List of Current Publications – Click on number to see detail or scroll down for a leisurely look.
No.6– Westbourne Church Guide, by Lindsey Fleming (reprint) £3.50
No.7– Cleaning up Westbourne, by David Hogg £3.50
No.8– Westbourne Worthies, by David Hogg £3.50
No.9– The Bastards of Westbourne, by Peter Ellacott £3.50
No.10– Westbourne’s War 1939-1945, by Tom Edwards £3.50
No.11– A Millennium in Tandem , Westbourne and Stansted, by David Hogg £3.50
No.12– Sindles Farm, a story of a Farm and its Farmers, by John Veltom £5.00
No.13– Westbourne Memorials, Church & Churchyard, by Jill Storer with Keith Linder £4.00
No.14– Cottage Economy. by Augusta Ann Pitney, edited by Denise Thain £3.50
No.15– The Village Schools 1819-2011, by Nigel Peake (updated and revised) £3.50
No.16– Westbourne and the Great War, by Nigel Peake £6.00
No.17– Tradespeople of Westbourne 1845-1838, by Peter Ellacott. Updated 2015 £4.50
The latest additions:-
CD.1– Bourne in the Past – a 2017 reproduction on CD of Rev. J. H. Mee’s book.£5.00 Via Internet File transfer – £3.00
CD.2– Out of Print Booklets – a scan of our four out-of-print booklets £5.00 Via Internet File transfer – £3.00
CD.3– Property Sales – a unique collection of early 20th C. sales documents £5.00 Via Internet File transfer – £3.00
Westbourne Church Guide, by Lindsey Fleming (reprint) £3.50
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This descriptive guide was originally published by the Parochial Church Council and is an essential reference source for those interested in The Church of St. John Baptist
It commences with an explanation of the Church’s origin and evolution and goes on to describe in detail the interior and exterior features.
Memorials inside the church are identified and their inscriptions reproduced. Memorial Windows, the Bells and the Church Plate receive comment.
Particular attention is paid to the “Fitzalan Beam” – a much-decorated wooden beam incorporated in the north door porch but thought not to have originated there. The carvings are explained and the date reported as c.1500 AD.
The booklet was reprinted by the Group in 1992 with additions.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne.
Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Cleaning up Westbourne, by David Hogg £3.50
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This booklet tells two stories. The first reflects increasing concern about matters that we would now consider as “Public Health”. The second may be caused by the first – a large increase in the number of “Authorities”.
The evolution of the powers of the Vestry and the Poor Law Guardians into the Rural Sanitary Authority and thus the Rural District Council is explained.
Having set the scene, the booklet goes on to chart the development of Sewage, Water, Medicine, Housing improvement, Roads and Gas/Electricity. The limitations of the new powers are well illustrated with an account of a householder of a rented property who complained as to its state. It was condemned and the inhabitants moved to the Workhouse as no alternative accommodation was available.
It concludes with the absorption of Westbourne RDC into the much bigger Chichester RDC in 1933, for better or worse.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Westbourne Worthies, by David Hogg £3.50
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The sight of the title “Westbourne Worthies” may prompt the question – what is “worthy”. The book asks itself the same question, and answers that those included are prominent persons because their contemporaries thought that they were. So – prominent people of their time.
The flavour of the book can be assessed by its chapter headings – Churchmen; Academics; Military Men; Administrators; Teachers (inc. Mr Covington, above); Entomologists; Tradesmen; Millers; Farmers; Doctors; Builders and Grocers& Bakers.
Those with some knowledge of Westbourne names from the past will enjoy reading a little more about Rev. Sperling, the Mee family, the Oldfields, the Morgans, the Terrys, the Edgells to name but a few and also many lesser known including Mr Buckler, the Entomologist.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
The Bastards of Westbourne, by Peter Ellacott £3.50
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“The Bastards of Westbourne” relates to the days when a parish was responsible for its own poor and thus illegitimacy caused great concern to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor. Various laws were passed for the regulation of bastardy, and documents developed to enable individual cases to be processed in accordance with these laws. It may appear surprisingly up-to-date that fathers could be committed by “ Bastardy Bond” (later “ Bastardy Order”) to support their illegitimate child and other procedures for “ Bastardy Examinations” (of the mother) and “Removal Orders” (to remove a pregnant single mother) existed. The latter in particular was designed to move financial responsibility out of the parish.
This booklet demonstrates the use of these documents using actual historical examples and produces lists of available documents and a listing of illegitimate children and their parents, as can be found.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Westbourne’s War 1939-1945, by Tom Edwards £3.50
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Westbourne’s War contains a number of contributions.
Prime amongst them are two by Tom Edwards, born and raised in Westbourne and a schoolboy during WWII. Tom provides vivid memories of his war years, starting with the moment of the Declaration of War and through to D.Day and his first sighting of a Doodlebug. His tales of souvenir collecting, including a live grenade are amusing whilst frightening.
Tom moves on to give more detail of his schooling, in particular his duties (including cycling to the Emsworth Bank to hand in School funds !) and part time jobs as a delivery boy.
The remainder of the booklet comprises a number of sections gathered mainly from specially collected recollections of other WWII villagers – topics include the Home Guard, Air Raids, the Village Policeman, Aircraft crashes, Evacuees, the Free French and PoWs, providing a fully rounded record of life as it was.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
A Millennium in Tandem , Westbourne and Stansted, by David Hogg £3.50
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Many will know, but some will not, that Westbourne (or Bourne) was a significant settlement when Stansted was but a mere forest glade. So says ‘A Millennium in Tandem’. It highlights the site (or sites) of the Manor House in Westbourne and explains how Stansted slowly grew from a hunting lodge to the new seat of power.
The Lords of the Manor, from the Lumleys (16th C.) right up to the last, The Bessboroughs, have their biographies summarised – some more flattering than others. In the course of these the gradual separation and emancipation of Westbourne from control by the Lords of the Manor becomes apparent.
The work concludes with a look at the current relationship between the two entities, friends but independent, both with pressures but quite different and unrelated.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Sindles Farm, a story of a Farm and its Farmers, by John Veltom £5.00
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Sindles Farm packs an enormous amount into a small volume, with a diversity running from a quick look at early history of the Parish right through to the (then) current paperwork necessary for government subsidies.
There is much here for the local historian, for those interested in farming folk and for those interested in farming methods.
John Veltom explains most clearly the financial challenges faced by farmers in 2003 – it would appear that little has changed. He describes with humour and humility how a town boy left school in 1944 determined to be a farmer – and succeeded.
Early history of the farm is outlined, with details of the incumbent farmers from the early days to the arrival of the Veltoms in 1954. Along the way the reader will also learn of incidental matters such as Conservation of wildlife and woodland, Field names and Tied Cottages.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £5.00
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Westbourne Memorials, Church & Churchyard, by Jill Storer with Keith Linder £4.00
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It should be explained that this is a book about the memorials (headstones, tombs etc) that exist in the church itself and its surrounding graveyard. As it points out in its introduction, there are many people buried in the graveyard who would have had no lasting memorial, such things being expensive. It is based on a detailed survey conducted between 1999 and 2001.
The first part of the book analyses the changing design styles and decoration of memorials, the inscriptions and details of the deceased.
The second part is an alphabetical listing by surname of the monuments, with some brief details. Each monument has a reference number which gives an approximate position on an included plan. Hundreds of village surnames are listed, going back to the early 18th Century.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £4.00
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Cottage Economy. by Augusta Ann Pitney, edited by Denise Thain £3.50
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It has to be emphasised that this booklet was first published in 1855, fours years before the famous work of Mrs Beeton. It was aimed at a different audience – Mrs Beeton embracing the new and comparatively wealthy middle class, this for the family of a typical village labourer.
The three main parts of the book are ‘lectures’ given to children at the National School at Westbourne when Augusta was a pupil teacher. A lengthy preface and regular footnotes by the Editor/Vicar/School Head Rev. Henry Garrret Newland are both historically interesting and amusing.
The first lecture sets the scene, assuming a family with four children living (just) on 12 shillings (60p) per week and covering the house, the roles and pig husbandry.
The second lecture deals with clothing the family, and we learn of the vital nature of the Clothing Fund and that good boots are the priority. The stricture that you “MUST NOT RUN INTO DEBT” is the only message in capitals.
In the last lecture ‘Economy’ is defined as the arrangement of household matters and it details a number of cheap and nourishing recipes, with the all-important costings.
The remainder of the booklet gives a wealth of background information: about Augusta, Rev. Newland and the Pitney family history.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
The Village Schools 1819-2011, by Nigel Peake (updated and revised) £3.50
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“The Village Schools” was first published in 1983 and has been revised with recently available material and updated to 2011.
It commences with an explanation of the nationwide battle of a few to introduce a most elementary form of education for the masses and how the Church in Westbourne led the drive to establish a “National” school in part of the village Poor House in 1819.
The arrival of the Rev. Henry Garratt Newland accelerated matters and he is credited with the creation of the school for 160 pupils in School Lane. The building still exists having been converted to housing.
The slow movement towards free education for all is charted, causing the creation of a second school for girls and infants in Church Road. Again, the building still exists.
In 1902 the education world began to move more rapidly with responsibility passing to County Councils. Thus began the plan to replace the two elderly schools, half a mile apart, and the book details the planning and building of a new school on the present site in River Street. Then follows a comprehensive record of the development of that school right up to the present day. Interesting and amusing Appendices follow.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £3.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Westbourne and the Great War, by Nigel Peake £6.00
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This latest publication charts the history of the village between 1914 and 1918, and includes biographies of the 55 men who died and are commemorated on the war memorial.
It also contains the names of more than 300 who served, plus their regiments or ships.
Produced to mark the centenary of the war’s outbreak, the book draws on national and local archives to show how a typical Sussex village fared when large numbers of its menfolk disappeared into the forces.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £6.00
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Tradespeople of Westbourne 1845-1938, by Peter Ellacott £4.50
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“Tradespeople of Westbourne 1845-1938” shows how businesses have come and gone during that time. They range from specialists such as wheelwrights and watch repairers to “all-in-one” shops such as Comber’s. In 1895, this latter advertised itself as family grocer, baker, pork butcher, corn and provision merchant, and also offered British wines, patent medicines, Crosse and Blackwell’s specialities, tinned meats and fruits, as well as brooms and brushes.
Everyday life in Westbourne over almost a century is cleverly illustrated by the latest publication from the village’s local history group.
The book was originally compiled by Peter Ellacott in 1981, with a series of tables showing which traders were operating at any given date. It has now been updated by Peter Wilkinson and Peter Barge, with new indexes of individual trades and more than 300 surnames of those who followed them. There are also new illustrations and photos.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £4.50
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
Bourne in the Past – a 2017 reproduction on CD of Rev. J. H. Mee’s book. £5.00 Via Internet File transfer – £3.00
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This book is a remarkable work of parish history. It was originally published in monthly parts over the period 1897-1910 and appeared in book form in 1913. It has not been republished; copies are rarely available – and extremely expensive!
John Henry Mee (1853-1918) was the son of the Revd John Mee, rector of Westbourne, and was a gifted musician and academic, holdings posts at Merton and the Queens Colleges, Oxford and serving as Precentor at Chichester Cathedral (with responsibility for the music there). He published a number of compositions, some produced for performance at Westbourne church.
He divided his time between Oxford and his Westbourne home, Chantry Farm – and married the daughter of the owner of the patronage of Westbourne church. A talented and meticulous scholar, he researched a wide variety of records in the British Museum Library, the Public Record Office and the archives of the estates of Stansted House and of the Dukes of Norfolk – and backed them up with the extensive knowledge he gained from the memories of the villagers. In the final stages of the book he was assisted by the eminent Sussex historian, L F Salzman.
The result of his work is one the most wide-ranging and deeply researched parish histories in Sussex – and probably in England.
BOURNE IN THE PAST – CHAPTER HEADINGS
Bourne in the Past (I.E. – A History )
Roads and Watercourses
The Manors
Two Old Maps ( Inc. – Westbourne In 1640 )
Prinsted in 1640
Commons and Common Fields
Names of Places
Ecclesiastical History
The Gift of Henry Smith, Esq., 1642
Prehistoric Remains
Law and Order
Royal Visits
Tokens
Old Industries
Family Names
Notable People
PLEASE NOTE:- THIS IS A CD TO RUN ON A PC, NOT A PAPER PUBLICATION.
THE MAIN FILE IS IN PDF FORMAT AND IS SOME 400 MB IN SIZE, THUS ANCIENT COMPUTERS MAY STRUGGLE.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £5.00
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
For purchase via Internet File transfer contact Roger Wilding;- roger_wilding@yahoo.com
Out of Print Booklets – Scans of our four out of print booklets £5.00 Via Internet File transfer – £3.00
These four booklets have been out of print for some time. In order to make them available again the Group has scanned them and offer all four for sale as a package.
The quality is not wonderful but they are legible. As it is said “Better than nothing !”.
Tradespeople of Westbourne 1845-1938, by Peter Ellacott.
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This is the original version of “Tradespeople” which was the first booklet ever produced by the Group.
It was reprinted, with additions, in 2015 but the 1981 version is included here because some of the illustrations are different and for it’s novelty value.
It provides lists of Trades and Tradespeople and the years in which they were recorded as active.
The Poor of the Parish and the Work of the Select Vestries, 1819-1835, by Peter Ellacott.
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This booklet describes measures for support of the poor from the earliest Act of 1601, including the building of the Poor House and the establishment of the Select Vestries in 1819 through to the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 which brought about their demise. Many interesting examples are given.
Westbourne Then and Now, by Stephen Johns
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Produced in 1990, this booklet is now better described by it’s subtitle – “Westbourne in Pictures between 1900 and 1990”. Thus it gives two sets of historic snapshots which, arguably, makes it even more interesting. Sadly the quality of the photographs in the original was not outstanding but it is hoped to be of value.
The Westbourne Union, Life in and out of the New Workhouse, by Ian Watson
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This booklet describes how the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 caused twelve local parishes to combine to create the Westbourne Union and records significant events in the first ten years of the life of the, thus enlarged, Workhouse. The character of senior personnel and their conflicts are described with some humour.
PLEASE NOTE:- THIS IS A CD TO RUN ON A PC, NOT A PAPER PUBLICATION.
THE MAIN FILES ARE IN PDF FORMAT AND THE LARGEST IS SOME 300 MB IN SIZE, THUS ANCIENT COMPUTERS MAY STRUGGLE.
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £5.00
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
For purchase via Internet File transfer contact Roger Wilding;- roger_wilding@yahoo.com
Property Sales – a unique collection of rare early 20th C. sales documents . £5.00 Via Internet File transfer – £3.00
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In the early 1900s a number of major sales of land and property occurred. The majority of sale items were as a result of the Stansted estate selling off it’s ownership of vast surrounding areas, including areas of Westbourne.
All seventy-four pages of the 1911 Catalogue are included as are the seventy-one pages of the 1913 Catalogue. The 1911 Sale would appear not to have gone ahead but included much information on Stansted House itself.
Other significant items are Sales of the Cricketers Arms & surrounding items, and the Chantry, including Woodmancote Farm.
Colour Plans are included with all.
Extras include posters and information regarding many other Westbourne property sales and notes about the fascinating break-up of the (Stansted owners) Wilder family marriage which doubtless prompted the major Sale.
PLEASE NOTE:- THIS IS A CD TO RUN ON A PC, NOT A PAPER PUBLICATION.
THE FILES ARE IN PDF FORMAT .
In stock at the “Village Stores,” (ex Lashlys) Monks Hill, Westbourne. Price £5.00
Or by mail order ( P&P extra) from Nigel Peake:- nigelpeake29@gmail.com.
For purchase via Internet File transfer contact Roger Wilding;- roger_wilding@yahoo.com