MY MEMORIES OF CATTLE END
PART 38
Following the sale of Weedon Lois Estate by Mrs Nicholson in the summer of 1930, due to the untimely death of her late husband, the new occupiers of the Estate were Major Robert and Mrs Doyne.
They brought with them some of their staff, namely Mr McMillan Snr., his wife and daughter. Mr McMillan was farm manager and lived with his family at the Lodge, there was also Jim McMillan, his wife and family, who now lived at No. 6 near the Green, Jim also worked on the farm. Pat Murphy was the chauffeur and lived in the cottage known as the Boffy in the stable yard. Also Miss Wylie, who had been a life-long servant with the Doyne’s and had the position as head of the house staff. The remainder of the household staff included Miss Goss, who was employed as the cook. Gladys Ducket and her sister Nina, their home was at Durham, and Ethel Cross and her sister Vera, their home was at Canons Ashby.
The head gardener was Ted Tursley, who lived with his mother at No. 2 near the Green, the Under Gardeners were Harry Webb from Weston, and Ernie Holton from Silverstone. Bill Bazeley did outside general duties up at the House, he lived with his family at Laundry Cottage, and Mrs Bazeley was in charge of the Laundry, assisted by Mrs Maude Hinton.
The remainder of the staff included Cecil Hinton, who lived with his wife and family at No 7 by the Green, William Leadbeater, who lived with his wife and family at No. 3 by the Green. George Conduit from Weston and Charlie Miller who came from Wappenham. All four had previously been employed by Major Nicholson.
Major Doyne was a breeder and exhibitor of pedigree Southdown sheep. This was when Jim Paterson and his wife and family moved down from Scotland to live in the cottage down the Cow Lane, where Jim took charge of the flock of sheep.
The Major was also a breeder and exhibitor of pedigree Beef Shorthorns, it was a common sight to see several of the young animals being led through the village and down the Weston Road so as to get them used to being led prior to showing.
When war was declared on the 3rd of September 1939 there was a lot of changes on the Estate. Most of the showing of the animals was discontinued; also a lot of the fields were ploughed up, as was the case on the other farms. Prior to the war there was only one ploughed field on the Estate, namely Fern Hill Meadow. Two Fordson tractors were purchased to replace the farm horses, also three of the elderly staff retired, these were William Leadbeater, George Conduit and Charlie Miller. Two Land Girls, Kathleen Owen, who lived at Milthorpe, and Mary Turnham, who lived at Helmdon, replaced these. Also some of the young girls who worked in the big house were called up for National Service so the Estate felt the effect of the War.
The Doynes were devoted to Lois Weedon Church and attended Church regularly, the servants were also expected to attend and walk to Church behind the Gentry, as was the custom at that period of time. Sadly Major Doyne died on the 25th September 1942 at the age of 74.
Following the Major’s death Mrs Doyne had erected two new gates at the top end of the churchyard, with an inscription carved on the top bars of the gates. A few years ago Dough Hatton from Weston restored the gates, adding a brass plate inscribed thus:
IN MEMORIAM
MAJOR ROBERT WENTWORTH DOYNE
30-12-1868 – 25-9-1942
About the same time that Mrs Doyne had the gates erected, two new gates were erected at the bottom end of the churchyard, provided (I presume) by the Church Authorities, affixed to one gate if a brass plate inscribed as follows:
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY
OF THE FALLEN
IN WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945
All the flags in the village were flying at full mast on the 8th of May 2005, to celebrate the Sixtieth Anniversary of VE Day, namely Victory in Europe Day. As Winston Churchill said at the time, “We may give ourselves a short pause to celebrate, victory has not been won yet”.
Victory was secured when the Japanese surrendered on the 15th of August 1945 this was known as VJ Day, namely Victory over Japan Day. In Britain a Public Holiday was declared, celebrations went on all over the country, some of which lasted throughout the night. There will be celebrations I understand in August to celebrate the Sixtieth Anniversary of VJ Day, where it is expected that Her Majesty the Queen will be in attendance.
RE-ENACTING 200 YEAR OLD TUNNEL EVENT
A re-enactment of the opening of the Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal 200 years ago will mark the start of a weekend of celebrations on Saturday the 17th June 2005. A procession of historic canal boats will leave Blisworth Wharf at 1pm arriving at the north portal of the tunnel for the opening re-enactment at 1.20 p.m.
The tunnel will be opened by Robin Evans of the British Waterways, and Lord Charles Fitzroy, a direct descendent of the third Duke of Grafton through whose land the Grand Junction Canal was dug in the late 1700s and who was present at the original opening on March the 25th 1805.
More than 50 historic boats have travelled from across of the country to gather with 120 other crafts at Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne over the weekend. When one drives along the road from Blisworth to Stoke Bruerne, one can see in the fields on the right hand side, large square shaped chimneys protruding out of the ground, these are ventilating shafts spaced at intervals along the length of the tunnel.
Closing on a more sympathetic note, I was sorry to hear of the death recently of Ted Coy at the age of 94. Ted was born at Weston where he lived with the other members of the family. Elsie, his sister, was married to George Causebrook, sadly Elsie and George have since passed away. Ted and Elsie both went to Lois Weedon School. Ted joined the Army and served in the second world war in Burma, where he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and forced to work on the Burma Railway. Ted was given “Full Military Honours” at his funeral.
Charlie Burbidge