The 'Plough pub in Great Haseley has been put up for sale and is in danger of being converted into residential use. This would be a great loss to the community. A campaign has been started for the community to buy the pub and keep it for the village in perpetuity. Pledges are invited to buy shares in the pub for £500 each. If you are interested in helping us keep this valuable asset, please see further details at www.ploughpub.com        

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POLICE 'Have Your Say Meetings'

Saturday 18 February, opposite the village hall, Rectory Road, Great Haseley, between 10am and 11am. 

Saturday 18 February, near the Post Office, High Street, Great Milton, between 11:15am and 12:15pm. 

Saturday 25 February, outside the village shops, High Street, Chalgrove, between 10am and midday. 

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Ann Marion Hughes writes:

I live in Queensland Australia and I am currently working on my family tree. My Grandfather, Charles Wilsdon Pratt, was born in Little Haseley, Oxfordshire, England. The approximate year of his birth is 1865. He emigrated to Australia and was married in Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia in 1902 to my Grandmother, Marion Brealey. They had 4 children (3 girls and 1 boy). One of the girls is my Mother, Rita Linda Pratt. I have searched the Census records and found that there is a possibility that Charles W Pratt’s Mother was Elizabeth Mall. They had a farm of some 700acres and some of the other names on the Census are Frank H Pratt, Eliza F Pratt, Mabel J Pratt, Bertram J S Pratt, Charles Wilsdon Pratt, and Albert E Pratt. Other older children showing on the same Census document are Meta M Mall and Ernest T Mall. I can’t find any marriage dates for their mother Elizabeth Mall, and I am unable to locate any records for the Husband (or maybe Husbands) as there seems to be a second family structure.
I would appreciate it if you would put me in touch with someone in the Little Haseley area who would be willing to assist me in tracing my Oxfordshire ascestors. I would be willing to pay any costs for searching purposes.

If you would like to help Ann Marion or have any information to pass on, please contact the editor to be put in touch.

             _____________________________________________________________CAB advice: click on these links

Returning a faulty Christmas gift 

 

What financial help is available to sixth formers who are struggling to stay in education?           ______________________________________________________________
 This is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police.

HAVE YOUR SAY MEETINGS

The following Have Your Say Meetings are being held in your Neighbourhood: Saturday 21 January, outside the village shops, High Street, Chalgrove, between 10am and midday.

Thursday 26 January, at the Village Green (near Church entrance), Thame Road, Stadhampton, between 10am and 11am.

Thursday 26 January, in the village hall car park, Thame Road, Little Milton, between 11:15am and 12:15pm.

Please come along, this is your opportunity to speak with your Neighbourhood Officers to discuss any local issues of concern you may have. If you are unable to attend but wish to speak with your Neighbourhood Officers, please call 101

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Linda Smith writes - Does anyone have any information about the Brown family? Jude Brown was born 1847 to James and Hannah and married Ann White in 1870. They had at least 9 children and a story is told that the children awoke one morning to find their parents had gone. They were taken to the Aylesbury Union Workhouse. Ernest the youngest boy died in there age 6.

Any help appreciated. Contact the editor to be put in contact with Linda.

The Great Haseley Pumpkin Show was another great success - see the newsletter download for details



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Go to this website for local neighbourhood policing updates

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n136

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Thame CAB contact details have changed now:
Monday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am to 4.00pm
Tuesday, Wednesday 9.30am to 1.00pm
Contact numbers:
Advice line: 08444 111 444
0300 3300 650 ( from a mobile)
Website is now: www.adviceguide.org.uk for advice, or http://www.thamecab.org/ for more general information about CAB

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Thame CAB have sent out a newsletter with information about payment protection insurance. Read here.

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Alan and David Townsend write about their mother Joan Townsend and her upcoming 90th birthday...

"Mother was born in the village at the Stoneyard on 4th September 1921 as Joan Cooper. Her father, Samuel Cooper, was the last member of the long line of stonemason Coopers whose work is visible throughout the churchyard. So mother is the last connection in the village with the family.

For much of her life mother and her family have been closely involved with St Peter's, her father and husband were churchwardens, her mother was organist and mother was a member of the choir and for many years she was on the flower and cleaning rota.

Sadly her health has not been good for some five years and she is rarely able to get out into the village. On the day we hope to take mother briefly to church and then to a small family gathering.

A question, is mother in fact the oldest village resident who was actually born in the village?"

JOAN TOWNSEND




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The Long Row anniversary celebration




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The 2011 Royal Wedding Street Party


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Julie Cole, custodian of Rycote Chapel writes:
'I was wondering how many of your readers/locals knew that in the Chapel we have on display a most wonderful handwritten account  (with beautiful drawings included ) which was done by a young girl by the name of Queenie Cross when she visited Rycote as part of a school "ramble" from Great Haseley.school in May 1914. The workmanship and skill is amazing and draws a lot of interest from our visitors. Everyone asks if we know what happened to Queenie and if her family are still in the area. Maybe someone can help us with this?'

_________________________________________________________ See the Great Haseley Cricket Club on Facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=145602585473871#!/group.php?gid=145602585473871&ref=ts

 For futher info email ghcc@hotmail.co.uk

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From Yvonne (Eeley) Withington -
In 1795 Thomas SMITH married Lydia HARRISON at Great Hasely, and their children John 1795, James 1798, Mary Ann 1800 were born and baptised there. There is possibly another son Robert born 1803/4 but not baptised.

 My ancestor Mary Ann married William EELEY at Preston Bissett in 1824. I would also like to find descendants of John  who married Sarah / Sally JORDON / JURDEN  at Great Hasely in 1824 and had a daughter Maria in 1824, and a James who married Eliza PARSLER at Great Hasely in 1832.

If you can help Yvonne, contact the editor paul.lee@fsmail.net to be put in touch

 
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Have YOU ever thought about FOSTERING?

 www.pactcharity.org

There is a recognised shortage of 10,000 Foster Carers in the UK. PACT, founded in 1911, is also known as the Oxford Diocesan Council for Social Work inc. We are a registered charity working to improve life chances for children. The focus of our work is within Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and aims to build and strengthen families.

 

We are an approved Adoption and Fostering Agency. We have a history of finding safe, loving families for children in care. Here are a few facts about Fostering:

1. Did you know you don’t have to be married to become a Foster Carer?
2. You don’t have to have children already although you do need to have experience of caring for children.
3. Did you know you get paid a Fostering Allowance of £335.70 a week to be a Foster Carer which is tax free and won’t affect any other benefits?
4. Most of the children who need fostering are known as ‘hard to place’ children, they will usually be 8+ years of age.

Fostering is a hard but very rewarding job. If you think you might have what it takes to become a Permanent Foster Carer or you want to find out more then contact PACT now on 0800 731 1845 e-mail fostering@pactcharity.org

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Michael Hearsey has sent the following interesting photo taken in 1913 at the rectory in Great Haseley of a group celebrating the ruby wedding anniversary of Rev. William Gilbert Edwards and Catherine Margaret Edwards. Michael is the great nephew of William. Names left to right are; William Gilbert, Mabel Lily, William Gerald, Catherine Margaret, Gilbert Hamilton, Ellen Magaret, Florence Mabel, Gilbert Murray (front) Rev. Henry Ouseley, Margaret Florence, Constance Emma Letitia, Loftus Edward Wigram.
The editor has a higher resolution photo if anyone is interested.



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The Guideposts Trust Independent Living Centre, in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, provides information on products and organisations to assist people with disabilities and older people to increase and maintain their independence. 

www.guidepostsilc.org.uk .

Retha Mancil from Alabama is asking for any information on her ancestors in the Barentine (Barentyne, Barrington) and Huddleston families. If you want to contact Retha and share information please contact the website editor. See the history section for some of her snippets of the past.

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Joyce Collier (nee Parslow) is asking for any information on the Parsler family. She is descended from John Parsler who is recorded as being a Husbandry Man in Great Haseley in 1755. She can be contacted via the website editor paul.lee@fsmailnet

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An old photo of The Rectory, Great Haseley has turned up, found by Peter Hill. The date is uncertain but thought to be 19th century.



          
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Julia Crane has sent a fascinating document, part of the written recollections of Georgiana Long who visited the Haseleys during the 19th century:
'My ancestor (Walter Long) inherited Haseley Court from the Blackall Family and we have some documents relating to this time. The most significant is an account of Georgiana Long's memories of the time (Georgiana was one of Walter's daughters), which records several visits to Haseley Court, including the wedding in Gt Haseley Church of my Great-Great-Great Grandparents, Lucy Long (another of Walter's daughters) and William Barnes'.
You can see the full document here with images of William and Lady Mary Long -
http://thehaseleys.co.uk/images/active/
Georgiana_Longs_recollections.pdf
The full text also appears in the 'history' section of the website          ____________________________________________________________ Daily info
Have a look at this site for listings of events and venues in the Oxford area
http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk
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The website has received the following request from Lesley Mowery in the US:

"At the moment I am  compiling a book on my genealogy and my family comes from Great Haseley. The family name is Bishop and I have traced it back to Edward Bishop born in 1755 in Great Haseley to Francis and Mary Bishop. Robert Bishop is the last Bishop  I have who lived in Great Haseley.  He had a cottage there in 1953.  The Lovells are also connected with my family.

On the extended family there is mention of Little Haseley and Little  Milton. Looking at the map they appear to be close.
I was born in the UK but moved to New Zealand when only 5. I am married to an American and live in the USA.
It would be great if you could put out a request for information about Bishops in Great Haseley.
I will continue to check the web site for future updates.
The Haseleys look very picturesque.
I read a book  on the internet about sanitation conditions in Oxfordshire in 1874 when Great Haseley had some typhoid cases and it describes some of the living conditions in the cottages. They were not so picturesque at that time.
It mentions Paynes and Lovells. I have  Lovells in the extended family tree. I also know through an Aunt that the Paynes come into the picture at a later date around the 1950's but have not found the connection.

I have attached a photo and wondered if you might recognize this cottage in Great Haseley. It belonged to Robert Bishop who was born in 1874. The photo was taken in 1953. Robert  is the brother of my great grandfather."

Anyone who wishes to respond to Lesley can contact the editor for her email address. The photo she mentions is shown below.
          _____________________________________________________Do you remember a family called 'Nelms'?
Their decendants would like to know. See 'The News' archive section.