Alton and surrounding area

[JaneRH]

If you have Alton and district ancestors then I might be able to help. Jane (Sec. Friends of the Curtis Museum)

[LizzieW]

Wow - thanks for the offer Jane.

My 2 x g.grandparents William and Alice Brand were living in Alton at least between 1855 and 1859 when two of their children were born, address given as High Street, in 1856 and 1859 respectively.  They definitely weren't there in 1851 and by 1861 they had moved on again.  William was a hairdresser and from the Post Office Directory of 1855, William Brand (shown as Brind) was the only hairdresser listed on High Street Alton.  According to my mother, during his career he did the hair of the rich and famous - Jane Austen comes to mind - but that is all speculation of course.

I'd like to know if it is possible to pinpoint whereabouts he lived on High Street and is William mentioned in any advertising etc. (apart from the Post Office Directory that I found on Historicaldirectories.org).  It's also possible that he was mentioned in local newspapers as, it appears he was a bit of a drinker 

As I don't live very far from Alton, but have never got round to visiting the Museum, if you do think there might be any info, I will make the trip over.

Many thanks.

Lizzie

[JaneRH]

Dear Lizzie - I have found William Brand, hairdresser, in Market Street (some directories were not very precise about the streets) in a 1859 directory and the Poor Rate for 1856 shows a James Brand living at the bottom of Market Street near to where it joins High Street, rateable value £6 (about where the flower shop and/or Holybourne Rare Books are). This is the only Brand in Alton and they may have made a mistake with his first name or - was there a James Brand also living with him?
The building was owned by James Jefferis who had a drapers on the opposite corner. Sadly the brand dwelling was demolished to widen Market Street corner many years ago. The house on the corner is shown in picture 126 in ‘Bygone Alton’ but all other pictures that I know of date from after the demolition.
I am afraid it is not possible for William to have cut Jane Austen’s hair as she died about 30 years before he arrived in Alton. The building he rented was a small one and classed as a ‘cottage’ in the Rate Book - if he did cut the hair of the rich and famous it was not in Alton.
I see that his children were not baptised in the parish church nor in the Independent or Methodist Chapels. You mention local papers. The one that covered Alton was The Hampshire Chronicle but that had Alton news only when there was room and it was sent in. You can look through it on film at the Hampshire Record Office.
I do not think that you will find anything in the Museum as William was in Alton for such a short time.    Yours Jane

[richarde1979]

Hello Jane

Thanks for the kind offer.

Don't know if you will be able to help me with either of these but here goes.

First looking for information on my ancestor Joel Simpson. He died 1801 in East Tisted, and was married there twice, first in 1779, second in 1790. He was presumably born around 1750-60. A search of the parish registers for East Tisted produced nothing, but the first marriage does have him, of Farringdon, at that time so he was perhaps born and baptised there. If you can help trace him much appreciated.

Second concerns my great-grandmothers three brothers, Lewis James Pink, Herbert William Pink, and Albert Pink. They all joined up as young men in 1914, Herbert and Albert in the 'Portmouth Pals' Battalion to go off and fight in WWI. Sadly all three were killed, Lewis 17.10.1915 at Gallipoli, Herbert 26.09.1917 at Ypres, and finally Albert 25.03.1918 at Arras. Their adress, their mothers home (none were yet married), was Warrenside, Froxfield. I have a photo of their entry on the Memorial Plaque up in Froxfield Church, and on the Local War Memorial. However no surviving photos of any of the brothers have remained in our family. I was told on a 1914-1918 forum that these deaths usually got a write up in the local papers, some times with photo, and that with three deaths in the same family, this is even more likely. Does the Curtis Musueum hold any old papers for the region or info that could possibly help?

Many Thanks

Richard

[LizzieW]

Hi Jane

The reason I quoted High Street as the address for William Brand, was that is the address given on the birth certificates of the two children he had who were born in Alton.  Maybe he had hairdressing premises on Market St, but lived on the High Street.  I do not know a James Brand, he was neither, his father,  a sibling, nor child of William Brand, so maybe it was a mistake with William's name.

I only mentioned Jane Austen as I know her brother was supposed to have lived in Alton at some time.  In fact, before the Brands came to Alton they were in London, which is where I think my mother said he used to do the hair of high class people.  He possibly did, until his drinking took over.

I don't know Alton very well, I've been a couple of times but driven through a few times en route to Bordon.  Can you tell me if as you come in from Basingstoke, the High Street runs past the village green and into Alton.  Is it still the same name when it  turns right towards Sainsbury's with M & S on the corner.  What is the name of the road that used to go straight on before it became no entry?  Is that where you say Market St and High St join?

Thank you for the information about the owner of the building that you think he probably lived in.

Regarding baptism, I hadn't thought of where the two children born in Alton were baptised, as I do not have baptismal details for any of their 6 children so maybe they weren't baptised.  I would have thought that was rather unusual at the time.

Lizzie

[JaneRH]

Dear Richard - a Joel Sympson was baptised 19 September 1756, son of John and Elizabeth, in Silchester. As it is such an unusual name this is probably your man.
As regards the Pink brothers - Froxfield is a little out of our area and our local paper does not really go that far. I would have said that it would come under Petersfield and they have a museum (try their web site). The other possibility is the Hampshire Chronicle which is on film at the Hampshire Record Office or a Portsmouth paper which should be at the Portsmouth Record Office or Library. Our papers did not often have pictures in at this date, I’m afraid.  Yours Jane

[richarde1979]

Thanks for the info Jane. 1756, date certainly fits ok. I will look into the Petersfield museum and see if they can help with the newspaper reports then. Many Thanks, is much appreciated.

[Ann E]

Hello Jane,
I see your very kind offer,
Please do you have any info on this family
William Ryder married Rose Knight, March 6th 1897 Alton
they had 3 boys, 1898 William Sidney G, 1905 Harry Frederick W, 1906 Arthur Lawrence all born Alton
I  do have all the census for this family.

William Sidney George married Isabella Maggie Winter sometime in 1915 Alton, he died 9.8.1918, in WW1 age 22, is he on a Memorial  in Alton?

William Ryder died 15 April 1907 age 32 years, after serving in South Africa for some years, I don’t know where he is buried. His widow Rose Ryder married a George Hutchins in Alton Hutchins in about 1913 I have no other info.

William S G Ryder widow Isabella Maggie remarried to Maurice L Goddard in 1922,I don’t have any more info.
Thank you any info will be most welcome .
 Ann

[robbo43]

Hi Jane,

Just noticed your kind offer.  I have a quite modern query which I dont know if you can help with.  I wondered if the local paper in Alton had carried an account of the marriage of Peter John Colston to Kathleen Mary Swales on 19 July 1952 in the parish church.  We have no photographs or other family records of the marriage and would like to fill in gaps - guests, reception etc

Thanks

Robert