HEFFORD 1841 Census

[behindthefrogs]

I live in London Road and I will in the next few days have a look at numbers 12 and 81 to see what is there now.  My first thoughts are that neither are 19th century properties but I may be wrong.

The Bowyers were a fairly prominent Wokingham family.  Stanley Leonard Bowyer was mayor in 1950, and was given the freedom of the borough in 1973.  Bowyer Crescent is named after him.  He owned the local petshop, which continued to use the Bowyer name after it was sold.  The shop is still run by the people who took it over, largely unchanged, one of the few old fashioned shops left in the town but I can't remember if they have changed the name.

The Bowyers, mainly his son I think  continued to run a DIY hire business after they sold the pet shop but I don't think that exists any longer.

The pet shop emerged from what was a corn merchants back in the 1930s and I also vaguely associate them with Building.   

Henry Bowyer, I don't know the relationship seems to have run if not owned Ashridge Farm at the time of WW1.  He was renowned for the table which he provided for the local shoots and at harvest time which included his home cured ham and farm butter.  He had at least two sons the second one being called Frank.  Henry employed the local thatcher which seems to confirm involvement in the building trade.

Just to complete the history, Ashridgewood which was the house which owned the land which later became the farm was the home of Sir Arthur Sullivan (Gilbert & Sullivan) for a period.  I am not sure how thw the house and farm buildings relate.

David

[ballach]

Thats some interesting information there thankyou.
I have been told that John Hefford was and i quote ' a very well to do man'! i have also been told from a very distant relation that John was invited to a dinner on a Royal occasion, now what this was i have no idea!
 The Hefford's had been  bootmakers/shoemakers for a few generations in Wokingham and i am told 'well respected'
when i first started on  the Hefford Family it was thought that he was 'just a poor bootmaker'  but as i have dug deeper  a fuller story is coming to light.  it is all so facinating. I am researching  about 15 names at the moment
Ballach

[behindthefrogs]

One more thought.  The more I think about it the more convinced I become that the pet shop was called Henry Bowyer and sons when I first knew it in the 1970s.

[behindthefrogs]

I went for my walk today.

The Wokingham Pet Shop still indicates that it belongs to Henry Bowyer and Sons.  It doesn't, as it was purchased some years ago by the husband of someone with whom I used to teach swimming.  It also has another sign which says Corn Chandlers established 1926.

At the place where number 81 London Road should be there is a gap in the house numbers between two fairly old terraces.  This gap contains a pre-war detached property and a much more modern detached house.

Number 12 London Road is more of an enigma.  The first even numbered house is now number 60 and is a 1930s bungalow.  Prior to that is the All Saints churchyard.  It is probable that there were terraced houses backing onto the churchyard which have been replaced by a road widening and possibly some extension to the churchyard.

66 Denmark Street is currently part of a terrace of houses at the bottom of the street past the Duke's Head public House.  This terrace I would estimate was built in about the 1920s.

There is in existence the diary of a nine day horse drawn caravan holiday taken by a group of five Wokingham men in 1911.  This is currently in the possession of Michael Bowyer the grandson of Henry Bowyer.  Extracts have been published in various places but probably the fullest is in the Wokingham Historian a publication of the Wokingham Historical Society.

The five men adopted aliases for the journey but Coachman Harry was Henry Bowyer.  It was basically a pub crawl to the south coast and back.  It is notable for the antics and practical jokes of five inebriated men rather than being of much historical interest.

David

[mpb]

 Henry Bowyer my 1st cousin 2x removed was the father of Stanley Leonard Bowyer. Do you know if the Michael Bowyer mentioned in your note was Henry MB Bowyer b 1940 the son of Stanley?
Further to the earlier post Henry Bowyer was Bailiff to Ashridge Farm on the 1901 census.
Margaret (Bowyer) Guest

[behindthefrogs]

Sorry I don't know whether Michael was Henry.

David

[ballach]

HI
I do not know of a Henry Bowyer the Bowyer that is related to my family is William Bowyer b. circa 1828 Wokingham, however this William may have been a brother/Uncle of yuor relation