CAN YOU HELP?

CAN YOU HELP?

This is a new page created to assist people looking for information about local people and places. If you have the information asked for, or can help in any way, please contact the enquirer directly or contact the author of this website who will pass the information on.

Email received May 2008 - DO YOU KNOW THE FAMILY OF PETER COOK OR COOKE? My mother Constance Alice Chatfield was born on 29th April 1921 at the old Redhill Hospital. Her mother was Lilian Chatfield, sister of Annie Chatfield and Alice Chatfield, who was in The Salvation Army and used to go around the local pubs selling "War Cry". Mr Cook or Cooke worked for Reigate Council at the time and was either a labourer or gardener. My mother would desperately like to trace the family, as she only met her father once, when she was 18.
Anyone with information please reply to looking@redhill-history.fsnet.co.uk

REDHILL AIRFIELD?

This photo was sent in by Peter Walker. It is pre-WW2 and shows a group posing outside their flying club. On the back is a label that states WINDSOR-SPICE LTD. PHOTOGRAPHERS. 1 STATION ROAD REDHILL PHONE REDHILL 717. The group which contains Peter's wife's great uncle (3rd left back row) is of No15 E&R FTS (shown on sign on building). Peter Kleboe (the uncle) went on to join the RAF and fly first with 109sqn then 21sqn. It was when he was with them that he was killed on the Shell House raid over Copenhagen. At the time he was a Wing Commander and held the DSO DFC and AFC. Peter Walker is hoping that someone can give him any further information on the group or the club, or in fact any thing to do with the photo or Peter Kleboe. Presumably FTS stands for Flight Training School but what does E&R stand for - Evasion and Recovery, a prefix given to certain flight training, or something else? And as the picture is by a Redhill photographer could it have been taken at Redhill Aerodrome (at nearby Nutfield) or Kenley perhaps? Anyone with information please contact Peter Walker at pandswalker@btinternet.com or the author of this site (below) - or both.

This c1935 picture of the Reigate Silver Band taken in the caves below the town was sent in by Carol Hicks whose Grandfather is standing on the far left of the back row. James Fredrick Gurdin (Fred to his friends) was born Sept 8 1905 at Redhill, Surrey, and died in Surrey Oct 10 1967. He was married April 16 1927. Carol would like information about any other band members' families and if they knew of her grandfather, plus any other information that would show what kind of a person he was. She would also like to find out what happened to his instrument - from the picture it would seem that he was a trumpet player - as the whereabouts of it would be good to know to. A list of all the known band members follows: -
back row left to right - Fred Gurdin, Charles McCarthy, E Brooker, Harry Davey, ?, Ben Howlett, Bert Wheatley, Charlie Webb, Paul ?, and ? middle row: - Jack Wisden, Arch Robinson, Wally Betterridge, Geoff Wisden, Bob Preston, Don Pocock, Dan Harding, George Whitmore, 'Nigger' Truelove and Bill Searle front row: - Nobby Clarke, Arthur Johnson, Bert Turner, Doug Woodhouse, George Dowson, Mr J Arthur Rank (President), Frank Wheatley (Bandmaster), Col Spranger, Mr Richard Spranger, George Harman and Harry Cooper. (Col Spranger was the Mayor of Reigate 1931-1935)

Anyone with information please contact Carol Hicks (family name Gurdin) Dlh220702@aol.com or contact author below.

Did you know Winifred Bowen nee Jackson?
Mandy Bailey writes: In 1945 Winifred Bowen nee Jackson came to Bletchingly, living at 2 Church Walk. In the August she had my mother in Surrey County Hospital. In 1948 my mother was adopted and this is the last date on the electorial role that Winifred seems to have been in Surrey. For many years my mother tried to trace Winifred, but sadly she passed away 2 years ago. I have continued the search but with limited information it is hard. I do not have any idea when Winifred married even though I have searched marriage indexes, and I have no date of birth for Winifred. It would be so nice to hear from any one who knew Winifred or any of her family. Many thanks, Mandy. September 2006 If you can supply any information to Mandy please contact her directly on BAILEYMILLYMOLLY@aol.com or contact this author on the link below.

The above pub and its location is unidentified. The only clue is what would appear to be 'Neale & Co' either side of the door. If anyone has any ideas please contact author.

This query comes from Bill and Dot Gardner in Douglasville, Georgia, USA My relatives in Australia and I have uncovered a number of old photos, circa September 1914, taken at Vanner Farms, RedHill, England. I have attached a few for you to review and wondered if, in your historical research of RedHill, did you ever see the name Vanner Farms connected with RedHill or did you ever see views of these houses? The relatives in England that our grandparents visited in 1914 were Robert Turnbull Scott and his wife Annette Galbraith Scott (seen in some of the attached photos). Every time we research Vanner Farms and RedHill on the internet, there seems to be no known connection. Pictures follow: -

House at 7, North Grove, Highgate, London.	Cottage at Vanner Farms, RedHill, England


Rear of house at Vanner Farms, RedHill, England	L-R Jim Gaskell, Aunt Nettie, unknown man, Aileen, daughter .

My answer to their query was as follows: - Sorry to say that I don't recognise any of the scenes in the pictures you sent, wonderful though they are. Nor have I come across Vanner Farms. I had a look on the internet and found on www.thepeerage.com/p23050.htm a reference to a Robert Turnbull Scott who married Annette Georgina Fead Galbraith in 1873. She was of Irish descent, he of Scottish, but I notice that they were both buried at Highgate Cemetery, and one of your pictures is of a house at Highgate. While the names correspond and Highgate is a common feature there is no proof that they are the people you are looking for unless you can connect them with Red Hill or Vanner Farms, neither of which seem well represented on the internet as you have already discovered. The term 'Vanner Farms' seems a strange one. I would expect Vanner's Farm - a farm belonging to someone named Vanner - but Vanner Farms seems to indicate something slightly different. And the only other Red Hill I can trace is one referred to as being at Bromley, near London, England. But when I look at websites dealing with the history of Bromley they don't mention Red Hill. My Redhill as featured on my website was called Red Hill or Red hill until about 1880 when the name became simply Redhill. I'm sorry I can't offer you more positive help than this Bill and Dot replied:- Thank you so much for the very prompt response. It is regrettable that you were not aware of any connection between Vanner Farms and RedHill. You will notice in the upper left hand corner of one of the photos I sent that there is a hand written note that the house in the picture was located at “ Vanner Farms, RedHill”. All the more incredible was that in the link that you attached for www.thepeerage.com/p23050.htm was a listing of the Bryan family, beginning with Dr. William Radcliffe Bryan, who was my great grandfather, and his third child listed there, Charlotte F.F. Bryan., was my grandmother. She had married my grandfather, W.J. Gardner in America, and they were on a visit to Annette Galbraith Scott and family at Vanner Farms in 1914 when the photos were taken. It was my grandmother, Charlotte B. Gardner who wrote the note on the photo that I attached. What a coincidence that you should send the above link!! I should have mentioned in the previous e-mail to you that Robert Turnbull Scott passed away in 1903, but I thought that if there was any familial connection to the community of RedHill, UK, that it would have been through him. 7 North Grove, Highgate was the London house that the Turnbull Scott and Galbraith family lived in for many years. I had assumed that the houses in RedHill were summer houses or country estates, since in 1914 I would have assumed that RedHill would be very rural in comparison to London. Where is Vanner Farms? Where is the RedHill referred to? The above is posted here so that anyone who has relevant information that might advance Bill and Dot's knowledge of the location of the houses or the identities of any of the people in the photos can contact this author (see below) for that info to be passed on. ANSWERED - see below
Vanner's Farm was located by Peter Whipps . . . . Thank you very much, Peter.

Vanner's Farm is marked on the lefthand map with a small red dot just below the n of Enborne, southwest of Newbury, Berkshire. The righthand more detailed map of the area just below Enborne shows the farm just above Red Hill, which does not appear on the less detailed map.
Bill and Dot in Georgia have been emailed with the location, with these maps included.
AND - email received January 2009 - I just wanted to say thank you for posting the 'can you help' item on your website - the Robert Turnbull Scott and Annette Galbraith are my great great grandparents! So thanks very much to you and to the others who posted some missing details on the Scotts!! Lyndsey Donaldson-Selby
Further email received 2nd September 2009 Hi, I live in one of the Vanners Farm Cottages, the picture of the Farm House is very good, in that the original Farmhouse stands today. I have a picture of the nearest cottage to the Farm on a lane called Vanners Lane (see right) The Farm is run by a very old chap known as Mr Pocock, he is well into his Eighties now and is infirm. I found your site by accident, and it's late here right now, however, I can probably get you a bunch of information. I will get you an up to date picture of the farm, which is on the left hand side of the photographer when the attached picture was taken. Regards, Doug Staples

INFORMATION REQUIRED

........ The history of St Anne has intrigued me for many years, having once lived there. I was about ten years old but remember it well, I use to run down the hill and fell over many times. I have since migrated to Australia with my parents in May - June 1962 and St Anne was our last known address. We had been living it what seemed like a dormitory style accommodation, not the main building and the railway line use to run at the back of us. Maybe we were in homeless accommodation I am not sure. My father was not really a very good provider for the family and was often in trouble. Would you possibly have any records on who lived there at this time and why they were? I have racked my brains for years I am now 56 years old so, it has followed me most of my life. My Father's Name was Dennis Gordon Rex Sharp, his wife was Josephine. Their children were Yvonne, Aubrey, Sharon (ME), Rosemarie and Dennis. I would be very grateful if you have any information, web link and/or to someone who may help. It is quite hard following up your family history from Australia. Thought a lovely place it is a long way from England.

........ Sharon has been advised of a possible course of action but because of the 100 year rule it is difficult to look at records for most dates after 1911. If anyone has any memories of the Sharp family, either at St Anne's or elsewhere. please contact author by email

INFORMATION REQUIRED

I am looking for a relative who lived in redhill in the 1950's. his name was Donald Bracken and he was a plumber; he lived at 13 North Street, Redhill, SURREY. if anyone knows if there are any of this family still living in Redhill could you please ask them to contact me at 212 Mackenzie Street, toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. or on this e-mail william.hodgkinson@bigpond.com.au They would be children of the
sister of my great grand-father peter Fraser who came to Australia in the 1870is from Inverness in scotland.
Thank you,
Marie Hodgkinson