Herald - Issue 414

Page 6 • The HERALD • 28th October 2021 v PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 27 YEARS v Waterside Furnishings & Re-Upholstery 023 8020 7895 16 Marsh Parade, Hythe (Opposite Hythe Club) Est 2006 RE-UPHOLSTERY NEW AND USED FURNITURE NEW AND USED FURNITURE RE-UPHOLSTERY • Digital Aerial & Satellite Installations • Repairs & Servicing • TV Distribution Points • TVWall Mounting & Installations • Freesat HD/Freeview HD • Sky, Sky+, Sky HD • SMATV & IRS Systems • DAB/FMAerial Installations CAI Company of the Year 2014 Humphries Digital Aerials Keith Humphries & Son All Areas Covered Tel: 023 8066 7362 Email: humphriesaerials@btconnect.com • Website: www.humphriesdigitalaerials.co.uk A Family Firm Est 1971 Chris Hopkins Painting, Decorating, Carpentry, Tiling Free Estimates Photographs & references available on request Telephone: 023 8081 5210 Mobile: 07986 806277 All General Plumbing • Boiler Installations • Boiler Breakdowns • Gas Appliance Servicing • Central Heating Repairs 023 8089 9300 07917 445369 petertarr1@hotmail.co.uk Reg: 3515993 PETERTARR Gas, Plumbing & Heating A BLAST FROM THE PAST - How the Spedding Family Came to Exbury by Robin Somes, Fawley & Blackfield Memories On a perfect summer day in July, my niece was married in St Katharine’s Church at Exbury. Before her, 6 previous generations of Speddings have been christened, married and buried there, and the family are well-known locally. What is less well-known is that they originated far away in Northumberland, over 250 years ago. It seems implausible that an ordinary working family would make the 350-mile journey from a small town in the north-east unaided, so this is the story of their arrival here. John Spedding, my 3rd-great grandfather, was born in Morpeth, Northumberland, in 1770. ere are many Speddings in the north of England, so tracking them down is di cult, but John married Isabella Miller in Gateshead, in 1792. e couple had at least 8 children before moving to Exbury, where a further two were born. My father always said John had moved south village, to house estate workers. Later, in 1827, he had St Katharine’s Church built, to replace the small chapel at Lower Exbury. e Mitford family who owned Exbury had relatives at Mitford Castle, a few miles from Morpeth. At least 4 of John and Isabella Spedding’s children are known to have been born and baptised in the village of Mitford, so it is no stretch of the imagination to conclude that they had a connection to the Mitford family estate. At some point a er 1809 (when their son Jacob was born in Northumberland), the family moved south; in 1814 their daughter was christened in Lower Exbury chapel. It seems almost certain that the family moved to take up work with the Mitfords’ southern relatives, and the censuses of the mid-1800’s record them here as agricultural labourers. Some of the family later returned to Northumberland – son James became an iron foundry labourer in Gateshead – but the rest stayed around Exbury and Lepe, where many of their descendants remain. In a later article, we will explore more of their lives. with a steam plough, though since the plough was not invented until the 1850’s, perhaps he had his Speddings mixed up. So, why did the family move? In 1718, the ownership of the manor of Exbury passed to William Mitford; at that time the village stood at Lower Exbury, near the mouth of the Beaulieu River. In the early 1800’s, William Mitford’s grandson - also William - decided to create a new Exbury St Katharine’s Church, Exbury School Governors Required Beaulieu Village Primary School is looking for committed governors to join the governing body at this small, friendly village school. Every school has a governing body made up of parents, sta and people from the local community, all working together with the head teacher to set the general direction, strategy, budget and policies that govern the way the school works. Commitment and interest are the key quali cations to being a governor; nance skills or experience in forging community links would be desirable but not essential. As a co-opted governor bringing speci c work/life skills, you will contribute a valuable perspective to strategic management of the school. You will need to be able to give some time to attend meetings (daytime and evening) of which there are 10 per year, read paperwork, visit the school as a governor and undertake appropriate training. Meetings are relaxed and the governors are friendly and welcoming. For more information, please visit the school website: www.beaulieuschool. org.uk or contact the Clerk, Jane Baker: j.baker@beaulieu.hants.sch.uk for more information – closing date is noon on Friday 5th November 2021 .