May 2014 onwards
Previous Correspondence
Correspondence from December 2012 - April 2014 (page 8) select here
Correspondence from January 2011 - December 2012 (page 7) select here
Correspondence November 2008 - December 2010 (page 6) select here
Correspondence January 2008 - November 2008 (page 5) select here
Correspondence August 2005 - December 2007 (page 4) select here
Correspondence June 2004 - July 2005 (page 3) select here
Correspondence June 2003 - May 2004 (page 2) select here
Correspondence May 2002 - June 2003 (first page) select here
November 22nd 2015 from Geoff Reeve
Christopher James (Jimmy) Kendal of the RNZAF flew his last mission out of Newmarket Airfield in December 1942.in a Stirling, R9247.
We and his New Zealand/Australian relatives have been tracing his short career.
He trained at RAF Bassingbourn and met a girl called Peggy (we have a photo), apparently she was WAAF or WRAF, not sure. We think her surname was Kitchen, maybe Hitchen. She definitely worked as a plotter at Exning House.
Peggy went on to marry a French Canadian and that is where our story stops.
Is there anyway your site and colleagues can help in tracing this lady?
We have grateful memories of the many New Zealanders who came over here in the war, many giving their lives. No 75 (NZ) squadron RAF based at Newmarket Heath consisted, mainly of New Zealanders who volunteered their services. There is more about this on the RAF in Newmarket page on this site, which you may have already seen.(Rodney Vincent)
Tony Pringle has added this comment:
You could be lucky as the 75 (NZ) Squadron have a very busy blog...otherwise finding out about these folk will be very hard due to the "100 years rule" ie public record of those under 100 who are still alive.
the blog is here:
https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/info@75nzsquadron.com
We should remember it is 75 (NZ)Squadron R.A.F. NOT 75 squadron R.A.F. They are quite rightly very proud of their title
November 4th 2015 from
Jonathan Martin, professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Last year I began a project researching the life of Prof. Reginald C. Sutcliffe, a prominent British meteorologist of the mid-20th century. Sutcliffe was the Senior Meteorological Officer at 3 Group Bomber Command and spent much of the war in Exning/Newmarket. He was posted there on October 5, 1940 and so was working in town in February 1941 when the bombing occurred. His daughter Elin, a day shy of 5 years old on the day of the bombing, recounted to me that she recalls being in an air raid shelter at least once while a schoolgirl in Newmarket. Perhaps it was on the day of the bombing or, more likely, on a subsequent day motivated by the horrors of that day. In any event, I am hoping I will be able to purchase a copy of the book "The Bombing of Newmarket". I would appreciate your advice as to how I might make this purchase from over here in the US. Thank you very much for your consideration of my request and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Professor Martin's comments about RAF senior staff activities at Exning during WWII associate with information on our webpage, 'The RAF in Wartime Newmarket' (see Index).
We still have a few copies of the original print of the Bombing Book and NLHS treasurer Joan Watkinson will contact the enquirer.
September 3rd 2015 from Mary Pilfold-Allan (formerly Mary Basham)
Have you heard of a school in Newmarket (turn of the 19th century) run by an Albert Parr*? If so, do we know anything about it? Where it was etc.
I am doing some brief research on Edward Fitzball who was said to have been a pupil.
Sandra Easom has drawn attention to the education section of our two volume 'The History of Newmarket and its Surrounding Areas.'
"We know a little of one Private School run by a Mr ALBERTUS PARS (not Parr*). This was held somewhere in the old Jockey Club Rooms (the rooms were mostly rebuilt in the 1930s). Mr Pars leased the space from the Jockey Club. The noted Victorian dramatist, Edward Fitzball was educated there.
Mr A T Pars is also mentioned in Pigot and Co's National Commercial Directory, 1830. 'there are also two coffeehouses, conveniently furnished for the use of sportsmen where they need to ratify their agreement, or settle matches; one of these is a subscription room the exclusive property of The Jockey Club; Mr A T Pars is the superintendent'".
and this from NLHS member Joan Shaw:
His School was on the High Street Opposite The Terrace near the old Black Bear. Several interesting people went there.
August 25th 2015 from John Mein
I am researching the history of the inn (and pub) trade in St Albans for the 1553-1918 period.
As you may be aware, St Albans was home to steeplechasing in the 1830s although it had lost its crown by 1840. In decline for over a hundred years or so, the local inns entered a short-term boom during this period as a result. The loss of the races and the completion of the Birmingham-London railway in 1838 brought the business to a juddering halt.
I would like to compare the inn trade in St Albans with that in Newmarket as a matter of 'what could have been' if St Albans had retained its racing crown. Can you recommend any studies of the trade in Newmarket in the 1820-1850 period?
I am not aware of any particular studies that have been done concerning the pub trade in Newmarket during the period mentioned. The rail link to London did not arrive until about 1848 and that of course brought many more visitors to the racing and no doubt benefited many of the pubs and hotels that existed in the town. Before that they would have relied on stage coach traffic (Norwich to London) using the local hostelry for stop overs and refreshments. Newmarket was a natural racing town with its wide heaths and on race days the pubs would have been busy with visitors who arrived by horse transport or on foot. Racing and the consumption of alcohol seems to go together so Newmarket as the headquarters of racing always had a lucrative pub trade, but it was the railway that really gave a great boost to local trade and the prosperity of the town. (Rod Vincent webmaster)
and from NLHS Chair Sandra Easom:
There are no specific studies, to my knowledge, of the pub trade in Newmarket during the period you specify. Old town trade directories are the best sources available for most towns when it comes to obtaining such information. However, Bury St. Edmunds Records' Office does have a wealth of information about the local area, including Newmarket. Staff there are helpful & if you are unable to get there yourself they sometimes undertake information research for a small fee.
Newmarket is not directly comparable to St Albans as a town. It is here because of its water sources and the ancient Icknield Way (please see our website). This takes it back into the Stone Age, so no-one actually knows how old the town is or what it was called in ages past. There is archaeological evidence in the area showing habitation throughout human history. Newmarket got a Royal Market Charter in 1200 AD (giving rise to its modern name) when the manor & community changed hands due to a marriage. However, it is important to note that one of Newmarket's trades from time immemorial was the accommodation and victualling of travellers. The number of inns, pubs & alehouses within the town in Medieval times was colossal (over 40 if memory serves) and there was a special market court for the alewives who brewed the ale.
If memory serves, I believe that St Albans is essentially a Roman town?
As Rod has mentioned, Newmarket was a stop on all the coaching routes prior to the arrival of the railway.
impact of the railway on Newmarket, notably its social & economic effects. These were many and varied but basically, there was an almost exponential increase in the main industries, namely the racing & bloodstock industries, and a similar increase in the population. The nature of the pub trade changed somewhat at the time because the coaching inns no longer had that trade but also there were more visitors each year and many still stayed over in the town.
It is interesting to note that Newmarket today, although well-supplied with pubs, hotels & restaurants, probably has the least number of pubs it has had in the last 900 years or so!
Regarding the horseracing here, Newmarket has always raced on the flat, with a brief exception in the late 19th / early 20th century.
August 24th 2015 from Frank Czucha
Can you help me out with this enquiry or point me in the right direction? I am keen to obtain some information about a band or orchestra known as Vincent Wright that played in Newmarket during the 1950s. At a venue called the Winter Garden
That would have been at the old Carlton Hotel in the High Street, demolished in the 1970s. A number of bands played there for dances etc but so far I have not heard of that particular one. If anything comes up I will let you know (webmaster).
August 21st 2015 from Ann Konsbruck
Do you have any information on the Racing Stables Mission?
My grandfather Fred Hall was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1886. I don't know when he moved to Newmarket but have an undated photograph of him in racing colours where he appears to be hardly a teenager.On the 1911 census he is boarding at with Samuel Rogers and his family at 7 Side Hill Terrace, Newmarket and is listed asa Stableman and by 1915 when he joined the army he was Groom/Chauffeur for Captain Tanner, Heath Lodge, Newmarket.
I have a 'Marked Testament' inscribed inside " Presented to Fred Hall by Mr H. Eliot Walton" who I understand was involved with the Mission. If you have any information I would be interested to learn more about both the Mission and also Captain Tanner of Heath Lodge.
You may or may not be interested in what I know about his time there. He died when I was five so I only have vague memories of him.
Fred's father, James was a cab driver and his grandfather, William, an ostler so horses must have been part of his life. I don't know how he came to go to Newmarket although I was told he went to train as a jockey as he was only 5' 2". I've attached a photo of him in racing colours, it has been hand coloured and I've no idea if the colours are correct. It was taken at the studio of Clarence Hailey in Newmarket but it is not dated. It would be lovely to know which stables he was at but I know that's pretty much an impossibility.
In the 1901 census I found Fred and his father boarding with my grandmother's family in Preston. He was 15 she was 9. Happily he did survive the war. He was a driver in the Army Service Corps and we can follow his progress from his surviving service record which he spent in German East Africa.It shows him in and out of hospital suffering from malaria and eventually being returned to England and in and out of more hospitals before being invalided out.
Looking at his service record again today I am a little puzzled as to where he signed on and I've attached two of the sheets. No 1 has Bury St Edmunds stamped at the top but Grove Park, which was the ASC Depot at Greenwich, at the bottom. No 2 is a standard War Office letter, again stamped Bury St Edmunds but to the Recruiting Officer in Newmarket advising that Fred was suitable for the ASC. Would you have any idea why Bury St Edmunds would be involved? I also note he was living at 5 Exeter Road, Newmarket when he signed up.
Fred eventually returned to Preston and married my grandmother, Florence Aldridge, in April 1919. She used to tell me stories of visiting him in Newmarket, presumably pre-WWI and knew all the well known jockeys of the period, one I particularly remember her mentioning was a Steve Donoghue. A story I remember was when she saw a man beating a horse in Newmarket's main street and she ran over and hit him and shouted at him to stop. My grandfather told her she shouldn't have done it but she said "I didn't care who he was, I couldn't allow him to beat a horse." I wonder who he was?
Another story about my grandfather is that my father wanted to join the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry, partly because he liked the dress uniform! My grandfather was adamant that he would not give his permission saying " I don't want you having anything to do with horses" one wonders why? He also said 'Only fools bet on horses"
My grandmother always said Fred Archer was a cousin and we have a horse brass of him. The story being that she saw this brass on a delivery man's horse and my grandfather wanted to buy it but the owner wouldn't sell. Some time later he came home with the brass but would never say how much he paid for it.
I have done a little investigating into the Aldridge family and discovered that Florence's father Thomas, born in Harmondsworth in Middlesex, was a soldier in the 21st Hussars, a cavalry regiment and his mother was Sarah Archer. I haven't taken it any further than that yet and knowing how family legends arise I have yet to prove a connection, if there is one.
Please thank David and Sandra for their help and apologies again for the length of this email.
.
This query has opened up several avenues of discussion about old Newmarket Racing Stables Mission. Capt. Tanner, old Chapels and old army records.
David Rippington has contributed this:
Details about Heath Lodge are shown on my page for the Dawson Family ... it's now where Freshfields is.
It was originally called Waterloo Lodge and its location is shown on a map on the page - http://www.newmarketshops.info/The_Dawson_Family.html
Captain Ernest Tanner was one of those who lived in Victoria Mansions (the Carlton) in 1926 ... and he also attended the funeral of trainer & vet Fred Day in 1919 - http://www.newmarketshops.info/No.125_High_Street.html ... other than that I don't know any more about him.
Newmarket Racing Stables Mission was in Park Lane - details about it are can be found on these pages
http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/GetDocument.ashx?db=Catalog&fname=YMCA.pdf
http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news/community/community-news/feature-looking-back-1-5188742
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/f1745708-e916-466c-9e4f-ee9a3285e52c
Bury Free Press Suffolk, England
19 Jun 1926
MIDLAND BANK LIMITED
SPORTS. Popular Event at Newmarket. The annual athletic sports in connection with the Racing Stables Mission were held the Stanley House ground, Newmarket (by permission of the Hon. George Lambton), on Thursday. The weather was chilly and showery,
and from Sandra Easom:
I believe a Mission was based on Exning Road in the little evangelical chapel (not hospital) there. However, there was also a chapel in Granby St. They undoubtedly had input into the lives of the Newmarket stable folk. I am not clear about whether there was any cooperation between the churches at the time. The denominational divides were much more rigid then, especially between 'Church & Chapel' i.e. Anglican Church & Non-Conformist Churches.
There is still a (C of E) Racing Chaplain in Newmarket today. Graham Locking was the last incumbent. I don't know the new one:
http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news/latest-news/new-racing-chaplain-is-under-holy-orders-1-6277296
http://www.racingwelfare.co.uk/Getting-Support/Chaplaincy
file:///C:/Users/Sandra/Downloads/SCUK_Horse_Racing_Chaplain.pdf
and from Tony Pringle with help from Bill Smith
Mr Walton formed the Mission "Walton's Stablelads Recreation Rooms" for the education of stablelads, basically a library to help them . Later developed and Walton's daughter in Law ran evening clasess and a Mr O'Brien (maybe from All Saint's Church) ran Sunday bible classes. I think it then became an offical charity (perhaps the current Racing Welfare folk can help there.
Tjhe Granby Street Chapel was next door to our house when Heaton Brothers, Forage Merchants was run by my Father. I remember we started a youth club there in the early 50's, "Friendship House". I do not recollect any religious connections at that time so when it was given up by the religious folk I do not know. I am pretty sure it had nothing to do with the Racing Mission. We had so many little chapels I reckon they may have even equalled Bookies at times
Just so I get it right.
Did Fred Hall marry Florence Aldridge in Preston in around May 1919 and did they have two sons, James (June 1920) and Ronald (June 1923) both born in Preston. (Yes, that has been confirmed webmaster)
Ann already has seen Fred's Army records (that was extremely lucky). The Suffolk Regiment's Garrison at Bury St Edmunds acted as recruitment offices during the Gt War and the recruits were sent to various army regiments according to needs.
By the way apart from the connection of Capt Tanner with Tannersfield Way, the estate always was officially Heath Lodge Estate, not sure when, if ever, it changed officially to Freshfields
August 16th 2015 from Geoffrey Woollard
We have found a photograph of Lt. Col. Arthur Herbert Catchpole (1880 - 1962), and according to family memory, it was taken outside the Carlton Hotel, Newmarket, in (I would guess) the 1930s.
A little look on Old Newmarket tells me that the Carlton was formerly the Victoria. In one of my Kelly's Directories there is the following entry, 'Victoria Billiards Hall (Col. A.H. Catchpole, propr.), High st.' This was listed under 'Commercial' at Newmarket in Kelly's 1937.
We know nothing of AHC being a proprietor of a billiards hall but we wonder whether it was so.
Our member David Rippington has confirmed that Lt Col Catchpole (of The Red House St Mary's Square) was indeed the proprietor of the Victoria Billiards Saloon. David's website gives details of the Carlton occupancy - see the page - (http://www.newmarketshops.info/No.82_High_Street.html) The Victoria Mansions name continued on long after the Carlton became the official title of the building in the 1920s? and probably referred to the fact that there were rented apartments in the building.We have the photo of A H Catchpole in our digital archives and can be supplied to anyone interested.(webmaster)
July 10th 2015 from Jack Hoxley who started working for the GPO (General Post Office) at Newmarket in 1942 and was a linesman in the post war years.
Hadn't looked at the website for a long time, but wanted to show a young carer what I was riding at her age. Pleased to see a photo updated to one like my box sidecar.
Nice to hear from you Jack
Glad we are able to bring back some memories of the good old (hard) days of
gauntlet gloves, stormproof motorcycle overcoats and climbing telegraph
poles in all weathers.
Your story will remain on our website as an example of how far
communications technology has come since World War II.
For those who may have missed Jack's fascinating account look under the Index heading for 'The History of
the Telephone Service in Newmarket' (Jack Hoxley's story).
Our very best wishes, Rodney (webmaster)
July 2016 from Peter & Jan Tervet
1. Please can you let me know how I can access/obtain a copy of the History of the Congregational Church by George Ginn? Your note on the website below refers.
Newmarket Congregational Church
The Church used to stand in the middle of the High Street but in the mid-20th century it amalgamated with Christchurch, the Methodist Church at St Mary's Square. The building is now occupied by The Stable, a meeting hall and morning cafe, although it is still believed to be church property.
We have a history of the Congregational Church forwarded by George Ginn and this can be accessed on application to Newmarket Local History Society via this site.
2. Please can you let me know how many non-conformist chapels there were in Newmarket 1849 – 1850?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
We have supplied the file of the Church history as requested. It is rather too long to include here but if anyone wants to read it I can email it to them.
Our member David Rippington has included an illustrated and detailed account of the old Congregational Church on the Newmarket Shops website that he runs.
Please see http://www.newmarketshops.info/Congregational_Church.html
The original history write-up was by Harold D Greenwood in the 1940s. It has been attributed to George Ginn as he discovered the original. He hopes to be able to give information about other non-conformist churches/chapels in Newmarket (webmaster)
June 30th 2015 from Chris Aylmer
Dear Newmarket Local History Society,
My father John Aylmer was born in Newmarket at Kingston House and went to Fairlawn School as an infant from around 5 to 8 years of age before going off to boarding school at Bishop’s Stortford. He was born in 1903 so he would have been at the school around 1908-1911. I wonder if you have any pictures of the school and grounds?
I have found something out about Fairlawn, which was a preparatory school or kindergarten as well as boarding school for older girls. It was built in 1885 opposite the White Lion public house and I have a map showing where it was(see link below), although I haven’t found any photographs of the school. There are boarding girls listed there in the 1901 census but none in 1911. It seems to have closed down as a school in the late 1920s
There were two very similar buildings on either side of Fairlawn, called Belmont and Glenwood, built around the same time as Fairlawn, the latter also a school until 1920, being the precursor of Newmarket Grammar School. There is a photo of Glenwood School which I guess would have closely resembled Fairlawn, but it would be nice to have a photograph of Fairlawn School itself. All the buildings were demolished around 1970.
See link:
http://www.newmarketshops.info/Fairlawn_School.html
Many thanks for helping to keep the memories of Newmarket alive,
Allthough so far we haven't found a picture of the old Fairlawn School, our member David Rippington has given a good description on his Newmarket Shops website. Chris had already included a link to the site in his query (see above).
Geoffrey Woollard has also contributed an item on Fairlawn (see Correspondence page 8, late September 2013) as both he and his wife Sue attended the school. Apparently it was still in existence as late as 1949 (webmaster)
May 2015 from Michael Chandler
I am an author working on a book of military hospitals situated in East Anglia during WW1 and I seek your help in finding out about the following that where used during this period.
1) Severals House
2) Rous Hospital
3) Red Cross Hospital.
I hope that you will be able to assist me and I look forward to hearing from you.
The history of the Rous Hospital is covered in our website article under Personalities - Admiral Rous.
With the high number of casualties in WWI it is likely that several large houses were used as Red Cross recuperation homes. Cheveley Park Mansions was one of these and is mentioned on our Personalities page dealing with the former owner, Col Harry McCalmont. We have pictures of patients or staff for Sussex Lodge and Severals House and also one for Fordham, but we do not know exactly where the latter was. Perhaps our site visitors can enlighten us (webmaster)
May 7th 2015 from John McNaughton regarding the correspondence im March this year about the origins of the Coat of Arms of the Houldsworth Valley Primary School (see below)
I have visited your excellent website periodically as I was born in Newmarket.
I was interested in the discussion on Houldsworth Valley school badge.
I attended St Mary's school, and then Houldsworth Valley when it opened in about 1952 or 1953. We were told by the then Headmaster (P V Gorham) that the badge did indeed represent St Edmund's crown, and the arrows represented his martyrdom. The wheel, we were told, represented Boudica's (various spellings) chariot wheel.
I was only 7 or 8 at the time, but I remember wearing the badge.
Thank you John, your good explanation ties in with Tony Pringle's (see correspondence below)
April 9th 2015. From Jesse Janssens, the leader of a family party of seven from Belgium who visited Newmarket over the Easter weekend specifically to see the places where Evrard Janssens served as part of the Belgian training attachment to RAF Snailwell during 1945.
Dear members of the Nlhs,
Since we've arrived back in Belgium, I want to say a short thank you for everything you've done for us. We really enjoyed the meeting and the warmth with you. Everything was perfect, the presentation of Rod, the talk with Rosemary, the walk with Sandra and Peter, and so on.. It was all very interesting and we've enjoyed our stay in Newmarket.
My father was very happy about the day and described it as the happiest and the best day of the year, so you really made us happy. Afterwards we've been to the remains of the airfield in Snailwell and to Snailwell itself which was quite a walk but it was worth it! The weather was perfect, the birds were singing and it was simply a great day for us, really a day to remember.
And I couldn't have done it without you guys, you were my guide and the reason why we could come to Newmarket. Thanks you for being so kind and helpful.
We had the time of our lives and we will never forget this beautiful journey. I'm sure my grandfather would be happy that we visited the place where he stayed.
So a big thanks to everybody, also to the others whom I didn't have the e-mailaddress
I hope we stay in touch,
Kind regards
.
March 2015. From Bill O'Gorman.
Unbelievably I have just discovered your truly remarkable site, and am getting much enjoyment from it.
I do hope that you will not mind if I occasionally point out an error or omission - I probably need to get out more!
"Dino's" café is not shown in Wellington St. - it was where the kebab shop is now and along with the Jockeys Café in Old Station Rd. it fed most of the single lads in the 1960s.
On the racecourse section I couldn't make sense of the oil paintings: should the Beacon Course be the Round Course/? Also the old Cambridgeshir finish seems to have had the image reversed - I think the stand would have been on the right of the horses, between them and the main road.
Congratulations once more, and kind regards.
Thanks for your comments about our website. I should point out that much of the entry about the history of the racecourses was carried out by our member David Rippington who runs his own website 'Newmarket Shops' He has added this information:
The painting labelled 'A Race on the Beacon Course c.1750' is well attributed as being such everywhere on the internet - the artist is John Wootton.
http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/A-Race-on-the-Beacon-Course-at-Newmarket-C-1750-Posters_i10063664_.htm
http://www.art.co.uk/products/p22111440638-sa-i7610032/john-wootton-a-race-on-the-beacon-course-at-newmarket-c-1750.htm
http://www.bridgemanimages.com/en-GB/asset/74971/wootton-john-1682-1765/a-race-on-the-beacon-course-at-newmarket-c-1750-oil-on-canvas
etc.
But I think we all have the same problem with this painting as we've found in the past with many of Wootton's paintings - there's an awful lot of artistic license in there and I'm beginning to believe that he deliberately swapped orientation of landmarks in his paintings just to confuse us later day lackeys.
The picture of the finish of the 1850 Cambridgeshire Stakes is absolutely correct though, as this is looking from the Cambridge road, across the course, past the Portland (Cambridgeshire) Stand and towards the hill of Swaffham Prior in the distance.
The stand between the end of the course and the main road was just the Trainer's Stand, the saddling enclosure - i.e. 'The Birdcage'.
The 1902 map on my web page shows this arrangement quite clearly.
The painting labelled 'A Race on the Beacon Course c.1750' is well attributed as being such everywhere on the internet - the artist is John Wootton.
http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/A-Race-on-the-Beacon-Course-at-Newmarket-C-1750-Posters_i10063664_.htm
http://www.art.co.uk/products/p22111440638-sa-i7610032/john-wootton-a-race-on-the-beacon-course-at-newmarket-c-1750.htm
http://www.bridgemanimages.com/en-GB/asset/74971/wootton-john-1682-1765/a-race-on-the-beacon-course-at-newmarket-c-1750-oil-on-canvas
etc.
But I think we all have the same problem with this painting as we've found in the past with many of Wootton's paintings - there's an awful lot of artistic license in there and I'm beginning to believe that he deliberately swapped orientation of landmarks in his paintings just to confuse us later day lackeys.
The picture of the finish of the 1850 Cambridgeshire Stakes is absolutely correct though, as this is looking from the Cambridge road, across the course, past the Portland (Cambridgeshire) Stand and towards the hill of Swaffham Prior in the distance.
The stand between the end of the course and the main road was just the Trainer's Stand, the saddling enclosure - i.e. 'The Birdcage'.
The 1902 map on my web page shows this arrangement quite clearly
Tony Pringle makes this comment: I can see Bill O'Gorman's problem and he is right if he is referring to the painting of the racing on Beacon course 1750, that is surely the Cambridge Gap in the back ground which makes the picture one of the run in on the July Course. Can't be the Beacon course, the horses are heading the wrong way.
Regarding Dino Biagi's Cafe, as you point out, it was in Wellington Street in what is now the Kebab Shop, and I am told the building was known as Waterloo House (webmaster).
NLHS Secretary Rosemary Foreman has added this memory:
"Dino’s was definitely in Wellington Street where the Kebab House is now when I was a teenager in the 1950’s. It was mainly used by stablelads and always seemed to be a bit of a ‘dive’
Next step up was the Milk Bar on the High Street, then much more upper-class was the Black Cat on Rutland Hill!"
March 2015.From Cheryl Blake.
As a recent visitor to your town, please can you explain why locally, The Yellow brick Road is so called when it is neither Yellow or has a brick path.
I am informed that it's just a local colloquial name. It could have come from the yellow material, sand perhaps, that covered the surface.
One of our members has made this comment:
"I have a sneaky feeling it stems from Alice in Wonderland..it just crept up on us and moved into local parlance."
The location, I am told, is the path by the Watercourse starting off Exeter Road and heading north-east (webmaster)
March 2015, from Forest Heath Councillor Richard Baldwin
I was in a meeting this morning with the Head teacher of Houldsworth Valley Primary School who said that they were desperate to find out what their school coat of arms meant? Can be found on the top banner of the website...http://houldsworthvalley.co.uk/
I said that the top bit was St Edmund but I am at a loss to know what the wheel would be or why they would be put together.
These replies may be of interest:
Sandra Easom: You are correct. The top image in the school crest is basically the same as that in the Newmarket town Coat of Arms, i.e. the crown of St Edmund. Please see the section about the Newmarket town crest in the 'Newmarket' book for the story behind the crown and arrows and King Edmund's martyrdom.
I cannot decipher the wheel below. My first thought was a gun carriage! Now I am not sure. I tried enlarging it and it began to look more like a farming implement (plough?). My best guess in that case would be that it is a reference to the Great Common / Market Means of the Middle Ages where the school now stands.
Tony Pringle: I doubt very much that this is a real "coat of arms" as per The College of Arms, just someone (used to be my hobby) dreaming up a badge. The crown and arrows is most certainly meant to represent King Edmund and his martydom. I just wonder if the wheel and its attachment might not be Boudicca's chariot wheel ? Ties in nicely with local history.
David Rippington: Houldsworth Valley is named in honour of Joseph Henry Houldsworth.
Born in 1833 in Scotland, he was for many years a noted racehorse owner and died at his home; Rozelle, in Ayr, Scotland on 3rd November 1910.
He was elected to steward of the Jockey Club on 17th April 1890.
His most successful horse was the bay colt Springfield, foaled in 1873 - http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Springfield.html
In later years his horses were trained by James 'Jimmy' Ryan at Green Lodge Stables, on the Severals in Fordham Road, Newmarket.
He doesn't seemed to have had any direct association with the area of Houldsworth Valley and the name seems to have been given in honour of his association with the Jockey Club.
The area of Houldsworth Valley was originally part of the Exning House Estate and was sold by auction in June 1881, most of it was purchased by the Jockey Club - details of this sale are given on the page for No.156-160 High Street - Ratcliffe House - http://www.newmarketshops.info/No.156-160_High_Street.html
February 9th 2015. From Tim Young.
I was intending to email you for advice as where I might find information about Rous Road and Admiral Rous for a very minor little piece of research I am doing for U3A. However, having spent an hour or so on your excellent website I have found plenty of information on both. So instead let me congratulate you on a very lively, interesting and efficient website.
Thanks for your kind comments Tim.
I would mention that in addition to our website our member David Rippington has delved into the history of Rous Road and this can be accessed on his Newmarket Shops website http://www.newmarketshops.info/Rous_Road.html
webmaster
February 1st 2015. From Margaret Del
I wonder if you can help me.
I have been researching my Uncle Edward [Eddie] Little since the 1990s.
He was a jockey at Newmarket under Capt.Cecil Boyd Rochfort.
Edward born in 1909 died aged 26 years in 1937 at Epsom. He went into Cottage Homes government run Home in Newcastle then became a stable boy later a jockey and who had 200+ rides in 1937 +- for Ct. Boyd Rochfort
.
As his Uncle was a Freemason it's thought he could have started off at the Freemason's Stables.
Any idea where I can get a picture or any information on him as his brother [my Uncle] is now 91 years.
This reply has come from Tim Cox of the National Horeracing Museum and is an interesting aside on the origin of Freemason Lodge.
Edward Little has proved elusive. He was registered as an apprentice with Cecil Boyd Rochfort in 1929 and then had a jockey's licence to ride on the Flat in 1935 and 1936. As far as I can see he did not ride a winner. In the lists of jockeys' riding records, only those with a win are listed, so it is difficult to sort out the number of rides without going through each race.
If there are any more clues they might be helpful. If Edward was born in 1909 he would have been 19 or 20 when he was apprenticed, which is a little late. It's difficult to tell what was happening between 1929 and 1935. I have checked some jockey lists for France and Germany in that period, but he has not been spotted. Was he working overseas?
Freemason Lodge was built by Mr A Stedhall. According to Richard Onslow Stedhall was best remembered for his prodigious port drinking rather than his horses or his houses. Most of his horses were named by George Everett, a prominent Freemason. Freemason Lodge was named after Freemason, who was bred by Lady Stamford in 1886. He won three races as a three-year-old and five as a four-year-old. He stood at Graham Place Stud.
I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful, but I will follow up if there are any more clues.
January 23rd 2015.
We have had some correspondence from Prof.Dr Wim Cordenys from Belgium, who is researching Russian history (see Correspondence 18th December 2014). He has now added these comments relating to our website feature, "The Russians in Newmarket".
"The strange thing about the Newmarket history, is that it has slipped the attention of Russian researchers. An interesting article about the activities of the Russian military attaché to Britain, N.S. Yermolov, does not mention Newmarket, although it is mainly about his attempts to set up a Russian unit in the UK."
"By the way – has the Russian revolution article on your website ever been published in paper, and if so, could you give me the precise reference?"
In answer to Prof. Cordeny's question, no, the full account had not been published other than on the website although an abridged version did appear in our local newspaper "The Newmarket Journal" some time ago. Perhaps it is something we should consider as it appears that the information obout this important period in Russian history is not available elsewhere (webmaster).
January 20th 2015 from Margaret Cole
I sent you a story about my Aunt Doris Acres, who did some work at Bletchly Park during the war as a WAAF, she has died aged 90 on 18th December. Just for your records.
Doris Acres was a WAAF during and after the war and had a very varied and interesting career, serving some of her time in Newmarket. Her story can be read on our webpage "The RAF in Wartime Newmarket", select from the Index on our opening page. The account does not mention Bletchley Park, so this adds to Doris's experiences.
January 2015, from Patrick Chennell in Stockholm Sweden
You may be the right man to point me in the right direction? I’m the great great grandson of Benjamin Chennell who was a prominent figure in Newmarket in the second half of the 1800’s. He lived in Foley House and owned The White Horse, do know anything about him or where I could find out more? Kind Regards.
NLHS member David Rippington has provided a chronicle of the life of Benjamin Chennell, who owned the White Hart Hotel and was a man of some standing in the town. It is too detailed to be included here but David intends to incorporate it into his Newmarket Shops website.
In addition this snippet from David throws some light on society life in Newmarket during the Victorian period.
"Tuesday 17 March 1868, Bury and Norwich Post
Newmarket. Opening Dinner at the White Hart Hotel.
The opening dinner of this establishment, on the occupation thereof by Mr. Benjamin Chennell, the new proprietor, took place on Friday evening last, the 13th inst., and was attended by most of the principal inhabitants of this town and a considerable number of visitors from Cambridge.
The number of tickets was limited to fifty, at one guinea each, all of which were sold. The room was gaily decorated with floral devices, and had a very pretty appearance.
The chair was taken by Mr. Challands, and the vice-chair by Mr. Jas. Manning, and on the removal of the cloth the usual loyal and preliminary toasts, including the health of the Duke of Rutland, were given, followed by the health of the host and hostess, received with many expressions of good will.
The other toasts were — The town and trade of Newmarket, the Jockey Club, the Visitors, and the Ladies.
Mr. J. H. Stead, the original Perfect Cure*, specially engaged for the occasion, contributed greatly to the pleasures of a very agreeable meeting, and many of the company assisted in vocal and instrumental music
The bill of fare was most luxurious, and the wines, including champagne, hock, sec, were highly praised. The company separated at a late hour."
*I understand that The Perfect Cure was an old time Music Hall act.
(webmaster)
December 25th 2014
from Gabor Csernussi from Hungary (unedited)
Dear Sir,
at first apologize for my disturbing You.
I write the life history as a sportsman/yachtsman of Count Edmund
Batthyany, whose father, Gustav Batthyany owned Newmarket by his death 1883.
But I havent relevant info, from what time he had, and whether there
are some detailed info/picture about this topic, You may have.
I have a weak info, as Georg IV herited Newmarket to his equerry for
use, then the Royalty sold it in 1837, but no direct info, to whom, so I
dont have info about our Batthyany.
If I know well, the Batthyany-Hunyady race was based in 1829, but I dont
have any, what time was it run ?
You would be kind to inform me about this topic directly, not by as a
reference if it possible:
This query led to some interesting correspondence about Count (Prince) Batthyany's involvement with Newmarket. It appears that he did reside in Newmarket at Warren House where his horses were trained by John Dawson. However like other wealthy racegoes he had residences in other parts of the country and only used Newmarket during the periods of the important races. It also raises questions as to how/why Batthyany came to this country in the first place, was it to persue his sport or perhaps to escape political upheaval in his own country - Hungary, and was he helped by the Hanoverian George IV, William IV or Victoria who through their German ancestry may have had sympathies with the Hungarian royalty as part of the Austro-Hungarian dynasty? Speculation, not facts.
What we do know is that the wealthy Prince was popular in Newmarket and contributed much to racing. He died aged 79 from a heart attack while attending a Newmarket race meeting in 1883.
Thanks for the help given by NLHS member David Rippington and you can read much more about John Dawson and Batthyany on David's Newmarket Shops website (webmaster).
December 18th 2014. from Professor Dr Wim Coudenys,
Lecturer in Russian and European History and Culture
Academic coordinator for international relations
Faculty of Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
I came across your very interesting article on Russian officers being trained at Newmarket in 1918-19. I was wondering, whether the names of those being trained were ever recorded, and if so, where they can be found.
I’m asking because I’m working on an article about Nicolas Belina-Podgaetsky (1896-1967), a Russian émigré and a journalist who arrived in Belgium in 1934. In his memoires he writes vaguely about his being on the Macedonian Front (Russian expeditionary corps) in 1916-18, but also that he was, during that same time, regularly in the UK, the last time at Newmarket, I presume as one of the trainees. In 1919-20, however, he was in France (whether he ever served in the White Russian army is unclear). So I’m looking at a (written) confirmation of B-P being one of the officers trained there in 1918-19.
Thanks for your advice!
So far local enquiries regarding the names of the Russian officers other than those mentioned in the article, have drawn a blank, The Imperial War Museuem is a possible source. Any further information that comes to hand will be passed on (webmaster)
December 8th 2014 from NLHS member Roger Newman
I have just received my copy of Newmarket Remembers and I have noticed one odd occurrence which I do not expect would be noticed by anyone who was not ex Royal Navy.
In WW2, six persons in the RN associated with Newmarket died when ships were attacked or sunk and for a small town that is a large percentage, four of the ships they died on were amongst the most well known ones lost in WW2.
HMS Curacao was split in two and sunk by the RMS Queen Mary in the Atlantic whilst on convoy duty. Harry Hawkins killed 2nd Oct 1942
HMS Kelly had Lord Louis Mountbatten as Captain. Percy Camps killed 9th May 1940
HMS Glorious was sunk in the North Sea in 1939 in the Norwegian campaign by Scharnhorst & Gneisenau. Ernest Egan and Gerald Roe both lost 8th June 1940.
HMS Hood was lost in the North Sea , sunk by the Bismark 4th May 1941. Lt Robert Browne killed 25th May 1941.
A man from Exning died, Stanley Clover, when HMS Barham exploded two and a half minutes after being hit by three torpedos in the Mediterraneanon 25th November 1941. It is one of the most dramatic and well known pictures of a ship exploding from WW2 as she was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship gross weight was 33000 tons.
December 4th 2014 from Ted Robbens.
I noted your biography on Machell in Newmarket Past Personalities. Do you think it would be possible to get the horse racing fraternity in Newmarket to get together and repair his grave? It is the first one as you enter the graveyard at the top of the hill and it will only get worse. I expect ownership of the grave is an issue, but it cannot be insurmountable. Perhaps an appeal in the local paper? If the cross can be remounted perhaps also the missing letters can be replaced. Note the spelling on the grave is Octavus, not sure which is correct.
James Octavius Machell the great trainer of horses, sportsman and gambler (see Personalities No 9) Ted Robbens has sent a picture of the collapsed stone cross in Newmarket Cemetery. Who is responsible for the upkeep of such graveyard memorials is an open question, there are several graves of well known personalities from the past in need of attention.
November 8th 2014. From Jesse Janssens.
I am Jesse from Belgium and I would like to visit Newmarket with my dad.
We would like to do that because my grandfather stayed somewhere around newmarket in World War 2.
He had joined the Royal Airforce in Newmarket. I don't know if there is anything left to see around newmarket from that time?
But we really want to visit anything left that goes from airfield or barack or even just the place where it was.
Because he passed away two months ago and I am planning a visit now.
Maybe you could help me with some information for things to visit from The Royal Airforce in Newmarket?
Newmarket was very busy with the military during WWII but now only a few traces of those stirring days remain.
Today the town's main preoccupation is with horseracing and it is known world wide as the 'Headquarters of Racing'. Whether or not this subject interests you there are impressive sights to be enjoyed such as the the morning exercising of many strings of horses on our broad heath lands.
The RAF had two airfields at or very close to the town during the war, the main one on the Rowley Mile racecourse on the west side of the town and the other near the village of Snailwell about two miles to the north.
It was to Snailwell that Belgian airmen came to receive training both in flying and ground duties between October 1944 and March 1946, when they all returned home. The unit was known as the RAF (Belgian) Initial Training School and was formally opened in April 1945 by Group Captain Guillame the Deputy Inspector-General of the Belgian Air Force. Training proceeded and was said to highly satisfactory. The servicemen were accommodated either on the base or in private lodgings nearby and they were often seen in the town and at local social events along with servicemen of many nations who appeared during the war.
Very little remains of the old Snailwell airfield, which had grass runways. A path runs alongside what was the perimeter, a pleasant walk where you might just make out the remains of one or two of the old airfield buildings. The airfield itself is now taken up by racing interests.
Much information about the Royal Air Force in Newmarket appears in the excellent booklet of that title by John F. Hamlin to whom we are indebted. Copies are now hard to get.
Google RAF Snailwell and you can get more information, with plans of the airfield (webmaster)
.
October 27th 2014. We have received this request from the Town Council
"Newmarket Town council are having repair work done on the old Chapel at the cemetery.
Do you have any information on this building and its history please?"
October 20th 2014 from Fiona Guthrie.
I have been researching what my Grandfather (Harry William Sadler) did in WW1 and it would appear he was invalided out. He was a racehorse trainer and trained at Falmouth House but I have discovered a letter from him to the War Office asking them to note that his address is Marchetta, Newmarket, having left Officers' Convalescent Home at Totnes. I am wondering if this was a convalescent home in Newmarket and whether it still exists? Any help that you can give me would be much appreciated.
Tony Pringle has responded as follows: I have to check the exact location but Marchetta was the home of one of the Rickaby family, killed in WW1 (Fred Rickaby one of many so
named),the uncle of Lester Piggott.
It would all tie in with being a racing type place.
In 1936
Marchetta on Bury Road was the home of Mrs Falcon
October 2014. We have had a query from a lady who wrote in asking about the old Flax Factory in Fordham Road.
She thought it was built on green land somewhere around the site of the later caravan factory. The man who started the flax business was a Belgian immigrant
There was indeed a busy flax factory on land close to where the Bury/Ely railway line runs under the Fordham Road and adjoining the Snailwell Road, where there is now an industrial/commercial site.
It was built probably in the 1930s and was operating during the war producing linen and webbing used by the RAF.
By the 1950s a biscuit factory (Meredith & Drew) had taken over the site and later still Eccles Caravans were there - they were eventually absorbed into CI Caravans at their big factory much nearer the town.
The Flax Factory employed many women during the war on important work for the war effort.
Thanks to NLHS member David Rippington for researching the history of the factory and for sending maps of the site at various periods of its history.
October 18th 2014 from Linda Barlow
Hello - I hope that someone can help me with this. I was born in September 1952 in Newmarket, in a maternity home (not the main hospital). Someone has suggested that the name of the home was Cardigan Street. Does anyone remember a maternity home from this time, and how I might find where the records for this home are kept.
Several of our members confirm that there was indeed a meternity home in Cardigan Street. Thanks to Tony Pringle for finding the picture of the home when it was opened.
It was erected in 1923 in memory of the men who fought in the Great War
THE HOUSE AND BUILDINGS ERECTED ON THE TRUSTEES LAND TO BE USED:- (A) AS A HOSTEL OR HOME FOR NURSES OR SIMILAR PURPOSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF NURSES. (B) AS A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL INFIRMARY OR DISPENSARY. (C) AS A HOSPITAL FOR MATERNITY CASES. (D) FOR THE TREATMENT AND RELIEF IN SICKNESS OF POOR CHILDREN AS THE TRUSTEES OR ANY COMMITTEE OR PERSONS ACTING BY DELEGATION UNDER THE TRUSTEES SHALL THINK FIT.
In 1993 the Charity was wound up and the property ceased to be used for its original purpose. The chances of finding records of the mothers who gave birth in the home look pretty slim. (webmaster)
September 14th 2014 From Geoffrey Griffiths
You may be aware that the Cambridge Museum of Technology is sponsoring a project to keep the name of Pye alive. Pye was, as I am sure you are aware, a major company in Cambridge for many years.
Not all of Pye was in Cambridge however and in the 1950s three companies were established in Newmarket. These were Magnetic Devices, Varelco and Pye Industrial Electronics.
Pye Industrial Electronics was started to produce transistors for radios. It soon after was renamed Newmarket Transistors, abbreviated to NKT, and became a significant player in what was to be one of the most important electronic development of the 20th century - leading to silicon chip.
I started as an assistant physicist at NKT and stayed with the company for some 30 years becoming the Technical Director. Now in retirement (just had my 84th Birthday anniversary) I have undertaken to produce some notes on the formation and development of NKT.
Surprisingly, my memories were soon ignited and the notes now add up to over 10,000 words.
The technical, commercial and personnel details I can readily deal with and have also taken recent photos of the factory as it is today, as a member of the US GE Aviation Company (continuing the high tech business developed by NKT). The photos show some part the basic factory as it was started behind the later office block - but that is all I have been able to come by of the early premises. It would be nice include some details, if they exist, of the early days when the factories were built, such as press cuttings, site photos, etc.
If you can help or point me in any direction to enable me to complete my notes I would be most grateful.
Of course you are welcome to a copy of my notes to-date.
An interesting insight into the part that Newmarket played in the development of transistors.
Several of our members are past employees of the several Pye subsidiaries and spin-offs that came to Newmarket, particularly Magnetic Devices which was a big employer. David Rippington can provide many memories through his own and his families connections. He has been put in touch with the enquirer.
Dialite is the current occupier of the old Magnetic Devices factory in Exning Road (webmaster)
June 17th 2014
From Eric Graham, a long term correspondent on this website concerning racing personalities and stables
Nice to look at your site again.
In reply to your correspondent John Darwood dated April 30th 2014:-
''Sir John and Lady Darwood had a Racing Stables in Newmarket during the 1950's and I'm keen to learn of their Racing colours and other background information.''
Sir John William Darwood died 8 Mach 1951 Aged 77. His wife Winifred Alice Mary died 27 June 1976, aged 95, leaving £102,000.
Darwood did not have registered colours in the 1940's and 1950's, and not earlier as far as I can trace. In fact he appears to have no connection with racing in the UK at whatever.
In business his company was associated with The Rangoon Electric Tramway And Supply Company.
June 12th 2014. From David Acock
I have been very interested in racing history for many years. I wrote a short history of Beckhampton Stables earlier this year and Roger Charlton has put it on his website. I currently have three projects underway. The first is to write short cameos of the 39 Beckhampton classic winners and their owners. I have sent the first four to the NHRM see if they want to use them on their website. My second project has been ongoing for a number of years and is to identify the stables that classic winners were trained from. The third is to write a short history of Newmarket racing stables. I have been using various media to accumulate information, books websites in the main. I have found the Newmarket Local History site and the Newmarket Shops sites particularly useful. Trying to understand the various stables located in and around Bedford Lodge, House and Cottage was made much easier by these sites.
Can you answer any of these questions or point me in the right direction.
1. Fifinella (1913) won the Derby and Oaks. She was owned by Sir Edward Hulton who I believe lived at Warren Towers. She was trained by the Whatcombe trainer R Dawson who moved to Newmarket during the Great War. Do you know which stables he used?
2.The 1920 St Leger winner was Caligula trained by Harvey Leader well before he moved to Bedford Lodge Stables and renamed him Shalfleet. Do you know the stables he used before he moved ?
3. The 1921 St Leger winner Polemarch was trained by Tom Green. Any idea of the stables he used?
I would be grateful for any information you could give me
NLHS members are not racing historians but they have done well to come up with these replies
From Tony Pringle
1. Fifinella (1913) won the Derby and Oaks. She was owned by Sir Edward Hulton who I believe lived at Warren Towers. She was trained by the Whatcombe trainer R Dawson who moved to Newmarket during the Great War. Do you know which stables he used?
Although it is clear that Richard Dawson trained in Newmarket from 1913 to 1919, so far none of the usual books place him here.
The earliest "Horses in Training in the Racing section of the library is 1930, so no help
Racing Calendar only lists trainers, gives no addresses
Ruff's lists him as at Whatcombe the whole time
Much mystery here
2.The 1920 St Leger winner was Caligula trained by Harvey Leader well before he moved to Bedford Lodge Stables and renamed him Shalfleet. Do you know the stables he used before he moved ?
I stand by my first answer due to lack of any evidence to the contrary. "Old Tom" Leader came to Newmarket from Wroughton in Wilshire and set up Wroughton House. Considering his age it does seem more then probable that his son Harvey Cliff initially used the yard (possible as assistant to his father with or without his brother young Tom
Old Tom died in 1920 aged 74
sons:
Young Tom Richard Leader died 1945 aged 65, trained at Wroughton House, his son Tom Edward Leader was always known as Ted Leader and trained at Sefton Lodge, Bury Road.
Colledge Leader was at Machell Place and then Stanley House.
George Leader was always known as Fred and trained at Primrose Cottage
Annoyingly only Bedford Lodge (Shalfleet) are mentioned for Harvey Cliff Leader
As with so many racing families you have to be very careful with names as many never used their given names. The Rickaby family were the worst for having at least one Frederick in every generation, all jockeys
3. The 1921 St Leger winner Polemarch was trained by Tom Green. Any idea of the stables he used?
I can only find one trainer of that name, Tom Green, the Yorkshire trainer at Hambleton, near Thirsk and he died in 1899 so it cannot be him. For the year in question I can find no trace in the usual records or list of licensed trainersof Tom Green other than his name being associated with Polemarch the 1920 St Leger winner.
and from David Rippington who admits that racing is not his strong point.
Here are a few useful links I found:-
Hulton, Sir Edward, baronet (1869–1925)
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/34048
Richard Cecil Dawson (1865 - 1955)
http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=922
Shogun ch. c. 1910
(Santoi - Kendal Belle by Kendal)
Bred in Ireland by the Browning brothers, the handsome chestnut Shogun, who bore a strong resemblance to his dam, was purchased for 2,000 guineas as a yearling at the Doncaster sales by Sir Edward Hulton. Hulton was the publisher of the Sporting Chronicle, the Sunday Herald, the Evening Standard and other newspapers in the U.K., who first raced horses in 1906. Shogun looked to be a strong classic contender at the end of his juvenile season, having won five of his eight races and placing second in the other three. His wins that season included the Hyde Park Plate, the Woodcote Stakes, the Coventry Stakes, the Fulbourne Stakes and the Lavant Stakes, and was second to Craganour in the New Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Middle Park Plate. At age three, did not place in the 2,000 Guineas, but started second favorite for the "Suffragette" Derby, where traffic on the rail caused him to be eased twice and he ran sixth; many later considered him unlucky to have been beaten. Later that year he won Newbury's Greenham Stakes, the Ascot Gold Vase and Liverpool's Knowsley Dinner Stakes. He broke down before the running of the St. Leger, and was retired to stud at Hulton's Warren Tower paddocks at Cheveley, Newmarket. He sired a number of winners, some of which won in India and South Africa, but his most significant offspring was the race mare and producer Verdict (Family B - 3). He died early, age ten.
Harvey Cliff Leader (1893 - 1972)
http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=1189
'I served my apprenticship with trainer Harvey Leader at Wroughton House Station Rd way back in 1945/50.'
http://www.newmarketlhs.org.uk/nlhscorrespondence5.htm
Polemarch, as a 2 year old, won the Gimcrack Stakes at Newmarket, and the Rous Plate at Doncaster. In 1921, He won the St. Leger at Doncaster with odds of 50-1! The jockey was Joe Childs, who went on to become Royal Jockey from 1925-1935.
https://www.facebook.com/NTmountstewart/posts/691283097582821
Polemarch's owner was 7th Marquess of Londonderry (1878–1949) - Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart - the following link does say '...with stables at Wynyard and Newmarket.'
http://www.east-durham.co.uk/londonderrys/marquis_of_londonderry_1919.htm
Londonderry Estates
http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/Pages/AdvancedSearchCatalogueDetail.aspx?SearchType=Param&SearchID=168a8f3c-78fc-497a-86df-3ef6a674f75c&Page=1&ItemID=169784
Ref: D/Lo/C 647
Dewhurst, Captain R. H., Newmarket
Reports on the stables at Newmarket and racing matters, 1915, n.d.
This indicates that Londonderry's trainer at Newmarket was Captain R H Dewhurst - which was Bedford Lodge Cottage Stables - i.e. later Shalfleet.
http://www.newmarketshops.info/Bedford_Lodge.html
Also on my web page it shows that Thomas Green was the Head Groom living in Bedford Lodge Cottage on the 1911 census.
My page also shows that Harvey Leader didn't arrive at Bedford Lodge Cottage until 1936 - I've no idea where he was in 1920.
and from Sandra Easom
1. Fifinella (1913) won the Derby and Oaks. She was owned by Sir Edward Hulton who I believe lived at Warren Towers. She was trained by the Whatcombe trainer R Dawson who moved to Newmarket during the Great War. Do you know which stables he used?
1. Fifinella (1913) won the Derby and Oaks. She was owned by Sir Edward Hulton who I believe lived at Warren Towers. She was trained by the Whatcombe trainer R Dawson who moved to Newmarket during the Great War. Do you know which stables he used?
(There was a John Alfred Dawson, Trainer, who is listed as being in St Alban's House at that period: Kelly's Directory, 1916)
2.The 1920 St Leger winner was Caligula trained by Harvey Leader well before he moved to Bedford Lodge Stables and renamed him Shalfleet. Do you know the stables he used before he moved ?
(There are 2 trainers called "Leader" listed in the same directory; Colledge at Machell Place and Thomas at Wroughton House)
3. The 1921 St Leger winner Polemarch was trained by Tom Green. Any idea of the stables he used?
(I cannot find any trainer called Green)
Current correspondence January 2016 onwards (page 10) select here
Previous Correspondence
Correspondence from December 2012 - April 2014 (page 8) select here
Correspondence from January 2011 - December 2012 (page 7) select here
Correspondence November 2008 - December 2010 (page 6) select here
Correspondence January 2008 - November 2008 (page 5) select here
Correspondence August 2005 - December 2007 (page 4) select here
Correspondence June 2004 - July 2005 (page 3) select here
Correspondence June 2003 - May 2004 (page 2) select here
Correspondence May 2002 - June 2003 (first page) select here