Lord Kitchener inspecting troops at St Albans

Detail showing Lord Kitchener at Gorhambury

When I was writing the book The London Gunners come to Town I was unable to find any good quality pictures of Lord Kitchener inspecting the 2nd London Division (Territorial Force) at Gorhambury on 29th September, 1914. A few days ago I succeeded in purchasing a very damaged (but digitally repairable) picture and have posted it - and the relevant text from the London Gunners, HERE.

Hawkswick - A typical Victorian Gentleman's Residence

Hawksbury, St Michaels, St Albans circa 1900

Hawkswick, St Michaels parish, St Albans, was built around 1870 and was the home of four well-to-do businessmen and a Countess, and their live-in domestic staff. It is a good example of the kind of country home that successful businessmen were building or living in, within an hour's train journey into London. After the First World War, followed by the 1920's depression, such houses became uneconomical, which may be the reason why Hawkswick was demolished in 1931. The owners, or later tenants, were:

George Fernley Whittingstall,   c1870 - 1873

George Checkland,   1873 - 1879

John Sherriff Hill,   1881- 1897

Dowger Countess of Limerick,   1898-1900

Walter Reynolds,  1900 - 1924

I have updated the biographical information about the families who lived there, including additional press coverage. Further information about the house, with an emphasis on its description based on  several surviving sales brochures is available in Christine Aitken's excellent book on Childwickbury - which I have just reviewed. Christine and I used very different sources, and as a result our two accounts nicely complement each other.

St Michaels

St Albans

In addition I have taken the opportunity to restructure the pages on the parish of St Michael, part of which was in the borough of St Albans and the rest (including Childwickbury, Hawksbury and Gorhambury) were in the rural part of the parish.

Was "Sydbie" a Hertfordshire painter

Sopwell Nunnery, St Albans, by "Sydbie"

In about 1905 a series of six distinctive post cards, painted by "Sydbie" appeared showing historic views of the Barnet area appeared - and that seemed to only mention I could find of him. (A Google image search only shows the post cards I show on my web site.)

   Now I have discovered two further post cards, one of Sopwell Nunnery, and the other of the ruined house at Gorhambury which have his signature. They were published in the Pelham series by Boots, the chemists, possibly about 1910.

   I am wondering if he (or she) was a Hertfordshire artist, and whether other works by "Sydbie" exists.

Gorhambury - The St Albans home of the Earls of Verulam

I recently acquired this 1950s guide to Gorhambury and decided to update the pages dealing with the house. The main Gorhambury page has been reformatted and now includes a number of links to information held elsewhere. I have also updated the review page for the book The Grimstons of Gorhambury.