About CapelThird edition - 2010

A History ofGrenehurst Park Estate

& other essays

Source: ‘The Building News’, July 1874

Acknowledgements

Capel Local History Group got going in the autumn of 2006 and has worked to produce a booklet

each year, this one being the third. Usually we have a number of different articles, but this time

we have focussed particularly on the history of the Grenehurst Estate. We are very grateful to

Carol Cobb, Mary Day, Bernice Forsyth, Bridget Patterson and Dick Thomas for all their input.

Belinda Hood has, once again, helped by providing superb pen and ink drawings that help so

much in developing this publication.

As always, we are grateful to Vivien Ettlinger for her technical support and for the resources

made available to us by the Surrey History Centre. This year, the editing has been undertaken by

myself, greatly supported by Mary Day and Dick Thomas to whom I offer my grateful thanks for

spotting all the mistakes.

Capel Local History Group will start holding meetings again after the summer recess at the

Friends Meeting House, 144, The Street, Capel Surrey, RH5 5EN. Please do contact either Mary

Day (email: mary.day@virgin.net) or Chris Coke (email: ze51@onetel.com) for further

information. New members are always warmly welcomed.

Contents

Researching the Grenehurst Park EstateEarly History of ‘Grenehurst’‘Greenhurst Farm’ in the 19th CenturyGrenehurst, the Railway and Thomas Lambert‘Greenhurst Farm’ changes to ‘Grenehurst Park’ 1863 – 18741873-1901. William and Emmeline Cazalet1901-1920. James Hawke Dennis and family1920-1924. Major Sir Philip Hunloke1924-1945. Cecil Philip Adcock and his wife Violet Marianne1945 – 1965. Emmanuel Elias Hadjilias1965-1986. Elim Bible CollegeGrenehurst Park in the 21st CenturyRecent memories of Grenehurst ParkStylehurst Farm

The Memorial HallPostscriptSource material

Best Kept Secret

Old Surrey words

Capel’s Surrey Wagon

113689

1111121212131416

172122

22

25

29

1

Researching the Grenehurst Park Estate

This project was inspired by a walk, led by Dick Thomas, which started inFriday Street, Ockley, and took us past Vann House and Lake, (near theparish boundary between Ockley and Capel), which were formerly part ofthe estate.

The early history of Grenehurst can be traced, through manorial records,from 1282 until 1815. These have been expertly transcribed by VivienEttlinger to whom acknowledgment is due. Later maps and documentsdemonstrate how the property developed from a yeoman farmstead into agentleman’s mansion and estate.

In the mid 19th c. the estate was bisected by the Leatherhead to Horshamrailway line which caused a lengthy dispute with the landowner. We consultedthe railway company’s records at The National Archives, Kew.

At its largest, the estate comprised 970 acres, much of it in Ockley parish.We were able to find more evidence of ownership and extent from deedsand sales particulars held at Surrey History Centre.

More recent history has been compiled from local knowledge (Peter Ede,Win Wright etc.) and even from a chance encounter in deepest Kent. Wehave consulted the RIBA library, Construction Industry (CIRCA) Trust, censusrecords, rate books, directories, and parish magazines. Most fortunately,we have been able to visit the site, courtesy of Grenehurst residents,especially Anne Hambidge.

There is never an end point to this sort of project – perhaps we shall havemore to tell another time.

Research team: Carol Cobb; Bernice Forsyth; Mary Day; Bridget Paterson; Dick Thomas

Early History of ‘Grenehurst’

The name Grenehurst first appears in the surviving records of the Manor ofDorking with Capel in 1282 when Henry de Langenehakere (Longacre) wasdistrained for ‘a certain piece of land at Grenehurst’. The spelling of thename has varied over the centuries.In 1307 Agnes de Grenehurst held half a virgate of land, perhaps 30 acres,for a rent of four shillings a year and she was also under a feudal obligation

2

to ‘fence le Lese’ part of the lord’s demesne lands in Dorking and provide 2hens and 10 eggs each year.

By 1380 the land was out of cultivation, (perhaps as a result of the ravagesof the Black Death?) and was granted to John Kyngesfold for life for a tokenrent of ‘one red rose at Midsummer and 11s. 8½d’. It would be interesting toknow if red roses were growing in Capel in 1380! By this time the propertyhad become freehold and no longer owed feudal dues. (This picturesque‘rose rent’ was still being quoted until at least 1815).

In 1390 a deed specified that the property now comprised one messuage(house) 73 acres of arable land, 3 acres of meadow and 40 acres of pasture.It had been sold for 100 marks. (1 mark = 13s.4d, or £0.67p in today’scurrency.). The property was still subject to manorial control. In 1398 anenquiry was made as to whether the road in Grenehurst was a highway forcarts and wagons or a bridleway. The occupants were required to scour theditches in 1482 and 1516.

In 1622 the property was owned by John Young of Warnham, gentlemanbut by 1649 it had passed to William Prideaux, clerk, and was described ina manorial survey as ‘messuage, barns, outhouses, garden, orchard andlands called Greenhurst amounting to 124 acres’ (shown as ‘GREENE-HYRST’ in the survey map).

Fig. 01: 1649 map. Based on a document held in Arundel Archives

N

3

In the 18th century the property had several occupants before 1759 whenNicholas Branch became the owner. He was Constable of Capel. He alsoowned Knowle and Pickards croft, a messuage, farm, lands etc. of 90 acreswhich lies to south of Grenehurst and became for many years part of theestate. Branch died in 1785 and is buried in Capel Churchyard.

The Land Tax records show that by 1780 William Frankland was owner andoccupier of both properties which had an annual rental value of £40.00 and£25.00. He also owned Peters Wood, valued at £2.00 p.a., which lies to thenorth of Grenehurst. By 1785 the farms had been let to Thomas and PhilipHolland but Frankland retained ‘Peters, Knole and Greenhurst Woods’ valuedat £17.00 p.a. He owned large areas of woodland in the district, perhaps toexploit the value of the timber.

‘Greenhurst Farm’ in the 19th Century

By around 1800, ownership had passed to John Gorham, Esq. a wealthyLondon merchant who owned several properties in the City of London andelsewhere. John Gorham died in 1801 and his will gives a clue as to whathappened to Grenehurst (although not specifically named).

“I give and devise unto my said niece Rebecca Bliss ....... and also all thosemy freehold farms lands and hereditaments situate and being in the parishesof Ockley and Capel or elsewhere in the county of Surrey now or late in therespective tenure or occupations of Mr Dendy Mr F…, Mr Holland Mr Poltickand Mr Bravery with …and … of their appurtenances”.

Rebecca Bliss was the daughter of William Bliss and Sarah Gorham (thesister of John), She was born around 1749 and was baptised at Carey StreetNew Court Independent Chapel (London). It appears that Rebecca nevermarried and she died in 1819. She was buried at St John the Baptist Church,Loughton, Essex. In her will, proved at London on 24th March, 1819, she leftthe lands in Ockley and Capel to her cousin Ebenezer Maitland.

Ebenezer Maitland (1752 – 1834) was a very wealthy merchant and the sonof Robert Maitland and Ursula Gorham (another of John’s sisters). He marriedMary Winter in about 1776. He was a director of the Bank of England.

4

An interesting sale of the agricultural stock and implements, householdfurniture and other effects at ‘Greenhurst Farm, Capel’ took place in January,1822, when the tenant, Matthew Hancock, gave up the Lease shortly beforehis death, aged 67.

From the auctioneer’s list of contents for sale it is possible to imagine howthe farmhouse was furnished and the likely arrangement of the rooms. Twosets of fire irons and a ‘large standard kitchen range’ suggest at least twoheated rooms. A ‘stout framed oak table 9 feet long’ was purchased for 11shillings by ‘Mr. Poltock’ an earlier tenant. Four bedsteads with their beddingand ‘furniture’ (curtains) and mahogany chairs, Brussels and Kidderminstercarpets, quantities of blue and white china, punch bowls, jugs andQueensware dishes hint at a reasonable standard of comfort.

The dairy and brewing equipment, housed separately, demonstrate the usualself-sufficiency found in local farmhouses. The farm animals comprised 10horses, with names such as ‘Captain, Fuddler and Darby’, 6 milk cows incalf, named ‘Cherry, Nancy, Colly, Beauty, Flower and Fanny’. Five steers,3 calves, 2 sows and 6 store pigs, 4 geese and a gander, a ‘Yorkshire’ duckand drake, 2 cocks and six hens, completed the stock.

Fig. 02: From silhouettes of Ebenezer and Mary Maitland by Hinton Gibbs.(Reproduced by courtsey of www.wigsonthegreen.co.uk)

5

The implements included 3 wagons and 4 dung carts, light cart, land roller,chaff-cutting machine, 3 ploughs, 3 sets of harrows and a winnowing fagand wheel. Five loads of corn sacks, ten hay rakes and ten cyder clothswere also for sale, showing what the farm produced. The total revenue fromthe sale was £305 13s. 0d. We do not know how much the Lease ofGrenehurst Farm benefitted Ebenezer Maitland.

When Ebenezer died in 1834 he left his property to his wife Mary but shedied shortly thereafter and her property was left to her son Ebenezer Fuller-Maitland. It is his name that appears on the Capel tithe map of 1839, owning235 acres.

Ebenezer Fuller-Maitland was an extremely wealthy man. In 1807 he tookthe additional name of Fuller by grant of the King. It seems that he did thison the express wish of his wife (whose grandfather was William Fuller, abanker). He was an MP being elected for Lostwithiel in 1807, Wallingford in1812 and Chippenham in 1826.

There is little evidence that he took much interest in the Grenehurst propertyand it was let to various tenants:-

1841 census – Fludger Hopkins – Farmer1851 census – John Short – Agricultural Labourer1861 census – Henry Patchen – Agricultural Labourer

Ebenezer Fuller-Maitland died in 1858. There is no mention of the lands atOckley and Capel in his will and he may have sold them before his death. Itisn’t clear therefore who owned the estate until Thomas Lambert, whocertainly owned the estate in 1863 when he began to have protracted issueswith the Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway.

6

Grenehurst, the Railway and Thomas Lambert

In 1862 the Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway Co. (the Company)was formed to construct a link between Horsham and Leatherhead. Manyof the local landowners and farmers supported the scheme as it providedan excellent method of getting their produce to market at a time when roadswere still difficult, particularly in winter.

Fig. 03:Location of railway and key farms

on Grenehurst estate 1891.

7

At a fairly early stage the Company came up against Thomas Lambert whoappears to have caused them quite a bit of trouble, mainly because theCompany wanted to drive their line straight through the Grenehurst estateand it seems quite close to where he was planning to build his new house.

In October, 1863 the Company resolved to make payment of £500 to MrLambert pursuant to an agreement dated 24th May, 1863. This agreementprovided for the line of the railway to be moved further to the west resultingin the track being further away from the house; presumably they thoughteverything was settled.

However in 1864 the Company resolved to make offers regarding unsettledland purchases to Messrs Lambert, Bullpit and Margesson and if not accepted“the Solicitor be instructed to take the necessary steps for summoning ajury to assess the amount of their compensation”.

Perhaps Messrs Bullpit and Margesson succumbed but it appears thatThomas Lambert continued to cause trouble. On 11th November, 1864 itwas agreed that a common seal be affixed to a warrant to the Sherriff tosummon a jury to assess the amount to be paid to Mr Lambert for land andcompensation. That didn’t seem to work either because by 2nd January1865 Mr Lambert had increased his claim for compensation from £1640 to£2100. The conveyance was finally made in June 1866 and a payment of£1700 was made at the end of the year when settlement was made to themajority of the landowners for land acquired by the Company.

Thomas Lambert was not finished yet though – in February 1867 it wasreported that the injunction taken out by Mr Lambert to refrain from enteringupon his field No. 75 in the Parish of Capel was ineffectual. No doubt theCompany were wishing they had never heard of Thomas Lambert by nowand in August they agreed that they would offer him a further £60 to settleall outstanding disputes. In the event a further £160 was paid in April 1868.

The Railway opened in 1867 but by October 1870 the Company had beenabsorbed by the Brighton and South Coast Railway Company.

Fig. 04: Signature of Thomas Lambert on a receipt for payment of the £ 500 as noted above.

8

‘Greenhurst Farm’ changes to ‘Grenehurst Park’ 1863 – 1874

The change of status from Farm to Gentleman’s estate can be seen onsuccessive editions of the Ordnance Survey 25 inch to one mile maps.Careful comparison of the maps shows that the mansion was built alongsidethe old farmhouse, which was probably left standing until completion of thenew building. The creator of the new estate was Thomas Lambert.

Fig. 05: Sketch of relative position of old farmhouse and new mansion. Based on O.S. maps of 1871 & 1912

The combined minds of the history society have failed to positively identifyThomas. We know that he bought the estate and employed the architect J.P. St.Aubyn to design the mansion house. The house was not finishedduring his ownership of the estate. We also know that he disputed thecompensation he was awarded for land needed for the Horsham, Dorkingand Leatherhead Railway. This is well documented in the minutes of therailway held at the National Archive but he does not appear on any censusreturns for Capel. He may have been a member of the Lambert family ofBletchingly and Banstead who owned land in several sites in Surrey.

9

In October 1871 an illustration, description and floor plans appeared in ‘TheBuilder’ magazine announcing the proposed mansion house.

‘GREENHURST, NEAR OCKLEY, SURREY - This house is being erectedfor Mr. Thomas Lambert, and is distant from the Ockley Station about amile…..The cost will be about £11,000 for the house, and £2,000 for thestables…… By 1874 the house had been completed – see front cover foran illustration.’

1873-1901. William and Emmeline Cazalet

The Cazalet family, who had been living in Brighton, bought the Grenehurstestate from Thomas Lambert in 1873. At that stage the mansion designedfor Lambert by the architect J.P.St. Aubyn was incomplete but an amendedillustration and description appeared in ‘The Building News’, dated July, 1874,giving precise dimensions and details of the rooms.

William Cazalet was the son of Peter and Olympia Cazalet. Peter was theVice Consul in St Petersburg and also a banker who set up the Bank of StPetersburg. William was born in Russia. The 1841 census shows Williamliving in Brighton with his family. There is no entry for him in either the 1851or 1861 census. By 1871 he was living in London, married to Emmeline andhas 6 daughters and 1 son Clement. Emmeline and Clement aged 1 wereaway from home in a hospital in Great Malvern. The census shows that 4children were born in St Petersburg, (probably the reason why the family didnot appear on the 1851 and 1861 census).

It is known that William and Emmeline had possibly been living in the areaas they had leased a house ‘Bearhurst’, Capel, from Mary Louisa Labouchere,the wife of a banker, in 1863. After purchasing the Grenehurst estate in1873 the house was completed and the Cazalet family took up residence.They were shown in the 1881 census living in the house with 13 houseservants. They employed a further 6 servants living with their families in theCoach house, Stables and Lodge on the Estate. Anecdotal evidence showsthat William was eager to employ as many of the unemployed locals as hecould. He apparently had the driveway to the house extended to provideemployment.

10

Fig. 06: Gardeners at Grenehurst circa 1900

William’s profession was given on the 1881 census as ‘Justice of the Peacefor Surrey’. He died on 17th November 1890, aged 66 years. Details of hiswill printed in The Surrey Standard show that he left £136,652 net. (Usingthe National Archive calculator this sum would be £7 million pounds today.)The will mentions his other estates in Dorset and Devon. The family continuedto live in Grenehurst and by 1891 they employed 19 house servants in additionto the stable and garden staff.

A plan attached to a Deed of 1901 shows that by this time Vann Farm,Holbrook Farm, Tiphams and Stylehurst farms had been added to the estate.The census result for 1901 shows the Pape family living at Grenehurst. (Itcan only be assumed that they may have rented the property as no saledocuments have been found.) Edward Pape was born in North Cave,Yorkshire in 1857, son of William and Elizabeth. William (Pape) was adealer in wool and flax. The 1871 census shows Elizabeth was now a widowand living with family in Grimsby. Edward was probably a scholar. There isno record of Edward on the 1881 census but by 1891 he was living in Hove,married to Annie, had 3 children and was employing 6 servants. Noprofession was given on the return. By 1901 the family had moved toGrenehurst with 4 children and 15 servants. His profession was given asShop (ship)broker/agent. There is no record of any of the family in the 1911census.

11

1901-1920. James Hawke Dennis and family

James Hawke Dennis bought the estate from Emmeline Agnes Cazalet,widow of William on 2nd May 1901 for the sum of £56,000. The estate thenamounted to 954 acres. There was then a slight dispute between Emmelineand James re the amount of land, an independent assessment was of theopinion that any error concerning the acreage was so small as to beinsignificant. In a document dated the same day as the sale Emmelineagreed to allow James to start renovation of the mansion and installation ofelectricity on immediate payment of £1,000.

James Hawke Dennis was born in Redruth in 1840. By the time of the 1861census he was living in Wavertree, Lancashire and employed as a metalbroker. By 1871 James, still lived in Wavertree, and was married to MaryMartyn, had 3 children, Aimee, Stanley and James Jr. and employed 3servants. He was now described as a “sulphate of copper manufacturerand metal broker.” In 1881 James appeared to have visited his father-in-law in Redruth. His occupation was now described as “Alkali Manufacturer”.The 1891 and 1901 census failed to show any of the family but in 1911 theywere staying at the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth. They were describedas living on private means. The 1911 census shows the Grenehurst mansionservants in residence. James died in 1917.

1920-1924. Major Sir Philip Hunloke

Sir Philip Hunloke bought the 434 acre estate for £33,250 from Mary JaneDennis (widow of James Hawke Dennis) and her children Stanley, Jamesand Charles. Sir Philip was born Philip Percival on 26th November 1868 inLondon. He changed his name in 1905 after acquiring an inheritance throughthe female line of the Hunloke family. Sir Philip was married to Sylvia andthey had 3 children. Their son, Henry, married Lady Anne Cavendish,daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and went on to be an M.P.

Sir Philip was an accomplished sailor who won a bronze medal in the 1908Olympics sailing an 8 metre yacht owned by the Duchess of Westminster.After World War I he was the first president of the Ocean Racing Club andwas instrumental in creating the Fastnet Race, first raced in 1925.

In 1914 he was made groom-in-waiting to George V and in 1920 becamehis sailing master. He was generally recognised as one of the 20th century’sgreatest sailors.

12

He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.)He died on 1st April, 1947 in London and is buried in Northwood Cemetery,Isle of Wight.

1924-1945. Cecil Philip Adcock and his wife Violet Marianne

Adcock bought the house, with vacant possession and 1 other plot at auctionin 1924 for the sum of £17,250. (Philip Hunloke was by this time living in hisproperty in Malmesbury Wilts.) The rest of the estate was sold in lots on 13th

October 1924; mainly to Walter Mercer Gillett, a merchant of Faversham,Kent.

(The Adcocks’ sons Douglas and Reginald were killed in action in WorldWar Two. Reginald aged 30 in 1941 and Douglas aged 30 in 1944. Thefamily moved to Redhill in 1945.)

1945 – 1965. Emmanuel Elias Hadjilias

He was a Greek ship owner who became a British citizen in 1948.A record of The Worlds Merchant Fleets in 1939 shows the Hadjilias familyhad an office in London. There is a record showing that he named shipsGrenehurst and Stylehurst.

1965-1986. Elim Bible College

During this period, the Elim Bible College owned the estate for a number ofyears. It was used as a centre for training their ministers and missionaries.The mansion and grounds were well cared for during their occupation. Aftertheir departure, the house and gardens were owned briefly by Sir RichardBranson. What plans he had for the house are unclear but there was asuggestion of turning the mansion into a school.

13

Grenehurst Park in the 21st Century

The present estate was created in the early 1990s by Cala plc. The mansionhouse was divided up into 17 fine apartments and the stables and outbuildingsconverted to 11 cottages. Twelve new houses were built in the grounds andleisure facilities include an underground swimming pool and gymnasium inthe vaulted cellars. The two acre walled gardens were sold separately andthe garden buildings converted to domestic use. The whole complex, withits fine mature trees, is beautifully maintained – it is good to see such asuccessful conversion. We wonder if the gardens contain any red rosestoday?

Fig. 07: View of Grenehurst 2010

14

Recent memories of Grenehurst Park

Jean Dale is the eldest of two daughters of Mr & Mrs F. Goldsmith who wasthe last Farm Manager of Grenehurst Park. Before the Goldsmiths the farmwas managed by Vera Kunz’z father – Mr. Appleby. However, his wifedeveloped an allergy to pine tree pollen that was in abundance on the estate.So they moved on.Frank Goldsmith worked on farms all his life, so was in a reserved occupationwhich meant that he did not get called up for the second world war, but hedid serve in the Home Guard. There were two farm workers at Grenehurstwho reported to Frank – George Stone was one, Jean cannot remember thename of the other. The main enterprise was a Jersey herd of about 24milking cows plus followers and a bull. The milk was collected in churnsevery day to be used by the Milk Marketing Board who had a dairy in VincentLane. It was collected by Mr. “Ding-Dong” Bell. Mr. Hadjilias was the owner.He had three daughters (Ebenear, Rene, and Lulu) and one son, Elias.Although Mr. Hadjilias was a member of the hunt, no hunt ever went acrossGrenehurst because of the electrified railway that cuts through it. Even sothe hunt regularly used to lose one or two hounds because of it.

On Boxing Day there was a tradition of having a pheasant shoot in themorning, followed by lunch and then a clay pigeon shoot in the afternoon.On one occasion, George Stone (Not related to the Shiremark Stones)became a bit merry and was waving his 12-bore around a lot. CharlieEdwards (father of the current C. Edwards) saw what was going on as hecame to join the clay pigeon shoot. Just as he was climbing over the stileGeorge let off his 12-bore, and although there was no danger to Charlie, hefell over backwards and disappeared from view. This made George veryagitated and when he saw Charlie coming up the drive with his arm in asling and an apparently blooded hankie clasped to his forehead, poor Georgebecame distraught – only be told that Charlie was playing a practical joke(of which he was inordinately fond).

The original walled garden was used as a supply of vegetable and fruit forthe house and Farm Manager’s family. They used to get a trug of vegetablesevery week. When the estate was broken up the walled garden was sold for£1,000 and the new owner built a bungalow in it.

15

During Mr. Goldsmith’s time, Mr. Underwood was Head Gardener with a Mr.Gardener being his deputy who took over when Mr. Underwood retired.The other gardener was Mr. Dewdney.

Although there were a succession of chauffeurs at Grenehurst – AdrianKunz being one of them before Frank Goldsmith was there, most of the timeduring the 50’s Mr. Hadjilias used John Hamilton to drive him to London.John owned and ran a garage in Kingsfold. Just before the estate was soldMr. Hadjilias employed Gordon Hill as his chauffeur.

Fig. 08: Chauffers in Capel – exact location of photo unknown.

16

Stylehurst Farm

The railway, opened on the outskirts of Capel, brought huge new Victorianmansions to the village such as Grenehurst and Wigmore. The wealthyowners bought up farms to enhance the size of their estates and theGrenehurst holding grew to nearly 1,000 acres and included the farmsStylehurst, Tiphams, Knoll and Holbrook. Because the farmland spreadover different parishes the estates in Capel, Ockley and Newdigate werevery much entwined. This is shown in the formation of the HorticulturalSociety that was called ‘Capel Ockley & Newdigate Horticultural Societyright up to the 1980’s when it was simplified to Capel Horticultural Society.Early issues of the parish magazine also combined the names of the threevillages.An estate aimed to be self-sufficient. Grenehurst had all the latest fashionsof equipment. It had a huge brick walled garden (now called ‘The Gardens’).As well as vegetables and flowers, it had fruit trees, mushroom beds, andgreenhouses, some of which still remain.

Stylehurst was the Home Farm. The drive towards Ockley and Stane Streetwith its lodge for Grenehurst (now called Vann Cottage) goes past Stylehurst.Peter Ede told us that Mr. Dendy from Ockley was still making deliveries inthe 1940’s along the vehicular drive with its bridge over the Vann Lake dam.Stylehurst was the farm manager’s house. Originally called ‘Stileres’ fromthe family name it is a late 16th century building with additions made in the19th and 20th centuries. Across the lane was the granary, dairy, oasthouseand stables. All of these have now been converted into separate houses.The noisy engine house, forge and sawing shed with its Ransome circularsaw (to cut valuable timber) were at Stylehurst. This was used not only topower the farm tools but also to provide electricity for the main house as acable was laid under the railway line and on to Grenehurst. It was still in useuntil 1934 when mains electricity came to Capel.

Elizabeth Ticehurst, who was born at Stylehurst in 1928, remembers theunmade up drive being in good condition since she walked over the levelcrossing to Old Mead in order to share lessons with the governess wholived there. Her father built the bungalow, now called ‘Paddock House’, forhis gardener.

Research by Carol Cobb

17

The Memorial Hall

Fig. 09: Cover of Souvenir programme 1956

In May 1945, the end of World War Two was celebrated and, at a largemeeting held in the Church Room, general approval was given to build aMemorial Hall to commemorate those killed. Although still a mainlyagricultural village with numerous farms, the social makeup of Capel hadchanged considerably since l912 when the Church Room opened. TheMortimers of Wigmore had sold up in l944, the Calverts of Capel HouseFarm had moved away. The only large estate left was the Lyne Estate ofCaptain Broadwood. Commuters had moved in, people were better off withrising expectations and ambitions and more time for leisure activities.Electricity and gas had arrived in l934. Village affairs were run by the wellestablished Parish Council, inaugurated in 1894, and the influence of theParochial Church Council, who ran the Church Room, had diminished. Duringthe war, the Church Room had been used for lessons for evacuee children.

18

The Capel Village Hall Memorial Fund , to honour those who served in thewar, l939 – 1945, was formed, led by Waldo Porges, K.C., of Osbrooks, aBarrister. No political parties were to be involved. A Conveyance of 27thOctober, l945, shows the purchase of extra land from the Parish Council for£50 and a Committee of Management was set up. The new Hall was to befor ‘physical and mental training and recreation and social, moral andintellectual development through the medium of reading and recreationrooms, library, lectures, classes, recreations and entertainments ...for thebenefit of the inhabitants’. In accordance with the Trust Deed, theManagement Committee is made up of a representative from each villageorganisation plus further elected members. The organisations representedat that time were Parish Council, PCC, Methodist Church Leaders, MethodistGuild Committee, Society of Friends, British Legion, W.I., School Managers,Horticultural Society, Nursing Association, Cricket Club, Football Club, TennisClub, Bowling Club, Mothers’ Union.

A loan from the National Council for Social Services was secured and £3,550from the Carnegie Trust, an equal amount to be raised by villagers. Villagersstarted raising money in earnest, holding fetes and concerts and jumblesales. It seemed absurd to have 2 Halls adjacent, one for the Church andone for the village and an offer was made to the PCC for the Church Room,to be enlarged and updated to meet modern needs. Ambitious plans weredrawn up featuring an imposing new main entrance approached from theNorth side, with access to the existing Church Room to one side and a newsocial centre to the other. The Trustees of the Church Room agreed to sellfor £1,500 but would require alternative premises - many villagers wereincensed as they felt that the Church Room already belonged to the villagesince it had been paid for by voluntary subscriptions with the land gifted bythe Mortimers. The Church found the Room ‘a heavy financial burden’; thecoal shed and urinals were under rotten rusty corrugated iron roofs. It wasstalemate. Win Wright, who was caretaker, helped by her husband, Walter,for 40 years from l948 – l988, remembers helping her mother to stoke theboiler in l946 when a temporary surgery was held in the Committee Roomby Dr. Holloway while the new surgery was being built.

Two years later, since no progress was being made and the extension ofthe Recreation Ground was going ahead, a completely new site wasconsidered for the new Memorial Hall. Efforts continued to get a licencefrom the Ministry of Works because of the shortage of building materials; nosteel was available at all. To cut costs, suggestions were made to only build

19

part of the Hall, use voluntary labour, use cloakrooms as sports changingrooms. Finally another offer was made to the Church Room Trustees whowere also needing funds for the upkeep of the Room since radiators hadburst in the cold winter of l948 and redecoration was badly needed. Regularfetes were held in the Vicarage garden to raise funds for the Church Room.Nine years after the Fund was formed, the Church Trustees offered theChurch Room for conversion for £2500. The following year, with still nosign of any Memorial Hall, the original Fund Committee resigned en bloc.

Archibald Ray Carter became the new Chairman of the Memorial FundCommittee, new plans drawn up by W. Dudley Arthur were accepted as theoriginal plans were too costly. Arthurs were also the chosen builders. Thefoundation stone was laid on 7 July l956 by Waldo Porges and the officialopening followed in November by Maurice Markham.

Fig. 10: Plan for Village Hall

20

The old Committee Room and kitchen were converted to a stage - originallythere was to be an extension flap to the stage but this proved impracticable.The new extension provided a new, larger Committee Room, modern kitchen,toilets and a spacious hallway. An oil boiler replaced the old solid fuel boiler.To help raise the final funds needed for furnishings, memorable DonkeyDerbys, organised by Gay Kindersley of Hillhouse Farm were held on theRecreation Ground in the late 50s and early 1960s.

And that is the story of how the Memorial Hall metamorphosed from theChurch Room.

Fig. 11: Foundation stone being laid

21

Postscript

The use of Capel Village Memorial Hall, to give it its correct title, confirmingthat it belongs to the Village, as well as being a Memorial Hall, reflects thecontinuing and changing needs of the Village.

The earlier tradition of fund-raising continued, to help keep rents reasonablefor village organisations, and to cover maintenance. At first, there was aregular February Jumble Sale and a Fete in June. This Fete was the bigVillage Day with varying themes – gymkhanas, ‘It’s a Knockout’. Thiscontinued until 1977 when, to celebrate the Silver Jubilee, there was a hugeChildren’s Tea Party and, in order not to clash, a Hall Autumn/Winter eventbegan. Happily the Horticultural Society now encourages a Village Day.

School meals were served in the new Hall for many years and at midday acrocodile of children could be seen walking along from the School to theHall for their lunches. This ceased in l976 when Capel School had becomean Infant School, with children moving on to the Weald at 8 years, givingspace at Capel School for lunches on site. A small library was establishedin the Committee Room. Apart from the groups mentioned above on themanagement Committee, the Hall was used by the Civil Defence, YoungWives and Registrar of Births. The National Westminster Bank rented theCommittee Room twice a week. There was a busy Catering Group thatcatered for weddings and other events. The Hall was let out for BrowniePack Holidays in the summer. Country Markets were held in the early 80s.In 1985 the Playgroup set up in the Hall, moving out in 2006 when their newbuilding was opened in the School grounds.

It did not prove satisfactory to have Youth meetings in the Hall and it wasrecognised that they needed their own premises, so in l962 a large builders’hut was purchased for £380 and refurbished. This was placed on MemorialFund land and was used until the brick replacement was built in l985. Inl960 a second entrance to the Hall car park was made via Mortimer Road,where houses had recently been built.

22

Source material

Capel Parish magazineCapel Parish Council Minutes 1894 – 1913; 1913 – 1916; 1936 1959 (SurreyHistory Centre)Parochial Council Minutes (Surrey History Centre)Correspondence re ‘Use of Church Rooms’ 1936 – 1949 (Surrey HistoryCentre)

Research by: Carol Cobb.

Best Kept Secret

Whilst using Peter Ede’s copies of the Capel Parish Magazine 1942-1951to research the names on the War Memorial I came across a reference to ameat pie scheme. The article appeared in the magazine January 1947

“The Best Kept Secret of the War”

After a year’s work, the Committee of the W.I. Pie Scheme revealed thatthey had £200 (profit on sale of pies) to distribute amongst various villageorganisations. After careful thought the Committee have allocated the varioussums, and so far no dissatisfaction with their decisions has been expressed!This is indeed high praise.We heartily thank the Committee for all their voluntary work in providing uswith this extra food supply and for the substantial financial help.”

The meat pie scheme had started earlier in the War supported by the Ministryof Food. I have found references to the Cranleigh branch of the W.I. in theSurrey Life web site. It states “Surrey members contributed to the SecondWorld War effort by knitting over a ton of wool into comforts for the troops –and the Cranleigh W.I. ran a pie scheme by offering the hard working housewives a home delivery service of freshly baked pies.”

The village web site of Shipton Bellinger in Hampshire reports that the W.I.produced 320 pies every Thursday using the local baker’s ovens.The minute books of Capel W.I. for the period 1944-1954 contain numerousreferences to the Pie Scheme but do not give any information on how andwhere the pies were made. We do not know how they were distributed

23

The next reference to the Pie Scheme in the Capel Parish magazine is inFebruary 1948:

“Women’s Institute. The Pie Scheme Committee has again earned thegratitude of us all, in that by unremitting work and sacrifice of time everyweek they have increased the weight of our ration baskets, and also, bygenerous donations have decreased the weight of care shouldered by thecommittees of many village organisations as regards finance. The successof the Institute for another year is assured as Mrs. Potter has kindly consentedto lead it again as President.”

In February 1950 a further reference.

“Capel Pie Scheme The whole village thanks the devoted Committee notonly for the weekly supply to our Larders but also for gifts of money totwenty organisations from the profit earned by their untiring voluntary workevery Tuesday in the year.”

The final reference to the Pie Scheme is in December 1951.“Readers will be interested to know the extent to which the village hasbenefited by the Capel Meat Pie Scheme, and will like to offer very cordialthanks to the officers: Mrs. Cooper, Mrs. Lumsden, Mrs. Pearce, Mrs. Potter,Miss. L Stedman, and a strong band of helpers. The Scheme has now beenfinally wound up. During the period November 1945 to November 1951, aprofit of £871 8s 6d was made and has been distributed as follows:

Table: List of donationsOrganisation

£ s d Organisation

£ s d Capel Women’s Institute1 209 0 0 War Memorial4 20 0 0 Nursing Association2 60 0 0 Mothers’ Union 20 0 0 Churchyard Fund 50 0 0 Surrey Federation of Women’s

Institute 15 0 0

British Legion Club 48 8 6 Children’s outings & party 15 0 0 Tennis Club3 40 0 0 Hospital Flats 10 10 0 Capel Memorial Hall 35 10 0 Capel Youth Club 10 0 0 Beare Green Youth Club 35 0 0 Capel Women’s Adult School 10 0 0 Church Room 30 0 0 Capel Choral Society 10 0 0 Beare Green Social & Sports Club

30 0 0 Capel Band 10 0 0

Capel & District Horticultural Society

30 0 0 Children’s corner in Recreation Ground

5 0 0

Football Club 27 0 0 St. John’s Ambulance (Capel branch)

5 0 0

Cricket Club 27 0 0 Wesley Guild Youth Club 5 0 0 Bowls Club 27 0 0 Sunday Schools – Capel C of E 1 0 0 Wesley Guild 25 0 0 Beare Green Mission Room 1 0 0 Extension of Recreation Groun 20 0 0 Methodist Seniors 1 0 0 Capel School 20 0 0 Methodist Juniors 1 0 0 Old Folk’s parties 20 0 0 TOTAL 871 8 6

24

Notes1. Including a special donation for the Silver Jubilee Party and £50 to found a

bursary to Denman College2. Including cost of analgesic outfit3. Including extra donation towards cost of their unfortunate law-suit4. Donations towards inscribing names etc

If the total sum is converted to today’s value using The National Archivecurrency converter the result is £19,851.06. A truly amazing amount ofmoney.

Capel also benefited from overseas aid during the period of rationing afterthe War.

In February 1947 the magazine reported:

“Another parcel of good things has been received and it was distributed to103 small households. Many letters of thanks from the recipients have beensent to the organisers in the countries from which the parcels came.”

In February 1949, a further report stated.“A gift of 150 tins of various foods have been received from the people ofMelbourne to help with the food problem. These were distributed, as far aspossible, to households with only one, or two, ration books, as it was feltthat they find most difficulty in providing. Many letters of thanks have beenreceived; these will be forwarded all together to the organisers in Melbourne”.

An article written by Anne Stamper the Hon. Archivist of the NationalFederation of the W. I. outlines the work that the W.I. did throughout thewhole of the War.

The section on food production and preservation shows that the W.I. receiveda Government grant in 1940 to administer the national fruit preservationscheme. This was an extension of the Produce Guild set up to encouragefood production in 1939. The National Federation bought £1,400 worth ofsugar and distributed it round the country. In 1940 W.I. members made1,631 tons of preserves.

W.I. members also helped with the collection of wild culinary herbs and rosehips an important source of Vitamin C. Research by: Bernice Forsyth

25

Old Surrey words

The following is an edited transcript of a photocopy of the handwrittendocument made by the Reverend T. R. O’Fflahertie who was latterly theVicar of St. John the Baptist Church, Capel for 46 years. Because of limitedspace, about 10% of all the words that were recorded are shown in thissummary. A complete record is available for those who might want toresearch a bit further.

There are a number of words that could be called ‘in use’ such as ‘lief’,‘fudge’, ‘cropper’ whilst others like ‘hacker’ have completely changed theirmeaning in the intervening century or so. Of great interest is the fact thatsome of the following recorded words and their meanings are still in use inCapel today, so that “To go acorning” still means that cattle will go searchingfor acorns in the autumn. Rotten wood is still referred to as being ‘drucksy’,and raking out ‘cavins’ from beneath the threshing machine is stillremembered as being a dirty, dusty and tiring job that was usually given tosmall boys. Even the term ‘cheese bugs’ or ‘cheesy bugs’ cropped up whensome young boys were doing gardening at school and found some woodlicein the Spring of 2010.

The examples, to explain the meaning of the words, give an interestingsidelight on the society as it was as is the terminology to describe occupationssuch as ‘bailiff’, ‘fettler’ and ‘shepherd’. Grumbles about aches and painsare recorded, as are derogatory terms applied to men with airs and gracesabove their station. Above all the constant battle with the weather and natureto prepare, grow and harvest crops keep appearing demonstrating just whata hard job it was (and still is).

Terminology is mainly derived from the conversations with, or overheard, byMr. O’Fflaherrtie his gardener, servants and farm workers in the village.There are a sprinkling of what might be termed ‘gentry’ and even oneattributed to his wife. Most of the words were collected between 1870 and1888. The earliest is recorded as being in 1836 from a Miss Mitford.

26

Surrey word Meaning

“The children haven’t been acorning, acorns are very scarce thisyear”. (November 1871) Tom Dale (2006) often refers to the termin connection with yearling stock who go ‘acorning’ in September.

Dragonflies. “I was getting over the stile & broke a little vein inmy leg. There were a lot of adder-spears flying about and Ithought one had stung me, for they will sting, you know.” MrsBurberry. June 1876.

The short straw and bits not good enough for straw. “Thisfagging is not so good as reaping. They get so many seedsamong the straw which go with the cavins into the yard amongstthe manure and get carried onto the land, there is chaff and thecavins.” James Stenning. 1873. Recalled, on prompting by TomDale. Cavins were often used in the poultry house.

Woodlice. “Whenever I take up the cover (on the Communiontable) I find a lot of cheese-bugs.” J. Bowers 1873.Spontaneously called out by a seven year-old pupil at a localschool 2010.

Dry and lumpy. “The ground turns up so stiff and chaggly.” R.Lloyd. 1882.

The valve of bellows. “On the night of Derby Day May 28, 1879,the water came halfway up the bellows and into the clacker-holeof the bellows in the blacksmith’s shop at Clockhouse.” G.Worsfold. 1879.

Crumpled or doubled up. “He’ll go to school and set them alllaughing saying you crumped him with your umbrella.” Mr.Wright 1879.

Very hard words. “A long dictation with very cuddy words.”(About an examination for the hospital).

Deaf. George Comfort. 1872.

Infested with weed.

Shaking. There was a dither of the ground and a rumbling noiseduring the earthquake.” Friday 17th March 1871 at a party inLeeds.

Totter, shaking. “his hand was all of a doddle.” Mrs. Burberry1876.

Acorning

Adder spears

Cavins

Cheese-bugs

Chaggly

Clacker,clacker-hole

Crumped

Cuddy

Death

Dirty (of fields)

Dither

Doddle

Figures: ‘Bugs’ by Belinda Hood

27

Dogset

Doles

Dottle

Double-hilted egg

Dracksy, drucksy

Drazzling

Dencher-ashes

Ferrick

Graft

Hog-headed

Jowry, Jowlly

Lent-fruit

Liverified

Longtails

Mog

Niff, niffy

Weak, very weak. “I am dogset weak.” Mrs. Kempshall.

The two short handles on the sneath, or the long handle of ascythe. George Harling. 1876.

The fag end of tobacco in a pipe kept for smoking again. MissMarks. 1882.

Egg with two yolks. Miss Kerrich. 1874.

Sleepy or rotten. “You must not leave those pears too long orthey will get sleepy.” “Oh! Dracksy you mean?” John Capon1871. Also still in use by Jean Dale to describe rotten wood(2008).

Drizzling. “A regular drazzling day.” R. Lloyd. 1879.

The red ashes made by burning a heap of earth and rubbish inthe garden. “They are first rate for potatoes.” R. Lloyd. 1881.Also used by Tom and Jean Dale (2008). See references todenchering.

Fork. There’s a lot of couch grass there, and when I come to digthe ground I’ll ferrick it all out.” Parker. 1872.

The long thin straight spade used in draining. Jeffrey Rice. 1871.Referred to by Philip Toogood in 1980 when taking part in aVicarage working party. Also know as a ‘Grafter’.

Obstinate. C. Hayler. 9 January 1884.

Heavy, confused. “Does your headache?” “No, but it feelsjowly.”Mrs. Jenkins.

A fig. “I eat some lent-fruit; do you think that would hurt one?” ANewdigate farmer. 1875.

Close and sticky. “Ground that is not dug up and trenched beforewinter gets what we call ‘liverified’ and you can’t make noseason.” R. Lloyd.

Pheasants.

A snob. “He looks a regular mog.” Florence Chaldecott. 1872.

Offended. “I dare say he’ll be niffy if spoken to about his debts.”1879 “I dare say some of the tradesmen will take a niff at beingasked to pay ready money.” H. Nash. 1878.

28

Noise made by chicks. “You can hear the chicks peeping in theshell.” Bourke. 1871.

To fill out, swell, plump. “You must leave room for the pudding toplim out.” 1875.

A soft mass of bruises. “I caught the bull by the horns and heknocked my hands all into a pumming.” Mr. Burberry. 1874.

Toadstool. J. Wales. 1871.

Catchy, uncertain weather, showery. T. Brown. 1876.

Handle for a scythe.

A swallow. Mrs. Brown. 1873.

Stockings.

Uncertain. “He is widdy waddy you can’t depend on anything hepromises.”

A sloe.

Peep

Plim

Pumming

Puck-stool

Shukish

Sneath

Squeaker

Vamps

Widdy waddy

Winter-pickResearch by: Chris Coke

29

Capel’s Surrey Wagon

The following article was published in the Capel Parish Magazine in January2010.

An interesting discovery has recently been made in the village. The newoccupants of No. 114 The Street found a beautiful model wagon in theirgarden shed. They brought it to a meeting of the Capel History Group andasked us what we knew about the former residents of their house.

Peter Ede and Win Wright were able to tell us that the maker of the wagonwas Ernie Mitchell, a carpenter who worked for Atkinson and Potter Bros.,at their workshop next door but one to the carpenter’s house.

Fig. 13: Surrey wagon model

30

The model appears to be a ‘Surrey Wagon’ and looks similar to one shownin a photograph dated 1915 which is captioned ‘Capel Adult School outingto Leith Hill’. A brass plate attached to the model reads ‘E. Mitchell andSons, Haulage & Cartage, Capel Dorking, Surrey’.

The model has now found a new home and will be kept in the village. Anyfurther information about the wagon or its maker would be greatlyappreciated.

Following the publication of the above article in Capel Parish Magazine,Valerie Webb contacted us. She now lives near Peterborough and is a relativeof Ernie Mitchell. We are most grateful for the interesting information shesent us about the family.

Mr. Ernie Mitchell was her uncle, on her mother’s side of the family. In hisretirement years he made several items showing his very professionalcarpentry skills. He made carts and original gypsy caravans, also anenormous Doll’s House. Valerie remembers him building it and watchinghim cut all the roof tiles individually.

Valerie lived with her parents and grandparents for the first eight years ofher life in Woodfield Cottages, where the wagon was found. Mr. and Mrs.George Mitchell owned the house and the one next door where her otheruncle lived.

Her grandfather conducted the Capel band where Ernie and one of hisbrothers played. Friday night was band practice which was held in the largeworkshop at the top of the garden where the wagon was found. This wasalso used for the building business ‘George Mitchell and Son’ which Valerie’sgrandfather owned. Her own father worked for him in latter years afterworking for many years in the Auclaye Brickyard, until its closure.

Research By: Mary Day