February 2018. A correspondent asks what we know about about the existence of secret tunnels in Newmarket.
NLHS Chair Sandra Easom is somewhat skeptical about the stories and attempts to separate fact from fiction:
"There is a long-running mythology about Newmarket's tunnels. Many of the old Newmarket buildings have cellars.
The buildings at the lower (Jockey Club) end of the High Street are where the town's numerous water springs are located. These frequently flooded the streets until the late '80s / early '90s when works were undertaken to control the flooding. The Carlton Hotel, which stood on the site of Boots, had a fountain in its foyer which was fed by its own spring!
Another example, the cellars in Hughes electrical shop have pumps in them to pump out the water! I went down there to photograph the cellars and pumps just before the shop closed as Palmers and the different, considerable heights of the flood waters are marked on the walls. This was also the end of the town where several medieval wells have been discovered. The Watercourse is now culverted but still flows under the Jockey Club grounds, under the High Street and on under New Cut. The other tunnel which is nearby is Number 1 Drain. This is Newmarket's first sewer, built by King Charles II and still in use! So, pedestrian tunnels at that end of the town are unlikely.> Regarding the tunnels of Palace Street, there might have been some used for storage. I have been into one of the residences formed from the original, larger Nell Gwynn's Cottage which is more or less opposite Palace House.The cellar appeared to have a blocked up area in the wall. Palace House is just a tiny remnant of the former King Charles II's Palace (Palace III). The mythology is that the tunnels allowed the King & Nell to meet in secret. However, he was never worried about people knowing about his various mistresses in Newmarket and Nell had been known at least once to publicly say she would see him later that night! Let's face it, the 2 buildings are as close as they could be anyway.
Something else, which is just my personal theory, is that tunnels could have been a security risk for the King and his brother James (the Queen stayed at Audley End House, out of Newmarket). During Charles II's reign Palace III was mainly a new build, replacing the earlier Palace II in a new location. The old site was further down the High St (around the Hughes / King's location). So, why would they make new, publicly-accessible,security risks? The building's cellars would have been for storage and the King's goods there would have been kept secure.
If you have trouble visualising this please see newmarketshops.info. for more details. This website is the copyright property of one of our Committee Members, David Rippington. I mention this because the Palace images you will find there are the result of long and painstaking research by David & other NLHS Members. The images do not exist anywhere else and cannot be used without David's permission - has put them up for educational purposes.
Moving on to Sackville Street. Until the 60s / 70s this road was called 'Shag Bag Alley'. A resident trainer got the road address changed to the present name. I can confirm that there is a tunnel in the back garden of one of the old houses there. However, there does not seem to be any purpose except, perhaps, for cool, dark storage.

January 2018. Ruth Baldesera who lives in Northumberland has written about a lady very much in the Newmarket news in 1956
Can I please ask whether any of your members know where Rachel Parsons is buried in Newmarket cemetery? I live in Newcastle but a friend of mine went to lay some flowers on her grave for me today and could not locate it or see it from the GPS coordinates on find a grave.com. me to find her please?
This query has re-opened the story of the fabulously wealthy and once brilliant lady engineer who came to a sad and tragic death at Newmarket in 1956.
We have an entry in these Correspondence files (June 2013) and a more detailed account on this site (see Index page). More information with pictures is also available on the Intenet.
Some of our members remember M/s Parsons as a sad and neglected figure in the town during the early 1950s. Tony Pringle is one of them and has added this about M/s Parson's Newmarket residence where she was murdered.
"It was Lansdowne House that she owned in Newmarket but Basil Foster when he bought it in 1957 renamed the Yard as Holland House which helps confuse the issue as there is a Lansdowne House in Falmouth Avenue. That is the problem in Newmarket with properties with same name. Usually the Stable Yard and a cottage for the head lad or trainer and the house for the owner."
We Have a photograph of the gravestone but are yet (February 2nd 2018) to locate its precise position in the cemetery.

October 2017. A correspondent Eric Noble asks if pre NHS records of admissions and discharges from White Lodge Hospital are still available, his soldier father was a patient there just prior to D-Day. Sandra Easom has confirmed that they are held at the Bury St Edmunds County Record Office and has given this link to help http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=537&page=41

September 2017. Another correspondent asks if we know of the existence of detailed admission and discharge records for the old Newmarket Workhouse and says he has tried the County Records Office at Bury St Edmunds who advise that such records no longer exist.
We are unable to help but if anyone knows where they might be found we would be interested to know.

August 5th 2017. John Wake has written in about the old Grosvenor Yard and its residents.
Great to see this article on the yard. My dad was born there in 1929. Would be great if the dapper gent in the picture was my grandad, Scot(t) Wake. I have no picture of him. Do you have any other details at all. Dad's old house is labelled on one of the plans-amazing.
All the best John Wake
btw we moved back to Newmarket when I was about 4. We lived in the 'slums' on Icewell Hill, eventually progressing to King Edward Rd. I ended up at the Grammar School via Laureate c.p. Your site brings back many thoughts as both dad and mum have died. Mum only a few weeks back. A lump in the throat at times.

June 2017. Ted Robbens has written in about the famous jockey Sam Chifney (jnr) and has sent a picture of his gravestone in the churchard at Hove.
"You may already have this information: I just came across a photo of the gravestone for Sam Chifney Jr. in Hove Sussex. The web site that it is on do not have any idea of who he was but they want to retain the copyright of the photo (see attached) so it cannot be published. However I will try and find the grave in the next few days and take my own photo and send you a copy if you so wish. I live not far from Hove so should be able to visit the church (St Andrew's). His wife Mary Sarah Perren (daughter of trainer Thomas Perren) is also buried in the same plot.
The story goes that his gravestone only said "of Newmarket" and that seems to be the case. No mention of his career so I guess that was his wish."
The Chifneys were very successful jockeys ad were well know racing personalities at Newmarket but were not great observers of the law. Both father and son served time for gambling offences or violence. Much can be read about them on David Rippington's Newmarket Shops website, which has its own dedicated search facility (webmaster)

March 2017. We have had an enquiry about Chapman's 1787 Map of Newmarket asking if we are able to confirm that this was the first or definative map of early Newmarket and if so where the originals are held. Also if it is still possible to get reprints?

Sandra Easom replies:
Newmarket Local History Society has often referred to one of these maps (1787) and a small section of it was published (2000) in our 2 volume 'The History of Newmarket and Its Surrounding Areas'. The original maps are very large and show the wider area surrounding the town as well as detailing Newmarket itself.
However, these books were originally issued for local schools, libraries and record offices. They were never put on sale for the general public although a number of people did publish copies from us. There are no spare copies remaining but both Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Libraries and the County Records' Offices do hold publicly accessible copies.
Newmarket Local History Society currently does not sell images of any maps we hold, mainly due to possible copyright issues.
Apart from the above-mentioned public sources (although there must be many copies in existence) other holders of Chapman maps, known to us, are The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art (formerly the National Horseracing Museum) in Newmarket (https://www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk/palace-house/heritage-centre ), The Jockey Club (Newmarket) and Newmarket Town Council. If you contact them directly they might be willing to help you.
There is an interesting illustrated article about Chapman's maps in the Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol LXXX 1991. You can access this for free via the Archaeology Data Service: http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/cambridge_antiq/contents.cfm?vol_id=953
You might be interested to know that we have an older (copyright) map - John Kirby's Suffolk 1764 - but this is a Mediaeval "ribbon style" map showing Newmarket and other towns with the roads connecting them. Little detail of Newmarket itself is supplied, as the focus is to show how to get from one town to another. Chapman's maps are the first modern style maps of Newmarket of which we know and, it seems, the first maps to depict the town as it was then.

David Rippington has also commented:
"The oldest map of Newmarket is also by Chapman and it's nominally dated 1768. The 1787 map is a later revision and there are also a variety of versions / copies of that map with various lettered keys on it showing the occupancy of the stables in the town at that time. A section of Chappman's Map covering party of the town centre also appears on my Newmarket Shops website, under the Waggon & Horses Inn page."

February 3rd 2017 from Jan Marsh
Can you help me please. I am tracing a family history of Ivy Margaret Enoch b. 1903. In 1903 the family is at Harkness Villa, St Mary, Newmarket and in 1911 they are living at 8 Hillside Terrace, Laceys Lane, Exning, Can you tell me which schools would have been open at that time so that I can go to Record Office to trace any school records that may exist. The Enoch family was involved in horse racing but I am difficulty in tracing the family between 1911 and 1936. Thanks for any help you can give me.
The schools would most likely have been St Mary's Fitzroy Street and the Exning Village Schools, both C of E. The Enoch family of Newmarket were quite prominent in horseracing (as trainers) and a grocery shop in Newmarket High Street in the late 19th and early 20th century (Geoffrey Woollard,Tony Pringle and David Rippington)

January 31st 2017 from Mike Mingay
A map of the location of the original swimming pool at Brickfields as used by Newmarket Swim Club has come into my possession please see attached. I wondered if it was of any interest?
The old map show the existence of the pool roughly midway between Exning and Fordham Road.
Tony Pringle writes "Somewhere between Hyperion Way and Heathersett Close, to the east of the "river". I am sure somewhere there is an aerial photo showing it. My Dad used to refer to it as "The Dip", as opposed to the 'modern' pool at the White Lion."
We don't at present know when the pool was discontinued (webmaster).

January 6th 2017 from Shirley Case
I am wonder if you could help me, I am 65 years of age and was was born and have lived in the town all my life
My grandmother Mrs Francis (Molly) Hubbard lived in a large Victorian house called Zurich Villa. It stood at the end of the small cul-de-sac in Granby Street that runs up toward the railway lines, the house overlooked the signal box and had a bus depot was next door.The house was demolished around the early 1960s..My grandmother did not own the house she rented and as it had eight bedrooms she took in lodges when they visited the races I believe the property belonged to someone rather influential but I could be wrong..I am sure a man called Les Lake would come to collect the rent.
I have such happy memories of my grandmother and this old house and would love to either find a picture of the house or some history relating to it, I would happily come and visit the History society with more information or to learn how I could achieve my quest.
David Rippington has contributed this information
In 1936 Zurich Villa and Zurich Cottage were in Dean's Road, which is that short road that cuts off Granby Street going towards the railway line (next to where Tyre services used to be)
The occupant of Zurich Cottage at that time was Harry Flat

December 1st 2016 from Richard Fletcher
I was interested to see details of Severals House on Bury Road on your website but could you tell me anything about the nearby and contemporary Bury Hill House (also once known as Warren Cottage and Bethany House.) We have deeds showing that Col James Machell once owned the property, along with much of the rest of the “Bedford Estate”.
The information was on David Rippington's Newmarket Shops website. He has supplied this additional information:
No.5 Bury Road - Bury Hill House Previously Bethany House
1936 Warren Cottage Cox, Alexander R.
1926 Warren Cottage Cox, A.R.
1916 Warren Cottage Cox, Alfred William
1904 Warren Cottage Cox, Alfred William
1901 Warren Cottage Frances Latter - Housekeeper
The house is not listed on the 1891 census, but if you look back further you get these results:-
1881 Warren Cottage George W. Tharp
1871 Warren Cottage Elizabeth Edwards, Housekeeper
George William Tharp was born in Chippenham Park in 1814 and died on 23rd March 1884 (which is probably why Warren Cottage was empty in 1891).
Captain James Octavius Machell lived in next door Bedford House from 1864 until he died on 11th May 1902

November 19th 2016 from Luke Elsdon-Dean
This query is relating to the history of the post office building in the high street Newmarket.
For some time now I have noticed the keystone of the external doorway to the parcel office, which appears to depict a caduceus (two snakes winding around a winged staff) and I was wondering what this could mean. I hope you will be able to help me out with this, I'm unsure as to whether the building had a previous use as a medical facility or whether the symbol has another meaning?
Your query has created some interest among our members. The most likely explanation for the Caduceus symbol used as keystone of the doorway of your building is its association with Hermes - in Greek mythology the speedy messenger of the gods. There is a distinction between the double and the single serpent symbol, the latter more used in connection with medicine, such as apothecaries. Of interest one of our members, Tony Pringle, has pointed out that the Hermes symbol is used on the badge of The Royal Corps of Signals.
Another, David Rippington, runs Newmarket Shops website and goes into some detail about the history of the site where the Post Office now stands. You can see this at www.newmarketshops.info
Our Chairperson, Sandra Easom, has sent an image (right) and this explanation: "In the attached (part of an image which I use for my talks on ancient medicine - but I can't remember its source offhand) Hermes, the speedy messenger, is shown to to the left of Asclepius, the healer. The two symbols are distinct and different, the double serpent sign was not used for medicine until the 19th C"
As an aside, you will no doubt know that the large international parcel delivery firm have adopted the Hermes name. (webmaster)

November 7th 2016 from Janet Jeacock
I have lived in Newmarket for quite a long time now and I have heard about the Local History Society.
We live in The Hamiltons. A couple of days ago another resident showed me a photograph of Hamilton House - which I gather was knocked down to allow for the building of our houses.
It looked a lovely house and I went on the internet to try and find out more about it - when it was built - who lived here - etc etc but all I seemed to be able to get were the houses in Hamilton Road that are now on the market - nothing about the old one..
I wondered if your Society had any information and details about Hamilton House. If you - or someone else - does I would be very grateful if they would be kind enough to send them to me. That would be lovely. I have spoken to some of my neighbours and they all say they too would love to know about Hamilton House..
This from our member David Rippington:
It would appear that Hamilton House was built by Sir James Percy Miller, 2nd Baronet.He's shown there in Kelly's 1904.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_James_Percy_Miller,_2nd_Baronet Miller established a breeding farm at Hamilton Stud, Newmarket, where Rock Sand was foaled. He was elected a member of the Jockey Club in 1903. A housekeeper; Ellen Roser Gower, is shown living there on the 1911 census.
Unable to find the house on any earlier censuses, although that might be because originally this land was part of Exning Parish and was purchased by the Jockey Club in 1888.
In 1922 Hamilton House was occupied by Frank Curzon - details about him can be found on this page on my web site - http://www.newmarketshops.info/No.38-40_High_Street.html
He was a successful actor and entertainment entrepreneur. Later in life he became a very successful racehorse breeder. No.38-40 High Street is Primrose House - Cartwright's - the house, stables and paddock were sold to him c.1914 - 1918. So from this Frank must have moved into Hamilton House sometime between 1918 and 1922. The 1936 street directory still has him at Hamilton House - Curzon, The Hon Francis N..
In later years Willie Snaith and his wife Silvia initially moved into Hamilton House and then they later moved to Warren Place where Willie rode for Sir Noel Murless and was later a valued work rider for Henry Cecil.
Hamilton House is shown on the 1959 map of Newmarket and I think I have a vague recollection of it still being there - so it must have been demolished sometime in the mid 1960s - this was presumably after Willie Snaith moved out.

October 9th 2016 from Michael Tanner
I am writing the biography of jockey George Fordham and would be keen to speak with any descendants.
I notice from the Newmarket Local History Society website that back in March 2006 a MISS CAROLINE FORDHAM contacted the Society in search of any material on GF, whom she thought might be her grandparent or great grandparent. GF was survived by one son (George Christopher) and three daughters - which limits Miss Fordham's possible connection to GF to one line.
Would you have Miss Fordham's email or contact details? If she hails from or near Slough, Brighton or Burton-on-Trent she may well be a descendant since these are the towns associated with GF and his family.
Sorry I cannot now access this 10 year old email, but perhaps someone is able to help (webmaster)

June 29th 2016, from Nigel Holmes
I have lived on Falmouth Avenue for the past 3 years. In that time I have been renovating our home, which is opposite Lansdowne House, (Belvedere).
While digging both the front and rear gardens I have come across old foundations. I was wondering if you have any knowledge of what used to be on this site before our house was built?

With the help of our members and correspondent Geoffrey Woollard we can say that the most likely explanation is that the foundations are the remains of old stable buildings sssociated with Lansdowne House, which must have been extensive. The original house was built by John Watts (1861 -1902) and like many of the Newmarket gentry at that time he had strong racing interests. His funeral was attended by many notable people both from within and outside the racing community. A floral tribute was sent by the King.
Lansdowne House became a care home in the late 20th century but was eventually domolished and rebuilt as five dwellings as it is today.The one in the centre retains the name Lansdowne. (webmaster)

May 24th 2016, from Kenneth Bannerman of The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust
Apologies for this email but may I please ask if (a) either you or (b) any other organisation/individual you know of has information/knowledge of the following airfield in your area:
Limekilns (Sidehill) (sic, as quoted in the files below)
This airfield was mentioned in two extremely obscure files dating from 1946 relating to World War Two RAF airfields at The National Archives in London but effectively no other information has come to light, apart from confirmed use of Side Hill by the Glider Training Squadron during November/December 1940. We do mention Side Hill on our website but ABCT would be interested in any details concerning the following:
Precise location of airfield
Opening and closing dates of airfield
All other relevant historical facts
N.B. This airfield may well also have served as an Emergency Landing Ground (ELG) in World War Two, though this currently remains pure speculation, especially given the site did not unfortunately prove a success in its military gliding capacity.
The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT) is the world’s first national airfield charity, and is making a real difference to the betterment of society as a whole. We have to date erected 54 memorials to excellent effect, while our 3,000 page website is similarly proving very popular with confirmed in-depth visits from 175 foreign countries (if your council or any other associated organisation wishes a mutual web link with ourselves, as a number have already done, then do let us know).
However, many airfields such as the above example remain extremely badly documented, therefore any information about this airfield or indeed any other British airfield - would be most welcome; conversely it would be appreciated if you would inform us that neither you or anyone else do not possess any other details.

Further correspondence with Kenneth Bannerman has established that Side Hill was occupied as a Glider Training Unit during late 1940. This was in connection with the future use of towed gliders for dropping troops by parachute. Later the Horsa and Hamilcar troop carrying gliders were flow from the Rowley Mile airfield towed by Halifax or Whitley aircraft. Although Side Hill proved unsuitable after protests from Bomber Command and the Jockey Club, it continued as an ELG (Emergency Landing Ground) and therefore officially qualified as an airfield. It is not know whether Side Hill was used by the Racing industry for training purposes during WWII (webmaster)

On this subject Tony Pringle has drawn attention to an intriguing incident relating to the proposed use of Side Hill: Was this mysterious stranger a spy or perhaps a security service plant?
From "The Wooden Sword" by Lawrence Wright..the untold story of the Glider in World War II
Of several such fields, the least uninviting was Side Hill, an emergency landing ground at Newmarket. Bombers operated from those parts, but their Group did not object to us provided we would knock off at nightfall. The surroundings gallops offered ample margin for pilot error. Sam Darling's desirable and almost empty training establishment adjoined the field and could be requisitioned. Side Hill was agreed, and in mid-November our advance party moved in. Squadron Leader Admin came down from Ringway to discuss our affairs. Joined at the bar of the Rutland Arms by an authoritative civilian whom everybody assumed to be from Air Ministry or Works or something, and to be known to all the others, the conference adjourned to a private room. The newcomer was taciturn but attentive. He was staying, he mentioned, in Room 3. He was never seen again after the meeting, and Room 3 proved to be one of the public rooms on the ground floor. lt was unanimously agreed that nobody had said anything that really mattered. A detachment with two or three officers cannot be operated in watertight compartments; they have to muck in.

April 27th 2016 from Jackie Ross
I am hoping that someone can help me solve a mystery please: I have found a pack of playing cards for the game of 'Newmarket'. The cards look very old! I have paper directions too, suggesting how to play with the 52 cards, which feature jockeys and horses.
I have being trying to research the game, but have come up with nothing. Do you have any ideas? Maybe you have a historian who can fill in the gaps. I would be very pleased to hear back from you and I appreciate your time.
Our members know of versions of the game and other versions can be can be found on the internet but all of them use ordinary playing cards, not pictures of jockeys and horses.
It could be that it is an old game originating in Georgian times. If anyone knows more we would be glad to hear from them (webmaster).

April 4th 2016 from Poul Krog
My name is Poul Krog and I live in Denmark. My major interest is danish horse racing in the old days.
I try to find information about this English jockey:
Name: Richard Robert Parkinson
Born 16.5.1817 in Newmarket, UK
Worked as a jockey in Denmark 1835-1844
He left presumably Denmark in 1844
I want to know something about him and his family. Did he return to Newmarket in 1844? Did he got wife and kids? When died Richard Parkinson?
This enquiry led us on to uncover an intriguing story about Newmarket jockey Richard Parkinson and his involvenent with the Duke of Holstein, a member of the Danish Royal Family. You can read the story on a special article on this website, select from the Index on the opening page (webmaster)

April 4th 2016 from Ted Robbens.
We corresponded some time ago about Octavius Machell's grave. Regarding another matter you may be able to help me with: Machell started in Newmarket at a small establishment in Kennett. Several trainers were later involved with a stud/stable in Kennett and George Alexander Baird also had his stud there before moving up the road to Moulton Paddocks. Are all of these references to what is now called Meddler Stud, or is there another stable somewhere? Meddler Stud seems to be in Kentford and not Kennett so this is what is confusing me.
Most of what we know about Machell is covered in our website Personality feature (see Index)
Our NLHS members and contacts have come up with answers to what has been confusion between Kentford and Kennett and the boundary between the two parishes that also separates East Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. There is no doubt, however, that the stud was at Kentford House which still exists in Kentford (Suffolk) and that it has been associated with several famous names in racing history including Fred Webb, Captain James Octavius Machell, James Joseph Jewitt, Tom Skelton, Sam Pickering, George Alexander Baird (The Squire), James Walker Lanarch.
Meddler Stud, Kentford, has been in the Leach family's ownership for many years. Our information is that William (Bill) Leach (born 1933) has it now but it appears to be called Meddler Hall Stud. Bill's father was Henry Beresford (Chubb) Leach (1907 - 1970) who also trained at Queensberry Lodge, as did his father, Felix Watmough Leach (1867 - 1952).
Up to 1919 Lillie Langtry was a neighbour at Regal Lodge which also had its own training grounds.
Thanks to members David Rippington, Tony Pringle and correspondent Mr Geoffrey Woollard for information supplied

March 27th 2016. From Michael Spry
I note from the 1926 map that there was an auction mart situated behind the Coronation Hotel, presumably built as part of the new station development. Could you please tell me when the auction mart first opened, what was sold there and when it closed?
The 1926 map clearly show the Cattle Auction Market behind the Coronation Hotel. It was adjacent to the cattle pens situated on the wide railway bridge over top end of The Avenue/New Ceveley Road. At the time cattle were often transported by rail.
By the 1930s the market had moved to the site behind The Waggon & Horses Inn in High Street. For a time cattle were driven through the streets to the High Street site following the tradition of the old cattle drovers of the past.
At present we do not know the opening and closing dates of the Rail Station market and if anyone has this information we would be pleased to hear from them (webmaster)

February 23rd 2016 from Chris Liesack (Chaloner)
I would like to bring to your attention, that the first ‘ever’ lady trainer, is buried in an unmarked grave, completely forgotten, in Section A Plot 52 in Newmarket Town Cemetery. Her husband Tom, may also be buried with her, but apparently the records do not go back as far as 1886.
Ellen, daughter of one of the most famous trainer of the times, ‘Old’ John Osborne, who was the owner / trainer of the famous mare ‘Agnes’ from whom descended Ormonde, Sceptre etc.
Ellen out lived her husband by nigh on 56 years, riding her hunter well into her 90’s. Out living all her SIX sons, and one daughter! Some records say she had eight children, but one called ‘John’ cannot be located on any records to date. Of those sons, 4 no. became jockeys and/or trainers, and resided at numerous famous stable in Newmarket over a period of time: Richard [1873 – 1943], who was a relatively successful jockey, who won the ‘Cesarewitch’, and two Grand Metropolitan’s on ‘Ragimunde’. Is also buried in an unmarked grave in the same cemetery as Ellen,Section U, plot no. 237, after a long illness died in Newmarket on 15th November 1943. She rode out most Sunday’s with the late Fred Archer’s daughter on Newmarket Heath, helping to look after her, after Fred Archer’s suicide.
Clearly a very remarkable woman, who I hope you all would believe to be honoured in some way at the new heritage centre, possibly a race named after her, and most of all a headstone! After all, being the first ever lady trainer, and so many connections through her family with Newmarket, the ‘world’s’ home of racing. I truly hope you think it’s a no-brainer!’
and a comment from NLHS Chair Sandra Easom
Jockey Club records show that Ellen was licenced as a trainer in 1886.
This lady was someone who was a resident of the town & did something no-one else of her sex had been allowed to do officially before - it is just that it happened to be connected to horseracing (hardly a surprise in Newmarket). Even the old Duchess of Montrose & Lily Langtree were forbidden to enter their horses in races, or openly bet on them. They had to enter them under pseudonyms via the head lad's application.

February 2nd 2016 from Rose Stone.
Hello. My name is Rose Stone and I've been in contact with Robin Ketley who gave me your email address. I tried the website he forwarded to me but it was no help.
I'm looking for someone who can help me locate information regarding the history of Etheldreda House, owned by my Great Grandfather Frederick Webb. I am happy to pay for services if you could just point me toward anyone who might be able to help.
Thank you for any help you can send.

Rose, This should help you, from one of our members, David Rippington.
"Quite a few details about the jockey Fred Webb and Etheldreda House can be found on my web site - http://www.newmarketshops.info/No.117_High_Street.html Etheldreda House is now Brickfield Stud in Exning."
I have tried this link and it works OK. I think the problem you had with the link that Robin sent you was Google just trying to be too clever. If this one does not work copy and paste it into the address bar of an Internet Explorer browser, or one of your regular websites. Sometimes Google thinks it knows better than you.
Do come back to us if you have any more difficulty.
Rodney, Newmarket Local History Society www.newmarketlhs.org.uk

January 27th 2016. From Nick Fry who lives in the I.O.W.
I have recently acquired an old wooden frame with a name plaque on which is engraved ‘A R Golding Ironmongers Newmarket’. I have restored the frame and created an occasional table from it and would love to know who the above were and whether this firm still exists today. If you do have any information I would love to hear from you. (Phone number enclosed)

Our members have established that this was Albert Robert Golding, born 1862, who had an ironmonger's business in Newmarket in the late 19th century. The business was sold to F W Hobbs c. 1905 who for many years had the well known ironmongers shop in High Street. Albert was the son of Samual Golding who founded the tailor's shop that still bears the Golding name today
For a detailed history of the ironmonnger business run by A R Golding and later by the Hobbs family go to select here (webmaster)

January 2016 from Kevin Slaney
My Grandmother, Mona Milward (nee Count) lived in Exning Road most of her life from childhood. Before she died she told me that as a small girl she and her three sisters and one brother went down to outside the camp fence where the Russians were housed and through the fence the Russian, who were bored with life in the camp and apparently were not allowed to leave (in fact she had I think mistakenly believed they were POW's). The Russians persuaded the children to run a race, on which the Russians placed bets. My Grandmother said she won the race, for which the Russians gave her a sixpenny coin (a "tanner") which was quite a lot of money in those days. She said that when she got home her parents were horrified that she had been down to where the Russians were and she got a spanking and was forbidden to ever go there again. She told me it was the only time she was ever spanked by her father. She says the camp was down a cut through from Exning Road to Fordham road called The Jock.
My Grandmother told me that during World War 2, when she lived in Newmarket on Exning Road for part of the war, there was an Italian Prisoner of War camp somewhere down Hamilton Road near where it joins Exning Road. She told me that their family pet cat disappeared at that time and only returned, looking very thin and suffering from mange, when the war ended. She was later told that apparently it had been kept as a pet in the camp by the Italian prisoners. My Mother who was 6 years old at the time also remembers this.
I recall that at Exning Road's White Lodge Hospital, before the main old building was turned it some very nice homes, somewhere in the grounds there was an anchor design laid out in pebbles and concrete in the ground. This as far as I know is no longer there. I was told by my Grandfather, Ted (Edward) Milward, that it had been put there by German prisoners that had been on U-boats, who were made to work on maintaining the hospital. I remember seeing this anchor pattern and I had even photographed it many years ago (pre-digital photography) but sadly I have lost the photograph. I suppose the photo might turn up again one day, I hope so. I was quite shocked when I went to look for the anchor again some years ago that this interesting little part of history was removed at some point, presumably when the hospital was redeveloped, but of course if no-one knew what it was it was unlikely it would have been preserved.
It is possible that the information I was told about the anchor design at the old White Lodge Hospital is wrong. There were German U-boats in WW1 as well as in WW2, and of course an anchor may not be specific to U-boats - all ships have anchors. We had prisoners in the UK during WW1 as well as during WW2, so it could be either and it could be just naval prisoners not necessarily submariners. However I think it would be German not Italian, as the Italians were not known for having much of a navy (as far as I know) unlike Germany in either of the wars. On balance I would guess my Grandfather, who was still a middle-aged man when he told me this, may have been right about it being WW2 U-boat prisoners putting it there. It is interesting that the English Heritage list of WW2 POW camps in the UK makes no mention of the Italian camp in Newmarket, or German POW's at Newmarket Hospital. They do say their list is incomplete, so that may be one explanation. Alternatively I suppose prisoners may have been billeted on studs and farms and even the hospital, and in some cases not have been considered much of a risk of escaping because they either had no desire to escape or it was almost impossible to escape from an island such as the UK is.
My father, Ted (Edwin) Slaney, who lived in Exning Road as a boy, told me that when he was a boy, he and some other boys would sneak into Brickfields Swimming Pool after it was closed and swim there for free. I hadn't known there had been a swimming pool there, before the time of the "top of the town" one (also gone now) near the Daniel Cooper Memorial. It is only thanks to Newmarket History Society's website I know it was called Brickfields. My father just said it was near Exning. Interestingly he told me that as an apprentice bricklayer during WW2 he worked on most of the more substantial air raid shelters in Newmarket, including one near the Post Office and Jockey Club in the High Street and one at the bottom of Field Terrace Road near the allotments.
I hope these little tidbits of info are of interest. Please feel free to publish them in your blog/website/whatever - I hope you do publish them. I wanted to give them to Newmarket History Society before they are lost with me - I am the only person left apart from my mother who knows these things - my grandparents and father are dead, so I want to pass on these small but interesting (I hope) things for anyone interested in the world to have access to, rather than they be lost.

Thank you for your interesting comments Kevin.
Your grandmother's memories supplement our website article on The Russians in Newmarket. It seems that The Jock ran close to the Brickfields Camp which would support our view that the Russian officers were billeted there. One of our members believes that The Jock still exists although it may have been overtaken by more recent developments in that part of the town.Can anyone say for sure? Regarding the Anchor design at White Lodge another member has a picture of it and has asked if you would like a copy. Such a picture must be quite rare and we would like to retain the copyright.
Your comments about POW camps and swimming pools are also interesting. During WWII Newmarket was certainly host to personnel of many different nationalities. The pool near The White Lion Hotel was called "The Dip" pre-WWII and I have painful memories of swimming lessons there when the water was very cold (Rodney for NLHS)

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