Although not previously recorded, it is possible the name New Road came into being after the Rothschild Villas were erected in the early part of this century. Previous to 1900 this must have been one of our busy bridleways, winding through the fields and on to Tring. It could boast not only a farm house, with a brewery and malthouse attached, but a butcher's shop and slaughter house, a bakers and even a fishmonger. Many old cottages also lined the road into the field adjoining Great Farm, these mostly occupied by farm workers, various building workers, and those attached to the straw plaiting trade.
Unfortunately, apart from a photograph of the old school taken around 1880 which shows a thatched barn and a large gaunt looking elm tree, no others have so far come to light. Any descriptions and information that has been obtained comes from my many visits to local families, those who were born well before the beginning of the 20th century, people who were brought up in those days and could remember the old places, old characters and events before the many changes.
Most of them could remember the piece of meadow land on the corner of Rose Lane, now occupied by the two blocks of houses (erected in 1947 by the local authority) which was during most winter months a rough piece of marshy land but during the summer, being part of the old village green, it became the official playing area for the village boys.
A small section was used as a garden cultivated by a Mr Jimmy Stilton of whom we shall read more, this around 1890. A wooden fence surrounded the school playground in those days, which I was told was more "mud than turf". A Mr Greening who lived at Chapel End Farm took pity on the plight of the children. Not only did he provide a new fence, but arranged for a hard surface to be laid around the school.
Beyond the piece of land already mentioned, and opposite the Baptist Chapel, stood the malt house, a tiled building about 30 feet in length, the walls consisting of "wattle and daub" standing on a brick base. Those bricks had holes for ventilation running through them and many could remember the Sunday School teas, and on hot summer days how cool it was sitting around on the brick floor. The malt house cowl was situated on a wooden building which stood next to the malt house. This cowl was a large metal tube, bent, with a wind vane on the top and a long arm with a large knob attached which came from the centre, the whole structure turned in the wind or, as I was told "it twizzled in the wind". The road turned sharply here to the left, and one can still see traces of this in the hedge following, above the chapel.
On the bend standing well back were two old cottages knocked into one where lived Mr French, commonly known as "Pug". These were quite small and had been tiled, and next to these stood Collens or, as often spelt, Collins Farm occupied at this time by Butcher White whose sheds and slaughter house stood at the rear of the old farm yard. This was owned previously by the Grange family, they being recorded as maltsters as early as 1718. Upon the death of the last Grange to own this property in 1848 the farm house changed hands although the farm lands were still attached to the family who, since 1717, had occupied and farmed Manor Farm.
While dealing with the history of the Baptist Chapel much more will be written of this family and of their long stay in the village. Previous to the Granges, it was in the hands of the Grace family of Tring and our one link with the old church pulled down in 1657 is found in a will dated 1508 currently held by Mr Bob Grace proving beyond all doubt that a chapel did exist and was in daily use at this time. The will stated that "a sum of money (four shillings and sixpence) be left for a priest singing Mass daily for a quarter of a year in the Chapel at Wilstone".
Moving on however a large thatched barn stood in the farm yard, and the entrance to this property was another which stood just above the malt house level with the road, an entrance having been made through into the yard.
A rough piece of ground followed bordered by a wall about four feet high. Behind this wall pigs were always kept, and it was in this plot of land the elm tree mentioned previously hung over the road.
Within this enclosure, and standing well back, stood another two old cottages, in those days altered into one dwelling, at the turn of the century the home of Charlie Collins. He was by trade the fishmonger and every evening one would see him on his way round the village with his wares. Prices seem very reasonable being one halfpenny and penny a piece (cooked or fresh) and were according to neighbours of very high standard. Charlie was quite a character and seemed to be involved in any project where a little extra ready money could be obtained. He also moved around the village starting in Deans Lane, moving on to New Road, Rose Cottage opposite the Long Row and then ending in the cottages at Gubblecote.
The farm yard ran behind these cottages, as did the next building of importance. This was a newer larger house and a baker's shop owned by a Mr and Mrs Puttnam. The names Puttnam and Wake are recorded in the 1861 census, as they were many years previously. Kelly's Directory of 1900 also mentions White and Puttnam Baker but, although bill heads exist, old residents never referred to Mr White, Puttnams being the only name as bakers. Puttnams had lived in the village going back into the 18th century.
At the inquest on Ruth Osborne in the Half Moon in 1751 one of the witnesses and one who gave evidence was "Walter Puttnam baker from Wilston Green". Mr and Mrs Puttnam made arrangements for the cooking of a number of Sunday joints. They also sold sweets and sausage meat. It is quite possible that this business, and of any previous one that must have stood on this site for some centuries, was owned by this family as were a couple of cottages near.
They were very upset when Lord Rothschild, who owned most of the other property, decided to build the present villas, making them an offer for their land. They also considered part of the road was their property and erected a gate across, which in turn, being locked, upset the inhabitants of the cottages higher up.
And here we again mention Jimmy Stilton who occupied one of these cottages. He was a general labourer working in and around the village. It was his usual custom after planting one of his many plots, to refresh himself on the way home by partaking in a good drink and it was on an occasion such as this that the gate appeared. Jimmy was offered 2 hundredweight of coal and, watched by a number of interested spectators, wheeled it as far as the gate. The tale goes that Jimmy did no more but fetch his saw and sawed the posts through. As he told many afterwards he "saared the posts down". By morning no sign of gate or fence was to be seen, or any more said about the village upset. In any case not many months were to pass before Puttnams accepted Lord Rothchild's offer and moved away from the village. Above the baker's shop was another walled garden, followed by the butcher's slaughter house which stood about where Walnut Tree Cottage, formerly Lonicera Cottage, stands today.
Then again came a row of very old cottages, a mixture of thatch and tiled roofs, occupied by a carpenter, Wells, and another Wells who, with a Rodwell, were associated with the plaiting industry as dealers and drawers, etc, whose donkey and cart were kept in the field opposite where the three blocks of detached houses are today, these erected in 1919.
The bricks from the demolition of these old places were eventually used in building the wall around Great Farm. After listening to all these recollections one could not help but think that, although welcoming the new and more convenient dwellings, many were sorry to see this old piece of history go.
But to return to New Road and the Baptist Chapel. Although so many alterations were made with the changeover to the two present day dwellings, the general style of the building remains as it existed for so many years and the date tablet giving its erection in 1837 fortunately was left to remind future villagers of this old place of worship.
For the history of this chapel, and of the coming of non-conformist teaching in the village, one must mention the Grange family, for centuries well respected yeoman farmers in Buckinghamshire who moved into our district in 1600 occupying farms at Wigginton and Tring Ford.
The first records concerning Wilstone however are much later and begin in 1717 when John Grange "Yeoman of Wilstone" married Elizabeth Wheeler at Cheddington, being recorded as living at Manor Farm and farming this land as tenant of the Caldwell estates. From the Genealogy of the Grange Family compiled by Herbert Grange of Tring in 1932, we read that a descendant of this John eventually brought Manor Farm in 1849.
The Manor Farm that existed during the 18th and 19th centuries disappeared many years ago and was not the same house and farm buildings as those owned by Mrs Burnham today. But there are a number of photographs of this old building which stood behind the present house, possibly the work of J T Newman, a near neighbour, the wheelwright living at Pear Tree Cottage.
It was in 1790 that a William Grange, also upon his marriage at Cheddington, moved into the farm house in New Road, and it was in 1790 that a barn, no doubt one of the buildings in the yard, was licensed for non-conformists and regular meetings were held. Sunday School was started in 1810 and a banner still preserved commemorates one hundred years of continuous service 1810-1910. This school carried on long after 1910, the last classes being held in 1973, after 163 years.
It is interesting to recall that this barn, and later the chapel and school rooms, were not only used for Sunday worship but during weekday evenings the doors were opened and the village children were encouraged to attend to be taught to read and write long before the National Schools came into being. A century later the chapel school rooms were again pressed into service to accommodate the influx of evacuees during the last war.
From the history by Herbert Grange we know that the Manor Farm family were, before the later 1700s, members of the established church, becoming non-conformists in 1777. It is also recorded in Urswicks Nonconformity in Hertfordshire that on the 16th of October 1818 a house in Wilstone was licensed for protestants (methodists) and Richard Grange, together with a number of well-known villagers, appear on the document - but where was this house? No records exist of the methodists today, although it is possible that their followers moved to the New Methodist Chapel erected in Long Marston in the 1860s.
A glimpse of old chapel life which concerns Wilstone comes to us from the diaries of Mr Clemment of Tring, who for many years during the early 1800s had been closely associated with the New Mill Baptist Chapel. In those days New Mill was looked upon by local village gatherings as their parent chapel as it was the oldest place of non-conformist worship in Hertfordshire with records going back to 1655, and our baptists were guided by their policies to a certain extent.
In 1853 the post of pastor became vacant and many local farmers, being trustees and the main driving force on the chapel committee, travelled to Northamptonshire to listen to a Mr Warren and, being impressed, invited him to New Mill, and he was installed by them and their followers before a church meeting could be called. This was against the general rule of the chapel, and the Clemment family and many members from the surrounding district, which included Wilstone, Long Marston and Marsworth, were very dubious about the credentials of this Mr Warren and arranged for a meeting of the congregation. But when they arrived at New Mill they found Mr Warren and his many followers were already holding what they considered an illegal meeting.
This led to much ill-feeling and resulted in the Clemments being turned out with their many loyal supporters. The mob even followed them back into Tring, with groups of youths rattling tin cans filled with stones. In fact, the Tring Constable was called to see them safely home.
The Warrenites, as they were termined, tried to take over Marsworth Chapel also which resulted in the pastor being locked out and forced to preach in the open air. A deacon did manage to break a panel in the door but he was pursued as far as Bulbourne. It was next reported that Mr Grange had trouble with the rabble at Wilstone but he succeeded in obtaining a prosecution order against some of them for interrupting Divine Service and the magistrates at Berkhamsted issued a severe caution on the 2nd of May 1854.
However Mr Warren and his rowdy supporters again tried to take possession of the chapel. They demanded the key from Mrs Goodson, the caretaker, saying they had instructions from New Mill.
At this point Mr James Grange ordered Mr Warren and his crowd of yelling youths off his premises, his remarks being that he did not want liars and house breakers in Wilstone. However on the 6th of November they again returned carrying two effigies, one holding a key and the other a book (obviously representing Mrs Goodson and Mr Grange) which were burned against the chapel door. From this disturbance and troubles at Long Marston a week or so later, two persons, one from Wilstone and one from Long Marston, appeared before the magistrates charged with having fired off shotguns on the public highway. From the evidence it was learned that, not only had they fired off guns, "but had paraded the streets of Wilstone and Long Marston in a riotous and disorderly manner which hurt the feelings of respectable people".
I am sure when, in years to come these diaries of Mr Clemments are read, they will be of great interest to future students of history. Mr Warren only stayed at New Mill for one year, but the old members never returned to New Mill.
During the war years and many following, the Chapel and Sunday School was well attended thanks to Mr & Mrs Burnham of Manor Farm who did so much towards the buildings' upkeep. But, with changing times and the passing of many older members, including the closing of the Sunday School, enquiries were made by the Baptist authorities regarding its future.
The deeds had been deposited with Vasey & Turner, solicitors in Tring, but only three trustees could be traced of the original twelve, not enough to warrant its survival and by 1983 it became known that the Chapel would be sold. Four years however were to elapse before a move was eventually made. Sold for £20,000, the whole building was stripped and during 1988 the two present cottages replaced this old building.
A few remarks on the state of the Chapel are worth a mention. Having borrowed the key and cleared a path through the grass and nettles, I found the interior had changed very little since its erection. Some windows were boarded over, the results of vandalism, and pathes of damp had started making their mark, some plaster had come away from the walls but the pews, rostrum, gallery and classroom were still intact. A photograph of Mr Eustace with the inscription "A faithful and regular Preacher here for 40 years" hung in the main Chapel gazing down at the two brass plates either side of the rostrum, one in memory of Driver Walter Cartwright, October 24th 1918 and the other of Jesse Rodwell, Surrey Rgt, January 4th 1917. A reminder of the first World War when so many left our villages and failed to return.
In the lower classroom above an old harmonium hung a portrait of the Chapel's benefactor, Mr James Grange, the gentleman who was responsible for adding the present classrooms many years ago. This portrait, together with a banner commemorating one hundred years of teaching, 1810-1910, fortunately have been preserved. Another harmonium also stood beside the rostrum in the main Chapel. I mention this for, until the coming of this instrument, the congregation relied on a pitch pipe blown, I am told, with some amount of power by Mr Jimmy Stilton. He was a regular worshipper and, on occasions when there was no service in the village, he thought nothing of walking to Berkhamsted or even Dunstable. He tried to encourage the young men to go with him but, according to Jimmy, the "young 'uns had lost the art of walking".
In a previous chapter, and to again return to the Half Moon, I mentioned Mr William Cartwright and his wife, Lavinia. Lavinia was in charge of the Chapel Sunday School for many years. During the changes to the 'Half Moon' of the 1970s an unusual medallion dated 1880 was found amongst many old coins commemorating the centenary of the founding of Sunday Schools by Robert Raikes (1735-1811). Raikes, saddened by the scruffy illiterate state of the children and having talked to Thomas Stock who had set up a Sunday School in Ashby, hired a teacher and began his own school in 1780. It is estimated that in 1831 1,250,000 children were attending Sunday Schools all over the country. A statue of Robert Raikes stands on the Victoria embankment.
"Colyns" farm with its thatched barns and malt house, the shops and old cottages have all gone. Hopefully the comparatively new Grange Road will survive to remind some interested visitors of this notable family and of their efforts to further the religious teaching and education to those bygone inhabitants of Wilstone.