I am keen to trace anyone who knows of any descendants of John and Hannah Owen of Hatch Gate, Cold Ash they were the parents of 9 children George, John, Anne, Matilda, Lucy, William (my great grandfather), Sarah (mother of William House VC Winner), Hannah was laid at the prancing Horse prior to burial at St. Mary’s. I believe John was the son of Francis and Mary Owen who maybe were married at Bucklebury? I am now living on Harts Hill Road, Thatcham and would extremely grateful for anyone with any local knowledge of the Owen family circa 1790 and before They were from an agricultural background and I know 2 generations were farming at Cold Ash. I have found out that John and Hannah were married on 16th of October 1851 John was the son of James and Mary Owen Beleived to be from the Thatcham area and Hannah was the daughter of Charles and Anne Tidbury of Midgham.
Yours Sincerely
Clive Owen
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Hi,Since my contact last year
Hi,Since my contact last year things have moved on somewhat. Just to recap I discovered I had distant relations in the Thatcham area as my couzin had been search for our forebears. I found myself through my work offered a position in Reading. I subsequently found a property in a rural area on Harts Hill Road. I set about searching for anyone with knowledge of my distant relations. I must admit to being more than midly surprised when I found the areas of Hatchgate where my great grandfather was born and lived with his Parents John and Hannah Owen and several siblings.
Hannah who was born Hannah Tidbury in Ashmore Green and John were the grandparents of William Howse the VC winner from the Bore War. Hannah who died in the Alms houses on Chapel street in 1908 was the daughter of Charles and Ann Tidbury of Midgham Green. I have traced this line of Tidbury's back to Thomas Tidbury who was born in the area in 1706. I am keen to discuss with anyone with knowledge further back. Since my family tracings have progressed I have been given by my couzin a walkin stick presented to William Owen (Former Bluecoat schoolboy) my great grandfather by Camberwell police. It is made of Ebony with deerhorn handle and has a silver band with an inscribed shield, reading presented to William Owen by the men and officers of camberwell police station for assisting a constable with a dangerous criminal dated 25 of July 1905.
Having studied the farm at Hatchgate Cold Ash where they lived and worked, I have discovered that it borders the farm land where I now live. I have found other descendants of the Tidbury and Owen family spread around the globe and all parts of the UK. I am now writing a novel based on my Forbears and the areas in which they lived and worked and would be keen to discuss with interest anyone who has knowledge of Cold Ash, Ashmore Green, Bucklebury, Henwick, Midgham, Shaw, Thatcham, Colthrop Mill, all farms and the Farming community and working class folk of Victorian times. Any information and geographical layouts circa 1800.
Yours Sincereley
Clive Owen
Hello - I too had relatives
Hi Sandy, I am also related
Hello Clive, I came across
Hello Clive,
I came across your letter whilst browsing the Thatcham Historical Society magazine online. I too have an interest in Hatchgate Farm, Cold Ash as I have ancestors who lived there. In 1851 my great, great grandfather Isaac Mathews married Esther Bosley across the great Victorian social divide.
Isaac came from an old and wealthy farming family who had farmed in Hampstead Norris and surrounding villages for hundreds of years. Esther was of the labouring class and her family lived in Bucklebury . Isaac was the elder son and his marriage was not acceptable to his family, they were 'shamed' by the connection with Esther. Isaac was cut out of his grandmother's will, lost his inheritance and became a tenant farmer.
There was, according to family lore no further connection with his family. Either the Mathews or Isaac sent Esther to Steventon to be educated where she did well. I am not sure when Isaac and Esther moved to farm Hatchgate but they were there running the farm for many years until Isaac died in 1897 when the family left and moved into Thatcham What is not known as yet is who owned Hatchgate and I suspect that that either Isaac's father was the owner or a Mathews relative.
I am interested to know which of your relatives worked on Hatchgate and what they did there. I have a few photos of the family, taken in front of the house and also in front of some very delapidated barns, now coverted into houses, I think. Isaac and Esther are buried at the church at Cold Ash. With best wishes,
Mary Wallace-James.
Hello Mary, I did reply to
Hello Mary,
I did reply to the em address but it got returned so here goes again. Although not researching the Mathews family directly one of my interests did send a letter to Mr. T. Mathews of Hampstead Norris in 1851.
This, I believe, is probably the brother of Isaac ? If so he was living in 1851 at Lower Farm, Water Street, H. Norris as Head of House farmer of 380 acres along with brother Thomas and sister Mary. All unmarried at this time and shown as born at Bucklebury. I am sure by now that you already have the above details. I would be interested if anyone knows anything of the farms about this time at Harts Hill near Thatcham.
No specific address just ''Harts Hill'' but living with his family from about 1846 to around 1871 as a ''Farm Labourer''.
Thanks, Jane
Hello Jane, I have only just
Hello Mary, I do not know if
Hello, I did send a comment
Hello Clive I would very
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