Meeting Reflections

Mervyn Askew – This Old House

For our January meeting, Mervyn Askew talked about the social history of his house. His talk was entitled ‘This Old House’ and he approached the subject very much along the lines of the TV programme ‘A House Through Time’.

First of all, he set the house in the context of the historical development of the village. He looked at the surrounding area and how it’s changed over time. This was done by showing a series of historical maps. He pointed out that there had been a previous building on the site of his house, which was possibly one of the extensive buildings that Sir John Gostwick built as part of his manorial complex in his attempt to impress Henry VIII. All that is now left are the Dovecote and Stables, as the manor was rebuilt.

Mervyn also reminded us of the history of the Village. After all, there can’t be many small villages in England that can lay claim to being part of the estates of four aristocratic families: these being the Mowbrays and the Howards (Dukes of Norfolk), the Churchills (Dukes of Marlborough) and the Russells (Dukes of Bedford).

Each of these families left their mark on Willington. Apart from John Gostwick, the Dukes of Bedford’s contributions are the most obvious today, with the estate houses along Church Road, the School building and associated houses and the alterations to the Church.

Having firmly set the village firmly in time, Mervyn then concentrated on his house. This was built in 1890 and the address was originally ‘Number 52 Willington’, although it has changed both number and road since then. He went through the censuses from 1901 to 1921, showing the various people who had lived there, including Ernest Talbot who famously invented the Zepher piston engine.

Mervyn’s family have lived in the house for over 100 years; his grandfather, Bertie Bygraves, is shown on the 1921 census as a ‘Market Gardener’. After Bertie came Mervyn’s parents. He told us some stories – liberally sprinkled with photos - of their lives and his grandparents’ and various anecdotes which included some of the audience. He finished with a brief history of his own life and times, including his interest in old vehicles, which led to the vintage car shows at the Stables. Altogether it was a fascinating evening both for those who already knew about it and for those new to Willington.

Sue Harland