Woolavington
HISTORY GROUP
Index of Articles
If you have any updates or views or your own mystery let the group know Email to: enquiries@bartondesign.co.uk

GROUP MEMBERS
NOW- From the Woolavington History Group

The latest issue of the Woolavington Resourses DVD. Photographic format of the recorder’s 130 pages, together with an index of more than 2600 extracted names in alphabetical order. This comes with other historical information and an electronic copy of the History of Woolavington.
All this is readable using "Adobe Acrobat Reader" software which is available on the disk if you do not have it already on your PC.
Available now from Phillip Lewis 01278 683767
and Godfrey Hebdon 0l278 685203

Price £10.00 plus postage (Proceeds to St Mary’s Church)

BUY now.
Price including postage in the UK

Price including postage in Europe

Price including postage elsewhere

HISTORY MYSTERY
POLICEMEN on PARADE

Who ARE these policemen, lined up to have their photograph taken? Do they have any connection with Woolavington?

During recent redecoration of the Village Hall lounge (doesn't it look great by the way!) Roger Layers found this picture in the loft of the Hall.

There is no obvious connection with the village and no indication on the photo as to who the

men might be. The building in the background does not provide much of a clue although it appears to be a police station, as in the original a typical police blue lamp can be seen over the entrance. The building looks too grand for anything in Bridgwater and even Taunton. The photographer is noted as Tasma, Woolwich so perhaps there is a London connection. The original photograph is quite large (14 x 12 inches) and appears to have been framed. Unfortunately it has been folded and has sustained some damage. Does anyone have any ideas please? One thing is for certain, if this is a picture of the Woolavington Police Force of some years ago, it is no wonder we did not need
HAGGETT FAMILY QUERY

During the recent Village Appraisal Weekend the History Group mounted a small exhibition, largely relating to various local families. This material included two large family trees kindly prepared by Yvonne Haggett of Stockland Bristol who has researched the Haggett families over a number of years.

Yvonne has asked if we could reproduce the accompanying photograph of part of a cricket team, in the hope it might trigger some memories in current members of the Haggett family. The Haggett connection is with the man on the left of the back row; Phillip Smeltzer. In 1857, when he was 21, he emigrated to Australia, quoting Woolavington as his ‘native place’. The date of the photograph is unknown Phillip’s sister was Ann Victoria Smeltzer, who married George Haggett. His memorial (in the Old Methodist School Room) is pictured on page 47 of A History of Woolavington. They had eight children, some of whose descendants still live locally.

If you have any information regarding the photograph, please let me know, or contact Yvonne direct on 01278 652686.
HISTORY MYSTERY - Hector Stones

What is the answer to the pressing question of what is the correct spelling of an area just off Lower Road? When preparing the History of Woolavington Book we came across a variety of spellings: Hectors Stones, Hector's Stones and Hectorstones. These were in addition to the now officially correct version, Hector Stones.

How the area got its name was a mystery, but it was felt if this could he unravelled, then the correct spelling would emerge. Various alternatives were put forward by individuals. One idea was that it was the result of two men, a Mr Hector and a Mr Stone living next to each other in the area Another was that the stones now in place once belonged to a Hector or a Mr Hector. The fact that 'Hector' can be a Christian name or surname did not help!

However a study of the 1775 descriptions of properties in the area accompanying the Woolavington Survey map revealed:-

House, barn, bartons [farmyard], formally Hectors Stones.
Outhouses belonging to Magors, late Hectors Stones, now William Stones.

This indicated that the area was already known by the name in, say, the 1750's. Why?
A search of the church registers by Richard Young revealed that a Hector Stone and his wife Suzanna were having their children baptised between 1704 and 1713. One of these might have been the Hector Stone who married Mary in 1736 and in turn had a son, Hector who was baptised on 25th February 1738.

Whilst no addresses were given in the registers it was common practice for a property and hence an area to take a personal name. Other examples in the village are Tossel's Cottage and Lateways (i.e. deceased Mr. Way).

It seems therefore that Hector Stones was named after a succession of men of that name who lived in the area. Strictly speaking it should be Hector Stone's but apostrophes are not officially recognised by the road naming authority!

History of Woolavington Group
Hector Stones - follow up

Following the above article the reasons for the officially correct name for the above area of the village were examined.

Fortunately nobody has challenged these reasons so we can all rest easy. However the article did produce two further bits of information regarding the area which may be of interest to readers. Firstly Mrs Dorothy Hector, who lives nearby was able to confirm that many years ago there was only one unmade roadway which crossed the grass area; the one which runs north from Lower Road to the right of Tossels Cottage. This was made by her father-in-law Albert Hector and his horse and cart, when he was the village coalman and carrier and lived with his wife Alice in Tossels Cottage.

The second scrap of information about the Hector Stones to come to light relates to the village well. This was situated immediately in front of Heron Cottage, a little behind the pump recently erected by the Parish Council as part of the improvements to the area. Apparently the present steel cover to the well, and others at the rear of Causeway Farm and Reeds Drive, were made by Bill Hardwidge, who was the village blacksmith in the early part of the last century. He practised his trade from what is now the garage of Globe House, on the B3141, at the north end of the village. Another piece of local trivia!
Page last saved 10 October 2007 at 19:42