Headbourne Worthy , Litchfield and Eridge , my parents bought Stocks Farm in 1950 with advice from Carlisle Sayer of Strutt & Parker and Jim Harris, an old friend from Litchfield days. Click here for a description of life at Stocks in the early days. The Tithe Map of 1839 shows the farm being part of the estate of Edmund Lomax, who also owned most of Exton, but by 1930 it was part of the Leydene Estate owned by Lady Peel ; Stocks being sold off separately when Leydene became the naval signalling centre. We bought it from a man called Hughes. The estate originally included a fine Georgian house in Meonstoke - the Manor House - and a huge thatched barn next door, both which were sold off immediately - the barn to the Biggs family who have it still. The manor later...