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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: BeeJay2 on Friday 06 May 11 11:55 BST (UK)
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I’m researching a family who left Austria for England in 1938. In 1944 the wife’s address was “Fonthill House, Tisbury, Wiltshire.” At that time her husband and sons were interned in Australia and Canada as enemy aliens.
I’m wondering what Fonthill House may have been used for during WW2. Searching online has turned up the older history of the house but nothing about the war years.
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Hi BeeJay2
Go to www.wiltshire-opc.org.uk/ - select Tisbury with Wardour from the parish menu.
The War Memorial in Tisbury includes a dedication to 55th Armored Infantry Battalion of 3rd US Army who were stationed at Fonthill Gifford during WW2. There are images of the memorial, go to the Photo Gallery menu to view them.
You will also find a para about Tisbury at War with a link to the BBC website - not sure if there is anything in there that is relevant, but worth a look.
There are two Fonthill's in Wiltshire - Fonthill Bishop and Fonthill Gifford, plus of course the Fonthill Abbey estate.
LC
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Thank you very much for that information, LC!
:)
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Hi Beejay2
I think the house you're referring to is the one formerly known as Little Ridge which later changed its name to Fonhill House. Unfortunately, it was knocked down, amidst much protest, in the early 1970s and yet another Fonthill House built on its foundations.
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Thank you for that info. :)
For now I'll have to remain unsure about where she was living and what she was doing there!
BJ
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Have you been able to find any images of this house? On checking my hard drive I do actually have 3 pics of it, one of which is a postcard labeled "Fonthill House, Tisbury". If you want I can send them to you but I think I'd need your email address.
CG
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Have you been able to find any images of this house? On checking my hard drive I do actually have 3 pics of it, one of which is a postcard labeled "Fonthill House, Tisbury". If you want I can send them to you but I think I'd need your email address.
CG
Thank you for the offer CG! I pm'd you my email address.
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Hello BeeJay2
I wonder if you were successful in finding information about Fonthill House. A small London school was evacuated there during the war and, although very young, I was a boarder at Fonthill from 1940 to 1945. I have some photos and might be able to help.
MN
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I would love to hear from you Moira, for any info and photos you may want to share!
I have pm'd you my email address.
:)
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Hello again
I'm new to Rootschat and am not quite sure where I find your email address - ??? I'll see if I can work it out for myself but perhaps you can help me.
MN
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At the very top of your screen, next to "Welcome Moira ..." it should say "messages." If you click on that it should take you to your private messages inbox and hopefully there's one there from me! :)
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BeeJay2
Moira may not be able to receive messages until she has made 3 posts
MOIRA NORWICH
Just reply to this post (anything will do) and you should be in business :)
BeeJay2
You may have to resend your message ::)
Linda
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Thank you Linda - we've been in touch now by email. :)
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Hi all, am disparately trying to get info and any available pics of Fonthill House, the one known as Fonthill Abbey, as I lived there as a child in the '50's. Can anyone help or is this thread now gone the same way as the house!
Eddie In Perth Australia
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Hi Eddie in Perth :)
I'm in sweltering Sydney and I was fascinated to read that you lived at Fonthill Abbey in the 50s. However, I'm a little confused as to whether you mean Fonthill House, formerly known as Little Ridge and sadly demolished in 1972, or the second Fonthill Abbey which was used to house troops in WWII and demolished in 1955. Both were located on the Fonthill estate. I have several pics of both houses. There is also the Remains of the first Fonthill Abbey (the central tower collapsed in December 1825) which still exists today and has had occupants from time to time over the years. So perhaps you may even mean the first Fonthill Abbey? I have plenty of pics of that too.
I look forward to your reply. :)
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G'Day ummm, is it, 'Clonesgirl'
Many thanks for such a fast reply, and wow coincidence, didn't dream you were in Oz! Yes, I'm in Perth, another sweltering place, had many days of heat and today was well over 40! OK, to Fonthill, I know the ara very, very well. Can't find the thread, but there was some misinformation re the various Fonthill houses, One only was also referred to by locals as "New Fonthill Abbey" to differentiate it from the Beckford Abbey built in the 1700's. This 'New' Abbey was yet another in the line of 'Fonthill Houses', it was built by William Burn for the Marquess of Westminster in, I think, 1876. It was in the Scottish Baronial style and a wonderful place. We lived for a time in the quarters above the stable quadrangle, and what a fabulouse place it was. Can give more info if anyone is interested. Burns was something of a paranoic, and destroyed his plans upon completion of his buildings. So very little in documentation remains, and, almost no photographs, I have a couple of odd one from Ebay and a large print originally from 'Coutry Life. This particular building, was indeed, the base for US troops and I remember looking at all their wonderful graffiti in the walls of the stable buildings. Sadly this building was demolished in the late 50's.
The house at Little Ridge housed Sir John Morrison and family and as you indicate, it too was demolished but his time rebuilt and the current incumbant is Lord Margadale, Alexander Morrison, whose father and indeed, grandfather I remember well. There are at least 7 Fonthill Houses on record. This one was never the base for troops etc. The other, where I lived was a quarter of mile or so from Beckford's Folly. I also lived in a little terrace row at little Ridge and schooled at Chilmark (also at Warder RC and Hindon). Hope I haven't bored you too much
regards
Eddie
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Yes, I know Perth has been sweltering too. It's now after 11pm and I just opened a window but nothing but hot air came in so I shut it again. It hit 42C here today and is still well over 30C. :(
By my reckoning there were six mansions known as Fonthill House and 2 known as Fonthill Abbey making a total of 8 houses which stood at various times on the Fonthill estate, only one of which stands today. The rest either burnt down, fell down or were knocked down. That estate seems to be cursed with bad luck. The 2nd Abbey was knocked down after developing a giant crack in the main building. I would be curious to know if anyone was occupying the main house in the 50s prior to its being demolished.
I notice you also mention living in a terrace at Little Ridge. There is a member here who went to school at Fonthill House (Little Ridge) during WWII and is interested in anything pertaining to that house so I'm sure she'll be in touch.
According to an article I have the stable block still existed in the 60s when Dr and Mrs Hilliard, who took care of Beckford's Tower in Bath for many years, walked around the 2nd Abbey and described the ruins. I have an overhead pic of the ruins taken a few years ago and you can definitely see a structure there.
As far as pics of the 2nd Abbey go, I have the Country Life pic you mention, plus a few others I've found from time to time, mostly old postcards. If you want I can send them plus the overhead view. PM me your email address.
Great to hear from someone who lived on the Fonthill estate. :)
CG
(from Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland)
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Yes, I know Perth has been sweltering too. It's now after 11pm and I just opened a window but nothing but hot air came in so I shut it again. It hit 42C here today and is still well over 30C. :(
Hi again, I have to post 3 times I think before I can PM, so this is it, will then see if I can PM, once in contact we can check our particular pics. I will be quite thrilled if you have one that I do not. I might have one though, that you quite possibly do not have. Will be in touch later.
PS, I find this site difficult to navigate...am I the only one
Eddie
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Yes, I know Perth has been sweltering too. It's now after 11pm and I just opened a window but nothing but hot air came in so I shut it again. It hit 42C here today and is still well over 30C. :(
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PM Sent
Eddie
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Received ok and replied.
CG
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PM Sent
Eddie
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Hi Eddie
I was very interested to see your post and the reference to Fonthill House and WW2. I was at school there for six years during the war and have been back since to visit the gardens (when the present Lord Margadale's father was still alive). I am always keen to hear from people who knew the place and to have news of it. I am not sure if there is anything of interest I can add to your research - I suspect that Clonesgirl has much more than I have. Hope to hear from you.
Moira Norwich
Received ok and replied.
CG
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PM Sent
Eddie
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Hi Moira,
Lovey to hear from you and thanks for the mail. I am shortly off to bed for a very early start at work tomorrow, but will mail you more later. We can, if you wish, communicate via direct email. Let me know. And yes, I am now in regular contact with Clonesgirl who also lives in Australia, but the other end! Will be nice exchanging views of a very beautiful area
Eddie
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That would be good - my email address is:
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Moira
Hi Moira,
Lovey to hear from you and thanks for the mail. I am shortly off to bed for a very early start at work tomorrow, but will mail you more later. We can, if you wish, communicate via direct email. Let me know. And yes, I am now in regular contact with Clonesgirl who also lives in Australia, but the other end! Will be nice exchanging views of a very beautiful area
Eddie
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Hi,interested to read about this post on the various Fonthill Houses.
I was brought up in South Newton,my Dad had a bus service from Salisbury to Shaftesbury during the time that American troops were in the Shaftesbury area,late 1945 ish,this is from memory.As a child was taken to get tomatoes from the Fontill estate greenhouses,John Morrison was the local Member of Parliament for Salisbury.I have a picture of my children standing in front of his house in the late 1960s,at the Church Fete,.You may find photos of this era obtainable from the local newspaper in Salisbury,,,,,,,,,,,Salisbury Journal.
Brionne.
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Hello Brionne
I am not sure if you are writing just in reply to Eddie or if you are generally interested in Fonthill and other people who knew it during the war. I was at the little school that was evacuated to Fonthill House in 1939/1940 and was there from early 1940 to the end of the war. It was my home for those six years, often holidays as well as termtime, I would love to see any photos you might have of Fonthill House (Little Ridge) as it was before 1970 or learn where I might find some. Moira
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Hi,interested to read about this post on the various Fonthill Houses.
I was brought up in South Newton,my Dad had a bus service from Salisbury to Shaftesbury during the time that American troops were in the Shaftesbury area,late 1945 ish,this is from memory.As a child was taken to get tomatoes from the Fontill estate greenhouses,John Morrison was the local Member of Parliament for Salisbury.I have a picture of my children standing in front of his house in the late 1960s,at the Church Fete,.You may find photos of this era obtainable from the local newspaper in Salisbury,,,,,,,,,,,Salisbury Journal.
Brionne.
Hi Brionne, My era was from around the mid to late 50's. For much of the time I schooled at Wardour, the local Catholic School. This is not really too far from Shaftsbury, wonder if you dad's route was nearby. Indeed, can you remember any of it. As for the US forces, yes, they were at a Fonthill House, but not the one the Moira stayed at, it was the one Near Beckford's Abbey and indeed, was also known as the Fonthill Abbey. I remember at school that there were a lot of US persons about possibly associate with the forces.
Eddie
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Hi Moira. I was also evacuated with Rene Ironside's school from Elvaston Place in London to Fonthill House during ww2. I remember the huge paintings and the small painted spinet on which i did my piano practice.
BESHARP
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Hello BESHARP
It's some time since I used RootsChat and I am not sure if this reply will reach you - I hope so. If you would like to contact me by email - mbstlineone@gmail.com - I should love to hear from you. I have very many memories of Fonthill and am in contact with a handful of old pupils. Moira Norwich
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Not sure that I have got the hang of this yet. Hoping to hear from you. Do you remember the Savilles or the Humes? I certainly remember the paintings and the spinet except I always thought it was a dulcetone. It stood for a while outside Nellie and Rene's sitting room between Briar Rose and Mead. I used to play it too. Do please write again. Moira Norwich (my alias).
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HI Moira. I'm away from home till the end of the week and don't have laptop with me. Will email when I get home.
BESHARP
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I am researching the former pupils of Thetford Girls' Grammar School and am aware that Freda Alice Lucy FOX was a Matron at Fonthill House in 1939. Do any of Fonthill's former pupils on this forum remember her?
Many thanks for any help you can give, David