Barwythe House, Studham

[Phil Goater]

I've just found an entry in 'The Times ' concerning a distant spinster relative who died in 1957 with an address given of 'Barwythe House' Studham, Beds. Can anyone shed any light on whether that was her own property or perhaps where she might have been looked after?

Phil

[janan]

Hi Phil

There is a bit of info here

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43279

It would seem she would have to have been well off to be the owner - see mention here

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~thegrove/gec.html


"Barwythe, Studham. 22.5 acres 5 Recep, 16 Bedrooms £16,500"

16 bedrooms and worth £16,500 in the late 40's!

Jan
 

[Notinpastyet]

Hi Phil,you may already know the area, but in case you don't Studham was a small place in the 1950's on the Bedforshire boarders not far from Whipsnade Zoo. Barwythe House I Imagen to be Barwythe Hall which was a commune in the 1950's,I bet this is where she was living.If she was elderly she could well be been looked after there as there wasn't many nursing homes around then.Regards Nipy

[Phil Goater]

Thank you very much Jan and Nipy,

I have no local knowledge of the area and would love to know more about this commune. The lady in question was the spinster daughter of an Inspector of Army Schools in India (who retired with the honourary rank of Lt.Col.) The idea that perhaps his daughter was a member of a commune is quite amusing. Her death was described as 'sudden' and she was only 59 so I'd be surprised if she was being nursed there.
I saw the detail of the house 1947-9 but not the history site. I wonder if there is any way of finding out who paid the princely sum of £16,500 for it?

Cheers,
Phil

[Notinpastyet]

Hello Phil,I'm sorry not to be able to give you any more info,it wasn't a hippie commune or anything like that .It's a long time ago now Phil & when I use to drink in the Farmers Boy (I'm sure that's what the local pub was called) in Kensworth the next village over from Studham the rumours were they worked for the Government, others said they were a Religious organization,but what ever they where it was classed as respectable & I don't think any one ever really knew. It was all rumours,they may have just been people that lived in the big house,that no one knew nothing about!Be very interesting to find out.It's a shame I no longer know any one from that area,maybe some one will read this & be able to shed a bit more light on it.Good luck Phil,seems as if your going to have a bit of fun finding out about Barwythe,Cheers Nipy

[alunno-a]

Barwythe Hall, and House, seem to be differant properties. Was "house" a hotel??/nursing home??

[Notinpastyet]

Hi again Phip,just in-case you write up notes on your family history & like to add a little flavorer into the insight of where people lived whom their neighbors may have been etc, over in Kensworth Phillis Calvert the actress lived at that time,she was a beauty as you may already know & she              appeared in many films of the 1940/50s,just a daft little snippet Phil though you may like,regards Nipy

[Phil Goater]

Hi Nipy,
             Thanks for that snippet of information (or should that be snipyt?). The only way I'm going to find anything would be through the local paper and/or library. Do you know what/where these would be?
Cheers,
Phil

[Notinpastyet]

Hi PHIL,It's years since I lived in this area & I no long know what it is like now a days,but Dunstable is the biggest town near Studham (a few miles away)In the times we are thinking about,Studham ,Kensworth & Whipsnade would all have come under Dunstable .I know Dunstable has a large library & the local paper was called the Dunstable Gazette,sorry I'm not much help to you,keep hunting Phil your bound to find some thing,Cheers Nipy or if you like old Snipyt !