Hi. Spoke to Derek, he doesn`t mind you telephoning him at all. He will dig up any old pictures he has. But I lost most of them (I left a case on a train from Colchester to Oxford) and never saw it again.
Derek remembers `Dowdie Partlet`? `Chickey Harris` who used to sing `Shoot,Bang, Fire` - sounds interesting.
Did you know Lea Oliver from Witney who used to play football for Northleigh? Did you know Kay Oliver from Witney?
Hope your visit with your great Aunt is productive.
I'm glad all of that helped clarify a few things and pinpoint a few more 'Olivers' to their position in the tree - many many more to go though!
I'm hopefully going to see my 88 year old great aunt next week, who's been a great help with information, so if I find out anymore about these boys I will let you know.
Fantastic stories about 'Freddie being tied to the desk' and the 'May King and Queen parades' in Coombe - the May parades and crowing of a May Queen still happens in many Oxfordshire schoold villages, and certainly in Coombe too, I remember reading a round up parades from across the county in a local Newspaper not so long ago - so, that tradition that you partook in back in the 50's is still continuing strong and probably will do for many years - fab!
Okay, I see how the Cooke could not be linked to you now.
Well, onwards to next peice of the jigsaw .........
Hi Shane, Thanks for all that, it really clarifies a few things. I did have a photo of `Wiggy` at the wedding. It had `proof` marked all across it. I think my brother may have that one. I have searched for it without success.
The Hollins family kept the Marlborough Inn in Combe. The School yard backed on to the pub yard. They had a son named Frederick and he was the same age as me. Freddie did not like school and if the door was open he was off, straight out the door and over the school wall in to the pub yard. Miss Walker, the Head, got so fed up with his antics that she used to tie him up with a rope attached to her desk in front of the class. Our class consisted of three girls and Freddie. Every year May 1st was celebrated. A May Queen was dragged or pushed around the village in a decorated ancient bath chair on wheels. It was decorated with bunches of bluebells and cowslips. The king followed the `carriage` and maids and other attendants walked alongside. We went all around the village singing May songs. Then we had a tea in the School followed by the crowning of the new Queen by the previous years Queen and the traditional dancing around the Maypole on the village green. I have some old cracked photos somewhere. Freddie was my King one year.
When he left the Pub (I cannot remember why they left) he lived for a short time a few doors away in `The Passage`. Then he went into the RAF. He used to visit my Mum for quite some time whenever he was on leave. The Cooke name attached to the Oliver family would not have been one of `mine`. My husbands family originated in Suffolk and still remain in the Essex/Suffolk area. John (husband) left the Army and worked for a London firm and did contract work in Oxfordshire - he just stayed in one place too long and I hooked him! Actually he was the only person around at that time with a car - the local boys only had bikes.
I think Lennie used to lodge with his sister Peggy and when she left the Pub, Rose and `Ginger` Stewart took him on as a lodger also. After `Ginger` was killed in a motor bike accident on the nasty left hand bend just below the Marlborough she took on several lodgers. She would only have received 50p. per week widows pension in those days.
I will see what I can dig up with photos. But I lost alot of my photos when I moved to Colchester.
I have done a little extra digging this end too and I'm pleased to say I now know exactly where both 'Wiggy' and 'Dempsey' fit in.
There both in my'ish branch of the family - so I'm laughing/pretending I didn't see the 'I cannot remember ever seeing Dempsey walk in a straight line' fact!
But seriously, 'Dempsey' i.e. Ernest and 'Wiggy' i.e. Leonard were brothers, albeit there were a few years between them, and Rhoda was their sister. There were other siblings too, including Aubrey, Jack, Mable, Ethel, Peggy, possibly more.
They were all children of Frederick Oliver and Lily Gough, and Frederick was the first son of my Great Great Grandparents, Edward and Lydia - My Great Grandfather, Frank Oliver, was Fredericks brother.
I've discovered a few interesting stories of my Great Great Grandfather Edward and his poaching ways too!
So, here is a little picture to hopefully help illustrate how it all hangs together:
Wonder if you recall any of these other Olivers of Stonesfield from my branch?
So, I'm really interested in anything else you might know - did you have a photo of Wiggy atall, perhaps from your wedding?
I have some other vague side facts that might also stir up some memories too:
I think Mable (Leonards sister) possibly married/was linked with an 'Ernie Cooke', possible nickname 'crutch' - sound at all familiar from your family? Also, Peggy (Leonards sister again) was possibly linked with a 'Hollins' who was something to do with a Pub in Coombe - again, sound familar?, was this who Wiggy would visit maybe?
Okay, hope that helps and let me know what you think, Shane
Spoke to my brother Derek last night. He seems to think the name Rhoda rang a bell. There was also another character in Stonesfield nicknamed `Demsey` Oliver. He could have been older than Lennie, say born about 1911/13 ish. He used to like a drop of booze and I cannot remember ever seeing him walk in a straight line!!
Now I am going to disappoint you regarding Leonard Oliver. I have no idea about his parents or his Sister. He used to visit his sister when I lived up that way in the 50`s and 60`s. I have no idea if she was older than him. I should imagine anyone living in Stonesfield around the age of 75-80 would have known `Lennie` or ` Wiggy` as we also called him. Short and Stocky with a mass of wavy golden hair - hence the name Wiggy.
When I am next in contact with my brother Derek from Witney I will ask him. He used to drink with Lennie in the Marlborough at Combe.
Now, Harrys Garages in Hanborough were taken over by his son, John. I think John would have been older than me - say around 70-75ish. He used to get confused with my brother John. My brother John, who lives in Austria, sometimes had mail delivered to my Mothers house when she lived in Long Hanborough, and often the postie used to deliver the post to the Garage to John (garage) oliver instead of to my Mother`s house.
Well, I'm hoping the heart strings were plucked in a good and happy way, lots of memories I'm sure with the Combe pics!
.. and talking of heart strings - what your wedding story about Leonard, lovely!
That's so funny you should mention the Hanborough book, literally just this week I was flicking through the very same book and found the photo of Harry Oliver stood in front of his garage with his motorbikes, bicycles and Model T Ford.
There are still motor related 'Oliver' businesses in Hanborough, there is a car sales one and a car repairs one, both next door to one another, and I'm positive they're Harry's business almost 90 years on - I have it on my to-do-list to pay them a visit to see if they're interested in sharing any information - will let you know if I discover anything.
Now, on the Leonard K Oliver, item, once again, spookily enough I may beable to help you here.
Just to help determine if we're talking about the same Leonard, let me know if any of the following ring any bells??
1 - Do you recall if his parents we're called Frederick/Fred and Lily? 2 - Do you recall if the sister you knew may have been called Rhoda, or Ethel (or maybe Mabel or Peggy?) 3 - Do you recall any brothers, maybe an Ernest or Aubrey?
Let me know if any of this sounds familiar and we can maybe fit some peices togther????????
Hi there. Just been handed LOVELY BOOK -The Changing Faces of Bladon with Ch. Hanborough and Long Hanborough. by Julie Kennedy. Many very old photos. My `Berry` relatives everywhere. One snippet - Olivers Garage in Long Hanborough was started by Harry Oliver from Stonesfield. He was 18 y.o. when he started in 1919. He served his apprenticeship at Warners Garage in Charlbury and in1920 he built his first coach. In 1956 he had a fleet of 11 coaches. Clever people- these Olivers.
By the way another Oliver who I would love to fit into things. His name was Leonard K. Oliver. bn. 1918 reg. Woodstock. He said he came from Stonesfield. He died in Sept. 1995 in a home somewhere in Oxford. When I knew Lennie he always called me and my brothers `coz`. He had a sister. I got very fond of Lennie as he lodged at the Marlborough pub in Combe in the 50`s an d 60`s. I invited him to my wedding but he declined. I found out later that he could not afford a new suit. I was upset because he said he could not attend. Then on the day he turned up with the landlady of the Pub - Rosie Stewart. He was very smartly dressed and beaming from ear to ear. At the reception at the Marlborough in Woodstock. He put his arm around me and said - A part of your Dad is here today Rene (my Dad had died six months ago) I asked him what he meant and he said - Your Mum gave me your Dad`s new suit so I could come to your wedding. I cried - he cried and then we had a drink!! or two....
Just looked at the lovely photos of Combe - my you do know how to pull at the old heart strings.,
