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Friends of Woking Palace |
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The Old Manor House part three |
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As Registrar, William Ross was responsible for certifying the accuracy of the Census
In 1871 the Gristock family were living at Poundfield Lodge but the father John Gristock, described then as gardener and domestic servant died in January 1885. In 1881 this family had been living in nearby Shackleford.
There are references in Edward Ryde’s diary to Gristock who was his farm baliff and often drove Mr Ryde and his family. This must be the same man. On 29th September 1869, Edward Ryde wrote in his diary Speak to Gristock this morning about the future. Complain of the past and of his getting into debt. Require him to let me have a list of his debts.
Catherine Gristock, widow aged 62 and previously an occupant is living on her own means in High Street in 1901.
1919-22 Miss F Ross 1923-39 Miss GL Beckton 1948-9 CV Hassall 1957-1964 F Harbord 1969 BM Martin WNM
The Misses Ross, daughters of William Ross sold the house to Miss GL Beckton in 1921. (Wise Collection – Surrey Archaeological Society) The Directories were a little late to record the name of the new owner!
Amongst the owners of the house was the playwright Christopher Hassall, one of whose guests, the artist Rex Whistler, it is said, engraved a verse on a window pane in the bathroom: ‘Teach me I pray O Lord, to dread my bath as little as my bed’. The engraver is more likely to have been the artist’s brother Lawrence, the distinguished engraver, since Rex Whistler was killed in Normandy in 1944. There is a superb revolving memorial by Lawrence Whistler to his brother in Salisbury Cathedral
©Phillip Arnold 2007 |
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